Nursing Philosophy Essay

Introduction Philosophy originates with the Greek word philosophia, which translates as â€Å"the love of wisdom†. Philosophers are engaged in inquiry concerning the search for truth, the nature of universe and the meaning of human experience. Welch& Polifroni(1999). The aim of this paper is to compare and contrast the philosophical paradigms of Realism, Antirealism, Phenomenology , Postmodernism. To relate the Empiricism, Positivism, Historicism, and Relativism to the nature of scientific truth. Moreover, to discuss the significance of truth for nursing as a profession and as a science. The various paradigms are characterized by ontological, epistemological and methodological differences in their approaches to conceptualizing and conducting research, and in their contribution towards disciplinary knowledge construction. Weaver, and Olson. (2006). Table 1 illustrate theses differences between these philosophical paradigms. Realism and Antirealism Realism has an ontology which states that the structures creating the world cannot be directly observed. Its epistemology is that appearances do not necessarily reveal the mechanisms which cause these appearances, and its methodology therefore  involves the construction of theories which can account for these appearances. Wainwright,S. ( 1997). Realism, in the Aristotelian, holds that things and individuals have existence independent of human thought and that this extra-mental world is intelligible and forms a basis for evaluating propositions about the world. Whelton,B. (2002) 2 Philosophy course –First Assignment Positivism collapses the world into a single plane of events. In contrast, realism recovers the ontological depth between the three stratified domains and thereby establishes relations of natural necessity rather than the relations of logical necessity  (universality). Wainwright,S. ( 1997). Relevance of Realism to Nursing Realism proposes a common ontology and epistemology for the natural and social sciences. Realism enables the traditional natural and social science division in subjects like geography, psychology, medicine and nursing to be bridged. Realism can therefore provide ontological and epistemological basis for nursing. Wainwrigh( 1997). On the other hand, the interest her in the causal and epistemological ingredients of scientific realism because they support the claim that explanations are important in nursing science  and practice and that the aim of scientist is to discover better and better explanations. Gortner, and Schumacher,(1992). Relevance of Antirealism to Nursing It the positivist antirealism that make their views inappropriate for nursing science. It is not possible in positivism to deal with subjective aspects of person, nor with perceived relational processes, nor with explanations without translating them into physiological states or behaviors. One of the most serious consequences of an antilrealist construction of theories is that theories cannot explain. One of the major distinction  between scientific realism and antirealism is the way in which â€Å"theoretical entities† are understood. In the language of scientific realism the term â€Å"theoretical entities† usually means unobservable entities, states, or processes. The antirealists deny the existence of 3 Philosophy course –First Assignment unobservable entities or process. Antirealist assert that the notion of truth or falsity is relevant to observation even though it is not relevant to theory. Gortner, and Schumacher,(1992). Phenomenology For Edmund Husserl, phenomenology is â€Å"the reflective study of the essence of  consciousness as experienced from the first-person point of view† Phenomenology, founded by Edmund Husserl, promotes the idea that the natural world is largely shaped by the human mind. Wikipedia, (2007). Phenomenology is philosophical movement whose primary objective is the direct investigation and description of phenomena as consciously experienced. It remains different from and in opposition to positivism because it is a theoretical, non causal, and attempts to be free of supposition. Welch(1999) P243). Postmodernism The essence of truth lies within the individual and the individual may change or  later alter that view dependent on the context and the circumstances. Thus, the postmodern worldview is that truth neither singular nor multiple; it is personal and highly individualized and contextually driven. Welch & Polifoni (1999)p-58) The Significance of Truth for Nursing as a Profession and as a Science. Science, philosophy and philosophy of science are all topics of great significance to nursing†¦the need to examine issues of what it means to know, what truth is, how we know and what can be learned from science and philosophy is central to growth in the 4 Philosophy course –First Assignment  discipline. Simultaneously, it is imperative that nurse scholars gain understanding of the divers scientific and philosophic traditions that have influenced the development of nursing knowledge in order to develop and enhance our science, our discipline and our profession. †. Welch and Polifroni (1999(p-1)) Philosophy of science in nursing seeks to understand truth, to examine prediction, causality and law, to critically relate theories, models and scientific systems. Theses goals are accomplished through the methods of philosophic inquiry of reflection and dialogue. Welch& Polifroni(1999(p-5)). In order to understand what truth is, Welch& Polifroni(1999) discussed the sources of truth ( Intuition, Authority, Tradition, Common Sense and Science)as well as the theories of truth such as correspondence theory; coherence theory; pragmatic theory; semantic and performative theory. These theories gave different interpretations for truth, for instance, correspondence theory suggests that truth is related to and correspond with reality, the truth is achieved through perceptions of the world, on the other hand for coherence theory, the truth is true if it is coherent while for the pragmatic theory the  truth is relative and related to the practicality and workableness of a solution. According to Newman, Sime and Corcoran-Perry(1991):’’ Nursing is the study of caring in the human health experience†¦nursing body of knowledge includes caring and human health experience. A body of knowledge that does not include caring and human health experience is not nursing knowledge. †. Truth can be achieved through knowing principles and causes of the natural kind behind phenomena. It is proposed that humans are the natural kind behind nursing phenomena. Thus, human nature provides proper principles (the truth) of nursing 5  Philosophy course –First Assignment practice†¦. It is proposed that it is knowledge of human nature that provides principles of human action, and thus human nature is a source of practical truth in nursing. Whelton . (2002). The realist ontological position assumes that an objective world exists independently of our knowledge, beliefs , theories or descriptions about it. This reality exists whether or not we can experience it or have conceptions of its nature. In contrast, several nonrealist positions have also been advanced, incorporating a wide variety of philosophical views pertaining to truth. These positions reject ontological and/or  epistemological realism, and therefore truth cannot be related to an external reality . Lomborg and Kirkevold (2003). However, Gortner and Schumacher (1992 )stated that ‘’ Nursing scholars can explore scientific realism for the insights it may provide for nursing science â€Å". Moreover, Gortner and Schumacher (1992) proposed that â€Å" Scientific realism is relevant to nursing science in the following ways: (1) It supports the full range of nursing theory; (2) It affirms the importance of including subjective client states in nursing theory and refutes the claim of the positivists that if it is not observable, it does not exist. ;(3) It adds the idea of the substantive content of explanations to discussion about forms of explanation;(4) It includes the notion of truth as a regulative ideal in science and claims that better theories are theories that are closer to the truth†. 6 Philosophy course –First Assignment Relate the Empiricism, Positivism, Historicism, and Relativism to the nature of scientific truth Positivism Positivist approaches are founded on an ontology that the things we experience are things that exist. Its epistemology requires that this experience is verified through the  deductive methodology of the `scientific method’ Wainwright,S. ( 1997). The positivistic philosophy of science will for example argue that scientific knowledge is objective and should be verified accordingly. Nyatanga(2005). The Relevance of Positivism to Nursing : It the positivist antirealism that make their views inappropriate for nursing science. It is not possible in positivism to deal with subjective aspects of person, nor with perceived relational processes, nor with explanations without translating them into physiological states or behaviors. One of the most serious consequences of an antilrealist  construction of theories is that theories cannot explain. Gortner, and Schumacher, (1992). EMPIRICISM Empiricism in its classical sense was a philosophical doctrine that considered observation to be the foundation of knowledge. Gortner and Schumacher(1992). Contemporary empiricism is a paradigm that has the ability to facilitate the application of the scientific facts learned from empirical methods within the appropriate context by taking interpretative knowledge into account†¦ It thus seems apparent that a broader view of scientific knowledge is required, and this is where contemporary views of 7  Philosophy course –First Assignment empiricism are more applicable to the practice of nursing. However, before reviewing the basic tenets of contemporary empiricism, there is a need to provide an overview of interpretive methods and their ability to provide a context or structure for the use of empirical knowledge. Pluralism supports the assumption of contemporary empiricism that human responses can be identified, measured and understood even considering their complex nature. Therefore, an important part of nursing knowledge acquisition includes a synthesis of the data in order to better understand the  synergistic effects of the whole, which cannot be learned simply by studying its parts. Traditional empiricism provides a basis for the study of certain types of knowledge that have made important contributions to the science of nursing. Giuliano,K. ( 2003) The strength of contemporary empiricism is that it values traditional empirical knowledge but takes interpretive knowledge into account in order to provide a context for the appropriate application of that knowledge. The pluralistic nature of contemporary empiricism gives it the ability to bridge the gap between the facts of scientific  knowledge and the use of scientific knowledge in order to facilitate the application of all types of nursing knowledge. Giuliano,K. ( 2003). HISTORICISM The main protagonist of historicism is Kuhn. He was dismayed to find that traditional accounts of the philosophy of science bore no comparison with historical 8 Philosophy course –First Assignment evidence. He then set out to establish a theory of the philosophy of science in keeping with historical evidence as he saw it (hence the term historicism). Nyatanga (2005). Relativism Epistemological relativism view of truth and falsity in general are relative. An epistemological relativist denies that anything at all can be known with certainty. According to hard core epistemological relativism, everything is a matter of opinion, including science. In this view of truth, nursing science has much knowledge that is derived from opinion and personal experience and consequently it is relative knowledge. Summary The importance and significance of the philosophical world views of realism, antirealism, phenomenology , postmodernism, positivism, empiricism, relativism and historicism for nursing science and profession were explored in this paper. However, this  area need more detailed exploration through our philosophy course in order to understand the similarities and differences between these philosophical worldviews and how we can integrate this knowledge in our practice and education. 9 Philosophy course –First Assignment References Giuliano,K. (2003). Expanding the use of empiricism in nursing: can we bridge the gap between knowledge and clinical practice? Nursing Philosophy. 2003,4, pp. 44–52. Gortner,S. and Schumacher,K. (1992). (Mis)conception and Reconceptions about Traditional Science. Advances in Nursing Science, 1992, 14(4):1-11 Lomborg,K. and Kirkevold,M.(2003). Truth and validity in grounded theory – a reconsidered realist interpretation of the criteria: fit, work, relevance and modifiability. Nursing Philosophy, 2003,4, pp. 189–200. Newman,M. , Sime, A. , and Cororan-Perry. .(1991)The Focus of the Discipline of Nursing. Advances in Nursing Science,(1991),14(1)1-6. Nyatanga, L. (2005). Nursing and the philosophy of science. Nurse Education Today (2005) 25, 670–674 Wainwright, S. ( 1997). A new paradigm for nursing: the potential of realism. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1997, 26, 1262-1271 Weaver, K. and Olson, J. (2006). Understanding paradigms used for nursing  research. Journal of Advanced Nursing 2006 – Vol. 53 Issue 4 pages 459–469 10 Philosophy course –First Assignment Welch,M. and Polifoni,E. (1999) . Perspectives on Philosophy of Science in Nursing. An Historical and Contemporary Anthology. Copyright 1999. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins . Whelton,B. (2002) Human nature as a source of practical truth: Aristotelian–Thomistic realism and the practical science of nursing. Nursing Philosophy,2002, 3, pp. 35–46 Wikipedia, (2007). Phenomenology. Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. Retrieved October 15, 2007, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Phenomenology.

