TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION FOR MUSIC TECHNOLOGY :: essays research papers

The technology learning process can help teachers supervise information in their daily work more effectively. Word processing software program allows text-based documents to be entered, edited, formatted, and printed. This is a helpful tool for creating recital programs, handouts, and tests. Database software stores and retrieves records for pawn inventories, class lists, and attendance. Electronic musical theater instruments may be defined as those that generate sound electronically rather than acoustically. Two examples are synthesizers and digital pianos. These instruments mostly have three components a controller, modifier capabilities, and a sound generator which may be separate units or self-contained like the digital piano. unison teachers need to know how MIDI connections are made among instruments, how to use MIDI in the classroom, and how to connect MIDI instruments with computers. They need to understand how to create layered and infract keyboard sounds for performan ces. They similarly need to be able to choose and edit sounds from stored libraries and create using sounds using electronic instrument.Students can use electronic instruments as musical crayons creating simple complex musical pieces while gaining dexterity and technique. They can learn musical processes with keyboards and have fun at the same time. Electronic instruments can also be used in performance to enhance traditional and electronical-acoustics ensembles.A musical performance consists of a series of sounds played in time with divert tempo and dynamic changes. MIDI data, however, consists of a stream of information of note events generated by the electronic controller device. This information can be stored in the straddle played allowing the MIDI sequenced performance to be played at a later time. A device or computer, A hardware sequencer is a device dedicated to MIDI sequencing, and workstation is electronic keyboards that have built-in sequence capabilities.Today, MIDI sequences are capable of storing large amounts of data. They are designed to emulate a multi-track tape recorder, a familiar metaphor for most musicians. A musician may record different musical parts onto separate tracks of the MIDI sequencer. all(prenominal) track of the sequence may be assigned compositions. Unlike the tape recorder the MIDI sequencer gives musicians powerful and intuitive editing tools permitting changes and corrections without re-recording. in that respect are many software applications available to support music education. Those specifically designed to assist instruction are called Computer Assisted Instructional software or CAI. Commercially available CAI software programs are designed to help students learn music theory and music history, develop eat-training skills, and drill and test companionship in a variety of areas.

Transcendentalism Essay -- essays research papers fc

TranscendentalismMany people founder theories and philosophies about life in general. There have been hundreds of thousands of books published by many different people on the ideas of people in the past and the present. Transcendentalism f each(prenominal)s in amongst all of these ideas. There have been articles, essays, poems, and even books indite about this subject. Transcendentalism has effected many people since the doctrine was first introduced. The idea was complex and hard to grasp for many commoners and therefore it was understood by few people, and some would think that the idea was not understood at all and that was part of the idea. Henry David Thoreau once stated about himself, I should have told them at once that I was a transcendentalist. That would have been the shortest focal point of telling them that they would not understand my explanations (Reuben 1).Even the people that called themselves transcendentalists had only their own thoughts of what transcendentalis m was, which in turn were based on the thoughts of others. So, transcendentalism is defined as a philosophy. This philosophy was uniform for everyone that believed in it. This is a difficult concept to comprehend because the philosophy called for people to trust themselves and their own thoughts, which meant that even though transcendentalists held the same central idea, all of their individual thoughts branching off transcendentalism contradicted the other transcendentalists. In capital of Minnesota Reubens web site, Noah Porter made this statement about transcendentalismThe word Transcendentalism, as used at the present day, has two applications. One of which is pop and indefinite, the other, philosophical and precise. In the former sense it describes man, rather than opinions, since it is freely extended to those who hold opinions, not only diverse from each other, but directly opposed. (1)These transcendentalists all had different opinions on the different things in life, but t hey believed in the philosophy of transcendentalism. According to Websters Dictionary, transcend means to go further than, or to go past. This would give transcendentalism the definition of an idea beyond other peoples ideas, or even possibly beyond this earth. The idea of transcendentalism is definitel... ...ed to an hopeful emphasis on individualism, self-reliance, and rejection of traditional authority (American 1). The major players in the transcendentalist movement are Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. They shared ideas such as self-reliance, and ideas about how there is a divine being that controls every person. They influenced many other writers and they even had an effect on the American society, then and now. Transcendentalism was a philosophy and a way of life. It will continue to be this as long as we have access to the great minds of the transcendental movement.Works CitedAmerican Literary and Philosophical Movement. The capital of South Carolina Encyclopedi a, Fifth Edition. 1 Jan. 1993. Atkinson, Brooks. Walden and other writings of Henry David Thoreau. New York, NY Random House, Inc., 1950.Durant, Will. The Story of Philosophy. New York, NY Simon and Schuster, Inc., 1926.Reuben, Paul. Towards a Definition of Transcendentalism. http//www.vcu.edu/engweb/transweb/tr-aldef.htmRunes, Dagobert D. A Treasury of Philosophy. Chicago, IL Spencer insistency Inc., 1955.Von Frank, Albert J. Transcendentalism. The Readers Companion to American History. 1 Jan. 1991.

Type II Diabetes :: Health, Diseases

Introduction Type II diabetes is a heterogeneous syndrome results from the progressive defects of impairment of - cell insulin secretion and insulin resistant of the target tissues. It besides increases due to the rising rate of obesity which involves the deficiency of insulin to compensate for insulin ohmic resistance by increasing insulin secretion 1. However it is increasingly clear that reductions in insulin sensibility and - cell functions leads to the rise of type II diabetes 2. The normal pancreatic - cells displaying the unusual response to nutrients and obesity associated insulin resistance by the hyper secretion of insulin to maintain fuel homeostasis. solely the cellular resistance unable to sustain the cells compensatory response in type II diabetes 3. Although the cause of the metabolic deterioration is unknown, but several hypothesis suck in been proposed including mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative filtrate, ER stress, and gluco-lipotoxi city 4, 5. Recent studies with intensive investigations suggesting that elevated glucose along with circulating free fatty acids distributed especially from the intra abdominal fat are the major culprits of insulin resistance and beta cell dysfunction 6, 7. But the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms of gluco-lipotoxicity contribute to - cell dysfunction and loss in type II diabetes dust debated. A recent observation from experimental, clinical and genetic evidence suggests endoplasmic reticulum was responsible for molecular mechanism of gluco-lipotoxicity which may contribute to - cell dysfunction in type II diabetes 8, 9. In this review, we discussed about the involvement of ER in gluco-lipotoxicity induced - cell dysfunction along with the brief involvement of mitochondria. ER stress response Adaptation to metabolic changes requires the high regulation and co-ordination of many homeostatic systems, since the quality and quantity of availab le nutrients does not temporally match their needs. Pancreatic - cells displaying remarkable response to nutrients by the balance between the anabolic hormone insulin and the catabolic hormone glucagon in order to maintain fuel homeostasis. For an appropriate response, the cells require the cultivation of suitable sensors and signaling molecules, which integrates all these signals into an appropriate insulin secretory rate in order to maintain homeostasis.

Defending Longinos Social Epistemology :: Science Scientific Philosophical Papers

Defending Longinos Social Epistemology (1)ABSTRACT Though many agree that we need to circular for the role that hearty factors play in head, developing a viable social epistemology has proved to be a difficult task. According to Longino, it is the processes that make inquiry possible that are aptly described as social, for they convey a number of people to sustain them. These processes not only facilitate inquiry, but also ensure that the results of inquiry are much than mere essential opinions, and thus deserve to be called fellowship. In this paper, I explain Longinos epistemology and defend it against criticisms recently raised by Kitcher, Schmitt and Solomon. Longino rightly recognizes that not all social factors have the same (adverse) effect on inquiry. She also recommends that we reconceptualize knowledge, distinguishing knowledge from opinion by reference to a social standard. Though it is agreed that epistemologists need to account for the role social factors play in inquiry, developing a viable social epistemology has proved to be a difficult task. According to Longino, it is the processes that make inquiry possible that are social, requiring a number of people to sustain them. These processes, she claims, not only facilitate inquiry, but also ensure that the results of inquiry are more than mere subjective opinions, and thus deserve to be called knowledge. Here, I want to both explain and defend Longinos epistemology.ILongino defines her account of scientific knowledge sexual congress to positivist and wholist accounts. Though many regard positivism as offering an untenable account of science, because no comparable sweeping and detailed philosophical imagine has replaced it, Longino believes that it still needs to be reckoned with (L1990, 21). Wholists are significant because they have been the greatest critics of positivism. After presenting these accounts, and explaining the difficulties that Longino has with them, I will present Longinos own account of scientific knowledge and inquiry.This discussion focuses on two issues the relationship between evidence and hypotheses and, the role of contextual values in inquiry. Longino contrasts contextual values with constitutive values. The latter, the values generated from an instinct of the goals of scientific inquiry, are the source of the rules determining what constitutes acceptable scientific practice or scientific method (L1990, 4). That these values influence inquiry is not a problem. But the former, personal, social, and cultural values, are thought to threaten the integrity of scientific inquiry (L1990, 4-5).According to positivists, the fundamental base of inquiry, the source of confirming or electronegative instances, is a set of .

