The Salem Witch Trials Essay - 1584 Words

The Salem Witch Trials Throughout our nation s history, Americans have survived times of struggle by remaining strong and brave despite their fears. Disease, natural disasters, and starvation are just a few of the trials our country has faced. While these are certainly dangerous, perhaps the most frightening of all is when you fear those closest to you. This is what happened during the horrific frenzy labeled as the Salem Witch Trials. Nobody truly knows why they occurred, although there are several plausible theories. It all originated in seventeenth century New England, in a tiny place called Salem Village (History.com). In 1629, a small group of people, known as Puritans, journeyed across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World, leaving†¦show more content†¦The fear of the Invisible World was so deeply rooted in the hearts of the Puritans that one of their laws was death to anyone making a pact with the Devil (Meltzer 70). Without doubt or question, the Puritans realized that God was warning them with signs across the land; earthquakes, hurricanes, war, smallpox, and even shooting stars were regarded with awe and fear (Schanzer 15). The Puritans were not the only people afraid, however; all of New England was plagued by problems. The New Englanders faced natural disasters, starvation, and sickness, but their biggest problems were the Indians. After the bloody King Philip s War of 1675-1676, the Native Americans still sought to drive out the white settlers, and continued destroying towns and killing innocent men. Most colonists believed that the Indians were pagan worshippers of the Devil, and Cotton Mather, a Boston minister, wrote, the Devil is engaged in this hellish design of bewitching and ruining our land† (Meltzer 73). The Wabonaki Indians in particular became the Puritans greatest enemy, and, they reasoned, the source of all problems and sin. The Wabonakis felt that the Puritans had intruded on their land, while the Puritans believed that the Wabonakis had no right to it. Fortunately, in 1681, the Wabonakis signed a truce with the white settlers, promising

The General Environmental Issues Facing Rancho Solano

In order to be successful, organizations need to maintain their competitive edge by analyzing their general and specific environments and develop a plan that will be most beneficial for the well-being of the company. General environments include factors such as politics, economy, socio-cultural, technology, and legal matters while specific environments consist of those with whom they interact (MGT-420 Lecture, 2011). In reviewing the situation, the general environmental issues facing Rancho Solano are economic and social-cultural matters. The specific environmental forces include primarily the stakeholders—the students, their families, and faculty. The general environmental issues have put strain on the Gilbert and Hillcrest campuses†¦show more content†¦Mernard and the Meritas family made the most viable decision for not only the future of Rancho Solano Preparatory School but for the future education of their students. Closing a school is not an easy decision. It is one that should not be made lightly or without much consideration. While the decision to close the Gilbert and Hillcrest locations would ultimately have beneficial long-term effects, the manner in which the Meritas family and Dr. Mernard went about the closure was imprudent. The process followed was not well navigated and lacked a sense of social responsibility. Stakeholders were led to believe in December of 2013 that the campuses would remain open. Merely weeks later, they received notification that the campuses would be closing at the end of the semester (Creno, 2014). An earnest effort was not made to keep stakeholders informed of the situation and was done in such a manner that jeopardized the established relationship. The timing of the notification was inconsiderate and lacked sensitivity. Moreover, the process had a profound effect on students, parents, and teachers who had been continuously assured that the campuses woul d not be closed. Students would be displaced. Relationships that they had developed with students and teachers stood a strong possibility of being lost. Parents who chose to invest in their child’s education by sending them to the private school were left powerless. They, along with faculty, â€Å"were left

