Behavior Essay

Behavior Essay To Teacher: Shukrya Student Name: Nadeem M7md Grade: 10BB School: ISCS I am writing this essay for Mrs. Shukrya because I acted inappropriately in her class today. Mrs. Shukrya has discussed my misbehavior with me and I understand why I have received this disciplinary assignment. I have also been informed that this essay would be the punishment for any unacceptable behavior in Mrs. Shukrya’s class. The reason Mrs. Shukrya does not tolerate misbehavior is because she cares about me and my success in school.It is important to her that I do well in my classes and earn good grades. It is also important to her that I learn study skills, independent work habits, and self-discipline. Self-discipline is one of the most important things I can learn in school; with that skill I can accomplish many things. I need to learn self-discipline so I can act appropriately in class and progress further toward my goals. Acting silly, goofing off, wasting valuable class time, and act ing immature are all signs of disrespectful behavior – not only toward Mrs.Shukrya,  but also toward my classmates who are trying to get the most out of their education. Along with self-discipline, respect for others is an extremely important thing to learn. I need to realize that there is a time and place for everything. There are times for fun and times for serious work. Mrs. Shukrya’s class is a time for working hard to make good grades and learn study skills. There will be time for fun later – after school and on the weekends – but in class I need to focus on my schoolwork.It may not seem important to me now, but it will be at some point, and Mrs. Shukrya knows this even if I don’t yet. Acting the correct way in class will show respect to my teacher and my classmates. It will also benefit me on many levels. I won’t have to write this essay again, I’ll learn more in class, I’ll get more homework and studying done, and my g rades will improve. However, if I choose to break the rules again, I will have to face the consequences again. That is how life works.

Pros and cons of online research Essay

Technology Advisory Board is a leading international online marketing research and marketing consulting firm where engineers, scientists, computer scientists, information systems professionals, software developers, web developers, and executives in technology industries all over the world come to share ideas, opinions, and suggestions by participating in online research interviews and scientific surveys. The site also believes that respondent will learn as a panel member about upcoming technology trends and developments (since respondent have access to survey results giving one an opportunity to learn what one peers are thinking anytime). In addition, as a panel member one can earn extra cash by participating in an online survey or discussion and the amount depends on the length of the survey or discussion. The site also helps major international corporations, governmental agencies, and universities better informed about intelligent decisions relating to technology-related issues, new equipment and devices, and new software systems and services. The site faces a lot of challenges that will be discussed in the next paragraph. One of the obstacles to collecting information internationally from the panel members is the lack of consistency by the site information. Respondent have to update account each time he/she is to login into his account and the account information is not well documented. This can frustrate the respondent thereby hindering one of the objectives of the site in getting adequate views and opinions of respondents. The unavailability of the site services to all countries is another negative effect the site is facing as a global online research marketer. When some countries are restricted in participating, then I believe it is not a global marketing research marketer. In addition to the percentage of households without internet access in the world, technology advisory board must take the opportunity of reaching the remaining segment of people with access to internet through innovative ways of conducting the research. One option is to encourage the use of offline means of participating, since the online means is the only one used. Another option is using both the qualitative and the quantitative statistical models to get respondent views either offline or online. Lastly, technology advisory board can introduce offline e-mail survey which is inexpensive compared to the conventional online survey. However, the site makes use of the advantage of the versatility that the increased penetration of broadband offers online research marketers. In addition, the online survey is very fast in terms of getting speedy opinions and views from respondents. More importantly, online research marketers should develop marketing strategies not just from the findings of online research, but also the offline findings. What they can do is to encourage the introduction or use of the offline findings. They can do this by introducing new strategies in form of sending offline mails to panel members and require their opinions. In addition, they could introduce the use of feedbacks in their sites by asking respondents to give views about how the marketing research can be improved. On the other hand, both qualitative and quantitative research is needed before strategy can be defined by the marketers and this is necessary in forming new ways of improving online marketing research. In conclusion, the use of online marketing research has only being on the increased in the US than any other country in the world. I think this service should be encouraged especially in Asian, African and Latin American countries where it is believed marketers can capture demand in the nearest future. References Survey: Internet Should Remain Open to All. Marketing Memos: The Pro and Cons of Online Research Retrieved May 14, 2010, from http://www. consumeraffairs. com Technology Advisory Board (2010) Retrieved May 14, 2010, from http://www. technologyboard. com Consumers Losing Confidence in Online Commerce, Banking. Retrieved May 14, 2010, from http://www. consumeraffairs. com

Cultural Influence on Human Development Essay

It is important to understand why culture affects and is an integral part of human development and should not be overlooked. Demographic experts predict that the human population will reach 9 billion by 2050, but the rise will not occur equally around the world. The existing demographic divide between the wealthy developed countries and the poor developing countries will only widen because majority of the increase will occur among the developing countries whilst that of the former will actually decline progressively. As it is, the combined population of developed countries only make up 18% of the total world population, and 9 of 10 individuals living here are in the top 20% of the global income distribution. In contrast, about 40% of the world’s population lives on less than two dollars per day (Arnett, 2012). Variations in human development occur because of differences in cultural settings, which in turn are significantly impacted by socioeconomic status (SES) of a group. Edu cational level, income level, and occupational status are all parameters within the SES. It pervades all aspects of human development, from risk of infant mortality to quality of education and job prospects to affording healthcare in old age. It is no surprise that differences in SES are sharp between developed and developing countries. Like SES, gender and ethnicity are strong drivers of culture and are key factors in development. The dichotomy is blurred now, but throughout our history cultural expectations of men and women have been vastly different. The Hunter-gatherer way of live evolved because our Homo ancestors needed to adapt to the long infant dependency to the mother, who remained in a stable home base caring for the offspring and gathering edibles within reach while the males ventured out to hunt for food. An extreme example of women assuming a secondary role occurred in Imperial China (10th or 11th century) where young women of the wealthy elite who did not need them to work were subjected to painful foot binding to prevent further growth. This was a display of status and became the symbol of beauty in Chinese culture. So deep-seated is the gender difference in Antiquity that it manifested in the ancient conceptions of human development that the three ancient religions – Dharmashastras (Hindu), G reek (conceived by the philosopher Solon), and the holy Talmud (Jewish) – were all written by and for men only. Women were excluded from areas such as religious leadership and philosophy. Religion,  along with race and language, is a component of ethnicity. Recent scientific conceptions of human development also hinge on the influence of the social environment. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory (Bronfenbrenner, 2005) draws attention to the broader cultural environment beyond the mother-child relationship that people experience as they develop. He distinguishes an exosystem of social institutions – school, religion, and media – that have indirect but pivotal influences on development. His more encompassing macrosystem of cultural beliefs and values form the foundation of economic and governmental systems. Middle Eastern countries possess governments and economic systems that are based on Islam. Conversely, developed countries believe in the value of individual freedom and this is reflected in their capitalist economy and democratic government. No matter how we look at it, every aspect of human development be it biological, psychological or social, is invariably intertwined with culture. Moreover, a study on human development that focuses on the 18% of the world’s population living in developed countries that can fund major research undertaking is both inadequate and unfair. Poor developing countries have rich and complex cultural systems that have legitimate impact on human development. Therefore it is vital that we learn about human development as it is experienced around the world.

A Honduran Immigrant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Honduran Immigrant - Essay Example American immigration policy is unfair as it often leads to the separation of families on a long-term basis.Enrique begs for his mother to come back. The following is a sound description of the despair many separated families have to endure;â€Å"Without her, he becomes lonely and troubled. When she calls, Lourdes tells him to be patient. Enrique despairs of ever seeing her again.† Nazario uses her book to contend that whilst illegal immigrants believe that they will only be temporarily separated from their loved ones reality is less appealing for them;â€Å"Enrique sets off alone from Tegucigalpa, with little more than a slip of paper bearing his mother’s North Carolina telephone number.Enrique like many thousands of his contemporaries are faced with the choice of enduring continued separation, or making a dangerous trip to the United States; Enrique pushes forward using his wit, courage, and hope–and the kindness of strangers. The restrictive immigration policy followed by the United States is arguably dangerous to the families and the individuals that wish to enter the country illegally via the borders with Canada as well as Mexico. For illegal immigrants from a Hispanic background, the general preference is to illegally enter the country from Mexico. Thus, in conclusion, the restrictive immigration policy followed by the United States is arguably dangerous to the families and the individuals that wish to enter the country illegally via the borders with Canada as well as Mexico. For illegal immigrants from a Hispanic background, the general preference is to illegally enter the country from Mexico. Contemporary critics of the present United States immigration policy argue that it is far too restrictive, as well as being unfair. American immigration policy is considered unfair as it often leads to the separation of families upon a long-term basis, whilst not preventing illegal immigration anyway.

Grammar check Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Grammar check - Essay Example Therefore, to be successful in the market place, the challenges for all businesses regardless of the size is to invest and strategically manage their human resources. This paper presents a study on the human resource management practices at the Al Rajhi bank in Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted using both the secondary and primary research methods. Qualitative analysis of the information collected leads to the inference that the bank has excellent human resource practices, which is guided by a deliberate overlapping of the business initiatives with the employee training needs for the organizations. The study has stated certain recommendations based on the findings of this study. These are aimed at improving the bank’s performance in the future. Table of Contents Chapter One 4 1.1 Introduction 4 1.2 Background of the study 5 1.3 The Al Rajhi Bank Company outline 6 Divisions of operations 7 1.4 HRM practices of Al Rajhi bank 9 1.5 Objective and scope of study 9 Primary objec tive: 9 1.6 Limitation of the study 10 Chapter Two 11 2.0 Literature Review 11 2.1 Saudi Arabia banking sectors: 12 Saudi Arabia experiences one of the fastest growths in the global banking industry. Even in the time of global financial turmoil, Saudi Arabia banking industry had shown impressive year-on-year growth results. The Saudi Arabia banking has strong credit growth, averaging 14.4% in 2012, and deposit grew 7.9% YoY, customer lending grew at 18.3% yoy, while corporate lending has growth of 10.6% at the same period. The Saudi Arabia banking sector has middle-sized financial sectors according to the IMF. The Saudi Arabia banks have a trend of adequate capitalization, and a good loan-to-deposit ratios and low exposure to foreign debt and toxic loans. All these positive results related to gaining astounding benefits from relatively high oil prices. 12 Figures: Saudi economic & banking sector growth 12 Saudi Arabia has a modern banking industry with 13 commercial banks that provi de retail and corporate banking, investment services, derivative transactions, credit cards, ATMs and point-of-sale transaction. There are also non-Islamic banking that provides Islamic banking services that are consistent with the principles of Islamic law, which prohibit the collection of interest on deposits and trading in financial risk. 13 2.2 Human Resource Management (HRM) 13 2.3 Employees Training and Development at Alrajhi bank 14 2.1.1 Employee Training 14 Leadership and management skills 15 Personal effectiveness 15 Phases of Training at Al Rajhi bank 15 Trainings at Al Rjhi conducted an internal and external session. Internal training involves when training organized in-house training through human resource department or training department using a senior staff or talented staff in a particular department. The external training normally arranged outside the firm and mostly organized by training institution and consultant. Whichever training, attendant is mandatory for al l employees. 15 Orientation program 16 Training issues and problems 17 2.4 HR planning 18 HR Planning refers to the procedure that comprises of setting of aims and objectives, budgeting, conducting planning that is strategic in nature and execution as well as assessment of programs (Durai 109). One of the main tasks of HR managers is to forecast the