Cognitive Consequences of Pediatric Sports-Related Concussions Essay

ResultsThe results of this research review provide the most current information in regards to pediatric thump and neurological and cognitive consequences. These results support the working hypothesis that the cognitive consequences of pediatric sports-related concussions do not outweigh the benefits associated with childhood sports participation.In a cohort information (total n=200), investigators looked at return to cognitive baseline after concussion in younger versus experienter athletes. Participants were divided into two groups, a 13-16 year old group (n=100), and 18-22 year old group (n = 100). Each participant completed baseline and post concussion neurocognitive testing using the immediate Post- box assessment and cognitive Testing (ImPACT) test battery. Results showed that athletes 13-16 years old take longer to return to neurocognitive and symptom baselines than athletes 18-22 years old (22). In a prospective design study, 18 children with mTBI and 18 matched healthy controls (8-16 years of age) were used to compare sensitivity to simple and complex visual stimuli and to determine the evolution of visuo-perceptual performance over time. At 1, 4 and 12 weeks sensitivity to static and dynamic forms of simple ( world-class order), complex (second order), orientation and direction identification thresholds, and radial optic flow stimuli were assessed. The results of this study demonstrate that alone complex stimuli were significantly affected for the mTBI children, including at the 12 week interval. There was also no difference between groups across all testing conditions for simple, first order information (2). An observational study from 2008 looked at high school athletes and recovery patterns after concussion. Out o... ...lity following traumatic brain injury in childhood impact of injury severity and age at injury. Pediatr Neurosurg.200032 282 290. http//search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/docview/224152197?accountid=1466729. McCror y, P, AM Collie, V Anderson, and G Davis. Can We Manage Sport Related Concussion in Children the Same as in Adults?. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 38.5 (2004) 516-519. doi 10.1136/bjsm.2004.01481130. McCrory P, Meeuwisse W, Aubry M, et al. Consensus statement on concussion in sport - the third international multitude on concussion in sport held in Zurich, November 2012. Phys Sportsmed. 2013 47250258 . doi10.1136/bjsports-2013-09231331. Purcell, Lisa. What are the most appropriate return-to-play guidelines for concussed child athletes? British Journal of Sports Medicine. 43.1 (2009) i51-i55. doi10.1136/bjsm.2009.058214

Cognitive Consequences of Pediatric Sports-Related Concussions Essay

ResultsThe results of this research review provide the most current info in regards to pediatric concussion and neurological and cognitive consequences. These results support the working hypothesis that the cognitive consequences of pediatric magnetic variations-related concussions do not outweigh the benefits associated with childhood sports participation.In a cohort study (total n=200), investigators looked at return to cognitive baseline after concussion in younger versus older athletes. Participants were divided into twain groups, a 13-16 year old group (n=100), and 18-22 year old group (n = 100). Each participant completed baseline and post concussion neurocognitive testing employ the immediate Post-Concussion assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) test battery. Results showed that athletes 13-16 years old take longer to return to neurocognitive and symptom baselines than athletes 18-22 years old (22). In a prospective design study, 18 children with mTBI and 18 matche d healthy controls (8-16 years of age) were used to compare sensitivity to simple and complex visual stimuli and to determine the evolution of visuo-perceptual writ of execution over time. At 1, 4 and 12 weeks sensitivity to static and dynamic forms of simple (first order), complex (second order), orientation and direction identification thresholds, and radial optic ladder stimuli were assessed. The results of this study demonstrate that all complex stimuli were significantly affected for the mTBI children, including at the 12 week interval. There was also no difference between groups crosswise all testing conditions for simple, first order information (2). An observational study from 2008 looked at high school athletes and recovery patterns after concussion. Out o... ...lity following traumatic brain injury in childhood impact of injury severity and age at injury. Pediatr Neurosurg.200032 282 290. http//search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/docview/224152197?accountid=1466 729. McCrory, P, AM Collie, V Anderson, and G Davis. Can We make Sport Related Concussion in Children the Same as in Adults?. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 38.5 (2004) 516-519. doi 10.1136/bjsm.2004.01481130. McCrory P, Meeuwisse W, Aubry M, et al. Consensus statement on concussion in sport - the third international conference on concussion in sport held in Zurich, November 2012. Phys Sportsmed. 2013 47250258 . doi10.1136/bjsports-2013-09231331. Purcell, Lisa. What are the most appropriate return-to-play guidelines for concussed child athletes? British Journal of Sports Medicine. 43.1 (2009) i51-i55. doi10.1136/bjsm.2009.058214

Judgment and Decision-Making

After making this ratiocination if any bloomer is repealowigated than he tries to defend himself and target others. The top authority do not hope to take the duty of wrong termination on himself but want to blame on others and make this mortal decision as a go away of a radical decision. This type of concept is called Looking Up and Looking Around (LULL). This is not the case of deficiency or lack of experience of a decision maker but only because of frighten of an unsuccessful person this mortal decision becomes the result of radical decision.In any form of organization if substantial decision is to be taken, then it is good to have ore number of tribe so that if any bloomer is investigated than it is divided among all & it makes easier to find the base of the mistakes committed. on that point are many types of blames which involves the conveyance of one to other. First of all there are some guys called Fall Guys who takes the blame or responsibility of failure decision on themselves. Secondly, there are some mountain called Escape-Goat which are binge out from the organization for not deserving the blame.When a person is hired & he does not know that the person who was there previously in his lace had made mistake & his mistake is blamed on him. After looking at all of this Jackal says that the key concept is to make effort to protect yourself & try to protect the other group from suffer of the blame instead of evaluate the bloomer perpetrated. Practical Experience In February I got a Job in DHAL warehouse where my work was to do receiving and pick packing. After devil months there was a barbeques and dance party for all the employees of DHAL including Head of the Department.Work was divided among distributively person and in the end all came with their budget and depreciate and the expense was ore than the budget. All the excess expense were paid by the committee member and in the end when rap duration came all were mum and they started incrim inating to our new general manager. He bends out to be a Fall Guy. After that the whole committee member checked the account inside nurture and fund for the function year and came to know that the previous manager took out some currency from the fund and commence us with a few recruit on money.This is the complete illustration of Article 2 frames. The oblige analyses the cognitive as strong as psychophysical factors which help in ending out the time value of the assayy prospects. This oblige mainly challenges both a priorily as intumesce as empirically the classical utility theory. This article presents how managers or rather adult male beings behave in real economic situations. In this article a systematic approach towards risky choices which helps in deriving several hypotheses for psychophysical analysis of different reactions towards probability as vigorous as money have been discussed.By choosing risk aversion and Bernoulli (1954) essay the authors have tried to e xplain why most people are usually found to be verse towards risk and why the degree of risk aversion lessens with rising wealth. In order to tackle the prescriptive issues the author shifts focus from psychology to the decision theory. According to the Modern Decision Theory the risky prospects are being characterized by the probable results as well as the probabilities of all the results.The standard economic model suggests that all the human beings depict a very stable utility curve which is being implied by their choices but this article attacks directly on the axiom of extensionally. Therefore it is proposed in this article hat alternative framings need systematic examination which presents a instrumental and highly beneficial reflective device which can easily be of advantage for the decision makers to assess all the set, attached with the primary as well as secondary consequences of their choices.The article specifies that mostly stability results because of loss aversion i nstead of change. Therefore both loss aversion as well as effect of consequent endowment is very un same(p)ly to play very insignificant role in the economic exchanges which take place every day or in routine. Thus finally it explains he difference between the experience value and the decision value. The decision theory does not provide study distinction between the two because it is mostly assumed that the decision values and experience values are coinciding with each other (Keenan and Thieves, 1984).Practical Experience In India when I was doing Bachelors my friends were playing a cricket betting on the internet and were earning a lot, so I talked to my friend and ask him how to play. He told me and I was bore-hole to play the cricket betting. After few days there was a cricket match between India and Pakistan I decided to bet against India. At that time it was like if India wins you leave behind get double money and for Pakistan you will get four times the money you invest. I was having $1000, so I thought to invest $100 I. E.I was thought to be risk aversion rather than risk seeking because I was betting for the first time. After the match got finish India win and I got $200. But if I would have played $200 for India and $100 for Pakistan then I would have earned more in playing risk seeking than playing as risk aversion. Article 3 Abstract interpretation 3. 3, Fischer, B. , Slavic, P. Ad Liechtenstein, S. (1980), Knowing what twine those people who hold values with those people who elicit values. In this research Values mean all the evaluative rulings which are either absolute worth or relative or desirability of the contingent events.Central to the process of psychophysics value is the finding that it is difficult to presume the effective stimulus rather it should be discovered. This article brings together a diverse collection of effects like irrelevant context effects, response mode, stimulus presentation and organism in order to facilitate th e appreciation of the limit up to which the apparent alee of people are influenced by elicit, to give a tentative organization of outcomes along with the contexts in which these might come up and to explicate the effects of these outcomes.Thus this article explains the labile nature of expressed values and any kind of subtle changes in the elicitation mode is supposed to bring in highly manifest effects on the preferences which are mentioned by people. Some impacts are reversible while other are not, some effects lead to deepening of the billet of respondents while others do not some impacts are deliberately brought about, while there are not some impacts are very highly circumstantial to the questions of value, while others Just impact all the kinds of Judgments some are well documented, while others are simple speculations.If one wants to elicit these values one ineluctably to confront these effects which cannot be avoided. The outmatch way to have an interaction with our res pondents and also to help them in making value Judgments which are in their best of interest is to provide them with better and newer analytical tools. These tools are very helpful in changing the respondents by deepening their perspectives. The main aim of this article is to translate the message to consider multiple perspectives while decision-making (Fishhook, Slavic and Liechtenstein, 1980).Once my father wants to invest in his new business at that time I was doing ABA in India, so he asked me how I should proceed. He wanted to start Retail store of Grocery. So first of all he made a team of employee who will work in that grocery store. Before that he hired one elicit and put his project besides him. His values were not well specify and were not realistic, so it was difficult for elicit to make his decision. Because of his value were not properly defined it was also difficult for his employee to work in the store.So in the end his business was not up to the mark and he ended u p with a loss. By this example I Just want to say that your values should be realistic and it should be related to the previous environment so that you end up with a good conclusion. Article 4 Abstract Reading 5. 1 . Zimmermann, H. (1983) The two camps on rationality. This article analyses the rationality concept while decision-making and according to Zimmermann (1983) any action is considered to be rational if it is in conjunction with NY individuals beliefs as well as values.The most important research tools for psychology of Judgment as well as decision are the normative tools, while the most live model for Judgment is Babes Theorem along with multivariate utility models while for the normative model of decision the SUE models are very prominent . This human Judgment is found to be limited which causes the violation of the rationality principles. The concept of Judgmental biases suggests that the probabilistic judgment is mostly hugely biased because the individuals mostly rely on heuristics.In terms of gains and losses the coding outcomes is Just one of the many cognitive mechanisms which people make use of while editing or depicting their decision problems. The third violation of rationality theory occurs while observing the decision-making behavior of people through motivational perspective and several coping patterns which are utilize by mass while handling stress of various decision situations. In this research the varied deficiencies present in human Judgment as well as decision are being emphasized.On the other hand the optimists who believe n the rationality theory believe and lay emphasis on the implicit rationality of decision behavior as well as human Judgment. In support of their argument they raise mainly three theoretical arguments which are the meat-rationality argument, the continuity argument and the structure argument. Therefore the researchers of this camp challenge the belief that human decision as well as Judgment is cognitively defic ient.The author thus suggests that with reference to rationality issue one should be liberal while utilizing the concept of rationality. Secondly the commonality concept should be use in its prescriptive sense in legitimate manner wherever the prescription is being required and thirdly the concept of rationality should be use very cautiously in descriptive research. Practical Experience When I finished my Bachelors education I got a Job in Transformer making and testing company. There were two groups in the company who were working on the same project and I got selected in one of the group.Both groups were good but one was thinking rationally following the rules, team leaders advice and setting the destination of making up to the conclusion and others were thinking irrationally not allowing the rules of the company, team leaders advice to complete the task indoors less span of time to make themselves feel good in the company. Both were coming to the same conclusion but chief likes the people who fill up deeds in an rosy manner and not in a pessimistic manner.But not all the people will able to follow the qualities of optimistic and fulfill the goals of company rather than being pessimistic and fulfilling the goal of company. Article 5 Abstract Reading 4. 3. Theories of Risk perception Who fears what and why? In this article the writer is concentrating on the hypothesis of risk sensing and he fines risk on the foundation of people coming from different aspects like different backgrounds, culture, behave etc. Every individual takes risk on any situation depending on the foundation of situation.For one person the risk might be high for decisive situation but for another person the same situation might not be risky for him to handle. Different people look at the venture situation differently. The writer tries to explain Risk sensing through different theories on the foundation of different test or example like Economic Theory, Knowledge Theory, Political The ory, assist us to realize the role of each in a well defined manner. Knowledge Theory conveys that people give everything in a different manner I. E. They recall it to be peril and predict it to be grievous or life threatening. Personality Theory conveys that more or less mass volition to act up with risk and more or less mass avert to deal with risk. Economic Theory conveys that people loaded with money are happy to deal with risk than the wretched people who are not loaded with money. Political Theory conveys that more or less people deal with risk in order to increase the tutus or tycoon in the surroundings. After doing a proper survey on risk it displays that risk postulates from last many ages and it postulates in many domain and well educated people are functioning on risk hypothesis.This article helps us to evaluate how base hit is the risk and if there is any danger than what are the means to rub this risk. Practical Experience I wanted to share my experience when working as a changeier in one of the esteem bank in India (State Bank of India). My Job was to handle all the customers bank accounts and look after their each cash transactions. In my hand was having all the personal information of their account details and if there was any problem then I was authorized to take each customers secret information like account details, credit or debit card information etc.All the information of each customer was with me and if anybody could peril of pervert this information and whole rap will seed on me and because of this bank may have to suffer a loss of money or it may harm the reputation of the bank. So in this whole situation it was all depend on the sensing of my risk. If I do not want to have a loss of money to the bank then I should have my aril risk sensing in a positive manner.

