Reality free essay sample

Our nation’s spirits crumbled on September 11, 2001; my world crumbled on March 22, 2007. I was in a dark hole, and I could not see the light. My body bled from vertical and horizontal wounds. I can’t swallow, and my gums and teeth were pounding with pain from the last bathroom visit. What and why I was on this planet soon became my new mantra. This was the last night of hell I could handle. The next day I wanted to solve this with a permanent solution. â€Å"We’re going for a drive,† my mother said, as I passed through the house with my eyes looking at the carpet. Next thing I know, we pulled up to what looked like an old haunted building. There was a big banner saying, â€Å"Welcome to Rogers Memorial Hospital, Celebrating 100 Years.† Tears poured down my face; but, they were tears of joy. Help was finally here. We will write a custom essay sample on Reality or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I would be there as an in-patient. Before I could leave, I had to learn how to cope in a positive way. There I shared things with people I just met that my best friends didn’t know. I found that I wasn’t alone; people knew how I felt. Once I was released I jumped in my own bed; I felt so good. At the same time, I was scared to be home. Now the challenges were back, and I had to face them head on. The weekend was okay, but now I had to face the biggest fear of all: school. â€Å"Where were you?† everyone asked once they saw me. â€Å"Sick,† I said. â€Å"With what?† followed out of the lips of my peers. What should I say? For being a cutter? For having an eating disorder? For not wanting to live to see tomorrow or should I just say I had mono. Sometimes, I just became silent when they asked. Through this, I have found my true friends. I still have to find myself. Recovery is a process I’m still going through. I know I can be strong, hard working, and use my new tools throughout my life. I know I am not alone and can relate to my peers about the struggles of life because I went through it myself. I fell, but now I can rebuild just like the Nation did. I will remember my 9/11 for a lifetime.

mnemonic devices essays

mnemonic devices essays When talking about memory in this chapter, metacognition and metamemory are introduced. Metacognition is our awareness of and knowledge about our own cognitive system. In other words, this is referred to as knowing about knowing. Metamemroy is the knowldege about ones own memory system; also known as knowing how to know. Ones metamemroy process includes the awareness that you must get things into the memory by performing some intentional acitivity. This intentional mental acitivity is known as rehearsal. Mnemonic means to help the memory. As the textbook states, a mnemonic device is an active, strategic kind of learning device or method, otherwise known as a rehearsal strategy. Each mnemonic device is either formal, meaning you learn the mnemonic scheme and then apply it, or informal, which is when you invent the scheme yourself. Informal devices are characterized by three principles: 1) the material being learned is structured and integrated into a preexisting memory framework. 2) The material to be remembered must be practiced. 3) The mnemonic device provides a plan or scheme for retrieving information. Mnemonic devices provide an easier way to remember information. People use them to remember specific items in a shorter, quicker way than memorizing the entire concept. There are two types of mnemonic devies in which the book discuesses. The first one is the method of loci. Two active ingredients are invloed in this method; the first being the memorized physical locations and the second being the mental images of the to-be-remembered items. An example of this would be the grocery list that we did in class. It worked very well because each grocery item that we associated with locations was easty to remember. The other is the peg-word mnemonic device. This is where a prememorized set of words serves as a s ...

Marketing Report for Teejay's Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Report for Teejay's - Assignment Example Proposed Market Teejays is a growing organization with a strong presence in the UK market. Therefore, the company requires a market that is equally growing and promising in the future. As such, the best market for Teejays would be China. Presently, China is one of the fastest growing market for customer care and other related outsourcing services. Also the country is set to be a new economic super power within few years. What makes China the potential market for Teejays is the country’s shift in the market focus. â€Å"Till today, the domestic market is still the principal part of China’s call center market, accounting for about 80 per cent, while Japan and South Korea have been China’s major offshoring markets, where China is in absolute dominance.† (Chunyan, 2010) But now the country has realized the importance of expanding the market to the western countries. This necessitates vigorous training of the potential employees as unlike the competitors India or Philippines, China has low proficiency in English language. The Chinese government has begun huge investment in English which throws out huge market opportunities for companies like Teejays. (Graddol, 2008) â€Å"Chinese people are bad at expressing themselves orally in a foreign language, however, they are good at reading and writing in it.† (Hongbing, 2010) The huge focus by the Chinese government on call centres as an economic power plant makes the Chinese market one of the most promising among the world. The Chinese government has even coined the term ‘Call Economy’ in order to represent the massive size of call centres to the Chinese Economy. (CCC, 2010) The Chinese economy was so far being dominated by manufacturing sector. But now the service sector is experiencing massive growth to emerge as the backbone of the economy. The annual growth rate in the Chinese call centre jobs is 15%. In 2009 itself more than 5 billion Euros were invested in the call cent re market. Way back in 2006, Chinese government has launched a project which designated 10 Chinese cities mainly for developing call centres and related service companies. Apart from that the country’s investment in the education sector is massive in order to equip the employable people to take up offshore business. As Teejays is primarily a call centre training consultant, it has huge potential market in China. Prospective call centre employees require improvement in their language proficiency. Government is also providing various supportive measures in order to foster the development of such training institutes. China has witnessed well known call centre companies entering the market in the recent years. â€Å"Growth in the number of Call Centers and number of agent positions seats in China is steadily increasing, and the revenue growth for technology vendors selling enterprise Call Center solutions has been in the double digits.† (APRG, 2011) With the boom in the ca ll centre industry, there is a huge growth in the revenue of technology vendors. Call centre training institutes have similar opportunity for increasing the market share and revenue. The increased presence of multinational companies in China has necessitated the need for better customer relationship management. Companies have

How does hip hop music affect black youth Essay

How does hip hop music affect black youth - Essay Example Music became the distinctly identifiable symbol of African music culture deeply rooted in African tradition. Early forms of African music symbolized the determination of the generations to preserve a rich collection amassed throughout history. The collection of music demonstrated the determination of Africans to survive the conditions of the systemic social, psychological, and economical oppression thrust upon them. Music provided a documentation of a legacy of struggle. The myriad of music genre berthed throughout history continue in the tradition, demonstrating the significances of music in African culture. Collective Struggle Through Music Perhaps most evident throughout the history of black music is the presence of struggle. In music, struggle is evidenced as evidenced as the social conditions of the people. In Blacks music, struggle surfaces as the conditions of economic oppression, racism, social and gender inferiority, violence, devastation, and despair (Taylor, 1997). Music p rovides social and psychological sustenance and emotional fulfillment in the midst of the struggle (Rose, 1999). Evident is a shared, fundamental common thread: the music genre provides social identification and group solidarity for the respective followers. Music allows the individuals in struggles to share ideas, values, and belief (Titon, 1984; Rose, 1999). For groups silenced by mainstream constraints, music renders a powerful voice. Music is used to cast upon the consciousness of issues inherent in the mainstream relationship to the black community (i.e., injustice, prejudice, and oppression; Rose, 1999). Of further evidence is the youth influence on the evolution of black music forms. Black youth have historically struggled to overcome societal... This "How does hip hop music affect black youth?" outlines the connection between listening to hip-hop music and teenagers behaviour. Rap is an integral component of the African oral and musical traditions. Rap artists have emerged as the modern orators, the present-day Black icons (Rose, 1999). The non-violent anti-establishment rhetoric of 1960s, has been swapped by the powerful defiant, hate-driven, aggressive, anti-establishment rhetoric of rap icons, which provide contentment for the 1990s generation of Black youth (Rose, 1999). This often rebellious rhetoric speaks to the social, psychological, economic, political, educational, and cultural conditions and challenges of today's youth. Specifically, rap developed as a result of youth efforts to negotiate the often adverse conditions of their environmental surroundings. The lyrical images in rap music provide a graphic and spellbinding representation of the social conditions of the artists and the youth who embrace the music. The lyrics, delivered in an explicit and combative manner, seek to capture the austerities of urban life as youths encounter and experience them every day. The connectedness of the lyrics to the social conditions of the youth enraptured by the music stimulates an impassioned embrace (Rose, 1999). The enraptured state of the youthful devotees is reminiscent of the fervent state often displayed during an emotional religious experience. Youths who immerse themselves in the music and with such fervor embody the youth oriented culture known as hip-hop.

