New Labour Education Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

New Labour Education Policy - Essay Example In keeping step with the concept that the school is a reflection of society, New Labour's educational policies have been framed in their philosophy of free market competition, equality, and the recognition and reward of ability. New Labour has made a significant commitment to narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor and lessening the effects of the social and cultural capital that permeates the system. The policy is also committed to "reversing the increasing social exclusion of the unemployed and low-paid, and to equality of opportunity in education and the need to develop the potential of every child" (Tomlinson 2003, p.195). In addition, New Labour has maintained a steadfast commitment to "choice and competition, with education developing as a market commodity driven by consumer demand, fuelled by league tables of examination results, school 'choice' by parents, specialist schools and failing schools" (Tomlinson 2003, p.196). The ruthlessness of the market and cultural trad itions have often compromised the drive towards equality and fairness and has created tension in New Labour's controversial educational policies. No matter where you look in the educational system you will see the influence of the social stratification, racism, the gap between the poor and rich, and the class attitudes that are reflected in education's mirror. However, national standards and mandates have dictated that these influences must be overlooked and not considered in favour of an inclusive and performance based system. The initial enthusiasm that met New Labour's educational reforms has "dissipated into puzzlement, disappointment and concern about the direction of education policy, at least in... The researcher of this essay concluds that education reform in the UK has followed a violent and rocky road since the beginnings of formal education. Once thought to be the property of the elite, the researcher states that education is now perceived as a right that every citizen has an opportunity to attain. The traditional view that the school should be a reflection of the society becomes problematic when trying to instil equality, while honestly accounting for the culture. The call for free market choice and competition add additional tension to the multiple goals of the educational initiatives. Traditional social and cultural groups that underperform in society or economics will also underperform in education. This results in socio-economic groupings that take on the characteristic of being exclusionary. The students with social capital will group with like peers and self perpetuate the segregation. Meritocracy further increases the gap, as the most capable students will be the on es from an advantaged background. The researcher hopes that thse phenomena will resonate through race, ethnicity, gender, and the disabled. In this scenario demands that society make some fundamental changes in correcting its own prejudice. Still, Labour has shown a willingness to acknowledge its failures and alter their approach when possible. They have begun to consider the social context of the schools and it can be concluded that educational reform is far from ideal, but continues to evolve as society pulls it along.

Fire Safety Essay Example for Free

Fire Safety Essay On a cold summers night the fire department received a two-alarm house fire. When the first-in engine arrived on the scene they reported heavy smoke and flames visible from the exterior. Others units then arrived on the scene to help battle the blaze that destroyed the two-story house. Thankfully, no one was injured. Fire investigators determined the cause of the blaze was a candle that has been left burning unattended while the homeowners left the house. Accidents like this are the reason for fire safety awareness. Fire safety is an essential part of education for both the public and firefighters that has proven to decrease the risk of accidental fires and fire related deaths. The history of the fire service dates back to the early days of history. The service has evolved dramatically from the beginning. The first records of the fire service were recorded when a firefighting force emerged â€Å"during the rule of the roman empire† (Lincolnshire 1). The first try of using a fire brigade didn’t work as planned as nearly a quarter of Rome went up in smoke under rule of emperor Augustus. The first fire brigade used slaves to attempt to put out the raging fires. Later â€Å"Britain got its first organized fire brigade in 43 AD when the Romans invaded. After they left Britain’s first fire brigade disbanded† (Lincolnshire 1). At these early times in history people begin to realize the need for a fire department and the uses for spreading fire safety to protect civilians came about. The main reason for teaching fire safety evolved from these times. It is meant to protect and help save lives when fire is present in ones environment. Firefighting is one of the most honorable jobs in America. They play a major role in the communities in which they work. Firefighters don’t only work to put out fires that occur but also spend much of their time educating the public in an effort to help prevent fires before they start. Webster’s Dictionary defines fire safety as: public education and awareness to help reduce the risk of fires (â€Å"Fire Safety† 500). Fire safety is a simple and  inexpensive in educating the public and can be very helpful in preventing fires (Elken 641). Many fire departments get the community involved in programs to educate people of all ages. There are many types of programs and ways to make fire safety education realistic and interesting to learn about. One of the simplest and most inexpensive ways to share life-saving information is through the public service announcements (Elken 641). Some examples of this are methods such as radio and television commercials. Some fire departments have fire safety trailers. These trailers have often been remodeled to make the living areas of a house realistic but in a much smaller scale. They are fixed to make the sounds and a smoky environment that one might encounter if caught in an actual fire. It is stressed to stay low during a fire in a smoky environment. They also have stoves and fire suppression equipment such as fire extinguishers to educate in how to extinguish small fire such as one that may occur on the stove like a grease fire. Another great safety  program takes place in schools all across the nation. â€Å"Fire prevention and education programs are put in place to teach the dangers of fire and how to evacuate the building quickly and properly in case of an emergency in the learning atmosphere† (Elken 643). Fire drills are an example of procedures that take place in the school to inform students what to do in case of an emergency. These are a few examples of fire safety programs taught around the nation. The need for fire safety has never been higher. As more and more people move into the nation referred to as the â€Å"melting pot† more and more precautions need to be taken as the population increases. The US Fire Administration states â€Å"The US has one of the most highest death rates in the industrialized world (US Fire 1). â€Å"About 5,700 people are killed every year in fires and about 29,000 civilians are injured in fire related injuries† (US Fire 1). Furthermore, â€Å"Careless smoking is one of the most commons reason for fires in residential fires† but â€Å"arson is one of the major causes of death in commercial fire fatalities† (Elken 645). Fire safety is an essential part of public knowledge to help prevent these deaths and fire related injuries. There are many ways to help prevent fire deaths and injuries. Statistics show â€Å"A working smoke detector doubles a person’s chance of surviving a fire. Approximately 90 percent of US homes have at least one smoke detector. Nearly half the residential fires and three fifths of fatalities occur in home with no detectors† (US Fire 2). Smoke and fire detectors can be located throughout a  structure usually close to sleeping quarters. Battery or electricity or both operate them. All batteries should be changed when the time changes. Fire extinguishers should always be placed throughout the house in case of a fire. It is not only important to have this type of devise but it is essential to know how to fully operate it. All basic extinguishers are the same in that they have a handle, and pin to pull for activation by squeezing the handle, and a nozzle that can be pointed to the base of the fire. Another system that is becoming popular and required by fire code in some establishments is the installation of sprinkler systems. The Systems â€Å"have become more cost effective and can usually be installed for .75 to 1.50 dollars per square foot (US Fire 2). It is very important to have some type of devise in the home in the event of an emergency. It is obvious fire safety education is necessary to decrease the risk of fire fatalities. The NFPA says, â€Å"since 1980, fire calls have fallen 43%† (Top Ten 1). Firefighters hard work across the nation is paying off when it comes to public education. As the world strives to reach higher standards in technology I think there will be an even greater decrease in fires in both the residential and commercial environment. As long as the firefighters and communities continue to work together to teach people of all ages about the importance of preventing fire and how to react in the event that one may occur the rate of fire fatalities and injuries will continue to decrease. Saving lives and property is what fire safety is all about.

Essay --

Stalin’s Rise What effective tactics did Joseph Stalin use to rise to power? Emily Goetz 3-10-2014 Word Count 4th hour Question: What effective tactics did Joseph Stalin use to rise to power? Thesis: Over the course of several years, Stalin consolidated his power through the use of political scheming, maintaining a respectable image, and by out-maneuvering his opposition in the Communist Party. A. Plan of Investigation: Over the course of several years, Stalin established his power through the use of political scheming, maintaining a respectable image, and by out-maneuvering his opposition in the Communist Party. Stalin’s rise shows the importance of how political figures maneuver their way to the top and how a dictator achieves legitimacy. In the future, when leaders are rising, they can be compared to Stalin’s and stopped if there are close similarities in ruthlessness. This paper is narrowed to Stalin’s rise to better elaborate on several of the tactics Stalin used to obtain power. I need to find videos from history to show what Stalin was like physically around others. I need to locate speeches, and perhaps recording by other party members about Stalin to show Stalin’s ruthlessness. B. Summary of Evidence: Stalin was drawn into the city’s revolutionary circles after â€Å"discovering the works of Karl Marx† (McKinney). In 1903, the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party split into two, known as the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks. Stalin joined the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin. Between â€Å"1902 and 1913 Stalin was arrested and sent into Siberia seven times† (Haugen). Between exiles Stalin continued work for the Bolsheviks and met Lenin for the first tim... ...de sure to give only those who agreed with him any power, and eventually Congress was filled with a majority of Stalin supporters. When Stalin’s opponents took the left side, Stalin took the right and vice versa. As a result, Stalin maneuvered his way into the Party so much that he practically guaranteed his own success as Lenin’s successor. By the time the Party's core realized what had happened, it was too late, and the only person with the authority to challenge him, was on his deathbed and incapable of speech after a series of strokes. Stalin took down Leon Trotsky and in 1925, and forced Trotsky to resign from the party. Stalin exiled Trotsky from the Soviet Union in 1929, and had him assassinated in Mexico in 1940 (Stalin). Stalin knew how to use his position as an advantage, even to the point of abusing his powers, so they he could defeat his opponents.

Human Element Essay

This study is related to an important topic that influence the evolution of both public and private institutions via improving human resource management and, hence improving the human resource itself, which occupies a vital and outstanding position in the comprehensive development strategies. Also, because of the role that effective human resource plays in planning and implementing development. Therefore, human element is considered an investment in the bright future of the institutions. Human resource is an innovative element that is described as an interactive rather than a rigid element, which is able to coordinate, maintain a balance between the various constituent of production and take the responsibility for the results of operations. On the other hand, external circumstances, such as the economic, political, social cultural and environmental factors, affect human element more than any other element. The researcher has selected Giad Automobiles Manufacturing Co. LTD, as a case study to introduce the influence of human resource development on employees’ performance. The results have been determined based on the analysis of the employees’ responses to the questionnaire that surveyed the employees’ community in the company. The questionnaire has tested the following hypotheses: 1- There is a relationship between the development of human resource management and the development of the working human element. 2- There is a relationship between the development of the human element and the development and improvement of performance in the institution, which leads to an increase in the production and, hence achieving the objectives. The researcher has applied several methodologies, such as case study methodology, descriptive methodology, and statistical analysis. The researcher has confirmed the validity of all the above hypotheses, in addition to the research outcomes that have led the researcher to conclude the study with some suggestions and recommendations.

