Applied Business †Strand B Theory Essay

Functional Areas within the Business I am going to describe the work carried out by at least three functional areas of Asda, I will explain how these areas work together to support the business activity and I will evaluate how effectively these functional areas work together to achieve the aims and objectives of the business. The areas I am going to investigate are finance, IT and marketing and sales. There are 7 main functional areas within businesses customer services, administration and IT support, marketing and sales, human resources, research and development, finance and operations. However not all businesses use these areas. Sole traders might do every function by themselves and some businesses may use only a few functional areas or make sure that employees are able to work in each functional area In large businesses people work together in these separate functional areas. The areas concentrate on and carry out certain functions. All functional areas link together to achieve aims and objectives. Good communication and co-operation is needed. Functional areas can be organised by charts such as the one below. Fig. 1 Customer service Customer service is concerned with customer relationships. Their activity is to â€Å"identify and satisfy customer needs†. They provide information, credit facilities, after sales service, deliver goods and give advice. Examples of this include, if a person has a problem with a new product such as a washing machine, then they will phone up customer services and someone will talk them through what they have done so that they can try to correct the mistake such as not switching the washing machine on. Good customer services mean happy customers. An example of good customer services is a shop e.g. furniture. If a person bought a piece of furniture then they could get customer services in the form of the retailer suggesting other products that could be better suited to the job which the consumers want the product for. The retailer could also offer for the furniture to be delivered or installed where the customer wants it. Bad customer services annoy people and make them not want to use the company again. An example of bad customer services is if you order a phone and it doesn’t turn up on time. You then ring customer services and have to spend about 2 hours of your time and your phone bill on something that should be a simple process. Customer services is very important as if a company was only focused on selling goods or services, then people would not feel comfortable or happy with the business and so would not want to use it, the business might then loose customers. The times 100 website tells us â€Å"High quality customer service helps to create customer loyalty†. The website also tells us that customers are not only interested in buying a product, they are also interested in the services that they receive when they enter the shop such as a nice welcome and good refund polices for faulty products. Customer service also gives advice on what a customer could do if they had a problem. Companies such as Portakabin have mottos that focus purely on customer service. Portakabin’s motto is ‘Quality – this time, next time, every time’ they apply this to both products and customer services. Businesses know that if a customer gets a good service that seems to be less of a ‘chore’ than usual then they will be more likely to return and use the business again. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_service tells us â€Å"Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase.† The GCSE Applied Business FOR OCR book tells us that â€Å"customer service is all about providing this positive experience†. Customer services are expected to provide information, give advice, provide credit facilities, deliver goods and provide an after sales service. As information required can vary from customer to customer, it is unlikely that a customer service assistant will know the answer to every question or query that a customer could ask. However, this is not drastically important, whats more important is that the query is dealt with well, this means that there is a â€Å"friendly smile† and â€Å"a promise to find out quickly† as the GCSE Applied Business FOR OCR book tells us.advice is also important as the advice is personal to the customer, wheras information is personal to the product. Credit means that items are received by the customer immediately but they pay for it over a set time, maybe several months or years. The GCSE Applied Business FOR OCR book tells us â€Å"customers often require credit when they buy an expensive item such as a car†. http://www.bized.co.uk/cgi-bin/level2/typein.pl?module=busactivityfunctional12 Administration and IT support Administration and IT support are concerned with clerical work, such as mail and record keeping, health and safety, security, cleaning and maintenance and provide support for software applications, electronic communications and electronic transactions. For example, if a person within the business accidentally downloads a virus, then admin and ICT will need to know and they will then be able to sort out the problem. If something like this goes unchecked for too long then there is a chance that the virus could spread and then the whole network could fail. This could mean major problems for the business. IT is used in businesses in many ways. Such as: * To Store information about products on databases * To make calculations such as working out the profit using spreadsheets. * To provide advertising using computer graphics packages. * To process information and other document’s using word processing programs * To communicate internally by fax, e-mail and other methods using ICT * To create presentations * To create websites to promote the business and provide information about the business. It is very useful within businesses as it saves time. For example when trying to find a document, if it was on paper and not a computer then a person may need to spend a lot of time searching through piles of paper just to find one document. Marketing and sales Marketing and sales are concerned with customer needs. They do market research, promotion and sales. So they have to research into what customers want such as if a customer wants a futuristic computer screen and power pack then marketing and sales would have to see whether such a computer had been created yet, and if not then talk to someone about creating one. They are also responsible for promoting new products and making people want to buy them. They have to differentiate the product to make it more attractive to customers, they have to skim, maximise, premium price, penetrate, capture & distribute and they have to analyse the product lifecycles. Marketing and sales use the SWOT analysis to analyse the existing position. This presents the: Strengths Weaknesses Market Opportunities External Threats The market can be segmented so that businesses can concentrate on one segment only. There is a big difference between marketing and sales as marketing is where you are trying to get the best products for your customers whereas sales is where you are trying to convince your customer that you already have the best products and where you are selling these products. Marketing the segment can help the marketing department understand its market better. Sales people have to convince their customers that the product that they are selling is the best around. The marketing department of, for example Cadbury’s, may carry out research to find out what flavour chocolate is most desired among their customers. They will ask customers which products they would like to be improved and which products they would like to see developed. E.g. Cadbury’s shortcake biscuit chocolate could be improved to make them crunchier and a new product with orange chocolate in it could be developed. Market research can be carried out by using primary or secondary research methods, or both. Primary research is where data and information is collected first hand. This ensures that the information is original and up-to-date. However, this can be time consuming and costly. Secondary research is where data and information that already exists is used. This data is usually free, and easily available. When a business has market research, they will decide the â€Å"marketing mix† for the product or service. The marketing mix, consists of product, price, promotion and place. Also known as the 4Ps. Businesses must decide what the product or service should be, including whether it needs to be packaged, what the customer wants and whether an after sales package is required. They must decide how much the product should cost. Where the product or service is promoted is also important, as-well as how it is promoted. Where the product is sold is also an issue, the product must be in a suitable location which is also easy to get transportation to. The use of the 4Ps can increase sales, if used well and correctly. It is likely that all marketing mixes will be slightly different and many factors can influence this. The product and customers are just two of these factors. Sales staff may be employed by businesses which will not only rely on promotion and advertising, to sell the product or service. Sales staff are employed to make contact with potential customers and try to sell products. Human resources Human resources are concerned with health and safety, recruitment, retention, dismissal, working conditions, training, development and promotion, employee organisation and union. This includes legal rights and responsibilities of employer and employees. So they have to hire and fire staff, make sure that staffs are happy and retained and make sure that their working conditions are satisfactory. They are in charge of training new staff and developing their skills and promoting able staff and responsible for managing all of the people who work within the business. If legal action is taken in the name of an employee, then human resources are also responsible for that along with organising employee unions so that workers can have their say. The human resources department can also be called personnel. Human resources are in charge or recruitment and have to ensure that vacancies are filled to the best o their ability, the best and most able workers are employed this means that human resources has recruitment procedures for trained staff to follow in order to recruit the most appropriate workers. Human resources are also in charge of retention which means that they are in charge of keeping staff, if they do not retain good staff then they will have to hire and train another person, this takes time and money and so it is very important that human resources keeps employees happy. Human resources are also in charge of dismissal; this means that they are in charge of monitoring workers and dismissing the ones, which are not working efficiently. Businesses usually provide an induction programme fair terms and conditions of employment, good working conditions and appraisal interviews in which employees can talk â€Å"to their managers about their performance and future prospects†. Human resources also need to ensure that physical working conditions are to a standard, which workers accept. If there is a problem with their environment and the workers are not happy, then it is likely that they will not be working to the best of their ability. Working conditions also relate to job content, which means what the job includes, promotion prospects, training opportunities and welfare policies, which include loans and medical checks. Working conditions must be maintained otherwise workers will become unhappy, which could cost the company a lot of money, especially if lots of workers decide to leave the business. Human resources also need to ensure that workers are trained suitably for their jobs. The human resources department may have a training officer or a training section. Human resources will have to keep staff training records, monitor the training budget and as the GCSE Applied Business FOR OCR book tells us, they will be responsible for â€Å"overseeing the procedures for applying for training†. Some workers may wish to develop their skills, this is usually called ‘staff development’ as opposed to ‘staff training’ because the staff are not learning new skills but developing their present skills. Companies may pay for activities that assist staff development and these may be run in the workplace. Staff may be keen to improve their abilities and skills because this may lead to a promotion and better job prospects. Human resources will also oversee promotion prospects, and will decide whether or not a worker is good enough or a promotion. Human resources will also be associated with trade unions and employee organisations. The GCSE Applied Business FOR OCR book tells us that senior members of human resources may have to â€Å"negotiate with trade unions on behalf of management.† Human resources often have to supply information on health and safety issues, and ensure that the Health and Safety at Work Act is being followed and used correctly. Research and development Research and development are concerned with developing new goods and services and updating old ones. If a person comes up with a new and good idea then research and development are in charge of making sure that that idea is looked into. If scientific or technological developments occur then there may be new products developed. A change in ‘customer buying behaviour’ can also cause this to happen. So if marketing and sales come to them with a customers query about futuristic computers then they become in charge of that. Research and development have to work with designers to design and produce good quality and good value for money products to entice customers. Research and development use many different methods of research to find out what customers or potential customers want. They may do surveys, questionnaires, and Internet research and could obtain either primary or secondary research. A lot of the time it will be of more use to the company to obtain primary research as then the company will know how up to date the research is. The company will also know, with more certainty, that the research is reliable. Finance Finance are concerned with money and future plans, preparing accounts, such as invoices, management accounts, financial accounts for shareholders and inland revenue. They are also concerned with preparing wages and salaries, obtaining capital and resources, such as money for expansion and to pay for resources such as equipment and materials. Finance is sometimes considered as the most important functional area within a business. Finance is needed at all points in a businesses life as when they are starting up they will need to buy assets. When they are â€Å"up and running† they will need finance to determine that they are breaking even, this is to say that they must ensure that the money coming in (the input) is matching the money going out (the output). It is important that businesses break even otherwise they will make a loss and can even go into debt. Finance is also important for growing businesses, as they will need to buy more assets and either break-even or make a prof it. This will cause them to expand and grow. Operations Operations are concerned with the main business activities. They obtain and convert resources of the business into goods or services. They make decisions such as what to do with land, buildings, material, and jobs for workers and buying new equipment. In a company such as Argos operations would include processing a persons order; however in a company such as Gillette, operations might include making a batch of razors. The use of IT The use of IT relates to all functional areas because of: * Electronic communications e.g. Email * Data Sharing e.g. Databases * Security systems e.g. virus protections * External communications e.g. Internet * Online support for customers e.g. Order tracking * Electronic Transactions e.g. EFT Functional variations No two businesses are the same. Functions will vary because of the: * Size and scale of the business * Activities of the business * Types of customers * Needs of customers * Preferences of owners

