When a Man Loves a Woman

Name: Date: August 1, 2006 Course/Level/Section: BSN IV- H1Adviser: Mrs. Theorose Bustillo Reaction Paper â€Å"The Notebook† At first, when the movie showed the past details of the characters, it was boring. You cannot appreciate the movie if you don’t reach the end part. It portrayed an old man whose love to her wife is measured till eternity. Love was a never ending journey. Loving her wife is part of his life. As long as his heart is still beating, love still survives. To his last breath, he still shared his love to her wife. The setting of the film was also an old and classical feature. It showed a typical place of people wearing dress and cars whose designs are present in our museums. The wife at that time was a student nurse and the husband was a soldier. Their love was destined to be apart from each other to have a wise decision at the future. Their relationship was separated due to the will of the girl’s parents. The reason of her parents was due to the financial status of the guy that has not reached to their standards. The girl belonged to a wealthy family, while the guy is form a simple life. They both decided to part ways with each other having an agreement that they still communicate with each other through letters. The guy joined the army while the girl continued her studies in nursing. Both of them hold on to their agreement. Unknowingly, the parents of the girl kept the letter of the guy leading to doubt and misconception of the girl that the guy probably found another one. So, the girl met someone who she fells in loved with. They were both engaged. They guy still have faith that their love is still alive. He still continued to fulfil the dreams that they both promised with the girl. He went home and constructed their dream house. When he first arrived at his home place, he looked for the girl. Unluckily, he found the girl kissing with another guy. Depressed as he looked and feel; he still managed to finish renovating their dream house. On the marriage day of the girl, she had a glimpsed of the news paper. She then saw a picture of a house for sale with the guy selling it. He felt shocked and collapsed after she saw the picture. Because of that incident, the wedding was postponed. She then asked for time and space to his future husband for settling things first. She went back to the guy that she first fell in love with. They met with each other. They have their first impressions. These impressions involved love and faith that it can still work put. Then came the dilemma. The girl was confused on who to choose. The guy whom she first shared her love that only her parents are the reason why they separated or the guy who helped her coped from her emotional problem then later developed loved. He picked the first guy. And at the end, she never had regrets. When they aged with their lives, the wife suffered from a chronic mental disorder whose clinical description is Alzheimer’s disease. This disease is characterize by a continuous loss of memory both the short and the long term memory. It progresses until the person dies. Good for the wife because she wrote her memories with his husband on a diary. The diary where composed of past moments that they have shared with each other when they where still young. With this diary, the husband continues to read it, hoping that he can help cure her wife from the disease. She reads the diary day by day having the same content. Sad to say, there is no treatment to this kind of disease. The wife cannot recognize that the person telling her the story was his husband. The wife also cannot recognize her children and grandchildren. There are some instances that the wife can recall the story being told by the old person which is his husband. She has flash-backs in her mind that the story being told was her story. The place where they stayed was their past house that was developed into an institution for old people or other wise known as home for the aged. Their where doctors, nurses and personnel who where in charged in taking care of the aged people. Both the husband and wife who owned the place are patients of the institution. The husband was not that defective that he should stay in the institution. But because of her love to her wife, she joined with her and involved himself with the therapy to her wife. – E N D –

Critically Assess Marx’s Theory of Class and Stratification

Marx class theory derived from his belief that class divisions are not found in all forms of society; classes are a creation of history. For Marx, classes are defined and structured by firstly, who owns or has property and means of production and who does the work in the production process, secondly the social relationships included in work and labour, and thirdly who produces and who rules the surplus human social labour can produce. All of these aspects of Marx class theory will be further explored in this essay. Marx believed that class divisions are not found in all societies, classes are a creation of history. The earliest and smallest societies (tribal and primitive) were classless. It is universally true that all human beings depend on the quest of meeting their basic needs – food, water, shelter and clothing. In these primitive societies, the working day was taken up with required labour in order to meet society’s basic needs and forces of production were distributed equally amongst the community. But when basic needs are met, this leads to man’s creation of new needs, as humans are forever dissatisfied animals. Marx defines human beings as producers (Callinicos, A, p. 98, 1996). Humans seek to transform nature to enable them to meet their needs and do this through two different mode of production. The first ‘forces of production’ which depends on what Marx calls the ‘labour process’. ‘‘Labour is first of all a process between man and nature, a process by which man, though his own actions, mediates, regulates and controls the metabolism between himself and nature’’ (C I 283). The relations of production is the social aspect, which involves the property rights of the productive forces, it is what distinguishes the modes of production for one another. Improvements in the labour force are determined by if man is able to produce the same amount of things but with less human labour. By been able to produce more effectively, therefore meant man gains more control over nature. Thus the developments of the labour process are a reflection of human technology (Callinicos, A, p. 8, 1996) and Marx believed that the developments of science and technology in society provide a basis on which future societies can build upon. Although Marx never said in so many words what he meant by class, his theory lies on the statement that â€Å"the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. ’’ That once beyond primitive socities no labour can exist without means of production, which is who controls the direct producers. The central classes in capitalism are the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Class divisions arise in society when the direct producers are separated from the means of production. The means of production, the bourgeoisie, become the monopoly of a minority and use exploitation and domination in relation to the producers, the proletariat. Marx looks at the working day in a class society and identies how capital exploits labour wage. During the first half of the day the worker produces goods in which he is paid to but during the second part of the day the worker performs surplus labour. Surplus labour is generated by how much labour time is left over after the employer has made back the equivalent of the cost of the wages of the labourer. The profit of this surplus labour is too small though to improve everyone’s standard of living, so it is taken by the minority who control the means of production. Marx decscribes four main types of class societies: Asiatic, ancient, feudal, and modern bourgeois, ‘‘the distinction between for example a society based on slave labour and a society based on wage labour – is the form in which this surplus labour is in each case exploited from the immediate producer, the worker’’ (C I 325). The practice of exploitation depends on the distribution of the means of production. In the case of slavery , it seems all the slaves labour is surplus labour , he is not permitted to any of his product. But the slave has to be kept alive in order to gain surplus power, therefore a proportion of the slaves wages is set aside to provide him his basic needs. In feudalism society, the peasant may have owned his animals and tools, but did not own the land he works on, therefore must divide his labour time between the work that needed to be done in order to provide for himself and his family and surplus labour for his lord. In both these mode of production, slavery and feudalism, exploitation is clearly visible and physical consequences are evident without question. However in capitalism exploitation is concealed. The worker is legally free, as he has volunteered to partake in the labour process. Marx wrote that workers are ‘‘ free in a double sense , free from the old relations of clientship, bondage and servitude, and secondly free of all belongings and possessions, and of every objective, material form of being, free of all property’’ (G 507). By not selling his labour power to the capitalist, the workers only other option is starvation. The means of production use economic pressures as a means of control over workers, not physical actions. Thus once the employer has employed the workers, he makes them work longer hours than necessary, creating surplus labour. In the case of feudalism, after centuries new methods of producing began to develop. But releasing these new methods worked against the ruling class–in the framework of the prior form of exploitation and the â€Å"legal and political superstructure† that had arisen out of it. This clash between the new opportunities and the structure of the previous order, was in severe crisis. Without new developments, the existing means of producing was not able to sustain any more development in the population, the Black Death followed, causing horrific events such as famines and disease and violence. The previous ways of shaping society and furthering the mode of production were brought to a halt. Marx foresaw that there could be revolution in society abolishing classes altogether. Then begins an epoch of social revolution,† , Marx wrote. Yet the ruling class were still dominating the workers, even though the mode of production had self-destructed. The ruling class dominates not only the way production is carried on, but all the other organizations and relations in society, whose structure aids the exploiters, control their power. As Marx explained, all class societies create a legal, political and ideological â€Å"superstructure† which functions to control the existing relations of production and guard the rulers from the ruled. But an important tool for the ruling class to persuade the working class is ideology– schemes of ideas that depict the recognized order as natural and positive to everyone, whatever its undeniable faults. Marx believed that the workers did not realise they were been exploited, had a false consciousness, mistaken sense that they could count on their employer. He believed that ideologies help sustain the ruling class, by giving misleading views to people about the world in order to exploit others about their position in society. It caused people to form mistaken views about the nature of society in order to keep the existing mode of production in action. Because the dominant or ruling class rules the social relations of production, the central ideology in capitalist society is that of the ruling class. Marx theory of class consciousness was an idea how to make members of a class aware that they have a common situation and interests and, moreover, are able to organize a collective defence of those interests (Elster, J, p128, Intro to Karl Marx). Marx saw that there were many logics why the proletariat would develop into a class that is conscious of its own status, power, obligations, and prospects. The objective condition of a class subsists because of its position in the productive process. Possession or non-possession of the means of production, place in the labour process, and the control over surplus regulate this. However a class such as the bourgeoisie or proletariat, may be unaware of this position, or in any case the effects of this position. Marx believed there would be a revolution, the workers would come together and rise up and fight to abolish the class system. Once everything had calmed down after the revolution, the proletariat would then own the means of production. He believed that no dominating class would exist and everything would be owned equally amongst society. He thought that if the working class were to take control of the means of production, they would inspire social relations that would help everyone proportionately, and an organization of production less at risk to repeated crises. Overall, Marx believed that nonviolent compromise of this issue was unrealistic, and prearranged and violent revolution would be necessary, because the dominating class would not surrender control without a fight. He speculated that in order to secure the socialist system, a dictatorship of the proletariat must be generated on a provisional foundation. Marx’s forethought of a revolution did not come true. As societies developed and expanded, the working classes grew to be more educated, obtaining detailed job skills and accomplishing the type of financial welfare that Marx never thought achievable.