Crtical thinking responses

On a sheet of paper, apply the general overview of court structure In the united States (Figure 1. 2) to your local community. A. Within my community we have a Trial court that is capable of handling both minor violations (Misdemeanors crimes, DID, Bail hearings) and a Higher court system which deals with capital offenses and has the ability to convict, sentence and reprimand defendants. 2. On a sheet of paper, apply the list of actors In the courthouse (Table 1 . ) to your immunity. If you live In a rural area, how does your list differ from that of someone who lives in a larger community? If you live in a large metropolitan area, how does your list differ from that of someone living in a more rural area? A. Both rural and metropolitan areas share similar actors in the courthouse such as victim/plaintiff, defendant/accused, the prosecution working on behalf of the state, the defense attorney or public defender assigned to the defendant, and a Judge depending on the case or circumsta nce a Jury maybe unnecessary as the case doesn't require.What private, nongovernmental organizations are important to the criminal justice system of your community? A. Lass Cruses Police Department has assigned officers capable of coordinating with local community leaders in creating a Neighborhood watch program which in turn can reduce crime in certain areas. By doing so they utilize a crime control method with this action. 4. Use newspapers, radio, and criminal Justice discussion lists or chat groups to monitor discussion concerning the criminal Justice system. Do citizens make distinctions among police, courts, and corrections, or do they lump everything under

Demeter and the Abduction of Persephone

Demeter and the Abduction of Persephone The story of the abduction of Persephone is more a story about Demeter than it is about her daughter Persephone, so were starting this re-telling of the rape of Persephone beginning with her mother Demeters relationship with one of her brothers, her daughters father, the king of the gods, who refused to step in to help- at least in a timely manner. Demeter, goddess of the earth and grain, was sister to Zeus, as well as Poseidon and Hades. Because Zeus betrayed her by his involvement in the rape of Persephone, Demeter left Mt.Olympus to wander among men. Hence, although a throne on Olympus was her birthright, Demeter is sometimes not counted among the Olympians. This secondary status did nothing to lessen her importance for the Greeks and Romans. The worship associated with Demeter, the Eleusinian Mysteries, endured until it was suppressed in the Christian era. Demeter and Zeus Are Parents of Persephone Demeters relationship with Zeus had not always been so strained: He was the father of her much-loved, white-armed daughter, Persephone. Persephone grew up to be a beautiful young woman who enjoyed playing with the other goddesses on Mt. Aetna, in Sicily. There they gathered and smelled the beautiful flowers. One day, a narcissus caught Persephones eye, so she plucked it to get a better look, but as she pulled it from the ground, a rift formed... Demeter had not been watching too carefully. After all, her daughter was grown. Besides, Aphrodite, Artemis, and Athena were there to watch- or so Demeter assumed. When Demeters attention returned to her daughter, the young maiden (called Kore, which is Greek for maiden) had vanished. Where Was Persephone? Aphrodite, Artemis, and Athena didnt know what had happened, it had been so sudden. One moment Persephone was there, and the next she wasnt. Demeter was beside herself with grief. Was her daughter dead? Abducted? What had happened? No one seemed to know. So Demeter roamed the countryside looking for answers. Zeus Goes Along With Persephones Abduction After Demeter had wandered for 9 days and nights, searching for her daughter as well as taking out her frustrations by randomly torching the earth, the 3-faced goddess Hekate told the anguished mother that while she had heard Persephones cries, she had not been able to see what had happened. So Demeter asked Helios, the sun god- he had to know since he sees all that happens above the ground during the day. Helios told Demeter that Zeus had given their daughter to The Invisible (Hades) for his bride and that Hades, acting on that promise, had taken Persephone home to the Underworld. The imperious king of the gods  Zeus  had dared to give  Demeters daughter Persephone away to Hades, the dark lord of the Underworld, without asking! Imagine Demeters outrage at this revelation. When the sun god  Helios  insinuated that  Hades  was a good match, it added insult to injury. Demeter and Pelops Rage soon reverted to great sorrow. It was during this period that Demeter absentmindedly ate a piece of Pelops shoulder at a banquet for the gods. Then came depression, which meant Demeter couldnt even think about doing her work. Since the goddess wasnt providing food, soon no one would eat. Not even Demeter. Famine would strike mankind. Demeter and Poseidon It didnt help when Demeters third brother, the lord of the sea,  Poseidon, turned against her as she wandered in Arcadia. There he tried to rape her. Demeter saved herself by turning into a mare grazing along with the other horses. Unfortunately, horse-god Poseidon easily spotted his sister, even in mares form, and so, in stallion form, Poseidon raped the horse-Demeter. If ever she had given a thought to returning to live on Mt. Olympus, this was the clincher. Demeter Wanders the Earth Now, Demeter was not a heartless goddess. Depressed, yes. Vengeful? Not particularly, but she did expect to be treated well- at least by mortals- even in the guise of an old Cretan woman. Gecko Killing Pleases Demeter By the time Demeter reached Attica, she was more than parched. Given water to drink, she took the time to sate her thirst. By the time she had stopped, an on-looker, Ascalabus, was laughing at the gluttonous old woman. He said she didnt need a cup, but a tub to drink out of. Demeter was insulted, so throwing water at Ascalabus, she turned him into a gecko.Then Demeter continued on her way about another fifteen miles. Demeter Gets a Job Upon arriving at Eleusis, Demeter sat down by an old well where she began to cry. Four daughters of Celeus, the local chieftain, invited her to meet their mother, Metaneira. The latter was impressed with the old woman and offered her the position of nurse to her infant son. Demeter accepted. Demeter Tries to Make an Immortal In exchange for the hospitality shed been extended, Demeter wanted to do a service for the family, so she set about to make the baby immortal by the usual immersion in fire and ambrosia technique. It would have worked, too, if Metaneira hadnt spied on the old nurse one night as she suspended the ambrosia-anointed infant over the fire. The mother screamed. Demeter, indignant, put the child down, never to resume the treatment, then revealed herself in all her divine glory, and demanded that a temple is built in her honor where she would teach her worshipers her special rites. Demeter Refuses to Do Her Work After the temple was built Demeter continued to reside at Eleusis, pining for her daughter and refusing to feed the earth by growing grain. No one else could do the work since Demeter had never taught anyone else the secrets of agriculture. Persephone and Demeter Reunited Zeus- ever mindful of the gods need for worshipers- decided he had to do something to placate his raging sister  Demeter. When soothing words wouldnt work, as a last resort Zeus sent  Hermes  to  Hades  to bring the daughter of Demeter back up to the light. Hades agreed to let his wife Persephone go back, but first, Hades offered Persephone a farewell meal. Persephone knew she couldnt eat in the Underworld if she ever hoped to return to the land of the living, and so she had diligently observed a fast, but Hades, her would-be husband, was so kind now that she was about to return to her mother Demeter, that Persephone lost her head for a second- long enough to eat a pomegranate seed or six. Perhaps  Persephone  didnt lose her head. Perhaps she had already grown fond of her implacable husband. At any rate, according to a covenant among the gods, the consumption of food guaranteed that Persephone would be allowed (or forced) to return to the Underworld and Hades. And so it was arranged that Persephone could be with her mother Demeter for two-thirds of the year, but would spend the remaining months with her husband. Accepting this compromise, Demeter agreed to let seeds sprout from the earth for all but three months a year- the time known as winter- when Demeters daughter Persephone was with Hades. Spring returned to the earth and would again every year when Persephone returned to her mother Demeter. To further show her goodwill to man, Demeter gave another of Celeus sons, Triptolemus, the first grain of corn and lessons in ploughing and harvesting. With this knowledge, Triptolemus traveled the world, spreading Demeters gift of agriculture.

Alexander The Great Essays (521 words) - Alexander The Great

Alexander The Great Essays (521 words) - Alexander The Great Alexander The Great Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), king of Macedonia, conqueror of the Persian Empire, and one of the greatest military geniuses of all times. Alexander, born in Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia, was the son of Philip II, king of Macedonia, and of Olympias, a princess of Epirus. Aristotle was Alexander's tutor; he gave Alexander a thorough training in rhetoric and literature and stimulated his interest in science, medicine, and philosophy. In the summer of 336 BC Philip was assassinated, and Alexander ascended to the Macedonian throne. He found himself surrounded by enemies at home and threatened by rebellion abroad. Alexander disposed quickly of all conspirators and domestic enemies by ordering their execution. Then he descended on Thessaly, where partisans of independence had gained ascendancy, and restored Macedonian rule. Before the end of the summer of 336 BC he had reestablished his position in Greece and was elected by a congress of states at Corinth. In 335 BC as general of the Greeks in a campaign against the Persians, originally planned by his father, he carried out a successful campaign against the defecting Thracians, penetrating to the Danube River. On his return he crushed in a single week the threatening Illyrians and then hastened to Thebes, which had revolted. He took the city by storm and razed it, sparing only the temples of the gods and the house of the Greek lyric poet Pindar, and selling the surviving inhabitants, about 8000 in number, into slavery. Alexander's promptness in crushing the revolt of Thebes brought the other Greek states into instant and abject submission. Alexander began his war against Persia in the spring of 334 BC by crossing the Hellespont (modern Dardanelles) with an army of 35,000 Macedonian and Greek troops; his chief officers, all Macedonians, included Antigonu s, Ptolemy, and Seleucus. At the river Granicus, near the ancient city of Troy, he attacked an army of Persians and Greek hoplites (mercenaries) totaling 40,000 men. His forces defeated the enemy and, according to tradition, lost only 110 men; after this battle all the states of Asia Minor submitted to him. In passing through Phrygia he is said to have cut with his sword the Gordian knot. Continuing to advance southward, Alexander encountered the main Persian army, commanded by King Darius III, at Issus, in northeastern Syria. The size of Darius's army is unknown; the ancient tradition that it contained 500,000 men is now considered a fantastic exaggeration. The Battle of Issus, in 333, ended in a great victory for Alexander. Cut off from his base, Darius fled northward, abandoning his mother, wife, and children to Alexander, who treated them with the respect due to royalty. Tyre, a strongly fortified seaport, offered obstinate resistance, but Alexander took it by storm in 332 after a siege of seven months. A lexander captured Gaza next and then passed on into Egypt, where he was greeted as a deliverer. By these successes he secured control of the entire eastern Mediterranean coastline. Later in 332 he founded, at the mouth of the Nile River, the city of Alexandria, which later became the literary

