Thomas Batemans Ten Years Diggings :: Archaeology Archaeological Essays

Thomas Bateman's Ten Years' Diggings Thomas Bateman at Calver Low, Derbyshire in 1860 Having been informed, on the 30th of August, that some skeletons had been discovered the day before, by men baring the rock preparatory to quarrying it, at the verge of the cliff overlooking the limekilns at Calver Low, I immediately went to the place and found that there had been five skeletons buried in a line side by side, a few feet apart, in graves sunk down to the rock which is there about two feet below the turf. The bodies were all extended at length with the heads to the west, so as not merely to admit of the corpses facing the east, as is the Christian custom of burial yet observed, but in this case also to face the village, and the pleasant valley extending towards Baslow--either motive may have prompted the arrangement, as there is reason to believe the interments to be of the Anglo-Saxon period, although it was suggested at the time, in one of the local papers, that they were remains of some who perished during the ravages of the plague at Eyam in 1666. In returning to the narrative, it will be best to describe the several skeletons, numbering from the north, premising that the legs of all had been cut away, owing to their being so near the border of a cliff, which descends for a considerable distance almost perpendicularly, having long been quarried for lime burning. 1.-A young person with very slender bones, the femur 17 1/2 inches long, undisturbed with the exception of the skull, which had been broken and robbed of the teeth previous to our visit; a small bit of coarse red pottery was picked up amongst the earth near the bones. 2.-Removed before our arrival, but from the few bones preserved, it appears that the person was older than the first, although the femur measures 16 1/2 inches only-the skull thin, a good deal decayed and very imperfect. 3.-Removed-the skull very perfect when found, since despoiled of the whole of the facial bones. The calvarium and lower jaw have been recovered. The former presents, when viewed from above, an oval outline with a very full occipital protuberance; the latter is well formed, and the state of the teeth indicates an early adult age. Imperfection in the thigh bones prevents measurement, they do not however appear to have been very long.

Love Relationships of Children of Divorce Essay -- children, therapy, p

Millions of divorces are granted each year. Children whose parents divorced are more likely to divorce themselves, maintain poorer relations, and report being generally less happy with their lives (Brown 1999). Over 25% of all women will divorce within 10 years time, and a third of all first marriages disrupted within 10 years. Guldner and O'Connor (1991) said that â€Å"where possible, group therapy for dealing with problems of children of divorce is the treatment of choice†. Group therapy with kids focuses on helping them to feel like they're not alone, connect with and learn from others, receive peer validation and support, and normalize experiences (Gladding, 2005). Psychoeducational and counseling groups in schools and community agencies have been a way of giving treatment to children of divorce (Delucia-Waack & Gellman 2007). Psychoeducational and counseling groups for children of divorce have focused on dealing with the reality of the situation, as well as the feelings produced by it. Goals have been identified for these groups (DeLucia-Waack, 2007). They are to: help children gain a clear picture of the divorce process through discussion, normalize common experiences and feelings, provide a safe place to talk about concerns, help label, understand, and express feelings about the divorce, develop new coping skills, assist children in reality testing, and plan for the future. Typical interventions include: discussion of words and situations related to divorce, drawing and talking about families and support persons, learning ways to externalize feelings, and role plays applying new skills to specific divorce-related situations (DeLucia-Waack, 2001; Gladding, 2005). While these groups are often used in schools, the research regar... ... B. J. (1987). Children's understanding of the simultaneity of two emotions: A five-stage developmental acquisition sequence. Developmental Psychology. Hilliard, R. E. (2001). The effects of music therapy-based bereavement groups on mood and behavior of grieving children. Journal of Music Therapy. Kovacs, M. (1992). The Children's depression inventory manual. Multi Health Systems, Inc. Kurdek, L. A., & Berg, B. (1987). Children's beliefs about parental divorce scale: Psychometric characteristics and concurrent validity. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Reynolds, C. R., & Richmond, B. O. (1985). Revised children's manifest anxiety scale. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services. Shechtman, Z., DeLucia-Waack, J. L., Gerrity, D., Kalodner, C., & Riva, M. (2004). Handbook of group counseling and psychotherapy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Alexander Graham Bell Essay -- essays research papers

Alexander Graham Bell, a man who best known for inventing the telephone. Most people don’t know he spent the majority of his life teaching and helping the deaf. Educating the hearing impaired is what he wished to be remembered for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bell was born on March 3, 1847, in Edinburgh, Scotland. His mother was a painter of miniature portraits and also loved to play the piano even though she was nearly deaf. Aleck’s mother knew that he had a talent for music and always encouraged him to play (Matthews 12). Alexander Melville Bell, his father, was a â€Å"Professor of Elocution,† Art of public speaking (Bruce 16). Due to the fact that his father was a very knowledgeable man and a professor, Aleck obtained most of his education from his father and soon followed in his footsteps. Aleck had only two siblings, Melville James Bell, â€Å"Melly,† and Edward Charles Bell, â€Å"Ted† (Schuman 127).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aleck’s father took a trip over seas in 1868 to see if Americans would take to his new ideas of speech. Alexander Melville Bell was so impressed that he decided to move the entire family. They did not purchase an estate in the United States. However they did buy an estate in Brantford, Ontario, Canada where there were an abundance of Scottish immigrants. Alexander Melville Bell still continued to make trips to Boston to lecture on â€Å"visible speech† (Schuman 39). Aleck’s father was offered a teaching position at the Boston School for the Deaf. He did not take the job but suggested that Aleck take the position instead. Alexander Graham Bell took the teaching position in April of 1871, and was on his way to the Boston School for the Deaf (Schuman 39).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alexander Graham Bell’s, number one passion in life was helping the hearing impaired. Children learn to talk by hearing other people talk, and then they learn to speak by unconscious imitation. Deaf children do not have this option; they cannot imitate anything and therefore have to be taught by other means. Aleck thought that to teach a deaf child to speak consisted of having the child know how to make the sound by using different positions of their mouth. Slowly combining the sounds would make words and again would result in speech. Aleck tried a numerous number of methods. The method of Visible Speech was one of the ways that Aleck was able to teach his stude... ...lliant man and has changed the lives of many people around the world with or with out hearing impairment. His method of â€Å"Visual Speech† was great because it got the student to know how to use the organs in their mouths and be able to talk. To think that the telephone was originally going to be used as a device to help the hearing impaired is surprising because it ended up being used as a devise that people around the would use everyday to commutate. Alexander Graham Bell affected the world more directly by the invention of the telephone, but this could not compare to the gift of speech that he was able to offer to his students. Bell, Alexander Graham. The Mechanism of Speech. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1908. Bruce, Robert V. Bell Alexander Graham Bell and the conquest of solitude. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1973. Matthews, Tom L. Always Inventing a Photo biography of Alexander Graham Bell. Washington D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1999. Mackenzie, Catherine. Alexander Graham Bell The Man Who Contracted Space. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1928. Schuman, Michael A. Alexander Graham Bell Inventor and Teacher. New Jersey: Enslow Publishers, 1999.

