Growth and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Growth and Development - Essay Example Thus, it is a period when young people are out of their adolescence but are yet to attain the adult title. The age span for emerging adulthood ranges from 18 to 25 though this may be extended up to the age of 29. During this period, most young people are always struggling to put various components of their lives in order so that they can achieve the status of being referred to as adults. This paper will be a discussion of various issues as pertains to emerging adulthood. According to Arnett, 2004, â€Å"during Emerging Adulthood, young people are in the process of developing the capacities, skills and qualities of character deemed by their cultures as necessary for completing the transition to adulthood†. As such, it is an important period of life since most people going through it have the same aspirations. As a result, all of them have the same characteristics. Insatiability is one common characteristic that people in the emerging adulthood phase of life have. This is showca sed with the tendency of changing life plans. People between the ages of 18 to 29 can be observed to constantly change partners, jobs and even residences. This is because they often feel that they have to do much more than they have already achieved. This in turn gives them an aspect of insatiability. Identity exploration is another characteristic that most people in the Emerging Adulthood stage of life have. ... Along the same line, emerging adults will always delay responsibilities so that they can focus on themselves. Most of them tend to avoid marriage and parenting so that they can have all their time and resources to themselves. Self focus is what seems to be the most important thing to them at during this time (Arnett, 2004). Feeling caught up in between is another characteristic common with emerging adults. This is due to the fact that most of them feel that they are more independent and mature than when they were adolescents t at t same time feel that they are not fully accomplished to be referred to as adults. Lastly, most people in the above age bracket always have a very optimistic view of the future with the belief that they will accomplish all that they have set out to do and eventually become what they would want to be (Arnett, 2004). These are the characteristics that most people in this phase of life irrespective of culture and financial capability have. Generally, the period of emerging adulthood is different from the adolescent and early adulthood phase due to the fact that the reality of emerging responsibility finally begins to dawn on these individuals. During adolescence, people are not responsible of their actions but simply do what will be acceptable in the eyes of their peers. They do not fear rebellion and do not listen to what their parents say. Their decisions are dependent on how their peers will judge them and the aspect of being financially independent does not bother them. They are minors and still live at their parent’s home and are experiencing the physical changes of puberty but people in the emerging adulthood phase have already reached full reproduction maturity. On the other hand, adulthood is characterized by

History according to the Male Historian Essay Example for Free

History according to the Male Historian Essay Gender plays a very important role in the definition of history. Male historians are often presented as scientific thinkers. But the truth is that they merely perpetuate religious, ethnocentric or class-based versions of the past under the guise of neutrality. Female historians, on the other hand, are usually dismissed as propagators of amateur or irrelevant historical accounts. This observation most likely stemmed from their preference to study domains such as the lives of queens and other accomplished women, as well as manners, mores and everyday life. The accounts of Marco Polo and Ibn Khaldun are two evidences of history’s male-oriented nature. Their versions hail men and or patriarchal values as the agents of change in a given society. Such a pro-male stance is no longer surprising – history as a discipline has traditionally been regarded as a male preserve. Apart from the proliferation of male historians, focus is given on men and male-dominated spheres such as war, politics and industry. Inside the Middle Kingdom Marco Polo was a Christian Venetian merchant who traveled to and lived in Yuan China from 1271 to 1292. His accounts of his travels and experiences in China offered Europeans a firsthand view of Asian lands, turning him into one of the most famous Western medieval travelers. Furthermore, the works of Marco Polo aroused fascination with Asian trade. Traders and cartographers used these as a guide to be able to come up with their own routes to the East. Marco Polo, however, grossly misunderstood several aspects of life in Yuan China. For one, he conjured a very paternalistic image of Mongol ruler Kublai Khan. In addition, Marco Polo came up with a superficial description of the city of Kin-sai. His observations on the way of life of the city’s inhabitants clearly lacked further analysis, if not overly romanticized. The Grand Khan Marco Polo regarded Kublai Khan as a benevolent leader who brought prosperity and stability to Yuan China. The city of Kanbalu (present-day Beijing), for instance, possessed an opulence which â€Å"(was) greater than the mind can comprehend. † Its dwellers lived in handsome houses and stately buildings in the suburbs. The capital, meanwhile, was groaning with merchandise. At least a thousand pack-horses would go there everyday to unload raw silk, which would then be used to manufacture market items such as gold tissues and silk cloth. Kublai Khan lived even more luxuriously than his subjects in Kanbalu. Marco Polo wrote of an instance in which Khan threw a feast which lasted for three days. Merchants and other important personalities attended this banquet in the hopes of securing Khan’s favor for their respective endeavors. The guests were treated to a fare which included overflowing amounts of game animals, raisins, fish, fruits and Greek partridges, as well as wine and horse and camel milk. As they ate and drank, Khan’s acrobats entertained them with juggling acts, magic tricks and amazing feats of contortion. Kin-sai: A Cautionary Tale Marco Polo described Kin-sai as a â€Å"noble and magnificent city. † Its facilities – extensive streets and canals, spacious marketplaces, numerous bridges – rendered it a modern veneer for the standards of its time. Kin-sai’s markets sold a wide variety of goods, including meats, fruits, fishes, herbs, spices, drugs, trinkets and pearls. These bazaars are constantly full due to the city’s capacious stone warehouses, which are frequented by merchants from India and other countries. Marco Polo attributed Kin-sai’s prosperity to the rule of Khan. The former described the city’s previous ruler as a morally decadent individual who preferred hunting and orgies over administering to the needs of his people. His negligence of his duties reared its ugly head when the Khan was easily able to conquer Kin-sai. Marco Polo then concluded that Khan brought peace and stability to Kin-sai by controlling the licentiousness of its citizenry. Behind the Myth. What Marco Polo did not know was that the Chinese people resented the existence of the Yuan Dynasty primarily because of its Mongolian origin. Furthermore, the Yuan Dynasty marginalized the Han Chinese in the latter’s own country. Only Mongols and other foreigners were allowed to assume government positions. Neither was the Han Chinese permitted to engage in external trade and or learn other languages. While Marco Polo’s account of Kin-sai was merely a romantic tableau, its realistic descriptions of Yuan China can be interpreted in two ways. The tragic end of the city’s former ruler is a possible warning against excessive indulgence in worldly pleasures. It must be noted that during Marco Polo’s time, the nobles of the West were notorious for living lavish lifestyles while the commoners starved. He is therefore warning Western monarchs that they will share the same fate with the former ruler of Kin-sai if they don’t mend their ways. Another probable construal is that Kin-sai is a reflection of what the West really intends to do with China. Marco Polo’s focus on the city’s courtesans and the promiscuous way of life of its former ruler can be a means of fetishizing the East. Portraying China as an exotic location can increase Western expeditions to the country both for trade and for converting more people to Christianity. But what Marco Polo probably did not understand was that in Kin-sai, the practice of polygamy was considered acceptable. In ancient societies, polygamy was used as a means of replenishing the population after it has been reduced by wars and other calamities. From the Desert to the Desert Ibn Khaldun was a North African statesman, scholar and historian who traveled to various parts of the Arab world. In his journeys, he was able to make observations on the geopolitical climate during his period. These observations eventually became the basis for his ideas in the fields of historiography, sociology and economics. The Muqaddimah was the compilation of these concepts. Although The Muqaddimah was actually a reflection on 14th-century Arab politics, it has striking parallelisms with modern-day Arab geopolitics. For one, self-reliance is seen as more desirable than the unity and conformity being espoused by an established dynasty. Furthermore, luxury and interaction with strangers (foreigners) are regarded as the causes of corruption. The strong emphasis of The Muqaddimah on independence which already borders on isolationism was probably intended to make it more appealing to male than female audiences. The Bedouins In The Muqaddimah, Ibn Khaldun began his discussion on human civilization by describing Bedouin life. He believed that the