Importance of Feasibility Study System Analysis and Design

Importance of Feasibility Study System Analysis and Design This report analyses the importance of Feasibility Analysis to businesses when they are deciding on the viability of a proposed business venture involving the implementation or improvement of an information system. This report is split into three parts the initial part defines a feasibility analysis, the second part explains how an IT feasibility analysis should be conducted using the template of the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and the last section in this report examines a completed feasibility study by Powerco, a utilities distribution Company in New Zealand. What is a feasibility analysis? As the words feasibility analysis suggests a feasibility analysis is carried out to decide on the viability of a proposed venture; basically it answers the essential question of is it a viable option and should the project be implemented. All stages of the analysis are carried out in order to answer this question. When researching it is clear that the majority of all large successful businesses conduct a feasibility study to ensure they embark on a viable project, for example Microsoft have a large research department situated in many different cities throughout the globe, this department collaborates with many institutions producing many feasibility analyses a year. When examining successful businesses such as Microsoft, I discovered they will not commit to a new project without first thoroughly assessing all of the variables and reviewing the probability of success through a feasibility study. The feasibility analysis process As a feasibility analysis is often time consuming and expensive (many companies pay consultants to perform the analysis), a preliminary study is undertaken to determine if it would be worthwhile to proceed to the feasibility analysis, within this preliminary study the evaluation of alternatives is made along with brief cost and benefit analysis. A feasibility study is usually conducted after the project managers have discussed all project ideas and every possible scenario, only if the results are positive the feasibility study begins. The content of feasibility Analysis Within a feasibility study it is necessary to discuss a number of areas including; details of the present system; what are the functions and objectives, who are the Stakeholders and the reasons to improve or replace the current system for example inconsistencies / inadequacies in functionality or performance, is there any possible solution alternatives and the advantages and disadvantages of the alternatives. Feasibility analysis can be split into four types; Operational factors; Operational feasibility is used to assess how well the information systems will work if implemented in the given environment. Define the urgency of the project If the project is implemented, will it be a success? Does management support the project? How do end users feel about the new system? People tend to resist change can this problem be overcome? Can management and end users adapt to the change? Has the proposed venture conflicted with organisational or government regulations? Schedule factors; It often takes time to build and implement an information system solution; will the project still be necessary on completion? The technology may exist, but are there the skills available to not only complete the project but complete it on schedule? Is the project deadline reasonable? Is the deadline desirable or mandatory? What are the results of failing to meet the project deadline? Technical; Technical feasibility is the measure of the practicality of specific technical information system solutions and the availability of technical resources. Often new technologies are solutions looking for a problem to solve: Is the technology for the information system solution practical? Does the necessary technology exist? Is the technology proven? Is the technology practical and reliable? Are the necessary skills available to design and implement the system? Is there the infrastructure to cope with ongoing maintenance (problems, upgrades) Economic; This is regularly the most important analysis made, it asks important questions; Is the project justified (i.e. will benefits outweigh costs)? Can the project be done, within given cost constraints? What is the minimal cost to attain a certain system? Which alternative offers the best return on investment? How much will it cost to maintain? The 12 Stages of an ITIL Feasibility Analysis ITIL is a global guidance document that provides worlds best practices for IT service management companies. ITIL guidelines are often used in feasibility studies and are broken down into twelve stages. These twelve stages are described in this next section and if necessary a brief example has been given; Introduction It is important that an introduction to the feasibility analysis is made; this introduction includes the content, the intent, the intended audience, the purpose, and organizational details of the feasibility analysis. Management Summary This stage summarises, what the other stages within the template will explain in more detail; this section provides a quick overview of the feasibility analysis and would include the following, an Introduction, Management Summary, Background of the Project, Objectives, Situation, Benefits, Problems and Risks, Technical Requirements, Options, Cost/Benefit Analysis, Financial/Budget Implications and Recommendations Background to the Project A project is proposed for a specific scenario and this step describes the reason the proposal exists. For example; current sales are at a low due to increased competition, the proposal is for a new company website, where customers are able to buy directly. Objectives The high level business purposes of the proposal, including the long-range management goals. For example, the proposed project is to increase sales by an estimated 15% per annum over the next ten years. Situation This step describes the present condition, without the service in place, including market conditions, it is necessary to highlight the need for the proposed system, and the consequences of the proposal not being authorized. Benefits In the benefits section, it is necessary to focus on the short term benefits of the proposal; this is different to the objective stage which focuses on the long term gains and the cost-benefit step which focuses primarily on the financial benefits. An example of this could be the increased customer satisfaction of the proposed website. Problems and Risks It is important to identify and assess possible problems and risks of the proposed project associated with it within the development, design, and deployment stages. This is done by doing a risk assessment on the proposed system; this will be used to identify problems in many different areas, including technologies, lack of user support, or resources. Technical Requirements Has the business the technological infrastructure for the