Pakistan’s Banking Sector Current Situation And Critical Issues

Pakistan’s banking sector reforms which were initiated in the early 1990s have transformed the sector into an efficient, sound and strong banking system. The most recent comprehensive assessment carried out jointly by the World Bank and the IMF in 2004 came to the following conclusion: â€Å" for reaching reforms have resulted in a more efficient and competitive financial system In particular, the predominantly state-owned banking system has been transformed into one that is predominantly under the control of the private sector. The legislative framework and the State Bank of Pakistan’s supervisory capacity have been improved substantially. As a result, the financial sector is sounder and exhibits an increased resilience to shocks. † The major changes that have occurred in the banking sector during the last decade or so can be summarized as follows: a) 80 percent of the banking assets are held by the private sector banks and the privatization of nationalized commercial banks has brought about a culture of professionalism and service orientation in place of bureaucracy and apathy. ) The banks that were losing money due to inefficiencies, waste and limited product range have become highly profitable business. These profits are, however, being used to strengthen the capital base of the banks rather than paying out to the shareholders. The minimum capital requirements have been raised from Rs. 500 million to Rs. 6 billion over an extended period in a phased manner. The consolidation of the banking sector into fewer but stronger banks will lead to better management of risk. c) The banks that were burdened with the non-performing and defaulted loans have cleared up their balance sheets in an open transparent, cross-the-board manner. Contrary to the popular myth the main beneficiaries of the wirite-offs of the old outstanding and unrecoverable loans have been from almost 25 percent to 6. 7 percent by Dec. 2005. Small individual borrowers the ratio of non-performing loans of the Commercial Banks to total advances has declined. d) The quality of new assets has improved as stringent measures are taken to appraise new loans, and assure the underlying securities. Online Credit Information Bureau reports provide updated information to the banks about the credit history and track record of the borrowers. Loan approvals on political considerations have become passe. Non-performing loans account for less than 3 percent of all new loans disbursed since 1997. e) The human resources base of the banks has been substantially upgraded by the adoption of the principles of merit and performance throughout the industry. Recruitment is done through a highly competitive process and promotions and compensation are linked to training, skills and high performance. The banks now routinely employ MBAs, M. Coms, Chartered Accountants, IT graduates, economists and other highly educated persons rather than Clerical and Non Clerical Workers. The banking industry has become the preferred choice of profession among the young graduates. f) Banking Technology that was almost non-existent in Pakistan until a few years ago is revolutionizing the customer services and access on-line banking, Internet banking, ATMs, mobile phone banking and other modes of delivery have made it possible to provide convenience to the customers while reducing the transaction costs to the banks. Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Smart Cards etc. are a thriving and expanding business in Pakistan. Once the RTGS is put in place the payment system in Pakistan. Would enter a new phase of modernization. ) Competition among the banks has forced them to move away from the traditional limited product range of credit to the government and the public sector enterprises, trade financing, big name corporate loans, and credit to multinationals to an ever-expanding menu of products and services. The borrower base of the banks has expanded four fold in the last six years as the banks have diversified into agriculture, SMEs, Consumers financing, mortgages, etc. The middle class that could not afford to buy cars or apartments as they did not have the financial strength for cash purchases are the biggest beneficiaries of these new products and services. ) Along with strong regulation, supervision and enforcement capacity of the State Bank of Pakistan a number of measures have been taken to put best corporate governance practices in the banking system. ‘Fit and proper’ criteria have been prescribed for the Chief Executives, members of the Boards of Directors, and top management positions. Accounting and audit standards have been brought to the International Accounting Standards (IAS) and the International Audit Codes. External audit firms are rated according to their performance and track record and those falling short of the acceptable standards are debarred from auditing the banks. These practices were put in place in Pakistan long before the scandals of Enercon, World Call and Pramalat had shaken the corporate world. i) The foreign exchange market that was highly regulated through a system of direct exchange controls over suppliers and users of foreign exchange has been liberalized and all purchases and sales take place through an active and vibrant inter-bank exchange market. All restrictions have been removed with full current account convertibility and partial capital account convertibility. Foreign investors can now bring in and take back their capital, remit profits, dividends and fees without any prior removal and directly through their banks. Similarly, foreign portfolio investors can also enter and exit the market at their own discretion. The main lesson learnt from the last decade suggest that financial sector functions effectively and efficiently only if the macroeconomics situation is favorable and stable. The need to maintain macroeconomic stability will thus remain paramount in the years to come. The agenda for further reforms in the financial sector is still quite formidable and the challenges to spread the benefits of financial liberalization among the middle and low income households and small and medium farms and enterprises are still enormous. There are several areas of dissatisfaction with the banking sector that need to be addressed. The most serious complaint against the banking system in Pakistan today is that the depositors are not getting adequate return on their bank deposits. The difference between the monthly weighted average rates of lending and deposits is taken as an indicator of the spreads earned by the banks. It is true that these spreads have widened in the recent months land this phenomenon has caused resentment among those whose only source of income is their returns from bank deposits. But it is important to examine the facts and their form judgments The monthly comparisons are meaningless because PLS deposit rates are changed every six months, while the lending rates are continuously adjusting because they are automatically linked to T-bills or KIBOR rates. During the last eight months the weighted average deposit rate has risen from 1. 6 percent in July – Feb, 2005 to 3. 9 percent in July – Feb, 2006. This trend reflects that the return on the new deposits mobilized is much higher than what the average rate indicates. The old deposits are earning much lower rate because they were lodged at the time when the overall structure of interest rates had come down significantly. This lag is adjustment between the deposit and lending rates is due to the costs incurred by the depositor in shifting deposits from one bank to the other. The additional deposits mobilized in the last twelve months amounted to Rs. 382 billion i. e. a growth rate of 16. 8 percent. This growth rate took place despite deceleration in the volume of Resident Foreign deposit accounts. So if the deposit rates were unattractive then this high growth rate in deposits mobilized by the banks appears to be puzzling. The reason for this high growth is that the fresh deposits were fetching an average return of 6. 2 percent in March, 2006 compared to 3. 5 percent in July, 2005 – rise of 270 basis points in nine months. In the coming months the average rate is likely to move further upwards bringing them to positive real interest rates. Why have the profits of the banks risen so sharply in the last few years? There are several reasons that need to be understood: First, the drag of non-performing loans has been eased considerably reducing the need for setting aside the provisions for loan losses. As these provisions were made at the expense of the profits the banks are now reaping the benefits of building up substantial provisions and taking the hit on their profits in the past. Second, the corporate income tax rate on banks’ profits has gradually come down from 58 percent to 38 percent saving on their tax deductions. These savings not only get translated in to higher profits but also act as incentives for better performance because the tax rate no longer acts as a penalty. Third, the diversification of the banks assets into new and so far underserved segments such as agriculture, mortgage, auto, SMEs, Consumer and Credit Cards have raised their net interest margins. As competition has become quite tough in the corporate segment the margins on corporate loans have been squeezed considerably. But the spreads earned in these new segments are quite attractive. Thus a large part of the profits originate from lending to these underserved segments of the population. This is a Win- Win situation as small farmers, small businesses and middle class consumers, who had so far been denied access to bank credit, are able to get financing the banks are able to earn higher spreads. Fourth, there has been a shift in the maturing profile of both the banks’ deposits and banks’ loans. Half of the total deposits are now placed for short term duration earning negligible rates of return compared to the past where the distribution of deposits were concentrated in medium to long duration earning much higher returns. On the assets side, more of the bank loans are being disbursed for fixed investment purposes. These have long maturity structure and pay higher interest rates in double digits. This shift in the composition of deposits and advances has helped earn the banks a higher spread boosting their profitability. As the majority of the banks are operating in the private sector they will remain guided by the bottom line considerations i. e. the profits. Consolidation and market competition will act as a deterrent on abnormal profits but it is the responsibility of the regulator to ensure that these profits are not made by taking excessive risk with the depositors’ money or by banks indulging in collusive practices. The regulator has to ensure that the access to credit is further broadened and small farming households, small and medium businesses and middle classes are able to meet their legitimate credit needs. At the same time the regulator has to take stringent action against those banks found guilty of anti-competitive or collusive practices. Another popular indictment against the banking sector is that they are financing speculative activities such as stock market trading, real estate, commodities, auto etc. The facts do not support this indictment. Direct and indirect exposure by banks in stock market equities has been limited to 20 percent of their capital i. e. the maximum amount all the banks can collectively provide for this activity is only 40 billion. The outstanding stock of bank advances in March, 2006 stood at Rs. 2063 billion. Thus the bank credit allocated for stock market equity trading is less than 2 percent of the total advances of the banking system. If we further assume that some amounts are diverted from consumer loans or corporate loans also the exposure of the banks may double to as much as 4 percent but the securities and collaterals against the diverted loans may not necessarily be the scrips themselves. Real estate financing by banks is restricted to mortgage loans only and the purchase of plots cannot be financed by the banks. Mortgage loans can be disbursed in installments after physical verification of the various phases of construction. The total disbursements of loans for mortgage amounted to Rs. 11. 4 billion in FY 05. Commodity financing and its prevailing rates are not attractive for the borrowers as there has been net retirement of commodity loans in the first nine months of the current fiscal year. The regulatory environment for the banks to indulge in lending for speculative purposes is not very propitious. The State Bank of Pakistan supervisors are not only vigilant in their on-site inspection but they monitor the banks on a continuous basis and can detect irregularities and violations fairly quickly. The more deterrent effect of strong oversight by the supervisors is enough to discourage such activities. The penalties imposed by the supervisors on recalcitrant banks are quite severe.

Transportation Security Administration Research Paper

Transportation Security Administration - Research Paper Example The agency’s duties and responsibilities have necessitated the need to bring together various employees prior to the specific activity integral to all the activities that the agency undertakes. These are: Transportation Security Officers and Inspectors, National Explosives Detection Canine teams, Federal Air Marshals and VIPR teams (Balog, 2007). Airport inspector turnover is a persistent problem that the TSA has had to deal with. Year in year out, inspector turnover has affected performance and discharge of security measures in many airports of the US. There has been an observed persistent pattern of screeners’ turnover, resulting in delayed screening procedures in many US airports. This problem alongside that of selecting and training TSA inspectors can be addressed from the point of view of a criminal justice administrator. In addressing this issue in this perspective, TSA airport inspector turnover can be reduced in a number of ways, among them: Tracing the root cau se of the problem Managing the turnover experienced in the TSA is a positive move by the management in the recent past. However, in addressing this problem, it is fundamental to trace the path from which this problem emerged. The system outlays a clear form of activity coordination between and among all the departments under the TSA. Inspector turnover is not just an issue that emerged out of the blues. The activities, duty and responsibility discharge by these inspectors must have been challenged at some point, resulting in this problem. It is ascertained that the TSA inspector turnover is the highest compared to other security agencies in the US (Steve, 2010). Once the root cause of the problem has been identified, then other prospects in regard to reducing this turnover can be pursued. Policy formulation and implementation Employment and work policies that are currently in place have not fully met employee welfare. This is evidenced by the consistent efforts to improve salaries a nd work duties of TSA employees, especially the inspectors (Welch, 2010). The turnover has been accelerated by lack of employee-work functionality and operation management systems. These systems should be designed and put in place to oversee employer-employee conduct in the line of duty and responsibility. Putting these systems in place would ensure that instead of inspector turnover being persistent; the arising issues that result in the turnover are addressed, thus reducing turnover numbers through the set system. Policies that are tailored towards aiding this process should be well formulated and implemented for the benefit of all stakeholders in the public transport sector, TSA included. Monitoring of the TSA’s office Many TSA inspectors have termed the TSA office as ineffective and inefficient. They claim that at various instances the office fails to give proper information about specific duties and responsibilities of the inspectors. Once hired, the inspectors have foun d the terms, requirements, duties and responsibilities to not meet their expectations. As a result, many inspectors have quit their jobs. On the same note, terms of employment are not clear, making some employees to go long as part-timers before they are permanently employed. Even on part-time employment basis, shifts of work keep varying, making these part-timers fixed to this job with no opportunity to do

