Project Management Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Project Management Principles - Essay Example Once the purpose has been stated, the planning stage can commence. An important part of the planning is to define what is required for the problem to be solved. These requirements should be clearly stated and communicated to employees in such a fashion that everyone is onboard with the plan of action. The next stage of project management is prioritizing. This is an often unnoticed stage in the process because it does not openly contribute to the solution. Actually, prioritizing targets is a very sensible thing to do because there may not be enough time or resources available to complete everything to an acceptable standard. It should be expected that the project may not be completed within the budgeted timeframe, so alternative plans need to be prepared just in case the unthinkable happens. Generally, organizations should plan to take more time than is needed just to be safe. In order to help accomplish the goals and objectives of a project management plan, a project manager needs to be appointed as the leader. This person is vital because they will determine the potential success or failure of the project. This person holds a critical role within the organization because his responsibility is to deal with any obstacles that may crop up. Other than this position, there should also be a project sponsor. The project sponsor is the person who will receive a benefit from the project. There are three people that should report to the project sponsor: application architects, technical architects, and data architects. Apart from these people, there should also be analysts, designers, modelers, and developers. It is preferred that experts are given these positions, but trainees are also acceptable. If this happens to be the case, then there should be no more than two trainees to one expert. Once the project has begun, senior management will require an approximate estimate of how long each stage of the project will take. There are three methods that are commonly used wit hin organizations for giving estimations: top-down, parametric, and bottom-up. The first method is not very accurate, but can be useful in giving a rough estimate at the start of the project management process. The parametric system is slightly more accurate in that this process sums the number of work units by the time it takes to complete one work unit. This technique is generally useful when a certain task has previously been completed and thus the new task can be estimated based on that fact. Lastly, the bottom-up method is the most accurate, but every single detail is required to give an approximation on how long a task will take. In terms of issues that may come up in project management, I feel that lack of clarity plays a huge part in the project not going to plan. At the beginning of the project, if every step is not laid out, then it will be difficult to determine which processes have been completed. A written agreement should be made between the project manager, the projec t customer, and the project sponsor. This document should identify the project’s objective and how this objective will be met. It may be that the project needs to change slightly once the process has begun. If this is the case, then the change management process needs to be implemented so changes can be made when needed. This leads to the next issue with project management—shifting managerial priorities. The business environment is always

The view that Fanthorpe offers us new perspectives on the things we take for granted Essay Example for Free

The view that Fanthorpe offers us new perspectives on the things we take for granted Essay I agree to a great extent with the view that UA Fanthorpe presents the reader a new perception into the things that are so important in our lives but we are seen to be taking advantage of these things. These views are illustrated by Fanthorpe in her collection of poems Safe as Houses and two of these poems that tie in with this theory are The Unprofessionals and Water Everywhere. The first poem looks at the event of bereavement after the death of a close person and the time of consoling and supporting the individual through their mourning phase. The poem indicates that the people surrounding you who have come to support you during your bereavement dont have their presence appreciated, as it is expected from them to be there during this time and situation. In the opening stanza of the poem the Fanthorpe describes the moment as The worst thing and the use of the superlative adjective demonstrates that the person is going through the worst crisis of their life, in this circumstance the death of a close one and that this tragedy would have a knock on affect through the life of the grief stricken person. That uproots the future, That you must live for every hour of your future, The author implies that the only way through this situation is letting time do the work as suggested by the proverb Time is a great healer. During the next stanza the poet refers to the The Unprofessionals or the people who come to console as though they arent trained in the art of counseling and the event has come as a shock to them as well as the mourner as they havent anticipated this crisis. They come, Unorganized, inarticulate, unprofessional; Fanthorpe demonstrates to the reader that the frame of mind that the visitors are in is that they are struggling on how to cope with this situation and with someone who is in the midst of distressing circumstances. The author illustrates to the reader that the The Unprofessionals help the victim through this state by facilitating there day to day activities such as making tea and answering the phone. They come sheepishly, sit with you, holding hands, From tea to tea, from Anadin to Valium, The above verse suggests that their presence alone is a huge factor in the comfort that they provide to the wounded. Also the references to the painkillers suggest that the counselors engage in the bereaved daily routines to relieve them of more problems. The expression Sleeping on put-you-ups gives the reader the feeling that they are only considering ways in which to strengthen the victims spirit and this also proves that they are selfless as they contemplate others before themselves. The next verse reveals to the user how the time passes gradually in heartache as the consoler is forced to dig into conversations About wallflowers, and fishing, whilst trying to keep the mourner occupied and taking their mind of the troubles. The succinct expression and why is used commonly during this type of situation as the grieved has to confront the bigger issue of overcoming the death of there close relatives. Here The Unprofessionals are trying to pop the important question to help the person through his or her grief. Fanthorpe strangely places this immense question against the light issues of Wallflowers, and fishing to show the reader that somehow and at some point you have to tackle the larger problems in life, in the form of death. The author again ponders the casual things in life to take his mind of his problems which shows that it is hard to confront dilemmas without the help of your confidant. Like civilians in a shelter, under bombardment, Holding hands and sitting it out The final stanza as shown above also demonstrates how a traumatized individual has to confide in their counselors arms. Fanthorpe also uses a simile to create emphasis on the difficulty of the situation that not only the victim but the minder is in by comparing it to the harshness of war and its distressing affect on the civilians. The poet compares the troubles to how it felt during air raids of a war whilst under constant bombardment not knowing what was going to happen next or whose life would be taken away. The poet exaggerates the length of time it takes for the victim to recover from the dreadful pain of a close ones death by suggesting that these events of The Unprofessionals is ongoing and everlasting. Through the immortality of all the seconds, Until the blunting of time. The poets stress on the seconds helps exaggerate the length of time it takes to recuperate from an event of a sorrowful nature. However the final line makes evident that time is the greatest of healers as the use of the word blunting is symbolic of a blade, which is no longer sharp signifying that after time has had its say your pains would have diminished. The next poem which I will analyze discusses how people seem to take one of Gods greatest creations of water for granted. In the opening line the author believes that water is a God in its independence and that know one officially recognizes it as a divine being. Officially they do not acknowledge this god. Officially they honour assorted immortals In stone buildings with pioneering roofs. In the first stanza the poet is referring to the sacred places of worship that have been built with the finest material and stand out from all other buildings. Fanthorpe brings to mind the pioneering roofs of mosques, churches and temples where they honour heavenly immortals. The poet illustrates to the reader that although they dont seem to admit to worshipping water they use the water as though its never-ending in the form of the toilet or shrine. Below, a shrine To the godhead. Here they may stand alone In confessional boxes, or lie full length In his hollow bed, singing. The references above to the use of religious terms such as shrine or confessional boxes demonstrates to the user that the toilet is a sanctified site for the worshippers of water. The poet tries to manipulate everyday objects that we use with water to exemplify that water is something that we take for granted and uses the common places of the toilet and bathtub to show us that we use the water but dont acknowledge its use. Another amusing look at the water as a God is the imaginative idea that Fanthorpe creates the feeling to the reader that the gurgling sound coming from the plug hole is in fact the water gods prophecies. Here he sometimes speaks In loud, disquieting, oracular tones. Fanthorpe also uses the significance fish in Christianity to exemplify the details of the theory of the water God. Here the poet signifies that fishing is a ritual of the God as people are casting there fishing rods as a gesture to the Deity and that the people taking part are demonstrated as meditating towards the water god but in fact are too busy finding the catch of the day. We found contemplatives, with green umbrellas, Making symbolic gestures at the stream. This stanza is quite amusing as for a person who doesnt recognize the water god would believe the poet was strange and the poet is selecting the most ordinary of things in a human beings life to pick out where they are contemplating towards the water. Fanthorpe also utilizes the events of watering a garden and washing the car as being religious ceremonies intended for the water god. In the hot month they consecrate their gardens With a wet rite involving children, rubber They lustrate the car. The mention of children in the above stanza has the suggestion of the rite of baptism in Christianity and the car could be pictured as being given a re-birth as they are glistening there of its wrongdoings. The tone of the poem changes during the next verse as Fanthorpe alters her view on how people identify with the water god from a positive view to a negative impression which they make using established prayers. Lovely weather for ducks! Last Thursday we had our summer. Flaming June! (Black comedy is native to this people). Fanthorpe uses displays everyday comments made by people against the god and his rainy gift, and suggests that these comments are sarcastic towards the god. The above verse is typical of what people take for granted in water as when we have rain people complain that there is too much of it and when it is sparse they complain of having too little. This backs the idea that Fanthorpe offers us new perspectives on the things we take benefit of although we never stop complaining about the problems that it causes us. The next stanza is also comical for the reader as the weathermen on different channels are compared to ministers of god as they preach to the worshippers of what the water god has proposed for them. Ministers of the god Recite on different airways his moods and intentions. The people claim not to believe. But they listen. The above extract demonstrates the humour which Fanthorpe portrays in her work as she uses the common belief that weather forecasters are always predicting incorrectly but the majority of British society still ends up listening. The opening line of the penultimate verse there literature is great. They never read it is related to the line above as they both accuse people of not speaking the truth and this also links in with the idea that people dont acknowledge that they worship the water god. In the finale of the poem UA Fanthorpe speaks her mind by stating that humans take the form of water for granted and implies that this makes them ignorant of their surroundings. The two poems above that I have analyzed clearly demonstrate that the view that Fanthorpe offers her readers an original perception on the things that we humans take advantage of and that we should consider ourselves to be lucky to have these things for example in the form of water and friends which no one can live without.