proposed system? These requirements include knowledge of the hardware and software required, for example, does the business possess the database architecture, network structures, and hardware to sustain the website, will it be necessary to outsource? Options It is recommended in the ITIL framework that a feasibility analysis includes any alternatives to the proposal, including advantages and disadvantages and costs. An example of this could be advertising to increase sales and would show the estimated cost of this. Cost/Benefit In this step, the total cost of the project is calculated; this includes development, design, deployment, and maintenance of the new service. Costs include facilities, hardware, labor, and software. The project cost is compared to the financial benefits provided by the proposed system. What are benefits? These are examples of benefits, more accurate / timely information. Improved operation, increased flexibility of operation, increased output, error reductions, cost reductions; benefits can be placed into three different categories; Monetary; when money values can be calculated, Tangible; when benefits can be quantified, but monetary values cannot be calculated. Intangible; when neither of the others apply, this applies there is a benefit, but it cannot be quantified. There are different types of costs; Project related; development, purchasing, Installation, training costs, Operational costs; these costs are often ongoing costs and include; Maintenance on the hardware; maintenance, lease, materials Software; maintenance fees and contracts Personnel; operation, maintenance There are a number of tools used, which helps in the economic section of the feasibility analysis these are; Cost-benefit analysis (CBA); which estimates and totals up the equivalent money value of the benefits and costs of proposed projects to establish whether they are worthwhile. Payback Analysis; which is used to calculate how long it will take to pay the costs of the project Return on Investment Analysis; which compares the lifetime profitability of alternative solutions, Net Present Value Analysis: using current monetary values, profitability is determined of the proposed project, Return On Investment (ROI) compares the lifetime profitability of alternative solutions, (Lifetime benefits Lifetime costs) Lifetime costs and finally you can compare alternatives with the feasibility analysis matrix. Financial/Budget Implications Once the overall costs have been established, it is necessary to verify if the necessary funds are available, if so how? This may result in changes to the budget or priorities and reducing expenditure to accommodate the costs. Recommendations In this final step recommendations regarding the proposal are made including scheduling and budgeting Summary In summary these twelve steps that make up the ITIL is among the first activities a manager will undertake in preparation for a proposal for a new IT service, though it is important to remember these steps make a general guide and different information systems may require amendments. Examples of feasibility analysis Though the majority of businesses keep their own feasibility analysis private, research identified an interesting feasibility analysis conducted by Powerco. In this section I will briefly review this feasibility analysis in a case study due to the word restrictions on this essay and the extensiveness of the ITIL framework. Powerco has an estimated 410,000 consumers which makes it one of New Zealands largest utilities Companies. These customers expect a reliable service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Powerco applications are split between two platforms; Oracle RAC and Microsoft SQL Server, which has meant that the business had additional expenses of licensing, supporting, operating, and maintaining two systems. Additionally it was awkward for staff to alternate between the systems when working. As the Oracle platform of Powercos warranty cycle was approaching expiration, and the financial system was scheduled an important upgrade, it was clear to the company that it was time to reassess its options and whether it should consolidate to a single server platform or replace existing hardware. Powerco acknowledged that to consolidate the database platforms would create a more simple IT environment and would reduce the total cost of the database system significantly. The case for consolidation was simple why maintain two systems if you dont need to? explains Mr. Griffiths, Infrastructure Manager, Powerco. Powerco undertook preliminary study of the solutions and assessed the pros and c ons of Oracle versus SQL Server. This analysis pointed towards some significant advantages in choosing SQL Server over Oracle. These included reduced licensing and maintenance costs, ease of management and fewer requirements for a specialised skill set to manage and service the system. A feasibility study of migrating to SQL Server was then completed by consultants on Powercos behalf including a cost/benefit analysis, a risk assessment, analysis of the alternatives and the four factors discussed earlier in this report, this confirmed Powercos applications could be supported on SQL Server, with the remaining end of life applications being replaced with SQL Server compatible ones, the feasibility study showed that unlike other options Microsoft SQL Server, serving could be done in-house. Microsofts SQL Server was the cheapest option to license, maintain, and support, particularly because of the specialised nature of Oracle. The business would be more streamline and efficient with just the single platform. Increases security. Further Tangible and Non-tangible benefits. Due to the results of the feasibility study, Powerco changed from the two platforms to solely Microsoft SQL Server, the result of this consolidation has meant Powerco has been able to reduce costs significantly, also ensuring it was easier to maintain and manage in-house and eliminating the need for external consultants. The migration to SQL Server has cut the overall cost of ownership by $390,000 a year, also helping to streamline Powercos IT systems and have given a number of other Tangible and Non-tangible benefits. Conclusion In conclusion this report has explained what a feasibility study is and when it should be used, I have then reviewed the various stages which are recommended by the IT industry experts at the ITIL and have given an example of a successful feasibility study undertaken by Powerco. I believe to be objective this report should have explored examples of a unsuccessful feasibility study, however this was not possible due to my research not providing any suitable cases, but still the findings of this report are clear, it is advisable to do a feasibility analysis, as it is tried and tested and the vast majority of large and established companies use this method to check the viability of a proposed venture and are taking a substantial risk if a feasibility study is not carried out before embarking on new project.

