Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Worldview On Terrorism Terrorism - 1654 Words

worldview on terrorism. Unlike earlier before when terror groups were confined in their countries or particular region, the new form of terror signposted that they could perpetrate terror to the entire world. Evidently, from the recent past attack it’s apparent that their most suitable target is unarmed civilians. They also target the highest number of casualties possible so as to inflict fear and intimidations and consequently pass their propaganda. Modern terrorism can be analyzed focusing on issues such motivation, territorialism and individualism. Assumingly, it is apparent that terrorists are more motivated than ever. Unlike before, most terrorism activities carried out worldwide in the recent past are largely motivated by religion rather than political or economic objectives. Jihad teachers use religion as base of their teaching, and impose ideas to their students or followers (Mamdani, 2002). Their key motivation is religion. Other motivation to terrorism also exists such as politics among others though religious motivated tend to be more severe of all of them. Some time ago, most terrorism activities focused only on places or regions were their goals and objectives were confined. This form of terrorism was mainly homegrown or domestic. After realization of their objectives terror activities were ceased or declined gradually. Modern terrorism has no borders; it can be carried out virtually anywhere. It is more sophisticate d and systematized thus very severe. Its goalsShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Ever Increasing International Terrorism Threat635 Words   |  3 Pagesinternational terrorism which states that not even a superpower like America is immune from these attacks as the main objective behind this the mass destruction. Terrorism can be defined as the specific and deliberate use of violence against civilians in order to achieve political aims. The international community today finds itself in unprecedented danger. According to a report in Chaillot paper, the danger is based on a combination of three main factors inherent in modern international terrorism: the veryRead MoreAmerican Neo Orientalism And The Justification For The War On Terror 1426 Words   |  6 Pages‘War on Terror’ that institutionalized racially charged violence through the demonization of the Islamic ‘Other’. The US-led project to ‘save’ its identity serves to permanently etch within the American subconscious a false representation of modern terrorism in order to incite fear of the ‘Orient’ both abroad and within its borders. In the years following 9/11, the American contemporary security landscape has undergone a paradigm shift towards the adoption of neo-Orientalist ideals and the concomitantRead MoreThe Rise Of Islamic Civilization872 Words   |  4 PagesHowever, â€Å"the rise of Islamic civilization is a story of faith and confrontation amidst societies in political and cultural transition† (Rogers 211). Its story of faith grew exponentially through the prophet Muhammad. Through his influence, Islam’s worldview became clear that, â€Å"there is but one God [Allah], and his prophet Muhammad† (211), and it marks the starting point of a Muslims belief. Through devotion to Islam, Muslims practice the Five Pillars: faith, prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimageRead MoreWorld War II And Japanese Peoples1226 Words   |  5 PagesIsrael are rogue states. They do not respect human beings nor the law. They are established on crime and terrorism. They are criminal states in every sense of the word and they pose a threat to world peace† (Al-Arabiya 2014: comment 46). In lumping together China with other nation-states such as Isra el, the commentator establishes the shared commonality between those states as ‘crime and terrorism’, which are threatening the world peace. By creating a hostile front, China becomes one among many otherRead MoreThe Boston Marathon Bombing Essay1702 Words   |  7 Pages(Candiotti, 2013). In the message, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev also stated that an attack on one Muslim is an attack on all (Candiotti, 2013). Because of this and the actions witnessed on that bloody day, many see the bombings at the Boston Marathon as an act of terrorism, which, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigations, includes activities that correspond to the following three characteristics: acts dangerous to human life that violate federal or state law, appear intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilianRead MoreChanges in Europe Since the Fall of the Soviet Union, Effects and Issues.1399 Words   |  6 Pagesoptimistic, their optimism did not last very long. Between 1990 and 1994 Eastern European countries saw a huge jump in unemployment because of the fall of the Soviet Union. On top of all of these challenges Eastern Europeans also struggled to find a new worldview to base their lives upon. In the people lived based upon Marxist Idealism, which taught that there is no god and a persons environment determined their nature, Naturally missionaries were eager to share the Gospel. Missionaries flocked to E asternRead MoreAmerica since the Attack on the World Trade Center Essay1063 Words   |  5 PagesEver since Osama Bin Laden attacked the World Trade Center, America has not been the same. The nation’s ideas of patriotism, democracy and worldviews have changed dramatically, though not for the better. The United States government has become more aggressive, selfish, and suspicious. The people are becoming massively fearful, angry and confused. The image of America to the other nations is becoming distorted and untrue. Our media and our administration’s personal agenda are affecting the peopleRead MoreTerrorism Is An International And Domestic Problem Essay2339 Words   |  10 PagesTerrorism is an international and domestic problem in today’s society. Many countries are affected by terrorism directly and sometimes indirectly. A substantial amount of nations question terrorism, however there are some nations that tolerate it and or encourage the active terro rists and extremist’s groups. There is no particular term that would describe terrorism, however it is often identified as the use of violence and fear in the hunt for political and often sometimes religious objectives.Read MoreFaith and Doubt at Ground Zero by 823 Words   |  4 Pagesnonreligious beliefs represented by the friends and family of those who died, one universal belief binds them all: the belief that an unspeakable act of cruelty has changed our nation and our people for all time. The name ascribed to this act of terrorism is debated widely. Some call it evil. Others call it nothing more than supreme cruelty. Award-winning writer, Helen Whitney, and author and noted Jewish agnostic, Ron Rosenblum sought to chronicle the â€Å"spiritual aftershocks† of 9-11. On SeptemberRead MoreThe Role Of Religion And Sociological Perspective923 Words   |  4 Pagesreligion, status, race, or culture. I find the world and everything in it to work to perfection for me to believe that we were created by mere coincidence and evolution (concepts that Atheist’s faith may be based on). Therefore, if I have to relate my worldview to a certain denomination, I would accept that my views are closely related to Theism, which is the belief in the existence of one perfect, divine being. In order to understand the concepts of religion in a sociological outlook, I would

Monday, December 23, 2019

The Leadership Development Plan From The Corporate And...

Introduction The leadership development plan from the Corporate and Executive Development Centre (CEDC) focuses on an outlook beyond technical improvements, and towards stimulating the company’s leaders to master personal behavioural changes required in supporting the operational tasks. The Corporate and Management Development Centre will outline observations that will contribute towards an accurate assessment of the status quo at Connections and diagnose potential areas for intervention. On the basis of the before mentioned observations, with consideration of industry practice, a leadership development initiative will be presented, with emphasis on stimulating non-technical skills and behaviours. Furthermore, the report will illustrate†¦show more content†¦As organisations progress into the digital age of today, many traditional business practices are being disrupted by innovations. Gold et al. (2010) makes an observation of the new trends for employees to pursue development stim ulated by their own initiative. A cost-effective way of approaching training and development at Connections is the introduction of an eLearning system. The system perceives an online interface where organisations can provide employees with categorized trainings on a range of topics to support the day-to-day agenda. The benefits are numerous, including the ability to learn at their own pace and custom learning. Supported by appropriate technology, the eLearning platform can help systemise the development process. From taking certain aptitude and personality tests to choosing courses that match an individual’s knowledge gaps and assessing results through further testing, eLearning can be an effective and low cost solution. Personal experience from an undertaken internship in a firm where eLearning is integrated indicates that when coupled with certain reward and motivation systems, one can identify learning patters, evaluate the skills and competencies acquired and assess indiv idual’s desire to progress. Smet et al. (2012) emphasize the importance of tying training objectives to specific

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Foundation and Empire 7. Bribery Free Essays

