Confucian Philosophy Essay

2000 by Andre Levy All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in. writing from the publisher. The Association of American University Presses’ Resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition. The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39. 48-1984. Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Levy, Andre, date [La litterature chinoise ancienne et classique. English] Chinese literature, ancient and classical / by Andre Levy ; translated by William H. Nienhauser, Jr. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-253-33656-2 (alk. paper) 1. Chinese literature—History and criticism. I. Nienhauser, William H. II. Title. PL2266. L48 2000 895. 1’09—dc21 99-34024 1 2 3 4 5 05 04 03 02 01 00. For my own early translators of French, Daniel and Susan Contents ix Preface 1 Introduction Chapter 1: Antiquity 5 I. Origins II. â€Å"Let a hundred flowers bloom, Let a hundred schools of thought contend! † 1. Mo zi and the Logicians 2. Legalism 3. The Fathers of Taoism III. The Confucian Classics 31 Chapter 2: Prose I. Narrative Art and Historical Records II. The Return of the â€Å"Ancient Style† III. The Golden Age of Trivial Literature IV. Literary Criticism Chapter 3: Poetry 61 I. The Two Sources of Ancient Poetry 1. The Songs of Chu 2. Poetry of the Han Court II. The Golden Age of Chinese Poetry 1. From Aesthetic Emotion to Metaphysical Flights 2. The Age of Maturity 3. The Late Tang III. The Triumph of Genres in Song Chapter 4: Literature of Entertainment: The Novel and Theater 105 I. Narrative Literature Written in Classical Chinese II. The Theater 1. The Opera-theater of the North 2. The Opera-theater of the South III. The Novel 1. Oral Literature 2. Stories and Novellas 3. The â€Å"Long Novel† or Saga Index 151 Translator’s Preface. I first became- interested in translating Andre Levy’s history of Chinese literature, La litterature chinoise ancienne et classique (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1991), in 1996, after finding it in a bookshop in Paris. I read sections and was intrigued by Professor Levy’s approach, which was modeled on literary genres rather than political eras. I immediately thought about translating parts of the book for my graduate History of Chinese Literature class at the University of Wisconsin, a class in which the importance of dynastic change was also downplayed. Like many plans, this one was set aside. Last spring, however, when the panel on our field’s desiderata headed by David Rolston at the 1998 Association for Asian Studies Meeting pronounced that one of the major needs was for a concise history of Chinese literature in about 125 pages (the exact length of Professor Levy’s original text), I revived my interest in this translation. I proposed the book to John Gallman, Director of Indiana University Press, and John approved it almost immediately-but, not before warning me that this kind of project can take much more time than the translator originally envisions. Although I respect John’s experience and knowledge in publishing, I was sure I would prove the exception. After all, what kind of trouble could a little book of 125 pages cause? I soon found out. Professor Levy had originally written a much longer manuscript, which was to be published as a supplementary volume to Odile Kaltenmark-Ghequier’s La Litterature chinoise (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1948)’ in the Que sais-je? (What Do I Know? ) series. This concept, however, was soon abandoned, and it ‘Several decades ago Anne-Marie Geoghegan translated this volume as Chinese Literature (New York: Walker, 1964). x Translator’s Preface was decided to publish the Levy â€Å"appendix† as a separate volume-in 125 pages. Professor Levy was then asked to cut his manuscript by one-third. As a result, he was sometimes forced to presume in his audience certain knowledge that some readers of this book-for example, undergraduate students or interested parties with little background in Chinese literature-may not have. For this reason, working carefully with Professor Levy, I have added (or revived) a number of contextual sentences with these readers in mind. More information on many of the authors and works discussed in this history can be found in the entries in The Indiana Companion to Traditional Chinese Literature (volumes 1 and 2; Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986 and 1998). Detailed references to these entries and other relevant studies can be found in the â€Å"Suggested Further Reading† sections at the end of each chapter (where the abbreviated reference Indiana Companion refers to these two volumes). I also discovered that re-translating Professor Levy’s French translations of Chinese texts sometimes resulted in renditions that were too far from the original, even in this age of â€Å"distance education. † So I have translated almost all of the more than 120 excerpts of original works directly from the original Chinese, using Professor Levy’s French versions as a guide wherever possible. All this was done with the blessing and cooperation of the author. Indeed, among the many people who helped with this translation, I would like to especially thank Professor Andre Levy for his unflinching interest in and support of this translation. Professor Levy has read much of the English version, including all passages that I knew were problematic (there are no doubt others! ), and offered comments in a long series of letters over the past few months. Without his assistance the translation would never have been completed. Here in Madison, a trio of graduate students have helped me with questions Translator’s Preface xi about the Chinese texts: Mr. Cao Weiguo riftlal, Ms. Huang Shu—yuang MV and Mr. Shang Cheng I*. They saved me E, from innumerable errors and did their work with interest and high spirits. Mr. Cao also helped by pointing out problems in my interpretation of the original French. Mr. Scott W. Galer of Ricks College read the entire manuscript and offered a number of invaluable comments. My wife, Judith, was unrelenting in her demands on behalf of the general reader. The most careful reader was, however, Jane Lyle of Indiana University Press, who painstakingly copy-edited the text. If there is a literary style to this translation, it is due to her efforts. My thanks, too, to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation which supported me in Berlin through the summer of 1997 when I first read Professor Levy’s text, and especially to John Gallman, who stood behind this project from the beginning. Madison, Wisconsin, 16 February 1999 (Lunar New Year’s Day) Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical Introduction Could one still write, as Odile Kaltenmark-Ghequier did in 1948 in the What Do I Know series Number 296, which preceded this book, that â€Å"the study of Chinese literature, long neglected by the Occident, is still in its  infancy? â€Å"‘ Yes and no. There has been some spectacular progress and some foundering. At any rate, beginning at the start of the twentieth century, it was Westerners who were the first-followed by the Japanese, before the Chinese themselves-to produce histories of Chinese literature. Not that the Chinese tradition had not taken note of an evolution in literary genres, but the prestige of wen 5 signifying both â€Å"literature† and â€Å"civilization,† placed it above history-anthologies, compilations, and catalogues were preferred. Moreover, the popular side of literature-fiction, drama, and oral verse-because of its lack of â€Å"seriousness† or its â€Å"vulgarity,† was not judged dignified enough to be considered wen. Our goal is not to add a new work to an already lengthy list of histories of Chinese literature, nor to supplant the excellent summary by Odile Kaltenmark-Ghequier which had the impossible task of presenting a history of Chinese literature in about a hundred pages. Our desire would be rather to complement the list by presenting the reader with a different approach, one more concrete, less dependent on the dynastic chronology. Rather than a history, it is a picture-inevitably incompleteof Chinese literature of the past that this little book offers. Chinese â€Å"high† literature is based on a â€Å"hard core† of classical training consisting of the memorization of texts, nearly a half-million characters for every candidate who reaches the highest competitive examinations. We might see the classical art of writing as the arranging, in an appropriate and astute fashion, of lines recalled by memory, something ,  Ã¢â‚¬ËœOdile Kaltenmark-Ghequier, â€Å"Introduction,† La litterature chinoise (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1948), p. 5; â€Å"Que sais—je,† no. 296. 2 Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical that came almost automatically to traditional Chinese intellectuals. The goal of these writers was not solely literary. They hoped through their writings to earn a reputation that would help them find support for their efforts to pass the imperial civil-service examinations and thereby eventually win a position at court. Although there were earlier tests leading to political advancement, the system that existed nearly until the end of the imperial period in 1911 was known as the jinshi A ± or â€Å"presented scholar† examination (because successful candidates were â€Å"presented† to the emperor), and was developed during the late seventh and early eighth centuries A. D. It required the writing of poetry and essays on themes set by the examiners. Successful candidates were then given minor positions in the bureaucracy. Thus the memorization of a huge corpus of earlier literature and the ability to compose on the spot became the major qualifications for political office through most of the period from the eighth until the early twentieth centuries. These examinations, and literature in general, were composed in a classical, standard language comparable to Latin in the West. This â€Å"classical† language persisted by opposing writing to speech through a sort of partial bilingualism. The strict proscription of vulgarisms, of elements of the spoken language, from the examinations has helped to maintain the purity of classical Chinese. The spoken language, also labeled â€Å"vulgar,† has produced some literary monuments of its own, which were recognized as such and qualified as â€Å"classics† only a few decades ago. The unity of the two languages, classical and vernacular, which share the same fundamental structure, is undermined by grammars that are appreciably different, and by the fact that these languages hold to diametrically opposed stylistic ideals: lapidary concision on the one hand, and eloquent vigor on the other. We conclude by pointing out that educated Chinese add to their surnames, which are always given first, a great variety of personal names, which can be disconcerting at times. The standard given name (ming Introduction 3 is often avoided out of decorum; thus Tao Qian Miff is often referred to En We will retain only the by his zi (stylename) as Tao Yuanming best known of these names, avoiding hao at (literary name or nickname), bie hao ZIJM (special or particular literary name), and shi ming (residential name) whenever possible: When other names are used, the standard ming will be  given in parentheses. The goal here is to enable the reader to form an idea of traditional Chinese literature, not to establish a history of it, which might result in a lengthy catalogue of works largely unknown today. We are compelled to sacrifice quantity to present a limited number of literary â€Å"stars,† and to reduce the listing of their works to allow the citation of a number of previously unpublished translations, inevitably abridged but sufficient, we hope, to evoke the content of the original. The chronological approach will be handled somewhat roughly because of the need to follow the development of the great literary genres: after the presentation of antiquity, the period in which the common culture of the educated elite was established, comes an examination of the prose genres of â€Å"high† classical literature, then the description of the art most esteemed by the literati, poetry. The final section treats the literature of diversion, the most discredited but nonetheless highly prized, which brings together the novel and the theater. Chapter 1. Antiquity Ancient literature, recorded by the scribes of a rapidly evolving warlike and aristocratic society, has been carefully preserved since earliest times and has become the basis of Chinese lettered culture. It is with this in mind that one must approach the evolution of literature and its role over the course of the two-thousand-year-old imperial government, which collapsed in 1911, and attempt to understand the importance (albeit increasingly limited) that ancient literature retains today. The term â€Å"antiquity† applied to China posed no problems until certain Marxist historians went so far as to suggest that it ended only in 1919. The indigenous tradition had placed the break around 211 B. C. , when political unification brought about the establishment of a centralized but â€Å"prefectural† government under the Legalists, as well as the famous burning of books opposed to the Legalist state ideology. Yet to suggest that antiquity ended so early is to minimize the contribution of Buddhism and the transformation of thought that took place between the third and seventh centuries. The hypothesis that modernity began early, in the eleventh or perhaps twelfth century in China, was developed by Naito Konan NAM 1 (1866-1934). This idea has no want of critics or of supporters. It is opposed to the accepted idea in the West, conveyed by Marxism, that China, a â€Å"living fossil,† has neither entered modern times nor participated in â€Å"the global civilization† that started with the Opium War of 1840. Nor is there unanimity concerning the periodization proposed in historical linguistics, a periodization which distinguishes Archaic Chinese of High Antiquity (from the origins of language to the third century) from Ancient Chinese of Mid-Antiquity (sixth to twelfth centuries), then Middle Chinese of the Middle Ages (thirteenth-sixteenth centuries) from Modern Chinese (seventeenth-nineteenth centuries), and Recent Chinese (18401919) from Contemporary Chinese (1920 to the present). 6 Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical. In the area of literature, the beginning of the end of antiquity could perhaps be placed in the second century A. D. Archaeology has elevated our knowledge of more ancient writings toward the beginning of the second millennium B. C. , but this archaic period, discovered recently, cannot be considered part of literary patrimony in the strictest sense. Accounts of this archaic period are traditionally divided into six eras,2 but to honor them would be to fall into the servitude of a purely chronological approach. I. Origins Since the last year of the last century, when Wang Yirong . 1. 6M (1845-1900) compiled the first collection of inscriptions written on bones and shells, the increasing number of archaeological discoveries has allowed the establishment of a corpus of nearly 50,000 inscriptions extending over the period from the fourteenth to the tenth centuries before our era. Dong Zuobin (1895-1963) proposed a periodization for them and distinguished within them the styles of different schools of scribes. Scholars have managed to decipher a third of the total of some 6,000 distinct signs, which are clearly related to the system of writing used by the Chinese today-these were certainly not primitive forms of characters. The oracular inscriptions are necessarily short-the longest known text, of a hundred or so characters, covers the scapula of an ox and extends even over the supporting bones; the shell of a southern species of the great tortoise, also used to record divination, did not offer a more extensive surface. Whether a literature existed at this ancient time seems rather doubtful, but this scriptural evidence causes one to consider whether eras are the early Chou dynasty (eleventh century-722 B. C. ), the Spring and Autumn era (722-481 B. C. ), the Warring States (481-256 B. C. ), the Ch’in dynasty (256-206 B. C. ), the Western or Early Han dynasty (206 B. C. -A. D. 6), and the Eastern or Latter Han dynasty (25-A. D. 220). 