Business Management (Social Responsibility and Ethics ) Essay

Business Management (Social Responsibility and Ethics ) - Essay Example As a result, several business ethics theories have been developed. It is worth noting that accurate guidance of ethical principles is quite fundamental if business ethics is to comprise of a substantive discipline (Green 2004). The quest for such business ethics principles has given birth to a number of theories which have been tailored to suit the business environment. For the purpose of this paper, only two of these theories will be discussed. In addition, this paper will provide a basic definition of corporate stakeholder groups as well as corporate social responsibility and thereafter, the paper will describe how the relationship between a corporation and at least two of its stakeholder groups can be managed through corporate social responsibility activities. The paper will also anticipate some potential conflicts which might occur in the process of management. Business management has undoubtedly taken a new shape due to stiff competition in the business field. Business management generally involves getting all the concerned individuals together to bring about desired business goals and objectives. In basic terms, business management consist of planning, organizing staffing as well as directing a group of persons with an aim of accomplishing the desired goals of a business. Due to the undying quest for corporations to compete effectively and gain high rates of return, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming an essential or else a fundamental activity to businesses globally. Now that the world is increasingly becoming a global village and large business organisations serve as global providers, they (corporations) are increasingly acknowledging the benefits of making available Corporate Social Responsibility programs in their every division of the organisation. It is quite worthwhile to note that there is an increasing recognition of the immense contribution of the private sector on the society. The

Argument against Execution of Capital Punishment Essay

Argument against Execution of Capital Punishment - Essay Example Utilitarian believe that it is not morally permissible to punish criminals in order to give them what they deserve by exacting retribution on them. They have a problem with retribution in as it advocates the infliction of suffering without any compensating gain for happiness. This paper is going to analyze the utilitarian’s support for capital punishment and then argue against that support.They are of the view that if the death penalty can deter, then there is an auxiliary argument for its use. The statistical evidence is inconclusive. According to common sense, there are reasons for believing that the death penalty deters some would-be murderers from murdering. Van den Haag’s is the best proponent of this view terming it as the ‘Best Bet’ argument. He said that, â€Å"If we value the saving of innocent lives more highly than the loss of the guilty, then to bet on a policy of capital punishment turns out to be rational.† By doing an effective cost be nefit analysis of capital punishment, we find that it has more disadvantages than advantages. To begin with, just by looking at the fact that those condemned to death do everything in their power to postpone it and to get their sentences reduced to long-term prison sentences, we are able to deduce that the death penalty is feared as an evil to be avoided. The society condemns murder as a serious offense. . Capital punishment is in itself murder as it involves killing. We can therefore deduce that capital punishment is murder, and therefore it is wrong.

Child Abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Child Abuse - Essay Example More importantly, the involvement of parents in their children’s healing process and reduction of violent risks are also examined closely. Through qualitative evaluation, outcomes of case study includes realization that both parties, the violated children and abusive parents, need to be critically assessed and, educated and treated, for risks of future physical abused to be eliminated. Moreover, the role of nurses in the whole process of care is vital in bridging gaps between perpetrators and victims of violence. In conclusion, children are not the only groups that need to be subjected to intense nursing assessment and management; the perpetrators (parents) are also included in the overall plan of nursing care in order to improve the rampant status of physical abuse in children. ... Child abuse is a collective term frequently seen in community households. This is generally a form of maltreatment in vulnerable groups, such as young children and elderly individuals. As explained by Giardino and Giardino (2010), specific in most abuse is the â€Å"presence of an injury...(contracted) at the hands of his or her caregiver† (p. 1). In an abusive family, the parents are pointed out as culprits in the scene (Humphreys & Campbell, 2010). Hence, it is safe to say that during child abuse, their supposed protectors are the ones inflicting both physical and physiologic damage. In the advent of clinical and mental interventions, American Psychiatric Society (2004) emphasized that clinical priority in this is mainly centered on the victims. Yet, as this is also a family dispute, the involvement of the perpetrators in the holistic therapy is deemed important in the clinical setting. For this reason, the case presentation will focus on a thorough assessment in identifying the presence of abuse, as well as related nursing interventions targeting resolutions in the conditions surrounding child victims and their perpetrators. Basic Assessment Measures in Physical Abuse Child abuse is a difficult case to prove. The first step towards the process of keeping victims safe is â€Å"detection and identification,† a recognition that such incidents can happen in the community (Videbeck, 2010, p. 187). Hence, nurses involved in direct care of clients need to maintain an open mind and critical attitude in order to aptly identify risk factors increasing the likelihood of children suffering from physical abuse. In the nursing process of uncovering the truth, White (2004) suggests inclusion of both subjective and objective data

Peony Pavilion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Peony Pavilion - Essay Example Peony Pavilion Her maid suggests her to abandon her dull studies and to take a walk in the garden. In the garden she falls asleep and has a beautiful dream about her lover. In the dream, she makes intense love to him but on waking up she is unable to remember much of her dream. She even tries to look for her lover, but all in vain. This further disappoints her and she starves her self to death. Before dying, however, she paints a beautiful picture of herself and requests that it must be placed next to her grave. Her mother decides to bury her under a plum tree. After her death, she goes to hell where she tells the judge about her story. Impressed by her beauty and touched by her tale, the judge orders to let go of her. She is even told that her marriage with her lover is predestined. After release, her ghost wanders in the garden where her body is buried. On the other side, Liu Mengmei is young improverished scholar who has taken up the journey to the capital to give his civil service examinations. He also dreams of a young girl who informs him that she could bring him happiness and prosperity.On his way , he visits the garden where Du Liniang is buried. He discovers her picture next to her shrine, and falls in love with her. The Ghost appears and they both make refined love to each other, After that, Du convinces Lui of her state, that she is mere ghost and also convinces him to exhume her by digging up her grave so that her soul and body can reunite. With the help of Flower Goddess, the reunion of flesh and soul takes place and they formally get married. In the last section of the story, Du presses upon her husband to convince her parents that she is back to life. However, that brings her husband the wrath of her father. He is accused of and punished for grave robbing. In the mean time the results of his civil service exams are out and he has cleared them. On this account, he is granted pardon by the Emperor. On the other hand, Du convinces her father , with much effort, that she is back to life and that love is so powerful that even death succumbs to it. This final section contains some of most sweetest and hilarious pieces of Kunqu operas.(Hsien-Tsu) Though the story has an deus ex machina ending which means that it is very brupt in the end. Certain characters and twists in the plot are introduced to bring out the desired result, a happy ending for all in this play.Nonetheless , the story is a great masterpiece of creativity in many ways. The kunqu form of art adds to breathtaking power of the play, specially its three poems , "Travelling in the Garden", "The Dream Interrupted" and "Searching for the Dream" are marvellous in its expression of emotions and drama in form of music and dance. The play is basically written criticize and defy the concepts of Neo-Confucianism that was prevalent in the 16th century China. The latter placed high value and emphasis on proper behaviour and etiquettes. It demanded a complete suppression of feeling, dreams and desires and a display of rigid , unemphathic manners. As we know , that those who suffer most under such repressive cnditions are women who are asked to suppress their desires to an inhumane and unbearable extent. This political philosophy argued that mind and reason are of highest importance and cause of human happiness and success. However , Xianz in his play tried to attack the

History of Western Art Essay Example for Free

History of Western Art Essay It entered into the register in 1593 and was there for a period of 47 years. Venus is the goddess of love, while Adonis is a handsome mortal. The woman image (Venus) is seen, assisted by a small child, trying to restrain Adonis from setting off. The woman is naked while the man is in a hunter’s attire. Some hunting dogs are also seen by the man’s side. This painting shows only a small part of Adonis and Venus. The artist focused only on the two characters; Venus wanting Adonis’ embrace but Adonis is refusing and this is clear in the painting. It can also be seen that behind her, there are some flowers and a small thicket. In this painting the artist has tried to use the least poses or none at all. This makes it unique from most other paintings. Another ingredient of the uniqueness of this painting is that the artist has fairly restricted the gestures belonging to the two hovering figures. He has actually used calmness in such a situation that is so emotional. Le Dejeuner sur l’Herbe (1863) This was first presented to the salon in 1863. There is minimum use of lines. A naked woman with two men seated together in an absurd manner. At the background is another image of a woman slightly bending and appears to be bathing and facing the two men and the woman. The background is also dark as compared to the foreground. In fact, the woman looks brighter than anything else. The naked woman has her clothes spread all over with some food stuff in a basket at the lower side end, while one of her legs is stretched towards one of the men’s own space. How these two men are seated suggests that they have no business to do with the woman and they seem to be communicating with each other. Being ignored, this woman chooses to just look at the viewer shamelessly. On the other hand, the two men are in attire which is actually decent and it probably was fashionable during this period. And contours here have not been used; the artist has utilized light and paint. It is evident that a viewer’s emotional response will be determined by the image of the naked woman and at the first glance, will be left wondering about the situation that these two men are in; nicely dressed men sitting next to a blatant woman who has not even a single piece of a covering on her body, in fact on an open. Grande Odalisque by Ingres Created in 1814, it fit into the romanticism of between 1750 and 1850. It was fist shown in salon in 1819. It again has an image of a naked woman lying in something like a sofa and also posed in an unhurried manner. She has a small head, looking at the viewer, and a stretched out arms and legs. She has only shown her back and small part of her breast in the ingress painting; it is polished smoothly on the surface and has simple contours drawn round in a rhythmic manner. The eventful material by the woman’s side complements the smooth body planes. The painter seems to be bringing out a relationship between colors and tone in a way that it is hard for one to forget. During this period, the concubines had a duty of merely satisfying sultan’s bodily pleasures. For this purpose, the artist has symbolically elongated the area around her pelvis. Furthermore, the way this woman has posed and her position in relation to her pelvis is an illustration of how deep and complex the emotions and the thoughts of the woman are. The romantic founders cast-off some common approaches and looked for freedom of expression through their art work. By doing this, they concentrated much on freedom in self-expression, mantic love, individualism, and adventure. Another dominant concept they used is the inspirational idea of dealing with pain, terror, power and darkness. This, of course, is not difficult for humans. Hence romantic artists have engaged a variety of styles and ways in their work even in neglecting the strict academia. This is displayed by Ingress in his Grande Odalisque work. From the above, it can be seen that the three images differ in some way. First, how the paintings are done differs from one another. For instance, while we are have wide use of lines and contours in Grande Odalisque, minimal of these features are employed in the Le Dejeuner sur l’Herbe. another. The difference is that, the images were produced at different times and hence their themes are also different and each has a theme that is in line with the period it was created. Thirdly, we have different artists for the different images and as such since every artist has a different taste from another, definitely their work will be different. In as much as these differences exist, there are also similarities between these images. It is clear in all images that romance has been the major, or one of the major, themes and in every case the main character is a woman. Another major similarity is the nudeness of the women in every image. With all these, I still disagree that these nudes were consistent with the general trends of the period. This is because at some instances, the nudes behaved in a very awkward manner such as staying completely naked in public, and leaving the viewer questioning their moral standards. The difference is as a result of the fact that the artists have different ways of symbolizing events ant ideas and, as said earlier, they have different tastes. The similarity is as a result of the fact that each of the artists wants to divert from the tradition of the academic style and wants to embrace freedom. Every artist in these three images has shown the woman to be the major character and a suitable object of bringing out the real feeling of what each of them wants to communicate. Nudeness was actually such an enduring subject in western art because every one of the images tries to bring out a theme in the best way possible and every artist did not want to be left behind and subject of the nudes had to be considered by them. References Calley G. K. , (2000). Romanticism. In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Effects Of Heat And PH On Plant Pigments Biology Essay