Middlemarch by George Eliot and Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy Essay

Middlemarch by George Eliot and Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy The Victorian era brought about many changes throughout Great Britain. Man was searching for new avenues of enlightenment. The quest for knowledge and understanding became an acceptable practice throughout much of the scientific community. It was becoming accepted, and in many ways expected, for people to search for knowledge. Philosophy, the search for truth, was becoming a more intricate part of educating ones self; no longer were people holding on to old-fashioned ideas. Central to the story lines of Middlemarch, written by George Eliot, and Jude the Obscure, by Thomas Hardy, is the theme of ambition and the tempering of expectations both to social difficulties, and on a broader scale, human frailty. Dorthea Brooke and Sue Brideshead display elements of the â€Å"new woman† and both are driven to accomplish what each desires. Both are intelligent and educated women. The contrast in the two comes from the different motives each has to separate themselves from the norm. Sue is self-centered in her â€Å"independence,† while Dorthea is an ardent spokeswoman for social reform and justice. Both women follow different paths, neither ending up at a position they once knew they would attain. Dorthea is depicted early in the novel as having an intimidating presence; however, at a dinner with the supposedly learned and intelligent Mr. Casaubon, she feels quite uneasy. He is an older man with an unattractive appearance which goes completely unnoti ced to the â€Å"lovestruck† Dorthea. Her sister Celia comments, â€Å"How very ugly Mr. Casaubon is!† Dorthea responds by comparing him to a portrait of Locke and says he is a â€Å"distinguished looking gentleman.† Later, after dinner, Casaubon and Dorthea discuss religious matters and she looks at him in awe because of his supposed superior intellect. â€Å"Here was a man who could understand the higher inward life†¦a man who’s learning almost amounted to proof of whatever he believed!†(p. 24). As intelligent as Dorthea is, she failed to see Casaubon for the man he really is, and will be, in marriage. Casaubon proposes to her and she accepts. She sees this as an opportunity to further advance her own intellectual abilities and help a great man complete his studies. Later she would realize her husband has very limited intellectual abilities and is not a suitable companion for... ... the money, even though she should be entitled to it. She was always faithful do Casaubon, despite not loving him. They marry and have two children with a â€Å"house full of love.† Will does become a member of Parliament, but he never makes a fortune. Dorthea lives a happy life because she followed her independence. She made choices she regretted, but overcame them with her strong personality. She never accomplished all the goals she had set out to, but she did find love with Will. The money she gave up could have helped her establish the knowledge and training she wanted to achieve, but her love of Will was more important to her than her academic endeavors. She was indeed an independent woman with a strong sense of moral values. Sue was the exact opposite of her. Sue never wished to help anyone but herself. She did whatever made her happy or secure. Her independent nature came from her own self-absorbed sense of life. She never really loved Jude, or anyone else. She just enjoyed the idea of someone loving her. She was dependent on this in order for her to feel a sense of belonging. Both women followed patterns of being a â€Å"new woman,† but neither one followed the pattern completely.

Is Technology Making us intimate Strangers? Essay

In a world of modern sophistication and changing technology it is indeed easy to get lost in a stream of gadgets like i-pods, cellular phones, laptops and etcetera. Everything is presented at your finger tips. Having a cellular phone with Wireless Fidelity (wi-fi) access will enable you to hold the world in your palm, figuratively speaking though. The amount of information and possibility of connecting to people across the globe is endless. However, as Coleman would put it, technology only gives us the illusion of intimacy. I would have to agree with that to some extent. Though technology has made countries borderless through the internet and the other devices, it also has made human connection less personal. Take for example the electronic mail (email); this innovation is now frequently used by people instead of making calls or actual face to face conversation simply because writing an email allows you to multitask. It’s easy and can be done along with your office works. But this innovation has reduced human connection into a â€Å"you’ve got mail! † status. The personal touch of a phone call or actual face to face conversation like gestures, tone of voice, facial expressions and body language are hidden from the person viewing the mail. This personal touch is viewed by communication scientists as important factors of effective human communication. If we cross them out in communicating to the people who matters to us, then how can we be truly effective in knowing what they really feel? Smileys and other graphics that we use to substitute for subtle emotions do not really reflect how we truly feel, thus we become ineffective in communicating. This then weakens the very foundation of interpersonal communication (Seirra, 2007). Everyday I see people milling around as though they are so engrossed by the gadget they have in their palm that they fail to notice a neighbor of an officemate who passed by. What more would it be at home? It could get worst. Parents can get glued to the internet and children can shut their senses from the world with their i-pods and mp3s. Through these innovations a home can house people from different worlds. However technology has its pros and cons. Just like everything that man invented, the outcome of an innovation still depends on how it is used. Technology can bridge the communication gap of lovers, families and friends who has been separated by distance and space. It can offer information at the fastest and cheapest way possible. For those who have no means of communicating face to face, a call or an email would suffice. Any innovation can be a boon or bane to society depending on how we use it. Though technology can weaken the interpersonal communication of individuals, it can also be used to strengthen it. A call or an email between friends who haven’t seen each other for quite some time can be reunited with the use of technology. A simple text to a loved one in a busy day can show them your care. However this means of communication should be just a supplement to face to face communication. At the very core of every human being is the need for attention (Seirra, 2007). It is human nature to crave for love and compassion from others, if not everyone, but from someone. I believe that technology was created for the greater good of mankind, thus, we must use technology to sustain what really matters to us. Works Cited Coleman, Jonathan. Is technology making us intimate strangers?. Newsweek. 2000 Sierra, Kathy. Why face-to-face still matters! April 13, 2006. Date retrieved October 31, 2007. http://headrush. typepad. com/creating_passionate_users/2006/04/why_facetoface_. html.