Prisoners rights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Prisoners rights - Research Paper Example This is because of the harsh living conditions that prisoners are subjected to. However being a correctional facility, the system is meant to mould inmates to follow simple rules to fit in society again once they are released (Hudson, 2007). It is important to note that prisoners are entitled to limited rights in a jail setting since some of the civil rights are stripped at the time they are incarcerated. However as per the Eighth amendment of the Federal constitution, prisoners are protected from cruel and unusual punishment on the basis of race, sex or creed. They are entitled to affordable minimum standards of living and food to sustain an average person adequately. In this regard, the sandwich given for lunch by the government is a way of according prisoners affordable living standards (Pertersilia et al, 2012). The wearing of pink pants therefore does not in any way curtail the constitution rights of prisoners. It is prudent to appreciate the correctional facilities and the role they play in our society. It is important to note that other rights are strictly regulated by individual prison systems and therefore are not guaranteed. For example, visitations are not a personal right but nevertheless are allowed. Different state correctional facilities can adopt different measures for prisoners to be law abiding citizens again. This is acceptable as long as they are not overboard and infringe on prisoner

Assessing The Capacity Planning For Bmw Business Essay

Assessing The Capacity Planning For Bmw Business Essay First of all, capacity refers to the upper limit or ceiling on the load that an operating unit can handle. And the load might be number of physical units produced or number of service produced. (Stevenson, 2009).According to Eng. Abdel Moniem shehata, he said that capacity is always something to manage. He added that capacity planning is not necessary to be time consuming or expensive. And any company will use the capacity planning depending on its tools and resources. According to BMW, the Company owns workers, machines, tools, engineering and materials and etc, and they have to use all this resources to maximize productivity and take full advantage of it to reach high capacity. When Mr. Abdel Moniem shehata was asked about the importance of capacity decisions towards BMW he said that the more capacity the more profit the company will gain and the expenses will be decreased as BMW involves manufacturing so it is important to set a capacity planning because the source of income of BMW comes from selling cars. However, Capacity is important because it deliver benefits and profits much more than what was expected. Mr. Abdel Moniem shehata said that capacity is very important as it affect and have impact on BMW as a Company and its cars. It also affects competitiveness and he said that he thinks that the most near competitors to BMW are Mercedes and Volkswagen as the three brands are Germany and the factories are located near to each other. On the other hand, the firm that has more capacity will have an advantage of delivery speed. He added that capacity decision affects the Operating costs by helping in minimizing operating cost. There are two different ways to measure capacity which are design capacity and effective capacity. The design capacity is the output rate while the effective capacity is the design capacity minus allowances. According to BMW Eng. Abdel Moniem shehata says about the ways BMW use to measure capacity, that at the beginning of any business a Feasibility study is very important to start with and study it very proper and ensure that it is right to reach the profit which the company needs. Afterward things that is essential for production comes after like machines, inventories, workers, engineering, and equipment all these kind of resources which will help in achieving high capacity. Then the budget of the production is putted which consists of income and outcome. Income like assets and expenses while outcome like revenue and profit that is received. Mainly BMW measures capacity by multiplying the number of machines or workers with the number of shift, with utilization and with efficiency. According to the determinants of effective capacity there are factors that influence capacity. The design of BMW is important including the shape and the size. Also the design can have influence on capacity. According to BMW it is important to produce cars with the same range other than different ones. He added that quality of the car is an important part in the determinants of effective capacity. As by increasing quality the capacity will increase as well. And other external factors like safety, purchasing decisions and inventory stocking decision, all these factors have a great impact on capacity. Any company or organization has a capacity formulation bases its capacity strategy on assumptions and prediction. Strategy formulation consists of 3 primary stages which are leading, following and tracking. Leading helps in building capacity in a hope of future demand increases. While following start building capacity when demand increases current capacity. Finally tracking keeps capacity to keep demand increase (Stevenson, 2009). However, BMW can measure the success of its new process by tracking how long it takes for one car to be built from the very beginning until its all done. If vehicles take different of times to be built then it is a sign of uneven flow of materials to the production line. Another way is looking at the number of vehicles that are returned for warranty work. This measurement looks at the final product. If suppliers are hurried to complete orders, they might reduce the quality of the products that they are supplying to BMW. Once those low quality parts are used in the manufacturing of a new car, the customer will find it unsatisfying and it will be returned back to be corrected. The capacity planning is done by the general manager and other people that are responsible for the materials and engineering as well. There are six steps of capacity planning. The first step is to Estimate the future capacity requirements, the second step is to evaluate existing capacity, the third step is identify alternatives, the fourth step is to conduct financial analysis, the fifth step is to assess key qualities issues, while the six step is to implement alternative chosen, finally, the six step is to monitor results.(Stevenson, 2009). But Eng. Abdel El Moneim said that BMW makes the capacity planning in 3 simple steps. The first step is determining service level requirements; as they categorize the work done by systems and quantify customers expectations for how those works get done. The second step is to analyze the current capacity which is important to analyze it to see how it is meeting customers needs. The third step is planning for the future, by forecasting BMWs future business activity and determining it. However, Implementing is important as it ensure that the available capacity will be enough even if any changes happened if the future. Finally, when coming to the evaluation of the capacity planning at BMW Mr. Abdel Moniem shehata said that Evaluations carried out to learn lessons that can be used to improve ongoing or future capacity planning efforts are of potentially greater value. Unfortunately, improvement-oriented evaluations are seldom carried out. This is a serious shortcoming of evaluation practice, since capacity-development efforts involve a great deal of experimentation, and managers need to know the results in order to sharpen or reformulate objectives and reorient their activities in appropriate ways. In conclusion, for any company to achieve a successful planning capacity is to set goals and define objectives.   The company must also ensure that the planning process is carefully recognized.   And if the company found any mistake in the plan or the plan is not working, it doesnt mean that the organization has to start the planning from the beginning but only to correct or improve the parts which include the mistake. BMW creates their capacity planning at least once a year and sometime every six months. Reference Page: Trading eBook. (2010). , AL: Scribd. Retrieved May 3, 2011, from http://www.scribd.com/doc/36253765/bmw-case. kern, H. (2008). , AL: Tech Republic. Retrieved May 3, 2011, from http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-ways-to-build-a-solid-capacity-planning-effort/370 (2010). , AL: Carzy. Retrieved May 6, 2011, from http://carzy.co.in/blog/car-news/bmw-india-expand-capacity-8000-units-early-2011.html/