2These Chapter 1. Antiquity 7 the Shu jing Efg (Classic of Documents), supposedly â€Å"revised† by Confucius but often criticized as a spurious text, was based in part on authentic texts. The presence of an early sign representing a bundle of slips of wood or bamboo confirms the existence of a primitive form of book in a very ancient era-texts were written on these slips, which were then bound together to form a â€Å"fascicle. † The purpose of these ancient archives, which record the motivation for the diviner’s speech, his identity, and sometimes the result, has been ignored. Of another nature are the inscriptions on bronze that appeared in about the eleventh century B. C. and went out of fashion in the second century B.C. They attracted the attention of amateur scholars from the eleventh century until modern times. Many collections of inscriptions on â€Å"stone and bronze† have been published in the intervening eras. The longest texts extend to as much as five-hundred signs, the forms of which often seem to be more archaic than those of the inscriptions on bones and shells. The most ancient inscriptions indicate nothing more than the person to whom the bronze was consecrated or a commemoration of the name of the sponsor. Toward the tenth century B. C. the texts evolved from several dozen to as many as a hundred signs and took on a commemorative character. The inspiration for these simple, solemn texts is not always easily discernible because of the obscurities of the archaisms in the language. An echo of certain pieces transmitted by the Confucian school can be seen in some texts, but their opacity has disheartened many generations of literati. II. â€Å"Let a hundred flowers bloom, Let a hundred schools of thought contend! † This statement by Mao Zedong, made to launch a liberalization movement that was cut short in 1957, was inspired by an exceptional period in Chinese cultural history (from the fifth to the third centuries 8 Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical B. C. ) in which there was a proliferation of schools-the â€Å"hundred schools. † The various masters of these schools offered philosophical, often political, discussion. The growth of these schools paralleled the rise of rival states from the time of Confucius (the Latinized version of the Chinese original, Kong Fuzi TL-T- or Master Kong, ca. 551-479 B. C. ) to the end of the Warring States period (221 B. C. ). The â€Å"hundred schools† came to an end with the unification of China late in the third century B. C. under the Legalist rule of the Qin dynasty (221-206 B. C. ). This era of freedom of thought and intellectual exchange never completely ceased to offer a model, albeit an unattainable model, in the search for an alternative to the oppressive ideology imposed by the centralized state. Much of what has reached us from this lost world was saved in the wake of the reconstruction of Confucian writings (a subject to which we will turn shortly). The texts of the masters of the hundred schools, on the periphery of orthodox literati culture, are of uneven quality, regardless of the philosophy they offer. Even the best, however, have not come close to dethroning the â€Å"Chinese Socrates,† Confucius, the first of the great thinkers, in both chronology and importance. 1. Mo Zi and the Logicians. The work known as Mo Zi (Master Mo) is a collection of the writings of a sect founded by Mo Di g, an obscure personage whom scholars have wanted to make a contemporary of Confucius. It has been hypothesized that the name Mo, â€Å"ink,† referred to the tattooing of  a convict in antiquity, and the given name, Di, indicates the pheasant feathers that decorated the hats of the common people. Although we can only speculate about whether Mo Zi was a convict or a commoner, he argued for a kind of bellicose pacifism toward aggressors, doing his best to promote, through a utilitarian process of reasoning, the necessity of believing in the gods and of practicing universal love without discrimination. Condemning the extravagant expense of funerals as well as the uselessness of art and music, Mo Zi Chapter 1. Antiquity 9 wrote in a style of discouraging weight. The work that has come down to us under his name (which appears to be about two-thirds of the original text) represents a direction which Chinese civilization explored without ever prizing. Mo Zi’s mode of argument has influenced many generations of logicians and sophists, who are known to us only in fragments, the main contribution of which has been to demonstrate in their curious way of argumentation peculiar features of the Chinese language. Hui Shi Ea is known only by the thirty-some paradoxes which the incomparable Zhuang Zi cites, without attempting to solve, as in: There is nothing beyond the Great Infinity. . . and the Small Infinity is not inside. The antinomies of reason have nourished Taoist thought, if not the other way around, as Zhuang Zi attests after the death of his friend Hui Shi: Zhuang Zi was accompanying a funeral procession. When he passed by the grave of Master Hui he turned around to say to those who were following him: â€Å"A fellow from Ying had spattered the tip of his nose with a bit of plaster, like the wing of a fly. He had it removed by [his crony] the carpenter Shi, who took his ax and twirled it around. He cut it off, then heard a wind: the plaster was entirely removed without scratching his nose. The man from Ying had remained standing, impassive. When he learned of this, Yuan, the sovereign of the country of Song, summoned the carpenter Shih and said to him, â€Å"Try then to do it again for Us. † The carpenter responded, â€Å"Your servant is capable of doing it; however, the material that he made use of died long ago. † After the death of the Master, I too no longer can find the material: I no longer have anyone to talk to. (Zhuang Zi 24) Sons of the logicians and the sophists, the rhetoricians shared with the Taoists a taste for apologues. They opposed the Taoist solution of a 10 Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical detached â€Å"non-action,† involved as they were in diplomatic combat. Held in contempt by the Confucians for their â€Å"Machiavellianism,† the Zhanguo ce Vg (Intrigues of the Warring States) remains the most representative work of the genre. It was reconstructed several centuries later by Liu Xiang gj 1-(4] (77-6 B. C. ), but the authenticity of these reassembled materials seems to have been confirmed by the discovery of parallel texts in a tomb at Mawang Dui gUttg in 1973. A great variety animates these accounts, both speeches and chronicles; they are rich in dialogue, which cannot be represented by this single, although characteristic, anecdote—it is inserted without commentary into the â€Å"intrigues† (or â€Å"slips†) of the state of Chu: The King of Wei offered the King of Chu a beautiful girl who gave him great satisfaction. Knowing how much the new woman pleased him, his wife, the queen, showed her the most intense affection. She chose clothes and baubles which would please her and gave them to her; it was the same for her with rooms in the palace and bed clothes. In short, she gratified her with more attention than the king himself accorded her. He congratulated her for it: a woman serves her husband through her carnal appeal, and jealousy is her nature. Now, understanding how I love the new woman, my wife shows her more love than I—it is thus that the filial son serves his parents, that the loyal servant fulfills his duties toward his prince. As she knew that the king did not consider her jealous, the queen suggested to her rival: â€Å"The king appreciates your beauty. However, he is not that fond of your nose. You would do better to hide it when he receives you. † Therefore, the new one did so when she saw His Majesty. The king asked his wife why his favorite hid her nose in his presence. She responded, â€Å"I know. † â€Å"Even if it is unpleasant, tell me! † insisted the king. â€Å"She does not like your odor. † â€Å"The brazen hussy! † cried the sovereign. â€Å"Her nose is to be cut off, and let no one question my order! † Chapter 1. Antiquity 11 The Yan Zi chunqiu *T-*V( (Springs and Autumns of Master Yen) is another reconstruction by Liu Xiang, a collection of anecdotes about Yan Ying RV, a man of small stature but great ability who was prime minister to Duke Jing of Qi (547-490 B.C. )-the state that occupies what is now Shandong. Without cynicism, but full of shrewdness, these anecdotes do not lack appeal; some have often been selected as anthology pieces, of which this one is representative: When Master Yan was sent as an ambassador to Chu, the people of the country constructed a little gate next to the great one and invited him to enter. Yan Zi refused, declaring that it was suitable for an envoy to a country of dogs, but that it was to Chu that he had come on assignment. The chamberlain had him enter by the great gate. The King of Chu received him and said to him: â€Å"Was there then no one in Qi, for them to have sent you? † â€Å"How can you say there is no one in Qi, when there would be darkness in our capital of Linzi if the people of the three hundred quarters spread out their sleeves, and it would rain if they shook off their perspiration-so dense is the population. † â€Å"But then why have you been sent? † â€Å"The practice in Qi is to dispatch a worthy envoy to a worthy sovereign; I am the most unworthy. . . .† 2. Legalism. The diplomatic manipulations and other little anecdotes we have seen in the Yan Zi chunqiu were of little interest to the Legalists, who took their name from the idea that the hegemonic power of the state is founded on a system of implacable laws supposing the abolition of hereditary privileges-indeed a tabula rasa that rejects morals and traditions. In fact, historians associate them with all thought that privileges efficacy. From this point of view, the most ancient â€Å"Legalist† would be the artisan of Qi’s hegemony in the seventh century B. C. , Guan Zi (Master Guan). The work that was handed down under his name is a composite text and in reality contains no material prior to the third century B. C. Whether or not he should be considered a Legalist, Guan Zi 12 Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical embodies the idea that the power of the state lies in its prosperity, and this in turn depends on the circulation of goods. In sum, Guan Zi stands for a proto-mercantilism diametrically opposed to the primitive physiocraticism of Gongsun Yang (altV (also known as Shang Yang ), minister of Qin in the fourth century. Shang jun shu 1 (The 2 Book of Lord Shang), which is attributed to Gongsun Yang, gives the Legalist ideas a particularly brutal form: It is the nature of people to measure that which is advantageous to them, to seize the best, and to draw to themselves that which is profitable. The enlightened lord must take care if he wants to establish order in his country and to be able to turn the population to his advantage, for the population has at its disposal a great number of means to avoid the strictness that it fears. Within the country he must cause the people to consecrate themselves to farming; without he must cause them to be singly devoted to warfare. This is why the order of a sage sovereign consists of multiplying interdictions in order to prevent infractions and relying on force to put an end to fraud. (Shang jun shu, â€Å"Suan di†) Shang Yang’s prose is laden with archaisms, which hardly lighten the weight of his doctrine. It is in the work of Han Fei Zi 4-T- (ca. 280-233) that Legalism found its most accomplished formulation. The book Han Fei Zi contains a commentary on the Classic of the Way and of Power of Lao Zi in which the ideal of Taoist non-action is realized by the automatism of laws. The â€Å"artifice† of the latter may go back to the Confucianism of Xun Zi (Master Xun, also known as Xun Qing ,Ajja, ca. 300-230 B. C. ), a school rejected by orthodox Confucianism. Xun Zi, who happens to have been the teacher of Han Fei Zi, developed the brilliant theory that human nature inclines individuals to satisfy their egoistic appetites: it was therefore bad for advanced societies of the time. The â€Å"rites†-culture-are necessary for socialization. Xun Zi’s Chapter 1. Antiquity 13 argumentation was unprecedentedly elaborate, examining every facet of a question while avoiding repetition. In a scintillating style peppered with apologues, Han Fei Zi argues that the art of governing requires techniques other than the simple manipulation of rewards and punishments. The prince is the cornerstone of a system that is supposed to ensure him of a protective impenetrableness. The state must devote itself to eliminating the useless, noxious five â€Å"parasites† or â€Å"vermin:† the scholars, rhetoricians, knights-errant, deserters, and merchants (perhaps even artisans). 3. The Fathers of Taoism. A philosophy of evasion, this school was opposed to social and political engagement. From the outset Taoism was either a means to flee society and politics or a form of consolation for those who encountered reversals in politics and society. The poetic power of its writings, which denounced limits and aphorisms of reason, explains the fascination that it continues to hold for intellectuals educated through the rationalism of the Confucians. These works, like most of the others from antiquity that were attributed to a master, in fact seem to be rather disparate texts of a school. The Dao de jing ittitg (Classic of the Way and of Power) remains the most often translated Chinese work—and the first translated, if one counts the lost translation into Sanskrit by the monk Xuanzang WM in the seventh century A. D. This series of aphorisms is attributed to Lao Zi (Master. Lao or â€Å"The Old Master†), whom tradition considers a contemporary of Confucius. He is said to have left this â€Å"testament† as he departed the Chinese world via the Xian’gu Pass for the West. In their polemics against the Buddhists, the Taoists of the following millennium used this story as the basis on which to affirm that the Buddha was none other than their Chinese Lao Zi, who had been converting the barbarians of the West since his departure from China. Modern scholarship estimates that the Lao Zi could not date earlier than the third century B. C. The 1973 discoveries at Mawang Dui in Hunan confirmed what scholars had suspected for centuries: the primitive Lao Zi is reversed in respect to 14 Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical  ours: a De dao jing â€Å"1,M1# § (Classic of Power and the Way). Its style, which is greatly admired for its obscure concision, seems to owe much to the repair work of the commentator Wang Bi . T3 (226-249). Thus it is tenable that the primitive Lao Zi was a work of military strategy. Whatever it was, the text that is preferred today runs a little over 5,000 characters and is divided into 81 sections (9 x 9). The Taoist attitude toward life is expressed here in admirably striking formulae, which lend themselves to many esoteric interpretations: He who knows does not speak; he who speaks does not know (#56). Govern a great state as you would fry small fish! (#60). Practice non-action, attend to the useless, taste the flavorless. (#63) The Zhuang Zi ate, written by Zhuang Zhou 4. -B1 or Zhuang Zi (Master Zhuang), was apparently abridged at about the same time as the Lao Zi, but at the hands of the commentator Guo Xiang # -IM (d. 312), who cut it from fifty-two to thirty-three sections. Scholars cannot agree whether the seven initial sections, called â€Å"the inner chapters,† are from the same hand of Zhuang Zhou as the sixteen following, called â€Å"the outer chapters,† and the final ten â€Å"miscellaneous chapters. † It is in the final ten that we find a characteristic arrangement of reconstructions from the first century, works of one school attributed to one master. In fact, it is the first part which gives the most lively impression of an encounter with an animated personality whose mind is strangely vigorous and disillusioned: Our life is limited, but knowledge is without limit. To follow the limitless with that which is limited will exhaust one. To go unrelentingly after knowledge is exhausting and c.