Foundation’s Edge CHAPTER THREE HISTORIAN

HISTORIAN Janov Pelorat was white-haired and his face, in repose, looked rather empty. It was rarefy in anything but repose. He was of average height and weight and tended to move without haste and to speak with deliberation. He seemed considerably older than his fifty-two years. He had never left Terminus, something that was most unusual, especially for one of his profession. He himself wasn't sure whether his sedentary ways were because of – or in spite of – his obsession with history. The obsession had come upon him quite suddenly at the age of fifteen when, during some indisposition, he was given a book of early legends. In it, he found the repeated motif of a world that was alone and isolated – a world that was not even aware of its isolation, since it had never known anything else. His indisposition began to clear up at once. Within two days, he had read the book three times and was out of bed. The day after that he was at his computer terminal, checking for any records that the Terminus University Library might have on similar legends. It was precisely such legends that had occupied him ever since. The Terminus University Library had by no means been a great resource in this respect but, when he grew older, he discovered the joys of interlibrary loans. He had printouts in his possession which had been taken off hyper-radiational signals from as far away as Ifnia. He had become a professor of ancient history and was now beginning his first sabbatical – one for which he had applied with the idea of taking a trip through space (his first) to Trantor itself – thirty-seven years later. Pelorat was quite aware that it was most unusual for a person of Terminus to have never been in space. It had never been his intention to be notable in this particular way. It was just that whenever he might have gone into space, some new book, some new study, some new analysis came his way. He would delay his projected trip until he had wrung the new matter dry and had added, if possible, one more item of fact, or speculation, or imagination to the mountain he had collected. In the end, his only regret was that the particular trip to Trantor had never been made. Trantor had been the capital of the First Galactic Empire. It had been the seat of Emperors for twelve thousand years and, before that, the capital of one of the most important pre-Imperial kingdoms, which had, little by little, captured or otherwise absorbed the other kingdoms to establish the Empire. Trantor had been a world-girdling city, a metal-coated city. Pelorat had read of it in the works of Gaal Dornick, who had visited it in the time of Hari Seldon himself. Dornick's volume no longer circulated and the one Pelorat owned might have been sold for half the historian's annual salary. A suggestion that he might part with it would have horrified the historian. Of course, what Pelorat cared about, as far as Trantor was concerned, was the Galactic Library, which in Imperial times (when it was the Imperial Library) had been the largest in the Galaxy. Trantor was the capital of the largest and most populous Empire humanity had ever seen. It had been a single worldwide city with a population well in excess of forty billion, and its Library had been the gathered record of all the creative (and not-so-creative) work of humanity, the full summary of its knowledge. And it was all computerized in so complex a manner that it took experts to handle the computers. What was more, the Library had survived. To Pelorat, that was the amazing thing about it. When Trantor had fallen and been sacked, nearly two and a half centuries before, it had undergone appalling destruction, and the tales of human misery and death would not bear repeating – yet the Library had survived, protected (it was said) by the University students, who used ingeniously devised weapons. (Some thought the defense by the students might well have been thoroughly romanticized.) In any case, the Library had endured through the period of devastation. Ebling Mis had done his work in an intact Library in a ruined world when he had almost located the Second Foundation (according to the story which the people of the Foundation still believed, but which historians have always treated with reserve). The three generations of Darells – Bayta, Toran, and Arkady – had each, at one time or another, been on Trantor. However, Arkady had not visited the Library, and since her time the Library had not impinged on Galactic history. No Foundationer had been on Trantor in a hundred and twenty years, but there was no reason to believe the Library was not still there. That it had made no impingement was the surest evidence in favor of its being there. Its destruction would surely have made a noise. The Library was outmoded and archaic – it had been so even in Ebling Mis's time – but that was all to the good. Pelorat always rubbed his hands with excitement when he thought of an old and outmoded Library. The older and the more outmoded, the more likely it was to have what he needed. In his dreams, he would enter the Library and ask in breathless alarm, â€Å"Has the Library been modemized? Have you thrown out the old tapes and computerizations?† And always he imagined the answer from dusty and ancient librarians, â€Å"As it has been, Professor, so is it still.† And now his dream would come true. The Mayor herself had assured him of that. How she had known of his work, he wasn't quite sure. He had not succeeded in publishing many papers. Little of what he had done was solid enough to be acceptable for publication and what had appeared had left no mark. Still, they said Branno the Bronze knew all that went on in Terminus and had eyes at the end of every finger and toe. Pelorat could almost believe it, but if she knew of his work, why on Terminus didn't she see its importance and give him a little financial support before this? Somehow, he thought, with as much bitterness as he could generate, the Foundation had its eyes fixed firmly on the future. It was the Second Empire and their destiny that absorbed them. They had no time, no desire, to peer back into the past – and they were irritated by those who did. The more fools they, of course, but he could not single-handedly wipe out folly. And it might be better so. He could hug the great pursuit to his own chest and the day would come when he would be remembered as the great Pioneer of the Important. That meant, of course (and he was too intellectually honest to refuse to perceive it), that he, too, was absorbed in the future – a future in which he would be recognized, and in which he would be a hero on a par with Hari Seldon. In fact, he would be the greater, for how could the working out of a clearly visualized future a millennium long stand comparison with the working out of a lost past at least twenty-five millennia old. And this was the day; this was the day. The Mayor had said it would be the day after Seldon's image made its appearance. That was the only reason Pelorat had been interested in the Seldon Crisis that for months had occupied every mind on Terminus and indeed almost every mind in the Federation. It had seemed to him to make the most trifling difference as to whether the capital of the Foundation had remained here at Terminus, or had been shifted somewhere else. And now that the crisis had been resolved, he remained unsure as to which side of the matter Hari Seldon had championed, or if the matter under dispute had been mentioned at all. It was enough that Seldon had appeared and that now this was the day. It was a little after two in the afternoon that a ground-car slid to a halt in the driveway of his somewhat isolated house just outside Terminus proper. A rear door slid back. A guard in the uniform of the Mayoralty Security Corps stepped out, then a young man, then two more guards. Pelorat was impressed despite himself. The Mayor not only knew of his work but clearly considered it of the highest importance. The person who was to be his companion was given an honor guard, and he had been promised a first-class vessel which his companion would be able to pilot. Most flattering! Most – Pelorat's housekeeper opened the door. The young man entered and the two guards positioned themselves on either side of the entrance. Through the window, Pelorat saw that the third guard remained outside and that a second ground-car had now pulled up. Additional guards! Confusing! He turned to find the young man in his room and was surprised to find that he recognized him. He had seen him on holocasts. He said, â€Å"You're that Councilman. You're Trevize!† â€Å"Golan Trevize. That's right. You are Professor Janov Pelorat?† â€Å"Yes, yes,† said Pelorat. â€Å"Are you he who will – â€Å" â€Å"We are going to be fellow travelers,† said Trevize woodenly. â€Å"Or so I have been told.† â€Å"But you're not a historian.† â€Å"No, I'm not. As you said, I'm a Councilman, a politician.† â€Å"Yes, Yes, But what am I thinking about? I am a historian, therefore what need for another? You can pilot a spaceship.† â€Å"Yes, I'm pretty good at that.† â€Å"Well, that's what we need, then. Excellent! I'm afraid I'm not one of your practical thinkers, young man, so if it should happen that you are, we'll make a good team.† Trevize said, â€Å"I am not, at the moment, overwhelmed with the excellence of my own thinking, but it seems we have no choice but to try to make it a good team.† â€Å"Let's hope, then, that I can overcome my uncertainty about space. I've never been in space, you know, Councilman. I am a groundhog, if that's the term. Would you like a glass of tea, by the way? I'll have Moda prepare us something. It is my understanding that it will be some hours before we leave, after all. I am prepared right now, however. I have what is necessary for both of us. The Mayor has been most co-operative. Astonishing – her interest in the project.† Trevize said, â€Å"You've known about this, then? How long?† â€Å"The Mayor approached me† (here Pelorat frowned slightly and seemed to be making certain calculations) â€Å"two, or maybe three, weeks ago. I was delighted. And now that I have got it clear in my head that I need a pilot and not a second historian, I am also delighted that my companion will be you, my dear fellow.† â€Å"Two, maybe three, weeks ago,† repeated Trevize, sounding a little dazed. â€Å"She was prepared all this time, then. And I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He faded out. â€Å"Pardon me?† â€Å"Nothing, Professor. I have a bad habit of muttering to myself. It is something you will have to grow accustomed to, if our trip extends itself.† â€Å"It will. It will,† said Pelorat, bustling the other to the dining room table, where an elaborate tea was being; prepared by his housekeeper. â€Å"Quite open-ended. The Mayor said we were to take as long as we liked and that the Galaxy lay all before us and, indeed, that wherever we went we could call upon Foundation funds. She said, of course, that we would have to be reasonable. I promised that much.† He chuckled and rubbed his hands: â€Å"Sit down, my good fellow, sit down. This may be our last meal on Terminus for a very long time.† Trevize sat down. He said, â€Å"Do you have a family, Professor?† â€Å"I have a son. He's on the faculty at Santanni University. A chemist, I believe, or something like that. He took after his mother's side. She hasn't been with me for a long time, so you see I have no responsibilities, no active hostages to fortune. I trust you have none – help yourself to the sandwiches, my boy.† â€Å"No hostages at the moment. A few women. They come and go.† â€Å"Yes. Yes. Delightful when it works out. Even more delightful when you find it need not be taken seriously. – No children, I take it. â€Å"None.† â€Å"Good! You know, I'm in the most remarkable good humor. I was taken aback when you first came in. I admit it. But I find you quite exhilarating now. What I need is youth and enthusiasm and someone who can find his way about the Galaxy. We're on a search, you know. A remarkable search.† Pelorat's quiet face and quiet voice achieved an unusual animation without any particular change in either expression or intonation. â€Å"I wonder if you have been told about this. Trevize's eyes narrowed. â€Å"A remarkable search?† â€Å"Yes indeed. A pearl of great price is hidden among the tens of millions of inhabited worlds in the Galaxy and we have nothing but the faintest clues to guide us. just the same, it will be an incredible prize if we can find it. If you and I can carry it off, my boy – Trevize, I should say, for I don't mean to patronize – our names will ring down the ages to the end of time.† â€Å"The prize you speak of – this pearl of great price.† â€Å"I sound like Arkady Darell – the writer, you know – speaking of the Second Foundation, don't I? no wonder you look astonished.† Pelorat – leaned his head back as though he were going to break into loud laughter but he merely smiled. â€Å"Nothing so silly and unimportant, I assure you.† Trevize said, â€Å"If you are not speaking of the Second Foundation, Professor, what are you speaking of?† Pelorat was suddenly grave, even apologetic. â€Å"Ah, then the Mayor has not told you? – It is odd, you know. I've spent decades resenting the government and its inability to understand what I'm doing, and now Mayor Branno is being remarkably generous.