Early modernist art movements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Early modernist art movements - Essay Example Futurism is clearly an innovative movement which was launched in Italy in 1909. Nonetheless, there were parallel art movements in Russia, England, and other regions. It is one of the first and among the most critical early modernist art movements that were not centered in Paris-this is evidently the reason why France does not take the movement seriously. Futurism was responsible for exalting the modern world dynamism, particularly in the field of science and technology. Futurism had begun in literature but spread its wings covering painting, industrial design, sculpture, and so on and their ideology influenced all other types of art. This piece, The City Rises, is considered to be the first painting in the futurism movement. The artist, Boccioni, illustrates a modern city in construction. In the image, it is clear that the artist depicts chaos and movement that resembles a war scene. Some people state that this work shows that the futurism movement believed that war was the only viab le means toward culture progress. The racing horses into the work’s foreground as workers are seen struggling to gain control indicate a struggle between animals and people. Animals shown are not very clear indicating movement while other objects are painted more realistically. Boccioni also shows the influences of Impressionism, Cubism, and Post-Impressionism as seen in the broken exemplification of space. Constructivism happened in Russia and was the most influential in the 20th century, it was also the modern movement.

Beer Economics - Supply and Demand Essay Example for Free

Beer Economics Supply and Demand Essay The laws of Supply and Demand may be a simple concept except when it comes to beer. Two large beer companies have formed an Oligopoly and have taken the power from the people. Income high, or income low, beer will be purchased even if the price is not always right. A social gathering is not social without the presence of beer. Beer has been a growing industry year after year. The craft, or microbrewery industry, has grown tremendously since the early 1980s, and the Brewers’ Association reckons that there are now over 1,500 brewing companies in the country, a level not seen since Prohibition was introduced in 1919 (Krafoff, 1). Pabst Blue Ribbon, in 1890 the most popular beer in the U. S. , has seen its market share drop to 2. 8%, but it has enjoyed a resurgence due to its cheap price, decent taste, and new-found cachet among urban hipsters (Krafoff, 1). The beer market is a completely open market. Anyone with a marketing idea and a recipe can get a contract brewery to make the product (Krafoff, 1). Almost every bar has a dozen taps with independent and local brews, but there are two definite brands you won’t ever have to look hard for: Coors and Budweiser. As recently as 2004, 64 percent of the global beer market ownership was fragmented among ten beer corporations (Anderson, 5). In 2008 the merger of Anheuser-Busch (A-B) and global giant InBev created the world’s largest brewer: Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI), followed by SABMiller (second-largest) and Molson Coors Brewing Company (fifth-largest) (Anderson, 5). To better compete with ABI’s growing world beer market share, SABMiller and Molson Coors combined their U. S. and Puerto Rico operations to establish their joint venture, MillerCoors LCC (Anderson, 5). With these massive consolidations, the two beer giants (ABI and MillerCoors) now have combined control of more than 40 percent of the world beer market and 80 percent of the United States beer market (Anderson, 5). MolsonCoors operates in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Their products include Coors Light, Coors, Keystone Light, Blue Moon, MGD 64 and many other recognizable beers. Their number one competitor is Anheuser-Busch. Their products include Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob, Shock Top and many others. The beer market has formed into a classic oligopoly: a market with just a few firms dominating the industry. Both MolsonCoors and Anheuser-Busch have substantial market power and control over beer prices. They are mutually interdependent. MolsonCoors can’t raise the price of Coors Light unless Anheuser-Busch raises the price of Bud Light. Both companies are forced into the game theory. They have to play a guessing game of what the other company is going to do and lower or raise their prices based upon their assumptions. It may seem easy for them to just agree to the same price and share the market. Unfortunately, that is called a cartel, and is illegal in the United States. Their products have few substitutes and complements. A substitute of beer is wine as the cross-price elasticity is . 23. A complement to beer is hard liquor as the cross-price elasticity is -0. 11. Beer is an elastic product because it is not a necessity. Demand is highly affected by price. An example of this is highly popular discount brands such as Keystone Light. MolsonCoors products are equally as elastic as their competitor Anheuser-Busch. They offer discount beers as well as microbrew style beers. Beer is an inferior good. As income falls, quantity of beer demanded falls. Beer has a negative income elasticity of demand of -0. 09. This is because when society becomes richer (income rises); things such as fine wines and spirits are substituted for beer. Beer has a couple factors working in its favor. First, the United States is in a recession, thus income is low, and the quantity demanded of beer is high. Second the marginal utility of beer increases as more is consumed. The utility of one beer is high but increases with every added beer. This is a major advantage to the two beer giants and their profits. There is not an infinite supply of a given beer. This seems unimportant when no one wants said beer, but is important when it is in high demand. Ideally, the amount of beer will meet (or come close to meeting) the desire for it, meeting a market equilibrium. It may not taste like it, but our beer is actually in danger. The popularity of corn-based ethanol has already caused a tight market for malt, one of beers three critical ingredients, as farmers increasingly forgo the barley crops used to make it in favor of more profitable corn (Boyer, 1). This has caused a worldwide shortage in hops, thus a large increase in price. Barley has risen from $157. 6 USD per metric ton in March 2007 to $202. 53 USD per metric ton. The other key ingredient in beer (along with water), hops is a flower that gives beer flavor and aroma (Boyer, 1). The shortage comes after a decade-long surplus discouraged farmers from planting the crop, which grows on trestles and can take years to mature (Boyer, 1). Since 1994, the amount of farm acreage planted in hops worldwide has declined by about half (Boyer, 1). Together, the two mean the beer industry now faces a 10 to 15 percent shortage (Boyer, 1). On the upside, water, aluminum and yeast are widely available and have stable prices. According to MolsonCoors financials, their total revenue (p x q) is $3,254,000. We can assume that they sell every beer at about $3 which would make their quantity sold at approximately 1,084,667 cans. That’s billions! This business model seems to be working. Molson Coors is currently earning economic profits. Their current net income is 670 million dollars. The stockholders’ equity is currently 7,779. The current prime rate is 3. 5% so by multiplying that by the stockholders’ equity we can assume the owner’s implicit costs are approximately 272. 7 million dollars. MolsonCoors generates profits of about 397. 03 million dollars per year. Beer is a profitable product because it is widely sold in many markets and, despite rising costs, fairly inexpensive to produce. Since MolsonCoors has been a company for many years, they have low long run average total costs. Over the years they have been able to decrease their operating costs and increase production and in doing so, reaching a point of economies of scale. Below is a fictitious example of how as quantity rises, total costs only rise a little bit.

Great Lakes Directional Drilling :: essays research papers

Around the mitten shaped state of Michigan, five gigantic lakes encompass the coast. Providing a spot for vacationers, fisherman, and much wildlife, the Great Lakes are the pride and joy of Michigan. The history of the lakes stretches back thousands of years, where glaciers carved the lakes out of bedrock. These lakes provided a surplus of food and access to easy travel for settlers hundreds of years ago. People around the Great Lakes area appreciate the diversity of wildlife, scenery, and rarity of such landmarks. When the question of whether to drill in these lakes for oil and natural gas came up, it ignited many debates. Is our wildlife more important than oil to us? Or does the presence of oil and natural gas mean we can corrupt our environment and endanger many different types of species, along with ourselves? We find ourselves in unique situation. A debate of whether it is right to dig up oil in the Great Lakes. The lakes are known to contain oil and natural gas, but what risk does that play to our environment? The two sides in this debate both have their valid points. It is right to preserve wildlife, but oil is also a highly valuable commodity in today’s market. People often stress that we must take care of our planet because it is the only one we have. Why then do we destroy thousands of square miles of rainforest for wood? Why is there so much emphasis on industrialization, and not enough on the preservation of our Earth? Why do we need to use so much, nevertheless waste so much? Our environment and world is declining at a rate at which we cannot afford. It will be sad to see our planet in another few hundred years. We need to start preserving our environment, and not drilling our Great Lakes for oil is a great place to start. If we drill for oil, we will lose much wildlife, de stroy habitats, have possible oil spills, and in fact endanger ourselves in the long run. To extract such oil from under the Great Lakes, we would need to use directional drilling. To do this, the well is first drilled vertically, and then it is angled under the lakes at about four thousand feet to in fact reach the oil. This is a complicated process that had improved due to technology over the past twenty years.

