Does Media Violence actually cause people to Commit Violent Acts Essay

Does Media Violence actually cause people to Commit Violent Acts - Essay Example   Studies disclose that children watch roughly twenty eight hours of television a week (Tompkins). Adolescents and children in America are open to the elements of mounting levels of media violence, particularly in video games, movies, television and youth-oriented music. On average, a young individual would have watched 200,000 scenes of violence on television by the age of 18 (Huesmann, Moise-Titus and Podolski, 207). Many of the studies that claim positive results concerning a link between media violence and ensuing aggression, actually have negative or inconclusive results. Media violence researches frequently fail to report for other variables such as heredity traits, personality and introduction to family violence that may explain both the reason some people become violent and why they may decide to expose themselves to violent media. In more recent years, violence has become the most popular form of entertainment. Most fictional programs on television and scenes depicted in m ost games need this violence to develop a storyline that would be interesting and captivating to most viewers. The violence is far more graphic and disturbing than in the past (Tompkins, 52). Many argue that media violence is at least partly to blame for the school shootings in Littleton, Colorado, Taber, Alberta and Erfurt, Germany.    Proponents of the idea that violence depicted on both television and video games affects the behavior of children state that, contrary to other beliefs, these scenes teach a higher sense of the justification of the use of violence in different situations (Tompkins, 50). It teaches that violence is a correct avenue to solve differences, which is not an acceptable action within real life situations. The classic setting of using violence for a virtuous cause may interpret in daily life into a validation for using violence to even the score against supposed victimizers. Consequently, defenseless youth who have been maltreated may be tempted to use aggr essive means to resolve problems. The hero in most of these scenes also teaches them that violence has no consequences because he/she never gets in trouble for their actions. Most psychologists agree that experiences teach children during their early years and have a longstanding effect on their lives. Toddlers between the ages of eighteen to sixteen months are intelligent enough to comprehend the significance of the programs (Tompkins, 48) that they watch and respond in the same manner to both actual and acted violence since their link between dream and actuality is still not strong. Furthermore, toddlers between the ages of three and five years are engrossed by extremely dramatic scenes, which in today’s viewing, is mostly violence. Additionally, children who are in elementary schools believe that TV reflects real life and will become more active in displaying hostile conduct after watching violent scenes because they have been learning form a young age through watching and imitating what they see their through the violent acts of supposed movie heroes (Malamuth and Check, 436). Children who observe the aggressive shows, even hilarious cartoons, were more apt to hit their playmates, quarrel, refuse to comply with class rules, leave tasks

Conscription Paragraph Essay Example for Free

Conscription Paragraph Essay Out on the battlefield many men were lost saving families and there country. These men are honoured for being heroes for what they have done and because of there actions less men were killed, families receive there family members faster and some men get to see another day. This was all possible from the government using conscription. After the government decided to use conscription this made many people and families angry but they did not see the good and the need for it. They used every volunteer that they received yet it was not enough and that it was necessary to use force to gather the men needed to help fight and win the war. Due to the more soldiers fighting the faster then men got to come home to their families and with the amount of men recruited more families and friends were saved. The men who had joined the army learned that all is the same out in the battlefield and there class, wealth, race, or religion we all become equal when fighting and protecting your country. Conscription helped and forced lazy and unemployed people to work and get paid and honoured for what they are doing, which is better then doing nothing all day. In the process of joining the war the men were trained and put in to a fitness training to make them healthier and strong for and after the war. All of the men who came back are now remembered as heroes and honoured for there bravery and courage. Yes the government broke the promise about using conscription however the war was in our favour and families, friends, country were all saved and protected in the process. We have made a face on the earth and shown our power to all the countries out there and tell them to beware because we will fight and we ill win.

Importance of Community in El Tonto Del Barrio Essay -- Tonto Del Barr

Importance of Community in El Tonto Del Barrio  Ã‚     Ã‚   The title of Jose Armas’ story, "El Tonto Del Barrio" (or "The Barrio Dummy"), may be interpreted two different ways. The first interpretation is literal and applies to the simple-minded Romero, who with the help of his community is able to function in the real world. The second interpretation is ironic; it applies to the Harvard-bound Seferino, who though he means well is so lacking in experience that he turns Romero’s world upside down and nearly gets him committed to an institution. Many readers see the second interpretation as the more interesting, but to see the story in this light is to overlook a very important element. This element is the significant role of the community that is the setting for this story. If we consider the importance of the community, Romero is justly the title character. Romero gives the community character through his positive attitude, and he is a great role model to the children in terms of his work ethic. In return, the neighbor s treat Romero with kindness, loyalty, and respect. In a successful community, everyone must work together and help one another. Sometimes there are people in the community who seem strange to outsiders. They may even seem strange to the community members. The more peculiar residents may be ridiculed and put down, but not in Romero’s community—he is both respected and well-treated, and in return he treats members of the community with consideration. In this way Romero’s situation demands the best of his community, and in demanding their best, he makes the community stronger. Although Romero was not quite normal, he has a mature attitude towards his job, and he always made sure his work was done thoroughly: "R... ... everyone is taught to help anyone who needs it and to respect everyone, no matter how odd he or she seems. These values come through strongly in Armas’ story. Overall, the reader can see that this community does band together to support Romero. Romero is a bit touched, but he manages to teach everyone in the town some important lessons. He exemplifies a work ethic that is probably stronger than any else’s in the community. Despite his affliction, Romero is always cheerful and full of vitality. Even though he is the "village idiot" by conventional definition, he is a blessing to this barrio. Works Cited Armas, Jose. "El Tonto Del Barrio." Harper Anthology of Fiction. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. NY: HarperCollins, 1991. 1137-1142. Works Consulted Armas, Jose. Cuban Consciousness in Literature: 1923-1974. Miami, Florida: Ediciones Universal, 1978.      

