The Beliefs That God And Love - 1375 Words

God and love are two words that I find intriguing since their definitions vary depending on who is defining it and their experience. The meaning of these words had raised my curiosity. The faithful beliefs that God and Love exists, the skeptical say those are just myths while others spend their life looking for them in the wrong places. I was baptized as a catholic when I was five, but no one ever asked me if that was something I wanted for myself. I went to church on Sundays mornings; I never understood any of the words the father was saying under his breath. It was a mumble I heard from far away. I looked around, and I realized I was not the only one trying not to fall asleep. When I reach the age for my first communion I had to memorize the orisons and prayers of the holy rosary, hail Mary, our father, among others. I was taught to bend my knees in front of a statue of a crucified man with a crown of thorns. His expression of sorrow and the whisper of people praying behind me made me uncomfortable but I follow the protocol. As I grew older I learned about the crusades and the used of God to justified violence. I questioned his existences, yet, if he was real, I refused to believe that he was present at this moment. If he exists why would he want to divide us like politicians do? Why should he create frontiers and discord among his own creation? Maybe, he will not, but a culture could. The same way I was taught to memorized prayers I hardly understand men could createShow MoreRelatedSummary Of The Symposium 1373 Words   |  6 Pagesfocus on the god Love and its merits. To pass time while they drink, Eryximachus suggests that each of the guests orate a eulogy of love. The guests proceed to participate in oration; however, their analysis of love may not be as objective as it seems. Rather than focus on an impartial view of the god, many of them have their own personal beliefs that they promote in each of their speeches. Several speeches heavily deviate from a speech about love, and turn it into a speech that uses love to supportRead MoreEuthyphro, A Dialogue Written By Plato1099 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Euthyphro†, a dialogue written by Plato, Euthyphro is faced with a series of questions from Socrates regarding what piety is. Euthyphro’s answers continuously contradict one another, and he cannot create a definition. Euthyphro makes reference to the Gods when stating a definition, which leads to the questions, is Euthyphro a theological voluntarist? After examining the claims of Euthyphro and the definition of theological voluntarism, it will become apparent that Euthyphro is not a theological voluntaristRead MoreThe Concepts Of Religious Faith1182 Words   |  5 Pagestheology, belief and spirituality are all interconnected and very easy to get mixed up. This is because they all have something to do with the other. Richard P. Mcbrien explains how religious faith, theology, beliefs, and spirituality are all connected. Theology follows faith and belief follows Theology. Faith is our personal knowledge of God through human experiences and our openness to his love. Theology is our understanding of faith as revealed by God and our articulation of it. Beliefs are acceptingRead MoreThe Ethical Dilemma Of Voluntary Euthanasia1125 Words   |  5 Pagesshe will be a burden on them. She wants to be euthanized to end her suffering There is an ethical dilemma granting Joni her wishes. I could forgo my Christian beliefs and find justification in assisting Joni with euthanasia. According to Humphry in his article, â€Å"Many Christians who believe in euthanasia justify it by reasoning that the God who they worship is loving and tolerant, would not wish to see them in agony† (Humphry, 2000, p. 5). To resolve this dilemma, I could choose to do one of the following:Read MoreThe Beliefs Of A Christian932 Words   |  4 Pages(iii) Their beliefs as a Christian. Over the years my Christian Beliefs have evolved, and I am a grateful for that. I have found that these conversations can turn negative very quickly without grace and love, for everyone is on journey, specifically the individuals I live life with that are experiencing homelessness and displacement. I do my best to be sensitive to everyone’s current understanding of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I find that when I am interacting and discussingRead MoreChristianity1417 Words   |  6 Pagesindividual believers and their communities. This contribution will be assessed using the common characteristics of beliefs, sacred text and writings and ethics. Christianity is a religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus. Christians share a set of beliefs that are important to their faith, they believe that God created the universe, God is a single ruler, Jesus is the son of God, Jesus suffered and was crucified for our sins and Heaven and Hell. Christian’s believe that when Jesus died andRead MoreMorality As Good Or Bad? Essay943 Words   |  4 Pagesdone this or he ought to have done that.† How can these be unless there was a supreme morality that we could compare our actions and thoughts against?† - C.W. Lewis, Author of â€Å"Mere Christianity† – The definition of morality is, best described as, â€Å"beliefs about what is right behavior and what is wrong behavior. The degree to which something is right and good. The moral goodness or badness of something†, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary. An article from, Pursing the Truth Ministries, (http://wwwRead MoreEssay Antony Flew: The Existence and Belief Of God1741 Words   |  7 PagesAntony Flew: The Existence and Belief of God Antony Flew starts by telling the audience this story of two explorers that accidentally came upon a garden in a jungle. In this garden, there were many beautiful flowers and weeds. One explorer says, some gardener must tend this plot. While the other disagrees, there is no gardener. So, these two explorers tried to figure out who was right and who was wrong. They waited the whole night, but no gardener was ever seen. Then the BelieverRead MorePoem Analysis : The Little Black Boy 1296 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Through primrose tufts, in that green bower ,The periwinkle trailed its wreaths† showing his love for the natural world and how powerful it is in his view as he takes it to the same level as god in the lines â€Å"to her fair works did nature link ,the human soul that through me ran† implying that nature created the human soul ,as god did . The setting of the poem is reflective of William Wordworth’s belief also shown in his other poems, that only in nature’s splendour will a man find himself and hisRead MoreThe Common Prayer By Thomas Cranmer1526 Words   |  7 Pagesinsists that maintaining two prayer books is essential to the unity of the ACC. Consequently, the ACC is now without consensus on prayer or belief in worship (lex orandi: lex credendi). Traditional Anglicanism embraces Prosper of Aquitaine’s maxim, best known by its Latin tag, lex orandi, lex credendi (the law of prayer grounds/establishes the law of belief). The intimate relationship between the Gospel, liturgy, and service underlies this theological principle. Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi enshrines

Marketing Make Up Free Essays

There are several marketing approaches that can be used to launch a new product in the market. However, there are also some advantages and disadvantages which can be incurred while putting a definite advertising strategy into action. One type of marketing is called the USP or the Unique Selling Proposition. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Make Up or any similar topic only for you Order Now This aims to present the uniqueness of the product which other commodities do not have. The main advantage of such process can be attributed by setting apart the make up brand’s features and effects to one’s visual appeal. An additional or breakthrough substance can be realized for marketing attraction. However, the main disadvantage is that the product’s effect can vary from person to person. It is possible that there will be a group of consumers who will not be able to acquire the brand’s promise and may end up tarnishing the credibility of the brand. Another type of advertising technique is called Comparative Advertising. The process involves the acquisition of another brand name with the same product line up and comparing its quality and features side by side with the brand being advertised. This can be a very good approach in catching the attention of the consumers since the ready made features of the products can be observed in a form of testing. However, there can also be issues wherein consumers may realize that if they are getting the same characteristics of the product, then most likely brand will not be a factor but consequently the market price. Fear appeal is commonly used in relaying the consequential pattern of events if no reliable product is available. Because of such effect, the consumers will be forced to purchase a marketed item because of their anxiety experiences as pictured in the advertisement. The major attribute here is to arouse the consciousness of the viewers to change their attitude in buying and divert their attention to the brand being advertised (Associated Content, 2007). On the negative aspect, the advertiser will not have any clue whether the consumers will alternatively change their buying habits in favor of the brand. Since different perception and individual opinions will be involved, it can be very difficult to identify whether the people who will see the advertisement will get the intended message. Using a celebrity endorsement can also be one of the most effective ways to advertise a make up brand. Apparently, celebrities can easily attract buyers because of their reputation status in the entertainment industry. The more popular the actress is, the higher the probability that the masses will believe her position in using the make up brand. One grave consequence of this however can be on the part of investment cost. Since these individuals will require an enormous talent fee, a huge decision making process should be implemented by the advertiser. A slice of life ad is a technique in which situations with problems are presented to be solved using the product. Usually, these ads are too dramatic that audiences will be able to impart and relate their personal experiences (Answers, 2007). This can help the brand name to completely interact on the personal feelings of the consumers. One possible negative effect can be realized due to the limitation of the scope. Of course, not all people will be able to consider the situations presented in the advertisement to be factually true. The form of advertising in the essence of sex appeal is also used for many cosmetic and personal care brands. Since the make up industry primarily targets the female populace, different strategies of projecting the highest levels of sex appeal are instrumented. One good approach is to present and ad which focuses on the physical characteristic of the model. This will become the standard of the viewing consumers which will help in making them buy the item. However, giving them (consumers) the idea of involving sex appeal considerations can easily lure them to purchase other product lines which may use more appealing models. Lastly, the humor approach in advertising can be used. In some cases, humorous advertising can make it very light for the viewers to accept the main advantages of using the product being advertised. However, it can also project a certain form of apathy since the advertisers or the brand itself may project non-professionalism which may affect their credibility. References Answers Corporation. 2007. Slice of Life. Answers.com. Retrieved November 26, 2007 from http://www.answers.com/topic/slice-of-life-advertisement?cat=biz-fin. Associated Content. 2007. Fear Appeal Messages and their Effectiveness in Advertising-Severin and Tankard. Retrieved November 26, 2007 from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/27813/fear_appeal_messages_and_their How to cite Marketing Make Up, Essay examples