The Black Dahlia Murder Case

The Black Dahlia Murder Case The Black Dahlia Murder case remains one of Hollywoods long-running mysteries and one of the most gruesome of the 1940s. A pretty young woman, Elizabeth Short, was found cut in half and posed in a sexually explicit manner in a vacant lot. It would be sensationalized in the media as the Black Dahlia murder. In the media frenzy that followed, rumors and speculation were published as fact, and inaccuracies and exaggerations continue to plague accounts of the crime until this day. Here are the few real facts that are known about the life and death of Elizabeth Short. Elizabeth Shorts Childhood Years Elizabeth Short was born on July 29, 1924, in Hyde Park, Massachusetts to parents Cleo and Phoebe Short. Cleo made a good living building miniature golf courses until the Depression took its toll on the business. In 1930, with his business suffering, Cleo decided to fake his suicide and abandoned Phoebe and their five daughters. He parked his car by a bridge and took off to California. Authorities and Phoebe believed Cleo committed suicide. Later, Cleo decided he made a mistake, contacted Phoebe and apologized for what he had done. He asked to come home. Phoebe, who had faced bankruptcy, worked part-time jobs, stood in lines to get public assistance and raised the five children alone, wanted no part of Cleo and refused to reconcile. Her High School Years Elizabeth was not academically inclined earning average grades in high school. She left high school in her freshman year because of asthma which she suffered with since childhood. It was decided that it would be best for her health if she left New England during the winter months. Arrangements were made for her to go to Florida and stay with family friends, returning to Medford during the spring and summer. Despite her parents difficulties, Elizabeth continued to correspond with her father. She was growing up to be an attractive young girl and like many teenagers enjoyed going to the movies. Like many young pretty girls, Elizabeth developed an interest in modeling and the movie industry and set her goals to someday work in Hollywood. A Short-Lived Reunion At the age of 19, Elizabeths father sent her money to join him in Vallejo, California. The reunion was short-lived, and Cleo soon grew tired of Elizabeths lifestyle of sleeping during the day and going out on dates until late at night. Cleo told Elizabeth to leave, and she moved out on her own to Santa Barbara. The Next Three Years There is much debate about where Elizabeth spent her remaining years. It is known that in Santa Barbara she was arrested for underage drinking and was packed up and returned to Medford. According to reports up until 1946, she spent time in Boston and Miami. In 1944, she fell in love with Major Matt Gordon, a Flying Tiger, and the two discussed marriage, but he was killed on his way home from the war. In July 1946, she moved to Long Beach, California to be with an old boyfriend, Gordon Fickling, who she dated in Florida before her relationship with Matt Gordon. The relationship ended shortly after her arrival and Elizabeth floundered around for the next few months. A Soft Spoken Beauty Friends described Elizabeth as being soft-spoken, courteous, a non-drinker, or smoker, but somewhat of a loafer. Her habit of sleeping late in the day and staying out at night continued to be her lifestyle. She was pretty, enjoyed dressing stylishly and turned heads because of her pale skin contrasting against her dark hair and her translucent blue-green eyes. She wrote to her mother weekly, ensuring her that her life was going well. Some speculate that the letters were Elizabeths attempt to keep her mother from worrying. Those around her know it that over the next few months she moved often, was well liked, but elusive and not well known. During October and November of 1946, she lived in the home of Mark Hansen, owner of the Florentine Gardens. The Florentine Gardens had a reputation as being a rather shoddy strip joint in Hollywood. According to reports, Hansen was said to have various attractive women rooming together at his home, which was located behind the club. Elizabeths last known address in Hollywood was the Chancellor Apartments at 1842 N. Cherokee, where she and four other girls roomed together. In December, Elizabeth boarded a bus and left Hollywood for San Diego. She met Dorothy French, who felt sorry for her and offered her a place to stay. She stayed with the French family until January when she was finally asked to leave. Robert Manley Robert Manley was 25 years old and married, working as a salesman. According to reports, Manley first met Elizabeth in San Diego and offered her a ride to the French house where she was staying. When she was asked to leave, it was Manley who came and drove her back to the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles where she was supposed to be meeting her sister. According to Manley, she was planning to go live with her sister Berkeley. Manley walked Elizabeth to the hotel lobby where he left her at around 6:30 p.m. and drove back to his home San Diego. Where Elizabeth Short went after saying goodbye to Manley is unknown. The Murder Scene On January 15, 1947, Elizabeth Short was found murdered, her body left in a vacant lot on South Norton Avenue between 39th Street and Coliseum. Homemaker Betty Bersinger was running an errand with her three-year-old daughter when she realized that what she was looking at was not a mannequin but an actual body in the lot along the street where she was walking. She went to a nearby house, made an anonymous call to police, and reported the body. When police arrived on the scene, they found the body of a young woman who had been bisected, displayed face-up on the ground with her arms over her head and her lower half placed a foot away from her torso. Her legs were wide open in a vulgar position, and her mouth had three-inch slashes on each side. Rope burns were found on her wrists and ankles. Her head face and body was bruised and cut. There was little blood at the scene, indicating whoever left her, washed the body before bringing it in the lot. The  crime scene  quickly filled with police, bystanders, and reporters. It was later described as being out of control, with people trampling on any evidence investigators hoped to find. Through fingerprints, the body was soon identified as 22-year-old Elizabeth Short or as the press called her, The Black Dahlia. A massive investigation into finding her murderer was launched. Because of the brutality of the murder and Elizabeths sometimes sketchy lifestyle, rumors and speculation were rampant, often being incorrectly reported as fact in newspapers. Suspects Close to 200 suspects were interviewed, sometimes polygraphed, but all eventually released. Exhausted efforts were made to run down any leads or any of  the several false confessions  to the killing of Elizabeth by both men and women. Despite efforts made by investigators, the case has remained one of the most famous unsolved cases in Californias history.

Hate Crimes Toward Hispanic Immigrants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hate Crimes Toward Hispanic Immigrants - Essay Example One day in December 2008 on his way home from a bar and church party, Jose and his brother were walking along the road with their arms around each other which is a common behavior among the Latino cultures. Suddenly three men appeared yelling in anti Hispanic slurs. While his brother managed to escape, Sucuzhanay was struck on the head by a beer bottle. He was also hit on the head with an aluminum baseball. The attackers kicked and punched him severely. Causing him severe head fractures and extensive brain damage. A few days later Sucuzhanay passed away. When the two men were arrested they were only charged with a second-degree murder and assault. In real sense all hate crimes in America, could face 78 years to life in prison. On November 8, 2008 on Long Island in New York on, Marcelo Lucero, Ecuadorian real estate agent was thoroughly beaten and seriously wounded by seven teenagers who were driving around looking for Mexicans to attack. When the seven young men spotted Lucero, they got out of their car and man bounded him beating and stabbing him severely. When the matter was brought before the courts, the teens were only charged with gang assault. Steve Levy, the County Executive of Suffolk constantly talked against immigrants, including on Lou Dobbs Tonight. The New York Times reported about Lucero's death and hate crimes against Latinos. But all these seemed not to attract much attention. A possible execution in a New York community should be more than enough to force the American people to acknowledge the bitter truth that has overcome Latinos in the days of rage against illegal immigration. The situation began to change when the when republican politicians decided a few years ago to exploit immigration as a wedge issue. They formulated strict legislations to criminalize the events. Prominent personalities and radio talk show hosts latched on to the issue. Substantial efforts in congress to create an overhaul of the immigration system failed again and agai n. The opponents of these efforts wanted only to demonize and punish the Latino workers on which the country now appeared to depend on much. The sudden increase in hate crimes against Hispanics for the past four years is particularly worrying since hate crimes committed against other groups has over the same period decreased drastically (Altschiller, 2005, p.101). This noxious setting, in which horrible rhetoric targets immigrants while the number of hate crimes against Hispanics and people perceived to be immigrants steadily increases, has caused a sharp sense of fear among the communities living in the united states ( Researcher, 2010,84). Certain groups opposed to immigration reform, such as the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), and Numbers USA, have occasionally claimed that immigrants are responsible for numerous evils in the society. However they have often lacked valid and reliable evidence to support the claims. Even though these groups have tried to present themselves as lawful, advocates against illegal immigration in America, it has been revealed that these organizations have worrying relations with unlawful extremists in the anti-immigration

NO TOPIC JUST DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

NO TOPIC JUST DISCUSSION QUESTIONS - Dissertation Example It is one’s contention that the change was managed successfully paving the way for various suppliers and customers to take advantage of advanced communication, computer, and mobile services at increasing volume and decreasing costs. Despite the efficiency and success of contemporary organizations in the industry, future challenges come in terms of continued reliability and sustainability of the system as well as controls in costs of both telecommunications equipment and services. Discussion Question 2: The force field analysis is a viable tool to initiate changes at work through the identification and evaluation of both driving forces and forces of resistance. As indicated, through brainstorming, one is made to clearly itemize these forces and determine which force/s have greater intensities that could assist in the accomplishment of identified change goals.

Journal Article Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Journal Article Critique - Essay Example The test materials comprised of dried meat soluble product (DMS) and yeast fermentation product (YFP). In all the three experiments, soybean meal (SBM) of 48% CP content served as the control ingredient. Various batches of every by-product were investigated in all the three tests making use of an apparent ME assay for poultry and digestibility assay for the barrows. In experiment 1, the nitrogen-corrected AME (AMEn) for YFP, DMS, and SBM were 3.292, 2.801, and 2.909 kcal, correspondingly. In experiment 2, the AMEn was 3.565, 3.207, and 2.809 kcal, in that order. In experiment 3, the AMEn was 3.552, 2.208, and 3.844 kcal, for SBM, DMS, and YFP, respectively. However, in this third test the diets were formulated such that the test ingredients gave the only source of amino acids in every experimental diet. According to the experimental results, for the ME assay for poultry, the DMS product is comparable to the SBM and appears fit for consumption by non-ruminant species according to thei r poor ability to support nitrogen retention in both species. The article flows logically and succinctly explaining its major talking points. The authors clearly state an explicit thesis and have a specific point of view; to evaluate the nutritional value of two non-traditional by-products for ducks and pigs. The article analyzed the DMS by-product and found out that it was associated with high crude protein as well as gross energy contents. In the same way, the SBM was clearly superior to the DMS. This was evidenced by marked differences in retained energy, digestible and apparent ME, nitrogen retention, biological value, and net protein utilization (Ragland, et al., 1998). The researchers cited the work of Lyons and Vandepopuliere that found the potential use of DMS for animal feeding because they used a similar by product to DMS. This makes the argument compelling

Critical analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Critical analysis - Essay Example The major effect of global warming is the increase in the carbon dioxide emissions leading to a hotter environment. The long-term effects of the increased carbon emissions include mass extinctions, famine, floods, hurricanes and drought. The film An Inconvenient Truth aims at educating the masses on the need to have environmental friendly investments and sources of energy. This includes developing new generation vehicles. This essay seeks to present an argument whose aim is to find out whether global warming is a swindle or an inconvenient truth. The essay intends to point out the cause of and solutions to global warming. Thesis Global warming has been attributed to human activities or natural phenomena such as changes in the sun. It is imperative to consider the actual cause of global warming and solutions based on the opposing arguments. Strong point for global warming According to Davis, in the movie An Inconvenient Truth, the melting of glaciers parks and ice shelves is bound to have a profound effect. Some of these ice shelves include Mount Kilimanjaro, the Himalayas, Glacier National Park, Italian Alps and Colombia Glacier. Research shows that some of these glaciers have melted halfway. As a result, many polar bears are drowning as a result of swimming longer distances in search of glaciers. These are facts that can be quantified statistically. Continued global warming is likely to result in increased devastation. It is estimated that the melting of Greenland or Antarctica will eventually result in the rise of sea levels (An Inconvenient Truth). This rise is expected to reach twenty feet. In effect, the twenty feet rise in the sea level would leave one hundred million people homeless. This is especially so if places such as Florida, Netherlands, Bangladesh, Shanghai, San Francisco, and Calcutta become affected. In the United States, some of the economic sectors are expected to be impacted more than the others. The agricultural societies are expected to be profoundly affected by the impact of global warming. This is as a result of the loss of soil moisture. In the United States, the frequent wildfires are said to be a direct consequence of this phenomenon. However, an increasing number of scientists have been attempting to debunk the concept of global warming. They argue that human activities cannot be the cause of global warming (The Great Global Warming Swindle). The

