Harriet Tubm A Biography - 1298 Words

James A. McGowan and William C. Kashatus the authors of Harriet Tubman :A biography focused on telling the remarkable story of Harriet Tubman the biography tells the story about her early years as young Arminta Ross, how she escape slavery, her duties as the Underground Railroad Conductor, and her roles in the Civil War. I feel like the authors purpose of writing this books was to educate and inform readers about the times of Harriet Tubman and what she had to endure and also to give a understanding on why Harriet Tubman is so legendary amongst the time she lived and why she still is today. Harriet Tubman: A Biography is centered around Harriet Tubman born in Maryland born into slavery. She was the daughter of Benjamin Ross her father†¦show more content†¦One year after the marriage Brodess plans to sell Harriet but he dies leaving his wife Eliza Brodess in debt. So to pay off the debt Eliza to plans to sale Harriet But this time Harriet thought she ll take matters in her own hands On September 17, 1849 Harriet and her two brothers Ben and Henry Escaped from slavery. But the family constantly argue over directions due to the lack of knowledge of directions the brothers decided to return to the plantation which also forced Harriet to go with them. Finally ran off on her on realizing that it would be too dangerous to reveal her plans her family. She traveled at night and hid during the day. She would get food from free dock workers the willingly provided her food and shelter and guided her through hidden tunnels and pathways. She was also helped by Hannah Levert on which whose was a white women . Leverton drove Harriet to Delaware border and gave her a piece of paper with the information of Thomas Garrett, a Quaker Abolitionist whose Underground railroad station was the last stop in Delaware before the Pennsylvania boundary dividing the free and slave states. Which leads to Harriet crossing the Mason-Dixon Line finally giving her freedom. Once in Philadelphia Harriet began making plans toShow MoreRelatedLeadership: Equality, Justice, Truth, and Freedom Essay examples1064 Words   |  5 Pageswe did not have those freedoms the only people that held jobs would be white males. There have been leaders in the past that have helped to give all people the freedom to be able to have jobs. Harriet Tubman was leader in her time helping to free slaves, she believed in the freedom of others. After Harriet Tubman helped free slaves in the Underground Railroad she pursued women’s rights, (Women in History, 2011). Conclusion In this paper the effort was put into trying to show that great leadersRead MoreHarriet Tubman Essay2304 Words   |  10 PagesHarriet Tubman By Blake Snider December 5, 2010 Professor J Arrieta Seminar Critical Inquiry Harriet Tubman is a woman of faith and dignity who saved many African American men and women through courage and love for God. One would ponder what would drive someone to bring upon pain and suffering to one’s self just to help others. Harriet Tubman was an African American women that took upon many roles during her time just as abolitionist, humanitarian, and a UnionRead MoreHistory of Civil Rights in America Essay1515 Words   |  7 Pagescreated ties to one another the Underground Railroad was formed to help slaves escape the South into free northern states and Canada. One of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad was Harriet Tubman. â€Å"In the 12 years from her escape in 1849 to the beginning of the Civil War in 1861, Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad became the most dominant force of abolitionism† (â€Å"Women in History†, 2012). She was known to many throughout the country as the â€Å"General† because of her daring

Comparing Sheila and Lady Macbeth´s Relationships with...

Comparing Sheila and lady Macbeth In this essay I will be comparing Sheila and lady Macbeths relationship to their husband, at the start of the play, Sheila and Gerald have known each other for some time, and they are here celebrating their engagement in which Sheila is really happy with, in the middle she starts to gain some power and by the end she is fully in power and tells her family what to do. Gerald comes from a rich, powerful, well-respected family. At the start of Macbeth, lady Macbeth is in control of the relationship, she starts as the man of the relationship to typical Jacobean women as she suicides and kill herself at the end. At the start of the play An inspector call, J.B Priestly presents Sheila and Gerald with a†¦show more content†¦Woman of her age at that time should be ruled by their father or by their husband. However throughout the beginning of the play Macbeth, lady Macbeth is seen to be in full charge. The fact that she planned the murder and her level of confidence tells us that she has no mercy on people. We fail? this quote used when Macbeth asks lady Macbeth what would happened if we fail?, She uses this rhetorical question to show off her confidence as well as her coldblooded nature. This link to how she is in a unusual type of relationship to Macbeth. In addition, Lady Macbeth is speaking as if she is certain that that this murder will go ahead. But she is fully aware that it is going to be emotionally difficult to go through with, and she calls upon evil spirits to assist her murderous plans.Come, you spirits, that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here and fill me from crown to the toe top full of direst cruelty; She does not want to have any human emotion in herself, as she knows that that will cause her to possibly back down and not go through with her plans, so she begs that she lose her inner feelings of conscience; This would be see as wired as the women as that time would not do anything such. From this we can understand that at the beginning Sheila and lady Macbeth have a contradictory and contrasting relationship with their husbands. On one hand Shelia is an immature and childish character whereas her husband, Gerald, is the

History of the Computer Industry in America Essay Example For Students

History of the Computer Industry in America Essay Only once in a lifetime will a new invention come about to touch every aspect of our lives. Such a device that changes the way we work, live, and play is a special one, indeed. A machine that has done all this and more now exists in nearly every business in the U. S. and one out of every two households (Hall, 156). This incredible invention is the computer. The electronic computer has been around for over a half-century, but its ancestors have been around for 2000 years. However, only in the last 40 years has it changed the American society. From the first wooden abacus to the latest high-speed microprocessor, he computer has changed nearly every aspect of peoples lives for the better. The very earliest existence of the modern day computers ancestor is the abacus. These date back to almost 2000 years ago. It is simply a wooden rack holding parallel wires on which beads are strung. When these beads are moved along the wire according to programming rules that the user must memorize, all ordinary arithmetic operations can be performed (Soma, 14). The next innovation in computers took place in 1694 when Blaise Pascal invented the first digital calculating machine. It could only add numbers and they had to be entered by turning dials. It was designed to help Pascals father who was a tax collector (Soma, 32). In the early 1800s, a mathematics professor named Charles Babbage designed an automatic calculation machine. It was steam powered and could store up to 1000 50-digit numbers. Built in to his machine were operations that included everything a modern general-purpose computer would need. It was programmed byand stored data oncards with holes punched in them, appropriately called punchcards. His inventions were failures for the most part because of the lack of precision machining techniques used at the time and the lack of demand for such a device (Soma, 46). After Babbage, people began to lose interest in computers. However, between 1850 and 1900 there were great advances in mathematics and physics that began to rekindle the interest (Osborne, 45). Many of these new advances involved complex calculations and formulas that were very time consuming for human calculation. The first major use for a computer in the U. S. was during the 1890 census. Two men, Herman Hollerith and James Powers, developed a new punched-card system that could automatically read information on cards without human intervention (Gulliver, 82). Since the population of the U. S. was increasing so ast, the computer was an essential tool in tabulating the totals. These advantages were noted by commercial industries and soon led to the development of improved punch-card business-machine systems by International Business Machines (IBM), Remington-Rand, Burroughs, and other corporations. By modern standards the punched-card machines were slow, typically processing from 50 to 250 cards per minute, with each card holding up to 80 digits. At the time, however, punched cards were an enormous step forward; they provided a means of input, output, and memory storage on a massive scale. For more than 50 years following heir first use, punched-card machines did the bulk of the worlds business computing and a good portion of the computing work in science (Chposky, 73). By the late 1930s punched-card machine techniques had become so well established and reliable that Howard Hathaway Aiken, in collaboration with engineers at IBM, undertook construction of a large automatic digital computer based on standard IBM electromechanical parts. Aikens machine, called the Harvard Mark I, handled 23-digit numbers and could perform all four arithmetic operations. Also, it had special built-in programs to handle logarithms and trigonometric unctions. The Mark I was controlled from prepunched paper tape. Output was by card punch and electric typewriter. It was slow, requiring 3 to 5 seconds for a multiplication, but it was fully automatic and could complete long computations without human intervention (Chposky, 103). The outbreak of World War II produced a desperate need for computing capability, especially for the military. New weapons systems were produced which needed trajectory tables and other essential data. In 1942, John P. Eckert, John W. Mauchley, and their associates at the University of Pennsylvania decided to build a high-speed electronic omputer to do the job. This machine became known as ENIAC, for Electrical Numerical Integrator And Calculator. It could multiply two numbers at the rate of 300 products per second, by finding the value of each product from a multiplication table stored in its memory. ENIAC was thus about 1,000 times faster than the previous generation of computers (Dolotta, 47). ENIAC used 18,000 standard vacuum tubes, occupied 1800 square feet of floor space, and used about 180,000 watts of electricity. It used punched-card input and output. The ENIAC was very difficult to program because one had to essentially re-wire it to perform whatever ask he wanted the computer to do. It was, however, efficient in handling the particular programs for which it had been designed. ENIAC is generally accepted as the first successful high-speed electronic digital computer and was used in many applications from 1946 to 1955 (Dolotta, 50). Mathematician John von Neumann was very interested in the ENIAC. In 1945 he undertook a theoretical study of computation that demonstrated that a computer could have a very simple and yet be able to execute any kind of computation effectively by means of proper programmed control without the need for any changes in hardware. Aids And Hiv EssayIn 1971 Marcian E. Hoff, Jr. , an engineer at the Intel Corporation, invented the microprocessor and another stage in the deveopment of the computer began (Shallis, 121). A new revolution in computer hardware was now well under way, involving miniaturization of computer-logic circuitry and of component manufacture by what are called large-scale integration techniques. In the 1950s it was realized that scaling down the size of electronic digital computer circuits and parts would increase speed and efficiency and improve performance. However, at that time the manufacturing methods were not good enough to accomplish such a task. About 1960 photoprinting of conductive circuit boards to eliminate wiring became highly developed. Then it became possible to build resistors and capacitors into the circuitry by photographic means (Rogers, 142). In the 1970s entire assemblies, such as adders, shifting registers, and counters, became available on tiny chips of silicon. In the 1980s very large scale integration (VLSI), in which hundreds of thousands of transistors are placed on a single chip, became increasingly common. Many companies, some new to the computer field, introduced in the 1970s programmable minicomputers supplied with software packages. The ize-reduction trend continued with the introduction of personal computers, which are programmable machines small enough and inexpensive enough to be purchased and used by individuals (Rogers, 153). One of the first of such machines was introduced in January 1975. Popular Electronics magazine provided plans that would allow any electronics wizard to build his own small, programmable computer for about $380 (Rose, 32). The computer was called the Altair 8800. Its programming involved pushing buttons and flipping switches on the front of the box. It didnt include a monitor or keyboard, and its applications were very limited (Jacobs, 53). Even though, many orders came in for it and several famous owners of computer and software manufacturing companies got their start in computing through the Altair. For example, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, founders of Apple Computer, built a much cheaper, yet more productive version of the Altair and turned their hobby into a business (Fluegelman, 16). After the introduction of the Altair 8800, the personal computer industry became a fierce battleground of competition. IBM had been the computer industry standard for well over a half-century. They held their position as the standard when they introduced their first personal omputer, the IBM Model 60 in 1975 (Chposky, 156). However, the newly formed Apple Computer company was releasing its own personal computer, the Apple II (The Apple I was the first computer designed by Jobs and Wozniak in Wozniaks garage, which was not produced on a wide scale). Software was needed to run the computers as well. Microsoft developed a Disk Operating System (MS-DOS) for the IBM computer while Apple developed its own software system (Rose, 37). Because Microsoft had now set the software standard for IBMs, every software manufacturer had to make their software compatible with Microsofts. This would lead to huge profits for Microsoft (Cringley, 163). The main goal of the computer manufacturers was to make the computer as affordable as possible while increasing speed, reliability, and capacity. Nearly every computer manufacturer accomplished this and computers popped up everywhere. Computers were in businesses keeping track of inventories. Computers were in colleges aiding students in research. Computers were in laboratories making complex calculations at high speeds for scientists and physicists. The computer had made its mark everywhere in society and built up a huge industry (Cringley, 174). The future is promising for the computer industry and its technology. The speed of processors is expected to double every year and a half in the coming years. As manufacturing techniques are further perfected the prices of computer systems are expected to steadily fall. However, since the microprocessor technology will be increasing, its higher costs will offset the drop in price of older processors. In other words, the price of a new computer will stay about the same from year to year, but technology will steadily increase (Zachary, 42) Since the end of World War II, the computer industry has grown rom a standing start into one of the biggest and most profitable industries in the United States. It now comprises thousands of companies, making everything from multi-million dollar high-speed supercomputers to printout paper and floppy disks. It employs millions of people and generates tens of billions of dollars in sales each year (Malone, 192). Surely, the computer has impacted every aspect of peoples lives. It has affected the way people work and play. It has made everyones life easier by doing difficult work for people. The computer truly is one of the most incredible inventions in history.