Just War and Pacifism

Religious Studies lust War and Pacifism (l) Examine the view that some wars can be Justified. (21) What is just war? It's the act of war that must be justified because of the considerable losses which war entails. Pacifism? The pacifist will pursue every other option a prior to resorting to war. War actually has some advantages and can be justified; mainly It establishes peace. It stimulates the economy e. G. Weapon development, employment, reparations, rebuilding. War raises consciousness of call and human rights.It also advances technology and medicine. The Just War theory was developed my Augustine during the 3rd century and Aquinas during 1 13th century. This theory responded to the need for Christians to fight for the defense of the empire, but without compromising Christian principles, following Constantine conversion to Christianity. There are three categories: Jus ad bellum (conditions for going to war), Jus in belle (conditions during war), and Jus post bellum (conditions fo r ending war). Jus ad bellum has to have a Just cause e. . Aberration from oppression, to restore peace, protect the innocent, and self defense. Last resort which means after all peaceful methods of negotiation, sanctions; isolation; have failed. The legitimate authority has to approve e. G. The elected or recognized government of the land; religious authority If appropriate; military government that Is the legitimate authority A Just Intention should be present, a Just outcome as means e. G. Not to take a nations wealth is the process of lecturing peace.There should be a comparison of justice on tooth sides; in principle both sides should have a just cause and a Just intention. A reasonable likelihood of success, do not commit a nation to an unnamable war that will lead to Increasing suffering. Also, the level of weaponry should be proportionate to the offense e. G. Conflict becoming a country for a dispute over trade. Jus in Belle, the conditions during war. There should be reason able proportion between injustices fought and suffering cause, but is the suffering worth it? E. G. Vietnam war. Considerably not World War II, conceivably so.The use of weapons would be proportionate; weapon technology changes and develops during the course of war- it should remain proportionate to the weaponry/man power of the enemy. Warfare must be discriminate, targeting non-competent, civilian facilities, medical facilities Is not Just. Jus post bellum, the conditions for bringing an end to conflict. First of all you should provide assurances to combatants about the terms necessary to end a conflict. Provide terms for the end of war and guideline for the construction of peace treaties. Prevent continuous fighting throughout peace negotiations.Also, prevent draconian and vengeful peace terms. It limits the chance of future generations, suffering, and conflict reigniting. War crimes punishment should distinguish between 1 OFF aggressor in two forms; compensation to the victim for losses incurred and war crime trials for the aggressor. Terms for settlement should be measure and reasonable and should be made public. Leaders, soldiers, and civilians must be distinguished. Basically, wars can be Justified if only you follow these principles and have a good, thoughtful and peaceful reason to start a war. T) To what extent can this view be challenged by pacifism? (9) What is pacifism? The belief that war is incompatible with obedience to the gospel of Jesus, and is superseded by the command to love enemies and pray for persecutors, particularly Christian pacifism. Also, it is possible to be pacifist on humanitarian principles without religious focus. Absolute of total pacifism is no engagement in any military activity. It's notable associated with the Quakers and Amiss and it's unofficially the policy of many individual Christians.Jesus referred to SE violence and taught his disciples not to respond violently e. G. â€Å"Put your sword away, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword† (Matthew 26:52). He forgives his executioners: â€Å"Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. † (Luke 23:34) This quote by Jesus was taken out of most Bibles because the writers disagreed with the forgiveness of Jesus' executioners. Jesus could have been more revolutionary; Steven Brandon has argued the case that Jesus was a zealot. Also, religious support came from Paul e. G. ‘Do not take revenge, but leave room forGod's wrath' (Romans 12:19); Judgment belongs to God, it is not humans responsibility. Paul also teaches submission to, not rebellion against, the ruling powers. ‘Do you want to be free of fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you' (Romans 13:5). This was the pragmatic teaching in a time of impending persecution. ‘The spirit of Christ, which leads us into all truth, will never move us to fight and war against any man' (The Quakers). Even though a war can b e Justified, it doesn't mean it is a good idea to start it. Pacifism challenges the Just War theory.No matter how it can be Justified or what kind of peace you want to establish, war is always bad. Pacifism is a very religious but at the same time peaceful and the right view. ‘Christian peacemakers†¦ Are to live at peace†¦ Love their enemies, overcome evil with good†¦ And become ministers of reconciliation' Noon Sotto). Only the most wise and enlightened will understand pacifism and disagree with Just war. But even though pacifism seems like a solution to all our suffering, people will never achieve it because humans are too selfish and too obsessed with power and money. Just War and Pacifism Religious Studies lust War and Pacifism (l) Examine the view that some wars can be Justified. (21) What is just war? It's the act of war that must be justified because of the considerable losses which war entails. Pacifism? The pacifist will pursue every other option a prior to resorting to war. War actually has some advantages and can be justified; mainly It establishes peace. It stimulates the economy e. G. Weapon development, employment, reparations, rebuilding. War raises consciousness of call and human rights.It also advances technology and medicine. The Just War theory was developed my Augustine during the 3rd century and Aquinas during 1 13th century. This theory responded to the need for Christians to fight for the defense of the empire, but without compromising Christian principles, following Constantine conversion to Christianity. There are three categories: Jus ad bellum (conditions for going to war), Jus in belle (conditions during war), and Jus post bellum (conditions fo r ending war). Jus ad bellum has to have a Just cause e. . Aberration from oppression, to restore peace, protect the innocent, and self defense. Last resort which means after all peaceful methods of negotiation, sanctions; isolation; have failed. The legitimate authority has to approve e. G. The elected or recognized government of the land; religious authority If appropriate; military government that Is the legitimate authority A Just Intention should be present, a Just outcome as means e. G. Not to take a nations wealth is the process of lecturing peace.There should be a comparison of justice on tooth sides; in principle both sides should have a just cause and a Just intention. A reasonable likelihood of success, do not commit a nation to an unnamable war that will lead to Increasing suffering. Also, the level of weaponry should be proportionate to the offense e. G. Conflict becoming a country for a dispute over trade. Jus in Belle, the conditions during war. There should be reason able proportion between injustices fought and suffering cause, but is the suffering worth it? E. G. Vietnam war. Considerably not World War II, conceivably so.The use of weapons would be proportionate; weapon technology changes and develops during the course of war- it should remain proportionate to the weaponry/man power of the enemy. Warfare must be discriminate, targeting non-competent, civilian facilities, medical facilities Is not Just. Jus post bellum, the conditions for bringing an end to conflict. First of all you should provide assurances to combatants about the terms necessary to end a conflict. Provide terms for the end of war and guideline for the construction of peace treaties. Prevent continuous fighting throughout peace negotiations.Also, prevent draconian and vengeful peace terms. It limits the chance of future generations, suffering, and conflict reigniting. War crimes punishment should distinguish between 1 OFF aggressor in two forms; compensation to the victim for losses incurred and war crime trials for the aggressor. Terms for settlement should be measure and reasonable and should be made public. Leaders, soldiers, and civilians must be distinguished. Basically, wars can be Justified if only you follow these principles and have a good, thoughtful and peaceful reason to start a war. T) To what extent can this view be challenged by pacifism? (9) What is pacifism? The belief that war is incompatible with obedience to the gospel of Jesus, and is superseded by the command to love enemies and pray for persecutors, particularly Christian pacifism. Also, it is possible to be pacifist on humanitarian principles without religious focus. Absolute of total pacifism is no engagement in any military activity. It's notable associated with the Quakers and Amiss and it's unofficially the policy of many individual Christians.Jesus referred to SE violence and taught his disciples not to respond violently e. G. â€Å"Put your sword away, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword† (Matthew 26:52). He forgives his executioners: â€Å"Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. † (Luke 23:34) This quote by Jesus was taken out of most Bibles because the writers disagreed with the forgiveness of Jesus' executioners. Jesus could have been more revolutionary; Steven Brandon has argued the case that Jesus was a zealot. Also, religious support came from Paul e. G. ‘Do not take revenge, but leave room forGod's wrath' (Romans 12:19); Judgment belongs to God, it is not humans responsibility. Paul also teaches submission to, not rebellion against, the ruling powers. ‘Do you want to be free of fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you' (Romans 13:5). This was the pragmatic teaching in a time of impending persecution. ‘The spirit of Christ, which leads us into all truth, will never move us to fight and war against any man' (The Quakers). Even though a war can b e Justified, it doesn't mean it is a good idea to start it. Pacifism challenges the Just War theory.No matter how it can be Justified or what kind of peace you want to establish, war is always bad. Pacifism is a very religious but at the same time peaceful and the right view. ‘Christian peacemakers†¦ Are to live at peace†¦ Love their enemies, overcome evil with good†¦ And become ministers of reconciliation' Noon Sotto). Only the most wise and enlightened will understand pacifism and disagree with Just war. But even though pacifism seems like a solution to all our suffering, people will never achieve it because humans are too selfish and too obsessed with power and money.

Betrayal and Manipulation in the Accidental Billionaires Essay

In the Accidental Billionaires, the motif of manipulation and betrayal is prevalent. Mark Zuckerburg is the prime embodiment of manipulation and betrayal throughout the course of the work. Another character also attributed with such qualities is Sean Parker. Mark and Sean are similar in this aspect; manipulating their own world to achieve their goals. In the first few chapters of the book, the reader is introduced to the Winklevoss twins. The twins turn to Mark to aid them in their social networking idea, the HarvardConnection. After trusting Mark with their program, Mark begins to manipulate the idea into his own. In a very subtle way, Mark delays the twins in time to sire his own program. This action reveals to the reader that Mark is a lone wolf. Mark, told to us in the book, is not interested in money. For example, â€Å"†¦Microsoft had offered Mark between one and two million dollars to go to work for them-and amazingly, Mark had turned them down† (Mezrich 15). This action should be noted as the aspect of working alone seems to be, to Mark, the most efficient way to achieve fame. Mark is highly influenced by Bill Gates, a man who rose out of the very same school Mark attends and manipulated his way throughout his pursuits of Microsoft, and in Mark’s point of view, individual. With his displeasing physique and social incompetence, it is easy to see why people underestimate Mark and are taken advantage of. Another character to note is Sean Parker. Sean Parker is a foil to the protagonist, Mark. Mark pairs up with Sean after he launches ‘thefacebook’. Sean has a history of manipulating his way through major companies with the agenda of getting rich only, quite the opposite of Mark. Sean is extremely energetic, whereas Mark seems to be lazy as represented by his lack variety in his attire- flipflops, jeans, etc. Sean, however, was betrayed by those companies he used to work for, but, ironically, he pursues yet another company that betrays him in the end. Betrayal, through manipulation, is in the subtitle of the book, â€Å"A tale of sex, money, genius, and betrayal. † Betrayal is mentioned last in this climax because that is to show the most important motif and a symbol of the book’s overall structure- It goes from Eduardo and Mark seeking attention to ‘get laid’, then pursue money with genius innovation of modern social networking, and finally, Mark’s betrayal is concluded when he removes Eduardo and Sean from his life because they threatened his brainchild, Facebook. The motif of betrayal is very subtle to the reader. Even after reading the subtitle that Mezrich so blatantly states before the beginning chapter, I was manipulated into completely forgetting about betrayal and instead was focused on the pursuit to fame. Even the title fools the reader in stating the plural form of billionaire, but only one billionaire is spawned at the conclusion of the book. Just as the twins, Eduardo, and Sean, Mark’s real agenda was cloaked to me, until it finally dawned in the closing chapters.

KK1 essays

KK1 essays The film A Fish Called Wanda is on the AFIs (American Film Institute) Greatest 100 Comedies list. Although this film features talented actors like John Cleese and Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline easily steals the show. Kline gives a brilliant performance as the pseudo-intellectual Otto. What makes Kline so remarkable is the way that he moves and makes his character dance across the screen. Right from the outset, in one of the films first scene, we see that Klines Otto is no normal jewel thief. Even though Otto is supposed to be working under the guise that he is Wandas (Jamie Lee Curtis) sister, he quickly gives her breast a squeeze in full view of Ken, one of the other robbers. What makes this movement work comically is that Kline does it so lightening fast and that if you blinked you might miss it. He has such control over his arm that he is able to extend it, and withdraw it in a matter of maybe a second. This allows for the suspended disbelief that Ken does not see him do it. Another movement that Kline makes also speaks volumes about his body control. Otto and Wanda are together in what I take to be Ottos quarters. They are speaking excitedly about something and he leaps into the air, grabs a pipe that is suspended from the ceiling, lifts himself completely off the ground and sails on to the bed with the grace of a ballerina. This is so interesting because Klines Otto is supposed to a be a vulgar American bank robber. His graceful movement is evidenced again when Otto and Wanda go to the garage to claim the jewels the stole from a safe. Otto is angered by the fact that the jewels are not there. He goes over to kick a car out of anger. Rather then just kicking the tire, or burying his foot into the car door, Kline leaps into up and kicks the car twice while he is in the air. He takes what is just a simple movement and makes into something much more. While Kevin Kline is not a big man i...