Part Five Chapter I

Privilege 7.32 A person who has made a defamatory statement may claim privilege for it if he can show that he made it without malice and in pursuit of a public duty. Charles Arnold-Baker Local Council Administration, Seventh Edition I Terri Weedon was used to people leaving her. The first and greatest departure had been her mother's, who had never said goodbye, but had simply walked out one day with a suitcase while Terri was at school. There had been lots of social workers and care workers after she ran away at fourteen, and some of them had been nice enough, but they all left at the end of the working day. Every fresh departure added a fine new layer to the crust building over her core. She had had friends in care, but at sixteen they were all on their own, and life had scattered them. She met Ritchie Adams, and she bore him two children. Tiny little pink things, pure and beautiful like nothing in the whole world: and they had come out of her, and for shining hours in the hospital, twice, it had been like her own rebirth. And then they took the children from her, and she never saw them again, either. Banger had left her. Nana Cath had left her. Nearly everybody went, hardly anyone stayed. She ought to be used to it by now. When Mattie, her regular social worker, reappeared, Terri demanded, ‘Where's the other one?' ‘Kay? She was only covering for me while I was ill,' said Mattie. ‘So, where's Liam? No †¦ I mean Robbie, don't I?' Terri did not like Mattie. For one thing, she did not have kids, and how could people who didn't have kids tell you how to raise them, how could they understand? She had not liked Kay, exactly, either †¦ except that Kay gave you a funny feeling, the same feeling that Nana Cath had once given Terri, before she had called her a whore and told her she never wanted to see her again †¦ you felt, with Kay – even though she carried folders, like the rest of them, even though she had instituted the case review – you felt that she wanted things to go right for you, and not only for the forms. You really did feel that. But she was gone, and she probably don't even think about us now, thought Terri furiously. On Friday afternoon, Mattie told Terri that Bellchapel would almost certainly close. ‘It's political,' she said briskly. ‘They want to save money, but methadone treatment's unpopular with the District Council. Plus, Pagford wants them out of the building. It was all in the local paper, maybe you saw it?' Sometimes she spoke to Terri like that, veering into a kind of after-all-we're-in-this-together small-talk that jarred, because it sat alongside enquiries as to whether Terri was remembering to feed her son. But this time it was what she said, rather than how she said it, that upset Terri. ‘They're closin' it?' she repeated. ‘It looks that way,' said Mattie breezily, ‘but it won't make any difference to you. Well, obviously †¦' Three times Terri had embarked upon the programme at Bellchapel. The dusty interior of the converted church with its partition walls and its flyers, the bathroom with its neon-blue light (so you could not find veins and shoot up in there), had become familiar and almost friendly. Lately, she had begun to sense in the workers there a change in the way they spoke to her. They had all expected her to fail again, in the beginning, but they had started talking to her the way Kay had talked: as if they knew a real person lived inside her pockmarked, burned body. ‘ †¦ obviously, it will be different, but you can get your methadone from your GP instead,' said Mattie. She flipped over pages in the distended file that was the state's record of Terri's life. ‘You're registered with Dr Jawanda in Pagford, right? Pagford †¦ why are you going all the way out there?' ‘I smacked a nurse at Cantermill,' said Terri, almost absent-mindedly. After Mattie had left, Terri sat for a long time in her filthy chair in the sitting room, gnawing at her nails until they bled. The moment Krystal came home, bringing Robbie back from nursery, she told her that they were closing Bellchapel. ‘They ain't decided yet,' said Krystal with authority. ‘The fuck do you know?' demanded Terri. ‘They're closin' it, and now they say I've gotta go to fuckin' Pagford to that bitch that killed Nana Cath. Well, I fuckin' ain't.' ‘You gotta,' said Krystal. Krystal had been like this for days; bossing her mother, acting as though she, Krystal, was the grown-up. ‘I ain' gotta do fuckin' anythin',' said Terri furiously. ‘Cheeky little bitch,' she added, for good measure. ‘If you start fuckin' usin' again,' said Krystal, scarlet in the face, ‘they'll take Robbie away.' He was still holding Krystal's hand, and burst into tears. ‘See?' both women shouted at each other. ‘You're fuckin' doin' it to him!' shouted Krystal. ‘An' anyway, that doctor didn' do nuthin' to Nana Cath, that's all jus' Cheryl an' them talking shit!' ‘Fuckin' little know-it-all, ain't yeh?' yelled Terri. ‘You know fuck-all – ‘ Krystal spat at her. ‘Get the fuck out!' screamed Terri, and because Krystal was bigger and heavier she seized a shoe lying on the floor and brandished it. ‘Gerrout!' ‘I fuckin' will!' yelled Krystal. ‘An' I'll take Robbie an' all, an' you can stay here an' fuckin' screw Obbo an' make another one!' She dragged the wailing Robbie out with her before Terri could stop her. Krystal marched him all the way to her usual refuge, forgetting that at this time in the afternoon, Nikki would still be hanging around outside somewhere, not at home. It was Nikki's mum who opened the door, in her Asda uniform. ‘He ain' stayin' ‘ere,' she told Krystal firmly, while Robbie whined and tried to pull his hand from Krystal's tight grip. ‘Where's your mum?' ‘Home,' said Krystal, and everything else she wanted to say evaporated in the older woman's stern gaze. So she returned to Foley Road with Robbie, where Terri, bitterly triumphant, grabbed her son's arm, pulled him inside and blocked Krystal from entering. †Ad enough of him already, ‘ave yeh?' Terri jeered, over Robbie's wails. ‘Fuck off.' And she slammed the door. Terri had Robbie sleep beside her on her own mattress that night. She lay awake and thought about how little she needed Krystal, and ached for her as badly as she had ever craved smack. Krystal had been angry for days. The thing that Krystal had said about Obbo †¦ (‘She said what?' he had laughed, incredulously, when they had met in the street, and Terri had muttered something about Krystal being upset.) †¦ he wouldn't have done it. He couldn't have. Obbo was one of the few people who had hung around. Terri had known him since she was fifteen. They had gone to school together, hung out in Yarvil while she was in care, swigged cider together beneath the trees on the footpath that cut its way through the small patch of remaining farmland beside the Fields. They had shared their first joint. Krystal had never liked him. Jealous, thought Terri, watching Robbie sleep in the street light pouring through the thin curtains. Just jealous. He's done more for me than anyone, thought Terri defiantly, because when she tallied kindnesses she subtracted abandonment. Thus all of Nana Cath's care had been annihilated by her rejection. But Obbo had hidden her, once, from Ritchie, the father of her first two children, when she had fled the house barefoot and bleeding. Sometimes he gave her free bags of smack. She saw them as equivalent kindnesses. His refuges were more reliable than the little house in Hope Street that she had once, for three glorious days, thought was home. Krystal did not return on Saturday morning, but that was nothing new; Terri knew she must be at Nikki's. In a rage, because they were low on food, and she was out of cigarettes, and Robbie was whining for his sister, she stormed into her daughter's room and kicked her clothes around, searching for money or the odd, overlooked fag. Something clattered as she threw aside Krystal's crumpled old rowing kit, and she saw the little plastic jewellery box, upended, with the rowing medal that Krystal had won, and Tessa Wall's watch lying beneath it. Terri picked up the watch and stared at it. She had never seen it before. She wondered where Krystal had got it. Her first assumption was that Krystal had stolen it, but then she wondered whether she might have been given it by Nana Cath, or even left it in Nana Cath's will. That was a much more troubling thought than the idea of the watch being stolen. The idea of the sneaky little bitch hiding it away, treasuring it, never mentioning it †¦ Terri put the watch inside the pocket of her tracksuit bottoms and bellowed for Robbie to come with her to the shops. It took ages to get him into his shoes, and Terri lost her temper and slapped him. She wished she could go to the shop alone, but the social workers did not like you leaving kids behind in the house, even though you could get things done much quicker without them. ‘Where's Krystal?' wailed Robbie, as she manhandled him out of the door. ‘I wan' Krystal!' ‘I dunno where the little tart is,' snapped Terri, dragging him along the road. Obbo was on the corner beside the supermarket, talking to two men. When he saw her he raised a hand in greeting, and his two companions walked away. †Ow's Ter?' he said. ‘N'bad,' she lied. ‘Robbie, leggo.' He was digging his fingers so tightly into her thin leg that it hurt. ‘Listen,' said Obbo, ‘couldja keep a bit more stuff for me fer a bit?' ‘Kinda stuff?' asked Terri, prising Robbie off her leg and holding his hand instead. ‘Coupla bags o' stuff,' said Obbo. ‘Really help me out, Ter.' †Ow long for?' ‘Few days. Bring it round this evenin'. Will yeh?' Terri thought of Krystal, and what she would say if she knew. ‘Yeah, go on then,' said Terri. She remembered something else, and pulled Tessa's watch out of her pocket. ‘Gonna sell this, whaddaya reckon?' ‘Not bad,' said Obbo, weighing it in his hand. ‘I'll give yeh twenty for it. Bring it over tonight?' Terri had thought the watch might be worth more, but she did not like to challenge him. ‘Yeah, all righ' then.' She took a few steps towards the supermarket entrance, hand in hand with Robbie, but then turned abruptly. ‘I ain' usin' though,' she said. ‘So don' bring †¦' ‘Still on the mixture?' he said, grinning at her through his thick glasses. ‘Bellchapel's done for, mind. All in the paper.' ‘Yeah,' she said miserably, and she tugged Robbie towards the entrance of the supermarket. ‘I know.' I ain't going to Pagford, she thought, as she picked biscuits off the shelf. I ain't going there. She was almost inured to constant criticism and assessment, to the sideways glance of passers-by, to abuse from the neighbours, but she was not going to go all the way to that smug little town to get double helpings; to travel back in time, once a week, to the place where Nana Cath had said she would keep her, but let her go. She would have to pass that pretty little school that had sent horrible letters home about Krystal, saying that her clothes were too small and too dirty, that her behaviour was unacceptable. She was afraid of long-forgotten relatives emerging from Hope Street, as they squabbled over Nana Cath's house, and of what Cheryl would say, if she knew that Terri had entered into voluntary dealings with the Paki bitch who had killed Nana Cath. Another mark against her, in the family that despised her. ‘They ain't making me go to fuckin' Pagford,' Terri muttered aloud, pulling Robbie towards the checkout.