Cellular Biology Article Discussion-Gene Sharing Yields an Enzyme with

Cellular Biology Discussion-Gene Sharing Yields an Enzyme with Two Binding Sites in One Subunit - Article Example It is well recognized that mitochondria have an important role to play in the development of reperfusion injury. Against this backdrop, the paper titled, â€Å"Mitochondrial Death Channels† by Webster, K.A., addresses the actual mechanism of mitochondrial action of promoting reperfusion injury. The important and individual roles played by two mitochondrial death channels, the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) and the mitochondrial apoptosis channel (mAC) in the promotion of infarction are described. It explains in detail, how, during a heart attack, mPTP, under the regulation of calcium and oxidative stress, causes necrotic death while both mPTP and mAC channels are involved in apoptosis. Apoptosis or programmed cell death is an intrinsic cellular process, just as mitosis is. Cell suicides are resorted to in the course of development for example, resorption of the tadpole tail during metamorphosis into a frog, or to destroy cells that represent a threat to the integrity of the organism, or when signals needed for continued survival are lacking. Apoptosis is different from necrosis in that it affects individual cells whereas necrosis affects groups of contiguous cells. Cardiovascular diseases which are the leading cause of death in all developed countries are characterized by the loss of cardiomyocytes due to cell death. Earlier, cell death in myocardial infarction was believed to be caused solely by necrosis. However, recent studies have shown the involvement of apoptosis, too, in the process of myocardial tissue damage subsequent to heart attack (Krijnen et al., 2002). Besides, apoptosis in cardiomyocytes is mediated by mitochondria through the two mitochondrial dea th channels namely, mPTP and mAC as shown in the current paper. Mitochondria are known to be important mediators of cardiac injury during ischemia and

The Ethics of Consumers Engaging in Ethical Purchases Essay

The Ethics of Consumers Engaging in Ethical Purchases - Essay Example Brief Summary of the Topic Various scholars have studied consumer ethics in different perspectives. Newman (2011) studied them and explained that those consumers who try to make ethical purchases only to realize they were duped may become cynical and feel their efforts were futile. DaVinney et al. (2010) studied them in terms of consumer social behaviors while Nicholls & Opal (2005) studied the way they drive market and thus influencing fair-trade. According to Carrigan (2005), Consumer ethics are the moral principles that guide consumers in obtaining, using, and disposing of goods and services. These consumer ethics help us to understand how consumers make their judgment about products or services in questionable situations like fraud and shoplifting. The ethics helps consumers to conduct themselves in a way that help them remain in harmony with concerns of nature while not neglecting the needs and interests of their social reality and their immediate and material needs (Koslowski e t al 2004). These ethics can also help consumers to avoid unhealthy products and services and those products, which might pollute the environment. According to Schwartz (2010), it is necessary for consumers to consider the moral and ethical dimension of the products when making a purchase. However, there are very few who do so. In this era, what people say and what they actually do when shopping differ greatly (Miller 2001). Moreover, it is somehow very difficult to avoid unethical purchases completely and as a result, few people in the current world buy products and services purely on ethics. In most cases people tend to make emotional decisions based on the perception they have for a product or service when making a purchase (Arnold 2010). A good example of people who make ethical purchases are those who choose to buy a product that is labeled fair-trade because of their concern for the developing countries. Another good example is people who buy product because of the role they p lay in conserving the environment (Harrison et al. 2005). Various factors are believed to influence the consumer ethics. Some of these factors include culture, social-economic status, and religion (Carrigan 2005). Many scholars have studied these factors and tried to explain the roles they play in influencing a consumer to make an ethical purchase. It is also believed that when making an ethical purchase the consumer does not have to ignore other factors of the product or service like price and quality (Harrison et al. 2005). In this case, what a consumer should do is to use an additional criterion of ethics when deciding his purchases. Consider the Topic from the Views of at least Two Competing Ethical Perspectives We can consider the issue of consumer ethics from various different perspectives. One of these perspectives is when it comes to purchasing food staffs. In such a case, consumers are bound by various factors when deciding which product to buy. With the current development in economy and technology, various types of synthetic foodstuffs have emerged. These foodstuffs are promoted even in our media. Also due to competition of the sorts of foodstuffs in the market, no company can dare to tell the consumers the disadvantage of their products. The kind of

Cellular Biology Article Discussion-Gene Sharing Yields an Enzyme with

Cellular Biology Discussion-Gene Sharing Yields an Enzyme with Two Binding Sites in One Subunit - Article Example It is well recognized that mitochondria have an important role to play in the development of reperfusion injury. Against this backdrop, the paper titled, â€Å"Mitochondrial Death Channels† by Webster, K.A., addresses the actual mechanism of mitochondrial action of promoting reperfusion injury. The important and individual roles played by two mitochondrial death channels, the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) and the mitochondrial apoptosis channel (mAC) in the promotion of infarction are described. It explains in detail, how, during a heart attack, mPTP, under the regulation of calcium and oxidative stress, causes necrotic death while both mPTP and mAC channels are involved in apoptosis. Apoptosis or programmed cell death is an intrinsic cellular process, just as mitosis is. Cell suicides are resorted to in the course of development for example, resorption of the tadpole tail during metamorphosis into a frog, or to destroy cells that represent a threat to the integrity of the organism, or when signals needed for continued survival are lacking. Apoptosis is different from necrosis in that it affects individual cells whereas necrosis affects groups of contiguous cells. Cardiovascular diseases which are the leading cause of death in all developed countries are characterized by the loss of cardiomyocytes due to cell death. Earlier, cell death in myocardial infarction was believed to be caused solely by necrosis. However, recent studies have shown the involvement of apoptosis, too, in the process of myocardial tissue damage subsequent to heart attack (Krijnen et al., 2002). Besides, apoptosis in cardiomyocytes is mediated by mitochondria through the two mitochondrial dea th channels namely, mPTP and mAC as shown in the current paper. Mitochondria are known to be important mediators of cardiac injury during ischemia and

International Relations to East Asia Research Paper

International Relations to East Asia - Research Paper Example In the 19th century, Japan decided to adopt a developmentalism ideology as a defense mechanism in the then prevailing harsh and deep rooted competition from imperial states. Japan was determined to rise economically to enable it compete comfortably among the then well established states from the western region. The process of rapid development started before world war two. However, it stagnated greatly because the war interrupted the environment for Japan to develop. After the war, Japan set out to achieve its dream of being industrialized. The Japanese government concentrated on development policies in all its endeavors. The Japanese government was prepared to take any risk as long as that risk resulted to rapid economic expansion. Dent (2008) argues that some risks involved putting on hold all other policy agendas. At that time, it did not matter, whether the policy agendas ignored concerned the environment or nature. The opinion of the public did not count in the making of vital d ecisions, but rather the government was pragmatic and concentrated on the development goals. On the contrary, big businesses, politicians, and bureaucrats dominated the race to attaining industrialization. Japan’s primary target was to join organizations of the rich countries and therefore these three pillars worked tirelessly in implementing the policies set up by the government, to favor industrialization. In Asia, Japan got industrialized first through concentrating on development goals and preferably adopted this system because it was in a rush to join the global economy (Flath, 2005). The Japanese government formulated policies that favored the big corporations. In addition, these corporations received protection and support from the government. The bureaucrats had great potential to control government projects and therefore they ensured that these corporations thrived under all costs. In most cases, the government allowed the bureaucrat hierarchy to have more powers tha n the politicians. These bureaucrats formed a hierarchy in The Ministry of Finance and Ministry of International Trade and Industry. Members of the civil society did not participate in policymaking. Concentration on big corporations left out small and medium industries. The bureaucrats exerted great influence on the entire process of policymaking in Japan reaching a point whereby they acquired a dominant position. Despite Diet, the legislative body according the dominating power to cabinet, strategies from the bureaucrats overpowered the cabinet (Dent, 2008). It is through this system that the Japanese government rose to participate in the global economy. Japan gained entry into the Group 8 organization of rich countries (G8) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Since the Japanese government chose to ignore all other policy agendas as they rose to the level of global economy, the great economic achievement brought about increased environmental pollut ion. The public condemned the companies that contributed to the highest level of pollution. In the process of industrialization, the government ignored the voice of the public. The big corporations that the government supported were under no obligation to take moral responsibility in protection of the environment. The public suffered terrible effects of the pollution. There was increased emergence of unknown diseases in the society because of pollution. These were the worst risks the government

Program assessment Essay Example for Free

Program assessment Essay Assessment is not only about measuring and finding faults, instead it should be based on the mainly ways of program improvement in order to achieve desired results. Learning should be adjusted to cater for the different needs of students, therefore assessment should assist in identifying which programs should be wiped out, which should be improved and which should be introduced. The CAS Standards has introduced several programs which can be used to improve students learning. Some of these include group or team theory and step learning. Group theory advocates for students to learn as a group, this is because students can be able to discuss together their weaknesses and also ensure all students participate in learning activities better. Step learning is also an essay program that can be implemented in leaning. The program involves designing learning in stages where students must follow as a learning process. NACADA is another body which has advocated for several core values to assist students; good examples include motivation, confidence and self discipline. These cores ensure a student is able to learn with little guidance. In addition it assists the students to be able to work smart in all their learning activities. The assessment procedure will therefore be expected to improve the learning process to be able to cater for all the students. The assessment will also ensure students abilities are maximized.

Canine First Aid :: essays research papers fc

FIRST AID FOR DOGS The aims and rules of first aid First Aid treatment is based on three aims and four rules. Aims 1. To preserve life 2. To prevent suffering 3. To prevent the situation from deteriorating Rules 1. Don ¡Ã‚ ¦t panic 2. Maintain airway 3. Control haemorrhage 4. Contact a vet The limitations of first aid The goal of first aid is to help the patient as best as you can - no more than that. First aid should only be used to preserve life until a veterinarian can be found. It must be remembered that not all patients can be saved: some will die. The following is a guide for basic first aid in various situations involving dogs. Poisoning Many items found in the home and garden can be poisonous to animals and it is vital that you know what to do if you suspect the dog has been poisoned. There are three ways for dogs to get poisons into their system: „h Ingestion „h Inhalation „h Absorption It is important to bring the following to the vet if you suspect a dog has been poisoned: „h Packaging „h Note of approximate amount taken „h Time taken This will help to speed up the process of treating your dog. Ingestion (non-corrosive) If the dog has ingested a non-corrosive poison vomiting should be induced. There are various ways to induce vomiting, these include: „h Salted water „h Mustard and water „h Washing soda „h Rompun injection (by veterinarian) „h Wash out stomach (by veterinarian) Ingestion (corrosive) If a corrosive poison has been ingested it is vital that it is given a substance to either dilute or demulcent. To dilute: „h Water To demulcent: „h Milk „h Olive oil Inhalation If the dog has inhaled a poisonous substance you should do the following: „h Get into fresh air „h Keep warm When the dog gets to the vet they should have oxygen therapy. Absorption If the dog has absorbed poison (such as from chemicals on the fur) the following action should be taken: „h Wash the dog, making sure to wear protective clothing „h Stop the animal from licking itself It is important to not use any chemicals when washing substances from the dog ¡Ã‚ ¦s coat. If you are unsure if your dog has been poisoned If you are unsure if your dog has been poisoned, look out for the following symptoms: „h Breathing difficulty „h Unusual actions „h Digestive upset „h Irregular heart, rapid, or weak „h Shivering „h Convulsions „h Salivation There are many different types of poisoning; each will affect your dog differently. Many do not produce immediate symptoms. Do not make the dog vomit if it is a corrosive poison or you do not know what kind of poison the dog has consumed.