Bedouins are the models of strength and self-reliance, as they focus â€Å"only (in) the necessities of life and not (in) luxuries or anything, causing, or calling for, desires and pleasures. † Furthermore, the Bedouins live according to the principle of asabiya (â€Å"group feeling†). Asabiya refers to a higher form of unity – it espouses â€Å"the cohesive force of the group (which seeks) power through conquest. † The Dynasty Ibn Khaldun was quick to clarify that the dynasty was not without asabiya – royal authority cannot be established and function without the group (society). But he also pointed out that the asabiya being practiced by the dynasty was a weaker form of the principle. This was because most dynasties were based in the city – a venue of luxury products and a thriving intellectual life, as well as specialization and diversification of labor. For a dynasty to thrive in the city, the army must shoulder the expenses of the royal family. Doing so, in turn, means greater taxes from the commoners. Another detrimental effect of luxury is interaction with foreigners – people during Ibn Khaldun’s time were able to obtain luxury items only from foreign merchants. Interrelating with outsiders would result in the inhabitants of the city acquiring values that contrast sharply against asabiya. It would come to a point that succeeding generations would have already forgotten the Bedouin values of independence and resilience – values on which a dynasty is supposed to be based. When that time comes, the dynasty would start to break down. Behind the Myth. Ibn Khaldun overly romanticized the Bedouins. While it is true that the latter is strong and independent, it is because it has to acquire these traits in order to survive. The Bedouins are a nomadic tribe that roams the deserts of the Middle East. Given the scarcity of resources in the desert, they have to be hardy in order to last. These traits of the Bedouins, however, are not without negative effects. In order to compete with scarce resources, Bedouin tribes constantly wage war with one another. In addition, they observe the practice of burying female infants in the sand. Because females ultimately leave their families to get married, the Bedouins consider feeding and rearing them a waste of already scarce resources. In sharp contrast, inhabitants of the city do not have to worry as much when it comes to their daily sustenance. Thus, they have more time to pursue other endeavors, such as education, arts and the sciences. The influx of new ideas may have also prompted them to change social institutions and or policies that they consider to be obsolete and or inefficient. Indeed, The Muqaddimah shows the enduring conflict between the patriarchal values of conformity and permanence and change and modernity. Conclusion Historical accounts of male historians are scientific only in the sense that they relieve the past in terms of religious, ethnocentric or class-based ways of thinking. Consequently, they end up misrepresenting certain ideas and or romanticize concepts that are actually detrimental to society to begin with. Marco Polo, for instance, portrayed Kublai Khan as a ruler which brought peace and stability to China. But the truth was that the Yuan Dynasty was an imperialist rule – it expanded itself by invading China and marginalizing the Han Chinese. Ibn Khaldun, meanwhile, adhered strongly to the Bedouin values of hardiness and self-reliance. But these values could likewise promote conformity and absolutist thinking, which, in turn, could result in groups which view violence as the only way to attain their objectives. When female historians write about the lives of queens, manners and everyday life, it is not because they want to come up with irrelevant accounts of the past.Rather, they simply want to show how seemingly unimportant persons, events and or ideas are the ones that make a bigger impact on society as a whole. References Barnes and Noble. (2009). The Travels of Marco Polo: Forewords Introductions. Retrieved January 30, 2009, from http://search. barnesandnoble. com/The-Travels-of- Marco-Polo/Marco-Polo/e/9780760765890 Chowdhry, S. DinarStandard. (2006, October 4). Ibn Khaldun’s Philosophy of Management and Work – Excerpts from the Muqaddimah. Retrieved January 30, 2009, from http://dinarstandard. com/management/IbnKhaldun_Mgmt100206. htm Lach, D. F. (1994). Asia in the Making of Europe. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. MNSU. edu. (n. d. ). Yuan Dynasty. Retrieved January 29, 2009, from http://www. mnsu. edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/later_imperial_china/yuan. html On Distance. (2006, October 16). The Desert and the City. Retrieved January 30, 2009, from http://woodeneyes. wordpress. com/category/ibn-khaldun/ Polo, M. (1997). The Travels of Marco Polo (Benjamin Colbert, Trans. ). Wordsworth: Wade UK. (n. d. ). Smith, B. G. (1998). The Gender of History: Men, Women and Historical Practice. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

The Effects of Immigration on Children and Families

The Effects of Immigration on Children and Families Introduction Illegal immigration is a very controversial issue within our society. There are families within our society that are made up of parents that are here illegally but have children who are born here and are citizens. But it is these citizens that are what I am referring to as the incomplete citizens. Who are these incomplete citizens and why are they being impacted by our society? Are there different stipulations for these children that are born to these undocumented families? Do they really receive the same rights as those born to U.S. citizens? Our societies including our politicians have different opinions about illegal immigration. Immigration reform negatively affects those children that are born to undocumented parents. They find themselves facing adversities that had the situation been different would never have to face. Working in an elementary school I have seen first-hand how those children are affected as a result of their parents legal status. My purpose in this research is to show the emotional, educational, and financial effects that are inflicted on the undocumented families. This is a problem that is not going to be resolved overnight but rather this is a problem that is going to need help from the various disciplines. With this research more information will be found to present how children are affected through the different disciplines and how these disciplines integrate and can have a more insightful understanding of the issues at hand. The four disciplines that I will focus on will by  communication, government, business and psychology. It is through these varied disciplines that I will show how these children are living their lives as incomplete citizens. The current ruling passed by Farmers Branch is a prime example of how the undocumented families have to make difficult decisions. Communication Through the lens of communication we see how culture, the media and our society affects the way how these children are viewed. Culture has negative and positive effects on these children. By doing some research I saw how various groups and organizations have different perspectives regarding undocumented families and there U.S. born children. Our society is divided by the issue. Some think that since those children are already here they should be included in the view that they are our future. They should be accepted and receive the benefits of all American born citizens. On the other hand, there are others in our society that think that these children are a burden. They believe that those specific children should not receive the same benefit that a United States citizen receives because of their parents illegal status. In addition, the media at times has a negative impact on these children. It is traumatic to see or hear through the various channels of communication how these families are being torn apart, separated and punished and even at times being labelled as criminals because they do not have the proper documentation. These children are faced with the real possibility that at any moment those same types of situations can easily happen to them. It is these kinds of circumstances that can affect the childrens wellbeing. The common view among these undocumented families is that they came here to have a chance at a better future. They do not view themselves as criminals, but rather as people that are willing to work hard to provide their family with a better existence. â€Å"It says especially to Congress that were tired of the out-of –control illegal Immigration problem. That if Congress doesnt do something about it cities will, said Tim OHare a City Council member who was the ordinances lead proponent (Anti-Illegal Immigrant Law, 2007). It is people like Mr. Tim OHare, a city council for Framers Branch and other groups that force illegal immigrants to make hard decision that will affect them and their families. These people get the attention from the media to address and show how illegal immigrants are a problem in our society. Government Government is another disciple that has a great deal to with how the children of undocumented families are affected. According to Repko, â€Å"political science is the study of power (raw and constrained) and influence in government, political processes, institutions, and relationship involving rule and authority.† (Repko, 2005. pg. 58). Government has created laws, regulations, reforms and acts that affect the undocumented parents on day to day basis. For example, The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 states that it is illegal to hire an undocumented person. This makes it difficult for the family member to obtain a steady job which in many cases causes a financial burden to the family. On the other hand, we have the 14th  Amendment that gives the right to any child born in the United States soil to have the right to be a citizen regardless of their parent legal status. These are some examples of how government has imposed themselves on illegal immigrants. I view this as an historic opportunity for Congress to act, for Congress to replace a system that is not working with one that we believe will work a lot better. In other words, this is a moment for people who have been elected to come together, focus on a problem, and show the American people that we can work together to fix the problem.