Kant Essays (1627 words) - Kantianism, Enlightenment Philosophy

Kant How does one label Kant as a philosopher? Is he a rationalist or an empiricist? Kant makes a distinction between appearances and things in themselves. He also says that things in themselves exist, and that we have no knowledge of things in themselves. This could be labeled CLOSE TO NONSENSE, but we know Kant better than that. No matter how many laps on the track of metaphysics Kant takes us through, he is still widely held as one of the greatest modern philosophers of our time. Let us explore the schools of rationalism and empiricism and compare his views with that of other rationalists and empiricists (mainly Hume), and see where he ends up on the finish line towards the nature of human knowledge. The term rationalism is used to designate any mode of thought in which human reason holds the place of supreme truth. Knowledge in this school of thought must be founded upon necessary truths (those that must be true and cannot be false); our ideas are derived from our experience; everything we experience is finite, but we do have the idea of infinity or else we couldn't conceive of things as finite. Descartes and Leibniz are well-known rationalists (handout on Rationalism versus Empiricism). Empiricism, on the other hand, is the concept that knowledge is grounded in experience, not reason, and our minds begin as a tabula rasa (term used by the great empiricist, John Locke meaning blank slate). Reason, for empiricists, can only process the ideas experience gives us. Knowledge is also founded on contingent truths (those that can be false and true); necessary truths are only good for organizing our ideas, as in mathematics, but that is all. There are also no innate ideas in empiricism; all of our ideas are built up from the raw materials given by our experience. Well-known empiricists include Locke, Berkeley, and Hume (handout on Rationalism versus Empiricism). So now that we know where the rationalists and empiricists generally stand, let us see where Kant generally stands. For Kant, human thought exist at three (closely interrelated and interconnected) levels (Ross, 2000). Sensibility conforms our perception of space and time. Understanding corresponds with our individual judgments regarding thought. Reason is the totality of our judgments. Their relationship is crucial in Kant's theory of the thing in itself. The thing in itself is the product of our mind's commitment to thinking about the phenomena (the items of our experience) as appearances (Ross, 2000). It might seem inappropriate to describe Kant as an empiricist. He believed, contrary to the basic empiricist principle, that there are important propositions that can be known independently of experience. He devoted, virtually all of his efforts as researcher to discovering how it is possible for us to have a synthetic a priori knowledge. However, Kant also believed that there are some things that we can know only through sensory experience as well. Kant appears to have left experience in charge of our knowledge (Ross, 2000). But, let us not concede yet. In Kant's Critique of Pure Reason (Transcendental Deduction), in the middle of his argument for why certain concepts would be necessary and known a priori with respect to experience, Kant realized that synthesis would have to produce, not just a structure of thought, but the entire structure of consciousness within which perception also occurs. He says that what is first given to us is appearance, and then combined with consciousness we have perception. It is the structure of consciousness that turns appearances into objects and perceptions, without which they would be nothing. Kant made synthesis a function of imagination rather than thought, though this creates its own confusions. Synthesis therefore brings things into consciousness, making it possible for us to recognize that our consciousness exists and that there are things in it (Ross, 2000). Let us now briefly look at Kant and his position with rationalism. Kant always believed that reason connected us directly to things in themselves. Kant's notion that reason connects us directly to things in themselves does not allow for metaphysics as practiced by the rationalists because reason alone does not determine any positive content of knowledge (Ross, 2000). Kant's theory as one of empirical realism is still very