Conduct Books in the 18th Century Essay -- Literature

Conduct Books in the 18th Century Throughout history, conduct books have played an integral part in defining what cultures believed were acceptable and desirable behaviors, as well as representing the ideal person. In the introduction to The Ideology of Conduct, Nancy Armstrong and Leonard Tennenhouse attempt to show how literature and conduct books have been important in relaying these messages and shaping a history of sexuality through the ages. They also point out the interesting fact that these books of conduct have been aimed more at women and far "surpassed in quantity and variety" (Armstrong and Tennenhouse 4) similar types of literature for men. Some of the examples they list of types of conduct literature include pamphlets on marriage, books on manners and morality, and devotional manuals designated for women of the aristocracy. Even in our culture today this type of literature exists in the forms of advertisements, fashion magazines, and exercise books. Again, much of this type of literature is directed at women more than men, which these editors explain as an attempt to specify "what a woman should desire to be if she wishes to attract a socially approved male and keep him happy" (Armstrong and Tennenhouse 5). This makes sense because even today our society is patriarchal, constructed so that women many times have to count on financial support from a man. However, the introduction points out the irony of this, since not only is the desirable woman being defined, but also what a man should find desirable in a woman is defined. also note that this is not necessarily a contradiction, since "the gendered world of information we inhabit today reproduces and maintains the dominant view (Armstrong and Tennenhouse 5). ... ...n," women learn how to be more desirable for men in terms of today's standards. The focus seems to be on independence as well as sexual attractiveness, and although these qualities are quite different from those of the eighteenth century, they are still just as offensive. Just a few of the headings and articles give a clear idea of the messages being sent to women today: "Are you going too far to snag a man?" or "Bikini Body Bummers: Stretch Marks, Bikini Stubble, Flab, Back Acne--You name it, we help you banish it" and even "Cosmo's 10 Commandments" which include, among other things, "ditch the bitchy mood, fall for a nice guy, send thank you notes, keep underwear under cover, and never lose your cool." Even today conduct books remain an integral part of a culture's beliefs and ideals, documenting "a history of sexuality" (Armstrong and Tennenhouse 19) through time.