Controversy Paper on United States Involvement in Global Affairs

Involvement of the United States in Global Affairs A major debate that is being discussed both domestically and internationally is the involvement of the United States of America in international affairs. This debate includes the practicality of where the United States has intervened in foreign affairs, its right to intervene in the first place considering past mistakes and questionable leadership, and whether or not that foreign involvement is in the general public’s best interest.Obviously, the two sides of the debate refer to the ‘yes’ position, explained by Ivan Eland (as in yes, the United States should limit it’s global involvement) and also the ‘no’ position, backed by President Barack Obama (as in no, the United States should not limit it’s foreign involvement). Eland’s basis for his argument is that the United States has habitually overspent it’s treasure and overextended it’s military power to a point where we cannot keep pace economically and which could bring upon the demise of the American government as we know it.He also points out that continued foreign endeavors increases the risk of the United States being a target for terrorist attack. Obama’s vision is that The United States of America needs to re-establish its place as a world leader by maintaining an active foreign policy. Obama admits that mistakes have been made where international affairs are concerned, but that is a reason to fix those mistakes and step up as a suitable leader once more. Discussed later in the paper is my own point of view, which supports President Barack Obama and his plan for active engagement in foreign affairs, in a conservative and confidant manner.In his position, Eland points out that both republican and democratic actors, as of now, support the use of military force and United State intervention in foreign affairs. This begs the question, who is on Eland’s side? His half of the deb ate offers advice to both the conservatives and the liberals who are currently apart of US involvement decision-making. While he upholds fair and good points, his arguments hold less sway due to his non-direct involvement.Eland’s first argument has a basis in the research of Christopher Coyne, a professor at West Virginia University. The bottom line of this research is that the Unites States attempts of bringing about democracy in countries where we have tried to intervene militarily has yielded low percent success rates. So it may be that it is time for America to change its tactics from a military to a more democratic approach. Another notion brought up by Eland is that it is in America’s best interest to unextend it’s military power.He points out that is unlikely for another hegemonic power to arise very quickly in the absence of our lessened military power, and also compares the overextending of the United States assets to when the Soviet Union overextended itself and it’s socialistic government collapsed. However, Eland also points out that economically, European countries and China are achieving much more than the US. Therefore, if America does not keep up its involvement globally, it is likely that one of those countries could succeed us as the new superpower, thus contradicting his earlier statement that there is unlikely to be a new hegemon anytime soon.It is also unfair to liken the demise of Russia to that of the United States, when the governmental systems are very different. President Barack Obama is in favor of upholding US involvement globally, and maintaining a leadership role. He plans to do this with 5 steps. First, by bringing troops home from Iraq but also leaving some to keep Al Queda and other terrorists at bay. However, the president doesn’t explain exactly how this will be accomplished more effectively since we are already supposedly fighting â€Å"The War on Terrorism† with all our best resourc es.The main point in Barack Obama’s debate is that the United States needs to stay active in the world to remain on top. To do that, new alliances must be built within NATO, but also keep up with the times and constantly revise our alliances and position within the global community. It is also clear that The United States of America has made mistakes in it’s leadership and economically, but overall, Obama’s plan is fairly clearly outlined in his debate, that mostly makes logistical sense. The first step outlined in order to regain influential leadership is changing the troops and approach in the war in Iraq.Second, to employ a 21st military that is powerful, bright and able. Third, to reinforce allies and stand by other in countries in attempt to keep the world’s deadliest weapons out of the worst hands. Fourth, to reduce carbon emissions, and lastly, to provide more foreign aid to countries who are lacking in basic needs and fair governments. As stated a bove, I believe that President Barack Obama’s side of the debate, supporting United States involvement globally, is the right path for America. I choose this because it isn’t just about the yes or no side of this debate.Obama successfully explains that continued involvement doesn’t mean America stomping on poorer countries and participating in unsuccessful expeditions in helping third world countries. US involvement in global affairs means leading the by way of example and will result in putting the interests and safety of American citizens first. Obama’s reasoning of this debate will hold the backing of American citizens. It gives a probable solution to our countries problems at hand. This policy is the best because the public can understand it and they can feel a stake in its success.Countering pro involvement is Eland’s isolationism position. I don’t believe it measures up because it ignores America’s ability to do well unto others , and it diminishes our ability to lead. America is one of the only countries able to use a quantifiable amount of money and military power for use of foreign aid. And unfortunately, a lot of counties need that. If America were to withdraw, many states would be worse for wear (Lieber). I also believe that America’s defining attribute is its leadership position.Withdrawing from international affairs would be to sacrifice that privilege. It is because that no other regional power has the economic power, political will, or military strength to match the United States that we have a great international influence. However, the European Union or China are certainly striving for that same international influence and will not hesitate to rise to it if the opportunity presents itself (Guest). Part of Obama’s outline to maintain world leadership is to build and maintain a 21st century military.He clarifies that recruiting the best and the brightest and rewarding the veterans who serve because they deserve it will be the foremost way to build a military power that is confident and skilled. A force likened to this will not only allow America’s staying power in the prime leadership spot, but also allow us to provision foreign aid. Eland does bring up an excellent point though, when he brings up that the US spends a great deal on it’s military compared to other countries. He points out that other countries are able to do better economically because they do not have such large ilitaries weighing their economies down. Nonetheless, sacrificing America’s military power is an unacceptable notion. All things considered, the United States should not limit its global involvement. It needs to maintain its leadership position in the world, not only for our own benefit but for other actors also. The procedures used by the United States to determine how it will become involved need to be always evolving and reconsidered to ensure the best possible out comes for our United States citizens, and also other citizens around the globe.The United States is very capable of accomplishing this if we lead by example and are always mindful of fellow countries and the repercussions, positive or negative, that our actions are able to preform. Citations Database Used: Academic Search Premier Lieber, Robert. â€Å"Examining America's Role in Global Affairs. † VOA. Voice of America, 31 Oct. 2009. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. Guest, Robert. â€Å"Examining America's Role in Global Affairs. † VOA. Voice of America, 31 Oct. 2009. Web. 14 Nov. 2012.

