Evaluate Ancient and Modern Images and Interpretations on...

b) Evaluate ancient and modern images and interpretations of Cleopatra VII Images and interpretations of a person can change over time. Such movement is paralleled with changes in opinion and morals throughout generations. Cleopatra the seventh is subject to this fluctuation. Ancient images and interpretations differ greatly to the impression left today merely by her name. Chris Dumasis, a modern day historian amplifies this theory in ‘Interpretations of Cleopatra’. She argues, â€Å"women have been demeaned of their true substance since the early time of patriarchal society.† Taken into account, this argument entails that when studying ancient sources it must be understood that at times, only a very narrow view of the events are presented†¦show more content†¦The long nose and pointed chin are two distinct features of Cleopatra that are demonstrated by the image on the coin that sepeate her from those that play her today. In his ‘A.D. 75 Life of Antony’ Plutarch himself professes, â€Å"Her actual beauty †¦ w as not so remarkable that none could be compared with her†¦ but the contact of her presence †¦ was irresistible†. As a consequence, it can be understood that it is ancient sources that possibly provide the truest image of her, being from the period of her life. That is not to say however, that ancient sources have incorporated a complete truth. This can be seen with the evidence provided by Roman and Latin sources. In ‘An Ancient Roman Perspective’, Gemma Wilson’s account for Rome’s feelings towards the Queen is one of great hostility. According to Wilson, â€Å"at best, the Romans viewed Cleopatra with suspicion. At worst, they hated her.† Cleopatra was of coarse despised for utilizing the two public figures of Rome’s world, Caesar initially and then Mark Antony. Peter Roberts describes how it was Octavian that initiated Rome’s hatred towards Rome, relying on ‘sexual slander’ to tarnish her reputation. Many Roman poets continued this tradition of condemnation such as Lucan in ‘Pharsalia’, referring to Cleopatra as â€Å"Egypt’s shame.† Horace continues to embellish this image; â€Å"the queen, with a contaminated gang of creatures’ in his Ode XXXVII, referring to

Defying Stereotypes A Look At Gender Relations - 1689 Words

Defying Stereotypes: A Look at Gender Relations in the Classroom Cecilia Ridgway, in â€Å"Framed by Gender: How Gender Inequality Persists in the Modern World,† holds that gender exists as an organizing social force. We value certain stereotypes of how people of a certain gender should act and incorporate these expectations into our social relations. Men, Ridgeway explains, are typically viewed as having more â€Å"competence, assertiveness, confidence, independence, forcefulness, and dominance† (Ridgeway, 2011) in social relations. Women, on the other hand, are viewed as valuing â€Å"emotional expressiveness, nurturance, interpersonal sensitivity, kindness, and responsiveness† (Ridgeway, 2011). According to Ridgeway, these gender stereotypes are†¦show more content†¦In doing so, both genders are acting out the social attributes encouraged by gender stereotypes. She explains that the extent to which gender stereotypes impact the faces people assume rel ies on â€Å"gender’s salience, or relevance for them, given the nature of the situation† (Ridgeway, 2011). Gender stereotypes might prove salient when hiring CEOs, for example, but what about in a different setting? Through my study, I sought to understand the salience of gender in the college classroom. I observed one session of an Introduction to Sociology class at Colby College in Waterville, ME. The class had thirteen females and eleven males. The professor was female. I paid close attention to two things: first, how the students prefaced their comments during the class discussion. I expected females to qualify their comments more often by saying â€Å"I think,† or â€Å"In my opinion.† These statements seem less assertive and more fulfilling of gender stereotypes. Secondly, I noted how frequently females refuted statements made by males. This shows an assertiveness that also conflicts with gender stereotypes. The topic of the class discussion was Mi lton Friedman’s 1980 â€Å"Power of the Market† lecture. The discussion began, surprisingly, rather female dominated. A male responded to the professor’s initial question concerning Friedman, but three females offered subsequent

Celebrity Endorsement Facebook- MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: What is the rate of PORNSAK to be celebrity endorsement for Singapore Nescafe? Answer: It is expected that the endorsement rate for Pornsak would be about $4 million. It has to be said that in the recent time with the increasing popularity of the social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat; the endorsement is no longer depended for a single media like television endorsement or the face for print media (Money 2016). The means of endorsement has changed. It has also been evident that Pornsak is active in these social media and thus, it is expected that the rate of endorsement would include the rate for endorsing the product (Nescafe) in these platforms as well. The rate of endorsement has been estimated to be $4 million because Pornsak is not an international celebrity and he has fame in the market of Singapore and Thailand only. Thus, the rate would not be very high as $25 or $30 million like the other popular celebrities like Beyonce charges. So in order to become the celebrity face for Singapore, it is expected that Pornsak would charge $4 million. References: Money, C., 2016 10 Of the Highest Paid Celebrity Endorsement Deals Available at: https://www.therichest.com/expensive-lifestyle/money/10-of-the-highest-paid-celebrity-endorsement-deals/ [Accessed on: 3-5-2017]

Romeo And Juliet From Play To Big Screen Essays -

Romeo And Juliet: From Play To Big Screen Romeo and Juliet: From Play to Big Screen In 1596, William Shakespeare published the tragic tale of two star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. The origins of this story are uncertain but Shakespeares chief source for his adoption of the story was from The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet, a poem by Arthur Brooke (1562). He also knew the story from Palace of Pleasure, by William Painter, which appeared in several editions prior to 1580.(Boyce 563) Shakespeares classic tale is about two young lovers caught in the crossfire of a senseless family feud.(Shakespeare 3) This feud between the two families ultimately is the cause of the two lovers untimely demise. In 1996, Baz Luhrmann produced a modern film of the classic tragedy entitled William Shakespeares Romeo + Juliet. Adding familiar images and common ideas, Luhrmann brought the classic story to modern times. Though Romeo + Juliet has many differences from the original version from Shakespeare, it supports the original characters, themes, dialogue, and key issues of th e classic tale of the star-crossed lovers. There were many differences among the two stories, among these differences were setting, weapons, the classic Balcony Scene, other new adoptions to the film, the concentration on the main characters of Romeo and Juliet, and the implementation of imagery to the storyline. First, the setting of the story is probably one of the biggest differences between the two stories. The original version of the tale is set in Verona, Italy. The newer version is set in a fictitious Verona Beach, California, a city with the appearance of modern day Los Angeles after a riot. The new environment gives familiarity to the viewer, allowing them to relate to the situation at hand, bringing it to a modern time. Another change to the story was the weapons used within the story. The original story used daggers as weapons whereas the newer version uses guns (appropriately titled sword, dagger, etc.). The famed Balcony Scene, where Romeo and Juliet avow their love to each other was dramatically changed in many aspects. In the original version, Juliet appears on the balcony and utters the famous words O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? (Shakespeare 45) Juliet then goes into the speech about names, asking Romeo to deny his fathers name. Romeo is hiding in the shadows below and hears the words of Juliet. After hearing Juliets speech Romeo steps into the light. Romeo and Juliet profess their love for each other and they plan to get married in secrecy. This is a very romantic and heart-filled scene. The new version, on the other hand, takes place in the pool of the Capulets home. The same dialogue is spoken between the two lovers but the sexuality of the film takes away from the true romanticism of the original play. Only part of the scene takes place on the balcony. Only where Juliet is telling Romeo goodnight takes place on the balcony. This, in part, takes away from the story. Many things in the new version were changed to make the transition from old times to new. Guns, letter couri er services, cars, drugs, and policemen all replace swords, messengers, Monarchs, and the Watch. These modern elements neither take away nor add to the storyline. When the characters fight with swords in the original play, the audience understands the magnitude of the hatred between the two families. This same magnitude is conveyed when the characters fight with guns. Because the play focuses on the feuding families and the desires Romeo and Juliet have for each other, time changes, props changes, and slight dialogue, action, and scene changes does not make a substantial difference in the overall plot of the story. One aspect of the play that really bothered many Shakespeare fans was the change of the meaning of Mercutios Queen Mab speech. Mercutios long speech about Queen Mab in the original version, according to Robert Evans, presents what were the main reasons for marriage- money, place, and love- and then presents what in the milieu of Romeo and Juliet was a principle destructiv e force- violence.(Evans 79) In the new version, Mercutio is merely referring to a mood-altering drug called Ecstasy. Also,

Miscegenation and the Pocahontas Narrative Essay Example

Miscegenation and the Pocahontas Narrative Essay Example Miscegenation and the Pocahontas Narrative Essay Miscegenation and the Pocahontas Narrative Essay Miscegenation and the Pocahontas Narrative The first thought that came to mind when reflecting back on all of the readings we have completed for the week comes from a line in Talons Miscegenation and the Pocahontas Narrative in Colonial and Federalist America. On page twelve Tilting explains that historians have stated that the intermarriage between Pocahontas and Role lead to keeping peace between the races and even the civilization of the Indians. This reminded me of the White Mans Burden that is so often talked about hen the discussion of whites taking over the Indian lands arises. The White Mans Burden is the thought that whites are assigned to the task of teaching the native people what it means to be civilized, as well as integrating them into the typical white society. As discussed, Phaeton and his people already had systems of diplomacy developed Just as the whites did. It may have been considered a less sophisticated system, determined largely by family structures, but despite being considered less complex, there was no visibly apparent reason on why It changed. This dynamic is also seen In the letter of John Role to Thomas Dale on page sixty- seven when he says that it would be beneficial to Pocahontas for her to be converted to Christianity. Shall I be of so untoward disposition as to refuse to lead the blind into the right way? He asks. Shall I be so unnatural, as not to give bread to the hungry? Role believes that he can alter the unchristian ways that Pocahontas has been living and convert her to a more acceptable member of society by marrying her. This is Interesting because the two mall reasons that he presents to Role as to why e wants to marry her Is because he loves her deeply and that he has a sort of If you cant beat me, Join me mentality. When Role needed more of an argument as to why he should marry her, he pulled out the religion card and played to the fact that he would be able to show her the righteous Christian way If her were to make her his wife. On page fifteen of Talons article, he states that It would have been more beneficial If a larger majority of colonists had chosen to marry Native Americans. When the colonists were having difficulty finding resources and food to survive the cough winters, the Native Americans would have been able to help them better endure and adapt to the harsh conditions. In the records of John Smith, he expresses his gratitude to the kindness of Pocahontas and the rest of her fathers people. This shows a difference In the perception of the Native Americans, as they proved to be resourceful and helpful rather than violent people. A final Issue I have yet to comprehend since first learning about mixed marriages and their offspring Is the fact that no matter how many generations separated from the original full-blooded other, one will always be considered an other. This Is

