Forward the Foundation Chapter 11

9 We all have our small illusions and Cleon-Emperor of the Galaxy, King of Trantor, and a wide collection of other titles that on rare occasions could be called out in a long sonorous roll-was convinced that he was a person of democratic spirit. It always angered him when he was warned off a course of action by Demerzel (or, later, by Seldon) on the grounds that such action would be looked on as â€Å"tyrannical† or â€Å"despotic.† Cleon was not a tyrant or despot by disposition, he was certain; he only wanted to take firm and decisive action. He spoke many times with nostalgic approval of the days when Emperors could mingle freely with their subjects, but now, of course, when the history of coups and assassinations-actual or attempted-had become a dreary fact of life, the Emperor had, of necessity, been shut off from the world. It is doubtful that Cleon, who had never in his life met with people except under the most constricted of conditions, would really have felt at home in offhand encounters with strangers, but he always imagined he would enjoy it. He was excited, therefore, for the rare chance of talking to one of the underlings on the grounds, to smile and to doff the trappings of Imperial rule for a few minutes. It made him feet democratic. There was this gardener whom Seldon had spoken of, for instance. It would be fitting, even a pleasure, to reward him belatedly for his loyalty and bravery-and to do so himself, rather than leaving it to some functionary. He therefore arranged to meet the fellow in the spacious rose garden, which was in full bloom. That would be appropriate, Cleon thought, but, of course, they would have to bring the gardener there first. It was unthinkable for the Emperor to be made to wait. It is one thing to be democratic, quite another to be inconvenienced. The gardener was waiting for him among the roses, his eyes wide, his lips trembling. It occurred to Cleon that it was possible that no one had told the man the exact reason for the meeting. Well, he would reassure him in kindly fashion-except that, now he came to think of it, he could not remember the fellow's name. He turned to one of the officials at his side and said, â€Å"What is the gardener's name?† â€Å"Sire, it is Mandell Gruber. He has been a gardener here for thirty years.† The Emperor nodded and said, â€Å"Ah, Gruber. How glad I am to meet a worthy and hardworking gardener.† â€Å"Sire,† mumbled Gruber, his teeth chattering. â€Å"I am not a man of many talents, but it is always my best I try to do on behalf of your gracious self.† â€Å"Of course, of course,† said the Emperor, wondering if the gardener suspected him of sarcasm. These men of the lower class lacked the finer feelings that came with refinement and manners, which always made any attempt at democratic display difficult. Cleon said, â€Å"I have heard from my First Minister of the loyalty with which you once came to his aid and of your skill in taking care of the grounds. The First Minister tells me that he and you are quite friendly.† â€Å"Sire, the First Minister is most gracious to me, but I know my place. I never speak to him unless he speaks first.† â€Å"Quite, Gruber. That shows good manners on your part, but the First Minister, like myself, is a man of democratic impulses and I trust his judgment of people.† Gruber bowed low. The Emperor said, â€Å"As you know, Gruber, Chief Gardener Malcomber is quite old and longs to retire. The responsibilities are becoming greater than even he can bear.† â€Å"Sire, the Chief Gardener is much respected by all the gardeners. May he be spared for many years so that we can all come to him for the benefit of his wisdom and judgment.† â€Å"Well said, Gruber,† said the Emperor carelessly, â€Å"but you very well know that that is just mumbo-jumbo. He is not going to be spared, at least not with the strength and wit necessary for the position. He himself requests retirement within the year and I have granted him that. It remains to find a replacement.† â€Å"Oh, Sire, there are fifty men and women in this grand place who could be Chief Gardener.† â€Å"I dare say,† said the Emperor, â€Å"but my choice has fallen upon you.† The Emperor smiled graciously. This was the moment he had been waiting for. Gruber would now, he expected, fall to his knees in an ecstasy of gratitude. He did not and the Emperor frowned. Gruber said, â€Å"Sire, it is an honor that is too great for me-entirely.† â€Å"Nonsense,† said Cleon, offended that his judgment should be called into question. â€Å"It is about time that your virtues are recognized. You will no longer have to be exposed to weather of all kinds at all times of the year. You will have the Chief Gardener's office, a fine place, which I will have redecorated for you, and where you can bring your family. You do have a family, don't you, Gruber?† â€Å"Yes, Sire. A wife and two daughters. And a son-in-law.† â€Å"Very good. You will be very comfortable and you will enjoy your new life, Gruber. You will be indoors, Gruber, and out of the weather, like a true Trantorian.† â€Å"Sire, consider that I am an Anacreonian by upbringing-â€Å" â€Å"I have considered, Gruber. All worlds are alike to the Emperor. It is done. The new job is what you deserved.