Influence of Quality Physical Environment †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Influence of Quality Physical Environment. Answer: Introduction The report talks about the marketing strategies, situational analysis, and approaches of the Degani caf. It tells that how the company is analyzing and identifying the great opportunities in the market across the world. It explains the Pestle analysis for evaluating the image of the competitors in the region. It explains that how the company is achieving the long-term goals and objectives and it explains the competitors position of the firm. Degani caf is one of the biggest leaders in food and beverage industry. The current strategic approach to the organization is very effective and unique. Degani caf provides safe and secure workplace to the employees to increase the productivity and efficiency of the employees. The firm is focusing on promotional and advertisement strategies to increase and enhance the growth and revenue of the firm. The firm is planning to expand its business in New South Wales, South Australia, and Queensland. By using of marketing strategies, the company is improving the quality of products across the world. In this way, Degani caf is providing excellent and effective food and beverage services to its customers in the market (Kim Lee, 2012). Further, the company uses the generic strategic approach for the organization to evaluate the success and growth of the firm. The generic strategy approach minimizes the prices and costs of the food products in the market. The Degani caf offers products at reasonable prices compared to the other competitors that are existed in the market. In addition, the company uses differentiation strategy to differentiate its products from the competitors products in the market. Along with this, the company is using the intensive growth strategy to search and to reach more customers in the market (Morris, Shirokova Shatalov, 2013). Resource-based view strategy is used by the Degani caf to determine the resources of the firm that is available in the firm. Through resource-based view approach, the organization can gain the competitive advantages in the firm. It helps to identify and analyze the potential resources of the firm. This strategy determines the sustainable growth of the organization in order to meet the long-term goals and objectives. It ensures the maximum utilization of resources (Djekic, Tomasevic Radovanovic, 2011). Pestle analysis of Degani Caf Pestle analysis stands for political, economic, social, technological, legal factors and environmental factors. The organization analyzes and evaluates these factors to face the challenges in the market. Political factors: These factors affect the fast food industry. These factors include tax policies, rules and regulations, and employment laws. All these factors affect the business activities and operations of the company negatively. Degani caf should control these factors to overcome on its competitors in the market (Baert, Van Huffel, Wilmart, Jacxsens, Berkven, Diricks Uyttendaele, 2011). Economic factors: The economic factors include local currency, taxation level, interest rate; inflation and local economic environment affect the food and beverage industry in the market. Therefore, the company should evaluate and analyze these factors to gain the opportunities in the market. Socio-cultural factors: These factors include consumer preferences, changing the lifestyle of the population, changing work pattern, changing the family pattern and changing value among the population. These factors affect the Degani business negatively. These factors play a vital role in Degani caf. The company should focus on these factors to gain long-term goals and objectives. The food industry should focus on the consumer wants, needs and requirements to attract the more consumers in the market (Djekic, Tomasevic Radovanovic, 2011). Technological factors: Technological factors play a vital role in Degani caf. These factors include the emergence of innovative technology, development in agriculture and biotechnological developments. The technological factors give a competitive edge to the firm. Technology is necessary to create packaging, production of food and food labels. The firm should identify and measure these factors to make a good position in the market. Environmental factors: These factors include environmental rules and regulations, global warming, environmental disasters and other environmental issues which affect the business of Degani caf. If the company wants to gain the success and growth in food and beverage industry then it should control on these factors (Kirezieva, Jacxsens, Uyttendaele, Van Boekel Luning, 2013). Legal factors: The legal factors include various trade regulations; licensing rules and regulation related to food industry also affect the business activities and operation of Degani caf. The firm should measure these factors to beat the competitors in the market. After the analyzing and evaluating these external factors, the food and beverage company can identify and measure the plans and strategies of the competitors in the market (Aurand, 2013). Porter five forces analysis The porter five forces analysis determines and evaluates the competitors strengths and weaknesses in the market. This model developed by the Michael Porter to evaluate the current situation of the market. The porter five forces analysis has been discussed below. Rivalry and competition: The huge competition exists in the market. Thus, competitors affect the business activities and operation of the company negatively. Therefore, this model analyses and measures the competition which is existed in the market across the world. Bargaining power of buyers: The bargaining power of suppliers also affects the business of the company. These factors are considered the external elements of the market. There are many substitutes in the food industry that influence the business activities and operation of the company. It is the major issue in this organization. In the market, various elements give a contribution to maintain the unique bargaining power of buyers (Baert, Van Huffel, Wilmart, Jacxsens, Berkven, Diricks Uyttendaele, 2011). Bargaining power of suppliers: The suppliers are the major concern for the food industry and they affect the business of the company. The bargaining power of suppliers includes the moderate size of suppliers and various kinds of suppliers that exist in the market. Thus, the firm must analyze the behavior of the suppliers. Threats of substitutes: Threats of substitutes is the primary issue in food and beverage industry. Threats of substitutes include switching cost, unsuitable cost of substitute and availability of various options. The organization should control these factors to overcome on the competitors in the market. Threats of new entrants: Threats of new entrants include supply chain cost, brand development factor, and modest cost of business. The firm should analyze the new entrants to measure the reliability and integrity of the competitors. Fit between organization strategy and context Degani caf was developed in 1990. It is one of the biggest players in the caf market. The firm is expanding its business day by day. Currently, the company is operating and managing 80 cafes, kiosks and restaurants across the world. The food and beverage of Degani caf are unique and delicious (Ryu, Lee Gon Kim, 2012). The main aim of the company is to provide unforgettable and excellent services to its customers across the world. The core values of the caf include dignity, transparency, passion, teamwork, and respect. There is a close relationship between mission and strategies of the Degani caf. It uses effective and unique approaches, strategies and plans in order to gain long-term success and growth in the market. The firm is flourishing its business day by day across the world. The company is trying to offer the best quality of food and coffee to the people in the world (Yeon Kim Chung, 2011). The Degani caf is focusing on marketing strategies, generic strategies, business leve l strategies and intensive growth strategies to overcome on the competitors across the world. The core competencies and core value have an effective option to attract more customers in the market. Further, the firm is maintaining sustainable human resource management to run the business smoothly. Further, it uses various effective promotion and advertisement channels to increase and enhance the revenue and profit of the caf in the market. In addition, the firm conducts various effective and unique campaigns and other programs for reaching the potential customers in the market. Further, the Degani caf uses differentiation, cost leadership and focus strategies to face the key challenges and issues in the market. The organization cannot achieve the goals and objectives without using marketing strategies in the business. The firm should evaluate the major external factors of the environment to measure the market condition in the country. Diversity is also mandatory elements for the comp any in order to meet goals and objectives of the firm. It is focusing on the highest standards of excellence and intelligence to deliver the coffee and beverage products across the world. The vision statement is a future-oriented and it depends on the forecasting (Galizzi Venturini, 2012). The vision is made for the long time period in the company. The firm maintains communication and collaboration among customers, employees, and suppliers across the world. Manpower is essential for the firm to attain the goals and objectives of the firm. The vision and mission statement generate a target for strategic expansion and development. The strategies provide the high level of guidance to the employees. In addition, the company is maintaining good customer relationship in the market. Now it has been analyzed that there is a close relationship between strategies and context of the Degani caf. The firm should focus on the marketing mix strategies to gain the competitive advantages in the mar ket. The marketing mix includes product, price, place, and promotion. In this way, the company can achieve long-term sustainability in the environment. Skilled and qualified candidates must be appointed by the company to serve its products and services in an effective way (Falguera, Aliguer Falguera, 2012). Recommendations for the organization Although the Degani caf is providing various excellent and unique foods, beverage products and coffee to the customers but still it needs to evaluate and measure the strengths and weaknesses of the competitors across the world. The firm should focus on the generic strategy and intensive growth strategy to provide satisfaction to the customers across the world. It must focus and evaluate various food and coffee products (Cairns, Angus, Hastings Caraher, 2013). The company should improve its communication and collaboration strategy to maintain good relations with customers across the world. It must provide services at reasonable prices to the customers so the middle and lower categories people can also go in such cafe. The organization must increase the products and services of the company to attain the growth and success in the market. The organization should provide good wages and salary to the employees. It will help to enhance and increase the confidence and morale of the employee s. It will also increase the productivity and efficiency of the organization and employees as well (Grunert Traill, 2012). Conclusion On the above discussion, it has been noticed that Degani is the biggest leader in food and beverage industry in Melbourne. The caf is providing an excellent and effective variety of food products and services to the customers across the world. The organization is adopting attractive and successful strategies to increase the revenue and profit of the firm. Through Pestle analysis, the company evaluates and analyzes the competitive strengths and weaknesses across the world. Further, some effective recommendations have been given in the report to gain the sustainability and success in the market. The firm is trying to become the biggest brand in food and beverage industry. References Aurand, L. W. (Ed.). (2013).Food composition and analysis. Springer Science Business Media. Baert, K., Van Huffel, X., Wilmart, O., Jacxsens, L., Berkvens, D., Diricks, H., ... Uyttendaele, M. (2011). Measuring the safety of the food chain in Belgium: Development of a barometer.Food research international,44(4), 940-950. Cairns, G., Angus, K., Hastings, G., Caraher, M. (2013). Systematic reviews of the evidence on the nature, extent and effects of food marketing to children. A retrospective summary.Appetite,62, 209-215. Djekic, I., Tomasevic, I., Radovanovic, R. (2011). Quality and food safety issues revealed in certified food companies in three Western Balkans countries.Food Control,22(11), 1736-1741. Falguera, V., Aliguer, N., Falguera, M. (2012). An integrated approach to current trends in food consumption: Moving toward functional and organic products?.Food Control,26(2), 274-281. Galizzi, G., Venturini, L. (Eds.). (2012).Economics of innovation: the case of food industry. Springer Science Business Media. Grunert, K. G., Traill, B. (2012).Products and process innovation in the food industry. Springer Science Business Media. Kim, N., Lee, M. (2012). Other customers in a service encounter: examining the effect in a restaurant setting.Journal of Services Marketing,26(1), 27-40. Kirezieva, K., Jacxsens, L., Uyttendaele, M., Van Boekel, M. A., Luning, P. A. (2013). Assessment of food safety management systems in the global fresh produce chain.Food research international,52(1), 230-242. Morris, M. H., Shirokova, G., Shatalov, A. (2013). The business model and firm performance: The case of Russian food service ventures.Journal of Small Business Management,51(1), 46-65. Ryu, K., Lee, H. R., Gon Kim, W. (2012). The influence of the quality of the physical environment, food, and service on restaurant image, customer perceived value, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intentions.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,24(2), 200-223. Yeon Kim, H., Chung, J. E. (2011). Consumer purchase intention for organic personal care products.Journal of consumer Marketing,28(1), 40-47.

The Long and Short of It

Delivering content that meets your target audience’s needs is not as simple as it sounds. Apart from deciding where to publish your content, there’s one fundamental question that faces every content creator: does my audience prefer long or short content? Differences Between Long-Form and Short-Form Content Long-form content is usually defined as 2,000 words or more and can include white papers, ebooks, how-to guides, case studies and video transcripts. Short-form content tends to be under 1,000 words and can include blogs, social media posts, infographics and listicles. A short, two-minute video would also fit the bill. However, these content types can all vary in length and can fall into either the short-form or long-form category. But like everything related to content, you need to first consider what you want to achieve. Short-form content can be great for quickly engaging your audience, whereas long-form content can strengthen your credibility. The key is to know your audience and have a clear set of goals tied to the point in your sales funnel the content is going to appear at. For example, if you’re selling a high-end product to customers who aren’t familiar with your company, they would likely find a long-form, highly informative product description useful. This could be very effective in converting shoppers who are considering your product. However, if your goal is to drive traffic, your best bet is likely a short, entertaining social media post that reaches a wider audience. Both short and long content have benefits and what will work best depends on your business, your products, your marketing goals and user intent. When Long-Form Content Works If your goal is higher search engine rankings for particular topics, most marketing experts agree that long-form content is the way to go since Google’s algorithm favors more in-depth articles. A SerpIQ study found that the average word count for content in the top ten of a Google search result page is over 2,000 words. Longer pieces are also more suited to evergreen content, which can be a great for driving long-term web traffic. In the inbound marketing world, HubSpot, Moz and Kissmetrics are authorities in this niche and they all produce high-quality, long-form evergreen content. So, if you want to position your brand as an authority in your niche, use long-form content that covers each topic in depth. When Short-Form Content is Best If your goal is to build awareness or your primary audience mainly views your content on mobile devices, short-form content is probably a better fit. Today, many people scan online content rather than read it fully, so short-form content can have more impact on your readers in the short term. If your brand voice is more fun than serious, short-form content is also likely to be more appropriate. While some topics require longer explanations, a fun infographic or video can help you quickly build a connection with your target audience. Start-ups stand to benefit from this kind of content because it helps to establish their brand’s identity. It’s also quicker to produce and is particularly useful when covering news or trending topics in your industry. Where to Publish Different Forms of Content Facebook Notes and LinkedIn Pulse give marketers a platform to publish long-form content to social media. Google Plus is also ideal because there are no character limits, unlike other social media platforms. It’s also worth remembering that every piece of long-form content can be split into multiple content assets. For example, you can share a statistic on Twitter, post an image on Pinterest or submit an infographic to the Infographics Showcase website. This way, you can attract different kinds of buyers through different channels. Quality Over Quantity Your decision to go long or short depends on your brand’s voice, your target audience and your marketing goals. Crucially, you should focus on delivering quality content. Don’t think you have to write 2,000 words if you can get your message across in 200. Focus on being authentic and giving people useful information. If you’re unsure, experiment with both long and short content and see which resonate most with your target audience. The truth is, people like to consume information in different ways and you’ll probably need both to reach as many customers as possible.

Total Quality Management Survey

Total Quality Management Survey Customer satisfaction is important to an organization because it leads to repeat business. In order for companies to thrive, the need for value is essential to customer satisfaction (Goldman, 2003). This paper will explain the value of quality in relationship to customer satisfaction as well as research three separate organizations that represent different economic sectors, and provide a description of the need for customer-driven quality for each of these organizations. Additionally, a matrix model will be constructed outlining the differences between the strategic roles of total quality management (TQM) within each of the chosen organizations.The organizations of focus will represent the manufacturing sector, service sector, and government sector. Each of these sectors has different values when it comes to quality in customer dealings, and strategies towards total quality management. These different views are established through customer needs and the level of growth within their s ector.ManufacturingThe first organization of focus, which represents the manufacturing sector, is Medrad, Inc.US Navy 080716-1786N-N-016 Rear Adm. Raymond Berub...Their customers are primarily from the food service industry, such as schools, restaurants, institutional food services, and healthcare services. The company is a subsidiary of Cargill Foods and has been the Baldridge National Quality Programs (BNQP) Award recipients for two years, 1999 and 2005. Their products include over 160 egg, pre-cooked, frozen, and other refrigerated items, which they deliver through specialty deliverers, broadline distributors, or by direct delivery arrangements. The Core Ideology includes the purpose, values, and mission. The Core Purpose: to be the supplier for worldwide customers; Core Values: focus on customers, quality, safety, stakeholders, and ethics (BNQP, 2005). Mission:Sunny Fresh Foods will be the preferred supplier of quality, value-added food products serving primarily the foodservice industry. We will be a best-cost producer and a leader in developing and implementing innovative products, processes, and services to meet the needs of an evolving global marketplace. (National...

The 4 most popular job boards for nurses

The 4 most popular job boards for nurses Niche job boards for nurses have one thing in common - they help connect the right nurses with the right employers. Beyond that, there’s a lot of variation among the most popular ones with the highest traffic.  Some job seekers want to get in, find a job that they want, and get back out again. But others enjoy resources that help them with their career. From the employer’s standpoint, efficiency and resources count, too. Both sides are the job board’s target audience, just in different ways.  The most popular job boards have a few things in common, but the experience is quite different from one to another. Here’s how each of them serves their audience:Nurse.com Offers a Wealth of Jobs and Resources  Nurse.com  is one of the largest, if not the largest, nurse-specific job board. The tagline reads, â€Å"Where the nurses are,† and that appears to be true. Professionals from every facet of nursing can find what they’re looking for.  F rom the first moment, the user is given opportunities to navigate anywhere on the website. Featured prominently is a job search tool that offers ways to narrow the search focus, giving more relevant results.Some jobs are featured on the homepage, but the others are easy to find. This is a busy website, but it’s also clean and easy to navigate. There are a lot of options from which to choose, but it’s set up logically.  Nurse.com has several resources for nurses. Aside from the â€Å"Jobs† tab, resources for education topics, news (both national and regional), events, and awards are accessible with a click. This job board offers plenty of relevant content for users, which could account for some of its popularity.  There is a resume and profile creator link on the home page, too, as well as relevant links for employer resources.  One confusing part of the site is an icon that’s normally used to indicate a chat feature. But clicking the link directs us ers to the Nurse.com blog, which is written by contributing nurse professionals. The blog covers topics ranging from stress management to nursing ethics. NursingJobs.com Caters to Travel Nurses, and More  Nursingjobs.com  connects travel nurse professionals with the employers who need them, but it also has an option for finding permanent jobs.  The landing page lets users choose an access point as an employer who wants to post a job, or as a nurse looking for a job. Job seekers enter info into a keyword job search or employee search first, then  they are directed into the site.  Job listings are streamlined at NursingJobs.com, listed in a column format that shows the job title, Job ID number, job type (primarily travel nurses), location, job duration, and the employer.  Under the Career Options tab, job seekers can build a profile of the job they want, and get alerts when something comes available.  There is a Career Resources tab, which links to articles on topics rel evant to nursing professionals, such as interview tips. There’s also a mobile app, which is important with an increasingly mobile job seeker community.  On the employer’s side of the website, the setup is a bit different. There are resources that apply to employers, such as how to set up a profile, instructions on posting jobs, and testimonials from other employers.Nurse Recruiter Puts the Job Search at the Forefront  Nurse Recruiter  is very streamlined, with a heavy focus on getting right down to business. There’s a â€Å"register now† button at the top that lets nursing professionals create a profile to assist with the job search. It also has a â€Å"rapid apply mini-resume† button.  This website is heavy on the job search, with just a sprinkling of content.  Three options are available as points of access: Nurses, travel nurses, and employers. Each requires registration, but users can navigate through that by clicking on the image ins tead of registering. Only then can users access materials that are relevant to each area.  Nurse Recruiter isn’t as approachable or user-friendly as some of the other nurse job boards. Users need to work a bit harder than necessary to find content. But if the job search is the only reason for the visit, it fits the bill.HealtheCareers Healthcare Industry Job Board Caters to Nurses, Too  Healthecareers  isn’t a nurse-specific, it caters to healthcare in general, but it’s a large resource for nursing jobs. A search tool features prominently at the top to help users get started.  Across the top of the main page, there are tabs for accessing a wealth of content. One of those is a link to jobs, which lets users get right down to business. But other tabs include an overall resources link to a summary of new topics, and links to newsletters, articles, and blog posts separately.  The starred rating box is different from the other job boards. It lets users give feedback without interrupting the website experience. That’s a plus for the user, and for the job board owner.  Although Healthecareers isn’t dedicated to nurses only, the blog has a heavy nursing focus. There are posts on interview tips, student loan repayment options, and dealing with the stress of nursing.  If you’re a nursing professional looking to jumpstart your career, these job boards will be the perfect place to start your search!