5 Easy Ways You Can Avoid Job Burnout

5 Easy Ways You Can Avoid Job Burnout What are some signs job burnout is sneaking up behind you? They might not be what you’d expect†¦ and they may not even happen at work. If you’re sleeping more than usual on weekends, feeling extra distracted or forgetful when it comes to everyday tasks, snapping at family and friends, or fantasizing about ditching your life for a quiet beach somewhere, you might be coming close to your breaking point at work. After all, you probably spend most of your week in the workplace; it makes sense that any pressure you feel would start bleeding into other parts of your life as well. Once you’ve realized that you’re in the danger zone, there are small actions you can take before you explode.1. Put your calendar on a diet.Are you booked solid for the next five work days, breakfast to dinner? Are all of those meetings or appointments truly essential this week? Look at your work calendar for the next month. Try to find obligations you can move out a week or two, o r even skip altogether. Whenever possible, slip in some blocks of time for yourself, even if it’s just an hour or two to clear your head and work on specific projects without interruption. When someone sends you a new meeting invite, ask yourself, â€Å"Is this really necessary? Could a quick phone call or email resolve this instead?†2. Restructure your to-do list.Time to take a hard look at what you do every day. How many of those tasks are absolutely necessary? How many are directly related to your work goals? What would happen if you changed some weekly tasks to every two weeks? Try to create some flexibility for yourself so that you have time for absolutely essential tasks.It’s okay to say no to new requests and meetings if they would push you over the edge. Negotiate with your colleagues as necessary: â€Å"I don’t have the bandwidth to handle this on Monday, but how about we revisit this on Thursday afternoon?†3. Speak up.Be honest with your manager if you’re feeling crunched. Maybe he or she can help you come up with a game plan for easing your immediate workload or help you prioritize tasks. It’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help- it’s a sign that you’re seizing control of your work life and reorganizing before things start to slip too much. It’s so much better to stop and honestly re-evaluate early on, before deadlines have been missed or you’ve put in much less effort than you should have.]4. Treat Yourself.Maybe don’t run out and buy that gold Rolex (unless your budget allows for that, in which case go for it), but find small ways to reward yourself and distract your brain from what’s been going on at work. Have you been meaning to see that new movie before it leaves theaters? Take a night off and go†¦ and don’t forget the popcorn. Feel three weeks of tension and poor sleep building up in your shoulders? Get a massage or take that yoga class y ou’ve been skipping because you’re so busy.via [giphy.com]It doesn’t have to be a physical or costly treat- it can be as simple as scheduling time with family or friends to decompress. Laughter may not beat antibiotics when it comes to medicine, but it can work wonders for a frazzled state of mind.5. Get out of town.It can be so easy to get caught in the cycle of not taking vacation or personal days because things are too busy at work. In that mindset you may feel like you need to be there to get everything done, and then you can’t leave until the timing is right.Sad secret: the timing will probably never be perfect. In most jobs, there’s never going to be a magic lull where everything will stand still for a few days. So pick a time to take off, and commit to it. Figure out what you can reschedule while you’re out, and work with your colleagues to get coverage for the things you can’t budge. Then flee to that beach/cabin/backyard loun ge chair- and instead of running away permanently, come back refreshed and ready to start over.I promise you that your workplace will survive without you during your brief absence, and your coworkers be jazzed to have a renewed, enthusiastic colleague back on Monday morning.Some TLC is absolutely essential to keeping your work self sane and engaged. If you let stress get the best of you, you run the risk of damaging your professional life and even your personal life. It’s just not worth the risk, when you can take small (but effective!) steps to stop overwhelm before it happens.

Merger Of Mittal And Arcelor Steel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7250 words

Merger Of Mittal And Arcelor Steel - Essay Example Having reached the number one position in steel manufacturing and assessing the need to consolidate and to take advantage of the economies of scale, in January 2006, Lakshmi Nivas Mittal of Mittal Steel Netherlands took a historical decision to make an attempt to acquire the next biggest steel company Arcelor S.A. Having gone through the basics idea about the world steel industry and the rationale behind the Mittal Steel's decision to acquire the next ranking Arcelor S.A, this paper attempts to bring out an analytical review of the whole scheme of merger with respect to the effect of the merger from the point of view of the investors, the appreciation in their holdings, reasoning behind the merger from the point of view of Mittal Steel as well as Arcelor S.A. The paper also studies the role played by Severstal, the Russian Steel major in the merger deal. With the advent of globalization the large companies have broken their geographical barriers and this has resulted in the cross border mergers and acquisitions of bigger companies. Especially in Europe the purchases by way of takeovers of companies had been at $ 418 billion whereas it was only $ 211 billion for the American companies in the first quarter of the year 2006. This includes the fierce battle of the hostile takeover by Netherlands based Mittal Steel of Luxembourg based Arcelor. This hostile bidThis hostile bid for takeover was put forth by Mittal Steel to Arcelor for taking over the latter at a consideration of US $ 22.4 billion and this bid was made on the 27th January 2006. This takeover once completed would result in an aggregate sale of seventy billion US dollars and ten percent of the world steel production. This also means that the combined production of the new company would be three times more than that of the closest competitor Nippon Steel Corporation of Japan. After the merger the new entity would provide employment for 320,000 people. The operations of the new company would spread over four continents of the world. The company would also expand its market to the United States where there is a high potential for growth. This would also entail the new company commendable bargaining power and economies of scale. From the following table, one can observe the size and magnitude of the takeover bid made by Mittal Steel Source: The Hindu. Business Line Newspaper Dated 1st February 2007 3.0 A BACKGROUND: A brief background of the Buyer (Mittal Steel) and the Target (Arcelor S.A.) is presented below: Mittal Steel N.V: Head Quartered in Rotterdam/London 225,000 employees Steelmaking facilities in 16 countries Customers in 120 countries Shipped 49.2m tons in 2005 Revenues of $28.1bn in 2005 (Breaking News Article 2006) While production of steel of various kinds is the main activity, the Mittal Steel is presently operating in countries like United States, Mexico, Trinidad, Canada, Germany and France. Specialisation of Mittal

Viability of doing business in Brazil Assignment

Viability of doing business in Brazil - Assignment Example Global business competitive has taken a new twist where it has moved from inter-organisational competition to inter-country competition, and this is the observation of Accenture (2007). Clearly, there is so much justification in this observation with empirical records of economic growth of some major emerging markets, particularly those classified in the BRIC, namely Brazil, Russia, India and China. For example, Brazil’s trade investment is said to have jumped as up high as 50% in recent times. This report therefore looks into important factors that make Brazil viable for market expansion into that country. Any inconvenient factors shall also be outlined for further recommendations. Demographic Data of Brazil Brazil is a highly populated country with a population growth that continues to grow by the years. As of 2008, the PNAD had pegged the population of Brazil at 190 million people with a male to female ratio that is quite close, which is 0.95:1 (Kanter, 2008). Brazil benefi ts from a higher urban population which accommodates 83.75% of the total population of the country. Characteristically, business and economic development in that country is centred in the urban areas. Because of the higher urban population, this obviously means that there is a very active trade and business activity in the country that makes labour cheaper than compared to other developed countries (Colquitt, Lepine & Wesson, 2013). Quite unusually, there is less population concentration in the two most extensive regions of the country, which are the Centre-West and the North regions which have only 29.1 million inhabitants even though they encompass 64.12% of the country’s territory (Chen, 2008). Economic Variables Statistics from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund gives Brazil some of the most favourable economic ratings in the world and among their peers in the BRIC. For instance Brazil is ranked as the world’s 7th largest economy at market exchange rate s and representing Latin America’s largest economy with the world’s 7th largest purchasing power parity (PPP) (Hryckiewicz & Kowalewski, 2010). Brazil’s GDP given in 2012 by the International Monetary Fund was $11,875 which is contributed by a mixed economy. The mixed economic nature of Brazil’s economy is a major boost for all investors and entrepreneurs around the world who want to expand to that country, giving the assurance that there exist multi-variant areas in the economy where they can do business in. There is however exchange rate disparity with some of the world’s major currencies compared to the Brazilian Real, which gives exchange rate risk to most companies (Colquitt, Lepine & Wesson, 2013). Socio-cultural environment of Brazil Socio-culturally, Brazil operates a very open ended environment where the people are very open to socio-cultural changes and adjustments. Even though there are generally the high class and low class divisions, t he middle class seem to dominate the socio-cultural environment, helping to foster evenness between the rich and the poor. Popular culture has its roots in the socio-cultural make up of Brazil with so much dominance of this focused on sports following (Accenture, 2007). There are several social activities and programmes that bring people together such as naming ceremony, marriage, funeral, and parties. The reason for these socio-cultural characteristics could best be linked to the abundance of tourism in the country, which is patronised by both natives and foreigners. For the company, this will come as an advantage because it makes the people more spending focused and thus willing to do business without really thinking of spending as a waste (Pelle, 2007). Political-legal factors As part of a national consented effort to make Brazil an attractive global destination for doing business, there are several government interventions and programs that are aimed at making the country

Earth Sociology Essay Example for Free

Earth Sociology Essay The author of the book entitled Down to Earth Sociology focused his writings on conceptual issues regarding the social interactions of the people in everyday life including the aspect of understanding the individual experiences in the society and the analysis of the different dominant social cultures. The selections of the said book also emphasizes the different significant themes of the modern sociology including sociological analysis of the concept of gender, power, politics, sports, religion, racial tensions, crimes, poverty, homelessness, and the global outlook of economic capitalism. In this book, the author Henslin presented his ideas and analysis in the same scientific manner and process that is being implemented by the contemporary sociologist of the modern age. Through this, the book has able to critically analyze and present every intricate detail that is involved in the sociological research as guided by the main concept of the hypothesis. The book presented its views in relation to the present hypothetical concepts and theories in trying to explain and interpret the different social phenomena in the modern civilization. Included in the book of Henslin are detailed discussions of the different sociological theories that are guiding the research and development pursuit of the said field. These sociological theories are defined to have been developed at multiple levels, ranging from large theory to highly definite and explicit small-scale ones. Rather than thinking of one theory being excellent to the other theories it is more beneficial as well as informative to view these different theories as correlation with each other. One of the sociological theories on how to explain different phenomena that has been elaborated is the Structural-Functionalism, which is defined as a sociological theory that pertains on how to explain several social institutions as a means to be able to satisfy or fulfill the individual’s biological means. Another theory that has been discussed in Henslin’s book is the Conflict theory that is explained as a sociological theory that points out that society is not about unity or universal agreement but rather this theory is all about competition. According to this theory, society consists of different individuals who are competing for the limited supply of resources. An example of this conflict is in the Legislative branch of the United States Government wherein men are still viewed as more powerful and superior over women when it comes to the politics. As an effect, women’s privileges to express their opinions and ideas are still significantly limited. In this situation, it is clearly stated that there is a clash or conflict between genders, which also illustrate the obvious concept of inequality between men and women. Aside from the ones previously mentioned, another theory that was discussed by Henslin is the Symbolic Interactionalism that is discussed as a sociological approach on how to understand the proximity or relationship between human and society. The basic idea of Symbolic Interactionalism is that human action and interaction are only by means of exchanging substantial communications and symbols. Based on this theory, humans and lower forms of animals are different from each other because lower form of animals can easily respond to the environment while the human being has the capability to interrupt this process. In addition, lower forms of animals do not have the capability in conceiving different alternative responses to gestures unlike human beings they can easily grasp different gestures. Another theory is the Role Theory; this pertains to the different roles represented by an individual in their everyday lives such as the father, secretary, or friend. For instance, most people their notion or representations of secretary include: answering phone calls, making and managing appointments, filling different paper works, and typing memorandums. These different roles of a secretary could not be expected of professional basketball player. Basically, every individual have different personalities and roles in the society. In addition, the book entitled Down to earth sociology by James M. Henslin focused on real life situation in which all the readers can surely relate. Henslin’s book is indeed user friendly, entertaining to read and indeed valuable because it talks about actual life situations and social phenomenon. The sociological perspectives that is generally employed in the book enables the people to look below the surface of social life and examine different factors that shape our behavior, attitudes, and culture as well as our beliefs in life. Bibliography Henslin, J. M. (2005). Down to Earth Sociology. The Free Press, New York, USA. 13th Edition, Pages 281-296. ISBN 0743267605. Von Der Haar, Christine M. (2005). Social Psychology: A Sociological Perspective. Prentice Hall, USA. ISBN: 0130809837.