† He nodded his head and stalked off. Cleon was satisfied with this latest show of his benevolence. Of course, he could have used a little more gratitude from the fellow, a little more appreciation, but at least the task was done. And it was much easier to have this done than to settle the matter of the failing infrastructure. Cleon had, in a moment of testiness, declared that whenever a breakdown could be attributed to human error, the human being in question should forthwith be executed. â€Å"Just a few executions,† he said, â€Å"and it will be remarkable how careful everyone will become.† â€Å"I'm afraid, Sire,† Seldon had said, â€Å"that this type of despotic behavior would not accomplish what you wish. It would probably force the workers to go on strike-and if you try to force them back to work, there would then be an insurrection-and if you try to replace them with soldiers, you will find they do not know how to control the machinery, so that breakdowns will begin to take place much more frequently.† It was no wonder that Cleon turned to the matter of appointing a Chief Gardener with relief. As for Gruber, he gazed after the departing Emperor with the chill of sheer horror. He was going to be taken from the freedom of the open air and condemned to the constriction of four walls. Yet how could one refuse the Emperor? 10 Raych looked in the mirror of his Wye hotel room somberly (it was a pretty run-down hotel room, but Raych was not supposed to have too many credits). He did not like what he saw. His mustache was gone; his sideburns were shortened; his hair was clipped at the sides and back. He looked-plucked. Worse than that. As a result of the change in his facial contours, he looked baby-faced. It was disgusting. Nor was he making any headway. Seldon had given him the security reports on Kaspal Kaspalov's death, which he had studied. There wasn't much there. Just that Kaspalov had been murdered and that the local security officers had come up with nothing of importance in connection with that murder. It seemed quite clear that the security officers attached little or no importance to it, anyway. That was not surprising. In the last century, the crime rate had risen markedly in most worlds, certainly in the grandly complex world of Trantor, and nowhere were the local security officers up to the job of doing anything useful about it. In fact, the security establishment had declined in numbers and efficiency everywhere and (while this was hard to prove) had become more corrupt. It was inevitable this should be so, with pay refusing to keep pace with the cost of living. One must pay civil officials to keep them honest. Failing that, they would surely make up for their inadequate salaries in other ways. Seldon had been preaching this doctrine for some years now, but it did no good. There was no way to increase wages without increasing taxes and the populace would not sit still for increased taxes. It seemed they would rather lose ten times the credits in graft. It was all part (Seldon had said) of the general deterioration of Imperial society over the previous two centuries. Well, what was Raych to do? He was here at the hotel where Kaspalov had lived during the days immediately before his murder. Somewhere in the hotel there might be someone who had something to do with that-or who knew someone who had. It seemed to Raych that he must make himself conspicuous. He must show an interest in Kaspalov's death and then someone would get interested in him and pick him up. It was dangerous, but if he could make himself sound harmless enough, they might not attack him immediately. Well- Raych looked at his timeband. There would be people enjoying their predinner aperitifs in the bar. He might as well join them and see what would happen-if anything. 11 In some respects, Wye could be quite puritanical. (This was true of all the sectors, though the rigidity of one sector might be completely different from the rigidity of another.) Here, the drinks were not alcoholic but were synthetically designed to stimulate in other ways. Raych did not like the taste, finding himself utterly unused to it, but it meant that he could sip his drink slowly and look around. He caught the eye of a young woman several tables away and had difficulty in looking away. She was attractive and it was clear that Wye's ways were not puritanical in every fashion. After a few moments, the young woman smiled slightly and rose. She drifted toward Raych's table, while Raych watched her speculatively. He could scarcely (he thought with marked regret) afford a side adventure just now. She stopped for a moment when she reached Raych and then let herself slide smoothly into an adjacent chair. â€Å"Hello,† she said. â€Å"You don't look like a regular here.† Raych smiled. â€Å"I'm not. Do you know all the regulars?† â€Å"Just about,† she said, unembarrassed. â€Å"My name is Manella. What's yours?† Raych was more regretful than ever. She was quite tall, taller than he himself was without his heels-something he always found attractive-had a milky complexion, and long, softly wavy hair that had distinct glints of dark red in it. Her clothing was not too garish and she might, if she had tried a little harder, have passed as a respectable woman of the not-too-hardworking class. Raych said, â€Å"My name doesn't matter. I don't have many credits.† â€Å"Oh. Too bad.† Manella made a face. â€Å"Can't you get a few?