Effects Of Heat And PH On Plant Pigments Biology Essay The aim of this laboratory exercise is to determine and consider the effect of heat and pH on plant pigment by using the examples of peas, cranberry juice and blackberry juice. Carotenoids, chlorophylls and flavonoids are the three major groups of plant pigment. The results of this laboratory was that the different colour and texture of peas were caused by different pH. In addition, the heat and pH will influence the structure of carotenoids, chlorophylls and flavonoids so that changes the colour of the plant. Anthocyanins are water soluble that easily lose in water. INTRODUCTION: Plant pigments include a variety of different kinds of molecules that absorbs and reflects light. The various pigments contained in their tissues tell the colors differently because they have differing abilities to absorb and reflect various colors of light (Charley 1982). Most of the pigments occur in a specialised bodies lying in the protoplasm of the cell called plastids. Occasionally, the water soluble pigments are dissolved in the vacuoles however they are not generally dispersed throughout the cell. The main pigments of vegetables and fruits fall into two groups: water soluble and fat soluble (Srilakshmi 2003). Plant pigment can be classified as carotenoids, chlorophylls, and flavonoids. Flavonoid pigments are water soluble and it can be divided in to anthocyanins and anthoxanthins (Brown 2008). Anthocyanins are highly water soluble pigment that range in colour from red to purple. The anthoxanthins are colourless, white or pale yellow. However, flavonoid pigments are sensitive to heat and readily to be lost in cooking water (Charley 1982). Carotenoids and chlorophylls are fat soluble which are found in plastids. Carotenoids are the colour groups of yellow, orange and red. Carotenoids are present as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, gamma-carotene, xanthophylls and cryptoxanthin in plants (Hanson 1954). On the other hand, in green leaves they occur in chloroplasts. Chlorophylls are the green pigments of leaves that found in chloroplasts along with some carotenes and xanthophylls. In addition, it is critical for the light reactions of photosynthesis (Srilakshmi 2003). The pigments of chlorophyll that are commonly include chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. Chlorophyll a is dynamic blue green in colour and it is present in the florets of blue green broccoli. Chlorophyll b is dull yellow green colour and it is present in stalks. The different heat conditions caused the changes of the structure of chlorophyll which is connected with the loss of magnesium ion from the chlorophyll molecule and replaced by hydrogen therefore affects the colour of vegetables (Stathopoulos 2010). The factors including changes in temperature and pH may influence the colour of anthocyanin in plant food during simmering (Brown 2008). Acid tap water amplifies the red colour of anthocyanins. Alkaline water changes the reddish-blue to blue and then to green. This phenomenon of colour is because the changes in structure of the same basic compound (Srilakshmi 2003). Plant food have been recognised as a good source of carbohydrates and daily fibre. Plant food are also contain minerals and vitamins A, E, C, thiamin, vitamin B6, riboflavin, niacin and folate. Phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables, such as polyphenolics, carotenoids, and glucosinolates, may also have nutritional value (Jongen 2002). However, vegetables lose nutrients when they are cooked, mainly by solution to the cooking water (Charley 1982). The objective of this experiment is to consider the effect of heat and pH on plant pigment by using the examples of peas, cranberry juice and blue berry juice. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The methods and materials required to determine the effect of heat and pH on plant pigment were performed according to the laboratory manual. However, the blueberry juice was changed to blackberry juice. In addition, in the experiment of cranberry juice, group 2 did not collect the value of pH. RESULTS: Table 1: The class pH result of each group about chlorophyll. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Average Sample pH pH pH pH pH pH pH Peas + Distilled H2O 6.83 6.02 6.06 7.2 6.75 6.96 6.6 Peas + Vinegar + Distilled H2O 2.49 2.72 2.6 4.8 3.89 3.77 3.4 Peas + 1N NaOH + Distilled H2O 12.20 12.88 12.23 12.2 12.49 12.78 12.463 Peas + Vinegar + Cold Distilled H2O 2.77 2.97 2.5 4.04 3.65 3.68 3.3 Peas + 1N NaOH + Cold Distilled H2O 12.41 12.78 12.24 12.02 12.72 12.58 12.458 Canned Peas 5.95 5.37 5.2 6.15 5.90 6.17 5.8 According to Table 1, the example of peas with NaOH and distilled water has the highest average pH that is 12.463, followed by peas with NaOH and cold distilled water that is 12.458, which are very close. The lowest pH is peas with vinegar and distilled water that is 3.3. Table 2: The class colour results of each group about chlorophyll. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Sample Colour Colour Colour Colour Colour Colour Peas + Distilled H2O Bright green Bright Green Pea green Green Yellow green Light green 2. Peas + Vinegar + Distilled H2O Dull green Light/Pale Green Brown- green Faint Green Army green Olive 3.Peas + 1N NaOH + Distilled H2O Bright green Green Pea green Green Bright green Bright green 4. Peas + Vinegar + Cold Distilled H2O Very dull green Pale Green/ Yellow Brown green Faint Green Yellow More green than yellow Green 5. Peas + 1N NaOH + Cold Distilled H2O Bright green Bright Green Pea green Green Green uniform Green 6. Canned Peas Brown Pale Green brown Brown Yellow Dark army green Olive Table 2 reflects that sample 1, 3 and 5 have similar colour range which is green, and sample 2, 4 and 6 have semblables colour which is brown. These results shows under the acid conditions, the range of peasà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ colour is from green to brown. On the other hand, the colour of peas will stay same under alkaline conditions. Table 3: The class texture results of each group about chlorophyll. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Sample Texture Texture Texture Texture Texture Texture Peas + Distilled H2O Firm Firm Firm Firm Dry hard 2. Peas + Vinegar + Distilled H2O Moderately firm, dry, loss of shape Slightly Firm Firm Firm Very dry Soft 3.Peas + 1N NaOH + Distilled H2O Soft, mushy, sticky, loss of shape Mushy Mush Mushy Mushy Very soft /mushy 4. Peas + Vinegar + Cold Distilled H2O Very firm Very Firm Firm Firm Medium plump Not so soft 5. Peas + 1N NaOH + Cold Distilled H2O Very soft, mushy, loss of shape Mushy Mush Mushy Very plump Hardest 6. Canned Peas Very firm Slightly Firm Softish Firm Firm Very soft According to the result of Table 3, the texture of sample 3 and 5 are mush and soft, and others are firm. This result shows the alkaline caused the mush and soft texture of peas, and the acidity of the water will caused the higher firmness of peas. Table 4: The class pH results of each group about anthocyanins. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Average Sample pH pH pH pH pH pH pH Blackcurrant Fruit Drink + Distilled H2O 2.79 3.02 3.06 3.12 3.45 3.12 3.1 Blackcurrant Fruit Drink + Distilled H2O (pH 5) 4.93 5.07 4.85 4.98 5.09 4.95 5 Blackcurrant Fruit Drink + Distilled H2O (pH7) 6.69 7.17 7.1 7.2 7.11 6.94 7.0 Blackcurrant Fruit Drink + Distilled H2O (pH10) 9.97 10.02 10.04 9.95 10.64 10.0 10.1 Table 5: the class colour result of blackberry juice. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Sample Colour Colour Colour Colour Colour Colour Blackcurrant Fruit Drink + Distilled H2O Dark burgundy Red Red Reddish Red Pink Blackcurrant Fruit Drink + Distilled H2O (pH 5) Orange/pink translucent Pink/ Red Grey pink Pink Pink Light pink Blackcurrant Fruit Drink + Distilled H2O (pH7) Brown/orange translucent Brown/ Green Dull green Brown greying Light green olive Pink with a hint of yellow Blackcurrant Fruit Drink + Distilled H2O (pH10) Dark black/green Dark Green Dull green Yellow green Dark green olive Yellowish green colour Table 6: The class pH results of each group about anthocyanins. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Average Sample pH pH pH pH pH pH pH Cranberry + Distilled H2O 2.72 2.88 2.92 3.00 3.00 2.9 Cranberry + Distilled H2O (pH5) 4.25 5.5 4.97 5.02 5.57 5.1 Cranberry + Distilled H2O (pH7) 7.3 7.2 7.03 7.03 7.82 7.3 Cranberry + Distilled H2O (pH10) 10.62 10.1 9.93 10.05 10.41 10.2 Table 7: the class colour result of cranberry juice. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Sample Colour Colour Colour Colour Colour Colour Cranberry + Distilled H2O Light pink Pale Pink Pale pink Faint Pink Light pink Pink Cranberry + Distilled H2O (pH5) Lighter pink Slight Clear/ Ting of Pink Clear with a pink tinge Clear Pink Lighter pink Dark pink colour Cranberry + Distilled H2O (pH7) Light yellow Yellow/ Olive Green Yellow green Faint yellow Apple juice green Brownish Cranberry + Distilled H2O (pH10) Yellow Olive Green Yellow green (slightly greener than 7 pH) Green yellow Apple juice green Olive green According to the Table 4 to 7, although the average number of the pH is close to the laboratory manuals data, the results of each group are slightly different. Because the anthocyanins is very sensitive to pH that even a small different in pH will cause the colour changed (see page 12 to 15). DISCUSSION: The green colour becomes brighter when a green vegetable is first put to cook in boiling water. Greater translucency of plant tissue due to expulsion of intercellular air has been suggested as a possible cause (Charley 1982). As boiling continues, compartmentalization within the cell is disrupted. Constituents, there are organic acid, diffuse from the vacuoles throughout the cell and into the boiling water (Sterling 1944). As the acids contact the chlorophylls the latter are converted to their respective pheophytins. No longer masked by the intense green chlorophyll, the yellow and orange pigments present in green plant tissue now show along with green. This combination together with the pheophytins gives the vegetable a muddy olive green hue (Srilakshmi 2003). Green vegetables that are lower in acid retain a higher percentage of chlorophyll and of their green colour when they are cooked than do more acid vegetables. Vegetables like peas, beans, greens are sometimes canned. During ca nning chlorophyll gets converted to pheophytin due to high temperatures used. Sometimes to retain the colour and to neutralise the acid, alkali is added (Charley 1982). Furthermore, the soda changed texture, any soda not required to neutralize the acid in the cooking water will react with the chlorophyll. The sodium salt of chlorophyll gives to cooked green vegetables an intense and artificial appearing greenness. Vegetables cooked with soda tend to have a mushy texture, due to breakdown of hemicelluloses in the cell walls (Charley 1982).. Anthocyanins have a positive charge on the molecule, and it enables to absorb light and thus have colour. Anthocyanidins are anthocyanins without sugar in their structure . They are pelargonidin, cyaniding and delphindin (Brown 2008). As pH changes, the colour of anthocyanin also changes. In the acid conditions, the molecules have positive charge on the oxygen atom due to the acidity of the cell in which these compounds are formed. This common form at a pH of 3.0 or less, maintains or shifts the hue towards red (Charley 1982). However, as the pH is increased toward a weak acid or even neutral solution, the oxonium (the positively charged oxygen form) is changed to the quinine form. The quinine form has a violet colour. In an alkaline medium still another change takes place as a salt of the violet compound, called a colour base. The alkaline salt of the colour base has a distinctly blue colour (Srilakshmi 2003). Figure 1: The structure of anthocyanin. Red cabbage presents unusually wild swings in colour with a alter in pH, it is because of the presence of more than four hydroxyl groups on the anthocyanin molecule. To ensure that the pH is sufficiently acidic, red cabbage is frequently cooked with addition of some slices of a tart apple in order to avoid the development of a blue, highly unpalatable pigment colour (Srilakshmi 2003). The pigment of bluish green shade was given by the addition of alkali . This shade is probably caused by the presence of anthoxanthins with anthocyanins. On the addition of alkali, the anthoxanthins turn yellow during the anthocyanins turn blue, and then the mixture of the two colours appear green. The addition of alkali alters the structure of anthocyanin molecule and produces a salt (Srilakshmi 2003). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the bright colors of vegetables contribute to the esthetic pleasure of eating. The three major groups of plant pigment are carotenoids, chlorophylls and flavonoids which are effect by the pH and heat. The colour alters differently under variable conditions. Therefore, we need to understand the changes that take place in the colour of vegetables and how to kept the pigment of the plant.