Adversity and Its Effects in a Man for All Seasons

A Man for all Seasons is a play that was written by prolific English writer, Robert Bolt. Born in 1924, he worked as an insurance agent before joining the World War II as a Royal Air Force officer. He worked as a school teacher, after his time at the force, before embarking on writing this particular play. The same year he wrote it; it featured as a play in London and New York. It is crucial to understand the background of the play to understand it with more power. According to Kincaid, it is useful to understand that for many years in England there had been hostility to the clergy, because the Church had great worldly powers, property, and wealth, while many members of the clergy were corrupt and self-seeking. (11) With this play, Bolt wanted to bring out the strong characteristic steadiness of standing on one’s feet and owns ground in what one believes irrespective of what others think or say. The main character, Sir Thomas More, is a judge who is steadfast and firm in his beliefs. He is not easily swayed by people’s opinions, influence, threats, and intimidation. He objects to endorsing King Henry VIII’s plan of divorcing his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and marry Anne Boleyn. The King having promoted Sir Thomas to the position of Lord Chancellor of England, and Thomas being his long standing friend, will automatically guarantee Sir Thomas agreeing to support him. He wants Thomas to publicly endorse his divorce plan, but Thomas More feels Henry’s actions are not justified, and the divorce is not appropriate. This is backed by Greene when he affirms that even as Nobles, universities and the Clergy fell into line behind the King, More’s silence on the matter resounded thunderously. Despite the king’s unhappiness with More’s decision to remain silent, he stands firm and refuse to do what everybody else did even though the pressure on his family grew stronger and stronger (7). This shows his autonomy and independence in making his own informed decisions unlike the likes of Cromwell and Richard Rich who act as the King’s â€Å"yes men† doing all his bidding. Cromwell, the king’s intimate, works for the king to have More falsely persecuted and beheaded. We will develop here three main kind of adversities that More had to face: authoritarian, Family, himself. Sir Thomas More’s strong character and moral integrity are alluded to by the title of the play, A Man for all Seasons. The title is a reference to More’s never changing character and direction in life. According to Miller, More was a character with extraordinary blending of gaiety and gravity and for his flexible adaptation to company of all sorts. However, he knew how to compromise and not go out of his way; he did not bend rules, adopt or change for the sake of anyone, even King Henry VIII apart from his own God (26-27). This statement concisely puts down his beliefs and what kind of person he was. Thomas works within the boundaries of his own principles and in the end, dies for what he believes in. Lee compares Sir Thomas More with Roper. At the beginning of the play when the two of them are talking, Roper seems really devoted to his principles but as the play continues on, we learn that Roper is in fact not as true to his values as Sir Thomas More is. Lee talks about the â€Å"Romanticized† vision of a prison that Roper has compare to the reality of what More is living. When Roper visited More in prison he even encouraged More to give up when he saw the â€Å"awfulness of prison†. (319). His obstinate sense of self -righteous and defense for justice sees him earn many foes and adversaries. Just like Roper, many people pretending to be More’s friends turned out to become his enemies plotting behind his back for his downfall. His family, friends, and colleagues turn their back on him, and the adversaries from both his seniors and juniors continue swelling. The following are some of the most significant and outstanding adversaries Judge Sir Thomas More earns himself and faces off with. His many adversaries rise from his strong stands and refusal to bow down to the social order. His main and most prominent adversaries are the authorities and technocrats in the country. Upon meeting with Cardinal Wosley, then the Lord Chancellor of England; Thomas More reviews the decision by King Henry to divorce his wife Catherine and marry Anne and the subsequent decisions. He states his disapproval and says he doubts the Pope will give his assent on this divorce as it is confirmed by Greene when he describes the King’s feeling about the decision of Rome as ‘Frustrated’. The king was very disappointed with the decision of the Clergy and Henry vainly sought to increase the pressure on Rome. When that failed, Henry began to target the English Clergy. (7) It is from this particular point that Wosley declares a witch hunt on the judge, having him investigated and falsely accused of receiving bribes, and insult towards the King. These represent the authoritarian adversary, the adversaries that Sir Thomas More has to face that hold the keys of the government and have power and authority to hurt him according to the law. Although they are not following the law when they persecute him, they pretend to do so. The other adversary in the authority level that Sir Thomas encounters is King Henry VIII’s closest confidant, the recently promoted cardinal secretary, Cromwell. He is used by King Henry as a tool to fight and suppress Sir Thomas due to his stand against the King’s planned divorce. Here we are going to see the kind of adversity that was apply to More by his so-called friends in their thirst for power, they did not hesitate to step over him on their ascension to power. Cromwell plans for Thomas’ downfall by collaborating with the corruptible Richard Rich who is a low ranking functional authority. Cromwell offers Richard an opportunity to advance his career and climb the social ladder in exchange for information about Thomas and testifying falsely against him. Cromwell goes ahead and come up with a false case of how Sir Thomas received a bribe and brings to evidence: the silver cup that Sir Thomas gave Rich. At this point as readers we are already amazingly disgusted by the machinery these two people are putting together to get Sir Thomas More down. Eventually, this leads to the conviction and beheading of Thomas. On this matter, Abraham Lincoln said: â€Å"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power†. Rich was a good men, probably able to stand adversity with a good self-esteem, but when power was proposed to him, he gave up his conviction. The trut however, is that Thomas received the silver cup oblivious that it was a bribe. Yet, on realizing, he gave the cup to Richard as he did not want anything to do with it. Cromwell, goes ahead to meet with the Duke of Norfolk, another supposed friend, to get him to fix More in a bad light concerning the bribery scheme. The duke, however, proves to him that silver cup, in fact, was passed on by the judge as soon as he realized it was a bribe. Cromwell insists that the duke cooperates and participates in the grand scheme to bring Thomas down. This is because King Henry expects the duke of Norfolk to fully participate in the persecution of Thomas. Thomas woes continue pilling up when Signor Chapuys turns against him and joins the witch hunt. Signor Chapuys’ adversary towards Thomas arises from the breaking of the illusion that Chapuys was under concerning Thomas’ friendship towards the Spanish. Cengage Learning explains the relationship on Sir Thomas More with Chapuys as follow: In speaking with More, Chapuys tries to hide his true motives which are political, with flattery and references to religion. Because he is devious himself, he hears hidden meanings in what More says which leads to misunderstanding. 14) This quote explains why Chapuys did not understand More. He was trying to prove that More aleegiance to spain was no longer and so Chapuys thought that he had found an ally in Thomas to protect the interest of Catherine of whom he was cautious and concerned that she is embarrassed or insulted by King Henry as she is the aunt of the king of Spain. The Spanish ambassador states that he was unsuccessful in per suading More to support Spain saying, as it is affirmed by the sentence Chapuys uses in the play when he says, â€Å"Goodness can be difficulty† (Bolt, 62). Thomas’ refusal to accept the letter of appreciation that is sent by the King of Spain is also a possible source of the aggravated hostility from the Spanish diplomat, Signor Chapuys. All of these men are complotting against someone they knew, someone they worked with, and for some of them someone they had a close relationship with. Adversity can come from authority, friends and sometimes both. The other adversary of Thomas is King Henry VIII who is Thomas’ friend and King.. The king desires to get a son as the heir that his wife Catherine has not borne. He, therefore, plans to get a second wife to fulfill this, and it is here he seeks the support of the lord chancellor of England, Sir Thomas More. More is a devout Christian, and of strong moral standing; hence, he does not approve of this. Although he does not publicly or openly voice his displeasure, he is silently opposed to this. Johnson explains that it is probably to protect his family the best he can that he acts like that, â€Å"He is well aware of dangers on the horizon but does not want to cause them to worry by addressing the dangers directly. 7) At first, More enjoys a somewhat ‘safe zone; by remaining silent about the King’s plans. This comfort zone is trespassed when the King demands the vocal support of the wise, respect public figure. When the King visits him at Chelsea home, in London, More tells the king he will not agree to his plan. The King storms out in anger telling More that he will only leave him alone if he does not openly voice his disagreemen t for his planned divorce of Catherine and marriage to Anne Boleyn. This aggravates and worsens their relationship, which had been set on the rocks earlier. This was when Thomas More had declared he was going to resign if the Church of England Bishops were going to go along with the Parliament’s Act of Supremacy. This Notorious act puts the King as the absolute head of the Church of England, as well as the overall ruler of England State: the genesis of their conflict. This hostility towards the Judge comes to a boiling point where he flatly refuses to take an oath of allegiance in the King’s name, another creation of the King’s puppet parliament. Boughey posits that, â€Å"Henry VIII Wanted to look powerful and strong. [†¦] Henry VIII was a powerful king who was completely in charge of England. Nobody was stronger than Henry VIII, not even Parliament. (1). This is how the king was perceived in real life, probably it was the reason why he was described like that in the play and Sir Thomas More was described then stronger than the parliament and stronger than the King. This is the proof that Thomas More stood strong against the adversity even when it was his King and friend. This adversity can represent a symbol between the King and More with the king symbolically representing the monarchial absolute power and More representing civil law. Thomas’ refuses to have the King rule even his conscience. As a result, he is ready and willing to keep his honesty at all costs, even if it means losing his life. Kincaid expresses Thomas More’s willingness to die for his principles in this little paragraph: When More’s wife was sent to prison to visit him in the hope that she would persuade him to sign the Oath, she told him that he might, if he signit, have another twenty years of life. More answered with his usual wit that if she had offered him a thousand years, he might have been tempted, but twenty years in exchange for an eternity of damnation was a very poor bargain. (9). The kings tries to give More a chance but he refuses and choses to remain faithful to his principles. Thus, coming back to our symbolism, the civil law win over the absolute power meaning that absolute power in one’s hand can be lethal. Thomas’ ethics and integrity is based on a strong base. In the play, other characters appear to be good people but do not have as strong a base as the Judge. The duke of Norfolk for example seem to be a good guy. However, he does not understand More’s motivation. As Lee puts it, â€Å" The behavior of the duke of Norfolk are dictated by yet another good, the benefit of friends. The constant for Norfolk is the preservation of friendship with the people of the here and now, and thus, he cannot comprehend more’s insistence on risking those friendships for his love of a heavenly God. (313).

Clinical psychology Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Clinical psychology - Personal Statement Example It is their purview to help people cope with their condition and find suitable means to overcome them and lead a normal life. Regarding my experiences in this field, I have worked for 10 years as a Psychologist in the Department of drug addiction. Having fully realized the importance of clinical psychology, I now want to pursue a Masters Degree program and hence I am seeking admission for the same at your institute. I believe enrolling for the Masters Degree program will give me an opportunity to learn in depth the concepts and theories relating to clinical psychology and thus improve my understanding of the subject. This will enable me to work better with my patients and have the right understanding about their medical condition. In addition, I am also interested in pursuing research in this field and hence this Masters program will help me achieve my long-cherished dream. Studying about the human mind is always fascinating as the mind is subject to constant changes. Both genetic an d environmental factors can contribute to these changes. All the studies carried out in the field of clinical psychology focuses on the human mind in order to better understand the working of the mind and to work out a solution to help people overcome their difficulties and problems. These studies have helped psychologists to understand how the human mind works under different circumstances. This field also provides the opportunity to work with people both young and old and both the sexes. I am keenly interested in using the various theories of clinical psychology to understand in more detail about several psychological disorders such as schizophrenia and depression. During my experience as a psychologist with the department of drug addiction, I employed techniques such as observation, assessment and experimentation to understand individual behavior and the causative factors behind the addiction. Additionally laboratory experiments carried out along with suitable controls, hypnotic methods, biofeedback techniques, and tests which help to ascertain the personality traits, intelligence and aptitude of an individual. I understand that clinical psychologists play a vital role in helping people deal with their lives after events such as terror strikes and numerous other accidents and natural calamities. It is the clinical psychologists who help people cope with mental disorders or personal problems. A strong bond between the patient and the psychologist is established through patient interviews, psychotherapy for patients and their family and other suitable intervention and treatment strategies which are undertaken to fully understand the mental state of the individual. I hope to employ all the above approaches and strategies effectively while dealing with patients and their families. I also understand the importance of encouraging patients to think and reason out things on their own which would provide more clarity to previously confusing thoughts and actions and also help them cope better with their mental condition. When the right strategy is employed people often find a relief from the underlying medical condition or from the stresses imposed by daily life. I also have a strong inclination to work with under-privileged people suffering from mental illnesses and want to help them cope with their condition and thus bring some cheer in to their lives. I have, in my personal experience, worked and helped such people and the experience that I had gained