Process Business Integration Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Process Business Integration - Research Paper Example   The 21st-century leadership practices can also be observed to emphasize reinventing effective measures in order to establish a better communication channel between the customers, suppliers and other groups of stakeholders. This apparently advocates corporate measures to integrate the supply chain functions at almost every phase. The two most apparent drivers of these changes in organizational leadership practices can be identified as the continuous development of global business culture and the trend of continuous expansion within the corporate world (McAdam & McCormack, 2001). Emphasizing the present transformational changes in the contemporary business environment, the primary purpose of this essay will be to critically identify the key areas of business process integration in relation to the unconventional approaches of supply chain management practiced by modern organizations. In establishing this particular aim, evidence provided by McAdam and McCormack (2001) and Cagliano, Caniato, and Spina (2006) will be referred and critically reviewed with prime significance throughout the study. When addressing the linkage between business process integration with supply chain management practices in the modern era, McAdam & McCormack (2001) were able to connote few noteworthy aspects, which can be examined as the major determinants of the currently exhibited challenges and proficiencies of the corporate world. McAdam & McCormack (2001) subsequently explained that an integrated supply chain management ensures the improvement of operational functions to a substantial extent offering added managerial control on organizational performance. Based on their empirical study, McAdam & McCormack (2001) were of the view that modern business organizations need to focus on developing at least two significant aspects in order to sustain in this competitive era. These aspects comprise the supply chain management procedure and integration of business

Perception of quality of care Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Perception of quality of care - Research Paper Example Therefore, incentive payments or penalties to inpatient hospital care will be based partly on these results of these satisfaction surveys. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) is a national survey that is standardized and publicly reported on patient’s perception of hospital care. HCAHPS is used as an instrument to collect data in an organized manner (HCAHPS, 2012). The HCAHPS survey is administered to a random sample of hospitalized patients between 2 days and 1 Â ½ months after discharge. The purpose of this study is to evaluate if nurses perceive the HCAHPS scores to be an accurate instrument in capturing the quality of patient care. Also, the researcher will review what variables affect patient satisfaction in the hospital setting as well as look at the nurse’s point of view on quality of care. The participants in the proposed study will include nurses that work on the telemetry, medical surgical, progressive cardiac unit, clinical transition unit, PACU and surgical recovery unit. Years of experience will range from novice to expert nurse, which includes one month to 25 or more years of nursing experience. Male and female nurse will both be given opportunity to complete the survey. A diversity of nurses work for the current hospital and so the demographic details will be obtained during the survey. Clinical Nurses at this facility education level range from diploma to MSN prepared nurses. Many of the associated prepared nurses are currently in school studying for their BSN. The research anticipates at least 50 nurses to participate in the study with 30 participants being randomly picked. Inclusion criteria will be any nurse with a least one month of experience that has discharged a patient to home. Exclusion will be nurse that don’t work in a clinical setting, have less than one month of experience or have never discharged a patient to home. The researcher has an eight year work

The Great Gatsby Essay Example for Free

The Great Gatsby Essay In American society, the way people act is quite an interesting, yet confusing subject to look at. If you were to look closely at the behavior and the thinking of the average American man in the modern day, you would see that he is not too different from a man that lived one hundred years ago in America. Obviously many things have changed in society that make a man different nowadays compared to one hundred years ago, but the point is that, in general, the mind of an American person has kept the same characteristics. A great way to understand how an American mans mind has remained the same is by comparing The Great Gatsby with modern society in the United States. In this novel, which takes place in the 1920s, we see that the major themes incorporated into it are hope in the American Dream, the idea that rich are always entitled and never responsible for their behavior, and that the common man will keep trying to achieve the American Dream to the fullest even though he is vaguely aware that he has higher morals than the person he is seeking to become. Ever since the United States was founded, man has always hoped of becoming successful and even prosperous. All men were created equal according to our Declaration of Independence so the American Dream is something that any man can achieve if he puts in the work and the dedication needed. Plenty of hope is also needed if a man wishes to become successful in the United States because sometimes hard work and dedication alone are not enough. The main character in The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby, has, â€Å"some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life,† which is like saying that Gatsby is an average man that devotes his life to the American Dream and getting what he wants. Gatsby also has, â€Å"an extraordinary gift for hope,† which means that Gatsby has a positive attitude toward achieving the American Dream. Jay Gatsby can relate to many success stories that have happened recently in the United States. One example of a modern day Jay Gatsby is Oprah Winfrey. Oprah was born into a poor life with not much opportunity, but she did have hope and eventually she was able to work her way to the top of the American Dream. Having hope when trying to become successful is a must or your dream may never happen. It seems as though the old money, rich people think they have entitlement no matter what they do. The wealthy can have whatever they like all the time even if they dont morally deserve it. This has been the case in America for a long time, including the time of Jay Gatsby and also in modern day society. A major character in The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway, realizes that the rich lack responsibility for their actions and they continue living as though they have every right to their good fortune. Nick says, â€Å"They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made. † Even when Daisy murders Myrtle, Gatsby ends up paying the price for her because Daisy and Tom are careless and rich. Money is way more important to them than anything else in the world. There are many people in our society today like Daisy and Tom. One example is Paris Hilton, who basically goes around and parties with her fathers money. She can do whatever she wants and the money is always there to cover it up. It is amazing how money can determine someones character. The common man seems to always fight to have the American Dream even if they realize that they have higher morals than those who already are successful. Money can blind a person from realizing that having good morals is more important than having financial success. The Great Gatsby shows that Jay Gatsby innocently pursued the American Dream, he worked on personal improvement his whole life, and he continued his hard pursuit even with forces working against him. He ultimately was killed because of people unlike him that had money but no morals. Gatsby tried to have money and great morals and that is something that is not exactly possible. People nowadays try all the time to pursue the American Dream while remaining a good person with morals. It is hard to have it both ways and that is evident after reading about Jay Gatsby. Realizing that modern day society is still the same as it was in The Great Gatsby is important. The author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, would very likely agree that todays society is no different than the society portrayed in his novel. Everybody wants to pursue the American Dream and remain as a good person, but as you look at Jay Gatsby, it is easy to see that it is extremely hard to accomplish and maintain. Maybe soon society will become a fair playing ground, but for now all people can do is hope that life works out for the better.

Reflection on Ethnicity Essays -- Reflection Essay

Our increased mobility has given us greater access to the world and the diverse people that inhabit it. With that mobility comes the shared responsibility to negotiate with people who may initially seem unfamiliar and learn to express the experience. The word â€Å"ethnicity† is used to describe a specific population’s characteristics of fundamental aspects that all humans share. When applied loosely, ethnicity becomes a blanket term to define large populations, undermining the worth and the diversity within that group and emphasizing the differences between cultures. Yet those differences come down to matters of preference and socialization within each culture. The dominant themes that rule human nature persist in every society – wondering where we came from and why we exist, social mores to guide how we relate to people or situations, and primal motivations such as hunger, fear, and a need to be loved and accepted. People communicate with language, have a sense of family structure, practice culinary habits, beliefs, and social values that evolved concurrent with the compounded revisions of a group’s public space and collective perception of reality. Over time, ethnic groups have interacted and negotiated public realms similar to the method each separate population underwent to develop into its present framework. We continue to co-mingle cultures, borrowing tastes that suit our own self-definition and determination. The definition of what is â€Å"right† and what is valued varies fr...

Memo Short Report

The recent conflict in FinanceGates Project was definitely harmful to the overall success of the project and the spirit of cooperation InternetGates Company tries to promote among its employees. From my viewpoint as that of a third party, I see the issue as a communication problem created by barriers that often stand between employees from different backgrounds. The solution can action directed at improving communication skills of our employees in various departments. Frank Brown, Marketing Manager for FinanceGates, as it turned out, had long been confident that the course taken by the project is completely wrong and doomed to fail. His impression of the ideas put forward by the Project Manager, Brian Graham, had long been negative, as he believed them to be both ineffective and unrealistic. However, for lack of communication skills expressed in shyness and fear to lose rapport with the boss, Frank was reluctant to share this with him. In this conversation, however, he simply exploded, telling Brian Graham all the negatives he had in mind. I personally witnessed this conversation and can reproduce it fairly precisely as it was etched upon my memory. Frank began by reporting about his findings during the preparation of the marketing plan. As he was sharing his insights, Brian once again expressed his dissatisfaction over delays in Frank’s work. He stated: â€Å"Once again, you are not able to meet the deadline for your marketing plan. I just remind you that our company places special emphasis on meeting deadlines, as I have already told you more than once†. Frank seemed very frustrated by this remark and began to justify himself by saying that facts that would support the current direction of business are very hard to find. In essence, what he has produced so far was a brief study of the market that showed limited opportunities for the kind of product the company expected to sell – and therefore turning it into a plan will be difficult, not impossible. In his speech, Frank complained about the boss â€Å"limiting his initiative† and lacking â€Å"flexibility†. The boss was listening to Frank’s tirade silently, showing signs of anger with his facial expression. However, he did not interrupt Frank who seemed really carried away with his emotions. When Frank seemed done with his speech, Brian said: ‘Okay, I have listened to you, and now you will listen to me. You have to be ready with your plan in three days. If you have nothing to show on Friday at noon, we will have to talk about your prospects in this company. Because one thing I want everybody to follow is take a positive attitude toward work and strive to complete every assignment with maximum quality. You do not seem to have it, but maybe I am wrong.† Both parties in the conversation obviously had their â€Å"skeletons† in the cupboards and reasons why they wanted to conceal part of the information. I know, for example, that Franks is driven by the perceived lack of rewards in this position. He confided in me at one point that in our organization he feels underpaid and misses the trappings of a managerial position, as in the previous job he was head of a marketing department. His past record also involved numerous conflicts with superiors as he sought to defy their authority; this was the way he learned to interact with superiors and it is not easy to abandon. His habits include arguing with the boss, not being cooperative. In turn, Frank expects all superiors to hostile and critical toward him. His barrier to communication can be described as â€Å"stereotyping† that â€Å"causes us to typify a person, a group, an event, or a thing on oversimplified conceptions, beliefs, and opinions† (Erven, n.d., p. 3). Frank stereotypes all superiors as people with enormous amount of power they use to oppress subordinates. His stereotypical, habitual strategy is to offer resistance. Brian’s problem is most probably lack of understanding for human nature. Poor listening skills contribute to communication barriers. In previous conversations, he could have noticed Frank’s unwillingness to support his ideas, but never paid attention. It seems to me frequently that he places too much emphasis on authority and too little on persuasion. In this case, his mistake was forcing an employee to do something in a rude manner, without asking for cooperation and testing willingness to help. To remedy the situation, both Brian and Frank require counselling that will help them change their communicative styles. Instead of showing quick aggression, they should both opt for communication patterns that will provide the room for the other person’s self-esteem instead of being confrontational. Brian, for instance, can change his attitude to subordinates to a more positive one, beginning to see them as people who are inherently good and are trying to accomplish their tasks effectively instead of accusing them of being lazy or inadequate.   For Frank, it can be recommended that he, too, stop seeing the boss as an enemy and rather as one who can provide assistance to him. I also propose that InternetGates organize a training for project managers and, if possible, their teams focusing on communication. The topics could include communication styles, communicative strategies, barriers to effective communication, and how to overcome them. Learning more about differences in cross-cultural communication will also be relevant to our employees since we are an international company. Trainings would provide managers with a background in communication that would help them resolve day-to-day conflicts that arise out of misunderstandings. Sincerely, Peter Black References Erven, B. Overcoming Barriers to Communication. Retrieved August 9, 2006, from http://aede.osu.edu/people/erven.1/HRM/communication.pdf Hampton, J. (2006, May 8). Barriers to Communication. Retrieved August 9, 2006, from http://www.community4me.com/barriers.html