† â€Å"Yes,† said Trevize, not trying to conceal an intonation of irony, â€Å"she is a woman of remarkable hidden philanthropy, but she has not told me what this is all about.† â€Å"You are not aware of my research, then?† â€Å"No. I'm sorry.† â€Å"No need to excuse yourself. Perfectly all right. I have not exactly made a splash. Then let me tell you. You and I are going to search for – and find, for I have an excellent possibility in mind – Earth.† Trevize did not sleep well that night. Over and over, he thrashed about the prison that the old woman had built around him. Nowhere could he find a way out. He was being driven into exile and he could do nothing about it. She had been calmly inexorable and did not even take the trouble to mask the unconstitutionality of it all. He had relied on his rights as a Councilman and as a citizen of the Federation, and she hadn't even paid them lip service. And now this Pelorat, this odd academic who seemed to be located in the world without being part of it, told him that the fearsome old woman had been making arrangements for this for weeks. He felt like the â€Å"boy† that she had called him. He was to be exiled with a historian who kept â€Å"dear fellowing† him and who seemed to be in a noiseless fit of joy over beginning a Galactic search for – Earth? What in the name of the Mule's grandmother was Earth? He had asked. Of course! He had asked upon the moment of its mention. He had said, â€Å"Pardon me, Professor. I am ignorant of your specialty and I trust you won't be annoyed if I ask for an explanation in simple terms. What is Earth?† Pelorat stared at him gravely while twenty seconds moved slowly past. He said, â€Å"It is a planet. The original planet. The one on which human beings first appeared, my dear fellow.† Trevize stared. â€Å"First appeared? From where?† â€Å"From nowhere. It's the planet on which humanity developed through evolutionary processes from lower animals.† Trevize thought about it, then shook his head. â€Å"I don't know what you mean.† An annoyed expression crossed Pelorat's face briefly. He cleared his throat and said, â€Å"There was a time when Terminus had no human beings upon it. It was settled by human beings from other worlds. You know that, I suppose?† â€Å"Yes, of course,† said Trevize impatiently. He was irritated at the other's sudden assumption of pedagogy. â€Å"Very well. This is true of all the other worlds. Anacreon, Santanni, Kalgan – all of them. They were all, at some time in the past, founded. People arrived there from other worlds. It's true even of Trantor. It may have been a great metropolis for twenty thousand years, but before that it wasn't.† â€Å"Why, what was it before that?† â€Å"Empty? At least of human beings.† â€Å"That's hard to believe.† â€Å"It's true. The old records show it.† â€Å"Where did the people come from who first settled Trantor?† â€Å"No one is certain. There are hundreds of planets which claim to have been populated in the dim mists of antiquity and whose people present fanciful tales about the nature of the first arrival of humanity. Historians tend to dismiss such things and to brood over the ‘Origin Question.'† â€Å"What is that? I've never heard of it.† â€Å"That doesn't surprise me. It's not a popular historical problem now, I admit, but there was a time during the decay of the Empire when it roused a certain interest among intellectuals. Salvor Hardin mentions it briefly in his memoirs. It's the question of the identity and location of the one Planet from which it all started. If ,we look backward in time, humanity flows inward from the most recently established worlds to older ones, to still older ones, until all concentrates on one – the original.† Trevize thought at once of the obvious flaw in the argument. â€Å"Might there not have been a large number of originals?† â€Å"Of course not. All human beings all over the Galaxy are of a single species. A single species cannot originate on more than one planet. Quite impossible.† â€Å"How do you know?† â€Å"In the first place.† Pelorat ticked off the first finger of his left hand with the first finger of his right, and then seemed to think better of what would undoubtedly have been a long and intricate exposition. He put both hands at his side and said with great earnestness, â€Å"My dear fellow, I give you my word of honor.† Trevize bowed formally and said, â€Å"I would not dream of doubting it, Professor Pelorat. Let us say, then, that there is one planet of origin, but might there not be hundreds who lay claim to the honor?† â€Å"There not only might be, there are. Yet every claim is without merit. Not one of those hundreds that aspire to the credit of priority shows any trace of a prehyperspatial society, let alone any trace of human evolution from prehuman organisms.† â€Å"Then are you saying that there is a planet of origin, but that, for some reason, it is not making the claim?† â€Å"You have hit it precisely.† â€Å"And you are going to search for it?† â€Å"We are. That is our mission. Mayor Branno has arranged it all. You will pilot our ship to Trantor.† â€Å"To Trantor? It's not the planet of origin. You said that much a while ago.† â€Å"Of course Trantor isn't. Earth is.† â€Å"Then why aren't you telling me to pilot the ship to Earth?† â€Å"I am not making myself clear. Earth is a legendary name. It is enshrined in ancient myths. It has no meaning we can be certain of, but it is convenient to use the word as a one-syllable synonym for ‘the planet of origin of the human species.' just which planet in real space is the one we are defining as ‘Earth' is not known.† â€Å"Will they know on Trantor?† â€Å"I hope to find information there, certainly. Trantor possesses the Galactic Library, the greatest in the system.† â€Å"Surely that Library has been searched by those people you said were interested in the ‘Origin Question' in the time of the First Empire.† Pelorat nodded thoughtfully, â€Å"Yes, but perhaps not well enough. I have learned a great deal about the ‘Origin Question' that perhaps the Imperials of five centuries back did not know. I might search the old records with greater understanding, you see. I have been thinking about this for a long time and I have an excellent possibility in mind.† â€Å"You have told Mayor Branno all this, I imagine, and she approves?† â€Å"Approves? My dear fellow, she was ecstatic. She told me that Trantor was surely the place to find out all I needed to know.† â€Å"No doubt,† muttered Trevize. That was part of what occupied him that night. Mayor Branno was sending him out to find out what he could about the Second Foundation. She was sending him with Pelorat so that he might mask his real aim with the pretended search for Earth – a search that could carry him anywhere in the Galaxy. It was a perfect cover, in fact, and he admired the Mayor's ingenuity. But Trantor? Where was the sense in that? Once they were on Trantor, Pelorat would find his way into the Galactic Library and would never emerge. With endless stacks of books, films, and recordings, with innumerable computerizations and symbolic representations, he would surely never want to leave. Besides that – Ebling Mis had once gone to Trantor, in the Mule's time. The story was that he had found the location of the Second Foundation there and had died before he could reveal it. But then, so had Arkady Darell, and she had succeeded in locating the Second Foundation. But the location she had found was on Terminus itself, and there the nest of Second Foundationers was wiped out. Wherever the Second Foundation was now would be elsewhere, so what more had Trantor to tell? If be were looking for the Second Foundation, it was best to go anywhere but Trantor. Besides that – What further plans Branno had, he did not know, but he was not in the mood to oblige her. Branno had been ecstatic, had she, about a trip to Trantor? Well, if Branno wanted Trantor, they were not going to Trantor! – Anywhere else. – But not Trantor! And worn out, with the night verging toward dawn, Trevize fell at last into a fitful slumber. Mayor Branno had had a good day on the one following the arrest of Trevize. She had been extolled far beyond her deserts and the incident was never mentioned. Nevertheless, she knew well that the Council would soon emerge from its paralysis and that questions would be raised. She would have to act quickly. So, putting a great many matters to one side, she pursued the matter of Trevize. At the time when Trevize and Pelorat were discussing Earth, Branno was facing Councilman Munn Li Compor in the Mayoralty Office. As he sat across the desk from her, perfectly at ease, she appraised him once again. He was smaller and slighter than Trevize and only two years older. Both were freshmen Councilmen, young and brash, and that must have been the only thing that held them together, for they were different in all other respects. Where Trevize seemed to radiate a glowering intensity, Compor shone with an almost serene self-confidence. Perhaps it was his blond hair and blue eyes, not at all common among Foundationers. They lent him an almost feminine delicacy that (Branno judged) made him less attractive to women than Trevize was. He was clearly vain of his looks, though, and made the most of them, wearing his hair rather long and making sure that it was carefully waved. He wore a faint blue shadowing under his eyebrows to accentuate the eye color. (Shadowing of various tints had become common among men these last ten years.) He was no womanizer. He lived sedately with his wife, but had not yet registered parental intent and was not known to have a clandestine second companion. That, too, was different from Trevize, who changed housemates as often as he changed the loudly colored sashes for which he was notorious. There was little about either young Councilman that Kodell's department had not uncovered, and Kodell himself sat quietly in one corner of the room, exuding a comfortable good cheer as always. Branno said, â€Å"Councilman Compor, you have done the Foundation good service, but unfortunately for yourself, it is not of the sort that can be praised in public or repaid in ordinary fashion.† Compor smiled. He had white and even teeth, and Branno idly wondered, for one flashing moment if all the inhabitants of the Sirius Sector looked like that. Compor's tale of stemming from that particular, rather peripheral, region went back to his maternal grandmother, who had also been blond-haired and blue-eyed and who had maintained that her mother was from the Sirius Sector. According to Kodell, however, there was no hard evidence in favor of that. Women being what they were, Kodell had said, she might well have claimed distant and exotic ancestry to add to her glamour and her already formidable attractiveness. â€Å"Is that how women are?† Branno had asked drily, and Kodell had smiled and muttered that he was referring to ordinary women, of course. Compor said, â€Å"It is not necessary that the people of the Foundation know of my service – only that you do.† â€Å"I know and I will not forget. What I also will not do is to let you assume that your obligations are now over. You have embarked on a complicated course and you must continue. We want more about Trevize.† â€Å"I have told you all I know concerning him.† â€Å"That may be what you would have me believe. That may even be what you truly believe yourself. Nevertheless, answer my questions. Do you know a gentleman named Janov Pelorat?† For just a moment Compor's forehead creased, then smoothed itself almost at once. He said carefully, â€Å"I might know him if I were to see him, but the name does not seem to cause any association within me.† â€Å"He is a scholar.† Compor's mouth rounded into a rather contemptuous but unsounded â€Å"Oh?† as though he were surprised that the Mayor would expect him to know scholars. Branno said, â€Å"Pelorat is an interesting person who, for reasons of his own, has the ambition of visiting Trantor. Councilman Trevize will accompany him. Now, since you have been a good friend of Trevize and . perhaps know his system of thinking, tell me. Do you think Trevize will consent to go to Trantor?† Compor said, â€Å"If you see to it that Trevize gets on the ship, and if the ship is piloted to Trantor, what can he do but go there? Surely you don't suggest he will mutiny and take over the ship.† â€Å"You don't understand. He and Pelorat will be alone on the ship and it will be Trevize at the controls.† â€Å"You are asking whether he would go voluntarily to Trantor?† â€Å"Yes, that is what I am asking.† â€Å"Madam Mayor, how can I possibly know what he will do?† â€Å"Councilman Compor, you have been close to Trevize. You know his belief in the existence of the Second Foundation. Has he never spoken to you of his theories as to where it might exist, where it might be found?† â€Å"Never, Madam Mayor.† â€Å"Do you think he will find it?† Compor chuckled. â€Å"I think the Second Foundation, whatever it was and however important it might have been, was wiped out in the time of Arkady Darell. I believe her story.† â€Å"Indeed? In that case, why did you betray your friend? If he were searching for something that does not exist, what harm could he have done by propounding his quaint theories?