string(44) " flattery tickled the whims of the Emperor\." Sergeant Mori Luk made an ideal soldier of the ranks. He came from the huge agricultural planets of the Pleiades where only army life could break the bond to the soil and the unavailing life of drudgery; and he was typical of that background. Unimaginative enough to face danger without fear, he was strong and agile enough to face it successfully. We will write a custom essay sample on Foundation and Empire 7. Bribery or any similar topic only for you Order Now He accepted orders instantly, drove the men under him unbendingly and adored his general unswervingly. And yet with that, he was of a sunny nature. If he killed a man in the line of duty without a scrap of hesitation, it was also without a scrap of animosity. That Sergeant Luk should signal at the door before entering was further a sign of tact, for he would have been perfectly within his rights to enter without signaling. The two within looked up from their evening meal and one reached out with his foot to cut off the cracked voice which rattled out of the battered pocket-transmitter with bright liveliness. â€Å"More books?† asked Lathan Devers. The sergeant held out the tightly-wound cylinder of film and scratched his neck. â€Å"It belongs to Engineer Orre, but he’ll have to have it back. He’s going to send it to his kids, you know, like what you might call a souvenir, you know.† Ducem Barr turned the cylinder in his hands with interest. â€Å"And where did the engineer get it? He hasn’t a transmitter also, has he?† The sergeant shook his head emphatically. He pointed to the knocked-about remnant at the foot of the bed. â€Å"That’s the only one in the place. This fellow, Orre, now, he got that book from one of these pig-pen worlds out here we captured. They had it in a big building by itself and he had to kill a few of the natives that tried to stop him from taking it.† He looked at it appraisingly. â€Å"It makes a good souvenir – for kids.† He paused, then said stealthily, â€Å"There’s big news floating about, by the way. It’s only scuttlebutt, but even so, it’s too good to keep. The general did it again.† And he nodded slowly, gravely. â€Å"That so?† said Devers. â€Å"And what did he do?† â€Å"Finished the Enclosure, that’s all.† The sergeant chuckled with a fatherly pride. â€Å"Isn’t he the corker, though? Didn’t he work it fine? One of the fellows who’s strong on fancy talk, says it went as smooth and even as the music of the spheres, whatever they are.† â€Å"The big offensive starts now?† asked Barr, mildly. â€Å"Hope so,† was the boisterous response. â€Å"I want to get back on my ship now that my arm is in one piece again. I’m tired of sitting on my scupper out here.† â€Å"So am I,† muttered Devers, suddenly and savagely. There was a bit of underlip caught in his teeth, and he worried it. The sergeant looked at him doubtfully, and said, â€Å"I’d better go now. The captain’s round is due and I’d just as soon he didn’t catch me in here.† He paused at the door. â€Å"By the way, sir,† he said with sudden, awkward shyness to the trader, â€Å"I heard from my wife. She says that little freezer you gave me to send her works fine. It doesn’t cost her anything, and she just about keeps a month’s supply of food froze up complete. I appreciate it.† â€Å"It’s all right. Forget it.† The great door moved noiselessly shut behind the grinning sergeant. Ducem Barr got out of his chair. â€Å"Well, he gives us a fair return for the freezer. Let’s take a look at this new book. Ahh, the title is gone.† He unrolled a yard or so of the film and looked through at the light. Then he murmured, â€Å"Well, skewer me through the scupper, as the sergeant says. This is ‘The Garden of Summa,’ Devers.† â€Å"That so?† said the trader, without interest. He shoved aside what was left of his dinner. â€Å"Sit down, Barr. Listening to this old-time literature isn’t doing me any good. You heard what the sergeant said?† â€Å"Yes, I did. What of it?† â€Å"The offensive will start. And we sit here!† â€Å"Where do you want to sit?† â€Å"You know what I mean. There’s no use just waiting.† â€Å"Isn’t there?† Barr was carefully removing the old film from the transmitter and installing the new. â€Å"You told me a good deal of Foundation history in the last month, and it seems that the great leaders of past crises did precious little more than sit – and wait.† â€Å"Ah, Barr, but they knew where they were going.† â€Å"Did they? I suppose they said they did when it was over, and for all I know maybe they did. But there’s no proof that things would not have worked out as well or better if they had not known where they were going. The deeper economic and sociological forces aren’t directed by individual men.† Devers sneered. â€Å"No way of telling that things wouldn’t have worked out worse, either. You’re arguing tail-end backwards.† His eyes were brooding. â€Å"You know, suppose I blasted him?† â€Å"Whom? Riose?† â€Å"Yes.† Barr sighed. His aging eyes were troubled with a reflection of the long past. â€Å"Assassination isn’t the way out, Devers. I once tried it, under provocation, when I was twenty – but it solved nothing. I removed a villain from Siwenna, but not the Imperial yoke; and it was the Imperial yoke and not the villain that mattered.† â€Å"But Riose is not just a villain, doc. He’s the whole blamed army. It would fall apart without him. They hang on him like babies. The sergeant out there slobbers every time he mentions him.† â€Å"Even so. There are other armies and other leaders. You must go deeper. There is this Brodrig, for instance – no one more than he has the ear of the Emperor. He could demand hundreds of ships where Riose must struggle with ten. I know him by reputation.† â€Å"That so? What about him?† The trader’s eyes lost in frustration what they gained in sharp interest. â€Å"You want a pocket outline? He’s a low-born rascal who has by unfailing flattery tickled the whims of the Emperor. You read "Foundation and Empire 7. Bribery" in category "Essay examples" He’s well-hated by the court aristocracy, vermin themselves, because he can lay claim to neither family nor humility. He is the Emperor’s adviser in all things, and the Emperor’s too in the worst things. He is faithless by choice but loyal by necessity. There is not a man in the Empire as subtle in villainy or as crude in his pleasures. And they say there is no way to the Emperor’s favor but through him; and no way to his, but through infamy.† â€Å"Wow!† Devers pulled thoughtfully at his neatly trimmed beard. â€Å"And he’s the old boy the Emperor sent out here to keep an eye on Riose. Do you know I have an idea?† â€Å"I do now.† â€Å"Suppose this Brodrig takes a dislike to our young Army’s Delight?† â€Å"He probably has already. He’s not noted for a capacity for liking.† â€Å"Suppose it gets really bad. The Emperor might hear about it, and Riose might be in trouble.† â€Å"Uh-huh. Quite likely. But how do you propose to get that to happen?† â€Å"I don’t know. I suppose he could be bribed?† The patrician laughed gently. â€Å"Yes, in a way, but not in the manner you bribed the sergeant – not with a pocket freezer. And even if you reach his scale, it wouldn’t be worth it. There’s probably no one so easily bribed, but he lacks even the fundamental honesty of honorable corruption. He doesn’t stay bribed; not for any sum. Think of something else.† Devers swung a leg over his knee and his toe nodded quickly and restlessly. â€Å"It’s the first hint, though-â€Å" He stopped; the door signal was flashing once again, and the sergeant was on the threshold once more. He was excited, and his broad face was red and unsmiling. â€Å"Sir,† he began, in an agitated attempt at deference, â€Å"I am very thankful for the freezer, and you have always spoken to me very fine, although I am only the son of a farmer and you are great lords.† His Pleiades accent had grown thick, almost too much so for easy comprehension; and with excitement, his lumpish peasant derivation wiped out completely the soldierly bearing so long and so painfully cultivated. Barr said softly, â€Å"What is it, sergeant?† â€Å"Lord Brodrig is coming to see you. Tomorrow! I know, because the captain told me to have my men ready for dress review tomorrow for†¦ for him. I thought – I might warn you.† Barr said, â€Å"Thank you, sergeant, we appreciate that. But it’s all right, man; no need for-â€Å" But the look on Sergeant Luk’s face was now unmistakably one of fear. He spoke in a rough whisper, â€Å"You don’t hear the stories the men tell about him. He has sold himself to the space fiend. No, don’t laugh. There are most terrible tales told about him. They say he has men with blast-guns who follow him everywhere, and when he wants pleasure, he just tells them to blast down anyone they meet. And they do – and he laughs. They say even the Emperor is in terror of him, and that he forces the Emperor to raise taxes and won’t let him listen to the complaints of the people. â€Å"And he hates the general, that’s what they say. They say he would like to kill the general, because the general is so great and wise. But he can’t because our general is a match for anyone and he knows Lord Brodrig is a bad ‘un.† The sergeant blinked; smiled in a sudden incongruous shyness at his own outburst; and backed toward the door. He nodded his head, jerkily. â€Å"You mind my words. Watch him.† He ducked out. And Devers looked up, hard-eyed. â€Å"This breaks things our way, doesn’t it, doc?† â€Å"It depends,† said Barr, dryly, â€Å"on Brodrig, doesn’t it?† But Devers was thinking, not listening. He was thinking hard. Lord Brodrig ducked his head as he stepped into the cramped living quarters of the trading ship, and his two armed guards followed quickly, with bared guns and the professionally hard scowls of the hired bravos. The Privy Secretary had little of the look of the lost soul about him just then. If the space fiend had bought him, he had left no visible mark of possession. Rather might Brodrig have been considered a breath of court-fashion come to enliven the hard, bare ugliness of an army base. The stiff, tight lines of his sheened and immaculate costume gave him the illusion of height, from the very top of which his cold, emotionless eyes stared down the declivity of a long nose at the trader. The mother-of-pearl ruches at his wrists fluttered filmily as he brought his ivory stick to the ground before him and leaned upon it daintily. â€Å"No,† he said, with a little gesture, â€Å"you remain here. Forget your toys; I am not interested in them.† He drew forth a chair, dusted it carefully with the iridescent square of fabric attached to the top of his white stick, and seated himself. Devers glanced towards the mate to the chair, but Brodrig said lazily, â€Å"You will stand in the presence of a Peer of the Realm.† He smiled. Devers shrugged. â€Å"If you’re not interested in my stock in trade, what am I here for?† The Privy Secretary waited coldly, and Devers added a slow, â€Å"Sir.† â€Å"For privacy,† said the secretary. â€Å"Now is it likely that I would come two hundred parsecs through space to inspect trinkets? It’s you I want to see.† He extracted a small pink tablet from an engraved box and placed it delicately between his teeth. He sucked it slowly and appreciatively. â€Å"For instance,† he said, â€Å"who are you? Are you really a citizen of this barbarian world that is creating all this fury of military frenzy?† Devers nodded gravely. â€Å"And you were really captured by him after the beginning of this squabble he calls a war. I am referring to our young general.† Devers nodded again. â€Å"So! Very well, my worthy Outlander. I see your fluency of speech is at a minimum. I shall smooth the way for you. It seems that our general here is fighting an apparently meaningless war with frightful transports of energy – and this over a forsaken fleabite of a world at the end of nowhere, which to a logical man would not seem worth a single blast of a single gun. Yet the general is not illogical. On the contrary, I would say he was extremely intelligent. Do you follow me?† â€Å"Can’t say I do, sir.† The secretary inspected his fingernails and said, â€Å"Listen further, then. The general would not waste his men and ships on a sterile feat of glory. I know he talks of glory and of Imperial honor, but it is quite obvious that the affectation of being one of the insufferable old demigods of the Heroic Age won’t wash. There is something more than glory hereand he does take queer, unnecessary care of you. Now if you were my prisoner and told me as little of use as you have our general, I would slit open your abdomen and strangle you with your own intestines.