Duddy Kravitz Materialism Essay

Materializing is a major role in this book it affects a large part of the characters second and one person first hand. It also affects the plot due to the main characters obsession with materialism. Materializing can also cause people in relationships to grow apart due to confusion with priorities. Materializing can drive people to become some one that they would never wish to become with out even realizing it. It can also push you to do stuff that you would never think of doing. In the book The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz, the main character Duddy Kravitz was brought up with the saying † a man with out land is a nobody.† Duddy believes that the more land and money he gains the more of a â€Å"somebody† he will become. Duddy goes through life trying to make more and more money and gain more and more land. With an obsession like this it can cause a person to forget about priorities and also the heath and feelings of others. With Duddy by the end of the book his push to become a † somebody† cause the lost of respect from a family member and the loss of valued friends. It caused Duddy to put his own friend in a wheel chair for life just so he could try and save some money. Materializing can cause your judgment to fog and able you to do almost anything to get a head in the race to becoming a â€Å"somebody†. Duddy went to the point of forging a crippled friends check so he could buy more land. After he finally owns and controls all of the land hi feels that he has become a â€Å"somebody†. Duddy let money and poisons become the only thing that mattered to him. Duddy lost sight of everything that he lost and all the people that he hurt along the race to become a â€Å"somebody†. The plot of the book was greatly affected be materialism. The book is based around a selfish, greedy man named Duddy Kravitz a man that would stop at anything to become rich and well known. The plot twists as Duddy personality becomes meaner and more money driven. The plot of the book starts with the main character Duddy trying to make living well at the same timework his way up to becoming rich and at least locally famous. Duddy starts off as a happy man with a girlfriend, has many friends that are rich and is starting off his own business. However later on in the book after he starts to buy land to build a dream he starts to go bankrupt. As times get tough Duddy slowly starts to loss grasp of his goals and dreams that would make him a  Ã¢â‚¬Å"somebody†. The money hungry man starts to become verbally violent and uncaring for others. At this point he is only worried about losing his land and money. â€Å"#################† but really Duddy has lost much more than he has gain. He has lost his friends, his girlfriend and the respect of his grandpa. The plot is based on materialism with Duddy. All most every problem in this book is a result in Duddy trying to make it big in life and becoming a rich man with a lot of land. When materialism is present with in a relationships it can push people to grow a part over time. It is usually noticed be one member and rarely caught but the person who is obsessed with it. With Duddy Kravitz it was present thought out his life. However as time moved on it slowly turned in to the only thing that mattered to him in his life. When Duddy first started to date Yvette you could see the connection they had with each other, you got the impression that they where meant to be together. They would go on picnic’s together, go for walks in the woods, and go swimming in the lake. This is where Duddy discovers his soon to be land, with in seconds you could see that the Duddy obsession with materialism has started to make things different between then. Duddy tried to bribe Yvette not to tell anyone about their place and offered to cut her in on the profits if she would keep it a secret. When money and the land came in to the picture it caused Duddy to almost stop trusting Yvette and act like she was more like a business partner rather than girlfriend. This cause Yvette to become angry and upset that Duddy didn’t trust her and brought money in to the picture. Slowly over time Duddy became verbally violent towards Yvette, always telling her to â€Å"shut up† and yelling at her profoundly. Slowly Duddy obsession pushed him away from Yvette. By the end of the book Duddy was so obsessed with land, money and trying to become a â€Å"somebody† that he lost the important things in life. Duddy lost things that can’t be bought but money, or impressed with land, he lost friends and family.

Essay on Biology Midterm

Essay on Biology Midterm Essay on Biology Midterm Chapter 1- Scientific Thinking * Science is an intellectual activity, encompassing observation, description, experimentation, and explanation of natural phenomena. * Biological issues permeate all aspects of our lives. To make wise decisions, it is essential for individuals and societies to attain biological literacy. * Superstition is the irrational belief that actions that are not logically related to a course of events can influence its outcome. * Because it is empirical, rational, testable, repeatable, and self-correcting, the scientific method is a particularly effective approach. * Scientific Method: * -Make observations * -Formulate a hypothesis * -Devise a testable prediction * -Conduct a critical experiment * -Draw conclusions and make revisions * A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for an observed phenomenon and must generate a testable prediction * Null hypothesis a lack of relationship between two factors * A critical experiment makes it possible to determine if a hypothesis is correct. * Theory is an explanatory hypothesis for natural phenomena that is exceptionally well supported by the empirical data. * Treatment: any experimental condition applied to the research subject * Experimental group: a group of subjects who are exposed to a particular treatment * Control group: subjects who are treated identically to the experimental group, where they are not exposed to the treatment * Variables: the characteristics of an experimental system that are subject to change * Placebo effect: people respond favorably to any treatment * Blind experimental: subjects do not know which treatment they are receiving * Double-blind experiment: neither the subjects or experiment know treatment * Biases can influence our behavior and collection and interpretation of data * Independent variable: measurable entity that is available at the start of a process (x-axis) * Dependent variable: measurable entity that is created by the process observed (y-axis) * Positive correlation: one variable incre ases, so does the other * Visual displays of data condense large amounts of information and can aid in the presentation and exploration of the data * Statistics can help us evaluate whether differences between a treatment group and control group can be attributed to the treatment rather than a random chance. * Pseudoscience: individuals make scientific claims that are not supported * Anecdotal observations: based on just one or few observations * Although the scientific method may be the most effective, it can’t give us insight into non-quantifiable, subjective information. Chapter 2- Chemistry * Element: substance that cannot be broken down chemically into any other substances * Atom: a bit of matter that cannot be subdivided any further without losing essential properties * Nucleus: center of the atom, made up of protons and neutrons * Protons: positive electric charge * Neutrons: no electric charge * Electrons: negative electric charge * Atomic Mass: the mass of an atom; made up of the combined mass of all of its protons and neutrons * Particles with the same charge repel each other, opposites attract each other * Atomic number: corresponds to have many protons it has * The mass of an atom is usually about double the element’s atomic number * The number of neutrons in the nucleus is usually equal to the number of protons, and protons and neutrons have approximately the same mass * Isotope: an atom that has extra neutrons or fewer neutrons than the number of protons * An atom’s charge doesn’t change in an isotope because neutrons have no electric c harge * Radioactive atoms: atoms that break down spontaneously after created and in the process of decomposition they release, at a constant rate, a particle carrying a lot of energy. * Elements in the human body:

Aggression

The policies and procedures of the setting relevant to promoting children and young people’s positive behaviour are such things as being a positive role model, showing respect to one another, praising children and young people, have and organised environment, setting boundaries, intervening calmly when an incident happens to stop the child or young person behaving in an unsafe way. 1. ) The importance of all staff consistently and fairly applying boundaries and rules for children and young people’s behaviour in accordance with the policies and procedures of the setting is to make sure every child within the setting is treated fairly for example if one child does something good praise him/her as you would any other child. Vice versa if a child’s behaviour is bad you must intervene calmly and explain what they are doing is wrong, and why it is wrong. All staff must work as part of a team and act with the same procedures to help the children develop knowing what is right and what is wrong. 2 2. 1) The benefits of encouraging and rewarding positive behaviour are that by promoting positive behaviour in the nursery they are much more likely to grown up knowing what is right and what is wrong, carrying it up into reception class and so on. Positive behaviour needs to be encouraged as the children need to know when there doing something really good e. . sharing their toys. If a child is constantly told off for negative behaviour, it will damage their overall self-confidence and they’ll begin to thin that everything they do is wrong. 3 3. 2) the sorts of behaviour problems that should be referred to others are things such as biting, this is more common in toddlers as they cannot talk or express their feelings its more difficult to control their emotions, if an older child bites ad continues to do so this should be referred to the ppropriate person. Aggression is also a behaviour problem, aggressive acts such as hitting another child for no reason needs referral. Change of behaviour in a child is another thing that should be referred this could be for a number of reasons such as abuse, any form of abuse could cause a child to change their behaviour, also things like family separation an bereavement and other issues could cause this. All these should be referred to your nursery manager or the person in charge.

Political Science - State and Society in Europe Essay

Political Science - State and Society in Europe - Essay Example propose a typology that is essentially concerned with cross-national differences that occur in three aspects; these include the association of the state with the market in the provision of welfare, the stratifying impact of welfare states and the value of social rights (Dale 2002). Using cross-national differences that occur along these aspects, Esping-Andersen classified welfare states into three main types. These three types were referred to as the three worlds of welfare: social democratic, liberal and corporatist. The social democratic welfare states encompassed the countries of the Scandinavian region, whereas the liberal welfare states included the countries from the Anglo-Saxon areas. The conservative corporatist welfare state was dominant in Central Europe (Dale 2002). For instance, the German welfare system is considered as a conservative-corporate regime because of its salient social policy features (Cochrane, Clarke & Gewirtz 2001). The three worlds of typology opened new frontiers for the interpretation of comparative welfare state research. The typologies have fueled extensive debate, theoretical criticisms and had led other sociologists to propose their own typologies to understand the social welfare dynamics (Dale 2002). In fact, criticism against the typology surfaced right after the time that the typology was proposed, which has resulted in the development of a series of typologies for welfare states. One of the most significant contributions of the Esping-Andersen typology lies in the fact that it was the first of its kind to initiate the process of researching welfare states from a novel perspective. Before the typology was proposed, much of the research on welfare states was conducted on the comparison between the values of degree outcomes and the quantitative worth of social security expenditures. The essence of the second cluster of welfare state typologies encompasses the connection between paid wor k and welfare as well as the implications

A proposed study on facility planning and design in manufacturing Assignment

A proposed study on facility planning and design in manufacturing process - Assignment Example Three types exist in manufacturing system, which includes process layout, product layout and group layout and they are further classified into flow line, cell and centre (Khusna, Siti, Jamasri, and Hideki 1). A techniques recommended in planning analysis of a facility is simulation techniques, which helps the designer in identifying the assembly system storage in this stochastic situation. It is developed as an analysis tool reconfiguration of line to handle the future demand fluctuation. Simulation tools in planning include Flexsim software, QUEST (17), Arena (9), Witness (21), ProModel (25) and IGRIP (17). The tools used for optimizing layout design include Simulated Annealing (SA), Tabu Search (TS), and Genetic Algorithms (GA) (Khusna et el. 3). Different studies have been carried out by different authors to explain the application of those tools. Different investigation have been carried out to identify the appropriate tools for planning and manufacturing process though they have been faced with limitation such as time. The studies done found out that the facility design analysis such as material handling system and layout are crucial in manufacturing industries (Khusna et el. 3). Khusna Dwijayanti, Siti Zawiah Md Dawal, Jamasri, and Hideki Aoyama. A Proposed Study on Facility Planning and Design in Manufacturing Process. Viewed on May 2010, from

International business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

International business - Essay Example factors include: an option of entering alien markets, sharing and decreasing cost of production, developing KSAs (knowledge, skills and abilities) that are hard to develop and adoption of upgraded technology. The main reason due to which several companies accept and enter strategic alliances is to enter alien markets in order to increase their market share (IRELAND, 2008, p.177). For instance, several organizations wanted to enter the Chinese region for expansion purposes and in order to enter these markets they needed expertise of the local organization. This is because local organizations have a better understanding of the cultural and motivational values of the people living in the nation. Due to this, Warner Brothers created strategic alliance with other Chinese firms in the entertainment industry to come up with movies for the locals of China (GRIFFIN, 2005, p.370). When organizations expand they have to bare the risk of expansion which includes investment in fixed technologies and financial risks (FUNG, 2008, p.5). If these costs are shared by the organizations the risk level of partnering organizations decrease. This is one of the motivational factors due to which organizations enter into a strategic alliance. For instance when Boeing was involved in the creation of 787, it created a strategic alliance with several Japanese firms which led to division of investment for the purpose of creating the jetliner (STEERS, 2006, p.228). Organizations even enter into a strategic alliance in order to obtain knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) and assets lacked by either one or both of the partners of the alliance (KANG, 2001, p.37). They even enter into an alliance because developing these KSAs is a difficult task and an expensive one. For example: There was a strategic alliance formed between the organizations of Microsoft and Toshiba in order to create microprocessors that were embedded in nature and could perform various roles that were entertaining in nature