Interpersonal Communication Essay

My name is Tralisa King and I am writing to inform you that I have received your letter and would first, like to congratulate and wish you, both well in your new ventures as a family in Holy matrimony. I understand that you would like my advice on producing a long – lasting and happy relationship. I do feel the need to advise you, that I am not a relationship therapist by any means. However, as you both are aware, I have taken a course in interpersonal communication and would be more than happy to provide you with as much knowledge as possible that I have obtained from this course. I hope that based on what I have learned in class, the articles I have read, and my personal experiences you will find some of my advice to be informative or at least gain enough interpersonal communication skills needed to resolve any issues that may arise in your relationships in the future. â€Å"Communication is not simply the exchange of words and information; it is the means through which we share knowledge, thoughts, ideas, and feelings with other people. Interpersonal communication is the way people connect with other people.† (Sole, 2011) Learning to communicate effectively can and most likely will be the foundation, you both will need in order to develop, maintain and/or keep a productive, calm, and strong relationship and/or marriage. Communication is a skill that is never perfected, I have been married for over twenty years and if it had not been for the grace of God and learning to build our marriage on the foundation of communication, I do not think our marriage would have lasted. Although we have found a way to communicate, communication remains a work in progress and there are times when our communication is not up to par. Recognizing how words have the power to create and affect attitudes, behavior, and perception: Words are very powerful and if not used correctly can cause a physical as well as a mental drain upon one’s marriage. Words have a way of bringing out the best and/or the worst in a person. Even the Bible speaks of the power of words in several passages throughout the scriptures. . Sometimes it is not the word alone, it can be the way in which the word is represented that can bring out the best and/or worst in people. The word Ni—r for example, although I am a black female, I do not use this word nor do I allow it to be used in my presence without addressing my disapproval of the word. I have never based my life on what others say, think or feel about me. However, I would be lying to myself if I did not admit that there are still things including certain words that create an immediate emotional and/ or physical reaction if approached to me incorrectly. My children on the other hand, use this word relentlessly while speaking with their friends but are ready to fight at the drop of a dime if called that of a Caucasian person. There are females that get offended by the word B—ch, however this is a word that does not offended me regardless of the presentation, not saying that it shouldn’t offend me; I’m just saying it don’t.. I remember as a child, when being teased by someone, my parents would say, â€Å"words never hurt anyone.† However, todays’ bullying is proving that words can kill. Words and the way in which we use them can have an effect on others behavior, attitude, and perception of not only you but also themselves. â€Å"Negative connotations often act as triggers to derail your interpersonal communication. We all have trigger word’s that create an immediate emotional reaction when we hear them† (Sole 2011) By understanding the power of one’s words and learning away to use, those without offending the other can help to defuse any argument, misunderstanding or anything else that would eventually lead to hatred or possibility of divorce. Remember, one can apologize for the words they say but they cannot take it back; and being forgiven by your partner does not mean that your partner will forget. Listening -develop strategies for active, critical, and empathic listening-Perceptions, Emotions, and Nonverbal Communication One is generally born with some sort of interpersonal communication, such as a baby crying. Generally, a baby crying is their way of letting one know that they are displaying some type of discomfort. After a while, one’s way of listening allows them to decipher that baby’s cry, understand their need and/or discomfort and act accordingly. A baby also uses non-communication, such as responding to a familiar voice or sound, which they often associate with care such as food, warmth, or a touch perhaps. This is also true in a marriage, the longer you are married the more nonverbal communication, and you are likely to develop. â€Å"Nonverbal communication is defined as the communication of a message without words; which means that it encompasses a wide range of vocal and visual signs and behaviors† (Sole, 2011) I am famous for rolling my eyes, walking off, or simply giving a person a blank stare when I don’t agree with them or simply just not wanting to be bothered. Misunderstanding is often due to one’s body language; although my body language often is a response to the situation at hand, this is not necessarily true for my husband. My husband has an annoying habit of sucking his teeth sarcastically when he does not agree, he does this so much, that at times I am not sure he notice he is doing it. Tammy it is important to decipher your husband’s intent of his body movement; because we as women have, the tendency of jumping into conclusion and like my husband it could be a simple habit, vice versa for you Bill. It is also important that the two of you develop an effective strategy for active, critical, and empathic listening. â€Å"Researchers report that most of us spend more time listening than we do talking; however, most people have had little education on how to be an effective listener, which requires focus and attention.† (Sole, 2011) While most people think they are fairly good listeners, studies show that the majority of people listen poorly and inefficiently (Lee & Hatesohl, 1993) (Sole, 2011) Mr. and Mrs. Jones I have learned that, how one listens can and most likely will have an impact upon the way in which one communicates. At the same time, how well one listens’ can have an impact on the sincere qualities they develop in their marriage and/or relationship with others. It is the failure to listen that causes a lot of mis-communication and is one of the main factors of many divorces. I also have learned in my studies how to distinguish four types in the way in which one listens. The first is comprehension listening, which is listening to obtain some type of knowledge, more likely to be done in a meeting, seminar, or group of discussion (classroom environment of some sort). The second type is evaluative listening; this is listening to someone who is trying to pre-sway another in complying with his or her thoughts, ideas and/or opinions. â€Å"In these conversations, it is important that you listen for the speaker’s main points and determine their strengths and weaknesses so that you can formulate an effective response such as countering the arguments or presenting important points that the speaker may not have included.† (Sole, 2011). Although this is good in some cases, I do not suggest you use this type of listening when it comes to communicating with each other because it may make the other feel attacked, which they will feel the need to defend th emselves or cause them to become withdrawn when communicating. The third type of listening is empathic listening, which I highly recommend for the two of you. This is something my husband and I practice a lot it allows us to connect and gives us a better understanding of each other’s thoughts without judgment for the most part†¦ Last but not least , appreciative listening, I recommend this also because is show that you are interested in each other and interested in what each other have to say. Not only did I learn four types of listening, I also learned that there is a process that â€Å"requires six distinct components† (Sole, 2011) when it comes to listening, which are: ïÆ'˜â€Å"Motivating oneself to listen† (Sole, 2011) – This entails keeping an open mind, being attentive at all times, being aware of the nonverbal communication such as movements, eye contact, facial expression or anything else that is accompanied with the discussion at hand. â€Å"Clearly Hearing the Message† (Sole, 2011) – Ma ke sure you can clearly hear what the person is saying and try to eliminate any noise that may be a distraction to you at that time. â€Å"Paying Attention† (Sole, 2011) – try not to speak while the other is talking and focus on what the person is saying rather than focusing on your response. ïÆ'˜â€Å"Interpreting the Message† – â€Å"To correctly interpret a message, you must know what the symbols mean to the person who is using them, and we all interpret symbols differently.† (Sole, 2011) I believe this is more of a written message than it is for a fact to face conversation†¦ ïÆ'˜â€Å"Evaluating the Message† – â€Å"When you have heard and attended to a message and then interpreted it, you must then decide what you think or feel about that information. The results of this evaluation usually determine how you will respond.† (Sole, 2011) On a personal note, I am not sure how one can do this and remain attentive to the discussion because it would seem that one would be more focus on the response than they would the conversation. ïÆ'˜â€Å"Remembering and responding Appropriate† – This should happen at the end of the discussion once the speaker has finished expressing himself or herself. At this time the other should ask any question necessary to get a complete understanding, it is important to never assume anything because the inaccurate assumption is a sure way to bring confusion into your relationship. Once you have established the skill of effective listening, it becomes a little easier to solve and/or avoid communication problems. Trust and self-disclosure Trust is another key element in one’s marriage. In order to build trust one must be willing to expose oneself to self- disclosure. I recently did a report in my class on an article â€Å"Can We Talk?† by Nara Schoenberg, which spoke about the importance of communication. In my report, I spoke of trust and self – disclosure. I stated, â€Å"I do believe that finding new ways to communicate can help to develop a stronger relationship. I also believe that the quality, as well as the quantity of communication is the foundation in which a relationship is built on. One also needs truth and understanding. Knowing that the discussion one is having is based on pure truth is of great importance; being dishonest to spare another’s feelings or to cover up something is just as bad as not speaking at all. One must also have an open mind when conversing, being able to understand the difference of opinion and not focusing on who is wrong or right helps to establish a common ground and growth. With all this being said, I do agree that sharing one’s feelings, fears, doubts and perceptions can help to build a healthy and happy relationship of any kind. At the same time, it can also be dangerous placing this much information or trust in someone that may because you harm†¦ Self- disclosure increases trust within the relationship because it provides â€Å"understanding of your inner thoughts and feelings will significantly impact how you see others, especially with your spouse, who will increase your ability to share your innermost feelings. (Sole, 2011). However, I feel the need to advise you that I feel one must have complete trust with the other before taking this step. My marriage did not have this in the beginning, it took a little time for us to build this type of trust in each other because this consist of sharing one’s private feelings and sometimes secretes that only you know about yourself. Once these feelings and secrets are exposed to the other, it leaves you vulnerable which depending on your partners’ intent could either bring you people closer or tear you apart. Do not get me wrong it was not that I did not trust my husband in the begging, I honestly felt uncomfortable with being vulnerable to anyone including him. Having said this, if you genuinely love each other, there is a strong possibility that you will begin sharing things you would never have shared before without giving it a second thought. The discrepancy I had with the article was Orbuch’s advice was to â€Å"consider setting aside 10 minutes a day for quality conversations.