Chapter 27 Padfoot Returns

One of the best things about the aftermath of the second task was that everybody was very keen to hear details of what had happened down in the lake, which meant that Ron was getting to share Harry's limelight for once. Harry noticed that Ron's version of events changed subtly with every retelling. At first, he gave what seemed to be the truth; it tallied with Hermione's story, anyway – Dumbledore had put all the hostages into a bewitched sleep in Professor McGonagall's office, first assuring them that they would be quite safe, and would awake when they were back above the water. One week later, however, Ron was telling a thrilling tale of kidnap in which he struggled single-handedly against fifty heavily armed merpeople who had to beat him into submission before tying him up. â€Å"But I had my wand hidden up my sleeve,† he assured Padma Patil, who seemed to be a lot keener on Ron now that he was getting so much attention and was making a point of talking to him every time they passed in the corridors. â€Å"I could've taken those mer-idiots any time I wanted.† â€Å"What were you going to do, snore at them?† said Hermione waspishly. People had been teasing her so much about being the thing that Viktor Krum would most miss that she was in a rather tetchy mood. Ron's ears went red, and thereafter, he reverted to the bewitched sleep version of events. As they entered March the weather became drier, but cruel winds skinned their hands and faces every time they went out onto the grounds. There were delays in the post because the owls kept being blown off course. The brown owl that Harry had sent to Sirius with the dates of the Hogsmeade weekend turned up at breakfast on Friday morning with half its feathers sticking up the wrong way; Harry had no sooner torn off Sirius's reply than it took flight, clearly afraid it was going to be sent outside again. Sirius's letter was almost as short as the previous one. Be at stile at end of road out of Hogsmeade (past Dervish and Banges) at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Bring as much food as you can. â€Å"He hasn't come back to Hogsmeade?† said Ron incredulously. â€Å"It looks like it, doesn't it?† said Hermione. â€Å"I can't believe him,† said Harry tensely, â€Å"if he's caught†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Made it so far, though, hasn't he?† said Ron. â€Å"And it's not like the place is swarming with dementors anymore.† Harry folded up the letter, thinking. If he was honest with himself, he really wanted to see Sirius again. He therefore approached the final lesson of the afternoon – double Potions – feeling considerably more cheerful than he usually did when descending the steps to the dungeons. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing in a huddle outside the classroom door with Pansy Parkinson's gang of Slytherin girls. All of them were looking at something Harry couldn't see and sniggering heartily. Pansys pug-like face peered excitedly around Goyle's broad back as Harry, Ron, and Hermione approached. â€Å"There they are, there they are!† she giggled, and the knot of Slytherins broke apart. Harry saw that Pansy had a magazine in her hands – Witch Weekly. The moving picture on the front showed a curly-haired witch who was smiling toothily and pointing at a large sponge cake with her wand. â€Å"You might find something to interest you in there, Granger!† Pansy said loudly, and she threw the magazine at Hermione, who caught it, looking startled. At that moment, the dungeon door opened, and Snape beckoned them all inside. Hermione, Harry, and Ron headed for a table at the back of the dungeon as usual. Once Snape had turned his back on them to write up the ingredients of todays potion on the blackboard, Hermione hastily rifled through the magazine under the desk. At last, in the center pages, Hermione found what they were looking for. Harry and Ron leaned in closer. A color photograph of Harry headed a short piece entitled: Harry Potter's Secret Heartache A boy like no other, perhaps – yet a boy suffering all the usual pangs of adolescence, writes Rita Skeeter. Deprived of love since the tragic demise of his parents, fourteen-year-old Harry Potter thought he had found solace in his steady girlfriend at Hogwarts, Muggle-born Hermione Granger. Little did he know that he would shortly be suffering yet another emotional blow in a life already littered with personal loss. Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to have a taste for famous wizards that Harry alone cannot satisfy. Since the arrival at Hogwarts of Viktor Krum, Bulgarian Seeker and hero of the last World Quidditch Cup, Miss Granger has been toying with both boys' affections. Krum, who is openly smitten with the devious Miss Granger, has already invited her to visit him in Bulgaria over the summer holidays, and insists that he has â€Å"never felt this way about any other girl.† However, it might not be Miss Granger's doubtfu l natural charms that have captured these unfortunate boys' interest. â€Å"She's really ugly,† says Pansy Parkinson, a pretty and vivacious fourth-year student, â€Å"but she'd be well up to making a Love Potion, she's quite brainy. I think that's how she's doing it.† Love Potions are, of course, banned at Hogwarts, and no doubt Albus Dumbledore will want to investigate these claims. In the meantime, Harry Potters well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart on a worthier candidate. â€Å"I told you!† Ron hissed at Hermione as she stared down at the article. â€Å"I told you not to annoy Rita Skeeter! She's made you out to be some sort of- of scarlet woman!† Hermione stopped looking astonished and snorted with laughter. â€Å"Scarlet woman?† she repeated, shaking with suppressed giggles as she looked around at Ron. â€Å"It's what my mum calls them,† Ron muttered, his ears going red. â€Å"If that's the best Rita can do, she's losing her touch,† said Hermione, still giggling, as she threw Witch Weekly onto the empty chair beside her. â€Å"What a pile of old rubbish.† She looked over at the Slytherins, who were all watching her and Harry closely across the room to see if they had been upset by the article. Hermione gave them a sarcastic smile and a wave, and she, Harry, and Ron started unpacking the ingredients they would need for their Wit-Sharpening Potion. â€Å"There's something funny, though,† said Hermione ten minutes later, holding her pestle suspended over a bowl of scarab beetles. â€Å"How could Rita Skeeter have known†¦?† â€Å"Known what?† said Ron quickly. â€Å"You haven't been mixing up Love Potions, have you?† â€Å"Don't be stupid,† Hermione snapped, starting to pound up her beetles again. â€Å"No, it's just†¦how did she know Viktor asked me to visit him over the summer?† Hermione blushed scarlet as she said this and determinedly avoided Ron's eyes. â€Å"What?† said Ron, dropping his pestle with a loud clunk. â€Å"He asked me right after he'd pulled me out of the lake.† Hermione muttered. â€Å"After he'd got rid of his shark's head. Madam Pomfrey gave us both blankets and then he sort of pulled me away from the judges so they wouldn't hear, and he said, if I wasn't doing anything over the summer, would I like to -â€Å" â€Å"And what did you say?† said Ron, who had picked up his pestle and was grinding it on the desk, a good six inches from his bowl, because he was looking at Hermione. â€Å"And he did say he'd never felt the same way about anyone else,† Hermione went on, going so red now that Harry could almost feel the heat coming from her, â€Å"but how could Rita Skeeter have heard him? She wasn't there†¦or was she? Maybe she has got an Invisibility Cloak; maybe she sneaked onto the grounds to watch the second task†¦.† â€Å"And what did you say?† Ron repeated, pounding his pestle down so hard that it dented the desk. â€Å"Well, I was too busy seeing whether you and Harry were okay to -â€Å" â€Å"Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is. Miss Granger,† said an icy voice right behind them, and all three of them jumped, â€Å"I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor.† Snape had glided over to their desk while they were talking. The whole class was now looking around at them; Malfoy took the opportunity to flash POTTER STINKS across the dungeon at Harry. â€Å"Ah†¦reading magazines under the table as well?† Snape added, snatching up the copy of Witch Weekly. â€Å"A further ten points from Gryffindor†¦oh but of course†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Snape's black eyes glittered as they fell on Rita Skeeter's article. â€Å"Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings†¦.† The dungeon rang with the Slytherins' laughter, and an unpleasant smile curled Snape's thin mouth. To Harry's fury, he began to read the article aloud. â€Å"‘Harry Potter's Secret Heartache†¦dear, dear. Potter, what's ailing you now? ‘A boy like no other, perhaps†¦'† Harry could feel his face burning. Snape was pausing at the end of every sentence to allow the Slytherins a hearty laugh. The article sounded ten times worse when read by Snape. Even Hermione was blushing scarlet now. â€Å"‘†¦Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart upon a worthier candidate.' How very touching,† sneered Snape, rolling up the magazine to continued gales of laughter from the Slytherins. â€Å"Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled love lives. Weasley, you stay here. Miss Granger, over there, beside Miss Parkinson. Potter – that table in front of my desk. Move. Now.† Furious, Harry threw his ingredients and his bag into his cauldron and dragged it up to the front of the dungeon to the empty table. Snape followed, sat down at his desk and watched Harry unload his cauldron. Determined not to look at Snape, Harry resumed the mashing of his scarab beetles, imagining each one to have Snape's face. â€Å"All this press attention seems to have inflated your already over-large head. Potter,† said Snape quietly, once the rest of the class had settled down again. Harry didn't answer. He knew Snape was trying to provoke him; he had done this before. No doubt he was hoping for an excuse to take a round fifty points from Gryffindor before the end of the class. â€Å"You might be laboring under the delusion that the entire wizarding world is impressed with you,† Snape went on, so quietly that no one else could hear him (Harry continued to pound his scarab beetles, even though he had already reduced them to a very fine powder), â€Å"but I don't care how many times your picture appears in the papers. To me. Potter, you are nothing but a nasty little boy who considers rules to be beneath him.† Harry tipped the powdered beetles into his cauldron and started cutting up his ginger roots. His hands were shaking slightly out of anger, but he kept his eyes down, as though he couldn't hear what Snape was saying to him. â€Å"So I give you fair warning, Potter,† Snape continued in a sorter and more dangerous voice, â€Å"pint-sized celebrity or not – if I catch you breaking into my office one more time -â€Å" â€Å"I haven't been anywhere near your office!† said Harry angrily, forgetting his feigned deafness. â€Å"Don't lie to me,† Snape hissed, his fathomless black eyes boring into Harry's. â€Å"Boomslang skin. Gillyweed. Both come from my private stores, and I know who stole them.† Harry stared back at Snape, determined not to blink or to look guilty. In truth, he hadn't stolen either of these things from Snape. Hermione had taken the boomslang skin back in their second year – they had needed it for the Polyjuice Potion – and while Snape had suspected Harry at the time, he had never been able to prove it. Dobby, of course, had stolen the gillyweed. â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about,† Harry lied coldly. â€Å"You were out of bed on the night my office was broken into!† Snape hissed. â€Å"I know it. Potter! Now, Mad-Eye Moody might have joined your fan club, but I will not tolerate your behavior! One more nighttime stroll into my office, Potter, and you will pay!† â€Å"Right,† said Harry coolly, turning back to his ginger roots. â€Å"I'll bear that in mind if I ever get the urge to go in there.† Snape's eyes flashed. He plunged a hand into the inside of his black robes. For one wild moment. Harry thought Snape was about to pull out his wand and curse him – then he saw that Snape had drawn out a small crystal bottle of a completely clear potion. Harry stared at it. â€Å"Do you know what this is. Potter?† Snape said, his eyes glittering dangerously again. â€Å"No,† said Harry, with complete honesty this time. â€Å"It is Veritaserum – a Truth Potion so powerful that three drops would have you spilling your innermost secrets for this entire class to hear,† said Snape viciously. â€Å"Now, the use of this potion is controlled by very strict Ministry guidelines. But unless you watch your step, you might just find that my hand slips† – he shook the crystal bottle slightly – â€Å"right over your evening pumpkin juice. And then. Potter†¦then we'll find out whether you've been in my office or not.