Strategic Management Module Nonprofit organizations †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the MBA Strategic Management Module Nonprofit organizations. Answer: Nonprofit organizations are always into competition for raising their funds and donations. However, on the similar note competitive forces cannot be used in organisations like the local governments. The can be discussed with each of the perspectives of Porters Five forces. In case of threat of new entrants, it can be said that a local self-government should not worry about the same. Local government being a public organisation and part of governmental initiative should not be worried with any new entrants. There is no chance that a new government can come into play are local governments are single and individually powerful. Threat of substitutes is the problem where it might be said that another government cannot substitute a government. Hence, in this regard a local government does not have any threat. The threat can be citizens who would want better work or care from the local governments. However, the organisation cannot be substituted by the power of citizens (Gordon 2013). Local governments need to prove their worth to the local residents so that the vote or the societal welfare is in the right hands. Bargaining power of customers is missing in case of local government. The prime reason being there is no pressure that can be created by customers. There is no unique service that can attract the market. In addition, it is notable that local government does not have customers but citizens. Bargaining power of suppliers can be one of the options that might be fruitful for a local government. However, in this case the upper hand is of the local government. The prime reason is any supplier would be interested is being attached to a government project. Hence, they would try to comply with the governmental endeavours (Kersting and Vetter 2013). This helps in retaining the image of the suppliers. Therefore, they hardly increase the price of supplies until and unless it is extremely needful. Finally, in case of industry rivalry there no organisation to oppose a gove rnment. The only competition that the government can have is the better work or welfare of other local governments of a nation. However, that is a comparison that can be drawn but there cannot be industry rivalry. In the above perspectives, it can be said that local self governments need to work for the betterment or the welfare of the local inhabitants. However, the government is not into any fierce competition of attaining competitive advantage. Hence, the idea of five forces analysis cannot be implied to them. The only learning that the organisation can derive is the way different firms work to satisfy customers. Unique ideas like social networking sites or direct face-to-face conversation, feedback can act as the right drive to help the organisation serve people better. There is monetary transaction or profit maximization but the timely resolution of the grievances of the citizens would act as the driving force for the local government. Hence, some ideas could be beneficial through five forces. References Gordon, G.L., 2013.Strategic planning for local government. ICMA Publishing. Kersting, N. and Vetter, A. eds., 2013.Reforming Local Government in Europe: Closing the gap between democracy and efficiency(Vol. 4). Springer Science Business Media.

Strategic Management Research Proposal Essay Example

Strategic Management Research Proposal Essay Strategic management is the highest level of management activity that is aimed at specifying the objectives of organization and development of planes and policies leading to the achievement of these objectives. Usually this management is performed by Chief Executive Officer. The process of determination of the objectives should include the evaluation of the company’s recourses, environmental circumstances, core objectives, etc. It also should be appropriate to the business environment the organization has to face. Good strategy should integrate policies, goals and actions that should be taken (tactics) into the integral structure. However, it should also contain vision since excellent strategic management solely is unable to provide perfect results. Strategic management is in fact the combination of strategy formulation and its implementation. However, the strategy should correspond to the purpose. Strategy formulation involves fallowing: We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Management Research Proposal specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Management Research Proposal specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Management Research Proposal specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Micro-environmental and macro-environmental, internal andexternal situation analysis; Setting the objectives according to this assessment,including long term view, mission statement (the role of the organization in the society), financial and strategic business objectives, tactical objectives; As the result the objective analysis should suggest a strategic plan that provides the stapes how to achieve those objectives; In other word the three step analysis is aimed at determining the current situation of the company, determining where the company what to see itself and determining the way how to get there. These steps are the essence of strategic planning. Implementation of the strategy involves: Recourses allocation (technology, time, personal, finance); Establishing a chain of command or some alternative structure (such as cross functional teams) Assigning responsibility of specific tasks or processes to specific individuals or groups It also involves managing the process. This includes monitoring results, comparing to benchmarks and best practices, evaluating the efficacy and efficiency of the process, controlling for variances, and making adjustments to the process as necessary. When implementing specific programs, this involves acquiring the requisite resources, developing the process, training, process testing, documentation, and integration with (and/or conversion from) legacy processes. (Strategic management) Strategy formulation and strategy implementation are both equally important for achieving necessary results. NOTE! This is a free sample research proposal on Strategic Management. If you want a custom written research proposal on any related topic, please visit the following website and order it online: .