† President George W. Bush (The White House, 2007) This is a statement by the Press Secretary on Comprehensive Immigration reform. President George W. Bush says that illegal immigration is a problem that needs a solution. Not only is our society divided with this issue, but we see the political debates that follow regarding illegal immigration. In order to reduce all of the confusion and the political debates about illegal immigration we need the government to have a better and clear understanding of who is really considered a U. S. citizen and what their rights really are. Business Another discipline that integrates into this topic is business. This approach has been affected from an economics point of view. In Repkos textbook of economic concept that deal with illegal immigration is opportunity, cost and unemployment. In addition, the epistemology of the economics is how the math configuration is presented. (Repko, 2005. pg. 58). Illegal immigration not only affects the economy of the United States but the parents home country as well. For example if these illegal immigrants are having trouble obtaining a job to support their families they do not send any money to their home countries. In addition if these parents are deported to Mexico and if their children stay in the United States, this is a cost that society will be forced to cover. For example, these children will qualify for federal programs like CHIP, Medicare, food stamps and other governmental programs that these children are entitled to. How much and who is paying for this benefit that a parent would cover it they were here with their children. In additional, are the illegal parents helping the economy or making it worse for everybody else. Some of these illegal parents are not paying their taxes that they should pay. On the other hand there are people that are here illegally that pay taxes and do not receive the benefits. Due to these kinds of situations is what at times helps to divide society even more. Society is then forced to think of the financial backlash of having the undocumented family members deported or come up with sanctions or pardons that would allow them to stay in this country and contribute rather than be a burden. Psychology In the psychology approach we see how these children are affected emotionally, mentally and sociologically by having an illegal parent. As stated in Repkos textbook, â€Å"The epistemology of psychology is that psychological constructs and their interrelationships can inferred through discussion and observation and applied to treatment (clinical) or a series of experiments with slight variation (experimental).† (Repko, 2005. pg.60). When children are growing they are already faced with many changes not to mention all the hurdles that they deal with, but to add the additional stress of having to deal with the possibility that their family may be torn apart because of their parents status is traumatic. Imagine not having your mother or father with you during your childhood because one of them was deported. This creates a very emotional and sociological imbalance in their lives. How will the child deal with this problem? The childs education may also be jeopardized by having to move locations due to laws or acts that are taking place in todays society. One example is Farmers Branch, Texas where the city council passed an ordinance that stated that illegal immigrants were not allowed to rent apartments. As a result the parent will be forced to make a decision of moving or to stay and take their chances of being deported. In other situations, where the parent was deported to their home country the child may have been forced to live with another family member or return with their parents. In this situation a parent has to make the difficult decision of taking the children to their home country or leaving them behind to have a better opportunity of life. If this child is taken to their home country would he or she have the opportunity to have an education? What quality of education will this child have in another country even though this child is American citizen? They may not be able to finish school because they may have to financially support the family. Also, this child may not have the support to have a college education due to the financial burden that the family is going through. These are some of the situations that a child has to think about when having an illegal parent. Conclusion Through this research that we can see that illegal immigration is a problem that needs an Interdisciplinary approach to better understand it. This is a problem that has our society and government divided on how it should be handled and how it is going to find a better solution to solve this problem. This problem affects different disciplines in different ways but with this research more information will be found to present how children are affected through the different disciplines and how each discipline can stand alone but at the same time they integrate with each other to have a better understanding of the issue. How much of this childs life is different from other children as a result of having a parent that is an illegal? Do these incomplete citizens have the right to stay in the United States if they were born here but their parents are not here legally? This is a problem that needs the different approaches of the different disciplines to come up with a more beneficial solution for the children that are caught in the middle of this problem. It is through communication that we see how this issue is viewed and understood in our society. What policies and laws are in place to deal with this issue? Are they working and where is improvement needed? Through psychology we are able to see how a child is affected emotionally, mentally, and sociologically by having an illegal parent. Communication, government, business and psychology are needed to find the common ground for this problem and to find a better understanding of how childrens lives are being affected by having an illegal parent. More initiatives to help these children that are affected may help. Having a more solid understanding of the right of a citizen but born to illegal parents can help the four disciplines address the problem. By my research I hope to see how the four disciplines integrate within each other to have better perspective of this problem and to see what the incomplete citizens have been facing for years and are still facing in our society by having an illegal parent. Background Illegal immigration has been an issue of discussion from the local to the national level in the United States for many years and more so in the present. Immigration affects not only the immigrant and his family but also society as a whole. Even the political candidates that are in the running for president address the subject with caution. Society and politics have different perspectives regarding illegal immigration. Immigration laws and policies have made it difficult for families of illegal parents to support their children that are citizens of the United States. The Webster Dictionary defines immigrate to enter a country to settle (Kidney, 1992). Many people have come to the United States from different countries and for a variety of reasons, ranging from religious to political to economic circumstances. Each wave of newcomers that have arrived in this â€Å"New World† has faced many obstacles. It is difficult to go back in history to a time in which any new wave of people was received with open arms. On the contrary, these new arrivals were often shunned, abused and seen as unskilled workers. Immigration to the United States must be seen from a historical lens to understand its complexities. Immigration has had its roots since the birth of the United States beginning with the Africans and continuing to the present times. After the 1600s, the Africans were shipped to the colonies to serve the plantation owners, resulting in the institution of slavery. The white servant worked for a period of time, and most importantly became free and equal after completing his term. However, society considered the black slave and his family and children as property for life which made the white servant move to the north to have an opportunity to be a free landowner. Thus, a greater demand increased for black slaves in the southern colonies. As a consequence, the slave trade increased tremendously during the 1700s, resulting in an innumerable mass of African slaves shipped to the colonies. â€Å"The unique but unmistakably tragic migration of these people had ‘planted the seeds of a difficulty that would permanently mark the nation.† (Handlin, 1972). (Immigration, n.d.). The Germans fled from their homeland due to violent conditions and immigrated to the United States in the early 1700s. Another wave of German immigrants came to the United States after the 1800s. At this particular time, they left their homeland due to population growth, and the fact that modernization negatively impacted family businesses. Ironically, modernization improved the means of transportation with the steam boat and steam train which conveniently assisted the Germans to immigrate to the United States (Immigration, n.d.). The Chinese immigrated to the United States in the 1700s due to the California Gold Rush. The first wave of Chinese immigrants was well received by the Americans because of their qualities of dependability and diligence. However, the pouring of unskilled Chinese labourers in the mid 1800s changed the Americans attitude from one of acceptance to one of negativity and hostility. The Naturalization Act of 1870 and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 restricted Chinese immigration to the United States. â€Å"The Naturalization Act of 1870 restricted all immigration into the U.S. to only ‘white persons and persons of African descent, meaning that all Chinese were placed in a different category, a category that placed them as ineligible for citizenship from that time till 1943.