The Lost World Of Tambun Ipoh Theme Park Tourism Essay Essay Example

The Lost World Of Tambun Ipoh Theme Park Tourism Essay Essay Example The Lost World Of Tambun Ipoh Theme Park Tourism Essay Essay The Lost World Of Tambun Ipoh Theme Park Tourism Essay Essay First of the chief attractive forces for the Lost World of Tambun is the waterpark, at the River A ; Beach Garden you can happen a absolutely landscaped beach surrounded by 20 pess tall twin waterfalls with two rivers fluxing into the pool.While you`re at the Waterwall Beach Garden, make certain you hit the moving ridges at Malaysian`s biggest moving ridge pool, where moving ridges can swell up to3 pess high at the Jungle Wave Bay.Refresh with a musical shower at the Musical Body Wash before heading to the Sandy Bay for an intense game of volleyball with friends and household, merely for a restful soak in the sun.Explorabay, specifically designed for your small childs, wholly supervised the small are given particular attention.Explorabay self-praises particular smaller slides and a large.The Cliff Racer injects a boots of epinephrine when your mine cart flies, India Jones Style straight down the velocity coaster at maximal speed.The Tube Raiders is a household favorite as you win d your manner down from the top of the elephantine slides.Adventure River, a more restful H2O drive sit back and loosen up as you gently float about in the 600 metre length river, go throughing the of course beautiful caves and out-of-the-world H2O features.Take attention if you will be greeted with moving ridges along the manner. Amusement Park, a portion from the dry drives for all ages.Enjoy the scenery while you dry off on the Dragon Flights drive, as get swing in the air in this swing-chair drive ; before you sail on over to the Stormrider, a plagiarist boat which will swing you to 180 degress for some knee-knocking, spine-tingling excitement.On the Perak Parade Carousel ; and travel on the Giddy Galleon for a perfect household sit off from the water.And make certain you go on the Adventure Express ; where you can sit back and allow this ancient locomotor return you and your household on a journey past olympian ruins, billowing Waterss and wild tiger Lost universe Hot Springs A ; SPA, The Lost World Hot Springs A ; SPA is the latest add-on to the of all time germinating subject park.The elements include Infinity Pool, Lost World Steam Cave, Crystal Spa, Top of The World Pool, The Geyser of Tambun, Foot Spa, Saphire`s Bistro and the Crystal Pool. Infinity Pool The eternity Pool unlike any other semisynthetic hot springs, it is specially designed to work as a true spa.The Infinity Pool can suit up to 300 people at one time and is surrounded by the serene and quieting sounds of the volcanic waterwall. Lost World Steam Cave At the terminal of the Infinity Pool is the Lost World Steam Cave.If you wan see the true watering place, the Lost World Steam Cave is great for those looking for a reprieve after long nerve-racking days.The Steam Cave which act a sweat room promotes the action of sudating where the toxins and through the pores on the cuticle go forthing the dermis clean and resfreshed and the high temperature besides promotes blood circulation. Crystal SPA Crystal Spa is a watering place installations where visitants can bask organic structure therapy at a nominal charge.There are three huts located here, named as a Sapphire, Topaz and Amethyst.The watering place offers Aromatherapy Massage and Head A ; Shoulder Massage. Top of The World Pool Right at the really Top of the Lost World Hot Springs A ; SPA sits the Top of The World pool.This pool si a Jacuzzi pool. The pampering massage of the H2O jets in our Jacuzzi pool allows for a full scope of curative hydro-massage for musculuss, articulations and force per unit area points.For those Who is peculiarly advisable for invitee who are enduring from musculus, cervix, shoulder and back hurting. The Geyser of Tambun The Geyser of Tambun Sprout thermic hot springs H2O 40 feel up and with elusive illuming effects it exudes a beautiful experience for those who visit at dark. Foot Spa This enique watering place is designed by particular reflexology pebbles are fitted on the floor of the watering place, visitants can walk on the pebbles when basking the hot spring H2O soothing.Reflexology marks pressure points on your pess and by and large helps in emphasis decrease. Saphira`s Bistro To farther heighten the experience in the Lost World Hot Springs A ; SPA, a swim up dining outletknown as Saphira`s Bistro has been built to provide for visitors.This dining mercantile establishment serves from Chicken Stew, Open Sandwiches, Western Style Curry, Salmon Fillet, Salads Saphira`s Special and the Herbal Tea etc. Crystal Pool There is a particular pool called Crystal Pool. This pool is specially designed with crystal tiles that gleams reflecting the sunshine by day.This Pool can besides be in private reserved as a VIP pool. Tiger Valley, The five Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelams of the Lost World of Tambun: Sultan, Raima, Putra, Jazz and Azian, and observe their legerity and strength as they jump over stones and logs to acquire to their meats during the tiger eating shows. The last one component is Lost World Petting Zoo, where you will be able to acquire personal with merely some of the menagerie favorites Ruby the raccoon, Nia the Python and Wira the Green Macaw.And besides you can take some clip to walk through the different areans, where you would be able to feed, touch and experience animate beings in their natural home grounds. Question 1 reply Market Strenght The market strength mean that positive factors of the company for illustration the Lost World of Tambun got many market strengths.The Lost World of Tambun is located non excessively far from the chief town of Ipoh.Inside the Lost World they have a assortment of many drives slides cave and other escapades for clients enjoy.The staff must hold a good speaking accomplishments and must all trained good and how to talk a professional English.And the four P`s, the Lost World of Tambun is following the fourP`s People, Promotion, Product and Place, because all those staff are right trained, They have a location is near to most occupants of Ipoh and something they have a publicity tactics for clients or do some events like beach partyaˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦ Zone of Natural Expansion The Zone of Natural Expansion means, what a company has done with there natural environment to better the farcicalities on the subject park.They can traveling do a hotel, Jungle trekking, suited for all ages.Camping, for those which clients are able to see what it is like to populate out doors, suited for all ages. Brand Positioning and Marketability The Brand Positioning and Marketability companies trade name and their marketability what particular about our trade name and how to sell.The Lost World of Tambun have a Large Assortment of amusement for clients to bask from H2O slides to carnival games.A manner to expose yourself to the natural environment, inside of the Lost World of Tambun there are a batch of attractive forces for clients strictly made out the environment.Natural Resources, the Lost World of Tambun has a batch of natural resources where can construct natural at the minute they are developing a cave where clients can research with enthusiasm. Suggest Stairss to Better Gross saless and Net incomes They have many ways to better gross revenues and net incomes enormously, the Lost World of tambun can better their gross revenues and net incomes easily.They can better in forming more events, by holding more events in a subject park clients will acquire interested and they will come so expression at what event is happening here.And the household bundles besides can better gross revenues and net incomes if they have more household bundles because so more clients will be come The Lost World of Tambun.The last one is Particular Rates, a company puts particular rates for clients due to the lower monetary values more client will be visit the subject park. Suggest How They Can Better Their Business to a Global Scale A company is looking for a manner how to better at that place concern to a planetary graduated table there are many ways which can make so.Example the Travel and Tourss, if the Lost World of Tambun trades with a travel and tour company that can assist bettering at that place concern to the planetary scale.Promotions, by holding a more price reduction this can assist involvement more clients from other metropolis or state.Foreign advertizers, by acquiring foreign advertizers it can assist you advance the subject park in other state. Drumhead Enrtainment The Lost World of Tambun has so many attractive forces, clients are attracted and are willing to pass money semen for playing.The clients can loosen up after a long yearss working or have a romantic meeting in the Crystal Pool where sunshine is reflected from the crystal like tiles at the underside of the pool making a fantastic bombardment of colorss. Good Market Strenght The Lost World of Tambun has so many market strength that consequence their market holding trained staff, nice merchandises, good location and the good promotionfor there clients. Zone of Natural Expansion The Lost World of Tambun holding a batch of natural space.they can assist develop to better there theme park.Building a hotel will assist because during holiday seasons many tourers would see from another metropolis or state.Cave Tracking and Jungle Tracking can both be under there natural resources. Brand placement and marketability The Lost World of Tambun holding a batch of products.Having a good amusement, leisure, natural resources.Family bonding and is a great manner to expose yourself to the natural environment. Suggest stairss to better gross revenues and net incomes A gross revenues and net incomes can impoved in many ways by holding a more events, more bundles and particular rates etc. Suggest how they can better at that place concern to a planetary graduated table The Lost World of Tambun can better at that place concern to a planetary graduated table by negociating with a Tourss company, advancing, foreign investors and travel etc.

How to Say What in Spanish

How to Say What in Spanish Perhaps you have seen the word what translated to Spanish in Spanish in various ways and wanted to know the differences in how they are used. Common ways of translating what include include  quà ©, cà ³mo, lo que, and cul. To know when to use the correct version of what, it is helpful to know how what is being used and how it functions as a part of speech. Key Takeaways: Using "What" in Spanish To translate what to Spanish, you need first to determine how it is being used in a sentence, for example as a pronoun or adjective.The most common translation of what is quà ©; the accent mark is mandatory.Cul is sometimes used for what when implying a choice. Quà © as 'What' Most of the time, especially in questions and exclamations, quà © is a good translation for what. Note the accent mark; quà © and que have substantially different uses and can be thought of as different words. Here are a few examples of how to say quà ©Ã‚  as what:  ¿Quà © hora es? (What time is it?) ¡Quà © mujer! (What a woman!) ¿Quà © es la verdad? (What is the truth?) ¿Quà © es la ONU? (What is the U.N.?) ¿Quà © pasa? (Whats happening?) Quà © is also used in indirect questions, in which a question is raised within a statement. This is is most common after forms of saber (to know): No sà © quà © hacer con mi vida. (I dont know what to do with my life.)Quiero saber quà © te preocupa. (I want to know what is bothering you.)El nià ±o sabe quà © es. (The boy knows what it is.)No me pregunta quà © hago aquà ­. (Dont ask me what Im doing.) Cul and Cuales for 'Which One(s)' As a pronoun, cul or cules is used to say what when it means which one or which ones. In other words, cul or cules suggests there is a choice of some sort.  ¿Cul prefieres? (What do you prefer? Which one do you prefer?) ¿Cules prefieres? (What do you prefer? Which ones do you prefer?) ¿Cul vas a comprar? (What are you going to buy? Which one are you going to buy?) Note how cul can be made plural even though what can be either singular or plural, depending on the context. Sometimes, cul is used as a pronoun where a choice of some sort is implied, even though which wouldnt work in English. Theres no clear rule on these, but as you learn the language the word choice will seem natural. Notice the difference between the phrases below:  ¿Cul es el problema? (What is the problem? Literally: Which is the problem? In other words, of the possible problems, which one is it?) ¿Cul es su motivacià ³n? (What is her motive? Literally: Which is her motive? Of the possible motivations, which one is it?) ¿Cul es la diferencia entre un asteroide y un cometa? (What is the difference between an asteroid and a comet? In other words, of the possible differences between an asteroid and comet, which one is it?) Quà © or Cul As an Adjective Meaning 'What' or 'Which' As an adjective that is before a noun to mean what or which,  quà ©Ã‚  is usually used, although cul is used in some regions or by some speakers. Quà © is almost always the safer choice; cul might be considered substandard in some areas. For example:  ¿Quà © manzana prefieres? (What/which apple do you prefer?) ¿Quà © camisas vas a comprar? (What/which shirts are you going to buy?Esta prueba tiene nueve preguntas para descubrir quà © fruta describe tu personalidad. (This quiz has nine questions for finding out what/which fruit describes your personality.) Lo Que Meaning 'That Which' Lo que can be translated as what when it means that which. This is especially common when what is the subject of a statement in English. Although it would sound awkward, what could be replaced by that which in these examples: Lo que me dijo es una mentira. (What she told me is a lie.)Lo que me enoja es su actitud hacia mi madre. (What makes me mad is his attitude toward my mother.)Veo lo que pasa. (I see what is happening.) Cà ³mo Meaning 'What' Cà ³mo is seldom used to mean what, except as an interjection expressing incredulity. In some areas,  ¿cà ³mo? is used to ask someone to say something over again, although in some other areas it can be considered mildly rude. Take a look at how these translations differ:  ¡Cà ³mo! No lo creo. (What! I dont believe it.) ¡Cà ³mo! No puede ser. (What! It cant be.) ¿Cà ³mo? (What? In other words, what did you say?)

Decision Making Software Analysis and Discussion Essay

Decision Making Software Analysis and Discussion - Essay Example It allows the user to input various possible scenarios to arrive at the best possible solution for each particular situation. Decision Lab allows for the complex computation of figures and further allows for organization of data into meaningful tables and charts. Several other possible applications include: entering multiple sides of an issue or points of view for a particular situation to arrive at best case outcomes; to input data relative to assumptions or hypotheses to understand needed actions and guidelines; input data to determine the most sensible steps to take; and to perform extensive statistical data manipulation with relative ease. Visual Decision recommends the product for a wide range of applications including strategic planning, financial analysis and credit analysis. The software was designed for use with Windows which has universal appeal and application potential since it can customized for multi use integration. Additionally, the software itself is not cumbersome to use and was designed in similar fashion as MS Excel which is widely used. This reduces the time to necessary to learn new software application. Decision lab is based on the PROMETHEE and GAIA methodology.