† (Schoenberg, N. 2011, January 17). This suggestion may be good for couples that have been away from each other or if someone in the relationship had an event that has happened to them that, they would like to share with their spouse. However, I work at home and my husband does as well because of this, we are together for the majority of the day and although we love each other’s company, there are times we just like to share our time together in complete silence or talking about things that has no value, like a TV show or trashing talking while playing pool. Most importantly there are times we just want to be left alone. Whatever the case may be, I feel that this approach varies depending upon the couple, the environment and/or the situation. I stated in that report, â€Å"In order to have the type of communication that the article speaks of, one must first have a full understanding of consistent quality communication because there are many ways one can define quality communication; there will never be a sure conclusion or a quick fix when it comes to communicating within a relationship.† (King 2012) Had I been talking to my sister or husband they would have understood this concept in depth. Due to the fact I was speaking in general my teacher advised me â€Å"I failed to include supporting details or examples to bring validity to my claim.† (Miller, 2012) In which I feel she was 100% right. However, this proves that one’s approach varies depending upon the environment and/or the situation. Regardless of the impact or lack of this article had on me, I do recommend that the both of you read this article and share your thoughts it may have a different outcome, and give you a better insight on the importance of self-disclosure. Other articles I think can be beneficial in your marriage are; â€Å"Shared Talking Styles Herald New and Lasting Romance† (Bower, 2010) â€Å"speaks about conversation and the impact it has or can have in one’s relationship and/ or friendship. The article talks about a variety of studies done such as speed dating†¦. Within that experiment, they found that† (King 2012) â€Å"opposite – sex are more likely to express mutual interest when using similar speaking styles than those who differ.† (Bower, 2010)â€Å" Another study showed that young couples in a committed relationship, whom used similar writing styles during 10 days of instant – messaging chats, we’re likely to stay together.† (Bower, 2010) and the article, â€Å"Close Relationships Sometimes Mask Poor Communication† (Health Day News 2011) show how one’s communication with others, lack of communicational skills. This article speaks of a study done on married couples that explored the amount of mis-communication or lack of communication one may have in their relationship. Although the researchers pointed out some valuable information they gained from their studies, they left much to be questioned when it comes to communication in one’s marriage. Identify the barriers to effective interpersonal interactions†¦ Interpersonal communication barriers compose a negative impact in our everyday life on the way we interact with others; rather it is in our jobs, with our friends or our family life. Reason being, we are all different therefore we all have different personalities, emotions, our priorities differ as well as our emotions. It is difficult to identify all the things that create Interpersonal communication barriers, however, I believe that the root of the problem when entering or within a marriage consist of personal emotions, lack of desire to participate and/or explore in conversation. Emotional barriers in a marriage are the hardest thing to conquer. This is because one’s feeling and/or emotions are more likely the ultimate way in which one bases their decision. The problem with this is one’s feeling and/or emotions are comprised of the things that surround us, such as little sleep, anxiety, problems at work, or just generally having a bad day. That one bad day can lead to a bad decision or unintentionally building barriers to protect our feelings and /or emotions. Working on improving your interpersonal skills will allow you to identify each other’s barrier. Once you are able to identify the barrier of your significant other, approach them with it by asking questions to find the cause of the barrier. In a relationship, it is important to break the barriers as soon as possible. The two other barriers you will want to avoid in your relationship lack of desire to participate and/or explore in conversation. The fastest way to ignite an argument and possible build permanent barriers between one another is when one is trying to communicate with the other and your partner is clearly not interested in what you have to say; one not being willing to explore is the other. The unwillingness to acknowledge the possibility of your spouse ideas, opinions, and priorities can cause them to feel belittled and guarded. Keep in mind this is what you are trying to avoid†¦ Remember, there is no permanent solution in obtaining a perfect marriage but as all things in life, a successful marriage requires patients, self-control, and determination and the more you practice the easier it becomes.

Trader Joe’s No average Joe Essay

Trader Joe’s is an American privately held chain of grocery stores founded by Joe Coulombe. Trader Joe’s have been successful business for long time with their unique innovative strategy of selling natural and organic food products with only one brand of an item for low price. Their unique culture of relaxed beach environment and helpful knowledgeable employees makes their customer to stay loyal to the brand. Eighty percent of Trader Joe’s has in-house products that differentiate them from competitors and hard to imitate. Trader Joe’s target young educated people who want to eat healthy for low prices. They can really expand their business by investing in marketing, social media, loyalty- card program and building parking garages and gain bigger broader market segment in food industry. This also will help them competitive advantage over their competitors as they will have solid brand image and be successful over the long term. SWOT Analysis The strengths of Trader Joe’s are selling organic & fresh grocery at low prices, introducing new products to their stores frequently and offering friendly customer service. Trader Joe’s sell natural and organic food at cheaper price than its competitors. They buy in bulk one item rather than buying lot of similar items, which gives them competitive advantage over other supermarkets. Trader Joe’s introduce 10-15 new products every week and had special season items and; thus customers liked trying new items and were getting best product for as much time as stores had the products for. Trader Joe’s employees were knowledgeable, helpful and happy, which made them communicate much better with customers and build a long lasting relationship. This aided in Trader Joe’s customers becoming loyal to the company. The weaknesses of Trader Joe’s are lack in social media, low advertisement, and targeting small market segment. Firstly, Trader Joe’s didn’t have any interaction with media about the company. In addition, they were not utilizing the free social media tool and were not communicating  with their fans on Facebook or Twitter. They didn’t much advertise about the company which is a weakness because this would hurt the sales they can get by advertising since they were selling natural and organic products for low prices. Lastly they targeted only smaller crowd which would also affect that revenue instead of targeting broader segment of people. Since more people are graduating and becoming educated, Trader Joe’s can target them to get higher market share and by marketing they can convey their goal to these educated people. Moreover, they have opportunity to offer baby related products as lot of people buy baby products when they are at grocery shops. Threat to Trader Joe’s are that their secretive private label goods can be identified by competitors and can imitate. Other treat is that the company can loose it’s charm when they grow because they are no more special to customers. Porter’s Five Forces The threat of new entrance is medium because Trader Joe’s is not a supermarket company, so capital requirement is manageable. Getting good quality food for cheaper price is hard to deliver but it is not impossible. However, brand name is difficult to built that Trader Joe’s has done after so many years. The bargaining power of suppliers is low as Trader Joe’s purchase very large quantities of each item in their store, which make the suppliers to give them lowest price. Moreover, suppliers wanted secrecy from Trader Joe’s not disclosing the low price as the to other competitor store suppliers were selling for high prices. If the price of an item increases for suppliers, they can pass that on retailers in food industry. The bargaining power of Buyers is high as customers have lot of other grocery stores option to goto if they thought prices at Trader Joe’s were high. However, in Trader Joe’s case they were offering natural, healthy and organic food items far cheaper than their competitors. So customers were  loyal to Trader Joe’s. The threat of substitute in food industry is medium because people can eat outside more often rather than cooking at home. Moreover, other brand of an item might be more likable by the customers over Trader Joe’s brand. The intensity of competition is high as Whole Food and Kroger are trying imitate what Trader Joe’s are doing, and since they already have brand name achieved, it is not hard to get their prices down by negotiating with suppliers and making their own brand name organic food. In conclusion, the food and grocery industry is attractive since more companies are going towards natural and organic food. With right marketing techniques , good customer service and quality products, it would be good investment in this industry. Environmental Scan Trader Joe’s demographics are college students, health conscious, out-of-work professors, and most important educated customers. Socio-Cultural environment shows that society is gearing towards more natural and organic food and becoming health conscious. More people are having homemade food from savings perspective. Political environment show that FTC has tighten regulation to keep competitive environment. Also, due to Obama Care there is some savings for people that makes grocery products more affordable. Technological environment shows that there is more Point of Sales systems available with electronic shelf labels and scanner. In addition, self-checkout registers and advertising through mobile apps are getting more common. Economic environment factor shows that during economic downturn, in which i people tend to shop more at grocery stores. The gas prices has been low which gives disposable income to try new items at grocery stores. In conclusion, environment analysis suggest that people in the current  economy are getting extra income that they can spend on food that are natural, organic and healthy for them. With competitive market, the trend is moving towards healthy and low price options. From the SWOT, Porter’s Five Forces and Environment Analysis, I recommend Trader Joe’s to increase marketing and advertising their brand much more, create more parking space or redesigning outside of current stores, and giving customers incentives to keep them returning to Trader Joe’s. Trader Joe’s should start using social media tools and use mobile applications to reach out to their fans and show they care about them. This requires less capital investment and offer great way to reach fans and building new customers. Trader Joe’s should make great shopping experience by making their parking lot bigger. They can built parking garages or decks to accommodate lot of customers increasing revenue of the company. Trader Joe’s should give customers incentives through loyalty-card program, and offer coupons on their website and mobile apps that can be added to customers loyalty cards to be easily redeemed. This will motivate customers to come back to their stores and buy more products, thus increasing the company sales and profit.