† (Immigration, n.d.). Despite the laws, the Chinese population in the United States increased and reached its peak in 1890 with 107,488 people (Immigration, n.d.). The Irish immigrated to the United States since the 1820s due to religious and political circumstances. A mass of Irish immigrants poured into the United States due to the devastating effects of the great potato rot in 1845. Starving families had no other alternative but to leave their homeland in order to have a better quality of life. The flow of Irish immigrants continued to grow, and many settled in established Irish communities to retain their religion, culture, and customs. The Italians immigrated to the United States in the mid-1800s and demonstrated their diligence by working in a variety of jobs ranging from sewer cleaning to dangerous jobs that others refused to work (Immigration, n.d.). The Japanese immigrated to the United States in the late 1800s due to economys effect on modernization which resulted in bankruptcies and unemployment. The Japanese immigrants experienced many similarities as the Chinese immigrants. The Japanese immigrants were unskilled labourers and became more successful which the American society resented. Consequently, laws were passed to prevent Japanese immigrants to advance onto the next step of the status ladder. The advancement and competition compounded with Japans attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941 added to the hostility towards the Japanese immigrants (Immigration, n.d.). Due to the influx of immigrants from numerous countries, â€Å"the House Committee of Immigration chose Ellis Island as the site for a new immigrant screening station in 1890.† (Ellis Island) Extensive screening took place at Ellis Island which determined the fate of the immigrants. The fear of family separation or lacking certain qualifications added to the immigrants anxieties. Immigration through Ellis Island decreased due to legislation and shut down in 1954 by the Immigration Services. Immigration has had a powerful impact in the birth and development of the United States. It is a melting pot of diverse ethnicities and cultures. The past immigrants have had to overcome their hardships to attain the American dream. Interestingly, the current immigrants from Latin American countries are in the same predicament as the past immigrants (Immigration, n.d.). Illegal Central Americans have immigrated to the United States in late 1970s due to political and economic circumstances. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 â€Å"institutes employer sanctions for knowingly hiring illegal aliens, create legalization programs, and increases border enforcement.† (Fix and Passel, 1994). Even though the act has been in effect since 1986, the problem of illegal immigration is prevalent in todays society. According to Steven Camarotas article, â€Å"Immigrants in the United States, 2007: A Profile of Americans Foreign-Born Population† and data from the Census Bureau in March 2007, â€Å"one in three immigrants is an illegal alien. Half of Mexican and Central American immigrants and one-third of South American immigrants are illegal.† (Camarota, 2007). According to Table 4 of the Centre for Immigration Studies, â€Å"Latin American and Caribbean countries dominate the list of immigrant-sending countries, accounting for almost half of the top-25 countries.† (Camarota, 2007). (Camarota, 2007) Immigration reform, a controversial topic, is addressed by the presidential candidates. According to Jimenez in his article, â€Å"Whos the immigration candidate?† Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton â€Å"favour comprehensive immigration reform: increased border security, a pathway to citizenship and an electronic employment verification system. â€Å" (Jimenez, 2008). President Bush and the presidential candidates Obama and Clinton state that there is a need for a comprehensive immigration reform because the present immigration system is ineffective. Since the present immigration system is ineffective, city councils such as Farmers Branch are taking further action to control illegal immigration such as implementing an ordinance that requires apartment managers to verify their legal status (Garay, 2007). Illegal immigration is a problem full of complexities that cannot be solved with merely one discipline. As seen in figure 1 immigrates has increase from 24.3 million in 1995 to 37.3 million in 2007 (Camarota, 2007). To attain a greater understanding of illegal immigration, the need of integrated disciplines must be analysed (Repko, 2005). First, government will address the legislation and the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of the present immigration system. Second, communication will express the different perspectives of illegal immigration. Third, business will focus on the immigrations economic impact on the United States. Finally, psychology will present the familys emotional impact on illegal immigration. All the contributions from the disciplines of government, communication, business and psychology will provide meaningful insights that will result in a more detailed understanding of the complex issues of immigration (Repko, 2005). Bibliography Communication Activists Warn Irving PD Targets Immigrants  . 2007, September 22). CBS11tv. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from http://cbs11tv.com/consumer/illegal.immigrants.profiling.2.507054.html Garay, Anabelle. (2007, May).  Anti-Illegal-Immigrant Law Okd in Texas. Washington Post. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from http://www,washingtonpost.com/wp=dyn/content/article/2007/05/13/AR2007051300240.html Immigration-The Journey to America. Oracle Think Quest. Retrieved February 28, 2008, from http://library.thinkquest.org/20619/ Krech, Rachel. (2007, May 13).  Texas Town Passes Anti-Illegal Immigrant Law.  Associated Content. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/243560/texas_town_passes_antillegal_immigrant.html Selepak, Andy. (2007, June).  $ 6 Billion a Year for Mexican â€Å"Anchor Babies?†.  Family Security Matters. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/challenges.php?id=1037031 Government Bush calls for changes on illegal workers  . (2004, January 8). CNN.com. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/01/07/bush.immigation/ Department of Immigration Services. (2008). Historical Immigration and Naturalization Legislation. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved Feburary 29, 2008, from http://www,uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?v Federation for American Immigration Reform.  An Immigration Reform Agenda for the 110th  Congress. Retrieved December 4, 2007 from http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=leg_110_reform_agenda House Research Organization-Texas House of Representatives. (2006).The Role of States in Immigration Enforcement. Retrieved December 3, 2007, from www.capitol.state.tx.us/hrofr/hrofr.htm. Jimenez, Tomas R. (2008).  Whos the immigration candidate?  Center of Immigration Studies. Retrieved February 28, 2008 from http://www.cis.org/articles/2008/latdebate.html Selepak, Andy. (2007, May).  Bush Pushes Amnesty for Illegals. Family Security Matter. Retrieved December 4, 2007. from http://familysecuritymatters.org/index.php?id=955414 The White House. (2007). Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/immigration Business Borjas, George J. (1994).  Journal of Economic Literature, Vol.32, No.4, pp. 1667-1717. (P)  Retrieved from http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-0515%28199412%2932%3A4%3C1667%3ATI Camarota, Stevens. (2007, November).  Immigrants in the United States, 2007 A Profile of Americas Foreign-Born Population. Center for Immigration Studies. Retrieved from December 4, 2007, from http://www.cis.org/articles/2007/back 1007.html Federation for American Immigration Reform.  New Study Finds Record Number of Immigrants Living in the U.S. Retrieved December 4, 2007 from http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer Fix, Michael E., Passel, Jeffery S. (1994)  Immigration and Immigrants: Setting the Record Straight.  Urban Institute. (P) Retrieved February 28, 2008, from http://www.urban.org/publications/305184.html Knickerbocker, Brad. (2006, May 16).  Illegal immigrants in the US: How many are there?  The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved December 5, 2007, http://wwwcsmonitor.com/2006/0516/p01s02-ussc.html Psychology States assist increasing rate of U. S born children to illegal immigrants. (2005, June 4). USA TODAY. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-06-04-illegal-immigrant-children_x.htm Waters, M., Eschbach, K. (1995). Immigration and Ethnic and Racial Inequality in the United States. [Electronic version].  Annual Review of Sociology, Vol.21., pp.419-446.(P). Retrieved February 5, 2008, from http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0360-0572%281995%2921%3C419%3AIAEARI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-V Zhou, Min. (1997). Growing Up American: The Challenge Confronting Immigrant Children and Children of Immigrants [Electronic version].  Annual Review of Sociology,  Vol.23.,pp.63-95. (P). Retrieved February 4, 2008, from http://links.jstor.org/sici?=0360-0572%281997%2923%3C63%3AGUATCC%3E.0Co%3B2-I Additional Sources Kidney, Walter. (Ed.) (1992).  Webster 21st  Century Dictionary.  Nashville, TN Repko, A. (2005). Interdisciplinary practice: A student guide to research and writing. Boston, MA: Person Custom Publishing.