† Harry said nothing. He turned back to his ginger roots once more, picked up his knife, and started slicing them again. He didn't like the sound of that Truth Potion at all, nor would he put it past Snape to slip him some. He repressed a shudder at the thought of what might come spilling out of his mouth if Snape did it†¦quite apart from landing a whole lot of people in trouble – Hermione and Dobby for a start – there were all the other things he was concealing†¦like the fact that he was in contact with Sirius†¦and – his insides squirmed at the thought – how he felt about Cho†¦.He tipped his ginger roots into the cauldron too, and wondered whether he ought to take a leaf out of Moody's book and start drinking only from a private hip flask. There was a knock on the dungeon door. â€Å"Enter,† said Snape in his usual voice. The class looked around as the door opened. Professor Karkaroff came in. Everyone watched him as he walked up toward Snape's desk. He was twisting his finger around his goatee and looking agitated. â€Å"We need to talk,† said Karkaroff abruptly when he had reached Snape. He seemed so determined that nobody should hear what he was saying that he was barely opening his lips; it was as though he were a rather poor ventriloquist. Harry kept his eyes on his ginger roots, listening hard. â€Å"I'll talk to you after my lesson, Karkaroff,† Snape muttered, but Karkaroff interrupted him. â€Å"I want to talk now, while you can't slip off, Severus. You've been avoiding me.† â€Å"After the lesson,† Snape snapped. Under the pretext of holding up a measuring cup to see if he'd poured out enough armadillo bile, Harry sneaked a sidelong glance at the pair of them. Karkaroff looked extremely worried, and Snape looked angry. Karkaroff hovered behind Snape's desk for the rest of the double period. He seemed intent on preventing Snape from slipping away at the end of class. Keen to hear what Karkaroff wanted to say, Harry deliberately knocked over his bottle of armadillo bile with two minutes to go to the bell, which gave him an excuse to duck down behind his cauldron and mop up while the rest of the class moved noisily toward the door. â€Å"What's so urgent?† he heard Snape hiss at Karkaroff. â€Å"This,† said Karkaroff, and Harry, peering around the edge of his cauldron, saw Karkaroff pull up the left-hand sleeve of his robe and show Snape something on his inner forearm. â€Å"Well?† said Karkaroff, still making every effort not to move his lips. â€Å"Do you see? It's never been this clear, never since -â€Å" â€Å"Put it away!† snarled Snape, his black eyes sweeping the classroom. â€Å"But you must have noticed -† Karkaroff began in an agitated voice. â€Å"We can talk later, Karkaroff!† spat Snape. â€Å"Potter! What are you doing?† â€Å"Clearing up my armadillo bile, Professor,† said Harry innocently, straightening up and showing Snape the sodden rag he was holding. Karkaroff turned on his heel and strode out of the dungeon. He looked both worried and angry. Not wanting to remain alone with an exceptionally angry Snape, Harry threw his books and ingredients back into his bag and left at top speed to tell Ron and Hermione what he had just witnessed. They left the castle at noon the next day to find a weak silver sun shining down upon the grounds. The weather was milder than it had been all year, and by the time they arrived in Hogsmeade, all three of them had taken off their cloaks and thrown them over their shoulders. The food Sirius had told them to bring was in Harry's bag; they had sneaked a dozen chicken legs, a loaf of bread, and a flask of pumpkin juice from the lunch table. They went into Gladrags Wizardwear to buy a present for Dobby, where they had fun selecting the most lurid socks they could find, including a pair patterned with flashing gold and silver stars, and another that screamed loudly when they became too smelly. Then, at half past one, they made their way up the High Street, past Dervish and Banges, and out toward the edge of the village. Harry had never been in this direction before. The winding lane was leading them out into the wild countryside around Hogsmeade. The cottages were fewer here, and their gardens larger; they were walking toward the foot of the mountain in whose shadow Hogsmeade lay. Then they turned a corner and saw a stile at the end of the lane. Waiting for them, its front paws on the topmost bar, was a very large, shaggy black dog, which was carrying some newspapers in its mouth and looking very familiar†¦. â€Å"Hello, Sirius,† said Harry when they had reached him. The black dog sniffed Harry's bag eagerly, wagged its tail once, then turned and began to trot away from them across the scrubby patch of ground that rose to meet the rocky foot of the mountain. Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed over the stile and followed. Sirius led them to the very foot of the mountain, where the ground was covered with boulders and rocks. It was easy for him, with his four paws, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione were soon out of breath. They followed Sirius higher, up onto the mountain itself. For nearly half an hour they climbed a steep, winding, and stony path, following Sirius's wagging tail, sweating in the sun, the shoulder straps of Harry's bag cutting into his shoulders. Then, at last, Sirius slipped out of sight, and when they reached the place where he had vanished, they saw a narrow fissure in the rock. They squeezed into it and found themselves in a cool, dimly lit cave. Tethered at the end of it, one end of his rope around a large rock, was Buckbeak the hippogriff. Half gray horse, half giant eagle, Buckbeak's fierce orange eye flashed at the sight of them. All three of them bowed low to him, and after regarding them imperiously for a moment, Buckbeak bent his scaly front knees and allowed Hermione to rush forward and stroke his feathery neck. Harry, however, was looking at the black dog, which had just turned into his godfather. Sirius was wearing ragged gray robes; the same ones he had been wearing when he had left Azkaban. His black hair was longer than it had been when he had appeared in the fire, and it was untidy and matted once more. He looked very thin. â€Å"Chicken!† he said hoarsely after removing the old Daily Prophets from his mouth and throwing them down onto the cave floor. Harry pulled open his bag and handed over the bundle of chicken legs and bread. â€Å"Thanks,† said Sirius, opening it, grabbing a drumstick, sitting down on the cave floor, and tearing off a large chunk with his teeth. â€Å"I've been living off rats mostly. Can't steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I'd draw attention to myself.† He grinned up at Harry, but Harry returned the grin only reluctantly. â€Å"What're you doing here, Sirius?† he said. â€Å"Fulfilling my duty as godfather,† said Sirius, gnawing on the chicken bone in a very doglike way. â€Å"Don't worry about it, I'm pretending to be a lovable stray.† He was still grinning, but seeing the anxiety in Harry's face, said more seriously, â€Å"I want to be on the spot. Your last letter†¦well, let's just say things are getting fishier. I've been stealing the paper every time someone throws one out, and by the looks of things, I'm not the only one who's getting worried.† He nodded at the yellowing Daily Prophets on the cave floor, and Ron picked them up and unfolded them. Harry, however, continued to stare at Sirius. â€Å"What if they catch you? What if you're seen?† â€Å"You three and Dumbledore are the only ones around here who know I'm an Animagus,† said Sirius, shrugging, and continuing to devour the chicken leg. Ron nudged Harry and passed him the Daily Prophets. There were two: The first bore the headline Mystery Illness of Bartemius Crouch, the second, Ministry Witch Still Missing – Minister of Magic Now Personally Involved. Harry scanned the story about Crouch. Phrases jumped out at him: hasn't been seen in public since November†¦house appears deserted†¦St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries decline comment†¦Ministry refuses to confirm rumors of critical illness†¦. â€Å"They're making it sound like he's dying,† said Harry slowly. â€Å"But he can't be that ill if he managed to get up here†¦.† â€Å"My brothers Crouch's personal assistant,† Ron informed Sirius. â€Å"He says Crouch is suffering from overwork.† â€Å"Mind you, he did look ill, last time I saw him up close,† said Harry slowly, still reading the story. â€Å"The night my name came out of the goblet†¦.† â€Å"Getting his comeuppance for sacking Winky, isn't he?† said Hermione, an edge to her voice. She was stroking Buckbeak, who was crunching up Sirius's chicken bones. â€Å"I bet he wishes he hadn't done it now – bet he feels the difference now she's not there to look after him.† â€Å"Hermione's obsessed with house-elfs,† Ron muttered to Sirius, casting Hermione a dark look. Sirius, however, looked interested. â€Å"Crouch sacked his house-elf?† â€Å"Yeah, at the Quidditch World Cup,† said Harry, and he launched into the story of the Dark Mark's appearance, and Winky being found with Harry's wand clutched in her hand, and Mr. Crouch's fury. When Harry had finished, Sirius was on his feet again and had started pacing up and down the cave. â€Å"Let me get this straight,† he said after a while, brandishing a fresh chicken leg. â€Å"You first saw the elfin the Top Box. She was saving Crouch a seat, right?† â€Å"Right,† said Harry, Ron, and Hermione together. â€Å"But Crouch didn't turn up for the match?† â€Å"No,† said Harry. â€Å"I think he said he'd been too busy.† Sirius paced all around the cave in silence. Then he said, â€Å"Harry, did you check your pockets for your wand after you'd left the Top Box?† â€Å"Erm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry thought hard. â€Å"No,† he said finally. â€Å"I didn't need to use it before we got in the forest. And then I put my hand in my pocket, and all that was in there were my Omnioculars.† He stared at Sirius. â€Å"Are you saying whoever conjured the Mark stole my wand in the Top Box?† â€Å"It's possible,† said Sirius. â€Å"Winky didn't steal that wand!† Hermione insisted. â€Å"The elf wasn't the only one in that box,† said Sirius, his brow furrowed as he continued to pace. â€Å"Who else was sitting behind you?† â€Å"Loads of people,† said Harry. â€Å"Some Bulgarian ministers†¦Cornelius Fudge†¦the Malfoys†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The Malfoys!† said Ron suddenly, so loudly that his voice echoed all around the cave, and Buckbeak tossed his head nervously. â€Å"I bet it was Lucius Malfoy!† â€Å"Anyone else?† said Sirius. â€Å"No one,† said Harry. â€Å"Yes, there was, there was Ludo Bagman,† Hermione reminded him. â€Å"Oh yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I don't know anything about Bagman except that he used to be Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps,† said Sirius, still pacing. â€Å"What's he like?† â€Å"He's okay,† said Harry. â€Å"He keeps offering to help me with the Triwizard Tournament.† â€Å"Does he, now?† said Sirius, frowning more deeply. â€Å"I wonder why he'd do that?† â€Å"Says he's taken a liking to me,† said Harry. â€Å"Hmm,† said Sirius, looking thoughtful. â€Å"We saw him in the forest just before the Dark Mark appeared,† Hermione told Sirius. â€Å"Remember?† she said to Harry and Ron. â€Å"Yeah, but he didn't stay in the forest, did he?† said Ron. â€Å"The moment we told him about the riot, he went off to the campsite.† â€Å"How d'you know?† Hermione shot back. â€Å"How d'you know where he Disapparated to?† â€Å"Come off it,† said Ron incredulously. â€Å"Are you saying you reckon Ludo Bagman conjured the Dark Mark?† â€Å"It's more likely he did it than Winky,† said Hermione stubbornly. â€Å"Told you,† said Ron, looking meaningfully at Sirius, â€Å"told you she's obsessed with house -â€Å" But Sirius held up a hand to silence Ron. â€Å"When the Dark Mark had been conjured, and the elf had been discovered holding Harry's wand, what did Crouch do?† â€Å"Went to look in the bushes,† said Harry, â€Å"but there wasn't anyone else there.† â€Å"Of course,† Sirius muttered, pacing up and down, â€Å"of course, he'd want to pin it on anyone but his own elf†¦and then he sacked her?† â€Å"Yes,† said Hermione in a heated voice, â€Å"he sacked her, just because she hadn't stayed in her tent and let herself get trampled -â€Å" â€Å"Hermione, will you give it a rest with the elf!† said Ron. Sirius shook his head and said, â€Å"She's got the measure of Crouch better than you have, Ron. If you want to know what a mans like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.† He ran a hand over his unshaven face, evidently thinking hard. â€Å"All these absences of Barty Crouch's†¦he goes to the trouble of making sure his house-elf saves him a seat at the Quidditch World Cup, but doesn't bother to turn up and watch. He works very hard to reinstate the Triwizard Tournament, and then stops coming to that too†¦.It's not like Crouch. If he's ever taken a day off work because of illness before this, I'll eat Buckbeak.† â€Å"D'you know Crouch, then?† said Harry. Sirius's face darkened. He suddenly looked as menacing as he had the night when Harry first met him, the night when Harry still believed Sirius to be a murderer. â€Å"Oh I know Crouch all right,† he said quietly. â€Å"He was the one who gave the order for me to be sent to Azkaban – without a trial.† â€Å"What?† said Ron and Hermione together. â€Å"You're kidding!† said Harry. â€Å"No, I'm not,† said Sirius, taking another great bite of chicken. â€Å"Crouch used to be Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, didn't you know?† Harry, Ron, and Hermione shook their heads. â€Å"He was tipped for the next Minister of Magic,† said Sirius. â€Å"He's a great wizard, Barty Crouch, powerfully magical – and power-hungry. Oh never a Voldemort supporter,† he said, reading the look on Harry's face. â€Å"No, Barty Crouch was always very outspoken against the Dark Side. But then a lot of people who were against the Dark Side†¦well, you wouldn't understand†¦you're too young†¦.† â€Å"That's what my dad said at the World Cup,† said Ron, with a trace of irritation in his voice. â€Å"Try us, why don't you?