Why Hospitals should hire Patient Navigator Research Paper

Why Hospitals should hire Patient Navigator - Research Paper Example The populations with limited access on the healthcare system encounter difficulty in using the system leading to delay in cancer diagnosis, added costs, less efficient, and effective use of recommended therapies. The patient navigation programs provide support and guidance to people with the goal of improving access to the cancer care system and overcome barriers to quality care. This paper will present a conceptual model to evaluate cost-effectiveness of cancer patient navigation-programs, discuss challenges, and the best approach to address the challenges. Evaluating the economic impact of patient navigation has a wide array of activities that involves different settings while it suffers from inadequate of information. Different cost elements differ in the study perspective. Different researchers present interventions to determine the relevant cost measures that assess the economic value of patient navigation. The history of the patient navigation programs attributes to Harold Freeman the chair of American Cancer Society that commissioned the study of barrier to cancer among the poor in America. The success of the pioneer program and recognition of significant barriers to cancer diagnosis continue to exist among the minority and the underserved populations. Currently, many patient navigation programs work to reduce barriers to care at all levels. The growing popularity and publication of promising observational studies fail to evaluate the efficacy of navigator programs. Researchers are yet to establish the cost-effectiveness and the impact of navigation programs on cancer-related morbidity and survival. The patient navigator programs can be time and resource intensive. Similar to other interventions may improve the health of poor and underserved populations. One should view the navigation programs in the context of allocating resources to maximize health outcomes on limited budgets. It is important to

Discussion board 1.2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion board 1.2 - Essay Example Formalized assessment helps us to know the ability of a child to acquire knowledge vis-a-vis the mental faculty of the child. Thus, Formalized assessment to a certain extent helps us to evaluate the process that a child acquires knowledge through the use of intuition, perception, or reasoning. It helps us to know the extent at which a child shows characteristics of ASD. The fact that formalized assessment tests the cognitive ability of a child means that it is difficult to use it as an assessment tool for an ASD child and this is where the limitations of the use of formalized assessment with an ASD child arises. Formalized assessment usually requires the child to focus on the task given to them and this is usually impossible, especially with an ASD child as it is difficult for them to pay attention to anything. The implication of this is that children that under eighteen months cannot be part of the formal testing procedure as they would not be able to focus on anything at that age ( Gupta, 2004). Formalized assessment also gives these children these tasks within a time frame and this means that the ASD child would have to respond to these tasks within this time limit and this is utterly impossible.

Social and Situational Crime Prevention Strategies Research Paper

Social and Situational Crime Prevention Strategies - Research Paper Example The most widely recognized definition of crime prevention in the latter part of the 20th century refers to the difference between social and situational strategies of crime prevention—social strategies are generally called ‘community crime prevention’ (Stenson, 1991, p. 63). Many argue that the concepts of social and situational prevention are quite contemporary, even though the principles they support are not. This paper analyzes the strengths, weaknesses, and applications of situational and social crime prevention strategies. Social crime prevention focuses mostly on transforming social environments and the impulses of lawbreakers. Social crime prevention strategies hence are likely to place emphasis on the creation of programs, like activity-based courses and youth associations, to discourage existing or possible delinquents from future criminal behavior. Jon Bright claims that one of the main advocates of social crime prevention is the United Kingdom, which â €Å"aims to strengthen socialization agencies and community institutions in order to influence those groups that are most at risk of offending† (Stenson, 1991, p. 64). On the other hand, situational crime prevention strategies primarily involve ‘opportunity reduction’, like monitoring of activities in public places (e.g. parking lots, shopping malls, etc.) through surveillance equipment, to lessen opportunities for criminal activities. Both social and situational crime prevention strategies are likely to be ‘multiagency’ in focus, instead of being motivated by a single agency, like law enforcement (Lowman & MacLean, 1992). The top radical criminologist, Jock Young, has identified multiagency crime prevention measures in this way: â€Å"Multiagency intervention is the planned, coordinated response of the major social agencies to problems of crime and incivilities† (Lowman & MacLean, 1992, p. 64).  

Foster Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Foster Care - Essay Example The next foremost part of interdisciplinary is focused on the importance of institutions, as it should be considered that the most essential environmental situation supporting interdisciplinary is the structure of an institutional policy for teamwork such as infrastructure of organized research groups, academic records, financing committees and unofficial networks of researchers that dynamically promote interdisciplinary research. (Stehr & Weingart 2000). In foster care (child welfare system), part of its interdisciplinary measures are: 1) the administration for foster care should provide and implement progressive policies that should strictly be followed by its private contract social services agencies; 2) parents and families at danger of child safety participation should have access to high standard and preventive legal services and be represented properly: 3) enhanced teamwork and communication is necessary between the foster care and education schemes; 4) improved employment and maintenance is essential to make certain that people of cultural diversity are in the main decision making roles in the foster care scheme; 5) foster care workers must have the proper training regarding cultural capability; and 6) continuous academic research, in alliance with practitioners is necessary in diverse areas applying different approaches of research which are recognized by the society influence and response to the racial chara

Airline Industry Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Airline Industry Analysis - Essay Example However, the industry is highly depended on the existing business cycles, weather, and political stability. According to industry data, Delta’s Cargo business contributes 40 percent of total revenues while Delta US contributes 27 percent of revenues with the rest coming from Delta International travel (Wood, 2008). Although Southwest Airlines has the highest market in US domestic travel, Delta has the highest revenue passenger Mile (RPM) and has reported the considerable increase in US domestic market share over the last six years. The company has undertaken measures in cost cutting through investing in aircraft that are more fuel-efficient and undertaking investments in technology in order to improve the efficiency of crew systems (Braun & Latham, 2014, p 56).  Five forces analysis The five forces model is essential in understanding the attractiveness of the industry, the drivers of competitive edge and profitability in the industry. Michael Porter’s five forces mode l includes the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitutes, the bargaining power of buyers, the bargaining power of suppliers and degree of rivalry in the industry (Wood, 2008).  The threat of new entrants  Although the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 saw the entry of small low-cost carriers in the US market, the threat of new entrants remains high due to the high capital required to establish operations, the relative economies of scale of the international carriers and stringent regulatory and licensing process (Wood, 2008).

Concept tools Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Concept tools - Assignment Example In the present study, clinical judgment will be measured by measuring how nurses notice certain data on the patient, how they make sense of the data, and how they intervene in the patient’s issue. An effective measuring tool for clinical judgment that will be employed in the current study is Tanner’s Clinical Judgment tool. In this study, the tool will be used in a pre and posttest design for using clinical judgment in employing JNC guidelines in treating hypertension. Its validity, which is the other thing that makes it suitable for the current study, is underpinned by its wide use in different studies. The results of the tool are credible and this is seen in the reliability of the results of the studies that employed it previously. A limitation with Tanner’s Clinical Judgment model is that it might not capture some aspects of a patient’s condition (Modic, 2013). In summary, Tanner’s Clinical Judgment Model is the appropriate tool to use in the current study because it conceptualizes clinical judgment holistically and does not have many limitations that would hinder its accuracy. The tool has been validated by multiple studies. Ashcraft, A., Opton, L., Bridges, R., Caballero, S., Veesart, A. & Weaver, C. (2013). Simulation Evaluation Using a Modified Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric. Nursing Education Perspectives, 34(2):

Can Exercise Make Kids Smarter Essay Example for Free

Can Exercise Make Kids Smarter Essay I do feel exercise does and could make kids smarter. This article is mainly about scientist testing kids and animals to see how they react and their knowledge after exercising for certain amounts of time. In the article they prove scientifically that exercise has no real change on I. Q. and intelligence levels. Then they tested it and then made the pets and animals run some kind of test and instantly they scored went up just a little at least. Exercise I think just gets your mind working and thinking and that’s all that helps the scores. In my life I feel that when I get up a little early and do some quick activities my brain and mind are ready to think for the rest of the day. So I agree with the idea in this article. This article I think is truly about how exercise changes and helps the life of young people and animals. I feel exercise should be at least done every other day for at least 1 hour. Usually just getting up and exercising means you miss one game of x box or you miss one TV show, but in the big picture of life it is important to exercise. To the scientific part I think exercise gives you a mind set that your mind is fresh and clear and that’s why the scientific test don’t pick up a simple thing like that. Well I do feel exercise if nothing else sets your mind set and tells you you CAN do well on the test and comprehend a lot more that without exercise. This article helped me realize a lot about exercise and how sometimes scientific test are not as accurate as what they seem.

The Importance of Early Childhood Education Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Early Childhood Education Essay Preschool education is a hot topic among parents and early childhood educators today. If you are the parent of a preschooler (or younger child) you need to ask yourself why you should care about preschool learning. There are three key reasons why you should not only concern yourself with your childs preschool education but become actively involved in it as well. First, you must remember that preschool education is the foundation for your childs education. The skills and knowledge (not to mention aptitude and attitude) that your child develops in the preschool years will have a dramatic impact on your childs success when formal schooling begins as well as life success. Today we expect children to know more by the time they start kindergarten. While previous generations learned basics like color identification and the alphabet in school, todays children are expected to possess these basic skills by the time they start kindergarten. Another reason to care about your childs preschool education is that by actively promoting and encouraging your childs preschool learning you will promote his or her self esteem as well. Help your child gain confidence by making learning fun and easy at this age and you will help make your child an eager lifelong learner. Finally, preschool education is important because it can give your child the edge in a competitive world and education climate. While children who do not receive the fundamentals during their preschool years will be taught the alphabet, counting, shapes and colors when they begin their formal education they will be behind the children who already possess that knowledge and skill set. Do you want your child to be at the head of the class or lagging behind?