Refute Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Refute - Essay Example Even with the possibilities of encouraging the American citizens to take the lowly esteemed jobs, currently under the hands of the claimed illegal immigrants, by raising the minimum wage, legal Americans who are less endowed with skills will lose their jobs. Similarly, the author’s campaign for rising of minimum wages, to encourage the legal citizens of America to assume the job places they have shunned cannot be founded on facts, because there could be other reasons why Americans develop negative attitudes towards the said jobs. Moreover, putting minimum wage in place can decrease the productivity of American industries, and the competing foreign industries would have a better hand in the market, which will detriment the economy. At the same time, some small industries that may not be able to accommodate the set minimum wage would close down. By increasing the minimum wage, and not putting measures against the illegal immigration, can lead to advantaging the already settled immigrant by enhancing their pay. The illegal immigration is thus better dealt with by employing other avenues than raising the minimum wage. The building of walls as recommended by the president can reduce the illegal, immigrations as per se, by approaching the problem from its basis. Building walls does not have to imply to what the authors have made it (Dukaki & Mitchel, 2006). A better dimension of its application can be obtained objectively instead of disqualifying the whole package of the idea based on some unfounded hypothesis. After all, strictness is what the issue of illegal immigrations calls for. Finally, viewing the issue of illegal immigrations in the perspectives of wages alone can lose the meaning of the whole

Initiating Change in the Manufacturing and Distribution Division of Case Study

Initiating Change in the Manufacturing and Distribution Division of PolyProd on page 241-246 in the Cummings & Worley tex - Case Study Example PolyProd is an epitome of failing to upgrade existing information management practices. The Manufacturing and Distribution Division (M & D Div) is in dire need for change initiation. There is a serious gap between the actual thing the company ought to do and what it really does. The M & D Div is riddled with strong opposition to large-scale or externally initiated change. The organization’s headquarter s is characterized by conservatism and unwillingness to change. It is also still wobbling from swift growth that has caused its transformation into universal business center. Lastly, the headquarters suffers from cultural discontinuity. There is extremely high cost of connection between the headquarters and subsidiaries (Cummings & Worley, 2009). The causes of M & D Div’s documentation problems are numerous and intertwined. The top management tried to upgrade documentation quality in the past. The implementation of the change was incomplete leading to the collapse after some early triumph. This happened because the organization’s climate never supported the change. The project social and technical features were not adequately incorporated (Cummings & Worley, 2009). Poor coordination between headquarters and local sites contributed to insufficient organizational climate change. Documentation was also deficient of trained and experienced staff (Cummings & Worley, 2009). Organizational structure and culture played huge role in change implementation failure. The case study is crucial in understanding the complexity of implementing change in large organizations, especially technology-oriented

Hiding Behind the Screen Roger Scruton Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hiding Behind the Screen Roger Scruton - Essay Example There are numerous old fashioned methods applicable to pass messages, which seem to be absent. Since the present day generation youth use mobile phone devices for communication, they lack opportunities to stand judged by an individual they communicate with on the other end.   Roger Scruton recommend-fashioned pile should not avoid accountability at any cost. Scruton makes this statement because he feels that people use mobile phone devices as a medium to evade accountability and judgment of the other parties involved in the communication. Certain virtues such as love and integrity are absent in communication due to the use of mobile phones and social media. People lack the opportunity to achieve a mutual understanding of certain individuals due to use of social media. There are instances where one finds it difficult to understand another individual due to the belief that there exists a certain complexity between them (Dooley 68). The difficulty to understand according to Roger Scru ton is because there is a lack of mutual judgment. Hiding behind the screen means that people have the capability to maintain control over the communication encounter, either through social media or through a mobile phone device. The virtue of justice is achievable through one’s ability to witness the modes of judgment from other people through communication. The essay emphasizes that such virtues become absent within the present day society due to the availability of controllable modes of communication.... There are instances where one finds it difficult to understand another individual due to the belief that there exists a certain complexity between them (Dooley 68). The difficulty to understand according to Roger Scruton is because there is a lack of mutual judgment. Hiding behind the screen means that people have the capability to maintain control over the communication encounter, either through social media or through a mobile phone device. The virtue of justice is achievable through one’s ability to witness the modes of judgment from other people through communication. The essay emphasizes that such virtues become absent within the present day society due to the availability of controllable modes of communication. The society finds it difficult to determine the kind of person that they deal with since there is little opportunity to judge people through communication. The presence of mobile phone devices contributed towards the refusal of people to stand judged by other indi viduals (Dooley 68). The essay suggests on the various ways that certain virtues that are applicable in communication become irrelevant with the use of mobile phones. The face-to-face encounters are important to the relevance in communication. When people converse face to face, there are better chances to acquire different aspects about the individuals as they communicate. An individual is able to minimize another person’s point of view through the potential to retain control over the communication encounter. The communication criteria experience different challenges in accordance to the modes that are applicable. The old fashion of communication is unavailable due to the advancements and alterations witnessed in technology. The influence of social media and communication

Reasons for Selecting Joanna Eberhart as a Representative in the Film Essay

Reasons for Selecting Joanna Eberhart as a Representative in the Film Stepford Wives - Essay Example During the year 1975 when the movie Stepford Wives was first released, it was widely regarded just as one of the chilling parables about men’s fears of feminism at the same time it was considered as a tale of horror which worked as a one of the social satire on bigotry. For sure, it struck a few women’s liberationists as a ham-fisted tried to cash in on the movements. Therefore it is curious that the term ‘Stepford’ wives that have really enjoyed such a strong meaning in our culture, is rarely used during a critique of sexism. The term has usually signified the kind of feminine perfectionism that is greatly evidenced in the domestic realm, though not necessarily in the services offered by husbands.   This clearly evokes the existing critique freak rather than hopeless submission that women have over their husbands as seen in the new 2004 film. Therefore, Eberhart Joanna is chosen to clearly bring out the subject of the story to show how men transform thei r wives into some cookie-baking robots. On the other hand, another most sticking thing regarding the original Stepford Wives, both the movie and the novel is generally how children occupy a small place. The protagonist Eberhart Joanna and her husband move out of Manhattan to a suburban Connecticut partially due to the reason that schools were much better there, though there is nothing else much about that fact is made. A Stepford Wives that acts as a satire today would definitely be different from its predecessor. It would be just as less about the project of trying to perfect children like that of perfecting wives. At the same time, it would be the collaboration between the ambitious mothers and fathers who always believe so much in the meritocracy as well as doing whatever it takes in order to rig it in the attention of their own offspring’s Ivy League prospects. This would be about shameless kind of string-pulling so as to get kids into the right nursery schools.  

Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt - Essay Example 852). In 1879, he founded the Institute for Experimental Psychology in Leipzig, where he concentrated on experimental psychology (Kling & Riggs, 1971, p. 1) and developed a methodology that sought to develop more accurate data for testing mental activities. He is primarily responsible for moving the subject of psychology out of the realm of philosophy and into the venue of experimental or modern scientific method. He accomplished this by focusing on the physiological aspects of experimentation and how they related to the mind. The purpose of this paper is, having providing a brief biography and contextual frame of reference, to discuss the contemporaneous environment surrounding the development of some of Wundt's theories, to review the contribution of those theories to the subject and practice of Psychology in general, and to provide a personal statement of opinion on some of Wundt's theories. Of all the possible environmental contributors to Wundt's theoretical development, there are two that will be mentioned here. The first is the philosophical environment of the day in regards to psychological study, and the second is the laboratory environment at Leipzig. Wundt did not develop his ideas in a vacuum. He was heavily influenced by John Stuart Mill's "System of Logic," from which he often quoted (Schmidgen, 2003, p. 469). No doubt as part of his training, he would have studied both logic and philosophy, and Brown, et al., maintain that he was drawn toward idealism while opposing sensationalism (1996, p. 852). It is interesting to consider the difficulty of bridging from a philosophical approach to the scientific method when studying psychology. In Wundt's day, the mind was perceived in terms of the soul and introspection was the primary means of investigating those aspects of human understanding. Wundt did not accept the notion that self observation was effective; in applying his scientific approach, he believed that psychological study required a trained observer, and that observer needed to be performing those observations in a controlled environment while investigating a properly limited question. Thus, by taking the study of the mind out of the philosophical and into the practical, Wundt introduced a radical new perspective. The second environmental influence of note is his time spent in the laboratory at Leipzig where he actually performed many of his experiments. In one such experiment, he would use a pendulum or analog clock and have his subjects report "the time that coincided with some other event such as the ringing of a bell" (Carlson, Hogendoorn, & Verstraten, 2006, p. 1406). In this way, he was able to use empirical data to quantify the difference between those with fast responses and those with slow ones. Based upon those observations, he could draw conclusions about the way the mind processed