Hobbes (15 88-1679) on the right to all Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hobbes (15 88-1679) on the right to all - Essay Example And therefore, as long as this natural right of every man to everything endureth, there can be no security to any man (how strong or wise so ever he be) of living out the time which nature ordinarily allowith men to live." (Leviathan, Chapter XIV). Hobbes supposes that liberty is a matter of political self-government. For Hobbes liberty and equality was connected with non-obstruction, and with some form of sell-mastery. Liberty and equality is described as that a personal reedom is a matter of the range of things a person may do without being stopped or punished by others. Hobbes supposes that "I find yet a greater equality amongst men than that of strength. For prudence is but experience, which equal time equally bestows on all men in those things they equally apply themselves unto (Leviathan, Chapter XIII). Someone who does not engage in elaborate calculations before acting may be said to be excessively irrational. Irrationality of value to the pursuit of self-interest is prudence, which is similarly a virtue that it is possible to have too much of. Each has the right to all because, according to Hobbes, there was nothing natural about the state; in the 'state of nature' men lived without law, without authority, and without any means of curbing one another's aggression. Each man is a self-governed and can do anything. In "Leviathan" Hobbes describes that it is irrational of anyone to lay down the means of his own preservation unless he can be sure others will do so too. The state of nature is also is the state of war which means absence of established agreement for peace. For Hobbes force is the main quality during war and people are foolish to expect anything better from foreign states. The state of nature is a social and developed state. It can be characterized as war of all against: "war...of every man, against every man" (Leviathan, Chapter XIV). Each will be an enemy to all the rest. Human beings as they were not equipped with speech, with reason, with a sense of time, with any morality; they were lonely. In the Chapter XIV Hobbes claims that there was one fundamental right of nature, and one equally fundamental law: the right was 'the Liberty each man hath, to use his own power, as he will himselfe, for the preservation of his own Nature', while the law was 'every man, ought to endeavour Peace, as farre as he has hope of obtaining it; and when he cannot obtain it... he may seek, and use, all helps, and advantages of Warre' (Leviathan, Chapter XIV). The concept of subjectivism is closely connected with individuality. Hobbes emphases qualitative variation among uniqueness, a conception of the cumulative and permanent, but not predetermined, development of larger contexts as a source for development, and an insistence on the irrationally founded subjective designs of historically particularized human actors as the principal plane upon which variation and development take place (subjectivism). Knowledge of the reality must be concrete and descriptive hermeneutic, It will avoid the search for universal natural laws, and it will recognize itself as an historical occurrence. Also subjectivism for Hobbes means obligations in individuality. Hobbes supposes that Irrationality can be predicated in the first instance of human beings and of human beliefs and actions. Absence of rationality is taken to warrant a diminution of legal

Socio-Cultural Turn in Public Relations Scholarship Essay

Socio-Cultural Turn in Public Relations Scholarship - Essay Example Due to this fact, the social world has not had its fair share of this research as far as public relations are concerned . It is a well-known fact that organizations do operate in the social world full of cultural diversity and any communication or decision that does not take into account the interests of the socio-cultural dimension is ineffective. This is because such public relations may not go down well with a section of persons in the social scene . Public relations scholarship has in turn taken a new dimension to meet the emerging interests by the society and culture. It has become evident that public relations scholarship cannot be the reserve of organizations alone but ought to incorporate such aspect of life as anthropology, storytelling, cultural studies, and pragmatism as a whole . These methodological approaches encompass both the practical and the theoretical aspects of various disciplines ranging from post-colonial life, sociology, political economy, cultural, and ecological studies . Recent studies have proved that when scholars engage in the new ways of public relations like extracting interviews especially from those who specialize in that particular field, they tend to expand their communication insight and gain more inspiration . This enables them to face the social world with confidence and a new perspective of handling diverse personalities as these also, exist in the world where organizations operate. In the face of multiple communication channels and strategies, it has become apparent that public relations and public relations scholarship should not suffer constraints and limits. This extends to the fact that currently organizations are the only institutions that get the recognition of managing their affairs as far as public relations are concerned9. Public relations culture and infrastructure Public relations, when viewed from the cultural perspective, must pay due attention to the general as well as the specific territorial aspects of the culture. The m ain components of the territorial infrastructure of the public relations are the civil society, the political and economic system, the media system, and the socio-cultural system10. Both culture and public relations are a function of the existence of human beings in that the man is the originator of culture and creator public relations therefore the two can work better if man incorporates them to

Competitive Profile Matrix for Amazon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Competitive Profile Matrix for Amazon - Essay Example Why did Amazon.com rally and how did it build the company to become leader of Internet commerce and enjoy its first annual profit in 2004 First, Amazon was a pioneer in bookselling, with only an Internet site with easy access and no bookstore chain. It was able to stock warehouses and avoid the middle man, thereby offering a discount that didn't exist at that time in regular bookstores. Second, when the business grew beyond expectations, Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos put the money back into the business instead of trying to make a profit (Frey & Cook, 2004). Realizing that bookselling by itself was not making the best use of technology, he added music CDs, movie videos, toys, electronics, software, video games, and home improvement, putting the company in direct competition with eBay and Wal-Mart (Mullen, 2005). In order to make full use of Amazon's popularity, he then created an online shopping portal, adding apparel from companies like Nordstrom and Gap, as well as sporting goods, gourmet foods, jewelry, and health and beauty (Timeline, 2006). But, for purposes of Amazon's competition in the field of books, how does the s ite compare with other bookselling sites online The following Competitive Profile Matrix, based on specific success factors, is a comparison of online companies that sell, among other things, books, but the rankings relate specifically to bookselling from 5 (the best) to 1

Multiculturalism issues and economic-based solutions Essay

Multiculturalism issues and economic-based solutions - Essay Example It was expected that the global economic extension will bring stability and development in the local markets. But the result is entirely reverse and critics are viewing the globalization as another form of colonial imperialism. Political instability due to corrupt leaders, lack of proper infrastructure favorable to rich countries causes brain drain from less privileged countries. Immigration is the leading issue in rich countries who are reviewing their existing laws to make it difficult for inter-state migration. Also for those who have already migrated to one of the countries with better prospects, the hosts will have to initiate programs to adjust such individuals without disturbing the existing coherence in the society. Immigration is causing another issue of individual and organized racism against settlers. Educational, economical, social, and political racism has plagued the idea of equality in different communities across the globe. Goldring argues that civil forces and campai gns can bring a positive change through community rebuilding based upon justice, equality, freedom, tolerance, mutual respect, and basic human rights that guarantees one’s participation in the process of decision–making in social, economic and political life.

Research Project Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Project - Research Paper Example Some of the most renowned products are Johnson’s baby products, facial wash clean and clear, Tylenol medications, Acurve contact lenses, as well as Neutrogena skin and beauty products etc. The company is planning to increase its market share and achieve the desired goals; for that matter, Johnson & Johnson analyzes its human resource management practices and policies in order to see which integral parts are performing well and what further improvements are required. This report audits the human resource management of Johnson and Johnson. HR Program aspects that seem to be performing well Employee diverse workforce: Johnson & Johnson has workforce from all parts of the world, speaking different languages, sharing different faith, religion, knowledge visions, customs and culture. This workforce is more than 115,000 employees who share different academic and educational qualification as well. The educational background varies from low level worker to highly qualified PhD scientis ts. (Foster and Kaplan, 2001, p.232) Johnson & Johnson credo being the precipitating factor for swift managing of this workforce and is also a reason behind its success. The workforce may differ in values and beliefs but the company’s credo ethical values seem to bind them as one unit which leads Johnson & Johnson towards success as a single collective workforce unit. Policy towards labor laws and regulations Johnson & Johnson labor laws have these main agendas: The minimum age to qualify for working at Johnson & Johnson is 16 and those who are 18 or under are not allowed to work more than 48 hours in a week. Giving proper rest to workers during work day and avoid maximum working hours for workers in order to maintain safety. Labor prison should be avoided in terms of bonded or forced manipulations of workers. Proper knowledge should be given to workers about the daily or hourly wages, if extra hours are required then, extra hour wages should be disclosed to worker before ini tiating work. Respects the rights of the workers and their decisions of joining or not joining the organization. No discrimination in terms of gender, health, religion etc. Respect the right of workers to bargain in a collective manner without illegal or collective manner. Threats in terms of brutal and sexual harassments should be avoided. The balancing work and family program: Johnson & Johnson started to make efforts for creating a balance in work and family program after taking an inspiration from a credo survey, which revealed the deficiency in commitment of Johnson & Johnson towards work and family program. As a result, balancing work and family program was put to practice. Learning services group: Learning services group was designed to assist operating units regarding workforce performance and towards the adaptability and adjustment of Johnson & Johnson culture. The main aim of this group is to offer quality management and help units to achieve quality and high standard prod ucts (Johnson & Johnson b). The live for life program: The desire of Johnson & Johnson is to have strong and healthiest workers in the world leads toward the idea of live for life. The program merely focuses on exercise, nutrition, stress control and non smoking assistance. Various programs were introduced which offered health and fitness awareness and issues related to health. (Johnson & Johnson a) Training and development with reference to the concept of i- lead: In order to get the

Strategic Financing for Discussion Essay Example for Free

Strategic Financing for Discussion Essay Preferred stock is defined as a type equity that has priority over common stock in terms of dividend payment and asset distribution in the event of liquidation. Basically it is a hybrid security that actually shares features with both debt and common stock. Further, it has the following features, convertibility to common stock, nonvoting right, and callability at the corporation’s option. However, its usage does not actually increase the probability of the firm’s bankruptcy. It pays dividend just like common stock out of the firm’s after-tax income (Brigham Houston, 2009). In case the preferred stock does not have a stated date of maturity, its cost is determined using the following formula (Brigham Ehrhardt, 2013). Cost of the Preferred Stock = the dividend on Preferred stock/ (Price of Preferred stock/1-Flotation Costs) Whereby the price of preferred stock is basically the current market value while the floatation costs are the preferred stock’s underwriting costs which are usually given as a percentage. Firms that use preferred stock should include its cost in their weighted average cost of capital (WACC) formula (Brigham Ehrhardt, 2013). Three publicly-traded companies that have preferred stock in their capital structure include: American Capital Agency Corp. (NASDAQ: AGNC) This is mortgage REIT that basically invests in agency securities that their interest and principal payments are usually guaranteed by US Government-sponsored entity (Federal National Mortgage Association) and the US Government agency (Government National Mortgage Association) Wells Fargo and Company             This is an American multinational company that deals in banking and financial servicers hence providing mortgage, banking, credit card, insurance, investing, and commercial and consumer financial services. Bank of America Corporation             This is an American multinational corporation that deals in banking and financial services and is has its headquarter in Charlotte, North Carolina. References Brigham, E. F., Houston, J. F. (2009). Fundamentals of financial management. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Brigham, E. F., Ehrhardt, M. C. (2013). Financial management: Theory and practice. Mason, Ohio: South-Western. Source document