Flextime Policies Achieve Better Work Life Balance Management Essay

Flextime Policies Achieve Better Work Life Balance Management Essay The increased attention of issues relating to the implementation of flexible time arrangements to support work-life balance reflects significant economic and social changes at the individual and organizational level. Since 1950s, there has been a significant change of the standard working time (Bittman and Rice 2001; Blyton, 1994), resulting from the demand to increase flexibility without undermining cost factor.  As a result of the extended operating hours, businesses have experienced a much wider range of working hour arrangement, especially in the case of part-time and hourly workers.   The changes in the profile of labor market due to the increase in female participation in the workforce, the rise of single-parent and dual-income families and the increased number of workers in sandwich generation ,the growth on expenditure and debt levels, and the prospect of boundary-less work organizations in the future pose critical questions about peoples current and future ability to satisfactorily integrate their work and home-lives, the support system available to facilitate that integration, and more broadly, the role and value of work and consumption in contemporary society (Ransome, 2005; and Schor, 1999).   There is no one that fits for all solution to the issue of implementing flexible time policy in the workplace. The case study demonstrates that different policies, practices, and strategies will be needed to address the issue of flex-time conflict. Furthermore, we will analyze the role of communication, monitoring, and information sharing to achieve optimal benefit from flextime. By using flexible work arrangements, employers give employees a sense of control and empowerment.  This will lead to reduced cost from absenteeism, lower level of productivity, increased stress level, increased turnover and replacement. Introduction We have seen the images of working adults, trying to balance the burden of having a spouse, children, or elders to support, and work-related issues, usually coping with deadlines and increased work pressure, on the other. The balance is brittle, if they spend too much time at work, their family will suffer and vice versa. The role of work has changed, from zero-sum game to win-win interactions largely because of changing economic and social conditions (Harris Marmer, 1996). Win-win situations can be achieved by arranging work-schedules to meet work-family demands, making priorities, using employment-related resources, and having access to behavioral and emotional support from others especially employers (Friedman Greenhaus, 2000). One of the biggest challenges for organizations has been how to respond to the economic and social changes that alter the working environments. In response, many work organizations are introducing a variety of innovative approaches to cope with the changes in working roles and structures. Once perceived as a matter of necessity and survival, work is now seen as a source of personal satisfaction. One of the vehicles to attain balance and fulfill personal satisfaction is flexible-time arrangements. In the next section we concentrate on how this fashionable term has evolved and discuss problems related to the implementation of the program.    Key Concepts Research on work-life balance started in the mid-1960s ( Rapoport Rapoport, 1965 ) and developed from the focus on women and work-family conflict, to a more recent focus on all employees. However, the term work-life balance is a misnomer. The phrase indicates that work is separate from life, although work is increasingly dominating peoples lives. Furthermore, the word balance seems to imply that there is a trade-off between work and life, yet they are not necessarily mutually exclusive (Kanter, 1977). Parasuraman and Greenhaus introduced the term work-life integration to overcome the problem of work-life balance (1997). The idea is to integrate work and personal lives rather than seeing them as two separate domains that rule out one another, thus have to be balanced. However, one misunderstanding of the term integration is that it implies work and personal life must be integrated in the sense of merging each other, eliminating the possibility of integrating the two by deliberately keeping these domains separate (Lewis Cooper, 1999). As a result, the word harmonization has been introduced to relate work and personal life domains in harmonious ways without ruling out one another or merging these domains together (Gambles, Lewis, Rapoport, 2003). For simplification purpose, we will not delve into the issue of these terms and use the term work-life balance interchangeably with work-life harmonization or  work-life integration.   Ballard and Seibold (2004) stated that flexibility pertains to the degree of rigidity in time structuring and task completion plans.   Flexibility is categorized into flex-time, job sharing/part-time work, and telecommuting  (Hall Richter, 1988; Sullivan Lewis, 2001). Flex-time is a simplified term that describes flexibility in work schedules and hours. Employees can manage their work days within core-hours the hours which employees must present at work, usually between 10:00-14:00- and a bandwidth the earliest and latest starting and finishing times built around core-hours to which they can choose to adjust (Christensen Staines, 1990). There is no universal definition of standard work days due to different legislations across countries.however, we assume that it is defined by 40-hour and five-day working week. The Current Flextime Trend in Canada Flex-time programs are common in Canada and the trend reflects employers belief on that flex-time implementation results in better business performances. According to Statistics Canadas 2003 Workplace and Employee Survey (WES), which sampled 20,834 employees from 6,565 workplaces, approximately 57% of all working Canadians are already using flex-time programs, including compressed workweek and flexible work schedule. In the study, Flexibility: Whose Choice Is It Anyway? conducted by Cooke and Mann, they analyzed the WES data and discovered that flex time programs are implemented to improve business performances and minimize cost rather than to assist employees with their work-life balance. The Demographic Change The sandwich generation and workaholics are the two main groups of employees that are experiencing low satisfaction due to their poor work-life balance. According to Statistic Canadas General Social Survey (GSS), the sandwich generation population has increased from 670,000 in 2002 to about 2.7 million Canadians in 2007 (General Social Survey: Cycle 21, 2007). In 2002, it was estimated that approximately 27% of people age 45 and above are struggling to support both their children under 25 years old and their aging parents while working a full-time job (Williams, 2005). In fact, the latest GSS published in 2008 indicates a steady increase of sandwiched caregivers due to the late marriage trend, currently baby boomer generation are sandwiched in between family and work.   In addition to that, the increasing population of females in the workforce today also constitute to the proportion of the sandwich generation. There is an 11.6 % increase of all working women from 1976 to 2006 (Table 1). Increased education, desire for personal fulfillment, increased consumption, the high cost of living, and the high rate of divorce has contributed the growth in women participation in the workforce. In fact, according to the Statistics Canadas data collected in 2006, 73% of all women with children are part of the workforce (Almey, 2006). This indicates that families with children are more likely to have dual income from both the wife and the husband, leaving lesser time for individuals to take care of the family. 2005 GSS also collected data showing that there are 31% working Canadians aging 19 to 64 who think they are workaholics. Comparing to the non-workaholics, the majority of workaholics are unsatisfied with their current work-life balance. The large proportion of working Canadians who are unhappy with their work-life balance indicates the possibility that flextime can be a feasible solution to help with their stress in time management. Society also witnesses the increasing number of boomerang generation. Boomerang generation or boomerang kids are young adults age 20 and above that have returned from independence to live together with their parents. The growth of the boomerang generation is partly due to the economic condition and also to the multicultural family structure of Canada. According to Statistic Canada, 73% of Asian-Canadian families have adult children living with their parents whereas only 26% of Canadian born parents are allowing their adult children to live with them (Turcotte, 2006). Nevertheless, the boomerang generation relies partially on their parents in order to save the cost of owning and renting a house which helps maintain their desired lifestyle. Due to the emergence of the boomerang generation the burden has doubled for the aging baby boomers who have to continue working in order to take care of their adult children and the elders in the family (Canada Year Book: Society and community, 2008 ). The Caregivers Wish List In order to assist with the growing number of employees with work-life balance concern, Statistic Canadas 2007 GSS provides further data which include 712,000 caregiver aged between 45 and 64 and explore their major concerns with their work and personal life.   According to the statistics, 70% of sandwiched employees believe if the company provides more support and flex time programs, their work performance will improve (General Social Survey: Cycle 21, 2007). The following statistic is from Cara Williamss article, The sandwich generation, which shows the significant cost for sandwiched employees when they do not have access to resources that help them balance their work and personal life (2005).   Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  15 % reduced their work hours  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   20 % changed their schedules  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   10 % lost income  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   70 % are stressed out  Ã‚   Table 2 (refer to the Appendices ), The Caregivers Wish list, is a comparison of the needs from sandwiched employees to employees with elder care needs. The highlighted percentage of sandwiched employees shows that the top two wishes for both sandwiched employees and employees with elder-care responsibility are some form of workplace support such as flexible schedule and elder care to help accommodate their overwhelming responsibilities (Williams, 2005). Overall, both statistic and employee survey suggest that flexibility is a major attribute that potential employees consider in a company. Flextime Policies The adoption of flexible time policies differ widely by the level of public provision and culture of the organization. Some researchers argue that laissez-faire market stimulates employees concern of work-life programs, whereas others argue that public provision creates a climate which employers become active in pursuing this entitlement (Lewis, 1997). Den Dulk (2001) further reinstates that active government provision does not translate into the disappearance of the motivation for employers to implement work-life programs. Poelmans and Sahibzada (2004) summarize all factors that may influence the adoption decision. They argue that the probability of an organization to address work-life conflict is a function of the macro-level context in which the organization runs the business. The country level context is related to employees sense of entitlement to receive support from their employers, whereas the labor market context affects employees choice and negotiation power over organizati ons work-life policies, thus increasing the pressure on firms to implement them (Poelmans Sahibzada, 2004). The complete factors that influence organizations adoption decision is presented in Table 3 (refer to the Appendices ). Organizations need to decide the flexible work arrangements that suit their business model and the needs of the workforce. Business model that requires employees to meet fluctuating demands from clients outside work hours may implement flexible work arrangements. In fact, flextime is ranked more favorably than reduced-time schedules because many (full-time) employees with family responsibilities cannot afford to work less than standard full-time schedule (Rodgers, 1992). Benefits Employees that benefit from flex-time include working parents, especially working mothers, who want to be involved in their childrens lives while having the balance of having a family and a career at the same time. At Bristol Myers Squibb, 72% of those who worked flexible hours in 2003 were female (Poelmans Beham, 2005). Flextime options are excellent recruiting and retention tools. An article in the Long Island Business News interviewed many executives and found that they agree that investment in such programs shows that the company cares about their employees well-being and increases the companys attractiveness to highly skilled people who might not be ready to go back into the workplace on a full-time basis or just need flexible schedules (Starzee, 2009). In a survey by Careerbuilding.com in 2008, 54% of 7600 workers felt that companies offer flexible work arrangements to help manage stress levels and work life balance. 90% of American employees also feel that they are more value d by their companies if given the option of flexible schedules (Sweeney, 2003). Benefits offered depend on the type of job, industry or the employees.. With the right employees and good implementation on the part of management, costs of flex-time policies should be much less than replacement costs, which includes recruitment, hiring, training, and orientation. Even for an entry level position, replacement costs can exceed $10,000, not including lost time, energy and effort of management (Bednar, 2010). Using this strategy, companies can keep their top talent happy and reduce turnover. When the same employees stay with the company for a long time, they can provide better service for clients due to increased experience. Absenteeism is also likely to decrease since employees are more motivated to work when they feel they are valued by the company by giving them options to help them juggle their home and work demands. Table 4 in the Appendices lists the possible advantages of flexible work arrangements. Costs There are also costs to implementing flex-time policies. First of all, it is not one size fits all. Most employers identified through years of experience that many employees might not have the same motivation to work hard and get work done by staying late if they were given the option of coming in after the official start time (Bednar, 2010). Therefore, monitoring is essential to ensure that employees are not taking advantage of the policy. In order to properly and effectively implement a flex-time policy, employers need to introduce a series of new rules and procedures to manage the flexible workers and culture change, such as stricter punctuality and related provisions to ensure the equal, or even higher level of productivity. It is a burden and a risk for management. They are also required to monitor the performance of flexible employees with different measures to reduce scheme risks and achieve work goals. Secondly, starting such programs requires a great amount of communication to the employees about the availability and details (Bitti, 2008). Regardless of the results, management must spend time and effort in the attempt to make flex-time work. Productivity could decrease, service level might be lowered and lead to customer dissatisfaction, and employee dissatisfaction might also arise if they believe the arrangements were unfair.  Flex-time is not always supported by all employees, even though it is mostly considered as a benefit for employees. In 2008, a Deloittes survey of more than 1600 workers showed that 39% respondents agreed that taking advantage of formal flexible work policies including flex-time would harm their career. Based on the survey, employees are more comfortable with informal policies, such as taking time off for personal activities, if leaders are more open about their own needs and practices (CFO, 2008). To further complicate the matter, flex-time was seen as both alleviating and generating stress and was generally seen to have a negative impact on opportunities for learning and advancement (Kelliher Anderson, 2008). Some businesses cannot adjust their employees work schedules, because such a change would not fit their business (Wensley, 2008). A client may call in looking for something immediately, and the person with the flexible schedule is absent (Starzee, 2009). These potential negative effects may lead managers to be more conservative about implementing flex-time options. Despite all costs associated with the implementation of flex-time policies, employers that provide greater flexibility have been found to be related with higher perceived organizational performance (Perry-Smith Blum, 2000); resulted in increased shareholder return (Arthur, 2003). In addition, flextime policies create a favorable view of the organization, thereby suggesting that the organization is more attractive to job seekers (Casper Buffardi, 2004). In fact, many of the industry leaders listed in the Best 100 Companies to Work For in Fortune Magazine provide excellent flextime policies that better integrate work-family life of their employees. Case Study:   Kraft Foods, Inc. Kraft began to support work-life balance programs after a national employee survey in 2000 showed that the major challenge for most Kraft employees was finding balance between home and work-life. The survey also indicated that Kraft hourly workers that account for 59% of Kraft employees were the least satisfied with their work-life balance among all the employee groups. To overcome the problem, Kraft introduced the Fast Adapts program. Initiated in December 2002, Fast Adapts allows workers to swap shifts, take single day vacations, and request job sharing arrangement from their supervisor. Fast Adapts program was published in the company newsletters and broadcasted on the video monitors. The program was also communicated in the regular plant-wide meetings.    The flexible arrangement enables employees who are out on leave because of extended illness, family issues, or taking vacations to switch shifts with other employees. All hourly workers are eligible to use Fast Adapts program, given that the arrangements are aligned with work process, plant policy, or union contract. If not, employees are encouraged to discuss their situation with Human Resource managers to find alternative work solutions. To evaluate the effectiveness of this program, information about employee satisfaction was collected in the first quarter of 2003. The biannual survey showed improvement in hourly employees satisfaction with work-life balance. Conclusion The repetitive nature and inflexible schedule of the job in Krafts working site contributed to the decreased level of work-life balance satisfaction among hourly employees. Krafts Fast Adapts program has been successful for some reasons. Employees receive more autonomy over their work schedule, thus they are able to better integrate work-life demands. Plant managers also need to be more accountable, as they have to develop flexible work arrangements that work best for each individual plant. Fast Adapts program also encourages employees to communicate their needs to employers. The other key issue is to understand that flexibility should be an ongoing and mutual commitment between Kraft and its employees, win-win situation can only be achieved if both sides work toward Krafts vision of a supportive culture. Appendices Table 1: Employed Women by age group in percentage 1976 1986 1996 All women 41.9 50.2 52.1 15 to 24 51.4 58.1 52.0 25 to 44 50.0 66.4 70.9 45 to 54 45.6 55.9 66.3 55 to 64 30.3 30.3 33.5 Source: Statistics Canada. (2006). Women in Canada: Work Chapter Updates.   Ã‚     (Catalogue no. 89F0133XWE). Retrieved April 2, 2010 from Statistics Canada:   Ã‚     http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89f0133x/89f0133x2006000-eng.htm Table 2: The Caregivers Wishlist Employed (%) Sandwiched Respite Care 52 Flexible work or study arrangements 46 Information on long-term disabilities 43 Information on care giving 42 Financial compensation / tax breaks 36 Counselling 28 Other 12 Source: Williams, C. (2005). The sandwich generation. Perspectives on Labour and Income.(Catalogue number 75-001-XIE).   Retrieved March 27, 2010, from Statistics Canada: www.statcan.ca:8096/bsolc/english/bsolc?catno=75-001-X20041097033. Table 3: Macro-context factors that influence adoption decision Country Level Extensive government-supported policies, as in social democratic countries Egalitarian gender-role ideology Low in masculinity Low in power distance Countries high in individualism Labor Market Scarcity of talent or skills High diffusion of work-family benefits High percentage of women in the active population High reliance on knowledge work High reliance on quality of customer service Source : Poelmans, S. Sahibzada, K. (2004). A multi-level model for studying the context and impact of work-family policies and culture in organizations. Human Resource Management Review, 14. 409-431. Table 4: Advantages of flextime policies Benefits for employers Cost savings because of increased retention of valuable employees Improved morale, employee satisfaction, productivity and employee commitment because of better integration of work and family lives. Better scheduling for the department A public relation tool to attract new employees Savings in office space and equipment Less time lost in traffic jam can be invested at work, also improved parking options Government incentives to encourage flexible employment fuelled by concerns about traffic, air quality, etc Source : Poelmans, S. Sahibzada, K. (2004). A multi-level model for studying the context and impact of work-family policies and culture in organizations. Human Resource Management Review, 14. 409-431 various.