† Devers remained wooden. His eyes moved slightly, first to one of the secretary’s bully-boys, and then to the other. They were ready; eagerly ready. The secretary smiled. â€Å"Well, now, you’re a silent devil. According to the general, even a Psychic Probe made no impression, and that was a mistake on his part, by the way, for it convinced me that our young military whizz-bang was lying.† He seemed in high humor. â€Å"My honest tradesman,† he said, â€Å"I have a Psychic Probe of my own, one that ought to suit you peculiarly well. You see this-â€Å" And between thumb and forefinger, held negligently, were intricately designed, pink-and-yellow rectangles which were most definitely obvious in identity. Devers said so. â€Å"It looks like cash,† he said. â€Å"Cash it is – and the best cash of the Empire, for it is backed by my estates, which are more extensive than the Emperor’s own. A hundred thousand credits. All here! Between two fingers! Yours!† â€Å"For what, sir? I am a good trader, but all trades go in both directions.† â€Å"For what? For the truth! What is the general after? Why is he fighting this war?† Lathan Devers sighed, and smoothed his beard thoughtfully. â€Å"What he’s after?† His eyes were following the motions of the secretary’s hands as he counted the money slowly, bill by bill. â€Å"In a word, the Empire.† â€Å"Hmp. How ordinary! It always comes to that in the end. But how? What is the road that leads from the Galaxy’s edge to the peak of Empire so broadly and invitingly?† â€Å"The Foundation,† said Devers, bitterly, â€Å"has secrets. They have books, old books – so old that the language they are in is only known to a few of the top men. But the secrets are shrouded in ritual and religion, and none may use them. I tried and now I am here – and there is a death sentence waiting for me, there.† â€Å"I see. And these old secrets? Come, for one hundred thousand I deserve the intimate details.† â€Å"The transmutation of elements,† said Devers, shortly. The secretary’s eyes narrowed and lost some of their detachment. â€Å"I have been told that practical transmutation is impossible by the laws of nucleics.† â€Å"So it is, if nuclear forces are used. But the ancients were smart boys. There are sources of power greater than the nuclei and more fundamental. If the Foundation used those sources as I suggested-â€Å" Devers felt a soft, creeping sensation in his stomach. The bait was dangling; the fish was nosing it. The secretary said suddenly, â€Å"Continue. The general, I am sure, is aware of a this. But what does he intend doing once he finishes this opera-bouffe affair?† Devers kept his voice rock-steady. â€Å"With transmutation he controls the economy of the whole set-up of your Empire. Mineral holdings won’t be worth a sneeze when Riose can make tungsten out of aluminum and iridium out of iron. An entire production system based on the scarcity of certain elements and the abundance of others is thrown completely out of whack. There’ll be the greatest disjointment the Empire has ever seen, and only Riose will be able to stop it. And there is the question of this new power I mentioned, the use of which won’t give Riose religious heebies. â€Å"There’s nothing that can stop him now. He’s got the Foundation by the back of the neck, and once he’s finished with it, he’ll be Emperor in two years.† â€Å"So.† Brodrig laughed lightly. â€Å"Iridium out of iron, that’s what you said, isn’t it? Come, I’ll tell you a state secret. Do you know that the Foundation has already been in communication with the general?† Devers’ back stiffened. â€Å"You look surprised. Why not? It seems logical now. They offered him a hundred tons of iridium a year to make peace. A hundred tons of iron converted to iridium in violation of their religious principles to save their necks. Fair enough, but no wonder our rigidly incorruptible general refused – when he can have the iridium and the Empire as well. And poor Cleon called him his one honest general. My bewhiskered merchant, you have earned your money.† He tossed it, and Devers scrambled after the flying bills. Lord Brodrig stopped at the door and turned. â€Å"One reminder, trader. My playmates with the guns here have neither middle ears, tongues, education, nor intelligence. They can neither hear, speak, write, nor even make sense to a Psychic Probe. But they are very expert at interesting executions. I have bought you, man, at one hundred thousand credits. You will be good and worthy merchandise. Should you forget that you are bought at any time and attempt to†¦ say†¦ repeat our conversation to Riose, you will be executed. But executed my way.† And in that delicate face there were sudden hard lines of eager cruelty that changed the studied smile into a red-lipped snarl. For one fleeting second, Devers saw that space fiend who had bought his buyer, look out of his buyer’s eyes. Silently, he preceded the two thrusting blast-guns of Brodrig’s â€Å"playmates† to his quarters. And to Ducem Barr’s question, he said with brooding satisfaction, â€Å"No, that’s the queerest part of it. He bribed me. Two months of difficult war had left their mark on Bel Riose. There was heavy-handed gravity about him; and he was short-tempered. It was with impatience that he addressed the worshiping Sergeant Luk. â€Å"Wait outside, soldier, and conduct these men back to their quarters when I am through. No one is to enter until I call. No one at all, you understand.† The sergeant saluted himself stiffly out of the room, and Riose with muttered disgust scooped up the waiting papers on his desk, threw them into the top drawer and slammed it shut. â€Å"Take seats,† he said shortly, to the waiting two. â€Å"I haven’t much time. Strictly speaking, I shouldn’t be here at all, but it is necessary to see you.† He turned to Ducem Barr, whose long fingers were caressing with interest the crystal cube in which was set the simulacrum of the lined, austere face of His Imperial Majesty, Cleon II. â€Å"In the first place, patrician,† said the general, â€Å"your Seldon is losing. To be sure, he battles well, for these men of the Foundation swarm like senseless bees and fight like madmen. Every planet is defended viciously, and once taken, every planet heaves so with rebellion it is as much trouble to hold as to conquer. But they are taken, and they are held. Your Seldon is losing.† â€Å"But he has not yet lost,† murmured Barr politely. â€Å"The Foundation itself retains less optimism. They offer me millions in order that I may not put this Seldon to the final test.† â€Å"So rumor goes.† â€Å"Ah, is rumor preceding me? Does it prate also of the latest?† â€Å"What is the latest?† â€Å"Why, that Lord Brodrig, the darling of the Emperor, is now second in command at his own request.† Devers spoke for the first time. â€Å"At his own request, boss? How come? Or are you growing to like the fellow?† He chuckled. Riose said, calmly, â€Å"No, can’t say I do. It’s just that he bought the office at what I considered a fair and adequate price.† â€Å"Such as?† â€Å"Such as a request to the Emperor for reinforcements.† Devers’ contemptuous smile broadened. â€Å"‘He has communicated with the Emperor, huh? And I take it, boss, you’re just waiting for these reinforcements, but they’ll come any day. Right?† â€Å"Wrong! They have already come. Five ships of the line; smooth and strong, with a personal message of congratulations from the Emperor, and more ships on the way. What’s wrong, trader?† he asked, sardonically. Devers spoke through suddenly frozen lips. â€Å"Nothing!† Riose strode out from behind his desk and faced the trader, hand on the butt of his blast-gun. â€Å"I say, what’s wrong, trader? The news would seem to disturb you. Surely, you have no sudden birth of interest in the Foundation.† â€Å"I haven’t.† â€Å"Yes – there are queer points about you.† â€Å"That so, boss?† Devers smiled tightly, and balled the fists in his pockets. â€Å"Just you line them up and I’ll knock them down for you.† â€Å"Here they are. You were caught easily. You surrendered at first blow with a burnt-out shield. You’re quite ready to desert your world, and that without a price. Interesting, all this, isn’t it?† â€Å"I crave to be on the winning side, boss. I’m a sensible man; you called me that yourself.† Riose said with tight throatiness, â€Å"Granted! Yet no trader since has been captured. No trade ship but has had the speed to escape at choice. No trade ship but has had a screen that could take all the beating a light cruiser could give it, should it choose to fight. And no trader but has fought to death when occasion warranted. Traders have been traced as the leaders and instigators of the guerilla warfare on occupied planets and of the flying raids in occupied space. â€Å"Are you the only sensible man then? You neither fight nor flee, but turn traitor without urging. You are unique, amazingly unique – in fact, suspiciously unique.† Devers said softly, â€Å"I take your meaning, but you have nothing on me. I’ve been here now six months, and I’ve been a good boy.† â€Å"So you have, and I have repaid you by good treatment. I have left your ship undisturbed and treated you with every consideration. Yet you fall short. Freely offered information, for instance, on your gadgets might have been helpful. The atomic principles on which they are built would seem to be used in some of the Foundation’s nastiest weapons. Right?† â€Å"I am only a trader,† said Devers, â€Å"and not one of these bigwig technicians. I sell the stuff; I don’t make it.† â€Å"Well, that will be seen shortly. It is what I came here for. For instance, your ship will be searched for a personal force-shield. You have never worn one; yet all soldiers of the Foundation do. It will be significant evidence that there is information you do not choose to give me. Right?† There was no answer. He continued, â€Å"And there will be more direct evidence. I have brought with me the Psychic Probe. It failed once before, but contact with the enemy is a liberal education.† His voice was smoothly threatening and Devers felt the gun thrust hard in his midriff – the general’s gun, hitherto in its holster. The general said quietly, â€Å"You will remove your wristband and any other metal ornament you wear and give them to me. Slowly! Atomic fields can be distorted, you see, and Psychic Probes might probe only into static. That’s right†¦ I’ll take it.† The receiver on the general’s desk was glowing and a message capsule clicked into the slot, near which Barr stood and still held the trimensional Imperial bust. Riose stepped behind his desk, with his blast-gun held ready. He said to Barr, â€Å"You too, patrician. Your wristband condemns you. You have been helpful earlier, however, and I am not vindictive, but I shall judge the fate of your behostaged family by the results of the Psychic Probe.† And as Riose leaned over to take out the message capsule, Barr lifted the crystal-enveloped bust of Cleon and quietly and methodically brought it down upon the general’s head. It happened too suddenly for Devers to grasp. It was as if a sudden demon had grown into the old man. â€Å"Out!† said Barr, in a tooth-clenched whisper. â€Å"Quickly!† He seized Riose’s dropped blaster and buried it in his blouse. Sergeant Luk turned as they emerged from the narrowest possible crack of the door. Barr said easily, â€Å"Lead on, sergeant!† Devers closed the door behind him. Sergeant Luk led in silence to their quarters, and then, with the briefest pause, continued onward, for there was the nudge of a blast-gun muzzle in his ribs, and a hard voice in his ears which said, â€Å"To the trade ship.† Devers stepped forward to open the air lock, and Barr said, â€Å"Stand where you are, Luk. You’ve been a decent man, and we’re not going to kill you.† But the sergeant recognized the monogram on the gun. He cried in choked fury, â€Å"You’ve killed the general.† With a wild, incoherent yell, he charged blindly upon the blasting fury of the gun and collapsed in blasted ruin. The trade ship was rising above the dead planet before the signal lights began their eerie blink and against the creamy cobweb of the great Lens in the sky which was the Galaxy, other black forms rose. Devers said grimly, â€Å"Hold tight, Barr – and let’s see if they’ve got a ship that can match my speed.† He knew they hadn’t! And once in open space, the trader’s voice seemed lost and dead as he said, â€Å"The line I fed Brodrig was a little too good. It seems as if he’s thrown in with the general.† Swiftly they raced into the depths of the star-mass that was the Galaxy. How to cite Foundation and Empire 7. Bribery, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