Chinese Schools Essay Example for Free

Chinese Schools Essay Chinese schools have come a long way since the colonial days. Over the years and with the evolution of the national education system, Chinese schools have had to face countless threats to their survival. Despite this, Chinese schools have gained popularity and have enjoyed high enrolments, even among non-Chinese students. It has been reported that at least 10 percent of students studying in Chinese schools come from non-Chinese backgrounds. A number of factors contribute to this growing phenomenon. First, Chinese schoolteachers are well known for their high level of commitment. For this and other reasons, students from Chinese schools often excel in public examinations especially in Science and Mathematics. The other attraction of Chinese schools is that students are required to learn an additional language, Mandarin, which is a highly marketable skill in the job market. Chinese Education: A Historical Perspective The beginnings of Chinese education in Malaysia can be traced to the early nineteenth century. It was recorded that by 1815, there were already three Chinese schools in Malacca. One was founded by the London Missionary Society. With regard to the other two, sociologist Yang Qinghuang suggests that at least one would be a school founded by the Hokkien people. Scholar Zheng Liangshu suggests that some old-type Chinese schools might have existed in the Straits Settlements since the end of the eighteenth century. For a long time, Chinese schools in the Straits Settlements received neither help from the British government nor assistance from the government in China. Despite this, they thrived —funded mainly by clan and dialect associations. When faced with political and financial difficulties at the turn of the twentieth century, the Ching government of China changed its attitude towards overseas Chinese and began to promote Chinese education outside of China. It implemented educational reforms based on a proposal by Zhang Zidong. Following the reforms, the curriculum was revised to include Chinese Classical Literature, History, Geography, Mathematics, Moral Education, Physical Education and other optional subjects like Commerce and Drawing. In Malaya, Chung Hwa Confucian School in Penang not only adopted this new curriculum (it was the first to do so), it went further to include English as a subject. Support from the Ching government, however, was short lived. It ended with the fall of the dynasty. Chinese schools that attempted to run modern educational programmes (with a modern curriculum and incorporating English as a subject) faced enormous challenges. On the one hand, they were constantly in need of more funds. On the other hand, they lacked competent teachers. Furthermore, they had to compete with the more established English schools. Even so, there were five hundred Chinese schools with modern educational programmes established in Malaya and Singapore in 1920. By this time, textbooks for these schools had departed from the classical into the vernacular Chinese language (baihuawen). Because of their impressive growth, the British government decided that it could no longer afford to ignore Chinese schools. On 29 October 1920, it introduced the Regist ration of School Ordinance to restrict the activities of Chinese schools in the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States by way of registration and inspection. In 1935, control was further tightened: textbooks and teachers from China were prohibited. Only local materials and Malaysian-born teachers were allowed, and activities in Chinese schools came under strict scrutiny. Despite these challenges, Chinese education continued to thrive until it was suspended at the time of the Japanese Occupation of Malaya. After the war, Chinese schools resumed operation. By 1946, their number had ballooned to more than one thousand in Malaya. However, following the Barnes and Fenn-Wu Reports (June 1951) and the Education Ordinance 1952, Chinese education was exclude d from the national education system. The Chinese community rallied to form Jiao Zong (United Chinese School Teachers Association of Malaya, UCSTAM) and Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaya, UCSCAN) to safeguard Chinese education. The Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) joined in. Its president then, Tun Tan Cheng Lock spoke these memorable lines, †¦Chinese in Malaya †¦ should be given Chinese education †¦ The dialect or mother tongue can be likened to a person’s shadow, and is inseparable from the person himself/herself † (translated from Chinese). Efforts to safeguard Chinese education became even more difficult following the Razak Report in 1956 and the Education Ordinance in 1957. Thereafter, Chinese primary education was officially included in the national education system, classified as standard-type primary schools with Chinese language as the medium of instruction. However, Chinese secondary schools were excluded from the system when the Lower Certificate of Education examination (L. C. E) was introduced in English. This was not in accordance with the promise of fairness to other ethnic languages in the country as specified in the Razak Report. Furthermore, the Chinese community were horrified by the terms of reference in Paragraph 12 of the Razak Report: †¦the ultimate objective of educational policy in this country must be to bring together the children of all races under a national education system in which the national language is the main medium of instruction. Paragraph 12 was subsequently omitted following strong opposition from the Chinese community headed by Jiao Zong. Both the Rahman Talib Report (1961) and the Education Act (1961) reaffirmed the education policy as stated in the Education Ordinance 1957. Since government financial aid was vital to the survival of Chinese secondary schools, more than half of the 41 Chinese secondary schools then had little choice but to ‘convert’ itself into English medium national type secondary schools. On hindsight, many Chinese view this decision as a big mistake. The remaining 14 schools refused to give in, and have remained ‘independent’ to this day. The MCA facilitated this ‘conversion’ as it was satisfied with the verbal promises made by the Education Minister that the government has no intention to exercise its authority granted under the Act to change Chinese primary schools to national schools and that Chinese schools are allowed to allocate one third of their curriculum for learning Mandarin and Chinese literature. † As a consequence of this concession made at the secondary school level, development of Chinese education in Malaysia was restricted thereafter to the primary school level. The New Education Act 1996 posed an even bigger threat. It threw into question the status of national-type schools that were not established under Section 28 of the new Act. In fact, prior to this during the initial stage of implementing the ‘3R system’ (Reading, Writing Arithmetic) in 1980, Chinese schools had already been challenged to forgo their medium of instruction. Materials for learning all subjects except Mandarin were available only in Bahasa Melayu. In response, Dong Jiao Zong and various Chinese guilds and associations submitted a memorandum to voice their opposition to the Ministry of Education in 1981. The schools were given the assurance that the government had no intention of changing the character of Chinese schools. However in the ensuing years, Chinese schools were asked to consider the concept of ‘integrated schools’ (1985) and Vision Schools (proposed in 1995, implemented in 2000), in addition to the latest 2-4-3 resolution that sought to introduce the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English (proposed in 2002, implemented in 2003). Despite these challenges, Chinese schools seek to maintain emphasis on the Five Aspects of Formal Education in Confucianism (Wuyu Jiaoyu) namely, moral (de), intellectual (zhi), physical (ti), social (qun ) and aesthetic ( ei) education. Until today, Chinese schools m continue to value discipline, respect for the elderly, courtesy, personal character and morality, rather than marketable skills such as computer literacy, Mathematics and Science. Some Reflections How does the development of Chinese education affect the church community i Malaysia?n Should we stake our claims to citizenry and defend our right to be educated in our own (mother tongue) language? What about racial integration? Is it possible to promote Chinese education without further polarising the different communities? First, we have a moral basis for defending Chinese education. Being given the choice and having the opportunity to be educated in one’s own language is a universal human right according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948. Chinese education ha s existed in this country since the nineteenth century. As such, I believe we ought to defend the right of its existence in the same way as we would for the education of other ethnic communities in their own languages. Second, there is value in the Chinese school culture that is worth speaking up for. Even though outsiders might consider the Chinese community uncompromising in its stand with regard to educational issues, it must be pointed out that it is not just about safeguarding the Chinese language but it is also about retaining the ideals of holistic education. Furthermore, Chinese schools have a tradition of nurturing dedicated schoolteachers, and the Christian community should be at the forefront to encourage this culture of service and excellence. In the past, many of them have had to pay a high price for their conviction and dedication by becoming ‘martyrs’: Zhuang Xiquan, Chen Taomin and others were deported for opposing the Registration of School Ordinance 1920; Lim Lian Geok and Yen Yuan Chang were deprived of citizenship in 1961; Lim Huang Sheng and Sim Mow Yu were jailed under the Internal Security Act in 1987. Chinese education aids evangelistic work among the Chinese community. It provides students with a better understanding of the Chinese culture. Whereas in the past, the content of Chinese education was often influenced by traditional beliefs and practices, the Chinese education system today is more open to intellectual discourse on rethinking and repositioning the Chinese identity. The main grouse against Chinese schools is the lack of racial integration since students come from predominantly one ethnic background. The question we must ask is, is this acceptable or healthy in a multi-ethnic society like Malaysia? Most advocates for Chinese education would argue that it is less than ideal but what choice do they have? If national schools were to adopt a more holistic philosophy, and their teachers showed a more credible record in terms of commitment and disciplining of students, and if they provided students with the opportunity to study their own languages, racial integration would be less of an issue and Chinese students would be more evenly distributed between national and Chinese schools. Despite this obvious shortcoming related to racial integration, I still advocate Chinese education for what it offers. Clearly, through its holistic philosophy and track record, it has produced many responsible citizens through the years. Chinese education continues to play a significant role in nation-building and church life in Malaysia. Florence Kuek lectures Mandarin at Universiti Teknologi Mara.

Constructing and analysing financial tools

Constructing and analysing financial tools Part (a) Part (b) Part (c) Independent study skills cultivated in 3 academic years. The first is self-study ability. In level 4 and I will take introduction to accounting and introduction to financial statement preparation. These two modules explain the basic financial reports, liking income statement and balance sheet. The knowledge in class about this part is not enough, and I should find more related explanation and practise to enhance my understanding. Fortunately document and web links provided by Leeds will direct students to reading materials and additional activities in a range of modules such as Introduction to Accounting (H4), Dealing with Accounting Adjustments (H5) and Accounting Issues (H6). Students will be able to self-check their understanding by completing online quizzes. As a student, I should correct my attitude towards study and learn to study independently. Level 4 is the foundation of financial accounting, when I learn more about accounting adjustments and group financial statements in level 5 and 6 with the self-study ability, it is not imposs ible for me to correctly construct financial statements for all diverse kinds of corporations in the future, and this would be a great advantage for a employee. The second is about efficient communication and team working skills. I should value the contributions of my peers in team working, for example in the preparation of a group presentation in the Business Context module and Strategic planning and Control module. Working in groups to manage and carry out a simulated business project synthesizing the expertise and skills developed throughout the course. During the process our group members have to assign reasonable apportional proportion that is suitable to their advantages to each members through efficient communication. In workplace, efficient communication makes you professional and team work makes you competitive. The thirdly is use of university e-services e.g. VLE, portal, library and email. We should use appropriate e-tools to locate, access and utilise information that facilitate learning e.g. library e-catalogue and search engines. In Level 4 students will use Excel spreadsheets to create, manipulate and analyse data in the Data Analysis for Finance module. in Level 5. IT for Accountants will extend students’ Excel spreadsheet skills as well as improve their employability prospects through use of the SAGE accounting software. This will involve importing and exporting information from accounting systems into spreadsheets in order to manipulate data. Students will have to continue to demonstrate digital literacy at Level 6 e.g. In the Strategic Planning and Control module students are required to carry out internet based research and prepare a set of final accounts using Excel. The digital literacy is significant in the career life. It is necessary for a employee to be successful. Part (d) Competencies I already have Communication skills. I control good skills of communicating with people. I can clearly identity other people’s advantages and weakness through talking with them. In addition to that, in the group assignment of Business Context, my responsibility is to coordinate every team members, tell their objective and absorb their ideas. Computer literate. I am interested in computer, I am good at internet detective. And using correct resource to achieve the already set objectives. Time management. Normally I use timetable to arrange my daily work, especially for the team work. I will inform my group members early and guarantee they will be there on time, and urge them to finish their part work on time. Competencies that need enhancing Mathematics. my mathematics is poor, always make mistakes, so I need to concentrate on the question and numbers when I am doing calculation. This should be improved definitely. Problem solving. I am not good at solving problems, so I should read more people’s experience, and learn their decision making in the same situation. Future career path My personal goal is to become a charted accountant within industry or commerce. This allows me to specialise my financial expertise. However, my long time goal is gaining all the knowledge and skills to open my own accounting company. Below I will make a schedule to make my dream achievable

The Anatomy and Physiology of Lipids Essay -- Anatomy Physiology Lipid

The Anatomy and Physiology of Lipids Abstract When you get up each morning and look outside your window looking out at the beautiful plants and adorable little animals, have you ever wondered what makes all living things? Lipids are what help create all the living things we see everyday. Lipids are found in all membranes, mainly plasma membranes, meaning animals and plants contain lipids. In this paper I will display and explain the formation of micelles and bi-layers from lipid amphiphilicity. A variety of books were used to study different types of lipids; the three major components, glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and sterols, and their affects in the cellular and multicultural systems. 3 Lipids are structural components found in living cells that are either soluble in organic solvents or insoluble in water.1 These lipid membranes are demonstrated in Singer and Nicolson’s 1972 fluid mosaic model. Lipids are commonly recognized as fats, oils, wax, etc. There are three major different types of lipids that exist: glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and sterols.2 Within each type there are a variety of subtypes. Glycerophospholipids are commonly referred to as plain phospholipids. Within itself it contains three components. First it is constructed with a phosphorylated head group, then a three carbon glycerol backbone, and finally a two hydrocarbon fatty acid chains. The phosphorylated head group is attached to one of the glycerol hydroxyls with addition to the two hydrocarbon fatty acid chains bonded to the other two glycerol hydroxyls.3 The purpose for glycerophospholipids is to construct and or maintain the cell membrane. In a microscopic view of the cell membrane we can observe that the glyceropho... ... Guardiola, Francesc, ed. Cholesterol and Phytosterol Oxidation Products : Analysis, Occurrence, and Biological Effects. New York: AOCS P, 2002. Hooper, Nigel, and David Hames. Instant Notes in Biochemistry. New York: Taylor & Francis Group, 2005. Kreuzer, F. and J.F.G. Slegers. Biomembranes Vol. 3 : Passive Permeability of Cell Membranes. New York; Plenum Press, 1972. "Lipid bilayer." Wikipedia. 24 July 2008 . "Micelle." Wikipedia. 26 July 2008 . Mukherjee, Kumar D. CRC Handbook of Chromotography Vol. 3 : Analysis of Lipidsseries. New York: CRC P, 1993. Perkins, Edward G. Analyses if Fats, Oils and Lipoproteins. Illinois: American Oil Chemists’ Society, 1991. Vance, Deenis E, and Jean E. Vance. Biochemistry of Lipids, Lipoproteins and Membranes. Amesterdam: Elsevier, 1991.