Unstructured Free Time for School Age Children

Unstructured Free Time for School Age Children How Important is Unstructured Free Time for School Age Children? It has been said that children do their best learning when they do not believe they are doing so. We most often see this trend with kindergarteners, of whom find themselves playing games to learn to count, and singing songs to learn their ABCs. While the classroom has been an efficient location for the learning of academics, the playgrounds have been spheres of critical social skill development. These periods of unstructured free time, also known as recess, are essential for the childs development. The skills they learn during these periods of constant personalized play and imagination provide benefits that extend far beyond sharing and friendship making. There isnt one single reason as to why recess has been eliminated from many schools by their local school boards; there are a combination of factors of which have catalysed this motion. The most influential being a concern for safety and adequate supervision during the childrens recess periods. Some parents and administrators have felt that letting kids roam free for even 20 minutes during the school day is a safety hazard for the child. They fear that the child could get lost, or injure themselves from the unstructured and guiding free environment. This is the reason why many schools have banned dangerous games and activities, which further constricts what the child can and cannot do. Additionally parents also express concerns for the number of staff, meaning teachers or aids, available to supervise their children. Every parent wants their child to be the center of attention, and many carry with them the fear of their child being forgotten or ignored if something were to happen. Mor e often than not the issue rises to a greater level in the schools which lack an excess of funding to be able to hire extra aids in order to fill the teacher to student ratio requirement; most frequently the urban schools which lack much of the property taxes that fund rural schools. Additionally the past few decades have seen a larger push for academic success within our schools. States have pushed for schools to educate children where it matters, forcing the children to sit still and be quiet (Adams, Caralee). We can link this trend to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. It was created with the aims to even the playing field for disadvantaged students, but it instead lead to many controversial reactions and effects. Schools were required to test the students annually, and were required to show progress and success both as a whole district and on the individual student level. Those who failed to meet the acts requirements were penalized; meaning the school could be shut down or t he leadership team within the school could be changed entirely. (Lee, Andrew) The constant pressure to succeed in the classroom lead many schools to restrict recess for the children, and increase the amount of classroom focused time. It is unfortunate to see that when recess is concerned, the hazards outweigh the countless advantages which can be brought unto the childs mind and body. On the forefront of a childs development we most often find their social and emotional skills at an immediate influence. School is a large jump for many students, and their periods of recess activity have been found to be even more influential than their time in their classrooms. Socially, the free time provided during recess can facilitate the cultivation of new relationships by the children with their classmates. These relationships lead to the development of valuable communication skills and coping mechanisms. Take for example a group of children trying to organize a kickball game. First they must decide between themselves which people will be the captains, hence the development of their negotiation skills. Then they must choose which children will be on each team; creating the foundation of their cooperation skills, and problem solving abilities. Taking turns between kickers and outfielders is a prime example of sharing, as well as perseverance when someone gets tagged out and se lf control when someone gets upset about a decision. It has been seen that these skills, which can be perfected over the duration of the childs schooling, last for years past their graduation into higher education levels as well as the outside world. Learning to cope with problems and communicate when an issue arises are two social skills which can be continuously put into action throughout ones lifetime. Recess is a period of time wherein a child is given the freedom to choose; and even when the child doesnt participate in large group games they are still able to develop emotionally and socially. They can hopscotch and hula hoop; forming smaller and closer friendships with their counterparts. They have the ability to watch the kickball game; all due to the fact that recess gives the child the ability to chose to be themselves freely unlike in a classroom where the teacher makes most of the decisions. (Murray, Robert et.al) It is not to say that social and emotional skill arent deve loped in the classroom; we see children learn to understand authority through the teacher as well as when and where play is appropriate. Instead it can be said that the skills learned through free play create the foundation upon all other skills can be based. Where some have argued that recess is a waste of crucial school time, others have been able to recognize the cognitive and academic benefits unstructured free time provides for children. Through their own imaginative actions and experiences, children construct their own individual understanding mechanisms. The periods of recess create what is referred to as optimal processing; meaning a period of unstructured interruption after structured cognitive work. In order to effectively learn, the children need recess to subconsciously process all that has gone into their brains during the preceding classroom time. While they freely play, the childs brain files all of their newly acquired knowledge into new files and sections of their brain for future use. It has also been observed that recess serves as a means for children to become more attentive. When they burn off excess energy and are able to let their imaginations run free, returning into their classroom settings allows them to produce more attentive and productive work (Murray, Robert et.al). Not only is their work more productive, but their brains are then rewired to be better. The complex environment on the playground leads to the complex rewiring of the childs prefrontal cortex. This is alternately known as the executive control center; where emotional, planning, and problem solving skills develop. Complex situations become easier to navigate for the child, as circuits construct themselves through the free play recess allows them to have. If recess is used in the manner by which it was designated, then we could see new generations better prepared for life, love, and higher education (Hamilton, Jon). Children must learn to be children, and all else can fall behind this simple fact. Just as it is essential for a child to go to school, it is also vital for them to learn how to use their imaginations. We can not as a society force children into all work and no play environments; it would be hypocritical seeing as our previous generations have always had recess and some had even had it twice a school day (Adams, Caralee). As it has been said, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Recess provides the essential periods of play for the childs development into a creative and productive adult. We must remember as a society that we are raising our future generations, not crafting mindless robots always focused on work. Our ancestors didnt create new inventions with rigid minds. They were innovative and creative to forge a new path forward for their futures, and our today. Thus, it is imperative that instead of following societys trend of fear and worry, we weight recesss benefits mor e heavily. It isnt about play; but about childhood and the betterment of our futures. Works Cited Adams, Caralee. Recess Makes Kids Smarter. Instructor 120.5 (2011): 55-59. ERIC. Web. 23  Dec. 2016. Hamilton, Jon. Scientists Say Childs Play Helps Build A Better Brain. NPR. NPR, 6 Aug.  2014. Web. 22 Dec. 2016. . Lee, Andrew M.I. No Child Left Behind (NCLB): What You Need to Know. Understood.org.  Understood, n.d. Web. 02 Jan. 2017. Murray, Robert, MD, and Catherine Ramstetter Catherine Ramstetter, PhD, et al. The Crucial  Role of Recess in School. The Crucial Role of Recess in School | From the American Academy of Pediatrics | Pediatrics. American Academy of Pediatrics, Jan. 2013. Web. 22 Dec. 2016.