A Guide to Elliptical Constructions

A Guide to Elliptical Constructions A Guide to Elliptical Constructions A Guide to Elliptical Constructions By Mark Nichol An elliptical construction is one in which a word or phrase implied by context is omitted from a sentence, usually because it is a repetition of a preceding word or phrase. The three principal types of elliptical construction, with the omitted text enclosed in brackets, follow: Noun ellipsis: â€Å"I went swimming, and John went [swimming], too.† Verb ellipsis: â€Å"She favors romantic comedies, and Jane [favors] musicals.† Verb-phrase ellipsis: â€Å"He went for a walk, but they didn’t [go for a walk].† In a sentence in which repeated elements recur in more than one clause, a comma marks the elision of these words or phrases, and the clauses are separated by semicolons: â€Å"Igneous rock is formed from the cooling and solidification of magma of lava; sedimentary, from sedimentation of surface and underwater material; and metamorphic, from heat or pressure action on igneous, sedimentary, or another metamorphic type of rock.† In simpler sentences, you may omit the comma if you also replace a semicolon with a conjunction: â€Å"Molten rock is called magma in its subterranean form and lava during and after eruption.† But if you retain the semicolon, retain the marker comma as well: â€Å"Molten rock is called magma in its subterranean form; lava, during and after eruption.† Elliptical construction is particularly useful when listing statistics: â€Å"In 2010, he hit fifty-five home runs; in 2009, thirty-seven; and in 2008, forty-six,† or â€Å"In the school election, Tom received 345 votes and Tina 322.† Proper ellipsis in sentences spoken by different people varies: When John says, â€Å"Mary graduated,† Jane can simply reply, â€Å"She did?† rather than echoing, â€Å"She did graduate?† or â€Å"Did she graduate?† But if John says, â€Å"Mary graduated with honors,† Jane can’t respond, â€Å"Jim with highest honors.† When a verb form is omitted in one of two instances, its repetition, not its original appearance, should be omitted: â€Å"My sister has never gone mountain climbing, and never will,† not â€Å"My sister has never and will never go mountain climbing.† (â€Å"My sister has never . . . go† is ungrammatical.) When using an elliptical construction that in its full form would employ the comparative terms as and than, do not omit the first instance of the terms before the conjunction: â€Å"Golden eagles are as large as and just as majestic as bald eagles,† not â€Å"Golden eagles are as large and just as majestic as bald eagles.† Similarly, do not omit than: â€Å"Coyotes are smaller than but just as impressive as wolves,† not â€Å"Coyotes are smaller but just as impressive as wolves.† To test for grammatical soundness, temporarily omit the phrase including the conjunction and the comparative up to the object: â€Å"Golden eagles are as large . . . bald eagles† and â€Å"Coyotes are smaller . . . wolves† are ungrammatical. Also, be sure to omit only the words not essential for clarity: â€Å"The bus doesn’t go to or return from the city,† not â€Å"The bus doesn’t go or return from the city.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Examples of Passive Voice (And How To Fix Them)English Grammar 101: Verb MoodNarrative, Plot, and Story

How to Make Colored Flowers

How to Make Colored Flowers Its easy to make your own colored flowers, especially carnations and daisies, but there are a couple of tricks that help ensure great results. Heres how you do it. Tips Materials: Light-colored flowers, food coloring, waterConcepts Illustrated: Evaporation, cohesion, xylem, capillary actionTime Required: Few hours to a dayExperience Level: Beginner Colored Flower Materials Fresh flowers, preferably white - Dont use wilted flowers since they might not be able to absorb water well. Good choices include daisies and carnations.Food coloringWarm water You can use other colors of flowers besides white. Just keep in mind the final color of the flower will be a mix of the nature pigments in the flower and the dye. Also, many flower pigments are pH indicators, so you can simply change the color of some flowers by putting them into water with baking soda (a base) or lemon juice/vinegar (common weak acids). Make Colored Flowers Trim the stems of your flowers so they arent excessively long.Make a slanted cut at the base of the stem under water. The cut is slanted so that the stem wont sit flat on the bottom of the container. A flat cut can prevent the flower from taking in water. Make the cut underwater to prevent air bubbles from forming in the tiny tubes at base of the stem, which would prevent water/color from being drawn up.Add food coloring to a glass. Youre looking at about 20-30 drops of food coloring per half cup of warm water. Warm water will be taken more readily than cold water.Set the damp stem of the flower in the colored water. The petals should become colored after a few hours. It may take as long as 24 hours, however, depending on the flower.You can set the colored flowers in plain water or flower preservative, but they will continue to drink water, changing the pattern of the color over time. Getting Fancy You can slit the stem up the middle and put each side in a different color to get bi-colored flowers. What do you think you will get if you put half of the stem in blue dye and half in yellow dye? What do you think will happen if you take a colored flower and put its stem in dye of a different color? How It Works A few different processes are involved in plant drinking or transpiration. As water evaporates from flowers and leaves, the attractive force between water molecules called cohesion pulls more water along. Water is pulled up through tiny tubes (xylem) that run up a plants stem. Although gravity might want to pull the water back down toward the ground, water sticks to itself and these tubes. This capillary action keeps water in the xylem in much the same way as water stays in a straw when you suck water through it, except evaporation and biochemical reactions provide the initial upward pull.

Case study on the Zeal Peso Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Case study on the Zeal Peso - Essay Example From the case, we know that the exchange rate at the beginning was 20ZPG per dollar; the total time from 1973 to 1995 is 22 years. Price levels in the US have moved from 70 to 140 representing 100% inflation while those in the Zeal have moved from 50 to 180 representing 260% inflation. Substituting these figures in equation 2 we get: This represents 1/36 = $0.027 per Zeal Peso. According to the case report, the peso had devalued to a figure of $0.0263 per peso, which is the same figure predicted using PPP. Assuming that PPP holds true, then we can conclude that the figure $0,0263/ZPG is the best prediction for the Zeal peso spot rate for the last 22 years. (Shapiro, 2006: pp137). Therefore we can conclude here that the currency has devalued enough. However, given that this is the figure for 1995, the figure might be expected to reduce with further increase in inflation by the end of 1996. In my opinion, it was possible to forecast the peso float. From an understanding of purchasing power parity it is clear that two currencies can only be in fixed parity if the rates of change of consumer prices in the two countries are equal through time. In so far as the changes in inflation rates in one country are more than the other it will not be possible for fixed parity to be maintained. Thus, the currency values must readjust to reflect the inflation differentials. In the case of the US and the Zeal, one can observe from table 2 that the consumer price index for both countries has been increasing but that for the Zeal witnessed higher increases than that for the United States. As purchasing power parity states, currencies with higher inflation rates should depreciate relative to currencies with lower rates of inflation (Shapiro, 2006). Therefore given that the inflation index for the Zeal was increasing at a rate that was higher than that for the US it should have been possib le to forecast the peso float. Question 3. According to Black (2002), foreign exchange reserves or international reserves represent liquid assets held by a country's government or central bank for the purpose of intervening in the foreign exchange market. These include gold or convertible foreign currencies. (Black, 2002). For example in the case of the Zeal this might refer to assets denominated in US dollars rather than the Zeal peso. Foreign exchange reserves can also include balances with international institutions, notably the International Monetary Fund (IMF). (Black, 2002). Looking at table 3, which shows the balance of payments for the Zeal from 1973 to 1995, including the international reserves, we can observe that the international reserves have been decreasing since 1973. The international reserves have dropped from $-45million in 1973 to $-150million. This implies that the country has more liquid liabilities and not assets in foreign currency and therefore less money has been transferred out of the country. Instead, more money has been moved into the country in foreign currency. This is contrary to the assertion in the case that many people transferred money out of the country. Question 4 Bodie et al (2002), Shapiro (2006) state that in a well functioning foreign exchange market, there should be a spot-futures exchange rate relationship that will

Federal vs State Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Federal vs State Law - Case Study Example The manhunt that followed led police to led police to one Mr. David Harris who after being grilled pointed a finger Randall Adams as the trigger man (Gillers 117). Based on Harris’s testimony, Randall Adams convicted for murder and sentenced to death. The conviction however, later became one of the most infamous miscarriages of justice in America. Mr. Adams, as would later be proved, was not the killer. In fact, he was not in Harris’s car when the officer was killed. He was only railroaded to prison because his shaggy appearance made him look like a criminal as compared to young David Harris. However, in 1980, the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional for Texas to require that jurors must promise that the obligatory inconvenience of a capital punishment would not meddle with their thought of verifiable matters, for example, blame or purity, amid a trial. The case was eventually thrown out and Adams released after 12 years behind bars. The unconditionality of some of the state laws were eventually put to light as seen in the case of Adams. Thus, the need to revise such laws that predetermined a suspect’s innocence or guilt was raised.