† â€Å"I'd like to. I need a job. Do you know of any?† â€Å"What kind of job?† Raych shrugged. â€Å"I don't have any experience in anything fancy, but I ain't proud.† Manella looked at him thoughtfully. â€Å"I'll tell you what, Mr. Nameless. Sometimes it doesn't take any credits at all.† Raych froze at once. He had been successful enough with women, but with his mustache-his mustache. What could she see in his baby face? He said, â€Å"Tell you what. I had a friend living here a couple of weeks ago and I can't find him. Since you know all the regulars, maybe you know him. His name is Kaspalov.† He raised his voice slightly. â€Å"Kaspal Kaspalov.† Manella stared at him blankly and shook her head. â€Å"I don't know anybody by that name.† â€Å"Too bad. He was a Joranumite and so am I.† Again, a blank look. â€Å"Do you know what a Joranumite is?† She shook her head. â€Å"N-no. I've heard the word, but I don't know what it means. Is it some kind of job?† Raych felt disappointed. He said, â€Å"It would take too long to explain.† It sounded like a dismissal and, after a moment of uncertainty, Manella rose and drifted away. She did not smile and Raych was a little surprised that she had remained as long as she did. (Well, Seldon had always insisted that Raych had the capacity to inspire affection-but surely not in a businesswoman of this sort. For them, payment was the thing.) His eyes followed Manella automatically as she stopped at another table, where a man was seated by himself. He was of early middle age, with butter-yellow hair, slicked back. He was very smooth-shaven, but it seemed to Raych that he could have used a beard, his chin being too prominent and a bit asymmetric. Apparently Manella had no better luck with this beardless one. A few words were exchanged and she moved on. Too bad, but surely it was impossible for her to fail often. She was unquestionably desirable. Raych found himself thinking, quite involuntarily, of what the upshot would be if he, after all, could-And then Raych realized that he had been joined by someone else. It was a man this time. It was, in fact, the man to whom Manella had just spoken. He was astonished that his own preoccupation had allowed him to be thus approached and, in effect, caught by surprise. He couldn't very well afford this sort of thing. The man looked at him with a glint of curiosity in his eyes. â€Å"You were just talking to a friend of mine.† Raych could not help smiling broadly. â€Å"She's a friendly person.† â€Å"Yes, she is. And a good friend of mine. I couldn't help overhearing what you said to her.† â€Å"Wasn't nothing wrong, I think.† â€Å"Not at all, but you called yourself a Joranumite.† Raych's heart jumped. His remark to Manella had hit dead-center after all. It had meant nothing to her, but it seemed to mean something to her â€Å"friend.† Did that mean he was on the road now? Or merely in trouble? 12 Raych did his best to size up his new companion, without allowing his own face to lose its smooth naivete. The man had sharp greenish eyes and his right hand clenched almost threateningly into a fist as it rested on the table. Raych looked owlishly at the other and waited. Again, the man said, â€Å"I understand you call yourself a Joranumite.† Raych did his best to look uneasy. It was not difficult. He said, â€Å"Why do you ask, mister?† â€Å"Because I don't think you're old enough.† â€Å"I'm old enough. I used to watch Jo-Jo Joranum's speeches on holovision.† â€Å"Can you quote them?† Raych shrugged. â€Å"No, but I got the idea.† â€Å"You're a brave young man to talk openly about being a Joranumite. Some people don't like that.† â€Å"I'm told there are lots of Joranumites in Wye.† â€Å"That may be. Is that why you came here?† â€Å"I'm looking for a job. Maybe another Joranumite would help me.† â€Å"There are Joranumites in Dahl, too. Where are you from?† There was no question that he recognized Raych's accent. That could not be disguised. He said, â€Å"I was born in Millimaru, but I lived mostly in Dahl when I was growing up.† â€Å"Doing what?† â€Å"Nothing much. Going to school some.† â€Å"And why are you a Joranumite?† Raych let himself heat up a bit. He couldn't have lived in downtrodden, discriminated-against Dahl without having obvious reasons for being a Joranumite. He said, â€Å"Because I think there should be more representative government in the Empire, more participation by the people, and more equality among the sectors and the worlds. Doesn't anyone with brains and a heart think that?† â€Å"And you want to see the Emperorship abolished?† Raych paused. One could get away with a great deal in the way of subversive statements, but anything overtly anti-Emperor was stepping outside the bounds. He said, â€Å"I ain't saying that. I believe in the Emperor, but ruling a whole Empire is too much for one man.† â€Å"It isn't one man. There's a whole Imperial bureaucracy. What do you think of Hari Seldon, the First Minister?† â€Å"Don't think nothing about him. Don't know about him.† â€Å"All you know is that people should be more represented in the affairs of government. Is that right?† Raych allowed himself to look confused. â€Å"That's what Jo-Jo Joranum used to say. I don't know what you call it. I heard someone once call it ‘democracy,' but I don't know what that means.† â€Å"Democracy is something that some worlds have tried. Some still do. I don't know that those worlds are run better than other worlds. So you're a democrat?