Thermodynamics :: physics thermodynamics

The word thermodynamics is derived from the Greek words therme, meaning heat and dunamis, meaning power. Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that studies the effects of changes in temperature, pressure, and volume on systems at the macroscopic scale by studying the motion of their particles. A system is the subject of study. Heat means energy in transit and dynamics relates to movement of particles; thus, in essence thermodynamics studies the movement of energy and how energy instills movement. Thermodynamics describes how systems respond to changes in their surroundings. This can be applied to a wide variety of topics in science (physics and chemistry) and engineering, such as engines, phase transitions of matter, chemical reactions, and transportation. The study of thermodynamics is separated into two branches: the classical and the statistical thermodynamics. Classical thermodynamics was the original study of thermodynamics in early 1800s. It was concerned with thermodynamic states, and properties as energy, work, and heat, and with the two laws of thermodynamics. However, classical thermodynamics lacked an atomic interpretation of the processes. Classical thermodynamics derives from the research done by physicist Robert Boyle. He developed the concept that the pressure P of a given quantity of gas varies inversely to its volume V at constant temperature. In other words this equation was derived: PV = k, a constant. From here, the thermo-science began to develop with the construction of the first successful atmospheric steam engines. The first and second laws of thermodynamics emerged simultaneously in the 1850s. With the development of atomic and molecular theories in the late 19th century, thermodynamics was given a molecular interpretation, which the classical thermodynamics lacked. This field is called statistical thermodynamics, which can be thought of as a bridge between macroscopic and microscopic properties of systems. Statistical thermodynamics is focused around the macroscopic results. The statistical approach is to derive all macroscopic properties (temperature, volume, pressure, energy, entropy, etc.) from the properties of moving particles and the interactions between them in the given system. Statistical thermodynamics was found to be very accurate and successful; therefore it is widely used by scientists around the world. Thermodynamics is a branch of physics which deals with the energy and work of a system. It was born in the 19th century as scientists were first discovering how to build and operate steam engines. The term thermodynamics was first used by James Joule to express the relationship between heat and power. The history of thermodynamics begins with a German scientist who designed and built the first vacuum pump.

Bushs Address To Congress - Environment, Charity, and Education :: American America History

Bush's Address To Congress - Environment, Charity, and Education After this year's chaotic election, the country is divided and furious. It is up to our new president to heal the wounds. To do so, it is obvious he must alter his original plans a bit to make the entire nation, both liberals and conservatives, content. Naturally, the first chance he had to express his plans to congress and the rest of the country was immensely important, as it could have been a uniting or dividing step. Luckily, it appeared as though Bush was trying his best to compromise on many issues. I believe his address was a step in a consolidating direction. Three issues of utmost importance to the American people are the status of the environment, charity and the poor, and the education of their children. What was Bush's stance on these three issues, and how will his attitude towards them affect America? Bush said that he aimed to clean up toxic wastes and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund. He also proposed that 4.9 billion dollars will go to cleaning and maintaining our national parks. Clearly, he wishes to do a great deal of good for the environment, although helping the environment to such a high extent is not a traditional Republican view. (The Democrats did not have anything to say about Bush's environmental program in their response; they focused on his tax cut plan.) However, if he desires to unite America, helping the environment is a great way to do so. I cannot think of anyone who would turn down the idea of having cleaner water and fresher air. I think the condition of the environment could very well improve during the four years Bush is in office. The Land and Water Conservation Fund will know best what to do with the massive amount of money they will be granted. I am concerned about the protection of animals though- Bush has expressed a desire to clean the environment, but only those areas that pertain to Americans and their living conditions. It would be wonderful to be rid of toxic brown fields, but what about the depletion of the ozone layer? What about rapidly diminishing species of animals? Will Bush attempt to help these areas of the environment, or is he simply planning on excluding them? I hope he is, and that he neglected to mention them in his address to congress simply because he didn't have enough time, or else the environment will suffer more than it will gain from his presidency.