No Exit by Jean Paul Sartre | Analysis

No Exit by Jean Paul Sartre | Analysis Analysis of No Exit No Exit by Jean Paul Sartre is a play that symbolizes the German occupation of France. He was a soldier in the French Army during World War II and had to face the humiliation of defeat and the suffering of war. No Exit takes place in a room which is supposed to be a part of hell occupied by three people who cannot stand being around each other. This is an allusion to the relationship between the French and German people living amongst each other during the war. In this play, Sartre discusses issues such as freedom, reliance on others, deception, and â€Å"bad faith† (Spark Notes, analysis). In this essay I will discuss the different ideas and symbolization that help the reader understand Sartres conveyed messages about how he views death and how one must handle the present. Also, I will discuss the characters in depth to understand why they handled the situations they were in so differently than the others by comparing and contrasting their personalities. Sartre also was a fir m believer in either a â€Å"being-in-itself†, a being that lets other people control them or a â€Å"being-for-itself†, a being who makes their own choices. Existence precedes essence† was the theme to his belief that a humans consciousness was centered on a being-for-itself, or a being-in-itself (Spark Notes, analysis). Humans have the power to control their choices, thoughts, characteristics, values and certain traits. With this power also comes responsibility for ones choices. This anxiety of responsibility causes people to step back and let others chose and control what they think and do. It is a way to cope and not take responsibility for ones actions. This in turn creates the idea of a â€Å"being-in-itself† instead of the humans usual â€Å"being-for-itself†. In this paper this idea will be discussed and compared with the characters reactions to their own personal reality in hell. The four characters that Sartre portrayed in this play are the valet, Inez, Estelle and Mr. Garcin. Garcin is a journalist from Rio and the first to be introduced to the story and enter the room. His cause of death was execution by a firing squad for trying to desert during a war. The war was not specified exactly, but his excuse for deserting was that he was a pacifist and was standing up for what he believed in. During the play, it is clear that Garcin is able to deal with the idea of their hell better than the other two characters in the room. He sees and understands that the three of them were not put together by chance but actually brought together on purpose to torture each other with the others existence. He stated that the best way to cope with this predicament was for each person to keep to themselves and leave the other be in hopes of being able to coexist peacefully. Throughout the whole story, Garcin looks back into the past and looks at Earths present and tries to make p eace with himself about the evil things he had done to his loved ones on Earth. He completely understands why he is damned to hell and does not question anything about where he is. Inez is the second person to enter the room and is the most destructive of all of the characters. She makes it her mission to cause the most hostility and problems towards the other two people in the room. Her past occupation was as a postal clerk. She believes she is in hell, because she seduced her cousins wife and practiced adultery. The reason for her death was that her lover, her cousins wife, left the stove on while they were sleeping and the gas killed them both. She clearly dislikes men and automatically hates Garcin. In many instances she is obviously competing with him. However, she quickly finds Estelle very attractive and pursues her for the rest of the story. She tries to find any way possible to be closer to Estelle and actually scares her. Estelle is the last person to enter the hell. She i s the most skittish and frightened person in the room. She relies on mirrors to remind her that she is actually there, and when she realizes there are no mirrors in the room she agrees to rely on Garcin and Inez to define her existence. She also strongly believes that she does not belong in hell, being only willing to admit to her cause of death: pneumonia. She refuses to use the word dead but asks everyone to instead use the word absent. Inez pursues her but Estelle informs them that she can only be with a man and favors Garcin. Garcin is briefly interested in Estelle but then quickly puts all of his energy into focusing on Inez and her actions. Estelle finally confesses that she had an affair on her husband and killed her illegitimate child. Lastly, the most mysterious of all characters is the valet.He was the person to lead each individual into the room, rarely answering any questions and only supplies brief, cryptic answers. He informs Garcin of the bell in the room with which h e may be summoned, but it rarely works. The valet is reminiscent of a devil picture. He gives Garcin a chance to escape but knows that because of his personality, he would never leave in fear of Inez passing judgments on him for leaving the room. The characters think that the valet toys with each of them indirectly and causes them great annoyance and problems, such as the furnishing of the room. Existentialism is the rejection of any traditional approach to objective understandings of human behavior. Existentialists choose to study and look at individual humans who exist independently of any sort of community, tradition, or law. In No Exit, it can be a perfect place for existentialism to be observed because of how each character is taken out of his or her element to be picked apart and analyzed. Since there is no way out and no mirrors, the characters are left to decide for themselves if they are really there and have an essence. Sartre questions the differences between existence and essence with each character. Each person has died on earth and is left to only survive off of what they have left of their souls. They are able to see for themselves who they really are due to their closed off situation. A mà ©nage a trios has been created in this play where each character must either ignore or accept the judgments of the others in the room. In the beginning, both Inez and Garc in have a conflict about the way Garcins face looked. She did not like the way his mouth turned and she demanded that he stop. He chose to believe her opinion and tried to stop. This is one of many examples of how these characters agree to rely on the opinion of others to define their existence. Garcin allowed Inez to define his essence. Another interesting point about this work is that Sartre did not describe hell as being a definitive place. He allows you to see that hell could be a state of mind. Sartre most likely wrote this play during the German occupation of Paris and so one can conclude that he compared the eyelid-less stare of the valet to the Nazis and their surveillance of the French people. Garcin is deeply bothered by the valet staring at him because of his fear of being judged by others questioning eyes. Sartre practices the technique of exposition, or giving a detailed background to each character, to introduce each character by placing them in an awkward and strange situation. Sartre also foreshadows many of the major points of the play before they occur later on. For example, every character is already dead and yet they still are in denial and continue to think of themselves as alive. They continue to make comments like nothing is different about their lives and refuse to accept where they are at first. Also, there is foreshadowing of the character development between Garcin and Estelle. In the beginning when Estelle first sees him, she recognizes him and connects him with her lover on earth. This foreshadows their relationship later on in the story. Existence and essence is also talked about with the example of how Estelle relies on a mirror to believe that she is really there. She relies on material things to define her existence. Inez on the other hand refuses to let other peop le define her existence or essence. â€Å"She claims that she is always painfully conscious of herself† (Spark Notes, analysis). Hell is other people is also a main topic portrayed in this play (Scridb). Estelle needs Inez to be her mirror but it is not possible for her to assist Estelle fully because they have different opinions about appearance. There will always be a difference in the way they would see each other. Inez greatly dislikes the way Garcin looks at her, and feels like he is always judging her. Garcin also hates the idea of other people judging him for what he has chosen to do and would stop at nothing to prove them wrong, even if it means him staying in the room forever. Both Estelle and Garcin refuse to let go of their pasts and accept what has already been done. They each cause their own hell, and it seems like a never ending cycle of personal torture. They still both act like they are in the past and refuse to look at the here and now, unlike Inez. She clear ly sees her present and understands that the past cannot be altered, and so she decides not to linger on it. â€Å"All you own is here† is an evidently true quote said by Inez that greatly emphasizes the idea of acceptance (Spark Notes, analysis). Garcin, towards the end proves that he has the least amount of self understanding and worth. He is unable to decide on his motives as to why he ran from the war and whether he considers himself a coward or not. He asks Estelle to tell him what her opinion is and relies on her to convince him either way. Just like Inez, Garcin is extremely worried about others laying judgments on him, and fears a lack of control. He believes that now that he is gone, he has left his memory and legacy in other peoples hands to do what they please with it. He gives his freedom to define himself to others. He has now became a being-in-itself. This is the whole reason why he chooses to not leave when the valet opens the door for him. He believes that peo ple will always judge him from the choices he has made in his past, and decides to damn himself to the room for eternity. Sartre powerfully shows that hell could simply be other people by putting Garcin, Estelle and Inez together. Hell can be a mindset and not just a physical place. Just the power of each persons gaze on one another takes away from each persons individuality as a whole. There is no need for physical torture when the mere existence of the other causes enough anguish. Each character loses and ignores their given freedom and responsibility. No Exit is an extremely interesting piece of literature which I recommend to anyone who wants to see an abstract way of looking at life and its many important themes. Responsibility for ones actions, acceptance of others, self-reliance on defining ones self, existence, concentration on looking at the present and not dwelling on the future are very important ways of operating life which are echoed throughout this work. Each character symbolizes weaknesses in which many people have and can relate to. Bibliography 1. Scribd. â€Å"No Exit by Jean Paul Sartre.† Non-commercial copyright. 9 May. 2008. . 2. SparkNotes Editors. â€Å"SparkNote on No Exit.† SparkNotes LLC. n.d..17 Nov. 2009. .

Breaking Society’s Rules :: Essays Papers

Breaking Society’s Rules American literature often examines people and motives. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, and in Arthur Miller’s dramatic classic, The Crucible, people and motives often depict patterns of Puritans struggling for life during a precarious time. Guilt and shame can tear a person's soul away. The inevitable consequence of sin is the immediate reaction of guilt, shame, and remorse. For example: John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, and Reverend Dimmesdale have all committed a sin or sins and are feeling extremely guilty about it. They want to be forgiven, but they have no strength and are cowards. Forgiveness can only be obtained when these characters find the strength within themselves to speak the truth. The first to commit a sin is John Proctor, the husband of Elizabeth Proctor. John is a good man until Abigail Williams comes into his life. John lives in a house feeling empty and thinking his wife does not love him. Lust is a very powerful feeling, and it tempts John right into bed with Abigail. Unfortunately once he commits adultery, Elizabeth does not forgive him. She finds ways to punish John and make him feel more remorseful. For example, Reverend Hale asks John to recite the commandments, and he forgets one, Elizabeth then says sarcastically, â€Å"Adultery, John.† Elizabeth responds in such a manner that John feels overwhelming pain in his heart. Naturally, Elizabeth feels guilty as well. She tells John, â€Å"I have sins of my own to count. It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery.† Elizabeth feels as though she is to blame for John committing adultery. She is a mother and, of course, Elizabeth will be consumed with taking care of their children, cooking, cleaning, etc. At first, Elizabeth does not recognize John pulling away from her and turning towards Abigail. Soon after Elizabeth finds out John committed adultery with Abby, she fires her. Later on in the novel Elizabeth is accused of being a witch and John goes to court to prove Abigail is lying.

Working Class and Age Group

Looking at the information ICM provided about relationship between neighbours, it is evident that there is a huge difference between the quantities of good neighboring relationships in different age groups, for example, from the total number, 47358, only 1031, which mearns 18% claims to have a very good relationship with their neighbours, and by the age group 65+, this number increases to 59%, which mearns 5820 people, which mearns times more â€Å"good neighboring† relationships then at the first age group.Also from the first age group 645 from 1031 claims that they don`t have a good relationships with neighbours, but in the other age group I am examining, only 498 says the same, which is only 5% of the total number. After looking at the table in whole, it can be seen clearly how numbers increase together, which is a pattern: the number of good relationships increase with growing age. I have also found an interesting anomaly when examining the question about how much time nei ghbours spending together, the numbers do not increase proportionally. https://donemyessay.com/numbers-101-900-spanish-1-lopez/As a matter fact the 25-34 age group decreases time spent with other neighbours by 2% compared to the 18-24 age group, then after increasing again by the age of 54, it goes down again by 1%, which mearns number of relationships are not permanent, and they change many times in a human`s life. The other table shows how relations formed according to regional and social class based data, with the same questions as in table 1.Upper and middle classes seem to socialize more than skilled, or unskilled workers, they have a better relationship with neighbours than those who are possibly on a lower income. It is interesting that the members of skilled worker class (C2) claim to know all their neighbours more than members of the upper, or middle class do (AB), but still, both classes claim they know the names of their neighbours, even if the C2 class does speak rarely to people around them, and it is a regional pattern to know each-others names between neighbours.Sum of it all, neighbours in different regions who are from the upper, and skilled worker class mostly know each-others names, and socialize more by the time passes, and only a low number comparing to totals are claiming that they live in an unfriendly neighborhood, and also with growing age most people have better relationships with their neighbours, and know more about them, and also older people think more they live in a friendly community.It is also interesting that twice as more from the upper class (AB) is neutral about neighboring,(4%) and claims they do not have any relationships with neighbours, than the worker class, from which only 2% answered the same. 457 words. Self reflection:This was probably the most difficult task for me so far, because working with numbers was always hard for me, I have understood the question, but to bond the data in sentences was also difficult, (as English is not my mother tongue) the main patterns were the numbers whic h were increasing with growing aged groups, and also I think in more crowded places such as South-East, â€Å"unfriendliness â€Å" is more common.It was interesting to see how ppercentages can differ as well in different age groups. c2711493 Part 2: Examine the argument that `Good fences make good neighbours` witnesses. About the two killings,`The whole issue was not about what the bystanders thought, or felt at the time of the murder, but about the failure to act. (Making Social Lives, p 274) It is one of the biggest concerns in our minds, when to get involved in other peoples conflicts, about when the situation is serious enough to act, also when we see a family, or people who seems to be a family, we just simply would not like to get involved, and this is also a reason why James Bulger died. Being neighbours is one of the most important from ordered type of relationships in our lives, it is ordered, because mostly we do not choose who becomes our neighbour, so separation and c onstantly working to improve these connections is truly important.In the 19th century with the enormous growth of cities, with urbanisation, when people from rural places were seeking for better life circumstances, could only afford the cheapest accommodation in streets where it was not even enough space for two people to walk next to each other, was almost impossible to have privacy, for example they could only move beds away from walls, so this way reducing intrusion made by sounds of intimate activities. Engels, who is the author of The condition of the Working Class in England, investigated how these members of the community lived poorly in cottages, with cellars used as dwellings.These cottages had three, or four rooms, built tthroughout in England, the streets were filled with vegetable and animal refuse, without sewers or gutters. (Engels, 2005 [1845], p71) These often diseased places, according to him were well separated with high walls, and simply on the other side of these `back streets` were shop fronts, and bypassing streets for the real `beneficiaries of urbanisation`. This was a systematic act to separate classes, the rich, and the poor working class, so the one above could not see the poverty, and remain untroubled by the sights, smells, and sounds of the poor and unemployed. Making Social Lives, p218) For the working class, the urbanisation was disruptive, and produced great inequalities, thus it made neighboring habits more like issues, so during the industrial capitalism in the mid 1800`s to form friendly relationships was harder than ever. In our age the neighborhood does not only mean only a roof above our heads, but something more. The author`s experience with buying their new home also suggests that a neighborhood mearns relationship with other people living in the same street, solidarity, security, helpfulness.We expect the same from individuals, as from the neighborhood as a place. Neighbours are expected to have a general disposition t owards friendliness, while at the same time, respecting others need to privacy and reserve (Willmott, 1986, p55). Keeping distance is as important as being friendly with others, and this is also true in our everyday life, not only when interacting with our neighbours. In most occasions, when relationships break down, the main reason is intrusiveness, disturbing others` privacy. As there is no code of conduct eing a good neighbour, the boundaries between friendliness, and intrusiveness are subject to interpretation, and it is hard to decide when to make a formal complaint about someone`s intrusive, or disturbing behavior. Elizabeth Stokoe (2006) for example examines transcripts from recordings from a mediation involving complaints about c2711493 intimate noises. It is difficult to talk about these kind of subjects, as it can be seem infringing the neighbour`s right to whatever he or she wants in her own home, and for the other person can be accused with excessive curiosity and nosine ss.In this case it was not really about the aactivity itself, but about failing to make it less intrusive, or less obvious to others. Interpreting what is intrusive, or disturbing, also boundaries can be different in different cultures, referring to the anthropologist Stanley Brandes` experience when travelling to Spain to a rural place because of his research, his neighbours entered his house without invitation, or hesitation and offered their help with packing out, and they seemed to be like a large family. People who live in a big city often have a misleading, exotic image about far away small communities, and about their life circumstances.The reality is more complex, as in poor places, such as the Spanish village, people have to rely on one- another, for work, chores, et cetera. They need each-other to survive. Behind the exotic image is a fear of stealing, surveillance, and mistrust. His research shed light how different cultures are, and also things that are not always obviou s about everyday life. As there is no code of conduct for being a good neighbour, also there are some cases when we can`t decide if we should act about an argument between other neighbours, or when seeing conflicts on the street.