† â€Å"Is that what you call it?† Raych let his head sink, as if in deep thought. â€Å"I feel more at home as a Joranumite.† â€Å"Of course, as a Dahlite-â€Å" â€Å"I just lived there awhile.† â€Å"-you're all for people's equalities and such things. The Dahlites, being an oppressed group, would naturally think in that fashion.† â€Å"I hear that Wye is pretty strong in Joranumite thinking. They're not oppressed.† â€Å"Different reason. The old Wye Mayors always wanted to be Emperors. Did you know that?† Raych shook his head. â€Å"Eighteen years ago,† said the man, â€Å"Mayor Rashelle nearly carried through a coup in that direction. So the Wyans are rebels, not so much Joranumite as anti-Cleon.† Raych said, â€Å"I don't know nothing about that. I ain't against the Emperor.† â€Å"But you are for popular representation, aren't you? Do you think that some sort of elected assembly could run the Galactic Empire without bogging down in politics and partisan bickering? Without paralysis?† Raych said, â€Å"Huh? I don't understand.† â€Å"Do you think a great many people could come to some decision quickly in times of emergency? Or would they just sit around and argue?† â€Å"I don't know, but it doesn't seem right that just a few people should have all the say over all the worlds.† â€Å"Are you willing to fight for your beliefs? Or do you just like to talk about them?† â€Å"No one asked me to do any fighting,† said Raych. â€Å"Suppose someone did. How important do you think your beliefs about democracy-or Joranumite philosophy-are?† â€Å"I'd fight for them-if I thought it would do any good.† â€Å"There's a brave lad. So you came to Wye to fight for your beliefs.† â€Å"No,† said Raych uncomfortably, â€Å"I can't say I did. I came to look for a job, sir. It ain't easy to find no jobs these days-and I ain't got no credits. A guy's gotta live.† â€Å"I agree. What's your name?† The question shot out without warning, but Raych was ready for it. â€Å"Planchet, sir.† â€Å"First or last name?† â€Å"Only name, as far as I know.† â€Å"You have no credits and, I gather, very little education.† â€Å"Afraid so.† â€Å"And no experience at any specialized job?† â€Å"I ain't worked much, but I'm willing.† â€Å"All right. I'll tell you what, Planchet.† He took a small white triangle out of his pocket and pressed it in such a way as to produce a printed message on it. Then he rubbed his thumb across it, freezing it. â€Å"I'll tell you where to go. You take this with you and it may get you a job.† Raych took the card and glanced at it. The signals seemed to fluoresce, but Raych could not read them. He looked at the other man warily. â€Å"What if they think I stole it?† â€Å"It can't be stolen. It has my sign on it and now it has your name.† â€Å"What if they ask me who you are?† â€Å"They won't. You say you want a job. There's your chance. I don't guarantee it, but there's your chance.† He gave him another card. â€Å"This is where to go.† Raych could read this one. â€Å"Thank you,† he mumbled. The man made little dismissing gestures with his hand. Raych rose and left-and wondered what he was getting into.

Pairnoia Essays - Bo, Book Of Exodus, Shevat, Pictures Of Spaceships

Pairnoia Essays - Bo, Book Of Exodus, Shevat, Pictures Of Spaceships Pairnoia Most people believe that the first REAL proof of alien invasion was that associated with Roswell, New Mexico, but some people believe differently. Since the earliest man learned to paint, there have been pictures of spaceships and rockets on cave walls. These flying objects have supposedly brought the message that the world will end in the year 2000, but the same end of the world chaos was experienced just before the year 1000 as well. Irrelevance, however, sets in when we come to terms with the fact (as Jean Donnely would tell us) that according to the Israelites, it is one thousand, nine hundred and ninety seven years anno domini, when in reality it is a scam, and time is at least three years off anyway. So the big question that is aroused is...Does anybody care Death is inevitable, and weather it comes naturally, with emphysema, AIDS, or the end of the world, or even by means of alien abduction is irrelevant. One then cant help but be lead to believe (By Isaac Asmiov) that the real question amounts to: DO MOTHS ACTUALLY EAT THE CLOTH, OR ARE THEY JUST TRYING TO FIND THEIR WAY THROUGH?...Which sparks further interest: are moths blind? Each answer seems to rely arabesquely on the next, and it seems that if one answer were slightly miscalculated, that the whole process of human embodiment would cease to exist. For instance, if moths are blind, then why are they so drawn to the light on the other side of the cloth? Or if indeed they can see, then why don?t they just fly right around? This further drives thoughts into the theory that our ?pinkie? fingers are getting smaller with evolution and will eventually lack presence, as will happen alike with every other feature of our physical body. This process will leave us in Einstein?s hypothetical pinnacle-of-evolution or as the most advanced spices...a giant ball of energy with no bodies. So does Evolution really even exist? I plan on self termination before the day I care to find the answer to these unknown, leaving you back towards the beginning...Does anybody care?...NO!