Lierary Response House on Mango Street

The House on Mango Street written by Sandra Concerns, the vignette titled, â€Å"There was an Old Woman She Had So Many Children She Didn't Know What to Do†, may seem insignificant at first when Concerns begins to describe a woman with a lot of troubled children, a common scenario In neighborhoods such as Mango Street.Then as we delve deeper Into the passage, we begin to realize that the mother, Rosa Barras, Is neglectful, which may not be her fault; she Is troubled with the amount of children she has and plagued with the ruder of sadness that her husband left her with all of these children, alone and with no money to aid her. These children are starving for attention and by practically railing themselves. At first, members of the community attempt to help with their upbringing but eventually, because of the lack of results, the people become tired of trying and stop caring.They don't care when the children hurt themselves, even when Angel Barras falls from a great height and dies, â€Å"†¦ And nobody looked up not once the day Angel Barras learned to fly and dropped from the sky like a sugar donuts, gust like a falling star, and exploded down to earth without even an Oh†. Concerns seems to be playing off the old African saying, â€Å"It takes a village to raise a child†. This vignette is included to bear the question, who is to blame for Angel's death?Himself, because he behaved recklessly; his absent father, whose departure no doubt contributed to his lack of respect â€Å"for all things living, including [himself]†; his mother, who was not watching him but who at the same time was unable to do so effectively; or his neighbors, for not caring for or about his actions? Concerns chooses to include Rosa Barras in this vignette. Rosa also represents the challenges faced by single mothers.She has more children than she can count and is plagued with despair after her husband leaves her without a penny to help take care of all of her children or even a reason explaining why he left. She is troubled with all of these children and it is too many for her to keep her eye on. By the end of the vignette we can infer she has lost her son and now not only does she have to deal with the absence of her husband but now the loss of her son.

Fault Reporting System (FRS) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Fault Reporting System (FRS) - Essay Example Part 1 Analysis of Requirements A- Business objectives for the FRS The development of fault reporting system is aimed at achieving the following business objectives: Reduce the number of complaints regarding IT faults Increase credibility of business services On-time problem management Higher market share through better services Targeting wide customer market Increasing annual turnover Enhancing business productivity through better services Increasing the hardware product’s quality services B Produces a list of the functions required from the FRS Through the implementation of Fault Reporting System (FRS) we are intended to improve the overall business operational performance. ... Allocation Staff for complaint management (BO6, BO7) Issues Recording Screen R8. Recording all issues found (BO8) R9. Entering main issues found on system (BO9, BO10) Action Taken Screen R10. Recording necessary actions taken to mitigate the problem (BO11) Link each function to at least one Business Objective This section describes different functions those will be provided by the new system. In this way the business will be capable to get more effective facilities for conducting corporate operations and improving working environment: Client Satisfaction Clients’ satisfaction is one of the prime factors of the business. In this connection I have listed below main functionalities of the new web based Fault Reporting System: Recording all the complaints Saving clients detailed information along with complaints Quick fixes Fast actions Reducing faults fixing within "two working days† Offering more reliability of different types of computer equipment Enhancing overall corpor ate internal working structure Fast Response Quick response to clients’ complaints is essential for the business operational performance. In this scenario I have presented below the functionalities of the new Fault Reporting System: Offering exact date for solutions In case of small problem offering frequent solution Proper submission of complaints to the relevant department Web based or On-line assistance On-time Complaint Management On-time management of the clients’ complaints is a major preference of every business. In this scenario for the quick on-time complaints management we need to produce some internal and external departmental changes. Therefore I have outlined below some of the main functionalities for the new Fault Reporting System: Rapid action or response against

Budgets Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Budgets - Research Paper Example According to its mission, PepsiCo is a company in the consumer products business (PepsiCo, 2009). It focuses on manufacturing and distributing convenient foods and beverages. Its products include Pepsi Cola and other soft drink brands, Frito Lay, Tropicana, Quaker and Gatorade (PepsiCo, 2009). The types of budget that will be used by any company should conform to the main business of the said company. In PepsiCo’s case, being a company in the food and beverage industry, its budgets should be tailored to its specific needs and targets. The first recommended budget is the advertising budget. Since PepsiCo produces consumer products, these products should be marketed to the widest range of potential customers as much as possible. To do this, PepsiCo needs to aggressively advertise its products and even how it positions its products. Such a move will cost a lot of advertising expenses for PepsiCo, expenses that should be estimated or projected and placed in an advertising budget. This advertising budget includes how much PepsiCo expects to spend in advertising over a period of time (usually within one year) in various advertising vehicles such as print, media and even online. The second recommended budget is the department budget, which is usually prepared on an annual basis, but with a monthly breakdown. This type of budget is prepared for a company that has â€Å"multiple sales revenue units† (Jagels and Ralston, 2006, p. 370). Since PepsiCo has different product lines, the company can treat each product line as a department and draw up a budget specific to that product line. Since the department budget will show the revenues and expenses for the given product line, PepsiCo can immediately analyze which product line is the most profitable for the company, which has a positive contribution to the company’s bottom line and which products need to

Ratio Analysis Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ratio Analysis - Math Problem Example Ratio analysis further simplifies the information and allows for a longitudinal and cross sectional analysis of an organization’s performance. I, in this paper, perform ratio analysis of IBM financial statements for the accounting period ending in the years 2010, 2011, and 2012, and discuss the computed ratios. Accounting ratios Ratio analysis compares different income statement and balance sheet items to determine liquidity, advantage, activity, profitability, and growth potentials. The following is a summary of applied formulae for computing different ratios. ... The following table summarizes major ratios for the company over the three accounting periods based on the above formulae. Table 1: Computed ratios for IBM for the years ended 2010, 2011, and 2012 Ratio 2010 2011 2012 Current ratio 1.18623342 1.2090307 1.13313467 Quick ratio 0.52857354 1.02281414 0.98846991 Debt to total assets ratio 0.79574622 0.82620048 0.84075562 Debt to equity ratio 3.91733923 4.77688946 5.31436903 Long term debt to equity ratio 0.94793023 1.13501837 1.27720042 Times interest earned 52.5951087 50.0997567 46.7167756 Inventory turnover 21.982449 22.5220151 22.2077018 Fixed assets turnover 1.52856006 1.52461644 1.49766409 Total assets turnover 0.88028417 0.85774652 0.87664097 Gross profit margin 46.07% 46.89% 48.13% Operating profit margin 18.17% 18.97% 19.56% Net profit margin 14.85% 14.83% 15.89 Return on assets 17.06% 17.69% 17.99% Return on share holder’s equity 83.98% 102.25% 113.70% (Data source: IBM annual reports for the years 2010 and 2011) Discussio n The company enjoys high liquidity ratios and this indicates its ability to meet its short-term objectives. Its current ratios are good and indicate stability as they fluctuate above one over the three years. Even though the acid-test ratio was low in the year 2010, it improved in 2011 and the slight decrease in 2012 does not induce much threat. IBM however has significantly high ‘leverage’ ratios and this indicates its vulnerability to risks of credit capital. Even though the debt to total equity ratio is bellow 1, its increasing trend over the three years indicate that it will soon reach and even surpass one, a factors that will further expose the organization to sustainability risks. Long-term debt to equity ratio was fair in the year 2010 but also has an

Regan to Obama years Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Regan to Obama years - Essay Example This paper seeks to describe major events that took place from the period of Reagan to Obama. There were major historical turning points from Reagan to Obama period. The first major historical turning point was the collapse of communism and the ending of the cold war. The other major historical turning point was increased growth of United States economy in a rate that was never witnessed before during Reagan and Clinton period. The other turning point was the terrorist attack. Another major historical turning point is the Obama health care program. The major historical turning points that took place during this period had an impact on America current society, economy, politics, and culture. The collapse of communism had a tremendous effect on America’s politics (Peck, 2010). It signified the end of tension that existed between America and communist countries. Moreover, the nuclear weapons that were in United States and Soviet Union declined significantly. There was also restor ation of democracy at the expense of communist totalitarianism. Moreover, it led to domination of America economy in the world as capitalism won over communism (Peck, 2010). America influenced other countries to adopt free trade. Secondly, the growth of America economy caused the country employment rate to decline. ... The 9/11 attack led to America change of foreign policy due to the threat posed on homeland security (Purdum, 2003). The attention of America security was heightened that witnessed before. There was also increase in Domestic security measures and continue to affect the everyday lives of all Americans. The other transformation is on the health sector. The Obama health care reforms are expected to change the lives of low-income earners in America. Millions of America who could not get medical cover will now be covered in the Medicaid. On the other hand, insurance will get more premiums at a lower cost. The AIDS epidemics in America shook Americans confidence starting from 1980’s. AIDS was discovered in America in 1981. However, this topic was not frequent among politicians. President Reagan was the first to deny its general presence and even forced his surgeon not to discuss AIDS. Like other politician, he thought the disease was for gay people. With time, the disease spread to other people and affected lives of many Americans (The History of HIV and Aids in American, n.d.). The Centre for Disease Control published the first official record of the disease on June 5, 1981. The documentation involved gay men hospitalized over pneumonia and disseminated Candida infections. After this, many cases were reported while the two gay men died later. The disease was characterized by prejudice and stigma while the government ignored with no public attention. Those who were affected were even denied schooling opportunities. The ignorance of President Reagan and administration caused the activists to blame them on the death of gay men all over the country (The History of HIV and Aids in American, n.d.). The public mention of the disease took