Chapter 28 The Madness of Mr Crouch

Harry, Ron, and Hermione went up to the Owlery after breakfast on Sunday to send a letter to Percy, asking, as Sirius had suggested, whether he had seen Mr. Crouch lately. They used Hedwig, because it had been so long since she'd had a job. When they had watched her fly out of sight through the Owlery window, they proceeded down to the kitchen to give Dobby his new socks. The house-elves gave them a very cheery welcome, bowing and curtsying and bustling around making tea again. Dobby was ecstatic about his present. â€Å"Harry Potter is too good to Dobby!† he squeaked, wiping large tears out of his enormous eyes. â€Å"You saved my life with that gillyweed, Dobby, you really did,† said Harry. â€Å"No chance of more of those eclairs, is there?† said Ron, who was looking around at the beaming and bowing house-elves. â€Å"You've just had breakfast!† said Hermione irritably, but a great silver platter of eclairs was already zooming toward them, supported by four elves. â€Å"We should get some stuff to send up to Snuffles,† Harry muttered. â€Å"Good idea,† said Ron. â€Å"Give Pig something to do. You couldn't give us a bit of extra food, could you?† he said to the surrounding elves, and they bowed delightedly and hurried off to get some more. â€Å"Dobby, where's Winky?† said Hermione, who was looking around. â€Å"Winky is over there by the fire, miss,† said Dobby quietly, his ears drooping slightly. â€Å"Oh dear,† said Hermione as she spotted Winky. Harry looked over at the fireplace too. Winky was sitting on the same stool as last time, but she had allowed herself to become so filthy that she was not immediately distinguishable from the smoke-blackened brick behind her. Her clothes were ragged and unwashed. She was clutching a bottle of butterbeer and swaying slightly on her stool, staring into the fire. As they watched her, she gave an enormous hiccup. â€Å"Winky is getting through six bottles a day now,† Dobby whispered to Harry. â€Å"Well, it's not strong, that stuff,† Harry said. But Dobby shook his head. â€Å"‘Tis strong for a house-elf, sir,† he said. Winky hiccuped again. The elves who had brought the eclairs gave her disapproving looks as they returned to work. â€Å"Winky is pining, Harry Potter,† Dobby whispered sadly. â€Å"Winky wants to go home. Winky still thinks Mr. Crouch is her master, sir, and nothing Dobby says will persuade her that Professor Dumbledore is her master now.† â€Å"Hey, Winky,† said Harry, struck by a sudden inspiration, walking over to her, and bending down, â€Å"you don't know what Mr. Crouch might be up to, do you? Because he's stopped turning up to judge the Triwizard Tournament.† Winky's eyes flickered. Her enormous pupils focused on Harry. She swayed slightly again and then said, â€Å"M – Master is stopped – hic – coming?† â€Å"Yeah,† said Harry, â€Å"we haven't seen him since the first task. The Daily Prophet's saying he's ill.† Winky swayed some more, staring blurrily at Harry. â€Å"Master – hic – ill?† Her bottom lip began to tremble. â€Å"But we're not sure if that's true,† said Hermione quickly. â€Å"Master is needing his – hic – Winky!† whimpered the elf. â€Å"Master cannot – hic – manage – hic – all by himself†¦.† â€Å"Other people manage to do their own housework, you know, Winky,† Hermione said severely. â€Å"Winky – hic – is not only – hic – doing housework for Mr. Crouch!† Winky squeaked indignantly, swaying worse than ever and slopping butterbeer down her already heavily stained blouse. â€Å"Master is – hic – trusting Winky with – hic – the most important – hic – the most secret†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What?† said Harry. But Winky shook her head very hard, spilling more butterbeer down herself. â€Å"Winky keeps – hic – her master's secrets,† she said mutinously, swaying very heavily now, frowning up at Harry with her eyes crossed. â€Å"You is – hic – nosing, you is.† â€Å"Winky must not talk like that to Harry Potter!† said Dobby angrily. â€Å"Harry Potter is brave and noble and Harry Potter is not nosy!† â€Å"He is nosing – hic – into my master's – hic – private and secret – hic – Winky is a good house-elf – hic – Winky keeps her silence – hic – people trying to – hic – pry and poke – hic -â€Å" Winky's eyelids drooped and suddenly, without warning, she slid off her stool into the hearth, snoring loudly. The empty bottle of butterbeer rolled away across the stone-flagged floor. Half a dozen house-elves came hurrying forward, looking disgusted. One of them picked up the bottle; the others covered Winky with a large checked tablecloth and tucked the ends in neatly, hiding her from view. â€Å"We is sorry you had to see that, sirs and miss!† squeaked a nearby elf, shaking his head and looking very ashamed. â€Å"We is hoping you will not judge us all by Winky, sirs and miss!† â€Å"She's unhappy!† said Hermione, exasperated. â€Å"Why don't you try and cheer her up instead of covering her up?† â€Å"Begging your pardon, miss,† said the house-elf, bowing deeply again, â€Å"but house-elves has no right to be unhappy when there is work to be done and masters to be served.† â€Å"Oh for heavens sake!† Hermione cried. â€Å"Listen to me, all of you! You've got just as much right as wizards to be unhappy! You've got the right to wages and holidays and proper clothes, you don't have to do everything you're told – look at Dobby!† â€Å"Miss will please keep Dobby out of this,† Dobby mumbled, looking scared. The cheery smiles had vanished from the faces of the house-elves around the kitchen. They were suddenly looking at Hermione as though she were mad and dangerous. â€Å"We has your extra food!† squeaked an elf at Harry's elbow, and he shoved a large ham, a dozen cakes, and some fruit into Harry's arms. â€Å"Good-bye!† The house-elves crowded around Harry, Ron, and Hermione and began shunting them out of the kitchen, many little hands pushing in the smalls of their backs. â€Å"Thank you for the socks, Harry Potter!† Dobby called miserably from the hearth, where he was standing next to the lumpy tablecloth that was Winky. â€Å"You couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you, Hermione?† said Ron angrily as the kitchen door slammed shut behind them. â€Å"They won't want us visiting them now! We could've tried to get more stuff out of Winky about Crouch!† â€Å"Oh as if you care about that!† scoffed Hermione. â€Å"You only like coming down here for the food!† It was an irritable sort of day after that. Harry got so tired of Ron and Hermione sniping at each other over their homework in the common room that he took Sirius's food up to the Owlery that evening on his own. Pigwidgeon was much too small to carry an entire ham up to the mountain by himself, so Harry enlisted the help of two school screech owls as well. When they had set off into the dusk, looking extremely odd carrying the large package between them. Harry leaned on the windowsill, looking out at the grounds, at the dark, rustling treetops of the Forbidden Forest, and the rippling sails of the Durmstrang ship. An eagle owl flew through the coil of smoke rising from Hagrid's chimney; it soared toward the castle, around the Owlery, and out of sight. Looking down, Harry saw Hagrid digging energetically in front of his cabin. Harry wondered what he was doing; it looked as though he were making a new vegetable patch. As he watched, Madame Maxime emerged from the Beauxbatons carriage and walked over to Hagrid. She appeared to be trying to engage him in conversation. Hagrid leaned upon his spade, but did not seem keen to prolong their talk, because Madame Maxime returned to the carriage shortly afterward. Unwilling to go back to Gryffindor Tower and listen to Ron and Hermione snarling at each other, Harry watched Hagrid digging until the darkness swallowed him and the owls around Harry began to awake, swooshing past him into the night. By breakfast the next day Ron's and Hermione's bad moods had burnt out, and to Harry's relief, Ron's dark predictions that the house-elves would send substandard food up to the Gryffindor table because Hermione had insulted them proved false; the bacon, eggs, and kippers were quite as good as usual. When the post owls arrived, Hermione looked up eagerly; she seemed to be expecting something. â€Å"Percy won't've had time to answer yet,† said Ron. â€Å"We only sent Hedwig yesterday.† â€Å"No, it's not that,† said Hermione. â€Å"I've taken out a subscription to the Daily Prophet. I'm getting sick of finding everything out from the Slytherins.† â€Å"Good thinking!† said Harry, also looking up at the owls. â€Å"Hey, Hermione, I think you're in luck -â€Å" A gray owl was soaring down toward Hermione. â€Å"It hasn't got a newspaper, though,† she said, looking disappointed. â€Å"It's -â€Å" But to her bewilderment, the gray owl landed in front of her plate, closely followed by four barn owls, a brown owl, and a tawny. â€Å"How many subscriptions did you take out?† said Harry, seizing Hermione's goblet before it was knocked over by the cluster of owls, all of whom were jostling close to her, trying to deliver their own letter first. â€Å"What on earth – ?† Hermione said, taking the letter from the gray owl, opening it, and starting to read. â€Å"Oh really!† she sputtered, going rather red. â€Å"What's up?† said Ron. â€Å"It's – oh how ridiculous -â€Å" She thrust the letter at Harry, who saw that it was not handwritten, but composed from pasted letters that seemed to have been cut out of the Daily Prophet. YOU ARE A WICKED GIRL. HARRY POTTER DESERVES BETTER. GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM MUGGLE. â€Å"They're all like it!† said Hermione desperately, opening one letter after another. â€Å"‘Harry Potter can do much better than the likes of you†¦.' ‘You deserve to be boiled in frog spawn†¦.' Ouch!† She had opened the last envelope, and yellowish-green liquid smelling strongly of petrol gushed over her hands, which began to erupt in large yellow boils. â€Å"Undiluted bubotuber pus!† said Ron, picking up the envelope gingerly and sniffing it. â€Å"Ow!† said Hermione, tears starting in her eyes as she tried to rub the pus off her hands with a napkin, but her fingers were now so thickly covered in painful sores that it looked as though she were wearing a pair of thick, knobbly gloves. â€Å"You'd better get up to the hospital wing,† said Harry as the owls around Hermione took flight. â€Å"We'll tell Professor Sprout where you've gone†¦.† â€Å"I warned her!† said Ron as Hermione hurried out of the Great Hall, cradling her hands. â€Å"I warned her not to annoy Rita Skeeter! Look at this one†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He read out one of the letters Hermione had left behind: â€Å"I read In Witch Weekly about how you are playing Harry Potter false and that boy has had enough hardship and I will be sending you a curse by next post as soon as I can find a big enough envelope.' Blimey, she'd better watch out for herself.† Hermione didn't turn up for Herbology. As Harry and Ron left the greenhouse for their Care of Magical Creatures class, they saw Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle descending the stone steps of the castle. Pansy Parkinson was whispering and giggling behind them with her gang of Slytherin girls. Catching sight of Harry, Pansy called, â€Å"Potter, have you split up with your girlfriend? Why was she so upset at breakfast?† Harry ignored her; he didn't want to give her the satisfaction of knowing how much trouble the Witch Weekly article had caused. Hagrid, who had told them last lesson that they had finished with unicorns, was waiting for them outside his cabin with a fresh supply of open crates at his feet. Harry's heart sank at the sight of the crates – surely not another skrewt hatching? – but when he got near enough to see inside, he found himself looking at a number of flurry black creatures with long snouts. Their front paws were curiously flat, like spades, and they were blinking up at the class, looking politely puzzled at all the attention. â€Å"These're nifflers,† said Hagrid, when the class had gathered around. â€Å"Yeh find 'em down mines mostly. They like sparkly stuff†¦.There yeh go, look.† One of the nifflers had suddenly leapt up and attempted to bite Pansy Parkinson's watch off her wrist. She shrieked and jumped backward. â€Å"Useful little treasure detectors,† said Hagrid happily. â€Å"Thought we'd have some fun with 'em today. See over there?† He pointed at the large patch of freshly turned earth Harry had watched him digging from the Owlery window. â€Å"I've buried some gold coins. I've got a prize fer whoever picks the niffler that digs up most. Jus' take off all yer valuables, an' choose a niffler, an get ready ter set 'em loose.† Harry took off his watch, which he was only wearing out of habit, as it didn't work anymore, and stuffed it into his pocket. Then he picked up a niffler. It put its long snout in Harry's ear and sniffed enthusiastically. It was really quite cuddly. â€Å"Hang on,† said Hagrid, looking down into the crate, â€Å"there's a spare niffler here†¦who's missin? Where's Hermione?† â€Å"She had to go to the hospital wing,† said Ron. â€Å"We'll explain later,† Harry muttered; Pansy Parkinson was listening. It was easily the most fun they had ever had in Care of Magical Creatures. The nifflers dived in and out of the patch of earth as though it were water, each scurrying back to the student who had released it and spitting gold into their hands. Ron's was particularly efficient; it had soon filled his lap with coins. â€Å"Can you buy these as pets, Hagrid?† he asked excitedly as his niffler dived back into the soil, splattering his robes. â€Å"Yer mum wouldn' be happy, Ron,† said Hagrid, grinning. â€Å"They wreck houses, nifflers. I reckon they've nearly got the lot, now,† he added, pacing around the patch of earth while the nifflers continued to dive. â€Å"I on'y buried a hundred coins. Oh there y'are, Hermione!† Hermione was walking toward them across the lawn. Her hands were very heavily bandaged and she looked miserable. Pansy Parkinson was watching her beadily. â€Å"Well, let's check how yeh've done!† said Hagrid. â€Å"Count yer coins! An' there's no point tryin' ter steal any, Goyle,† he added, his beetle-black eyes narrowed. â€Å"It's leprechaun gold. Vanishes after a few hours.† Goyle emptied his pockets, looking extremely sulky. It turned out that Ron's niffler had been most successful, so Hagrid gave him an enormous slab of Honeyduke's chocolate for a prize. The bell rang across the grounds for lunch; the rest of the class set off back to the castle, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione stayed behind to help Hagrid put the nifflers back in their boxes. Harry noticed Madame Maxime watching them out other carriage window. â€Å"What yeh done ter your hands, Hermione?