Prelude to Foundation Chapter 5 Upperside

TRANTOR-†¦ It is almost never pictured as a world seen from space. It has long since captured the general mind of humanity as a world of the interior and the image is that of the human hive that existed under the domes. Yet there was an exterior as well and there are holographs that still remain that were taken from space and show varying degrees of [devil] (see Figures 14 and 15). Note that the surface of the domes, the interface of the vast city and the overlying atmosphere, a surface referred to in its time as â€Å"Upperside,† is†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica 21. Yet the following day found Hari Seldon back in the library. For one thing, there was his promise to Hummin. He had promised to try and he couldn't very well make it a halfhearted process. For another, he owed something to himself too. He resented having to admit failure. Not yet, at least. Not while he could plausibly tell himself he was following up leads. So he stared at the list of reference book-films he had not yet checked through and tried to decide which of the unappetizing number had the slightest chance of being useful to him. He had about decided that the answer was â€Å"none of the above† and saw no way out but to look at samples of each when he was startled by a gentle tap against the alcove wall. Seldon looked up and found the embarrassed face of Lisung Randa peering at him around the edge of the alcove opening. Seldon knew Randa, had been introduced to him by Dors, and had dined with him (and with others) on several occasions. Randa, an instructor in psychology, was a little man, short and plump, with a round cheerful face and an almost perpetual smile. He had a sallow complexion and the narrowed eyes so characteristic of people on millions of worlds. Seldon knew that appearance well, for there were many of the great mathematicians who had borne it, and he had frequently seen their holograms. Yet on Helicon he had never seen one of these Easterners. (By tradition they were called that, though no one knew why; and the Easterners themselves were said to resent the term to some degree, but again no one knew why.) â€Å"There's millions of us here on Trantor,† Randa had said, smiling with no trace of self-consciousness, when Seldon, on first meeting him, had not been able to repress all trace of startled surprise. â€Å"You'll also find lots of Southerners-dark skins, tightly curled hair. Did you ever see one?† â€Å"Not on Helicon,† muttered Seldon. â€Å"All Westerners on Helicon, eh? How dull! But it doesn't matter. Takes all kinds.† (He left Seldon wondering at the fact that there were Easterners, Southerners, and Westerners, but no Northerners. He had tried finding an answer to why that might be in his reference searches and had not succeeded.) And now Randa's good-natured face was looking at him with an almost ludicrous look of concern. He said, â€Å"Are you all right, Seldon?† Seldon stared. â€Å"Yes, of course. Why shouldn't I be?† â€Å"I'm just going by sounds, my friend. You were screaming.† â€Å"Screaming?† Seldon looked at him with offended disbelief. â€Å"Not loud. Like this.† Randa gritted his teeth and emitted a strangled high-pitched sound from the back of his throat. â€Å"If I'm wrong, I apologize for this unwarranted intrusion on you. Please forgive me.† Seldon hung his head. â€Å"You're forgiven, Lisung. I do make that sound sometimes, I'm told. I assure you it's unconscious. I'm never aware of it.† â€Å"Are you aware why you make it?† â€Å"Yes. Frustration. Frustration.† Randa beckoned Seldon closer and lowered his voice further. â€Å"We're disturbing people. Let's come out to the lounge before we're thrown out.† In the lounge, over a pair of mild drinks, Randa said, â€Å"May I ask you, as a matter of professional interest, why you are feeling frustration?† Seldon shrugged. â€Å"Why does one usually feel frustration? I'm tackling something in which I am making no progress.† â€Å"But you're a mathematician, Hari. Why should anything in the history library frustrate you?† â€Å"What were you doing here?† â€Å"Passing through as part of a shortcut to where I was going when I heard you†¦ moaning. Now you see†-and he smiled-â€Å"it's no longer a shortcut, but a serious delay-one that I welcome, however.† â€Å"I wish I were just passing through the history library, but I'm trying to solve a mathematical problem that requires some knowledge of history and I'm afraid I'm not handling it well.† Randa stared at Seldon with an unusually solemn expression on his face, then he said, â€Å"Pardon me, but I must run the risk of offending you now. I've been computering you.† â€Å"Computering me!† Seldon's eyes widened. He felt distinctly angry. â€Å"I have offended you. But, you know, I had an uncle who was a mathematician. You might even have heard of him: Kiangtow Randa.† Seldon drew in his breath. â€Å"Are you a relative of that Randa?† â€Å"Yes. He is my father's older brother and he was quite displeased with me for not following in his footsteps-he has no children of his own. I thought somehow that it might please him that I had met a mathematician and I wanted to boast of you-if I could-so I checked what information the mathematics library might have.† â€Å"I see. And that's what you were really doing there. Well-I'm sorry. I don't suppose you could do much boasting.† â€Å"You suppose wrong. I was impressed. I couldn't make heads or tails of the subject matter of your papers, but somehow the information seemed to be very favorable. And when I checked the news files, I found you were at the Decennial Convention earlier this year. So†¦ what's ‘psychohistory,' anyway? Obviously, the first two syllables stir my curiosity.† â€Å"I see you got that word out of it.† â€Å"Unless I'm totally misled, it seemed to me that you can work out the future course of history.† Seldon nodded wearily, â€Å"That, more or less, is what psychohistory is or, rather, what it is intended to be.† â€Å"But is it a serious study?† Randa was smiling. â€Å"You don't just throw sticks?† â€Å"Throw sticks?† â€Å"That's just a reference to a game played by children on my home planet of Hopara. The game is supposed to tell the future and if you're a smart kid, you can make a good thing out of it. Tell a mother that her child will grow up beautiful and marry a rich man and it's good for a piece of cake or a half-credit piece on the spot. She isn't going to wait and see if it comes true; you are rewarded just for saying it.† â€Å"I see. No, I don't throw sticks. Psychohistory is just an abstract study. Strictly abstract. It has no practical application at all, except-â€Å" â€Å"Now we're getting to it. Exceptions are what are interesting.† â€Å"Except that I would like to work out such an application. Perhaps if I knew more about history-â€Å" â€Å"Ah, that is why you are reading history?† â€Å"Yes, but it does me no good,† said Seldon sadly. â€Å"There is too much history and there is too little of it that is told.† â€Å"And that's what's frustrating you?† Seldon nodded. Randa said, â€Å"But, Hari, you've only been here a matter of weeks.† â€Å"True, but already I can see-â€Å" â€Å"You can't see anything in a few weeks. You may have to spend your whole lifetime making one little advance. It may take many generations of work by many mathematicians to make a real inroad on the problem.† â€Å"I know that, Lisung, but that doesn't make me feel better. I want to make some visible progress myself.† â€Å"Well, driving yourself to distraction won't help either. If it will make you feel better, I can give you an example of a subject much less complex than human history that people have been working for I don't know how long without making much progress. I know because a group is working on it right here at the University and one of my good friends is involved. Talk about frustration! You don't know what frustration is!† â€Å"What's the subject?† Seldon felt a small curiosity stirring within him. â€Å"Meteorology.† â€Å"Meteorology!† Seldon felt revolted at the anticlimax. â€Å"Don't make faces. Look. Every inhabited world has an atmosphere. Every world has its own atmospheric composition, its own temperature range, its own rotation and revolution rate, its own axial tipping, it's own land-water distribution. We've got twenty five million different problems and no one has succeeded in finding a generalization.† â€Å"†¦ that's because atmospheric behavior easily enters a chaotic phase. Everyone knows that.† â€Å"So my friend Jenarr Leggen says. You've met him.† Seldon considered. â€Å"Tall fellow? Long nose? Doesn't speak much?† â€Å"That's the one.-And Trantor itself is a bigger puzzle than almost any world. According to the records, it had a fairly normal weather pattern when it was first settled. Then, as the population grew and urbanization spread, more energy was used and more heat was discharged into the atmosphere. The ice cover contracted, the cloud layer thickened, and the weather got lousier. That encouraged the movement underground and set off a vicious cycle. The worse the weather got, the more eagerly the land was dug into and the domes built and the weather got still worse. Now the planet has become a world of almost incessant cloudiness and frequent rains-or snows when it's cold enough. The only thing is that no one can work it out properly. No one has worked out an analysis that can explain why the weather has deteriorated quite as it has or how one can reasonably predict the details of its day-to-day changes.† Seldon shrugged. â€Å"Is that sort of thing important?† â€Å"To a meteorologist it is. Why can't they be as frustrated over their problems as you are over yours? Don't be a project chauvinist.† Seldon remembered the cloudiness and the dank chill on the way to the Emperor's Palace. He said, â€Å"So what's being done about it?† â€Å"Well, there's a big project on the matter here at the University and Jenarr Leggen is part of it. They feel that if they can understand the weather change on Trantor, they will learn a great deal about the basic laws of general meteorology. Leggen wants that as much as you want your laws of psychohistory. So he has set up an incredible array of instruments of all kinds Upperside†¦ you know, above the domes. It hasn't helped them so far. And if there's so much work being done for many generations on the atmosphere, without results, how can you complain that you haven't gotten anything out of human history in a few weeks?† Randa was right, Seldon thought, and he himself was being unreasonable and wrong. And yet†¦ and yet†¦ Hummin would say that this failure in the scientific attack on problems was another sign of the degeneration of the times. Perhaps he was right, also, except that he was speaking of a general degeneration and average effect. Seldon felt no degeneration of ability and mentality in himself. He said with some interest then, â€Å"You mean that people climb up out of the domes and into the open air above?