Connection Of Biodiversity To International Relations Commerce Essay

Connection Of Biodiversity To International Relations Commerce Essay The connection between international relations and biodiversity can be linked to the evolution of both as globalization does too, which have brought among others, the increasing in international trade throughout last years. Its a fact that countries experience economic interdependence and that it is not equally shared; usually North developed countries demand raw materials or natural resources at low prices to produce goods, which later are going to be sell to southern or developing countries at higher prices; due to that southern countries are forced themselves to exploit their resources at the point that there is space for extinction rates and for biodiversity to decrease. The economic interdependence that countries are experiencing nowadays have caused high loss of biodiversity not only in flora, because of the high rates of deforestation, but also in fauna, as people even more are destroying habitats and exploiting at high levels the benefits that they could take from animals. All of that is part of an evidence to say that international relations and biodiversity are connected and also we can say that the first one can define the course of the last one; as international relations evolve, biodiversity may decrease. This is seem as a problem as international relations increase, globalization and international trade does too, and because of that, southern or commonly named developing countries which have around 20% of the worlds total biodiversity, have to exploit their natural resources, causing massive losses of species. Biodiversity is an important political issue because it depends on the relations among the most powerful economies in the world, which determines the levels of use or abuse on the natural resources available in the planet. Nowadays we are talking of interdependent capitalistic economies competing in the international arena, usually the most powerful developed countries influencing the decisions of not so developed ones. All of those changes in the worlds reality have generated changes in biodiversity too; the fact that specialization has increased as international trade does, developing countries have chosen to exploit their natural resources in order to supply developed countries the raw material they need for their manufactured goods. That in order to developing countries to expand their economies at any price, most of the times without having conscience of the consequences it might bring to the environment, even if they have that conscience, they doesnt have the economic resources to implement sustainable processes that let them exploit natural resources in a reasonable way, causing that way less extinctions or more losses on biodiversity. Reducing the rate of global biodiversity loss depends on the well management of the protected areas in the world, which represents only around the 10% of the worlds surface, which includes zones that were supposedly to be protected but in the daily use it result not be that way. The efforts of developing countries to conserve this zones usually seem to be compromise because of the bad manage they give to the financial aid, that they receive from some developed countries. Its common to find that those financial aids even if they represent some regulations and commitments, are often used in other issues or even fall in hands of corruption which in common in those developing countries. The problem for developed countries to create that kind of zones is that usually they dont have the space or they dont have the flora and fauna to protect. The issue from all of the above if that the protection from excessive use is not feasible as those natural resources represent an important part of th e countrys economy. So the solution is to use biodiversity but in a moderate way, creating protected areas and providing other options for local users. Some effective policies of protection for those areas dont need many economic resources, its enough to increase the surveillance and enforcing rules on those protected areas. But often that enforcement is not enough because the local users usually dont know where the limits are and the penalties they would receive for breaking the rules. One important element that can be useful is to create local conscience and also adapting local constituency and effective enforcement. Susanne Kleeman says in her article voices for biodiversity management in the 21st century that biodiversity management pays inadequate attention to the importance of governing institution, even if they are rules. Laws and policies are more likely to promote sustainable use and conservation of resources with the incorporation of institutions. Three factors are important for a successful conservation program: incorporating local values, ensuring consistency or rules and maintaining adequate enforcement. Due to the process of globalization, extinction rates are increasing worldwide because global warming and other human caused events; which is a reflection of the massive damage of the political and economic system has been causing. Many countries in the world promote free trade and globalization without taking care of the consequences or environmental effects, but without sustainable development policies; if it still going that way extensive trade and all that it brings into a country is going to end with all of the natural resources. In order to contribute to solve some of the environmental problems caused by international relations theres a need to create a new multilateral diplomacy because, as said by Hill, J in his article A new diplomacy for sustainable development; the challenge of global change, the environmental problems and the plans for their mitigations transcend political boundaries. So that way, countries can get into negotiations to integrate long-term perspectives in international policy more in a diplomatic environment that concerns about sustainability, cooperation and threats to the environment. This new way of diplomacy has already begun, first with the UN conference on the human environment in Stockholm in 1972, the with the Rio-Johannesburg process in 2002 and annual meetings and summits that have been realized to creating conscience and finding for solutions for more environmental friendly processes that can contribute with the global warming, which is a long term threat. Another important international actor additional to the multilateral diplomacy, are NGOs that have proven to be a very important actor when dealing with issues that have no frontiers such as environmental and biodiversity issues. Thats one of the most important reasons why NGOs must work together on redesigning the world order and put biodiversity and natural resources as hot topics on the international agenda and also in the political agenda of each country. Many international forums are opened for discussing biodiversity, in which the actors are competing to define priorities and choose the best tools for management of genetic resources, which nowadays have been one of the most important inputs of world economies because those are the raw materials of biotechnology companies. Two international agreements have emerged because of the lack of environmental regulations that is causing the extinction of those resources: the TRIPS and CBD convention on biological diversity. As coban said in his caught between state sovereign rights and properly rights: regulating biodiversity Both consider the problem of regulating to biological resources as an issue related to the capitalist relations but the difference is that the second one is a convention that seeks to protect the environment affirming that biological diversity is subject of national sovereignty, while the former one regulates biotechnology patents worldwide. The TRIPS states that intellectual property rights of corporations over genetic or biological resources are complementary in the process of capital accumulation, while CBD has been an effective awareness-raising tool. The CBD was adopted in 1992 during the Rio Summit and it recognizes the need to take action in the environmental issues, integrating the principles of equity and ethics in the use of biodiversity and also establishes that biological diversity is subject to national sovereignty; this convention has been ratified in 177 states and start its activities in 1993, focusing on the genetic resources and the access to them, technology transfers, financing of conservation policies and trade in genetically modifies organisms. One of the most important contributions of this convention is the fact that poor countries cant commit to preserve biodiversity unless developed ones provide them with technologies and financial aid, due to the use of processes that reduce abuses into the environment. This financial aid has been declining, and the international institutions and organizations that promote the protection of biodiversity has not proven to be an effective regulative framework. Nowadays international agreements are not the only involved, the private sector somehow seem to be more in favor of that sustainable development. International business coalitions also play a role in interactions between environmental regulations and private sector interests. Mainly there are 2 coalitions directly related to environmental issues, the international chamber of commerce and the global industry coalition. The former deals with biodiversity governance and environmental policies, and the latter have to do with biosafety negotiations; both of them have space in the international arena and the power to help biodiversity abuses to diminish at the international level. For international treaties and policies to work correctly, there has to be a support at the national level. Local governments have to share and implement the ideas that international treaties, policies, conventions, NGOs and other actors promote. As stated by Susanne Kleeman, biodiversity governance needs to be adapted to local conditions but aligned with global, regional and national frameworks and it calls for vertical linkages adapted to local conditions. The national government has to agree with the international politics in order to create some consistency and to share the same objectives. In conclusion, biodiversity and international relations have important connections because as more capitalistic becomes the world, natural resources are going to be exploited at much in order to satisfy the needs of trade of the developed countries. And in the other hand in order to survive economically and improve their status and living standards, developing countries would still abuse of the biodiversity with the objective of selling raw materials for the production of manufactured goods. If good conservation policies and treaties are not implemented, much of the diversity and natural resources we have probably will disappear, and after that theres not much to do. Finally unless environmental issues become central part in the international agenda, the world will suffer dramatic changes.

Fashion in the 1920s Essay -- Fads Dress

Fashion in the 1920's The Roaring Twenties brought many fads and fashion rages. During the 1920's, Americans were given the honor of being called the "best- dressed". Several things contributed to this honor: Affordable pricing, mass production clothing, the birth of the "flapper girl", and rise of fashionable movie stars that Americans wanted to imitate. The style and cut of women's clothing during the 1920's changed drastically. Waistlines dropped dramatically while hemlines rose scandalously. Turned-down hose were no longer black, but beige. Rouged knees, bobbed hair, and figureless figures characterized the "radical flappers". These women violated many of the rules dictating appropriate clothing and behavior for women. The flappers took their look one step further by hiding their...

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway :: essays research papers

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" by Ernest Hemingway is a story which emphasizes on three age groups that each have a different view of life. By analyzing the three different points of view, we see Hemingway’s perspective of an old man. The short story is about an old man that sits in a very clean bar every so often who drinks away at two o’clock in the morning and is the last one to leave. There are three waiters: one is a young man, one is an older gentleman, and the last is a very old man. All the waiters see him in a different way based on their age. The young waiter was in a rush to close the bar an hour earlier because there was only the lonely old man in it. It was two a.m. and the bar is supposed to close at three. This young man throws the old man out of the bar just so he can go into bed with his wife. The young man has absolutely no respect for the older man who is deaf. He yelled at the old man saying, "You should have killed yourself last week." The waiter treats him like an obstacle as if he is slowing down his life. The second waiter introduced is a middle-aged man. He does not say much, but it seems as though that this is because he does not want to get in a fight with the younger waiter. All he does is ask the young waiter questions, as if the middle-aged waiter was sort of stuck in a catch twenty-two. The middle aged man felt for the old man but could not express his feelings to the younger waiter. Lastly, there is the old waiter. He is some where around the age of the old man that sat at the table. He definitely feels for the man at the table because he knows what it is like to be old and lonely. The waiter says, "I am of those who like to stay late at the café, with all those who do not want to go to bed. With all those who need a light for the night." The waiter knows that the café/bar is a very nice place for people at night, especially the old, because it is clean and well lit. He says, "Each night I am reluctant to close up because there may be someone who needs the café.