Asclepius, God of Healing in Greek Roman Mythology

Asclepius, God of Healing in Greek Roman Mythology While the healing god Asclepius is not a major player in Greek mythology, he is a pivotal one. Counted as one of the Argonauts, Asclepius came into contact with many of the major Greek heroes. Asclepius was also a causal figure in a drama played out between Apollo, Death, Zeus, the Cyclops, and Hercules. This story comes to us through Euripides tragedy, Alcestis. The Parents of Asclepius Apollo (the brother of the virginal goddess Artemis) was no more chaste than any of the other (male) gods. His lovers and would-be lovers included Marpessa, Coronis, Daphne (one who got away by having herself transformed into a tree), Arsinoe, Cassandra (who paid for her scorn with the gift of prophecy no one believed), Cyrene, Melia, Eudne, Thero, Psamathe, Philonis, Chrysothemis, Hyacinthos, and Cyparissos. As a result of their union with Apollo, most of the women produced sons. One of these sons was Asclepius. The mother is debated. She may have been Coronis or Arsinoe, but whoever the mother was, she didnt live long enough to give birth to her healing god son. The Creation of Asclepius Apollo was a jealous god who was mightily displeased when a crow revealed that his lover was to marry a mortal, so he punished the messenger by changing the color of the formerly white bird to the now more familiar black. Apollo also punished his lover by burning her, although some say it was Artemis who actually disposed of the faithless Coronis (or Arsinoe). Before Coronis was completely incinerated, Apollo rescued the unborn infant from the flames. A similar event occurred when Zeus rescued the unborn Dionysus from Semele and sewed up the fetus in his thigh. Asclepius may have been born in Epidauros (Epidaurus) of acoustically perfect theater fame [Stephen Bertman: The Genesis of Science]. Asclepius Upbringing - The Centaur Connection The poor, newborn Asclepius needed someone to bring him up, so Apollo thought of the wise centaur Chiron (Cheiron) who seems to have been around forever or at least since the time of Apollos father, Zeus. Chiron roamed the countryside of Crete while the king of the gods was growing up, hiding from his own father. Chiron trained several of the great Greek heroes (Achilles, Actaeon, Aristaeus, Jason, Medus, Patroclus, and Peleus) and willingly undertook the education of Asclepius. Apollo was also a god of healing, but it wasnt he, but Chiron who taught the gods son Asclepius the healing arts. Athena also helped. She gave Asclepius the precious blood of the Gorgon Medusa. The Story of Alcestis The blood of the Gorgon, which Athena gave Asclepius, came from two very different veins. The blood from the right side could heal mankind even from death, while the blood from the left vein could kill, as Chiron would ultimately experience first-hand. Asclepius matured into a capable healer, but after he brought mortals back to life Capaneus and Lycurgus (killed during the war of the Seven Against Thebes), and Hippolytus, son of Theseus a worried Zeus slew Asclepius with a thunderbolt. Apollo was enraged, but getting mad at the king of the gods was futile, so he took out his anger on the creators of the thunderbolts, the Cyclops. Zeus, enraged in his turn, was prepared to hurl Apollo to Tartarus, but another god intervened possibly Apollos mother, Leto. Zeus commuted his sons sentence to a years term as herdsman to a human, King Admetus. During his term in mortal servitude, Apollo grew fond of Admetus, a man doomed to die young. Since there was no longer an Asclepius with his Medusa-potion to resurrect the king, Admetus would be gone forever when he died. As a favor, Apollo negotiated a way for Admetus to avoid Death. If someone would die for Admetus, Death would let him go. The only person willing to make such a sacrifice was Admetus beloved wife, Alcestis. On the day Alcestis was substituted for Admetus and given to Death, Hercules arrived at the palace. He wondered about the display of mourning. Admetus tried to convince him nothing was wrong, but the servants, who missed their mistress, revealed the truth. Hercules set off for the Underworld to arrange for Alcestis return to life.​ The Offspring of Asclepius Asclepius hadnt been killed immediately after leaving the centaurs school. He had had time to engage in various heroic endeavors, including fathering his share of children. His progeny would and did carry on the healing arts. Sons Machaon and Podalirius led 30 Greek ships to Troy from the city of Eurytos. It is unclear which of the two brothers healed Philoctetes during the Trojan War. Asclepius daughter is Hygeia (connected with our word hygiene), goddess of health.​​ Other children of Asclepius are  Janiscus, Alexenor, Aratus, Hygieia, Aegle, Iaso, and Panaceia. The Name of Asclepius You may find the name of Asclepius spelled Asculapius or Aesculapius (in Latin) and Asklepios (also, in Greek). Shrines of Asclepius The best known of the roughly 200 Greek shrines and temples of Asclepius were at Epidaurus, Cos, and Pergamum. These were places of healing with sanatoria, dream therapy, snakes, regimes of diet and exercise, and baths. The name of such a shrine to Asclepius is asclepieion/asklepieion (pl. asclepieia). Hippocrates is thought to have studied at Cos and Galen at Pergamum. Sources Homer: Iliad 4.193-94 and 218-19Homeric Hymn to AsclepiusSearch Perseus for Apollodorus 3.10Pausanias 1.23.4, 2.10.2, 2.29.1, 4.3.1.