† â€Å"Yes. Upperside. It's a funny thing, though. Most native Trantorians won't do it. They don't like to go Upperside. The idea gives them vertigo or something. Most of those working on the meteorology project are Outworlders.† Seldon looked out of the window and the lawns and small garden of the University campus, brilliantly lit without shadows or oppressive heat, and said thoughtfully, â€Å"I don't know that I can blame Trantorians for liking the comfort of being within, but I should think curiosity would drive some Upperside. It would drive me.† â€Å"Do you mean that you would like to see meteorology in action?† â€Å"I think I would. How does one get Upperside?† â€Å"Nothing to it. An elevator takes you up, a door opens, and there you are. I've been up there. It's†¦ novel.† â€Å"It would get my mind off psychohistory for a while.† Seldon sighed. â€Å"I'd welcome that.† â€Å"On the other hand,† said Randy, â€Å"my uncle used to say, ‘All knowledge is one,' and he may be right. You may learn something from meteorology that will help you with your psychohistory. Isn't that possible?† Seldon smiled weakly. â€Å"A great many things are possible.† And to himself he added: But not practical. 22. Dors seemed amused. â€Å"Meteorology?† Seldon said, â€Å"Yes. There's work scheduled for tomorrow and I'll go up with them.† â€Å"Are you tired of history?† Seldon nodded his head somberly. â€Å"Yes, I am. I'll welcome the change. Besides, Randy says it's another problem that's too massive for mathematics to handle and it will do me good to see that my situation isn't unique.† â€Å"I hope you're not agoraphobic.† Seldon smiled. â€Å"No, I'm not, but I see why you ask. Randy says that Trantorians are frequently agoraphobic and won't go Upperside. I imagine they feel uncomfortable without a protective enclosure†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Dors nodded. â€Å"You can see where that would be natural, but there are also many Trantorians who are to be found among the planets of the Galaxy-tourists, administrators, soldiers. And agoraphobia isn't particularly rare in the Outworlds either.† â€Å"That may be, Dors, but I'm not agoraphobic. I am curious and I welcome the change, so I'll be joining them tomorrow.† Dors hesitated. â€Å"I should go up with you, but I have a heavy schedule tomorrow. And, if you're not agoraphobic, you'll have no trouble and you'll probably enjoy yourself. Oh, and stay close to the meteorologists. I've heard of people getting lost up there.† â€Å"I'll be careful. It's a long time since I've gotten truly lost anywhere.† 23. Jenarr Leggen had a dark look about him. It was not so much his complexion, which was fair enough. It was not even his eyebrows, which were thick and dark enough. It was, rather, that those eyebrows were hunched over deep-set eyes and a long and rather prominent nose. He had, as a result, a most unmerry look. His eyes did not smile and when he spoke, which wasn't often, he had a deep, strong voice, surprisingly resonant for his rather thin body. He said, â€Å"You'll need warmer clothing than that, Seldon.† Seldon said, â€Å"Oh?† and looked about. There were two men and two women who were making ready to go up with Leggen and Seldon And, as in Leggen's own case, their rather satiny Trantorian clothing was covered by thick sweaters that, not surprisingly, were brightly colored in bold designs. No two were even faintly alike, of course. Seldon looked down at himself and said, â€Å"Sorry, I didn't know but I don't have any suitable outer garment.† â€Å"I can give you one. I think there's a spare here somewhere.-Yes, here it is. A little threadbare, but it's better than nothing.† â€Å"Wearing sweaters like these tan make you unpleasantly warm,† said Seldon. â€Å"Here they would,† said Leggen. â€Å"Other conditions exist Upperside. Cold and windy. Too bad I don't have spare leggings and boots for you too. You'll want them later.† They were taking with them a cart of instruments, which they were testing one by one with what Seldon thought was unnecessary slowness. â€Å"Your home planet cold?† asked Leggen. Seldon said, â€Å"Parts of it, of course. The part of Helicon I come from is mild and often rainy.† â€Å"Too bad. You won't like the weather Upperside.† â€Å"I think I can manage to endure it for the time we'll be up there.† When they were ready, the group filed into an elevator that was marked: OFFICIAL USE ONLY. â€Å"That's because it goes Upperside,† said one of the young women, â€Å"and people aren't supposed to be up there without good reason.† Seldon had not met the young woman before, but he had heard her addressed as Clowzia. He didn't know if that was a first name, a last name, or a nickname. The elevator seemed no different from others that Seldon had been on, either here on Trantor or at home in Helicon (barring, of course, the gravitic lift he and Hummin had used), but there was something about knowing that it was going to take him out of the confines of the planet and into emptiness above that made it feel like a spaceship. Seldon smiled internally. A foolish fantasy. The elevator quivered slightly, which remind Seldon of Hummin's forebodings of Galactic decay. Leggen, along with the other men and one of the women, seemed frozen and waiting, as though they had suspended thought as well as activity until they could get out, but Clowzia kept glancing at him as though she found him terribly impressive. Seldon leaned close and whispered to her (he hesitated to disturb the others), â€Å"Are we going up very high?† â€Å"High?† she repeated. She spoke in a normal voice, apparently not feeling that the others required silence. She seemed very young and it occurred to Seldon that she was probably an undergraduate. An apprentice, perhaps. â€Å"We're taking a long time. Upperside must be many stories high in the air.† For a moment, she looked puzzled. Then, â€Å"Oh no. Not high at all. We started very deep. The University is at a low level. We use a great deal of energy and if we're quite deep, the energy costs are lower.† Leggen said, â€Å"All right. We're here. Let's get the equipment out.† The elevator stopped with a small shudder and the wide door slid open rapidly. The temperature dropped at once and Seldon thrust his hands into his pockets and was very glad he had a sweater on. A cold wind stirred his hair and it occurred to him that he would have found a hat useful and, even as he thought that, Leggen pulled something out of a fold in his sweater, snapped it open, and put it on his head. The others did the same. Only Clowzia hesitated. She paused just before she put hers on, then offered it to Seldon. Seldon shook his head. â€Å"I can't take your hat, Clowzia.† â€Å"Go ahead. I have long hair and it's pretty thick. Yours is short and a little†¦ thin.† Seldon would have liked to deny that firmly and at another time he would have. Now, however, he took the hat and mumbled, â€Å"Thank you. If your head gets cold, I'll give it back.† Maybe she wasn't so young. It was her round face, almost a baby face. And now that she had called attention to her hair, he could see that it was a charming russet shade. He had never seen hair quite like that on Helicon. Outside it was cloudy, as it had been the time he was taken across open country to the Palace. It was considerably colder than it had been then, but he assumed that was because they were six weeks farther into winter. The clouds were thicker than they had been on the earlier occasion and the day was distinctly darker and threatening-or was it just closer to night? Surely, they wouldn't come up to do important work without leaving themselves an ample period of daylight to do it in. Or did they expect to take very little time? He would have liked to have asked, but it occurred to him that they might not like questions at this time. All of them seemed to be in states varying from excitement to anger. Seldon inspected his surroundings. He was standing on something that he thought might be dull metal from the sound it made when he surreptitiously thumped his foot down on it. It was not bare metal, however. When he walked, he left footprints. The surface was clearly covered by dust or fine sand or clay. Well, why not? There could scarcely be anyone coming up here to dust the place. He bent down to pinch up some of the matter out of curiosity. Clowzia had come up to him. She noticed what he was doing and said, with the air of a housewife caught at an embarrassing negligence, â€Å"We do sweep hereabouts for the sake of the instruments. It's much worse most places Upperside, but it really doesn't matter. It makes for insulation, you know.† Seldon grunted and continued to look about. There was no chance of understanding the instruments that looked as though they were growing out of the thin soil (if one could call it that). He hadn't the faintest idea of what they were or what they measured. Leggen was walking toward him. He was picking up his feet and putting them down gingerly and it occurred to Seldon that he was doing so to avoid jarring the instruments. He made a mental note to walk that way himself. â€Å"You! Seldon!† Seldon didn't quite like the tone of voice. He replied coolly, â€Å"Yes, Dr. Leggen?† â€Å"Well, Dr. Seldon, then.† He said it impatiently. â€Å"That little fellow Randa told me you are a mathematician.† â€Å"That's right.† â€Å"A good one?† â€Å"I'd like to think so, but it's a hard thing to guarantee.† â€Å"And you're interested in intractable problems?† Seldon said feelingly, â€Å"I'm stuck with one.† â€Å"I'm stuck with another. You're free to look about. If you have any questions, our intern, Clowzia, will help out. You might be able to help us.† â€Å"I would be delighted to, but I know nothing about meteorology.† â€Å"That's all right, Seldon. I just want you to get a feel for this thing and then I'd like to discuss my mathematics, such as it is.† â€Å"I'm at your service.† Leggen turned away, his long scowling face looking grim. Then he turned back. â€Å"If you get cold-too cold-the elevator door is open. You just step in and touch the spot marked; UNIVERSITY BASE. It will take you down and the elevator will then return to us automatically. Clowzia will show you-if you forget.† â€Å"I won't forget.† This time he did leave and Seldon looked after him, feeling the cold wind knife through his sweater. Clowzia came back over to him, her face slightly reddened by that wind. Seldon said, â€Å"Dr. Leggen seems annoyed. Or is that just his ordinary outlook on life?† She giggled. â€Å"He does look annoyed most of the time, but right now he really is.† Seldon said very naturally, â€Å"Why?