Comparing Love and Sports in A Separate Peace and Goodbye, Columbus Ess

Love and Sports in A Separate Peace and Goodbye, Columbus      Ã‚  Ã‚   There is a substantial difference in the way Goodbye, Columbus and A Separate Peace, both published in 1959, address the theme of sex; what there is galore in Philip Roth's novel, is conspicuously absent in the work of John Knowles. Apparently, sexuality was still a taboo at the time, and both books treat it as such: e.g., the discovery that their daughter is no longer a virgo intacta topples the world of the older Patimkins in Goodbye, Columbus (at least the father's sentiment seems to be genuine; whether "Mother Patimkin's" shock and subsequent outburst of indignation are equally unfeigned can be argued). Still, Roth's novel is fairly realistic in explicating sexuality as a driving motif behind its characters' actions, which cannot be said about A Separate Peace. Indeed, sex is a nonentity in the novel of John Knowles; the fact could have been explained by the strict discipline of the Devon prep school, had it not been for The Catcher in the Rye--the book that shows what a significant part of prep school life sex, indeed, was. There is only a few years' interval between the time of the action of these two novels--definitely not enough for morals to loosen so dramatically. One can but conclude that even for a book to have been published in 1959 A Separate Peace is remarkably chaste.    There is only one suggestive reference in the novel of John Knowles--the episode when Finny ignores Gene's warning that wearing a pink should could make him look like a fairy. Of course, the relationship between Finny and Gene itself can be interpreted askance: in his study on A Separate Peace Hallman Bryant draws attention to the analysis of George-M... ...elationship of Brenda and Neil is smothered by the profoundest egotism reflected in their preoccupation with the material aspects of being.    It would be interesting to see what A Separate Peace would look like if the physical aspect of love in it was not superseded by sports. The dynamics of the character suggests that Finny, infinitely free as he is, knowing no fear, and majestically comfortable with breaking the rules, would be more than likely to have transgressed by the age of seventeen--out of sheer curiosity and goodness, in a Tom Jones way.    Works cited Bryant, Hallman. A Separate Peace: the War Within. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co, 1990. Halio, Jay L. Philip Roth Revisited. New York: Twayne, 1992. Knowles, John. A Separate Peace. New York: Macmillan, 1961. Roth, Philip. Goodbye, Columbus. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1959.   

Anti-traditional Conception of Sex in Pounds Coitus Essay -- Pound Co

Anti-traditional Conception of Sex in Pound's "Coitus" Â   Critics have been fascinated and often baffled by Ezra Pound's shifting poetic style, which ranges from the profound simplicity of "In a Station of the Metro" to the complex intertextuality of the "Cantos." Pound's significance derives largely from his constant resolve to break traditional form and ideology, both literary and poetic. What is particularly unique about Pound, however, is that as he continually establishes precedence, he rarely abandons his thorough knowledge and appreciation of classical literature, drawing heavily from his literary and historical education in even his most groundbreaking works. "Coitus," one of Pound's early short works, exemplifies both his interest in the simple, efficient techniques of vorticism and his homage to the classics, interrelating them to create a statement that is unique and anti-traditional. Â   COITUS The gilded phaloi of the crocuses are thrusting at the spring air. Here is there naught of dead gods But a procession of festival, Â   A procession, O Giulio Romano, Fit for your spirit to dwell in. Dione, your nights are upon us. The dew is upon the leaf. The night about us is restless. Â   Although classical allusions and imagist influences are an essential part of "Coitus," it is the disturbingly stark sexual force that dominates its tone. However bluntly carnal the poem seems, it does not at any point explicitly mention sex, except in the unmistakable directness of the title. Pound renders his tone through a montage of classical allusions and phallic imagery which resemble the vorticistic Japanese haiku; the beginning and ending two lines share similarities with Pound's... ...ion, yoking allusive fragments of western culture with elements of modern life. By combining the ancient with the new, Pound produces disturbing and sexually centered anachronisms that capitalize on the previous history of literature but also revolutionary modern theories; psychological, sexual and literary. As a whole, "Coitus" is an atom of knowledge, capable of splitting and exploding into far reaches of historical and literary realms, yet instantly and intriguingly disturbing for its modern sexual tone. Â   Â   The following poems are borrowed from page 109 of Personae: The Collected Shorter Poems of Ezra Pound, 1926. Â   Â   IN A STATION OF THE METRO The apparition of these faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough. Â   ALBA As cool as the pale wet leaves of lily-of-the-valley She lay beside me in the dawn. Â  

lab on matter :: essays research papers

I. Introduction  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. Purpose: the purpose of this experiment was to determine if the distance between matter effects the time it takes for the matter to reach thermal equilibrium.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. Hypothesis: If the distance between the matter is decreased then the time it takes for the matter to reach thermal equilibrium will decrease.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. Science concepts: Temperature- measure of the motion of molecules Thermal equilibrium- when two pieces of matter are the same temperature Kinetic energy- energy of motion Heat- energy that flows from matter of a higher temperature to matter of a lower temperature   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the experiment the time it took for matter to reach thermal equilibrium was measured. The temperature of the water was measured every thirty seconds. The heat was transferred from the hot water, into the air, then to the cold water. When the water reached thermal equilibrium the average kinetic energy per molecule was the same for all the water. II Procedure:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The materials used were-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  125ml flask  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  200ml cold water   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  200ml beaker  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 lab probes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  125ml hot water  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  logger pro 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  first the lab probes were plugged into the lab pro 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the lab pro was connected to the USB port 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the computer was turned on and logger pro was opened 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the flask was filled with 125ml of hot water 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the beaker was filled with 200ml of cold water 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the flask and beaker were placed 20cm apart 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the temperature was measured every 30 seconds until the hot and cold water reached thermal equilibrium III. Results and Conclusions A. Experimental Data: The results of the experiment indicate that the farther apart the matter is the longer it takes to reach thermal equilibrium. The touching water took only sixteen minutes while the non touching water in about the same amount of time was 41.6 degrees from reaching thermal equilibrium.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. Graphs and Tables: see attached C. Evaluate Prediction/Hypothesis: The results of the experiment support the hypothesis. The hypothesis stated that the greater the distance between the water the greater the amount of time it takes to reach thermal equilibrium. IV Extension and Summery A. Extension: Some causes of experimental error may have been if the computer failed and a manual thermometer had to be used some seconds could have been lost. This could have been fixed by using a manual thermometer the whole time or starting over if the computer failed. Another possible cause of experimental error could have been if the probe was being moved while the temperature was being measured.