If I Were a Man by Charlotte Perkins Gilman free essay sample

In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story â€Å"If I Were a Man† she successfully shows the subconscious thinking of a young woman who wishes with her heart and soul she would become a man. The story is based on a young woman named Mollie Mathewson, who ends up becoming her husband due to her wishes to be a man. She then goes throughout the day as her husband, Gerald. â€Å"She was Gerald, walking down the path so erect and square-shouldered, in a hurry for his morning train, as usual, and, it must be confessed, in something of a temper† (Gilman 50). Gilman successfully brings this story to life by taking a third-person limited omniscient point of view, which allows us to see inside her innermost thoughts. Mollie Mathewson longs to be a man, because at this time men have all the power and pride women don’t. She is envious of all the things men can have. We will write a custom essay sample on If I Were a Man by Charlotte Perkins Gilman or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page â€Å"She felt what she had never felt before in all her life-the possession of money, of her own earned money-hers to give or to withhold, not to beg for, tease for, wheedle for-hers† (Gilman 51). For the first time in her life she gets to see what its like to have money that she does not have to share with anyone else. Men get to make the money while women stay home and take care of things around the house. Mollie now gets to experience life outside the house, and she also gets to feel what it’s like to not have to report to anyone. She is her own person now. During her day as Gerald she begins to take on his thoughts. She begins to think about women’s fashion and business sense. She particularly starts to dislike women’s hats. With the eyes of a man and the brain of a man; with the memory of a whole lifetime of free action wherein the hat, close-fitting on cropped hair, had been no handicap; now she perceived the hats of women† (Gilman 52). It’s interesting the way Mollie is taking on her husband’s thoughts. The reader would never think Mollie would think of women’s hats this way. The reader would think in spite of her being a man she would still think like a woman. On the train to work Mollie comes across a few men that Gerald rides the morning train with, and they begin having a biased discussion about women, that Mollie takes part in it. They talk about how women get whatever they want once they’ve got their mind made up and how men are smarter than women. Suddenly Mollie tells the men it’s time to wake up. She explains that women are pretty much the same as they are. Men and women are both people. Another thing Mollie said that is the most important quote of the story is, â€Å"As for Mother Eve-I wasn’t there and can’t deny the story, but I will say this. If she brought evil into the world, we men have had the lion’s share of keeping it going ever since-how about that? † (Gilman 55). Gilman shows men blame women for the way the world is, but it is both men and women who should equally be blamed for what goes on in the world. In the story the reader gets a feel for what Mollie is experiencing during her day as her husband Gerald. Charlotte Perkins Gilman does an amazing job getting her point across using the third-person limited omniscient point of view. At the end of the story Gerald is now conscious of new views and feelings about women that he never had before. Without Gilman’s use of the third-person limited omniscient point of view the reader wouldn’t have gotten that much out of the story.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Gender and the Black Freedom Movement

Introduction In the recent past, scholars and historians have focused commendable attention on the activities of Afro-Americans in the United States that led to their liberation.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Gender and the Black Freedom Movement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Historians have thus produced numerous analyses of civil rights organizations, history of the intellectual aspects of the liberation thoughts of the black Americans, biographies of people who played key roles in fighting for civil rights, like Malcolm X, Dr. King, etcetera, and even various studies of parties like the Black Panther Party, that key roles in the fight for black freedom. However, one key aspect of the black freedom movement lacks in these studies. This aspect is the great role that was played by women in the black freedom movement. This paper is an in-depth exploration of the oft-neglected role of women in the fight for bl ack freedom in the post-war period. Evidence of women’s involvement in struggle for black freedom Although most of them have been left out of historical books, and thus their names are not popular among the masses, there is overwhelming evidence of the involvement of black women in the fight for black freedom. One such evidence is the historical images captured during the worst protests that took place during the civil rights activism that led to the freedom of the blacks. In such images where protesters are manhandled by the police, there are girls and women everywhere. This, therefore, shows that women were actively involved in the struggle for black freedom. An example of such images is an image captured in 1964, in which Vera Piggy is talking about voter registration to her audience while styling her hair. There is also an image captured in 1963, in which black students of the Florida A M University are answering charges related to protests they participated in against s egregation in movie theaters. Most of the students in the group are female. Women activists like Rosa Parks took the lead in the protests against discriminatory practices like the giving of a seat to white men in buses (Charlayne, 2008). Reasons for unpopularity of women activists Despite the fact that the role of women in the fight for racial equality is slowly being recognized, history has neglected these people who fought so hard to make our nation what it is today due to the nature of roles they played in the fight for black freedom.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One main reason for the lack of popularity of women in the black freedom period is the fact that the roles of women in the movement forced most of them to stay in the background. Many women chose this role, while others failed to get chances because their male counterparts in the fight for black freedom were the f irst to be given opportunities at popularity. For instance, there were a number of cases in which female activists sought to deliver speeches but they did not get the chance because such speeches were dominated by their fellow black males (Elaine, 1992). It can thus be argued that the black women suffered double discrimination; both sexism and racism. Examples of women who are not widely mentioned Some female civil rightsactivists simply miss out, or they are scarcely mentioned in historical articles and books. Such women include Rosa Parks, a brave woman who ignited protests against the discriminatory giving of seats to whites in buses, Dorothy Height, who was always in the front line in protests for black freedom, Kathleen Cleaver, an influential scholar who was previously a revolutionary, and Sonia Sanchez, who was also an influential scholar and civil rights activist. Other women who participated in the struggle for black freedom include Harriet Tubman, who defied prevailing dis criminatory laws to operate the Underground Railroad, Mary Terrel, an advocate for black freedom, and a civil activist who was the reason why Washington hotels finally gave in to allowing black people to use their services. Watkins Harper, whose poetry was instrumental in sparking activism, Ida Wells, who was an investigative journalist, and who took a key role in talking against, and exposing the inhumanity in the lynching of people (Cole, 2003). Women who are widely mentioned in history Some women activists got the chance to get into books of history. These were mostly the wives of the most visible male activists. Such women include Betty Shabazz, Coretta Scott King, and Myrlie Evers Williams. This is because they got the chance to be always on the front line in protests, speeches, and social gatherings as they accompanied their husbands. They were also civil rights activists in their own right, which made them be immortalized in books of history. Coretta Scott King, a civil right s activist, leader and also an author, was the wife of the renowned Dr. King (Martin Luther). Her husband was widely known for his hope and the civil rights speeches that he delivered across America while defending the blacks.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Gender and the Black Freedom Movement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of his most famous speeches was the proverbial â€Å"I have a dream† speech. Betty Shabazz, also a civil rights activist, was the wife of Malcolm X, the renowned civil rights activist who believed in nationalism and preached the use of violence to overcome violence. Malcolm X’s work seemed to complement the work of Martin Luther (Dr. King) because the latter believed in peaceful protests while the former activist was not afraid to call for violent protests against the injustices that were perpetrated against the blacks. After Malcolm X was assassinated in her presence, B etty continued his legacy of fighting for the rights of black people, while raising her six children, and at the same time advancing her studies to get a PhD. She was viewed by the black freedom generation as the epitome of perseverance. For living a productive life after her husband’s death, and continuing his fight for black freedom, Betty made her way into books of history. Myrlie Evers Williams was the wife of the civil activist Medgar Evers who was slain after signs of his struggle for black freedom started bearing fruit. He was an activist for voting rights for blacks, and he was also a renowned civil rights activist. After the death of her husband, Myrlie became a great civil rights activist, and even went forward to become the chairperson of the NAACP, an organization that she saved from bankruptcy. Her success in civil rights and her subsequent popularity in the history of black freedom were due to the activism that she practiced after the death of her husband (Lolla r, 2009). A couple of years after the death of her husband, Myrlie married her second husband, Walter Williams, who was also a civil rights activist. Conclusion Black women, of the black movement period, played key roles in the emancipation of black Americans. They were caretakers for various civil rights movements, during which they acted as community builders. They were also very active in forming networks for fighting for the rights of black people. It is unquestionable that black women of the black revolution period were tireless workers, central figures in civil rights groups, outspoken voices in campaigns and rallies for fighting for rights of the black people, and thus they were very active as members of the Black Nationalist movements that were created and engineered by their male counterparts like Malcolm X. Other black women nationalists even extended their anti-imperialist activism to third world countries in Africa, and Asia. Such third world countries include China, Alg eria, Ghana, and a number of other third world countries. Examples of the stated activists include Shirley Graham Du Bois, a very influential figure in the Black Nationalist movements, and Garvin (Charlayne, 2008). Their activism in civil rights made a lot of people gain freedom from bondage by imperialist governments. It is thus evident that the black freedom movement had far-reaching liberalizing effects on the oppressed and the enslaved.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is very unfortunate that the acts of these brave women have been virtually left out of the history of black freedom. Historical records are full of the activist activities of their male counterparts like Malcolm X and his friend, Martin Luther King Jr. (Dr. King). It is thus of essence that a nuanced approach to the preservation of historical facts is followed. Scholars should also work to establish the extent to which black women contributed to the freedom of black people during this period. Reference List Charlayne, H. (2008). Black Women Freedom Fighters: History Lived, Lessons. Learned. Retrieved from https://kathmanduk2.wordpress.com/2008/04/03/black-women-freedom-fighters-history-lived-lessons-learned/ Cole, J. (2003). Gender Talk: The Struggle for Women’s Equality in African American  Communities. New York. Ballantine Books. Elaine, B. (1992). A Taste of Power: A Black Women’s Story. New York. Pantheon Books. Lollar, M. (2009). Husband’s death turns Evers-Williams into champion of social justice. Web. This essay on Gender and the Black Freedom Movement was written and submitted by user Lizard to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Free Essays on The Image Looking Back