Scm Test Questions Essay Example for Free

Scm Test Questions Essay

The Economy In Switzerland Economics Essay

The Economy In Switzerland Economics Essay   Switzerland is a peaceful, wealthy, and current market economy with low unemployment, a highly expert labor force, and a per capita GDP among the highest in the world. Switzerlands economy benefits from a highly developed service sector, led by financial services, and a manufacturing industry that specializes in high-technology, knowledge-based production. Its economic and political stability, transparent legal system, exceptional infrastructure, efficient capital markets, and low corporate tax rates also make Switzerland one of the worlds most competitive economies. The Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with the EUs, to enhance their international competitiveness, but some trade protectionism remains, particularly for its small agricultural sector. The fate of the Swiss economy is tightly linked to that of its neighbors in the euro zone, which purchases half of all Swiss exports. The global financial crisis of 2008 and resulting economic downtur n in 2009 stalled export demand and put Switzerland in a recession. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) during this period effectively implemented a zero-interest rate policy to boost the economy as well as prevent appreciation of the franc, and Switzerlands economy recovered in 2010 with 2.7% growth. The sovereign debt crises currently unfolding in neighboring euro-zone countries pose a significant risk to Switzerlands financial stability and are driving up demand for the Swiss franc by investors seeking a safehaven currency. The independent SNB has upheld its zero-interest rate policy and conducted major market interventions to prevent further appreciation of the Swiss franc, but parliamentarians have urged it to do more to weaken the currency. The francs strength has made Swiss exports less competitive and weakened the countrys growth outlook; GDP growth fell to 2.1% in 2011. Switzerland has also come under increasing pressure from individual neighboring countries, the EU, the US, and international institutions to reform its banking secrecy laws. Consequently, the government agreed to conform to OECD regulations on administrative assistance in tax matters, including tax evasion. The government has renegotiated its double taxation agreements with numerous countries, including the US, to incorporate the OECD standard, and in 2011 it reached deals with Germany and the UK to resolve outstanding issues, particularly the possibility of imposing taxes on bank deposits held by foreigners. These steps will have a lasting impact on Switzerlands long history of bank secrecy. Definition:  This entry briefly describes the type of economy, including the degree of market orientation, the level of economic development, the most important natural resources, and the unique areas of specialization. It also characterizes major economic events and policy changes in the most recent 12 months and may include a statement about one or two key future macroeconomic trends. Source:  CIA World Factbook   Unless otherwise noted, information in this page is accurate as of July 26, 2012 1. Introduction: About two third of the area of Switzerland is covered with forest, lakes and mountains. Since Switzerland has no mineral resources, it must import, process and resell them as products. Services are the most important part of the economy. This includes banking, assurances and tourism. agricultural is also an important part of the economy. But the production of the Swiss farmers does not fulfill the needs of all people, so Switzerland must rely on imported goods from other countries. 2. The three sectors: The economy in Switzerland is divided into three sectors: landwirtschaft  (agriculture) industrie (industry) diensteistungen  (services) Less than 10% of the population is employed in the  landwirtschaft  (agriculture), also considered the  primary sector. This sector is strongly supported by the government. About 40% of the population is employed in the  Industrie, Gewerbe and Handwerk  (industry, trade and handicraft), also considered the  secondary sector. This sector includes the  Maschinen- und Metallindustrie  (machine and metal industry),Uhrenindustrie  (watch industry) and the  Textilindustrie  (textile industry). All of them export much of their products to foreign countries and suffer a lot because of the expensive Swiss Franc. The fact that Switzerland does not belong to the European Union additionally slows down the Swiss exports. More than 50% of the population is employed in the  Dienstleistungssektor  (services), also considered the  tertiary sector. This sector includes banking, assurances, tourism and so on. Banking is one of the most important businesses in Switzerland. Many of the banks have started to use the Internet for business purposes. For more information, see the  directory of Swiss banks. 3. Foreign trade: Switzerland is one of the countries with the highest contribution of the foreign trade to the gross inland product. The most important trade partners are the so called industrialized countries. In 2003, 77.2% of the exported goods were shipped to and 89.0% of the imported goods came from those countries. In particular, 60.3% of the goods were shipped to and 81.7% of the imported goods came from countries which belong to the European Union (EU). 3.1 Most important trade partners: The tables below show the names of the countries and the values of the imported and exported goods in million Swiss Francs (1  million = 1000000) for the year 2003. Rank Country Import Rank Country Export 1 Germany 41200 1 Germany 27700 2 Italy 13800 2 USA 13800 3 France 13700 3 France 11500 4 Netherlands 6400 4 Italy 11000 5 Austria 5400 5 Great Britain 6200 USA 5400 6 Japan 5100 6 Great Britain 4900 7 Austria 4400 7 Ireland 4700 Netherlands 4400 8 Belgium 3600 8 Belgium 2600 9 Japan 2600 9 Ireland 900 3.2 Most important trade goods: The table below shows the value of the imported and exported goods in million Swiss Francs (1  million = 1000000) for the year 2002. No Goods Import No Goods Export 1 Chemicals 27256 1 Chemicals 44846 2 Machines 25925 2 Machines 31693 3 Vehicles 12843 3 Precision tools, watches, jewelry 22602 4 Agriculture and fishery 9864 4 Agriculture and fishery 4219 5 Metals 9329 5 Vehicles 3742 6 Textile, clothing and shoes 8625 6 Textile, clothing and shoes 3726 7 Precision tools, watches, jewelry 8167 7 Leather, rubber, plastic 3647 8 Energy 5369 8 Paper 3275 9 Paper 4740 9 Other 1746 10 Other 4516 10 Metals 975 11 Leather, rubber, plastic 4264 11 Stone, soil 780 12 Stone, soil 2229 12 Energy 363 4. Currency: The Swiss currency is called  Schweizerfranken  (Swiss Francs) or short  Franken. One hundred  Rappen  make up one Swiss Franc.  CHF  is the ISO representation for Swiss francs; however, the old notation sFr. is still used quite often. This is a  5 Franken  coin, called a  fà ¼nfliber The currency is available in the following coins: 1 Rappen (Rà ¤ppler, no longer in use) 2 Rappen (Zweirà ¤ppler, no longer in use) 5 Rappen  (Fà ¼nfer) 10 Rappen  (Zehner) 20 Rappen  (Zwanziger)  ½ Franken  (Fà ¼nfziger) 1 Franken  (Frà ¤nkler) 2 Franken  (Zweifrà ¤nkler) 5 Franken  (Fà ¼nfliber) a long time ago, there used to be a  five francs bill  (includes images of approx. 220kB) Images  of all coins. The currency is available in the following bills: 10 Franken (images of current, previous and older bill, approx. 400 kB) 20 Franken (images of current and previous bill, approx. 450 kB) 50 Franken (images of current bill, approx. 220 kB) 100 Franken (images of current, previous and older bill, approx. 710 kB) 200 Franken (images of current bill, approx. 270 kB) 1000 Franken (images of current bill, approx. 330 kB) To convert currency, we suggest the  oanda online currency converter. 5. Cost of living: Now and then I receive questions about the cost of living in Switzerland. Even tough it is difficult to compare the costs of living between various countries, I try to list some indications that may give an idea what it means to go along with your salary in Switzerland. 5.1 Exchange rates: I remember times when I was young (some 35 years ago), when one US dollar (USD) cost more than four Swiss Francs (CHF) and one German Mark cost more than one Swiss Franc. Today (May  14, 2010), one US dollar costs approximately CHF  1.11 and the German Mark has been replaced by the Euro (EUR). One Euro corresponds to about CHF  1.40. These ever changing exchange rates are one problem in comparing costs of living. 5.2 Salaries: Another problem in comparing the costs of living is the amount of money one has available to spend, also known as the salary. This is particularly difficult because most people do not like to talk about it, at least here in Switzerland. Of course, the actual salary depends on the education, the position within the company or organization, the duration of the employment etc. The following table is a very rough approximation of a yearly income depending on the level of education: type of education salary range apprenticeship (typically 3 or 4 years) CHF 40000 80000 Academic CHF 70000 150000 lower management CHF 120000 250000 higher management CHF 200000 ++ 5.3 Expenses: Again as a very rough approximation, a Swiss family spends its income as follows: 25-35% for rent of a condominium or house 10-20% for assurances (health, liability, theft, car), health care and savings deposits 15-20% for food (at home and in restaurants) 20-40% for other expenses (non-food, car maintenance, phone bills, vacations, recreational activities) 5-15% for taxes (Taxes vary across the different cantons quite a lot) 5.4 Cost of some food goods: The following table is a list of some food goods and their approximative cost as of summer 2010 in the area of Zà ¼rich. Goods Amount Approximative cost in CHF Bread in a store 1 kg 3.00 4.00 Milk in a store 1 liter 2.00 Coffee or tee in a restaurant 1 cup (no refill) 3.50 Softdrink in a restaurant 0.2 or 0.3 l 3.50 4.00 Hamburger in fast food restaurant 200 gr 5.00 A meal in a family restaurant without beverages 1 person 15.00 30.00 If you are not familiar with our metric unit system, see  explanations about metric versus U.S. unit systems 5.5 Cost of some non-food goods: The following table is a list of some non-food goods and their approximative cost as of spring 2010 in the area of Zà ¼rich. Goods Amount Approximative cost in CHF Diesel 1 liter 1.85 (changes daily!) Gasoline 1 liter 1.70 (changes daily!) Cigarettes 1 pack 5.00 Compact Disk (music) 1 CD 10.00 25.00 Jeans 1 100.00 150.00 Building land 1 m ² 400.00 1200.00 House (without land) 4 . 5 rooms 400000 1000000++ If you are not familiar with our metric unit system, see  explanations about metric versus U.S. unit systems

The Ant of the Self Essay -- essays research papers

The Ant of the Self Most seventh graders know the principle that oil and water don’t mix. No matter how much the solution is shaken or stirred, the water will settle to the bottom and the oil will rise above to the surface. These attributes describing water and oil directly describe the relationship between Spurgeon and Ray, the two main characters in ZZ Packer’s â€Å"The Ant of the Self.† Spurgeon, the â€Å"water† and intelligent son of Ray Bivens Jr., finds himself carrying the burden of supporting his self-centered, inappreciative father, the â€Å"oil,† on his shoulders. Oblivious to his son’s needs as well as others in the story, Ray tramples over the true meaning of an intimate relationship and worsens or even crumbles his existing ones.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When thinking about a father and son relationship, one would imagine love, respect, and support, however, in terms of Spurgeon and Ray’s relationship, it can be described as a business transaction. Spurgeon supports his father throughout the story although he knows his father’s misleading ways. On the other hand, Spurgeon does not get any recognition from his father for being there. For example, at the beginning of the story, Spurgeon bails his father out of jail with his money he earned from debate. Instead of thanking him and showing his appreciation, Ray says, â€Å"Opportunities. You’ve got to invest your money if you want opportunities† (72). Ray already thinks about fast ways of making money and during the car ride,...