† A grin flashed across Sirius's thin face. â€Å"All right, I'll try you†¦.† He walked once up the cave, back again, and then said, â€Å"Imagine that Voldemort's powerful now. You don't know who his supporters are, you don't know who's working for him and who isn't; you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves. You're scared for yourself, and your family, and your friends. Every week, news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing†¦the Ministry of Magic's in disarray, they don't know what to do, they're trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles, but meanwhile, Muggles are dying too. Terror everywhere†¦panic†¦confusion†¦that's how it used to be. â€Å"Well, times like that bring out the best in some people and the worst in others. Crouch's principles might've been good in the beginning – I wouldn't know. He rose quickly through the Ministry, and he started ordering very harsh measures against Voldemort's supporters. The Aurors were given new powers – powers to kill rather than capture, for instance. And I wasn't the only one who was handed straight to the dementors without trial. Crouch fought violence with violence, and authorized the use of the Unforgivable Curses against suspects. I would say he became as ruthless and cruel as many on the Dark Side. He had his supporters, mind you – plenty of people thought he was going about things the right way, and there were a lot of witches and wizards clamoring for him to take over as Minister of Magic. When Voldemort disappeared, it looked like only a matter of time until Crouch got the top job. But then something rather unfortunate happened†¦.† Sir ius smiled grimly. â€Å"Crouch's own son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who'd managed to talk their way out of Azkaban. Apparently they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power.† â€Å"Crouch's son was caught?† gasped Hermione. â€Å"Yep,† said Sirius, throwing his chicken bone to Buckbeak, flinging himself back down on the ground beside the loaf of bread, and tearing it in half. â€Å"Nasty little shock for old Barty, I'd I magine. Should have spent a bit more time at home with his family, shouldn't he? Ought to have left the office early once in a while†¦gotten to know his own son.† He began to wolf down large pieces of bread. â€Å"Was his son a Death Eater?† said Harry. â€Å"No idea,† said Sirius, still stuffing down bread. â€Å"I was in Azkaban myself when he was brought in. This is mostly stuff I've found out since I got out. The boy was definitely caught in the company of people I'd bet my life were Death Eaters – but he might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like the house-elf.† â€Å"Did Crouch try and get his son off?† Hermione whispered. Sirius let out a laugh that was much more like a bark. â€Å"Crouch let his son off? I thought you had the measure of him, Hermione! Anything that threatened to tarnish his reputation had to go; he had dedicated his whole life to becoming Minister of Magic. You saw him dismiss a devoted house-elf because she associated him with the Dark Mark again – doesn't that tell you what he's like? Crouch's fatherly affection stretched just far enough to give his son a trial, and by all accounts, it wasn't much more than an excuse for Crouch to show how much he hated the boy†¦then he sent him straight to Azkaban.† â€Å"He gave his own son to the dementors?† asked Harry quietly. â€Å"That's right,† said Sirius, and he didn't look remotely amused now. â€Å"I saw the dementors bringing him in, watched them through the bars in my cell door. He can't have been more than nineteen. They took him into a cell near mine. He was screaming for his mother by nightfall. He went quiet after a few days, though†¦they all went quiet in the end†¦except when they shrieked in their sleep†¦.† For a moment, the deadened look in Sirius's eyes became more pronounced than ever, as though shutters had closed behind them. â€Å"So he's still in Azkaban?† Harry said. â€Å"No,† said Sirius dully. â€Å"No, he's not in there anymore. He died about a year after they brought him in.† â€Å"He died?† â€Å"He wasn't the only one,† said Sirius bitterly. â€Å"Most go mad in there, and plenty stop eating in the end. They lose the will to live. You could always tell when a death was coming, because the dementors could sense it, they got excited. That boy looked pretty sickly when he arrived. Crouch being an important Ministry member, he and his wife were allowed a deathbed visit. That was the last time I saw Barty Crouch, half carrying his wife past my cell. She died herself, apparently, shortly afterward. Grief. Wasted away just like the boy. Crouch never came for his son's body. The dementors buried him outside the fortress; I watched them do it.† Sirius threw aside the bread he had just lifted to his mouth and instead picked up the flask of pumpkin juice and drained it. â€Å"So old Crouch lost it all, just when he thought he had it made,† he continued, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. â€Å"One moment, a hero, poised to become Minister of Magic†¦next, his son dead, his wife dead, the family name dishonored, and, so I've heard since I escaped, a big drop in popularity. Once the boy had died, people started feeling a bit more sympathetic toward the son and started asking how a nice young lad from a good family had gone so badly astray. The conclusion was that his father never cared much for him. So Cornelius Fudge got the top job, and Crouch was shunted sideways into the Department of International Magical Cooperation.† There was a long silence. Harry was thinking of the way Crouch's eyes had bulged as he'd looked down at his disobedient house-elf back in the wood at the Quidditch World Cup. This, then, must have been why Crouch had overreacted to Winky being found beneath the Dark Mark. It had brought back memories of his son, and the old scandal, and his fall from grace at the Ministry. â€Å"Moody says Crouch is obsessed with catching Dark wizards,† Harry told Sirius. â€Å"Yeah, I've heard it's become a bit of a mania with him,† said Sirius, nodding. â€Å"If you ask me, he still thinks he can bring back the old popularity by catching one more Death Eater.† â€Å"And he sneaked up here to search Snape's office!† said Ron triumphantly, looking at Hermione. â€Å"Yes, and that doesn't make sense at all,† said Sirius. â€Å"Yeah, it does!† said Ron excitedly, but Sirius shook his head. â€Å"Listen, if Crouch wants to investigate Snape, why hasn't he been coming to judge the tournament? It would be an ideal excuse to make regular visits to Hogwarts and keep an eye on him.† â€Å"So you think Snape could be up to something, then?† asked Harry, but Hermione broke in. â€Å"Look, I don't care what you say, Dumbledore trusts Snape -â€Å" â€Å"Oh give it a rest, Hermione,† said Ron impatiently. â€Å"I know Dumbledores brilliant and everything, but that doesn't mean a really clever Dark wizard couldn't fool him -â€Å" â€Å"Why did Snape save Harry's life in the first year, then? Why didn't he just let him die?† â€Å"I dunno – maybe he thought Dumbledore would kick him out-â€Å" â€Å"What d'you think, Sirius?† Harry said loudly, and Ron and Hermione stopped bickering to listen. â€Å"I think they've both got a point,† said Sirius, looking thoughtfully at Ron and Hermione. â€Å"Ever since I found out Snape was teaching here, I've wondered why Dumbledore hired him. Snape's always been fascinated by the Dark Arts, he was famous for it at school. Slimy, oily, greasy-haired kid, he was,† Sirius added, and Harry and Ron grinned at each other. â€Å"Snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year, and he was part of a gang of Slytherins who nearly all turned out to be Death Eaters.† Sirius held up his fingers and began ticking off names. â€Å"Rosier and Wilkes – they were both killed by Aurors the year before Voldemort fell. The Lestranges – they're a married couple – they're in Azkaban. Avery – from what I've heard he wormed his way out of trouble by saying he'd been acting under the Imperius Curse – he's still at large. But as far as I know, Snape was never even accused of being a Death Eater – not that that means much. Plenty of them were never caught. And Snape's certainly clever and cunning enough to keep himself out of trouble.† â€Å"Snape knows Karkaroff pretty well, but he wants to keep that quiet,† said Ron. â€Å"Yeah, you should've seen Snape's face when Karkaroff turned up in Potions yesterday!† said Harry quickly. â€Å"Karkaroff wanted to talk to Snape, he says Snape's been avoiding him. Karkaroff looked really worried. He showed Snape something on his arm, but I couldn't see what it was.† He showed Snape something on his arm?† said Sirius, looking frankly bewildered. He ran his fingers distractedly through his filthy hair, then shrugged again. â€Å"Well, I've no idea what that's about†¦but if Karkaroff's genuinely worried, and he's going to Snape for answers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sirius stared at the cave wall, then made a grimace of frustration. â€Å"There's still the fact that Dumbledore trusts Snape, and I know Dumbledore trusts where a lot of other people wouldn't, but I just can't see him letting Snape teach at Hogwarts if he'd ever worked for Voldemort.† â€Å"Why are Moody and Crouch so keen to get into Snape's office then?† said Ron stubbornly. â€Å"Well,† said Sirius slowly, â€Å"I wouldn't put it past Mad-Eye to have searched every single teacher's office when he got to Hogwarts. He takes his Defense Against the Dark Arts seriously, Moody. I'm not sure he trusts anyone at all, and after the things he's seen, it's not surprising. I'll say this for Moody, though, he never killed if he could help it. Always brought people in alive where possible. He was tough, but he never descended to the level of the Death Eaters. Crouch, though†¦he's a different matter†¦is he really ill? If he is, why did he make the effort to drag himself up to Snape's office? And if he's not†¦what's he up to? What was he doing at the World Cup that was so important he didn't turn up in the Top Box? What's he been doing while he should have been judging the tournament?† Sirius lapsed into silence, still staring at the cave wall. Buckbeak was ferreting around on the rocky floor, looking for bones he might have overlooked. Finally, Sirius looked up at Ron. â€Å"You say your brother's Crouch's personal assistant? Any chance you could ask him if he's seen Crouch lately?† â€Å"I can try,† said Ron doubtfully. â€Å"Better not make it sound like I reckon Crouch is up to anything dodgy, though. Percy loves Crouch.† â€Å"And you might try and find out whether they've got any leads on Bertha Jorkins while you're at it,† said Sirius, gesturing to the second copy of the Daily Prophet. â€Å"Bagman told me they hadn't,† said Harry. â€Å"Yes, he's quoted in the article in there,† said Sirius, nodding at the paper. â€Å"Blustering on about how bad Bertha's memory is. Well, maybe she's changed since I knew her, but the Bertha I knew wasn't forgetful at all – quite the reverse. She was a bit dim, but she had an excellent memory for gossip. It used to get her into a lot of trouble; she never knew when to keep her mouth shut. I can see her being a bit of a liability at the Ministry of Magic†¦maybe that's why Bagman didn't bother to look for her for so long†¦.† Sirius heaved an enormous sigh and rubbed his shadowed eyes. â€Å"What's the time?† Harry checked his watch, then remembered it hadn't been working since it had spent over an hour in the lake. â€Å"It's half past three,† said Hermione. â€Å"You'd better get back to school,† Sirius said, getting to his feet. â€Å"Now listen†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He looked particularly hard at Harry. â€Å"I don't want you lot sneaking out of school to see me, all right? Just send notes to me here. I still want to hear about anything odd. But you're not to go leaving Hogwarts without permission; it would be an ideal opportunity for someone to attack you.† â€Å"No one's tried to attack me so far, except a dragon and a couple of grindylows,† Harry said, but Sirius scowled at him. â€Å"I don't care†¦I'll breathe freely again when this tournament's over, and that's not until June. And don't forget, if you're talking about me among yourselves, call me Snuffles, okay?† He handed Harry the empty napkin and flask and went to pat Buckbeak good-bye. â€Å"I'll walk to the edge of the village with you,† said Sirius, â€Å"see if I can scrounge another paper.† He transformed into the great black dog before they left the cave, and they walked back down the mountainside with him, across the boulder-strewn ground, and back to the stile. Here he allowed each of them to pat him on the head, before turning and setting off at a run around the outskirts of the village. Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way back into Hogsmeade and up toward Hogwarts. â€Å"Wonder if Percy knows all that stuff about Crouch?† Ron said as they walked up the drive to the castle. â€Å"But maybe he doesn't care†¦It'd probably just make him admire Crouch even more. Yeah, Percy loves rules. He'd just say Crouch was refusing to break them for his own son.† â€Å"Percy would never throw any of his family to the dementors,† said Hermione severely. â€Å"I don't know,† said Ron. â€Å"If he thought we were standing in the way of his career†¦Percy's really ambitious, you know†¦.† They walked up the stone steps into the entrance hall, where the delicious smells of dinner wafted toward them from the Great Hall. â€Å"Poor old Snuffles,† said Ron, breathing deeply. â€Å"He must really like you. Harry†¦.Imagine having to live off rats.†