Physics of Swimming Essay -- physics swim swimming

The study of physics and fluid dynamics in swimming has been a field of increasing interest for study in the past few decades among swimming coaches and enthusiasts. Despite the long history of research, the understanding of how to move the human body effectively through the water is still in its infancy. Competitive swimmers and their coaches of all levels are constantly striving for ways to improve their stroke technique and overall performance. The research and performances of today's swimmers are continuously disproving the beliefs of the past. Like in all sports, a better understanding of physics is enabling the world class swimmers to accomplish times never before thought possible. This was displayed on the grandest of scales in the 2000 Olympics when Ian Thorpe, Inge De Bruijn, Pieter Van Den Hoogenband and a number of other swimmers broke a total of twelve world records and numerous Olympic and national records. Several forces play significant roles in the movement of the human body through the water. The forces are drag, lift, gravity and buoyancy. Lift and drag are the main propulsive forces that are used by swimmers. Resistance, known as drag, can be broken into three main categories: frontal resistance, skin friction, and eddy resistance. The effect of buoyancy in swimming is best described by Archimedes’ principle: a body fully or partially submerged in a fluid is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid that is displaced by the body.1 This effectively negates any effects that gravity might have on a swimmer. The rare exception to this is a swimmer with very little body fat, and this is overcome by keeping the lungs inflated to a certain degree at all times. Frontal... ...s, but through her intense regiment of endurance training she was recently able to win two Olympic gold medals. A select few swimmers go beyond momentum and energy and use power to its fullest and have no competition, like Ian Thorpe or the once great Alex Popov. Works Cited 1 David Halliday, Robert Resnick, and Jearl Walker, Fundamentals of Physics, Extended, 5th ed. (NewYork:Wiley, 1997) 361 2 Cecil M. Colwin, Swimming Into the 21st Century, (Champaign: Human Kinetics, 1992) 20-32, 58-59 3 James E. Counsilman and Brian E. Counsilman, The New Science of Swimming, (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1994) 6-7 4 James E. Counsilman and Brian E. Counsilman, The New Science of Swimming, (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1994) 10-22 5 Robert E. Schleihauf, "A biomechanical analysis of freestyle." Swimming Technique, 1974, 11(3), 89-96

Norwegian Wood by The Beatles: Song Analysis

The song opens with a sweepingly catchy acoustic melody that seamlessly evokes sense of nostalgic longing. This feeling of sadness and reflection permeates throughout the piece. While the arrangement is actually quite complex, the music appears stripped down to the casual listener; the song is centered around a mall lick performed simultaneously on acoustic guitar and sitar, which Is Introduced at the beginning and decidedly does not evolve into anything beyond this. The simplistic structure brings to mind a sensation of loneliness, which is heightened by Lemon's yearning vocals.The soothing melody can be described as dreamlike, and the petition is used to almost hypnotic effect, succeeding in ministering the concentrated listener into a peaceful, contemplative daze. The short length of the song Is somewhat Jarring (It ends just after two minutes) because Just as the listener has been subdued by the Infectious melody, they are abandoned by It just as quickly. It feels as though there should be more; as if there is something missing. I would argue, however, that this is exactly the effect The Battles intended, as it adds to the ambiguous nature of the song. The production of the song, courtesy of GeorgeMartin, succeeds in bringing the contagious melody to the forefront of the experience, all the while allowing the rest of the Instruments sufficient clarity. Ambiguity Is also achieved through the song's lyrics, which describe a seemingly clandestine love affair between Lennox and an unnamed woman. The song opens with the line: â€Å"I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me†, suggesting that not only is the relationship mysterious to the listener, but also inconclusive to the man involved in it. The lyrics continue to outline a strained evening of the couple talking, ranking wine, and eventually going to bed in separate rooms.Much speculation has been made as to what the song Is actually about, especially the final lines; â€Å"And when I awoke, I was alone, this bird had flown / So 1 11th a fire, Isn't It good, Norwegian wood. † Some believe that the fire being lit is a joint of marijuana, or that the man burns the house down after the woman makes him sleep in the bath. In The Battles Anthology, Lennox says of the lyrics: ‘Norwegian Wood' was about an affair I was having. I was very careful and paranoid because I didn't want my wife, CCNY, to know that there really was something owing on outside the household.I'd always had some kind of affairs going, so I was trying to De sophisticated In writing auto an tall, out In sun a smokescreen way that you couldn't tell. (196) Like many of The Battles' innovations in sound, the incorporation of the sitar came from spontaneous experimentation. In The Battles Anthology, George Harrison recalls: I went and bought a sitar from a little shop at the top of Oxford Street called Antiaircraft – it stocked little carvings, and incense. It was a real crummy-quality one, a ctually, but I bought it and mucked around with it a bit.Anyway;ay, we were at the mint where we'd recorded the ‘Norwegian Wood' backing track (twelve-string and six- string acoustic, bass and drums) and it needed something. We would usually start looking through the cupboard to see if we could come up with something, a new sound, and I picked the sitar up – it was Just lying around; I hadn't really figured out what to do with it. It was quite spontaneous: I found the notes that played the lick. It fitted and it worked. (196) â€Å"Norwegian Wood† is the second track on Rubber Soul, following the upbeat â€Å"Drive My Car† and is followed by the also light-hearted muff Won't See Me†.