The Image Looking Back The poem â€Å"Mirror† is wrapped up in the idea of reflections. The author Sylvia Plath uses reflections to explore images that are not always pleasant. Plath examines the shortcomings and self-esteem issues that all people encounter time and again upon reflection. Looking at an image of ones’ self often brings questions of self worth and approval. The mirror and the lake as used by Plath are both effective ways of revealing her self-esteem issues by their constant reminder of faults in appearance and life, their brutal honesty about the aging process, and their ability to show the distorted way we tend to see ourselves. The mirror hangs as a constant reminder of our faults. It does not care that we have feelings, needs, or emotions. The mirror does not lie, no matter how long we stare at our reflection the image will not change. The mirror shows us each wrinkle as a cut into our once innocent beauty. The reflections that we see often bring us memories of hardships and pain we may have endured along the way. A bad haircut or severe acne as an adolescent that brought laughter and ridicule from our peers. The mirror reflects hair out of place like all the things that have gone astray in our lives. Looking at that unruly hair that no matter what will not fall into place brings an image to all the things we cannot control in our lives. The bills always exceed the income, loved ones will die, marriages will fail, and we shall all grow old. The aging process can be brutal and there is nothing like true reflection to point that out. The way Plath uses the lake to demonstrate this is very powerful. â€Å"In me she has drowned a young girl†(line 17) creates the notion that she is feeling old and useless. The young girl she had once been is now dead along with many hopes and plans that were made for the future. Looking at one’s aged and tired reflection one can no longer see the young vigorously a... Free Essays on The Image Looking Back Free Essays on The Image Looking Back The Image Looking Back The poem â€Å"Mirror† is wrapped up in the idea of reflections. The author Sylvia Plath uses reflections to explore images that are not always pleasant. Plath examines the shortcomings and self-esteem issues that all people encounter time and again upon reflection. Looking at an image of ones’ self often brings questions of self worth and approval. The mirror and the lake as used by Plath are both effective ways of revealing her self-esteem issues by their constant reminder of faults in appearance and life, their brutal honesty about the aging process, and their ability to show the distorted way we tend to see ourselves. The mirror hangs as a constant reminder of our faults. It does not care that we have feelings, needs, or emotions. The mirror does not lie, no matter how long we stare at our reflection the image will not change. The mirror shows us each wrinkle as a cut into our once innocent beauty. The reflections that we see often bring us memories of hardships and pain we may have endured along the way. A bad haircut or severe acne as an adolescent that brought laughter and ridicule from our peers. The mirror reflects hair out of place like all the things that have gone astray in our lives. Looking at that unruly hair that no matter what will not fall into place brings an image to all the things we cannot control in our lives. The bills always exceed the income, loved ones will die, marriages will fail, and we shall all grow old. The aging process can be brutal and there is nothing like true reflection to point that out. The way Plath uses the lake to demonstrate this is very powerful. â€Å"In me she has drowned a young girl†(line 17) creates the notion that she is feeling old and useless. The young girl she had once been is now dead along with many hopes and plans that were made for the future. Looking at one’s aged and tired reflection one can no longer see the young vigorously a...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Groups and Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Groups and Teams - Essay Example In the first section of this document, I shall critically discuss the impact of Belbin team roles in the three areas that I shall major: leadership skills, problem solving and decision making. Moreover, I shall inculcate the Mary Brown scenario and relate it to the specific three theories discussed. Additionally, I shall deliver an eventual concise summary on the Belbin team roles. Moreover, I have critically explored the above-mentioned areas, with regard to thorough studies I have conducted and which I have cited within the text. Groups and Teams Apparently, all teams are groups but not all groups are teams. Definitely, a group is any given number of entities that are considered as a complete unit. Moreover, a collection of various people who share various aspects, interact freely with each other, give in to obligations and rights as members of the specific group and share an identity form an entity. Moreover, groups are established to segregate the incident into practical areas of operation. Additionally, a collection of individuals who operate together to deliver products or services are mutually accountable. The members of the team share common goals and are mutually accountable for accomplishing them while affecting interactions between them. Each member of the team is held responsible for the work of integrating with each other since the entire team is held accountable. Groups embody various traits that are retrospective relative to those of teams. For instance, group members have paltry communication, they lack vision, members always seek to conceive their identity, leaders are manipulative, the whole group entity is ideally less than the summation of its independent parts, their members have exclusive cliques and there is minimal support. As disputed to groups, teams have advantageous traits that include plentiful support, members always seek to find identity, there is honesty and openness, there are numerous opportunities for motivation and new member s are always welcome and communication is effective. Mary Brown Scenario This scenario regards a situation where a family in a given town faces problems emanating from drug abuse. For instance, George Smith and Mary Brown, the father and mother respectively; to three children: Joe, Lucy and Tom have numerous problems within their marriage, issues that come from intake of drugs and short temperedness. This scenario also encompasses the outside parties concerned with the family, with an aim to help them elude the problems they face. This inculcates Ann, the family’s social service worker, Teachers, welfare personnel and youth workers among others who seem to have issues with effective communication across their specific agencies. Theories on the Leadership Skills, Problem Solving and Decision Making Linked With Mary Brown Scenario With regard to leadership skills, the Mary Brown scenario applies in the sense that virtually all involved parties have weaknesses in one aspect or t he other in process of trying to work as a team. For example, Ann, the family’s social worker seems to be overly concerned with helping the family by addressing the need to hold a meeting with the concerned parties such as the police, youth workers, welfare officers, teachers and drug advisors among others. This shows that she is a leader of good sort. With regard to George’s family, he is anticipated to take leadership over his family though he

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Management accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Management accounting - Essay Example The economy is subject to market forces and that means that factors affecting the nation such as inflation can cause the changes. An economy may turn out to be favorable or unfavorable. That means that there may be a lot of money in circulation and that will make the customers to purchase more of the product. The other aspect of the economy that will cause a variance is the standard of living. If the standard of living among people improves, that will imply that the customers will be able to purchase more of the product and that will make the actual results to be better than the budgeted. In our case, the actual profit was less than the budgeted that implies that the economy could have worked against the sales. The economy can also cause an increase in the cost of raw materials. In our case, the raw materials turned out to be more expensive than the budgeted expenses. That indicates that the economy worked against the budget of the company. In the future, the company should consider inflation and its impact when formulating the budget. The trends in the economy should also be observed to ensure that all matters affecting the economy are considered. 2. Advertising- Advertising involves making known the products of a company to its target and potential clients. That means that the aim of carrying out an advertisement is to increase the sales volume of a product. Advertising will increase the sales volume if it turns out to be as productive as expected. A company should invest in advertising to ensure that it reaps the benefits that are associated with advertising. In our case, the profits of the company turned out to be less than the budgeted profit. That means that the advertising efforts were not as productive as expected. That can also imply that the company did not carry out adverting. This is because the sales volume was less than the budgeted sales volume. In the future, the company should formulate a strong advertising campaign. The advertising will

Monday, November 18, 2019

Answers to 6 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Answers to 6 questions - Essay Example Majority of the business oriented network sites have the profile of its members optimized for search engines and this has several benefits for the social network members. The member has the ability to control the business profile including the listing that will appear on the search engine results of the company. A business with a link is able to benefit from the authority especially if the business oriented social network has Google or any other search engine. On the contrary, enterprise social networks mainly focus on the various social networks for businesses and individuals that have the same business interests. An ESN is enterprise social software and in most circumstances regarded as an Enterprise 2.0 component used by various businesses for commercial purposes. ESN has corporate intranet alterations and various classic software stages that many large companies use to organize message sending and receiving, collaboration among other intranet features. ESN are thought to include standard social external service network which is essential in generating visibility for an organization (Thaw, 2013, p. 907). Popular mobile gambling has become popular after the business started to collect and send unwanted contents; the business has become a legitimate business especially in small islands. The reason behind this is that the carriers of the business have set guidelines and best practices for the mobile industry; this has been fruitful in developing these regions. Mobile gambling sites located in Small Island are considered to have a lot of integrity and this is evident from its history, trustworthiness and the security they put on a customer’s money (Yani-de-soriano et al., 2012, p.481). The online sites are similar to that of the real casinos while the services of others are much better, majority of this casinos offer the clients the opportunity to win cash easily as compared to the brick and mortar casinos. The mobile gambling sites offer a variety of sof tware features to its large users and this serves the work of satisfying the different types of customers. The mobile casinos are currently favorable because they have the best genres of real money casino games represented in the mobile gambling site. All that is required is to have the desired game downloaded and one can play it from any portable gaming device, such games include video poker, and many of these games come with bonuses that are designed the gamer enjoys a unique mobile experience. Botnets have the ability of turning computers into zombies they used as attackers for various sites, spreading email spam or stealing information that is important. When the PC is turned into a zombie, the malicious nature of the bots will be hidden from the owner. It is possible to cultivate thousands of botnet networks to thousands of computers and this is by commanding a bot herder who guides the computers to commit crimes, spams, and accessing a single site in order to shut it down rapi dly; this creates false traffic to the site which eventually inflates standing, adware spyware while spreading botnet to other PCs. Botnets evil forms of work distributed over computers and the power of processors are awesome forces botnet herders seek for new ways to use this power in gaining money and clout (Young et al., 2007, p. 281). Computers are becoming more powerful and prevalent and this creates more opportunity for the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Digital Tools Used In Gojira And Godzilla Film Studies Essay