Chapter 21 The House-elf Liberation Front

Harry, Ron, and Hermione went up to the Owlery that evening to find Pigwidgeon, so that Harry could send Sirius a letter telling him that he had managed to get past his dragon unscathed. On the way, Harry filled Ron in on everything Sirius had told him about Karkaroff. Though shocked at first to hear that Karkaroff had been a Death Eater, by the time they entered the Owlery Ron was saying that they ought to have suspected it all along. â€Å"Fits, doesn't it?† he said. â€Å"Remember what Malfoy said on the train, about his dad being friends with Karkaroff? Now we know where they knew each other. They were probably running around in masks together at the World Cup†¦.I'll tell you one thing, though, Harry, if it was Karkaroff who put your name in the goblet, he's going to be feeling really stupid now, isn't he? Didn't work, did it? You only got a scratch! Come here – I'll do it -â€Å" Pigwidgeon was so overexcited at the idea of a delivery he was flying around and around Harry's head, hooting incessantly. Ron snatched Pigwidgeon out of the air and held him still while Harry attached the letter to his leg. There's no way any of the other tasks are going to be that dangerous, how could they be?† Ron went on as he carried Pigwidgeon to the window. â€Å"You know what? I reckon you could win this tournament, Harry, I'm serious.† Harry knew that Ron was only saying this to make up for his behavior of the last few weeks, but he appreciated it all the same. Hermione, however, leaned against the Owlery wall, folded her arms, and frowned at Ron. â€Å"Harry's got a long way to go before he finishes this tournament,† she said seriously. â€Å"If that was the first task, I hate to think what's coming next.† â€Å"Right little ray of sunshine, aren't you?† said Ron. â€Å"You and Professor Trelawney should get together sometime.† He threw Pigwidgeon out of the window. Pigwidgeon plummeted twelve feet before managing to pull himself back up again; the letter attached to his leg was much longer and heavier than usual – Harry hadn't been able to resist giving Sirius a blow-by-blow account of exactly how he had swerved, circled, and dodged the Horntail. They watched Pigwidgeon disappear into the darkness, and then Ron said, â€Å"Well, we'd better get downstairs for your surprise party, Harry – Fred and George should have nicked enough food from the kitchens by now.† Sure enough, when they entered the Gryffindor common room it exploded with cheers and yells again. There were mountains of cakes and flagons of pumpkin juice and butterbeer on every surface; Lee Jordan had let off some Filibuster's Fireworks, so that the air was thick with stars and sparks; and Dean Thomas, who was very good at drawing, had put up some impressive new banners, most of which depicted Harry zooming around the Horntail's head on his Firebolt, though a couple showed Cedric with his head on fire. Harry helped himself to food; he had almost forgotten what it was like to feel properly hungry, and sat down with Ron and Hermione. He couldn't believe how happy he felt; he had Ron back on his side, he'd gotten through the first task, and he wouldn't have to face the second one for three months. â€Å"Blimey, this is heavy,† said Lee Jordan, picking up the golden egg, which Harry had left on a table, and weighing it in his hands. â€Å"Open it, Harry, go on! Let's just see what's inside it!† â€Å"He's supposed to work out the clue on his own,† Hermione said swiftly. â€Å"It's in the tournament rules†¦.† â€Å"I was supposed to work out how to get past the dragon on my own too,† Harry muttered, so only Hermione could hear him, and she grinned rather guiltily. â€Å"Yeah, go on, Harry, open it!† several people echoed. Lee passed Harry the egg, and Harry dug his fingernails into the groove that ran all the way around it and prised it open. It was hollow and completely empty – but the moment Harry opened it, the most horrible noise, a loud and screechy wailing, filled the room. The nearest thing to it Harry had ever heard was the ghost orchestra at Nearly Headless Nick's deathday party, who had all been playing the musical saw. â€Å"Shut it!† Fred bellowed, his hands over his ears. â€Å"What was that?† said Seamus Finnigan, staring at the egg as Harry slammed it shut again. â€Å"Sounded like a banshee†¦Maybe you've got to get past one of those next, Harry!† â€Å"It was someone being tortured!† said Neville, who had gone very white and spilled sausage rolls all over the floor. â€Å"You're going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!† â€Å"Don't be a prat, Neville, that's illegal,† said George. â€Å"They wouldn't use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions. I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing†¦maybe you've got to attack him while he's in the shower. Harry.† â€Å"Want a jam tart, Hermione?† said Fred. Hermione looked doubtfully at the plate he was offering her. Fred grinned. â€Å"It's all right,† he said. â€Å"I haven't done anything to them. It's the custard creams you've got to watch -â€Å" Neville, who had just bitten into a custard cream, choked and spat it out. Fred laughed. â€Å"Just my little joke, Neville†¦.† Hermione took a jam tart. Then she said, â€Å"Did you get all this from the kitchens, Fred?† â€Å"Yep,† said Fred, grinning at her. He put on a high-pitched squeak and imitated a house-elf. â€Å"‘anything we can get you, sir, anything at all!' They're dead helpful†¦get me a roast ox if I said I was peckish.† â€Å"How do you get in there?† Hermione said in an innocently casual sort of voice. â€Å"Easy,† said Fred, â€Å"concealed door behind a painting of a bowl of fruit. Just tickle the pear, and it giggles and -† He stopped and looked suspiciously at her. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Nothing,† said Hermione quickly. â€Å"Going to try and lead the house-elves out on strike now, are you?† said George. â€Å"Going to give up all the leaflet stuff and try and stir them up into rebellion?† Several people chortled. Hermione didn't answer. â€Å"Don't you go upsetting them and telling them they've got to take clothes and salaries!† said Fred warningly. â€Å"You'll put them off their cooking!† Just then, Neville caused a slight diversion by turning into a large canary. â€Å"Oh – sorry, Neville!† Fred shouted over all the laughter. â€Å"I forgot – it was the custard creams we hexed -â€Å" Within a minute, however, Neville had molted, and once his feathers had fallen off, he reappeared looking entirely normal. He even joined in laughing. â€Å"Canary Creams!† Fred shouted to the excitable crowd. â€Å"George and I invented them – seven Sickles each, a bargain!† It was nearly one in the morning when Harry finally went up to the dormitory with Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean. Before he pulled the curtains of his four-poster shut. Harry set his tiny model of the Hungarian Horntail on the table next to his bed, where it yawned, curled up, and closed its eyes. Really, Harry thought, as he pulled the hangings on his four-poster closed, Hagrid had a point†¦they were all right, really, dragons†¦. The start of December brought wind and sleet to Hogwarts. Drafty though the castle always was in winter. Harry was glad of its fires and thick walls every time he passed the Durmstrang ship on the lake, which was pitching in the high winds, its black sails billowing against the dark skies. He thought the Beauxbatons caravan was likely to be pretty chilly too. Hagrid, he noticed, was keeping Madame Maxime's horses well provided with their preferred drink of single-malt whiskey; the fumes wafting from the trough in the comer of their paddock was enough to make the entire Care of Magical Creatures class light-headed. This was unhelpful, as they were still tending the horrible skrewts and needed their wits about them. â€Å"I'm not sure whether they hibernate or not,† Hagrid told the shivering class in the windy pumpkin patch next lesson. â€Å"Thought we'd jus' try an see if they fancied a kip†¦we'll jus' settle 'em down in these boxes†¦.† There were now only ten skrewts left; apparently their desire to kill one another had not been exercised out of them. Each of them was now approaching six feet in length. Their thick gray armor; their powerful, scuttling legs; their fire-blasting ends; their stings and their suckers, combined to make the skrewts the most repulsive things Harry had ever seen. The class looked dispiritedly at the enormous boxes Hagrid had brought out, all lined with pillows and fluffy blankets. â€Å"We'll jus' lead 'em in here,† Hagrid said, â€Å"an' put the lids on, and we'll see what happens.† But the skrewts, it transpired, did not hibernate, and did not appreciate being forced into pillow-lined boxes and nailed in. Hagrid was soon yelling, â€Å"Don panic, now, don' panic!† while the skrewts rampaged around the pumpkin patch, now strewn with the smoldering wreckage of the boxes. Most of the class – Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle in the lead – had fled into Hagrid's cabin through the back door and barricaded themselves in; Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, were among those who remained outside trying to help Hagrid. Together they managed to restrain and tie up nine of the skrewts, though at the cost of numerous burns and cuts; finally, only one skrewt was left. â€Å"Don' frighten him, now!† Hagrid shouted as Ron and Harry used their wands to shoot jets of fiery sparks at the skrewt, which was advancing menacingly on them, its sting arched, quivering, over its back. â€Å"Jus' try an slip the rope 'round his sting, so he won hurt any o' the others!† â€Å"Yeah, we wouldn't want that!† Ron shouted angrily as he and Harry backed into the wall of Hagrid's cabin, still holding the skrewt off with their sparks. â€Å"Well, well, well†¦this does look like fun.† Rita Skeeter was leaning on Hagrid's garden fence, looking in at the mayhem. She was wearing a thick magenta cloak with a furry purple collar today, and her crocodile-skin handbag was over her arm. Hagrid launched himself forward on top of the skrewt that was cornering Harry and Ron and flattened it; a blast of fire shot out of its end, withering the pumpkin plants nearby. â€Å"Who're you?† Hagrid asked Rita Skeeter as he slipped a loop of rope around the skrewt's sting and tightened it. â€Å"Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter,† Rita replied, beaming at him. Her gold teeth glinted. â€Å"Thought Dumbledore said you weren' allowed inside the school anymore,† said Hagrid, frowning slightly as he got off the slightly squashed skrewt and started tugging it over to its fellows. Rita acted as though she hadn't heard what Hagrid had said. â€Å"What are these fascinating creatures called?† she asked, beaming still more widely. â€Å"Blast-Ended Skrewts,† grunted Hagrid. â€Å"Really?† said Rita, apparently full of lively interest. â€Å"I've never heard of them before†¦where do they come from?† Harry noticed a dull red flush rising up out of Hagrid's wild black beard, and his heart sank. Where had Hagrid got the skrewts from? Hermione, who seemed to be thinking along these lines, said quickly, â€Å"They're very interesting, aren't they? Aren't they. Harry?† â€Å"What? Oh yeah†¦ouch†¦interesting,† said Harry as she stepped on his foot. â€Å"Ah, you're here. Harry!† said Rita Skeeter as she looked around. â€Å"So you like Care of Magical Creatures, do you? One of your favorite lessons?† â€Å"Yes,† said Harry stoutly. Hagrid beamed at him. â€Å"Lovely,† said Rita. â€Å"Really lovely. Been teaching long?† she added to Hagrid. Harry noticed her eyes travel over Dean (who had a nasty cut across one cheek). Lavender (whose robes were badly singed), Seamus (who was nursing several burnt fingers), and then to the cabin windows, where most of the class stood, their noses pressed against the glass waiting to see if the coast was clear. â€Å"This is o'ny me second year,† said Hagrid. â€Å"Lovely†¦I don't suppose you'd like to give an interview, would you? Share some of your experience of magical creatures? The Prophet does a zoological column every Wednesday, as I'm sure you know. We could feature these – er – Bang-Ended Scoots.† â€Å"Blast-Ended Skrewts,† Hagrid said eagerly. â€Å"Er – yeah, why not?† Harry had a very bad feeling about this, but there was no way of communicating it to Hagrid without Rita Skeeter seeing, so he had to stand and watch in silence as Hagrid and Rita Skeeter made arrangements to meet in the Three Broomsticks for a good long interview later that week. Then the bell rang up at the castle, signaling the end of the lesson. â€Å"Well, good-bye, Harry!† Rita Skeeter called merrily to him as he set off with Ron and Hermione. â€Å"Until Friday night, then, Hagrid!† â€Å"She'll twist everything he says,† Harry said under his breath. â€Å"Just as long as he didn't import those skrewts illegally or anything,† said Hermione desperately. They looked at one another – it was exactly the sort of thing Hagrid might do. â€Å"Hagrid's been in loads of trouble before, and Dumbledores never sacked him,† said Ron consolingly. â€Å"Worst that can happen is Hagrid'll have to get rid of the skrewts. Sorry†¦did I say worst? I meant best.† Harry and Hermione laughed, and, feeling slightly more cheerful, went off to lunch. Harry thoroughly enjoyed double Divination that afternoon; they were still doing star charts and predictions, but now that he and Ron were friends once more, the whole thing seemed very funny again. Professor Trelawney, who had been so pleased with the pair of them when they had been predicting their own horrific deaths, quickly became irritated as they sniggered through her explanation of the various ways in which Pluto could disrupt everyday life. â€Å"I would think,† she said, in a mystical whisper that did not conceal her obvious annoyance, â€Å"that some of us† – she stared very meaningfully at Harry- â€Å"might be a little less frivolous had they seen what I have seen during my crystal gazing last night. As I sat here, absorbed in my needlework, the urge to consult the orb overpowered me. I arose, I settled myself before it, and I gazed into its crystalline depths†¦and what do you think I saw gazing back at me?† â€Å"An ugly old bat in outsize specs?† Ron muttered under his breath. Harry fought hard to keep his face straight. â€Å"Death, my dears.† Parvati and Lavender both put their hands over their mouths, looking horrified. â€Å"Yes,† said Professor Trelawney, nodding impressively, â€Å"it comes, ever closer, it circles overhead like a vulture, ever lower†¦ever lower over the castle†¦.† She stared pointedly at Harry, who yawned very widely and obviously. â€Å"It'd be a bit more impressive if she hadn't done it about eighty times before,† Harry said as they finally regained the fresh air of the staircase beneath Professor Trelawney's room. â€Å"But if I'd dropped dead every time she's told me I'm going to, I'd be a medical miracle.† â€Å"You'd be a sort of extra-concentrated ghost,† said Ron, chortling, as they passed the Bloody Baron going in the opposite direction, his wide eyes staring sinisterly. â€Å"At least we didn't get homework. I hope Hermione got loads off Professor Vector, I love not working when she is†¦.† But Hermione wasn't at dinner, nor was she in the library when they went to look for her afterward. The only person in there was Viktor Krum. Ron hovered behind the bookshelves for a while, watching Krum, debating in whispers with Harry whether he should ask for an autograph – but then Ron realized that six or seven girls were lurking in the next row of books, debating exactly the same thing, and he lost his enthusiasm for the idea. â€Å"Wonder where she's got to?† Ron said as he and Harry went back to Gryffindor Tower. â€Å"Dunno†¦balderdash.† But the Fat Lady had barely begun to swing forward when the sound of racing feet behind them announced Hermione's arrival. â€Å"Harry!† she panted, skidding to a halt beside him (the Fat Lady stared down at her, eyebrows raised). â€Å"Harry, you've got to come – you've got to come, the most amazing thing's happened – please -â€Å" She seized Harry's arm and started to try to drag him back along the corridor. â€Å"What's the matter?† Harry said. â€Å"I'll show you when we get there – oh come on, quick -â€Å" Harry looked around at Ron; he looked back at Harry, intrigued. â€Å"Okay,† Harry said, starting off back down the corridor with Hermione, Ron hurrying to keep up. â€Å"Oh don't mind me!