Tourism in Turkey and its effects in the Grand Tarabya Hotel Term Paper

Tourism in Turkey and its effects in the Grand Tarabya Hotel - Term Paper Example This aspect stimulates the probable growth of the Grand Tarabya hotel across the country, while branching and enjoying economies of scale profitably. The research implements the overall impacts that the country, Turkey, and the Grand Tarabya Hotel enjoy from different practices towards international tourism sector. Tourism in turkey The country possesses a vast and beautiful Mediterranean coast that owns magnificent seaside beaches, with some of them having chronological factors (Bramwell, 2004). The country’s city of Istanbul bears a rich heritage of a distinct culture emanating from the music, dressing, to global business. The country owns a wide range of tourist attractions thus drawing many, for example, the country’s growing economy attracts international investors (Hall, 2006). There is a propellant reason that the country’s political stature maintains business-oriented views towards all the economic sectors, whilst maintaining a profound degree of stabilit y and heritage to draw positive attention towards the country’s activities. Turkey’s Istanbul city is the home of the historical Ottoman Empire that ruled for 653years, from the 13th to the 20th centuries. The empire stretched through the European, Asian, and African continents alike with a monarchical and stringent leadership. Another historical feature in turkey is the Blue Mosque that dates from the 1609-1616, yet the architectural features stand out for their exotic beauty. The Dead Sea in Turkey, with elongated lagoons from the land serves for beaches and resorts from all dimensions. The country owns a vast number of resorts with more than a thousand in the city of Istanbul. The country boasts of the wide attraction, drawing almost all races from different continents across the world (Bramwell, 2004). The Grand Tarabya Hotel The hotel situated at the historical Tarabya town inherits a great perspective of the towns’ history, formerly referred by the Greek a s Therapia with the notion that the offshore town had healing features. The notion created an avenue for the rich, wealthy, and the rulers to crave and establish their presence in the town accordingly. According to history, the grand Tarabya hotel was the home of ancient rulers of the Ottoman Empire. Therefore, the hotel inherits a foundation of rich culture and this aspect serves to draw visitors closer. The hotel, currently under renovation, draws attraction from local to the global tourism markets (Hall, 2006). The hotel further establishes a spectacle view to the sea, and the entire town, which serve for an attraction. Literature review The research project depicts relevance to the overall tourism effects to the country of turkey and the Grand Tarabya Hotel. In the research, tourism poses as an economic activity to Turkey and the importance relates directly to the hotel industry (Urry, 2011). The research implements findings on the following objectives: The push and pull factors to the international tourist, mainly these are the factors that draw tourists into the country. The research seeks to establish on the strategies that the country reinforces to the world thus drawing people’s attention towards the country. Mainly, the country may advertise on different contributing variables ranging from, economic to social factors that

Terrorism and Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Terrorism and Human Rights - Essay Example As contemporary issue for the purpose of this foreign policy brief, terrorism refers "to any violent act directed against noncombatants and carried out by an organized group rationalizing such behavior with political and religious arguments."(Davidson, 20 April 2009) Terrorism is the issue on every one's mind these days. It is global disorder that we have been fighting, and probably will be fighting for many years to come. What is terrorism The word refers different things to different people at different times and the same is very evident. "Violent activity at one point in time may be called terrorism, while the same action may be deemed war, liberation, or crime at another time in history." (Chossudovsky, 24 April 2009) The most accepted definition of terrorism is the illegitimate use of force on innocent people to achieve political objective. National groups or clandestine agents usually intended to influence an audience." These inflictions cannot be performed directly by any government, but they can be funded by government. If these actions were inflicted directly by government, this is known as terror, not terrorism. However, with these definitions you can see how difficult it is to define terrorism. Terrorism has been around long time and often appears in poor second and third world countries. Since terrorism has affected the world so hard recently, the United States and other countries are trying to find way to end or limit terrorism as much as possible. However, the best way to solve terrorism is to learn the causes of it and then to come up with reasonable method to solve it. Tony Blair's reaction after 7 July 2005 When the terrorist struck in London year ago, Prime Minister Tony Blair had been on an emotional roller-coaster. "From the elation of winning the 2012 Olympic bid for London he flew home from Singapore to chair the G8 summit at Glen eagles in Scotland, only to be woken from few hours sleep to the grim reality of the first suicide attack on Britain." (Tony Blair, 20 April 2009). 'This is very sad day for the British people, but we will hold true to our British way of life,' said Blair, breaking off from the G8 proceedings to chair the government's emergency meetings in London. Opinion polls have consistently shown that, even though his government has been buffeted by many a scandal and internal squabbling, many Britons feel secure with Blair's 'sure touch' on terrorism. "Unlike US President George W Bush, who initially hesitated to return to Washington after the attacks, and Spanish leader Jos Maria Aznar, who by blaming the separatist movement ETA turned the 2004 Madrid bombings into an instant political football, Blair showed leadership in crisis, analysts believe." (Tony Blair, 24 April 2009). 'His initial response showed that he was very much in touch with the British public,' said Frederick Fors, Swedish author of the study Bombings in London: Terrorism and institutionalized crisis management. Fors, from Crisis mart, the National Center for Crisis Management Research and Training of the Swedish National Defense College in Stockholm, believes that Britain's long experience with Irish Republican Army (IRA) terrorism, and Blair's conviction that Britain would become target after 9/11, helped prevent an 'overreaction' to July 7. 'Given the scale of events in London, it might have

Ethical issues related to blogging and the internet Research Paper

Ethical issues related to blogging and the internet - Research Paper Example Internet is an ever-increasing community of approximately 10 million blogs that range from teenage rants to aggressive corporate promotion and from political discussions to election campaigns. This paper brief outlines ethical issues of blogosphere and analyse the accuracy issues of blogging world. Perlmutter and Schoen (2007 as cited in Debatin) list potential ethical issues of blogging as: 1) Editorial oversight and lack of accuracy/fact checking 2) Absence of systematic coverage of topics 3) Creation of tunnel vision 4) Circular and self-referential spin-doctoring 5) Dissemination of lies, rumours, and hoaxes 6) Practice of trolling, character assassination, and libel 7) Invasion of privacy 8) Stalking and harassment 9) Plagiarism and copyright violation 10) Lack of integrity and accountability facilitated by anonymity, false identity, and pseudonymity 11) Lack of independence and unrevealed conflicts of interests; and 12) Manipulative and deceptive blogging funded by corporations , governments, and individuals.(46) Increasing authority and influence of blogs has empowered bloggers like never before, whether it’s power to make public opinion, drive a revolution, sell a product, or establish an image. However, power always comes with responsibility. Open accessibility, anonymity, zero accountability, and greater influence of blogs and bloggers have raised ethical concerns among blogosphere which need our attention.Here, a question arises that whether bloggers are journalists, and if so, do they abide by the journalistic ethics? However, Jay Rosen of New York University believes that categorization of bloggers as journalists is not as important as defining their ethics. It is quite shocking for most journalists that people may trust the commentary of an average blogger more than a professional investigative journalist (Burkholder). According to the annual Public Trust barometer, organized by the Edelman global public relation firm, people trust other peo ple who are â€Å"just like them† above all others irrespective of their credentials. One slot ahead of CEOs, Journalists are ranked sixth on the list (cited in Burkholder). The reason behind such faith is the belief that bloggers have no hidden agenda or promotional concerns. Moreover, if we disagree with some blogger, we have every right to comment, says Clare Hart of Factiva in an interview with Sean Hargrave(cited in Burkholder).Therefore, bloggers are becoming increasingly powerful in this modern age. In most cases, bloggers don’t have original news and fact gathering sources as they rely on professional news channels. They pick the news and present their analysis and commentary on a certain issue. Publishing unsubstantiated information may not be an issue if blogging remains a form of personal diary; however, concerns arise when it takes the form of journalism (Burkholder).Former CNN-TV reporter Rebecca MacKinnon believes that this struggle between bloggers and j ournalists is not a â€Å"zero-sum-game† because they can co-exist. Blogger analyse and comment on the facts and events that journalists report (Burkholder). Bloggers define their services as citizen journalism which is better suited to today’s information needs. By moving away from main stream media, they claim to weaken the control of major capitalism driven media. Citizen journalists took pride in becoming ‘watch-dog’ of the mainstream watch-dog media. Major objective of their efforts are to provide readers with reliable and

Personality Theories Essay Example for Free

Personality Theories Essay This paper will compare the Psychodynamic Theory and the Humanistic Theory. A description of each theory and its leading theorist will help in pointing out both their differences and similarities. Psychodynamic Theory, developed by Sigmund Freud in the 1900s, believes that most human behavior stems from their unconscious. That personality comes from beliefs, memories, feelings, and instincts of which the individual is not aware of (Feldman, 2010). According, to Freud the personality is made up of three major components; the Id, Ego, and Superego. The Id is the raw inborn part with sole purpose is to reduce tension caused by aggression and irrational impulse, operating according to the pleasure principle (Feldman, 2010). Ego acting as a buffer between the Id and the outside world, the Ego is developed soon after birth and strives to balance the desires of the Id. The Ego operates according to the reality principle, making decisions permitting problem solving at a higher level than the Id is capable of (Feldman, 2010). While the Superego is part of the conscience representing right from wrong in society, thus being handed down by one’s parents, and teachers, the Superego keeps one from improper behavior by causing one to feel guilty. Freud suggest that personality development has several distinct stages; Oral (birth – 18 months), Anal (18 months – 3 years), Phallic (3-6 years), Latency (6 years to adolescence), and Genital (adolescence to adulthood) (Feldman, 2010). Another huge part of Freud’s theory is the defense mechanisms which include: Repression, Regression, Displacement, Rationalization, Denial, Projection, Sublimation, and Reaction formation. These defense mechanisms are used to cope with life’s anxieties. Humanistic Theory believes that it is at the conscience level that all people have the drive and tendency to move forward. Both Maslow and Rogers is theorist that believe in the Humanistic Theory, believing that we all have a basic need of self- fulfillment to reach our highest potential in our own unique ways. This Theory suggest that people see and judge themselves through the eyes of others causing one to become preoccupied with what others think. This is why unconditional positive regard from family and friends is so important to how one feels about themselves. The acceptance one gets from others has a direct effect on both emotional and cognitive development. Maslow believes a person grows in stages based on needs: beginning with physical needs such as food, and sexual needs, than safety needs, a secure safe place to live or an organized life, on to a sense of belonging, where one feels connected or loved. Maslow believes these needs have to be met in order to have self-esteem which drives one to be all they can be (Feldman, 2010). The Humanistic Theory suggests that personality is more about one’s unique self and freedom of choice. In comparing the Psychodynamic Theory and the Humanistic Theory, the most noticeable difference is that the Psychodynamic believes that the determinants of personality are of the unconscious, while the Humanistic believes more of the opposite in that personality determinants are of the conscious. The Humanistic suggest that it is the interaction of both nature and the environment that set the path for personality, while the Psychodynamic believes that personality is more inherited that nurture factors. These two theories are opposite in their believes of free will, Humanistic stresses the freedom of individual choices, and Psychodynamic stress the view that behavior is directed by factors outside of one’s self (Feldman, 2010). Psychodynamic suggest that a person’s personality keeps the same characteristics throughout a person’s life. On the other hand Humanistic believes that personality characteristics remain flexible and resilient throughout one’s life. Assessing personality can be done in many different ways. There is psychological test that are used to help people understand more about themselves. Psychological test are based on norms which are created by giving the same test to a large number of people and comparing their answers. Self-Report measures personalities by asking a person to explain a sample of their behavior, these reports are than used to look for particular characteristics. Projective testing is done by showing an ambiguous stimulus and asking that the person tell a story about the stimulus. The responses are considered to be projections of one’s personality. These are just a few of the ways personality can be assessed. While the Psychodynamic and Humanistic Theories are different in their beliefs they both hold valid aspects at evaluating human personalities. Just as there is no one way to test personality there is no one theory. Reference (Feldman, 2010) Feldman, R. S. (2010). Psychology and your life. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Life Cycle Analysis To Assess District Energy