Sickle Cell Disease Essay -- Diseases Health Medical Medicine Essays

Sickle Cell Disease Sickle Cell Disease is an illness that affects people all across the globe. This paper will give a description of the sickness through the discussion of the causes, symptoms, and possible cures. Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a "group of inherited red blood cell disorders."(1) These disorders can have various afflictions, such as pain, damage and a low blood count--Sickle Cell Anemia. The overall incidence of SCD is eight out of 100,000 people. However, it is much more widespread in some people. "One out of 600 African Americans and one out of 1,000 to 1, 400 Hispanic Americans" are affected. (2). However, there are other populations who are especially affected, as well. These include, but are not limited to "Arabs, Greeks, Italians, and people from India."(1) As it is plain to see, the disease can affect many different types of people. Now that we know whom this illness should concern, we must discuss what exactly the disease is. "The genetic defect that causes sickle cell anemia affects hemoglobin." (3). Hemoglobin is a constituent of red blood cells. Its job is to take oxygen to all the cells and tissues in the body. "Red blood cells that contain normal hemoglobin are soft and round. Their soft texture enables them to squeeze through the body's small blood vessels."(3) People with SCD, however, have a type of irregular hemoglobin. "A genetic error makes the hemoglobin molecules stick together in a long, rigid rods after they release oxygen. These rods cause the red blood cells to become hard and sickle-shaped, unable to squeeze through tiny blood vessels. The misshapen cells can get stuck in the small blood vessels, causing a blockage that deprives the body's cells and tissues of b... ...ealthy and fulfilling lives. Treatments such the ones mentioned make this a possibility. Also, people affected by the disease can help themselves by living a healthy life which includes eating a proper diet, getting adequate exercise, and reducing stress. As people who are not afflicted by the disease we can do something to help. We can donate blood and bone marrow in hopes of being a match to a suffering patient. This disease does not only affect the African American community, as is popular known, it affects us all. Internet Sources: 1)Sickle Cell Anemia http://www.pediatrics.emory.edu/SICKLE/sicklept.htm 2) Sickle Cell Anemia http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000527.htm 3)New Hope for People with Sickle Cell Anemia , http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/496_sick.html 4)Sickle Cell Anemia, http://www.mamashealth.com/Sickle_Cell.asp

Effect of Light in The Stranger and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisov

The light in the two novels The Stranger and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich(One Day) has an animalistic effect on the protagonists. In The Stranger, Meursault complains about the intensity of sunlight. His nature is not a light friendly one, he becomes distracted and begins to sweat under intensive light. Meursault may in several ways be compared to a bat, confused and irritated by light, though when in a dark environment, he is able to concentrate and focus. On the other hand, Shukov from One Day experiences light as mental freedom from the dark camp. Light allows him to hope for a better future for him and everyone in the camp. Shukov shows animalistic features as well, as he wakes with the sun rising and ends his day with the sunset. He tolerates darkness as long as he does not encounter major vision difficulties due to the dark. Meursault lives in a small town at the beach with daily, sunny and warm weather. On the contrary is the weather in the USSR, in which Shukov has family and a home . The USSR, by maintaining mostly negative temperatures throughout the year, transmits a rather negative image of the environment. Both protagonists ironically react to light and darkness opposite to the presence of light and darkness in their environment. In The Stranger, Meursault is not able to tolerate intensive light which causes him to think narrowly and furthermore behave according to such thoughts. He does not seem to feel any emotions at his mother’s funeral as he shows more interest in the details of her death than his emotional connection to her as his mother. He is more bothered by the intensity of the light than the fact that his mother died. He portrays this kind of attitude at his mother’s funeral and then later on ... ...eursault is lead by it and thus is not fully aware of his actions. Another difference between both characters exists on their emotional level. One has to allow light to enter the heart to have the ability of sensing feelings. Being suppressed by the authority, Shukov sees light as hope for freedom and is well-heartedly open to it. Mersault though is not able to tolerate it thus open his already emotionless heart for it. He does not know if he loves Marie, nor cares who he would be married to. No tears are spilled by him at his mother's funeral and he neither shows any kind of emotions at his own execution. Meursault is not able to say if his lawyer is on his side and if he can trust him because there "no way of knowing it, because our heart is blind." (The Stranger, 120) Light entering the eye allows us to have vision, only light entering the heart allows emotions.