Prelude to Foundation Chapter 2 Flight

TRANTOR-†¦ The capital of the First Galactic Empire†¦ Under Cleon I, it had its â€Å"twilight glow.† To all appearances, it was then at its peak. Its land surface of 200 million square kilometers was entirely domed (except for the Imperial Palace area) and underlaid with an endless city that extended beneath the continental shelves. The population was 40 billion and although the signs were plentiful (and clearly visible in hindsight) that there were gathering problems, those who lived on Trantor undoubtedly found it still the Eternal World of legend and did not expect it would ever†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica 6. Seldon looked up. A young man was standing before him, looking down at him with an expression of amused contempt. Next to him was another young man-a bit younger, perhaps. Both were large and appeared to be strong. They were dressed in an extreme of Trantorian fashion, Seldon judged-boldly clashing colors, broad fringed belts, round hats with wide brims all about and the two ends of a bright pink ribbon extending from the brim to the back of the neck. In Seldon's eyes, it was amusing and he smiled. The young man before him snapped, â€Å"What're you grinning at, misfit?† Seldon ignored the manner of address and said gently, â€Å"Please pardon my smile. I was merely enjoying your costume.† â€Å"My costume? So? And what are you wearing? What's that awful offal you call clothes?† His hand went out and his finger flicked at the lapel of Seldon's jacket-disgracefully heavy and dull, Seldon himself thought, in comparison to the other's lighthearted colors. Seldon said, â€Å"I'm afraid it's my Outworlder clothes. They're all I have.† He couldn't help notice that the few others who were sitting in the small park were rising to their feet and walking off. It was as though they were expecting trouble and had no desire to remain in the vicinity. Seldon wondered if his new friend, Hummin, was leaving too, but he felt it injudicious to take his eyes away from the young man who was confronting him. He teetered back on his chair slightly. The young man said, â€Å"You an Outworlder?† â€Å"That's right. Hence my clothes.† â€Å"Hence? What kind of word's that? Outworld word?† â€Å"What I meant was, that was why my clothes seem peculiar to you. I'm a visitor here.† â€Å"From what planet?† â€Å"Helicon.† The young man's eyebrows drew together. â€Å"Never heard of it.† â€Å"It's not a large planet.† â€Å"Why don't you go back there?† â€Å"I intend to. I'm leaving tomorrow.† â€Å"Sooner! Now!† The young man looked at his partner. Seldon followed the look and caught a glimpse of Hummin. He had not left, but the park was now empty except for himself, Hummin, and the two young men. Seldon said, â€Å"I'd thought I'd spend today sight-seeing.† â€Å"No. You don't want to do that. You go home now.† Seldon smiled. â€Å"Sorry. I won't.† The young man said to his partner. â€Å"You like his clothes, Marbie?† Marbie spoke for the first time. â€Å"No. Disgusting. Turns the stomach.† â€Å"Can't let him go around turning stomachs, Marbie. Not good for people's health.† â€Å"No, not by no means, Alem,† said Marbie. Alem grinned. â€Å"Well now. You heard what Marbie said.† And now Hummin spoke. He said, â€Å"Look, you two, Alem, Marbie, whatever your names are. You've had your fun. Why don't you go away?† Alem, who had been leaning slightly toward Seldon, straightened and turned. â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"That's not your business,† snapped Hummin. â€Å"You're Trantorian?† asked Alem. â€Å"Also not your business.† Alem frowned and said, â€Å"You're dressed Trantorian. We're not interested in you, so don't go looking for problems.† â€Å"I intend to stay. That means there are two of us. Two against two doesn't sound like your kind of fight. Why don't you go away and get some friends so you can handle two people?† Seldon said, â€Å"I really think you ought to get away if you can, Hummin. It's kind of you to try to protect me, but I don't want you harmed.† â€Å"These are not dangerous people, Seldon. Just half-credit lackeys.† â€Å"Lackeys!† The word seemed to infuriate Alem, so that Seldon thought it must have a more insulting meaning on Trantor than it had on Helicon. â€Å"Here, Marbie,† said Alem with a growl. â€Å"You take care of that other motherlackey and I'll rip the clothes off this Seldon. He's the one we want. Now-â€Å" His hands came down sharply to seize Seldon's lapels and jerk him upright. Seldon pushed away, instinctively it would seem, and his chair tipped backward. He seized the hands stretched toward him, his foot went up, and his chair went down. Somehow Alem streaked overhead, turning as he did so, and came down hard on his neck and back behind Seldon. Seldon twisted as his chair went down and was quickly on his feet, staring down at Alem, then looking sharply to one side for Marbie. Alem lay unmoving, his face twisted in agony. He had two badly sprained thumbs, excruciating pain in his groin, and a backbone that had been badly jarred. Hummin's left arm had grabbed Marbie's neck from behind and his right arm had pulled the other's right arm backward at a vicious angle. Marbie's face was red as he labored uselessly for breath. A knife, glittering with a small laser inset, lay on the ground beside them. Hummin eased his grip slightly and said, with an air of honest concern, â€Å"You've hurt that one badly.† Seldon said, â€Å"I'm afraid so. If he had fallen a little differently, he would have snapped his neck.† Hummin said, â€Å"What kind of a mathematician are you?† â€Å"A Heliconian one.† He stooped to pick up the knife and, after examining it, said, â€Å"Disgusting-and deadly.† Hummin said, â€Å"An ordinary blade would do the job without requiring a power source.-But let's let these two go. I doubt they want to continue any further.† He released Marbie, who rubbed first his shoulder then his neck. Gasping for air, he turned hate-filled eyes on the two men. Hummin said sharply, â€Å"You two had better get out of here. Otherwise we'll have to give evidence against you for assault and attempted murder. This knife can surely be traced to you.† Seldon and Hummin watched while Marbie dragged Alem to his feet and then helped him stagger away, still bent in pain. They looked back once or twice, but Seldon and Hummin watched impassively. Seldon held out his hand. â€Å"How do I thank you for coming to the aid of a stranger against two attackers? I doubt I would have been able to handle them both on my own.† Hummin raised his hand in a deprecatory manner. â€Å"I wasn't afraid of them. They're just street-brawling lackeys. All I had to do was get my hands on them-and yours, too, of course.† â€Å"That's a pretty deadly grip you have,† Seldon mused. Hummin shrugged. â€Å"You too.† Then, without changing his tone of voice, he said, â€Å"Come on, we'd better get out of here. We're wasting time.† Seldon said, â€Å"Why do we have to get away? Are you afraid those two will come back?† â€Å"Not in their lifetime. But some of those brave people who cleared out of the park so quickly in their eagerness to spare themselves a disagreeable sight may have alerted the police.† â€Å"Fine. We have the hoodlums' names. And we can describe them fairly well.† â€Å"Describe them? Why would the police want them?† â€Å"They committed an assault-â€Å" â€Å"Don't be foolish. We don't have a scratch. They're virtually hospital bait, especially Alem. We're the ones who will be charged.† â€Å"But that's impossible. Those people witnessed the fact that-â€Å" â€Å"No people will be called.-Seldon, get this into your head. Those two came to find you-specifically you. They were told you were wearing Heliconian clothes and you must have been described precisely. Perhaps they were even shown a holograph. I suspect they were sent by the people who happen to control the police, so let's not wait any longer.† Hummin hurried off, his hand gripping Seldon's upper arm. Seldon found the grip impossible to shake and, feeling like a child in the hands of an impetuous nurse, followed. They plunged into an arcade and, before Seldon's eyes grew accustomed to the dimmer light, they heard the burring sound of a ground-car's brakes. â€Å"There they are,† muttered Hummin. â€Å"Faster, Seldon.† They hopped onto a moving corridor and lost themselves in the crowd. 7. Seldon had tried to persuade Hummin to take him to his hotel room, but Hummin would have none of that. â€Å"Are you mad?† he half-whispered. â€Å"They'll be waiting for you there.† â€Å"But all my belongings are waiting for me there too.† â€Å"They'll just have to wait.† And now they were in a small room in a pleasant apartment structure that might be anywhere for all that Seldon could tell. He looked about the one-room unit. Most of it was taken up by a desk and chair, a bed, and a computer outlet. There were no dining facilities or washstand of any kind, though Hummin had directed him to a communal washroom down the hall. Someone had entered before Seldon was quite through. He had cast one brief and curious look at Seldon's clothes, rather than at Seldon himself, and had then looked away. Seldon mentioned this to Hummin, who shook his head and said, â€Å"We'll have to get rid of your clothes. Too bad Helicon is so far out of fashion-â€Å" Seldon said impatiently, â€Å"How much of this might just be your imagination, Hummin? You've got me half-convinced and yet it may be merely a kind of†¦ of-â€Å" â€Å"Are you groping for the word ‘paranoia'?† â€Å"All right, I am. This may be some strange paranoid notion of yours.† Hummin said, â€Å"Think about it, will you? I can't argue it out mathematically, but you've seen the Emperor. Don't deny it. He wanted something from you and you didn't give it to him. Don't deny that either. I suspect that details of the future are what he wants and you refused. Perhaps Demerzel thinks you're only pretending not to have the details-that you're holding out for a higher price or that someone else is bidding for it too. Who knows? I told you that if Demerzel wants you, he'll get you wherever you are. I told you that before those two splitheads ever appeared on the scene. I'm a journalist and a Trantorian. I know how these things go. At one point, Alem said, ‘He's the one we want.' Do you remember that?† â€Å"As it happens,† said Seldon. â€Å"I do.† â€Å"To him I was only the ‘other motherlackey' to be kept off, while he went about the real job of assaulting you.† Hummin sat down in the chair and pointed to the bed. â€Å"Stretch out, Seldon. Make yourself comfortable. Whoever sent those two-it must have been Demerzel, in my opinion-can send others, so we'll have to get rid of those clothes of yours. I think any other Heliconian in this sector caught in his own world's garb is going to have trouble until he can prove he isn't you.† â€Å"Oh come on.† â€Å"I mean it. You'll have to take off the clothes and we'll have to atomize them-if we can get close enough to a disposal unit without being seen. And before we can do that I'll have to get you a Trantorian outfit. You're smaller than I am and I'll take that into account. It won't matter if it doesn't fit exactly-â€Å" Seldon shook his head. â€Å"I don't have the credits to pay for it. Not on me. What credits I have-and they aren't much-are in my hotel safe.† â€Å"We'll worry about that another time. You'll have to stay here for an hour or two while I go out in search of the necessary clothing.† Seldon spread his hands and sighed resignedly. â€Å"All right. If it's that important, I'll stay.† â€Å"You won't try to get back to your hotel? Word of honor?† â€Å"My word as a mathematician. But I'm really embarrassed by all the trouble you're taking for me. And expense too. After all, despite all this talk about Demerzel, they weren't really out to hurt me or carry me off. All I was threatened with was the removal of my clothes.† â€Å"Not all. They were also going to take you to the spaceport and put you on a hypership to Helicon.† â€Å"That was a silly threat-not to be taken seriously.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"I'm going to Helicon. I told them so. I'm going tomorrow.† â€Å"And you still plan to go tomorrow?† asked Hummin. â€Å"Certainly. Why not?† â€Å"There are enormous reasons why not.† Seldon suddenly felt angry. â€Å"Come on, Hummin, I can't play this game any further. I'm finished here and I want to go home. My tickets are in the hotel room. Otherwise I'd try to exchange them for a trip today. I mean it.† â€Å"You can't go back to Helicon.† Seldon flushed. â€Å"Why not? Are they waiting for me there too?