The Contrast Between Machiavelli’s Writings and Lao-Tzu’s Opinion

Martin Martinez Eng 151-1856 2/19/08 The Contrast between Machiavellis writings and Lao-Tzus opinion Lao-Tzus writings offered a basis for Taoism, a religion officially founded by Chang Tao-ling in astir(predicate) 150 A. D. However, the Tao-te Ching is an ethical docu workforcet as much as about good government as it is about moral behavior. Niccolo Machiavelli was an aristocrat who had his ups and downs according the shifts in agent in Florence. His writings encourage a prince to secure power by almost any means necessary.Lao-Tzus Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching and Niccolo Machiavellis The Qualities of the Prince both have chief(prenominal) goals of how to mold a better prince. Their views on government and the ship government agency they attain their goals each differ in method. Machiavelli and Lao-Tzu have very different aspects about how a prince should govern his people. Machiavelli dwells over the fact, whether it is better to be loved or fe atomic number 18d. He believes that the best way to maintain control over the people is by fear. Machiavelli says man is a sorry lot and are untrustworthy.In order to pile up control over his people he uses fear. Men are less hesitant about harming someone who makes himself loved then who makes himself feared. (44) Since man is so hesitant to deal someone who they fear, the prince remains in control of his people. The terror of punishment keeps the people in order, which enables a smooth running government. check to Machiavelli this fear is the only way for a prince to govern his people and avoid harm. Lao-Tzus thoughts are completely different from Machiavellis.Tzu believes in a smaller government, where the people actual govern themselves. He believes that the people should feel equal to the ruler and that the ruler must place himself below the people. Tzu stresses self control throughout the reading. Unlike Machiavelli he believes it is better to be loved than feared and he states that if you want to lead the people, / you must learn how to follow them (Section 66). Although Machiavelli and Lao-Tzu share a passion for how a prince should reach his goals, their ideas are completely opposed to one nother. Machiavelli believes that a prince should be deceitful in accomplishing his goals. By breaking promises and being able to manipulate the minds of men are the keys to attaining a princes goals. According to Machiavelli princes who have accomplished the most are the ones who do not care for keeping their promises. Tzus opinion on the matter is simply do nothing. The Tao never does anything,/ yet through it all things are done(Section 31). The prince is to just let things happen and soon enough what he wants to achieve will happen.Lao-Tzu believes that once men and women are content with the idea of doing nothing, they can finally center themselves and the whole world will be transformed by itself. The peaceful attitude of Lao-Tzu and Machiavellis defensive ideas to struggleds home mil itary defense are far from the same. Humility means trusting the Tao, / thus never needing to be defensive (Section 61). Tzus ideas are simple, he doesnt believe in violence. The prince should never need to be in a defensive position and that he should avoid violence at all times. According to Lao-Tzu, peace is the highest value and should always be the alternative instead of warfare.Tzu doesnt believe in harm to other men, he goes into betrothal with great sympathy. Lao-Tzu believes that there is no victory in war and peace is the highest virtue. Tzus belief is as long as all follow the Tao war is never necessary. Machiavellis attitude towards war and military defense is more conservative than Lao-Tzus. He believes that a princes profession must be to notice the art of war. According to Machiavelli a prince must, therefore, never raise his thought from this exercise of war, and in peacetime must train himself more than in time of war. (38) Machiavelli believes that a prince must learn about his country in order to better defend it. Once a prince has study the geography of his own land he can now explore or backpack over foreign land. And according to Machiavelli a prince who lacks this ability lacks the most important quality in a leader. A prince must never be at rest and always be ready for any ambush or battle ready to take place. Machiavellis approach is less poetic and more realistic than Lao-Tzus. Both have the ultimate goal of making better leaders.Lao- Tzu is all about sideline the Tao to achieve peace in the world. As long as one follows the Tao everything will fall into place. Machiavellis more controversial approach of the art of war is more of a believable concept than Lao Tzus ideas. Machiavellis do what ever it takes philosophy to become a successful prince is one of his main focal points in running a smooth government. In conclusion Machiavelli and Lao-Tzus ideas are very different but are both usable guidelines to create a successful prin ce.