Indian Financial Market Challenges Essay

The financial services sector is emerging from the worst financial crisis for 80 years. Tighter regulation, an overhang of debt in the west and the immense growth in the power of banks in emerging economies will transform the landscape of banking. The global financial system suffered a profound and traumatic shock in September 2008 when US investment bank Lehman Brothers collapsed. As market players withdrew from the financial system, credit dried up and world trade collapsed, there was a real and immediate fear that the world was heading for a repeat of the Great Depression of the 1930s. Two years on and there is growing optimism that both the world economy and the banking industry are recovering from the impact of the financial crisis. But it is equally clear that the financial world has changed permanently, both in terms of who holds the balance of power within global industry and how banks will be allowed to operate in future. Issues faced by Indian Financial / banking sector: Issue 1-Issue of consolidation – It is the current buzzword in the banking industry worldwide. The largest bank in China with an asset base of over US $400 billion. In contrast, the total asset of the largest two banks in India, one in public sector and another a private entity, are US $105 billion and US $38 billion. These figures are extremely illuminating and the onus is on Indian banks to take cognizance of this fact. The Government has raised the cap on FDI in private banks. The Reserve Bank has, on its part, suggested certain changes in the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2003 that seek to address some of the legal impediments arising in the consolidation process. Issue 2-The second issue of import is that of management of costs. Cost containment is a key to sustainability of bank profits as well as their long-term viability. In 2003, operating costs of banks, expressed as per cent of total average asset, was lower than 2 per cent in major European economies like Sweden, Austria, Germany and France. In contrast, in 2004, operating costs of commercial banks in India were 2. 2 per cent of total assets. The downward stickiness continued in 2005 as operating costs have remained well above 2 per cent, as percentage of total assets. Issue 3- Issue is the management of sticky assets. This is a key to the stability and continued viability of the banking sector. Although the ratio of non performing loans to total assets are higher in comparison to international standards, the Indian banks have done a marvelous job in containment of non performing loans (NPL) in recent times. Non-performing loans to total loans of banks were 1. 2 per cent in the US, 1. 4 per cent in Canada and in the range of 2-5 per cent in major European economies. In contrast, the same for Indian banks was 7. 2 per cent in 2004-05. Gross NPL ratio for Indian scheduled commercial banks declined to 5. per cent in 2005 bearing testimony to the serious efforts by our banking system to converge towards global benchmarks. Global Issues and my recommendations: The core challenge for banks / financial sector, as for all organizations, is to create long-term sustainable success. Banks need to understand their business models and have the confidence that these will deliver sustainable value – with appropriate risk mitigations as necessary. They also need to understand the role of performance indicators and executive incentives in driving the right, or wrong, behaviors – as well as how good governance can make a difference. The financial crisis showed that some banks did not grasp these issues adequately. This is where the management person can play a key role. By providing high quality management information, the management person supports business success by enabling evidence based decision making as well as effective allocation of resources and robust risk management. For example, the tools and techniques used by management persons, such as activity based costing help banks to achieve cost leadership. They can also provide information to enhance understanding of customer, product and delivery channel profitability– key issues for retail banks

Foundation and Empire 25. Death Of A Psychologist

After that there were only two weeks left to the life of Ebling Mis. And in those two weeks, Bayta was with him three times. The first time was on the night after the evening upon which they saw Colonel Pritcher. The second was one week later. And the third was again a week later – on the last day – the day Mis died. First, there was the night of Colonel Pritcher's evening, the first hour of which was spent by a stricken pair in a brooding, unmerry merry-go-round. Bayta said, â€Å"Torie, let's tell Ebling.† Toran said dully, â€Å"Think he can help?† â€Å"We're only two. We've got to take some of the weight off. Maybe he can help.† Toran said, â€Å"He's changed. He's lost weight. He's a little feathery; a little woolly.† His fingers groped in air, metaphorically. â€Å"Sometimes, I don't think he'll help us muchever. Sometimes, I don't think anything will help.† â€Å"Don't!† Bayta's voice caught and escaped a break, â€Å"Torie, don't! When you say that, I think the Mule's getting us. Let's tell Ebling, Torie – now!† Ebling Mis raised his head from the long desk, and bleared at them as they approached. His thinning hair was scuffed up, his lips made sleepy, smacking sounds. â€Å"Eh?† he said. â€Å"Someone want me?† Bayta bent to her knees, â€Å"Did we wake you? Shall we leave?† â€Å"Leave? Who is it? Bayta? No, no, stay! Aren't there chairs? I saw them-† His finger pointed vaguely. Toran pushed two ahead of him. Bayta sat down and took one of the psychologist's flaccid hands in hers. â€Å"May we talk to you, Doctor?† She rarely used the title. â€Å"Is something wrong?† A little sparkle returned to his abstracted eyes. His sagging cheeks regained a touch of color. â€Å"Is something wrong?† Bayta said, â€Å"Captain Pritcher has been here. Let me talk, Torie. You remember Captain Pritcher, Doctor?† â€Å"Yes- Yes-† His fingers pinched his lips and released them. â€Å"Tall man. Democrat.† â€Å"Yes, he. He's discovered the Mule's mutation. He was here, Doctor, and told us.† â€Å"But that is nothing new. The Mule's mutation is straightened out.† In honest astonishment, â€Å"Haven't I told you? Have I forgotten to tell you?† â€Å"Forgotten to tell us what?† put in Toran, quickly. â€Å"About the Mule's mutation, of course. He tampers with emotions. Emotional control! I haven't told you? Now what made me forget?† Slowly, he sucked in his under lip and considered. Then, slowly, life crept into his voice and his eyelids lifted wide, as though his sluggish brain had slid onto a well-greased single track. He spoke in a dream, looking between the two listeners rather than at them. â€Å"It is really so simple. It requires no specialized knowledge. In the mathematics of psychohistory, of course, it works out promptly, in a third-level equation involving no more – Never mind that. It can be put into ordinary words – roughly – and have it make sense, which isn't usual with psychohistorical phenomena. â€Å"Ask yourselves – What can upset Hari Seldon's careful scheme of history, eh?† He peered from one to the other with a mild, questioning anxiety. â€Å"What were Seldon's original assumptions? First, that there would be no fundamental change in human society over the next thousand years. â€Å"For instance, suppose there were a major change in the Galaxy's technology, such as finding a new principle for the utilization of energy, or perfecting the study of electronic neurobiology. Social changes would render Seldon's original equations obsolete. But that hasn't happened, has it now?† â€Å"Or suppose that a new weapon were to be invented by forces outside the Foundation, capable of withstanding all the Foundation's armaments. That might cause a ruinous deviation, though less certainly. But even that hasn't happened. The Mule's Nuclear Field-Depressor was a clumsy weapon and could be countered. And that was the only novelty he presented, poor as it was. â€Å"But there was a second assumption, a more subtle one! Seldon assumed that human reaction to stimuli would remain constant. Granted that the first assumption held true, then the second must have broken down! Some factor must be twisting and distorting the emotional responses of human beings or Seldon couldn't have failed and the Foundation couldn't have fallen. And what factor but the Mule? â€Å"Am I right? Is there a flaw in the reasoning?† Bayta's plump hand patted his gently. â€Å"No flaw, Ebling.