How is God Related to Sufferings in Psalms and Job? Essay

The book of Psalms and the Book of Job are both parts of the bible that share stories of sufferings, faith and worships. The book of Job was written more than 2,500 years ago which relates the story of Job. Job was a good man and dearly loved by God but in the end must suffer to test the strength of his faith. Since Job believes he is not forsaken by God he trusts everything in the hands of God. One day God thought of testing Job’s faith if it is enough to carry him through the trials he would bestow on him. He asks Job what he knows about Him being his God. Job did not fully satisfy God with his answers although God knows what is inside his heart. But God wants to know the extent of Job’s faith to Him and thought of a plan to test Job’s faith. One day great numbers of insects attack Job’s crops and ate almost every plant he has. Rain did not come and he could not till his land. Then he starts to wonder why despite his closeness with God things like these could happen. He tried to talk to God but God does not answer. Falling to starvation he became terribly sick and begged for God’s help but God is nowhere to be found. When he felt that everything is hopeless and was about to die, he called again to God and ask why he was being forsaken and abandoned. He looked into the heaven and said despite he was forgotten by God, his faith still remained in him. Suddenly God touched him and he quickly regained his strength. God told him that he let these things happen to make Job realized that it is only through suffering and trials that a man will prove his faith in him. That he has not really abandoned him but was with him during the time he was suffering. God has to do things to Job to test the strength of his faith. Job did not leave his faith and so he reaped the love of God even more. That is why God is related to the suffering in this book as a way to test Job’s faith and remained to it even during the time of great suffering. This gives us the lesson that regardless of the suffering we have God will come to our aid as long as we keep our faith to him (Society, 2008). If the Book of Job tells the story of the suffering and strength of faith in God, the book of Psalms were collections of songs of prayers and praise. This book was written by the Hebrews who believe in the might and love of God. A Psalm is a poem that is accompanied by musical instruments and so they are actually poems that have been made into songs. David was mainly the composer of the songs on Psalms which he sang with his harp. There are different kinds of Psalms and all were originally written in Hebrew. Hebrew alphabet is composed of 22 letters and an alphabetical Psalm starts its first verse with the first letter of the alphabet, the second verse begins with the second letter and so on. These Psalms were the hallelujah, thanksgiving, praise, historical, penitential, imprecatory and messianic psalms. Among these Psalms that are related to repentance are the penitentiary psalms which confess the sins of man, the Imprecatory Psalms which tells us how God is angered by sinners and how he will judge them and the messianic psalms advises us about the coming of the Messiah (Books, 2008). Theologians provide explanation on the Book of Psalms that is now within the New Testament. According to them we as people may also experience suffering the same as Jesus Christ had suffered in the cross. But our suffering should not be believed as punishment for the sins we made but to strengthen us and ready us for a more harmonious destination. In Psalm 3, David has suffered the consequences of his sin with his adulterous relationship with Bensheba. He relate this suffering into a poem and then it became one of the collections of songs. In Psalm 119:68, 75 indicate that suffering befalls to us to see the goodness, righteousness and the strength of our faith with our God. Many songs within the Book of Psalms indicated the suffering of man we face as Christians. In Psalm 22, there are also Psalms that questions God and why do we need to suffer. And so God is related to suffering in the Book of Psalms to tell us through the songs that we should not sin and be righteous so that we will be blessed (Futato,1999) . References Society, A. B. (2008). Why Does God Allow Suffering? Journal. Retrieved from http://www. bibles. com/absport/news/item. php? id=102 Books, O. T. (2008). Chapter 7: Job and Psalms. Journal. Retrieved from http://www. middletownbiblechurch. org/oldtesta/oldtes7. htm Futato, M. D. (1999). Suffering As The Path To Glory. Journal. Retrieved from http://www. pressiechurch. org/Theol_2/suffering_as_the_path_to_glory. htm

Second Foundation 5. Fourth Interlude

The two Speakers passed each other on the road and one stopped the other. â€Å"I have word from the First Speaker.† There was a half-apprehensive flicker in the other's eyes. â€Å"Intersection point?† â€Å"Yes! May we live to see the dawn!† There was no sign in any of Channis' actions that he was aware of any subtle change in the attitude of Pritcher, and in their relations to each other. He leaned back on the hard wooden bench and spread-eagled his feet out in front of him. â€Å"What did you make of the governor?† Pritcher shrugged: â€Å"Nothing at all. He certainly seemed no mental genius to me. A very poor specimen of the Second Foundation, if that's what he was supposed to be.† â€Å"I don't think he was, you know. I'm not sure what to make of it. Suppose you were a Second Foundationer,† Channis grew thoughtful, â€Å"what would you do? Suppose you had an idea of our purpose here. How would you handle us?† â€Å"Conversion, of course.† â€Å"Like the Mule?† Channis looked up, sharply. â€Å"Would we know if they had converted us? I wonder- And what if they were simply psychologists, but very clever ones.† â€Å"In that case, I'd have us killed rather quickly.† â€Å"And our ship? No.† Channis wagged a forefinger. â€Å"We're playing a bluff, Pritcher, old man. It can only be a bluff. Even if they have emotional control down pat, we – you and I – are only fronts. It's the Mule they must fight, and they're being just as careful of us as we are of them. I'm assuming that they know who we are.† Pritcher, stared coldly: â€Å"What do you intend doing?† â€Å"Wait.† The word was bitten off. â€Å"Let them come to us. They're worried, maybe about the ship, but probably about the Mule. They bluffed with the governor. It didn't work. We stayed pat. The next person they'll send will be a Second Foundationer, and he'll propose a deal of some sort.† â€Å"And then?† â€Å"And then we make the deal.† â€Å"I don't think so.† â€Å"Because you think it will double-cross the Mule? It won't.