Protestant Propaganda Essay -- Ireland Propaganda Essays

Protestant Propaganda What do you think of when you hear the name Ireland? Ireland is a relatively small island off the coast of Great Britain with a land area of 32,424 square miles (Delaney 2). There are several things that you may associate with this country such as St. Patrick’s Day, shamrocks, beer, and strife. The source of the bitterness behind this conflict began centuries ago, when Britain came over and forced Protestantism on the Irish Catholic inhabitants. For this reason there has always been an animosity between the Protestants and the Irish Catholics. The island is broken up into two distinct regions. The Republic of Ireland consists of twenty-six counties, which make up the southern region. This area is predominantly Roman Catholic. Northern Ireland is made up of the six northern counties, which are under British rule and predominately Protestant. Both sides use propaganda to spread their ideas and gain support. They each have organizations, such as the I.R.A., in the south, and the U.V.F., in the north, which use peaceful methods such as newspapers and murals along with violence to fight for their cause. In Northern Ireland the Protestants used their position in the government to spread anti-Catholic propaganda and persecute the Catholic citizens. One way the Unionists, supporters of British rule whose majority is Protestant in faith, used the church is to help spread their anti-Catholic propaganda. Some Protestant ministers such as the Reverend Ian Paisley used pulpit to express his opinion. Catholics. Once while preaching in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, Reverend Paisley â€Å"calls down contumely on ... ... deadly. I do not think that the peaceful methods such as the use of newspapers, poetry, and film are as bad because they are nonviolent and do not physically harm anyone. However, I do not agree with the use of violence, such as, that on Bloody Sunday, nor do I agree with the use of the Lord’s house to teach hate and discrimination. It is not right to use the church for this purpose. One should not teach hate under the guise of God. It is also wrong to pass laws in order to persecute a minority. I can understand the reasons they did this, to gain and keep control, however that doesn’t make it right. The Protestants and Unionists were not the only ones who used these methods of propaganda; the Catholics and Nationalists did as well. Some of these methods have been used since the beginning of the conflict and will most likely continue for generations to come.

Ruth and Naomi in a Place Called Moab There Lived a Nice Family

In a place called Moab there lived a nice family. Elimelech, his wife Naomi and their two sons moved there because there was more food there than where they used to live. After a while Elimelech died but Naomi wasn't alone she still had two sons. Her sons got married but after about ten years they died too. At least Naomi still had her sons wives to keep her company, their names were Orpah and Ruth. Naomi called her sons wives and told them, â€Å"I am going to go back to where I used to live and I would like you also to go back to your family where you used to live. May God show you kindness as you have showed me. All the women cried and hugged each other because they were such good friends. Orpah didn't want to leave Naomi but Naomi told her not to worry, she would be fine. So Orpah left to go back to her family. But no matter what Naomi said to Ruth, Ruth would not leave. â€Å"Don't ask me to leave. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your friends will be my friends and your God will be my God. † So Ruth and Naomi returned to Bethlehem together. It was a good thing Ruth went with Naomi because Bethlehem was very far away and Naomi couldn't have traveled all that way by herself. Notice that Ruth never complains but is a good friend to Naomi. She wasn't expecting anything in return, she just wanted to help. When they got there Ruth decided that she should do some kind of work. It was harvest time, so she worked in the fields following behind the harvesters and picked up any barley that they had dropped. The owner of the field came by to greet the harvesters and noticed Ruth in the field. He asked one of the harvesters who she was. â€Å"She came back from Moab with Naomi, that's all I know. † Lucky for Ruth the owner of the field was Boaz, he was a kind man who believed in God. He had also been related to Elimelech (Naomi's husband that died). Boaz went to go talk to Ruth, he said to her, â€Å"Don't go work in any other field but stay here with the other servant girls. I will make sure you are safe and whenever you are thirsty go and get a drink from the water jars. † When Ruth heard this she bowed down to Boaz and asked, â€Å"Why are you being so nice to me, I'm not even from here. † Boaz replied, â€Å"I know what you've done for Naomi, you left your family and moved to a place you've never been. May the Lord reward you for your kindness. † Ruth thanked Boaz and continued with her work in the hot sun. Boaz even ordered his workers to drop extra barley so Ruth could have more for herself. Ruth took all the barley home and shared what she had with Naomi. And eventually Ruth married Boaz and everyone was very happy! * Being a good friend takes a long time to learn. A good friend is loyal, which means you keep your promises and sometimes when you don't feel like being a friend you are anyway. Sometimes our friends aren't perfect and they make mistakes but we make mistakes too, and we don't want our friends to leave us when that happens. God gives us friends when we need them, and we should treat them like a gift from God. Just like in the story, Naomi could've insisted the women come with her, but she unselfish and wanted them to be free to go home to be with their families. And Ruth had such a good attitude and wanted to help, she moved away from everyone she knew and went to work to help Naomi. She didn't tell everyone what a good friend she was, she knew that she should be a friend like God wanted her to be. Ruth and Naomi In a place called Moab there lived a nice family. Elimelech, his wife Naomi and their two sons moved there because there was more food there than where they used to live. After a while Elimelech died but Naomi wasn't alone she still had two sons. Her sons got married but after about ten years they died too. At least Naomi still had her sons wives to keep her company, their names were Orpah and Ruth. Naomi called her sons wives and told them, â€Å"I am going to go back to where I used to live and I would like you also to go back to your family where you used to live. May God show you kindness as you have showed me. All the women cried and hugged each other because they were such good friends. Orpah didn't want to leave Naomi but Naomi told her not to worry, she would be fine. So Orpah left to go back to her family. But no matter what Naomi said to Ruth, Ruth would not leave. â€Å"Don't ask me to leave. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your friends will be my friends and your God will be my God. † So R uth and Naomi returned to Bethlehem together. It was a good thing Ruth went with Naomi because Bethlehem was very far away and Naomi couldn't have traveled all that way by herself. Notice that Ruth never complains but is a good friend to Naomi. She wasn't expecting anything in return, she just wanted to help. When they got there Ruth decided that she should do some kind of work. It was harvest time, so she worked in the fields following behind the harvesters and picked up any barley that they had dropped. The owner of the field came by to greet the harvesters and noticed Ruth in the field. He asked one of the harvesters who she was. â€Å"She came back from Moab with Naomi, that's all I know. † Lucky for Ruth the owner of the field was Boaz, he was a kind man who believed in God. He had also been related to Elimelech (Naomi's husband that died). Boaz went to go talk to Ruth, he said to her, â€Å"Don't go work in any other field but stay here with the other servant girls. I will make sure you are safe and whenever you are thirsty go and get a drink from the water jars. † When Ruth heard this she bowed down to Boaz and asked, â€Å"Why are you being so nice to me, I'm not even from here. † Boaz replied, â€Å"I know what you've done for Naomi, you left your family and moved to a place you've never been. May the Lord reward you for your kindness. † Ruth thanked Boaz and continued with her work in the hot sun. Boaz even ordered his workers to drop extra barley so Ruth could have more for herself. Ruth took all the barley home and shared what she had with Naomi. And eventually Ruth married Boaz and everyone was very happy! * Being a good friend takes a long time to learn. A good friend is loyal, which means you keep your promises and sometimes when you don't feel like being a friend you are anyway. Sometimes our friends aren't perfect and they make mistakes but we make mistakes too, and we don't want our friends to leave us when that happens. God gives us friends when we need them, and we should treat them like a gift from God. Just like in the story, Naomi could've insisted the women come with her, but she unselfish and wanted them to be free to go home to be with their families. And Ruth had such a good attitude and wanted to help, she moved away from everyone she knew and went to work to help Naomi. She didn't tell everyone what a good friend she was, she knew that she should be a friend like God wanted her to be. Ruth and Naomi In a place called Moab there lived a nice family. Elimelech, his wife Naomi and their two sons moved there because there was more food there than where they used to live. After a while Elimelech died but Naomi wasn't alone she still had two sons. Her sons got married but after about ten years they died too. At least Naomi still had her sons wives to keep her company, their names were Orpah and Ruth. Naomi called her sons wives and told them, â€Å"I am going to go back to where I used to live and I would like you also to go back to your family where you used to live. May God show you kindness as you have showed me. All the women cried and hugged each other because they were such good friends. Orpah didn't want to leave Naomi but Naomi told her not to worry, she would be fine. So Orpah left to go back to her family. But no matter what Naomi said to Ruth, Ruth would not leave. â€Å"Don't ask me to leave. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your friends will be my friends and your God will be my God. † So R uth and Naomi returned to Bethlehem together. It was a good thing Ruth went with Naomi because Bethlehem was very far away and Naomi couldn't have traveled all that way by herself. Notice that Ruth never complains but is a good friend to Naomi. She wasn't expecting anything in return, she just wanted to help. When they got there Ruth decided that she should do some kind of work. It was harvest time, so she worked in the fields following behind the harvesters and picked up any barley that they had dropped. The owner of the field came by to greet the harvesters and noticed Ruth in the field. He asked one of the harvesters who she was. â€Å"She came back from Moab with Naomi, that's all I know. † Lucky for Ruth the owner of the field was Boaz, he was a kind man who believed in God. He had also been related to Elimelech (Naomi's husband that died). Boaz went to go talk to Ruth, he said to her, â€Å"Don't go work in any other field but stay here with the other servant girls. I will make sure you are safe and whenever you are thirsty go and get a drink from the water jars. † When Ruth heard this she bowed down to Boaz and asked, â€Å"Why are you being so nice to me, I'm not even from here. † Boaz replied, â€Å"I know what you've done for Naomi, you left your family and moved to a place you've never been. May the Lord reward you for your kindness. † Ruth thanked Boaz and continued with her work in the hot sun. Boaz even ordered his workers to drop extra barley so Ruth could have more for herself. Ruth took all the barley home and shared what she had with Naomi. And eventually Ruth married Boaz and everyone was very happy! * Being a good friend takes a long time to learn. A good friend is loyal, which means you keep your promises and sometimes when you don't feel like being a friend you are anyway. Sometimes our friends aren't perfect and they make mistakes but we make mistakes too, and we don't want our friends to leave us when that happens. God gives us friends when we need them, and we should treat them like a gift from God. Just like in the story, Naomi could've insisted the women come with her, but she unselfish and wanted them to be free to go home to be with their families. And Ruth had such a good attitude and wanted to help, she moved away from everyone she knew and went to work to help Naomi. She didn't tell everyone what a good friend she was, she knew that she should be a friend like God wanted her to be.

The Wars, Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water

In the book the wars Timothy uses the elements of earth, wind, fire and as double sided meanings were one is the challenge of war and one is the strategy Robert used the element to keep him sane. If we look at earth for Roberts soldier side. We can see that it is always refereed to the mud, which was one of the soldier’s greatest enemies. It caused many soldiers to drown as well as slow down soldiers during artillery strikes. For Roberts’s normal side we see how he frees Rodwells toad in the mud showing earth’s nature side. The Earth at one point traps Robert making Robert have to struggle free harder and harder faster and faster causing Robert to be temporary blind from the gas. The earth also resembled Roberts’s love for nature since he used animals to resemble the people he knew to keep some sanity during the war this though led to Roberts blindness at the end of the war. Robert blinded himself so much in the belief that he used this to save the horses, which was one of the first things he ever killed losing his innocence. I believe this was Roberts way of saying he wanted his innocence back and wasn’t able to keep the soldier face on any more. Finley also uses the air as an element for its life giving properties or the unluckiness of bringing deathly gases. During the war Robert uses the air to see his childhood †¦the mist was filled with rabbits and Rowena and his father and his mother and the whole of his past life—birth and death and childhood. He could breathe them in and breathe them out. †(p. 14). During the battles of war though Robert is constantly running and hiding from the air to live but at the same time everytime he breaths he remembers his home, â€Å"Slithering over the crater’s rim—a pale blue fog appeared. Like a veil his mother might’ve worn. †(P. 137). From this I believe he uses the air to think for what he has to live for at home. He uses this to stay sane as well as give him something to live for increasing his chances of survival. At the ending of the book they say you can see the air he his breathing which is Robert finally being home as his own sane self. For fire it is both chaos as well as what brings back Roberts human side. In the barn Robert suffers serious burns to the face which is supposed to resemble his soldier face disappearing. After his time in the hospital Robert lives a normal life away from war where we can finally see him smiling in a photo of him with his burnt face.