True Meaning of Love Revealed in Snow Falling on Cedars Essay -- Snow

True Meaning of Love Revealed in Snow Falling on Cedars      Ã‚  Ã‚   David Guterson's novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, is one that covers a number of important aspects in life, including some controversial topics like racism and the Japanese internment during America's involvement in the Second World War. It speaks to this reader on a more immediate and personal level, however, through the playing out of Ishmael and Hatsue's relationship-one which Hatsue seems to be able to walk away from, but which shapes the way Ishmael tries to "live" his life because he cannot let go of the past, or a future that is not, and was not meant to be.    Ishmael never recovers from the severance of his romantic relationship with Hatsue because of the type of relationship that it was for him, and that it was not for Hatsue. During the internment, Hatsue realized that she "loved him and at the same time couldn't love him" (231). For Hatsue, the relationship was a friendship that grew into something it was not meant to; something she did not expect, yet allowed to continue because she could not decide if it was right or wrong. Ishmael, on the other hand, was in love. His was not a passionate lust, or a romantic love, but what true love is: an action, a decision, yet something beyond his control. For Ishmael also, the friendship grew into something unexpected, but for him it was a discovery that "[a]fter all these years that we've been together, I find you're a part of me. Without you, I have nothing" (222). Ishmael's relationship with Hatsue was something he had to hold on to, because it was all that he had.    During the War, after Ishmael's return, and throughout the trial of Kabuo, Hatsue's husband, Ishmael struggles with his feelings, hi... ... is not something that can be defined, controlled, or conquered. But through Ishmael, Guterson reveals to his reader that it is possible to love someone without letting one's passions destroy life when that relationship is not meant to be, and never will. There is a reason to hope for something greater, something more in life than a dream that will never come true. This reader would like to believe Ishmael will never stop loving Hatsue because his love is true love, which, like God Who is Love (1 John 4:7) never changing. But Ishmael learns to see that loving Hatsue means moving on with his life and doing what Hatsue always knew, and what he now realizes, are the great things he is destine to do in life.    Work Cited: Guterson, David. Snow Falling on Cedars. New York: Vintage, 1995. New American Standard Bible. Reference ed. Chicago: Moody Press, 1975. True Meaning of Love Revealed in Snow Falling on Cedars Essay -- Snow True Meaning of Love Revealed in Snow Falling on Cedars      Ã‚  Ã‚   David Guterson's novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, is one that covers a number of important aspects in life, including some controversial topics like racism and the Japanese internment during America's involvement in the Second World War. It speaks to this reader on a more immediate and personal level, however, through the playing out of Ishmael and Hatsue's relationship-one which Hatsue seems to be able to walk away from, but which shapes the way Ishmael tries to "live" his life because he cannot let go of the past, or a future that is not, and was not meant to be.    Ishmael never recovers from the severance of his romantic relationship with Hatsue because of the type of relationship that it was for him, and that it was not for Hatsue. During the internment, Hatsue realized that she "loved him and at the same time couldn't love him" (231). For Hatsue, the relationship was a friendship that grew into something it was not meant to; something she did not expect, yet allowed to continue because she could not decide if it was right or wrong. Ishmael, on the other hand, was in love. His was not a passionate lust, or a romantic love, but what true love is: an action, a decision, yet something beyond his control. For Ishmael also, the friendship grew into something unexpected, but for him it was a discovery that "[a]fter all these years that we've been together, I find you're a part of me. Without you, I have nothing" (222). Ishmael's relationship with Hatsue was something he had to hold on to, because it was all that he had.    During the War, after Ishmael's return, and throughout the trial of Kabuo, Hatsue's husband, Ishmael struggles with his feelings, hi... ... is not something that can be defined, controlled, or conquered. But through Ishmael, Guterson reveals to his reader that it is possible to love someone without letting one's passions destroy life when that relationship is not meant to be, and never will. There is a reason to hope for something greater, something more in life than a dream that will never come true. This reader would like to believe Ishmael will never stop loving Hatsue because his love is true love, which, like God Who is Love (1 John 4:7) never changing. But Ishmael learns to see that loving Hatsue means moving on with his life and doing what Hatsue always knew, and what he now realizes, are the great things he is destine to do in life.    Work Cited: Guterson, David. Snow Falling on Cedars. New York: Vintage, 1995. New American Standard Bible. Reference ed. Chicago: Moody Press, 1975.

Adirondack Wildcats :: essays research papers

Adirondack Wildcats Brevard Blue Ducks Franchise History: 1988-1998 Jacksonville, 1999-2000 Gulf Coast, 2001 Lakeland Blue Ducks, 2002 Brevard Blue Ducks Cedar Rapids River Raiders Ownership: Cedar Rapids River Raiders Corporation, Barry S. Smith, and Toni L. Smith Head Coach: Dave Joerger Assistants: Kenyon Murray President/CEO: Barry S. Smith Sales Account Representitive: Grant Guyer General Manager & Director of Operations: Sean McLaughlin Franchise History: Expansion Team - 2004 Dodge City Legend Ownership: Dodge City Basketball, Inc.; Ownership Members: Jim Lewis, Greg Goff, Pat George, Michael Morrison, Kent Smoll, Dr. Kelly Henrichs, Dr. Kelly Cohoon, George Henrichs, Rodger Davis, Michael Stevens, Jim Coffin, Carolyn Banning and Rick Reed Head Coach: Dale Osbourne President/Part Owner: Greg Goff General Manager: Chris Pyle Team Colors: Purple, Silver and Black Franchise History: Dodge City Legend (2000-) Local Newspaper Coverage: Dodge Globe Florence Flyers Arena: Florence County - Civic Center (7,000) Ownership: Capital Entertainment Group, Inc. Head Coach: Bryan Gates Director of Basketball Operations: Lynwood Lock Franchise History: Expansion Team (2004) Kansas Cagerz Arena: Bicentennial Center (7,000) Head Coach: Francis Flax General Manager: Carroll Long Team Colors: Red, White and Black Franchise History: Columbus Cagerz (1998), Kansas Cagerz (1999-) Local Newspaper Coverage: Salina Journal Oklahoma Storm Website: www.okstormhoops.com Arena: Mark Price Arena (2,000) Ownership: Eddie Robinson, Shawn Kemp, and Oklahoma Storm Basketball Inc. Head Coach: Todd Chambers President/Founder: James Bryant General Manager: Tom Nelson Vice President: Ann Bryant Dance Team Coordinator: Tenna Bergdall Team Colors: Red, Black and White Franchise History: Oklahoma Storm (2000-) Local Newspaper Coverage: Enid News - Eagle, The Oklahoman

Beauty Definition Essay

Beauty is one of the most prevalent themes in the world. But what is beauty exactly? According to the Oxford Dictionary beauty is A combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight. Based on the definition, one would assume that beauty is only on outward appearance but that statement is false. Beauty is not only appearance but it is also what people cannot see. Beauty is about being beautiful on the inside not just the outside. The media has fooled so many people into thinking the opposite. Beauty is not only outward appearance. People are not beautiful because they have the most expensive clothes or the shiniest hair. Beauty is not having the clearest skin; beauty is not about being thin; beauty is not having the fullest eyelashes; beauty is not about appearance at all. Many people look at allure as something they can obtain from putting a lot of time into their appearance. I remember in high school there was a girl nam ed Jenna; Jenna had all the coolest clothes and always made sure she looked good. I remember envying her for her shinny hair and perfect teeth. Everyone seemed convinced that this girl was beautiful even I. Until one day I was walking past a classroom, I could hear faint voices coming out and I knew that there wasn’t supposed to be anyone in the class. I creeped closer listening to the whispers when I immediately recognized a familiar voice. It was Jenna’s and she was saying horrible things about her â€Å"best friend†. At that moment I realized that Jenna wasn’t so beautiful after all. All the clothes and makeup could not hide the fact that she had an ugly soul. The soul is what makes people beautiful. Being alluring is far deeper than just being attractive; it is about being a good person. You cannot see beauty but you can see what makes people beautiful. The person who stops when they see a stray animal sitting in the sidewalk is beautiful. The person who gives their last dollar to the homeless man is beautiful. The person who goes out of their way to be friendly to everyone they meet is beautiful. The person who puts the greater good for humanity before the greater good for themselves is beautiful. Audrey Hepburn an actress in the 50’s was one of the very first actresses to recognize that beauty isn’t always just appearance. She states that â€Å"The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway  to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.† Todays media has done a terrific job in portraying allure as something that one can obtain from appearance. Media has convinced the world that beauty is only outward appearance. Today you cannot go five minutes without seeing a beauty ad; they’re everywhere. Turn on the television and you’ll see an ad for shampoo that shows a smiling girl claiming that her hair is now shinier. Drive down the street and you’ll see a billboard for an acne medication that claims it gives you ‘beautiful’ looking skin. These companies are preying on girls insecurities to make money. They claim that if you buy their product, you too can look beautiful. In reality no product can make a person beautiful because beauty is not something that you can see. Many girls look up to stars like Katy Perry, Hayden Panettiere and Emma Stone; all of who are advertising beauty products. When girls watch their favorite stars advertise makeup and other beauty products it gives the girls a false sense of beauty. It teaches our youth that by using a certain product then they can achieve beauty; if they wear a certain makeup then they will be â€Å"beautiful† like their favorite celebrities. Today’s media has put enormous pressure on young girls to be thin. Every commercial and billboard and magazine ad portrays a size zero model, always photoshopped. Young people look at these women and think that in order to be beautiful that they too have to be that thin leading to unhealthy decisions and life threatening illnesses. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 24 million people in the United States alone suffer form some sort of eating disorder. 24 million people think that their body is not good enough to fit societies definition of beautiful. 24 million people think that the only way to be beautiful is by harming their bodies. This number can be lowered dramatically if media stopped putting the emphasis of beauty on physical appearance. Beauty is not outward appearance but inner appearance. Beauty is having a beautiful soul and being a good person all around. Media has given society a false view on what really is beautiful. The next time you find yourself judging someone based upon their looks think again; beauty is not just what you can see, its what you cannot.