Violence in Our Schools Essay -- School Violence Essays

Violence in our Schools Children today are growing up in an increasingly violent atmosphere, both in society in general and in their schools. While there is no easy answer as to how to end this violence once and for all, we can look at some of the causes and take steps to contain that which we can. The main contributing factor in all recent school shootings has been the shooters’ feelings that they were bullied by and alienated from the rest of the children and were made to feel that they were not as good as their peers. Being targeted by the other children and having nowhere to turn to for help can cause a build up of more anger until, finally the alienated child is unable to take anymore. They struck out at their peers in what seems to them to be the most effective way, by eliminating them. Although several factors enter into school violence, the most obvious way of preventing violence is to eliminate these feelings of being outcast by one’s peers. If we want to put an end to school violence , we need to put an end to bullying behavior (Shore, 1996). Many instances of bullying behavior can be linked back to the climate in which a child was raised. Those who are raised in poverty or who have no good role models will frequently suffer due to the lack of examples of adults in productive roles. If the â€Å"coolest† guy in the neighborhood is a gang member, then his or her bullying behavior will be emulated by the children in the neighborhood, continuing the cycle of abuse. This pattern usually leads to other negative traits such as becoming easily provoked and developing an inability to solve problems effectively. When these traits are continued in the school system, they are compounded by peer-pressure and the lack of faculty support. The bullies soon learn that they are free to abuse whomever they wish, and although faculty and staff help when they can, there are simply not enough resources necessary to catch and prevent bullies from targeting their peers (Bennett-Johnson, June 2004 p199). One way that children are targeted is based on how he or she is treated by teachers and faculty. According to Andrea J. Cook in Columbine Author Speaks Out, those who are â€Å"just right† or are smart, attractive, and good at sports, are treated well by teachers, because they appear to be everything a teacher wants in a student. Those who are not â€Å"just right† are treated po... ...ents in their academic accomplishments. Recognizing successes of students and teachers and celebrating the positives brings back school pride and willingness to make a difference (Shore, 1996). Reference: Hernandez, Thomas J., Seem, Susan R. (April 2004), A Safe School Climate: A Systemic Approach and the School Counselor, Vol. 7, Issue 4, P 256, Retrieved from EBSCOhost 2/11/05 Shore, Rebecca Martin, (Jan. 1996), Curbing School Violence Through a Personal Approach. Greenhaven Press, Retrieved from Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, Jan. 27, 2005 Rabinowitz, Dorothy, (2002), Bullying is not a Valid Reason for School Shootings. School Shootings. Retrieved from Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, Feb. 5, 2005 Bennett-Johnson, Earnestine, (June 2004) The Root of School Violence: Causes and Recommendation for a Plan of Action. Vol. 38 Issue 2, p 199, Retrieved from EBSCOhost, Jan. 30, 2005 Cook, Andrea, (2004), Columbine Author Speaks Out. Reclaiming Children and Youth, Retrieved from ESBCOhost database. Feb. 5, 2005 Wright, Jeanne, (2000), The Chaotic Atmosphere of School. School Violence. Retrieved from Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, Jan. 27, 2001.

How Does Fitzgerald Tell the Story in Chapter 9 Essay

In the Great Gatsby, the last chapter of the novel is told two years later still from the perspective of Nick. Nick is writing two years later after the events with Gatsby, showing that a considerable amount of time has passed between its occurrence yet it is still fresh in Nick’s mind. The fact that Nick is still reminiscing about Gatsby and has written a book about him highlights the huge impact that Gatsby has had on Nick’s life. The strong connection that Nick feels has been created between Gatsby and himself is evident particularly in chapter 9 as it is apparent that Nick feels â€Å"responsible† for him. Even two years later Nick feels a sense of responsibility and loyalty towards Gatsby and that he is owed the truth instead of all the malicious lies which are created by the reporters, similar to that of all the party goers. The idea that nobody respect Gatsby the way he does leads Nick to believe that there was a â€Å"scornful solidarity between Gatsby a nd me against them all†. And so the start of his book begins two years later, the book that Nick hoped to clear Gatsby’s name with and right the wrongs that occurred that summer. In the final chapter of the ‘Great Gatsby’, Fitzgerald creates a sense of finality for the reader suggesting â€Å"the party was over†. Through the use of the repetition of the word â€Å"last† Fitzgerald also demonstrates the end of Nicks experience with Gatsby. The reader acknowledges that Nick finds it hard to move on and accept Gatsby’s death as he tries to keep him alive through the creation of false memories as a result of his grief, believing Gatsby to have told him that â€Å"I cant go through this alone†. The obsession that Nick has with Gatsby is more evident as Nick tries harder and harder to create the funeral he feels that Gatsby deserves, however he was met with much disappointment by those who Gatsby had done so much for. During Nick’s attempts at assembling Gatsby’s funeral he tries very hard to get the people Nick thought were Gatsby’s friends to attend. The difficulty that occurred as a result of Nick’s attempt highlights just how little an impact Gatsby truly had on any of their lives as â€Å"nobody came†. Fitzgerald uses this two-word sentence at the end of the paragraph to emphasise the betrayal Nick felt towards Gatsby, that after everything he did for everyone else, no one other than himself truly cared about him. The disappointment that Nick shows when nobody other than Gatsby’s father and a few servants came, made Nick feel angry towards everyone else as the contrast between Gatsby in life and death is so hugely different and it is now a world in which Nick takes a while to accept. In life, Gatsby was someone who burned bright through his dreaming, yet in death he had become someone who was forgotten in an instance, indicating the little influence he had on the lives of so many.

BSc Participant

These approaches can be implemented through the following methods, analytical, participatory, regulatory, protected area, systems approach, socio-cultural approaches and economic approaches. Command and control regulations- It's an approach where political authorities mandate people, by enacting a law, to bring about a behavior and use an enforcement machinery to get people to obey the law. It's an environmental management strategy where the government or responsible authorities sets standards to protect and manage the natural resources. This technique covers the regulatory and protected areas approaches.In Zombie the regulations involve the bylaws, legislative, reserved or protected areas and bio monitoring. The government of Zombie construct national parks like Generous National park, sanctuaries, Safari areas, recreational areas, botanical gardens/ reserves, state forests. The maintenance of biodiversity, natural resources and associated cultural resources. This approach worked we ll in Zombie as this was evidenced by the creation of many national and recreational parks thought it resulted in some negative impacts to the communities where these projects were done.Some of the problems were location of communities, poaching of the resources by the nearby communities for example the recent issue where 20 elephants were killed in Kari The approach of protected areas in town is appearing no to be considered when different developments are taking place in Zombie. A good example when the city council of Chitchatting gave residential stands on wetland areas of Zinged 4. Another good example it's the construction of the new shopping mall that is along Hare-Bylaws road, that place was reserved by the city fathers of Hare as a wetland.This shows that the approach of protected areas in towns is not considered. This evidences the conflicts between economic development and conservation of resources using this approach. Another challenge faced by Zombie from these protected areas is land, some of these areas require very large pieces of land, and for example the Generous National Park is approximately 5000 km, and this is a very large piece of land that can be used for other economic uses. But on the other hand these areas can serves as income generation to the country through CEO-tourism.Another approach involves the regulatory policies and pieces of legislation. On legislation arioso acts have been put in place to date for the management of natural resources in Zombie. Some of the acts and policies are Forest, Minerals, Wildlife, Environmental management Acts. Some of the Acts are; Native husbandry Act (1951), National Parks & Wildlife Act (1975), National Parks & Wildlife Amendment Act (1984), Communal Land Act (1982) and the Water Act (1976).Described below are some of the Acts; The Zombie Environmental Management Act (2004) provides for the sustainable management of natural resources and protection of the environment; the prevention of pollution and environmental degradation. The Act also provides for the preparation of a National Environmental Plan and other plans for the protection of the environment. The implementing 134 agency of the Act is the Environmental Management Agency and Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Management. The primary strategy embodied in the Act is crystallization.The Environmental Management Act is now the supreme environmental Law in Zombie. Another act is the Forest Act of 1954, the management of woodland and forest products is embodied in the Forest Act and the Communal Land Forest Produce Act. The Forest Act (1954) provides for management of wood resources wrought Zombie although its focus is state forests and on private land. The main management strategy in both acts is to establish conditions under which forest produce can be used and to determine and regulate the extent of that use.Both Acts rely on the crystallization of activities in order to protect and regenerate forest produc e. The Forest Act creates forests officers who have general police powers of seizure and arrest. Designated officers or forest officers under the communal Land Forest Produce Act do not have power of arrest. These arrests may only be made by rest officers in Communal Areas where the charge is for an offense under the Forest Act (Camaraderie, 2000). Parks and wildlife Act (1975), the Act is administered exploitation of plants, trees and wildlife.Camaraderie (2000) argues that the Act seeks to protect indigenous plant life and prohibits its sale without a permit. However it allows pants to be harvested by the owner or occupier of land for use in the home of occupier. It further allows harvesting indigenous plants where the area is needed for cultivation and construction. All the regulatory legislation described above was enacted using the top- down approach. The masses were not consulted so as to incorporate their knowledge in the conservation of the resources hence the defilement.If participatory approaches had been used, indigenous knowledge could have been harnessed into the statutory acts. Although Acts mentioned above are vital to the country, they are failing to curb depletion of forest resources. Mismanagement of these forest resources is rife especially in most Communal Areas of Zombie regardless of the existence of the legal frameworks. One of the major causes of the misuse of forest products, especially trees, is arguably the fact that people are nearly ignoring traditional beliefs and indigenous knowledge systems in the sustainable management of natural resources.Economic Instruments approach- this is natural resources management strategy that uses the concepts of economics meaning it deals with the market. By dealing with the market it means it deals with the demand and supply. This approach uses economics to manage or regulate the environment by using supply and demand to minimize the impact of the human economy on ecosystems. This approach changes the behavior of resource users through subordination of natural resources in the form of tax incentive, user charges f the resource, soft credits that enables the good management of natural resources, pollution charges to the polluter of the environment.The method employs approaches like analytical and system approaches to achieve its natural resources management successfully. The method uses the â€Å"polluter -pays principle†. The economic instruments used by this approach involve taxes or charges that are paid by the producer or firms. Since the producer is being taxed this increases prices, which provides both opportunity and incentive for innovation; eventually the innovations are so successful that prices end up below what they were before the source shortages occurred Aeolian Simony's rule of Ultimate Resource).The success of this technique depends on market developments and market variations. In Zombie economic benefit was identified as a major driver for sustainable natural resources management. The approach involves use of economic benefits as incentives to drive sustainable management of natural resources. Participatory approach- this involves empowering local communities to take up guardianship and stewardship over natural resources. Communities derive economic benefit by using natural resources as alternative land use.The most common participator programmer one in Zombie is the Community based Natural Resources Management (CPRM). The CPRM is where existing natural resources within an area are managed as a commercial enterprise at community level in a sustainable and productive manner. It has ecological benefits, it also makes sound economic sense by maximizing on the resources that are available and reducing the reliance on external inputs. The programmer started late sass with CAMPFIRE programmer, initiated by Zimmermann Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management, the wildlife, to rural communities.Because of its successful inter nationally in enabling immunities to derive a sustainable livelihood from wildlife management, the programmer achieved a great deal in terms of setting a stage for CPRM in Zombie. The problem with the CPRM was not covering all the resources; it was mainly focused on wildlife management. This presents a greater challenge to other resources since many Zimmermann communal areas are largely devoid of Wildlife. However to a larger extent the programmer was effective on managing natural resources in Communal areas of Zombie.This is because the programmer sought to decentralized the management of natural resources to rural communities which ivies these communities sense of ownership over the resources thereby motivating citizens to participate on managing the resources in their community. Another example of the participatory approach done in Zombie was the SAFARI MIT programmer. The participatory approach has been found to be an effective means to manage natural resources since the communi ty its self is in charge of managing their available resources thereby creating the sense of ownership among them.This approach is believed to bring cost-savings over mandatory policies for regulators, while encouraging individuals and communities to take holistic strategies to improve ND manage their natural resources efficiently (Khan, 2001; Lyon & Maxwell, 2004). Another approach used in Zombie is the system approach which encompasses critical view of system earth and the ecosystems approach. Ecosystem approach maintains or restores the composition, structure and function of natural and modified ecosystems for the goal of long-term sustainability.This is an integrated approach made up of protected areas approach, CPRM and the Turnaround Natural Resource Management (TORN). TORN is a board that manages resources found on the boarders of Zombie and its neighboring countries. A good example where this board work effectively it's between the South African- Zombie boarders. The Turnaro und approach rises after a number of factors which includes, the need to better manage shared resources; the drive for economic growth through regional integration and development, the need to foster community participation, promote peace and security and embrace the forces of globalization.This was evidenced by the construction of the game park that stretches from Zombie to South Africa for the management of wildlife and other resources found between the boarders of these two countries. However, despite these envisaged benefits of Turnaround natural resource management (TABOR), there are numerous concerns arising from these initiatives ranging from community normalization, inter – community conflicts and inter – state inequity in the distribution of benefits.

Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Darcy

Reading is my hobby. Even before the movie â€Å"The Jane Austen Book Club† came out in theaters, I was reading all of Austen’s novels! I am all of the characters she portrays in her books, weaving my present life situation into each storyline! My love of reading began when I first picked up one of the Nancy Drew mysteries. I think I have read every one of them, plus a lot of the Hardy Boys books (after all, Ned is Nancy’s boyfriend). I thought Nancy had the best life in the world, and I wanted to be just like her, helping her solve all of those mysteries, and to be fearless, just as Nancy was fearless!If you are as passionate about reading as I am, then you know the excitement it brings when you curl up on the sofa with a good book, especially written by Jane Austen! Can you imagine reading â€Å"Sense and Sensibility† or â€Å"Pride and Prejudice,† bringing characters to life reminiscent of Lizzie, Jane, and Mr. Darcy? What fun it would be for you and I to start our own â€Å"book club† and share the same hobby together! Not only would we get the chance to hear each other’s synopsis on what we were reading at the moment, but we could share each other’s company as well!Socialization and conversation all rolled up into our one hobby; reading. There are so many benefits to reading. Reading expands your thinking, especially if you are someone who lacks the means for anything but the essentials of life. Books can export you anywhere in the space of a chapter, using only your imagination! Did you read â€Å"Mansfield Park† and imagine yourself in the tiny, dirty room that Fanny and her family shared before she was taken to Mansfield Park at the request of her mother?How do you think Fanny felt amidst the richness and beauty of that magnificent mansion? How do you think she felt about her rich, gloating aunt and uncle? Reading can be a real confidence builder, enhancing self-esteem in one’s eyes a s well as the eyes of others. Suppose you were at a dinner party and a subject comes up from a book you just finished? What a boost to your ego to think that you are in a position to take part in this casual conversation because you are well versed. Reading begets knowledge and knowledge begets notice! Reading enhances your ability to focus.You are bending the brain to your will, concentrating on the activities and characters in the chapter at hand. I often find myself daydreaming about my book long after I have put it down. I rehearse in my head the next plot in light of the story I have read so far. Will Lizzie get Mr. Darcy? Will she have Mr. Darcy? We have to wait and see! I think readers can learn diversity and acceptance of other cultures from books. Reading dissolves the fear one might feel from an unknown subject by exposing oneself to another person’s perspective.I work in the International Center at a local college. Three years ago we had a group of ten young Egypti an students come to study on a Fulbright scholarship referred to as the â€Å"Egypt Initiative. † Their culture is so different from ours that I thought it helpful to take a humanities class in world religions. I finished the class before the students arrived, and I was very happy I did. I was in procession of knowledge that I otherwise might not have acquired if not for this event. It proved to be very useful in understanding their behavior.I think we can be inspired to accomplish more in life by reading a brief story line written by the author in the introduction, or just inside the flap of the book cover. There are so many positive reasons for making reading your hobby. Reading brings the satisfaction of accomplishment, knowledge, wisdom, and sometimes spiritual growth, and what more can you ask from a hobby? It is sad how reading is getting lost in today’s technological society. Our world is changing exponentially. There is little chance for conversation out in pub lic.People are so rushed for time they barely notice you walk by! Society is becoming totally disconnected from each other. People are consistently staring at their iPhones, iPads, and Androids; checking their Facebook, text messages, apps, and emails! I am afraid the art of book reading will soon become a myth told only by the few people left on earth who were fortunate to have a grandmother telling them a story about their great grandmother reading them a book as a child. Let’s us be that grandmother!