Mikume

TITANIUM EXTRACTION ASSIGNMENT 1 1. TiO2+Cl2—————–TiCl4+O2 2. Why is an atmosphere of argon used for this reaction ? The titanium (iv) chloride is added to a reactor in which very pure sodium has been heated to about 5500c -everything being under an innert argon atmosphere. During this reaction the temperature increases to about 10000 c . The reaction is carried out in an argon atmosphere to prevent magnessium and sodium from reacting with oxygen in the air. 3. Another gas used instead of argon. ny of the elements in group O of the periodic table including helium ,neon,krypton,xenon,and radon which are monoatomic and with limited excemptions chemically innert. 4. Why titanium is an expensive metal Titanium is very expensive because it is akward to extract from ore -for example rutile,TiO2 . You cannot use carbon reduction Titanium can not be extracted by reducing the ore using carbon as a cheap reducing agent. The problem is that titanium for ms a carbide TiC,if it is heated with carbon,so you dont get the pure metal that you need. The presence of the carbide makes the metal very brittle.That means that you have to use an alternative reducing agent. In the case of titanium,the reducing agent is either sodium or magnessium. Both of these would ofcoarse first have to be extracted from their ores by expensive processes. 5. The atom economy of the process used to extract titanium. Total mass of reactants =212g Total mass of desired product=22g Atom economy=mass of desired product *100% total mass of reactants 22*100 =10. 774 212 The total economy of the Kroll process is 10. 3774 . 6. The atom economy will be lower since it was carried out in an ideal situationwhere all factors are constant and there is no external interference but in real situation extal forces like heat loss,temparature,impurities will affect the system hence a lower value Mikume TITANIUM EXTRACTION ASSIGNMENT 1 1. TiO2+Cl2—————–TiCl4+O2 2. Why is an atmosphere of argon used for this reaction ? The titanium (iv) chloride is added to a reactor in which very pure sodium has been heated to about 5500c -everything being under an innert argon atmosphere. During this reaction the temperature increases to about 10000 c . The reaction is carried out in an argon atmosphere to prevent magnessium and sodium from reacting with oxygen in the air. 3. Another gas used instead of argon. ny of the elements in group O of the periodic table including helium ,neon,krypton,xenon,and radon which are monoatomic and with limited excemptions chemically innert. 4. Why titanium is an expensive metal Titanium is very expensive because it is akward to extract from ore -for example rutile,TiO2 . You cannot use carbon reduction Titanium can not be extracted by reducing the ore using carbon as a cheap reducing agent. The problem is that titanium for ms a carbide TiC,if it is heated with carbon,so you dont get the pure metal that you need. The presence of the carbide makes the metal very brittle.That means that you have to use an alternative reducing agent. In the case of titanium,the reducing agent is either sodium or magnessium. Both of these would ofcoarse first have to be extracted from their ores by expensive processes. 5. The atom economy of the process used to extract titanium. Total mass of reactants =212g Total mass of desired product=22g Atom economy=mass of desired product *100% total mass of reactants 22*100 =10. 774 212 The total economy of the Kroll process is 10. 3774 . 6. The atom economy will be lower since it was carried out in an ideal situationwhere all factors are constant and there is no external interference but in real situation extal forces like heat loss,temparature,impurities will affect the system hence a lower value

Managing Cultural Diveristy

SHMS – Leysin| Leadership Across Cultures| Managing Workforce Diversity| 131LAC| Mukhtar Mammadov| BAHE 2| 3/22/2013 | Table of Contents Introduction2 Discussion3 Conclusion7 Introduction Culture in its many forms and approaches is a very popular subject researched by many authors. The definition of culture from Geert Hofstede, the most cited social scientist according to Powell (2006) comes as â€Å"the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of humans from another†. (1982) He mentions that these differences exist in nations, geographic regions, generations, genders, social classes and many more.As Hofstede simply puts it, â€Å"the unwritten rules of the social game†. (2013) It has also been described in a less scientific language as â€Å"something to do with the people and unique quality and style of organization†, (Kilmann et al. 1985) and â€Å"the way we do things around here†. (Deal & Kenned y, 1982) Other sources provide hundreds of various definitions. Lee and Yu (2004) argue that the number of definitions is so broad because of the versatile approaches and frameworks in which culture is researched. The 3 main social sciences – psychology, anthropology and sociology have different views on the issue.However, the researchers tend to agree that culture cannot be defined using one universal definition. Groeschl and Doherty(2000) quote Tayeb (1994), who argues that â€Å"culture is too fundamental to be solved through tighter definition†. Greater implication for the managerial tasks, however, comes from the cultural diversity. Cox (1993) defines diversity as â€Å"representation, in one social system, of people with distinctly different group affiliations of cultural significance†. Factors differentiating these people include cultural background, race, education, age, physical and cognitive ability among other. Seymen, 2006) These criteria indicate th at difference is significant not only at the level of national or ethnic customization but also at an internal, individual level. In the modern globalized world, people of various backgrounds inevitably meet, work in teams, arrange business deals, receive and provide service to each other and live together in the same environment. In such conditions, individuals and especially companies, poorly prepared to the variety of values, beliefs and attitudes towards same issues will find themselves at a disadvantage.This report will outline the issues of managing cultural diversity, their importance in hospitality industry as well as benefits and disadvantages. Further, the importance of diversity recruitment will be discussed along with contemporary theories and strategies used to gain competitive advantage. As the topic is very broad, The main issues and in recruitment policies will be briefly outlined followed by a focused discussion on selecting and recruiting employees and managers for international assignments (IA). DiscussionTwo interconnected activities have been identified that can grant companies a competitive advantage in terms of cultural difference: 1) having a diverse workforce and 2) managing the workforce diversity. (Aghazadeh, 2004) Aghazadeh discusses the forecasted changes in demographics and argues that having diverse workforce and being prepared to the demographic changes will also be ready to the change in market demands, giving it a competitive advantage. (2004) By doing so companies will have an inner source of information what the customer base expects an on dealing with the community.A diverse workforce also brings with it an obvious benefit of the language skills. According to White (1999, p. 477), having a diverse workforce benefits companies in 5 ways: * Easier attraction and retaining of the human talent. * Ability to understand and penetrate wider and enhanced markets. * Higher creativity and innovation * Better problem solving ability * Better adaptation to change and organizational flexibility Building a diverse workforce alone is not enough to gain the advantages connected to it. In order to benefit from the multicultural environment, it is important to effectively manage the diversity of existing staff.Magdaleno and Kleiner predicted that effective management of workforce diversity â€Å"will become the major determinate of the continued survival and success†¦ â€Å". (1996) A strong organizational culture can be a priceless intangible asset for any company that plans to grow. A â€Å"strong culture† must include artifacts such as rituals and organizational stories to illustrate particular cultural traits. (Lee & Yu, 2004) The research by Denison (1984) has revealed that there is direct correlation between 1)organization of work, 2)decision making and financial performance.Various techniques and strategies, such as recruitment, training, managing â€Å"culture shock† and using predictors su ch as personality traits for international assignments can be used in aligning diversity management with requirements. (Gabel et al. , 2005; Migliore, 2011; Uwaje, 2009; Harvey, 2012; Tipper, 2004) Workforce diversity and its management, due to complexity, has several disadvantages. First and most obvious is the increase in training expenditures. The trainings such as lectures and seminars â€Å"are given to all levels of staff within the organization† are associated with high costs. Aghazadeh, 2004) Secondly, there is a threat of reverse discrimination. (Brunner, 2003) Reverse discrimination takes place when the cultural majority (e. g. Caucasian) claims to have been discriminated by a minority. Such events occur because of the appraisal and affirmation of a minority with little consideration for the majority. Another major drawback is the high probability of conflicts. (White, 1999, p. 478) Aghazadeh states that such incidents usually occur as a result of an individual's fe eling superior. 2004) Indeed, it is a common sight that, for example, an older employee has disagreements and misunderstandings with younger. It can, however be combated using ongoing training and managerial intervention. A study by Bajawa (2006) on the executives' opinions on the advantages and disadvantages of culturally diverse workforce discovered that they are not threatened by possible negative effects. As one of the senior HR managers responsible for diversity policy and implementation mentioned, he does not think there are any disadvantages; â€Å"they are all advantages – †¦ etention of employees, reduced training costs, attraction in the first place†¦ â€Å". Not only has he mentioned the positive effects but also finds that diversifying and managing workforce correctly reduces the training costs. In the hospitality industry managing cultural diversity is perhaps even more important that most other industries, – diverse staff body constantly inter acts with customers of various cultural background and on every level of operation. (Baum et al. , 2007) Particularly in hotel, tourism and travel industries the amount of intercultural communication can be overwhelming.It is, therefore of grave importance to carefully develop and apply practices necessary to upkeep employee motivation and comfort. One of the strategies that can be used to manage cultural diversity is to understand the importance and carefully implement practices in recruiting the diverse workforce. Hiring the best candidate for the job available, regardless of the cultural background also assures a reliable, diverse pool of talent is available for promotion, since many companies prefer to look for managers internally.D'Netto and Sohal (1999) provide a list of the best practices popular in recruiting diverse workforce: development of job description, that complies with anti-discrimination legislation and that covers experiences and qualifications; job advertisements in a number of languages; presence of diverse managers in selection boards; implementing user-friendly techniques allowing interviewees an easy understanding and ability to answer questions to their best ability. They also argue that most managers fail at adjusting interviews to diverse candidate base.According to Tipper (2004), there are 5 elements for a successful diversity recruitment strategy: 1) Knowing the market. It is essential to know the pool of available talented candidates in order to effectively recruit from minority groups. These employees can then be used internally in coordination with sales and marketing departments to develop a more â€Å"sophisticated marketing strategy for attracting and retaining diverse customers†. By doing so companies hit 2 hares with 1 shot – get talented employees and enhance their marketing strategies. 2) Build the business case.Letting the hiring managers understand and appreciate the reasons and benefits for diversity recr uitment can make a great difference. Successful companies put presence of cultural diversity in their ranks as an improvement to their bottom-line and benefit from financial improvements. 3) Channels to Market. Widening the number of channels used to advertise available positions might greatly improve the chances for success in diversity recruitment. Placing information in magazines, journals and websites popular among the known talent market instead of only national, traditional media can be a decisive factor.It is important, however, to notice, that some minorities might be suspicious about the reasons for companies to target them as potential employees. Therefore it has to be clearly communicated why companies target diverse employees. 4) Reward recruiters. It takes money, time and skill to produce desired results. Therefore successful recruiters should be legitimately rewarded for their efforts in this, sometimes undervalued, issue. Tipper suggests that 5-10% of the hiring manag er's pay should be â€Å"based on diversity recruitment and retention results†. ) An ongoing focus. The task is not finished once new diverse employees have been recruited. After the successful â€Å"first step† the new personnel needs to be trained on an ongoing basis. At the same time companies must understand the inner drivers and motivators of their staff. To do so, additional measures like informing supervisors of the importance of minority employees, hiring internal audits and diversity policy communication tools should be implemented. For the hospitality industry, given its nature, there is an increased need or developing and implementing the strategies and techniques to recruiting and retaining talented diversity. Taking into consideration the international customer bases making up the majority of hotels' and airlines' clientele, a multicultural workforce may generate better experiences and in the long term, generate substantial financial and reputational benef its. Re-recruiting or simply assigning an employee to a new workplace abroad (further International Assignment or IA) requires additional measures to ensure successful execution.The managers assigned to work abroad need to be able to adjust to the new environment in the shortest period of time to provide maximum effectiveness. As in many cases these individuals experienced themselves as a part of majority, behavior as a minority representative in an another country may change dramatically, resulting in a phenomenon known as â€Å"Culture Shock†. Ward et al. (2005) argue that under shock, culture is rejected leading to anxiety and aggressiveness. Contemporary psychological research has revealed methods capable of predicting cultural adaptation.A study by Gabel et al. (2005) discovered that emotional intelligence (EI) above other factors, including empathy and social relations can predict the rate of adaptation to IA. Findings indicate that individuals with higher EI scales ten ded to adapt to the new cross-cultural environments better reducing the chance of them willing to terminate assignments. As EI is associated with the neuroticism dimension (also known as emotional stability) of the Big Five personality model used as a basis for many psychometric tests, this trait can be measured before the IA of an individual.It can have its implications when hiring a new manager for an IA or better preparing an existing employee. A latter research by Migliore (2011) has found correlations between the Big Five personality traits and the cultural dimensions presented by Geert Hofstede. It has detected particular connections between specific dimensions of the two theories: Extraversion | Individualism| Agreeableness | Power Distance| Conscientiousness | Masculinity| Neuroticism | Uncertainty Avoidance| Openness | Time Orientation| It might be difficult to measure the cultural preferences of an employee.Psychometric testing, aligned with the above mentioned findings of fers a reliable way to compare the psychological profile of an employee with the cultural context of the location of new assignment on an individual level. Cain (2012) classifies some nations as introverted or extroverted. According to her, Finland and Japan are highly introverted, while the US is an extroverted country. Although she does not provide any correlations between personality and cultural dimensions, there is evidence of extroversion aligning with individualism, while introversion is closer to group orientation.Therefore, for example, a Finnish employee might find himself uncomfortable in the dynamic US, but have easier time adapting in Japan than an American at least as far as individualism dimension goes. Conclusion A multicultural workforce has its advantages and disadvantages. It is essential, especially in the hospitality industry, to engage in culturally diverse recruitment, as it enhances understanding and communication with the customer base, makes organizations m ore flexible and innovative, helps attract and retain talents and simply have a positive image of social responsibility in the media.Although it is associated with some drawbacks, such as increased costs of training, conflicts and misunderstanding among the employees, executives and researchers believe that building diversity in a company lead it to a competitive advantage. It has been shown, however, that simply employing diverse workforce is not enough; strategies for correct recruitment, retaining and training employees are necessary to reap the benefits. It is important to attract and select the right candidates through methods which do not affect their cultural background.In order to do so both internal and external measures need to be taken. Externally, it is important to clarify the reasons why cultural diversity is pursued in an organization, utilize the correct media channels. From inside the companies it is required to clearly state and create understanding of how cultural diversity in the organization benefits it intangibly and financially rather than â€Å"because it is the right thing to do†. It is also important to keep in mind the management's efforts towards quality staff recruitment and to carry on the diversity policies on an ongoing basis.Another issue is the regular need to send managers and employees to international assignments. During these tasks there is a high probability of culture shock happening to traveling individuals without appropriate preparation. The resent research in psychology has revealed several ways of predicting successful adaptation to the international assignments. High scores in factors such as emotional intelligence were found to be able to forecast quick overcoming of culture shock and reducing the threat of rejecting assignments/withdrawal.Furthermore, it is possible to test the approximate correlations between the culture of destination and the personal habits of an individual using the psychometric tests. Overall, there are many strategies and methods to managing workforce diversity, but only careful and sophisticated organizational culture and established policies can lead to the highest levels of rewards it can bring. As long as the concern about multicultural staff is genuine, is communicated extensively and is perceived to be true, it will grant great competitive advantage.Bibliography Aghazadeh, S. (2004). Managing Workforce Diversity as an Essential Resource for Improving Organizational Performance, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management. [e-journal] 53(6), pp. 532-531. Available Through: Emerald ;http://www. emeraldinsight. com. ezproxy. derby. ac. uk/journals. htm? issn=1741-0401;volume=53;issue=6;articleid=1509196;show=html; [Accessed 21 March 2013] Bajawa, A. and Woodall, J. (2006).Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management Meet Downsizing: A Case Study in the UK Airline Industry, Employee Relations. [e-journal] 28(1), pp. 46-61. Available Through : Emerald ;http://www. emeraldinsight. com. ezproxy. derby. ac. uk/journals. htm? issn=0142-5455;volume=28;issue=1;articleid=1535132;show=html; [Accessed 21 March 2013] Baum, T. , Dutton, E. , Karimi, S. , Kokkranikal, J,. , Devine, D. and Hearns, N. (2007). Cultural Diversity in Hospitality Work, Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal.