Life Cycle Analysis To Assess District Energy Introduction Life Cycle Analysis is the method used by individuals working in procurement to assess District Energy. This is done so as to understand the amount needed to create cooling on the site; though this analysis is carried out for the duration of 20 40 years and then it is equated with district cooling proposal. The concept of Life Costing is being widely used because of the productivity associated with it. Practically, mechanical / electrical equipment live short lives, but energy consumption, maintenance and renewal programmes are expenses. Both present and future costs are genuine, Example, in a rolling maintenance programme for major installations capital comes from the same fund. If these situations can be met then whole-life costing is vital. (Ferry 1964) Use of Whole life costing methods within the mechanical and electrical installations s most profitable since the amount of money spent on these is always growing. Variances between expenditure and running cost are constant in evaluation of energy-consuming systems. Drawbacks affecting calculations for whole-life costing is unaccountable in building fabric, because, Firstly, running costs of energy-consuming systems equate to considerable sum of the total whole-life costs. Secondly, restrictions on life span of mechanical / electrical installations and since they become obsolete quickly imply these installations should be considered for shorter periods as compared to building fabric. Thirdly, assumptions are held over short period time frames, any hypothesis on cost, interest rates and taxation are possibly more legitimate. (Ferry 1964) Fig 4.1 displays the proportional values of the various life cycle costs that a building owner would need to consider in order to produce cooling on site. (Damecour 2008) As can be seen in the above diagram, there are 3 clear parts to manufacture cooling on site; Natural gas or electricity, Operation and maintenance and Capital. Capital costs Capital for equipment is a fraction of the total installation cost. It is critical to consider this when deciding on what amount can be reduced by using district cooling system. For example in chiller plants, the chiller and cooling towers make up 25% of total cost. [See fig4.2] (Damecour 2008) Operation and maintenance: To operate chillers and cooling towers there is a need for well trained staff and budget for wear and tear of machines. Chillers need water and chemicals to work accurately. It is mandatory for the owner to insure all heavy machinery such as boilers, chillers and cooling towers. Besides, heavy machinery is sold with warranty contracts. Details of Case Study This case study evaluates the capital connected with a district cooling plant and Air cooled chiller package, but over a time frame of 30 years. The particulars of both are below. District Cooling Plant Employer: Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (EMPOWER), Dubai Engineer for the Works: Ellerbe Becket Inc and Tebodin Middle East Ltd. Scope of work: The capacity of the job involved supply, installation, testing and commissioning of a central cooling plant. The plant will have a capacity of 56,000 tonnes of refrigeration. The specification of the building is 135 metres long x 40 metres wide and 37 metres high from basement floor level to the top of the parapet wall. Transgulf Electomechanical LLC, are the contractor on this project and will perform all functions relating to mechanical, electrical, process, civil and architectural components, including supply and installation of machinery. The capacity of work extends towards supply and installation of the instrumentation and controls in two phases for up to 40 ETSs (Energy transfer stations) located in developers buildings around DHCC area and wiring them back to the central plant. It includes engineering as required, procurement and provision of manpower, materials, equipment and two years defect liability period. Project Time Schedule: In March 2008, the first 18000 tons of refrigeration has been connected to the pipeline network. The balance load will happen during part II of the work. The details of the equipment installed are indicated in the Annexure 4.1. District cooling system model Firstly, chilled water is scattered between DCS and buildings through a three-level chilled water piping system, which comprises of production loop with constant speed pump. Each chiller has a dedicated production loop pump, and the two are controlled together. Secondly, distribution loop pumps defeat pressure loss, as acquired by chilled water flowing between DCS and the buildings. Distribution is hydraulically separated from production loop by existence of separate bypass pipes between the loops. All distribution loop pumps have changeable speed. Thirdly, secondary loop in each building includes a number of changeable speeds, with variable flow chilled pumps, for distributing chilled water through the airside apparatus in the building. Heat exchangers are built-in to segregate distribution loop of DCS from secondary loop in each building, which keeps system pressure in the distribution loop at a low. Lastly, there are total 4 zones T1, T2, T3 and T4 as indicated in the drawing (Fig 4.3) which shows the location of the ETS stations and the load detail. The load details of Phase I are in Annexure 4.2. Air Cooled Chiller Package Transgulf Electromechanical has provided information on air cooled chiller package for comparison. Employer : Dubai World Trade Centre Engineer : RMJM consultants. Capacity of chiller : 275 TR Type : Air cooled chiller Information on machinery, model number and power consumption are in annexure 4.3. Factors considered for costing 1. The real cooling capacity that a building needs is a much lower number than the chiller capacity. On the basis of the design cooling loads predicted for the twenty one buildings in four building zone the connected load is 18000 TR and the actual load is 15738 TR. Accordingly the district cooling plant is designed for 8 chillers working (8 x 2000 TR = 16000 TR) and 1 standby (2000 TR). The connected load (17796 TR) correlates to sum of fixed capacity of the chiller plants needed by each building if each had a plant, but 16000 TR relates to the cooling capacity required of a DCS to serve 21 ETS stations. Outcome of diversity in cooling load among buildings can be taken advantage of by using district cooling plant to serve groups of buildings. Air cooled chiller packages are in multiples of 275 TR (66 chiller packages) as total load of 18150 TR to be fixed in 21 buildings. 2. Study is based on NPV (present worth value) and EAC (equivalent annual cost); across initial and operating costs. Choice depends on which requires least LCC (life-cycle cost) and can execute the duty for its life span. (Al Daini et al 2002). Comparisons are made only between co-terminated proposals, to guarantee comparable results. Co-termination means, lives of systems involved end at the same time, which is not the case in this work. When alternatives have unequal lives, time span for analysis can be set by common multiples of system lives or a study period ending with disposal of all systems. Common-multiple method is used to accommodate NPV for unequal-life systems. Like in this case study, least common multiple is 30 years for the district cooling plant. This means the air cooled chilled package has a lifetime of 15 years; and would be substituted once during the analysis period. The total NPV for analysis is derived by adding the NPV of single entity considered, both future single payment (i.e. replacement cost) items and series of equal future payment (i.e. annual operating cost). The value of money is the job of available interest rates and inflation rate. In equivalent annual method, all costs incurred over time are changed to an equal yearly amount. The EAC comparison method is most fitting, especially for systems that comprise of many subsystems with unequal life spans. In this case, there is no need to assume the replacement of a system. 3. Owning Costs: Economic analysis demands derivation of first cost and operational costs for every projected selection. It is significant in correctly assessing to reach a final decision, for overall approach and system choices. Life cycle cost evaluation comprises of first costs, utility costs, maintenance costs, operational costs, utility escalation rates and owners cost of money. (Richards et al 2000). There are four rudiments to calculate annual owning costs: Initial cost, Analysis or study period, Cost of capital and other periodic costs like replacement, refurbishment or disposal fees. These combined with operating costs, equates to economic analysis. (ASHRAE 2003) Initial costs A fair ballpark of capital cost of parts has resulted from cost records of installations of similar le design or quotations from manufacturers and contractors or referring market available cost- estimations. Analysis period Time span during which an economic analysis is carried out affects the outcome. This is decided by clear objectives, like length of planned ownership or loan repayment period. As the length of time in analysis period grows, the net present value decreases. The time period is not affected by equipment depreciation or service life, though it may be valuable for the study. In this study a single design life of 15 years was used to show a midway point between small and medium capacity equipment range for air cooled chiller package. Smaller equipment has a life span of 10 to 15 years while medium size equipment has 15 to 20 years. (Archibald et al 2002) In district cooling plants, machinery is all large scale and has a life span of 30 to 40 years as declared by district solution providers (Tabreed 2007). Though, in this analysis 30 years is considered to minimize the intricacy and work. Interest or discount rate Borrowed capital has high interest rates, albeit this rate is not apt enough to use in the study. Discount rate instead is used to give the actual value of money. This rate is affected by individual investment and profit, while interest rates are fixed. (ASHRAE 2003) Most establishments use WACC to calculate costs of capital as organizations can produce capital through debt or equity. Although return required for equity and debt is varied, debt holders have high risk as they access the organizations profits. Hence cost of the capital is calculated by taking a weighted average of both, and the weightings are introduced by level of debt and equity in the companys asset base, or the companys gearing. (EMA 2002) This estimation is from the hypothesis of cost of capital as 10% (as per break up in Annexure 4.4) to DCS by private sector. Operating costs Operating costs comprises of; cost of electricity, wages of employees, supplies, water, materials, chemicals and annual frequent costs associated with functioning of the system. For the vapor compression system, operating costs are subject to electricity needed to work the compressor. Extra electricity is needed to work the condenser water pump and cooling tower fans. This has been regarded in the calculation. DEWA tariff has also been considered. Wages are as per current UAE market rate. Maintenance Costs Maintenance cost is equal to final cost estimated for air-conditioning systems. Most frequently used maintenance towards building HVAC services are run-to-failure (unsuitable for the hospital), preventive, and predictive maintenance. Run to failure, capital is not spent until the machinery gives way. Preventive maintenance is planned by run time or calendar. Predictive maintenance is done by supervising machinery and using condition and performance indices to increase repair intervals. HVACR maintenance and utility costs form a high percentage of operating cost, hence it is critical to reduce cost on maintenance by managing the process well. Maintenance cost is hard to measure as it is liable on many variables like local labor rates, experience, age of the system, length of time of operation, etc. Although a fair prediction is derived from quotations for repairs and Annual maintenance contracts. Sensitivity analysis Most whole-life cost calculation includes a lot of suppositions and it is not probable to get the effect of change in these practically. One method of testing results attained from whole life cost calculation is to repeat the calculations in a methodical way, changing the value of a single variable (i.e. assumption) each time, and then one can see how sensitive results are to changes in the variable under consideration. Results if seen on a graph can show when; example, one component becomes more attractive than another. (Ferry 1964) Consequently, sensitivity analysis was done to learn the effect of change in DEWA tariff rate on life costs by keeping all parameters same and results are reflected in Figure I and Figure IV. Also the same was done by changing hours of operation; results are seen in Figure III and Figure VI. Explanatory notes to the costing Capital costs Air cooled chiller package 275 TR chiller package is