Chapter 5 The Dementor

Tom woke Harry the next morning with his usual toothless grin and a cup of tea. Harry got dressed and was just persuading a disgruntled Hedwig to get back into her cage when Ron banged his way into the room, pulling a sweatshirt over his head and looking irritable. â€Å"The sooner we get on the train, the better,† he said. â€Å"At least I can get away from Percy at Hogwarts. Now he's accusing me of dripping tea on his photo of Penelope Clearwater. You know,† Ron grimaced, â€Å"his girlfriend. She's hidden her face under the frame because her nose has gone all blotchy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I've got something to tell you,† Harry began, but they were interrupted by Fred and George, who had looked in to congratulate Ron on infuriating Percy again. They headed down to breakfast, where Mr. Weasley was reading the front page of the Daily Prophet with a furrowed brow and Mrs. Weasley was telling Hermione and Ginny about a love potion she'd made as a young girl. All three of them were rather giggly. â€Å"What were you saying?† Ron asked Harry as they sat down. â€Å"Later,† Harry muttered as Percy stormed in. Harry had no chance to speak to Ron or Hermione in the chaos of leaving; they were too busy heaving all their trunks down the Leaky Cauldron's narrow staircase and piling them up near the door, with Hedwig and Hermes, Percy's screech owl, perched on top in their cages. A small wickerwork basket stood beside the heap of trunks, spitting loudly. â€Å"It's all right, Crookshanks,† Hermione cooed through the wickerwork. â€Å"I'll let you out on the train.† â€Å"You won't,† snapped Ron. â€Å"What about poor Scabbers, eh?† He pointed at his chest, where a large lump indicated that Scabbers was curled up in his pocket. Mr. Weasley, who had been outside waiting for the Ministry cars, stuck his head inside. â€Å"They're here, he said. â€Å"Harry, come on.† Mr. Weasley marched Harry across the short stretch of pavement toward the first of two old-fashioned dark green cars, each of which was driven by a furtive-looking wizard wearing a suit of emerald velvet. â€Å"In you get, Harry,† said Mr. Weasley, glancing up and down the crowded street. Harry got into the back of the car and was shortly joined by Hermione, Ron, and, to Ron's disgust, Percy. The journey to King's Cross was very uneventful compared with Harry's trip on the Knight Bus. The Ministry of Magic cars seemed almost ordinary. though Harry noticed that they could slide through gaps that Uncle Vernon's new company car certainly couldn't have managed. They reached King's Cross with twenty minutes to spare; the Ministry drivers found them trolleys, unloaded their trunks, touched their hats in salute to Mr. Weasley, and drove away, somehow managing to jump to the head of an unmoving line at the traffic lights. Mr. Weasley kept close to Harry's elbow all the way into the station. â€Å"Right then,† he said, glancing around them. â€Å"Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Harry.† Mr. Weasley strolled toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten, pushing Harry's trolley and apparently very interested in the InterCity 125 that had just arrived at platform nine. With a meaningful look at Harry, he leaned casually against the barrier. Harry imitated him. In a moment, they had fallen sideways through the solid metal onto platform nine and three-quarters and looked up to see the Hogwarts Express, a scarlet steam engine, puffing smoke over a platform packed with witches and wizards seeing their children onto the train. Percy and Ginny suddenly appeared behind Harry. They were panting and had apparently taken the barrier at a run. â€Å"Ah, there's Penelope!† said Percy, smoothing his hair and going pink again. Ginny caught Harry's eye, and they both turned away to hide their laughter as Percy strode over to a girl with long, curly hair, walking with his chest thrown out so that she couldn't miss his shiny badge. Once the remaining Weasleys and Hermione had joined them, Harry and Mr. Weasley led the way to the end of the train, past packed compartments, to a carriage that looked quite empty. They loaded the trunks onto it, stowed Hedwig and Crookshanks in the luggage rack, then went back outside to say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley kissed all her children, then Hermione, and finally Harry. He was embarrassed, but really quite pleased, when she gave him an extra hug. â€Å"Do take care, won't you Harry?† she said as she straightened up, her eyes oddly bright. Then she opened her enormous handbag and said, â€Å"I've made you all sandwiches. Here you are, Ron†¦no, they're not corned beef†¦ Fred? Where's Fred? Here you are dear†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Harry,† said Mr. Weasley quietly, â€Å"come over here for a moment.† He jerked his head towards a pillar, and Harry followed him behind it, leaving the others crowded around Mrs. Weasley. â€Å"There's something I've got to tell you before you leave –† said Mr. Weasley in a tense voice. â€Å"It's all right, Mr. Weasley,† said Harry, â€Å"I already know.† â€Å"You know? How could you know?† â€Å"I — er — I heard you and Mrs. Wesley talking last night. I couldn't help hearing,† Harry added quickly. â€Å"Sorry –â€Å" â€Å"That's not the way I'd have chosen for you to find out,† said Mr. Weasley looking anxious.. â€Å"No — honestly it's OK. This way, you haven't broken your word to Fudge and I know what's going on.† â€Å"Harry, you must be scared — â€Å" â€Å"I'm not,† said Harry sincerely. â€Å"Really,† he added, because Mr. Weasley was looking disbelieving. â€Å"I'm not trying to be a hero, but seriously, Sirius Black can't be worse than Lord Voldemort, can he?† Mr. Weasley flinched at the sound of the name, but overlooked it. â€Å"Harry, I knew you were, well, made of stronger stuff than Fudge seems to think, and I'm obviously pleased that you're not scared, but –â€Å" â€Å"Arthur!† called Mrs. Weasley, who was now shepherding the rest onto the train. â€Å"Arthur, what are you doing? It's about to go!† â€Å"He's coming Molly!† said Mr. Weasley, but he turned back to Harry and kept talking in a lower and more hurried voice, â€Å"Listen, I want you to give me your word –â€Å" † — that I'll be a good boy and stay in the castle?† said Harry gloomily. â€Å"Not entirely,† said Mr. Weasley, who looked more serious than Harry had ever seen him. â€Å"Harry, swear to me you won't go looking for Black.† Harry stared, â€Å"What!† There was a loud whistle. Guards were walking along the train, slamming all the doors shut. â€Å"Promise me, Harry,† said Mr. Weasley, talking more quickly still, â€Å"that whatever happens –â€Å" â€Å"Why would I go looking for someone I know wants to kill me?† said Harry blankly. â€Å"Swear to me that whatever you might hear –â€Å" â€Å"Arthur, quickly!† cried Mrs. Weasley. Steam was billowing from the train it had started to move. Harry ran to the compartment door and Ron threw it open and stood back to let him on. They leaned out of the window and waved at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley until the train turned a corner and blocked them from view. â€Å"I need to talk to you in private,† Harry muttered to Ron and Hermione as the train picked up speed. â€Å"Go away, Ginny,† said Ron. â€Å"Oh, that's nice,† said Ginny huffily, and she stalked off. Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off down the corridor, looking for an empty compartment, but all were full except for the one at the very end of the train. This had only one occupant, a man sitting fast asleep next to the window. Harry, Ron, and Hermione checked on the threshold. The Hogwarts Express was usually reserved for students and they had never seen an adult there before, except for the witch who pushed the food cart. The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes that had been darned in several places. He looked ill and exhausted. Though quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with gray. â€Å"Who d'you reckon he is?† Ron hissed as they sat down and slid the door shut, taking the seats farthest away from the window. â€Å"Professor R. J. Lupin.† whispered Hermione at once. â€Å"How'd you know that?† â€Å"It's on his case,† she replied, pointing at the luggage rack over the man's head, where there was a small, battered case held together with a large quantity of neatly knotted string. The name Professor R. J. Lupin was stamped across one corner in peeling letters. â€Å"Wonder what he teaches?† said Ron, frowning at Professor Lupin's pallid profile. â€Å"That's obvious,† whispered Hermione. â€Å"There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts.† Harry, Ron, and Hermione had already had two Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, both of whom had lasted only one year. There were rumors that the job was jinxed. â€Å"Well, I hope he's up to it,† said Ron doubtfully. â€Å"He looks like on, good hex would finish him off, doesn't he? Anyway†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he turned to Harry, â€Å"what were you going to tell us?† Harry explained all about Mr. and Mrs. Wesley's argument and the warning Mr. Weasley had just given him. When he'd finished, Ron looked thunderstruck, and Hermione had her hands over her mouth. She finally lowered them to say, â€Å"Sirius Black escaped to come after you? Oh, Harry†¦you'll have to be really, really careful. don't go looking for trouble, Harry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I don't go looking for trouble,† said Harry, nettled. â€Å"Trouble usually finds me.† â€Å"How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?† said Ron shakily. They were taking the news worse than Harry had expected. Both Ron and Hermione seemed to be much more frightened of Black than he was. â€Å"No one knows how he got out of Azkaban,† said Ron uncomfortably. â€Å"No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too.† â€Å"But they'll catch him, won't they?† said Hermione earnestly. â€Å"I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him too†¦.† â€Å"What's that noise?† said Ron suddenly. A faint, tinny sort of whistle was coming from somewhere. They looked all around the compartment. â€Å"It's coming from your trunk, Harry,† said Ron, standing up and reaching into the luggage rack. A moment later he had pulled the Pocket Sneakoscope out from between Harry's robes. It was spinning very fast in the palm of Ron's hand and glowing brilliantly. â€Å"Is that a Sneakoscope?† said Hermione interestedly, standing up for a better look. â€Å"Yeah†¦mind you, it's a very cheap one,† Ron said. â€Å"It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry.† â€Å"Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?† said Hermione shrewdly. â€Å"No! Well†¦I wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journeys†¦but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?† â€Å"Stick it back in the trunk,† Harry advised as the Sneakoscope whistled piercingly, â€Å"or it'll wake him up.† He nodded toward Professor Lupin. Ron stuffed the Sneakoscope into a particularly horrible pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks, which deadened the sound, then closed the lid of the trunk on it. â€Å"We could get it checked in Hogsmeade,† said Ron, sitting back down. â€Å"They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me.† â€Å"Do you know much about Hogsmeade?† asked Hermione keenly. â€Å"I've read it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain –â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, I think it is,† said Ron in an offhand sort of way. â€Å"but that's not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honeydukes!† â€Å"What's that?† said Hermione. â€Å"It's this sweetshop,† said Ron, a dreamy look coming over his face, â€Å"where they've got everything†¦Pepper Imps — they make you smoke at the mouth — and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next?C† â€Å"But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?† Hermione pressed on eagerly. â€Å"In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain –â€Å" â€Å"?C and massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them,† said Ron, who was plainly not listening to a word Hermione was saying. Hermione looked around at Harry. â€Å"Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?† â€Å"‘Spect it will,† said Harry heavily. â€Å"You'll have to tell me when you've found out.† â€Å"What d'you mean?† said Ron. â€Å"I can't go. The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't either.