BS (Britsh standard) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

BS (Britsh standard) - Essay Example Managing obsolescence has been proved to be one of the major challenges for a graduate design engineer as obsolescence can adversely affect the life of products in almost all of their stages. The use of commercial parts in systems and the large increase in commercial products have accelerated the rate of obsolescence. As obsolescence is an inevitable part as far as various products are concerned, the only possible solution is to minimize the rate of obsolescence with proper and effective management strategies and planning: â€Å"Obsolescence is inevitable and it cannot be ignored but forethought and careful planning can minimize its impact and its potentially high costs† (British Standard p.1). Obsolescence management thus assumes special significance as it is â€Å"an integral part of design, development, production and in-service support† (British Standard p. 1). The British standard is significant and it is selected for the purpose of study due to its unavoidable imp ortance in effective design management systems. The British standard is relevant and significant to any graduate design engineer because it offers certain clear-cut guidelines â€Å"for establishing a framework for obsolescence management and for planning a cost-effective obsolescence management process that is applicable through all phases of the product life cycle† (British Standard p. 1). The standard is applied to all types of products whether they are electronic, electrical or electro-mechanical components. Thus, for a graduate design engineer a thorough knowledge of the various provisions that can ensure the quality and life cycle costs of various products. The process for selecting the British Standard on obsolescence management include the identification of the potential factors that cause o obsolescence, identification of the possible risks involved in the process, calculation of

Psychology and American Psychological Association Essay Example for Free

Psychology and American Psychological Association Essay The qualitative variables were National Academy of Science membership, election as American Psychological Association president or receipt of the APA Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award, and surname used as a eponym (i. e. , a psychological term such a Pavlovian conditioning or Skinner box) to represent a theory, procedure, or apparatus. Objective: You are going to learn a little bit about the history of psychology and the APA style of citations, by conducting research and writing a 2 to 3 page paper – typed, double spaced and 12 point Times New Roman font on one of the individuals from the list below: . B. F. Skinner 2. Jean Piaget 3. Sigmund Freud 4. Albert Bandura 5. Leon Festinger 6. Carl Rogers 7. Stanley Schachter 8. Neal Miller 9. Edward Thorndike 10. Abraham Maslow 11. Gordon Allport 12. Erik Erikson 13. Hans J. Eysenck 14. William James 15. David McClelland 16. Raymond Cattell 17. John B. Watson 18. Kurt Lewin 19. Donald O. Hebb 20. George A. Miller 21. Clark L. Hull 22. Jerome Kagan 23. Carl Jung 24. Ivan Pavlov 25. Walter Mishcel Though not in the top 25, you can pick Alfred Adler, Karen Horney, Lawrence Kohlberg, Wolfgang Kohler, or Margaret Washburn. Procedures: 1. Select your psychologist by looking him/her up in your textbook. The textbook will help you quickly understand their contribution to the field and also help you with some terminology you may not understand in other sources. 2. After choosing a psychologist, conduct research in order to become an expert on him or her. Make sure you keep track of your sources. You should use a minimum of three sources and one of the three can be your textbook. See my website for links to good websites. I highly recommend the book The Story of Psychology by Morton Hunt which has information on most of the psychologists on the list. You are welcome to borrow my copy and the library also has a copy. In addition, the two volume reference book Psychologists and Their Theories for Students, housed in the library, is also an excellent resource. In fact, this book may help you select a psychologist. 3. Develop your paper around an argument (thesis) for why your psychologist should be number one on the most eminent list. Make sure the title of your paper links to this argument. 4. Do not write a biography! You need to pick and choose what information to use in your paper. What information you select depends on the content of your thesis tatement. You might focus on the major impact of his/her work/theories in the field of psychology, the types of research methods utilized in his/her experiments, the practical applications of his/her research, his/her major publications, and/or the school of psychology to which he/she belongs. The number of body paragraphs you write depends on the number of supporting statements. 5. Cit e your facts using parenthetical citations and format your paper, using American Psychological Association (APA) format (see the attached APA format document or the APA link on my website). Include a cover and reference page. 6. Writing a research paper is a multi-step process. Do not attempt to complete all of the above steps in one night! How to do your references page: Books: Calfee, R. C. , Valencia, R. R. (1991). The evolution of desire: Strategies of human mating. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Original source found in a current source (e. g. older studies cited in a newer book) Freud, S. (1961). The ego and the id. In J. Strachey (Ed. and Trans. ), The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (Vol. 19, pp. 3-66). London: Hogarth Press. Anonymous or unknown author (common in newspapers): Caffeine linked to mental illness. (1991, July 13). New York Times, pp. B13, B15. World Wide Web page: Bixley, T. S. (1995) Sentient microfilaments. Retrieved from http://www. microfilaments. com/consciousness/synchronicity/quantum tube. html. *If there is no date, put n. d. in its place. Group or institutional authors: University of Pittsburgh. (1993). The title goes here. Journal of Something, 8, 5-9. Journal article: Guenzel, N. (1996, Autumn) Altruism in three states. Whitman Journal of Psychology, (5)1, 67-73. Letter to the editor: ONeill, G. W. (1992, January). In support of DSM-III [Letter to the editor]. APA Monitor, p. -5. Magazine article: Gardner, H. (1991, December 9). Do babies sing a universal song? Psychology Today, pp. 70-76. Newsletter article: Brown, L. S. (1993, Spring). My research with orangs. The Psychology Department Newsletter, pg. 3. Pamphlet: Just Say No Foundation. (1992). Saving our youth. (9th ed. ) [Brochure]. Washington, DC: Author. Article in a Newspap er Schultz, S. (2005, December 28). Calls made to strengthen state energy policies. The Country Today, pp. 1A, 2A. In-Text Citations In-text citations help readers locate the cited source in the References section of the paper. . Whenever you use a source, provide in parenthesis the author’s last name and the date of publication. For quotations, provide a page number as well. The punctuation mark should follow the citation. Example: (Greenwood, 19, p. 2). 2. When quoting, introduce the quotation with a signal phrase. Make sure to include the author’s name, the year of publication, the page number, but keep the citation brief – do not repeat the information. Example: Caruth (1996) states that a traumatic response frequently entails a â€Å"delayed, uncontrolled repetitive appearance of hallucinations and other intrusive phenomena† (p. 1). Example: A traumatic response frequently entails a â€Å"delayed, uncontrolled repetitive appearance of hallucinations and other intrusive phenomena† (Caruth, 1996, p. 11) 3. There are several formats for a summary of paraphrase. Use signal verbs: acknowledge, contend, maintain, respond, report, argue, conclude, etc. Example: Smith (1998) argues that †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4. When citing a work with more than one author, identify all authors in the signal phrase or in parenthesis. Example: (Harklau, Siegel, and Losey, 1999) Example: (Smith et al. , 1983)

Bruises :: essays research papers

A bruise is one of the most common types of injury. It occurs when there is a blow or fall that causes small blood vessels to break under the skin. The discoloration and swelling in the skin are caused by the blood seeping into the tissue. The symptoms are pain, a redness that later turns blue, then green, then brown and yellow before fading away. Cold compresses or ice are useful immediately after the injury. This reduces local bleeding and swelling. If the bruise is on the extremities elevate the limbs above the level of the heart to decrease blood flow. After 24 hours apply moist heat. Heat dilates the vessels and increases circulation to the affected area. The proper homeopathic remedy greatly speeds the time of healing bruises and relieves the bad quickly. Materia Medica ACETIC ACID (2). Shock causes great relaxation, with vertigo and fainting. Dry heat after much bruising or sprains. Eyes sunken and surrounded by dark rings. Emissions the next night. ARNICA (3*). The first remedy to give in bruising as it will prevent pain and soreness and help the absorption of blood. The entire body feels bruised and aches. Arnica tincture should be use externally if the skin is unbroken. BELLIS (2*). Useful when it seems that an internal organ or bowel has been bruised. It is sometimes called the internal Arnica. It is also useful for bruises of bangs to the female breast. (a). If Bellis is not sufficient it may be followed by Conium in bruises to the breast. CONIUM (2). Indurations following bruises. Bruises to the glands with stony hardness. Injuries to the breast. (a). Sulph-ac. follows well here. HAMAMELIS (3). The entire body feelings bruised and sore after traumatic injuries. Follow Arnica if it does not remove these feelings. Can be use as a tincture on severe bruising esp. if the skin is broken. HYPERICUM (2). Bruises that affect the nerves. Neuritis after bruising. LEDUM (3*). Bruises with dark purple ecchymosis. Discoloration long after injury. The injured part feels cold but is Better > by cold worse < by heat. Blackeyes. PHOSPHORUS (3). Bruise appear for almost no reason. Easy bleeding under the skin. The sufferer does not even know when they got the bruise. RUTA (3). This remedy is use for bruises to the bone and periosteum. It may also be used externally in tincture over the area. SYMPHYTUM (2). Pain in the eye after a blow with an obtuse body.

Methods in Computer Security Essay

One of the negative impacts of technological advancements is the advancement of criminal methods. As one of the widespread progression in the whole world today, computerization has been made an instrument for criminal offenses, and this has alarmed many computer experts since the millennium bug had emerged, and was fortunately solved. Knowing the things that must be observed in computer software and hardware investigation is important to flourish as a computer forensics expert. Current investigations usually dwell on individual category, but still it can be expanded to a more general sense in analyzing the patterns and motives of maybe not just individuals, but groups or organizations (Anderson, 1996). First, in either hardware of software, all protective procedures must be known by the investigator. Security for the reliability of the source of information is of an utmost importance in fishing evidences towards solving a crime. The computer itself is the first place that must be secured. A way to secure them is to label them to avoid possible damages and interchange of the computer parts. Keeping the original state of the machine whether it is turned on/off, or maintaining connections at the back of the CPU or a laptop, is also a requirement for in the case of transportation, there might be a need to disassemble the parts, and knowing the original positions of the connections is relevant to restore the computer for investigation after transportation (Barba, __, p. 19). Second is the acquisition of electronic information. This can be obtained from the hard disk or other disk drives attached to the computer and to e-mails, where possible records of computer manipulation that the offender had done to the systems before and after completion of the act are present. Looking at the deleted and hidden files is also a very crucial step, which might lead to the identification of the possible objectives of the criminal in deleting those data fragments, or what data he needed so as to complete his purpose (Barba, __, p. 24). Upon identification of the important data files that are removed from the system, and if there exists any system transactions that can be done through those files, like for example bank transactions, it would be the initiative of investigator to warn the potential persons that can be damaged when the transactions have been completed. The third thing that is important to consider is the recovery of the lost information that the client needs. It may also be possible to identify log-in passwords and usernames to monitor the users of the computer which can be associated with time of deletion of information, thus identifying the criminal. They can also look at the possible system protection measures to secure information and to avoid access again to the system. The log and registry of the computer may trace this necessary information and identify changes on the computer codes (Sunblocksystems. com, 2007). Fingerprints may also be looked at in the case of a criminal act done at the place of the client itself. Identification of the criminal would be much more specific at this case. References Anderson, K. E. (1996). International Intrusions: Motives and Patterns Retrieved July 14, 2008, 2008, from http://www. aracnet. com/~kea/Papers/paper. shtml Barba, M. (___). Computer Forensic Investigations [Electronic Version]. Retrieved July 14, 2008, from http://www. computer-forensic. com/old_site/presentations/ASIS_Presentation. pdf Sunblocksystems. com. (2007). Computer Forensics. Retrieved July 13, 2008, from http://www. sunblocksystems. com/forensics. html