† Mis was joyful, like a child. â€Å"This and more comes so easily. I tell you I wonder sometimes what is going on inside me. I seem to recall the time when so much was a mystery to me and now things are so clear. Problems are absent. I come across what might be one, and somehow, inside me, I see and understand. And my guesses, my theories seem always to be borne out. There's a drive in me†¦ always onward†¦ so that I can't stop†¦ and I don't want to eat or sleep†¦ but always go on†¦ and on†¦ and on-â€Å" His voice was a whisper; his wasted, blue-veined hand rested tremblingly upon his forehead. There was a frenzy in his eyes that faded and went out. He said more quietly, â€Å"Then I never told you about the Mule's mutant powers, did I? But then†¦ did you say you knew about it?† â€Å"It was Captain Pritcher, Ebling,† said Bayta. â€Å"Remember?† â€Å"He told you?† There was a tinge of outrage in his tone. â€Å"But how did he find out?† â€Å"He's been conditioned by the Mule. He's a colonel now, a Mule's man. He came to advise us to surrender to the Mule, and he told us – what you told us.† â€Å"Then the Mule knows we're here? I must hurry – Where's Magnifico? Isn't he with you?† â€Å"Magnifico's sleeping,† said Toran, impatiently. â€Å"It's past midnight, you know.† â€Å"It is? Then – Was I sleeping when you came in?† â€Å"You were,† said Bayta decisively, â€Å"and you're not going back to work, either. You're getting into bed. Come on, Torie, help me. And you stop pushing at me, Ebling, because it's just your luck I don't shove you under a shower first. Pull off his shoes, Torie, and tomorrow you come down here and drag him out into the open air before he fades completely away. Look at you, Ebling, you'll be growing cobwebs. Are you hungry?† Ebling Mis shook his head and looked up from his cot in a peevish confusion. â€Å"I want you to send Magnifico down tomorrow,† he muttered. Bayta tucked the sheet around his neck. â€Å"You'll have me down tomorrow, with washed clothes. You're going to take a good bath, and then get out and visit the farm and feel a little sun on you.† â€Å"I won't do it,† said Mis weakly. â€Å"You hear me? I'm too busy.† His sparse hair spread out on the pillow like a silver fringe about his head. His voice was a confidential whisper. â€Å"You want that Second Foundation, don't you?† Toran turned quickly and squatted down on the cot beside him. â€Å"What about the Second Foundation, Ebling?† The psychologist freed an arm from beneath the sheet and his tired fingers clutched at Toran's sleeve. â€Å"The Foundations were established at a great Psychological Convention presided over by Hari Seldon. Toran, I have located the published minutes of that Convention. Twenty-five fat films. I have already looked through various summaries.† â€Å"Well?† â€Å"Well, do you know that it is very easy to find from them the exact location of the First Foundation, if you know anything at all about psychohistory. It is frequently referred to, when you understand the equations. But Toran, nobody mentions the Second Foundation, There has been no reference to it anywhere.† Toran's eyebrows pulled into a frown. â€Å"It doesn't exist?† â€Å"Of course it exists,† cried Mis, angrily, â€Å"who said it didn't? But there's less talk of it. Its significance – and all about it – are better hidden, better obscured. Don't you see? It's the more important of the two. It's the critical one; the one that counts! And I've got the minutes of the Seldon Convention. The Mule hasn't won yet-â€Å" Quietly, Bayta turned the lights down. â€Å"Go to sleep!† Without speaking, Toran and Bayta made their way up to their own quarters. The next day, Ebling Mis bathed and dressed himself, saw the sun of Trantor and felt the wind of Trantor for the last time. At the end of the day he was once again submerged in the gigantic recesses of the library, and never emerged thereafter. In the week that followed, life settled again into its groove. The sun of Neotrantor was a calm, bright star in Trantor's night sky. The farm was busy with its spring planting. The University grounds were silent in their desertion. The Galaxy seemed empty. The Mule might never have existed. Bayta was thinking that as she watched Toran light his cigar carefully and look up at the sections of blue sky visible between the swarming metal spires that encircled the horizon. â€Å"It's a nice day,† he said. â€Å"Yes, it is. Have you everything mentioned on the list, Torie?† â€Å"Sure. Half pound butter, dozen eggs, string beans – Got it all down here, Bay. I'll have it right.† â€Å"Good. And make sure the vegetables are of the last harvest and not museum relics. Did you see Magnifico anywhere, by the way?† â€Å"Not since breakfast. Guess he's down with Ebling, watching a book-film.† â€Å"All right. Don't waste any time, because I'll need the eggs for dinner.† Toran left with a backward smile and a wave of the hand. Bayta turned away as Toran slid out of sight among the maze of metal. She hesitated before the kitchen door, about-faced slowly, and entered the colonnade leading to the elevator that burrowed down into the recesses. Ebling Mis was there, head bent down over the eyepieces of the projector, motionless, a frozen, questing body. Near him sat Magnifico, screwed up into a chair, eyes sharp and watching – a bundle of slatty limbs with a nose emphasizing his scrawny face. Bayta said softly, â€Å"Magnifico-â€Å" Magnifico scrambled to his feet. His voice was an eager whisper. â€Å"My lady!† â€Å"Magnifico,† said Bayta, â€Å"Toran has left for the farm and won't be back for a while. Would you be a good boy and go out after him with a message that I'll write for you?† â€Å"Gladly, my lady. My small services are but too eagerly yours, for the tiny uses you can put them to.† She was alone with Ebling Mis, who had not moved. Firmly, she placed her hand upon his shoulder. â€Å"Ebling-â€Å" The psychologist started, with a peevish cry, â€Å"What is it?† He wrinkled his eyes. â€Å"Is it you, Bayta? Where's Magnifico?† â€Å"I sent him away. I want to be alone with you for a while.† She enunciated her words with exaggerated distinctness. â€Å"I want to talk to you, Ebling.† The psychologist made a move to return to his projector, but her hand on his shoulder was firm. She felt the bone under the sleeve clearly. The flesh seemed to have fairly melted away since their arrival on Trantor. His face was thin, yellowish, and bore a half-week stubble. His shoulders were visibly stooped, even in a sitting position. Bayta said, â€Å"Magnifico isn't bothering you, is he, Ebling? He seems to be down here night and day.† â€Å"No, no, no! Not at all. Why, I don't mind him. He is silent and never disturbs me. Sometimes he carries the films back and forth for me; seems to know what I want without my speaking. Just let him be.† â€Å"Very well – but, Ebling, doesn't he make you wonder? Do you hear me, Ebling? Doesn't he make you wonder?† She jerked a chair close to his and stared at him as though to pull the answer out of his eyes. Ebling Mis shook his head. â€Å"No. What do you mean?† â€Å"I mean that Colonel Pritcher and you both say the Mule can condition the emotions of human beings. But are you sure of it? Isn't Magnifico himself a flaw in the theory?† There was silence. Bayta repressed a strong desire to shake the psychologist. â€Å"What's wrong with you, Ebling? Magnifico was the Mule's clown. Why wasn't he conditioned to love and faith? Why should he, of all those in contact with the Mule, hate him so. â€Å"But†¦ but he was conditioned. Certainly, Bay!† He seemed to gather certainty as he spoke. â€Å"Do you suppose that the Mule treats his clown the way he treats his generals? He needs faith and loyalty in the latter, but in his clown he needs only fear. Didn't you ever notice that Magnifico's continual state of panic is pathological in nature? Do you suppose it is natural for a human being to be as frightened as that all the time? Fear to such an extent becomes comic. It was probably comic to the Mule – and helpful, too, since it obscured what help we might have gotten earlier from Magnifico.† Bayta said, â€Å"You mean Magnifico's information about the Mule was false?† â€Å"it was misleading. It was colored by pathological fear. The Mule is not the physical giant Magnifico thinks. He is more probably an ordinary man outside his mental powers. But if it amused him to appear a superman to poor Magnifico-† The psychologist shrugged. â€Å"In any case, Magnifico's information is no longer of importance.† â€Å"What is, then?† But Mis shook himself loose and returned to his projector. â€Å"What is, then?† she repeated. â€Å"The Second Foundation?† The psychologist's eyes jerked towards her. â€Å"Have I told you anything about that? I don't remember telling you anything. I'm not ready yet. What have I told you?† â€Å"Nothing,† said Bayta, intensely. â€Å"Oh, Galaxy, you've told me nothing, but I wish you would because I'm deathly tired. When will it be over?