† said Hagrid, looking concerned. Hermione told him about the hate mail she had received that morning, and the envelope full of bubotuber pus. â€Å"Aaah, don' worry,† said Hagrid gently, looking down at her. â€Å"I got some o' those letters an all, after Rita Skeeter wrote abou me mum. ‘Yeh're a monster an yeh should be put down.' ‘Yer mother killed innocent people an if you had any decency you d jump in a lake.'† â€Å"No!† said Hermione, looking shocked. â€Å"Yeah,† said Hagrid, heaving the niffler crates over by his cabin wall. â€Å"They're jus' nutters, Hermione. Don' open 'em if yeh get any more. Chuck 'em straigh' in the fire.† â€Å"You missed a really good lesson,† Harry told Hermione as they headed back toward the castle. â€Å"They're good, nifflers, aren't they, Ron?† Ron, however, was frowning at the chocolate Hagrid had given him. He looked thoroughly put out about something. â€Å"What's the matter?† said Harry. â€Å"Wrong flavor?† â€Å"No,† said Ron shortly. â€Å"Why didn't you tell me about the gold?† â€Å"What gold?† said Harry. â€Å"The gold I gave you at the Quidditch World Cup,† said Ron. â€Å"The leprechaun gold I gave you for my Omnioculars. In the Top Box. Why didn't you tell me it disappeared?† Harry had to think for a moment before he realized what Ron was talking about. â€Å"Oh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he said, the memory coming back to him at last. â€Å"I dunno†¦I never noticed it had gone. I was more worried about my wand, wasn't I?† They climbed the steps into the entrance hall and went into the Great Hall for lunch. â€Å"Must be nice,† Ron said abruptly, when they had sat down and started serving themselves roast beef and Yorkshire puddings. â€Å"To have so much money you don't notice if a pocketful of Galleons goes missing.† â€Å"Listen, I had other stuff on my mind that night!† said Harry impatiently. â€Å"We all did, remember?† â€Å"I didn't know leprechaun gold vanishes,† Ron muttered. â€Å"I thought I was paying you back. You shouldn't've given me that Chudley Cannon hat for Christmas.† â€Å"Forget it, all right?† said Harry. Ron speared a roast potato on the end of his fork, glaring at it. Then he said, â€Å"I hate being poor.† Harry and Hermione looked at each other. Neither of them really knew what to say. â€Å"It's rubbish,† said Ron, still glaring down at his potato. â€Å"I don't blame Fred and George for trying to make some extra money. Wish I could. Wish I had a niffler.† â€Å"Well, we know what to get you next Christmas,† said Hermione brightly. Then, when Ron continued to look gloomy, she said, â€Å"Come on, Ron, it could be worse. At least your fingers aren't full of pus.† Hermione was having a lot of difficulty managing her knife and fork, her fingers were so stiff and swollen. â€Å"I hate that Skeeter woman!† she burst out savagely. â€Å"I'll get her back for this if it's the last thing I do!† Hate mail continued to arrive for Hermione over the following week, and although she followed Hagrid's advice and stopped opening it, several of her ill-wishers sent Howlers, which exploded at the Gryffindor table and shrieked insults at her for the whole Hall to hear. Even those people who didn't read Witch Weekly knew all about the supposed Harry-Krum-Hermione triangle now. Harry was getting sick of telling people that Hermione wasn't his girlfriend. â€Å"It'll die down, though,† he told Hermione, â€Å"if we just ignore it†¦.People got bored with that stuff she wrote about me last time. â€Å"I want to know how she's listening into private conversations when she's supposed to be banned from the grounds!† said Hermione angrily. Hermione hung back in their next Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson to ask Professor Moody something. The rest of the class was very eager to leave; Moody had given them such a rigorous test of hex-deflection that many of them were nursing small injuries. Harry had such a bad case of Twitchy Ears, he had to hold his hands clamped over them as he walked away from the class. â€Å"Well, Rita's definitely not using an Invisibility Cloak!† Hermione panted five minutes later, catching up with Harry and Ron in the entrance hall and pulling Harry's hand away from one of his wiggling ears so that he could hear her. â€Å"Moody says he didn't see her anywhere near the judges' table at the second task, or anywhere near the lake!† â€Å"Hermione, is there any point in telling you to drop this?† said Ron. â€Å"No!† said Hermione stubbornly. â€Å"I want to know how she heard me talking to Viktor! And how she found out about Hagrid's mum!† â€Å"Maybe she had you bugged,† said Harry. â€Å"Bugged?† said Ron blankly. â€Å"What†¦put fleas on her or something?† Harry started explaining about hidden microphones and recording equipment. Ron was fascinated, but Hermione interrupted them. â€Å"Aren't you two ever going to read Hogwarts, A History† â€Å"What's the point?† said Ron. â€Å"You know it by heart, we can just ask you.† â€Å"All those substitutes for magic Muggles use – electricity, computers, and radar, and all those things – they all go haywire around Hogwarts, there's too much magic in the air. No, Rita's using magic to eavesdrop, she must be†¦.If I could just find out what it is†¦ooh, if it's illegal, I'll have her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Haven't we got enough to worry about?† Ron asked her. â€Å"Do we have to start a vendetta against Rita Skeeter as well?† â€Å"I'm not asking you to help!† Hermione snapped. â€Å"I'll do it on my own!† She marched back up the marble staircase without a backward glance. Harry was quite sure she was going to the library. â€Å"What's the betting she comes back with a box of / Hate Rita Skeeter badges?† said Ron. Hermione, however, did not ask Harry and Ron to help her pursue vengeance against Rita Skeeter, for which they were both grateful, because their workload was mounting ever higher in the days before the Easter holidays. Harry frankly marveled at the fact that Hermione could research magical methods of eavesdropping as well as everything else they had to do. He was working flat-out just to get through all their homework, though he made a point of sending regular food packages up to the cave in the mountain for Sirius; after last summer, Harry had not forgotten what it felt like to be continually hungry. He enclosed notes to Sirius, telling him that nothing out of the ordinary had happened, and that they were still waiting for an answer from Percy. Hedwig didn't return until the end of the Easter holidays. Percy's letter was enclosed in a package of Easter eggs that Mrs. Weasley had sent. Both Harry's and Ron's were the size of dragon eggs and full of homemade toffee. Hermione's, however, was smaller than a chicken egg. Her face fell when she saw it. â€Å"Your mum doesn't read Witch Weekly, by any chance, does she, Ron?† she asked quietly. â€Å"Yeah,† said Ron, whose mouth was full of toffee. â€Å"Gets it for the recipes.† Hermione looked sadly at her tiny egg. â€Å"Don't you want to see what Percy's written?† Harry asked her hastily. Percy's letter was short and irritated. As I am constantly telling the Daily Prophet, Mr. Crouch is taking a well-deserved break. He is sending in regular owls with instructions. No, I haven't actually seen him, but I think I can be trusted to know my own superior's handwriting. I have quite enough to do at the moment without trying to quash these ridiculous rumors. Please don't bother me again unless it's something important. Happy Easter. The start of the summer term would normally have meant that Harry was training hard for the last Quidditch match of the season. This year, however, it was the third and final task in the Triwizard Tournament for which he needed to prepare, but he still didn't know what he would have to do. Finally, in the last week of May, Professor McGonagall held him back in Transfiguration. â€Å"You are to go down to the Quidditch field tonight at nine o'clock. Potter,† she told him. â€Å"Mr. Bagman will be there to tell the champions about the third task.† So at half past eight that night. Harry left Ron and Hermione in Gryffindor Tower and went downstairs. As he crossed the entrance hall, Cedric came up from the Hufflepuff common room. â€Å"What d'you reckon it's going to be?† he asked Harry as they went together down the stone steps, out into the cloudy night. â€Å"Fleur keeps going on about underground tunnels; she reckons we've got to find treasure.† â€Å"That wouldn't be too bad,† said Harry, thinking that he would simply ask Hagrid for a niffler to do the job for him. They walked down the dark lawn to the Quidditch stadium, turned through a gap in the stands, and walked out onto the field. â€Å"What've they done to it?† Cedric said indignantly, stopping dead. The Quidditch field was no longer smooth and flat. It looked as though somebody had been building long, low walls all over it that twisted and crisscrossed in every direction. â€Å"They're hedges!† said Harry, bending to examine the nearest one. â€Å"Hello there!† called a cheery voice. Ludo Bagman was standing in the middle of the field with Krum and Fleur. Harry and Cedric made their way toward them, climbing over the hedges. Fleur beamed at Harry as he came nearer. Her attitude toward him had changed completely since he had saved her sister from the lake. â€Å"Well, what d'you think?† said Bagman happily as Harry and Cedric climbed over the last hedge. â€Å"Growing nicely, aren't they? Give them a month and Hagrid'll have them twenty feet high. Don't worry,† he added, grinning, spotting the less-than-happy expressions on Harry's and Cedric's faces, â€Å"you'll have your Quidditch field back to normal once the task is over! Now, I imagine you can guess what we're making here?† No one spoke for a moment. Then – â€Å"Maze,† grunted Krum. â€Å"That's right!† said Bagman. â€Å"A maze. The third task's really very straightforward. The Triwizard Cup will be placed in the center of the maze. The first champion to touch it will receive full marks.† â€Å"We seemply ‘ave to get through the maze?† said Fleur. â€Å"There will be obstacles,† said Bagman happily, bouncing on the balls of his feet. â€Å"Hagrid is providing a number of creatures†¦then there will be spells that must be broken†¦all that sort of thing, you know. Now, the champions who are leading on points will get a head start into the maze.† Bagman grinned at Harry and Cedric. â€Å"Then Mr. Krum will enter†¦then Miss Delacour. But you'll all be in with a fighting chance, depending how well you get past the obstacles. Should be fun, eh?† Harry, who knew only too well the kind of creatures that Hagrid was likely to provide for an event like this, thought it was unlikely to be any fun at all. However, he nodded politely like the other champions. â€Å"Very well†¦if you haven't got any questions, we'll go back up to the castle, shall we, it's a bit chilly†¦.† Bagman hurried alongside Harry as they began to wend their way out of the growing maze. Harry had the feeling that Bagman was going to start offering to help him again, but just then, Krum tapped Harry on the shoulder. â€Å"Could I haff a vord?† â€Å"Yeah, all right,† said Harry, slightly surprised. â€Å"Vill you valk vith me?† â€Å"Okay,† said Harry curiously. Bagman looked slightly perturbed. â€Å"I'll wait for you. Harry, shall I?† â€Å"No, it's okay, Mr. Bagman,† said Harry, suppressing a smile, â€Å"I think I can find the castle on my own, thanks.† Harry and Krum left the stadium together, but Krum did not set a course for the Durmstrang ship. Instead, he walked toward the forest. â€Å"What're we going this way for?† said Harry as they passed Hagrid's cabin and the illuminated Beauxbatons carriage. â€Å"Don't vont to be overheard,† said Krum shortly. When at last they had reached a quiet stretch of ground a short way from the Beauxbatons horses' paddock, Krum stopped in the shade of the trees and turned to face Harry. â€Å"I vant to know,† he said, glowering, â€Å"vot there is between you and Hermy-own-ninny.† Harry, who from Krum's secretive manner had expected something much more serious than this, stared up at Krum in amazement. â€Å"Nothing,† he said. But Krum glowered at him, and Harry, somehow struck anew by how tall Krum was, elaborated. â€Å"We're friends. She's not my girlfriend and she never has been. It's just that Skeeter woman making things up.† â€Å"Hermy-own-ninny talks about you very often,† said Krum, looking suspiciously at Harry. â€Å"Yeah,† said Harry, â€Å"because were friends.† He couldn't quite believe he was having this conversation with Viktor Krum, the famous International Quidditch player. It was as though the eighteen-year-old Krum thought he. Harry, was an equal – a real rival – â€Å"You haff never†¦you haff not†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No,† said Harry very firmly. Krum looked slightly happier. He stared at Harry for a few seconds, then said, â€Å"You fly very veil. I vos votching at the first task.† â€Å"Thanks,† said Harry, grinning broadly and suddenly feeling much taller himself. â€Å"I saw you at the Quidditch World Cup. The Wronski Feint, you really -â€Å" But something moved behind Krum in the trees, and Harry, who had some experience of the sort of thing that lurked in the forest, instinctively grabbed Krum's arm and pulled him around. â€Å"Vot is it?† Harry shook his head, staring at the place where he'd seen movement. He slipped his hand inside his robes, reaching for his wand. Suddenly a man staggered out from behind a tall oak. For a moment, Harry didn't recognize him†¦then he realized it was Mr. Crouch. He looked as though he had been traveling for days. The knees of his robes were ripped and bloody, his face scratched; he was unshaven and gray with exhaustion. His neat hair and mustache were both in need of a wash and a trim. His strange appearance, however, was nothing to the way he was behaving. Muttering and gesticulating, Mr. Crouch appeared to be talking to someone that he alone could see. He reminded Harry vividly of an old tramp he had seen once when out shopping with the Dursleys. That man too had been conversing wildly with thin air; Aunt Petunia had seized Dudley's hand and pulled him across the road to avoid him; Uncle Vernon had then treated the family to a long rant about what he would like to do with beggars and vagrants. â€Å"Vosn't he a judge?† said Krum, staring at Mr. Crouch. â€Å"Isn't he vith your Ministry?† Harry nodded, hesitated for a moment, then walked slowly toward Mr. Crouch, who did not look at him, but continued to talk to a nearby tree. â€Å"†¦and when you've done that, Weatherby, send an owl to Dumbledore confirming the number of Durmstrang students who will be attending the tournament, Karkaroff has just sent word there will be twelve†¦.