Digital Tools Used In Gojira And Godzilla Film Studies Essay Humans have been around for thousands of years. Today, many movies have been created based on stories and legends of influential people and life-changing events that were recorded in history. Inspiration for the 1954 film Gojira came about as a result of World War Two during the twentieth century. The devastation brought on Japan by the two nuclear bombs had inevitably raised a wide spread awareness about nuclear weapons and its radioactive destruction (Ragone 2007). Both, Gojiras and Godzillas creation were linked to the nuclear bomb. With reference to the 1998 film Godzilla, it can be seen that the creation of the terrible lizard was linked to French nuclear weapons testing in the French Polynesia. Similarly in the Japanese context, Gojira was shown to be linked not only to the atomic bombs, but the hydrogen ones as well. With the devastation of the two atomic bombs still fresh in the Japanese minds, further H-bomb tests were carried out near Japan and eventually, the radiation fallout directly impacted on the Japanese fishing industry, causing a sharp decline. With all these tragic events occurring within a short span of time, Gojira was concocted out as an incarnation of the war itself (Ragone 2007 pg. 35) as the producers wanted a real-world scenario that reflected the Japanese concerns that time. In order to effectively protray the nature of destruction caused in the films Gojira and Godzilla, visual effects became increasingly important as it was necessary to provide an acceptable level of realism for audiences who will be watching the film. Therefore, this led to the development and creation of different visual effect techniques. Then with the advancements in technology, some older techniques were modified and re-developed accordingly. In this investigation, it will bring to light the common, yet contrasting comparisons of filmmaking between the analogue and digital eras. 2| Scene Selection | I will be comparing two parallel special effects sequences in both Gojira and Godzilla. A breakdown of this complex scene will be accompanied with a description of its technical aspects in laymans terms. The scenes involve the two animals going on a rampage through a major city at night causing massive damages. It also includes military forces trying to eliminate the creature. These two scenes were specifically chosen as I will like to highlight the core visual effects elements that can be found throughout the films. 3| The Character| It was called Gojira, but was later known as Godzilla for the American audiences. (Godzilla, King of the Monsters 1998) In the 1954 Gojira, visual effects director Eiji Tsuburaya pioneered a technique called Suit-mation. The main reason for the introduction of Suit-mation was because of the need to complete the job within a short timespan (Ragone 2007). If stop-motion technique was used, it would have taken them seven years to complete the film. The suit was constructed mainly from hand-stirred latex and then refined subsequently. Even after refinements, the suit could only be worn for several minutes due to the unbearable heat and almost non-existent ventilation within. Due to its flexibility limitations and tremendous weight, the first suit was scrapped as the actor inside could not even move. In certain scenes where only the legs of Gojira were filmed, the suit was cut into two and attached to suspenders, allowing the actor to be more comfortable while filming (Godzilla, Designing Godzilla featurette 2005). Figure |Man in halved Gojira suit Development on analogue visual effect techniques can be seen clearly in the 1998 Godzilla, when Tsuburayas technique of Suitmation was used. Trained professional puppeteers were hired for shots that needed more physical realism with the miniatures that they were interacting with. Eventually, the Godzilla suit would be replaced with a CG Godzilla. Animatronics, a technique similar to the Suitmation technique, was introduced. In this case, instead of Human actors in the creatures costumes, machines were used to replace them. This method allowed many close-up interaction shots which enabled a high level of realism (Aberly 1998). The suit was not entirely presented as a guy-in-a-suit. Primitive visual effects were added to give Gojira a scarier feel. In the shot where Gojira was tearing up Tokyo and boasting its bright flashing hind fins, hundreds of cells were hand drawn frame by frame (Ryfle 1998). In several shots where Gojira was using its atomic breath, the creature was actually a hand puppet (Godzilla 2005). With much use for puppetry and animatronics, computer generated graphics still triumphed as the best tool for visual effects in the digital era. In addition, with the developments of computer animation software and techniques, realism took to a new height. Puppeteers whom took the role of Gojira would soon be replaced with computer animators sitting behind the desk. While the actor in the Gojira suit was acting for the scene, he would be filmed using a high speed camera at around 240 frames-per-second. The film would then be projected at 24 frames-per-second giving the feel of weight and size (Faller 2010). Using modern day tools to make Godzilla (1998) move, instead of shooting a guy-in-a-suit at a high frame rate, Centropolis FX had Godzilla key-frame animated in the computer. Due to the difficulty of animating such a huge creature, the team of animators grew from twelve to sixty (Martin 1998). Subsequently, After many failed attempts of animating a proper walk cycle, the team managed to get the same feel of the high speed camera shots by animating Godzillas movement at a slower speed (Martin 1998). From using chicken wires and glued latex for the construction of the 1954 Gojira (Designing Godzilla featurette 2005), polygons and NURBS took over in the digital era. The Gojira suit was made by wrapping thin wires and bamboo with chicken wire. Cushions and fabric were also added for the actors comfort. Hand stirred latex was later applied onto the suit as skin (Designing Godzilla featurette 2005). Even though CGI was of an advanced technology, there were still setbacks. Modelers had to split up their work of digitizing the entire creature by manually using a stylus to draw out every single mesh into the computer. Furthermore, the software was not perfect and had its limitations. A Special Projects team was sent from Soft Image to trouble-shoot problems encountered by the CGI crew (Aberly 1998). Ideally, Gojira was thought to have suffered burns and scars from the H-bomb test. The textures and the suit of Gojira were hand crafted by two people. Tireless hours were spent modeling the skin bumps by using latex and then gluing it onto the skin (Godzilla, Designing Godzilla featurette 2005). However in the modern day Godzilla, there was the technology of displacement mapping whereby the 3D geometry of Godzilla would be displaced using a texture map that contained details of the skin. With the model rendered out in different passes (Martin 1998), the process was more effective and also gave compositors more freedom in manipulating the image to create a realistic Godzilla. 4| The Set | As the two Godzillas enter the city and begin their trail of destruction, the set they were on had to look real. Although both movies used miniatures for filming, this special effects technique was inevitably developed and refined extensively due to technological advancements. 4.1| Miniatures | Miniatures for Gojira (1954) were made for use as a city scape. Tsuburaya had the miniatures built mostly in the 1/25 scale, with the exception of the Diet building which was a 1/33 scale (Ragone 2007). With reference to the scale of the Gojira suit with the miniature set scale, it created an illusion of Gojiras large size. Buildings were made in a forced perspective method where buildings closer to the camera were built bigger and those at the horizon smaller. The sets were actually built on wooden platforms to allow cameramen to do low angle shots, making the buildings look even bigger (Ryfle 1998). Thin plaster and wood were used for the buildings framework. Elaborate planning of the citys construction included custom made streets that would create footprints when being stepped on. Plaster was poured over sawdust to create that effect (Ryfle 1998). Digital techniques such as CG effects animation helped the 1998 Godzilla in creating street cracks. With the help of Thomas Hollier, a senior technical director, street impact technology was created. This allowed a pipeline for a more effective way for animating pavements that would crack under Godzillas weight (Martin 1998). Miniatures were also widely used in the making of Godzilla (1998). Huge 1/24 size models were built to accommodate Godzillas path of destruction. Huge 1/10 models were also built for close-up shots. The buildings were much more detailed with some featuring plumbing and even desks. There were several miniature buildings that were reused from The Hudsucker Proxy and The Fifth Element. With this, a great amount of production time was saved as redesigning of the rest of the set was no longer required. Although both Godzilla movies incorporated miniatures, Godzilla (1998) added extensive digital compositing over its miniatures to give it more realism (Martin 1998). Techniques adopted for destroying the miniature buildings were much more sophisticated in the newer film. In the 1954 version, kerosene soaked rags were used to set the miniatures ablaze (Ragone 2007). For those that were to be destroyed by Gojiras fiery breath, explosives were set behind the buildings. Several buildings even had gasoline sprayed on them to make them burn more easily. For buildings that were supposed to be destroyed by physical contact, small cracks were made in those miniatures so that it would crumble in a more believable fashion when Gojira crushed it. It was a daunting task for the actor inside as he had to get it right on the first take as there was not enough budget and time for a rebuild (Ryfle 1998). In 1998, there were more types of pyrotechniques available and one such example would be the military type. Different methods were developed to be used on the different types of destruction. As Godzilla races through the city with its tail in free motion causing damages to buildings, cable pulls were attached to sandbags in the buildings interiors. When they were pulled, a trail of damage would occur as if Godzillas tail had swept through them. Mechanical rigs were also used to blast through a building with the CG Godzilla to be composited in later. The Chrysler Building in the scene which was destroyed by a misfire from the attack helicopters were very complex mechanical rigs. Right after the top floors exploded, it was orchestrated to shift and descend towards the camera (Aberly 1998). On the whole, miniature destruction could be choreographed with more control. Miniature vehicles were also used on the set for both films. The military elements used in the Gojira scene were tanks. Extensive pyrotechnical effects were used for the firing of the tank weapons. When the tank shells hit Gojira, blasts were created by wire rigged charges (Ryfle 1998). Comparing this to a similar scene in the 1998 movie, instead of tanks, CG Apache attack helicopters were used. Tracer fire, blasts including debris and smoke from the damage were all entirely computer generated. In addition of the rain and lighting effects which included the volumetric searchlights, RenderMan shaders were developed solely for the wet look of the helicopter. However, at the shot when Godzilla decides to lash out at the attacking military helicopters, a miniature was used. With creative ingenuity, a 1/8 scale model was made loaded with pyrotechnics and detonated (Martin 1998). 4.2| Atmosphere | To create the perfect terrorising atmosphere, Gojira (1954) was shot using a low-key lighting effect (Biodrowski 2007). This is because Low key lighting would create a darker toned picture with contrasting bright contours which is more suitable for dramatic shots. The grainy cinematography would also feed an extra punch to the eerie effect throughout the film (Ryfle et al. 2007). With the advancements in technology, analogue methods would be often replaced by colour grading and compositing. In Godzilla (1998), instead of using a low-key effect to give the dramatic shots, the environment was given a CG rain touch up. This was a complicated scene where many effects animations were applied. Not only was computer generated imagery used, acquisition footage was also being recorded for the environments. From rain to shattering windows, these footages would later be composited at different scales to tie up the scene together with the CG Godzilla (Martin 1998). Lighting was a key element in creating the perfect environment. Real lights from orange and bluish street lamps had to be reflected onto the CG Godzilla. Due to location shots where real lights were aimed at buildings when Godzilla was supposed to be in the foreground, artists had to rotoscope out the real lights and animate the CG ones. More complications had arisen when Godzilla rampaged and took out the real street lamps. Firstly, lights from the real lamps had to be rotoscoped out. A CG lamp would then be created and animated to flip or be destroyed (Martin 1998). Although this entire sequence would seem small compared to the main character, it made the scene look believable. Another small detail to add on is the stationary cars from the live action footage that underwent rotoscoping when Godzilla stomped past them. Compositing artists had to create rotoscope mattes for the vehicles and animate their bounce by hand. The add-on of the camera shake at post-production level also helped with the realism (Martin 1998). 5| The Conclusion| In my chosen scenes which depict the destructions from the streets of Tokyo to Manhattan, both Gojira and Godzilla held similar iconic symbolisms and metaphors. In the 1950s when Gojira was made, there were many underlying reasons for its creation. The focal point was the atomic bombs. Since Japan had directly experienced the impact of the bombs, it would have held a deep significance for them. To a certain extent, it was believed that without the two atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Gojira would not have surfaced. Gojiras rampage through Tokyo would serve as a reminder of the recent devastating nuclear attack on Japan to the survivors of the atomic bombs as well as to the rest of the Japanese. Gojira also created awareness on new nuclear weapon testing and how our interference with Mother Nature might one day prove apocalyptic and leave a trail of death and devastation. Today, in the modern world context where technological advances are ever improving and as well as relative peace, Godzilla (1998) still carries the same essence as it did 44 years ago. With the threat of existing nuclear weapons and even deforestation which leads to Global Warming, metaphorically, Godzilla still serves as a reminder and warning of an impending disaster if we do not change our ways. Iconically, Godzilla would be referred to as a present doomsday movie. From comparing the different special effects techniques that were used in 1954 to those used in 1998, one could see how the technology leap into the digital era made a big difference in improving film quality and the workflow efficiency of special effects artists. Even though gone were the days where analogue techniques such as filming in front of glass mattes were regarded as the modern methods of special effects, several analogue techniques are still considered relevant with the present world. The integration of both analogue and digital effects proved to be a success in creating a hyper-real Godzilla. With the age of computers and constant development on digital techniques and tools, no one knows what the future might hold for us as special effects artists. However, like all foundations of buildings, the journey of learning the history and methodology of analogue techniques should be deemed as equally important for future developments. 6| Bilbliography| BOOKS Aberly, R., 1998. The making of godzilla. London: Titan books. Kalat, D., 1997. A critical history and filmography of tohos godzilla series. 2nd ed. USA: Mcfarland and company, inc. Ragone, A., 2007. Eiji tsuburaya: masters of monsters. San Francisco: Chronicle books. Ryfle, S., 1998. Japans favourite mon-star: the unauthorised biography of the big g. Canada: ECW press. JOURNALS Martin, K., 1998. The sound and the fury. Cinefex, 74(3), 84-107. WEBSITES Faller, G., 2010. Tsuburaya, eiji. Available from: http://www.filmreference.com/Writers-and-Production-Artists-Ta-Vi/Tsuburaya-Eiji.html [Accessed 9 October 2010] Biodrowski, S., 2007. Gojira(1954)/Godzilla, king of the monsters(1954)-Film and DVD review. Available from: http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/2007/11/godzilla-1954-film-dvd-review/ [Accessed 25th October 2010] Ryfle, S. and Goldstein, B., 2007. Godzilla 50th Anniversary Pressbook. Available from: http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2007/12/06/godzilla-50th-anniversary-pressbook/ [Accessed 1st October 2010] DVD Godziszewski, E., Ryfle, S. and Aiken, S., 2005. Godzilla. DVD. UK: British Film Institute. Godziszewski, E., 2005. Godzilla-Designing Godzilla featurette. DVD. UK: British Film Institute. VIDEO Godzilla, King of the Monsters, 1998. Video. UK: BBC Video.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Origins Of Communism :: Communism Essays