† Clowzia looked over her shoulder, her long hair swirling. Then she said, â€Å"I'm not supposed to know, but I do just the same. Dr. Leggen had it all figured out that today, just at this time, there was going to be a break in the clouds and he'd been planning to make special measurements in sunlight. Only†¦ well, look at the weather.† Seldon nodded. â€Å"We have holovision receivers up here, so he knew it was cloudy worse than usual-and I guess he was hoping there would be something wrong with the instruments so that it would be their fault and not that of his theory. So far, though, they haven't found anything out of the way.† â€Å"And that's why he looks so unhappy.† â€Å"Well, he never looks happy.† Seldon looked about, squinting. Despite the clouds, the light was harsh. He became aware that the surface under his feet was not quite horizontal. He was standing on a shallow dome and as he looked outward there were other domes in all directions, with different widths and heights. â€Å"Upperside seems to be irregular,† he said. â€Å"Mostly, I think. That's the way it worked out.† â€Å"Any reason for it?† â€Å"Not really. The way I've heard it explained-I looked around and asked, just as you did, you know-was that originally the people on Trantor domed in places, shopping malls, sports arenas, things like that, then whole towns, so that (here were lots of domes here and there, with different heights and different widths. When they all came together, it was all uneven, but by that time, people decided that's the way it ought to be.† â€Å"You mean that something quite accidental came to be viewed as a tradition?† â€Å"I suppose so-if you want to put it that way.† (If something quite accidental can easily become viewed as a tradition and be made unbreakable or nearly so, thought Seldon, would that be a law of psychohistory? It sounded trivial, but how many other laws, equally trivial, might there be? A million? A billion? Were there a relatively few general laws from which these trivial ones could be derived as corollaries? How could he say? For a while, lost in thought, he almost forgot the biting wind.) Clowzia was aware of that wind, however, for she shuddered and said, â€Å"It's very nasty. It's much better under the dome.† â€Å"Are you a Trantorian?† asked Seldon. â€Å"That's right.† Seldon remembered Ranch's dismissal of Trantorians as agoraphobic and said, â€Å"Do you mind being up here?† â€Å"I hate it,† said Clowzia, â€Å"but I want my degree and my specialty and status and Dr. Leggen says I can't get it without some field work. So here I am, hating it, especially when it's so cold. When it's this cold, by the way, you wouldn't dream that vegetation actually grows on these domes, would you?† â€Å"It does?† He looked at Clowzia sharply, suspecting some sort of practical joke designed to make him look foolish. She looked totally innocent, but how much of that was real and how much was just her baby face? â€Å"Oh sure. Even here, when it's warmer. You notice the soil here? We keep it swept away because of our work, as I said, but in other places it accumulates here and there and is especially deep in the low places where the domes meet. Plants grow in it.† â€Å"But where does the soil come from?† â€Å"When the dome covered just part of the planet, the wind deposited soil on them, little by little. Then, when Trantor was all covered and the living levels were dug deeper and deeper, some of the material dug up, if suitable, would be spread over the top.† â€Å"Surely, it would break down the domes.† â€Å"Oh no. The domes are very strong and they're supported almost everywhere. The idea was, according to a book-film I viewed, that they were going to grow crops Upperside, but it turned out to be much more practical to do it inside the dome. Yeast and algae could be cultivated within the domes too, taking the pressure off the usual crops, so it was decided to let Upperside go wild. There are animals on Upperside too-butterflies, bees, mice, rabbits. Lots of them.† â€Å"Won't the plant roots damage the domes?† â€Å"In thousands of years they haven't. The domes are treated so that they repel the roots. Most of the growth is grass, but there are trees too. You'd be able to see for yourself if this were the warm season or if we were farther south or if you were up in a spaceship.† She looked at him with a sidewise flick of her eyes, â€Å"Did you see Trantor when you were coming down from space?† â€Å"No, Clowzia, I must confess I didn't. The hypership was never well placed for viewing. Have you ever seen Trantor from space?† She smiled weakly. â€Å"I've never been in spare.† Seldon looked about. Gray everywhere. â€Å"I can't make myself believe it,† he said. â€Å"About vegetation Upperside, I mean.† â€Å"It's true, though. I've heard people say-Otherworlders, like yourself, who did see Trantor from space-that the planet looks green, like a lawn, because it's mostly grass and underbrush. There are trees too, actually. There's a copse not very far from here. I've seen it. They're evergreens and they're up to six meters high.† â€Å"Where?† â€Å"You can't see it from here. Its on the other side of a dome. It's-â€Å" The call came out thinly. (Seldon realized they had been walking while they had been talking and had moved away from the immediate vicinity of the others.) â€Å"Clowzia. Get back here. We need you.† Clowzia said, â€Å"Uh-oh. Coming.-Sorry, Dr. Seldon, I have to go.† She ran off, managing to step lightly despite her lined boots. Had she been playing with him? Had she been filling the gullible foreigner with a mess of lies for amusement's sake? Such things had been known to happen on every world and in every time. An air of transparent honesty was no guide either; in fact, successful taletellers would deliberately cultivate just such an air. So could there really be six-meter trees Upperside? Without thinking much about it, he moved in the direction of the highest dome on the horizon. He swung his arms in an attempt to warm himself. And his feet were getting cold. Clowzia hadn't pointed. She might have, to give him a hint of the direction of the trees, but she didn't. Why didn't she? To be sure, she had been called away. The domes were broad rather than high, which was a good thing, since otherwise the going would have been considerably more difficult. On the other hand, the gentle grade meant trudging a distance before he could top a dome and look down the other side. Eventually, he could see the other side of the dome he had climbed. He looked back to make sure he could still see the meteorologists and their instruments. They were a good way off, in a distant valley, but he could see them clearly enough. Good. He saw no copse, no trees, but there was a depression that snaked about between two domes. Along each side of that crease, the soil was thicker and there were occasional green smears of what might be moss. If he followed the crease and if it got low enough and the soil was thick enough, there might be trees. He looked back, trying to fix landmarks in his mind, but there were just the rise and fall of domes. It made him hesitate and Dors's warning against his being lost, which had seemed a rather unnecessary piece of advice then, made more sense now. Still, it seemed clear to him that the crease was a kind of road. If he followed it for some distance, he only had to turn about and follow it back to return to this spot. He strode off purposefully, following the rounded crease downward. There was a soft rumbling noise above, but he didn't give it any thought. He had made up his mind that he wanted to see trees and that was all that occupied him at the moment. The moss grew thicker and spread out like a carpet and here and there grassy tufts had sprung up. Despite the desolation Upperside, the moss was bright green and it occurred to Seldon that on a cloudy, overcast planet there was likely to be considerable rain. The crease continued to curve and there, just above another dome, was a dark smudge against the gray sky and he knew he had found the trees. Then, as though his mind, having been liberated by the sight of those trees, could turn to other things, Seldon took note of the rumble he had heard before and had, without thinking, dismissed as the sound of machinery. Now he considered that possibility: Was it, indeed, the sound of machinery? Why not? He was standing on one of the myriad domes that covered hundreds of millions of square kilometers of the world-city. There must be machinery of all kinds hidden under those domes-ventilation motors, for one thing. Maybe it could be heard, where and when all the other sounds of the world-city were absent. Except that it did not seem to come from the ground. He looked up at the dreary featureless sky. Nothing. He continued to scan the sky, vertical creases appearing between his eyes and then, far off It was a small dark spot, showing up against the gray. And whatever it was it seemed to be moving about as though getting its bearings before it was obscured by the clouds again. Then, without knowing why, he thought, They're after me. And almost before he could work out a line of action, he had taken one. He ran desperately along the crease toward the trees and then, to reach them more quickly, he turned left and hurtled up and over a low dome, treading through brown and dying fernlike overgrowth, including thorny sprigs with bright red berries. 