used for contrast study as data of cost and power usage are accessible for a recent project completed in 2007 (Dubai World trade centre) Design fees are taken @ 4 % as per market trend in contracting business in Dubai. Total load requirement as per ETS integrator data is 18,000 TR which needs 66 number of 275 TR air cooled chiller packages. Hence cost as per 66 chiller packages was noted. District cooling plant The capital cost figures shown are for a recently executed project (Phase I completed in March 2008) at Dubai Health care city. Architect/Consultant fees are taken @ 8% as per market trend in contracting business in Dubai. Plant is constructed for 56,000 TR capacity. Civil cost should be allocated to 56,000 TR . Though this difference was not made in capital cost. Chiller cost is 18,000 TR (2000 TR x 9nos) in line with phase I ETS load. Land cost is taken from Dubai rent prices in 2006 in the Dubai Health care city. (UAE property trends 2006) Economic calculation requires consideration towards the space for the cooling machine which will be vacated for other purposes since the consumer is connected to the DC network (Soderman 2007). Although this was not considered in the calculation. Operating costs District cooling plant Power consumption for the plant is from SCADA reports as per annexure 4.5. The power consumption charges are assumed at 20 fils/kwh as per DEWA tariff rates from May2008. Sensitivity analysis by changing the rate to 33 fils/kwh is also done to learn the influence of revised rates from DEWA since June2008. Dubai health care city has residential, hospital buildings and office buildings and so has different running hours. Running hours are assumed as 4800 hrs per year (16 hours /day x 300 days working) and all calculations are based on 4800 hrs of operation. Results for operating at 3200 hrs and 6000 hrs are evaluated. Water costs are assumed as 4 fils/gallon as per DEWA tariff and run hours are 4800 hrs as per above. Air cooled package Power consumption is assumed as 20 fils/kwh as per DEWA tariff rate from May 2008. Since the start of slab tariff, consumption charges for each chiller package will be 20 fils/kwh as total consumption would not exceed the slab. Water and chemical requirements are not applicable for air cooled chiller package, since cooling tower is removed and chilled water system being a closed system the makeup water requirements are irrelevant to consider in costing. Life cycle costs are from budget costing figures formulated from basic equipment sizes, not detailed design solutions. This is supposed to be precise for comparison. 4.5 Inferences from cost comparison Figure I Figure IV District cooling plant has huge initial capital cost, though in the long term it is more advantageous. According to present worth method, district cooling is advantageous from 13th year when present worth becomes lower than air cooled chiller package, which is even before replacement of the chiller package. As operating and maintenance costs are sizably less with the same tariff for electricity as per before May 2008. Since the start of slab tariff rates for electricity from May 2008, air cooled chiller package NPV is lower than district cooling. As increase in operating costs of district cooling because of higher tariff (33 fils/kwh) when compared to air-cooled chiller package (20 fils/kwh) neutralises the advantage of less power consumption per unit of cooling produced by district cooling as compared to air cooled chiller package. Thus the massive disparity in capital costs of district cooling makes it not worth. Figure II In district cooling, capital cost is 56% while operation and maintenance is 44% of the cost. Compared to air cooled chiller package, initial capital investment is 30% while operation and maintenance is 70%. Hence throughout a life cycle of 30 years, OM costs for air cooled chiller package are much higher than the benefit of low capital investment. With equivalent annual cost method, district cooling plant is beneficial when weighed against air-cooled chiller package. Figure III and Figure VI 1. Operating hours of a cooling plant differ widely with use, example the chiller plant in typically HVAC equipment in commercial buildings run for a portion of 2,500 to 3,500 hours that the building is occupied. But in the industrial sector, commercial cooling systems are expanded to comprise of process cooling and function on two shifts or around the clock. Here it is possible to note that the plant runs for 8,000 hours per year. (Archibald et al 2002) Cost differentiation shows as operating hours lessen, differences in present worth between the DCP and ACC reduces. As hours of operation lessen, OM costs lessen and DCP loses the advantage to ACC. Although with more operating hours DCP becomes much more attractive than ACC. 2. As per the present worth method, DCP becomes productive from 15th year, the present worth becomes less than ACC because of substituting of the chiller package with 3600 hours of operation, in the 13th year with 4800 hours of operation and in 9th year of operation with 6000 hours of operation. Here it is visible how costs; except initial capital costs; can influence decisions. Figure V Comparison of DCP and ACC considering inflation is shown. Rates supposed for inflation the difference in costs of ACC and DCP over 30 years increases as compared to the cost comparison without inflation. District cooling system considerations and benefits. High cooling load demand and density are predominant reasons to select District Cooling. It is most commonly seen in universities, government facilities and hospitals, or in office and industrial complexes and high- rise urban districts. A high load density means a less extensive distribution system, which is very expensive. Shorter runs also minimize thermal and pressure losses and maintenance costs. A desirable companion to high load density is a favorable load factor. Means that the aggregate load over time tends to approach the peak block load condition. This analysis considers both factors, thus making DCP a better option. Infrastructure Requirements District Cooling Scheme needs a central plant and a central pipeline network to function. Consideration of these site necessities for district cooling facilities in planning and programming process for Strategic New Development areas in the beginning stage is priority to hold the master plans and certain easy execution of District Cooling Scheme. (Parsons 2003) Due to fast paced construction process any changes to the master plans and infrastructure corridors, can severely impact the completion of the district cooling project. Traffic Impact Review Since some of the pipelines laying works need to be on busy roads it is important to have an extensive Traffic Impact Assessment. For Dubai health care city careful notification was provided to the stakeholders to guarantee no inconvenience was caused due to pipeline installation. Under Ground Congestion These are higher than anticipated costs since there may be unexpected costs relating to congestion in underground services. These need to be overcome primarily in the planning process. (IDEA 2007) Chilled Water Temperature Differential Low chilled water temperature differential (Ά T) is a major district cooling weakness. Poor Ά T performance at cooling coils means lost cooling capacity, wasted energy, extra cost and added complexity for a thermal utility, its chilled water customers, or both. Health care city district cooling plant has power consumption of 1.12 kw/tr which is more than the desired consumption of less than 1 kw/tr due to low chilled water temperature difference. This increases operating costs. To encourage customers to invest in technology to improve Ά T performance in their buildings, an increasing number of utilities have established chilled water rates that vary inversely with Ά T . Figure 4.4 is an example of rates charged to customers from one prominent university in the United States. As can be seen, the lower the Ά T, the greater the rate. Conversely, customers that minimize their flow rate per ton cooling are rewarded. (Moe 2005) Risks and Uncertainties Faced By District Cooling Customers There is no bargaining power with the District Cooling Services Provider once a building is connected to District Cooling Scheme and Uncertainties over future tariffs. Risks and Uncertainties Faced By District Cooling Investors Demand is unpredictable, Uncertainty in dealing with building owners on District Cooling Supply Agreement (negotiations can be time consuming), Unpredictability relating to land costs for District Cooling plant room and distribution pipelines and High initial capital investments with long payback periods. (Parsons 2003) Strategic Environmental Assessment Noise The central chiller plant and pumps of the district cooling scheme are housed in underground plant rooms, this reduces the noise. As buildings connecting to District Cooling Scheme do not need to have their own chiller plant, the district cooling user building will have no noise. Appropriate techniques can be implemented to reduce the noise during construction stage of district cooling scheme. (Parsons 2003) Air Quality District cooling reduces electricity energy thus minimising carbon dioxide emission and will help improve air quality. Based on the case study for 4800 hours of operation the energy saving by using district cooling would be (1.91 -1.12)kw/ton x 4800 hrs x 18000 tons i.e. 68,256,000 KWh , which is equivalent to 104,772,960 lbs of CO2 (Electricity carbon emission factor 1.535 lbs CO2/KWh).(EPA 2006) Benefits of district cooling for project owners: A highly efficient solution: Given that this region has extreme heat, air conditioning can account for as much as 70% of the energy consumption in a typical building. Moving this load from individual houses to a central plant, the housing electric load is reduced considerably and along with it the number of electric substations and length and sizes of electric cables. District cooling requires far less electric power than multiple plant rooms or ducted splits. Also the plant room can house the electric substation, enormously reducing the electric works. Significant capital and O M cost reduction: Removing in-building or on-premise chiller plants by using district cooling schemes; means that availability of free land for other use. Also project owners do not need to buy more land to operate and maintain complex central air conditioning plants. They also need not have to replace expensive equipment. The industry has a two part tariff structure which is complex to understand. It is based on an Annual Capacity or Connection Charge for every ton committed to a property and also a Consumption Charge for the energy used measured through an energy meter installed for every end user. Palm district cooling has developed a new form of tariff structure that maintains the consumption charge but replaces the annual capacity charge or connection charge with a One Time Service Connection Charge (AED/sq ft) of the property. (Prashant 2007) Benefits of this tariff structure: Developer need not pay advance cost for DC, Developer does not need to pay for any air-conditioning chiller units during construction stage. The tenant or property owner contributes to the cost of the DC system at the time of purchasing his property [as he would do with conventional AC equipment]. When district cooling is an option, the building owner can invest capital towards amenities for tenants. Reduced project complexity means faster project completion: Dedicated experienced professionals take over the complex task of providing the cooling needs of the project, simplifying and expediting the project development cycle and expediting move-in dates and income generation Improved ROI numbers: Reduced initial up-front capital outlays for developers, faster move-in dates, reduced OM costs and the elimination of costs related to technical staff all translate into less financial risk for project owners, with improved return on investment and better project economies overall for developers and owners. No idle expensive capacity: District Cooling Solutions allow project owners to buy the capacity they need when they need it. Improved reliability and ease of operation: Economies of scale allow for sophisticated redundant systems resulting in superior 100% up-time performance and ease of operation for project owners. Units used are high-tech and industrial which dramatically decreases the failure frequency compared to commercial equipment. District cooling reliability is in excess of 99.94%. (Source: IDEA). (Papadopoulos et al 2006) The central chiller plant concept, almost by definition, is more flexible and more reliable and possesses a greater degree of redundancy than the concept involving individual cooling packages. Greater flexibility in design: Architects have more creative leeway due to the elimination of heavy machinery. Ecologically friendly: It provides for a noise free, clean environment for the tenants. The absence of tall towers allows for a clean environment.