The English Language as Spoken in Pakistan

The English Language as Spoken in Pakistan In the country of Pakistan, English is a co-official language with Urdu. Linguist Tom McArthur reports that English is used as a second language by a national minority of c.3 million in a population of c.133 million (The Oxford Guide to World English, 2002). The slang term Pinglish is sometimes used as an informal (and often unflattering) synonym for Pakistani English. Examples and Observations: English in PakistanPakistani Englishshares the broad characteristics of South Asian English in general and is similar to that spoken in contiguous regions of northern India. As in many former British colonies, English first enjoyed the status of an official language alongside Urdu after independence in 1947...The grammatical features . . . [of] Indian English are largely shared by Pakistani English. Interference stemming from background languages is common and switching between these languages and English occurs frequently on all levels of society.Vocabulary. As might be expected, loans from the various indigenous languages of Pakistan are to be found in local forms of English, e.g. atta flour, ziarat religious place....There are also word formations consisting of hybrids and blends with inflectional elements from English and stems from regional languages, e.g. goondaism hooliganism, thuggish behaviour, biradarism favouring ones clan.Still further word-formation processes are atteste d in Pakistani English with outcomes which are not necessarily known outside this country. Back-formation: to scrute from scrutiny; blends: telemoot from television and moot meeting; conversion: to aircraft, to arson, to change sheet; compounds: to airdash depart quickly by air, to head-carry.(Raymond Hickey, South Asian Englishes. Legacies of Colonial English: Studies in Transported Dialects, ed. by Raymond Hickey. Cambridge University Press, 2004) SubvarietiesLinguists generally describe the three or four subvarieties [of Pakistani English] in terms of proximity to the British Standard: the samples most distant from itand any other varietyare often regarded as genuinely Pakistani. American English, which has gradually infiltrated the spoken and written idiom, is discounted in most studies.(Alamgir Hashmi, Language [Pakistan]. Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English, 2nd ed., edited by Eugene Benson and L.W. Conolly. Routledge, 2005)The Importance of English in PakistanEnglish is . . . an important medium in a number of key educational institutions, is the main language of technology and international business, has a major presence in the media, and is a key means of communication among a national elite. The constitution and the laws of the land are codified in English.(Tom McArthur, The Oxford Guide to World English. Oxford University Press, 2002)English and Urdu in PakistanIn some ways, I have a lover’s qu arrel with the English language. I live with it and I cherish this relationship. But there is often this feeling that in preserving this bond, I have betrayed my first love and my childhood’s passionUrdu. And it is not possible to be equally faithful to both of them. . . .A bit subversive it may be deemed but my contention [is] that English is . . . a barrier to our progress because it reinforces class division and undermines the main purpose of education as an equaliser. In fact, the domination of English in our society may also have contributed to the growth of religious militancy in the country. Whether English should be our official language, in spite of its value as a means of communication with the rest of the world, is surely a major issue . . ..At the heart of all this discussion, of course, is education in all its dimensions. The rulers, supposedly, are very serious about it. Their challenge is to realise the slogan of ‘education for all.’ But, as the â €˜policy dialogue’ would suggest, it should not just be education for all but quality education for all so that we can truly be liberated. Where do English and Urdu belong in this venture?(Ghazi Salahuddin, Between Two Languages. The International News, March 30, 2014) Code Switching: English and Urdu[T]he use of English words in Urducode switching for linguistsis not an indication of not knowing the two languages. If anything, it may be an indication of knowing both languages. First, one switches code for many reasons, not just lack of control of languages. Indeed, code switching has always been going on whenever two or more languages have come in contact. . .People who do research on code switching point out that people do it to emphasize certain aspects of identity; to show informality; to show easy command of several languages and to impress and dominate others. Depending on the situation, one can be humble, friendly, arrogant or snobbish through the way one mixes languages. Of course, it is also true that one may know so little English that one cannot manage to sustain a conversation in it and has to fall back upon Urdu. That might well be the case but that is not the only reason for code switching. And if someone does not know English and fal ls back upon Urdu, then he or she knows Urdu best. It is still untrue to argue that this person does not know any language. Not knowing literary Urdu is one thing; not knowing the spoken language quite another.(Dr. Tariq Rahman, Mixing Languages. The Express Tribune, March 30, 2014) Pronunciation in Pinglish[S]oftware designer Adil Najam . . . took time to define Pinglish, which according to him, emerges when English words are mixed with words of a Pakistani languageusually, but not solely, Urdu.Pinglish is not just getting the construction of the sentences wrong, but also about pronunciation.Many Pakistanis often have trouble when two consonants appear together without a vowel in between. The word school is often mispronounced as either sakool or iskool, depending on whether your native tongue is Punjabi or Urdu, pointed out blogger Riaz Haq.Commonplace words such as automatic is aatucmatuc in Pinglish, while genuine is geniean and current is krunt. Some words also take a plural form such as roadien for roads, exceptionein for exception and classein for classes.(Get Set for Pakistani English or ‘Pinglish. The Indian Express, July 15, 2008)

Why you need an internship - and 5 surprising things I learned at mine

Why you need an internship - and 5 surprising things I learned at mine We all can agree that college is tough. You’re busy checking Facebook in class, going to frat parties, and asking your parents for a weekly allowance. All jokes aside, the transition from high school to undergraduate is not easy. But, the transition from undergraduate to the real world is going to be even harder. Internships help make the experience more palatable. I remember being a freshman at Texas Christian University and hearing the upperclassman in the library stressing over what internship they were going to get. Back then, I knew internships were important enough to stress over, but I did not really know what they were or even their significance.   As the school years went by, so did the importance of internships. Positions started to become more competitive and I began to receive an overwhelming amount of letters that began with, â€Å"We regret to inform you.†Senior year was about to start, and I was still without an internship for the semester. I knew this was my last shot at boosting my resume, and I was determined to get an internship that would wow recruiters come graduation. I applied for the Varghese Summersett Digital Marketing Internship after furiously stalking the law firm’s website and social media accounts. I was blown away by the law firm’s success and was hopeful that my resume would stand out. I had no previous experience in law, but I did have an impressive background in marketing which is what landed me the job. Working at VS for the past nine months has been an enriching experience.   My expectations for elevating my marketing knowledge were surpassed within my first few weeks at the firm. Beyond that, I learned a few surprising lessons along the way.1. Yes, interning at a law firm is exactly like â€Å"Suits†For me, I’ve never aspired to be a lawyer, but after working at this firm I have been mesmerized by the law firm’s practicalities, the education required and the etiquette tha t is always displayed.   Everyone really does wear pantsuits, and I really did have to sign a non-disclosure. Learning about criminal law was mesmerizing, and hearing about our attorneys’ success was motivating.2. Seek clarityAs an intern, it’s important to always know the details of the project for which you are assigned. Your boss is counting on you.   Your work will be seen by a larger group of people beyond just your boss, and although some tasks may seem insignificant, everything adds up. Work hard on every project you are given because you never know where it may end up. For me, after I was given an assignment I would repeat the assignment in my own words back to my boss. Sometimes, my boss would correct me and better explain an aspect of a project that I lacked clarity on.3. Work hardInternships typically come with an upfront end date, which means they are only going to last a short amount of time. An internship is your time to gain as much hands-on experien ce as you can so that you can develop your skills, and set yourself up for a career in the real world.4. Be flexibleAs an intern, you are going to be asked to tackle projects that may be outside of your typical duties. You need to be flexible. Be open to wearing multiple hats. Taking on a variety of projects means you will be working with a variety of different people. Learning how to be adaptable will open up opportunities for you, and being flexible with your communication style or way of doing things is essential for success.5. Embrace challengesDoing things you have never done before is scary for everyone, especially when you are an intern. Use fear as a  fuel. Utilize it to enrich your skill set. For me, I had mentioned that I was barely proficient in Spanish. To my surprise, I was asked to translate for our Spanish speaking clients in multiple settings. I translated video recordings, client meetings, and phone calls. Spanish still is not my strong suit, but the value of taki ng on the challenge was indispensable. I showed my coworkers I was willing to help and gained their trust.About the author:  Margaret Foley is a senior at Texas Christian University, where she is majoring in Communications Studies and minoring in English and Graphic Design. She is currently interning at Varghese Summersett, a criminal defense firm based in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Rosie Project Discussion Questions