† Compor said, â€Å"It is not the truth alone that can harm. His theories may have been merely quaint, but they might have succeeded in unsettling the people of Terminus and, by introducing doubts and fears as to the Foundation's role in the great drama of Galactic history, have weakened its leadership of the Federation and its dreams of a Second Galactic Empire. Clearly you thought this yourself, or you would not have seized him on the floor of the Council, and you would not now be forcing him into exile without trial. Why have you done so, if I may ask, Mayor?† â€Å"Shall we say that I was cautious enough to wonder if there were some faint chance that he might be right, and that the expression of his views might be actively and directly dangerous?† Compor said nothing. Branno said, â€Å"I agree with you, but I am forced by the responsibilities of my position to consider the possibility. Let me ask you again if you have any indication as to where he might think the Second Foundation exists, and where he might go.† â€Å"I have none.† â€Å"He has never given you any hints in that direction?† â€Å"No, of course not.† â€Å"Never? Don't dismiss the thought easily. Think! Never?† â€Å"Never,† said Compor firmly. â€Å"No hints? no joking remarks? no doodles? no thoughtful abstractions at moments that achieve significance as you look back on them?† â€Å"None. I tell you, Madam Mayor, his dreams of the Second Foundation are the most nebulous starshine. You know it, and you but waste your time and your emotions in your concern over it.† â€Å"You are not by some chance suddenly changing sides again and protecting the friend you delivered into my hands?† â€Å"No,† said Compor. â€Å"I turned him over to you for what seemed to me to be good and patriotic reasons. I have no reason to regret the action, or to change my attitude.† â€Å"Then you can give me no hint as to where he might go once he has a ship at his disposal?† â€Å"As I have already said†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And yet, Councilman,† and here the lines of the Mayor's face so folded as to make her seem wistful, â€Å"I would like to know where he goes.† â€Å"In that case, I think you ought to place a hyper-relay on his ship.† â€Å"I have thought of that, Councilman. He is, however, a suspicious man and I suspect he will find it – however cleverly it might be placed. Of course, it might be placed in such a way that he cannot remove it without crippling the ship, and he might therefore be forced to leave it in place†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"An excellent notion.† â€Å"Except that,† said Branno, â€Å"he would then be inhibited. He might not go where he would go if he felt himself free and untrammeled. The knowledge I would gain would be useless to me.† â€Å"In that case, it appears you cannot find out where he will go.† â€Å"I might, for I intend to be very primitive. A person who expects the completely sophisticated and who guards against it is quite apt never to think of the primitive. – I'm thinking of having Trevize followed.† â€Å"Followed?† â€Å"Exactly. By, another pilot in another spaceship. See how astonished you are at the thought? He would be equally astonished. He might not think of scouring space for an accompanying mass and, in any case, we will see to it that his ship is not equipped with our latest mass-detection devices.† Compor said, â€Å"Madam Mayor, I speak with all possible respect, but I must point out that you lack experience in space flight. To have one ship followed by another is never done – because it won't work. Trevize will escape with the first hyperspatial jump. Even if he doesn't know he is being followed, that first jump will be his path to freedom. If he doesn't have a hyper-relay on board ship, he can't be traced.† â€Å"I admit my lack of experience. Unlike you and Trevize, I have had no naval training. Nevertheless, I am told by my advisers – who have had such training – that if a ship is observed immediately prior to a jump, its direction, speed, and acceleration make it possible to guess what the jump might be – in a general way. Given a good computer and an excellent sense of judgment, a follower might duplicate the jump closely enough to pick up the trail at the other end – especially if the follower has a good mass-detector.† â€Å"That might happen once,† said Compor energetically, â€Å"even twice if the follower is very lucky, but that's it. You can't rely on such things.† â€Å"Perhaps we can. – Councilman Compor, you have hyper-raced in your time. You see, I know a great deal about you. You are an excellent pilot and have done amazing things when it comes to following a competitor through a jump.† Compor's eyes widened. He almost squirmed in his chair. â€Å"I was in college then. I am older now.† â€Å"Not too old. Not yet thirty-five. Consequently you are going to follow Trevize, Councilman. Where he goes, you will follow, and you will report back to me. You will leave soon after Trevize does, and he will be leaving in a few hours. If you refuse the task, Councilman, you will be imprisoned for treason. If you take the ship that we will provide for you, and if you fail to follow, you need not bother coming back. You will be shot out of space if you try.† Compor rose sharply to his feet. â€Å"! have a life to live. I have work to do. I have a wife. I cannot leave it all.† â€Å"You will have to. Those of us who choose to serve the Foundation must be prepared at ail times to serve it in a prolonged and uncomfortable fashion, if that should become necessary.† â€Å"My wife must go with me, of course.† â€Å"Do you take me for an idiot? She stays here, of course.† â€Å"As a hostage?† â€Å"If you like the word. I prefer to say that you will be taking yourself into danger and my kind heart wants her to stay here where she will not be in danger. – There is no room for discussion. You are as much under arrest as Trevize is, and I am sure you understand I must act quickly – before the euphoria enveloping Terminus wears off. I fear my star will soon be in the descendant.† Kodell said, â€Å"You were not easy on him, Madam Mayor.† The Mayor said with a sniff, â€Å"Why should I have been? He betrayed a friend.† â€Å"That was useful to us.† â€Å"Yes, as it happened. His next betrayal, however, might not be.† â€Å"Why should there be another?† â€Å"Come, Liono,† said Branno impatiently, â€Å"don't play games with me. Anyone who displays a capacity for double-dealing must forever be suspected of being capable of displaying it again.† â€Å"He may use the capability to combine with Trevize once again. Together, they may†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You don't believe that. With all his folly and naivete, Trevize goes straight for his goal. He does not understand betrayal and he will never, under any circumstances, trust Compor a second time.† Kodell said, â€Å"Pardon me, Mayor, but let me make sure I follow your thinking. How far, then, can you trust Compor? How do you know he will follow Trevize and report honestly? Do you count on his fears for the welfare of his wife as a restraint? His longing to return to her?† â€Å"Both are factors, but I don't entirely rely on that. On Compor's ship there will be a hyper-relay. Trevize would suspect pursuit and would search for one. However Compor – being the pursuer – will, I assume, not suspect pursuit and will not search for one. – Of course, if he does, and if he finds it, then we must depend on the attractions of his wife.† Kodell laughed. â€Å"To think I once had to give you lessons. And the purpose of the pursuit?† â€Å"A double layer of protection. If Trevize is caught, it may be that Compor will carry on and give us the information that Trevize will not be able to.† â€Å"One more question. What if, by some chance, Trevize finds the Second Foundation, and we learn of it through him, or through Compor, or if we gain reason to suspect its existence – despite the deaths of both?† â€Å"I'm hoping the Second Foundation does exist, Liono,† she said. â€Å"In any case, the Seldon Plan is not going to serve us much longer. The great Hari Seldon devised it in the dying days of the Empire, when technological advance had virtually stopped. Seldon was a product of his times, too, and however brilliant this semimythical science of psychohistory must have been, it could not rise out of its roots. It surely would not allow for raid technological advance. The Foundation has been achieving that, especially in this last century. We have mass-detection devices of a kind undreamed of earlier, computers that can respond to thought, and – most of all – mental shielding. The Second Foundation cannot control us for much longer, if they can do so now. I want, in my final years in power, to be the one to start Terminus on a new path.† â€Å"And if there is, in fact, no Second Foundation?† â€Å"Then we start on a new path at once.† The troubled sleep that had finally come to Trevize did not last long. A touch on his shoulder was repeated a second time. Trevize started up, bleary and utterly failing to understand why he should be in a strange bed. â€Å"What – What – ?† Pelorat said to him apologetically, â€Å"I'm sorry, Councilman Trevize. You are my guest and I owe you rest, but the Mayor is here.† He was standing at the side of the bed in flannel pajamas and shivering slightly. Trevize's senses leaped to a weary wakefulness and he remembered. The Mayor was in Pelorat's living room, looking as composed as always. Kodell was with her, rubbing lightly at his white mustache. Trevize adjusted his sash to the proper snugness and wondered how long the two of them – Branno and Kodell – were ever apart. Trevize said mockingly, † Has the Council recovered yet? Are its members concerned over the absence of one of them?† The Mayor said, â€Å"There are signs of life, yes, but not enough to do you any good. There is no question but that I still have the power to force you to leave. You will be taken to Ultimate Spaceport†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Not Terminus Spaceport, Madam Mayor? Am I to be deprived of a proper farewell from weeping thousands?† â€Å"I see you have recovered your penchant for teenage silliness, Councilman, and I am pleased. It stills what might otherwise be a certain rising twinge of conscience. At Ultimate Spaceport, you and Professor Pelorat will leave quietly.† â€Å"And never return?† â€Å"And perhaps never return. Of course,† and here she smiled briefly, â€Å"if you discover something of so great an importance and usefulness that even I will be glad to have you back with your information, you will return. You may even be treated with honor.† Trevize nodded casually, â€Å"That may happen.† â€Å"Almost anything may happen. – In any case, you will be comfortable. You are being assigned a recently completed pocket-cruiser, the Far Star, named for Hober Mallow's cruiser. One person can handle it, though it will hold as many as three with reasonable comfort.† Trevize was jolted out of his carefully assumed mood of light irony. â€Å"Fully armed?† â€Å"Unarmed but otherwise fully equipped. Wherever you go, you will be citizens of the Foundation and there will always be a consul to whom you can turn, so you will not require arms. You will be able to draw on funds at need. – Not unlimited funds, I might add.† â€Å"You are generous.† â€Å"I know that, Councilman. But, Councilman, understand me. You are helping Professor Pelorat search for Earth. Whatever you think you are searching for, you are searching for Earth. All whom you meet must understand that. And always remember that the Far Star is not armed.† â€Å"I am searching for Earth;† said Trevize. â€Å"I understand that perfectly.† â€Å"Then you will go now.† â€Å"Pardon me, but surely there is more to all of this than we have discussed. I have piloted ships in my time, but I have had no experience with a late-model pocket-cruiser. What if I cannot pilot it?† â€Å"I am told that the Far Star is thoroughly computerized. – And before you ask, you don't have to know how to handle a late-model ship's computer. It will itself tell you anything you need to know. Is there anything else you need?† Trevize looked down at himself ruefully. â€Å"A change of clothing.† â€Å"You will find them on board ship. Including those girdles you wear, or sashes, whichever they are called. The professor is also supplied with what he needs. Everything reasonable is already aboard, although I hasten to add that this does not include female companions.† â€Å"Too bad,† said Trevize. â€Å"It would be pleasant, but then, I have no likely candidate at the moment, as it happens. Still, I presume the Galaxy is populous and that once away from here I may do as I Please.† â€Å"With regard to companions? Suit yourself.† She rose heavily. â€Å"I will not take you to the spaceport,† she said, â€Å"but there are those who will, and you must make no effort to do anything you are not told to do. I believe they will kill you if you make an effort to escape. The fact that I will not be with them will remove any inhibition.† Trevize said, â€Å"I will make no unauthorized effort, Madam Mayor, but one thing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes?† Trevize searched his mind rapidly and finally said with a smile that he very much hoped looked unforced, â€Å"The time may come, Madam Mayor, when you will ask me for an effort. I will then do as I choose, but I will remember the past two days.† Mayor Branno sighed. â€Å"Spare me the melodrama. If the time comes, it will come, but for now – I am asking for nothing.†