Individualism as an American Culture Essay

Question: How do the examples involving the child who has fallen, the way food is served and eaten, and the newspaper route provide the author with significant insights into American cultural value? Do you agree with her interpretations? Poranee like many other immigrants are faced with various changes/challenges when they leave their homeland to start a new life in another country. Some of these changes are obvious, while others are not so blatant. Poranee first realized these changes with the simple question â€Å"how are you?† While somethings are consider normal and acceptable in one country, it may be consider rude or inappropriate in another. Poranee was raised in culture that emphasis service and togetherness, which is why she felt comfortable enough to help the fallen child. Without being told, she wouldn’t have known that letting the child get up himself will teach him to be independent from an early age. Just like the fallen child, eating off someone else plate or reaching across the table isn’t consider inappropriate since the Thais focuses more on forming a community than individualism. The American way of eating is consider inappropriate to the Thais because it is seen as selfish and inconsiderate to have so much food on your plate. I agree with the author on her interpretation of the examples except for the example about the newspaper route. I don’t think that the couple who own the BMW’s were materialistic because they were well off but still made their children work. I think that by making their son sell newspapers and their daughter babysit, they were teaching them the value of hard work Working teaches them that just because their parents have money, doesn’t mean they can sit around and do nothing.

Enrico Fermi - Biography of the Physicist

Enrico Fermi - Biography of the Physicist Enrico Fermi was a physicist whose important discoveries about the atom led to the splitting of the atom (atomic bombs) and the harnessing of its heat into an energy source (nuclear energy). Dates: September 29, 1901 November 29, 1954 Also Known As: Architect of the Nuclear Age Enrico Fermi Discovers His Passion Enrico Fermi was born in Rome at the very beginning of the 20th century. At the time, no one could have imagined the impact his scientific discoveries would have on the world. Interestingly, Fermi didnt get interested in physics until after his brother died unexpectedly during a minor surgery. Fermi was only 14 and the loss of his brother devastated him. Looking for an escape from reality, Fermi happened upon two physics books from 1840 and read them from cover to cover, fixing some of the mathematical errors as he read. He claims he didnt realize at the time that the books were written in Latin. His passion was born. By the time he was just 17, Fermis scientific ideas and concepts were so advanced he was able to head directly to graduate school. After four years studying at the University of Pisa, he was awarded his doctorate in physics in 1922. Experimenting With Atoms For the next several years, Fermi worked with some of the greatest physicists in Europe, including Max Born and Paul Ehrenfest, while also teaching at the University of Florence and then at the University of Rome. At the University of Rome, Fermi conducted experiments that progressed atomic science. After James Chadwick discovered the third part of atoms, neutrons, in 1932, scientists worked diligently to discover more about the interior of atoms. Before Fermi began his experiments, other scientists had already used helium nuclei as projectiles to disrupt an atoms nucleus. However, since the helium nuclei were positively charged, they could not be successfully used on the heavier elements. In 1934, Fermi came up with the idea to use neutrons, which have no charge, as projectiles. Fermi would shoot a neutron like an arrow into an atoms nucleus. Many of these nuclei absorbed the extra neutron during this process, creating isotopes for every element. Quite a discovery in and of itself; however, Fermi made another interesting discovery. Slowing Down the Neutron Though it doesnt seem to make sense, Fermi found that by slowing down the neutron, it often had a larger impact on the nucleus.  He found that the speed at which the neutron was most impacted differed for every element. For these two discoveries about atoms, Fermi was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1938. Fermi Emigrates The timing was just right for the Nobel Prize. Antisemitism was strengthening within Italy at this time and though Fermi was not Jewish, his wife was. Fermi accepted the Nobel Prize in Stockholm and then immediately emigrated to the United States. He arrived in the U.S. in 1939 and began working at Columbia University in New York City as a professor of physics. Nuclear Chain Reactions Fermi continued his research at Columbia University. Though Fermi had unknowingly split a nucleus during his earlier experiments, credit for splitting an atom (fission) was given to Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann in 1939. Fermi, however, quickly realized that if you split an atoms nucleus, that atoms neutrons could be used as projectiles to split another atoms nuclei, causing a nuclear chain reaction. Each time a nucleus was split, an enormous amount of energy was released. Fermis discovery of the nuclear chain reaction and then his discovery of a way to control this reaction led to both the construction of atomic bombs and of nuclear power. The Manhattan Project During World War II, Fermi worked diligently on the Manhattan Project to create an atomic bomb. After the war, however, he believed the human toll from these bombs was too large. In 1946, Fermi worked as a professor at the University of Chicagos Institute of Nuclear Studies. In 1949, Fermi argued against the development of a hydrogen bomb. It was built anyway. On November 29, 1954, Enrico Fermi succumbed to stomach cancer at the age of 53.

How to Manage and Identify Pin Oak

How to Manage and Identify Pin Oak Pin oak or Quercus palustris is named for a characteristic where small, thin, dead branches stick out like pins from the main trunk. Pin oak is among the most widely planted native oaks in the urban landscape, the third most common street tree in New York City. It tolerates drought, poor soils and is easy to transplant. It is popular because of an attractive shape and trunk. The green, glossy leaves show brilliant red to bronze fall color. In many cases, the pin oak can tolerate wet sites but be careful to manage watering and avoid wet sites. Specifics on Quercus Palustris Scientific name: Quercus palustrisPronunciation: KWERK-us pal-US-trissCommon name(s): Pin OakFamily: FagaceaeUSDA hardiness zones: USDA hardiness zones: 4 through 8AOrigin: native to North AmericaUses: large parking lot islands; wide tree lawns; recommended for buffer strips around parking lots or for median strip plantings in the highway; tree has been successfully grown in urban areas where air pollution, poor drainage, compacted soil, and/or drought are common. The Pin Oak Cultivars The lower branches on pin oak cultivars ‘Crown Right’ and ‘Sovereign’ do not grow down at a 45-degree angle as does the non-cultivar. This branch angle can make the tree unmanageable in close urban settings. These cultivars are thought to be better suited than the natural species as street and parking lot trees. However, graft incompatibility often leads to future trunk failure on these cultivars. Description of Pin Oak Height: 50 to 75 feetSpread: 35 to 40 feetCrown uniformity: symmetrical canopy with a regular (or smooth) outline  and individuals have more or less identical crown formsCrown shape: pyramidalCrown density: moderateGrowth rate: mediumTexture: medium Leaf Details Leaf arrangement: alternateLeaf type: simpleLeaf margin: lobed; partedLeaf shape: deltoid; oblong; obovate; ovateLeaf venation: pinnateLeaf type and persistence: deciduousLeaf blade length: 4 to 8 inches; 2 to 4 inchesLeaf color: greenFall color: copper; redFall characteristic: showy Trunk and Branches Can Be a Problem Trunk/bark/branches: bark is thin and easily damaged from mechanical impact; droop as the tree grows and will require pruning for vehicular or pedestrian clearance beneath the canopy; should be grown with a single leaderPruning requirement: needs little pruning to develop a strong structureBreakage: susceptible to breakage either at the crotch due to poor collar formation or the wood itself is weak and tends to breakCurrent year twig color: brown; greenCurrent year twig thickness: thin Pruning May Be Necessary Lower branches on a pin oak will require removal when used as a street or parking lot tree as they tend to droop and hang on the tree. The persistent lower branches can be attractive on a roomy large open lawn because of its picturesque habit when open-grown. The trunk is typically straight up through the crown, only occasionally developing a double leader. Prune any double or multiple leaders out as soon as they are recognized with several prunings in the first 15 to 20 years after planting. Pin Oak Environment Light requirement: tree grows in full sunSoil tolerances: clay; loam; sand; acidic; extended flooding; well-drainedDrought tolerance: moderateAerosol salt tolerance: lowSoil salt tolerance: poor Pin Oak - The Details Pin Oak develops nicely on moist, acid soils and is tolerant of compaction, wet soil, and urban conditions. When grown in acidic soil, pin oak can be a handsome specimen tree. The lower branches tend to droop, middle branches are horizontal and branches in the upper part of the crown grow upright. The straight trunk and small, well-attached branches make Pin Oak an extremely safe tree to plant in urban areas. It is extremely vigorous as far south as USDA hardiness zone 7b but may grow slowly in USDA hardiness zone 8a. It is very sensitive to soil pH above the high 6’s. It is water tolerant and is native to stream banks and flood plains. Pin Oak grows well in areas where water stands for several weeks at a time. One of the adaptive mechanisms of Pin Oak is a fibrous, shallow root system which allows it to tolerate flooded soil conditions. But as with any other tree, do not plant it in standing water or allow water to stand around the roots until the tree has become established in the landscape. Several years are needed after transplanting for the tree to develop this type of adaptive root system, and subjecting it to flooding too early could kill it. Plant trees in a slightly raised mound or bed if the  soil is poorly drained.