Boss Speech in an away day event Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Boss Speech in an away day event - Essay Example Particularly, I present my gratification for all your input, which has made us to achieve tremendous results recently. Needless to say, our recent achievement as a company has been made possible by your individual contribution within your various teams. Although our growth as a company is indeed greatly appreciated, the same has come with increased challenges. This is because we are getting more responsibilities as a company, at the teamwork level and most importantly at individual level. The increased responsibilities to handle increased challenges should not be faced with fear but with much optimism and courage. It is also undeniable that we have been working under capacity as individuals and as a team. We have not been able to utilize our full potential in various aspects especially in communication and interpersonal relationships. I strongly believe that we have a more profound potential and that we can put more concerted efforts towards achieving and exceeding the company’s goals and objectives. In our endeavor to achieve the company’s goals, objectives vision and mission, I think it is overwhelmingly important for all of us to take time to understand how everyone feels. Indeed, effective communication and interpersonal communication begins with understanding one another. Although we come from different cultural, educational, intellectual, and social backgrounds, we can work together cohesively as a team by understanding each other. The teamwork spirit should be encouraged, respected and nurtured at all times. As we prepare ourselves for the challenging times ahead, it would be essential to be open, cheerful, and free to communicate and interact with one another at a personal level. This way we will all be in a position to get the most out of this interactive session. The openness and freeness generated in this interactive

Discuss the limitations of Becken and Simmons' (2008) approach to Essay

Discuss the limitations of Becken and Simmons' (2008) approach to yield analysis AND discuss ways in which their model might be developed further - Essay Example In tourism, yield can mean the profit or revenue incurred from hosting the different visitor types. In order to achieve sustainable yield, three dimensions; social, economic and ecological yields need to be combined to a single yield measure (Becken and Simmons, 2008). This has been shown to be impossible as there is no suitable methodology to merge these yields. Becken and Simmons (2008) further explained that the research focused on the financial aspect in terms of yield to measure the private sector tourism yield. To calculate the financial yield, the researchers used individual sectors like hotels that the tourists visited and did not consider the financial impacts of tourism on the societies, nations or the environment. Tourism has both the public and private components and as such it is difficult to assess tourism sustainability. This represents a limitation as it this mix is complex and difficult to cumulatively assess (Becken and Simmons, 2008). The research used the transport and accommodation details of the visitors to identify the tourist types. The types that were identified as a result were; backpackers, campers, home visitors, free independent travelers and coachers. Out of these, the researchers were unable to determine the tourist types of 16% of the sample and as a result, they excluded this number from the database (Becken and Simmons, 2008). This percentage represents a significant number of tourists and is therefore a significant loss for the research. According to Becken and Simmons (2008), the research also focused on the emission of carbon dioxide gas or greenhouse gas emission as the ecological only impact of tourism. This is a limitation, as they needed to assess other environmental impacts of tourism like the impact of tourism on ecological resources like water and soil conservation. Tourism has economic, environmental and

Management and Organisations in a Global Environment Essay

Management and Organisations in a Global Environment - Essay Example at carrying out relevant research and applying the interpretation of the data emanating from the same in order to transform the company and render exponential growth to its operational effectiveness. Systems and technology consultancy: this includes working with private as well as public companies and corporations to source and provide information regarding financial services, energy, government and public services, manufacturing and telecommunications, among many others, so as to promote the scope for strategic partnerships between the public and private corporations. Kuwait is a country with a rich culture and strong ties with tradition. This has led the entrepreneurs in Kuwait to regard tradition and culture in all their activities. There strong presence of culture in business negotiations has become a standard in today’s world of commerce. (Stokes, 2001) The preparation for negotiations in a certain country involves a strong focus on learning more about the traditions as well as culture of the country. This helps the negotiator get comfortable with the business climate that is followed in the country so as to have a better grasp over what is happening around him or her. (Furusten, 1999) This has been seen in KCS as well. (Kuwait Computer Services – Official Website) In the Middle East, there are a plethora of customs as well as traditions that are a part and parcel of their activities in every walk of life. For example, a major part of this involves food habits. The Kuwaitis, as a people, focus on the food at every occasion. They have a wide variety of dishes that are prepared and savoured according to the occasion. The scope for stability as well as innovation and risk in this case is in the fact that the Middle Eastern culture needs to be studied in order to come up with a fool proof structure on which the knowledge management criteria may be arrived at and finally evolved. (Hofer et al, 2002) The function of culture helps employees in gaining wider

Southwest Air lines Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Southwest Air lines - Term Paper Example But unfortunately issue arises when management fails to achieve the best for their company. The perception to design an infrastructure usually depends upon the project managers who are responsible to implement that. The adverse circumstances arise when the company already lacks in building a strong network. Airline business just not only depends upon issuing tickets and running aero planes, it also depends upon the background affairs and other businesses in the company. It includes marketing, information technology, corporate affairs, logistics and flight services etc. The management has to look over all the areas and their task is to bring all on one page. Southwest Airlines is a company that has highlighted its passions for three factors, â€Å"performance, people and planet†. To accomplish the objective of the company, what needed is to make strategies which provide a roadmap to the company to follow a specific plan that results in setting performance goals, deliver valuable service to customers and to be successful in the market. However making strategies is not all, following the plan is more important. The airline has prospered in every domain but the most important area that overlooked and ignored is Human Resource Management. The ultimate goal of any company is to earn revenue from their business processes. These processes need alignment of company objectives with human resource to run them smoothly (R. Michael), but when company disregards human resource aspect while planning strategies for the company, they will ultimately suffer a business loss. Company’s objective is to add value to business. For doing this, they need to align Information technology with business strategies, improve processes and most importantly take care of critical asset i.e. Human Resource (OPM). This is covered when management does not only focus on business processes but also need to centre employee’s

Management and Organisations in a Global Environment Essay

Management and Organisations in a Global Environment - Essay Example at carrying out relevant research and applying the interpretation of the data emanating from the same in order to transform the company and render exponential growth to its operational effectiveness. Systems and technology consultancy: this includes working with private as well as public companies and corporations to source and provide information regarding financial services, energy, government and public services, manufacturing and telecommunications, among many others, so as to promote the scope for strategic partnerships between the public and private corporations. Kuwait is a country with a rich culture and strong ties with tradition. This has led the entrepreneurs in Kuwait to regard tradition and culture in all their activities. There strong presence of culture in business negotiations has become a standard in today’s world of commerce. (Stokes, 2001) The preparation for negotiations in a certain country involves a strong focus on learning more about the traditions as well as culture of the country. This helps the negotiator get comfortable with the business climate that is followed in the country so as to have a better grasp over what is happening around him or her. (Furusten, 1999) This has been seen in KCS as well. (Kuwait Computer Services – Official Website) In the Middle East, there are a plethora of customs as well as traditions that are a part and parcel of their activities in every walk of life. For example, a major part of this involves food habits. The Kuwaitis, as a people, focus on the food at every occasion. They have a wide variety of dishes that are prepared and savoured according to the occasion. The scope for stability as well as innovation and risk in this case is in the fact that the Middle Eastern culture needs to be studied in order to come up with a fool proof structure on which the knowledge management criteria may be arrived at and finally evolved. (Hofer et al, 2002) The function of culture helps employees in gaining wider

Australian Taxation system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Australian Taxation system - Essay Example There are also state governments which control taxation taking place in the several states that are in the country. The last system of government present in Australia is the local governments. According to Macfarlane in his book â€Å"Australian Monetary Policy in the Last Quarter of the Twentieth Century†, it is evident that Australia has low taxation rates (Macfarlane 1998). Despite lower taxation rates, the governments still struggle to control the taxation system. Several forms of taxation exist in Australia. These include personal income taxes, capital gains taxes, fringe benefits, taxes, customs duty taxes, corporate taxes and goods and services taxes just to name a few of all the existing forms of taxes. As testified in the sections of the Australian constitution, all individuals both working and non-working and also companies are forced to pay taxes to all the levels of government: the federal government, the state governments and the local governments. Among the natio nal duties that the Australian government accomplishes with the income generated from taxation include the offering of services to the public and paying the public servants. The federal government often collects taxes from individuals and companies through the Australian Taxation Office which is an organization that helps the federal government collect revenue which is further paid to the various states. Australia as earlier mentioned has several forms of taxation.... Income taxes are the backbone of the Australian economy since they are the most critical and important source of revenue for the federal government. Provides income tax revenue that the federal government uses to make or accomplish several important tasks. It is also important to note that income taxation in Australia is done on individuals with constant income. Thus, the individuals depending on the working generation which mostly comprises of the young children and older do not pay income tax. In the words of Cortese C and Glynn J, in his journal â€Å"Taxation and the Australian Superannuation System†, â€Å"personal income tax in Australia is done on individuals and not on groups, families, organizations or companies† (Cortese and Glynn). Another form of taxation is the goods and services tax. In this form of taxation, the federal government often imposes value added tax on goods and services offered and provided all over the country. Business people in Australia po sses retail shops, wholesale shops, hardware shops and even supermarkets. In these businesses, when an individual buys goods for example clothes, food or any other stuffs, there are tax imposed on him or her. Like in other countries, small business men and women sell their goods and services directly to their customers. When the customers purchase the goods, value added tax is imposed on them. Though tax on goods and services is not much as the personal income tax, it also acts as a source of revenue for the federal government in Australia. The income got from the goods and services taxation by the local government is later distributed to the state governments which the state governments use to run their duties. Consequently, corporate tax is another form of taxation in Australia.