Throughout the history of the modern world, man has sought out the perfect government. An invincible system of order. And in our search for this ideal system, the idea of holding property in common has been a reoccurring thought. From early Christian communities to modern Marxist states, socialism and more specifically, communism has had an important role in the development of this ideal system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the Great French Revolution of 1789-1794, the roots of modern-day communism can be clearly seen. In 1795, Gracchus Babeuf wrote the â€Å"Plebeians’ Manifesto† which stated, for full social and economical equality:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"...to establish a common administration; to suppress individual property; to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  attach each man to the employment or occupation with which he is acquainted; to oblige him to place the fruits of his labor in kind into a common store; and to establish a simple administration for food supplies, which will take note of all individuals and all provisions, and will have the latter divided according to the most scrupulous equality.† - â€Å"Plebeians’ Manifesto†1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Because of this and other acts considered to be threatening to the Directory, Babeuf was executed in May of 1797. Babeuf was not forgotten though, others followed in his footsteps. Another 19th century French reformer, Charles Fourier, shared many of Babeuf’s ideas, but where Babeuf favored immediate political change, Fourier was for longer-term social reform. The Comte de Saint-Simon, another political thinker of that time, was similar to Fourier in many respects, although he valued a mixed society of capitalist thinkers and socialist workers which he believed would triumph in future French communities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Meanwhile in England, Robert Owen, a Welsh industrialist, was developing his own brand of Socialism. Unlike many philosophers of his time, Owen based his ideas on experience rather than speculation. He managed a factory and realized that labor was the essential â€Å"factor of production†. He looked to the workers rather than government for solutions to economic problems. He proposed â€Å"cooperative societies†, or self-contained communities of producers and consumers which he hoped would prove his theories. But his socialist experiment never took place because adequate funding was denied.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the mid-1830’s, the term â€Å"Communism† was introduced to the world of French politics. First used to describe Saint-Simon and Fourier’s egalitarian slant on socialist ideas, Louis Blanc built on the ideals of Fourier to establish an important point of modern-day communism. He stated the principle, â€Å"...from each according to his capacities, to each according to his needs†, where as the old principle stated, â€Å".