Global banking issues Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Global banking issues - Assignment Example The best example of barter system is that suppose there are two persons, one of them has a goat and the other has a cow and they both want the goods possessed by each other. In such condition the barter system is created so as to get into an agreement for the procedure of goods exchange. However even if the goods are exchanged successfully there would be a time when the goat and cow would die and hence it can be stated that these goods are not able to maintain their initial value over the time. In such a scenario there was evolution of a new concept in the form of money which served as exchange medium (Schwartz 361).This medium was accepted widely by all the traders as it was able to solve the problem that was associated with goods that deteriorated with time. One of the most important functions of money is that it can be considered to be unit of account that facilitates a mechanism through which value can be placed on the services and goods. This is simply because such a function is a standard unit in monetary terms for value measurement on services and goods. For instance when a person goes to a supermarket the monetary value of goods can be observed by the person through the price tags on the goods. There even exists monetary value on services such as when a person goes for a spa and gets the required service the person in return pays money to the concerned individual for the availed service. Thus unit of account as a function of money can be regarded as value measurement for services and goods. The supply of money can be considered as liquid instrument and total stock assets at a particular time and this in turn in an economy of a country is accepted as medium of exchange. The Federal Reserve System takes into control the supply of money in America. The supply of money comprises of three essential components such as the

Case Study Analysis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Analysis - Case Study Example By the End of October 2002, the project was terminated. However, from the report of the Auditor General, it was found that as against the expected $ 38.2 million expenditure, the new project estimate was $ 135.1 million, out of which $ 61 million was already spent. Auditor General found serious issues regarding the corporate governance in Sydney Water. First of all, the reporting of the management to the Board on important issues was not detailed and timely. In addition, the Board did not oversee the project as it was supposed to do. Thirdly, the issues were not properly disclosed in the Annual Report 2002. 1. Cultural attitude within Sydney Water It is evident from the report of the Auditor General that the cultural attitude within Sydney Waters was not befitting a well-functioning organization. One of the main factors that become evident is the widespread belief in the Sydney Water that outsourcing of major projects will transfer all the risks to the contractor and that there is no need of the user cooperation in the process (Review of Sydney Water’s Customer Information and Billing System, 2003). The GM-Customer Service was of the opinion that by paying a premium to PwC, the fixed price contract would give a strong legal backup to Sydney Water. The same view was expressed by the Audit Committee and the whole Sydney Water management. So, they were not so keen in updating their risk management process, and were not interested in following up the DMR recommendations. Another issue is poor record keeping. Some important documents that were found missing in the Auditor General’s review were final business case, tendering processes, and net present value calculations for the project (ibid). Another point is the totally lethargic attitude exhibited by the Board of Directors. It is a well-known fact that the Board is directly responsible to the stakeholders, and hence is responsible to act in a manner that protects the interests of stakeholders. Hence, it is for the board to deal with challenges and issues relating to corporate governance, corporate social responsibility and corporate ethics. As a part of this, it is the responsibility of the directors to make sure that proper books of account are kept. However, in the case of Sydney Water, it can be seen that the board failed to control the whole procedure in a proper way. Firstly, it initiated the process without a proper architecture framework in place, and then failed to avail and analyze the progress of the project. When its managing director, steering committee, and other responsible ones failed to function as directed, it failed to take necessary actions to ensure compliance with the company strategies. In addition, one can observe that officers ranging from the project manager, the steering committee, and general managers of customer service acted in a lethargic and careless way. They failed to provide adequate reports and to follow the usual procedures of communication i n the group. On the one hand, there was lack of common consensus about the responsibilities of each stakeholder, and on the other, they did not care about the interest of the company and its stakeholders. In the words of Schwalbe (2008, p.6), a successful project should meet its scope goal, cost goal, and time goal. It is very evident that the CIBS project failed to meet all the three goals. To meet these ends, the management should show good human resource

Political Realism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Political Realism - Essay Example It supposedly achieves certain results (e.g. status quo, dà ©tente) that are pivotal in the stability of international relations. These principles expound on detailed explanations and illustrations that underscored the realist perspectives in international politics - that nations must advance their own self-interest because: a) it is more effective in achieving political objectives; b) it balances international powers; c) it is better than the idealist/moralistic approach in pursuing not just effective foreign policy, but social and other domestic objectives as well; and, d) it is crucial in a state’s very survival. Morgenthau’s arguments cited the experience of the Second World War and international relations in a post-war period to drive home his point. He criticized the political idealism that preceded the First World War, the political theory, which he believed paved the way for the outbreak of the Second World War. He used the British experience as an example: Neville Chamberlain’s politics of appeasement were†¦ inspired by good motives; he was†¦ less motivated by considerations of personal power than were many other British prime ministers and he sought to preserve peace and to assure the happiness of all concerned. Yet his policies helped to make the Second World War inevitable.1 Morgenthau cited Churchill’s policy which apparently ran counter to Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement. He noted that Churchill was able to successfully navigate international politics than his predecessor because of the former’s strategy of advancing Britain’s power in the world stage. Interestingly, the seemingly selfish policy of self-advancement for states becomes an important tool for achieving and maintaining peace as well. As power becomes the principal theme of international politics, states wittingly an unwittingly strive to maintain an equilibrium or balance of it by attaining, preserving and/or increasing their

Moores Theory of Democracy Analysis

Moores Theory of Democracy Analysis Book Review: Barrington Moore, Jr. Social Origins of Democracy and Dictatorship: Lord and Peasant in the Making of the Modern World. Beacon Press; Reprint edition, 1993 Moores work is an enlightening discussion of the class structures and social origins of democracy and dictatorship, examining the social change process that transformed states and societies from agrarian societies to industrial ones. The book demonstrates the social origins of democracy and dictatorship mediated through class structures (landlords, peasants, and urban bourgeois) and economic arrangements. Moores investigation of the quest for modernization and freedom reveals the history and sociology of political resistance and violent social revolutions against domination, mediated through political and economic interests that provided the impetus to occasions of revolution and also produced counter revolutionary forces that impacted societies political paths. He makes a pointed argument, comparatively explaining how relationships between classes change with increasing commercialization of agriculture and this lays the groundwork for the process of change in the social structures.[ 1] Moore elaborates on the political and economic power of class structures and the process of social change, and he analyzes their relationship and how this impacts political outcomes.[2] The convergence or divergence of interests (political and economic) among these class structures and their influence on political development provides an adequate explanation of the sociology of modernization and the history of revolutions and social change.[3] Moore uses the theoretical lens of Marxist class analysis to explain these dynamics and their role among class structures that in turn have impacted the political path of societies-and how that influenced or shaped the nature of the state and society. Moores work is an important scholarly contribution to the theoretical discussion of the process of modernization and the role of class structures and economic arrangements in comparative case studies. He introduces three categories to explain the process of modernization and the outcomes. The first, bourgeois revolution, features England, France, and the US, all countries that abolished traditional landed elite domination and became capitalist democracies.[4] The second category focuses on the revolutions in Germany and Japan that resulted in fascism-what Moore calls revolution from above, a process which produced the defeat of popular revolution by the traditional landed elite and preserved their dominant position during industrialization. The third category, peasant revolution, features Russia and China, where revolutionary peasantry abolished the traditional elite. Moore makes the radical and intriguing argument that violent social revolution was necessary, that liberal democracy succeeded and constitutional democracy was established in these countries because of the violent social revolutions against traditional agrarian elites.ÂÂ   [5] Moores social class perspective enhances our understanding of the history and sociology of the process of modernization. I found his work to be eye-opening, as it provides an insightful explanation of the social roots of modernization and what has followed. His work may be a major contribution in understanding the social process and social roots of democracy and dictatorship, focusing attention on social change factors and the class relationship rather than the more conventional institutional and state-centered explanation. However, his work overlooks or undermines the role and significance of the relative strength or weakness of the states in the comparative case studies as factors that influenced the states political paths. This comparative study of the importance of class analysis and social change and how they impact outcomes and influence political and economic change helps to explain authoritarianism and democratization in the contemporary world. This book may draw researchers attention away from positivist and institutional analysis, helping to understand and explain the nature of political regimes (democratic and dictatorial). Moores analysis of class and social change provides tools to understand the genealogy of the nature of the state and the processes of social change that have impacted the political outcomes of contemporary regimes. His work is clearly relevant to authoritarianism and dictatorship in Africa, with regard to dictatorship. His theoretical insight may be useful in understanding the social origins, social bases, class structures and social change processes in that continent, to explain the socio-economic and political context of dictatorship and the process of democratization. Thi s, however, does not mean that his case studies or historical analysis should be superimposed, but rather that his insight and analytical methods may be an important input. The utility of Moores approach in studying contemporary African states and political regimes will likely be found in the tools it provides for understanding the emergence of class and inter-class coalitions and capturing the story of resistance/coalition among the various class structures. Methodologically, this book demonstrates the importance of including insights from case studies within the comparative framework in order to raise questions that can help us understand relationships, interests, processes and outcomes. Methodologically, Moores comparative approach is important because specific insights from specific cases can be used to appreciate variations and distinct processes specific to other contexts using analysis of change in class structures. Because of this methodological approach, the historical conditions that have created the conditions for the emergence of western parliamentarian democracy, dictatorships, fascism and communist regimes, have been adequately illustrated. Moores work is a comparative study of modernization through the transition from the pre-modern to the modern industrial era. His main contention is that class and social change explain why some governments developed into dictatorial forms while other developed into democracies. His book central theme revolves around how the political path of modern states (liberal democracy, fascist dictatorship and communist dictatorship) had its origins from the revolutionary past mediated through class structures and process of social change in illustrated through multiple case studies. The political outcome of the class structures, their relationship and contention, is the central theme, supporting his argument that the class struggle between the peasants and the landlord with commercial agricultural interests, and the role of the urban elite, has huge significance. Moores main engagement is with the role of class structure in shaping or influencing political forms of governance in modern industrialized societies. He explicates the relationship between class structure and history and the political outcome of this. Moore states repeatedly that commercialization of agriculture and urban classes are inevitable factorsthatinfluence and shape political outcomes and the transition to the industrialized modern world order. Moore illustrates that it was important to destroy the power of the landed agrarian elite in order to allow the rise of democratic political regimes. [1] Moore, B. (1993). Social origins of dictatorship and democracy: Lord and peasant in the making of the modern world (Vol. 268). Beacon Press. p 418-419 [2] Ibid Page 422-424 [3] Ibid p 486 [4] Ibid 428-478 [5] Ibid xxiii , page 10-22,52-57, 115-150

A Kantian Interpretation of Demonstrative Reference :: Philosophy Philosophical Kant Essays