Political campaigns Essay Example for Free

Political campaigns Essay Political campaigns also provide much to reflect and think upon. They are also vastly entertaining particularly as the gloves come out and opposing parties start to play for keeps. Campaign ads are a powerful tool to cast yourself in a specific way, like trustworthy, honourable, and ready to get things done. However they can also be used to make your opponent look foolish, incompetent etc. A well written and developed add can be very affective no matter the content but some ads just go above and beyond. My favourite political add from 2006 was the Western for Bill Richardson for Governor. This ad is a particular favourite not for who was running but for the creativity of the ad. What is more American than a western? The commercial is quintessentially American. Sheriffs are naturally portrayed as being honest, trustworthy, brave, ready to right wrongs, ready to fight. Just by portraying Bill Richardson as the sheriff all of these virtues are implied without having to even mention them. It is a great parallel that some of Richardson’s accomplishments mesh with traditional sheriff duties such as jailing of violent criminals. Not only is the western traditional and symbolic but the humour that is displayed at the end just adds to the campaign. It shows that Richardson is not afraid to have fun and laugh at himself a bit. After all what sheriff would walk into a saloon and ask for milk. In the old days that would be the beginning of a fight right then and there. This commercial was particularly well done. It told an interesting story particularly in pictures and it played to Richardson’s strengths. It is a traditional campaign move to attack your opponents and display them in a negative like but I appreciate how Richardson keeps the focus on himself. After all if you are trying to promote yourself the best way is to show your strengths. Someone will display the opposition’s weakness; it always happens so why not try to have some fun. This political add looked like a lot of fun and I am sure Richardson had a lot of fun making it.

Essay --

Dubliners by James Joyce is a novel with a collection of short stories. A mutual theme establish throughout Dubliners is the feeling of paralysis that is felt by the characters in the stories. It is not hard to detect the idea of paralysis after reading Dubliners but can easily be overlooked. Therefore, the idea of paralysis is a common theme. In most of the stories in Dubliners, such as â€Å"The Sisters†, â€Å"Araby†, â€Å"Eveline†, and â€Å"The Dead† a character has a want, but has difficulties to overcome. Yet, would eventually yield and not pursue his/her aspiration. The events of paralysis demonstration the characters’ incompetence to change their own lives. They have the chance or opportunity to change their lives, but freeze up when push comes to shove. â€Å"The Sisters† is the first story in Dubliners and is about a priest who died. Father Flynn was friends with a young lad. Also, Father Flynn had two sisters giving the story its title. The world paralysis even in italics is mentioned in the first paragraph of â€Å"The Sisters†. Therefore, Joyce not only mentioning paralysis in the first paragraph, but making it italics. Should give the reader an indication of how important paralysis is going to be not only in â€Å"The Sisters† but throughout the entire novel. â€Å"The first story of the Dubliners collection, â€Å"The Sisters†, opens the Dubliners sequence and explicitly introduces the topic of paralysis, one of Joyce’s major concerns† (Walter 3). However, like before it is easy to miss this important detail or to go as far as to miss understanding the context of paralysis. â€Å"Every night as I gazed up at the window I said softly to myself the word paralysis† (Joyce 3) . The explanation for this possible misunderstanding is that the character wh... ...out â€Å"Eveline†. Eveline is once more torn between doubts and hopes, fear and joy. She thinks about the possible disappointment of Frank and asks herself if she could still draw back after all he had done for her. She is paralyzed and afraid of the oncoming. The final example â€Å"The Dead†, he precisely discusses that he dislikes his country and is tired of it. It seems that someone who dislikes his own country would leave and go elsewhere. However, Gabriel does not leave instead he remains numb and paralyzed. This is the paralytic mind of the people of Dublin. They are stuck in their old ways and they cannot change from them because they are too scared of change. All the short stories in Dubliners, can be seen as a collection to a novel itself because it has a general theme for all of its characters regardless of age or gender and that one theme is paralysis.

Mother Theresa :: essays papers

Mother Theresa We all have our own heroes, people we admire and respect, people who made an impact on our life, that made us look at the world with a different eye, Mother Teresa is definitely the one for me. Although the world is full of good people, great humanitarians that really care, people who donate billions of dollars, people who raise their voice to make a difference, Mother Teresa stands out in the crowd, she is unique. "It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving." She dedicated every day of her adult life caring for "The dying, the crippled, the mentally ill, the unwanted, the unloved" and she loved every minute of it because she was loving, she was cleaning, feeding "Jesus in disguise." Yes, she fed them, sheltered them, cleaned their wounds, but what is more important is that she made them feel good, loved, and wanted. She gave them back their dignity that poverty had taken away from them and even if they died, they died with a smile on their face knowing that somebody loves them and somebody cares for them. "Speak tenderly to them. Let there be kindness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile, in the warmth of your greeting. Always have a cheerful smile. Don't only give your care, but give your heart as well." Agreeing or disagreeing with her on abortion, population control, divorce, or how she raised the money should not shadow Mother Teresa's life-long contribution and dedication to the poor and humanity. To criticize someone, It's really easy... I suggest: stop criticizing her and do it better than she did. II. Body A. Mother Teresa's Life Mother Teresa was born August 27, 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia, as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu from Albanian parents: Nikolle and Drandafille Bojaxhiu. Her father was a successful and well known contractor, her mother was a housewife. She was the youngest of three children. Mother Teresa's family was a devoted catholic family. They prayed every evening and went to church almost everyday. It was her family's generosity, care for the poor and the less fortunate that made a great impact on young Mother Teresa's life. By the age of 12, she had made up her mind, she realized that her vocation was aiding the poor. At age 18, she then decided to become a nun, and traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to join the Sisters of Loretto. After about a year in Ireland, she then leaves to join the Loretto

What is an Educated Filipino?

The conception of education and of what an educated man is varies in response to fundamental changes in the details and aims of society. In our country and during this transition stage in our national life, what are the qualities which an educated man should possess? What is an educated Filipino and what qualities should distinguish him today? Great changes have taken place in the nature of our social life during the last forty years. The contact with the Americans and their civilization has modified many of our old customs, traditions and practices, some for the worse and many for the better. The means of communication have improved and therefore better understanding exists among the different sections of our country. Religious freedom has developed religious tolerance in our people. The growth of public schools and establishment of democratic institutions have developed our national consciousness both in strength and in solidarity. With this growth in national consciousness and national spirit among our people, we witness the corresponding rise of a new conception in education- the training of an individual for the duties and privileges of citizenship, not only for his own happiness and efficiency but also for national service and welfare. In the old days, education was a matter of private concern; now it is a public function, and the State not only has the duty but it has the right as well to educate every member of the community- the old as well as the young, women as well as men- not only for the good of the individual but also for the self –preservation and self protection of the State itself. Our modern public school system has been established as a safeguard against the shortcomings and dangers of the democratic government and democratic institutions. In the light of the social changes, we come again to the question: What qualities should distinguish the educated Filipino today? I venture to suggest that the educated Filipino should, first, be distinguished by the power to DO. The Oriental excels in reflective thinking; he is a philosopher. The Occidental is a doer; he manages things, men and affairs. The Filipino of today needs more of his power to translate reflection into action. I believe that we are coming more and more to the conviction that no Filipino has the right to be considered educated unless he is prepared and ready to take an active and useful part of the work, life , and progress of our country as well as in the progress of the world. †