Constructing a Revolution essays

Constructing a Revolution essays A BRIEF EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE RUSSIAN AVANT-GARDE AND THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION The Russian Avant Garde began in Russia in about 1915 It was the year that Malevich revealed his Suprematist compositions that reduced painting to total abstraction. and rid the pictures of any reference whatsoever to the visual world. He is credited with being the first artist to do this; that is, forsake the visual world for a world of pure feeling and sensation. This was the first movement originated by Russians and the birth of several other Avant Garde movements. Probably the most popular piece at his 1915 exhibition was BLACK SQUARE (real name suprematist composition. Its basically a black square on a slightly larger white square that forms a border around it. It was hung in the exhibition in the way an icon would be hung in a peasants home; ie top corner of the room. Malevich saw Suprematism as representing a yearning for space, an impulse to break free from the globe of the earth. It a spirit, a spirituality that went beyond anything before it. Among Malevichs students and contemporaries were such names as El Lissitzsky, Alexsandr Rodchenko and Vladimir Tatlin who were, of course, to lead the Constructivist movement which started in the same year as Malevichs exhibition. Tatlin had returned from studying art in Paris in 1913 where he had seen a series of relief constructions by Picasso. Tatlin became very interested in form and message rather than representation and so he himself made a series of constructions. They were in the same vein as Picasso, but they were framed within a space and jutted out of the picture plane into the space of the observer. They created a lot of interest and he coined the term Constructivism. Tatlin and Malevich, who had been friends up until this point started to be competitors over art ideology and this continued for a long time after the Bolsh...

The Santa Clause Quotes

The Santa Clause Quotes The Santa Clause is a 1994 movie starring Tim Allen, about Scott Calvin, a man who injures Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. He and his son Charlie find Santas sleigh and reindeer (the jolly old elf is nowhere to be found), and they finish his Christmas Eve toy deliveries. But when Scott and Charlie go to the North Pole to return the sleigh, they discover the catch: Scott is now the new Santa, and has to take on his responsibilities. Scott at first has trouble believing what happened was real, but Charlie remembers everything and starts telling people his dad is Santa Claus. This causes friction with Charlies mother, Scotts ex-wife Laura. Eventually, with the help of a magical snow globe, Scott accepts his new role, and he smoothes things over with Laura so that he can be a part of Charlies life.   The movie was a critical and box office success  and resulted in two sequels (that were not as well-received as the original).   Here are some memorable quotes from the movie The Santa Clause.   Quotes from Scott Calvin Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! When I get home, Im getting a CAT scan! Can we take a direct flight back to reality, or do we have to change planes in Denver? Who gave you permission to tell Charlie there was no Santa Claus? I think if were going to destroy our sons delusions, I should be a part of it. Well kids, I certainly hope you have been good this year because it looks like Santa just took out the Pearson home. Charlie, stay away from those things. Theyre reindeer, you dont know where theyve been. They all look like theyve got key lime disease. Quotes from Charlie Calvin You said you believe in Santa Claus, right Dad? Charlie:  Whoa, Dad! Youre flying! Charlie: Get the bag of toys. Scott: And do what? Charlie: Go down the chimney. Scott: Down the chimney? You want me to take the toys down the chimney into a strange house in my underwear? Bernard: Hey, how are you doing? Scott: Im just saying good-bye to Charlie. Bernard: What good-bye? Charlie, youve still got the glass ball I gave you, right Charlie: Yeah. Bernard: Well, all youve got to do is shake it, whenever you want to see your dad. He can come back to visit you any time day or night. Charlie: Really? Bernard: Have I ever steered you wrong? Quotes From Other Characters in The Santa Clause Laura: All Neil told him was that Santa was more of a feeling. More of a state of mind than an actual person. Little Elf Judy:  Seeing isnt believing. Believing is seeing. Mr. Whittle:  You should see a doctor, a shrink, a dietician, anything.  I dont know whats happening to you. Youre starting to look like the Pillsbury Doughboy. E. L. F. S. Leader:  Were your worst nightmare... Elves with attitude. Bernard:  In putting on the suit and entering the sleigh, the wearer waives any and all right to any previous identity, real or implied, and fully accepts the duties and responsibilities of Santa Claus, in perpetuity to which ​time the wearer becomes unable to do so by either accident or design.