Skills Development Report Essay Example

Skills Development Report Essay Example Skills Development Report Essay Skills Development Report Essay According to Scott (2005), self-awareness is at the center of professional learning and development.   In order to boost his career potential, each worker must understand himself, being aware of the kind of work he enjoys, and recognizing his strengths, weaknesses and skills, as well the effect that he has on others.   Self-awareness allows people to easily manage their own behavior apart from their colleagues while fulfilling the goals of the organization.   As a matter of fact, self-awareness lies at the very core of successful leadership. So as to help the reader develop self-awareness, Scott recommends the Myers Briggs personality type indicator (MBTI) in addition to the 16PF – two of the many psychometric tools employed in the assessment of one’s interests, talents, and skills.   Such psychometric tests are known to help in self-reflection.   Feedback from a skilled practitioner who administers these tests is sure to help the individual gain more insights about his behavior.   In order to gather additional knowledge about their managerial styles, managers may even consider requesting â€Å"multi-sourced feedback† if not a â€Å"full-blown 360-degree appraisal (Scott).† 1.2 Discussion Scott’s article stresses the importance of self-awareness.   Managers who are deeply cognizant of their managerial styles are easily able to improve upon them.   However, self-awareness is also essential for their subordinates.   People who are not aware of their talents, skills, strengths and weaknesses may waste a great deal of time on jobs that they are not suited for.   If they truly understood their own capabilities they would not only increase their productivity but also their earning potentials. Fortunately, psychometric tests such as the MBTI and 16PF are available to the modern-day workforce.   Perhaps every organization should make it mandatory for its employees to take these tests.   In this way, the organizations would also be saved from wasting their time and resources on training people for jobs that they are not suited for.   Moreover, self-aware employees would be able to manage themselves and their colleagues better.   In short, they would act more responsibly toward their organizations. 1.3 Summary Hardingham (2004) writes that self-awareness is necessary for all workers, except the â€Å"most creative, talented and quirky of individuals, who survive by simply doing what comes naturally.†Ã‚   Yet, Hardingham’s article is especially meant to help developers and trainers in organizations to expand their self-awareness.   According to the author, self-awareness would allow developers and trainers to plan in advance so as to ensure that their weaknesses would not compromise their work.   Besides, it would assist them in watching out for mistakes and doing something about their weaknesses. Hardingham further believes that self-awareness helps people to be conscious of their responses.   Additionally, it leads to self-acceptance.   The author recommends several strategies for achieving this, e.g. psychometric testing and coaching. 1.4 Discussion Hardingham’s article offers a fresh perspective on self-awareness, although some of the author’s ideas are the same as the ones put forward by Scott.   The fact that self-awareness permits people to be conscious of their responses in any given moment was not mentioned by Scott.   Similarly, the idea of self-acceptance as a corollary of self-awareness is new.   This idea is especially important for people who are severely critical of themselves.   Some of these people are perfectionists whose performance may be adversely affected when and if they fail to meet their own expectations.   By knowing who they truly are, such persons may save themselves from a great deal of heartache in addition to losses in productivity. Both Hardingham and Scott describe the importance of feedback in addition to psychometric tests such as the Myers-Briggs personality type indicator for self-awareness.   The reader is, therefore, led to believe that these two methods of increasing self-awareness must be the most essential ones.   At the same time, however, the importance of introspection as one of the principle methods of gaining insights about oneself cannot be discounted.   Hardingham describes introspection as â€Å"a personal exploration of our own history and beliefs.†Ã‚   She also mentions a strategy for increasing self-awareness that Scott’s article fails to consider: coaching.   All the same, this method of expanding self-awareness is not described by the author in depth. 2. Managing under Pressure 2.1 Summary With a focus on health care management, Curtin’s (2005) article describes plenty of situations that could place a â€Å"severe strain† on managers.   These situations may include â€Å"public dissatisfaction with healthcare, hospital closures, disgruntled patients, physicians, administrators and personnel, meeting after meeting devoted to planning and/or reporting on implementation of yet another change, or on budget (keeping within it or explaining why you cant or didnt), or reorganization (Curtin).†Ã‚   The author’s advice for managers that are dealing with pressure is that they must learn to lead themselves under pressure before they can hope to effectively lead others.   The following are three of the most significant tips for managers to bear in mind when facing pressure on the job: (1) They must not hurt themselves and others on the physical, psychological and emotional levels; (2) They must take good care of themselves so that they are in a posi tion to take good care of others; and (3) No matter how difficult the circumstances are, managers must use their experiences as opportunities for growth and learning. 2.2 Discussion The advice offered in Curtin’s article may be used by managers in all industries.   All managers may have to face the kinds of problems that managers in the health care system must deal with from time to time.   Time pressures are commonplace; and dissatisfied and/or disgruntled people are not hard to find among the stakeholders of any organization. It is noteworthy that Curtin’s article also touches on the concept of self-awareness.   When facing pressure in the workplace or in times of crises, managers must be able to manage their own selves before they can effectively manage others.   Self-management includes physical, psychological and emotional levels to the self.   Curtin writes that managers must experience stressful times as opportunities for growth and learning.   In other words, they must reflect on themselves as well as their relationships with the situations at hand when dealing with pressure on the job.   Undoubtedly, managers would be able to increase their self-awareness in the process of managing themselves under pressure.   What is more, with the assumption that pressure is an experience of growth rather than pain, managers would be able to deal with the stressful situations in a positive way.   In fact, their positive attitude toward pressure is sure to rub off on their subordinates. 2.3 Summary Stettner (2004) writes that managing under pressure demands the process of decision-making to be speeded up.   In point of fact, fast decision-making is a skill for managers to learn before they can use it under pressure.   Managers cannot afford to make stupid decisions by acting too quickly.   Rather, they must be able to thoughtfully assess the organizational situations before they can arrive at decisions during stressful times. Instead of worrying about the deadlines, managers under pressure should keep their focus on the goals of the tasks at hand.   Also according to the author, managers under pressure are inclined to talk too much.   Instead of lecturing their teams on the subject of speediness, however, managers should learn to listen.   In any case, it is more important for them to assess rather than debate under pressure. 2.4 Discussion Stettner offers very valuable advice for managing under pressure.   The author is absolutely correct to state that assessment is of the essence, regardless of whether the situation facing the manager is stressful or not.   Anxious managers may spoil the tasks at hand.   Therefore, it is necessary for managers to learn self-control so as to effectively manage under pressure.   The concept of self-awareness may be quite useful for managers who are trying to learn self-control for this reason.   By knowing that he easily becomes anxious through a tense situation at work, a manager would be able to control his emotional state.   He would also learn to talk less and listen more in such situations.   This advice proffered by the author may, in fact, reduce the manager’s anxiety.   When the manager is relaxed and in control, his subordinates would also feel relaxed enough to perform their tasks efficiently.   After all, it is not impossible for people to meet deadli nes in a state of relaxation.   What is more, anxiety is known to have an unfavorable effect on any job at hand. 3. Motivating Others 3.1 Summary Welch and Welch (2007) describe money, â€Å"interesting work,† and â€Å"enjoyable co-workers† as â€Å"no-brainers† as far as employee motivation is concerned.   Managers need to learn about a new perspective on employee motivation that the authors put forth.   In this perspective, recognition is a very important motivator.   Whenever an employee or a team does a good job, the company should make a public announcement.   Awards should also be handed out, and the managers should mention the productive effort of the employee or team whenever there is an opportunity.   In point of fact, the success of employees and/or teams must be celebrated by their companies. Another way of motivating employees is for companies to ensure that their missions are spelled out.   In fact, the mission of every task must be explained to the employees in simple terms.   Finally, the authors advise companies to motivate their employees by making them feel that although they have reached the top, they are still climbing the mountain of success.   The authors explain this as a balance between â€Å"achievement and challenge (Welch and Welch).† 3.2 Discussion It is a well-known fact that employees are motivated by money, jobs that they enjoy, and co-workers who make their organization a fun place to work.   Welch and Welch offer entirely new ideas about employee motivation – all of which are expected to work wonders for the organization.   Furthermore, it does not cost the organization anything to implement most of the ideas.   Recognition, for example, only requires the organization to make its employees’ success a fact to be known by everyone in the workplace.   Similarly, by clarifying the mission of the organization and its tasks to the employees, the organization is expected to cut its costs rather than to incur costs.   There would be less wastage of time and resources if the mission of the organization and its tasks is made obvious to the workers.   Lastly, the organization would not incur costs by helping the employees to feel that although they have achieved great success they may continue to climb the s uccess ladder. Celebrating the success of all employees may be costly.   All the same, it is considered essential by many organizations to celebrate the major successes of their employees.   As a matter of fact, celebration is expected to be such an effective motivator that the employees who are not successful enough for their efforts to be celebrated may also be motivated by the hope that their efforts would be similarly celebrated if they work harder and better. 3.3 Summary Dalton (2007) writes that there may be seven kinds of people in an organization at any time: â€Å"Commanders, who need control; Drifters, who need flexibility; Attackers who need respect; Pleasers who need to be liked; Performers, who need recognition; Avoiders who need security; and Analyticals, who need certainty.†Ã‚   Accordingly, the author offers tips to motivate the seven kinds of people, even though the basic descriptions of the seven types of workers are enough as a framework for a theory of motivation. 3.4 Discussion Dalton’s need theory of motivation is altogether different from Abraham Maslow’s famous theory, despite the fact that it is based on the same concept, that is, employees have needs, the fulfillment of which is enough to motivate them.   Thus, the commanders among the employees must have their work linked to results in order to feel that they are in control.   If these people lack a sense of being in charge, they would be unmotivated.   Likewise, the drifters in the workplace should be given free rein to express their creativity, without which they may be unmotivated to work efficiently.   The attackers, the pleasers, the performers, the avoiders and the analytical also possess specific needs that must be fulfilled in order for them to feel motivated for efficient work practices.   What is more, if the ideas of Welch and Welch are incorporated, it would be icing on the cake. 4. Managing Conflict 4.1 Summary Fralix (2007) writes that there are two main kinds of conflict: covert conflict and overt conflict.   Covert conflict is also of two types: avoiding conflict and ignoring conflict.   According to the author, conflicts are unhealthy for the organization.   Therefore, employers should use the conflict management tactics that she puts forward: (1) Using personality assessment tools to understand the communication styles of potential employees, so as to prevent and avoid conflict in the workplace; (2) Establishing an organizational culture that welcomes diversity, seeing that conflict is often a result of diversity; (3) Clearly explaining the roles and responsibilities of each individual; (4) Openly discussing conflict, etc. 4.2 Discussion Needless to say, all kinds of conflicts mentioned by the author may be destructive or constructive for the organization.   Falix fails to mention the constructive type of conflict in her article.   This kind of conflict may lead to new ideas and much-needed changes in the organization. It is interesting to note that personality assessment tools may also play an important role in preventing destructive conflicts in the workplace.   As mentioned previously, these tools may be very helpful for the employees in enhancing self-awareness.   Although the organization is expected to use its employees’ results on personality tests to understand their communication styles before the occurrence of a destructive conflict, the results must be shared with the employees so as to allow them to increase self-awareness, which in turn would increase their sense of responsibility in the workplace. 4.3 Summary Springer’s article, â€Å"Managing conflict to build consensus† describes the constructive side of conflict.   According to the author, â€Å"Fostering conflict to enhance decision quality while simultaneously building consensus requires the stimulation of debate, keeping conflict constructive, insuring that the process is fair and legitimate and being able to reach closure (Springer).†Ã‚   Thus, the article offers ideas on nurturing conflict instead of preventing it, e.g. by way of role playing.   Springer also describes the decision-making process that is perceived as fair, in addition to ideas to prevent a misalignment of the entire process of using conflict to help the organization. 4.4 Discussion Contrary to Falix’s article, â€Å"How to prevent and resolve conflicts in the workplace,† Springer’s writing defines conflicts as desirable.   As stated previously, constructive conflicts may help the organization by allowing it to gather new ideas for change.   Moreover, once the conflict is resolved the employees of the organization would be able to agree on the final decision made by the managers, provided that their organization is in the habit of nurturing conflicts for positive change.   The author insists that the decisions should be perceived as fair, however.   In order to achieve a sense of fairness in its decision-making, the organization must seek to avoid all negativity during the conflict.