Chapter 7 Bagman and Crouch

Harry disentangled himself from Ron and got to his feet. They had arrived on what appeared to be a deserted stretch of misty moor. In front of them was a pair of tired and grumpy-looking wizards, one of whom was holding a large gold watch, the other a thick roll of parchment and a quill. Both were dressed as Muggles, though very inexpertly: The man with the watch wore a tweed suit with thigh-length galoshes; his colleague, a kilt and a poncho. â€Å"Morning, Basil,† said Mr. Weasley, picking up the boot and handing it to the kilted wizard, who threw it into a large box of used Portkeys beside him; Harry could see an old newspaper, an empty drinks can, and a punctured football. â€Å"Hello there, Arthur,† said Basil wearily. â€Å"Not on duty, eh? It's all right for some†¦.We've been here all night†¦.You'd better get out of the way, we've got a big party coming in from the Black Forest at five fifteen. Hang on, I'll find your campsite†¦.Weasley†¦Weasley†¦.† He consulted his parchment list. â€Å"About a quarter of a mile's walk over there, first field you come to. Site manager's called Mr. Roberts. Diggory†¦second field†¦ask for Mr. Payne.† â€Å"Thanks, Basil,† said Mr. Weasley, and he beckoned everyone to follow him. They set off across the deserted moor, unable to make out much through the mist. After about twenty minutes, a small stone cottage next to a gate swam into view. Beyond it, Harry could just make out the ghostly shapes of hundreds and hundreds of tents, rising up the gentle slope of a large field toward a dark wood on the horizon. They said good-bye to the Diggory's and approached the cottage door. A man was standing in the doorway, looking out at the tents. Harry knew at a glance that this was the only real Muggle for several acres. When he heard their footsteps, he turned his head to look at them. â€Å"Morning!† said Mr. Weasley brightly. â€Å"Morning,† said the Muggle. â€Å"Would you be Mr. Roberts?† â€Å"Aye, I would,† said Mr. Roberts. â€Å"And who're you?† â€Å"Weasley – two tents, booked a couple of days ago?† â€Å"Aye,† said Mr. Roberts, consulting a list tacked to the door. â€Å"You've got a space up by the wood there. Just the one night?† â€Å"That's it,† said Mr. Weasley. â€Å"You'll be paying now, then?† said Mr. Roberts. â€Å"Ah – right – certainly -† said Mr. Weasley. He retreated a short distance from the cottage and beckoned Harry toward him. â€Å"Help me, Harry,† he muttered, pulling a roll of Muggle money from his pocket and starting to peel the notes apart. â€Å"This one's a – a – a ten? Ah yes, I see the little number on it now†¦So this is a five?† â€Å"A twenty,† Harry corrected him in an undertone, uncomfortably aware of Mr. Roberts trying to catch every word. â€Å"Ah yes, so it is†¦.I don't know, these little bits of paper†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You foreign?† said Mr. Roberts as Mr. Weasley returned with the correct notes. â€Å"Foreign?† repeated Mr. Weasley, puzzled. â€Å"You're not the first one who's had trouble with money,† said Mr. Roberts, scrutinizing Mr. Weasley closely. â€Å"I had two try and pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago.† â€Å"Did you really?† said Mr. Weasley nervously. Mr. Roberts rummaged around in a tin for some change. â€Å"Never been this crowded,† he said suddenly, looking out over the misty field again. â€Å"Hundreds of pre-bookings. People usually just turn up†¦.† â€Å"Is that right?† said Mr. Weasley, his hand held out for his change, but Mr. Roberts didn't give it to him. â€Å"Aye,† he said thoughtfully. â€Å"People from all over. Loads of foreigners. And not just foreigners. Weirdos, you know? There's a bloke walking 'round in a kilt and a poncho.† â€Å"Shouldn't he?† said Mr. Weasley anxiously. â€Å"It's like some sort of†¦I dunno†¦like some sort of rally,† said Mr. Roberts. â€Å"They all seem to know each other. Like a big party.† At that moment, a wizard in plus-fours appeared out of thin air next to Mr. Roberts's front door. â€Å"Obliviate!† he said sharply, pointing his wand at Mr. Roberts. Instantly, Mr. Roberts's eyes slid out of focus, his brows unknitted, and a took of dreamy unconcern fell over his face. Harry recognized the symptoms of one who had just had his memory modified. â€Å"A map of the campsite for you,† Mr. Roberts said placidly to Mr. Weasley. â€Å"And your change.† â€Å"Thanks very much,† said Mr. Weasley. The wizard in plus-fours accompanied them toward the gate to the campsite. He looked exhausted: His chin was blue with stubble and there were deep purple shadows under his eyes. Once out of earshot of Mr. Roberts, he muttered to Mr. Weasley, â€Å"Been having a lot of trouble with him. Needs a Memory Charm ten times a day to keep him happy. And Ludo Bagman's not helping. Trotting around talking about Bludgers and Quaffles at the top of his voice, not a worry about anti-Muggle security Blimey, I'll be glad when this is over. See you later, Arthur.† He Disapparated. â€Å"I thought Mr. Bagman was Head of Magical Games and Sports,† said Ginny, looking surprised. â€Å"He should know better than to talk about Bludgers near Muggles, shouldn't he?† â€Å"He should,† said Mr. Weasley, smiling, and leading them through the gates into the campsite, â€Å"but Ludo's always been a bit†¦well†¦lax about security. You couldn't wish for a more enthusiastic head of the sports department though. He played Quidditch for England himself, you know. And he was the best Beater the Wimbourne Wasps ever had.† They trudged up the misty field between long rows of tents. Most looked almost ordinary; their owners had clearly tried to make them as Muggle-like as possible, but had slipped up by adding chimneys, or bellpulls, or weather vanes. However, here and there was a tent so obviously magical that Harry could hardly be surprised that Mr. Roberts was getting suspicious. Halfway up the field stood an extravagant confection of striped silk like a miniature palace, with several live peacocks tethered at the entrance. A little farther on they passed a tent that had three floors and several turrets; and a short way beyond that was a tent that had a front garden attached, complete with birdbath, sundial, and fountain. â€Å"Always the same,† said Mr. Weasley, smiling. â€Å"We can't resist showing off when we get together. Ah, here we are, look, this is us.† They had reached the very edge of the wood at the top of the field, and here was an empty space, with a small sign hammered into the ground that read WEEZLY. â€Å"Couldn't have a better spot!† said Mr. Weasley happily. â€Å"The field is just on the other side of the wood there, we're as close as we could be.† He hoisted his backpack from his shoulders. â€Å"Right,† he said excitedly, â€Å"no magic allowed, strictly speaking, not when we're out in these numbers on Muggle land. We'll be putting these tents up by hand! Shouldn't be too difficult†¦.Muggles do it all the time†¦.Here, Harry, where do you reckon we should start?† Harry had never been camping in his life; the Dursleys had never taken him on any kind of holiday, preferring to leave him with Mrs. Figg, an old neighbor. However, he and Hermione worked out where most of the poles and pegs should go, and though Mr. Weasley was more of a hindrance than a help, because he got thoroughly overexcited when it came to using the mallet, they finally managed to erect a pair of shabby two-man tents. All of them stood back to admire their handiwork. Nobody looking at these tents would guess they belonged to wizards, Harry thought, but the trouble was that once Bill, Charlie, and Percy arrived, they would be a party of ten. Hermione seemed to have spotted this problem too; she gave Harry a quizzical look as Mr. Weasley dropped to his hands and knees and entered the first tent. â€Å"We'll be a bit cramped,† he called, â€Å"but I think we'll all squeeze in. Come and have a look.† Harry bent down, ducked under the tent flap, and felt his jaw drop. He had walked into what looked like an old-fashioned, three room flat, complete with bathroom and kitchen. Oddly enough, it was furnished in exactly the same sort of style as Mrs. Figg's house: There were crocheted covers on the mismatched chairs and a strong smell of cats. â€Å"Well, it's not for long,† said Mr. Weasley, mopping his bald patch with a handkerchief and peering in at the four bunk beds that stood in the bedroom. I borrowed this from Perkins at the office. Doesn't camp much anymore, poor fellow, he's got lumbago.† He picked up the dusty kettle and peered inside it. â€Å"We'll need water†¦.† â€Å"There's a tap marked on this map the Muggle gave us,† said Ron, who had followed Harry inside the tent and seemed completely unimpressed by its extraordinary inner proportions. â€Å"It's on the other side of the field.† â€Å"Well, why don't you, Harry, and Hermione go and get us some water then -† Mr. Weasley handed over the kettle and a couple of saucepans â€Å"- and the rest of us will get some wood for a fire?† â€Å"But we've got an oven,† said Ron. â€Å"Why can't we just -â€Å" â€Å"Ron, anti-Muggle security!† said Mr. Weasley, his face shining with anticipation. â€Å"When real Muggles camp, they cook on fires outdoors. I've seen them at it!† After a quick tour of the girls' tent, which was slightly smaller than the boys', though without the smell of cats, Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off across the campsite with the kettle and saucepans. Now, with the sun newly risen and the mist lifting, they could see the city of tents that stretched in every direction. They made their way slowly through the rows, staring eagerly around. It was only just dawning on Harry how many witches and wizards there must be in the world; he had never really thought much about those in other countries. Their fellow campers were starting to wake up. First to stir were the families with small children; Harry had never seen witches and wizards this young before. A tiny boy no older than two was crouched outside a large pyramid-shaped tent, holding a wand and poking happily at a slug in the grass, which was swelling slowly to the size of a salami. As they drew level with him, his mother came hurrying out of the tent. â€Å"How many times, Kevin? You don't – touch – Daddy's – wand – yecchh!† She had trodden on the giant slug, which burst. Her scolding carried after them on the still air, mingling with the little boy's yells â€Å"You bust slug! You bust slug!† A short way farther on, they saw two little witches, barely older than Kevin, who were riding toy broomsticks that rose only high enough for the girls' toes to skim the dewy grass. A Ministry wizard had already spotted them; as he hurried past Harry, Ron, and Hermione he muttered distractedly, â€Å"In broad daylight! Parents having a lie-in, I suppose -â€Å" Here and there adult wizards and witches were emerging from their tents and starting to cook breakfast. Some, with furtive looks around them, conjured fires with their wands; others were striking matches with dubious looks on their faces, as though sure this couldn't work. Three African wizards sat in serious conversation, all of them wearing long white robes and roasting what looked like a rabbit on a bright purple fire, while a group of middle-aged American witches sat gossiping happily beneath a spangled banner stretched between their tents that read: THE SALEM WITCHES' INSTITUTE. Harry caught snatches of conversation in strange languages from the inside of tents they passed, and though he couldn't understand a word, the tone of every single voice was excited. â€Å"Er – is it my eyes, or has everything gone green?† said Ron. It wasn't just Ron's eyes. They had walked into a patch of tents that were all covered with a thick growth of shamrocks, so that it looked as though small, oddly shaped hillocks had sprouted out of the earth. Grinning faces could be seen under those that had their flaps open. Then, from behind them, they heard their names. â€Å"Harry! Ron! Hermione!† It was Seamus Finnigan, their fellow Gryffindor fourth year. He was sitting in front of his own shamrock-covered tent, with a sandy-haired woman who had to be his mother, and his best friend, Dean Thomas, also of Gryffindor. â€Å"Like the decorations?† said Seamus, grinning. â€Å"The Ministry's not too happy.† â€Å"Ah, why shouldn't we show our colors?† said Mrs. Finnigan. â€Å"You should see what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over their tents. You'll be supporting Ireland, of course?† she added, eyeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione beadily. When they had assured her that they were indeed supporting Ireland, they set off again, though, as Ron said, â€Å"Like we'd say anything else surrounded by that lot.† â€Å"I wonder what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over their tents?† said Hermione. â€Å"Let's go and have a look,† said Harry, pointing to a large patch of tents upfield, where the Bulgarian flag – white, green, and red – was fluttering in the breeze. The tents here had not been bedecked with plant life, but each and every one of them had the same poster attached to it, a poster of a very surly face with heavy black eyebrows. The picture was, of course, moving, but all it did was blink and scowl. â€Å"Krum,† said Ron quietly. â€Å"What?† said Hermione. â€Å"Krum!† said Ron. â€Å"Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker!† â€Å"He looks really grumpy,† said Hermione, looking around at the many Krum's blinking and scowling at them. â€Å"‘Really grumpy?† Ron raised his eyes to the heavens. â€Å"Who cares what he looks like? He's unbelievable. He's really young too. Only just eighteen or something. He's a genius, you wait until tonight, you'll see.† There was already a small queue for the tap in the corner of the field. Harry, Ron, and Hermione joined it, right behind a pair of men who were having a heated argument. One of them was a very old wizard who was wearing a long flowery nightgown. The other was clearly a Ministry wizard; he was holding out a pair of pinstriped trousers and almost crying with exasperation. â€Å"Just put them on, Archie, there's a good chap. You can't walk around like that, the Muggle at the gate's already getting suspicious -â€Å" â€Å"I bought this in a Muggle shop,† said the old wizard stubbornly. â€Å"Muggles wear them.† â€Å"Muggle women wear them, Archie, not the men, they wear these,† said the Ministry wizard, and he brandished the pinstriped trousers. â€Å"I'm not putting them on,† said old Archie in indignation. â€Å"I like a healthy breeze 'round my privates, thanks.† Hermione was overcome with such a strong fit of the giggles at this point that she had to duck out of the queue and only returned when Archie had collected his water and moved away. Walking more slowly now, because of the weight of the water, they made their way back through the campsite. Here and there, they saw more familiar faces: other Hogwarts students with their families. Oliver Wood, the old captain of Harry's House Quidditch team, who had just left Hogwarts, dragged Harry over to his parents' tent to introduce him, and told him excitedly that he had just been signed to the Puddlemere United reserve team. Next they were hailed by Ernie Macmillan, a Hufflepuff fourth year, and a little farther on they saw Cho Chang, a very pretty girl who played Seeker on the Ravenclaw team. She waved and smiled at Harry, who slopped quite a lot of water down his front as he waved back. More to stop Ron from smirking than anything, Harry hurriedly pointed out a large group of teenagers whom he had never seen before. â€Å"Who d'you reckon they are?