Strategic Management wk 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Strategic Management wk 2 - Essay Example In gaining the financial objectives a company has to strategise to achieve superior performance. The improvement in performance metrics, results in increased sales, greater customer satisfaction, more brand loyalty, and consequently profitability that is higher than the industry average. This is the competitive advantage of the company. The managers of the company actively strategise to gain competitive advantage and other stakeholders are its active components. An effective strategist works in close association with all the stakeholders. He can objectively conceive the corporate objectives in theory and can effectively deploy and mobilise the resources of the company for company’s objectives. He clearly identifies the corporate objectives and then chalks a corporate strategy for achievement of the goals. This involves careful analysis of the internal and external strengths and weaknesses of the organisation. The strategy is then expressed as a sequential time-bound implementation plan with clear delineation of duties and jobs. The conceptual strategic framework is then put into practice and the outcomes are dynamically monitored. The effective implementation of corporate strategy yields desired results. A strategic mission can be sold to stakeholders by projection of realistic and achievable business objectives of profitability and customer satisfaction. If we can successfully demonstrate that the company’s profitability and customer satisfaction are two sides of the same coin, and develop an organisational culture for its attainment, we can sell a strategic mission to the stakeholders. The environmental dimensions of Cquay Technologies are technological, political, and economic. The technological dimension includes the spread of web and software technology in coming times, and how the users perceive its use, in the multi-business information technology industry. The political dimensions consist of national regulatory environment of

Project3+proposal3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Project3+proposal3 - Assignment Example There is a need for parents and teachers to get involved in their children’s education by giving them enough support, since adequate sleep is vital for physical and neuropsychological function (Jiunn and Shih, 248). Inadequate sleep results in to inattention, daytime sleepiness, impaired attention, and memory lapse. For that reason, sufficient sleep is crucial as far as the proper functioning of the brain is concerned (Cheng, Wang and Jeng, 59). Research has revealed that there is a divergence, as far as grades are concerned, between students who get enough sleep and eat the right diet, and those who do not. Sufficient sleep helps one to relax and focus on one’s studies. Students who do have enough sleep tend to feel lazy and always procrastinates activities, leading to work load and depression. Sleeping problems are a significant hurdle to learning and cognition, and have an adverse effect on behaviour and the gaining of social competence (Gibson, Powles and Thabane, 1 16). Furthermore, good nutrition helps in cognitive functioning. Children who have a deficiency of calcium are likely to suffer from anaemia, which heavily impacts on their school performance. On the same note, most students consume meals that are high on sugar, fat and sodium, and which may lead to obesity and chronic ailments. Additionally, since most parents are now in the workforce, some students end up skipping nutritious meals and opting for junk foods. Consequently, poor nutrition increases the risks of high blood pressure, obesity, cancer, osteoporosis, high cholesterol, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes (Edlin and Golanty, 93-94). This brings the need for teachers and parents to support students in getting sufficient sleep and proper nutrition to ensure they perform well in school. With all the partying, preference for television programmes, part time jobs, and studying, it is inevitable for students to lack sufficient sleep and to consume poor diet. Research shows that app roximately 20% of most college students suffer from insomnia. Those experiencing sleeping disorders suffer from anxiety, irritability, and weight gain, aspects that directly affecting their performance in school. Additionally, research has revealed that poor nutrition contributes immensely to diseases like cancer, diabetes, obesity, among others, hence, adversely affecting the academic performance of most students (Edlin and Golanty, 93-94). Students should think holistically on how health behaviours are related to their attainment of success (Carter et al., 8-9). Other adverse impacts of lack of sleep and poor nutrition extend to seizure, gaining of weight, and stroke. Consequently, students result in taking unpleasant measures in order to combat the effects of lack of sleep. Such measures include a high consumption of sodas, coffee, and energy drinks which end up worsening the problem. Various scholars agree that students who are sleep deprived tend to score lower marks as compare d those who sleep sufficiently. The scholars further add that students should get six to about eight hours sleep in order to perform well in their tasks. People who fail to get ample rest end up having low productivity and for the students they end up registering poor scores in their academics (Gibson, Powles and Thabane, 116). Most people do not perceive lack