† the Fat Lady called irritably after them. â€Å"Don't apologize for bothering me! I'll just hang here, wide open, until you get back, shall I?† â€Å"Yeah, thanks!† Ron shouted over his shoulder. â€Å"Hermione, where are we going?† Harry asked, after she had led them down through six floors, and started down the marble staircase into the entrance hall. â€Å"You'll see, you'll see in a minute!† said Hermione excitedly. She turned left at the bottom of the staircase and hurried toward the door through which Cedric Diggory had gone the night after the Goblet of Fire had regurgitated his and Harry's names. Harry had never been through here before. He and Ron followed Hermione down a flight of stone steps, but instead of ending up in a gloomy underground passage like the one that led to Snape's dungeon, they found themselves in a broad stone corridor, brightly lit with torches, and decorated with cheerful paintings that were mainly of food. â€Å"Oh hang on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Harry slowly, halfway down the corridor. â€Å"Wait a minute, Hermione†¦.† â€Å"What?† She turned around to look at him, anticipation all over her face. â€Å"I know what this is about,† said Harry. He nudged Ron and pointed to the painting just behind Hermione. It showed a gigantic silver fruit bowl. â€Å"Hermione!† said Ron, cottoning on. â€Å"You're trying to rope us into that spew stuff again!† â€Å"No, no, I'm not!† she said hastily. â€Å"And it's not spew, Ron -â€Å" â€Å"Changed the name, have you?† said Ron, frowning at her. â€Å"What are we now, then, the House-Elf Liberation Front? I'm not barging into that kitchen and trying to make them stop work, I'm not doing it -â€Å" â€Å"I'm not asking you to!† Hermione said impatiently. â€Å"I came down here just now, to talk to them all, and I found – oh come on, Harry, I want to show you!† She seized his arm again, pulled him in front of the picture of the giant fruit bowl, stretched out her forefinger, and tickled the huge green pear. It began to squirm, chuckling, and suddenly turned into a large green door handle. Hermione seized it, pulled the door open, and pushed Harry hard in the back, forcing him inside. He had one brief glimpse of an enormous, high-ceilinged room, large as the Great Hall above it, with mounds of glittering brass pots and pans heaped around the stone walls, and a great brick fireplace at the other end, when something small hurtled toward him from the middle of the room, squealing, â€Å"Harry Potter, sir! Harry Potter!† Next second all the wind had been knocked out of him as the squealing elf hit him hard in the midriff, hugging him so tightly he thought his ribs would break. â€Å"D-Dobby?† Harry gasped. â€Å"It is Dobby, sir, it is!† squealed the voice from somewhere around his navel. â€Å"Dobby has been hoping and hoping to see Harry Potter, sir, and Harry Potter has come to see him, sir!† Dobby let go and stepped back a few paces, beaming up at Harry, his enormous, green, tennis-ball-shaped eyes brimming with tears of happiness. He looked almost exactly as Harry remembered him; the pencil-shaped nose, the batlike ears, the long fingers and feet – all except the clothes, which were very different. When Dobby had worked for the Malfoys, he had always worn the same filthy old pillowcase. Now, however, he was wearing the strangest assortment of garments Harry had ever seen; he had done an even worse job of dressing himself than the wizards at the World Cup. He was wearing a tea cozy for a hat, on which he had pinned a number of bright badges; a tie patterned with horseshoes over a bare chest, a pair of what looked like children's soccer shorts, and odd socks. One of these, Harry saw, was the black one Harry had removed from his own foot and tricked Mr. Malfoy into giving Dobby, thereby setting Dobby free. The other was covered in pink and orange stripes. â€Å"Dobby, what're you doing here?† Harry said in amazement. â€Å"Dobby has come to work at Hogwarts, sir!† Dobby squealed excitedly. â€Å"Professor Dumbledore gave Dobby and Winky jobs, sir! â€Å"Winky?† said Harry. â€Å"She's here too?† â€Å"Yes, sir, yes!† said Dobby, and he seized Harry's hand and pulled him off into the kitchen between the four long wooden tables that stood there. Each of these tables, Harry noticed as he passed them, was positioned exactly beneath the four House tables above, in the Great Hall. At the moment, they were clear of food, dinner having finished, but he supposed that an hour ago they had been laden with dishes that were then sent up through the ceiling to their counterparts above. At least a hundred little elves were standing around the kitchen, beaming, bowing, and curtsying as Dobby led Harry past them. They were all wearing the same uniform: a tea towel stamped with the Hogwarts crest, and tied, as Winky's had been, like a toga. Dobby stopped in front of the brick fireplace and pointed. â€Å"Winky, sir!† he said. Winky was sitting on a stool by the fire. Unlike Dobby, she had obviously not foraged for clothes. She was wearing a neat little skirt and blouse with a matching blue hat, which had holes in it for her large ears. However, while every one of Dobby's strange collection of garments was so clean and well cared for that it looked brand-new, Winky was plainly not taking care other clothes at all. There were soup stains all down her blouse and a burn in her skirt. â€Å"Hello, Winky,† said Harry. Winky's lip quivered. Then she burst into tears, which spilled out of her great brown eyes and splashed down her front, just as they had done at the Quidditch World Cup. â€Å"Oh dear,† said Hermione. She and Ron had followed Harry and Dobby to the end of the kitchen. â€Å"Winky, don't cry, please don't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But Winky cried harder than ever. Dobby, on the other hand, beamed up at Harry. â€Å"Would Harry Potter like a cup of tea?† he squeaked loudly, over Winky's sobs. â€Å"Er – yeah, okay,† said Harry. Instantly, about six house-elves came trotting up behind him, bearing a large silver tray laden with a teapot, cups for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, a milk jug, and a large plate of biscuits. â€Å"Good service!† Ron said, in an impressed voice. Hermione frowned at him, but the elves all looked delighted; they bowed very low and retreated. â€Å"How long have you been here, Dobby?† Harry asked as Dobby handed around the tea. â€Å"Only a week. Harry Potter, sir!† said Dobby happily. â€Å"Dobby came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir. You see, sir, it is very difficult for a house-elf who has been dismissed to get a new position, sir, very difficult indeed -â€Å" At this, Winky howled even harder, her squashed-tomato of a nose dribbling all down her front, though she made no effort to stem the flow. â€Å"Dobby has traveled the country for two whole years, sir, trying to find work!† Dobby squeaked. â€Å"But Dobby hasn't found work, sir, because Dobby wants paying now!† The house-elves all around the kitchen, who had been listening and watching with interest, all looked away at these words, as though Dobby had said something rude and embarrassing. Hermione, however, said, â€Å"Good for you, Dobby!† â€Å"Thank you, miss!† said Dobby, grinning toothily at her. â€Å"But most wizards doesn't want a house-elf who wants paying, miss. ‘That's not the point of a house-elf,' they says, and they slammed the door in Dobby's face! Dobby likes work, but he wants to wear clothes and he wants to be paid. Harry Potter†¦.Dobby likes being free!† The Hogwarts house-elves had now started edging away from Dobby, as though he were carrying something contagious. Winky, however, remained where she was, though there was a definite increase in the volume other crying. â€Å"And then, Harry Potter, Dobby goes to visit Winky, and finds out Winky has been freed too, sir!† said Dobby delightedly. At this, Winky flung herself forward off her stool and lay face-down on the flagged stone floor, beating her tiny fists upon it and positively screaming with misery. Hermione hastily dropped down to her knees beside her and tried to comfort her, but nothing she said made the slightest difference. Dobby continued with his story, shouting shrilly over Winky's screeches. â€Å"And then Dobby had the idea. Harry Potter, sir! ‘Why doesn't Dobby and Winky find work together?' Dobby says. ‘Where is there enough work for two house-elves?' says Winky. And Dobby thinks, and it comes to him, sir! Hogwarts! So Dobby and Winky came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir, and Professor Dumbledore took us on!† Dobby beamed very brightly, and happy tears welled in his eyes again. â€Å"And Professor Dumbledore says he will pay Dobby, sir, if Dobby wants paying! And so Dobby is a free elf, sir, and Dobby gets a Galleon a week and one day off a month!† â€Å"That's not very much!† Hermione shouted indignantly from the floor, over Winky's continued screaming and fist-beating. â€Å"Professor Dumbledore offered Dobby ten Galleons a week, and weekends off,† said Dobby, suddenly giving a little shiver, as though the prospect of so much leisure and riches were frightening, â€Å"but Dobby beat him down, miss†¦.Dobby likes freedom, miss, but he isn't wanting too much, miss, he likes work better.† â€Å"And how much is Professor Dumbledore paying you, Winky?† Hermione asked kindly. If she had thought this would cheer up Winky, she was wildly mistaken. Winky did stop crying, but when she sat up she was glaring at Hermione through her massive brown eyes, her whole face sopping wet and suddenly furious. â€Å"Winky is a disgraced elf, but Winky is not yet getting paid!† she squeaked. â€Å"Winky is not sunk so low as that! Winky is properly ashamed of being freed!† â€Å"Ashamed?† said Hermione blankly. â€Å"But – Winky, come on! It's Mr. Crouch who should be ashamed, not you! You didn't do anything wrong, he was really horrible to you -â€Å" But at these words, Winky clapped her hands over the holes in her hat, flattening her ears so that she couldn't hear a word, and screeched, â€Å"You is not insulting my master, miss! You is not insulting Mr. Crouch! Mr. Crouch is a good wizard, miss! Mr. Crouch is right to sack bad Winky!† â€Å"Winky is having trouble adjusting, Harry Potter,† squeaked Dobby confidentially. â€Å"Winky forgets she is not bound to Mr. Crouch anymore; she is allowed to speak her mind now, but she won't do it.† â€Å"Can't house-elves speak their minds about their masters, then?† Harry asked. â€Å"Oh no, sir, no,† said Dobby, looking suddenly serious. â€Å"‘Tis part of the house-elf's enslavement, sir. We keeps their secrets and our silence, sir. We upholds the family's honor, and we never speaks ill of them – though Professor Dumbledore told Dobby he does not insist upon this. Professor Dumbledore said we is free to – to -â€Å" Dobby looked suddenly nervous and beckoned Harry closer. Harry bent forward. Dobby whispered, â€Å"He said we is free to call him a – a barmy old codger if we likes, sir!† Dobby gave a frightened sort of giggle. â€Å"But Dobby is not wanting to, Harry Potter,† he said, talking normally again, and shaking his head so that his ears flapped. â€Å"Dobby likes Professor Dumbledore very much, sir, and is proud to keep his secrets and our silence for him.† â€Å"But you can say what you like about the Malfoys now?† Harry asked him, grinning. A slightly fearful look came into Dobby's immense eyes. â€Å"Dobby – Dobby could,† he said doubtfully. He squared his small shoulders. â€Å"Dobby could tell Harry Potter that his old masters were – were – bad Dark wizards!† Dobby stood for a moment, quivering all over, horror-struck by his own daring – then he rushed over to the nearest table and began banging his head on it very hard, squealing, â€Å"Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!† Harry seized Dobby by the back of his tie and pulled him away from the table. â€Å"Thank you. Harry Potter, thank you,† said Dobby breathlessly, rubbing his head. â€Å"You just need a bit of practice,† Harry said. â€Å"Practice!† squealed Winky furiously. â€Å"You is ought to be ashamed of yourself, Dobby, talking that way about your masters!† â€Å"They isn't my masters anymore, Winky!† said Dobby defiantly. â€Å"Dobby doesn't care what they think anymore!† â€Å"Oh you is a bad elf, Dobby!† moaned Winky, tears leaking down her face once more. â€Å"My poor Mr. Crouch, what is he doing without Winky? He is needing me, he is needing my help! I is looking after the Crouches all my life, and my mother is doing it before me, and my grandmother is doing it before her†¦oh what is they saying if they knew Winky was freed? Oh the shame, the shame!† She buried her face in her skirt again and bawled. â€Å"Winky,† said Hermione firmly, â€Å"I'm quite sure Mr. Crouch is getting along perfectly well without you. We've seen him, you know -â€Å" â€Å"You is seeing my master?† said Winky breathlessly, raising her tearstained face out of her skirt once more and goggling at Hermione. â€Å"You is seeing him here at Hogwarts?† â€Å"Yes,† said Hermione, â€Å"he and Mr. Bagman are judges in the Triwizard Tournament.† â€Å"Mr. Bagman comes too?† squeaked Winky, and to Harry ‘s great surprise (and Ron's and Hermione's too, by the looks on their faces), she looked angry again. â€Å"Mr. Bagman is a bad wizard! A very bad wizard! My master isn't liking him, oh no, not at all!† â€Å"Bagman – bad?† said Harry. â€Å"Oh yes,† Winky said, nodding her head furiously, â€Å"My master is telling Winky some things! But Winky is not saying†¦Winky – Winky keeps her master's secrets†¦.† She dissolved yet again in tears; they could hear her sobbing into her skirt, â€Å"Poor master, poor master, no Winky to help him no more!† They couldn't get another sensible word out of Winky. They left her to her crying and finished their tea, while Dobby chatted happily about his life as a free elf and his plans for his wages. â€Å"Dobby is going to buy a sweater next, Harry Potter!† he said happily, pointing at his bare chest. â€Å"Tell you what, Dobby,† said Ron, who seemed to have taken a great liking to the elf, â€Å"I'll give you the one my mum knits me this Christmas, I always get one from her. You don't mind maroon, do you?† Dobby was delighted. â€Å"We might have to shrink it a bit to fit you,† Ron told him, â€Å"but it'll go well with your tea cozy.† As they prepared to take their leave, many of the surrounding elves pressed in upon them, offering snacks to take back upstairs. Hermione refused, with a pained look at the way the elves kept bowing and curtsying, but Harry and Ron loaded their pockets with cream cakes and pies. â€Å"Thanks a lot!† Harry said to the elves, who had all clustered around the door to say good night. â€Å"See you, Dobby!† â€Å"Harry Potter†¦can Dobby come and see you sometimes, sir?† Dobby asked tentatively. † ‘Course you can,† said Harry, and Dobby beamed. â€Å"You know what?† said Ron, once he, Hermione, and Harry had left the kitchens behind and were climbing the steps into the entrance hall again. â€Å"All these years I've been really impressed with Fred and George, nicking food from the kitchens – well, it's not exactly difficult, is it? They can't wait to give it away!† â€Å"I think this is the best thing that could have happened to those elves, you know,† said Hermione, leading the way back up the marble staircase. â€Å"Dobby coming to work here, I mean. The other elves will see how happy he is, being free, and slowly it'll dawn on them that they want that too!† â€Å"Let's hope they don't look too closely at Winky,† said Harry. â€Å"Oh she'll cheer up,† said Hermione, though she sounded a bit doubtful. â€Å"Once the shock's worn off, and she's got used to Hogwarts, she'll see how much better off she is without that Crouch man.† â€Å"She seems to love him,† said Ron thickly (he had just started on a cream cake). â€Å"Doesn't think much of Bagman, though, does she?† said Harry. â€Å"Wonder what Crouch says at home about him?† â€Å"Probably says he's not a very good Head of Department,† said Hermione, â€Å"and let's face it†¦he's got a point, hasn't he?† â€Å"I'd still rather work for him than old Crouch,† said Ron. â€Å"At least Bagman's got a sense of humor.† â€Å"Don't let Percy hear you saying that,† Hermione said, smiling slightly. â€Å"Yeah, well, Percy wouldn't want to work for anyone with a sense of humor, would he?† said Ron, now starting on a chocolate eclair. â€Å"Percy wouldn't recognize a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing Dobby's tea cozy.†