Chapter 11 The Firebolt

Harry didn't have a very clear idea of how he had managed to get back into the Honeydukes cellar, through the tunnel, and into the castle once more. All he knew was that the return trip seemed to take no time at all, and that he hardly noticed what he was doing, because his head was still pounding with the conversation he had just heard. Why had nobody ever told him? Dumbledore, Hagrid, Mr. Weasley, Cornelius Fudge†¦why hadn't anyone ever mentioned the fact that Harry's parents had died because their best friend had betrayed them? Ron and Hermione watched Harry nervously all through dinner, not daring to talk about what they'd overheard, because Percy was sitting close by them. When they went upstairs to the crowded common room, it was to find Fred and George had set off half a dozen Dungbombs in a fit of end-of-term high spirits. Harry, who didn't want Fred and George asking him whether he'd reached Hogsmeade or not, sneaked quietly up to the empty dormitory and headed straight for his bedside cabinet. He pushed his books aside and quickly found what he was looking for — the leather-bound photo album Hagrid had given him two years ago, which was full of wizard pictures of his mother and father. He sat down on his bed, drew the hangings around him, and started turning the pages, searching, until †¦ He stopped on a picture of his parents' wedding day. There was his father waving up at him, beaming, the untidy black hair Harry had inherited standing up in all directions. There was his mother, alight with happiness, arm in arm with his dad. And there†¦that must be him. Their best man†¦Harry had never given him a thought before. If he hadn't known it was the same person, he would never have guessed it was Black in this old photograph. His face wasn't sunken and waxy, but handsome, full of laughter. Had he already been working for Voldemort when this picture had been taken? Was he already planning the deaths of the two people next to him? Did he realize he was facing twelve years in Azkaban, twelve years that would make him unrecognizable? But the Dementors don't affect him, Harry thought, staring into the handsome, laughing face. He doesn't have to hear my Mum screaming if they get too close — Harry slammed the album shut, reached over and stuffed it back into his cabinet, took off his robe and glasses and got into bed, making sure the hangings were hiding him from view. The dormitory door opened. â€Å"Harry?† said Ron's voice uncertainly. But Harry lay still, pretending to be asleep. He heard Ron leave again, and rolled over on his back, his eyes wide open. A hatred such as he had never known before was coursing through Harry like poison. He could see Black laughing at him through the darkness, as though somebody had pasted the picture from the album over his eyes. He watched, as though somebody was playing him a piece of film, Sirius Black blasting Peter Pettigrew (who resembled Neville Longbottom) into a thousand pieces. He could hear (though having no idea what Black's voice might sound like) a low, excited mutter. â€Å"It has happened, My Lord†¦the Potters have made me their Secret-Keeper† and then came another voice, laughing shrilly, the same laugh that Harry heard inside his head whenever the Dementors drew near†¦. â€Å"Harry, you — you look terrible.† Harry hadn't gotten to sleep until daybreak. He had awoken to find the dormitory deserted, dressed, and gone down the spiral staircase to a common room that was completely empty except for Ron, who was eating a Peppermint Toad and massaging his stomach, and Hermione, who had spread her homework over three tables. â€Å"Where is everyone?† said Harry. â€Å"Gone! It's the first day of the holidays, remember?† said Ron, watching Harry closely. â€Å"It's nearly lunchtime; I was going to come and wake you up in a minute.† Harry slumped into a chair next to the fire. Snow was still falling outside the windows. Crookshanks was spread out in front of the fire like a large, ginger rug. â€Å"You really don't look well, you know,† Hermione said, peering anxiously into his face. â€Å"I'm fine,† said Harry. â€Å"Harry, listen,† said Hermione, exchanging a look with Ron, â€Å"you must be really upset about what we heard yesterday. But the thing is, you mustn't go doing anything stupid.† â€Å"Like what?† said Harry. â€Å"Like trying to go after Black,† said Ron sharply. Harry could tell they had rehearsed this conversation while he had been asleep. He didn't say anything. â€Å"You won't, will you, Harry?† said Hermione. â€Å"Because Black's not worth dying for,† said Ron. Harry looked at them. They didn't seem to understand at all. â€Å"D'you know what I see and hear every time a Dementor gets too near me?† Ron and Hermione shook their heads, looking apprehensive. â€Å"I can hear my mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. And if you'd heard your mum screaming like that, just about to be killed, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry. And if you found out someone who was supposed to be a friend of hers betrayed her and sent Voldemort after her –â€Å" â€Å"There's nothing you can do!† said Hermione, looking stricken. â€Å"The Dementors will catch Black and he'll go back to Azkaban and — and serve him right!† â€Å"You heard what Fudge said. Black isn't affected by Azkaban like normal people are. It's not a punishment for him like it is for the others.† â€Å"So what are you saying?† said Ron, looking very tense. â€Å"You want to — to kill Black or something?† â€Å"Don't be silly,† said Hermione in a panicky voice. â€Å"Harry doesn't want to kill anyone, do you, Harry?† Again, Harry didn't answer. He didn't know what he wanted to do. All he knew was that the idea of doing nothing, while Black was at liberty, was almost more than he could stand. â€Å"Malfoy knows,† he said abruptly. â€Å"Remember what he said to me in Potions? ‘If it was me, I'd hunt him down myself†¦I'd want revenge.'† â€Å"You're going to take Malfoy's advice instead of ours?† said Ron furiously. â€Å"Listen†¦you know what Pettigrew's mother got back after Black had finished with him? Dad told me — the Order of Merlin, First Class, and Pettigrew's finger in a box. That was the biggest bit of him they could find. Black's a madman, Harry, and he's dangerous –â€Å" â€Å"Malfoy's dad must have told him,† said Harry, ignoring Ron. â€Å"He was right in Voldemort's inner circle –â€Å" â€Å"Say You-Know-Who, will you?† interjected Ron angrily. â€Å"– so obviously, the Malfoys knew Black was working for Voldemort –â€Å" â€Å"– and Malfoy'd love to see you blown into about a million pieces, like Pettigrew! Get a grip. Malfoy's just hoping you'll get yourself killed before he has to play you at Quidditch.† â€Å"Harry, please,† said Hermione, her eyes now shining with tears, â€Å"Please be sensible. Black did a terrible, terrible thing, but d-don't put yourself in danger, it's what Black wants†¦Oh, Harry, you'd be playing right into Black's hands if you went looking for him. Your mum and dad wouldn't want you to get hurt, would they? They'd never want you to go looking for Black!† â€Å"I'll never know what they'd have wanted, because thanks to Black, I've never spoken to them,† said Harry shortly. There was a silence in which Crookshanks stretched luxuriously flexing his claws. Ron's pocket quivered. â€Å"Look,† said Ron, obviously casting around for a change of subject, â€Å"it's the holidays! It's nearly Christmas! Let's — let's go down and see Hagrid. We haven't visited him for ages!† â€Å"No!† said Hermione quickly. â€Å"Harry isn't supposed to leave the castle, Ron –â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, let's go,† said Harry, sitting up, â€Å"and I can ask him how come he never mentioned Black when he told me all about my parents!† Further discussion of Sirius Black plainly wasn't what Ron had had in mind. â€Å"Or we could have a game of chess,† he said hastily, â€Å"or Gobstones. Percy left a set –â€Å" â€Å"No, let's visit Hagrid,† said Harry firmly. So they got their cloaks from their dormitories and set off through the portrait hole (â€Å"Stand and fight, you yellow-bellied mongrels!