God’s rule over human happenings Essay Example for Free

God’s rule over human happenings Essay God controls events of human history to accomplish of his purposes. God’s rule over human happenings is demonstrated many times in the Bible. One of the clearest examples is recorded in the first four chapters of the book of Daniel. Daniel and three of his friends were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. In Babylon they are trained to be special servants of the king. When Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and apparently forgot it, he demanded that his wise men tell him what he dreamed and give its interpretation, on penalty of death if they didn’t. When Daniel heard about this situation, he and his friends prayed to God to learn about the dream and its interpretation. When God revealed the dream and its meaning to Daniel, Daniel thanked God by saying, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. . . . He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. . . . I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known . . . the kings demand (Daniel 2:20-23, NKJV). The dream was about a man with a head of gold, his chest and arms of silver, his thighs of bronze, his legs of iron, and his feet partly of iron and partly of clay. Daniel told the king that God had revealed to him the dream and its interpretation. He declared that different parts of the man represented various kingdoms. The head of gold represented Nebuchadnezzar. His was the greatest kingdom. After him would come lesser kingdoms, represented by the inferior medals, until the coming of the greatest – an everlasting kingdom – represented by a stone, uncut by human hands. The stone would strike the image and broke it in pieces. It would then became a great mountain and fill the whole earth. Nebuchadnezzar was grateful to Daniel for telling him his dream and its interpretation. He declared, Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret (Daniel 2:47). The king then promoted Daniel to be ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon. Moreover, Daniel’s three friends were placed in positions of power in the province of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar was a most powerful king. He was also very conceited. He built an image of gold, ninety feet tall. Why he built it is not declared in scripture. However, it may be because the dream, wherein he was represented as possessing a kingdom portrayed with a head of gold, motivated him to exalt himself in that way. He called for everyone to fall down before the image and worship it. But Daniel’s three friends refused. Nebuchadnezzar threatened them, saying that they would be put into a furnace of fire if they didn’t prostrate themselves before it. They still refused, saying that God would deliver them, but even if he didn’t, they would not worship the image. Nebuchadnezzar, full of fury, had them put into the fiery furnace. Afterward, however, when he looked into the furnace, he was greatly surprised. There was a fourth person, one like a son of the gods, walking among them and none of them were burned. When Nebuchadnezzar called for them to come out of the furnace, he discovered that they were not singed, nor did they have even the smell of fire on them. Therefore he said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him . . . that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this. (Daniel 3:28-29) He then promoted them in the province of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar thus came not only to recognize, but also to appreciate the Most High God. Nevertheless, Nebuchadnezzar was still filled with great pride. In his own words, Nebuchadnezzar told how he came to be humbled by God. He had another dream which none but Daniel could interpret. The dream was about a great, strong, and high tree with lovely leaves and abundant fruit. In it the birds lodged, under it animals found shade, and from it all flesh was fed. But a voice from heaven commanded the tree to be cut down. Even so, the stump and roots were to be left, bound with iron and bronze in the grass of the field. Before being told the meaning of the dream, Nebuchadnezzar recognized that This decision is . . . in order that the living may know  that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men (Daniel 4:17). When told the dream, Daniel was disturbed because he knew it was against the King. The tree represented the king. Although the king was great, he would be cut down but not destroyed. His heart would become like that of an animal and he would eat grass for seven times (probably seven years). However, Nebuchadnezzar was assured that the kingdom would be his after he came to realize that Heaven rules. Daniel then advised the king, break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity (Daniel 4:20). The dream began to be fulfilled a year later while Nebuchadnezzar was walking in his palace. He said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty? (Daniel 4:30). It was then that a voice from heaven said, King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses (Daniel 4:31-32). And so it was. Nebuchadnezzar ate grass like an ox, his body was wet with the dew of heaven, his hair grew like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like bird’s claws. At the end of the time, Nebuchadnezzar’s understanding returned to him, as did his kingdom, honor, splendor, counselors and nobles. He then blessed the Most High, saying, His dominion is an everlasting dominion, . . . He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’ (Daniel 4:34-35). He then praised and honored the King of Heaven, saying that his works are true and his ways just. Moreover, he said, those who walk in pride, He is able to put down (Daniel 4:37). God rules. He sent dreams to Nebuchadnezzar. Through Daniel, God made their interpretations known. In this way God caused Daniel to become ruler over  all Babylon and his friends to be elevated to rulership positions. God changed Nebuchadnezzar’s heart and made him to be a believer in the Most High God. He also humbled and then restored Nebuchadnezzar to his kingdom. He thereby caused His name to be heralded by the King throughout all Babylon (Daniel 4:1-3). Nebuchadnezzar came to know that God ruled. Yet he probably did not understood the extent or purposes of God’s rule. He may not have realized that in all these things God was preserving the Israelites in their captivity. When we see disturbing conditions in our world (just as the Israelites saw and were disturbed by the fall of Jerusalem and the overthrow of their nation by the Babylonians) we should realize that God reigns over the nations, God sits on his holy throne (Psalm 47:8; See also Jeremiah 18:7-10). He still rules in the kingdom of men. And while we may not know the extent of God’s rule, we should realize that God is working out his own purposes through contemporary human events.