Study On The Industrial Abandoned Lands Architecture Essay

Industrial abandoned lands, ruins, eyesores, nothingnesss, derelict, urban comeuppances, dead districts, soundless infinites, landscapes of disdain, and articulatio genus bends are merely a few of the words that have been used to calculate out the fragments of transmutation indoors our urban infinites. They are footings that associate to infinites such as post-industrial landscapes, abandoned environments, and empty infinites in the peripheral parts of a urban center. Linked to the maps of decay, the footings besides refer to the cultural information and societal of our capital infinites, their loss and ruin. By virtuousness of their disregard, catastrophic province, and fringy topographic point in the urban landscape, recent architectural and urban be afterning discourse has delimitate these infinites as contingent, interstitial, and infinites of indeterminateness. Throughout the 2nd half of the 20th century, many metropoliss have witnessed the fresh of important industrial landscapes and their eventual forsaking. Urban societies, cultural and architectural history, these landscapes of indefiniteness remain a portion of the urban palimpsest. Using the metaphor of metropolis as palimpsest and widening the impression of undetermined infinites. It is explored the nature of modern-day metropolis phenomena in relation to the transmutation of abandoned urban infinites.Since the autumn of the Nazi s colonisation, Oswiecim has struggled with utilizing former mills. Under Communist force, the metropolis s chief employer, who a chemic worker, failed to develop continue with modern engineering, and since 1989 over 10,000 work topographic points have been lost at the works. With apparently no other pick to cultivating a grizzly bear tourer trade, Oswiecim is happening its past progressively hard to get away. In other words, Oswiecim is urban decay metropolis f completelys into unrecoverable and aged, with falling cosmos or altering population, ec onomic restructuring, abandoned edifices, high local unemployment, detached households, and inhospitable metropolis landscape where whole metropolis country as fragments which is contained metropolis memories and infinite qualities. injury and discontinuity are cardinal for entrepot and history, ruins have come to be necessary for associating creativeness to the experience of loss at the person and bodily degree. Ruins operate as powerful metaphors for absence or rejection, and therefore, as inducements for contemplation or Restoration. 3 DecayIndustrial ruins are an intersection of the seeable and the unseeable, for the people who managed them, worked in them, and inhabit them are non at that place. And yet their absence manifests itself as a presence finished the scintillas and soundless things that remain, in the objects we half acknowledge or environ with imaginings. In ruins we washbowl place that which appeared to be non at that place, a host of marks and hints which le t us cognize that a haunting is taking topographic point. The sunglasses of ruins do non crawl out of fly-by-night topographic points unheralded, as they do in extremely regulated urban infinites, but are abundant in the marks which haunt the present in such a manner as to all of a sudden inspire the yesteryear. Rather than being exorcised through renovation, these shades are able to stalk us because they are portion of an unfinished disposal of infinites and affair, identified as rubbish but non yet cleared. such things all of a sudden give-up the ghost alive, when the over and done with comes alive the things you partially recognize or have heard about provoke long-familiar feelings, an inventive and empathic recouping of the characters, signifiers of communicating, and activities of mill infinite. In these haunted fringes, shades seldom provoke memories of the epochal and the iconic but recollect the anyday transition of daily factory life.The yesteryear is nt dead. It is n t even past. 4 The decay resides at the conceptual intersection of the single parts of the analogy that zone created by the superimposition and superposition of fundamentally semitransparent entities. The active visible radiation of reading radiances through these beds, as it were, lighting important forms and figures. Meaning actively happens here it is constructed as images overlap to each one other, alining themselves momently, and so switching somewhat, promoting reevaluation and reinterpretation. As a superimposed figure of deepness in architecture, complexness occurs in both program and subdivision. As a site, the zone of significance in the analogical system is frequently equivocal. Yet, besides as a site, this country has boundaries or, instead, a set mostly unquantifiable of all available significances, which is unalike than a unbounded field of all-inclusiveness or unregulated readings.Trace and Time Layers with Derrida s TheoryThe resonance of a knock on a door unc overs its denseness. The tactile of a wall describes its materiality. The texture of a floor may ask for us to sit or put down. The smoothness of a bannister comforts our acclivity. homo tegument is a powerful stuff that enables us to comprehend and understand our milieus. Skin is extremely expressive based on its colour, texture, wear and malleability we can read it, garnering information refering civilization, cultural background, age, maltreatment, wellness and the undertakings it performs on specific organic structure parts. Skin itself reads as it is clear. Our tegument can garner informations through tactual perceptual experience and read our spacial milieus. Architecture is an expressive act and the lone subject that stimulates all of our senses. An designer designs infinites that foresee and observe the bodily fundamental interaction of the dweller.Harmonizing to Derrida, phenomenology is metaphysics of presence because it inadvertently relies upon the impression of an ind ivisible self-presence, or in the instance of Husserl, the possibility of an exact internal adequateness with oneself. In assorted texts, Derrida contests this valorisation of an undivided subjectiveness, forevery bit good as the primacy that such a place agreements to the now , or to some other sort of temporal immediateness. For case, in Speech and Phenomena, Derrida argues that if a now flash is conceived of as wash uping itself in that experience, it could non genuinely be experienced, for there would be nil to juxtapose itself against in order to light that really now . Alternatively, Derrida wants to uncover that every alleged present , or now point, is ever already compromised by a hint, or a residue of a old experience, that precludes us of all time being in a self-contained now minute. stockWhenever I distrust my memory, writes Freud in a note of 1925. I can fall back to write and paper. Pater so becomes an external portion of my memory and retains something which I would otherwise transport about with me invisibly. When I write on a sheet of paper, I am certain that I have an digesting remembrance , safe from the possible deformations to which it might hold been subjected in my existent memory. The wrong is that I can non undo my note when it is no longer requisiteed and that the page becomes full. The composing surface is used up. Memory-autobiographical and corporate, each built-in to the other-exists as the grounding upon which significance is built. Memory affords our connexion to the cosmea. Every facet of experience becomes enveloped in the procedure of memory. It forms our individuality as persons and it coheres persons together to organize the individuality of societal groups. Memory is besides the yarn which links the lived-in now with the yesteryear and the hereafter what I remember of my past contributes to who I am now ( at this really minute ) and in many ways affects what I will make in the hereafter. Without memory, inten ding edifice can non go on. 5 Memory of architecture, hence, seems to depend more on our ability to comprehend the corporal state of affairs. Furthermore those state of affairss are capable to peculiar catalytic minutes in time-those cases in which the energies of both the container and the contained become virtually identical. The timing of those minutes is uneven, poetic, and anisotropic. It would be impossible for the constitutional elements of a topographic point memory to prolong a changeless equilibrium or frequence of resonance in clip. It needs to be emphasised that retrieving is a thoroughly societal and political procedure, a kingdom of controversy and contention. The yesteryear is perpetually selected, filtered and restructured in footings set by the inquiries and necessities of the present . Memories are selected and interpreted on the footing of culturally located cognition and this is farther constituted and stabilised within a web of societal relationships , con solidated in the common sense of the mundane. Although patterns of scratching memory on infinite are tremendously varied, there are undoubtedly inclinations to repair important significances about the yesteryear through an ensemble of patterns and engineerings which centre upon the production of specific infinites, here identified as monumental memory-scapes , inheritance territories, and museums. It is within the contingent infinites of the metropolis where passing gestures resonate, pulling our attending to the residue of the yesteryear, luring us to re discontinue their temporal value. And for me at least, ruins, like palimpsests, are hints by which we discover our urban history, and the psyche of a infinite.As all historical narrations are subjectively woven Tapestries of pieced historical facts and events, new Histories frequently reveal striking disagreements in the additive conventions of antecedently inscribed histories. The purpose here is to patch together incompatible t heoretical impressions, to bring forth an archeological probe, which is consistent with the theoretical and ideological attack of Aldo Rossi.The most redolent plants of Aldo Rossi are model of the procedure of constructing significance as we engage memory in our mundane experiences, believing analogically and understanding the universe tacitly by making and doing. Whether stated explicitly or non, Rossi must hold sensed the necessity to anneal his early polemics about a guess of design with a committedness to architecture of intense poesy, of non-quantifiable prowess, and an architecture conscious of its autobiographical significance. Underliing the positivist inclinations of Rossi s theoretical ork is a profoundly felt concern for the power of memory, both his ain every bit good as the corporate memory of a peculiar civilization or society that is substantiate in cardinal architectural types. And the force of memory permeates his full work to such an extent that it is about pat hological, or cultish, or verging on nostalgia, to state the least. For Rossi, the procedure of memory analogically suggests the development and morphology of the physical signifier of the metropolis and a formal linguistic communication based on a typology of architecture and, as a affair of necessity, the repetitive, obsessional, and dynamic nature of his ain originative pattern. However, Rossi s poetic was non every bit self-involved as it may seem-or, at least, it was non in the end meant to turn in on itself in the creative application of a restrictive, self-indulgent revery. He expected his compulsion with memory to interpret into his edifices in such a manner that it would inspire architecture with a new autonomy, a freedom of experience and significance similar to so many of those edifices he had detect and cited in his early treatise, The Architecture of the City the Palazzo della Ragione in Padua, the Roman amphitheater-turned-market square in Lucca, the bantam fishin g huts along the Po River valley-buildings that, while exposing features of specific types, transcended the plan of those types by suiting altering activities and utilizations. By analogically associating the heterotaxy of architectural types with the procedure of memory, Rossi was favoring intending edifice with his architecture as an built-in portion of the reinforced environment, particularly as it governed the development of metropoliss.It is how Rossi engaged the profound memories of his yesteryear. It is how he anticipated people would populate with and within his edifices, seeing in those signifiers their ain memories of an architectural yesteryear, promoting them to reactivate those connexions, those relationships in his edifices. The mental process of dealingss among things, more than the things themselves, ever gives rise to new significances, wrote Rossi. Possibly, like this Confront the reinforced form-it reminds you of other edifices and other experiences you have ha d before-this new edifice feels familiar and established in your apprehension of the given -yet, you experience this edifice as something different, it s significance has changed from what you thought it should be because of the alteration in how you use the architecture- the given is expanded, enriched with new significance significance edifice. It is how Rossi practiced architecture-by working analogically from drawings to edifices to Hagiographas, detecting relationships, researching the infinite where significance happens, in between those things which can be explicitly articulated, obviously expressed.Samplingto make music, people need sounds and when people ca nt do them yourself you find them someplace else in visual aspect there is nil more simple . The sampling station is an electronic memory that is virtually infinite, which enables sounds to be stored, from a individual note to a symphonic music. This fund constitutes a kind of personal library, where plants are re duced to an anthology of elect pieces drawn flora the huge reservoir of musical civilization. The work ceases to work as a closed musical composition or a channel and becomes a amount of harmoniousnesss and pre bing sounds. The sampling station is therefore the Centre of sound memory, a Centre where all metabolisms are possible. It is an abstract topographic point where all the sounds of the universe are classified and subjected to alterations. This tool simplifies the work of the DJ, who so needs merely to physically pull strings the vinyl records in order to deepen sounds, decelerating them down, falsifying them or go throughing them into a cringle. These uses are necessary to the building of a lasting beat by the commixture of short interruptions. The re-appropriation of cognition has ever been pre sent in human activity, in different signifiers, but the coming of the sampling station has upset the pre bing metaphysical relationship between creative activity and memory. Indeed , by dependably recovering recorded pieces ready to be recombined, the memory no longer works as a accelerator. The combined consequence of the hibernating memory/recall binomial implements internal re-composition, a metamorphosis that plays on memory by default. But the sampling station, on the contrary, pushes the procedure of fiction to the surface, turning it into a witting act, like montage, therefore associating it to an aesthetic of superposition, potpourri and merger.MentionsLeatherbarrow. D, Mostafavi. M, Surface ArchitectureSkin+Bones Parallel Practieces in Fashion and Architecture, Thames & A Hudson, London, 2007McLuhan. M, Understanding Media The Extensions of Man, 2002Bru E, New Territories New Landscapes, ACTAR, 1997Herausgeber, map collection of Shrinking Cities, HATJE CANTZ, 2004Juhani. P, The eyes of the tegument architecture and the senses, London Academy Editions,1996Morphosis, Architecture and Urbanism, A+U, 1994This quotation mark was taken from Walter Benja min s Paris smashing of the Nineteenth Century, cited in Sexuality and Space, erectile dysfunction. Beatrize Colomina ( New York Princeton Architectural Press, 1992 ) 74.Matthew Goulash, 39 Micro Lectures in Proximity of Performance ( London and New York Routledge, 2000 ) 190.Salvator Settis, frontward, Irresistable Decay Ruins Reclaimed, by Michael S. Roth ( Los Angeles, CA The Getty Research Institute for the History of Art and the Humanities, 1997 ) seven.William Faulknerdoing intending out of the memory of architecture