Crew Resource Management Essays - Aviation Safety, Free Essays

Crew Resource Management Essays - Aviation Safety, Free Essays Crew Resource Management Introduction There are many reasons why those involved with the airline safety commit errors that on occasion lead to the injury or death of innocent people - people who had every right to expect better of their caretakers. Such accidents can be traced to many broad categories. Categories such as weather, mechanical malfunction, terrorist acts or into what may be termed acts of God. Apart from these, perhaps the most important and the fundamental category are errors attributed to the human factor such as sheer carelessness, inexperience, personality flaws, fatigue, in adequate training or inadequate operating instructions. However, the irony aspect of this issue is that in most of the cases, accidents were resulted from the performance error made by healthy and properly qualified individuals though it is a somewhat ambiguous term and is in our haste to attribute an accident to somebody - the pilot. Over the past decade, one of the most striking developments in aviation safety has been the overwhelming endorsement and widespread implementation of training programs aimed at Human Factor to increasing the effectiveness of crew coordination and well being of crew resource management. (Human Factor Digest No.1, 1989) Crew Resource Management Crew Resource Management (CRM) training has become an integral part of many training programs for the pilots and other aviation personnel. Wiener, Kanki and Helmreich (1993) have defined CRM as using all available

Brief History of the State of the Union Address

Brief History of the State of the Union Address The State of the Union address is a speech delivered annually by the President the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress. The State of the Union Address is not, however, delivered during the first year of a new president’s first term in office. In the address, the president typically reports on the general condition of the nation in the areas of domestic and foreign policy issues and outlines his or her legislative platform and national priorities. Delivery of the State of the Union address fulfills Article II, Sec. 3, of the U.S. Constitution requiring that â€Å"The President shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.†Ã‚   As a policy of the doctrine of separation of powers, the Speaker of the House must invite the president to present the State of the Union Address in person. In lieu of an invitation, the address can be delivered to Congress in written form. Since January 8, 1790, when George Washington personally delivered the first annual message to Congress, presidents have from time to time, been doing just that in what has become known as the State of the Union Address. The speech was shared with the public only through newspapers until 1923 when President Calvin Coolidges annual message was broadcast on radio. Franklin D. Roosevelt first used the phrase State of the Union in 1935, and in 1947, Roosevelts successor Harry S. Truman became the first president to deliver a televised address. Extreme Security Required As the largest annual political event in Washington, D.C., the State of the Union Address requires extraordinary security measures, as the president, vice president, Cabinet members, Congress, Supreme Court, military leaders and diplomatic corps are all together at the same time. Declared a â€Å"National Special Security Event,† thousands of federal security personnel- including a number of military troops- are brought in to guard the area. The Great State of the Union Controversy of 2019 The question of when, where, and how the 2019 State of the Union Address would be delivered became a hot political mess on January 16, when during the longest federal government shutdown in history, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California) asked President Trump to either delay his 2019 address or deliver it to Congress in writing. In doing so, Speaker Pelosi cited security concerns caused by the shutdown. â€Å"Sadly, given the security concerns and unless government re-opens this week, I suggest we work together to determine another suitable date after government has re-opened for this address or for you to consider delivering your State of the Union address in writing to the Congress on January 29,† wrote Pelosi in a letter to the White House. However, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen stated that the Secret Service- then working without pay due to the shutdown- was fully prepared and willing to provide security during the address. â€Å"The Department of Homeland Security and the US Secret Service are fully prepared to support and secure the State of the Union,† she wrote in a tweet. The White House suggested that Pelosi’s action was actually a form of political retaliation for President Trump’s reluctance to negotiate with the House on the its refusal to authorize $5.7 billion in funding requested by Trump  for construction of the controversial Mexican border wall- the dispute that had triggered the government shutdown.   On January 17, President Trump responded telling Pelosi via a letter that her congressional delegation’s planned secret seven-day, secret â€Å"excursion† to Brussels, Egypt and Afghanistan â€Å"has been postponed† until the shutdown ended, unless she chose to travel using commercial aviation. Since the non-publicized trip included Afghanistan- an active war zone- travel had been arranged aboard a U.S. Air Force plane. Trump had earlier canceled his own upcoming trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, due to the shutdown. On January 23, President Trump turned down Speaker Pelosi’s request to delay his State of the Union Address. In a letter to Pelosi, Trump asserted his intention to deliver the address on Tuesday, January 29 in the House chamber as originally scheduled. â€Å"I will be honoring your invitation, and fulfilling my Constitutional duty, to deliver important information to the people and Congress of the United States of America regarding the State of our Union,† Trump wrote. â€Å"I look forward to seeing you on the evening on January 29th in the Chamber of the House of Representatives,† he continued, adding, â€Å"It would be so very sad for our Country if the State of the Union were not delivered on time, on schedule, and very importantly, on location!† Speaker Pelosi has the option of blocking Trump by refusing to call a vote on the resolution required to formally invite the president to before a joint session of Congress in the House chamber. Lawmakers have not yet considered such a resolution, an action typically taken for granted.   Speaker Pelosi quickly returned this historic struggle of separation of powers back to where it started on January 16 by informing President Trump that she would not allow him to deliver his speech in the House chamber as long as the government shutdown continued. President Trump responded by indicating that he would announce plans for an alternative State of the Union address at a later date. A White House spokesperson suggested options including a speech from the Oval Office of the White House or at a Trump rally away from Washington. In a late night tweet on January 23, President Trump conceded to Speaker Pelosi, stating that he would delay his State of the Union Address until after the government shutdown had ended. â€Å"As the Shutdown was going on, Nancy Pelosi asked me to give the State of the Union Address. I agreed. She then changed her mind because of the Shutdown, suggesting a later date. This is her prerogative- I will do the Address when the Shutdown is over,† Trump tweeted, adding, â€Å"I look forward to giving a great State of the Union Address in the near future!† The President continued that he would not seek an alternative location for the annual speech â€Å"because there is no venue that can compete with the history, tradition and importance of the House Chamber.† In a tweet of her own, Speaker Pelosi said she was hopeful that President Trump’s concession meant that he would back a bill already before the House that would temporarily fund the federal agencies affected by the shutdown. On Friday January 25, President Trump reached an agreement with Democrats on a short-term spending bill that did not include any funding for the border wall but allowed the government to temporarily reopen until February 15. During the delay, negotiations over border wall funding were to continue, with President Trump stressing that unless funding for the wall was included in the final budget bill, he would either allow the government shutdown to resume or declare a national emergency allowing him to reallocate existing fund for the purpose. On Monday, January 28, with the shutdown at least temporarily ended, Speaker Pelosi invited President Trump to give his State of the Union address on February 5 in the House Chamber. â€Å"When I wrote to you on January 23rd, I stated that we should work together to find a mutually agreeable date when government has reopened to schedule this years State of the Union address,† Pelosi stated in a letter provided by her office. â€Å"Therefore, I invite you to deliver your State of the Union address before a Joint Session of Congress on February 5, 2019 in the House Chamber.† President Trump accepted Pelosi’s invitation a few hours later. The Address At Last President Trump finally delivered his second State of the Union address on February 5th in the House Chamber. In his 90-minute speech, the president sounded a tone of bipartisan unity, calling on Congress to â€Å"reject the politics of revenge, resistance and retribution - and embrace the boundless potential of cooperation, compromise and the common good.† Without mentioning the record 35-day government shutdown that had delayed the address, he told lawmakers he was â€Å"ready to work with you to achieve historic breakthroughs for all Americans† and by working to â€Å"govern not as two parties but as one nation.† In addressing funding for his controversial border security wall that had caused the shutdown, the president came short of declaring a national emergency, but did insist he would â€Å"get it built.† Trump also stressed his administration’s economic success, noting that â€Å"no one has benefited more from our thriving economy than women, who have filled 58 percent of the new jobs created in the last year.† The president added, All Americans can be proud that we have more women in the workforce than ever before - and exactly one century after Congress passed the constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote, we also have more women serving in Congress than ever before.† The statement brought a standing ovation and chants of â€Å"USA!† from female lawmakers, many of whom had been elected based on their platforms opposing the Trump administration. On foreign policy, Trump touted his efforts to denuclearize North Korea, claiming that â€Å"if I had not been elected president of the United States we would right now, in my opinion, be in a major war with North Korea.† He also revealed that he would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for a second summit on February 27 and 28 in Vietnam.   Washington Hit the Essentials Rather than outlining his administrations agenda for the nation, as has become the modern practice, Washington used that first State of the Union Address to focus on the very concept of the union of states that had so recently been created. Indeed, establishing and maintaining the union was the primary goal of Washingtons first administration. While the Constitution specifies no time, date, place, or frequency of the address, presidents have typically delivered the State of the Union Address in late January, soon after Congress has re-convened. Since Washingtons first address to Congress, the date, frequency, method of delivery and content have varied greatly from president to president. Jefferson Puts it in Writing Finding the whole process of a speech to a joint session of Congress a little too kingly, Thomas Jefferson chose to carry out his constitutional duty in 1801 by sending details of his national priorities in separate, written notes to the House and Senate. Finding the written report a great idea, Jeffersons successors in the White House followed suit and it would be 112 years before a president again spoke the State of the Union Address. Wilson Set the Modern Tradition In a controversial move at the time, President Woodrow Wilson revived the practice of spoken delivery of the State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress in 1913. Content of the State of the Union Address In modern times, the State of the Union Address serves as both a conversation between the president and Congress and, thanks to television, an opportunity for the president to promote his partys political agenda for the future. From time to time, the address has actually contained historically important information. In 1823, James Monroe explained what became known as the Monroe Doctrine, calling on powerful European nations to end their practice of western colonization.Abraham Lincoln told the nation he wanted to end slavery in 1862.In 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke of the four freedoms.Just four months after the 9-11 terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush shared his plans for a war on terror in 2002. Whatever its content, presidents traditionally hope their State of the Union Addresses will heal past political wounds, promote bipartisan unity in Congress and win support for his legislative agenda from both parties and the American people. From time to time... that actually happens.

Reading response LN 4 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading response LN 4 - Article Example At this point, it is worth questioning this view, as visual humor also has a huge place in the context of humor. Still, more needs to be done to evaluate the place of visual humor in the humor in general. What percentage does visual humor take and is the same comparable to the verbal humor? Upon completing this research, it will be possible to understand and explain the gap between visual humor and verbal humor. On another note, I find it captivating when the authors indicate that verbal humor migrates to the visual aspect (Hempelmann & Samson, 2008). It is at this position that one would really question which humor takes the greatest percentage. Yet another question would focus on the extent of correlation between visual humor and verbal humor. Can the two do without each other, and if not, in what domains? I also tend to agree with the authors when they indicate that conversation is possible through cartoons (Hempelmann & Samson, 2008). In my opinion, I am convinced that one can read humor from cartoons even without seeing the writing explaining what the cartons means. In this context, it is worth justifying that each of the humors plays a pivotal role in their own way. I am also convinced that either of the humors can replace the other in terms of relaying messages to its readers. The only disparity will be the profundity and intensity of the message relayed. For instance, if the cartoon is accompanied by text, then it brings out a stronger message as opposed to verbal humor. Pictures can be indicated to be more appealing as opposed to the verbal messages that leave its audience with the task of interpreting the intended message. From the arguments, it is only reasonable to attest to the verity that visual humor plays a major role in evoking humor over the verbal one. I agree with the authors when they indicate that versions of visual humor that

Producer Theory & Existence of equilibrium Assignment

Producer Theory & Existence of equilibrium - Assignment Example There are J producers in an economy. For a producer j, yj represents combination of the quantities of all inputs and outputs. Yj is the set of input and outputs that are technically feasible for the producer j. Without any production in the economy the feasibility condition would imply that the aggregate consumption (input-output) is not larger than the aggregate endowment. If there is production, then the total resources allocated for consumption increase depending on net outputs of corresponding goods. In Arrow-Debreu model the producer’s want ‘profit maximization’ meaning that the input-output combination selected by a firm on a given a price should be such that no other input-output combination gives more profit. We have assumed here that the prices are fixed and firms choose inputs-outputs so as to maximize profit limiting itself to technically feasible combination i.e. yj ? Yj. There are other assumptions that need to be considered for example the one that i s often called the ‘free disposal’ assumption which is- the firm can add any amount of input without reducing output or if we look at it from the cost minimizing concept then it means to add input which can be disposed of at zero cost. If we â€Å"let p be an original price called by the Walrasian Auctioneer and let yj(p) the associated profit maximizing response.