A Kantian Interpretation of Demonstrative Reference ABSTRACT: According to Kant, we refer to what is out there in the world by performing a demonstrative act, like pointing at an object with a finger. A Kantian mode of demonstrative reference is characterized by the existence of a real, 2-placed affective relation between an intuiting subject and the referent. Parsons suggests that Kantian intuition is both singular and immediate, and immediacy demands an object of intuition to be present, a condition clearly satisfied by objects within our immediate perceptual field. But since we do not have an immediate relation with remote objects, the scope of our demonstrative reference is severely restricted by intuitional immediacy. I wish to develop a global Kantian intuition in order to extend the scope of demonstrative reference. Kant's ontology of space entails that the global representability of space be given to an intuiting subject as a form of intuition. According to Melnick, Kantian intuition is a kinematic operation which involves dir ecting attention and moving about. To make contact with the world, the subject must move away from its locale: although a spatially remote object (W) is not immediately present, we can shift our location by taking a path such that W will become so. Once we are close enough to be affected by W, we will be able to point at W and say "This." Thus, the intuitive scope of demonstrative reference is globalized as we shift our location. I A. The Semantic Content of "This" It has been suggested that Kantian intuition is analogous to the demonstrative term "This." According to Sellars, "to intuit is to represent a this." The demonstrative "This" provides a semantic model for Kantian intuition, but with some restriction. We can certainly apply the demonstrative "This" to individual items which are not proper objects of intuition, e.g., "This theory," "This thought," or "This proposition." The singularity of "This" is insufficient to characterize Kantian intuition. Since space and time are the forms of intuition, an intuitable object must have a spatio-temporal location. Hence, the demonstrative "This" is a semantic model for Kantian intuition only if it is "spatio-temporized." We can spatio-temporize "This" by performing a demonstrative act. The type of a demonstrative act can be characterized by a "2-placed de re ostension" as suggested by Howell. The function of a de re ostension is to indicate the presence of an object in our perceptual field. Pointing at an object with a finger is an example of a 2-placed de re ostension par excellence.