Essay about Famous Person Lester Ayerdis

Essay about Famous Person Lester Ayerdis Essay about Famous Person Lester Ayerdis Hank Aaron BY LESTER AYERDIS Hank Aaron Childhood Born Henry Louis Aaron on February 5, 1934, in a poor black section of Mobile, Alabama, called "Down The Bay," Hank Aaron was the third of eight children born to Estella and Herbert Aaron, who made a living as a tavern owner and a dry dock boilermaker's assistant. Aaron and his family moved to the middleclass Toulminville neighborhood when he was 8 years old. Aaron developed a strong affinity for baseball and football at a young age, and tended to focus more heavily on sports than his studies. During his freshman and sophomore years, he attended Central High School, a segregated high school in Mobile, where he excelled at both football and baseball. On the baseball diamond, he played shortstop and third base. Love Life /Family He married Barbara Lucas on October 6, 1953, then after a divorce, he married Billye Aaron in 1973. He has six children: Ceci, Gary, Lary, Dorinda, Gaile and Hank Jr. Obstacles During Aarons chase to beat the Babe's record revealed that world of baseball was far from being free of the racial tensions that prevailed around it. Letters poured into the Braves offices, as many as 3,000 a day for Aaron. Some wrote to congratulate him, but many others were disgusted that a black man should break baseball's most sacred record. Death threats were also a part of the letters. Still, Aaron pushed forward. He spoke out against the league's lack of ownership and management opportunities for minorities. "On the field, blacks have been able to be super giants," he once stated. "But, once our playing days are over, this is the end of it and we go back to the back of the bus again." Influence /Baseball Career In his junior year, Aaron transferred to the Josephine Allen Institute, a neighboring private school that had an organized baseball program. Before the end of his first year at Allen, he had more than proved his abilities on the baseball field. Then, perhaps sensing that he had a bigger future ahead of him, in 1951, the 18-year-old Aaron quit school to play for the Negro Baseball League's Indianapolis Clowns. After leading his club to victory in the league's 1952 World Series, in June 1952, Aaron was recruited by the Milwaukee Braves (formerly of Boston and later of Atlanta) for $10,000. Positive contributions to the game of baseball Not was he only the first negro league ball player but he was also the first to break Babe Ruth’s homerun record. Just like Jackie Robinson he changed the culture and the way the game was played. He also created a path for many more colored men to play the game. President Richard Nixon called, and thousands of positive telegrams arrived. "Having integrated sports in the Deep South, Aaron already was a hero to me as I sat in the stands that day," President Carter said recently in marking this 40th anniversary. "As the first black superstar playing on the first big league baseball team in the Deep South, he had been both demeaned and idolized in Atlanta." Carter believes Aaron's success in baseball played a huge role in advancing the cause of civil rights. "He became the first black man for whom white fans in the South cheered," said Carter. "A humble man who did not seek the