†), down through the empty castle and out through the oak front doors. They made their way slowly down the lawn, making a shallow trench in the glittering, powdery snow, their socks and the hems of their cloaks soaked and freezing. The Forbidden Forest looked as though it had been enchanted, each tree smattered with silver, and Hagrid's cabin looked like an iced cake. Ron knocked, but there was no answer. â€Å"He's not out, is he?† said Hermione, who was shivering under her cloak. Ron had his ear to the door. â€Å"There's a weird noise,† he said. â€Å"Listen — is that Fang?† Harry and Hermione put their ears to the door too. From inside the cabin came a series of low, throbbing moans. â€Å"Think we'd better go and get someone?† said Ron nervously. â€Å"Hagrid!† called Harry, thumping the door. â€Å"Hagrid, are you in there?† There was a sound of heavy footsteps, then the door creaked open. Hagrid stood there with his eyes red and swollen, tears splashing down the front of his leather vest. â€Å"You've heard?† he bellowed, and he flung himself onto Harry's neck. Hagrid being at least twice the size of a normal man, this was no laughing matter. Harry, about to collapse under Hagrid's weight, was rescued by Ron and Hermione, who each seized Hagrid under an arm and heaved him back into the cabin. Hagrid allowed himself to be steered into a chair and slumped over the table, sobbing uncontrollably, his face glazed with tears that dripped down into his tangled beard. â€Å"Hagrid, what is it?† said Hermione, aghast. Harry spotted an official-looking letter lying open on the table. â€Å"What's this, Hagrid?† Hagrid's sobs redoubled, but he shoved the letter toward Harry, who picked it up and read aloud: Dear Mr. Hagrid, Further to our inquiry into the attack by a Hippogriff on a student in your class, we have accepted the assurances of Professor Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident. â€Å"Well, that's okay then, Hagrid!† said Ron, clapping Hagrid on the shoulder. But Hagrid continued to sob, and waved one of his gigantic hands, inviting Harry to read on. However, we must register our concern about the Hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the official complaint of Mr. Lucius Malfoy, and this matter will therefore be taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we ask you to present yourself and your Hippogriff at the Committee's offices in London on that date. In the meantime, the Hippogriff should be kept tethered and isolated. Yours in fellowship †¦ There followed a list of the school governors. â€Å"Oh,† said Ron. â€Å"But you said Buckbeak isn't a bad Hippogriff, Hagrid. I bet he'll get off.† â€Å"Yeh don' know them gargoyles at the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures!† choked Hagrid, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. â€Å"They've got it in fer interestin' creatures!† A sudden sound from the corner of Hagrid's cabin made Harry, Ron, and Hermione whip around. Buckbeak the Hippogriff was lying in the corner, chomping on something that was oozing blood all over the floor. â€Å"I couldn' leave him tied up out there in the snow!† choked Hagrid. â€Å"All on his own! At Christmas.† Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another. They had never seen eye to eye with Hagrid about what he called ‘interesting creatures' and other people called ‘terrifying monsters.' On the other hand, there didn't seem to be any particular harm in Buckbeak. In fact, by Hagrid's usual standards, he was positively cute. â€Å"You'll have to put up a good strong defense, Hagrid,† said Hermione, sitting down and laying a hand on Hagrid's massive forearm. â€Å"I'm sure you can prove Buckbeak is safe.† â€Å"Won' make no diff'rence!† sobbed Hagrid. â€Å"Them Disposal devils, they're all in Lucius Malfoy's pocket! Scared o' him! Ad if I lose the case, Buckbeak –â€Å" Hagrid drew his finger swiftly across his throat, then gave a great wail and lurched forward, his face in his arms. â€Å"What about Dumbledore, Hagrid?† said Harry. â€Å"He's done more'n enough fer me already,† groaned Hagrid. â€Å"Got enough on his plate what with keepin' them Dementors outta the castle, an' Sirius Black lurkin' around.† Ron and Hermione looked quickly at Harry, as though expecting him to start berating Hagrid for not telling him the truth about Black. But Harry couldn't bring himself to do it, not now that he saw Hagrid so miserable and scared. â€Å"Listen, Hagrid,† he said, â€Å"you can't give up. Hermione's right, You just need a good defense. You can call us as witnesses –â€Å" â€Å"I'm sure I've read about a case of Hippogriff-baiting,† said Hermione thoughtfully, â€Å"where the Hippogriff got off. I'll look it up for you, Hagrid, and see exactly what happened.† Hagrid howled still more loudly. Harry and Hermione looked at Ron to help them. â€Å"Er — shall I make a cup of tea?† said Ron. Harry stared at him. â€Å"It's what my mum does whenever someone's upset,† Ron muttered, shrugging. At last, after many more assurances of help, with a steaming mug of tea in front of him, Hagrid blew his nose on a handkerchief the size of a tablecloth and said, â€Å"Yer right. I can' afford to go ter pieces. Gotta pull meself together†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Fang the boarhound came timidly out from under the table and laid his head on Hagrid's knee. â€Å"I've not bin meself lately,† said Hagrid, stroking Fang with one hand and mopping his face with the other. â€Å"Worried abou' Buckbeak, an' no one likin' me classes –â€Å" â€Å"We do like them!† lied Hermione at once. â€Å"Yeah, they're great!† said Ron, crossing his fingers under the table. â€Å"Er — how are the flobberworms?† â€Å"Dead,† said Hagrid gloomily. â€Å"Too much lettuce.† â€Å"Oh no!† said Ron, his lip twitching. â€Å"An' them Dementors make me feel ruddy terrible an' all,† said Hagrid, with a sudden shudder. â€Å"Gotta walk past 'em ev'ry time I want a drink in the Three Broomsticks. ‘S like bein' back in Azkaban –â€Å" He fell silent, gulping his tea. Harry, Ron, and Hermione watched him breathlessly. They had never heard Hagrid talk about his brief spell in Azkaban before. After a pause, Hermione said timidly, â€Å"Is it awful in there, Hagrid?† â€Å"Yeh've no idea,† said Hagrid quietly. â€Å"Never bin anywhere like it. Thought I was goin' mad. Kep' goin' over horrible stuff in me mind†¦the day I got expelled from Hogwarts†¦day me dad died†¦day I had ter let Norbert go †¦Ã¢â‚¬  His eyes filled with tears. Norbert was the baby dragon Hagrid had once won in a game of cards. â€Å"Yeh can' really remember who yeh are after a while. An' yeh can' really see the point o' livin' at all. I used ter hope I'd jus' die in me sleep. When they let me out, it was like bein' born again, ev'rythin' came floodin' back, it was the bes' feelin' in the world. Mind, the Dementors weren't keen on lettin' me go.† â€Å"But you were innocent!† said Hermione. Hagrid snorted. â€Å"Think that matters to them? They don' care. Long as they've got a couple o' hundred humans stuck there with 'em, so they can leech all the happiness out of 'em, they don' give a damn who's guilty an' who's not.† Hagrid went quiet for a moment, staring into his tea. Then he said quietly, â€Å"Thought o' jus' letting Buckbeak go †¦tryin' ter make him fly away†¦but how d'yeh explain ter a Hippogriff it's gotta go inter hidin'? An' — an' I'm scared o' breakin' the law†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He looked up at them, tears leaking down his face again. â€Å"I don' ever want ter go back ter Azkaban.† ****** The trip to Hagrid's, though far from fun, had nevertheless had the effect Ron and Hermione had hoped. Though Harry had by no means forgotten about Black, he couldn't brood constantly on revenge if he wanted to help Hagrid win his case against the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. He, Ron, and Hermione went to the library the next day and returned to the empty common room laden with books that might help prepare a defense for Buckbeak. The three of them sat in front of the roaring fire, slowly turning the pages of dusty volumes about famous cases of marauding beasts, speaking occasionally when they ran across something relevant. â€Å"Here's something†¦there was a case in 1722†¦but the Hippogriff was convicted — ugh, look what they did to it, that's disgusting –â€Å" â€Å"This might help, look — a Manticore savaged someone in 1296, and they let the Manticore off — oh — no, that was only because everyone was too scared to go near it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Meanwhile, in the rest of the castle, the usual magnificent Christmas decorations had been put up, despite the fact that hardly any of the students remained to enjoy them. Thick streamers of holly and mistletoe were strung along the corridors, mysterious lights shone from inside every suit of armor, and the Great Hall was filled with its usual twelve Christmas trees, glittering with golden stars. A powerful and delicious smell of cooking pervaded the corridors, and by Christmas Eve, it had grown so strong that even Scabbers poked his nose out of the shelter of Ron's pocket to sniff hopefully at the air. On Christmas morning, Harry was woken by Ron throwing his pillow at him. â€Å"Oy! Presents!