Chapter 11 Aboard the Hogwart Express

There was a definite end-of-the-holidays gloom in the air when Harry awoke next morning. Heavy rain was still splattering against the window as he got dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt; they would change into their school robes on the Hogwarts Express. He, Ron, Fred, and George had just reached the first-floor landing on their way down to breakfast, when Mrs. Weasley appeared at the foot of the stairs, looking harassed. â€Å"Arthur!† she called up the staircase. â€Å"Arthur! Urgent message from the Ministry!† Harry flattened himself against the wall as Mr. Weasley came clattering past with his robes on back-to-front and hurtled out of sight. When Harry and the others entered the kitchen, they saw Mrs. Weasley rummaging anxiously in the drawers – â€Å"I've got a quill here somewhere!† – and Mr. Weasley bending over the fire, talking to – Harry shut his eyes hard and opened them again to make sure that they were working properly. Amos Diggory's head was sitting in the middle of the flames like a large, bearded egg. It was talking very fast, completely unperturbed by the sparks flying around it and the flames licking its ears. â€Å"†¦Muggle neighbors heard bangs and shouting, so they went and called those what-d'you-call-'ems – please-men. Arthur, you've got to get over there -â€Å" â€Å"Here!† said Mrs. Weasley breathlessly, pushing a piece of parchment, a bottle of ink, and a crumpled quill into Mr. Weasley's hands. â€Å"- it's a real stroke of luck I heard about it,† said Mr. Diggory's head. â€Å"I had to come into the office early to send a couple of owls, and I found the Improper Use of Magic lot all setting off – if Rita Skeeter gets hold of this one, Arthur -â€Å" â€Å"What does Mad-Eye say happened?† asked Mr. Weasley, unscrewing the ink bottle, loading up his quill, and preparing to take notes. Mr. Diggory's head rolled its eyes. â€Å"Says he heard an intruder in his yard. Says he was creeping toward the house, but was ambushed by his dustbins.† â€Å"What did the dustbins do?† asked Mr. Weasley, scribbling frantically. â€Å"Made one hell of a noise and fired rubbish everywhere, as far as I can tell,† said Mr. Diggory. â€Å"Apparently one of them was still rocketing around when the please-men turned up -â€Å" Mr. Weasley groaned. â€Å"And what about the intruder?† â€Å"Arthur, you know Mad-Eye,† said Mr. Diggory's head, rolling its eyes again. â€Å"Someone creeping into his yard in the dead of night? More likely there's a very shell-shocked cat wandering around somewhere, covered in potato peelings. But if the Improper Use of Magic lot get their hands on Mad-Eye, he's had it – think of his record – we've got to get him off on a minor charge, something in your department – what are exploding dustbins worth?† â€Å"Might be a caution,† said Mr. Weasley, still writing very fast, his brow furrowed. â€Å"Mad-Eye didn't use his wand? He didn't actually attack anyone?† â€Å"I'll bet he leapt out of bed and started jinxing everything he could reach through the window,† said Mr. Diggory, â€Å"but they'll have a job proving it, there aren't any casualties.† â€Å"All right, I'm off,† Mr. Weasley said, and he stuffed the parchment with his notes on it into his pocket and dashed out of the kitchen again. Mr. Diggory's head looked around at Mrs. Weasley. â€Å"Sorry about this, Molly,† it said, more calmly, â€Å"bothering you so early and everything†¦but Arthur's the only one who can get Mad-Eye off, and Mad-Eye's supposed to be starting his new job today. Why he had to choose last night†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Never mind, Amos,† said Mrs. Weasley. â€Å"Sure you won't have a bit of toast or anything before you go?† â€Å"Oh go on, then,† said Mr. Diggory. Mrs. Weasley took a piece of buttered toast from a stack on the kitchen table, put it into the fire tongs, and transferred it into Mr. Diggory's mouth. â€Å"Fanks,† he said in a muffled voice, and then, with a small pop, vanished. Harry could hear Mr. Weasley calling hurried good-byes to Bill, Charlie, Percy, and the girls. Within five minutes, he was back in the kitchen, his robes on the right way now, dragging a comb through his hair. â€Å"I'd better hurry – you have a good term, boys, said Mr. Weasley to Harry, Ron, and the twins, fastening a cloak over his shoulders and preparing to Disapparate. â€Å"Molly, are you going to be all right taking the kids to King's Cross?† â€Å"Of course I will,† she said. â€Å"You just look after Mad-Eye, we'll be fine.† As Mr. Weasley vanished, Bill and Charlie entered the kitchen. â€Å"Did someone say Mad-Eye?† Bill asked. â€Å"What's he been up to now.† â€Å"He says someone tried to break into his house last night,† said Mrs. Weasley. â€Å"Mad-Eye Moody?† said George thoughtfully, spreading marmalade on his toast. â€Å"Isn't he that nutter -â€Å" â€Å"Your father thinks very highly of Mad-Eye Moody,† said Mrs. Weasley sternly. â€Å"Yeah, well, Dad collects plugs, doesn't he?† said Fred quietly as Mrs. Weasley left the room. â€Å"Birds of a feather†¦.† â€Å"Moody was a great wizard in his time,† said Bill. â€Å"He's an old friend of Dumbledore's, isn't he?† said Charlie. â€Å"Dumbledore's not what you'd call normal, though, is he?† said Fred. â€Å"I mean, I know he's a genius and everything†¦.† â€Å"Who is Mad-Eye?† asked Harry. â€Å"He's retired, used to work at the Ministry,† said Charlie. â€Å"I met him once when Dad took me into work with him. He was an Auror – one of the best†¦a Dark wizard catcher,† he added, seeing Harry's blank look. â€Å"Half the cells in Azkaban are full because of him. He made himself loads of enemies, though†¦the families of people he caught, mainly†¦and I heard he's been getting really paranoid in his old age. Doesn't trust anyone anymore. Sees Dark wizards everywhere.† Bill and Charlie decided to come and see everyone off at King's Cross station, but Percy, apologizing most profusely, said that he really needed to get to work. â€Å"I just can't justify taking more time off at the moment,† he told them. â€Å"Mr. Crouch is really starting to rely on me.† â€Å"Yeah, you know what, Percy?† said George seriously. â€Å"I reckon he'll know your name soon.† Mrs. Weasley had braved the telephone in the village post office to order three ordinary Muggle taxis to take them into London. â€Å"Arthur tried to borrow Ministry cars for us,† Mrs. Weasley whispered to Harry as they stood in the rain-washed yard, watching the taxi drivers heaving six heavy Hogwarts trunks into their cars. â€Å"But there weren't any to spare†¦.Oh dear, they don't look happy, do they?† Harry didn't like to tell Mrs. Weasley that Muggle taxi drivers rarely transported overexcited owls, and Pigwidgeon was making an earsplitting racket. Nor did it help that a number of Filibuster's Fabulous No-Heat, Wet-Start Fireworks went off unexpectedly when Fred's trunk sprang open, causing the driver carrying it to yell with fright and pain as Crookshanks clawed his way up the man's leg. The journey was uncomfortable, owing to the fact that they were jammed in the back of the taxis with their trunks. Crookshanks took quite a while to recover from the fireworks, and by the time they entered London, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all severely scratched. They were very relieved to get out at King's Cross, even though the rain was coming down harder than ever, and they got soaked carrying their trunks across the busy road and into the station. Harry was used to getting onto platform nine and three-quarters by now. It was a simple matter of walking straight through the apparently solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten. The only tricky part was doing this in an unobtrusive way, so as to avoid attracting Muggle attention. They did it in groups today; Harry, Ron, and Hermione (the most conspicuous, since they were accompanied by Pigwidgeon and Crookshanks) went first; they leaned casually against the barrier, chatting unconcernedly, and slid sideways through it†¦and as they did so, platform nine and three-quarters materialized in front of them. The Hogwarts Express, a gleaming scarlet steam engine, was already there, clouds of steam billowing from it, through which the many Hogwarts students and parents on the platform appeared like dark ghosts. Pigwidgeon became noisier than ever in response to the hooting of many owls through the mist. Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off to find seats, and were soon stowing their luggage in a compartment halfway along the train. They then hopped back down onto the platform to say good-bye to Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie. â€Å"I might be seeing you all sooner than you think,† said Charlie, grinning, as he hugged Ginny good-bye. â€Å"Why?† said Fred keenly. â€Å"You'll see,† said Charlie. â€Å"Just don't tell Percy I mentioned it†¦it's ‘classified information, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it,' after all.† â€Å"Yeah, I sort of wish I were back at Hogwarts this year,† said Bill, hands in his pockets, looking almost wistfully at the train. â€Å"Why?† said George impatiently. â€Å"You're going to have an interesting year,† said Bill, his eyes twinkling. â€Å"I might even get time off to come and watch a bit of it.† â€Å"A bit of what?† said Ron. But at that moment, the whistle blew, and Mrs. Weasley chivvied them toward the train doors. â€Å"Thanks for having us to stay, Mrs. Weasley,† said Hermione as they climbed on board, closed the door, and leaned out of the window to talk to her. â€Å"Yeah, thanks for everything, Mrs. Weasley,† said Harry. â€Å"Oh it was my pleasure, dears,† said Mrs. Weasley. â€Å"I'd invite you for Christmas, but†¦well, I expect you're all going to want to stay at Hogwarts, what with†¦one thing and another.† â€Å"Mum!† said Ron irritably. â€Å"What d'you three know that we don't?† â€Å"You'll find out this evening, I expect,† said Mrs. Weasley, smiling. â€Å"It's going to be very exciting – mind you, I'm very glad they've changed the rules -â€Å" â€Å"What rules?† said Harry, Ron, Fred, and George together. â€Å"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will tell you†¦.Now, behave, won't you? Won't you, Fred? And you, George?† The pistons hissed loudly and the train began to move. â€Å"Tell us what's happening at Hogwarts!† Fred bellowed out of the window as Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie sped away from them. â€Å"What rules are they changing?† But Mrs. Weasley only smiled and waved. Before the train had rounded the corner, she, Bill, and Charlie had Disapparated. Harry, Ron, and Hermione went back to their compartment. The thick rain splattering the windows made it very difficult to see out of them. Ron undid his trunk, pulled out his maroon dress robes, and flung them over Pigwidgeon's cage to muffle his hooting. â€Å"Bagman wanted to tell us what's happening at Hogwarts,† he said grumpily, sitting down next to Harry. â€Å"At the World Cup, remember? But my own mother won't say. Wonder what -â€Å" â€Å"Shh!† Hermione whispered suddenly, pressing her finger to her lips and pointing toward the compartment next to theirs. Harry and Ron listened, and heard a familiar drawling voice drifting in through the open door. â€Å"†¦Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know. He knows the headmaster, you see. Well, you know his opinion of Dumbledore – the man's such a Mudblood-lover – and Durmstrang doesn't admit that sort of riffraff. But Mother didn't like the idea of me going to school so far away. Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually learn them, not just the defense rubbish we do†¦.† Hermione got up, tiptoed to the compartment door, and slid it shut, blocking out Malfoy's voice. â€Å"So he thinks Durmstrang would have suited him, does he?† she said angrily. â€Å"I wish he had gone, then we wouldn't have to put up with him.† â€Å"Durmstrang's another wizarding school?† said Harry. â€Å"Yes,† said Hermione sniffily, â€Å"and it's got a horrible reputation. According to An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe, it puts a lot of emphasis on the Dark Arts.† â€Å"I think I've heard of it,† said Ron vaguely. â€Å"Where is it? What country?† â€Å"Well, nobody knows, do they?† said Hermione, raising her eyebrows. â€Å"Er – why not?† said Harry. â€Å"There's traditionally been a lot of rivalry between all the magic schools. Durmstrang and Beauxbatons like to conceal their whereabouts so nobody can steal their secrets,† said Hermione matter-of-factly. â€Å"Come off it,† said Ron, starting to laugh. â€Å"Durmstrang's got to be about the same size as Hogwarts – how are you going to hide a great big castle?† â€Å"But Hogwarts is hidden,† said Hermione, in surprise. â€Å"Everyone knows that†¦well, everyone who's read Hogwarts, A History, anyway.† â€Å"Just you, then,† said Ron. â€Å"So go on – how d'you hide a place like Hogwarts?† â€Å"It's bewitched,† said Hermione. â€Å"If a Muggle looks at it, all they see is a moldering old ruin with a sign over the entrance saying DANGER, DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE.† â€Å"So Durmstrang'll just look like a ruin to an outsider too?† â€Å"Maybe,† said Hermione, shrugging, â€Å"or it might have Muggle-repelling charms on it, like the World Cup stadium. And to keep foreign wizards from finding it, they'll have made it Unplottable -â€Å" â€Å"Come again?† â€Å"Well, you can enchant a building so it's impossible to plot on a map, can't you?† â€Å"Er†¦if you say so,† said Harry. â€Å"But I think Durmstrang must be somewhere in the far north,† said Hermione thoughtfully. â€Å"Somewhere very cold, because they've got fur capes as part of their uniforms.† â€Å"Ah, think of the possibilities,† said Ron dreamily. â€Å"It would've been so easy to push Malfoy off a glacier and make it look like an accident†¦.Shame his mother likes him†¦.† The rain became heavier and heavier as the train moved farther north. The sky was so dark and the windows so steamy that the lanterns were lit by midday. The lunch trolley came rattling along the corridor, and Harry bought a large stack of Cauldron Cakes for them to share. Several of their friends looked in on them as the afternoon progressed, including Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom, a round-faced, extremely forgetful boy who had been brought up by his formidable witch of a grandmother. Seamus was still wearing his Ireland rosette. Some of its magic seemed to be wearing off now; it was still squeaking â€Å"Troy – Mullet – Moran!† but in a very feeble and exhausted sort of way. After half an hour or so, Hermione, growing tired of the endless Quidditch talk, buried herself once more in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4, and started trying to learn a Summoning Charm. Neville listened jealously to the others' conversation as they relived the Cup match. â€Å"Gran didn't want to go,† he said miserably. â€Å"Wouldn't buy tickets. It sounded amazing though.† â€Å"It was,† said Ron. â€Å"Look at this, Neville†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He rummaged in his trunk up in the luggage rack and pulled out the miniature figure of Viktor Krum. â€Å"Oh wow,† said Neville enviously as Ron tipped Krum onto his pudgy hand. â€Å"We saw him right up close, as well,† said Ron. â€Å"We were in the Top Box -â€Å" â€Å"For the first and last time in your life, Weasley.† Draco Malfoy had appeared in the doorway. Behind him stood Crabbe and Goyle, his enormous, thuggish cronies, both of whom appeared to have grown at least a foot during the summer. Evidently they had overheard the conversation through the compartment door, which Dean and Seamus had left ajar. â€Å"Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy,† said Harry coolly. â€Å"Weasley†¦what is that?† said Malfoy, pointing at Pigwidgeon's cage. A sleeve of Ron's dress robes was dangling from it, swaying with the motion of the train, the moldy lace cuff very obvious. Ron made to stuff the robes out of sight, but Malfoy was too quick for him; he seized the sleeve and pulled. â€Å"Look at this!† said Malfoy in ecstasy, holding up Ron's robes and showing Crabbe and Goyle, â€Å"Weasley, you weren't thinking of wearing these, were you? I mean – they were very fashionable in about eighteen ninety†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Eat dung, Malfoy!† said Ron, the same color as the dress robes as he snatched them back out of Malfoy's grip. Malfoy howled with derisive laughter; Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly. â€Å"So†¦going to enter, Weasley? Going to try and bring a bit of glory to the family name? There's money involved as well, you know†¦you'd be able to afford some decent robes if you won†¦.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† snapped Ron. â€Å"Are you going to enter?† Malfoy repeated. â€Å"I suppose you will, Potter? You never miss a chance to show off, do you?† â€Å"Either explain what you're on about or go away, Malfoy,† said Hermione testily, over the top of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4. A gleeful smile spread across Malfoy's pale face â€Å"Don't tell me you don't know?† he said delightedly. â€Å"You've got a father and brother at the Ministry and you don't even know? My God, my father told me about it ages ago†¦heard it from Cornelius Fudge. But then, Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry†¦.Maybe your father's too junior to know about it, Weasley†¦yes†¦they probably don't talk about important stuff in front of him†¦.† Laughing once more, Malfoy beckoned to Crabbe and Goyle, and the three of them disappeared. Ron got to his feet and slammed the sliding compartment door so hard behind them that the glass shattered. â€Å"Ron!† said Hermione reproachfully, and she pulled out her wand, muttered â€Å"Reparo!† and the glass shards flew back into a single pane and back into the door. â€Å"Well†¦making it look like he knows everything and we don't†¦.† Ron snarled. â€Å"‘Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry'†¦Dad could've got a promotion any time†¦he just likes it where he is†¦.† â€Å"Of course he does,† said Hermione quietly. â€Å"Don't let Malfoy get to you, Ron -â€Å" â€Å"Him! Get to me!? As if!† said Ron, picking up one of the remaining Cauldron Cakes and squashing it into a pulp. Ron's bad mood continued for the rest of the journey. He didn't talk much as they changed into their school robes, and was still glowering when the Hogwarts Express slowed down at last and finally stopped in the pitch-darkness of Hogsmeade station. As the train doors opened, there was a rumble of thunder overhead. Hermione bundled up Crookshanks in her cloak and Ron left his dress robes over Pigwidgeon as they left the train, heads bent and eyes narrowed against the downpour. The rain was now coming down so thick and fast that it was as though buckets of ice-cold water were being emptied repeatedly over their heads. â€Å"Hi, Hagrid!† Harry yelled, seeing a gigantic silhouette at the far end of the platform. â€Å"All righ', Harry?† Hagrid bellowed back, waving. â€Å"See yeh at the feast if we don' drown!† First years traditionally reached Hogwarts Castle by sailing across the lake with Hagrid. â€Å"Oooh, I wouldn't fancy crossing the lake in this weather,† said Hermione fervently, shivering as they inched slowly along the dark platform with the rest of the crowd. A hundred horseless carriages stood waiting for them outside the station. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville climbed gratefully into one of them, the door shut with a snap, and a few moments later, with a great lurch, the long procession of carriages was rumbling and splashing its way up the track toward Hogwarts Castle.