Bel Air Chair

Bel Air Chair Peter Shire has many interesting works of art. The artwork that stuck out to me was the Bel Air Chair. Its interesting physic really caught my eye. The colors and shapes were so bright and different; it just jumped out at me. It was so unique and diverse from any of his other artwork; I had never seen anything like it before. With further research I discovered that this amazing work of art was created in 1982. This chair was one of the most important contributions to a design group called Memphis.The chair became a signature object for the Memphis Collection and was used on many book covers and posters. Shire got a lot of his inspiration from Los Angeles while creating this piece of post modern art. To me, the main part of the chair is obviously the colors. The vibrancy and brightness are the first things that catch the eyes of admirers. He didn’t stick to one color. He used a dark, maroon, red color for the back of the chair as well as a green, yellow color for the cylindrical arm which establishes a contrast. He used an orange for the sphere on the back part of the chair.My favorite color of the chair was the semi-pastel green on the bottom front of the chair. This color, along with the semi-pastel pink, makes it look classy and elegant. The materials used on this chair were wool and cotton. It brings the sense of warmth and comfort that makes you want to sit and curl up on the chair. Its inviting with the look of its bigness and comfort that makes it more attractive. Being an art teacher’s daughter, i’m drawn to this type of colorful extravagant art. It brings a spice and jazzy look to art. This chair was made of many different geometric shapes and materials.A sphere was used for the bottom back of the chair to add some diversity to the chair and make it Peter Shire’s own creation. A cylinder was used for the arm rest which is only on one side of the chair which creates a distinct look while the other side of the cha ir is half of a cylinder which helps to create a sense of uniqueness. A square was used as the seat of the artwork which exaggerates the look of it being a chair. The back of the chair is a different and difficult shape to explain. This shape makes you think and really admire the artwork.Trying to figure out what kind of creative mind could come up with such an extraordinary work of art puzzles me. Peter Shires inspirations came from many different objects. The sphere was inspired by a beach ball which he had used for the bottom back of the chair. The best part about the chair is the part where you lay your back when you sit. He got his inspiration from a beach wave or even a shark fin. An interesting part of this work of art is that it was named after a five-star luxury hotel in Beverly Hills California. The title that is on the Bel Air Chair was taken from the hotel and placed on his piece.At first glance, the work of art is not perceived as wood. It looked like shiny plastic glaz ed in bright colors. With a closer look it was clear that it was wood. This extravagant work of art looked difficult to carve yet so perfected. His use of the variety of colors was complimenting both to the objects and the other colors. His chair has been duplicated into a special limited edition which is shown at museums all around. His work of art would have not nearly gained the popularity it accomplished if it weren’t for the colors. The pop of the chair made it a hit.