Monday, November 11, 2019

ELIS and IP Models of Information Seeking

Library and information science has changed greatly since the 1970s with current research focusing more on how ordinary people behave in everyday life when seeking information (Savolainen, 1995) rather than studying the habits of professionals such as those in the legal, medical and engineering professions. With this shift in focus, new models were required to explain information seeking characteristics based on the innate differences between these two groups. One of the resulting models with great influence in the field of information science, based on its numerous citations, is the Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS) paradigm first introduced by Reijo Savolainen (1995). Nearly ten years later, Pamela McKenzie (2003) created a second, differing model of information seeking referred to as Information Practices (IP) using peoples’ everyday behavior as a basis. While both models are effective in their portrayal of how an individual seeks information in everyday life, ELIS and IP put a different degree of focus on stressing differing degrees of emphasis on the functions of human personality, context, and problem solving practices to explain an individual’s information seeking practices. Before comparing their similarities and contrasting their differences a brief explanation of each method and its assumptions, main concepts, the context in which they are used and can serve as real-life practice in information science will be examined. Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS) The ELIS model is based on the assumption that individuals have their own preference for which sources they are comfortable using and the socially conditioned patterns by which they behave. Central to the model is the concept that way of life, as defined by Savolainen, means â€Å"the order of things† (Savolainen, 1995) such as the division between one’s work and leisure time, consumption of goods and services and leisure activities. Human beings give preference to certain practices over others in going about their daily lives. This definition comes from Bourdieu’s (1984) idea of habitus, or a system of thought that is determined by social and cultural factors as well as characteristic evaluation and perception, which are individually internalized. If a person does not maintain his preferences, or â€Å"mastery of life† according to the ELIS model, his life will become disordered. When a problem out of the ordinary occurs which needs to be solved, his mastery of life will take over so as to actively seek information which is considered effective and practical to solve it. This same process occurs when an individual is seeking information. According to Savolainen, there are four types of life mastery used in the ELIS model which include optimistic-cognitive, pessimistic-cognitive, defensive-affective, and pessimistic-affective. All types exist in concert with a positive outlook from optimistic thinking on one end of the spectrum while a negative outlook as the result of dictating emotions takes place on the opposite end. An individual’s way of life directs how he will seek out information and also the converse is true: that information seeking will determine mastery of life when used in context. Components that influence context include such things as personal values and attitude, social networking, material assets, cultural and cognitive influences, as well as the individual’s current situation in life. In addition to this mastery of life typology, Savolainen (1995) states that these components have influence over how an individual will seek to solve problems. Two types of information are defined in the ELIS model. Passive monitoring of events such as news and weather reports from printed media which give an individual information regarding his everyday life is considered â€Å"orienting information†. Such everyday data is represented in the â€Å"project of life† box in the ELIS model. On the other hand, â€Å"practical information† seeking serves the purpose of finding a solution for a specific problem that interrupts an individual’s ordinary life. A personal approach to mastery of life is used to seek either orienting or passive information. Savolainen (1995) takes a leap in explaining certain aspects of mastery of life. His research assumes that all humans share an innate desire to achieve this mastery of life and that when problems occur they will naturally seek information to solve the issue. The fourth type of mastery of life, pessimistic-affective or, more literally, â€Å"learned helplessness† is described with the caveat that systematic information could play a part in the information seeking behavior, characterized by the use of emotional responses and lack of judgment, in certain individuals. Perhaps this is another type of mastery of life in and of itself. Another assumption made by Savolainen (1995) in his ELIS model is that there are only two simple divisions of an individual’s life; he is either at work or at play. There are several other categories that could be used such as those who are unemployed, those who job seeking, and those who do seasonal work (who would enjoy a huge proportion of leisure time). Therefore, in these cases, his assumptions based on a person’s division of work and leisure become moot. Savolainen (1995) admits to identifying a couple more assumptions that might interfere with his research. One is the importance of way of life as being a significant factor in information seeking behavior, confirmed by the results of studies done on blue collar workers and teachers. He also made a point to recognize that he assumed mastery of life style plays a key role in a person’s response to problems and also when they are seeking information but evidence suggests that mastery of life by itself does not always dictate behavior. Research was performed by Savolainen in Finland using a sample of the middle class and working class populace and conducting themed interviews. Eleven industrial workers and the same amount of teachers were questioned regarding their methods of seeking orienting information from the media for their everyday life needs. The subjects were asked to relate a recent problem and how they went about solving it with the results analyzed and assessed for their relevance to the ELIS model. Savolainen (1995) hypothesized that social class would be a determining factor in information seeking but found instead that this only creates an outline on which to base their way of life. Information Practices McKenzie’s (2003) more recent IP model is quite different in its approach.   Similar to Savolainen’s ELIS model, the theory behind IP encompasses a variety of components. McKenzie first came up with the ideas behind IP when observing the information seeking practices of women expecting twins. Responding to Erdelez’s 1999 (from McKenzie, 2003) challenge for â€Å"more holistic and detailed tools† to use when modeling information seekers’ behavior, McKenzie (2003) sought a more current overview of information seeking in everyday life by non-professionals as well as acknowledging that individuals often use â€Å"non-active† practices when encountering information. This led to her theory which would ultimately uncover the various ways people behave, and interact, when armed with new information. McKenzie (2003) claims there is a flexibility often used when seeking information and that the process is not totally linear. McKenzie’s IP model assumes four modes of information practice with two phases encountered within each. The individual uses flexibility and complexity and these traits are incorporated in each mode and phase. The four modes are active seeking, active scanning, non-directed monitoring and proxy. The first type of seeking identifies a source while the second is only semi-directed combined with observation. Non-directed refers to encounters with information that was not formerly expected while seeking by proxy is defined as using an intermediary source to get to the end result. At least one of these modes is used by individuals who then interact to the information with varying behavior. A breakdown in communication or a barrier to the proper connection can occur during information seeking in any of these manners. There are additional ways for an individual to connect with a source of information as well as interact with the information itself. Active seeking occurs during searches when supplemental data is uncovered, usually in response to an acute need, which was not part of the seeker’s original intent. This then redirects him to other possibilities and new information. Connection with this information gives an individual cause to interact with it by using a list of pre-formed questions or topics previously considered. By being positioned in a space where information can be shared or one can be exposed to information via electronic sources, a connection is made through the process of active scanning. Listening as well as observing others and scanning the material at hand are several methods of interaction with the information. On the other hand, non-directed monitoring is more like an unexpected, unintentional encounter with useful information during the course of everyday life. Observation and listening in on conversations between other people are ways of interacting with the information. Lastly, connection by proxy is a result of using information sources such as friends who lay claim to certain information and act as intermediaries to this information or through an interpersonal referral system. Interaction in this mode occurs when the information given takes on the form of advice, diagnosis of a problem, or instructions. Along with the ELIS model, the IP model also makes several assumptions. The four modes of information seeking seem to be rather narrow. Avoidance may be considered an additional mode, as is the case when information comes to a person who may not desire to receive it, such as a traumatic medical diagnosis. The ways of interacting with information that McKenzie (2005) outlined in the IP model are limited in scope as well. Assuming an individual uses their own context during interactions with information as she suggests, then a wide variety of personalized traits and behavior should come into play. Consequently, there cannot be a limited number of types of interactions; they would be infinite. Certainly the fact that McKenzie (2005) performed her research on a restricted number of pregnant women might influence the results and her interpretation of them. The sample subjects used in the research were a group of 19 Canadian women who were all expecting twins at the same time. Using epistemological orientation of discourse in her methodology, McKenzie reasoned that the subjects were motivated to seek necessary information (as new mothers) but also considered generically representative of their community at large. The subjects were allowed to answer interview questions freely and with no limitations and this information, along with diary entries, used to obtain the necessary qualitative data to complete the study. The expectant mothers were asked to not only share their behavior when seeking routine information but to reflect on any differences that occurred during critical incidents in the information seeking process or their interactions with it. Compare and Contrast Both the ELIS and IP models are based upon theories which attempt to explain the behavior of non-professionals in their everyday lives when seeking information of both critical and non-critical status. The two models include the key component of individual context and its power over the information seeking process. McKenzie (2003) refers in positive terms to Savolainen’s earlier research and its breakthrough concepts in the studying of information seeking behavior in non-professionals in her treatise on the IP model, giving him credit for a novel approach. The IP model, while it takes note of the role of individual context, does not offer any further elaboration on the plethora of these factors that most likely exists. While McKenzie (2005) refers to individual context, she does little more than that in using it to explain behavior. Conversely, the ELIS model revolves around the theory of individual context and a person’s social standing, morals, values, attitude and current life situation. These factors are obviously an integral part of how a particular person seeks information as well as how he orders his life. In terms of the importance of context, Savolainen’s ELIS model has included a richer diversity of theory into the concept, which is one of its strengths. Both McKenzie (2003) and Savolainen (1995) include mention of an individual’s personality traits in explaining their information seeking behavior. This factor obtains importance as a part of mastery of life typology in the ELIS model in its references to characteristics of optimism and pessimism in the first two types, explaining positive or negative reaction to information that is found during a systematic and cognitive-oriented approach. His mastery of life, too, is reflected in this personality trait, extending it to other applications. The use of emotion as a response to the life process and problem solving characterizes the third and fourth types of mastery of life; people who fall into these categories do not think logically about their behavior. Thus the ELIS model can be considered to contain psychological theory in addition to theories regarding information seeking behavior. The IP model, on the other hand, assumes an individual patterns their behavior based on personality traits without actually furthering understanding on this dimension, merely stating that users connect with information through very active or less direct modes. Interactions that occur are the result of using both cognition and emotion in seeking information. There must first be an individualistic understanding of information to allow for active seeking and scanning. Non-directed or proxy modes are used by those who interact as a result of emotion. Using Savolainen’s (1995) fourth mastery of life type as a comparison, it would leave no other option but to consider the pessimistic-affective type to use the proxy mode due to the fact that he â€Å"does not rely on his abilities to solve everyday life problems†, according to McKenzie. Those who are considered systematic personalities, however, may also use the monitoring and proxy modes. Both the ELIS and IP models are also alike in their treatment of information seeking techniques and practices. While each employs its own terminology in explaining information seeking behavior, many of the concepts are similar. For instance, with the ELIS model, Savolainen (1995) explains that people seek information on an everyday basis to orient aspects of their lives by using passive monitoring to monitor its passage. In the IP model, this concept is similar to what McKenzie (2003) terms passive monitoring and in fact she makes reference to this likeness in her research. Practical information is explained by both models also. The ELIS model refers to this as information sought in use of a problem. In the IP model, this same concept is referred to as the intermediary or proxy method of seeking information. McKenzie (2003) offers further insight by defining this process as a way of gathering information from friends or other personal sources. The ELIS model simply fails to describe this. Conclusion There are significant factors available in study of both the ELIS and IP models which aid in further understanding of how ordinary people search for information during the course of their everyday lives. As Savolainen (1998) suggests, mastery of life typology can be employed in the understanding of how people use their own context to perceive information as well as their perception of how competent they are in performing a search. Both models are relevant as use in deeper investigation into specific populations which exhibit unique behavior. Future research to delve deeper into the context concepts of the ELIS model would be beneficial. Additional study of individual concept and interaction behavior based on the IP model are also warranted based on the ability to further pinpoint motivation in information seeking. While the gap in more comprehensive research exists, the concepts in both the ELIS and IP models are relevant and valid as an aid for those studying Information Science as well as in other areas of study of human behavior including sociologists and psychologists. It will be exciting to find what further insights are gained from future exploration of both Savolainen’s and McKenzie’s models on information seeking behavior. Â