† he said. â€Å"They don't go to Hogwarts, do they?† â€Å"‘Spect they go to some foreign school,† said Ron. â€Å"I know there are others. Never met anyone who went to one, though. Bill had a penfriend at a school in Brazil†¦this was years and years ago†¦and he wanted to go on an exchange trip but Mum and Dad couldn't afford it. His penfriend got all offended when he said he wasn't going and sent him a cursed hat. It made his ears shrivel up.† Harry laughed but didn't voice the amazement he felt at hearing about other wizarding schools. He supposed, now that he saw representatives of so many nationalities in the campsite, that he had been stupid never to realize that Hogwarts couldn't be the only one. He glanced at Hermione, who looked utterly unsurprised by the information. No doubt she had run across the news about other wizarding schools in some book or other. â€Å"You've been ages,† said George when they finally got back to the Weasleys' tents. â€Å"Met a few people,† said Ron, setting the water down. â€Å"You've not got that fire started yet?† â€Å"Dad's having fun with the matches,† said Fred. Mr. Weasley was having no success at all in lighting the fire, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Splintered matches littered the ground around him, but he looked as though he was having the time of his life. â€Å"Oops!† he said as he managed to light a match and promptly dropped it in surprise. â€Å"Come here, Mr. Weasley,† said Hermione kindly, taking the box from him, and showing him how to do it properly. At last they got the fire lit, though it was at least another hour before it was hot enough to cook anything. There was plenty to watch while they waited, however. Their tent seemed to be pitched right alongside a kind of thoroughfare to the field, and Ministry members kept hurrying up and down it, greeting Mr. Weasley cordially as they passed. Mr. Weasley kept up a running commentary, mainly for Harry's and Hermione's benefit; his own children knew too much about the Ministry to be greatly interested. â€Å"That was Cuthbert Mockridge, Head of the Goblin Liaison Office†¦.Here comes Gilbert Wimple; he's with the Committee on Experimental Charms; he's had those horns for a while now†¦Hello, Arnie†¦Arnold Peasegood, he's an Obliviator – member of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, you know†¦and that's Bode and Croaker†¦they're Unspeakables†¦.† â€Å"They're what?† â€Å"From the Department of Mysteries, top secret, no idea what they get up to†¦.† At last, the fire was ready, and they had just started cooking eggs and sausages when Bill, Charlie, and Percy came strolling out of the woods toward them. â€Å"Just Apparated, Dad,† said Percy loudly. â€Å"Ah, excellent, lunch!† They were halfway through their plates of eggs and sausages when Mr. Weasley jumped to his feet, waving and grinning at a man who was striding toward them. â€Å"Aha!† he said. â€Å"The man of the moment! Ludo!† Ludo Bagman was easily the most noticeable person Harry had seen so far, even including old Archie in his flowered nightdress. He was wearing long Quidditch robes in thick horizontal stripes of bright yellow and black. An enormous picture of a wasp was splashed across his chest. He had the look of a powerfully built man gone slightly to seed; the robes were stretched tightly across a large belly he surely had not had in the days when he had played Quidditch for England. His nose was squashed (probably broken by a stray Bludger, Harry thought), but his round blue eyes, short blond hair, and rosy complexion made him look like a very overgrown schoolboy. â€Å"Ahoy there!† Bagman called happily. He was walking as though he had springs attached to the balls of his feet and was plainly in a state of wild excitement. â€Å"Arthur, old man,† he puffed as he reached the campfire, â€Å"what a day, eh? What a day! Could we have asked for more perfect weather? A cloudless night coming†¦and hardly a hiccough in the arrangements†¦.Not much for me to do!† Behind him, a group of haggard-looking Ministry wizards rushed past, pointing at the distant evidence of some sort of a magical fire that was sending violet sparks twenty feet into the air. Percy hurried forward with his hand outstretched. Apparently his disapproval of the way Ludo Bagman ran his department did not prevent him from wanting to make a good impression. â€Å"Ah – yes,† said Mr. Weasley, grinning, â€Å"this is my son Percy. He's just started at the Ministry – and this is Fred – no, George, sorry – that's Fred – Bill, Charlie, Ron – my daughter, Ginny and Ron's friends, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter.† Bagman did the smallest of double takes when he heard Harry's name, and his eyes performed the familiar flick upward to the scar on Harry's forehead. â€Å"Everyone,† Mr. Weasley continued, â€Å"this is Ludo Bagman, you know who he is, it's thanks to him we've got such good tickets -â€Å" Bagman beamed and waved his hand as if to say it had been nothing. â€Å"Fancy a flutter on the match, Arthur?† he said eagerly, jingling what seemed to be a large amount of gold in the pockets of his yellow-and-black robes. â€Å"I've already got Roddy Pontner betting me Bulgaria will score first – I offered him nice odds, considering Ireland's front three are the strongest I've seen in years – and little Agatha Timms has put up half shares in her eel farm on a weeklong match.† â€Å"Oh†¦go on then,† said Mr. Weasley. â€Å"Let's see†¦a Galleon on Ireland to win?† â€Å"A Galleon?† Ludo Bagman looked slightly disappointed, but recovered himself. â€Å"Very well, very well†¦any other takers?† â€Å"They're a bit young to be gambling,† said Mr. Weasley. â€Å"Molly wouldn't like -â€Å" â€Å"We'll bet thirty-seven Galleons, fifteen Sickles, three Knuts,† said Fred as he and George quickly pooled all their money, â€Å"that Ireland wins – but Viktor Krum gets the Snitch. Oh and we'll throw in a fake wand.† â€Å"You don't want to go showing Mr. Bagman rubbish like that,† Percy hissed, but Bagman didn't seem to think the wand was rubbish at all; on the contrary, his boyish face shone with excitement as he took it from Fred, and when the wand gave a loud squawk and turned into a rubber chicken, Bagman roared with laughter. â€Å"Excellent! I haven't seen one that convincing in years! I'd pay five Galleons for that!† Percy froze in an attitude of stunned disapproval. â€Å"Boys,† said Mr. Weasley under his breath, â€Å"I don't want you betting†¦.That's all your savings†¦.Your mother -â€Å" â€Å"Don't be a spoilsport, Arthur!† boomed Ludo Bagman, rattling his pockets excitedly. â€Å"They're old enough to know what they want! You reckon Ireland will win but Krum'll get the Snitch? Not a chance, boys, not a chance†¦.I'll give you excellent odds on that one†¦.We'll add five Galleons for the funny wand, then, shall we†¦.† Mr. Weasley looked on helplessly as Ludo Bagman whipped out a notebook and quill and began jotting down the twins' names. â€Å"Cheers,† said George, taking the slip of parchment Bagman handed him and tucking it away into the front of his robes. Bagman turned most cheerfully back to Mr. Weasley. â€Å"Couldn't do me a brew, I suppose? I'm keeping an eye out for Barty Crouch. My Bulgarian opposite number's making difficulties, and I can't understand a word he's saying. Barty'll be able to sort it out. He speaks about a hundred and fifty languages.† â€Å"Mr. Crouch?† said Percy, suddenly abandoning his look of poker-stiff disapproval and positively writhing with excitement. â€Å"He speaks over two hundred! Mermish and Gobbledegook and Troll†¦.† â€Å"Anyone can speak Troll,† said Fred dismissively. â€Å"All you have to do is point and grunt.† Percy threw Fred an extremely nasty look and stoked the fire vigorously to bring the kettle back to the boil. â€Å"Any news of Bertha Jorkins yet, Ludo?† Mr. Weasley asked as Bagman settled himself down on the grass beside them all. â€Å"Not a dicky bird,† said Bagman comfortably. â€Å"But she'll turn up. Poor old Bertha†¦memory like a leaky cauldron and no sense of direction. Lost, you take my word for it. She'll wander back into the office sometime in October, thinking it's still July.† â€Å"You don't think it might be time to send someone to look for her?† Mr. Weasley suggested tentatively as Percy handed Bagman his tea. â€Å"Barty Crouch keeps saying that,† said Bagman, his round eyes widening innocently, â€Å"but we really can't spare anyone at the moment. Oh – talk of the devil! Barty!† A wizard had just Apparated at their fireside, and he could not have made more of a contrast with Ludo Bagman, sprawled on the grass in his old Wasp robes. Barty Crouch was a stiff, upright, elderly man, dressed in an impeccably crisp suit and tie. The parting in his short gray hair was almost unnaturally straight, and his narrow toothbrush mustache looked as though he trimmed it using a slide rule. His shoes were very highly polished. Harry could see at once why Percy idolized him. Percy was a great believer in rigidly following rules, and Mr. Crouch had complied with the rule about Muggle dressing so thoroughly that he could have passed for a bank manager; Harry doubted even Uncle Vernon would have spotted him for what he really was. â€Å"Pull up a bit of grass, Barry,† said Ludo brightly, patting the ground beside him. â€Å"No thank you, Ludo,† said Crouch, and there was a bite of impatience in his voice. â€Å"I've been looking for you everywhere. The Bulgarians are insisting we add another twelve seats to the Top Box.† â€Å"Oh is that what they're after?† said Bagman. I thought the chap was asking to borrow a pair of tweezers. Bit of a strong accent.† â€Å"Mr. Crouch!† said Percy breathlessly, sunk into a kind of halfbow that made him look like a hunchback. â€Å"Would you like a cup of tea?† â€Å"Oh,† said Mr. Crouch, looking over at Percy in mild surprise. â€Å"Yes – thank you, Weatherby.† Fred and George choked into their own cups. Percy, very pink around the ears, busied himself with the kettle. â€Å"Oh and I've been wanting a word with you too, Arthur,† said Mr. Crouch, his sharp eyes falling upon Mr. Weasley. â€Å"Ali Bashir's on the warpath. He wants a word with you about your embargo on flying carpets.† Mr. Weasley heaved a deep sigh. â€Å"I sent him an owl about that just last week. If I've told him once I've told him a hundred times: Carpets are defined as a Muggle Artifact by the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects, but will he listen?† â€Å"I doubt it,† said Mr. Crouch, accepting a cup from Percy. â€Å"He's desperate to export here.† â€Å"Well, they'll never replace brooms in Britain, will they?† said Bagman. â€Å"Ali thinks there's a niche in the market for a family vehicle, said Mr. Crouch. â€Å"I remember my grandfather had an Axminster that could seat twelve – but that was before carpets were banned, of course.† He spoke as though he wanted to leave nobody in any doubt that all his ancestors had abided strictly by the law. â€Å"So, been keeping busy, Barty?† said Bagman breezily. â€Å"Fairly,† said Mr. Crouch dryly. â€Å"Organizing Portkeys across five continents is no mean feat, Ludo.† â€Å"I expect you'll both be glad when this is over?† said Mr. Weasley. Ludo Bagman looked shocked. â€Å"Glad! Don't know when I've had more fun†¦.Still, it's not as though we haven't got anything to took forward to, eh, Barty? Eh? Plenty left to organize, eh?† Mr. Crouch raised his eyebrows at Bagman. â€Å"We agreed not to make the announcement until all the details -â€Å" â€Å"Oh details!† said Bagman, waving the word away like a cloud of midges. â€Å"They've signed, haven't they? They've agreed, haven't they? I bet you anything these kids'll know soon enough anyway. I mean, it's happening at Hogwarts -â€Å" â€Å"Ludo, we need to meet the Bulgarians, you know,† said Mr. Crouch sharply, cutting Bagman's remarks short. â€Å"Thank you for the tea, Weatherby.† He pushed his undrunk tea back at Percy and waited for Ludo to rise; Bagman struggled to his feet, swigging down the last of his tea, the gold in his pockets chinking merrily. â€Å"See you all later!† he said. â€Å"You'll be up in the Top Box with me – I'm commentating!† He waved, Barty Crouch nodded curtly, and both of them Disapparated. â€Å"What's happening at Hogwarts, Dad?† said Fred at once. â€Å"What were they talking about?† â€Å"You'll find out soon enough,† said Mr.Weasley, smiling. â€Å"It's classified information, until such time as the Ministry decides to release it,† said Percy stiffly. â€Å"Mr. Crouch was quite right not to disclose it.† â€Å"Oh shut up, Weatherby,† said Fred. A sense of excitement rose like a palpable cloud over the campsite as the afternoon wore on. By dusk, the still summer air itself seemed to be quivering with anticipation, and as darkness spread like a curtain over the thousands of waiting wizards, the last vestiges of pretence disappeared: the Ministry seemed to have bowed to the inevitable and stopped fighting the signs of blatant magic now breaking out everywhere. Salesmen were Apparating every few feet, carrying trays and pushing carts full of extraordinary merchandise. There were luminous rosettes – green for Ireland, red for Bulgaria – which were squealing the names of the players, pointed green hats bedecked with dancing shamrocks, Bulgarian scarves adorned with lions that really roared, flags from both countries that played their national anthems as they were waved; there were tiny models of Firebolts that really flew, and collectible figures of famous players, which strolled across the palm of your hand, preening themselves. â€Å"Been saving my pocket money all summer for this,† Ron told Harry as they and Hermione strolled through the salesmen, buying souvenirs. Though Ron purchased a dancing shamrock hat and a large green rosette, he also bought a small figure of Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker. The miniature Krum walked backward and forward over Ron's hand, scowling up at the green rosette above him. â€Å"Wow, look at these!† said Harry, hurrying over to a cart piled high with what looked like brass binoculars, except that they were covered with all sorts of weird knobs and dials. â€Å"Omnioculars,† said the saleswizard eagerly. â€Å"You can replay action†¦slow everything down†¦and they flash up a play-by-play breakdown if you need it. Bargain – ten Galleons each.† â€Å"Wish I hadn't bought this now,† said Ron, gesturing at his dancing shamrock hat and gazing longingly at the Omnioculars. â€Å"Three pairs,† said Harry firmly to the wizard. â€Å"No – don't bother,† said Ron, going red. He was always touchy about the fact that Harry, who had inherited a small fortune from his parents, had much more money than he did. â€Å"You won't be getting anything for Christmas,† Harry told him, thrusting Omnioculars into his and Hermione's hands. â€Å"For about ten years, mind.† â€Å"Fair enough,† said Ron, grinning. â€Å"Oooh, thanks, Harry,† said Hermione. â€Å"And I'll get us some programs, look -â€Å" Their money bags considerably lighter, they went back to the tents. Bill, Charlie, and Ginny were all sporting green rosettes too, and Mr. Weasley was carrying an Irish flag. Fred and George had no souvenirs as they had given Bagman all their gold. And then a deep, booming gong sounded somewhere beyond the woods, and at once, green and red lanterns blazed into life in the trees, lighting a path to the field. â€Å"It's time!† said Mr. Weasley, looking as excited as any of them. â€Å"Come on, let's go!†