† Hummin nodded. â€Å"Don't fire up, Seldon. They would be waiting for you there too. Listen to me. If you go to Helicon, you are as good as in Demerzel's hands. Helicon is good, safe Imperial territory. Has Helicon ever rebelled, ever fallen into step behind the banner of an anti-Emperor?† â€Å"No, it hasn't-and for good reason. It's surrounded by larger worlds. It depends on the Imperial peace for security.† â€Å"Exactly! Imperial forces on Helicon can therefore count on the full cooperation of the local government. You would be under constant surveillance at all times. Any time Demerzel wants you, he will be able to have you. And, except for the fact that I am now warning you, you would have no knowledge of this and you would be working in the open, filled with a false security.† â€Å"That's ridiculous. If he wanted me in Helicon, why didn't he simply leave me to myself? I was going there tomorrow. Why would he send those two hoodlums simply to hasten the matter by a few hours and risk putting me on my guard?† â€Å"Why should he think you would be put on your guard? He didn't know I'd be with you, immersing you in what you call my paranoia.† â€Å"Even without the question of warning me, why all the fuss to hurry me by a few hours?† â€Å"Perhaps because he was afraid you would change your mind.† â€Å"And go where, if not home? If he could pick me up on Helicon, he could pick me up anywhere. He could pick me up on†¦ on Anacreon, a good ten thousand parsecs away-if it should fall into my head to go there. What's distance to hyperspatial ships? Even if I find a world that's not quite as subservient to the Imperial forces as Helicon is, what world is in actual rebellion? The Empire is at peace. Even if some worlds are still resentful of injustices in the past, none are going to defy the Imperial armed forces to protect me. Moreover, anywhere but on Helicon I won't be a local citizen and there won't even be that matter of principle to help keep the Empire at bay.† Hummin listened patiently, nodding slightly, but looking as grave and as imperturbable as ever. He said, â€Å"You're right, as far as you go, but there's one world that is not really under the Emperor's control. That, I think, is what must be disturbing Demerzel.† Seldon thought a while, reviewing recent history and finding himself unable to choose a world on which the Imperial forces might be helpless. He said at last, â€Å"What world is that?† Hummin said, â€Å"You're on it, which is what makes the matter so dangerous in Demerzel's eyes, I imagine. It is not so much that he is anxious to have you go to Helicon, as that he is anxious to have you leave Trantor before it occurs to you, for any reason-even if only tourist's mania-to stay.† The two men sat in silence until Seldon finally said sardonically, â€Å"Trantor! The capital of the Empire, with the home base of the fleet on a space station in orbit about it, with the best units of the army quartered here. If you believe that it is Trantor that is the safe world, you're progressing from paranoia to outright fantasy.† â€Å"No! You're an Outworlder, Seldon. You don't know what Trantor is like. It's forty billion people and there are few other worlds with even a tenth of its population. It is of unimaginable technological and cultural complexity. Where we are now is the Imperial Sector-with the highest standard of living in the Galaxy and populated entirely by Imperial functionaries. Elsewhere on the planet, however, are over eight hundred other sectors, some of them with subcultures totally different from what we have here and most of them untouchable by Imperial forces.† â€Å"Why untouchable?† â€Å"The Empire cannot seriously exert force against Trantor. To do so would be bound to shake some facet or other of the technology on which the whole planet depends. The technology is so interrelated that to snap one of the interconnections is to cripple the whole. Believe me, Seldon, we on Trantor observe what happens when there is an earthquake that manages to escape being damped out, a volcanic eruption that is not vented in time, a storm that is not defused, or just some human error that escapes notice. The planet totters and every effort must be made to restore the balance at once.† â€Å"I have never heard of such a thing.† A small smile flickered its way across Hummin's face. â€Å"Of course not. Do you want the Empire to advertise the weakness at its core? However, as a journalist, I know what happens even when the Outworlds don't, even when much of Trantor itself doesn't, even when the Imperial pressure is interested in concealing events. Believe me! The Emperor knows-and Eto Demerzel knows-even if you don't, that to disturb Trantor may destroy the Empire.† â€Å"Then are you suggesting I stay on Trantor for that reason?† â€Å"Yes. I can take you to a place on Trantor where you will be absolutely safe from Demerzel. You won't have to change your name and you will be able to operate entirely in the open and he won't be able to touch you. That's why he wanted to force you off Trantor at once and if it hadn't been for the quirk of fate that brought us together and for your surprising ability to defend yourself, he would have succeeded in doing so.† â€Å"But how long will I have to remain on Trantor?† â€Å"For as long as your safety requires it, Seldon. For the rest of your life, perhaps.† 8. Hari Seldon looked at the holograph of himself cast by Hummin's projector. It was more dramatic and useful than a mirror would have been. In fact, it seemed as though there were two of him in the room. Seldon studied the sleeve of his new tunic. His Heliconian attitudes made him wish the colors were less vibrant, but he was thankful that, as it was, Hummin had chosen softer colors than were customary here on this world. (Seldon thought of the clothing worn by their two assailants and shuddered inwardly.) He said, â€Å"And I suppose I must wear this hat.† â€Å"In the Imperial Sector, yes. To go bareheaded here is a sign of low breeding. Elsewhere, the rules are different.† Seldon sighed. The round hat was made of soft material and molded itself to his head when he put it on. The brim was evenly wide all around, but it was narrower than on the hats his attackers had worn. Seldon consoled himself by noticing that when he wore the hat the brim curved rather gracefully. â€Å"It doesn't have a strap under the chin.† â€Å"Of course not. That's advanced fashion for young lanks.† â€Å"For young what?† â€Å"A lank is someone who wears things for their shock value. I'm sure you have such people on Helicon.† Seldon snorted. â€Å"There are those who wear their hair shoulder-length on one side and shave the other.† He laughed at the memory. Hummin's mouth twisted slightly. â€Å"I imagine it looks uncommonly ugly.† â€Å"Worse. There are lefties and righties, apparently, and each finds the other version highly offensive. The two groups often engage in street brawls.† â€Å"Then I think you can stand the hat, especially without the strap.† Seldon said, â€Å"I'll get used to it.† â€Å"It will attract some attention. It's subdued for one thing and makes you look as if you're in mourning. And it doesn't quite fit. Then, too, you wear it with obvious discomfort. However, we won't be in the Imperial Sector long.-Seen enough?† And the holograph flickered out. Seldon said, â€Å"How much did this cost you?† â€Å"What's the difference?† â€Å"It bothers me to be in your debt.† â€Å"Don't worry about it. This is my choice. But we've been here long enough. I will have been described, I'm quite certain. They'll track me down and they'll come here.† â€Å"In that case,† said Seldon, â€Å"the credits you're spending are a minor matter. You're putting yourself into personal danger on my account. Personal danger!† â€Å"I know that. But it's my free choice and I can take care of myself.† â€Å"But why-â€Å" â€Å"We'll discuss the philosophy of it later.-I've atomized your clothes, by the way, and I don't think I was seen. There was an energy surge, of course, and that would be recorded. Someone might guess what happened from that-it's hard to obscure any action when probing eyes and mind are sharp enough. However, let us hope we'll be safely away before they put it all together.† 9. They traveled along walkways where the light was soft and yellow. Hummin's eyes moved this way and that, watchful, and he kept their pace at crowd speed, neither passing nor being passed. He kept up a mild but steady conversation on indifferent topics. Seldon, edgy and unable to do the same, said, â€Å"There seems to be a great deal of walking here. There are endless lines in both directions and along the crossovers.† â€Å"Why not?† said Hummin. â€Å"Walking is still the best form of short-distance transportation. It's the most convenient, the cheapest, and the most healthful. Countless years of technological advance have not changed that.-Are you acrophobic, Seldon?† Seldon looked over the railing on his right into a deep declivity that separated the two walking lanes-each in an opposite direction between the regularly spaced crossovers. He shuddered slightly. â€Å"If you mean fear of heights, not ordinarily. Still, looking down isn't pleasant. How far does it go down?† â€Å"Forty or fifty levels at this point, I think. This sort of thing is common in the Imperial Sector and a few other highly developed regions. In most places, one walks at what might be considered ground level.† â€Å"I should imagine this would encourage suicide attempts.† â€Å"Not often. There are far easier methods. Besides, suicide is not a matter of social obloquy on Trantor. One can end one's life by various recognized methods in centers that exist for the purpose-if one is willing to go through some psychotherapy at first. There are, occasional accidents, for that matter, but that's not why I was asking about acrophobia. We're heading for a taxi rental where they know me as a journalist. I've done favors for them occasionally and sometimes they do favors for me in return. They'll forget to record me and won't notice that I have a companion. Of course, I'll have to pay a premium and, again of course, if Demerzel's people lean on them hard enough, they'll have to tell the truth and put it down to slovenly accounting, but that may take considerable time.† â€Å"Where does the acrophobia come in?† â€Å"Well, we can get there a lot faster if we use a gravitic lift. Not many people use it and I must tell you that I'm not overjoyed at the idea myself, but if you think you can handle it, we had better.† â€Å"What's a gravitic lift?† â€Å"It's experimental. The time may come when it will be widespread over Trantor, provided it becomes psychologically acceptable-or can be made so to enough people. Then, maybe, it will spread to other worlds too. It's an elevator shaft without an elevator cab, so to speak. We just step into empty space and drop slowly-or rise slowly-under the influence of antigravity. It's about the only application of antigravity that's been established so far, largely because it's the simplest possible application.† â€Å"What happens if the power blinks out while we're in transit?† â€Å"Exactly what you would think. We fall and-unless we're quite near the bottom to begin with-we die. I haven't heard of it happening yet and, believe me, if it had happened I would know. We might not be able to give out the news for security reasons-that's the excuse they always advance for hiding bad news-but I would know. It's just up ahead. If you can't manage it, we won't do it, but the corridors are slow and tedious and many find them nauseating after a while.† Hummin turned down a crossover and into a large recess where a line of men and women were waiting, one or two with children. Seldon said in a low voice, â€Å"I heard nothing of this back home. Of course, our own news media are terribly local, but you'd think there'd be some mention that this sort of thing exists.† Hummin said. â€Å"It's strictly experimental and is confined to the Imperial Sector. It uses more energy than it's worth, so the government is not really anxious to push it right now by giving it publicity. The old Emperor, Stanel VI, the one before Cleon who amazed everyone by dying in his bed, insisted on having it installed in a few places. He wanted his name associated with antigravity, they say, because he was concerned with his place in history, as old men of no great attainments frequently are. As I said, the technique may spread, but, on the other hand, it is possible that nothing much more than the gravitic lift will ever come of it.† â€Å"What do they want to come of it?† asked Seldon. â€Å"Antigrav spaceflight. That, however, will require many breakthroughs and most physicists, as far as I know, are firmly convinced it is out of the question. But, then, most thought that even gravitic lifts were out of the question.