'The Rosie Project' Discussion Questions In some ways, by Graeme Simsion is a light, fun read for book clubs that need a break from heavy books. Simsion does, however, give groups plenty to discuss about Asperger syndrome, love, and relationships. Hopefully, these questions will help you have fun discussing the book. Spoiler Warning: These questions contain details from the end of the novel. Finish the book before reading on. Discussion Questions Dons character is both more aware of some dynamics (social, genetic, etc) and also very oblivious to some of these. Take, for instance, when he is giving the lecture on Asperger syndrome and he says, A woman at the rear of the room raised her hand. I was focused on the argument now and made a minor social error, which I quickly corrected.The fat woman- ​an overweight woman- at the back? (10)What are some other examples of this kind of behavior that you remember from the novel? How did this add humor?The reader is supposed to understand that Don has Asperger syndrome. If you know anyone with this diagnosis, did you think it was an accurate portrayal?There were several times in the novel when Don misses the social rules, but the case he makes for his side is very logical. One example is the Jacket incident (43), when he does not understand that jacket required means suit jacket and tries to argue all the ways his Gore-tex jacket is superior. Did you find this, and other times l ike it, amusing? What were some of your favorite scenes? Did hearing his perspective make you rethink social conventions? (Or consider using the standardized meal plan?) Why do you think Don is so drawn to Rosie? Why do you think Rosie is drawn to Don?At one point, Don says about one of the father candidates, Apparently he had been an oncologist but had not detected the cancer in himself, a not-uncommon scenario. Humans often fail to see what is close to them and obvious to others (82). How does this statement, about people failing to see what is in front of them, apply to the different characters in the novel?Why do you think Don was so successful at selling cocktails? Did you enjoy this scene?The novel mentions that Don struggled with depression in his early twenties and also talked about his strained relationship with his family. How did he cope with these issues? Are he and Rosie similar in the ways they deal with hard parts of their past?What did you think of Gene and Claudias relationship? Was Genes behavior humorous or frustrating to you?Did you think it was believable in the end that Don would be able to see from the Deans perspective, the pe rspective of the student who cheated, Claudias perspective, etc? Why or why not? Did you guess who Rosies real father was? Which parts of the Father Project did you like the most (the basement confrontation, the bathroom escape, the trip to the nursing home, etc)?Graeme Simsion is publishing a sequel to The Rosie Project in December 2014- The Rosie Effect. Do you think the story could go on? Would you read the sequel?Rate The Rosie Project on a scale of 1 to 5.

White Paper Risk Analysis Metric Machine Parts Supplies Corp Assignment

White Paper Risk Analysis Metric Machine Parts Supplies Corp - Assignment Example To overcome this problem, a better network solution has been proposed by Metric machines parts and supplies Corp., which have the following characteristics: availability, reliability, scalability, security, flexibility, performance management and economic efficiency. The CIO has also proposed that Metric machine parts and supplies will design and implement its own network by using advanced technologies that are highly available, efficient and manage security. This network will be operated by a small Information technology department (White, 2011). He further proposes the use of virtual private network (VPNs) technologies that will connect remote offices and users securely to facilitate the company’s expansion. Availability of the network will enable users to have the data always. The availability will then help the information technology department with the information it requires to track the organization’s network for any problems that may occur and to take the necess ary steps to tackle them. Availability provides the required maximum uptime to business operations. According to White (2011), reliability is vital to Metric machine parts and supplies because of the 75,000 customers it serves. ... To achieve the economic efficiency is paramount to the organization. The ongoing operations and maintenance costs should offset the initial investment costs, and therefore reduce the long-term overall cost of ownership of the network. Finally, the company is going to implement the use of virtual private network technologies designed to help connect the remote offices and the users securely (White, 2011). Policies, laws and technical controls should be implemented to ensure security of data and a better performing network. The organization must implement these policies to ensure availability and security of data (Tyson and Crawford, 2011). The rules must have behaviors that are likeable and unacceptable to employees using the Metric machines parts and supplies facilities. To enforce availability and reliability virtual private network must have the following equipment: the network access server which is responsible for maintaining and setting up each and every tunnel in a remote-acces s virtual private network. For the security of data and network the equipment, such as the firewalls, must be installed and act as a barrier between the private network and the internet. This will help protect against the internet traffic that is malicious (Tyson and Crawford, 2011). For authentication purposes, an authentication, authorization and accounting server needs to be installed. This will confirm who the users are and identify what the internet allows them to access. Impact The proposed solutions have a substantial impact on Metric machine parts and supplies as an organization. For example, data are reliable, and this provides correct and accurate customer information. Availability of data

Street-Observer Flneur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Street-Observer Flneur - Essay Example However, there are also areas where people with the same cultural background come together or live together in groups. Therefore, I would like to carry out a piece of research or rather a little flanerie to try to seek an answer to the question: â€Å"Do people from different ethnic backgrounds interact well with each other in a multicultural city like Toronto?† In order to find an answer to my question, I intend to be a flaneur myself to carry out research in select places within a specified time on certain ethnic groups. Choosing specific groups and areas will help in narrowing down results in order to make the research more effective and the results reliable. There are other related questions that I will keep in mind while doing a little flanerie in order to stay focused on my topic. The other related questions for which I would try to seek answers are 1. When people from different ethnic backgrounds are interacting, are they interacting in an ethical way? People belonging to different ethnic groups interacting with each other ethically or unethically in a given space of time will be taken into account. 2. Why is there a difference in the behavior of dark and white-skinned people in the city? I will observe the behavior of dark and white skinned people in areas where they live together side by side and in areas which are famous for multicultural events. 3. Why are there small cultural areas with people of the same ethnicity? The behavior of different social groups in areas with the same ethnicity will be observed in order to learn more about why they live like this. In order to get valid results, I will focus on three ethnic groups, viz. the Black Americans, the Whites, and the South Asians. I think studying these three ethnic groups will give me an idea of the different ethnicities in general upon which I can base my research. I will study how people belonging to these three racial groups coexist peacefully though there are differences in their lifes tyles. I will also conduct a study to see whether the differences in their lifestyles have anything to do with the differences in their behavior. I will also observe the behavior of these groups in a multicultural society as well as in their own ethnic communities. This will help me understand why people behave differently when they are influenced by a change of environment. To get an idea about different peoples’ behavior in a multicultural society, I will observe the behavior of the Whites, the Blacks and the South Asians in Dundas square, where people from different cultural backgrounds meet. To observe South Asian people’s behavior in their area, I will observe their behavior down the Gerard Street in front of Indian and Pakistani restaurants. To know about the Black Americans, I will conduct the same research in the residential areas near Jane and Finch and for the Whites, in Yorkville. I will try to study the people in these four places within the space of a week ’s time whatever the population is or whatever the weather is. I will carry out my research not only on working days but also on weekends in order to observe any changes in the behavior of people if there happened to be any special events.  

Pop Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pop Culture - Essay Example She normally lights a spark in people that grows into a flame. That flame then reaches out and lights up another. It is pop starts like her who directly affect the hearts and mind of fans. In effect, those fans display their love by backing up the music, contributing to causes touted by that celebrity. Regularly, a fan understands more about what happening in the world since they heard it from their favorite pop star rather watching the evening news. They give and take relationship becomes consecrated to the fans, and precious to the pop start. Britney Spears is most understandable examples of mind control in the entertainment industry (â€Å"Britney Spears’ 30 Most Outrageous Outfits† 1). Since she exploded into the music industry in 1998, Britney Spears has turned to be a pro at turning heads on red carpets, in addition to concert platforms. Whether she was dressed up for an awards event, or dolled up for Starbucks run, what Britney was donning became nearly ass celebrated and assessed as the hits she sang. Whereas we wait to see what outstanding garments brings out the closest during the promotion of her subsequent album. Britney normally looks very pretty and stylish in her outstanding outfits. Britney Spears has courageous fashion decisions that leave most people delighted at the sight of her outfits. Britney Spears also takes his time to gesture at his fans, recognize them and reassure herself that in spite of the situations, she is still beloved and that fans have not neglected him. Her gesticulation is normally spontaneous and typical (â€Å"Britney Spears† 1-2) Pop queen Britney Spears is known to wear famous brands, such as Diesel, Louis Vuitton, Dolce&Gabbana, etc†¦ She does not like to be seen wearing, in what some people would think is, ‘’normal clothing’’. As a pop queen, her expectations are way high up in the sky. She has a huge ego, and her self-esteem is up.

Negotiations in the Euro Crises (main negotiations and decisions from Research Paper

Negotiations in the Euro Crises (main negotiations and decisions from the beginning until today) - Research Paper Example Countries such as Portugal, Ireland, Greece, and Spain popularly known as the PIGS enjoyed cheap credit in the international capital markets. Moreover, the EU supported these countries by offering structural funds. Additionally, the countries borrowed heavily from the international capital markets. Although investments increased in the PIGS, there was eventual increase in housing prices. Additionally, the economies became less competitive. Consequently, the countries experienced financial crisis resulting from excessive debts. This essay focuses on the negotiations in the Euro Crises and the decisions made from the beginning of the crisis until today. The 2007 financial crisis, which affected other regions of the world, resulted in collapse of the global financial markets. In 2009, the crisis intensified with the worsening of the Greece debt situation. The crisis spread to involve political as well as economic crisis in the entire Eurozone. This has threatened the permanence of the E uropean Union. The challenges facing the Eurozone include increased credits and public deficits in some of the Eurozone countries, the destabilized European banking system, economic downturn, and persistent imbalances in the trading systems in the Eurozone. Additionally, the employment declined gradually in most countries in the Eurozone, especially the PIGS. ... Following this crisis, several meetings, and discussions were held amongst politician, scholars, and businesspersons across the world and especially in the Eurozone. The discussion and meetings aimed at analyzing the crisis and ways to resolve it and prevent such occurrence in the future. The crisis started with deterioration of financial systems in some of the nation in the Euro zone. This resulted in bailouts for countries such as Greece, which was the first nation to receive aid from International Monetary fund and the European Union. This was followed by bailouts for other countries such as Ireland. Moreover, more countries especially the weaker economies in Eurozone have continued to demand for bailout. However, some countries such as Greece and Ireland are facing challenges related to European economic as well as the monetary union (Cooper Web; Bastasin 20-25). One of the major causes of the extension of the crisis is the lack of interest by most EU members on the decision-maki ng processes. Moreover, most economies made decisions based on assumption. Some assumed that the Greek bonds were similar to German bonds in terms of riskiness. The assumption was grounded on the fact that Greek and Germany have similar currency. The assumptions affected the participants in the bond market who failed to understand the difference in competitiveness and internal politic of the different Euro zone countries and effect of such factors on the economy. However, this has changed and negotiation within the Eurozone has resulted in establishment of different interest rate charges for the different countries in the Euro Zone (Nelson, Belkin and Mix 1-5). In June,