How to break news to employees, Training Journal - Emphasis

How to break news to employees, Training Journal How to break news to employees, Training Journal Whether the message is good, bad or indifferent; now is no time for silence, says Rob Ashton. During the ancient wars, if you wanted to deliver a message you hired a messenger to hand over the scroll personally. But approaching enemy lines to pass on bad news was a high-risk job. The bearer of bad tidings is never popular and it wasnt unusual for the messenger to be killed out of rage. Delivering any news can be fraught with difficulties because you never know how the receivers will interpret it. But imparting news of recession-prompted change can place you right in the firing line. With the credit crunch still in full swing, workers have got used to a daily, media-delivered diet of layoffs, profit freefalls and horror stories of homeless executives living out of their briefcases. A climate of fear has spread throughout the business world. And many people have adopted the mantra that change is, quite literally, the enemy. But failing to update your team is a costly strategy. Employees are likely to become demotivated if they feel theyre out of the corporate loop. If a team cant turn to management when times get tough, they quickly begin to wonder if anyone is at the helm. The uncertainty may cause the best employees to submit their CVs to rival firms while others ride out the storm, vowing to jump ship once the outlook improves. The Association of Communicators in Business (CiB) have echoed this sentiment. They warned that organisations should redouble their internal communications efforts during uncertain economic times rather than putting them on the backburner. Broaching sensitive topics is never easy. But understanding your colleagues is to key to communicating effectively with them. Never be afraid to address the real issues, but communicate them in a style and manner that they will positively respond to. Whether the news is good, bad or indifferent, its got to be shared. Creating a culture of open communication, free of management speak, can make all the difference to company morale. Studies have shown that companies with high employee engagement levels have better financial performance. So, having an effective strategy for breaking news makes it more likely that youll emerge from the recession without nursing a lengthy corporate hangover. Communicating change Whatever industry you work in, the model for communicating change is the same. As soon as you know information, pass it on. Dont wait until you have every detail or your silence may breed distrust. And never communicate any information externally before youve told staff. Follow the six steps below to ensure that you are communicating strategically. 1) Explain the new direction In changing economic times, business goals have to be revised. Explain the direct impact of the recession on your industry and organisation and say what the firm will need to do to weather the storm. 2) Be honest and open Tell people about job or budget cuts as soon as possible, along with reasons and timescales. Having this open communication means that you need never worry about what youre telling people. 3) Create a vision Dont sugar-coat your message but paint a positive picture of the changes you are proposing. Be crystal clear about your message and its implications. 4) Keep communicating Keep up the information flow and make sure its two-way. Move quickly to correct any inaccurate information and make sure staff members fully understand the direction, vision and benefits of the news you are delivering. 5) Love the word change Energise the management team to make the word change the most positive word in the company. Explain to them the benefits of any changes and always associate positive emotional words with any changes. Constantly remind employees that change is not a one-off exercise. 6) Repeat the steps Changes will keep happening so repeat the steps as soon as any new information becomes available. Once people expect change, its a lot easier for them to deal with. The write way With up to 70 per cent of workplace communication taking place through writing, honing your writing skills can help you to break news with far more ease. By choosing your words wisely, you can help to calm your readers and energise them to embrace change. The first rule is to put people first. Remember that people act and react according to their own self-interest. So communicate news in terms of what employees want or what would benefit them, rather than focusing on the benefits to the organisation. Win over your readers by giving them information in the way they like to read it. For instance, you can still use your internal newsletter to explain the ins and outs of your corporate restructure, but make sure its format and style is appropriate to its readership. For example, if you know that the favourite magazines that your staff read are glossy celebrity weeklies such as Heat and Hello, you might want to create a question and answer type article or one that presents the information in bite size chunks. Information is much