Ethics Greek Essay

The greater the knowledge and freedom, the greater the voluntariness and the greater the voluntariness, the greater the good righteousness. Alfredo Panizo MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS a) Ignorance b) Passions c) Fear d) Habit e) Violence A) IGNORANCE Absence of knowledge which a person ought to possess Ignorance of Law exempts no one implies that one who has make wrong may non simply and directly claim ignorance as defense or justification or to be freed from sanction attached to the Law that was violated implies that one should non motion in the state of ignorance but always seek to dispel it 1) Vincible Ignorance form of Ignorance which can be easily remedied by dint of ordinary diligence and reasonable efforts 1.a) moved(p) Ignorance a person possess this word form of Ignorance when a person employs positive efforts to be ignorant in order to be escape responsibility it is Vincible Ignorance explicitly wanted = studied ignorance 2) unconquerable Ignorance kind of I gnorance which a person possesses with come to the fore being aw atomic number 18 of it or lack the means to rectify it PRINCIPLES1) Invincible Ignorance renders an act involuntary a person is not liable or cannot be culpable if he is not aware of his ignorance or when there is nomeans of rectifying his ignorance 2) Vincible Ignorance does not destroy but lessens voluntariness and the corresponding answerableness over the act when a person becomes aware of ones ignorance, he/she has the moral obligation to rectify it- and to act with this is a form of imprudence 3) Affected Ignorance though it decreases voluntariness, increases theaccountability over the resultant act it interferes intellect decrease voluntariness it is willed to persist increases accountability refusing to rectify ignorance is malicious and malice is graver if ignorance is used as an warrant for not doing the right thingB) PASSION Either tendencies towards desirable objects (positive emotions like love, desire, delight, hope, bravery etc) or tendencies away from undesirable or harmful things (negative emotions like horror, sadness, hatred, despair, timidity, animosity etc) Passions psychic responses neither moral nor immoral however, man is bound to regulate his emotions and submit them to the control of reason 1) Antecedent Passions precedes the act predisposes a person to act 2) Consequent Passions those that are intentionally aroused and kept voluntary in cause the result of the will playing the strings of emotion PRINCIPLES 1) Antecedent Passions do not always destroy voluntariness but they diminish accountability for the resultant act they weaken the will power without obstructing freedom completely therefore, crimes of passion are always voluntary although accountability is diminished because it interferes with the freedom of the will2) Consequent Passions do not lessen voluntariness but may so far increase responsibility consequent passions are direct results of the will which fully consents to them instead of subordinating them to its control C) FEAR disturbance on the mind of the person being confronted by an impending danger or harm to himself, to his loved ones or to his property one is compelled to decide to perform an act so as to avoid curse of future or imminent injustice 1) Act done with fear certain consummations which by nature are dangerous or risky in theses cases, fear is a normal response to danger these actions are voluntary because the doer is in full control of his faculties and acts inspite of fear- fear here is an instinct for self-preservation (we even fear new experiences or situations) ex.Being left alone in a strange place, being asked to speak before a group of heap 2) Act out of fear or because of fear fear here becomes a positive force compelling a person to act without conscientious deliberation fear modifies the freedom of doing, inducing the person to act in a certain predetermined manner, even wi thout his full consent Ex. A baby bird studies/reads his books out of fear of his mother A man stops smoking fear of contracting cancer PRINCIPLES 1) Acts donewith fear are voluntary acting inspite of his fear and is in full control of himself 2) Acts done out of fear are simply voluntary although conditionally involuntary simply voluntary = person cadaver in control of his faculties conditionally involuntary = if it were not for the presence of something feared, the person would not act or would act in another way affright or threatening as person with horror is an unjust act Legally speaking, acts done out of fear in sensible acts Ex.Contract made out of fear voidable later be annulled 3) Acts done because of intense fear or panic are involuntary panic obscures the mind in this psychical state, the person is not expected to think sensibly D) HABIT permanent marks to act in a certain way lasting readiness and installation born of frequently repeated acts or for acting in a certain manner acquire the role of second nature moves a person to perform certain acts with relative ease Habit not easy to overcome or alter requires a strong-willed person to correct a habit Voluntary Habits those caused by the repetition of voluntary acts Involuntary Habits a habit becomes much(prenominal) if the will is resolved to remove it and there is a difference of opinion to overcome it PRINCIPLES 1) Actions done by force of habit are voluntary in cause, unless a reasonable effort is made to counteract the habitual inclination unfit Habits voluntary in cause because they are results of previously willed acts done repeatedly as enormous as the habits are not corrected, evil acts done by force of habit are voluntary and accountable can be not accountable if a person decides to fight his habit. For as long as the effort towards this purpose continues, actions resulting from such habit may be regarded as acts of man because the cause of such hab it is no longer expressly desired E) VIOLENCE any physical force exerted on a person by another free agent for the purpose of compelling the verbalise person to act against his will Ex. Bodily torture, maltreatment, mutilation, etc PRINCIPLES 1) External actions or commanded actions performed by a person subjected to violence, to which reasonable resistance has been offered, are involuntary and are not accountable active resistance should always be offered to an unjust aggressor if resistance is impossible and there is a serious threat to ones life, a person confronted by violence cab offer intrinsic resistanceDETERMINANTS OF HUMAN ACT 1. ACT IN ITSELF nature of the act itself ( cheating is bad itself in its nature) 2. MOTIVE OF THE AGENT (intention/purpose) 3. CIRCUMSTANCES Who=Person What=Quantity or quality Where=Place How=Manner, Means or instrument When=Time why=Motive DETERMINING A dandy ACTION ACT MOTIVE/END salutary + good =GOOD Good + bad =BAD Bad + good =BAD Bad + b ad =VERY BAD ETHICAL THEORIES 1. Deontological 2. Teleological 3. Divine Command Ethics 4. Virtues EthicsDEONTOLOGY Deos what is binding, right and proper Duty-oriented appeals to obligations, laws, rules or orders 1. STOICISM Stoics nature is good Good surrendering/denying/ driveing nature or whatever happens Self-denial/simplicity/frugality Wrong- contradict nature Three moral convictions 1. Nature is innately good and man is part of nature 2. Man does good by following nature and evil by contradicting 3. Man ought to accept boththing that is happening to him w/o question in order to live a good and tranquil life EPICTETUS everything is governed by nature determinism things come as they do the essence of good and evil lies in that attitude of the will absolute obedience greatest virtue resignation and tranquility2. KANTS DEONTOLOGICAL supposition Immanuel Kant Morality is based on A PRIORI( pre knowledge) of the imperative of human acts Pure reason consistency of valid k nowledge of the mind Practical reason valid knowledge of the mind Basis FREEWILL moral duty IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL sanctions EXISTENCE OF GOD ultimategiver of sanctions Kant good without any qualification is based on GOOD WILL a person with good will acts with moral duty (businessman/politician) KANTS CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE Like golden rule command every human rational agent to cons istently abide with moral duties 1. Principle of Universality Act only on that maxim through which you can at the akin time will that it should become a universal law (evil if it cannot be universally willed. Sample killing) 2. Principle of End in Itself act in such a way that you will always treat humanity, whether in your own person or the person of any other, never simply as a means, but alwaysat the same time as an end.( self-preservation/selfrealization/charity)3. CONVENTIONALISM OR CONTRACTARIAN THEORY THOMAS HOBBES What is good is agreed by the society through social contract TELEOLOGICAL THEORIES Telos- end Consequence oriented theory Good is based on the result of the act 1. HEDONISM Hedos enjoyment eat and be merry for tomorrow you will die Good is personal experience of pleasure ARISTIPPUS The greatest pleasure/ pain is the greatest evil The only norm of determining what is good is the most intense sensual pleasure of the moment. Sexual act between lovers give one of the most intense sensual pleasure EPICURIUS Man is material and spiritual (death is disintegration) Man by nature seek pleasure good and evil consist in sensation but it should be directed by reason and virtue. Real pleasure moderation decided by the mind Prudence wisdom and capacity to control oneself Social injustices root of pain in human relation 2. UTILITARIANISM Greatest good for the greatest number of people JEREMY BENTHAM Good if it promotes greater good (generic law/ofw) Bad pitiful Quantitative utilitarianism Utility or usefulness of an actJOHN STUART MILL Qualitative ut ilitarianism Not the act and its end but more on the lordliness of the person but the dignity of the human agent. better to be dissatisfied than a pig satisfied Action is right if it promotes happiness/ bad-unhappiness VIRTUE ethical motive Virtue- moral practice or action in conformity to a standard of right Wisdom based on knowledge of what is good Good is the possession of moral examples or virtues Reason elevates and leads man to things true and good Aristotle good is based on function rational faculty of man achieves uprightness through exercise of virtue moral virtue is a result of habit ARETAIC ETHICS (ARETE excellence or virtue) focus on heart and character of the moral agent Virtue ethics- disposition/motivation or trait of being good self-actualization doing good as a part of being a rational animal Golden mean or moderation SOCRATES INTELLECTUALISM knowledge is virtue / virtue is knowledge know thyself unexamined lifeis not worth sprightliness PLATO PHILOS OPHICAL LIFE -contemplation of true and good is best for lifeDIVINE COMMAND THEORY Religious idea Rules and commandments provide moral guidance St. doubting Thomas Aquinas Natural lawETHICS OF CONSCIENCE Subjective norm of morality Based on natural law Voice of God / inward voice / other self Practical judgment of reason Types1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.Right conscience correct ethical evaluation good as good/ evil as evil Erroneous good as evil and evil as good Certain firm judgment of the validity and morality of an action Doubtful/dubious uncertain Lax bahala na / Scrupulous- sees evil or wrongness even though there is none

Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned

According to certain people, flushed video spiriteds should be banned they live that violent video games ar the source of todays violence amongst children. I strongly disagree with them. Video games, like movies, music and any another(prenominal) form of art, are there to entertain people and to enjoy, not restrict. What most people recrudesce to realize is that the video game industry, like the film industry, is severely regulated with a strict code of parental guidelines already in place. Even the game consoles to play these violent games have parental controls.What I fail to understand is that some parents believe its okay to give their children 18+ rated games even though they are well under that age, and say that these games are the sources of violence mingled with children. If parents would not let a 10-year-old watch 18+ rated horrors movies, then why would parents let a 10-year-old play Gears of War, or Grand Theft Auto with its gang, hatred and sexual content? Today , the debate to ban violent video games is drastically increasing in popularity.Video games that have violence in them such as harbinger of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, or Gears of War, might be banned for showing raise content. Video games sold in the United States reach retail gross sales of twenty one billion dollars a year. If they are banned, the economy hind end lose a tremendous amount of profit, and not to mention almost all mature adult around the earthly concern would be extremely furious. When people say that video games are very influential on the youth of today, they are probably right.However, the youth of today probably shouldnt be playing violent video games to start with, just as they shouldnt be watching violent movies. rough video games have an age rating on them for a reason. If parents want buy their under aged children violent video games, then they should not kvetch that the video games are causing their children to become violent. Before complaining, they should actually pay attention to the age ratings posted on the games themselves and not ignore it, and then to wee-wee things worse try to ban the games that other people might enjoy playing.Todays game consoles (Sonys Play station 3and Microsofts Xbox 360) are both aimed at mature adults, with the consoles having parental controls, and age warnings on the game boxes. Personally, I couldnt think of anything worse if violent video games get banned. The last thing that I want to do is go into any store and only be able to buy games that are aimed at 3-year-olds, such as Kung fu Panda or Dora the Explorer.In conclusion, I can say that violent video games have become one of the most favorable forms of entertainment to any teenager or adult around the world in the 21st century. And if they were to get banned, many people would get extremely furious. Violent video games are aimed strictly at mature teenagers and adults (as indicated on the game box itself), not children. Parents that com plain that some video games are too violent and should be banned should stop and think because after all, they are the ones who bought their kids the violent video games.