† Ron looked horrified. â€Å"You're not allowed to come? But — no way — McGonagall or someone will give you permission –â€Å" Harry gave a hollow laugh. Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house, was very strict. â€Å"?C or we can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle –â€Å" â€Å"Ron!† said Hermione sharply. â€Å"I don't think Harry should be sneaking out of the school with Black on the loose –â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall will say when I ask of permission,† said Harry bitterly. â€Å"But if we're with him,† said Ron spiritedly to Hermione. â€Å"Black wouldn't dare –â€Å" â€Å"Oh, Ron, don't talk rubbish,† snapped Hermione. â€Å"Black's already murdered a whole bunch of people in the middle of a crowded street, do you really think he's going to worry about attacking Harry just because we're there?† She was fumbling with the straps of Crookshanks's basket as she spoke. â€Å"Don't let that thing out!† Ron said, but too late; Crookshanks leapt lightly from the basket, stretched, yawned, and sprang onto Ron's knees; the lump in Ron's pocket trembled and he shoved Crookshanks angrily away. â€Å"Get out of it!† â€Å"Ron, don't!† said Hermione angrily. Ron was about to answer back when Professor Lupin stirred. They watched him apprehensively, but he simply turned his head the other way, mouth slightly open, and slept on. The Hogwarts Express moved steadily north and the scenery outside the window became wilder and darker while the clouds overhead thickened overhead. People were chasing backwards and forwards past the door of their compartment. Crookshanks had now settled in an empty seat, his squashed face turned towards Ron, his yellow eyes on Ron's top pocket. At one o'clock the plump witch with the food cart arrived at the compartment door. D'you think we should wake him up?† Ron asked awkwardly, nodding towards Professor Lupin. â€Å"He looks like he could do with some food.† Hermione approached Professor Lupin cautiously. â€Å"Er — Professor?† she said. â€Å"Excuse me — Professor?† He didn't move. â€Å"Don't worry, dear,† said the witch, as she handed a large stack of cauldron cakes. â€Å"If he's hungry when he wakes, I'll be up front with the driver.† â€Å"I suppose he is asleep?† said Ron quietly, as the witch slid the compartment door closed. â€Å"I mean — he hasn't died, has he?† â€Å"No, no, he's breathing,† whispered Hermione, taking the cauldron cake Harry passed her. He might not be very good company, but Professor Lupin's presence in their compartment had its uses. Mid-afternoon, just as it had started to rain, blurring the rolling hills outside the window, they heard footsteps outside in the corridor again, and their three least favorite people appeared at the door: Draco Malfoy, flanked by his cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. Draco Malfoy and Harry had been enemies ever since they had met on their very first journey to Hogwarts. Malfoy, who had a pale, pointed, sneering face, was in Slytherin house; he played Seeker on the Slytherin Quidditch team, the same position that Harry played on the Gryffindor team. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to exist to do Malfoy's bidding. They were both wide and muscly; Crabbe was taller, with a pudding-bowl haircut and a very thick neck; Goyle had short, bristly hair and long, gorilla arms. â€Å"Well, look who it is,† said Malfoy in his usual lazy drawl, pulling open the compartment door. â€Å"Potty and the Weasel.† Crabbe and Goyle chuckled trollishly. â€Å"I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley,† said Malfoy. â€Å"Did your mother die of shock?† Ron stood up so quickly he knocked Crookshanks's basket to the floor. Professor Lupin gave a snort. â€Å"Who's that?† said Malfoy, taking an automatic step backward as he spotted Lupin. â€Å"New teacher,† said Harry, who got to his feet, too, in case he needed to hold Ron back. â€Å"What were you saying, Malfoy?† Malfoy's pale eyes narrowed; he wasn't fool enough to pick a fight right under a teacher's nose. â€Å"C'mon,† he muttered resentfully to Crabbe and Goyle, and they disappeared. Harry and Ron sat down again, Ron massaging his knuckles. â€Å"I'm not going to take any crap from Malfoy this year,† he said angrily. â€Å"I mean it. If he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get hold of his head and –â€Å" Ron made a violent gesture in midair. â€Å"Ron,† hissed Hermione, pointing at Professor Lupin, â€Å"be careful†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But Professor Lupin was still fast asleep. The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering gray, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the wind roared, but still, Professor Lupin slept. â€Å"We must be nearly there,† said Ron, leaning forward to look past Professor Lupin at the now completely black window. The words had hardly left him when the train started to slow down. â€Å"Great,† said Ron, getting up and walking carefully past Professor Lupin to try and see outside. â€Å"I'm starving. I want to get to the feast†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"We can't be there yet,† said Hermione, checking her watch. â€Å"So why're we stopping?† The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows. Harry, who was nearest the door, got up to look into the corridor. All along the carriage, heads were sticking curiously out of their compartments. The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were plunged into total darkness. â€Å"What's going on?† said Ron's voice from behind Harry. â€Å"Ouch!† gasped Hermione. â€Å"Ron, that was my foot!† Harry felt his way back to his seat. â€Å"D'you think we've broken down?† â€Å"Dunno†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There was a squeaking sound, and Harry saw the dim black outline of Ron, wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out. â€Å"There's something moving out there,† Ron said. â€Å"I think people are coming aboard†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The compartment door suddenly opened and someone fell painfully over Harry's legs. â€Å"Sorry! D'you know what's going on? Ouch! Sorry –â€Å" â€Å"Hullo, Neville,† said Harry, feeling around in the dark and pulling Neville up by his cloak. â€Å"Harry? Is that you? What's happening?† â€Å"No idea! Sit down –â€Å" There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had tried to sit on Crookshanks. â€Å"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on,† came Hermione's voice. Harry felt her pass him, heard the door slide open again, and then a thud and two loud squeals of pain. â€Å"Who's that?† â€Å"Who's that?† â€Å"Ginny?† â€Å"Hermione?† â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"I was looking for Ron –â€Å" â€Å"Come in and sit down –â€Å" â€Å"Not here!† said Harry hurriedly. â€Å"I'm here!† â€Å"Ouch!† said Neville. â€Å"Quiet!† said a hoarse voice suddenly. Professor Lupin appeared to have woken up at last. Harry could hear movements in his corner. None of them spoke. There was a soft, crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment. Professor Lupin appeared to be holding a handful of flames. They illuminated his tired, gray face, but his eyes looked alert and wary. â€Å"Stay where you are.† he said in the same hoarse voice, and he got slowly to his feet with his handful of fire held out in front of him. But the door slid slowly open before Lupin could reach it. Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin's hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Harry's eyes darted downward, and what he saw made his stomach contract. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water†¦. But it was visible only for a split second. As though the creature beneath the cloak sensed Harry's gaze, the hand was suddenly withdrawn into the folds of its black cloak. And then the thing beneath the hood, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings. An intense cold swept over them all. Harry felt his own breath catch in his chest. The cold went deeper than his skin. It was inside his chest, it was inside his very heart†¦ Harry's eyes rolled up into his head. He couldn't see. He was drowning in cold. There was a rushing in his ears as though of water. He was being dragged downward, the roaring growing louder†¦ And then, from far away, he heard screaming, terrible, terrified, pleading screams. He wanted to help whoever it was, he tried to move his arms, but couldn't†¦a thick white fog was swirling around him, inside him — â€Å"Harry! Harry! Are you all right?† Someone was slapping his face. â€Å"W-what?† Harry opened his eyes; there were lanterns above him, and the floor was shaking — the Hogwarts Express was moving again and the lights had come back on. He seemed to have slid out of his seat onto the floor. Ron and Hermione were kneeling next to him, and above them he could see Neville and Professor Lupin watching. Harry felt very sick; when he put up his hand to push his glasses back on, he felt cold sweat on his face. Ron and Hermione heaved him back onto his seat. â€Å"Are you okay?† Ron asked nervously. â€Å"Yeah,† said Harry, looking quickly toward the door. The hooded creature had vanished. â€Å"What happened? Where's that — that thing? Who screamed?† â€Å"No one screamed,† said Ron, more nervously still. Harry looked around the bright compartment. Ginny and Neville looked back at him, both very pale. â€Å"But I heard screaming –â€Å" A loud snap made them all jump. Professor Lupin was breaking an enormous slab of chocolate into pieces. â€Å"Here,† he said to Harry, handing him a particularly large piece. â€Å"Eat it. It'll help.† Harry took the chocolate but didn't eat it. â€Å"What was that thing?† he asked Lupin. â€Å"A Dementor,† said Lupin, who was now giving chocolate to everyone else. â€Å"One of the Dementors of Azkaban.† Everyone stared at him. Professor Lupin crumpled up the empty chocolate wrapper and put it in his pocket. â€Å"Eat,† he repeated. â€Å"It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He strolled past Harry and disappeared into the corridor. â€Å"Are you sure you're okay, Harry?† said Hermione, watching Harry anxiously. â€Å"I don't get it †¦ what happened?† said Harry, wiping more sweat off his face. â€Å"Well — that thing — the Dementor — stood there and looked around (I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see its face) — and you — you –â€Å" â€Å"I thought you were having a fit or something,† said Ron, who still looked scared. â€Å"You went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching –â€Å" â€Å"And Professor Lupin stepped over you, and walked toward the Dementor, and pulled out his wand,† said Hermione, â€Å"and he said, ‘None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the Dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It was horrible,† said Neville, in a higher voice than usual. â€Å"Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?† â€Å"I felt weird,† said Ron, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. â€Å"Like I'd never be cheerful again†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ginny, who was huddled in her corner looking nearly as bad as Harry felt, gave a small sob; Hermione went over and put a comforting arm around her. â€Å"But didn't any of you — fall off your seats?† said Harry awkwardly. â€Å"No,† said Ron, looking anxiously at Harry again. â€Å"Ginny was shaking like mad, though†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry didn't understand. He felt weak and shivery, as though he were recovering from a bad bout of flu; he also felt the beginnings of shame. Why had he gone to pieces like that, when no one else had? Professor Lupin had come back. He paused as he entered, looked around, and said, with a small smile, â€Å"I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry took a bite and to his great surprise felt warmth spread suddenly to the tips of his fingers and toes. â€Å"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes,† said Professor Lupin. â€Å"Are you all right, Harry?† Harry didn't ask how Professor Lupin knew his name. â€Å"Fine,† he muttered, embarrassed. They didn't talk much during the remainder of the journey. At long last, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station, and there was a great scramble to get outside; owls hooted, cats meowed, and Neville's pet toad croaked loudly from under his hat. It was freezing on the tiny platform; rain was driving down in icy sheets. â€Å"Firs' years this way!† called a familiar voice. Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned and saw the gigantic outline of Hagrid at the other end of the platform, beckoning the terrified-looking new students forward for their traditional journey across the lake. â€Å"All right, you three?† Hagrid yelled over the heads of the crowd. They waved at him, but had no chance to speak to him because the mass of people around them was shunting them away along the platform. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed the rest of the school along the platform and out onto a rough mud track, where at least a hundred stagecoaches awaited the remaining students, each pulled, Harry could only assume, by an invisible horse, because when they climbed inside and shut the door, the coach set off all by itself, bumping and swaying in procession. The coach smelled faintly of mold and straw. Harry felt better since the chocolate, but still weak. Ron and Hermione kept looking at him sideways, as though frightened he might collapse again. As the carriage trundled toward a pair of magnificent wrought iron gates, flanked with stone columns topped with winged boars, Harry saw two more towering, hooded Dementors, standing guard on either side. A wave of cold sickness threatened to engulf him again; he leaned back into the lumpy seat and closed his eyes until they had passed the gates. The carriage picked up speed on the long, sloping drive up to the castle; Hermione was leaning out of the tiny window, watching the many turrets and towers draw nearer. At last, the carriage swayed to a halt, and Hermione and Ron got out. As Harry stepped down, a drawling, delighted voice sounded in his ear. â€Å"You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottorn telling the truth? You actually fainted?† Malfoy elbowed past Hermione to block Harry's way up the stone steps to the castle, his face gleeful and his pale eyes glinting maliciously. â€Å"Shove off, Malfoy,† said Ron, whose jaw was clenched. â€Å"Did you faint as well, Weasley?† said Malfoy loudly. â€Å"Did the scary old Dementor frighten you too, Weasley?† â€Å"Is there a problem?† said a mild voice. Professor Lupin had just gotten out of the next carriage. Malfoy gave Professor Lupin an insolent stare, which took in the patches on his robes and the dilapidated suitcase. With a tiny hint of sarcasm in his voice, he said, â€Å"Oh, no — er — Professor,† then he smirked at Crabbe and Goyle and led them up the steps into the castle. Hermione prodded Ron in the back to make him hurry, and the three of them joined the crowd swarming up the steps, through the giant oak front doors, into the cavernous Entrance Hall, which was lit with flaming torches, and housed a magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors. The door into the Great Hall stood open at the right; Harry followed the crowd toward it, but had barely glimpsed the enchanted ceiling, which was black and cloudy tonight, when a voice called, â€Å"Potter! Granger! I want to see you both!† Harry and Hermione turned around, surprised. Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor House, was calling over the heads of the crowd. She was a stern looking witch who wore her hair in a tight bun; her sharp eyes were framed with square spectacles. Harry fought his way over to her with a feeling of foreboding: Professor McGonagall had a way of making him feel he must have done something wrong. â€Å"There's no need to look so worried — I just want a word in my office,† she told them. â€Å"Move along there, Weasley.† Ron stared as Professor McGonagall ushered Harry and Hermione away from the chattering crowd; they accompanied her across the entrance hall, up the marble staircase, and along a corridor. Once they were in her office, a small room with a large, welcoming fire, Professor McGonagall motioned Harry and Hermione to sit down. She settled herself behind her desk and said abruptly, â€Å"Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you were taken ill on the train, Potter.† Before Harry could reply, there was a soft knock on the door and Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, came bustling in. Harry felt himself going red in the face. It was bad enough that he'd passed out, or whatever he had done, without everyone making all this fuss. â€Å"I'm fine,† he said, â€Å"I don't need anything –â€Å" â€Å"Oh, it's you, is it?† said Madam Pomfrey, ignoring this and bending down to stare closely at him. â€Å"I suppose you've been doing something dangerous again?† â€Å"It was a Dementor, Poppy,† said Professor McGonagall. They exchanged a dark look, and Madam Pomfrey clucked disapprovingly. â€Å"Setting Dementors around a school, she muttered, pushing back Harry's hair and feeling his forehead. â€Å"He won't be the last one who collapses. Yes, he's all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate –â€Å" â€Å"I'm not delicate!† said Harry crossly. â€Å"Of course you're not,† said Madam Pomfrey absentmindedly, now taking his pulse. â€Å"What does he need?† said Professor McGonagall crisply. â€Å"Bed rest? Should he perhaps spend tonight in the hospital wing?† â€Å"I'm fine!† said Harry, jumping up. The thought of what Draco Malfoy would say if he had to go to the hospital wing was torture. â€Å"Well, he should have some chocolate, at the very least,† said Madam Pomfrey, who was now trying to peer into Harry's eyes. â€Å"I've already had some,† said Harry. â€Å"Professor Lupin gave me some. He gave it to all of us.† â€Å"Did he, now?† said Madam Pomfrey approvingly. â€Å"So we've finally got a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies?† â€Å"Are you sure you feel all right, Potter?† Professor McGonagall said sharply. â€Å"Yes,† said Harry. â€Å"Very well. Kindly wait outside while I have a quick word with Miss Granger about her course schedule, then we can go down to the feast together.† Harry went back into the corridor with Madam Pomfrey, who left for the hospital wing, muttering to herself. He had to wait only a few minutes; then Hermione emerged looking very happy about something, followed by Professor McGonagall, and the three of them made their way back down the marble staircase to the Great Hall. It was a sea of pointed black hats; each of the long House tables was lined with students, their faces glimmering by the light of thousands of candles, which were floating over the tables in midair. Professor Flitwick, who was a tiny little wizard with a shock of white hair, was carrying an ancient hat and a three-legged stool out of the hall. â€Å"Oh,† said Hermione softly, â€Å"we've missed the Sorting!† New students at Hogwarts were sorted into Houses by trying on the Sorting Hat, which shouted out the House they were best suited to (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin). Professor McGonagall strode off toward her empty seat at the staff table, and Harry and Hermione set off in the other direction, as quietly as possible, toward the Gryffindor table. People looked around at them as they passed along the back of the hall, and a few of them pointed at Harry. Had the story of his collapsing in front of the Dementor traveled that fast? He and Hermione sat down on either side of Ron, who had saved them seats. â€Å"What was all that about?† he muttered to Harry. Harry started to explain in a whisper, but at that moment the headmaster stood up to speak, and he broke off. Professor Dumbledore, though very old, always gave an impression of great energy. He had several feet of long silver hair and beard, half-moon spectacles, and an extremely crooked nose. He was often described as the greatest wizard of the age, but that wasn't why Harry respected him. You couldn't help trusting Albus Dumbledore, and as Harry watched him beaming around at the students, he felt really calm for the first time since the Dementor had entered the train compartment. â€Å"Welcome!† said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. â€Å"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, â€Å"As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business.† He paused, and Harry remembered what Mr. Weasley had said about Dumbledore not being happy with the Dementors guarding the school. â€Å"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds,† Dumbledore continued, â€Å"and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises — or even Invisibility Cloaks,† he added blandly, and Harry and Ron glanced at each other. â€Å"It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors,† he said. Percy, who was sitting a few seats down from Harry, puffed out his chest again and stared around impressively. Dumbledore paused again; he looked very seriously around the hall, and nobody moved or made a sound. â€Å"On a happier note,† he continued, I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. â€Å"First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.† There was some scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause. Only those who had been in the compartment on the train with Professor Lupin clapped hard, Harry among them. Professor Lupin looked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers in their best robes. â€Å"Look at Snape!† Ron hissed in Harry's ear. Professor Snape, the Potions master, was staring along the staff table at Professor Lupin. It was common knowledge that Snape wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, but even Harry, who hated Snape, was startled at the expression twisting his thin, sallow face. it was beyond anger: it was loathing. Harry knew that expression only too well; it was the look Snape wore every time he set eyes on Harry. â€Å"As to our second new appointment,† Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm applause for Professor Lupin died away. â€Å"Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties.† Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at one another, stunned. Then they joined in with the applause, which was tumultuous at the Gryffindor table in particular. Harry leaned forward to see Hagrid, who was ruby red in the face and staring down at his enormous hands, his wide grin hidden in the tangle of his black beard. â€Å"We should've known!† Ron roared, pounding the table. â€Å"Who else would have assigned us a biting book?† Harry, Ron, and Hermione were the last to stop clapping, and as Professor Dumbledore started speaking again, they saw that Hagrid was wiping his eyes on the tablecloth. â€Å"Well, I think that's everything of importance,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"Let the feast begin!† The golden plates and goblets before them filled suddenly with food and drink. Harry, suddenly ravenous, helped himself to everything he could reach and began to eat. It was a delicious feast; the hall echoed with talk, laughter, and the clatter of knives and forks. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, were eager for it to finish so that they could talk to Hagrid. They knew how much being made a teacher would mean to him. Hagrid wasn't a fully qualified wizard; he had been expelled from Hogwarts in his third year for a crime he had not committed. It had been Harry, Ron, and Hermione who had cleared Hagrid's name last year. At long last, when the last morsels of pumpkin tart had melted from the golden platters, Dumbledore gave the word that it was time for them all to go to bed, and they got their chance. â€Å"Congratulations, Hagrid!† Hermione squealed as they reached the teachers' table. â€Å"All down ter you three,† said Hagrid, wiping his shining face on his napkin as he looked up at them. â€Å"Can' believe it†¦great man, Dumbledore†¦came straight down to me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough†¦It's what I always wanted†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Overcome with emotion, he buried his face in his napkin, and Professor McGonagall shooed them away. Harry, Ron, and Hermione joined the Gryffindors streaming up the marble staircase and, very tired now, along more corridors, up more and more stairs, to the hidden entrance to Gryffindor Tower, where a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress asked them, â€Å"Password?† â€Å"Coming through, coming through!† Percy called from behind the crowd. â€Å"The new password's Fortuna Major!† â€Å"Oh no,† said Neville Longbottom sadly. He always had trouble remembering the passwords. Through the portrait hole and across the common room, the girls and boys divided toward their separate staircases. Harry climbed the spiral stair with no thought in his head except how glad he was to be back. They reached their familiar, circular dormitory with its five four-poster beds, and Harry, looking around, felt he was home at last.