† The line ahead was rapidly growing shorter and Seldon found himself standing with Hummin at the edge of the floor with an open gap before him. The air ahead faintly glittered. Automatically, he reached out his hand and felt a light shock. It didn't hurt, but he snatched his hand back quickly. Hummin grunted. â€Å"An elementary precaution to prevent anyone walking over the edge before activating the controls.† He punched some numbers on the control board and the glitter vanished. Seldon peered over the edge, down the deep shaft. â€Å"You might find it better-or easier,† said Hummin, â€Å"if we link arms and if you close your eyes. It won't take more than a few seconds.† He gave Seldon no choice, actually. He took his arm and once again there was no hanging back in that firm grip. Hummin stepped into nothingness and Seldon (who heard himself, to his own embarrassment, emit a small squeak) shuffled off with a lurch. He closed his eyes tightly and experienced no sense of falling, no feeling of air movement. A few seconds passed and he was pulled forward. He tripped slightly, caught his balance, and found himself on solid ground. He opened his eyes, â€Å"Did we make it?† Hummin said dryly, â€Å"We're not dead,† then walked away, his grip forcing Seldon to follow. â€Å"I mean, did we get to the right level?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"What would have happened if we were dropping down and someone else was moving upward?† â€Å"There are two separate lanes. In one lane everyone drops at the same speed; in the other everyone rises at the same speed. The shaft clears only when there are no people within ten meters of each other. There is no chance of a collision if all works well.† â€Å"I didn't feel a thing.† â€Å"Why should you? There was no acceleration. After the first tenth of a second, you were at constant speed and the air in your immediate vicinity was moving down with you at the same speed.† â€Å"Marvelous.† â€Å"Absolutely. But uneconomic. And there seems no great pressure to increase the efficiency of the procedure and make it worthwhile. Everywhere one hears the same refrain. ‘We can't do it. It can't be done.' It applies to everything.† Hummin shrugged in obvious anger and said, â€Å"But we're here at the taxi rental. Let's get on with it.† 10. Seldon tried to look inconspicuous at the air-taxi rental terminus, which he found difficult. To look ostentatiously inconspicuous-to slink about, to turn his face away from all who passed, to study one of the vehicles overintently-was surely the way to invite attention. The way to behave was merely to assume an innocent normality. But what was normality? He felt uncomfortable in his clothes. There were no pockets, so he had no place to put his hands. The two pouches, which dangled from his belt on either side, distracted him by hitting against him as he moved, so that he was continually thinking someone had nudged him. He tried looking at women as they passed. They had no pouches, at least none dangling, but they carried little boxlike affairs that they occasionally clipped to one hip or another by some device he could not make out. It was probably pseudomagnetic, he decided. Their clothes were not particularly revealing, he noted regretfully, and not one had any sign of dcolletage, although some dresses seemed to be designed to emphasize the buttocks. Meanwhile, Hummin had been very businesslike, having presented the necessary credits and returned with the superconductive ceramic tile that would activate a specific air-taxi. Hummin said, â€Å"Get in, Seldon,† gesturing to a small two-seated vehicle. Seldon asked, â€Å"Did you have to sign your name, Hummin?† â€Å"Of course not. They know me here and don't stand on ceremony.† â€Å"What do they think you're doing?† â€Å"They didn't ask and I volunteered no information.† He inserted the tile and Seldon felt a slight vibration as the air-taxi came to life. â€Å"We're headed for D-7,† said Hummin, making conversation. Seldon didn't know what D-7 was, but he assumed it meant some route or other. The air-taxi found its way past and around other ground-cars and finally moved onto a smooth upward-slanting track and gained speed. Then it lifted upward with a slight jolt. Seldon, who had been automatically strapped in by a webbed restraint, felt himself pushed down into his seat and then up against the webbing. He said, â€Å"That didn't feel like antigravity.† â€Å"It wasn't,† said Hummin. â€Å"That was a small jet reaction. Just enough to take us up to the tubes.† What appeared before them now looked like a cliff patterned with cave openings, much like a checkerboard. Hummin maneuvered toward the D-7 opening, avoiding other air-taxis that were heading for other tunnels. â€Å"You could crash easily,† said Seldon, clearing his throat. â€Å"So I probably would if everything depended on my senses and reactions, but the taxi is computerized and the computer can overrule me without trouble. The same is true for the other taxis.-Here we go.† They slid into D-7 as if they had been sucked in and the bright light of the open plaza outside mellowed, turning a warmer yellow hue. Hummin released the controls and sat back. He drew a deep breath and said, â€Å"Well, that's one stage successfully carried through. We might have been stopped at the station. In here, we're fairly safe.† The ride was smooth and the walls of the tunnel slipped by rapidly. There was almost no sound, just a steady velvety whirr as the taxi sped along. â€Å"How fast are we going?† asked Seldon. Hummin cast an eye briefly at the controls. â€Å"Three hundred and fifty kilometers per hour.† â€Å"Magnetic propulsion?† â€Å"Yes. You have it on Helicon, I imagine.† â€Å"Yes. One line. I've never been on it myself, though I've always meant to. I don't think it's anything like this.† â€Å"I'm sure it isn't. Trantor has many thousands of kilometers of these tunnels honeycombing the land subsurface and a number that snake under the shallower extensions of the ocean. It's the chief method of long-distance travel.† â€Å"How long will it take us?† â€Å"To reach our immediate destination? A little over five hours.† â€Å"Five hours!† Seldon was dismayed. â€Å"Don't be disturbed. We pass rest areas every twenty minutes or so where we can stop, pull out of the tunnel, stretch our feet, eat, or relieve ourselves. I'd like to do that as few times as possible, of course.† They continued on in silence for a while and then Seldon started when a blaze of light flared at their right for a few seconds and, in the flash, he thought he saw two air-taxis. â€Å"That was a rest area,† said Hummin in answer to the unspoken question. Seldon said, â€Å"Am I really going to be safe wherever it is you are taking me?† Hummin said, â€Å"Quite safe from any open movement on the part of the Imperial forces. Of course, when it comes to the individual operator-the spy, the agent, the hired assassin-one must always be careful. Naturally, I will supply you with a bodyguard.† Seldon felt uneasy. â€Å"The hired assassin? Are you serious? Would they really want to kill me?† Hummin said, â€Å"I'm sure Demerzel doesn't. I suspect he wants to use you rather than kill you. Still, other enemies may turn up or there may be unfortunate concatenations of events. You can't go through life sleepwalking.† Seldon shook his head and turned his face away. To think, only forty-eight hours ago he had been just an insignificant, virtually unknown Outworld mathematician, content only to spend his remaining time on Trantor sight-seeing, gazing at the enormity of the great world with his provincial eye. And now, it was finally sinking in: He was a wanted man, hunted by Imperial forces. The enormity of the situation seized him and he shuddered. â€Å"And what about you and what you're doing right now?† Hummin said thoughtfully, â€Å"Well, they won't feel kindly toward me, I suppose. I might have my head laid open or my chest exploded by some mysterious and never-found assailant.† Hummin said it without a tremor in his voice or a change in his calm appearance, but Seldon winced. Seldon said, â€Å"I rather thought you would assume that might be in store for you. You don't seem to be†¦ bothered by it.† â€Å"I'm an old Trantorian. I know the planet as well as anybody can. I know many people and many of them are under obligation to me. I like to think that I am shrewd and not easy to outwit. In short, Seldon, I am quite confident that I can take care of myself.† â€Å"I'm glad you feel that way and I hope you're justified in thinking so, Hummin, but I can't get it through my head why you're taking this chance at all. What am I to you? Why should you take even the smallest risk for someone who is a stranger to you?† Hummin checked the controls in a preoccupied manner and then he faced Seldon squarely, eyes steady and serious. â€Å"I want to save you for the same reason that the Emperor wants to use you-for your predictive powers.† Seldon felt a deep pang of disappointment. This was not after all a question of being saved. He was merely the helpless and disputed prey of competing predators. He said angrily, â€Å"I will never live down that presentation at the Decennial Convention. I have ruined my life.† â€Å"No. Don't rush to conclusions, mathematician. The Emperor and his officers want you for one reason only, to make their own lives more secure. They are interested in your abilities only so far as they might be used to save the Emperor's rule, preserve that rule for his young son, maintain the positions, status, and power of his officials. I, on the other hand, want your powers for the good of the Galaxy.† â€Å"Is there a distinction?† spat Seldon acidly. And Hummin replied with the stern beginning of a frown, â€Å"If you do not see the distinction, then that is to your shame. The human occupants of the Galaxy existed before this Emperor who now rules, before the dynasty he represents, before the Empire itself. Humanity is far older than the Empire. It may even be far older than the twenty-five million worlds of the Galaxy. There are legends of a time when humanity inhabited a single world.† â€Å"Legends!† said Seldon, shrugging his shoulders. â€Å"Yes, legends, but I see no reason why that may not have been so in fact, twenty thousand years ago or more. I presume that humanity did not come into existence complete with knowledge of hyperspatial travel. Surely, there must have been a time when people could not travel at superluminal velocities and they must then have been imprisoned in a single planetary system. And if we look forward in time, the human beings of the worlds of the Galaxy will surely continue to exist after you and the Emperor are dead, after his whole line comes to an end, and after the institutions of the Empire itself unravel. In that case, it is not important to worry overmuch about individuals, about the Emperor and the young Prince Imperial. It is not important to worry even about the mechanics of Empire. What of the quadrillions of people that exist in the Galaxy? What of them?† Seldon said, â€Å"Worlds and people would continue, I presume.† â€Å"Don't you feel any serious need of probing the possible conditions under which they would continue to exist.† â€Å"One would assume they would exist much as they do now.† â€Å"One would assume. But could one know by this art of prediction that you speak of?† â€Å"Psychohistory is what I call it. In theory, one could.† â€Å"And you feel no pressure to turn that theory into practice.† â€Å"I would love to, Hummin, but the desire to do so doesn't automatically manufacture the ability to do so. I told the Emperor that psychohistory could not be turned into a practical technique and I am forced to tell you the same thing.† â€Å"And you have no intention of even trying to find the technique?† â€Å"No, I don't, any more than I would feel I ought to try to tackle a pile of pebbles the size of Trantor, count them one by one, and arrange them in order of decreasing mass. I would know it was not something I could accomplish in a lifetime and I would not be fool enough to make a pretense of trying.† â€Å"Would you try if you knew the truth about humanity's situation?† â€Å"That's an impossible question. What is the truth about humanity's situation? Do you claim to know it?† â€Å"Yes, I do. And in five words.† Hummin's eyes faced forward again, turning briefly toward the blank changelessness of the tunnel as it pushed toward them, expanding until it passed and then dwindling as it slipped away. He then spoke those five words grimly. He said, â€Å"The Galactic Empire is dying.†