Wordiness and Redundancy in ACT English Tips and Practice

Wordiness and Redundancy in ACT English Tips and Practice SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips ACT English tests you on a number of specific grammar rules. Being able to understand and apply these rules will help you maximize your ACT English score. Besides knowing specific grammar rules, there are some general strategies to keep in mind that will help you correctly answer more questions. One of these tips is that the ACT prefers shorter sentences. Wordiness and redundancy are common errors on the ACT English section. The goal for each sentence is to express the same information in the shortest grammatically correct way. In this post, I'll do the following: Explain wordiness. Explain redundancy. Show how wordiness and redundancy are tested on the ACT. Provide actual ACT examples. Give practice problems to test you on what you've learned. Wordiness on ACT English On the ACT, wordiness is a grammatical error in which extra words or phrases are added to a sentence unnecessarily. Concise writing is preferable because conciseness makes a sentence more understandable and easier to follow. Wordy sentences can be difficult to navigate and tough to comprehend. On the ACT English section, the shortest grammatically correct answer choice that expresses the same information as the original sentence will be the right answer. Here's an example of a wordy sentence: Allison took me to a party that was a very fun time. This is the corrected version of the sentence: Allison took me to a very fun party. Technically, both sentences are grammatically correct and convey the same information. However, the second sentence is more concise and less wordy. Check out another example of a wordy sentence: I enjoy getting my nourishment by way of fried foods. After we fix the wordiness error, this is what the sentence looks like: I enjoy eating fried foods. Again, the meaning of the sentences is the same, but the second sentence is much more concise and grammatically correct. Check out these tips for correctly answering wordiness questions on the ACT. WordinessStrategy Approach each question with the mindset that shorter = better. When answering ACT English questions, start by looking at the shorter answer choices. Keep in mind that the shorter grammatically correct answer choice must also express the same relevant information for it to be the right answer. Plug your answer back into the original sentence to make sure that your answer is grammatically correct and expresses the same information. Use these tips to answer the following examples taken from actual ACT English sections. Actual ACT English Examples Choose the correct answer for this wordiness question from a real ACT. He then wrote an enthusiastic article for Strand Magazine, being the place in which most of his Sherlock Holmes stories had first appeared, and later wrote a book on the subject titled The Coming of the Fairies. A. NO CHANGEB. in which the magazine where C. in which D. being where Explanation:Even if the original sentence seems correct to you, remember our rule that shorter is better. Start with the shortest answer choice. That would be answer choice C. Plug it back into the original sentence. The sentence is still grammatically correct and all of the relevant info is still there. The phrase â€Å"being the place† is unnecessary. The answer is C. Try your luck at another actual ACT wordiness question. She worked for thirty years as a teacher and librarian in the field of education in Baltimore public schools. Which of the following words or phrases from the preceding sentence is LEAST necessary and could therefore be deleted? F. thirty G. and librarian H. in the field of education J. Baltimore public Explanation: In this type of question, you have to pick which word/phrase can be deleted without getting rid of any information. Go through the answer choices and see if the information in the answer choice can be obtained elsewhere in the sentence. So answer choice F isn’t correct because if we got rid of â€Å"thirty†, we would have no way of knowing that she worked for thirty years. The answer is H. If we got rid of â€Å"in the field of education," we would still know that she worked in the field of education because she worked in Baltimore public schools. Therefore, the phrase â€Å"in the field of education† is unnecessary. Baltimore downtown Are you figuring out how to solve these wordiness questions? Here's a final one for you to try. Over many weeks, as time goes by, her collection slowly grows: clay bowls, cups, vases, and sculptures fill the studio. A. NO CHANGE B. with the passing of time, C. gradually, D. OMIT the underlined portion Explanation: Again, let’s start with the shortest answer. That would be answer choice D, omitting the underlined portion.Is the sentence still grammatically correct? Does it have the same meaning if we omit â€Å"as time goes by?" Yes!! The underlined phrase is unnecessary because â€Å"over many weeks† implies â€Å"as time goes by over many weeks†. Therefore, the underlined phrase is superfluous and the answer is D. Another error which can be corrected by implementing our shorter is better rule is redundancy. Redundancy on the ACT Redundancy questions on the ACT English section are fairly common. If a word or phrase is redundant, it is unnecessary and can be eliminated without altering the meaning of the sentence. On the ACT, redundancy tends to be presented in two ways. The first way is that two synonyms will be used to describe something when only one of the words is necessary. Here is an example: Justin is a very friendly and amicable guy. Because "friendly" and "amicable" are synonyms, we can shorten the sentence by getting rid of one of the adjectives that describes Justin. The second way that a redundancy error is presented on the SAT is that a phrase will be added that is implied by another word or phrase in the sentence. Take a look at the following example: This article contains pertinent information that offers relevant facts for doing well in ACT English. The words "pertinent" and "relevant" are synonyms. The phrase "that offers relevant facts" doesn't add any new information to the sentence; therefore, it can be eliminated. This is the corrected version of the sentence: This article contains pertinent information for doing well in ACT English. Does that make sense? The sentence is shorter, grammatically correct, and it expresses the same information. Here are some tips to help you solve redundancy questions on the ACT. RedundancyStrategy Look at the shortest answer choices first. Plug the shortest answer choice back into the original sentence. If the sentence maintains its meaning and is grammatically correct, that's the right answer. Make sure that two synonyms aren't being used to describe the same thing. Verify that the information in the underlined phrase is not implied elsewhere in the sentence. Use these tips to answer the following redundancy questions taken from real ACTs. Actual ACT English Examples Try to figure out this redundancy question from a real ACT. I think maybe I might possibly have met them all. F. NO CHANGE G. perhaps I've H. I've possibly J. I've Explanation: Well, the underlined phrase indicates that we’re probably dealing with a redundancy question. The words â€Å"might† and â€Å"possibly† are synonyms, so we don’t need both of them. Let’s look at the shortest answer choice. That's J. â€Å"I’ve† is just the contraction for â€Å"I have† so the only change to the sentence is getting rid of â€Å"might possibly." Will the meaning of the sentence change? No. The word â€Å"maybe† indicates that I â€Å"might possibly† have met them. Therefore, â€Å"might possibly† is redundant and the answer is J. Does that make sense? Try another one. Today, Smith's repertoire is so vast that she could speak consecutively for twelve hours straight without running out of material. A. NO CHANGE B. continuously nonstop C. perpetually D. OMIT the underlined portion Explanation: Based on the context of the sentence, â€Å"consecutively† means without stopping. Can that information be gathered elsewhere in the sentence? Yes. The phrase â€Å"for twelve hours straight† means that she could speak for twelve hours without stopping. Therefore, â€Å"consecutively† is unnecessary. Now, let’s look at D, the shortest answer choice. Will the sentence still be grammatically correct if we get rid of â€Å"consecutively†? Yes. The answer is D. Madonna wants you to have one more chance to correctly answer a redundancy question. And just for good measure, here's one final example of a redundancy question. He also began to calculate annual tables of yearly sets of astronomical data, which became the basis for almanacs published under his name from 1792 through 1797. A. NO CHANGE B. covering a year's worth C. about twelve months D. OMIT the underlined portion Explanation: Can the information in the underlined phrase be obtained elsewhere in the sentence? Yes. The word â€Å"annual† means yearly. If there were annual tables of astronomical data, then we already know that there were yearly sets. Therefore, the phrase is unnecessary. The shortest answer choice is D. Will the sentence be grammatically correct if we omit the underlined portion? Yes. The answer is D. These questions aren't overly complicated, but you can easily miss a redundancy question if you don't read each sentence carefully. Make sure to follow the strategies I gave you for redundancy questions. Here are some general guidelines to help you correctly answer both wordiness and redundancy questions. General ACT English Strategies for Wordiness and Redundancy #1: Shorter is Better If the shortest answer choice maintains the meaning of the original sentence and is grammatically correct, then the shortest answer choice will be the right answer. Make sure that the shortest answer choice is still grammatically correct and expresses the same information as the original sentence. #2: Plug in the Shortest Answer Choice First Because shorter is better, determine whether the shortest answer choice is appropriate for the sentence. If a more concise answer choice maintains the meaning of the original sentence and is grammatically correct, then that is the right answer. #3: Determine Whether the Underlined Word/Phrase is Necessary If the information in the underlined word or phrase can be gathered from other words or phrases in the sentence, then the underlined word or phrase is redundant and should be omitted. I've created some realistic practice problems to test your knowledge of wordiness and redundancy on the ACT. Additional ACT English Practice Questions 1. Lauren was spending so many hours at her job at the zoo that her leisure time was minimal and not abundant at all. A. NO CHANGE B. minimal and not abundant. C. at a minimum. D. minimal. 2. In the next two weeks of time in the future, Tarica will be receiving a check for the legal work she performed for her client. A. NO CHANGE B. In the next two weeks of time in the future; C. In the next two weeks, D. OMIT the underlined portion 3. The teacher became increasingly frustrated with the rowdy student who acted in a wild, disorderly manner. A. NO CHANGE B. who acted wildly. C. whom acted wildly. D. OMIT the underlined portion 4. George, after thirty years of work in the automotive industry, was thoroughly overjoyed to retire and no longer go to his job. A. NO CHANGE B. and no longer have to work. C. but no longer have to go to his job. D. OMIT the underlined portion Answers: 1. D, 2. C, 3. D, 4. D What's Next? To get a general overview of all the grammar rules covered on the ACT English section, read this article about grammar for the ACT. If you would like to learn about another frequently tested grammar issue on the ACT, check out this post about faulty modifiers. Also, as you continue preparing for the ACT, I highly recommend that you investigate the best ACT prep websites. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this English lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Domestic Influences in the Greek and Roman Theaters Essay

Domestic Influences in the Greek and Roman Theaters - Essay Example The Greek and Roman civilizations, which are perhaps two with the most abundant reference resources having extensively recorded their respective eras, do manifest this observation, if, at least, in their literary works alone. Even as both Mediterranean civilizations have expanded the influence of their clout and power, notably the Romans who spread out east to as far as India, the influence of domestic affairs and interests in the Greek and Roman person is evident even in the higher echelons of society and governments. Following is a Greek tragedy and a Roman comedy that very well typify the works of that classical era. From these two classical works, we shall survey influences in the plot, the characters, and the themes that reflect domestic elements, or, better still, to even find these elements central to the stories themselves. The "Antigone is a tragedy by Sophocles written before or in 442 BC. It is chronologically the third of the three Theban plays but was written first."( Fagles, p. 35) The other two plays in the trilogy by Sophocles being Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone proceeds where Seven Against Thebes, which was written much earlier by Aeschylus, leaves off. In the Seven Against Thebes, the two sons of Oedipus, Polynices and Eteocles, find themselves at odds against each other in a civil war over succession to the throne of Thebes which their father Oedipus had to relinquish. The brothers tragically kill each other. The Antigone, this time the story of one of Oedipus' two daughters, Antigone and Ismene, sisters of the brothers who slew each other, begins with sisters Antigone and Ismene discoursing on the older Antogone's decision to bury the body of their brother Polynices despite an edict of King Creon to deny his body honorable burial as the other brother's body, that of Eteocles, be honored. Despite the punishment of death by stoning to anyone who defies the king's command, Antigone prevails over her sister's persuasions and proceeds to cover her brothers body with earth declaring, "I will do my part,-and thine, if thou wilt not,-to a brother. False to him will I never be found." Reminded by Ismene of the consequence, Antigone retorts, "Such be thy plea:-I, then, will go to heap the earth above the brother whom I love." The play proceeds where Creon seeks the support of the Theban Elders who, in the play, are represented by the chorus, particularly to back his edict regarding the disposal of Polynices' body. The Elders pledges their support. Then a Sentry enters with dread to tell the king of the news that Polynices' body had been buried. Furious, the king orders the sentry to find out who did and if he fails, he faces death himself. The Sentry leaves and, after a while, returns with Antigone in tow. Asked by the king, "And thou didst indeed dare to transgress that law" Antigone replies, "I avow it; I make no denial." Creon fumes and swears the king, in his time, will not be prevailed over by a woman thus declares, "While I live, no woman shall rule me." Then assuming that the sister, Ismene, must have had a hand in the act as well, the king summons Ismene who, by now, also tries to confess falsely that indeed she has a hand in it while in truth she did not. Demanded by Antigone to tell the truth and be spared, she answers, "But, now that ills beset