Research method Essay

This research will examine the importance and position of employees in terms of Job Satisfaction and career growth in Jamaica and assess the way in which the needs of the same are met by the banking industry. The approach will be based on proven methodologies applied to the market, starting with an in-depth literature review followed by primary research. This research will concentrate on the research methodologies for the primary research. Research Methodology Before research is undertaken it is important to determine the general approach that is to be used. Looking at the goals that are to be attended and the way research can help attain these goals. Research Framework Eriksson and Wiedersheim-Paul (1997) has stated that the purpose of the research is to tell the readers of the paper the intentions of the study and how these results can be utilised. With the understanding of the purpose the methodological design can take place. There are three general structures that can be used in research terms; exploratory, descriptive and explanatory (Eriksson and Wiedersheim-Paul, 1997). Where there is a problem and the purpose of the study is to increase the understanding of that problem the exploratory approach can be very useful (Saunders et al, 2000). This is an approach that looks at gathering the basic data regarding the problem and the scenario and has the aim of developing that knowledge and proposition that can then be used for further research (Yin, 1994). The descriptive study approach looks at the isolated empirical generalisations that have already been study and published and tries to explain these (Miles and Huberman, 1994). This can be defined as making â€Å"complicated things understandable by reducing them to their component parts† (Miles and Huberman, 1994). This is most suitable where the research is not to look at the research between the causes and the symptoms, but wants to understand, predict or decide (Eriksson and Wiedersheim-Paul, 1997). Explanatory research takes complex issues and then tries to make them more understandable by examining the connections between the different parts by examining cause and relationship (Miles and Huberman, 1994). This is not looking for only traditional causal explanations but seeking to determine them in the way that that research question has been phrased and how the specific factors impact and interact with each other. When this approach is utilised the research need to consider the use of more than a single research model as this would not be sufficient to explain the observed phenomena and create a full explanation that can be tested. It is worth noting that when undertaking research there is no need for the methodology to be confined to only a single approach, indeed it has been suggested that mixed approaches can be very valuable with the research itself broken down into three stages of exploratory, descriptive and explanatory (Reynolds, 1971). The stage of the research depends on the existing knowledge within the area, at the explanatory stage the aim is for the researcher to obtain a better understanding of the area of research. In the following stage there is the aim to develop descriptions of the patterns which are observed that may have been indicated as expected at the exploratory stage (Reynolds, 1971). The last stage is that of explanatory at which stage the research that has already taken place can be utilised in order to determine the relationship between the cause and effect this can then provide a researcher with a cycle of construction of the theory, hypothesis testing and the restatement of the theory (Reynolds, 1971). This research has the aim of collecting data, assessing and describing the patterns seen in the Jamaica banking provisions for its Employees and how the issue of job satisfaction is important. When considering the way in which the research can be undertaken there are two philosophies; inductive and deductive, but both are able to produce valid results (Eriksson and Wiedersheim-Paul, 1997). Where there is the use of empirical data and research will draw conclusions from this empirical data and then applying and apply theories and models observed in the real world this is an inductive approach. Where there is an approach that makes use of existing theories and testing these theories this is deductive research (Eriksson and Wiedersheim-Paul, 1997). This is a part of study where there is the publishing of data and results of different countries are available, but there is not a great deal of empirical evidence to test, as such the approach will be inductive with the use of empirical data and the applications of observed theories to try and explain the differences seen in the student performance levels. This approach to the research will ensure that the attention is focused on what can viable be achieved within the time frame and budget and also on the context of work that has already taken place, which is lacking. The data has to be gathered from the population being sampled, so the next consideration is the way in which sampling will take place. The decisions to use questionnaire is justified as this is the most effective way of ensuring that there is the targeting of the correct respondents and there is also control over the performance of the surveys. The next section will look at why we are using questioners as the research tool Research Tool Questionnaires are one of the most popular ways in which data may be collected. These are used for a range of purposes and will often be the tool used to collect quantitative data. But it is worth mentioning that although this may be classified as mostly a quantitative process of collecting data it may also be a qualitative method, depending on the number, depth and style of the questions. Quantitative research over here has relied more on the large amount of results, with the recorded data being mainly numerical in type and has been suitably used as a method of determining cause and effect relationships (Curwin and Slater, 2001). But this qualitative research is narrower and more concentrated by looking to information to be gained in-depth from a smaller quantity of subjects (Curwin and Slater, 2001). Since the data over here require phenomenal research of Grounded theory as well as historical research hence this Qualitative research is best suited for getting applied (Curwin and Slater, 2001). Since the research undertaken over here has been basically done on analysing how the Employee growth has effected change in the behaviour pattern of Jamaican Banking industry as well as the change in the social pattern of the state, the study of the same is going add something to the existing knowledge. Therefore, we must consider the different aspects of research that will characterise a research project as valid; these may include issues such as reliability, validity, objectivity, causality and bias. These may be seen in the questions that are asked, the way they are asked through phrasing and order, and in questions that are not asked. Therefore the questionnaire has been designed while considering the full possibility of getting certain answers, but in what type of answers are attained and to be seen as impartial. There are different aspects that need to be considered so that it will be accepted and good solid research. The formulation of a questionnaire may be inherently biased and reflect the desired out come rather than an objective research method. Reliability may be perceived as one of the easier objectives. This is often seen as the ability of the same study to be conducted and the results to prove the same, however repeatability does it mean that a research project is valid and can be relied upon (Denzin, 1978). We have considered other aspects of the research rather that just reliability in order to make the project valid. Reliability must also come from the level of confidence that may be seen in a study from the objectivity or recognised subjectivity which may be seen to arise. The project have been undertaken from a subjective perspective and those asking the questions if a face to face method is used, do not known the study purpose. The first stage to recognise that subjectivity is present and then recognised in order to overcome. If we set out to prove a model is true it is easy for the research to be biased, just as if we are looking for specific information other aspects may be ignored or forgotten. As such although the researcher may be biased there are certain measures that can be taken to ensure the research model used can be seen to have been implemented objectively. In designing the questionnaire it is likely that there will be others involved either by way of observation or the correlation of the data. When designing the research questions, there should be no indication of the final purpose of the study, in this way we might limit the bias of the respondents and ensure there is a lower risk of the cross contamination of bias (Denzin, 1978). However, it must also be recognised that we can never completely extinguish research bias. With the consideration and design of the research tool the next consideration is that of sampling. Sampling When looking at the way a sample should be chosen there will be the desire to choose a sample that is representative of the population that is going to be targeted. If the population is not representative then the results will not be representative. The way in which we need to consider the population is to look at the way sampling will be used. In this scale we need to talk to people who are working as a professional in one of the nineteen banks in Jamaica. The first aspect is whether probability or non-probability sampling should be used. Probability sampling is a more random sampling style, the basis of this is that the selection of each respondent is a matter of chance and that all respondents will have an equal chance of being chosen, in many cases this can be a known probably of the respondent being selected. There are a number of sampling techniques that fall into this category. These include simple random sampling, systematic sampling, stratified and cluster sampling. In total there are more than 30 probability sampling techniques (Malhotra, 1999). Random sampling is best defined as a sampling method was any member of the population will not have a zero chance of selection where the chances can be calculated. Looking at these different methods, simple random sampling is the most basic. This is where all members shave the same chance of being chosen and where the knowledge of another population member being chosen for sampling will not alter the odds. A method of undertaking this is choosing names out of a hat or any other random method. Stratified sampling is where the population of the sample is separated into distinct groups which do not overlap; this is where stratification is seen. There will then be samples taken from each of these groups. For example, this may be a sample that is divided into male and females, likewise we may look at those who can and do use the internet and those who do not. There may also be the use of age groups, they key is no overlaps between the groups. The next potential method may be multistage sampling. This may consist of two, three or more stages in the sampling. The process will start with the division of the population into non-overlapping groups as seen with the stratified sampling. However this is only the first stage, following this a sample of the first stage units will be chosen according to different criteria. This can be complex, but we could look at using this to use the second stage to ensure that we can gather results from those who are relevant to the study, such as Employees at the managerial level and have a list of employees working under him. The simplicity of these methods is attractive and the use of random sampling with the use of strafed sampling may be attractive, but there are also difficulties as we are reliant on the probably that the sample will be representative of the sample population rather than an assurance existing that they do not appear to be skewed. In a small sample population it is more important to seek to eliminate this bias than in larger sample groups. In the general population there may need to be a large number of survey’s undertaken before there is the random finding of a respondent that is a ban employee. In order to overcome this danger we will look at non probability sampling techniques as these will have a level of intervention to ensure the sample is representative. The most common is quota sampling, but this will also include judgement sampling, convenience sampling, random route sampling and snowball sampling (Talmage 1988). Quota sampling is exactly as it appears to sound, there are the definition of quotas to be used. In many cases these will consist of gender, age groups and social class quotas, which may or may not have crossovers. This is used widely in commercial settings but this is also a method that is not supported as widely in academic circles (Ojeda and Sahai, 2002). Opportunity sampling is where an opportunity is sought to interview or gain the opinions of a particular group and will then place themselves or the survey in the position of those who may be most appropriate for that study (Talmage 1988). For example, if the employee a bank is placing the interviewer near the business section of the bank may be advantageous. Random route sampling where is there is a route planned and the interviewer may travel that route to gather data and hopefully meet potential subjects. This is a very random method of sampling and is also difficult to gain the correct numbers where there is quantitative data required. Snowball sampling is a method that can be used when there is a scenario of a large level of data being required in a short period of time (Talmage 1988). This may be used with a few key people being approached and interviewed which will then lead to more potential candidates being identified (Talmage 1988). Self section is also a non random type of sampling as the respondents will volunteer themselves and a last type we may consider is that of plausibility sampling which is defined by Talmage (1988) as â€Å"a sample selected because it appears plausible that the members are representative of a wider population, without any real evidence† (page 82). With each of these methods there are advantages and disadvantages, we need to consider which is going to be most appropriate considering the population required and the sample and the sampling method. Looking at all of these it appears that the most appropriate method will be that snowballing, it is not the fastest but it is likely to provide the best results in identifying potential respondents for the research.