Sherlock hectives of holmes is a better detective then piorot and Essay

Sherlock hectives of holmes is a better detective then piorot and spade other detectives of his times - Essay Example Hercule Poirot was a Belgian detective who appeared in Agatha Christie’s novel Murder on the Orient Express to investigate the murder of a gangster named Ratchet or Cassetti. The case seems to be very confusing as some obscure clues are found during the investigation. The victim, Cassetti had previously murdered three members of the Armstrong family and their worker. As the case progresses some shocking things reveal which seem to involve thirteen of the passengers including the conductor in the murder of Cassetti. Poirot however does not inform the police about those guilty as he feels that they are justified. Samuel Spade, more commonly known as Sam Spade, appeared in The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett who was consulted by Miss Wonderly to follow Floyd Thursby who is later murdered shortly after Sam Spade’s partner, Miles Archer. It is then revealed that Miss Wonderly lied to Sam Spade and is found to have been guilty for the murders along with other players who a re trying to acquire the Maltese falcon. All the detectives differ in the style in which they approach the investigation and various cases however Sherlock Holmes of all seems to have a far more organized and scientific method of analyzing clues (Ginzburg and Davin, 6-7). Sherlock Holmes seems to have great observation and this is illustrated in A scandal in Bohemia when Holmes tells all the details about Dr. Watson when they meet (Doyle, A Scandal in Bohemia, 3). Holmes accurately identifies how Dr. Watson wanted to be a practicing doctor but could not due to the wound he got during his participation in the Afghan war. Also, that Dr. Watson got himself wet and that his servant girl does not do her work well. Holmes seems quite shocked as this true but he does not understand how Holmes was able to tell because he changed his clothes after the walk in the country (Doyle, A Scandal in Bohemia, 3). In The Red Headed League as well, Holmes demonstrates an excellent observation as he cor rectly identifies that Mr. Wilson was a laborer, takes tobacco, is a freemason, etc (Doyle, The Read Headed League, 3). He also deduces some important details from the hat in The Blue Carbuncle (Doyle, The Blue Carbuncle, 9). Holmes cleverly observed the minor details of cases so as to efficiently analyze clues to determine meaningful answers to the crimes. This method of noticing minor details was developed by Giovanni Morelli in art history (Ginzburg and Davin, 7). Hercule Poirot seems to be a very competent detective as he effectively speculates the clues so as to determine all the players in the murder of Cassetti. Poirot often has to interview the witnesses in order to gather information and does not rely much on observation of evidences and clues (Christie, 41). Sam Spade, on the other hand, does demonstrate critical thinking which helps him resolve the case regarding the murder of Archer and Thursby however he does not reflect superb observation skills in terms of clues (Hamm ett, 115). While every detective correctly investigated the cases which they are consulted to solve, there are some major differences in the style of investigation among the various detectives. Sherlock Homes presents a very effective method of information collection and evidence interpretation using an excellent observation. At many instances Dr. Watson seems to be surprised at Holmes’

Examine Malaysias Inflation Rate Economics Essay

Examine Malaysias Inflation Rate Economics Essay Based on the topic given, we are ordered to examine the Malaysias inflation rate over the past 10 years by knowing the factors that contribute the inflation and the measures taken by the Malaysias government to overcome or combat the inflation. In general, inflation  is a rise in the general  level of prices  of goods and services in an economy over a period of time. When the price level increases, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Meanwhile, inflation rate is the annually increase of percentage in the price of goods and services. When the price level rises rapidly, the inflation rate is high, and when the price level ri Examine Malaysias inflation rate over the past 10 years and discuss its trends. Inflation can be defined as one of the phenomena of general price level rises steadily in the long run and no limitations. For the past 10 years of Malaysias inflation, we decided to analyze from the year 2003 until year 2012. The graph shows the inflation rate in Malaysia from the year 2003 to 2012. It can clearly be seen that there has been a highest rate in year 2008 by 5.4 percent while the lowest rate by 0.6 percent in year 2009 then Malaysias inflation rate became normalized to the 3.2 percent in year 2011. According to The Department of Statistic Malaysia, which is one of the department that responsible to analyze the inflation rate in Malaysia was recorded the average 1.70 percent in October 2012. While, in year 2003 indicates the inflation rate was 1.1 percent. After that, the slow growth shows the difference between year 2003 and 2004 was 0.3 percent. It is mean that in year 2004, the rate of inflation increase to 1.4 percent. Then, it rises considerably over year 2005 by 3.0 percent. It is shows that starting in year 2005, the inflation rate increased rapidly from year 2004 which is the difference was about 1.6 percent. Continually in year 2006, it has been a steady increased, with around 3.6 percent rate of inflation. Suddenly, the rate falls by 2.0 percent in year 2007 because of the certain factors that can affect the rate of inflation. Next, the rate rose dramatically by 5.4 percent in 2008 due of the increasing in fuel prices on that time. The rate does not longer because in 2009 it decreased by 0.6 percent. Malaysias inflation rate starts continuously slightly increased to 1.7 percent in year 2010. The rate slowly goes up in 2011 by 3.2 percent. However, the inflation rate in Malaysia was recorded at 1.30 percent in September of 2012. To sum up, the overall years from 2003 to 2012, it shows that the trend for inflation rate over the past 10 years is fluctuated trend. From starting year at year 2003 to 2006, the graph shows slowly increased and achieved the highest rate between these four years in year 2006. After that, the graph drops in year 2007 and rise largely in year 2008. In year 2009, the rate of inflation falls dramatically and starts increased back in 2010 and 2011. But the rate still decreased in September 2012. As a conclusion, the lowest rate was 0.6 percent in year 2009 while the highest rate was showed as much 5.4 percent in 2008. In whatever way, the government has decided to decrease the inflation rate and became normalized in 2011. What may be some of the factors that contribute to the inflation rate trend? In Malaysia, inflation rate shows the fluctuated of the inflation rate trend. It was indicated that the highest inflation rate between years 2003 to 2012 was 5.4 percent in 2008. By the way, during year 2009, the rate was dramatically goes to 0.6 percent and the trend was normalised back to the 3.2 percent in year 2011. By referring the Keynesian theory, the three type of inflation which is demand-pull inflation, cost-pull inflation, and built-in inflation. Based on the inflation rate trend between 2003 to 2012 in Malaysia, there are may be some of the factors that contribute to this inflation trend, such as the factor that can affected the aggregate demand and aggregate supply that nearly can affect the inflation in many ways. For example, quantity of money that government print, the interest rate, the government expenditure, the tax cut, the increasing of Purchase Power Parity and an increase in money prices of raw material and wage rate. In this country, the inflation rate measures a board rise or fall in prices that consumers pay for a standard basket of goods. The highest inflation rate was at 5.4 percent in 2008 because of the increasing in raw material such as fuel prices. When the fuel prices increased, then the firms will decrease their supply of goods and services. This will lead to the increase in price of other goods and services that will contribute to the inflation in the country. This situation proved when the world price of fuel was increase, the price of goods such as household goods will also increase. In addition, the fuel price is decided by the government, however, government must take it seriously when decide to increase the fuel price. This may cause two negative effects towards the consumers. Firstly, for instance, as a big population of Malaysian society owns a car, the increase in a fuel price, will increase the cost of the car users. Secondly, the overall operating cost of doing business in Ma laysia will also increase due to the higher cost of fuel. The quantity of money that the government print will increase the money supply which one of the major factors that contribute to the inflation. This is because the higher the money supplied, the higher the inflation rate. For example, if the government cuts the interest rate, this will cause the quantity of money increase. Since a lot of money in the market, the production of goods will decrease because the demand of the products is higher. Most of government today control their money supply. As more money offered in the market, the highest the inflation especially through printing more bills. The printing of new money allows goods to be purchased without the real exchange. On the other hand, when the money supplied is higher in the economy, this make the consumption and investment also increase and there are more job opportunities and this will encourage the growth of economy in the country. An increasing in money wage rate also contributed to the inflation. As many of labour work in the country, then the higher the wage for one unit of force. Therefore, to increase the output of the country, the more of labour will be used and the higher the marginal cost of labour, the price had to be raised. As the wages are high, aggregate supply in the economy will decrease and this will contributed to the inflation occurs. In addition, the increasing of purchase power parity (PPP) is also one of the factors that contribute to the inflation rate trend. Purchase power parity means the equal value of money. When there were increasing in purchase power parity, consumers demand of the goods and services is also increase. However, the goods and services offers in the market become less. Moreover, the other factors are the increasing in the government expenditure and the tax cut from the government. Firstly, an increasing in government expenditure. Government expenditure can be divided into two, which are operating expenditure and development expenditure. An increasing in the government expenditure can encourage the increasing in the aggregate demand and at this time, the price level will continually increase. Secondly, the tax cut. If the government cut the tax, then demand will increase due to the cut in price of goods and services, the continuous increase in aggregate demand in the economy and have reached full employment will impact, the price level will increase. Hence, any factor that increases aggregate demand can cause inflation. However, in the long run, the government can overcome this problem by increasing the quantity of money in circulation faster than real growth rate of the economy. All of all, it can be said that, all the factors stated above can contribute to the inflation occurs. Based on the inflation trend between the last ten years, the trend shows fluctuated trend over the ten years. Generally, during the past ten years, the inflation is already become lower and moderate inflation after our country faced the high rate of inflation, called hyperinflation during the economic crisis. Hyperinflation is caused by an excessive growth of the money supply and refers to the growth of higher price level and the growth is continuously increased. The rate of inflation in Malaysia may at low or moderate inflation that contribute the fluctuation trend during the last ten years. This trend occur when the money supply growing faster than the rate of economic growth. Measures undertaken There are some measures are undertaken by our government in order to combat inflation in Malaysia. One of the actions taken by our government is supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the market. Small and medium enterprises are important for every country because they can help to boost up a countrys economic growth. As we know one of the factors that cause inflation is demand-pull inflation which means a demand of a good or service increases in the market, but the supply of the particular good and service remain the same due to the number of supplier is limited in producing the product and service. Therefore the price of the product or service will rise as the demand is higher than supply and this will cause the consumers need to pay more in order to satisfy their needs. Hence inflation occurred. In order to solve this problem, our Malaysia government is implementing Special Government Funds for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The main purpose of these funds which provided by our government is to develop and nurturing more small and medium enterprises in our country in order to increase the productivity of products and services in Malaysia. In year 2007, Malaysia has provided 105 Special Government Funds for small and medium enterprises with a total amount of RM31.8 billion. For example, our central bank, Bank Negara Malaysia has allocated a total of RM 6.75 billion is small and medium industries 2, RM 2.85 billion in new entrepreneurs and also RM 1.30 billion in food industries. Besides that, Micro Enterprise Fund (MEF) has launched by our central bank in year 2008 and this is to help those enterprises which started up with a small capital and less employers able to operate their business in the business market. Bank Negara Malaysia has approved to use RM4.2 million to help mirco enterprises and there are 241 micro enterprises get benefits from Micro Enterprise Fund (MEF) in year 2008. Through these fund provided by our government, there are more mirco, small and medium enterprises producing products and services in the market. Therefore, productivity of Malaysia will increase and it solved the problems of demand-pull inflation. Moreover, our central bank, Bank Negara Malaysia applied monetary policy to combat inflation. Deposit interest rate is also one of the ways to combat the inflation in our country, Bank Negara Malaysia is responsible to set a most suitable interest rate on a specific time for money saver. For example, when there is high inflation rate in our country, Bank Negara Malaysia will need to adjust the deposit interest rate to higher rate in order to encourage people to save more their money in the bank and indirectly to reduce the quantity amount of money in the market which can prevent the value of our money to become less value. Besides that, since the interest rate has increased, this will discourage investors and firms to borrow money from the banks. Therefore, it will reduce the investment and consumption in the market and consequently the inflation rate will decrease. Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Average interest rate 2.69 2.84 3.51 3.50 3.51 2.11 2.56 2.88 Based on the graph and table above, we can see that as our countrys inflation rate increases, the interest rate offered by the bank increases as well in order to encourage people to save money in the bank to reduce the quantity of money in the market in order reduce the inflation rate. Due to the economic Stimulus Package, the interest rate is still high even though the inflation rate in year 2007 has decrease from year 2006. Conclusion