Night World : Black Dawn Chapter 9

She was in his mind. It was all around her, like astrange and perilous world. A terribly frighteningworld, but one that was full of stark beauty. Everything was angles, as if she'd fallen into theheart of a giant crystal. Everything glittered, coldand clear and sharp. There were flashes of color aslight shimmered and reflected, but for the most part it was dazzling transparency in every direction. Like the fractured ice of a glacier. Really dangerous,Maggie thought. The spikes of crystal around her had edges like swords. The place looked as if it had never known warmth or softcolor. And youlive here?she thought to Delos. Go away.Delos's answering thought came to her.on a wave of cold wind. Get out! No,Maggie said. You can't scare me. I've climbed glaciers before.It was then that she realized whatthis place reminded her of. A summit. The bareand icy top of a mountain where no plants-andcertainly no people-could survive. But didn'tanything goodever happen to you? shewondered. Didn't you ever have a friend†¦or apet†¦ or something? No friends,he said shortly. No pets. Get out of here before I hurt you. Maggie didn't answer, because even as he said itthings were changing around her. It was as if the glinting surfaces of the nearby crystals were suddenly reflecting scenes, perfect little pictures withpeople moving in them. As soon as Maggie lookedat one, it swelled up and seemed to surround her. They were his memories. She was seeing bits ofhis childhood. She saw a child who had been treated as aweapon from the time he was born. It was all aboutsome prophecy. She saw men and women gatheredaround a little boy, four years old, whose blacklashed golden eyes were wide and frightened. â€Å"No question about it,† the oldest man was saying. Delos's teacher, Maggie realized, the knowledge flowing to her because Delos knew it, and shewas in Delos's mind. â€Å"This child is one of the Wild Powers,† theteacher said, and his voice was full of awe andfear. His trembling hands smoothed out a brittlepiece of scroll. As soon asMaggie saw it she knew that the scroll was terribly old and had been keptin the Dark Kingdom for centuries, preserved hereeven when it was lost to the outside world. â€Å"Four Wild Powers,† the old man said, â€Å"who willbe needed at the millennium to save the world-or-to destroy it. The prophecy tells where they willcome from.† And he read: â€Å"One from the land of kings long forgotten; One from the hearth which still holds the spark; One from the Day World where two eyes are watching; One from the twilight to be one with the dark.†, The child Delos looked around the circle of grim faces, hearing the words but not understandingthem. â€Å"‘The land of kings, long forgotten,†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ a womanwas saying. â€Å"That must be the Dark Kingdom.† â€Å"Besides, we've seen what he can do,† a big mansaid roughly. â€Å"He's a Wild Power, all right. The bluefire is in his blood. He's learned to use it too early, though; he can't control it. See?† He grabbed a small arm-the left one-and heldit up. It was twisted somehow, the fingers clawed and stiff, immobile. The little boy tried to pull his hand away, but hewas too weak. The adults ignored him. â€Å"The king wants us to find spells to hold thepower in,† the woman said. â€Å"Or he'll damage himself permanently.† â€Å"Not to mention damaging us,† the rough mansaid, and laughed harshly. The little boy sat stiff and motionless as theyhandled him like a doll. His golden eyes were dryand his small jaw was clenched with the effort notto give in to tears. That's awful,Maggie said indignantly, aiming herthought at the Delos of the present. It's a terrible way to grow up. Wasn't there anybody who cared about you? Your father? Goaway, he said. I don't need your sympathy. And your arm,Maggie said, ignoring the cold emptiness of his thought. Is that what happens toitwhen you use the blue fire? He didn't answer, not in a thought directed ather. But another memory flashed in the facets of a crystal, and Maggie found herself drawn into it. She saw a five-year-old Delos with his armwrapped in what looked like splints or a brace. Asshe looked at it, she knew it wasn't just a brace. It was made of spells and wards to confine the blue fire. â€Å"This is it,† the woman who had spoken beforewas saying to the circle of men. â€Å"We can controlhim completely.† â€Å"Are you sure? You witches are careless sometimes. You're sure he can't use it at all now?† Theman who said it was tall, with a chilly, austereface-and yellow eyes like Delos's. Your father,Maggie said wonderingly to Delos. And his name was †¦ Tormentil? But †¦She couldn't go on, but she was thinking that he didn'tlook much like a loving father. He seemed just likethe others. â€Å"Until I remove the wards, he can't use it at all.I'm sure, majesty.† The woman said the last word in an everyday tone, but Maggie felt a little shock.Hearing somebody get called majesty-it made him moreof a king, somehow. â€Å"The longer they're left on, the weaker he'll be,† the woman continued. â€Å"And hecan't take them offhimself. But I can, at any time – â€Å" â€Å"And then he'll still be useful as a weapon?† â€Å"Yes. But blood has to run before he can use the blue fire.† The king said brusquely, â€Å"Show me.† The woman murmured a few words and strippedthe brace off the boy's arm. She took a knife fromher belt and with a quick, casual motion, like Maggie's grandmother guttinga salmon, opened a gash on his wrist. Five-year-old Delos didn't flinch or make asound. His golden eyes were fixed on his father's faceas blood dripped onto the floor. â€Å"I don't think this is a good idea,† the old teachersaid. â€Å"The blue fire isn't meant to be used like this,and it damages his arm every time he does it= â€Å"Now,† the king interrupted, ignoring him andspeaking to the child for the first time. â€Å"Show mehow strong you are, son. Turn the blue fire on †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He glanced up deliberately at the teacher. â€Å"Let'ssay-him.† â€Å"Majesty!† The old man gasped, backing againstthe wall. The golden eyes were wide and afraid. â€Å"Do it!† the king said sharply, and when the littleboy shook his head mutely, he closed his hand onone small shoulder. Maggie could see his fingerstighten painfully. â€Å"Do what I tell you. Now!† Delos turned his wide golden eyes on the old man, who was now shrinking and babbling, his trembling hands held up as if to ward off a blow. The king changed his grip, lifted the boy's arm. â€Å"Now, brat! Now!† Blue fire erupted. It poured in a continuousstream like the water from a high-power fire hose.It struck the old man and spreadeagled him againstthe wall, his eyes and mouth open with horror. Andthen there was no old man. There was only a shad owy silhouette made of ashes. â€Å"Interesting,† the king said, dropping the boy'sarm. His anger had disappeared as quicklyasithad come. â€Å"Actually, I thought there would bemore power. I thought it might take out the wall.† â€Å"Give him time.† The woman's voice was slightlythick, and she was swallowing over and over. â€Å"Well, no matter what, hell be useful.† The kingturned to look at the others in the room. â€Å"Remember-all of you. A time of darkness is coming. Theend of the millennium means the end of the world.But whatever happens outside, this kingdom isgoing to survive.† Throughout all of this, the little boy sat andstared at the place where the old man had been.His eyes were wide, the pupils huge and fixed. Hisface was white, but without expression. Maggie struggled to breathe. That's-that's themost terrible thing I've ever seen.She could hardly get the words of her thought out. Theymade you kill your teacher-he made you do it. Yourfather. She didn't know what to say. Sheturned blindly, trying to find Delos himself in this strange landscape, trying to talk to him directly.She wanted to look at him, to hold him. To comfort him. I'm so sorry. I'mso sorry you had to grow uplike that. Don't be stupid,he said. I grew up to be strong.That's what counts. You grew up without anyone loving you,Maggiesaid. He sent a thought like ice. Love is for weak people. It's a delusion. And it can be deadly. Maggie didn't know how to answer. She wanted to shake him. All that stuff about the end of the millennium and the end of the world-what did that mean? Exactly what it sounded like,Delos said briefly. The prophecies are coming true. The world o f hu mans is about to end in blood and darkness. And then the Night People are going to rule again. And that's why they turned a five-year-old into alethal weapon? Maggie wondered. The thoughtwasn't for Delos, but she could feel that he heard it. I am what I was meant to be,he said. And I don't want to be anything else. Are you sure?Maggie looked around. Althoughshe couldn't have described what she was doing, she knew what it was. She was looking forsomething†¦ something to prove to him †¦ A scene flashed in the crystal. The boy Delos was eight. He stood in front of apile of boulders, rocks the size of small cars. Hisfather stood behind him. â€Å"Now!† As soonasthe king spoke, the boy lifted his arm.Blue fire flashed. A boulder exploded, disintegrating into atoms. Again! Another rock shattered. â€Å"More power! You're not trying. You're useless!†The entire pile of boulders exploded. The bluefire kept streaming, taking out a stand of trees behind the boulders and crashing into the side of amountain. It chewed through the rock, meltingshale and granite like a flamethrower burning awooden door. The king smiled cruelly and slapped his son onthe back. â€Å"That's better.† No. That's horrible,Maggie told Delos. That'swrong. This is what it should be like. And she sent to him images of her own family.Not that the Neelys were anything special. Theywere like anybody. They had fights, some of them pretty bad. But there were lots of good times, too, and that was what she showed him. She showed him her life†¦ herself. Laughingasher father frantically blew on a flaming marshmallow on some long-past campingtrip. Smelling turpentine and watching magical colors unfold on canvasas her mother painted. Perch ing dangerously on the handlebars of a bike while Miles pedaled behind her, then shrieking all theway down a hill. Waking up to a rough warmtongue licking her face, opening one eye to see Jake the Great Dane panting happily. Blowing out candles at a birthday party. Ambushing Miles from herdoorway with a heavy-duty water rifle †¦ Who is that?Delos asked. He had been thawing;Maggie could feel it. There were so many thingsin the memories that were strange to him: yellowsunshine, modern houses, bicycles, machinerybut she could feel interest and wonder stir in himat the people. Until now, when she was showing him a sixteenyear-old Miles, a Miles who looked pretty muchlike the Miles of today. That's Miles. He's my brother. He's eighteen and he just started college.Maggie paused, trying to feel what Delos was thinking. He's the reason I'm here.He got involved with this girl called Sylvia-Ithinkshe's a witch. And then he disappeared. I went tosee Sylvia, and the next thing I know I'm waking up ina slave-trader's cart. In a place I never knew existed. Delos said, I see. Delos, do you know him? Have you seen him be fore?Maggie tried to keep the question calm. She would have thought she could see anything thatDelos was thinking, that it would all be reflected inthe crystals around her, that there was nothing he could hide. But now suddenly she wasn't sure. It's best for you to leave that alone,Delos said. I can't,Maggie snapped back. He's my brother! If he's in trouble I have to find him-I have to helphim. That's what I've been trying to explainto you. We help each other. Delos said, Why? Because we do. Because that's what people are supposed to do. And even you know that, somewhere down deep. You were trying to help me in my dream She could feel him pull away. Your dreams are just your fantasies. Maggie said flatly, No. Not this one. I had it before I met you. She could remember more of it now. Here in his mind thedetailswere coming to her, all the things that had been unclear before. And there was onlyone thing to do. She showed it to Delos. The mist, the figure appearing, calling her name.The wonder and joy in his face when he caughtsight of her. The way his hands closed on hershoulders, so gently, and the look of inexpressibletenderness in his eyes. And then -I remember!Maggie said. Youtold meto look for a pass,underneath a rock thatlooked likea wave about to break You told me to get awayfromhere, to escape. Andthen†¦ She remembered what had happened then, andfaltered. And then he had kissed her. She could feel it again, his breath a soft warmthon her cheek, and then the touch of his lips, just as soft. There had been so much in that kiss, somuch of himself revealed. It had been almost shy in its gentleness, but charged with a terrible passion, as if he had known it was the last kiss theywould ever share. It was †¦ so sad,Maggie said, faltering again.Not from embarrassment, but because she was suddenly filled with an intensity of emotion that fright ened her. I don't know what it meant, but it was so sad†¦. Then, belatedly, she realized what was happeningwith Delos. He was agitated. Violently agitated. The crystalworld around Maggie was trembling with denialand fury-and fear. That wasn't me. I'm not like that,he said in avoice that was like a sword made of ice. It was,she said, not harshly but quietly. I don't understand it, but it really was you. I don't understand any of this. But there's a connection betweenus. Look what's happening to us right now. Is thisnormal? Do you people always fall into each oth ers' minds? Get out!The words were a shout that echoedaround Maggie from every surface. She could feel his anger; it was huge, violent, like a primal storm. And she could feel the terror that was underneath it, and hear the word that he was thinking anddidn't want to think, that he was trying to bury and run away from. Soulmates.That was the word. Maggie couldsense what it meant. Two people connected, boundto each other forever, soul to soul, in a way thateven death couldn't break. Two souls that were destined for each other. It's a lie,Delos said fiercely. I don't believe in souls. I don't love anyone. And I don't have any feelings! And then the world broke apart. That was what it felt like. Suddenly, all aroundMaggie, the crystals were shattering and fracturing.Pieces were falling with the musical sound of ice.Nothing was stable, everything was turning to chaos. And then, so abruptly that she lost her breath,she was out of his mind. She was sitting on the ground in a small cave lit only by a dancing, flickering flame. Shadows wavered on the walls and ceiling. She was in her ownbody, and Delos was holding her in his arms. But even as she realized it, he pulled away and stood up. Even in the dimness she could see that his face was pale, his eyes fixed. As she got to her feet, she could see somethingelse, too. It was strange, but their minds were still connected, even though he'd thrown her out of his world. And what she saw†¦was herself. Herselfthrough his eyes. She saw someone who wasn't at all the frailblond princess type, not a bit languid and perfect and artificial. She saw a sturdy, rosy-brown girlwith a straight gaze. A girl with autumn-coloredhair, warm and vivid and real, and sorrel-coloredeyes. It was the eyes that caught her attention: there was a clarity and honesty in them, a depth and spaciousness that made mere prettiness seem cheap. Maggie caught her breath. Do I look like that? she wondered dizzily. I can't. I'd have noticed inthe mirror. But it was how he saw her. In his eyes, she wasthe only vibrant, living thing in a cold world of black and white. And she could feel the connectionbetween them tightening, drawing him toward her even as he tried to pull farther away. â€Å"No.†His voice was a bare whisper in the cave.†I'm not bound to you. I don't love you.† â€Å"Delos-!' I don't love anyone. I don't have feelings.† Maggie shook her head wordlessly. She didn'thave to speak, anyway. All the time he was tellingher how much he didn't love her, he was moving closer to her, fighting it every inch. â€Å"You mean nothing to me,† he raged through clenched teeth. â€Å"Nothing!† And then his face was inches away from hers, and she could see the flame burning in his golden eyes. â€Å"Nothing,† he whispered, and then his lipstouched hers.