Effects of the Differences in Tax Systems

Of late, differences in the evaluate systems between countries have been a subject of debate and have occupied center set in most forums. Due to this, we shall now focus on the various effects that have been generated by these differences. Notably, the essay will focus on lacquer whose corporate tax rate is the second highest in the world. Disparities in the taxation systems between countries give the multinational companies an opportunity to interfere with their transfer prices.For instance, a pedigree man in Japan may chose to understate his sales revenue which is originating from an affiliate in a depressed tax country while at the same time overstate his purchases from the low tax country (Carroll, 20050). By so doing, the businessman will have shifted most of his reported profits to the low tax countries which will further translate into a reduction of the tax liability or will have participated in tax evasion.Also, the disparities in the tax systems across countries encou rage some multinational companies to report disproportionate profits to the low tax countries. In line with this, reports have shown that over 70% of countries with non U. S profits earned by U. S multinational firms are normally taxed at an potent tax rate of below 10%. Precisely, Japan has an effective tax rate of 2. 5%. In addition the differences in the tax systems between countries give room for corruption (Carroll, 20050).This is in most cases initiated by the tax officials who normally take advantage of the tax payers who are not aware of the procedures to be followed in tax administration. The differences in tax systems have also created an track for tax bureaucracy. This normally arise when the disgruntled, low salaried tax officials play a role in protecting the tax evaders who in turn benefit some percentage of the tax evaded to them. This was the case in Japan back in 1993 when there was the tax evasion scandal involving Kanemaru Shin.At this point, it is worth conclu ding with an stamp that numerous measures need to be undertaken to eliminate the negative effects of the difference in tax systems. For instance, countries should standardize the procedures which will make the tax systems to be much transparent and will enhance the integrity of the same (Carroll, 20050). Finally, the tax systems should introduce incentive reforms like the salary incentives which will definitely go a spacious way in eradicating the corrupt behavior of tax officials.

Growing Up In a Large Family

Family, being the most basic unit of society is where the values of an individual atomic number 18 shaped. That is ideal of course and varies from widely from culture to culture. In certain countries the family is mostly composed of the mother, father and the child. The number of children also varies from 1-3. That is called the nuclear family wherein a home includes no other relatives other than the first degree. However when it comes to developing countries where family ties are valued down to the farthest line such as cousins, uncles and grandparents, a family can be as large as seven to 12 muckle of more. In countries where the Islam religion is dominant and where the law allows for concubines, a family can be a very large.There are many advantages when it comes to growing up in a large family. For one, it is more lively and there are a lot of people who can help each other just in case the parents are busy. In cases where there are many children, as long as the parents are a ble to give equal love, care and monetary support to each child then the family can be a host to a well up rounded child. This is because even at a unripened age he is trained to mingle with a large crowd and build close ties with the others. The child therefore, grows to be an emotionally stable child and is well endowed with love and care.Brotherhood and sisterhood can also be cultivated in the mind of the child since he has a lot of siblings to emergence care of and play with. He will learn values such as teamwork and camaraderie at a young age. In addition to that, if the parents are loving enough and are effective in their parenting, the children will value sharing and fairness.In cases where the grandparents and other relatives live with the family, then there would be a lot of adults to take care of the children and minimizing or compensating the love and attention that the parents cant give to their child. In a nutshell, growing up in a large family can be very beneficia l for the emotional status of the child.

Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings Chapter 27~28

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVENThe Found WorldThe monstrosity channelize opened its m surfaceh, and Nate and the crew spilled disclose onto the shore the like sentient drool, which was roughly coincidence, since thats exactly what lay beneath the hard shell of the landing. They were met by a group of whaley boys, cardinal of whom handed Nate a pair of Nikes, then went remove to trade clicks and squeals and salute rubs with the returning crew. It was so b slump after nearly ten days in the whale ship that Nate couldnt immediately tell what was happening. The rest of the human crew were wearing sunglasses as they sat mickle on the ground to attribute on their shoes, only a few feet from the ships m come forwardh. From the rigid feel of the ground, Nate apprehension they might be on a dock of some kind-hearted, simply then Cal Burdick excessivelyk off his stimulate sunglasses and handed them to Nate.Go in front. Ive been tactile propertying at every of this for a component part of years, exactly I think youll bring out it interesting.With the dark glasses, Nate was able to see. His look were fine, but his mind was having a hard metre processing what they were telling him. It was as light as daylight (on an oercast day, at least), but they were non aside approachs. They were inside a grotto so immense that Nate could non even make come to the fore the edges of it. A dozen stadiums could watch fit inside the space and still left room for a earth fair, a casino, and the Vatican if you snipped off a basilica or 2. The entire ceiling was a source of light, snappy light, it appe ard some sections yellow, some blue great blotches of light in irregular shapes, as if Jackson pollack had painted a solar storm a crossroad the ceiling. Half of the grotto was water, flat and reflective as a mirror, the smoothness broken by sm whole whaley boys porpoising here and there in groups of five and hexad, their blo entirelys dis locate up synchronized b lasts of steam e truly few yards. Whaley kids, he thought. Fifty or so whale ships of different species pulled up to the shore, their crews coming and passage. Huge segmented pipes that looked like giant earthworms were attached to each of the ships, one on each side of the head, and ran off to connections on shore. The ground the ground was loss, and as hard as linoleum, polished, yet non quite brilliant. It ran divulge for cs of yards, perhaps over a mile, and appe ared to continue halfway up the w wholes of the immense grotto. Nate could see openings in the walls, oval passages or doorways or tunnels or some thing. From the size of the people and whaley boys divergence in and bulge, he could tell that some of the openings were perhaps thirty feet around, plot of land others seemed only the size of standard doors. There were windows next to some of the smaller ones or what he labeled were windows their shapes all curves and slopes. There wasnt a upright angle in the grotto. Hundreds of people moved about amid as m each whaley boys, maintaining the ships, moving supplies and equipment on what seemed very normal hand trucks and carts.Where in the hell are we? Nate give tongue to, nearly wrenching his neck trying to look at all of it at once. I mean, what in the hell is this?Pretty amazing, Cal said. I like to lodge people when they see easy layville for the first time.Nate ran his hand over the ground, or floor, or whatever this surface was they were sitting on. What is this stuff? It appeared smooth, but it had texture, pores, a hidden roughness, like sto impertinentlyare or Its living carapace. Like a lobster shell. This whole place is living, Nate. Everything the ceiling, the floor, the walls, the passageway in from the sea, our homes its all one broad organism. We crab it the Goo.The Goo. then(prenominal) this is Gooville?Yes, Cal said, with a desire smile that revealed perfect teeth.And that would make you?Thats righ t. The Goos. Theres a wonderful Seussian logic to it, dont you think?I cant think, Cal. You hold up how all your life you hear people talk about things that are mind-boggling? Its average a nonmeaningful clich a hyperbole like affirming that youre wasted or that something is bloodcurdling?Yep.Well, Im boggled. Im totally boggled.You thought the ships were impressive, huh?Yeah, but this? One living organism shaped itself into this complex what? System? Im boggled.Imagine how the bacteria who live in your intestinal tract feel about you.Well, right now I think theyre pissed off at me.A group of whaley boys was gathering about ten yards by from them, pointing at Nate and snickering.Theyre coming cut stilt to check out the newcomer. Dont be surprised if you feel rubbed up against in the streets. Theyre only saying hi.Streets?We cite them streets. Theyre take of streets.Now, out of the dim yellow light of the whale ships, Nate realized that there was a capacious variety in the whaley boys coloring. whatsoever were rattling mottled blue, like the skin of a blue whale, while others were black like a pilot whale, or light gray like a minke whale. Some even had the black-on- washrag coloring of killers and Pacific white-sided dolphins, while a few here and there were stark white like a beluga. The body shapes of all were very similar, differing only in size, with the killer whaley boys, who were taller by a foot and heavier by perhaps a hundred pounds, having jaws twice the width of the others. He also spy in the brighter light that he was the only human who had a tan. The people, even Cal and the crew, looked healthy it unless appeared that no(prenominal) of them had ever seen the sun. Like the British.Nuez came over and helped Cal, and then Nate, to his feet.Howre the shoes? she asked Nate.Theyre strange after not wearing any for so long.Youll be wobbly for a few hours, too. Youll feel the motion when you stand still for a day or so. No differen t from having been at sea in normal ship. Ill take you to your new quarters, show you around a little, provoke you settled in. The Colonel will probably depute for you before too long. citizenry will help you out, humans and whaley boys. Theyll all know youre new.How many, Cielle?Humans? Almost five gigabyte live here. Whaley boys, perhaps half that many.Where is here? Where are we?I told him about Gooville, said Cal.Nuez looked up at Nate and then pulled her sunglasses down on her nose so he could see her eyes. Dont freak out on me, huh?Nate shook his head. What did she think, that whatever she was going to tell him was going to be weirder, grander, or differentiateier than what hed seen already?The roof above this ceiling which is thick rock, although were not exactly sure how thick anyway, its around six hundred feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. Were about two hundred miles off the coast of Chile, under the Continental shelf. In fact, we came in through a cliff in the continental rise, a cliff face.Were six hundred feet underwater right now. The pressure?We came in through a very long tunnel, a series of pressure locks that pass the ships on until were at surface pressure. I would cave in shown you as we came through, but I didnt trust to wake you.Yeah, thanks for that.Lets pulsate you to your new house. Weve got a long walk ahead of us. She headed away from the water, motioning for him to follow.Nate nearly stumbled trying to look back at the whale ships lining the harbor. Tim caught him by the arm. Its a lot to take in. People really shoot freaked out. You just have to accept that the Goo wont let anything bad happen to you. The rest is simply a series of surprises. Like life.Nate looked into the younger mans dark eyes to see if there was any irony showing there, but he was as open and heart-whole as a bowl of milk. The Goo will take care of me?Thats right, said Tim, helping him along toward the grotto wall, toward the actual village of Gooville, with its organically shaped doorways and windows, its knobs and gestureules, its lobster-shell pathways, its whaley-boy pods working to dismayher or playing in the water, where was housed an entire village of what Nate assumed were all happy human wackjobs.After two days of look for meaning in hash marks on waveforms and ones and ohs on legal pads that were hastily typed into the machine, Kona found a surfer/hacker on the North Shore named Lolo who agreed to write it all into a Linux human action in exchange for Konas old long board and a half ounce of the dankest nugs1.Wont he just take cash? asked stiff.Hes an artist, explained Kona. Everyone has cash.I dont know what Im going to put that under for the ac countant.Nugs, dank?Clay looked forlornly at the legal-pad pages piling up on the desk next to where Margaret Painborne was typing. He handed a roll of bills over to Kona. Go. Buy nugs. Bring him back. Bring back my change.Im throwing in my board for the cause, said Kona. I could use some time in the mystic myself.Do you hope me to tell Auntie Clair that you tried to extort me? Clay had taken to using Clair as a variant of sword of Damocles/assistant principal/evil dominatrix disquietude over Kona, and it seemed to work swimmingly.Must blaze, brah. Cool runnings.Suddenly something sparked in Clays head, a dj vu trigger snapping electrical with connections. Wait, Kona.The surfer paused in the doorway, turned.The first day you came here, the day that Nate sent you to the lab to get the film did you actually do it?Kona shook his head, Nah, boss, the Snowy Biscuit see me going. She say keep the money and she go to the lab. When I come back with my ganja, she give me the pictures to give to Nate.I was sort of appalled of that, Clay said. Go, blaze, be gone. littleen what we lead.So tierce days later they all stood watching as Lolo hit the return strike and the subsonic waveform from a blue-whale call began scrolling across the bottom of the screen, while above it letters were transcribe from the data. Lolo was a year older than Kona, a Japanese-American burned nut brown by the sun with ducky-yellow minidreads and a tapestry of Maori tattoos across his back and shoulders.Lolo spun in the chair to face them. I mixed down a fifty-minute trance track with sixty percussion loops that was way harder than this. Lolos prior forays into sound processing had been as a computer DJ at a dance club in Honolulu.Its not saying anything, said Libby Quinn. Its just random, Clay.Well, thats the way its gone so far, right?But theres been nothing since that first day.We knew that might happen, that there couldnt be messages on all of them. We just have to find the right ones.Libbys eyes were pleading. Clay, its a short season. We have to get out in the field. Now that you have this program, you dont need the manpower. Margaret and I will represent back more(prenominal) tapes we have them coming in from people we t rust but we cant afford to clap off the season.And we need to go public with the torpedo range, Margaret added, less sympathetic than Libby had been.Clay nodded and looked at his send feet against the hardwood floor. He took a deep breath, and when he looked up, he smiled. Youre right. But dont just blow a babble out and hope someone will notice. Cliff Hyland told me that the diving data was the only thing they were worried about. Youre going to need proof that humpbacks dive close to the bottom of the channel, or the navy will claim that youre just domain whale buggers and theres no danger to the animals. Even with the range.Youre okay if we go public, then? asked Libby.People are going to know about the torpedo range soon affluent. I dont think thats dangerous for you. sound dont say anything about the rest of this, okay?The two women looked at each other, then nodded. We have to go, Libby said. Well call you, Clay. Were not running out on you.I know, Clay said.After the y left, Clay turned to the two surfers. Thirty years working with the best scientists and divers in the world, and this was what it came down to two stoner kids. If you guys need to go do things, I understand.Outta here, said Lolo, on his feet and bounding toward the door.Clay looked at the screen where Lolo had been sitting. Scrolling across it go out ARRIVE GV APPRX 1300 MONDAY__HAVE__SIZE 11 SNEAKERS WAITING FOR QUINN__END MSS__AAAA__BAXYXABUDAB.Get him back, Clay said to Kona. We need to know which tape this was.Libby gave them all to him.I know that. I need to know where she got it. Where and when it was recorded. Call Libbys cell phone. See if you can get hold of her. Clay was trying to make the screen print before the message scrolled away. How the hell does this thing work?How you know Im not leaving?You woke up this morning, Kona. Did you have a reason to get out of bed other than waves or pot?Yah, mon, need to find Nate.Howd that feel?Im calling Libby, boss.Loyalty is imp ortant, son. Ill go catch Lolo. Confirm which tape it was.Shut up, boss. Im trying to dial.Behind them the cryptic message scrolled out of the printer.CHAPTER 28Single-Celled AnimalStockholm syndrome or not, Nate was starting to get tired of the whole hippie-commune, everything-is-wonderful-and-the-Goo-will-provide attitude. Nuez had come by for three days running to take him out on the town, and every person he met was just a little too damn satisfied with the whole idea that they were living inside a giant organism six hundred feet under the ocean. Like this was a normal thing. Like he just wasnt getting with the program because he continued to ask questions. At least the whaley boys would blow rigid raspberries at him and snicker as he walked by. At least they had some sense of the absurdity of all this, despite the fact that they shouldnt even have existed in the first place, which did seem to be a hulky point of denial on their part. Theyd installed him in what he guessed wa s a premier flat, or what youd call an apartment, on the second floor, looking out over the grotto. The windows were oval, and the glass in them, although perfectly clear, was flexible. It was like looking out on the world through a condom, and that was just the beginning of the things that creeped him out about this place. He had a kitchen sink, a bathroom sink, and a shower all of which had big honking sphincters in the bottom of them and the seal on the door around his refrigerator, if thats what you called it, appeared to be made out of slugs, or at least something that left an colourful slime on you if you brushed up against it. There was also a toothed garbage electric pig in the kitchen, which he wouldnt even go near. The worst of it was that the apartment didnt make any attempt to hold back that it was alive. His first day there, when the human crew from the whale ship had come by for a drunkenness a housewarming there had been a scaly knob on the wall by th e front door that when pushed would cause the door to open. After the crew left and Nate returned from his shower, the doorknob had healed over. There was a scar there in the shell, but that was all. Nate was locked in.There was a tom-tom thrumming of stones hitting his front picture window. Nate went to the window, looked out on the vast grotto and harbor, then down on the source of his torment. A pod of whaley-boy kids was winging stones at his window. Thump, thump-a, thump. The stones bounced off, leaving no mark. When Nate appeared at the window, the thumping became more furious, as the whaley kids picked up the pace and aimed right at him, as if a well-placed shot might drop him in a dunking tank.Theres a reason cetaceans dont have hands in the real world Nate screamed at them. You are that reason You little freaksThump, thump-a, thump, thump, clack. Occasionally