† Ebling Mis peered at her, vaguely rueful, â€Å"Well, now, my†¦ my dear, I did not mean to hurt you. I forget sometimes†¦ who my friends are. Sometimes it seems to me that I must not talk of all this. There's a need for secrecy – but from the Mule, not from you, my dear.† He patted her shoulder with a weak amiability. She said, â€Å"What about the Second Foundation?† His voice was automatically a whisper, thin and sibilant. â€Å"Do you know the thoroughness with which Seldon covered his traces? The proceedings of the Seldon Convention would have been of no use to me at a as little as a month ago, before this strange insight came. Even now, it seems – tenuous. The papers put out by the Convention are often apparently unrelated; always obscure. More than once I wondered if the members of the Convention, themselves, knew all that was in Seldon's mind. Sometimes I think he used the Convention only as a gigantic front, and single-handed erected the structure-â€Å" â€Å"Of the Foundations?† urged Bayta. â€Å"Of the Second Foundation! Our Foundation was simple. But the Second Foundation was only a name. It was mentioned, but if there was any elaboration, it was hidden deep in the mathematics. There is still much I don't even begin to understand, but for seven days, the bits have been clumping together into a vague picture. â€Å"Foundation Number One was a world of physical scientists. It represented a concentration of the dying science of the Galaxy under the conditions necessary to make it live again. No psychologists were included. It was a peculiar distortion, and must have had a purpose. The usual explanation was that Seldon's psychohistory worked best where the individual working units – human beings – had no knowledge of what was coming, and could therefore react naturally to all situations. Do you follow me, my dear-â€Å" â€Å"Yes, doctor.† â€Å"Then listen carefully. Foundation Number Two was a world of mental scientists. It was the mirror image of our world. Psychology, not physics, was king.† Triumphantly. â€Å"You see?† â€Å"I don't.† â€Å"But think, Bayta, use your head. Hari Seldon knew that his psychohistory could predict only probabilities, and not certainties. There was always a margin of error, and as time passed that margin increases in geometric progression. Seldon would naturally guard as well as he could against it. Our Foundation was scientifically vigorous. It could conquer armies and weapons. It could pit force against force. But what of the mental attack of a mutant such as the Mule?† â€Å"That would be for the psychologists of the Second Foundation!† Bayta felt excitement rising within her. â€Å"Yes, yes, yes! Certainly!† â€Å"But they have done nothing so far.† â€Å"How do you know they haven't?† Bayta considered that, â€Å"I don't. Do you have evidence that they have?† â€Å"No. There are many factors I know nothing of. The Second Foundation could not have been established full-grown, any more than we were. We developed slowly and grew in strength; they must have also. The stars know at what stage their strength is now. Are they strong enough to fight the Mule? Are they aware of the danger in the first place? Have they capable leaders?† â€Å"But if they follow Seldon's plan, then the Mule must be beaten by the Second Foundation.† â€Å"Ah,† and Ebling Mis's thin face wrinkled thoughtfully, â€Å"is it that again? But the Second Foundation was a more difficult job than the First. Its complexity is hugely greater; and consequently so is its possibility of error. And if the Second Foundation should not beat the Mule, it is bad – ultimately bad. It is the end, may be, of the human race as we know it.† â€Å"No. â€Å"Yes. If the Mule's descendants inherit his mental powers – You see? Homo sapiens could not compete. There would be a new dominant race – a new aristocracy – with homo sapiens demoted to slave labor as an inferior race. Isn't that so?† â€Å"Yes, that is so.† â€Å"And even if by some chance the Mule did not establish a dynasty, he would still establish a distorted new Empire upheld by his personal power only. It would die with his death; the Galaxy would be left where it was before he came, except that there would no longer be Foundations around which a real and healthy Second Empire could coalesce. It would mean thousands of years of barbarism. It would mean no end in sight.† â€Å"What can we do? Can we warn the Second Foundation?† â€Å"We must, or they may go under through ignorance, which we can not risk. But there is no way of warning them.† â€Å"No way?† â€Å"I don't know where they are located. They are ‘at the other end of the Galaxy' but that is all, and there are millions of worlds to choose from.† â€Å"But, Ebling, don't they say?† She pointed vaguely at the films that covered the table. â€Å"No, they don't. Not where I can find it – yet. The secrecy must mean something. There must be a reason-† A puzzled expression returned to his eyes. â€Å"But I wish you'd leave. I have wasted enough time, and it's growing short – it's growing short.† He tore away, petulant and frowning. Magnifico's soft step approached. â€Å"Your husband is home, my lady.† Ebling Mis did not greet the clown. He was back at his projector. That evening Toran, having listened, spoke, â€Å"And you think he's really right, Bay? You think he isn't-† He hesitated. â€Å"He is right, Torie. He's sick, I know that. The change that's come over him, the loss in weight, the way he speaks – he's sick. But as soon as the subject of the Mule or the Second Foundation, or anything he is working on, comes up, listen to him. He is lucid and clear as the sky of outer space. He knows what he's talking about. I believe him.† â€Å"Then there's hope.† It was half a question. â€Å"I†¦ I haven't worked it out. Maybe! Maybe not! I'm carrying a blaster from now on.† The shiny-barreled weapon was in her hand as she spoke. â€Å"Just in case, Torie, just in case.† â€Å"In case what?† Bayta laughed with a touch of hysteria, â€Å"Never mind. Maybe I'm a little crazy, too – like Ebling Mis.† Ebling Mis at that time had seven days to live, and the seven days slipped by, one after the other, quietly. To Toran, there was a quality of stupor about them. The warming days and the dull silence covered him with lethargy. All life seemed to have lost its quality of action, and changed into an infinite sea of hibernation. Mis was a hidden entity whose burrowing work produced nothing and did not make itself known. He had barricaded himself. Neither Toran nor Bayta could see him. Only Magnifico's go-between characteristics were evidence of his existence. Magnifico, grown silent and thoughtful, with his tiptoed trays of food and his still, watchful witness in the gloom. Bayta was more and more a creature of herself. The vivacity died, the self-assured competence wavered. She, too, sought her own worried, absorbed company, and once Toran bad come upon her, fingering her blaster. She had put it away quickly, forced a smile. â€Å"What are you doing with it, Bay?† â€Å"Holding it. Is that a crime?† â€Å"You'll blow your fool head off.† â€Å"Then I'll blow it off. Small loss!† Married life had taught Toran the futility of arguing with a female in a dark-brown mood. He shrugged, and left her. On the last day, Magnifico scampered breathless into their presence. He clutched at them, frightened. â€Å"The learned doctor calls for you. He is not well.† And he wasn't well. He was in bed, his eyes unnaturally large, unnaturally bright. He was dirty, unrecognizable. â€Å"Ebling!† cried Bayta. â€Å"Let me speak,† croaked the psychologist, lifting his weight to a thin elbow with an effort. â€Å"Let me speak. I am finished; the work I pass on to you. I have kept no notes; the scrap-figures I have destroyed. No other must know. All must remain in your minds.† â€Å"Magnifico,† said Bayta, with rough directness. â€Å"Go upstairs!† Reluctantly, the clown rose and took a backward step. His sad eyes were on Mis. Mis gestured weakly, â€Å"He won't matter; let him stay. Stay, Magnifico.† The clown sat down quickly. Bayta gazed at the floor. Slowly, slowly, her lower lip caught in her teeth. Mis said, in a hoarse whisper, â€Å"I am convinced the Second Foundation can win, if it is not caught prematurely by the Mule. It has kept itself secret; the secrecy must be upheld; it has a purpose. You must go there; your information is vital†¦ may make all the difference. Do you hear me?† Toran cried in near-agony, â€Å"Yes, yes! Tell us how to get there, Ebling? Where is it?† â€Å"I can tell you,† said the faint voice. He never did. Bayta, face frozen white, lifted her blaster and shot, with an echoing clap of noise. From the waist upward, Mis was not, and a ragged hole was in the wall behind. From numb fingers, Bayta's blaster dropped to the floor.