Tax Dollars Should Fund Religious Schools Essay -- Argumentative Persu

Tax Dollars Should Fund Religious Schools The issue of whether or not to use tax dollars to provide private schools with vouchers has been controversial for many years now.   Many people feel that it is our governments obligation to provide private institutions with the proper funds, while others believe that if private schools inherit our tax dollars then it is violation of our constitution as it promotes a particular religion.   I think it is our government's responsibility to provide each and every school with tax dollars, regardless of its orientation.   Many reasons, especially popularity and success rates provide substantial evidence that private schools should be funded by government vouchers. The main concern of those who oppose the use of government money for private schools is whether or not it would be constitutional.   In the past, many Supreme Court cases have proven that school vouchers for private schools are constitutional.   For example in Board of Education vs. Allen it was established that providing funds for private schools does not violate the Establishment C...

My Leadership Style Essay

According to the leadership assessment, I am more of task-oriented leader than a people-oriented leader, though I scored high in both areas, therefore I have a healthy balance of both which is important for a leader in any company. My leadership style allows me to get my work completed in an organized fashion, while being open to other ideas; I can focus on the small projects while continuing to see the big picture or vision. Because I score higher on the task-oriented side, I can be more autocratic in my thinking. This will limit my ability to show my apathy for my staff and employees Furthermore, I am also a transformational and charismatic leader. I am most effective in smaller organizations that have direct interactions with my staff. According to Robbins, this helps to make me effective as a leader, which will give a company â€Å"low turnover, higher productivity, lower employee stress, and burnout, and higher employee satisfaction.† Furthermore, Robbins shared that this leadership style is not effective with those who are â€Å"highly individualistic and do not readily cede decision-making authority.† Since I am able to communicate with my staff the expectations, visions ad engage my staff, I also have a Charismatic leadership style. I continuously focus on the end goal, big picture and tie that big picture to the work of my staff, making it attainable to my staff. One of the major downsides to charismatic leadership is that it can be situational, according to Robbins. Role in Company The role I would like to pursue within the company is that of a managerial supervisor. According to Robbins, organizations need strong leadership and  strong management for optimal effectiveness. I feel that because I have leadership and managerial traits and characteristics, I would be a great candidate for that particular role. In a managerial supervisory role, I am a direct leader. I work directly with my staff on a one-on-one basis and in a team format; I will have more influence directly on my staff. As the managerial supervisor, I am able to support, recognize, develop, plan, and coach/mentor my staff while monitoring, setting goals, and overseeing day to day operations. This is evident because of my healthy balance of task and people orientation. Leadership theories applicable to my leadership approach The Big Five Trait Leadership Theory is applicable to my leadership approach because research has shown that the big five personality factors are strong indicators for job success and performance. I scored high in the areas of extroversion and conscientiousness. The positive factors about scoring high on conscientiousness’s is that overall, those with high marks in this area have better job performance and those are more reliable, thorough, organized, angle to plan, and persistent according to the assessment. These traits are consisted with those of task-oriented leaders. However, the Leadership Substitute Theory would be counter indicated for the areas of subordinate, task, and group/organizational characteristics. This is because my staff could need little direction from me as their supervisor if they have extensive experience. Also, when staff repeats their task over and over, they become proficient and don’t need feedback, but are building their own motivation. As a task-oriented, transformational, and charismatic leader, I would struggle more with staff who are more independent or did not work well in the group. I like to give freedom to my staff, but my style makes it necessary to know what is going on in the jobs at all times. Conclusion My leadership style is transformational, charismatic with my main focus on task-oriented management. I work hard to inspire my staff, while also meeting deadlines. I focus better when I’m working with a team rather than individuals who do their own thing. Research has shown that my leadership style is an asset to many companies if utilized in the right way. This is why I would like a position that allows me to shine, take the lead of a team, while focusing on the companies â€Å"big picture.† References Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2011). Organizational behavior (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Yuki, G. (2010). Leadership in organizations (7th Ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Chapter 6 Talons and Tea Leaves

When Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall for breakfast the next day, the first thing they saw was Draco Malfoy, who seemed to be entertaining a large group of Slytherins with a very funny story. As they passed, Malfoy did a ridiculous impression of a swooning fit and there was a roar of laughter. â€Å"Ignore him,† said Hermione, who was right behind Harry. â€Å"Just ignore him, it's not worth it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hey, Potter!† shrieked Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl with a face like a pug. â€Å"Potter! The Dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooooo!† Harry dropped into a seat at the Gryffindor table, next to George Weasley. â€Å"New third-year course schedules,† said George, passing then, over. â€Å"What's up with you, Harry?† â€Å"Malfoy,† said Ron, sitting down on George's other side and glaring over at the Slytherin table. George looked up in time to see Malfoy pretending to faint with terror again. â€Å"That little git,† he said calmly. â€Å"He wasn't so cocky last night when the Dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?† â€Å"Nearly wet himself,† said Fred, with a contemptuous glance at Malfoy. â€Å"I wasn't too happy myself,† said George. â€Å"They're horrible things, those Dementors†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?† said Fred. â€Å"You didn't pass out, though, did you?† said Harry in a low voice. â€Å"Forget it, Harry,† said George bracingly. â€Å"Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been, he came back all weak and shaking†¦They suck the happiness out of a place, Dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there.† â€Å"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match,† said Fred. â€Å"Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?† The only time Harry and Malfoy had faced each other in a Quidditch match, Malfoy had definitely come off worse. Feeling slightly more cheerful, Harry helped himself to sausages and fried tomatoes. Hermione was examining her new schedule. â€Å"Ooh, good, we're starting some new subjects today,† she said happily. â€Å"Hermione,† said Ron, frowning as he looked over her shoulder, â€Å"they've messed up your timetable. Look — they've got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn't enough time.† â€Å"I'll manage. I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall.† â€Å"But look,† said Ron, laughing, â€Å"see this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o'clock, Muggle Studies. And –† Ron leaned closer to the timetable, disbelieving, â€Å"look — underneath that, Arithmancy, nine o'clock. I mean, I know you're good, Hermione, but no one's that good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?† â€Å"Don't be silly,† said Hermione shortly. â€Å"Of course I won't be in three classes at once.† â€Å"Well then –â€Å" â€Å"Pass the marmalade,† said Hermione. â€Å"But –â€Å" â€Å"Oh, Ron, what's it to you if my timetable's a bit full?† Hermione snapped. â€Å"I told you, I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall.† Just then, Hagrid entered the Great Hall. He was wearing his long moleskin overcoat and was absent-mindedly swinging a dead polecat from one enormous hand. â€Å"All righ'?† he said eagerly, pausing on his way to the staff table. â€Å"Yer in my firs' ever lesson! Right after lunch! Bin up since five getting' everthin' ready†¦hope it's OK†¦me, a teacher†¦hones'ly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He grinned broadly at them and headed off to the staff table, still swinging the polecat. â€Å"Wonder what he's been getting ready?† said Ron, a note of anxiety in his voice. The Hall was starting to empty as people headed off towards their first lesson. Ron checked his schedule. â€Å"We'd better go, look, Divination's at the top of North Tower. It'll take us ten minutes to get there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They finished breakfast hastily, said goodbye to Fred and George and walked back through the hall. As they passed the Slytherin table, Malfoy did yet another impression of a fainting fit. The shouts of laughter followed Harry into the Entrance Hall. The journey through the castle to North Tower was a long one. Two years at Hogwarts hadn't taught them everything about the castle, and they had never been inside North Tower before. â€Å"There's — got — to — be — a — short — cut,† Ron panted, as they climbed the seventh long staircase and emerged on an unfamiliar landing, where there was nothing but a large painting of a bare stretch of grass hanging on the stone wall. â€Å"I think it's this way,† said Hermione, peering down the empty passage to the right. â€Å"Can't be,† said Ron. â€Å"That's south. Look, you can see a bit of the lake outside the window†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry was watching the painting. A fat, dappled-gray pony had just ambled onto the grass and was grazing nonchalantly. Harry was used to the subjects of Hogwarts paintings moving around and leaving their frames to visit each other, but he always enjoyed watching them. A moment later, a short, squat knight in a suit of armour had clanked into the picture after his pony. By the look of the grass stains on his metal knees, he had just fallen off. â€Å"Aha!† he yelled, seeing Harry, Ron and Hermione. â€Å"What villains are these, that trespass upon my private lands! Come to scorn at my fall, perchance? Draw, you knaves, you dogs!† They watched in astonishment as the little knight tugged his sword out of its scabbard and began brandishing it violently, hopping up and down in rage. But the sword was too long for him; a particularly wild swing made him overbalance, and he landed facedown in the grass. â€Å"Are you all right?† said Harry, moving closer to the picture. â€Å"Get back, you scurvy braggart! Back, you rogue!† The knight seized his sword again and used it to push himself back up, but the blade sank deeply into the grass and, though he pulled with all his might, he couldn't get it out again. Finally, he had to flop back down onto the grass and push up his visor to mop his sweating face. â€Å"Listen,† said Harry, taking advantage of the knight's exhaustion, â€Å"we're looking for the North Tower. You don't know the way, do you?† â€Å"A quest!† The knight's rage seemed to vanish instantly. He clanked to his feet and shouted, â€Å"Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find our goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge!† He gave the sword another fruitless tug, tried and failed to mount the fat pony, gave up, and cried, â€Å"On foot then, good sirs and gentle lady! On! On!† And he ran, clanking loudly, into the left side of the frame and out of sight. They hurried after him along the corridor, following the sound of his armor. Every now and then they spotted him running through a picture ahead. â€Å"Be of stout heart, the worst is yet to come!† yelled the knight, and they saw him reappear in front of an alarmed group of women in crinolines, whose picture hung on the wall of a narrow spiral staircase. Puffing loudly, Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed the tightly spiraling steps, getting dizzier and dizzier, until at last they heard the murmur of voices above them and knew they had reached the classroom. â€Å"Farewell!† cried the knight, popping his head into a painting of some sinister-looking monks. â€Å"Farewell, my comrades-in-arms! If ever you have need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!† â€Å"Yeah, we'll call you,† muttered Ron as the knight disappeared, â€Å"if we ever need someone mental.† They climbed the last few steps and emerged onto a tiny landing, where most of the class was already assembled. There were no doors off this landing, but Ron nudged Harry and pointed at the ceiling, where there was a circular trapdoor with a brass plaque on it. â€Å"‘Sibyll Trelawney, Divination teacher,'† Harry read. â€Å"How're we supposed to get up there?† As though in answer to his question, the trapdoor suddenly opened, and a silvery ladder descended right at Harry's feet. Everyone got quiet. â€Å"After you,† said Ron, grinning, so Harry climbed the ladder first. He emerged into the strangest-looking classroom he had ever seen. In fact, it didn't look like a classroom at all, more like a cross between someone's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop. At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs. Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire that was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups. Ron appeared at Harry's shoulder as the class assembled around them, all talking in whispers. â€Å"Where is she?† Ron said. A voice came suddenly out of the shadows, a soft, misty sort of voice. â€Å"Welcome,† it said. â€Å"How nice to see you in the physical world at last.† Harry's immediate impression was of a large, glittering insect. Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight, and they saw that she was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl. Innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings. â€Å"Sit, my children, sit,† she said, and they all climbed awkwardly into armchairs or sank onto poufs. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat themselves around the same round table. â€Å"Welcome to Divination,† said Professor Trelawney, who had seated herself in a winged armchair in front of the fire. â€Å"My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye.† Nobody said anything to this extraordinary pronouncement. Professor Trelawney delicately rearranged her shawl and continued, â€Å"So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you†¦Books can take you only so far in this field†¦Ã¢â‚¬  At these words, both Harry and Ron glanced, grinning, at Hermione, who looked startled at the news that books wouldn't be much help in this subject. â€Å"Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future,† Professor Trelawney went on, her enormous, gleaming eyes moving from face to nervous face. â€Å"It is a Gift granted to few. You, boy,† she said suddenly to Neville, who almost toppled off his pouf. â€Å"Is your grandmother well?† â€Å"I think so,† said Neville tremulously. â€Å"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, dear,† said Professor Trelawney, the firelight glinting on her long emerald earrings. Neville gulped. Professor Trelawney continued placidly. â€Å"We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear,† she shot suddenly at Parvati Patil, â€Å"beware a red-haired man.† Parvati gave a startled look at Ron, who was right behind her and edged her chair away from him. â€Å"In the second term,† Professor Trelawney went on, â€Å"we shall progress to the crystal ball — if we have finished with fire omens, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And around Easter, one of our number will leave us for ever.† A very tense silence followed this pronouncement, but Professor Trelawney seemed unaware of it. â€Å"I wonder, dear,† she said to Lavender Brown, who was nearest and shrank back in her chair, â€Å"if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?† Lavender, looking relieved, stood up, took an enormous teapot from the shelf, and put it down on the table in front of Professor Trelawney. â€Å"Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading — it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October.† Lavender trembled. â€Å"Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing. Oh, and dear,† — she caught Neville by the arm as he made to stand up, â€Å"after you've broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink.† Sure enough, Neville had no sooner reached the shelf of teacups when there was a tinkle of breaking china. Professor Trelawney swept over to him holding a dustpan and brush and said, â€Å"One of the blue ones, then, dear, if you wouldn't mind†¦thank you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  When Harry and Ron had had their teacups filled, they went back to their table and tried to drink the scalding tea quickly. They swilled the dregs around as Professor Trelawney had instructed, then drained the cups and swapped over. â€Å"Right,† said Ron as they both opened their books at pages five and six. â€Å"What can you see in mine?† â€Å"A load of soggy brown stuff,† said Harry. The heavily perfumed smoke in the room was making him feel sleepy and stupid. â€Å"Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!† Professor Trelawney cried through the gloom. Harry tried to pull himself together. â€Å"Right, you've got a crooked sort of cross†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He consulted Unfogging the Future. â€Å"That means you're going to have ‘trials and suffering' — sorry about that — but there's a thing that could be the sun. Hang on†¦that means ‘great happiness'†¦so you're going to suffer but be very happy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You need your Inner Eye tested, if you ask me,† said Ron, and they both had to stifle their laughs as Professor Trelawney gazed in their direction. â€Å"My turn†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ron peered into Harry's teacup, his forehead wrinkled with effort. â€Å"There's a blob a bit like a bowler hat,† he said. â€Å"Maybe you're going to work for the Ministry of Magic†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He turned the teacup the other way up. â€Å"But this way it looks more like an acorn†¦what's that?† He scanned his copy of Unfogging the Future. â€Å"‘A windfall, unexpected gold.' Excellent, you can lend me some. And there's a thing here,† he turned the cup again, â€Å"that looks like an animal†¦yeah, if that was its head†¦it looks like a hippo†¦no, a sheep†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Professor Trelawney whirled around as Harry let out a snort of laughter. â€Å"Let me see that, my dear,† she said reprovingly to Ron, sweeping over and snatching Harry's cup from him. Everyone went quiet to watch. Professor Trelawney was staring into the teacup, rotating it counterclockwise. â€Å"The falcon†¦my dear, you have a deadly enemy.† â€Å"But everyone knows that,† said Hermione in a loud whisper. Professor Trelawney stared at her. â€Å"Well, they do,† said Hermione. â€Å"Everybody knows about Harry and You-Know-Who.† Harry and Ron stared at her with a mixture of amazement and admiration. They had never heard Hermione speak to a teacher like that before. Professor Trelawney chose not to reply. She lowered her huge eyes to Harry's cup again and continued to turn it. â€Å"The club†¦an attack. Dear, dear, this is not a happy cup†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I thought that was a bowler hat,† said Ron sheepishly. â€Å"The skull†¦danger in your path, my dear†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Everyone was staring, transfixed, at Professor Trelawney, who gave the cup a final turn, gasped, and then screamed. There was another tinkle of breaking china; Neville had smashed his second cup. Professor Trelawney sank into a vacant armchair, her glittering hand at her heart and her eyes closed. â€Å"My dear boy — my poor dear boy — no — it is kinder not to say — no — don't ask me†¦.† â€Å"What is it, Professor?† said Dean Thomas at once. Everyone had got to their feet, and slowly they crowded around Harry and Ron's table, pressing close to Professor Trelawney's chair to get a good look at Harry's cup. â€Å"My dear,† Professor Trelawney's huge eyes opened dramatically, â€Å"you have the Grim.† â€Å"The what?† said Harry. He could tell that he wasn't the only one who didn't understand; Dean Thomas shrugged at him and Lavender Brown looked puzzled, but nearly everybody else clapped their hands to their mouths in horror. â€Å"The Grim, my dear, the Grim!† cried Professor Trelawney, who looked shocked that Harry hadn't understood. â€Å"The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen — the worst omen — of death!† Harry's stomach lurched. That dog on the cover of Death Omens in Flourish and Blotts — the dog in the shadows of Magnolia Crescent†¦Lavender Brown clapped her hands to her mouth too. Everyone was looking at Harry, everyone except Hermione, who had gotten up and moved around to the back of Professor Trelawney's chair. â€Å"I don't think it looks like a Grim,† she said flatly. Professor Trelawney surveyed Hermione with mounting dislike. â€Å"You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future.† Seamus Finnigan was tilting his head from side to side. â€Å"It looks like a Grim if you do this,† he said, with his eyes almost shut, â€Å"but it looks more like a donkey from here,† he said, leaning to the left. â€Å"When you've all finished deciding whether I'm going to die or not!† said Harry, taking even himself by surprise. Now nobody seemed to want to look at him. â€Å"I think we will leave the lesson here for today,† said Professor Trelawney in her mistiest voice. â€Å"Yes†¦please pack away your things†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Silently the class took their teacups back to Professor Trelawney, packed away their books, and closed their bags. Even Ron was avoiding Harry's eyes. â€Å"Until we meet again,† said Professor Trelawney faintly, â€Å"fair fortune be yours. Oh, and dear,† — she pointed at Neville, â€Å"you'll be late next time, so mind you work extra-hard to catch up.† Harry, Ron, and Hermione descended Professor Trelawney's ladder and the winding stair in silence, then set off for Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration lesson. It took them so long to find her classroom that, early as they had left Divination, they were only just in time. Harry chose a seat right at the back of the room, feeling as though he were sitting in a very bright spotlight; the rest of the class kept shooting furtive glances at him, as though he were about to drop dead at any moment. He hardly heard what Professor McGonagall was telling them about Animagi (wizards who could transform at will into animals), and wasn't even watching when she transformed herself in front of their eyes into a tabby cat with spectacle markings around her eyes. â€Å"Really, what has got into you all today?† said Professor McGonagall, turning back into herself with a faint pop, and staring around at them all. â€Å"Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got applause from a class.† Everybody's heads turned toward Harry again, but nobody spoke. Then Hermione raised her hand. â€Å"Please, Professor, we've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and –â€Å" â€Å"Ah, of course,† said Professor McGonagall, suddenly frowning. â€Å"There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?