† â€Å"No, the Mule could handle your double-crosses, any you could invent. But I still don't think so.† â€Å"Because you think then we couldn't double-cross the Foundationers?† â€Å"Perhaps not. But that's not the reason.† Channis let his glance drop to what the other held in his fist, and said grimly: â€Å"You mean that's the reason.† Pritcher cradled his blaster, â€Å"That's right. You are under arrest.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"For treason to the First Citizen of the Union.† Channis' lips hardened upon one another: â€Å"What's going on?† â€Å"Treason! As I said. And correction of the matter, on my part.† â€Å"Your proof? Or evidence, assumptions, daydreams? Are you mad?† â€Å"No. Are you? Do you think the Mule sends out unweaned youngsters on ridiculous swashbuckling missions for nothing? It was queer to me at the time. But I wasted time in doubting myself. Why should he send you? Because you smile and dress well? Because you're twenty-eight.† â€Å"Perhaps because I can be trusted. Or aren't you in the market for logical reasons?† â€Å"Or perhaps because you can't be trusted. Which is logical enough, as it turns out.† â€Å"Are we matching paradoxes, or is this all a word game to see who can say the least in the most words?† And the blaster advanced, with Pritcher after it. He stood erect before the younger man: â€Å"Stand up!† Channis did so, in no particular hurry, and felt the muzzle of the blaster touch his belt with no shrinking of the stomach muscles. Pritcher said: â€Å"What the Mule wanted was to find the Second Foundation. He had failed and I had failed, and the secret that neither of us can find is a well-hidden one. So there was one outstanding possibility left – and that was to find a seeker who already*** knew the hiding-place.† â€Å"Is that I?† â€Å"Apparently it was. I didn't know then, of course, but though my mind must be slowing, it still points in the right direction. How easily we found Star's End! How miraculously you examined the correct Field Region of the Lens from among an infinite number of possibilties! And having done so, how nicely we observe just the correct point for observation! You clumsy fool! Did you so underestimate me that no combination of impossible fortuties struck you as being too much for me to swallow?† â€Å"You mean I've been too successful?† â€Å"Too successful by half for any loyal man.† â€Å"Because the standards of success you set me were so low?† And the blaster prodded, though in the face that confronted*** Channis only the cold glitter of the eyes betrayed the growing anger: â€Å"Because you are in the pay of the Second Foundation.† â€Å"Pay?†- infinite contempt. â€Å"Prove that.† â€Å"Or under the mental influence.† â€Å"Without the Mule's knowledge? Ridiculous.† â€Å"With the Mule's knowledge. Exactly my point, my you dullard. With the Mule's knowledge. Do you suppose else that you would be given a ship to play with? You led us to the Second Foundation as you were supposed to do.† â€Å"I thresh a kernel of something or other out of this immensity of chaff. May I ask why I'm supposed to be doing all this? If were a traitor, why should I lead you to the Second Foundation? Why not hither and yon through the Galaxy, skipping gaily, finding no more than you ever did?' â€Å"For the sake of the ship. And because the men of the Second Foundation quite obviously need atomic warfare for self-defense.† ‘You'll have to do better than that. One ship won't mean thing to them, and if they think they'll learn science from it a build atomic power plants next year, they are very, very simple Second Foundationers, indeed. On the order of simplicity as yourself, I should say.† â€Å"You will have the opportunity to explain that to the Mule.† â€Å"We're going back to Kalgan?† â€Å"On the contrary. We're staying here. And the Mule will join us in fifteen minutes – more or less. Do you think he hasn't followed us, my sharp-witted, nimble-minded lump of self-admiration? You have played the decoy well in reverse. You may not have led our victims to us, but you have certainly led us to our victims.† â€Å"May I sit down,† said Channis, â€Å"and explain something to you in picture drawings? Please.† â€Å"You will remain standing.† â€Å"At*** that, I can say it as well standing. You think the Mule followed us because of the hypertracer on the communication circuit?† The blaster might have wavered. Channis wouldn't have sworn to it. He said: â€Å"You don't look surprised. But I don't waste time doubting that you feel surprised. Yes, I knew about it. And now, having shown you that I knew of something you didn't think I did, I'll tell you something you don't know, that I know you don't.† â€Å"You allow yourself too many preliminaries, Channis. I should think your sense of invention was more smoothly greased.† â€Å"There's an invention to this. There have been traitors, of course, or enemy agents, if you prefer that term. But the Mule knew of that in a rather curious way. It seems, you see, that some of his Converted men had been tampered with.† The blaster did waver that time. Unmistakably. â€Å"I emphasize that, Pritcher. It was why he needed me. I was an Unconverted man. Didn't he emphasize to you that he needed an Unconverted? Whether he gave you the real reason or not?† â€Å"Try something else, Channis. If I were against the Mule, I'd know it.† Quietly, rapidly, Pritcher was feeling his mind. It felt the same. It felt the same. Obviously the man was lying. â€Å"You mean you feel loyal to the Mule. Perhaps. Loyalty wasn't tampered with. Too easily detectable, the Mule said. But how do you feel mentally? Sluggish? Since you started this trip, have you always felt normal? Or have you felt strange sometimes, as though you weren't quite yourself? What are you trying to do, bore a hole through me without touching the trigger?† Pritcher withdrew his blaster half an inch, â€Å"What are you trying to say?† â€Å"I say that you've been tampered with. You've been handled. You didn't see the Mule install that hypertracer. You didn't see anyone do it. You just found it there, and assumed it was the Mule, and ever since you've been assuming he was following us. Sure, the wrist receiver you're wearing contacts the ship on a wave length mine isn't good for. Do you think I didn't know that?† He was speaking quickly now, angrily. His cloak of indifference had dissolved into savagery. â€Å"But it's not the Mule that's coming toward us from out there. It's not the Mule.† â€Å"Who, if not?