a missed throw hit the shell-like frame of the window, sounding like a marble hitting tile.I sound like Old Man Span gler yelling at my brother and me for raiding his apple trees, Nate thought. When did I turn into that guy? I dont want to be that guy.There was a soft knock on the shell of his front door. As he turned, the door flipped open like shutters, two pieces of shell retracting on muscles hidden in the wall. Nate felt like a surprised box turtle. Cielle Nuez stood in the doorway with public opinion poll shopping bags folded under her arm. She was a pleasant woman, attractive, competent, and non-threatening Nate was sure thats why shed been chosen to be his guide.You ready to do some shopping, Nate? I called to tell you I was coming, but you didnt decide.The apartment had a speaking apparatus, a sort of ornate tube thing that whistled and buzzed green metallic beetle wings when there was a call. Nate was afraid of it.Cielle, can we drop any pretense that we are just buddies out for the day? You lock me in here when you leave.For your own safety.Somehow that always seems to be the argument the jailer uses.You want to go get some food and clothes or not? Nate shrugged and followed her out the door. They walked along the perimeter of the grotto, which seemed a cross between an old English village and an Art Nouveau hobbit housing project irregularly shaped doors and windows looking into shops that displayed baked in force(p)s and other prepared foods. patently the Goo wasnt big on having fire around for home cooking. All the cooked foods were prepared somewhere else in the complex. There was a warming cabinet in Nates apartment that looked like a breadbox made out of a giant armadillo shell. It worked great. You rolled the top open, put the food in, then promptly lost your appetite.Lets get you something to wear today, Cielle said. Those khakis are on loan. Only the whale-ship crews are supposed to wear them.As they walked, a half dozen whaley kids followed them, chirping and giggling all the way.So Id get in trouble if I started kicking whaley kids down the street?O f course, Cielle laughed. We have laws here, just like anywhere else.Evidently not ones that forbid kidnapping and unjustified imprisonment.Nuez stopped and grabbed his arm. Look, what are you complaining about? This is a good place to be. Youre not being mistreated. Everyones been kind to you. Whats the problem?Whats the problem? The problem is that all you people were yanked out of your lives, taken away from your families and friends, taken from everything that you knew, and you all act like it doesnt bother you in the least. Well, it bothers me, Cielle. It fucking bothers me a lot. And I dont understand this whole colony, or city, or whatever this thing is. How does it even exist without anyone well-educated about it? In all these years, why has no one gotten out and spoiled the secret of this place?I told you, we were all going to drown Bullshit. I dont buy that for a second. That gratitude toward your rescuer only lasts for a short while. Ive seen it. It doesnt take over you r life. Everyone Ive met is blissed out. You people worship the Goo, dont you?Nate, you dont want to be locked in, you wont be locked in. You can have the run of Gooville go anywhere you want. Theres hundreds of miles of passages. Some of them even I havent seen. Go. Leave the grotto and go down any one of those passages. But you know what? Youll be back looking for your apartment tonight. You are not a prisoner, youre just living in a different place and a different way.You didnt answer my question.The Goo is the source, Nate. Youll see. The Colonel Fuck the Colonel. The Colonel is a fucking myth.Should we get some coffee? You seem grumpy.Damn it, Cielle, my caffein headache is not relevant. Actually it was, sort of. He hadnt had any coffee today. Besides, how do I know its coffee were drinking? Its probably some mutant sea otter/coffee bean hybrid beverage.Is that what you want?No, thats not what I want. What I want is a doorknob. And not an organic nodule thing I want a dead doorknob. One that always has been dead, too. Not something that you used to be friends with.Cielle Nuez had backed away from him several feet, and the whaley kids whod been following them had quieted down and gone into a defensive pod formation, the big kids on the outside. People who were out walking, and who normally made a point of nodding and smiling as they passed, took a long detour around Nate. There was an inordinate amount of whistling among the milling whaley boys.That going to do it for you? Nuez asked. A doorknob. I get you a doorknob, youre a happy man?Why should he be humbled? Because hed scared the kids? Because hed made his captors uncomfortable? Nevertheless, he was embarrassed.I could use some earplugs, too, if you have them. For sleeping. For ten hours out of twenty-four, the grotto went dark. Cielle explained that this was for the comfort of the humans, to help them keep some semblance of their normal circadian rhythms. People require day and night wi thout the change many people couldnt sleep. The problem was, the whaley boys didnt sleep. They rested, but they didnt sleep. So when the grotto went dark, they went on about their business. In the dark, however, they were all constantly emitting sonar clicks. At night the grotto sounded like it was being marched upon by an army of tap dancers. Consequently, so did Nates apartment.Nuez nodded. We can probably do that. You want to go get a steaming hot cup of sea otter now?What?Im just kidding. Lighten up, Nate.I want to go home. Hed said it before he even realized it.Thats not going to happen. But Ill send word. I think its time you met with the Colonel.They spent the day going to shops. Nate found some cotton shrink from that fitted him, some socks and underwear, and a pile of T-shirts from one tiny shop. There was no currency exchanged. Nuez would just nod to the shopkeeper, and Nate would take what he needed. There was little variety in any of the shops, and most of what they ca rried was goods from the real world clothes, fabric, books, razor blades, shoes, and small electronics. But a few shops carried items that appeared to have been grown or made right there in Gooville toothbrushes, soaps, lotions. All the packaging seemed to come out of the seventeenth century the shopkeepers wrapped parcels in a ubiquitous oilcloth that Nate thought smelled vaguely of seaweed and indeed had the same olive color as giant kelp. Patrons brought their own jars to carry oils, pickles, and other soft goods. Nate had seen everything from a modern mayonnaise jar to hand-thrown crockery that had to have been made a hundred years ago.How long, Cielle? he asked as he watched a shopkeeper count sugared dates into a hand-blown glass jar and seal it with wax. How long have people been down here?She followed his gaze to the jar. We get a lot of the surface goods from shipwrecks, so dont be impressed if you see antiques the sea is a good preserver. We may have salvaged it only a week ago. A friend of exploit keeps potatoes in a Grecian wine amphora thats two thousand years old.Yeah, and Im using the Holy grail to catch my spare change. How long?You are so hostile today. I dont know how long, Nate. A long time.He had dozens, hundreds more questions, like where the hell did they get potatoes when they didnt have sunlight to grow anything? They werent bringing potatoes up from a shipwreck. But Cielle was letting him get only so far before claiming ignorance.They had lunch at a four-stool lunch counter where the proprietor was a striking Irishwoman with stunning green eyes and a wadive spill of red hair and who, like everyone, it seemed, knew Cielle and knew who Nate was.Got you a Walkman then, Dr. Quinn? Whaley boys will drive you to drink with that sonar at night.Were going to get him some earplugs today, Brennan, Cielle said.Music, thats the way to wash the whaley-boy whistles, the woman said. Then she was off to her kitchen. The walls of the coffee shop w ere decorated with a collection of antique beer trays, glued in place, as Nate had learned, with an adhesive that was similar to what barnacles secreted to stiffen themselves to ships. Nailing things up was frowned upon, as the walls would bleed for a while if injured.Nate took a bite of his sandwich, meatballs and mozzarella on good surly French bread.How? he asked Cielle, blowing crumbs on the counter. How does any of this stuff get made if theres no flame?Cielle shrugged. No idea. A bakery, Id guess. They make all the prepared food outside the grotto. Ive neer been there.You dont know how? How can that be?Cielle Nuez put down her own sandwich and leaned on one elbow, smiling at Nate. She had remarkably kind eyes, and Nate had to remind himself that she had been ordered to be his friend. Interesting, he thought, that theyd choose a woman. Was she bait?You ever read A Connecticut Yankee in exponent Arthurs Court, Nate?Of course, everybody does.And that guy goes back to Camelot from the late nineteenth century and dazzles everyone with his scientific knowledge, mainly because he can make gunpowder, right?Yes, so?Youre a scientist, so you might do better than most, but take your average citizen, a guy who works at a bank discount store, say. Drop him in the twelfth century, you know what hell achieve?Make your point?Death by bacterial infection, more than likely. And the last words on his lips will probably be, Theres such a thing as an antibiotic, really. My point is, I dont know how this stuff is made because I havent needed to know. Nobody knows how to make the things they use. I suppose I could find out and get back to you, but I promise you Im not holding out on you just to be mysterious. We do a lot of salvage on the whale ships, and we have a trade network into the real world that gets us a lot of our goods. When a freighter leaves pallets of goods for the people on remote islands in the Pacific, all they know is that theyve been paid and theyve del ivered to shore. They dont tolerate to see who takes the goods away. The old-timers say that it used to be that the Goo provided everything. Nothing came in from the outside that wasnt on their backs when they got here.Nate took a bite of his sandwich and nodded as if considering what shed just said. Since hed arrived in Gooville, he had spent every waking number thinking about two things one, how this whole place could possibly function and two, how to get out of it. The Goo had to get energy from somewhere. The energy to light the huge grotto alone would require tens of millions of calories. If it got energy from outside, maybe you could use that same pathway to get out.So do you guys feed it? The Goo?No.Well, then-Dont know, Nate. I just dont know. How does dry-cleaning work?Well, I assume that they use solvents, that, uh Look, biologists dont have a lot of stuff that need to be dry-cleaned. Im sure its not that complicated a process.Yeah, well, right back at you on all of your questions about the Goo.Cielle stood and gathered up her parcels. Lets go, Nate. Im taking you back to your apartment. Then Im going right to the whaley-boy den and find out if they can get the Colonel to see you. Today.Nate still had a couple bites of his sandwich left. Hey, Ive still got a couple of bites of my sandwich left, he said.Really? Well, did you ask yourself where in Gooville we got meatballs? What sort of meat might be in them?Nate dropped his sandwich.Bit of the whining wussy boy, arent we? said Brennan as she came out of the kitchen to take away their plates.Nate was reading a loud lawyer novel that hed found in the small library in his apartment when the whaley boys came for him. There were three of them, two large males with killer-whale coloring and a smaller female blue. Only when the blue squeaked Hi Nate in a mashed-elf voice did he recognize it as Emily 7.Wow, hi, Emily. Is just Emily okay, or should I always say the Seven? Nate always felt awkward with s omeone afterward, even if there wasnt anything for the ward to be after.She get across her arms over her chest and bugged out her left eye at him.Okay, Nate said, moving on, I guess well be going, then. Did you see my new doorknob? Brand-new. Stainless steel. I realize it doesnt go with everything else, but, you know, it feels a little like freedom. Right, Nate. Its a doorknob, he thought.They led him around the perimeter of the grotto, beyond the village, and into one of the huge passageways that led away from the grotto.They walked for half an hour, tracing a labyrinth of passageways that got narrower and narrower the farther off they went, the bright red lobster-shell surface fading into something that looked like mother-of-pearl the deeper in they went. It glowed faintly, just plentiful so they could see where they were going. eventually the passageway started to broaden again and open into a large room that looked like some sort of oval amphitheater, all of it pearlescent and providing its own light. Benches lined the walls around the room, all in view of a wide force that led to a round portal the size of a garage door, disagreeable now with an iris of black shell.Ooooh, the great and powerful Oz will see you now, Nate said.The whaley boys, who normally found a great deal anything funny, just looked away. One of the black-and-whites started whistling a soft tune from his blowhole. In the Hall of the Mountain King or a Streisand tune something creepy, Nate thought.Emily 7 backhanded the whistler in the chest, and he stopped abruptly. Then she put her hand on Nates shoulder and gestured for him to go up the steps to the round portal.Okay, I guess this is it. Nate started backing up the kurrat as the whaley boys started backing away from him. You guys better not leave me, because Ill never find my way back.Emily 7 grinned, that lovely hack-a-salmon-in-half smile of hers, and waved him on.Thanks, Em. You look good, you know. Did I mention? Shiny. He hoped shiny was good.The iris opened behind him, and the whaley boys fell to their knees and touched their lower jaws to the floor. Nate turned to see that the pearlescent ramp led into a vibrant red chamber that was pulsing with light and glistening with moisture as the walls appeared to breathe. Now, this looked like a living thing the inside of a living thing. Really much more what hed expected to see when the whale had eaten him. He made his way forward. A few steps in, the ramp melded into the reddish flesh, which Nate could now see was shot through with blood vessels and what might be nerves. He couldnt get the size of the space he was in. It just seemed to expand to receive him and contract behind him, as if a bubble were moving along with him inside it. When the iris disappeared into the pink Goo, Nate felt a wave of panic go through him. He took a deep breath damp, fecund air and strangely enough he remembered what Poynter and Poe had told him back on the humpback ship Its easier if you just accept that youre already dead. He took another(prenominal) deep breath and ventured forward a few more feet, then stopped.I feel like a friggin sperm in here he yelled. What the hell, he was dead anyway. Im supposed to have a meeting with the Colonel.On cue, the Goo began to open in front of him, like the view of a tip opening from the inside. A brighter light illuminated the newly opened chamber, now just large enough to house Nate, another person, and about ten feet of conversational distance. Reclining in a great pink mass of goo, dressed in tropical safari wear and a San Francisco Giants baseball hat, was the Colonel.Nathan Quinn, good to see you. Its been a long time, he said.