† Everyone stared at her. â€Å"Me,† said Harry, finally. â€Å"I see,† said Professor McGonagall, fixing Harry with her beady eyes. â€Å"Then you should know, Potter, that Sibyll Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues –† Professor McGonagall broke off, and they saw that her nostrils had gone white. She went on, more calmly, â€Å"Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stopped again, and then said, in a very matter-of-fact tone, â€Å"You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in.† Hermione laughed. Harry felt a bit better. It was harder to feel scared of a lump of tea leaves away from the dim red light and befuddling perfume of Professor Trelawney's classroom. Not everyone was convinced, however. Ron still looked worried, and Lavender whispered, â€Å"But what about Neville's cup?† When the Transfiguration class had finished, they joined the crowd thundering toward the Great Hall for lunch. â€Å"Ron, cheer up,† said Hermione, pushing a dish of stew toward him. â€Å"You heard what Professor McGonagall said.† Ron spooned stew onto his plate and picked up his fork but didn't start. â€Å"Harry,† he said, in a low, serious voice, â€Å"You haven't seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?† â€Å"Yeah, I have,† said Harry. â€Å"I saw one the night I left the Dursleys'.† Ron let his fork fall with a clatter. â€Å"Probably a stray,† said Hermione calmly. Ron looked at Hermione as though she had gone mad. â€Å"Hermione, if Harry's seen a Grim, that's — that's bad,† he said. â€Å"My — my uncle Bilius saw one and — and he died twenty-four hours later!† â€Å"Coincidence,† said Hermione airily, pouring herself some pumpkin juice. â€Å"You don't know what you're talking about!† said Ron, starting to get angry. â€Å"Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!† â€Å"There you are, then,† said Hermione in a superior tone. â€Å"They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! And Harry's still with us because he's not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then!† Ron mouthed wordlessly at Hermione, who opened her bag, took out her new Arithmancy book, and propped it open against the juice jug. â€Å"I think Divination seems very woolly,† she said, searching for her page. â€Å"A lot of guesswork, if you ask me.† â€Å"There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!† said Ron hotly. â€Å"You didn't seem quite so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep,† said Hermione coolly. â€Å"Professor Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura! You just don't like being bad at something for a change!† He had touched a nerve. Hermione slammed her Arithmancy book down on the table so hard that bits of meat and carrot flew everywhere. â€Å"If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer! That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with my Arithmancy class!† She snatched up her bag and stalked away. Ron frowned after her. â€Å"What's she talking about?† he said to Harry. â€Å"She hasn't been to an Arithmancy class yet.† ****** Harry was pleased to get out of the castle after lunch. Yesterday's rain had cleared; the sky was a clear, pale gray, and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they set off for their first ever Care of Magical Creatures class. Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other. Harry walked beside them in silence as they went down the sloping lawns to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was only when he spotted three only-too-familiar backs ahead of them that he realized they must be having these lessons with the Slytherins. Malfoy was talking animatedly to Crabbe and Goyle, who were chortling. Harry was quite sure he knew what they were talking about. Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start. â€Å"C'mon, now, get a move on!† he called as the class approached. â€Å"Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!† For one nasty moment, Harry thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the forest; Harry had had enough unpleasant experiences in there to last him a lifetime. However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there. â€Å"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!† he called. â€Å"That's it — make sure yeh can see — now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books –â€Å" â€Å"How?† said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy. â€Å"Eh?† said Hagrid. â€Å"How do we open our books?† Malfoy repeated. He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out too; some, like Harry, had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips. â€Å"Hasn' — hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?† said Hagrid, looking crestfallen. The class all shook their heads. â€Å"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em,† said Hagrid, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. â€Å"Look –â€Å" He took Hermione's copy and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quiet in his hand. â€Å"Oh, how silly we've all been!† Malfoy sneered. â€Å"We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!† â€Å"I — I thought they were funny,† Hagrid said uncertainly to Hermione. â€Å"Oh, tremendously funny!† said Malfoy. â€Å"Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!† â€Å"Shut up, Malfoy,† said Harry quietly. Hagrid was looking downcast and Harry wanted Hagrid's first lesson to be a success. â€Å"Righ' then,† said Hagrid, who seemed to have lost his thread, â€Å"so — so yeh've got yer books an'†¦an'†¦now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He strode away from them into the forest and out of sight. â€Å"God, this place is going to the dogs,† said Malfoy loudly. â€Å"That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him –â€Å" â€Å"Shut up, Malfoy,† Harry repeated. â€Å"Careful, Potter, there's a Dementor behind you –â€Å" â€Å"Oooooooh!† squealed Lavender Brown, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock. Trotting toward them were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures Harry had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-colored beaks and large, brilliantly, orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures. â€Å"Gee up, there!† he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures toward the fence where the class stood. Everyone drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence. â€Å"Hippogriffs!† Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. â€Å"Beau'iful, aren' they?† Harry could sort of see what Hagrid meant. Once you got over the first shock of seeing something that was half horse, half bird, you started to appreciate the Hippogriffs' gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to hair, each of them a different color: stormy gray, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and inky black. â€Å"So,† said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, â€Å"if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer†¦Ã¢â‚¬  No one seemed to want to. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, approached the fence cautiously. â€Å"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is, they're proud,† said Hagrid. â€Å"Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do.† Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle weren't listening; they were talking in an undertone and Harry had a nasty feeling they were plotting how best to disrupt the lesson. â€Å"Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs' move,† Hagrid continued. â€Å"It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt.† â€Å"Right — who wants ter go first?† Most of the class backed farther away in answer. Even Harry, Ron, and Hermione had misgivings. The Hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful wings; they didn't seem to like being tethered like this. â€Å"No one?† said Hagrid, with a pleading look. â€Å"I'll do it,† said Harry. There was an intake of breath from behind him, and both Lavender and Parvati whispered, â€Å"Oooh, no, Harry, remember your tea leaves!† Harry ignored them. He climbed over the paddock fence. â€Å"Good man, Harry!† roared Hagrid. â€Å"Right then — let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak.† He untied one of the chains, pulled the gray Hippogriff away from its fellows, and slipped off its leather collar. The class on the other side of the paddock seemed to be holding its breath. Malfoy's eyes were narrowed maliciously. â€Å"Easy now, Harry,† said Hagrid quietly. â€Å"Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink†¦Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry's eyes immediately began to water, but he didn't shut them. Buckbeak had turned his great, sharp head and was staring at Harry with one fierce orange eye. â€Å"Tha's it,† said Hagrid. â€Å"Tha's it, Harry†¦now, bow.† Harry didn't feel much like exposing the back of his neck to Buckbeak, but he did as he was told. He gave a short bow and then looked up. The Hippogriff was still staring haughtily at him. It didn't move. â€Å"Ah,† said Hagrid, sounding worried. â€Å"Right — back away, now, Harry, easy does it –â€Å" But then, to Harry's enormous surprise, the Hippogriff suddenly bent its scaly front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow. â€Å"Well done, Harry!† said Hagrid, ecstatic. â€Å"Right — yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!† Feeling that a better reward would have been to back away, Harry moved slowly toward the Hippogriff and reached out toward it. He patted the beak several times and the Hippogriff closed its eyes lazily, as though enjoying it. The class broke into applause, all except for Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were looking deeply disappointed. â€Å"Righ' then, Harry,† said Hagrid. â€Å"I reckon he migh' let yeh ride him!† This was more than Harry had bargained for. He was used to a broomstick; but he wasn't sure a Hippogriff would be quite the same. â€Å"Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint,† said Hagrid, â€Å"an' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry put his foot on the top of Buckbeak's wing and hoisted himself onto its back. Buckbeak stood up. Harry wasn't sure where to hold on; everything in front of him was covered with feathers. â€Å"Go on, then!† roared Hagrid, slapping the Hippogriffs hindquarters. Without warning, twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of Harry, he just had time to seize the Hippogriff around the neck before he was soaring upward. It was nothing like a broomstick, and Harry knew which one he preferred; the Hippogriff's wings beat uncomfortably on either side of him, catching him under his legs and making him feel he was about to be thrown off; the glossy feathers slipped under his fingers and he didn't dare get a stronger grip; instead of the smooth action of his Nimbus Two Thousand, he now felt himself rocking backward and forward as the hindquarters of the Hippogriff rose and fell with its wings. Buckbeak flew him once around the paddock and then headed back to the ground; this was the bit Harry had been dreading; he leaned back as the smooth neck lowered, feeling he was going to slip off over the beak, then felt a heavy thud as the four ill-assorted feet hit the ground. He just managed to hold on and push himself straight again. â€Å"Good work, Harry!† roared Hagrid as everyone except Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle cheered. â€Å"Okay, who else wants a go?† Emboldened by Harry's success, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock. Hagrid untied the Hippogriffs one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Neville ran repeatedly backward from his, which didn't seem to want to bend its knees. Ron and Hermione practiced on the chestnut, while Harry watched. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Malfoy, who was now patting his beak, looking disdainful. â€Å"This is very easy,† Malfoy drawled, loud enough for Harry to, hear him. â€Å"I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it†¦I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?† he said to the Hippogriff. â€Å"Are you, you great ugly brute?† It happened in a flash of steely talons; Malfoy let out a high pitched scream and next moment, Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar as he strained to get at Malfoy, who lay curled in the grass, blood blossoming over his robes. â€Å"I'm dying!† Malfoy yelled as the class panicked. â€Å"I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!† â€Å"Yer not dyin'!† said Hagrid, who had gone very white. â€Å"Someone help me — gotta get him outta here –â€Å" Hermione ran to hold open the gate as Hagrid lifted Malfoy easily. As they passed, Harry saw that there was a long, deep gash on Malfoy's arm; blood splattered the grass and Hagrid ran with him, up the slope toward the castle. Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class followed at a walk. The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid. â€Å"They should sack him straight away!† said Pansy Parkinson, who was in tears. â€Å"It was Malfoy's fault!† snapped Dean Thomas. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly. They all climbed the stone steps into the deserted entrance hall. â€Å"I'm going to see if he's okay!† said Pansy, and they all watched her run up the marble staircase. The Slytherins, still muttering about Hagrid, headed away in the direction of their dungeon common room; Harry, Ron, and Hermione proceeded upstairs to Gryffindor Tower. â€Å"You think he'll be all right?† said Hermione nervously. â€Å"Course he will. Madam Pomfrey can mend cuts in about a second,† said Harry, who had had far worse injuries mended magically by the nurse. â€Å"That was a really bad thing to happen in Hagrid's first class, though, wasn't it?† said Ron, looking worried. â€Å"Trust Malfoy to mess things up for him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They were among the first to reach the Great Hall at dinnertime, hoping to see Hagrid, but he wasn't there. â€Å"They wouldn't fire him, would they?† said Hermione anxiously, not touching her steak-and-kidney pudding. â€Å"They'd better not,† said Ron, who wasn't eating either. Harry was watching the Slytherin table. A large group including Crabbe and Goyle was huddled together, deep in conversation. Harry was sure they were cooking up their own version of how Malfoy had been injured. â€Å"Well, you can't say it wasn't an interesting first day back,† said Ron gloomily. They went up to the crowded Gryffindor common room after dinner and tried to do the homework Professor McGonagall had given them, but all three of them kept breaking off and glancing out of the tower window. â€Å"There's a light on in Hagrid's window,† Harry said suddenly. Ron looked at his watch. â€Å"If we hurried, we could go down and see him. It's still quite early†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I don't know,† Hermione said slowly, and Harry saw her glance at him. â€Å"I'm allowed to walk across the grounds,† he said pointedly. â€Å"Sirius Black hasn't got past the Dementors yet, has he?† So they put their things away and headed out of the portrait hole, glad to meet nobody on their way to the front doors, as they weren't entirely sure they were supposed to be out. The grass was still wet and looked almost black in the twilight. When they reached Hagrid's hut, they knocked, and a voice growled, â€Å"C'min.† Hagrid was sitting in his shirtsleeves at his scrubbed wooden table; his boarhound, Fang, had his head in Hagrid's lap. One look told them that Hagrid had been drinking a lot; there was a pewter tankard almost as big as a bucket in front of him, and he seemed to be having difficulty getting them into focus. â€Å"‘Spect it's a record,† he said thickly, when he recognized them. â€Å"Don' reckon they've ever had a teacher who lasted on'y a day before.† â€Å"You haven't been fired, Hagrid!† gasped Hermione. â€Å"Not yet,† said Hagrid miserably, taking a huge gulp of whatever was in the tankard. â€Å"But's only a matter o' time, I'n't, after Malfoy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"How is he?† said Ron as they all sat down. â€Å"It wasn't serious, was it?† â€Å"Madam Pomfrey fixed him best she could,† said Hagrid dully, â€Å"but he's sayin' it's still agony†¦covered in bandages†¦moanin'†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He's faking it,† said Harry at once. â€Å"Madam Pomfrey can mend anything. She regrew half my bones last year. Trust Malfoy to milk it for all it's worth.† â€Å"School gov'nors have bin told, o' course,† said Hagrid miserably. â€Å"They reckon I started too big. Shoulda left Hippogriffs fer later†¦one flobberworms or summat†¦Jus' thought it'd make a good firs' lesson's all my fault†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's all Malfoy's fault, Hagrid!† said Hermione earnestly. â€Å"We're witnesses,† said Harry. â€Å"You said Hippogriffs attack if you insult them. It's Malfoy's problem that he wasn't listening. We'll tell Dumbledore what really happened.† â€Å"Yeah, don't worry, Hagrid, we'll back you up,† said Ron. Tears leaked out of the crinkled corners of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes. He grabbed both Harry and Ron and pulled them into a bone-breaking hug. â€Å"I think you've had enough to drink, Hagrid,† said Hermione firmly. She took the tankard from the table and went outside to empty it. â€Å"Ah, maybe she's right,† said Hagrid, letting go of Harry and Ron, who both staggered away, rubbing their ribs. Hagrid heaved himself out of his chair and followed Hermione unsteadily outside. They heard a loud splash. â€Å"What's he done?† said Harry nervously as Hermione came back in with the empty tankard. â€Å"Stuck his head in the water barrel,† said Hermione, putting the tankard away. Hagrid came back, his long hair and beard sopping wet, wiping the water out of his eyes. â€Å"That's better,† he said, shaking his head like a dog and drenching them all. â€Å"Listen, it was good of yeh ter come an' see me, I really –â€Å" Hagrid stopped dead, staring at Harry as though he'd only just realized he was there. â€Å"WHAT D'YEH THINK YOU'RE DOIN', EH?† he roared, so suddenly that they jumped a foot in the air. â€Å"YEH'RE NOT TO GO WANDERIN' AROUND AFTER DARK, HARRY! AN, YOU TWO! LETTIN' HIM!† Hagrid strode over to Harry, grabbed his arm, and pulled him to the door. â€Å"C'mon!† Hagrid said angrily. â€Å"I'm takin' yer all back up ter school an' don' let me catch yeh walkin' down ter see me after dark again. I'm not worth that!†