† â€Å"Well, who do you suppose? I found that hypertracer, the day we left. But I didn't think it was the Mule. He had no reason for indirection at that point. Don't you see the nonsense of it? If I were a traitor and he knew that, I could be Converted as easily as you were, and he would have the secret of the location of the Second Foundation out of my mind without sending me half across the Galaxy. Can you keep a secret from the Mule? And if I didn't know, then I couldn't lead him to it. So why send me in either case? â€Å"Obviously, that hypertracer must have been put there by an agent of the Second Foundation. That's who's coming towards us now. And would you have been fooled if your precious mind hadn't been tampered with? What kind of normality have you that you imagine immense folly to be wisdom? Me bring a ship to the Second Foundation? What would they do with a ship? â€Å"It's you they want, Pritcher. You know more about the Union than anyone but the Mule, and you're not dangerous to them while he is. That's why they put the direction of search into my mind. Of course, it was completely impossible for me to find Tazenda by random searchings of the Lens. I knew that. But I knew there was the Second Foundation after us, and I knew they engineered it. Why not play their game? It was a battle of bluffs. They wanted us and I wanted their location – and space take the one that couldn't outbluff the other. â€Å"But it's we that will lose as long as you hold that blaster on me. And it obviously isn't your idea. It's theirs. Give me the blaster, Pritcher. I know it seems wrong to you, but it isn't your mind speaking, it's the Second Foundation within you. Give me the blaster, Pritcher, and we'll face what's coming now, together.† Pritcher, faced a growing confusion in horror. Plausibility! Could he be so wrong? Why this eternal doubt of himself? Why wasn't he sure? What made Channis sound so plausible? Plausibility! Or was it his own tortured mind fighting the invasion of the alien. Was he split in two? Hazily, he saw Channis standing before him, hand outstretched – and suddenly, he knew he was going to give him the blaster. And as the muscles of his arm were on the point of contracting in the proper manner to do so, the door opened, not hastily, behind him – and he turned. There are perhaps men in the Galaxy who can be confused for one another even by men at their peaceful leisure. Correspondingly, there may be conditions of mind when even unlikely pairs may be mis-recognized. But the Mule rises above any combination of the two factors. Not all Pritcher's agony of mind prevented the instantaneous mental flood of cool vigor that engulfed him. Physically, the Mule could not dominate any situation. Nor did he dominate this one. He was rather a ridiculous figure in his layers of clothing that thickened him past his normality without allowing him to reach normal dimensions even so. His face was muffled and the usually dominant beak covered what was left in a cold-red prominence. Probably as a vision of rescue, no greater incongruity could exist. He said: â€Å"Keep your blaster, Pritcher.† Then he turned to Channis, who had shrugged and seated himself: â€Å"The emotional context here seems rather confusing and considerably in conflict. What's this about someone other than myself following you?† Pritcher intervened sharply: â€Å"Was a hypertracer placed upon our ship by your orders, sir?† The Mule turned cool eyes upon him, â€Å"Certainly. Is it very likely that any organization in the Galaxy other than the Union of Worlds would have access to it?' â€Å"He said-â€Å" â€Å"Well, he's here, general. Indirect quotation is not necessary. Have you been saying anything, Channis?† â€Å"Yes. But mistakes apparently, sir. It has been my opinion that the tracer was put there by someone in the pay of the Second Foundation and that we had been led here for some purpose of theirs, which I was prepared to counter. I was under the further impression that the general was more or less in their hands.† â€Å"You sound as if you think so no longer.† â€Å"I'm afraid not. Or it would not have been you at the door.† â€Å"Well, then, let us thresh this out.† The Mule peeled off the outer layers of padded, and electrically heated clothing. â€Å"Do you mind if I sit down as well? Now – we are safe here and perfectly free of any danger of intrusion. No native of this lump of ice will have any desire to approach this place. I assure you of that,† and there was a grim earnestness about his insistence upon his powers. Channis showed his disgust. â€Å"Why privacy? Is someone going to serve tea and bring out the dancing girls?† â€Å"Scarcely. What was this theory of yours, young man? A Second Foundationer was tracing you with a device which no one but I have and – how did you say you found this place?† â€Å"Apparently, sir, it seems obvious, in order to account for known facts, that certain notions have been put into my head-â€Å" â€Å"By these same Second Foundationers?† â€Å"No one else, I imagine.† â€Å"Then it did not occur to you that if a Second Foundationer could force, or entice, or inveigle you into going to the Second Foundation for purposes of his own – and I assume you imagined he used methods similar to mine, though, mind you, I can implant only emotions, not ideas – it did not occur to you that if he could do that there was little necessity to put a hypertracer on you. And Channis looked up sharply and met his sovereign's large eyes with sudden startle. Pritcher grunted and a visible relaxation showed itself in his shoulders. â€Å"No,† said Channis, â€Å"that hadn't occurred to me.† â€Å"Or that if they were obliged to trace you, they couldn't feel capable of directing you, and that, undirected, you could have precious little chance of finding your way here as you did. Did that occur to you?† â€Å"That, neither.† â€Å"Why not? Has your intellectual level receded to a so-much-greater-than-probable degree?† â€Å"The only answer is a question, sir. Are you joining General Pritcher in accusing me of being a traitor?† â€Å"You have a defense in case I am?† â€Å"Only the one I presented to the general. If I were a traitor and knew the whereabouts of the Second Foundation, you could Convert me and learn the knowledge directly. If you felt it necessary to trace me, then I hadn't the knowledge beforehand and wasn't a traitor. So I answer your paradox with another.† â€Å"Then your conclusion?† â€Å"That I am not a traitor.† â€Å"To which I must agree, since your argument is irrefutable.† â€Å"Then may I ask you why you had us secretly followed?† â€Å"Because to all the facts there is a third explanation. Both you and Pritcher explained some facts in your own individual ways, but not all. I – if you can spare me the time – will explain all. And in a rather short time, so there is little danger of boredom. Sit down, Pritcher, and give me your blaster. There is no danger of attack on us any longer. None from in here and none from out there. None in fact even from the Second Foundation. Thanks to you, Channis.