Comparing Marriage Proposals from Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy from Pride

Comparing Marriage Proposals from Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice The story of Pride and Prejudice revolves around a mother of five daughters, Mrs. Bennet, whose sole purpose is to marry off her daughters to suitable men. Jane is the eldest out of the Bennet sisters. Jane is the closest to Elizabeth from the rest of her sisters, this is because they stand on similar maturity levels, and Elizabeth is the second oldest. The main theme of the novel is based on the importance of marriage. It is important because a woman will have to marry a suitable man who can support her when her father passes away, it is equally important to men because it is important for them to keep their social status, they will do this by finding a wife at a suitable age. There are four main marriages in the novel: Charlotte's to Mr Collins, Lydia's to Wickham, Jane's to Mr Bingley, and Elizabeth's to Mr Darcy. The story is follows Elizabeth. Elizabeth Bennet the second oldest of the five daughters. Of her sisters, she has the strongest and most outstanding personality, and this is shown because she is the only one who wants to marry a suitable man whom she also loves. Mr Collins is a relative of the Bennets. Mr Bennet has no sons. Therefore he will have to leave all his possessions to Mr Collins when he passes away. This is why Mrs Bennet is pleased to hear he would like to marry one of her daughters so they will keep the family income. Mr Collins at first is most interested in Jane because of her beauty, but when he finds out that she may be getting engaged to Mr Bingley, he realises he has not got much of a chance with her, so then begins to have interest in Elizabeth. Mr Darcy is a man who comes fro... ... both positive that Elizabeth will accept them and they therefore present themselves in such a manner that this is made obvious. Mr Collins verbally declares this assumption, â€Å"you may assure yourself that no ungenerous reproach shall ever pass my lips when we are married†. Mr Darcy does not openly mention his assurance in Elizabeth’s acceptance but makes it obvious in his manner; she could easily see that he had no doubt of a favourable answer. He spoke of apprehension and anxiety, but his countenance expressed real security. Until Mr Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, neither of them are honest about their feelings towards each other. The novel ends when Mr Darcy and Elizabeth get married, and Jane and Mr Bingley get married, even though they connected from the beginning and did not have as much time as Elizabeth and Mr Darcy did to get to know each other.

Graduation Speech: Who Are We? :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

We are the Class of 2012. But who are we really? In truth we are nothing but ourselves. We are the sons and daughters of baby-boomers, farmers, veterans, ex-hippies and civil righters. We have slid out of Generation X into our own. Appropriately coined Generation Y, we are the ones who ask for faster, longer, safer, fairer and better. Some of our questions include: Why are people starving when we have more than enough food? Why do we have nuclear weapons if we aren’t going to use them? Why is the smoking age 18 and the drinking age 21? Why are drive-through liquor stores legal when drinking and driving is not? Why don’t you like my music? Why can’t I have a faster computer? Why did the CIA put top secret information in a laptop anyway? And why does Mr. Sharples sing show tunes when he walks down the hall? These questions, and many others, will define not only ourselves, but the world from which we get the answers. Despite history’s trend of world conflict, my class has never known a war where military service was automatic. We now join the services for an education, not necessarily to fight. We have never felt the impact of widespread, deep-seated injustice and discontent. Oh, we may complain about the president, and hear individual cases of prejudice, but we don’t feel as if the problem is getting worse. We have never known the terror of possible nuclear war. The Cold War ended before we could understand what it was about. We have not suffered famine, global catastrophe or unpreventable, epidemic diseases. Even AIDS, which we have learned how to avoid, is being beaten back, slowly but surely. However, we are close enough to those in age who have experienced these trials. We are close enough through communication advances to see them happening in poorer countries around the world. Close enough to ask why it happened, and how we can prevent it from happening again. We are a diverse group, and accept that diversity whole-heartedly. We all have our own beliefs. We hail from the East Coast, the West Coast and all stops in-between infinity and beyond. We are actors, artists, writers and musicians. Some are mechanics, carpenters, engineers and programmers. We are runners, jumpers, hitters, throwers, kickers and catchers. And some are designers, cashiers, clerks and chefs. We are doctors, vets, entrepreneurs and therapists.

Cheerleading is Not a Sport Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Cheerleading is Not a Sport According to Joe Hatton, the author of the article, â€Å"Sports Beat - The sport of cheerleading: It’s more than just pompoms and smiles,† cheerleading is a sport because it requires strength, balance, and coordination. The major claim of the article is â€Å"cheerleading is a sport - plain and simple - and cheerleaders are true athletes† (Hatton C-04). The article offers the following arguments in support of the claim. Hatton claims because cheerleaders are athletes, cheerleading is a sport. Hatton also says cheerleading is a sport because of the competitive aspects. We believe cheerleading is not a sport, because not all cheerleaders compete. Most cheerleaders rarely, if ever, show athleticism. Cheerleading is an activity based on confidence and school spirit. Activities in schools such as debate clubs revolve around the trust, confidence and competition of the team members yet most people do not consider debate club a sport. In Hatton’s article, he acknowledges many people and organization do not identify cheerleading as a sport. The premier collegiate sports organization in the country, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (â€Å"NCAA†), does not recognize cheerleading as a sport (â€Å"Equal Opportunity†). Also, according to the National Federation of High School Athletic Associations, fewer than half the states in country recognize cheerleading as a sport (â€Å"NFHS†). The fact that a respected national athletic organization and a majority of states do not recognize cheerleading as a sport implies that it is viewed primarily as entertainment. We believe the arguments in the article to be unfounded and therefore view the claim that cheerleading is a sport to be untrue. There is more supp... ...leading should not be considered a sport because it is not typically undertaken in a competitive environment and its primary purpose is to lead â€Å"cheering of spectators as at a sports contest† (Dictionary.com). Works Cited Dictionary.com. Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. 2003. 9 October 2003. http://dictionary.reference.com/. â€Å"Equal Opportunity In Intercollegiate Athletics: Requirements Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.† U.S. Department of Education. 27 August 1997. 9 October 2003. http://classweb.gmu.edu/jkozlows/460tixa.html. Hatton, Joe. â€Å"Sports Beat - The Sport of Cheerleading: It’s a lot More than Just Pompoms and Smiles.† Providence Journal Bulletin 9 May 2003: C-04 LexisNexis CD-ROM. 13 May 2003. â€Å"NFHS.† National Federation of State High School Associations. 2003. 9 October 2003. http://www.nfhs.org/.