Thread Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Thread - Assignment Example Thus, America was observed as a function of consciousness by the Frontiers (Shames, n.d.). According to Shames, America’s frontier provides opportunity and hence, brought the concept of more in order to bring about optimism and retain economic boom. Similarly, the typical consumer behavior suggests of engulfing more satisfaction. The greed for more beyond the satisfaction level of the consumers leads individuals and organizations of the country to be over ambitious for the achievement of goals and objectives. However, this over ambitious nature also leads to the creation of attitude amid people of the America. They had a notion that there is no worst thing than losing. Additionally, they developed an attitude of obtaining the optimum output from every resource (Shames, n.d.). Shames termed 1980s â€Å"an era of nostalgia† because prior to that period the young urban working people were considered as money-oriented. The sole motive of the people of America was that money is the ultimate requirement for them. Also it is to be noted that because of the greed for ‘more’ people did not adapt to e other values and desire that are essential for human being. People were less conscious of the personal lives and his/her social responsibilities. However, in the 1980s the people realized the importance of the social life through spending times with friends and family members. Moreover, in that era the coinage of the two terms namely, ‘hippie’ and ‘yippie’ was done. Thus, Shames rightly termed 1980s as â€Å"an era of nostalgia† (Shames, n.d.). Shames was ironical about the concept of ‘more’ from the American people. This is because he has been observing the people of America to be more inclined to the concept of ‘more’. The people in that period were so busy in their professional work that they had forgotten the social need and responsibility of every individual.

UCC and Common Law Case Scenarios - Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

UCC and Common Law Case Scenarios - - Essay Example Due to floods, Cereal Inc warehouse is flooded and cereals destroyed that result in the inability to supply as stated in the contract. However, soggy flakes is not damaged and supplies 10 bags to grocery Inc. Besides, before the delivery was made, Grocery Inc had requested to be supplied with a variety of cereals at its different stores. Due to the inconvenience Grocery Inc wants to turn down the supply and terminate the contract. Even though it is within their rights to be supplied with the cereals they had specified at different stores, a complication will arise if they cancel the supply and the contract. The supplier will protect themselves by using the gap-filling rule. In the contract, it is not specified what type of cereals to be supplied or where to be supplied. The gap can be used in the defense that Cereal Inc had the right to choose what to supply and where to deliver it. The gap-filling rule gives a party of the contract the possibility of concluding some aspects of the contract that are not specific. In this case, it was not articulate on the type of cereals to be supplied or the store they were to be delivered. Cereal Inc can use this as its defense as the cause of the damages was not deliberate and the fact that inability to make the supplies was not the intention at the time of signing the contract. The amicable way of dealing with this case is for both parties to have a consensus. Grocery Inc should not be in a hurry to terminate the contract and cancel the supplies. They should give Cereal Inc time to recover from the loss. Alternatively, the contract can be amended such that it is specific on the type of supplies and the destination. Tom had promised to sell his model trains to Harry once he retired. Harry prepared by building a house to store them and borrowed money to pay for them. However, when the time came Tom did not honor his promise. Tom was sued by Harry for breach of

Thread Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Thread - Assignment Example Thus, America was observed as a function of consciousness by the Frontiers (Shames, n.d.). According to Shames, America’s frontier provides opportunity and hence, brought the concept of more in order to bring about optimism and retain economic boom. Similarly, the typical consumer behavior suggests of engulfing more satisfaction. The greed for more beyond the satisfaction level of the consumers leads individuals and organizations of the country to be over ambitious for the achievement of goals and objectives. However, this over ambitious nature also leads to the creation of attitude amid people of the America. They had a notion that there is no worst thing than losing. Additionally, they developed an attitude of obtaining the optimum output from every resource (Shames, n.d.). Shames termed 1980s â€Å"an era of nostalgia† because prior to that period the young urban working people were considered as money-oriented. The sole motive of the people of America was that money is the ultimate requirement for them. Also it is to be noted that because of the greed for ‘more’ people did not adapt to e other values and desire that are essential for human being. People were less conscious of the personal lives and his/her social responsibilities. However, in the 1980s the people realized the importance of the social life through spending times with friends and family members. Moreover, in that era the coinage of the two terms namely, ‘hippie’ and ‘yippie’ was done. Thus, Shames rightly termed 1980s as â€Å"an era of nostalgia† (Shames, n.d.). Shames was ironical about the concept of ‘more’ from the American people. This is because he has been observing the people of America to be more inclined to the concept of ‘more’. The people in that period were so busy in their professional work that they had forgotten the social need and responsibility of every individual.

Long Form Journalism writing ( see instruction) Article - 1

Long Form Journalism writing ( see instruction) - Article Example To some people, their extreme conviction and dedication in participating the church’s evangelical mission, and in thanksgiving to God seemed like a big mystery. Why are they doing it like a robot? Why are they giving too much dedication not just in thanksgiving God, but in attending all worship services and evangelical missions? In an interview with a church member, he replied, â€Å"we give much importance to our worship services because it is a duty God is waiting for us to fulfill. We have so many reasons to thank God. We were awakened from false teachings of our former religions, and we were given the right to belong to His chosen people in these last days. We doesn’t care even if we miss great opportunities, we doesn’t care even if we can’t report to our office work. What’s most important to us is that we could fulfill God’s given task to us. Our annual thanksgiving is another duty in praising God for all the blessings He is pouring on the entire church, and in the individual member’s lives. We treat everything as God’s gift: life, opportunities, peace, we could not achieve it on our own struggle. That is why we always cling to God, and we believe in His promise of eternal life.† From their issue of God’s Message, their magazine, published on May 2004. There is an article about the Brother Felix Manalo as God’s messenger. Looking backward to the history of the church, it has started in the Philippines by Bro. Felix Y. Manalo(1886-1963). Manalo was born on May 10, 1886, 10 years prior to the Philippine Revolution that ended the 400-year of Spanish colonialism. The church’s members believe that he is the fulfillment of biblical prophecies concerning God’s â€Å"chosen servant† from the â€Å"ends of the earth† mentioned in Is. 41:9-10 and the â€Å"angel ascending from the east† entrusted with the task of sealing the â€Å"servants of God† mentioned in Rev. 7:2-3. He was the eldest child of

Online Classes versus Traditional Classes Essay Example for Free

Online Classes versus Traditional Classes Essay Technology and education has given students many choices in how they obtain their education such as online classes. There have been numerous discussions recently about the success of online learning. The success of the online classes versus traditional classes is based upon the uniqueness of each individual way of learning. Online classes and traditional classes provide flexibility, direct communication and course materials. Studies have shown that online classes can be successful and that on average most students perform better than being in a traditional classroom. The argument of online classes and traditional classes; which is better than the other has many exceptional differences. One is the discussion of how does a person learn: is he a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner? A visual leaner needs written materials, exercises and graphics. An auditory learner has to hear it, repeat it and needs to have a discussion. A kinesthetic learner needs real life simulations, hands on demonstration and needs to see how the principle works. Visual learners and kinesthetic learners most likely would be more successful in online courses because of the atmosphere it provides. Auditory learners would need to have traditional classes which would provide the best learning opportunity for their learning style. There are cases that individuals do not know how they learn best; an assessment should be given in the situation. The second discussion is flexibility. Online classes and traditional classes both can be just as flexible as the other. Online classes may seem more flexible but depending on the class the deadlines of each assignment may be very time consuming. Online classes sometimes provide more work than traditional classes. Traditional classes can be flexible due to the times that you select to take the classes. Schools are providing more night classes and early morning classes for the working and family-oriented students. Traditional classes provide more lecturing and sometimes more hands on in order to teach the concepts. The third discussion is communication. Online classes communicate by sending  and receiving emails. Some classes have chat rooms for discussions which provide the students opportunities to enrich their understanding of the course or subject being discussed. It also allows those individuals that normally would not speak in discussions to express their thoughts. The instant transfer of material is convenient for the students and professors to communicate. A traditional class allows students to verbally exchange ideas and ask questions directly to the professors. Sometimes this environment does not allow the students to fully express themselves due to time constraints. Some people feel that there are communication barriers in a face to face classroom setting due to time and class structure. (Anderson) One of the most important debates between the two classes is the course materials. The question has been asked if the online course is giving adequate material to teach an individual a lesson. Studies show that online professors give more than enough resources to express the subject and also gives practice graded material to ensure that the student understands. Traditional classes have been accused of doing the opposite and taking for granted that the students are in their presence and extra resources are sometimes a rarity. Online classes allow a person to minimize their distractions and it gives them the ability to fully concentrate on the material they are presented with. A person that enrolls in an online course should be self-motivated in order to be in an environment that requires the individual to monitor themselves and be responsible to handle the course as if it was a traditional course. (Kassop) Online courses provide the ability to be accessible at all times but the work that is required should be quality work. The students’ writing ability will enhance because this is their only form of communication. (Kassop) The professors do not expect students to procrastinate because of the accessibility but the possibility is there. The professors of these courses expect more from the online students since there are not time restraints. Online students have the ability to form small groups to relate to because the workload in online course is difficult. The workload is believed to be difficult be cause of the apparent reason of teaching themselves. Traditional classes allow students social interaction which is a vital piece for many students. There is a set amount of time in a classroom setting and there is limited one on one interaction with the professor. Professors have the ability to read their students body language to assure them if the material or concept is being understood by his or her students. Traditional classes also allow students to get behind if they miss a day or an assignment. The traditional classroom allows the students to strengthen various areas of their social skills such as verbally expressing themselves in classroom discussions. There are differences and similarities in online courses and traditional courses. Throughout are reading and research there can be two conclusions: 1. Online courses are better than traditional courses if the individual is discipline to take the course. 2. Online courses and traditional courses are just as good as the other because they both have the same goals and are achieving the goals to the students that are willing to receive. Works Cited Anderson, Terry, Elloumi, Fathi Theory and Practice of Online Learning (eds.) (2003) http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book Angiello, Roanne. Study Looks at Online Learning vs. Traditional Instruction. Education Digest 76.2 (2010): 56-59. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. Diaz, D.P., Cartnal. R.B. Students learning styles in two classes: Online distance learning and equivalent on-campus. College Teaching 47(4), 130-135 Kassop, Mark. The Technology Source. May/June 2003. 6 August 2011