† Harry reached for his glasses and put them on, squinting through the semi-darkness to the foot of his bed, where a small heap of parcels had appeared. Ron was already ripping the paper off his own presents. â€Å"Another sweater from Mum†¦maroon again†¦see if you've got one.† Harry had. Mrs. Weasley had sent him a scarlet sweater with the Gryffindor lion knitted on the front, also a dozen home-baked mince pies, some Christmas cake, and a box of nut brittle. As he moved all these things aside, he saw a long, thin package lying underneath. â€Å"What's that?† said Ron, looking over, a freshly unwrapped pair of maroon socks in his hand. â€Å"Dunno†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry ripped the parcel open and gasped as a magnificent, gleaming broomstick rolled out onto his bedspread. Ron dropped his socks and jumped off his bed for a closer look. â€Å"I don't believe it,† he said hoarsely. It was a Firebolt, identical to the dream broom Harry had gone to see every day in Diagon Alley. Its handle glittered as he picked it up. He could feel it vibrating and let go; it hung in midair, unsupported, at exactly the right height for him to mount it. His eyes moved from the golden registration number at the top of the handle, right down to the perfectly smooth, streamlined birch twigs that made up the tail. â€Å"Who sent it to you?† said Ron in a hushed voice. â€Å"Look and see if there's a card,† said Harry. Ron ripped apart the Firebolt's wrappings. â€Å"Nothing! Blimey, who'd spend that much on you?† â€Å"Well,† said Harry, feeling stunned, â€Å"I'm betting it wasn't the Dursleys.† â€Å"I bet it was Dumbledore,† said Ron, now walking around and around the Firebolt, taking in every glorious inch. â€Å"He sent you the Invisibility Cloak anonymously†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"That was my dad's, though,† said Harry. â€Å"Dumbledore was just passing it on to me. He wouldn't spend hundreds of Galleons on me. He can't go giving students stuff like this –â€Å" â€Å"That's why he wouldn't say it was from him!† said Ron. â€Å"In case some git like Malfoy said it was favoritism. Hey, Harry –† Ron gave a great whoop of laughter — â€Å"Malfoy! Wait 'til he sees you on this! He'll be sick as a pig! This is an international standard broom, this is!† â€Å"I can't believe this,† Harry muttered, running a hand along the Firebolt, while Ron sank onto Harry's bed, laughing his head off at the thought of Malfoy. â€Å"Who–?† â€Å"I know,† said Ron, controlling himself, â€Å"I know who it could've been — Lupin!† â€Å"What?† said Harry, now starting to laugh himself â€Å"Lupin? Listen, if he had this much gold, he'd be able to buy himself some new robes.† â€Å"Yeah, but he likes you,† said Ron. â€Å"And he was away when your Nimbus got smashed, and he might've heard about it and decided to visit Diagon Alley and get this for you –â€Å" â€Å"What d'you mean, he was away?† said Harry. â€Å"He was ill when I was playing in that match.† â€Å"Well, he wasn't in the hospital wing,† said Ron. â€Å"I was there, cleaning out the bedpans on that detention from Snape, remember?† Harry frowned at Ron. â€Å"I can't see Lupin affording something like this.† â€Å"What're you two laughing about?† Hermione had just come in, wearing her dressing gown and carrying Crookshanks, who was looking very grumpy, with a string of tinsel tied around his neck. â€Å"Don't bring him in here!† said Ron, hurriedly snatching Scabbers from the depths of his bed and stowing him in his pajama pocket. But Hermione wasn't listening. She dropped Crookshanks onto Seamus's empty bed and stared, open-mouthed, at the Firebolt. â€Å"Oh, Harry! Who sent you that?† â€Å"No idea,† said Harry. â€Å"There wasn't a card or anything with it.† To his great surprise, Hermione did not appear either excited or intrigued by the news. On the contrary, her face fell, and she bit her lip. â€Å"What's the matter with you?† said Ron. â€Å"I don't know,† said Hermione slowly, â€Å"but it's a bit odd, isn't it? I mean, this is supposed to be quite a good broom, isn't it?† Ron sighed exasperatedly. â€Å"It's the best broom there is, Hermione,† he said. â€Å"So it must've been really expensive†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Probably cost more than all the Slytherins' brooms put together,† said Ron happily. â€Å"Well†¦who'd send Harry something as expensive as that, and not even tell him they'd sent it?† said Hermione. â€Å"Who cares?† said Ron impatiently. â€Å"Listen, Harry, can I have a go on it? Can I?† â€Å"I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet!† said Hermione shrilly. Harry and Ron looked at her. â€Å"What d'you think Harry's going to do with it — sweep the floor?† said Ron. But before Hermione could answer, Crookshanks sprang from Seamus's bed, right at Ron's chest. â€Å"GET — HIM — OUT — OF — HERE!† Ron bellowed as Crookshanks's claws ripped his pajamas and Scabbers attempted a wild escape over his shoulder. Ron seized Scabbers by the tail and aimed a misjudged kick at Crookshanks that hit the trunk at the end of Harry's bed, knocking it over and causing Ron to hop up and down, howling with pain. Crookshanks's fur suddenly stood on end. A shrill, tinny, whistling was filling the room. The Pocket Sneakoscope had become dislodged from Uncle Vernon's old socks and was whirling and gleaming on the floor. â€Å"I forgot about that!† Harry said, bending down and picking up the Sneakoscope. â€Å"I never wear those socks if I can help it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The Sneakoscope whirled and whistled in his palm. Crookshanks was hissing and spitting at it. â€Å"You'd better take that cat out of here, Hermione,† said Ron furiously, sitting on Harry's bed nursing his toe. â€Å"Can't you shut that thing up?† he added to Harry as Hermione strode out of the room, Crookshanks's yellow eyes still fixed maliciously on Ron. Harry stuffed the Sneakoscope back inside the socks and threw it back into his trunk. All that could be heard now were Ron's stifled moans of pain and rage. Scabbers was huddled in Ron's hands. It had been a while since Harry had seen him out of Ron's pocket, and he was unpleasantly surprised to see that Scabbers, once so fat, was now very skinny; patches of fur seemed to have fallen out too. â€Å"He's not looking too good, is he?† Harry said. â€Å"It's stress!† said Ron. â€Å"He'd be fine if that big stupid furball left him alone!† But Harry, remembering what the woman at the Magical Menagerie had said about rats living only three years, couldn't help feeling that unless Scabbers had powers he had never revealed, he was reaching the end of his life. And despite Ron's frequent complaints that Scabbers was both boring and useless, he was sure Ron would be very miserable if Scabbers died. Christmas spirit was definitely thin on the ground in the Gryffindor common room that morning. Hermione had shut Crookshanks in her dormitory, but was furious with Ron for trying to kick him; Ron was still fuming about Crookshanks's fresh attempt to eat Scabbers. Harry gave up trying to make them talk to each other and devoted himself to examining the Firebolt, which he had brought down to the common room with him. For some reason this seemed to annoy Hermione as well; she didn't say anything, but she kept looking darkly at the broom as though it too had been criticizing her cat. At lunchtime they went down to the Great Hall, to find that the House tables had been moved against the walls again, and that a single table, set for twelve, stood in the middle of the room. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick were there, along with Filch, the caretaker, who had taken off his usual brown coat and was wearing a very old and rather moldy-looking tailcoat. There were only three other students, two extremely nervous-looking first years and a sullen-faced Slytherin fifth year. â€Å"Merry Christmas!† said Dumbledore as Harry, Ron, and Hermione approached the table. â€Å"As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables†¦Sit down, sit down!† Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down side by side at the end of the table. â€Å"Crackers!† said Dumbledore enthusiastically, offering the end of a large silver noisemaker to Snape, who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witches hat topped with a stuffed vulture. Harry, remembering the Boggart, caught Ron's eye and they both grinned; Snape's mouth thinned and he pushed the hat toward Dumbledore, who swapped it for his wizard's hat at once. â€Å"Dig in!† he advised the table, beaming around. As Harry was helping himself to roast potatoes, the doors of the Great Hall opened again. It was Professor Trelawney, gliding toward them as though on wheels. She had put on a green sequined dress in honor of the occasion, making her look more than ever like a glittering, oversized dragonfly. â€Å"Sibyll, this is a pleasant surprise!† said Dumbledore, standing up. â€Å"I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster,† said Professor Trelawney in her mistiest, most faraway voice, â€Å"and to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate? I at once hastened from my tower, and I do beg you to forgive my lateness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Certainly, certainly,† said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. â€Å"Let me draw you up a chair –â€Å" And he did indeed draw a chair in midair with his wand, which revolved for a few seconds before falling with a thud between Professors Snape and McGonagall. Professor Trelawney, however, did not sit down; her enormous eyes had been roving around the table, and she suddenly uttered a kind of soft scream. â€Å"I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!† â€Å"We'll risk it, Sibyll,† said Professor McGonagall impatiently. â€Å"Do sit down, the turkey's getting stone cold.† Professor Trelawney hesitated, then lowered herself into the empty chair, eyes shut and mouth clenched tight, as though expecting a thunderbolt to hit the table. Professor McGonagall poked a large spoon into the nearest tureen. â€Å"Tripe, Sibyll?† Professor Trelawney ignored her. Eyes open again, she looked around once more and said, â€Å"But where is dear Professor Lupin?† â€Å"I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill again,† said Dumbledore, indicating that everybody should start serving themselves. â€Å"Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas Day.† â€Å"But surely you already knew that, Sibyll?† said Professor McGonagall, her eyebrows raised. Professor Trelawney gave Professor McGonagall a very cold look. â€Å"Certainly I knew, Minerva,† she said quietly. â€Å"But one does not parade the fact that one is All-Knowing. I frequently act as though I am not possessed of the Inner Eye, so as not to make others nervous.† â€Å"That explains a great deal,† said Professor McGonagall tartly. Professor Trelawney's voice suddenly became a good deal less misty. â€Å"If you must know, Minerva, I have seen that poor Professor Lupin will not be with us for very long. He seems aware, himself, that his time is short. He positively fled when I offered to crystal gaze for him –â€Å" â€Å"Imagine that,† said Professor McGonagall dryly. â€Å"I doubt,† said Dumbledore, in a cheerful but slightly raised voice, which put an end to Professor McGonagall and Professor Trelawney's conversation, â€Å"that Professor Lupin is in any immediate danger. Severus, you've made the potion for him again?† â€Å"Yes, Headmaster,† said Snape. â€Å"Good,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"Then he should be up and about in no time†¦Derek, have you had any of the chipolatas? They're excellent.† The first-year boy went furiously red on being addressed directly by Dumbledore, and took the platter of sausages with trembling hands. Professor Trelawney behaved almost normally until the very end of Christmas dinner, two hours later. Full to bursting with Christmas dinner and still wearing their cracker hats, Harry and Ron got up first from the table and she shrieked loudly. â€Å"My dears! Which of you left his seat first? Which?† â€Å"Dunno,† said Ron, looking uneasily at Harry. â€Å"I doubt it will make much difference,† said Professor McGonagall coldly, â€Å"unless a mad axe-man is waiting outside the doors to slaughter the first into the Entrance Hall.† Even Ron laughed. Professor Trelawney looked highly affronted. â€Å"Coming?† Harry said to Hermione. â€Å"No,† Hermione muttered. â€Å"I want a quick word with Professor McGonagall.† â€Å"Probably trying to see if she can take any more classes,† yawned Ron as they make their way into the Entrance Hall, which was completely devoid of mad axe-men. When they reached the portrait hole they found Sir Cadogan enjoying a Christmas part with a couple of monks, several previous headmasters of Hogwarts and his fat pony. He pushed up his visor toasted them with a flagon of mead. â€Å"Merry — hic — Christmas! Password?† â€Å"Scurvy cur,† said Ron. â€Å"And the same to you, sir! roared Sir Cadogan, as the painting swung forward to admit them. Harry went straight up to the dormitory, collected his Firebolt and the Broomstick Servicing Kit Hermione had given him for his birthday, brought them downstairs and tried to find something to do with the Firebolt; however, there where no bent twigs to clip, and the handle was so shiny already it seemed pointless to polish it. He and Ron simply sat admiring it from every angle, until the portrait hole opened, and Hermione came in, accompanied by Professor McGonagall. Though Professor McGonagall was Head of Gryffindor House, Harry had only seen her in the common room once before, and that had been to make a very grave announcement. He and Ron stared at her, both holding the Firebolt. Hermione walked around them, sat down, picked up the nearest book and hid her face behind it. â€Å"So that's it, is it?† said Professor McGonagall beadily, walking over to the fireside and staring at the Firebolt. â€Å"Miss Granger has just informed me that you have been sent a broomstick, Potter.† Harry and Ron looked around at Hermione. They could see her forehead reddening over the top of her book, which was upside-down. â€Å"May I?† said Professor McGonagall, but she didn't wait for an answer before pulling the Firebolt out of their hands. She examined it carefully from handle to twig-ends. â€Å"Hmm. And there was no note at all, Potter? No card? No message of any kind?† â€Å"No,† said Harry blankly. â€Å"I see†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Professor McGonagall. â€Å"Well, I'm afraid I will have to take this, Potter.† â€Å"W — what?† said Harry, scrambling to his feet. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"It will need to be checked for jinxes,† said Professor McGonagall. â€Å"Of course, I'm no expert, but I daresay Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick will strip it down –â€Å" â€Å"Strip it down?† repeated Ron, as though Professor McGonagall was mad. â€Å"It shouldn't take more than a few weeks,† said Professor McGonagall. â€Å"You will have it back if we are sure it is jinx-free.† â€Å"There's nothing wrong with it!† said Harry, his voice shaking slightly. â€Å"Honestly, Professor –â€Å" â€Å"You can't know that, Potter,† said Professor McGonagall, quite kindly, â€Å"not until you've flown it, at any rate, and I'm afraid that is out of the question until we are certain that it has not been tampered with. I shall keep you informed.† Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and carried the Firebolt out of the portrait hole, which closed behind her. Harry stood staring after her, the tin of High-Finish Polish still clutched in his hands. Ron, however, rounded on Hermione. â€Å"What did you go running to McGonagall for?† Hermione threw her book aside. She was still pink in the face, but stood up and faced Ron defiantly. â€Å"Because I thought — and Professor McGonagall agrees with me — that that broom was probably sent to Harry by Sirius Black!†