Neighbours

Everyone has neighbours, that much is obvious. Whether they live down the street or if they live within throwing distance. Every person, every family, and every neighbourhood is different. Some neighbours can be very inconsiderate, and then there are some who are very considerate towards helping and respecting others. The inconsiderate neighbour is the one constantly playing loud music, and when someone complains they do not change their ways at all. The considerate neighbour may be the one who is always lending a helping hand; even before you ask for help.Then there is the silent neighbour, who may fall into either category, being considerate or inconsiderate depending how you want your neighbours to be. Whether your neighbours are the inconsiderate loud type or the considerate, over friendly and helpful type it is all about personal preference and how you want your neighbours to be and act towards you. All types of neighbours are an important part to each community, they can help u s to learn to communicate and relate to all different types of people. Whether they are noisy and inconsiderate, silent and keep to themselves, or if they are helpful and considerate, they are all our neighbours.An inconsiderate neighbour may be the worst type of neighbour to have. They can be anything from loud to Just plain out rude. An inconsiderate neighbour is usually the one who stays up late and comes home late, driving fast, squealing their tires around corners, and slamming the car doors. They play loud music with no cares as to who is sleeping. The worst part is the typical inconsiderate person has bad taste in music, so when they get home late playing loud music it is usually bad music; which makes it even worse. Playing loud music and coming home late is not the only thing that makes someone inconsiderate.And inconsiderate neighbour does not care for anyone or respect anyone, this neighbour will not change their ways due to complaints from others. Every street has its fa ir share of inconsiderate neighbours; neighbours and I all share the same feeling towards one family. They always tend to ask favours and never do anything in return. They have come to my cottage many times asking to use the phone, computer, or some type of tool. But if anyone in my family or I was to ask a favour we would get shooed away, and feel as if we are intruding or being a pain by asking a small favour.These same neighbours have sed my family dock many times and have broken parts off it at least two times. They never offer to offer to fix it or even apologize. The one time was when these specific neighbours had their boat tied to the dock and we needed to tie our boat there, but of course their boat was taking up all the room, and left us in an awkward position where we could not even park at our own dock. Of course the typical inconsiderate neighbour is stereotyped in playing loud music and most of the time it is bad music. And of course these neighbours at my cottage play their fair share of bad music; at least I think it is bad music.Many people may feel that an inconsiderate neighbour is the one who is rude, disrespectful, plays bad music loudly, and who has no care for the opinion of others. Some people may even believe that the silent neighbour who keeps to themselves is being inconsiderate. A silent neighbour may be an inconsiderate or considerate neighbour. It all depends on personal preference, about how you want your neighbours to act towards you. If you prefer to have neighbours who keep to themselves and stay silent, then these types of people you may say are very considerate neighbours.Although others may say someone who keeps to themselves, who does not attend eighbourhood activities or who does not lend a helping hand when needed, are very inconsiderate. Although everyone has their own idea of a perfect neighbour we usually are not lucky enough to live beside the perfect neighbour. A silent neighbour I think is a good neighbour; they ke ep to themselves and mind their own business. I have a few neighbours at my cottage who I would consider â€Å"silent† neighbours. There is many times where they Just mind their own business and do not attend neighbourly gatherings for no apparent reason.These neighbours specifically do not even allow their children to play with other young children in the area. A few years ago I was put in a situation where I had to ask one of my silent neighbours who was an ex- nurse for a favour. I had cut my finger badly while baking and needed to go to the hospital to get stiches, neither my brother nor l, who were the only ones home at the time, were able to drive. We went across the street and asked one of our neighbours who we barely talk to if she could look at my finger and drive me to the hospital if needed.Of course she was able to tell me I needed stitches and drive me to the hospital. Sometimes these neighbours come off as inconsiderate, but I believe they Just refer to keep to themselves and not be bothered. Of course in case of an emergency these neighbours are always there to help if asked, or if something needed to be borrowed. I believe silent neighbours are good neighbours, because most of the time they are considerate towards your being, considerate towards loud music, and will be there for a favour if you ever needed and asked.There are many neighbours who Just prefer to keep to themselves, and then there are neighbours who are always out and There are all types of considerate and inconsiderate neighbours, someone who is oud or stays out late, I would consider them inconsiderate. There are also many types of considerate neighbours, those who Just keep to themselves, then those who are extremely helpful and friendly. I believe having considerate and helpful neighbours is always a good thing. They are there to help before being asked, and they always have the tools you need to borrow.The typical helpful neighbour is always very friendly and outgoing, they are always outside or around on the street, talking to or helping other neighbours. The helpful neighbour always has the proper tools or items you would need for whatever it is you are doing. At my cottage there are many neighbours who will come and help with a project if you ask for help. But when I think of one specific neighbour who is extremely helpful and very friendly, there is one person who sticks out in my mind. We all know someone, or have someone on our street or at our cottages that is like this.My experience with this helpful neighbour is whenever we have to take the docks out it in the fall or put the docks back in, in the spring. There has been a few times my family has been taking docks out, or putting them in cold 15 degrees Celsius water and this specific eighbour came down to my cottage and Just Jumped into the water to help, even without asking if we needed help or if we even wanted help. This small gesture done by this neighbour always sticks out in my min d because he came and helped without is asking for help.My dad is the type of person who I would consider a helpful neighbour, he will always offer help to someone but will not ask for help when he needs help. The other day he was helping out a neighbour who is adding an extension on to his house. One of the roof beams had fallen and landed on my dad's forehead. He had to go to the hospital and get 24 stitches and a scan for a oncussion. When he was out of the hospital I asked him if he would go back and finish helping the neighbour, and he said of course he would.My dad is the type of person I would enjoy having as my neighbour, he is always there to lend a helping hand no matter what has occurred. Typically a helpful neighbour is very friendly and outgoing. My neighbour at the cottage and my dad are both very friendly and outgoing, at times it becomes a little bit excessive but we all enjoy having extra help, especially with Jobs we do not want to do. There are many types of neigh bours, noisy and loud, silent and private, or riendly, outgoing and helpful.Everyone has the perfect neighbour they wish they could have, but most of the time we get stuck with a few inconsiderate and a few considerate neighbours. But all these types of neighbours are what makes our communities exciting and fun. Everyone has neighbours and everyone has the perfect idea of how they want their neighbours to be and act. My perfect neighbour would be ones who have fun, and enjoy themselves but who are respective to those around them, when they come home late, by not slamming doors or squealing tires in the middle of the night.My erfect neighbour would be friendly, helpful, and outgoing to an extent. They would know how to mind their own business and not intrude, but when invited out or to a neighbourhood gathering they will attend. Writing this has me thinking about what type of neighbour I am. I believe everyone has their moments of being a perfect neighbour could be makes me thankful to the neighbours who I have at my house and my cottage. All neighbours share their own part in our community, they help us to learn to communicate, and relate to inconsiderate and considerate people. Makes you wonder, what type of neighbour are you?