Chapter 16 The Goblet of Fire

I don't believe it!† Ron said, in a stunned voice, as the Hogwarts students filed back up the steps behind the party from Durmstrang. â€Å"Krum, Harry! Viktor Krum!† â€Å"For heaven's sake, Ron, he's only a Quidditch player,† said Hermione. â€Å"Only a Quidditch player?† Ron said, looking at her as though he couldn't believe his ears. â€Å"Hermione – he's one of the best Seekers in the world! I had no idea he was still at school!† As they recrossed the entrance hall with the rest of the Hogwarts students heading for the Great Hall, Harry saw Lee Jordan jumping up and down on the soles of his feet to get a better look at the back of Krum's head. Several sixth-year girls were frantically searching their pockets as they walked – â€Å"Oh I don't believe it, I haven't got a single quill on me -â€Å" â€Å"D'you think he'd sign my hat in lipstick?† â€Å"Really,† Hermione said loftily as they passed the girls, now squabbling over the lipstick. â€Å"I'm getting his autograph if I can,† said Ron. â€Å"You haven't got a quill, have you, Harry?† â€Å"Nope, they're upstairs in my bag,† said Harry. They walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down. Ron took care to sit on the side facing the doorway, because Krum and his fellow Durmstrang students were still gathered around it, apparently unsure about where they should sit. The students from Beauxbatons had chosen seats at the Ravenclaw table. They were looking around the Great Hall with glum expressions on their faces. Three of them were still clutching scarves and shawls around their heads. â€Å"It's not that cold,† said Hermione defensively. â€Å"Why didn't they bring cloaks?† â€Å"Over here! Come and sit over here!† Ron hissed. â€Å"Over here! Hermione, budge up, make a space -â€Å" â€Å"What?† â€Å"Too late,† said Ron bitterly. Viktor Krum and his fellow Durmstrang students had settled themselves at the Slytherin table. Harry could see Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle looking very smug about this. As he watched, Malfoy bent forward to speak to Krum. â€Å"Yeah, that's right, smarm up to him, Malfoy,† said Ron scathingly. â€Å"I bet Krum can see right through him, though†¦bet he gets people fawning over him all the time†¦.Where d'you reckon they're going to sleep? We could offer him a space in our dormitory, Harry†¦I wouldn't mind giving him my bed, I could kip on a camp bed.† Hermione snorted. â€Å"They look a lot happier than the Beauxbatons lot,† said Harry. The Durmstrang students were pulling off their heavy furs and looking up at the starry black ceiling with expressions of interest; a couple of them were picking up the golden plates and goblets and examining them, apparently impressed. Up at the staff table, Filch, the caretaker, was adding chairs. He was wearing his moldy old tailcoat in honor of the occasion. Harry was surprised to see that he added four chairs, two on either side of Dumbledore's. â€Å"But there are only two extra people,† Harry said. â€Å"Why's Filch putting out four chairs, who else is coming?† â€Å"Eh?† said Ron vaguely. He was still staring avidly at Krum. When all the students had entered the Hall and settled down at their House tables, the staff entered, filing up to the top table and taking their seats. Last in line were Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime. When their headmistress appeared, the pupils from Beauxbatons leapt to their feet. A few of the Hogwarts students laughed. The Beauxbatons party appeared quite unembarrassed, however, and did not resume their seats until Madame Maxime had sat down on Dumbledore's left-hand side. Dumbledore remained standing, and a silence fell over the Great Hall. â€Å"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and – most particularly – guests,† said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. â€Å"I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable.† One of the Beauxbatons girls still clutching a muffler around her head gave what was unmistakably a derisive laugh. â€Å"No one's making you stay!† Hermione whispered, bristling at her. â€Å"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!† He sat down, and Harry saw Karkaroff lean forward at once and engage him in conversation. The plates in front of them filled with food as usual. The house-elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there was a greater variety of dishes in front of them than Harry had ever seen, including several that were definitely foreign. â€Å"What's that?† said Ron, pointing at a large dish of some sort of shellfish stew that stood beside a large steak-and-kidney pudding. â€Å"Bouillabaisse,† said Hermione. â€Å"Bless you,† said Ron. â€Å"It's French,† said Hermione, â€Å"I had it on holiday summer before last. It's very nice.† â€Å"I'll take your word for it,† said Ron, helping himself to black pudding. The Great Hall seemed somehow much more crowded than usual, even though there were barely twenty additional students there; perhaps it was because their differently colored uniforms stood out so clearly against the black of the Hogwarts' robes. Now that they had removed their furs, the Durmstrang students were revealed to be wearing robes of a deep bloodred. Hagrid sidled into the Hall through a door behind the staff table twenty minutes after the start of the feast. He slid into his seat at the end and waved at Harry, Ron, and Hermione with a very heavily bandaged hand. â€Å"Skrewts doing all right, Hagrid?† Harry called. â€Å"Thrivin',† Hagrid called back happily. â€Å"Yeah, I'll just bet they are,† said Ron quietly. â€Å"Looks like they've finally found a food they like, doesn't it? Hagrid's fingers.† At that moment, a voice said, â€Å"Excuse me, are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?† It was the girl from Beauxbatons who had laughed during Dumbledore's speech. She had finally removed her muffler. A long sheet of silvery-blonde hair fell almost to her waist. She had large, deep blue eyes, and very white, even teeth. Ron went purple. He stared up at her, opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out except a faint gurgling noise. â€Å"Yeah, have it,† said Harry, pushing the dish toward the girl. â€Å"You ‘ave finished wiz it?† â€Å"Yeah,† Ron said breathlessly. â€Å"Yeah, it was excellent.† The girl picked up the dish and carried it carefully off to the Ravenclaw table. Ron was still goggling at the girl as though he had never seen one before. Harry started to laugh. The sound seemed to jog Ron back to his senses. â€Å"She's a veela!† he said hoarsely to Harry. â€Å"Of course she isn't!† said Hermione tartly. â€Å"I don't see anyone else gaping at her like an idiot!† But she wasn't entirely right about that. As the girl crossed the Hall, many boys' heads turned, and some of them seemed to have become temporarily speechless, just like Ron. â€Å"I'm telling you, that's not a normal girl!† said Ron, leaning sideways so he could keep a clear view of her. â€Å"They don't make them like that at Hogwarts!† â€Å"They make them okay at Hogwarts,† said Harry without thinking. Cho happened to be sitting only a few places away from the girl with the silvery hair. â€Å"When you've both put your eyes back in,† said Hermione briskly, â€Å"you'll be able to see who's just arrived.† She was pointing up at the staff table. The two remaining empty seats had just been filled. Ludo Bagman was now sitting on Professor Karkaroff's other side, while Mr. Crouch, Percy's boss, was next to Madame Maxime. â€Å"What are they doing here?† said Harry in surprise. â€Å"They organized the Triwizard Tournament, didn't they?† said Hermione. â€Å"I suppose they wanted to be here to see it start.† When the second course arrived they noticed a number of unfamiliar desserts too. Ron examined an odd sort of pale blancmange closely, then moved it carefully a few inches to his right, so that it would be clearly visible from the Ravenclaw table. The girl who looked like a veela appeared to have eaten enough, however, and did not come over to get it. Once the golden plates had been wiped clean, Dumbledore stood up again. A pleasant sort of tension seemed to fill the Hall now. Harry felt a slight thrill of excitement, wondering what was coming. Several seats down from them, Fred and George were leaning forward, staring at Dumbledore with great concentration. â€Å"The moment has come,† said Dumbledore, smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. â€Å"The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket -â€Å" â€Å"The what?† Harry muttered. Ron shrugged. â€Å"- just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation† – there was a smattering of polite applause – â€Å"and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports.† There was a much louder round of applause for Bagman than for Crouch, perhaps because of his fame as a Beater, or simply because he looked so much more likable. He acknowledged it with a jovial wave of his hand. Bartemius Crouch did not smile or wave when his name was announced. Remembering him in his neat suit at the Quidditch World Cup, Harry thought he looked strange in wizard's robes. His toothbrush mustache and severe parting looked very odd next to Dumbledore's long white hair and beard. â€Å"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament,† Dumbledore continued, â€Å"and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts.† At the mention of the word â€Å"champions,† the attentiveness of the listening students seemed to sharpen. Perhaps Dumbledore had noticed their sudden stillness, for he smiled as he said, â€Å"The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch.† Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old. A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching students; Dennis Creevey actually stood on his chair to see it properly, but, being so tiny, his head hardly rose above anyone else's. â€Å"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman,† said Dumbledore as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him, â€Å"and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways.. their magical prowess – their daring – their powers of deduction – and, of course, their ability to cope with danger.† At this last word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing. â€Å"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament,† Dumbledore went on calmly, â€Å"one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire.† Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue-white flames. Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall. â€Å"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete. â€Å"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation,† said Dumbledore, â€Å"I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line. â€Å"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all.† â€Å"An Age Line!† Fred Weasley said, his eyes glinting, as they all made their way across the Hall to the doors into the entrance hall. â€Å"Well, that should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn't it? And once your name's in that goblet, you're laughing – it can't tell whether you're seventeen or not!† â€Å"But I don't think anyone under seventeen will stand a chance,† said Hermione, â€Å"we just haven't learned enough†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Speak for yourself,† said George shortly. â€Å"You'll try and get in, won't you, Harry?† Harry thought briefly of Dumbledore's insistence that nobody under seventeen should submit their name, but then the wonderful picture of himself winning the Triwizard Tournament filled his mind again†¦.He wondered how angry Dumbledore would be if someone younger than seventeen did find a way to get over the Age Line. â€Å"Where is he?† said Ron, who wasn't listening to a word of this conversation, but looking through the crowd to see what had become of Krum. â€Å"Dumbledore didn't say where the Durmstrang people are sleeping, did he?† But this query was answered almost instantly; they were level with the Slytherin table now, and Karkaroff had just bustled up to his students. â€Å"Back to the ship, then,† he was saying. â€Å"Viktor, how are you feeling? Did you eat enough? Should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?† Harry saw Krum shake his head as he pulled his furs back on. â€Å"Professor, Ivood like some vine,† said one of the other Durmstrang boys hopefully. â€Å"I wasn't offering it to you, Poliakoff,† snapped Karkaroff, his warmly paternal air vanishing in an instant. â€Å"I notice you have dribbled food all down the front of your robes again, disgusting boy -â€Å" Karkaroff turned and led his students toward the doors, reaching them at exactly the same moment as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Harry stopped to let him walk through first. â€Å"Thank you,† said Karkaroff carelessly, glancing at him. And then Karkaroff froze. He turned his head back to Harry and stared at him as though he couldn't believe his eyes. Behind their headmaster, the students from Durmstrang came to a halt too. Karkaroff's eyes moved slowly up Harry's face and fixed upon his scar. The Durmstrang students were staring curiously at Harry too. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw comprehension dawn on a few of their faces. The boy with food all down his front nudged the girl next to him and pointed openly at Harry's forehead. â€Å"Yeah, that's Harry Potter,† said a growling voice from behind them. Professor Karkaroff spun around. Mad-Eye Moody was standing there, leaning heavily on his staff, his magical eye glaring unblinkingly at the Durmstrang headmaster. The color drained from Karkaroff's face as Harry watched. A terrible look of mingled fury and fear came over him. â€Å"You!† he said, staring at Moody as though unsure he was really seeing him. â€Å"Me,† said Moody grimly. â€Å"And unless you've got anything to say to Potter, Karkaroff, you might want to move. You're blocking the doorway.† It was true; half the students in the Hall were now waiting behind them, looking over one another's shoulders to see what was causing the holdup. Without another word, Professor Karkaroff swept his students away with him. Moody watched him until he was out of sight, his magical eye fixed upon his back, a look of intense dislike upon his mutilated face. As the next day was Saturday, most students would normally have breakfasted late. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, were not alone in rising much earlier than they usually did on weekends. When they went down into the entrance hall, they saw about twenty people milling around it, some of them eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire. It had been placed in the center of the hall on the stool that normally bore the Sorting Hat. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction. â€Å"Anyone put their name in yet?† Ron asked a third-year girl eagerly. â€Å"All the Durmstrang lot,† she replied. â€Å"But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet.† â€Å"Bet some of them put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed,† said Harry. â€Å"I would've if it had been me†¦wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?† Someone laughed behind Harry. Turning, he saw Fred, George, and Lee Jordan hurrying down the staircase, all three of them looking extremely excited. â€Å"Done it,† Fred said in a triumphant whisper to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. â€Å"Just taken it.† â€Å"What?† said Ron. â€Å"The Aging Potion, dung brains,† said Fred. â€Å"One drop each,† said George, rubbing his hands together with glee. â€Å"We only need to be a few months older.