24. Seldon panted, facing a tree, holding it closely, embracing it. He watched for the flying object to make its appearance again so that he could back about the tree and hide on the far side, like a squirrel. The tree was cold, its bark was rough, it gave no comfort-but it offered cover. Of course, that might be insufficient, if he was being searched for with a heat-seeker, but, on the other hand, the cold trunk of a tree might blur even that. Below him was hard-packed soil. Even in this moment of hiding, of attempting to see his pursuer while remaining unseen, he could not help wondering how thick the soil might be, how long it had taken to accumulate, many domes in the warmer areas of Trantor carried forests on their back, and whether the trees were always confined to the creases between domes, leaving the higher regions to moss, grass, and underbrush. He saw it again. It was not a hypership, nor even an ordinary air-jet. It was a jet-down. He could see the faint glow of the ion trails corning out at the vertices of a hexagon, neutralizing the gravitational pull and allowing the wings to keep it aloft like a large soaring bird. It was a vehicle that could hover and explore a planetary terrain. It was only the clouds than had saved him. Even if they were using heat-seekers, that would only indicate there were people below. The jet-down would have to make a tentative dive below the banked ceiling before it could hope to know how many human beings there were and whether any of them might be the particular person the patties aboard were seeking. The jet-down was closer now, but it couldn't hide from him either. The rumble of the engine gave it away and they couldn't rum that off, not as long as they wished to continue their search. Seldon knew the jet-downs, for on Helicon or on any undomed world with skies that cleared now and then, they were common, with many in private hands. Of what possible use would jet-downs be on Trantor, with all the human life of the world under domes, with low cloud ceilings all but perpetual-except for a few government vehicles designed for just this purpose, that of picking up a wanted person who had been lured above the domes? Why not? Government forces could nor enter the grounds of the University, but perhaps Seldon was no longer on the grounds. He was on top of the domes which might be outside the jurisdiction of any local government. An Imperial vehicle might have every right to land on any part of the dome and question or remove any person found upon it. Hummin had not warned him of this, but perhaps he had merely not thought of doing so. The jet-down was even closer now, nosing about like a blind beast sniffing out its prey. Would it occur to them to search this group of trees? Would they land and send out an armed soldier or two to beat through the copse? And if so, what could he do? He was unarmed and all his quicktwist agility would be useless against the agonizing pain of a neuronic whip. It was not attempting to land. Either they missed the significance of the trees Or- A new thought suddenly hit him. What if this wasn't a pursuit vessel at all? What if it was part of the meteorological testing? Surely, meteorologists would want to test the upper reaches of the atmosphere. Was he a fool to hide from it? The sky was getting darker. The clouds were getting thicker or, much more likely, night was falling. And it was getting colder and would get colder still. Was he going to stay out here freezing because a perfectly harmless jet-down had made an appearance and had activated a sense of paranoia that he had never felt before? He had a strong impulse to leave the copse and get back to the meteorological station. After all, how would the man Hummin feared so much-Demerzel-know that Seldon would, at this particular time, be Upperside and ready to be taken? For a moment, that seemed conclusive and, shivering with the cold, he moved out from behind the tree. And then he scurried back as the vessel reappeared even closer than before. He hadn't seen it do anything that would seem to be meteorological. It did nothing that might be considered sampling, measuring, or testing. Would he see such things if they took place? He did not know the precise sort of instruments the jet-down carried or how they worked. If they were doing meteorological work, he might not be able to tell.-Still, could he take the chance of coming into the open? After all, what if Demerzel did know of his presence Upperside, simply because an agent of his, working in the University, knew about it and had reported the matter. Lisung Randa, that cheerful, smiling little Easterner, had suggested he go Upperside. He had suggested it quite forcefully and the subject had not arisen naturally out of the conversation; at least, not naturally enough. Was it possible that he was a government agent and had alerted Demerzel somehow? Then there was Leggen, who had given him the sweater. The sweater was useful, but why hadn't Leggen told him he would need one earlier so he could get his own? Was there something special about the one he was wearing? It was uniformly purple, while all the others' indulged in the Trantorian fashion of bright patterns. Anyone looking down from a height would see a moving dull blotch in among others that were bright and know immediately whom they wanted. And Clowzia? She was supposedly Upperside to learn meteorology and help t he meteorologists. How was it possible that she could come to him, talk to him at ease, and quietly walk him away from the others and isolate him so that he could easily be picked up? For that matter, what about Dors Venabili? She knew he was going Upperside. She did not stop it. She might have gone with him, but she was conveniently busy. It was a conspiracy. Surely, it was a conspiracy. He had convinced himself now and there was no further thought of getting out from the shelter of the trees. (His feet felt like lumps of ice and stamping them against the ground seemed to do no good.) Would the jet-down never leave? And even as he thought that, the pitch of the engine's rumble heightened and the jet-down rose into the clouds and faded away. Seldon listened eagerly, alert to the smallest sound, making sure it was finally gone. And then, even after he was sure it was gone, he wondered if that was just a device to flush him out of hiding. He remained where he was while the minutes slowly crawled on and night continued to fall. And finally, when he felt that the true alternative to taking the chance of coming out in the open was that of freezing into insensibility, he stepped out and moved cautiously beyond the shelter of the trees. It was dusky twilight, after all. They couldn't detect him except by a heat-seeker, but, if so, he would hear the jet-down return. He waited just beyond the trees, counting to himself, ready to hide in the copse again at the smallest sound-though what good that would do him once he was spotted, he couldn't imagine. Seldon looked about. If he could find the meteorologists, they would surely have artificial light, but except for that, there would be nothing. He could still just make out his surroundings, but in a matter of a quarter of an hour, half an hour at the outside, he would not. With no lights and a cloudy sky above, it would be dark-completely dark. Desperate at the prospect of being enveloped in total darkness, Seldon realized that he would have to find his way back to the crease that had brought him there as quickly as possible and retrace his steps. Folding his arms tightly around himself for warmth, he set off in what he thought was the direction of the crease between the domes. There might, of course, be more than one crease leading away from the copse, but he dimly made out some of the sprigs of berries he had seen coming in, which now looked almost black rather than bright red. He could not delay. He had to assume he was right. He moved up the crease as fast as he might, guided by failing sight and by the vegetation underfoot. But he couldn't stay in the crease forever. He had come over what had seemed to him to be the tallest dome in sight and had found a crease that cut at right angles across his line of approach. By his reckoning, he should now turn right, then sharp left, and that would put him on the path toward the meteorologists' dome. Seldon made the left turn and, lifting his head, he could just make out the curve of a dome against the fractionally lighter sky. That had to be it! Or was that only wishful thinking? He had no choice but to assume it wasn't. Keeping his eye on the peak so that he could move in a reasonably straight line, he headed for it as quickly as he could. As he got closer, he could make out the line of dome against sky with less and less certainty as it loomed larger and larger. Soon, if he was correct, he would be going up a gentle slope and when that slope became level he would be able to look down the other side and see the lights of the meteorologists. In the inky dark, he could not tell what lay in his path. Wishing there were at least a few sorts to shed some light, he wondered if this was how it felt to be blind. He waved his arms before him as if they were antennae. It was growing colder by the minute and he paused occasionally to blow on his hands and hold them under his armpits. He wished earnestly he could do the same for his feet. By now, he thought, if it started to precipitate, it would be snow-or, worse yet, sleet. On†¦ on. There was nothing else to do. Eventually, it seemed to him that he was moving downward. That was either wishful thinking or he had topped the dome. He stopped. If he had topped the dome, he should be able to see the artificial light of the meteorological station. He would see the lights carried by the meteorologists themselves, sparkling or dancing like fireflies. Seldon closed his eyes as though to accustom them to dark and then try again, but that was a foolish effort. It was no darker with his eyes closed than with them open and when he opened them it was no lighter than when he had had them closed. Possibly Leggen and the others were gone, had taken their lights with them and had turned off any lights on the instruments. Or possibly Seldon had climbed the wrong dome. Or he had followed a curved path along the dome so that he was now facing in the wrong direction. Or he had followed the wrong crease and had moved away from the copse in the wrong direction altogether. What should he do? If he was facing the wrong direction, there was a chance that light would be visible right or left-and it wasn't. If he had followed the wrong crease, there was no possible way he could return to the copse and locate a different crease. His only chance lay in the assumption that he was facing the right direction and that the meteorological station was more or less directly ahead of him, but that the meteorologists had gone and had left it in darkness. Move forward, then. The chances of success might be small, but it was the only chance he had. He estimated that it had taken him half an hour to move from the meteorological station to the top of the dome, having gone partway with Clowzia and sauntering with her rather than striding. He was moving at little better than a saunter now in the daunting darkness. Seldon continued to slog forward. It would have been nice to know the time and he had a timeband, of course, but in the dark. He stopped. He wore a Trantorian timeband, which gave Galactic Standard time (as all timebands did) and which also gave Trantorian local time. Timebands were usually visible in the dark, phosphorescing so that one could tell time in the quiet dark of a bedchamber. A Heliconian timeband certainly would; why not a Trantorian one? He looked at his timeband with reluctant apprehension and touched the contact that would draw upon the power source for light. The timeband gleamed feebly and told him the time was 1847. For it to be nighttime already, Seldon knew that it must be the winter season.