Foundation and Empire 21. Interlude In Space

The blockade was run successfully. In the vast volume of space, not all the navies ever in existence could keep their watch in tight proximity. Given a single ship, a skillful pilot, and a moderate degree of luck, and there are holes and to spare. With cold-eyed calm, Toran drove a protesting vessel from the vicinity of one star to that of another. If the neighborhood of great mass made an interstellar jump erratic and difficult, it also made the enemy detection devices useless or nearly so. And once the girdle of ships had been passed the inner sphere of dead space, through whose blockaded sub-ether no message could be driven, was passed as well. For the first time in over three months Toran felt unisolated. A week passed before the enemy news programs dealt with anything more than the dull, self-laudatory details of growing control over the Foundation. It was a week in which Toran's armored trading ship fled inward from the Periphery in hasty jumps. Ebling Mis called out to the pilot room and Toran rose blink-eyed from his charts. â€Å"What's the matter?† Toran stepped down into the small central chamber which Bayta had inevitably devised into a living room. Mis shook his head, â€Å"Bescuppered if I know. The Mule's newsmen are announcing a special bulletin. Thought you might want to get in on it.† â€Å"Might as well. Where's Bayta?† â€Å"Setting the table in the diner and picking out a menuor some such frippery.† Toran sat down upon the cot that served as Magnifico's bed, and waited. The propaganda routine of the Mule's â€Å"special bulletins† were monotonously similar. First the martial music, and then the buttery slickness of the announcer. The minor news items would come, following one another in patient lock step. Then the pause. Then the trumpets and the rising excitement and the climax. Toran endured it. Mis muttered to himself. The newscaster spilled out, in conventional war-correspondent phraseology, the unctuous words that translated into sound the molten metal and blasted flesh of a battle in space. â€Å"Rapid cruiser squadrons under Lieutenant General Sammin hit back hard today at the task force striking out from Iss-† The carefully expressionless face of the speaker upon the screen faded into the blackness of a space cut through by the quick swaths of ships reeling across emptiness in deadly battle. The voice continued through the soundless thunder â€Å"The most striking action of the battle was the subsidiary combat of the heavy cruiser Cluster against three enemy ships of the ‘Nova' class-â€Å" The screen's view veered and closed in. A great ship sparked and one of the frantic attackers glowed angrily, twisted out of focus, swung back and rammed. The Cluster bowed wildly and survived the glancing blow that drove the attacker off in twisting reflection. The newsman's smooth unimpassioned delivery continued to the last blow and the last hulk. Then a pause, and a large similar voice-and-picture of the fight off Mnemon, to which the novelty was added of a lengthy description of a hit-and-run landing – the picture of a blasted city – huddled and weary prisoners – and off again. Mnemon had not long to live. The pause again – and this time the raucous sound of the expected brasses. The screen faded into the long, impressively soldier-lined corridor up which the government spokesman in councilor's uniform strode quickly. The silence was oppressive. The voice that came at last was solemn, slow and hard: â€Å"By order of our sovereign, it is announced that the planet, Haven, hitherto in warlike opposition to his will, has submitted to the acceptance of defeat. At this moment, the forces of our sovereign are occupying the planet. Opposition was scattered, unco-ordinated, and speedily crushed.† The scene faded out, the original newsman returned to state importantly that other developments would be transmitted as they occurred. Then there was dance music, and Ebling Mis threw the shield that cut the power. Toran rose and walked unsteadily away, without a word. The psychologist made no move to stop him. When Bayta stepped out of the kitchen, Mis motioned silence. He said, â€Å"They've taken Haven.† And Bayta said, â€Å"Already?† Her eyes were round, and sick with disbelief. â€Å"Without a fight. Without an unprin-† He stopped and swallowed. â€Å"You'd better leave Toran alone. It's not pleasant for him. Suppose we eat without him this once.† Bayta looked once toward the pilot room, then turned hopelessly. â€Å"Very well!† Magnifico sat unnoticed at the table. He neither spoke nor ate but stared ahead with a concentrated fear that seemed to drain all the vitality out of his thread of a body. Ebling Mis pushed absently at his iced-fruit dessert and said, harshly, â€Å"Two Trading worlds fight. They fight, and bleed, and die and don't surrender. Only at Haven – Just as at the Foundation-â€Å" â€Å"But why? Why?† The psychologist shook his head. â€Å"It's of a piece with all the problem. Every queer facet is a hint at the nature of the Mule. First, the problem of how he could conquer the Foundation, with little blood, and at a single blow essentially – while the Independent Trading Worlds held out. The blanket on nuclear reactions was a puny weapon – we've discussed that back and forth till I'm sick of it – and it did not work on any but the Foundation. â€Å"Randu suggested,† and Ebling's grizzly eyebrows pulled together, â€Å"it might have been a radiant Will-Depresser. It's what might have done the work on Haven. But then why wasn't it used on Mnemon and Iss – which even now fight with such demonic intensity that it is taking half the Foundation fleet in addition to the Mule's forces to beat them down. Yes, I recognized Foundation ships in the attack.† Bayta whispered, â€Å"The Foundation, then Haven. Disaster seems to follow us, without touching. We always seem to get out by a hair. Will it last forever?† Ebling Mis was not listening. To himself, he was making a point. â€Å"But there's another problem – another problem. Bayta, you remember the news item that the Mule's clown was not found on Terminus; that it was suspected he had fled to Haven, or been carried there by his original kidnappers. There is an importance attached to him, Bayta, that doesn't fade, and we have not located it yet. Magnifico must know something that is fatal to the Mule. I'm sure of it. â€Å" Magnifico, white and stuttering, protested, â€Å"Sire†¦ noble lord†¦ indeed, I swear it is past my poor reckoning to penetrate your wants. I have told what I know to the utter limits, and with your probe, you have drawn out of my meager wit that which I knew, but knew not that I knew.† â€Å"I know†¦ I know. It is something small. A hint so small that neither you nor I recognize it for what it is. Yet I must find it – for Mnemon and Iss will go soon, and when they do, we are the last remnants, the last droplets of the independent Foundation.† The stars begin to cluster closely when the core of the Galaxy is penetrated. Gravitational fields begin to overlap at intensities sufficient to introduce perturbations in an interstellar jump that can not be overlooked. Toran became aware of that when a jump landed their ship in the full glare of a red giant which clutched viciously, and whose grip was loosed, then wrenched apart, only after twelve sleepless, soul-battering hours. With charts limited in scope, and an experience not at all fully developed, either operationally or mathematically, Toran resigned himself to days of careful plotting between jumps. It became a community project of a sort. Ebling Mis checked Toran's mathematics and Bayta tested possible routes, by the various generalized methods, for the presence of real solutions. Even Magnifico was put to work on the calculating machine for routine computations, a type of work, which, once explained, was a source of great amusement to him and at which he was surprisingly proficient. So at the end of a month, or nearly, Bayta was able to survey the red line that wormed its way through the ship's trimensional model of the Galactic Lens halfway to its center, and say with Satiric relish, â€Å"You know what it looks like. It looks like a ten-foot earth-worm with a terrific case of indigestion. Eventually, you'll land us back in Haven.† â€Å"I will,† growled Toran, with a fierce rustle of his chart, â€Å"if you don't shut up.† â€Å"And at that,† continued Bayta, â€Å"there is probably a route fight through, straight as a meridian of longitude.† â€Å"Yeah? Well, in the first place, dimwit, it probably took five hundred ships five hundred years to work out that route by hit-and-miss, and my lousy half-credit charts don't give it. Besides, maybe those straight routes are a good thing to avoid. They're probably choked up with ships. And besides-â€Å" â€Å"Oh, for Galaxy's sake, stop driveling and slavering so much righteous indignation.† Her hands were in his hair. He yowled, â€Å"Ouch! Let go!† seized her wrists and whipped downward, whereupon Toran, Bayta, and chair formed a tangled threesome on the floor. It degenerated into a panting wrestling match, composed mostly of choking laughter and various foul blows. Toran broke loose at Magnifico's breathless entrance. â€Å"What is it?† The lines of anxiety puckered the clown's face and tightened the skin whitely over the enormous bridge of his nose. â€Å"The instruments are behaving queerly, sir. I have not, in the knowledge of my ignorance, touched anything-â€Å" In two seconds, Toran was in the pilot room. He said quietly to Magnifico, â€Å"Wake up Ebling Mis. Have him come down here.† He said to Bayta, who was trying to get a basic order back to her hair by use of her fingers, â€Å"We've been detected, Bay.† â€Å"Detected?† And Bayta's arms dropped. â€Å"By whom?† â€Å"Galaxy knows,† muttered Toran, â€Å"but I imagine by someone with blasters already ranged and trained.† He sat down and in a low voice was already sending into the sub-ether the ship's identification code. And when Ebling Mis entered, bathrobed and blear-eyed, Toran said with a desperate calm, â€Å"It seems we're inside the borders of a local Inner Kingdom which is called the Autarchy of Filia.† â€Å"Never heard of it,† said Mis, abruptly. â€Å"Well, neither did I,† replied Toran, â€Å"but we're being stopped by a Filian ship just the same, and I don't know what it will involve.† The captain-inspector of the Filian ship crowded aboard with six armed men following him. He was short, thin-haired, thin-lipped, and dry-skinned. He coughed a sharp cough as he sat down and threw open the folio under his arm to a blank page. â€Å"Your passports and ship's clearance, please.† â€Å"We have none,† said Toran. â€Å"None, hey?† he snatched up a microphone suspended from his belt and spoke into it quickly, â€Å"Three men and one woman. Papers not in order.† He made an accompanying notation in the folio. He said, â€Å"Where are you from?† â€Å"Siwenna,† said Toran warily. â€Å"Where is that?† â€Å"Thirty thousand parsecs, eighty degrees west Trantor, forty degrees-â€Å" â€Å"Never mind, never mind!† Toran could see that his inquisitor had written down: â€Å"Point of origin – Periphery.† The Filian continued, â€Å"Where are you going?† Toran said, â€Å"Trantor sector.† â€Å"Purpose?† â€Å"Pleasure trip.† â€Å"Carrying any cargo?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Hm-m-m. We'll check on that.† He nodded and two men jumped to activity. Toran made no move to interfere. â€Å"What brings you into Filian territory?† The Filian's eyes gleamed unamiably. â€Å"We didn't know we were. I lack a proper chart.† â€Å"You will be required to pay a hundred credits for that lack – and, of course, the usual fees required for tariff duties, et cetera.† He spoke again into the microphone – but listened more than he spoke. Then, to Toran, â€Å"Know anything about nuclear technology?† â€Å"A little,† replied Toran, guardedly. â€Å"Yes?† The Filian closed his folio, and added, â€Å"The men of the Periphery have a knowledgeable reputation that way. Put on a suit and come with me.† Bayta stepped forward, â€Å"What are you going to do with him?† Toran put her aside gently, and asked coldly, â€Å"Where do you want me to come?† â€Å"Our power plant needs minor adjustments. He'll come with you.† His pointing finger aimed directly at Magnifico, whose brown eyes opened wide in a blubbery dismay. â€Å"What's he got to do with it?† demanded Toran fiercely. The official looked up coldly. â€Å"I am informed of pirate activities in this vicinity. A description of one of the known thugs tallies roughly. It is a purely routine matter of identification. â€Å" Toran hesitated, but six men and six blasters are eloquent arguments. He reached into the cupboard for the suits. An hour later, he rose upright in the bowels of the Filian ship and raged, â€Å"There's not a thing wrong with the motors that I can see. The busbars are true, the L-tubes are feeding properly and the reaction analysis checks. Who's in charge here?† The head engineer said quietly, â€Å"I am.† â€Å"Well, get me out of here-â€Å" He was led to the officers' level and the small anteroom held only an indifferent ensign. â€Å"Where's the man who came with me?† â€Å"Please wait,† said the ensign. It was fifteen minutes later that Magnifico was brought in. â€Å"What did they do to you?† asked Toran quickly. â€Å"Nothing. Nothing at all.† Magnifico's head shook a slow negative. It took two hundred and fifty credits to fulfill the demands of Filia – fifty credits of it for instant release – and they were in free space again. Bayta said with a forced laugh, â€Å"Don't we rate an escort? Don't we get the usual figurative boot over the border?† And Toran replied, grimly, â€Å"That was no Filian ship – and we're not leaving for a while. Come in here.† They gathered about him. He said, whitely, â€Å"That was a Foundation ship, and those were the Mule's men aboard.† Ebling bent to pick up the cigar he had dropped. He said, â€Å"Here? We're fifteen thousand parsecs from the Foundation. â€Å" â€Å"And we're here. What's to prevent them from making the same trip. Galaxy, Ebling, don't you think I can tell ships apart? I saw their engines, and that's enough for me. I tell you it was a Foundation engine in a Foundation ship.† â€Å"And how did they get here?† asked Bayta, logically. â€Å"What are the chances of a random meeting of two given ships in space?† â€Å"What's that to do with it?† demanded Toran, hotly. â€Å"It would only show we've been followed.† â€Å"Followed?† hooted Bayta. â€Å"Through hyperspace?† Ebling Mis interposed wearily, â€Å"That can be done – given a good ship and a great pilot. But the possibility doesn't impress me.† â€Å"I haven't been masking my trail,† insisted Toran. â€Å"I've been building up take-off speed on the straight. A blind man could have calculated our route.† â€Å"The blazes he could,† cried Bayta. â€Å"With the cockeyed jumps you are making, observing our initial direction didn't mean a thing. We came out of the jump wrong-end forwards more than once.† â€Å"We're wasting time,† blazed Toran, with gritted teeth. â€Å"It's a Foundation ship under the Mule. It's stopped us. It's searched us. It's had Magnifico – alone – with me as hostage to keep the rest of you quiet, in case you suspected. And we're going to bum it out of space right now.† â€Å"Hold on now,† and Ebling Mis clutched at him. â€Å"Are you going to destroy us for one ship you think is an enemy? Think, man, would those scuppers chase us over an impossible route half through the bestinkered Galaxy, look us over, and then let us go?† â€Å"They're still interested in where we're going.† â€Å"Then why stop us and put us on our guard? You can't have it both ways, you know.† â€Å"I'll have it my way. Let go of me, Ebling, or I'll knock you down.† Magnifico leaned forward from his balanced perch on his favorite chair back. His long nostrils flared with excitement. â€Å"I crave your pardon for my interruption, but my poor mind is of a sudden plagued with a queer thought.† Bayta anticipated Toran's gesture of annoyance, and added her grip to Ebling's. â€Å"Go ahead and speak, Magnifico. We will all listen faithfully.† Magnifico said, â€Å"In my stay in their ship what addled wits I have were bemazed and bemused by a chattering fear that befell men. Of a truth I have a lack of memory of most that happened. Many men staring at me, and talk I did not understand. But towards the last – as though a beam of sunlight had dashed through a cloud rift – there was a face I knew. A glimpse, the merest glimmer – and yet it glows in my memory ever stronger and brighter.† Toran said, â€Å"Who was it?† â€Å"That captain who was with us so long a time ago, when first you saved me from slavery.† It had obviously been Magnifico's intention to create a sensation, and the delighted smile that curled broadly in the shadow of his proboscis, attested to his realization of the intention's success. â€Å"Captain†¦ Han†¦ Pritcher?† demanded Mis, sternly. â€Å"You're sure of that? Certain sure now?† â€Å"Sir, I swear,† and he laid a bone-thin hand upon his narrow chest. â€Å"I would uphold the truth of it before the Mule and swear it in his teeth, though all his power were behind him to deny it.† Bayta said in pure wonder, â€Å"Then what's it all about?† The clown faced her eagerly, â€Å"My lady, I have a theory. It came upon me, ready made, as though the Galactic Spirit had gently laid it in my mind.† He actually raised his voice above Toran's interrupting objection. â€Å"My lady,† he addressed himself exclusively to Bayta, â€Å"if this captain had, like us, escaped with a ship; if he, like us, were on a trip for a purpose of his own devising; if he blundered upon us – he would suspect us of following and waylaying him, as we suspect him of the like. What wonder he played this comedy to enter our ship?† â€Å"Why would he want us in his ship, then?† demanded Toran. â€Å"That doesn't fit.† â€Å"Why, yes, it does,† clamored the clown, with a flowing inspiration. â€Å"He sent an underling who knew us not, but who described us into his microphone. The listening captain would be struck at my own poor likeness – for, of a truth there are not many in this great Galaxy who bear a resemblance to my scantiness. I was the proof of the identity of the rest of you.† â€Å"And so he leaves us?† â€Å"What do we know of his mission, and the secrecy thereof? lie has spied us out for not an enemy and having it done so, must he needs think it wise to risk his plan by widening the knowledge thereof?† Bayta said slowly, â€Å"Don't be stubborn, Torie. It does explain things.† â€Å"It could be,† agreed Mis. Toran seemed helpless in the face of united resistance. Something in the clown's fluent explanations bothered him. Something was wrong. Yet he was bewildered and, in spite of himself, his anger ebbed. â€Å"For a while,† he whispered, â€Å"I thought we might have had one of the Mule's ships.† And his eyes were dark with the pain of Haven's loss. The others understood.