easier to swallow when its broken up. Just make sure that it still provides staff with the whole picture. Think of creative, interactive ways to communicate your news. The BBC internal communications team, for instance, uses Wikis. These two-way websites mean that as well as reading the content, employees can edit it and attach their own files. In addition, blogs and internet forums are a great way to share information. But if you feel a good old-fashioned report will say it best, make sure you include all of your recommendations or most important information at the beginning. No-one wants to wade through the corporate equivalent of War and Peace to get to the important stuff. Make sure that you translate information so that it is free from corporate speak. Leave phrases such as blue sky thinking and picking the low-hanging fruit well alone. Create rapport with your readers by using no-nonsense words and phrases that do exactly what they say on the tin. Simple is best. And dont be afraid to show your personality or inject life into your written communication. Your readers will thank you for it. Three steps to effective writing Before you put pen to paper, use the checklist below: Keep it short You may think that open, flowing communication needs to be wordy, but the opposite is true. Avoid flowery phrases and practise writing your sentences in the shortest, snappiest way. Aim for an average length of 15-20 words and stick to the rule of one sentence, one idea. Use active language Write We invested 130,000 in staff development last year, rather than last year an investment of 130,000 was made in staff development. The second version is livelier and easier to read because it says who before what. It also makes sure the company gets credit for the good things. Use verbs instead of nouns Make sentences shorter and easier to understand by choosing verbs over nouns We will consider proposals submitted by the end of July has more punch to it than proposals submitted by the end of July will be given consideration to. Email etiquette Email is best reserved for following up on face-to-face communication. If what you say affects peoples lives and jobs, allow a two-way dialogue to take place. Its also all too easy to send an email to the wrong person or dash off an abrupt angry message. If you wouldnt write it on a postcard, dont send it via email. Your email could end up being circulated far and wide with negative consequences. If youre just expanding on an already open dialogue, by all means send emails. But think carefully about what you put in the email subject box. Take inspiration from newspaper and magazine headlines and choose your words carefully. For instance, Now is no time for silence is much more effective than This months communication update. You can monitor who opens the emails, but its more difficult to measure how engaged people are with the contents. By honing your writing skills, you stand a better chance of connecting with your staff. 2009 Emphasis Training Limited, first British serial rights offered

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economics - Essay Example It is a type of RAM that retains its data only if it is continuously accessed by a refresher circuit, in the absence of which it loses its contents. All personal computers use DRAM, as against SRAM (static random access memory), because they are much cheaper and occupy much less space (PC Guide, 2001). Online technology news publication Network World reported on January 4, 2011, that towards the end of 2010 until the date of writing, there had been an oversupply of DRAM which sent prices to its lowest price in one year (Jennings, 2011). The situation was blamed on post-holiday oversupply, also sending prices for personal computers lower. 3.0 Analysis 3.1 Supply and Demand Demand is â€Å"a desire for a good, backed by ability and willingness to pay.† Market demand is the cumulative demand of all buyers (Dwivedi, 2005, p. 34). The law of demand is â€Å"all things being equal, the amount demanded increases with a fall in price and diminishes with a rise in price† (Marsha ll, quoted in Dwivedi, 2005, p. 35). In the article, it was mentioned that earlier in 2010 there had been a forecast of shortage for the DRAM. The forecast was based on a Goldman Sachs PC unit growth forecast made in March 17, 2010 (Telecoms Korea, 2010). Because DRAMs are major components of PCs, there was a projected increase in demand for DRAMs to service the higher demand for PC manufactures. As the market unfolded for the rest of the year, however, it became apparent that the forecasted demand was overestimated. Supply is â€Å"the quantity of a commodity which its producers or sellers offer for sale at a given price, per unit of time.