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Essay Example

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Essay Example Rhetorical Analysis Essay Essay Rhetorical Analysis Essay Essay Texting and driving is one of the most debated topics in society. Whether it affects all people or whether or not youre Just good at multi tasking. Yet, all people would come to the agreement that it is one the most dangerous activities to participate in and ends millions of lives yearly. Drivers and Legislators Dismiss Cellphone Risks published in New York Times by Matt Richtel and LOL? Texting While Driving Is No Laughing Matter: Proposing a Coordinated Response to Curb this Dangerous Activity by Alexis M. Farris are two articles that present variations of ethos, pathos, and logos nd make identical arguments claiming that texting and driving is not only dangerous but is shaping the way Americans live. Both articles illustrate several accounts on the dangers of texting and driving and how the activity could potentially be stopped proving both articles to be well accounted for. While Matt Richtel and Alexis. M. Farris both reach the conclusion that texting while driving has a negative impact on people, Farris article is far deeper and less biased then Richtels who relies more on personal inference rather than factual evidence. Matt Richtel begins his article Drivers and Legislators Dismiss Cellphone risks ith a personal account of a young man getting his first car and within the first couple of months of driving ending anothers life because of texting and driving. Richtel, conveys the dangers of texting and driving through interviews with teenagers and adults. Richtels use of this technique in writing makes his article personal and rather informal and directed to a more general public audience by interviewing people who are guilty of texting and driving making the situation more relatable. People such as Tad Jones who is the floor leader in the Oklahoma house who stated Im on the phone from when I leave the Capitol to when I get home, and thats a two hour drive, a lot of people who travel are used to using the phone (Richtel, 2). Ricthels main focus is the issue with people not understanding or caring about the dangers of texting and driving. Richtel makes decent claims and produces data and surveys that should open the eyes toa general audience such as 81 percent of cellphone users acknowledged that they talk on phones while driving and 98 percent considered themselves safe drivers (Richtel, 3). Richtel uses real life situations and eople to persuade the audience into realizing the severity of texting and driving and utilizes the information he has in way that interests the audience to want to know more about the topic at hand. Alexis M. Farriss article LOL? Texting While Driving is No Laughing Matter: Proposing a Coordinated Response to Curb Dangerous Activity introduces the audience with information about the increasing number of wireless cellphone users a long with increasing number of text messages that are sent every year (Farris, 237). Farris main goal in her article is to make the audience aware of the statistics and esearch that proves texting and driving to be extremely dangerous and to propose a solution that could help end distracted driving. Farris introduces the audience with statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealing the 20 percent of all car crash fatalities in 2009 were someway involved in distracted driving targeted toward a more academic audience such as researchers and scholars. In Farris article she addresses the Government and legislatures stating that Congress should utilize its Commerce Clause and essentially force the States to legislate the area of texting while driving (Farris, 251). She also goes on to lay out and explain the Bills and Laws that have been sent to Congress multiple times that ban using a cell phone while driving yet Farris claims that Congress has not acted (Farris, 254). Farris logic in her claims are supported well and she illustrates many compelling facts that prove the dangers of texting while driving to be accurate. Matt Richtels and Alexis Farris articles discuss the same issue and ultimately have the same end in mind on what to do about texting and driving. However, the information and credibility presented in each article is different. Matt Richtel, a journalist for New York Times presents many facts about texting while driving a long with the multiple interviews with people sharing their personal opinions, experiences and views about the issue and although the interviews and facts he presents are interesting they do not prove to be credible. Richtel fails to provide any sources for any of his research and seems biased in some of his claims in his article and completely lacking ethos. For example, Richtel presented a set of data that illustrated the number of cellphone distractions that caused deaths every year and went on to ay that Americans have largely ignored the research and that there is a large disconnect between perception and reality that is worsening the problem claiming that drivers overestimate their own ability to safely multitask (Richtel, 1). Texting and driving is a difficult topic to be unbiased about but Richtels claims make it seem that he is basing his opinions off of research and not experience. Whereas, Alexis Farris article consists of constant research and data supported by multiple transportation administrations and content pulled from bills stating rules about texting and driving (Farris, 252). Alex Farris obtained her Jurius Doctor degree from the Washington School of Law making her fully equipped to research the legal matters regarding distracted driving. Although Farris does state that Congress should step up and pass a bill ending texting and driving and propose ideas in order for it to subside, she backs up her claims with research and also attempts to see both sides of the issue with banning texting and driving. For example, Alexis stated that maybe the reason this happens is because people are so used to checking their emails and sending text messages all the time. Farris claims Drivers feel that they can support egislation banning texting while driving and yet still text themselves because, when it comes to texting while driving, they minimize the dangers of their own actions (Farris, 246). Farris attempts to see the reasoning behind why people continue to text and drive without blindly making a statement and once her evidence is Justified, she states her claim again tying herself back into her main points while using the right amount of ethos throughout the article. Matt Richtels use of pathos throughout Drivers and Legislators Dismiss Cellphone Risks is what makes the audience keep reading. By using personal interviews about individuals experiences the article seems much more applicable to the audience. Richtel interviewed a man who plead guilty to negligent homicide for the death of a woman he hit while he was distracted at the wheel of car. The man he interviewed told Richtel l hope they dont communicated to his audience through their emotions and made his article personal and relatable by using language that the audience could understand and connect with. In Alexis Farris article LOL? Texting while Driving is No Laughing Matter: Proposing a Coordinated Response to Curb Dangerous Activity provided no motional appeal whatsoever. Farris focused on the business side of texting while driving rather than diving into the audiences emotions. Since the audience is mainly targeted towards scholars and researchers the terms used are complex and a lot more technical than Richtels article. For example, Farris refers to the federal government and legislation multiple times throughout her article and discusses laws and policy of transportation in detail (Farris, 254). Although Alexis Farris pathos was not as present in her writings she targets the audience she intended to and does not et caught up in the emotions of the topic and base her article solely on emotional experience. Matt Richtels and Alexis Farris articles both illustrated key points in the controversial issue of texting while driving. While Drivers and Legislators Dismiss Cellphone Risks had a strong sense of pathos through emotional connection it lacked research and evidence to back up Richtels arguments and claims, causing the article to seem one-dimensional. LOL? Texting while Driving is No Laughing Matter: Proposing a Coordinated Response exemplified ethos and logos and while it did not resent the strongest pathos, Farris was confident in her claims and arguments about texting while driving enabling the article to stand on its own. Farris, Alexis M. I. LOL? Texting While Driving Is No Laughing Matter: Proposing A Coordinated Response To Curb This Dangerous Activity. Washington University Journal Of Law Policy 36. (2011): 233-259. Index to Legal Periodicals Books Full Text (H. W. Wilson). Web. 14 Nov. 2013. Richtel, Matt. Drivers and Legislators Dismiss Cellphone Risks. Www. nytimes. com. New York Times, 19 June 2009. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.

Decision-making process in business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Decision-making process in business - Essay Example Sales of electric blankets were unusually high at this time. Sales of grills were also unusually high during the fourth quarter. These financial bungling unfolded the actual state of affairs in Sunbeam. Al Dunlap's four step plan impacting financial, personnel, core business and strategy of Sunbeam had elements of controversy. The changes they brought about were fundamental and drastic. They failed to foresee the long term impact of their actions. They did not cater to the rule that balance is the key to most successes. As for public relations, Al Dunlap's arrogance that his Mean Business policies were accountable for Sunbeam's turnaround caused investors and the public to question Sunbeam's integrity. Dunlap aired his views that his "Dream team" sees opportunities where others see impossibilities. Al Dunlap's management team performance was flawed from the beginning. They failed to: (1) consider that cost cutting on a mass scale is counter productive, (2) realize that cutting down such a huge amount of jobs is actually downsizing business, and (3) categorize core business as profit making exercise rather than link each product with Sunbeam and sell off those that did not fall within the five categories of core business. The lessons that could be learnt from the outcome are that one must exercise more caution and care in turning around companies.

The gender is a key variable in international relations Essay

The gender is a key variable in international relations - Essay Example In this essay, I have discussed gender relations from various perspectives to highlight its position within international relations. The answer to whether gender remains a key variable in international relations studies seems to be contentious. Various issues are discussed here including the interrelations between gender and politics, gender and social norms and gender and industrial changes. Trade, political agenda, and social policies are shaped and controlled not just by a non-gendered approach to international relations but also by including factors of race and gender in developing these approaches. The analysis definitely points to a single all-important factor in the study of gender in international relations, namely the influence of feminism. Feminist and women’s movements have developed in parallel with changes in the study of international relations and have transformed the way social rules and political changes are defined or analyzed. Several aspects of the feminist approach are discussed here including health, scientific management, political inclusion, incarceration, workplace equality, trade relations and women’s human rights. The studies suggest that gender issues have awareness of the discriminatory practice at the workplace, in the classroom, in political scenarios, social meetings and in the wide international contexts. Gender issues have permeated all aspects of society and are subsequently the main variables that define wide social transformations along with race and class. Considering the range of issues that seem to be affected by gender considerations and the tremendous influence of feminism in highlighting a gendered view of social systems, the acknowledged masculinities in social realms seem to have been replaced by a greater realization for women’s rights and gender equality patterns in all aspects of international relations.