-How far past the solstice was it? What was the degree of axial tipping? How long was the year? How far from the equator was he at this moment? There was no hint of an answer to any of these things, but what counted was that the spark of light was visible. He was not blind! Somehow the feeble glow of his timeband gave him renewed hope. His spirits rose. He would move on in the direction he was going. He would move for half an hour. If he encountered nothing, he would move on five minutes more-no further-just five minutes. If he still encountered nothing, he would stop and think. That, however, would be thirty-five minutes from now. Till then, he would concentrate only on walking and on willing himself to feel warmer (He wiggled his toes, vigorously. He could still feel them.) Seldon trudged onward and the half hour passed. He paused, then hesitantly, he moved on for five more minutes. Now he had to decide. There was nothing. He might be nowhere, far removed from any opening into the dome. He might, on the other hand, be standing three meters to the left-or right-or short-of the meteorological station. He might be two arms' lengths from the opening into the dome, which would not, however, be open. Now what? Was there any point in shouting? He was enveloped by utter silence but for the whistling of the wind. If there were birds, beasts, or insects in among the vegetation on the domes, they were not here during this season or at this time of night or at this particular place. The wind continued to chill him. Perhaps he should have been shouting all due way. The sound might have carried a good distance in the cold air. But would there have been anyone to hear him? Would they hear him inside the dome? Were there instruments to detect sound or movement from above? Might there not be sentinels just inside? That seemed ridiculous. They would have heard his footsteps, wouldn't they? Still- He called out. â€Å"Help! Help! Can someone hear me?† His cry was strangled, half-embarrassed. It seemed silly shouting into vast black nothingness. But then, he felt it was even sillier to hesitate in such a situation as this. Panic was welling up in him. He took in a deep, cold breath and screamed for as long as he could. Another breath and another scream, changing pitch. And another. Seldon paused, breathless, turning his head every which way, even though there was nothing to see. He could not even detect an echo. There was nothing left to do but wait for the dawn. But how long was the night at this season of the year? And how cold would it get? He felt a tiny cold touch sting his face. After a while, another. It was sleeting invisibly in the pitch blackness. And there was no way to find shelter. He thought: It would have been better if that jet-down had seen me and picked me up. I would be a prisoner at this moment, perhaps, but I'd be warm and comfortable, at least. Or, if Hummin had never interfered, I might have been back in Helicon long ago. Under surveillance, but warm and comfortable. Right now that was all he wanted-to be warm and comfortable. But at the moment he could only wait. He huddled down, knowing that however long the night, he dared not sleep. He slipped off his shoes and rubbed his icy feet. Quickly, he put his shoes back on. He knew he would have to repeat this, as well as rubbing his hands and ears all night long to keep his circulation flowing. But most important to remember was that he must not let himself fall asleep. That would mean certain death. And, having carefully thought all this out, his eyes closed and he nodded off to sleep with the sleet coming down.

Objectives of Firms Essay

Standard theory assumes that businesses have sufficient information, market power and (importantly) motivation to set prices for their products that maximise profits This assumption is now heavily criticised by economists who have studied the organisation and objectives of modern-day corporations. Not only do most businesses frequently move away from pure profit-seeking behaviour, many are organised and operated in a way where profit is not the only objective. Key Point: There will always be a range of business objectives: 1. Profit maximisation (where MR=MC) 2. Revenue maximisation (sales revenue) – where MR=zero 3. Increasing and protecting market share 4. Surviving an economic downturn / recession 5. Pursuing ethical business objectives (corporate social responsibility) 6. Providing a public service – see later sections on nationalised (state-owned) industries Why might a business depart from profit maximisation? Some explanations relate to the lack of accurate information required to set profit maximising prices. Others concentrate on the alternative objectives of businesses. Imperfect information: It might be hard for a business to pinpoint their profit maximising output, as they cannot accurately calculate marginal revenue & cost. Day-to-day pricing decisions are taken on the basis of â€Å"estimated demand† or â€Å"rules of thumb†. A business might look to add a profit margin on top of average cost – â€Å"cost-plus pricing†. Multi-product businesses: Most businesses are multi-product firms operating in a range of markets across countries and continents – the volume of information that they have to handle can be vast. And they must keep track of the ever-changing preferences of consumers. The idea that there is a neat, single profit maximising price is redundant. Behavioural Theories of the Firm Behavioural economists believe that large-scale businesses are complex organizations made up of various stakeholders – i.e. groups who have a vested interest in the activity of a business. Examples include: Managers employed by a business and other employees Shareholders – people who have an equity stake in a business Customers The government and it’s agencies including local government Each group is likely to have different objectives or goals at points in time. The dominant group at any moment can give greater emphasis to their own objectives – for example price and output decisions may be taken at a local level by managers – with shareholders taking only a distant and imperfectly informed view of the company’s performance and strategy. If firms are likely to move away from pure profit maximising behaviour, what are the alternatives? 1. Satisficing behaviour is a term first coined by economist Hugo Simon – when faced with a decision where the cost of identifying and pursuing the optimal choice is high. For business owners this might mean moving away from pure profit maximisation and choosing instead to aim for minimum acceptable levels of achievement in terms of revenue and profit. 2. Sales Revenue Maximisation The objective of maximising sales revenue rather than profits was developed by William Baumol whose work focused on the behaviour of manager-controlled businesses. Baumol argued that annual salaries and perks are linked to total sales revenue rather than profits. Companies geared towards maximising revenue are likely to make extensive use of price discrimination to extract extra revenue and profit from consumers. A firm might also aim to maximise sales revenue rather than profits because it wishes to deter the entry of new firms. If a firm decides to aim to maximise sales revenue rather than profits, one of the consequences might be a reduction in the price of the firm’s shares 3. Managerial Satisfaction model An alternative view was put forward by Oliver Williamson (1981), who developed the concept of managerial satisfaction (or managerial utility). This can be enhanced by raising sales revenue. Assuming that the firm’s costs remain the same, a firm will choose a lower price and supply a higher output when sales revenue maximisation is the main objective. The profit maximising price is P1 at output Q1, the revenue maximising price is P2 at output Q2 Consumer surplus is higher with sales revenue maximisation because output is higher and price is lower. Producer surplus is greater when profits are maximised. Social Entrepreneurs Michael Porter – Shared Value and the Limitations of CSR Narrow views about how to create profit has created disconnect between businesses and society and needs to change according to Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter. â€Å"A growing number of companies known for their hard-nosed approach to business—such as GE, Google, IBM, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Nestlà ©, Unilever, and Wal-Mart—have already embarked on efforts to create shared value by looking again at the intersection between society and corporate performance.† Shared value is creating economic value by creating social value In recent times, creating value has tended to focus on short-termist thinking – Businesses have been long on driving huge sales and output volumes, downsize and de-layering inefficient management and generally responding to pressure from financial markets to deliver immediate results through cost-cutting, dynamic pricing and increasingly tough marketing that can often persuade people to buy things that are not good for them. This involves a recalibration and a rethinking about what a product really is and what needs a business is meeting, for example in the food industry, products that are nutritious and healthy rather than focus on volume, lower unit costs and higher profits. He notes to increasing prominence of social entrepreneurs with revenue generating business models. Consumers looking at the world differently and expressing their preferences in strong ways – this is already having a direct effect on supermarket behaviour. A social enterprise is a business that has social objectives whose profits are reinvested for that purpose in the business or the community, rather than being driven by the need to seek profit to satisfy investors. Social entrepreneurs are looking to achieve social and environmental aims Not for Profit Businesses These are charities, community organisations that are run on commercial lines e.g. Network Rail: Network Rail: Their stated purpose is to deliver a safe, reliable and efficient railway for Britain They employ over 35,000 people with annual staff costs in excess of  £1.6bn It is a company limited by guarantee – whose debts are secured by the government Network Rail operates as a commercial business and regulated by the Office of Rail Regulation Network Rail is a â€Å"not-for-dividend† company – profits are invested in the railway network. Train operating companies (TOCs) pay Network Rail for use of the rail infrastructure They are given targets for punctuality and safety In 2011 Network Rail made profits of  £750 million. It receives an annual subsidy from the UK government in excess of  £5 billion. Businesses required to main a loss-making service A good example here is the Royal Mail which is required to maintain a universal national postal delivery service throughout the UK for a uniform price. Household mail makes a loss, cross-subsidised by business mail – although this market is shrinking for the Royal Mail because of the introduction of fresh competition from 2006. The Post Office Ltd is a subsidiary of the Royal Mail Group plc – it runs substantial losses on the network or rural post offices and has been under great pressure to close hundreds of offices to stem losses.