† Market supply is the sum of supplies of commodity by all individual firms (Dwivedi, 2005, p. 47). The law of supply is â€Å"all things being equal, the quantity supplied increases with the increase in price, and decreases with the decrease in price† (Dwivedi, 2005, p. 47). In the article, it was mentioned that beginning December, as the holiday shopping season lost momentum, major semiconductor manufacturers continued to output DRAMs in large volume, purported to stay competitive. This was due to the earlier forecast of a DRAM shortage, for which companies increased factory capacity, that in turn required higher production outputs to even out the additional overhead and maintain a lower per unit cost. Figure 1 following is a graph of the superimposed supply and demand curves. It is evident that increasing price leads to an increase in quantity supplied and decrease in quantity demanded. The point at which the two curves intersect is the equilibrium point, representing the price at which the quantity demanded is equal to the quantity supplied, and transactions take place. It is at this point where the market is made. There are shaded portions of the graph where surplus and shortages are represented. The interest of this paper is the area above the equilibrium point, where surplusage, or oversupply, occurs. At these prices, the quantity supplied exceeds the quantity demanded, forcing the suppliers to lower their prices. Figure 1: Law of Supply and Demand 3.2 Oversupply (Surplus) Oversupply occurs when the quantity supplied exceeds quantity demanded. This would tend to drive prices down, because suppliers would tend to outbid each other in a price war

Assignment 16 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignment 16 - Essay Example Japan, all utility companies are obliged to get power from suppliers whose electricity have been generated by wind, hydro, solar, geothermal or biomass. Germany has moved a step higher by exploiting new off shores at the sea through the windmills projects. In Holland, renewable energy releases no greenhouse gases and they are being tested in the Northern provinces. The United States has taken several measures in regard to environmental conservation and alternative energy use. However, the countries mentioned above perhaps have achieved better results in respect of their use of alternative energy soures. The United States can borrow a leaf from the above countries and embrace the use of renewable power. John Muir is one of America’s reknowned naturalists and environmentalists. Muir who lived between 1838 and 1914 is known to have been a major influene in the establishment of several national parks in the U.S. Some of the parks associated with him include the Sequoia National Park and the Yosemite National Park (Lallanilla par 2). In addition, he influenced the establishment of millions of conservation areas. In 1892, Muir together with others founded the Sierra Club, a movemnet that was dedicated to environmental conservation. As a result of his contributions and ideals, Muir impacted the likes of many people across the world including former U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt. Muir’s interest and commitment to environmental conservation began at a tender age; when he was a young boy. He developed a passion for environmental conservation when he went hiking in the Gulf of Mexico (Lallanilla par 2). His experience at hiking was exhilarating. It is disturbing to learn that with the population of humans growing faster than the rate at which the natural resources are getting replenished, the world may end up in major problems. A growing human population means that the world will need more food to sustain life. Yet again, the level of pollution has been and indeed

American soldiers' harbored bitterness toward their hometown and Essay

American soldiers' harbored bitterness toward their hometown and ordinary average citizen in America - Essay Example ?other.’ They are compelled to respond in such a manner because they are confronted by what seems to them, and is, an overwhelming apprehension of injustice. But, while going inward and seeing others as the source of their anxiety, they are paradoxically fleeing themselves. If they feel divorced from civilians, sometimes reflect bitterly about them, but feel strong impulses to still communicate with them, it is because these young men are consumed with the dread of others’ opinions of their behavior, the choices they have made or which have been thrust upon them and resent being in this position. Risking death and pain in a war they know to be questionable, if not unjustified, they flee to isolate themselves from what they most fear: disapproval. everyone uncomfortable. It is this moral dilemma that Tim O’Brien addresses in ‘On the Rainy River.’ It is also his reason for fleeing, and for seeing in others the cause of his crushing anxiety. In the first paragraph, O’Brien admits his reticence to tell this story about himself, certain it will cause embarrassment – â€Å"a sudden need to be elsewhere.†(39) The mere suggestion that he would refuse service in Vietnam upon receiving his draft notice, would play the coward rather than the hero, instills in him shame. But his dilemma is real: he has no choice but to agree to â€Å"fight a war [he] hated,† in which â€Å"[c]certain blood was being shed for uncertain reasons.†(40) That summer became for him one of â€Å"moral confusion.†(40) One feels in every word on the page O’Brien’s suffocation, his â€Å"moral split.†(44) One also understands his outrage and how he expresses it. This war is not a war he chose. He considers it unjustified. But in his conservative prairie town of southern Minnesota he can find no one who shares his thoughts – though it must be admitted that he makes no attempt to find and speak to anyone about his angst. Patrons of the Gobbler Cafà © on Main Street represent to him the