† â€Å"Mr. Crouch?† said Harry cautiously. â€Å"†¦and then send another owl to Madame Maxime, because she might want to up the number of students she's bringing, now Karkaroff's made it a round dozen†¦do that, Weatherby, will you? Will you? Will†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mr. Crouch's eyes were bulging. He stood staring at the tree, muttering soundlessly at it. Then he staggered sideways and fell to his knees. â€Å"Mr. Crouch?† Harry said loudly. â€Å"Are you all right?† Crouch's eyes were rolling in his head. Harry looked around at Krum, who had followed him into the trees, and was looking down at Crouch in alarm. â€Å"Vot is wrong with him?† â€Å"No idea,† Harry muttered. â€Å"Listen, you'd better go and get someone -â€Å" â€Å"Dumbledore!† gasped Mr. Crouch. He reached out and seized a handful of Harry's robes, dragging him closer, though his eyes were staring over Harry's head. â€Å"I need†¦see†¦Dumbledore†¦.† â€Å"Okay,† said Harry, â€Å"if you get up, Mr. Crouch, we can go up to the-â€Å" â€Å"I've done†¦stupid†¦thing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mr. Crouch breathed. He looked utterly mad. His eyes were rolling and bulging, and a trickle of spittle was sliding down his chin. Every word he spoke seemed to cost him a terrible effort. â€Å"Must†¦tell†¦Dumbledore†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Get up, Mr. Crouch,† said Harry loudly and clearly. â€Å"Get up, I'll take you to Dumbledore!† Mr., Crouch's eyes rolled forward onto Harry. â€Å"Who†¦you?† he whispered. â€Å"I'm a student at the school,† said Harry, looking around at Krum for some help, but Krum was hanging back, looking extremely nervous. â€Å"You're not†¦his?† whispered Crouch, his mouth sagging. â€Å"No,† said Harry, without the faintest idea what Crouch was talking about. â€Å"Dumbledore's?† â€Å"That's right,† said Harry. Crouch was pulling him closer; Harry tried to loosen Crouch's grip on his robes, but it was too powerful. â€Å"Warn†¦Dumbledore†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I'll get Dumbledore if you let go of me,† said Harry. â€Å"Just let go, Mr. Crouch, and I'll get him†¦.† â€Å"Thank you, Weatherby, and when you have done that, I would like a cup of tea. My wife and son will be arriving shortly, we are attending a concert tonight with Mr. and Mrs. Fudge.† Crouch was now talking fluently to a tree again, and seemed completely unaware that Harry was there, which surprised Harry so much he didn't notice that Crouch had released him. â€Å"Yes, my son has recently gained twelve O.W.L.s, most satisfactory, yes, thank you, yes, very proud indeed. Now, if you could bring me that memo from the Andorran Minister of Magic, I think I will have time to draft a response†¦.† â€Å"You stay here with him!† Harry said to Krum. â€Å"I'll get Dumbledore, I'll be quicker, I know where his office is -â€Å" â€Å"He is mad,† said Krum doubtfully, staring down at Crouch, who was still gabbling to the tree, apparently convinced it was Percy. â€Å"Just stay with him,† said Harry, starting to get up, but his movement seemed to trigger another abrupt change in Mr. Crouch, who seized him hard around the knees and pulled Harry back to the ground. â€Å"Don't†¦leave†¦me!† he whispered, his eyes bulging again. â€Å"I†¦escaped†¦must warn†¦must tell†¦see Dumbledore†¦my fault†¦all my fault†¦Bertha†¦dead†¦all my fault†¦my son†¦my fault†¦tell Dumbledore †¦Harry Potter†¦the Dark Lord†¦stronger†¦Harry Potter†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I'll get Dumbledore if you let me go, Mr. Crouch!† said Harry. He looked furiously around at Krum. â€Å"Help me, will you?† Looking extremely apprehensive, Krum moved forward and squatted down next to Mr. Crouch. â€Å"Just keep him here,† said Harry, pulling himself free of Mr. Crouch. â€Å"I'll be back with Dumbledore.† â€Å"Hurry, von't you?† Krum called after him as Harry sprinted away from the forest and up through the dark grounds. They were deserted; Bagman, Cedric, and Fleur had disappeared. Harry tore up the stone steps, through the oak front doors, and off up the marble staircase, toward the second floor. Five minutes later he was hurtling toward a stone gargoyle standing halfway along an empty corridor. â€Å"Sher – sherbet lemon!† he panted at it. This was the password to the hidden staircase to Dumbledore's office – or at least, it had been two years ago. The password had evidently changed, however, for the stone gargoyle did not spring to life and jump aside, but stood frozen, glaring at Harry malevolently. â€Å"Move!† Harry shouted at it. â€Å"C'mon!† But nothing at Hogwarts had ever moved just because he shouted at it; he knew it was no good. He looked up and down the dark corridor. Perhaps Dumbledore was in the staffroom? He started running as fast as he could toward the staircase – â€Å"POTTER!† Harry skidded to a halt and looked around. Snape had just emerged from the hidden staircase behind the stone gargoyle. The wall was sliding shut behind him even as he beckoned Harry back toward him. â€Å"What are you doing here, Potter?† â€Å"I need to see Professor Dumbledore!† said Harry, running back up the corridor and skidding to a standstill in front of Snape instead. â€Å"It's Mr. Crouch†¦he's just turned up†¦he's in the forest†¦he's asking -â€Å" â€Å"What is this rubbish?† said Snape, his black eyes glittering. â€Å"What are you talking about?† â€Å"Mr. Crouch!† Harry shouted. â€Å"From the Ministry! He's ill or something – he's in the forest, he wants to see Dumbledore! Just give me the password up to -â€Å" â€Å"The headmaster is busy. Potter,† said Snape, his thin mouth curling into an unpleasant smile. â€Å"I've got to tell Dumbledore!† Harry yelled. â€Å"Didn't you hear me. Potter?† Harry could tell Snape was thoroughly enjoying himself, denying Harry the thing he wanted when he was so panicky. â€Å"Look,† said Harry angrily, â€Å"Crouch isn't right – he's – he's out of his mind – he says he wants to warn -â€Å" The stone wall behind Snape slid open. Dumbledore was standing there, wearing long green robes and a mildly curious expression. â€Å"Is there a problem?† he said, looking between Harry and Snape. â€Å"Professor!† Harry said, sidestepping Snape before Snape could speak, â€Å"Mr. Crouch is here – he's down in the forest, he wants to speak to you!† Harry expected Dumbledore to ask questions, but to his relief, Dumbledore did nothing of the sort. â€Å"Lead the way,† he said promptly, and he swept off along the corridor behind Harry, leaving Snape standing next to the gargoyle and looking twice as ugly. â€Å"What did Mr. Crouch say. Harry?† said Dumbledore as they walked swiftly down the marble staircase. â€Å"Said he wants to warn you†¦said he's done something terrible†¦he mentioned his son†¦and Bertha Jorkins†¦and – and Voldemort†¦something about Voldemort getting stronger†¦.† â€Å"Indeed,† said Dumbledore, and he quickened his pace as they hurried out into the pitch-darkness. â€Å"He's not acting normally,† Harry said, hurrying along beside Dumbledore. â€Å"He doesn't seem to know where he is. He keeps talking like he thinks Percy Weasley's there, and then he changes, and says he needs to see you†¦.I left him with Viktor Krum.† â€Å"You did?† said Dumbledore sharply, and he began to take longer strides still, so that Harry was running to keep up. â€Å"Do you know if anybody else saw Mr. Crouch?† â€Å"No,† said Harry. â€Å"Krum and I were talking, Mr. Bagman had just finished telling us about the third task, we stayed behind, and then we saw Mr. Crouch coming out of the forest -â€Å" â€Å"Where are they?† said Dumbledore as the Beauxbatons carriage emerged from the darkness. â€Å"Over here,† said Harry, moving in front of Dumbledore, leading the way through the trees. He couldn't hear Crouch's voice anymore, but he knew where he was going; it hadn't been much past the Beauxbatons carriage†¦somewhere around here†¦. â€Å"Viktor?† Harry shouted. No one answered. â€Å"They were here,† Harry said to Dumbledore. â€Å"They were definitely somewhere around here†¦.† â€Å"Lumos,† Dumbledore said, lighting his wand and holding it up. Its narrow beam traveled from black trunk to black trunk, illuminating the ground. And then it fell upon a pair of feet. Harry and Dumbledore hurried forward. Krum was sprawled on the forest floor. He seemed to be unconscious. There was no sign at all of Mr. Crouch. Dumbledore bent over Krum and gently lifted one of his eyelids. â€Å"Stunned,† he said softly. His half-moon glasses glittered in the wandlight as he peered around at the surrounding trees. â€Å"Should I go and get someone?† said Harry. â€Å"Madam Pomfrey?† â€Å"No,† said Dumbledore swiftly. â€Å"Stay here.† He raised his wand into the air and pointed it in the direction of Hagrid's cabin. Harry saw something silvery dart out of it and streak away through the trees like a ghostly bird. Then Dumbledore bent over Krum again, pointed his wand at him, and muttered, â€Å"Ennervate.† Krum opened his eyes. He looked dazed. When he saw Dumbledore, he tried to sit up, but Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder and made him lie still. â€Å"He attacked me!† Krum muttered, putting a hand up to his head. â€Å"The old madman attacked me! I vos looking around to see vare Potter had gone and he attacked from behind!† â€Å"Lie still for a moment,† Dumbledore said. The sound of thunderous footfalls reached them, and Hagrid came panting into sight with Fang at his heels. He was carrying his crossbow. â€Å"Professor Dumbledore!† he said, his eyes widening. â€Å"Harry – what the -?† â€Å"Hagrid, I need you to fetch Professor Karkaroff,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"His student has been attacked. When you've done that, kindly alert Professor Moody -â€Å" â€Å"No need, Dumbledore,† said a wheezy growl. â€Å"I'm here.† Moody was limping toward them, leaning on his staff, his wand lit. â€Å"Damn leg,† he said furiously. â€Å"Would've been here quicker†¦what's happened? Snape said something about Crouch -â€Å" â€Å"Crouch?† said Hagrid blankly. â€Å"Karkaroff, please, Hagrid!† said Dumbledore sharply. â€Å"Oh yeah†¦right y'are, Professor†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Hagrid, and he turned and disappeared into the dark trees, Fang trotting after him. â€Å"I don't know where Barty Crouch is,† Dumbledore told Moody, â€Å"but it is essential that we find him.† â€Å"I'm onto it,† growled Moody, and he pulled out his wand and limped off into the forest. Neither Dumbledore nor Harry spoke again until they heard the unmistakable sounds of Hagrid and Fang returning. Karkaroff was hurrying along behind them. He was wearing his sleek silver furs, and he looked pale and agitated. â€Å"What is this?† he cried when he saw Krum on the ground and Dumbledore and Harry beside him. â€Å"What's going on?† â€Å"I vos attacked!† said Krum, sitting up now and rubbing his head. â€Å"Mr. Crouch or votever his name -â€Å" â€Å"Crouch attacked you? Crouch attacked you? The Triwizard judge?† â€Å"Igor,† Dumbledore began, but Karkaroff had drawn himself up, clutching his furs around him, looking livid. â€Å"Treachery!† he bellowed, pointing at Dumbledore. â€Å"It is a plot! You and your Ministry of Magic have lured me here under false pretenses, Dumbledore! This is not an equal competition! First you sneak Potter into the tournament, though he is underage! Now one of your Ministry friends attempts to put my champion out of action! I smell double-dealing and corruption in this whole affair, and you, Dumbledore, you, with your talk of closer international wizarding links, of rebuilding old ties, of forgetting old differences – here's what I think of you!† Karkaroff spat onto the ground at Dumbledore's feet. In one swift movement, Hagrid seized the front of Karkaroff's furs, lifted him into the air, and slammed him against a nearby tree. â€Å"Apologize!† Hagrid snarled as Karkaroff gasped for breath, Hagrid's massive fist at his throat, his feet dangling in midair. â€Å"Hagrid, no!† Dumbledore shouted, his eyes flashing. Hagrid removed the hand pinning Karkaroff to the tree, and Karkaroff slid all the way down the trunk and slumped in a huddle at its roots; a few twigs and leaves showered down upon his head. â€Å"Kindly escort Harry back up to the castle, Hagrid,† said Dumbledore sharply. Breathing heavily, Hagrid gave Karkaroff a glowering look. â€Å"Maybe I'd better stay here. Headmaster†¦.† â€Å"You will take Harry back to school, Hagrid,† Dumbledore repeated firmly. â€Å"Take him right up to Gryffindor Tower. And Harry – I want you to stay there. Anything you might want to do – any owls you might want to send – they can wait until morning, do you understand me?† â€Å"Er – yes,† said Harry, staring at him. How had Dumbledore known that, at that very moment, he had been thinking about sending Pigwidgeon straight to Sirius, to tell him what had happened? â€Å"I'll leave Fang with yeh. Headmaster,† Hagrid said, staring menacingly at Karkaroff, who was still sprawled at the foot of the tree, tangled in furs and tree roots. â€Å"Stay, Fang. C'mon, Harry.† They marched in silence past the Beauxbatons carriage and up toward the castle. â€Å"How dare he,† Hagrid growled as they strode past the lake. â€Å"How dare he accuse Dumbledore. Like Dumbledore'd do anythin' like that. Like Dumbledore wanted you in the tournament in the firs' place. Worried! I dunno when I seen Dumbledore more worried than he's bin lately. An' you!† Hagrid suddenly said angrily to Harry, who looked up at him, taken aback. â€Å"What were yeh doin', wanderin' off with ruddy Krum? He's from Durmstrang, Harry! Coulda jinxed yeh right there, couldn he? Hasn' Moody taught yeh nothin'? ‘Magine lettin him lure yeh off on yer own -â€Å" â€Å"Krum's all right!† said Harry as they climbed the steps into the entrance hall. â€Å"He wasn't trying to jinx me, he just wanted to talk about Hermione -â€Å" â€Å"I'll be havin' a few words with her, an' all,† said Hagrid grimly, stomping up the stairs. â€Å"The less you lot ‘ave ter do with these foreigners, the happier yeh'll be. Yeh can trust any of 'em.† â€Å"You were getting on all right with Madame Maxime,† Harry said, annoyed. â€Å"Don' you talk ter me abou' her!† said Hagrid, and he looked quite frightening for a moment. â€Å"I've got her number now! Tryin' ter get back in me good books, tryin' ter get me ter tell her what's comin in the third task. Ha! You can' trust any of'em!† Hagrid was in such a bad mood, Harry was quite glad to say good-bye to him in front of the Fat Lady. He clambered through the portrait hole into the common room and hurried straight for the corner where Ron and Hermione were sitting, to tell them what had happened.