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.

Book Review Of “The Devil In The Shape Of A Woman: Witchcraft In Colonial New England”

The book, â€Å"The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England,† is a must read considering the huge amount of recent work on early witch lore that is being published. This book takes a critical look at the history in New England between 1620 and 1725 during the Puritan period. It is a feminist perspective and the insight into early New England society during a very troubling period in American history.It differs from many history books including our text on the standard accounts by showing that many of those persecuted were women who for many different types of reasons, threatened the male-dominant social order. The author goes into details with evidence that shows that persecuted and accused witches were usually older married women who had violated the religious or economic Puritan social hierarchy.Many of these women that were called witches were past their childbearing years and sometimes they were the recipients of inheritances, these women threaten ed the male-dominance social order that got resentment from their middle-aged accusers. Karlsen shows that the accused witches were women whose family lives were touched in many ways financially by claiming that most, â€Å"stood to inherit, did inherit or were denied their apparent right to inherit† larger portions than women of families with male heirs (Karlsen, p.101). This was definitely problematic for males of the time and caused problems in families and with relatives within the communities especially if these women were openly demanding or defending their rights. These inheritance conflicts are what Karlsen sees as symptomatic of the larger social and ideological problems, â€Å"for they expose the fear of independent women that lay at the heart of New England’s nightmare† (Karlsen, p. 213).There were also two really good points that give this book very good insight into what happened during that time period in New England. It was that they showed first an analysis of women’s culture in New England during those colonial times. Puritan women were to be good wives, good mothers and helpers to their mates. It showed the popular hatred and discrimination of women as a very common and accepted condition and tradition of that time. This was shown through thoughts and conduct of the settlers.This view shows just how complex relationships between Puritanism and traditional English popular culture really were. These kinds of attitudes when looked at as a whole, show how it was used to suppress the individualistic action among women, and that suppression could have taken the form of witchcraft accusation. The other point made that should be noted is that â€Å"the possessed and their ministers were engaged in a fierce negotiation, initiated by the possessed, about the legitimacy of female discontent, resentment and anger† (Karlsen, p.246). This kind of thought for this statement, I found rather weak, because it’s only so urce of the information came from one extremely well documented case but most was based on hearsay. Overall, I found the book to be very well documented with excellent sources. In my opinion the book was an excellent example on how modern theory can be applied in a useful way to show the character of Puritan thought, changes in the role of women through the ages, and the ultimate end of witchcraft persecution in New England.The description and analyses the author uses help to give the reader an understanding of witch lore and status women had in Early New England. It would be a good book for undergraduate study as well as the general reader of history. It induces the reader to see a different perspective of their views and what was commonly taught on the New England witch hunts. The textbook, â€Å"America Past and Present Volume I, 7th Ed. † By Robert A. Divine (et al. ), really only talked of the standard historical context of what took place during this turbulent time.Accu sations of witchcraft were not uncommon in seventeenth century New England. Puritans believed that many individuals would make a compact with the devil, but during the first decades of settlement, authorities executed only about fifteen alleged witches. Sometimes villagers simply left suspected witches alone. Karlsen would argue that the only women who would fight for their rights were accused and probably there weren’t very many women at that time that would stand up against the standards that were set for women or norms for women of that society.Witchcraft was believed to originate in a bargain between man or woman and the Devil by which they agreed to sell their soul to the Devil. The terror in Salem Village began in late 1691, when several young girls began behaving strangely such as crying out for no reason and falling to the ground twitching. When asked what the problem was, they replied that they were victims of witches that were living in the community. Even with the arrest of several women accused and prayer did not give relief to these girls.It was even reported that one of the accused confessed, no doubt after interrogation that was sometimes very brutal. The textbook notes that â€Å"No one knows exactly what sparked the terror in Salem Village† (Divine, p. 85). But with Karlsen book it helps in giving a possible reason. The text gave the reason to the end of this persecution to a group of Congregational ministers that urged leniency and restraint and something that was especially troubling to the clergymen was the court’s decision to accept dreams and visions in which the accused appeared as the devil’s agent.They worried those individuals that were being convicted on this type of testimony and they stated, â€Å"It were better than ten suspected witches should escape, than that one innocent person should be condemned† (Divine, p. 85). The colonial government accepted the minister’s advice and convened a n ew court, which promptly acquitted, pardoned, or released the remaining suspects. From this point, witchcraft ceased to be a capital offense. The book cites that the terror of the witchcraft scare was probably due to angry factions over the choice of a minister.Another possible reason suggested is that socio-economic conflict, the colony had recently experienced, and a lack of enlightenment contributed to the hysteria. This would follow closely to what Carol F. Karlsen expressed in her book. In my opinion, history textbooks tend to give us just one view, and usually the commonly accepted view of what took place historically. There is so much history to be analyzed and studied that textbooks can only include the fundamentals of all these events.It is up to the authors of books such as Carol F. Karlsen, to help give the true detective of history a broader look at how historical events shaped and created the society of then and today. If we don’t know where we came from, then ho w do we know where we should go? The book gave a very excellent twist to the sociological perspective to witchcraft in the New England Colonies and to me gave a more plausible reason as to just why these witch hunts might have happened.

Transgenic Organisms Essay

Transgenic Organisms Essay Transgenic Organisms Essay Because genes are so universally similar, it is possible to transfer genes from one organism to another. Organisms produced by such a process are called genetically modified organisms or transgenic organisms. The term genetically modified organisms refer to not only plants and animals, but also bacteria. Transgenic organisms are created by gene insertion, gene deletion, or gene replication. In a normal gene, gene replacement results in only the implanted gene being active. Gene insertion results in no active gene being present. And gene insertion results in both the normal and transplanted gene being active. A foreign or modified gene is called a transgene. In making transgenic plants, scientists usually use modified Agrobacterium to insert the transgene, or inject DNA directly into a plant cell. In the making of transgenic animals, scientists often insert the transgene directly into the animal’s egg cell, due to animal cells being relatively large. Once the transgenes enter a n organism, enzymes that normally repair DNA, helps insert the new DNA fragment into the organism’s genes. One example of a transgenic organism is the C5 plum. The C5 has been engineered to have resistance to a specific virus known as Plum Pox or Sharka. The virus affects the entire plant and causes it to produce a decreased amount of fruit, and most of the fruit produced are deformed. To create a plant that was resistant to Sharka, scientists collected the genes for the virus protein coat, which