† â€Å"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins,† said Lee, grinning broadly. â€Å"I'm not sure this is going to work, you know,† said Hermione warningly. â€Å"I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this.† Fred, George, and Lee ignored her. â€Å"Ready?† Fred said to the other two, quivering with excitement. â€Å"C'mon, then – I'll go first -â€Å" Harry watched, fascinated, as Fred pulled a slip of parchment out of his pocket bearing the words Fred Weasley – Hogwarts. Fred walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there, rocking on his toes like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot drop. Then, with the eyes of every person in the entrance hall upon him, he took a great breath and stepped over the line. For a split second Harry thought it had worked – George certainly thought so, for he let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred – but next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle as though they had been thrown by an invisible shot-putter. They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted identical long white beards. The entrance hall rang with laughter. Even Fred and George joined in, once they had gotten to their feet and taken a good look at each other's beards. â€Å"I did warn you,† said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. He surveyed Fred and George, his eyes twinkling. â€Å"I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours.† Fred and George set off for the hospital wing, accompanied by Lee, who was howling with laughter, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione, also chortling, went in to breakfast. The decorations in the Great Hall had changed this morning. As it was Halloween, a cloud of live bats was fluttering around the enchanted ceiling, while hundreds of carved pumpkins leered from every corner. Harry led the way over to Dean and Seamus, who were discussing those Hogwarts students of seventeen or over who might be entering. â€Å"There's a rumor going around that Warrington got up early and put his name in,† Dean told Harry. â€Å"That big bloke from Slytherin who looks like a sloth.† Harry, who had played Quidditch against Warrington, shook his head in disgust. â€Å"We can't have a Slytherin champion!† â€Å"And all the Hufflepuffs are talking about Diggory,† said Seamus contemptuously. â€Å"But I wouldn't have thought he'd have wanted to risk his good looks.† â€Å"Listen!† said Hermione suddenly. People were cheering out in the entrance hall. They all swiveled around in their seats and saw Angelina Johnson coming into the Hall, grinning in an embarrassed sort of way. A tall black girl who played Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Angelina came over to them, sat down, and said, â€Å"Well, I've done it! Just put my name in!† â€Å"You're kidding!† said Ron, looking impressed. â€Å"Are you seventeen, then?† asked Harry. â€Å"Course she is, can't see a beard, can you?† said Ron. â€Å"I had my birthday last week,† said Angelina. â€Å"Well, I'm glad someone from Gryffindor's entering,† said Hermione. â€Å"I really hope you get it, Angelina!† â€Å"Thanks, Hermione,† said Angelina, smiling at her. Yeah, better you than Pretty-Boy Diggory, said Seamus, causing several Hufflepuffs passing their table to scowl heavily at him. â€Å"What're we going to do today, then?† Ron asked Harry and Hermione when they had finished breakfast and were leaving the Great Hall. â€Å"We haven't been down to visit Hagrid yet,† said Harry. â€Å"Okay,† said Ron, â€Å"just as long as he doesn't ask us to donate a few fingers to the skrewts.† A look of great excitement suddenly dawned on Hermione's face. â€Å"I've just realized – I haven't asked Hagrid to join S.P.E.W. yet!† she said brightly. â€Å"Wait for me, will you, while I nip upstairs and get the badges?† â€Å"What is it with her?† said Ron, exasperated, as Hermione ran away up the marble staircase. â€Å"Hey, Ron,† said Harry suddenly. â€Å"It's your friend†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The students from Beauxbatons were coming through the front doors from the grounds, among them, the veela-girl. Those gathered around the Goblet of Fire stood back to let them pass, watching eagerly. Madame Maxime entered the hall behind her students and organized them into a line. One by one, the Beauxbatons students stepped across the Age Line and dropped their slips of parchment into the blue-white flames. As each name entered the fire, it turned briefly red and emitted sparks. â€Å"What d'you reckon'll happen to the ones who aren't chosen?† Ron muttered to Harry as the veela-girl dropped her parchment into the Goblet of Fire. â€Å"Reckon they'll go back to school, or hang around to watch the tournament?† â€Å"Dunno,† said Harry. â€Å"Hang around, I suppose†¦.Madame Maxime's staying to judge, isn't she?† When all the Beauxbatons students had submitted their names, Madame Maxime led them back out of the hall and out onto the grounds again. â€Å"Where are they sleeping, then?† said Ron, moving toward the front doors and staring after them. A loud rattling noise behind them announced Hermione's reappearance with the box of S. P. E.W. badges. â€Å"Oh good, hurry up,† said Ron, and he jumped down the stone steps, keeping his eyes on the back of the veela-girl, who was now halfway across the lawn with Madame Maxime. As they neared Hagrid's cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the mystery of the Beauxbatons' sleeping quarters was solved. The gigantic powder-blue carriage in which they had arrived had been parked two hundred yards from Hagrid's front door, and the students were climbing back inside it. The elephantine flying horses that had pulled the carriage were now grazing in a makeshift paddock alongside it. Harry knocked on Hagrid's door, and Fang's booming barks answered instantly. â€Å"‘Bout time!† said Hagrid, when he'd flung open the door. â€Å"Thought you lot'd forgotten where I live!† â€Å"We've been really busy, Hag -† Hermione started to say, but then she stopped dead, looking up at Hagrid, apparently lost for words. Hagrid was wearing his best (and very horrible) hairy brown suit, plus a checked yellow-and-orange tie. This wasn't the worst of it, though; he had evidently tried to tame his hair, using large quantities of what appeared to be axle grease. It was now slicked down into two bunches – perhaps he had tried a ponytail like Bill's, but found he had too much hair. The look didn't really suit Hagrid at all. For a moment, Hermione goggled at him, then, obviously deciding not to comment, she said, â€Å"Erm – where are the skrewts.† â€Å"Out by the pumpkin patch,† said Hagrid happily. â€Å"They're gettin' massive, mus' be nearly three foot long now. On'y trouble is, they've started killin' each other.† â€Å"Oh no, really?† said Hermione, shooting a repressive look at Ron, who, staring at Hagrid's odd hairstyle, had just opened his mouth to say something about it. â€Å"Yeah,† said Hagrid sadly. â€Å"S' okay, though, I've got 'em in separate boxes now. Still got abou' twenty.† â€Å"Well, that's lucky,† said Ron. Hagrid missed the sarcasm. Hagrid's cabin comprised a single room, in one corner of which was a gigantic bed covered in a patchwork quilt. A similarly enormous wooden table and chairs stood in front of the fire beneath the quantity of cured hams and dead birds hanging from the ceiling. They sat down at the table while Hagrid started to make tea, and were soon immersed in yet more discussion of the Triwizard Tournament. Hagrid seemed quite as excited about it as they were. â€Å"You wait,† he said, grinning. â€Å"You jus' wait. Yer going ter see some stuff yeh've never seen before. Firs' task†¦ah, but I'm not supposed ter say.† â€Å"Go on, Hagrid!† Harry, Ron, and Hermione urged him, but he just shook his head, grinning. â€Å"I don' want ter spoil it fer yeh,† said Hagrid. â€Å"But it's gonna be spectacular, I'll tell yeh that. Them champions're going ter have their work cut out. Never thought I'd live ter see the Triwizard Tournament played again!† They ended up having lunch with Hagrid, though they didn't eat much – Hagrid had made what he said was a beef casserole, but after Hermione unearthed a large talon in hers, she, Harry, and Ron rather lost their appetites. However, they enjoyed themselves trying to make Hagrid tell them what the tasks in the tournament were going to be, speculating which of the entrants were likely to be selected as champions, and wondering whether Fred and George were beardless yet. A light rain had started to fall by midafternoon; it was very cozy sitting by the fire, listening to the gentle patter of the drops on the window, watching Hagrid darning his socks and arguing with Hermione about house-elves – for he flatly refused to join S.P.E.W. when she showed him her badges. â€Å"It'd be doin' 'em an unkindness, Hermione,† he said gravely, threading a massive bone needle with thick yellow yarn. â€Å"It's in their nature ter look after humans, that's what they like, see? Yeh'd be makin' 'em unhappy ter take away their work, an' insutin' 'em if yeh tried ter pay 'em.† â€Å"But Harry set Dobby free, and he was over the moon about it!† said Hermione. â€Å"And we heard he's asking for wages now!† â€Å"Yeah, well, yeh get weirdos in every breed. I'm not sayin' there isn't the odd elf who'd take freedom, but yeh'll never persuade most of 'em ter do it – no, nothin' doin', Hermione.† Hermione looked very cross indeed and stuffed her box of badges back into her cloak pocket. By half past five it was growing dark, and Ron, Harry, and Hermione decided it was time to get back up to the castle for the Halloween feast – and, more important, the announcement of the school champions. â€Å"I'll come with yeh,† said Hagrid, putting away his darning. â€Å"Jus' give us a sec.† Hagrid got up, went across to the chest of drawers beside his bed, and began searching for something inside it. They didn't pay too much attention until a truly horrible smell reached their nostrils. Coughing, Ron said, â€Å"Hagrid, what's that?† â€Å"Eh?† said Hagrid, turning around with a large bottle in his hand. â€Å"Don' yeh like it?† â€Å"Is that aftershave?† said Hermione in a slightly choked voice. â€Å"Er – eau de cologne,† Hagrid muttered. He was blushing. â€Å"Maybe it's a bit much,† he said gruffly. â€Å"I'll go take it off, hang on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He stumped out of the cabin, and they saw him washing himself vigorously in the water barrel outside the window. â€Å"Eau de cologne?† said Hermione in amazement. â€Å"Hagrid?† â€Å"And what's with the hair and the suit?† said Harry in an undertone. â€Å"Look!† said Ron suddenly, pointing out of the window. Hagrid had just straightened up and turned 'round. If he had been blushing before, it was nothing to what he was doing now. Getting to their feet very cautiously, so that Hagrid wouldn't spot them, Harry, Ron, and Hermione peered through the window and saw that Madame Maxime and the Beauxbatons students had just emerged from their carriage, clearly about to set off for the feast too. They couldn't hear what Hagrid was saying, but he was talking to Madame Maxime with a rapt, misty-eyed expression Harry had only ever seen him wear once before – when he had been looking at the baby dragon, Norbert. â€Å"He's going up to the castle with her!† said Hermione indignantly. â€Å"I thought he was waiting for us!† Without so much as a backward glance at his cabin, Hagrid was trudging off up the grounds with Madame Maxime, the Beauxbatons students following in their wake, jogging to keep up with their enormous strides. â€Å"He fancies her!† said Ron incredulously. â€Å"Well, if they end up having children, they'll be setting a world record – bet any baby of theirs would weigh about a ton.† They let themselves out of the cabin and shut the door behind them. It was surprisingly dark outside. Drawing their cloaks more closely around themselves, they set off up the sloping lawns. â€Å"Ooh it's them, look!† Hermione whispered. The Durmstrang party was walking up toward the castle from the lake. Viktor Krum was walking side by side with Karkaroff, and the other Durmstrang students were straggling along behind them. Ron watched Krum excitedly, but Krum did not look around as he reached the front doors a little ahead of Hermione, Ron, and Harry and proceeded through them. When they entered the candlelit Great Hall it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the teachers' table. Fred and George – clean-shaven again – seemed to have taken their disappointment fairly well. â€Å"Hope it's Angelina,† said Fred as Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down. â€Å"So do I!† said Hermione breathlessly. â€Å"Well, we'll soon know!† The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual. Perhaps because it was their second feast in two days, Harry didn't seem to fancy the extravagantly prepared food as much as he would have normally. Like everyone else in the Hall, judging by the constantly craning necks, the impatient expressions on every face, the fidgeting, and the standing up to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating yet, Harry simply wanted the plates to clear, and to hear who had been selected as champions. At long last, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Mr. Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored. â€Å"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber† – he indicated the door behind the staff table – â€Å"where they will be receiving their first instructions.† He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting†¦.A few people kept checking their watches†¦ â€Å"Any second,† Lee Jordan whispered, two seats away from Harry. The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it – the whole room gasped. Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white. â€Å"The champion for Durmstrang,† he read, in a strong, clear voice, â€Å"will be Viktor Krum.† â€Å"No surprises there!† yelled Ron as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. Harry saw Viktor Krum rise from the Slytherin table and slouch up toward Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber. â€Å"Bravo, Viktor!† boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. â€Å"Knew you had it in you!† The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames. â€Å"The champion for Beauxbatons,† said Dumbledore, â€Å"is Fleur Delacour!† â€Å"It's her, Ron!† Harry shouted as the girl who so resembled a veela got gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair, and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. â€Å"Oh look, they're all disappointed,† Hermione said over the noise, nodding toward the remainder of the Beauxbatons party. â€Å"Disappointed† was a bit of an understatement, Harry thought. Two of the girls who had not been selected had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with their heads on their arms. When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion next†¦ And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment. â€Å"The Hogwarts champion,† he called, â€Å"is Cedric Diggory!† â€Å"No! † said Ron loudly, but nobody heard him except Harry; the uproar from the next table was too great. Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table. Indeed, the applause for Cedric went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again. â€Å"Excellent!† Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down. â€Å"Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real -â€Å" But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him. The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment. Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out – â€Å"Harry Potter.†