† The room was lit in the usual Rossemian fashion of electrically heated wire. A single bulb was suspended from the ceiling and in its dim yellow glow, the three cast their individual shadows. The Mule said: â€Å"Since I felt it necessary to trace Channis, it was obvious I expect to gain something thereby. Since he went to the Second Foundation with a startling speed and directness, we can reasonably assume that that was what I was expecting to happen. Since I did not gain the knowledge from him directly, something must have been preventing me. Those are the facts. Channis, of course, knows the answer. So do I. Do you see it, Pritcher?† And Pritcher said doggedly: â€Å"No, sir.† â€Å"Then I'll explain. Only one kind of man can both know the location of the Second Foundation and prevent me from learning it. Channis, I'm afraid you're a Second Foundationer yourself.† And Channis' elbows rested on his knees as he leaned forward, and through stiff and angry lips said: â€Å"What is your direct evidence? Deduction has proven wrong twice today.† â€Å"There is direct evidence, too, Channis. It was easy enough. I told you that my men had been tampered with. The tamperer must have been, obviously, someone who was a) Unconverted, and b) fairly close to the center of things. The field was large but not entirely unlimited. You were too successful, Channis. People liked you too much. You got along too well. I wondered- â€Å"And then I summoned you to take over this expedition and it didn't set you back. I watched your emotions. It didn't bother you. You overplayed the confidence there, Channis. No man of real competence could have avoided a dash of uncertainty at a job like that. Since your mind did avoid it, it was either a foolish one or a controlled one. It was easy to test the alternatives. I seized your mind at a moment of relaxation and filled it with grief for an instant and then removed it. You were angry afterwards with such accomplished art that I could have sworn it was a natural reaction, but for that which went first. For when I wrenched at your emotions, for just one instant, for one tiny instant before you could catch yourself, your mind resisted. It was all I needed to know. â€Å"No one could have resisted me, even for that tiny instant, without control similar to mine.† Channis' voice was low and bitter: â€Å"Well, then? Now what?† â€Å"And now you die – as a Second Foundationer. Quite necessary, as I believe you realize.† And once again Channis stared into the muzzle of a blaster. A muzzle guided this time by a mind, not like Pritcher's capable of offhand twisting to suit himself, but by one as mature as his own and as resistant to force as his own. And the period of time allotted him for a correction of events was small. What followed thereafter is difficult to describe by one with the normal complement of senses and the normal incapacity for emotional control. Essentially, this is what Channis realized in the tiny space of time involved in the pushing of the Mule's thumb upon the trigger contact. The Mule's current emotional makeup was one of a hard and polished determination, unmisted by hesitation in the least. Had Channis been sufficiently interested afterward to calculate the time involved from the determination to shoot to the arrival of the disintegrating energies, he might have realized that his leeway was about one-fifth of a second. That was barely time. What the Mule realized in that same tiny space of time was that the emotional potential of Channis' brain had surged suddenly upwards without his own mind feeling any impact and that, simultaneously, a flood of pure, thrilling hatred cascaded upon him from an unexpected direction. It was that new emotional element that jerked his thumb off the contact. Nothing else could have done it, and almost together with his change of action, came complete realization of the new situation. It was a tableau that endured far less than the significance adhering to it should require from a dramatic standpoint. There was the Mule, thumb off the blaster, staring intently upon Channis There was Channis taut, not quite daring to breathe yet. And there was Pritcher, convulsed in his chair; every muscle at a spasmodic breaking point; every tendon writhing in an effort to hurl forward; his face twisted at last out of schooled woodenness into an unrecognizable death mask of horrid hate; and his eyes only and entirely and supremely upon the Mule. Only a word or two passed between Channis and the Mule – only a word or two and that utterly revealing stream of emotional consciousness that remains forever the true interplay of understanding between such as they. For the sake of our own limits, it is necessary to translate into words what went on, then, and thenceforward. Channis said, tensely: â€Å"You're between two fires, First Citizen. You can't control two minds simultaneously, not when one of them is mine – so you have your choice. Pritcher, is free of your Conversion now. I've snapped the bonds. He's the old Pritcher; the one who tried to kill you once; the one who thinks you're the enemy of all that is free and right and holy; and he's the one besides who knows that you've debased him to helpless adulation for five years. I'm holding him back now by suppressing his will, but if you kill me, that ends, and in considerably less time than you could shift your blaster or even your will – he will kill you.† The Mule quite plainly realized that. He did not move. Channis continued: â€Å"If you turn to place him under control, to kill him, to do anything, you won't ever be quick enough to turn again to stop me.† The Mule still did not move. Only a soft sigh of realization. â€Å"So,† said Channis, â€Å"throw down the blaster, and let us be on even terms again, and you can have Pritcher back.† â€Å"I made a mistake,† said the Mule, finally. â€Å"It was wrong to have a third party present when I confronted you. It introduced one variable too many. It is a mistake that must be paid for, I suppose.† He dropped the blaster carelessly, and kicked it to the other end of the room. Simultaneously, Pritcher crumpled into profound sleep. â€Å"He'll be normal when he awakes,† said the Mule, indifferently. The entire exchange from the time the Mule's thumb had begun pressing the trigger-contact to the time he dropped the blaster had occupied just under a second and a half of time. But just beneath the borders of consciousness, for a time just above the borders of detection, Channis caught a fugitive emotional gleam in the Mule's mind. And it was still one of sure and confident triumph.