The Red Cross

Kevin Smith The Red Cross is an International organization that thrives on donations and the kindness of others to succeed. This Red Cross supports military families, disaster relief, health and safety training along with education, and blood drives that save thousands of lives yearly. The Red Cross started In the year 1881 and was mainly used to help wounded soldiers from the battlefield. â€Å"The global Red Cross has evolved into the world's largest humanitarian network- the only non-governmental organization with specific irresponsibleness outlined In the Geneva conventions†(RedCross, 2013). The Red Cross has established itself in the cyber community to succeed. With online donations exceeding 36 million dollars the Red Cross has been able to far exceed anything It did In the years prior to the Internet. The Red cross relies on its volunteers as its strength to work donation sites for all actions the organization participates in. The challenges the Red Cross faces today is the ability to keep enough volunteers on hand to run the organization. While the Red cross has full time members like any business this organizations success comes from those willing to help. The challenges the Red Cross faces In the media environment include many things. System hacking can be seen as hackers will set up take websites that look like the Red Cross web page. This in turn turns out to be a scam and people will give donations to a hacker Instead of the Red Cross. There can be other challenges out there for this organization that would include government policy. Foreign policy. ND legislative issues that can be strain the mission of the Red Cross. The Instant access the Red Cross has to the world has helped this organization in ways that are unimaginable. The Instant media environment has created an unlimited amount of people it can reach throughout the world. The money raised on dally donations Is lox the amount today ads It was In the uses. This is due to the instant access the world has to the Red Cross. The Red Cross uses the social media during disasters because this is the fastest and most effective way to reach a large number of Individuals.The Instant media environment has done nothing but help the Red Cross succeed. I mentioned earlier that volunteer are a challenge for the Red Cross, but with social media and instant media the Red Cross as been able alleviate some of the stress as they can collect for volunteers over the internet The Red Cross will use multiple tactics to get its message out to the community. The Red Cross will gain its target audience by associating someone within the organization to speak or Interact with the community that Is In question.This tactic is used by military recruiters and it tends to work well with inner city communities as well as communities with language barriers. The Red Cross has volunteers trot all walks tot elite so it would only be natural to use those people trot that community to spread the Red C ross message too particular group of immunity. The internal messaging of the employees Is that of care for the community and to give security to those in need The mission stays the same in the Red Cross and that is to provide care to all walks of life that may need it.The message stays the same internally throughout the world for the Red Cross as well. The Red Cross is not the largest humanitarian organization by doing things the wrong way. The internal structure is sound and solid and provides excellent support to all communities throughout the world. This is done with compassion, time, and hard work on behalf of the employees and the thousands of volunteers within the organization. I researched the Red Cross for numerous hours and found that it takes compassion and dedication too cause to make this organization successful.The Red Cross can be unified with many different events and by anybody willing to put in the time and energy to do so. I recently was a part of the Golf for Life rally which was to raise money and blood donations for the Red Cross. There are other events that happen all over the United States on a daily basis in which blood and money is raised for this organization. This is not only going on in the United States, but all over the world. If a person was to look up how to do an event on the Red Cross website it would show them exactly not only to go about doing it, but also show them ways it can be successful.