Phantom Limbs: Sensations When There Should be None Essay -- Biology E

Phantom Limbs: Sensations When There Should be None The phenomenon known as the phantom limb occurs in 95-100% of amputees. It can occur soon after amputation or occur years later. It is when patients feel sensations where the arm or leg used to be as if it were still there. These sensations can be either non-painful sensations or painful sensations, which are called phantom limb pain. These non-painful sensations are described as similar feels as if the limb were there such as warmth, tingling, itching, and movement. Phantom limb pain is described as stabbing, cramping, burning and shooting pain. Non-painful sensations usually occur soon after amputation and continue throughout life. It has been found that the strongest sites for phantom limbs are the thumb and index finger. Sometimes the knees or elbow are felt but rarely are the forearm, lower leg, upper thigh, and upper arm felt. (1). It has been found that it is not necessary to have had an amputation to experience the phantom limb phenomenon. It has been reported that after avulsion of the brachial plexus of the arm, even though no injury to the arm itself occurred, that there is extreme pain felt in the arm. For surgery, patients that receive an anesthetic block of the brachial plexus experience phantom arm. It also occurs in the legs when there is an anesthetic block of the lower body, and when there is a block of the spinal cord at the thoracic level, patients have experience phantom body. (2). Not only can one experience phantom limb due to an anesthetic block, but it has been reported that people born without limbs also experience it as well. Ronald Melzack, psychologist from McGill University in Montreal found that children born without arms or legs experi... ...uses these fibers to be excited which activates the primary afferent fibers which then discharges. These discharges ultimately cause the phantom sensations. Non-cortical theory believes that spontaneous activity at the edge of the amputation causes phantom limbs. (1). There is still a debate going on as to why phantom limbs occur. Only through further study of the nervous system can we hope to fully understand and hopefully one day stop its occurrence. Until then, we can only try to find ways to ease the pain of amputees, paraplegics and people who were born without limbs. References 1) http://hcs.harvard.edu/~husn/BRAIN/vol6/p21-25-PhantomLimbs.pdf 2) http://cognet.mit.edu/MITECS/Entry/melzack 3) http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m1511/n2_v19/20159526/p1/article.jhtml 4) http://www.sciencenet.org.uk/slup/CuttingEdge/Jun00/phantom.html

Chapter 8 Flight of the Fat Lady

In no time at all, Defense Against the Dark Arts had become most people's favorite class. Only Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins had anything bad to say about Professor Lupin. â€Å"Look at the state of his robes,† Malfoy would say in a loud whisper as Professor Lupin passed. â€Å"He dresses like our old house elf.† But no one else cared that Professor Lupin's robes were patched and frayed. His next few lessons were just as interesting as the first. After Boggarts, they studied Red Caps, nasty little goblin-like creatures that lurked wherever there had been bloodshed: in the dungeons of castles and the potholes of deserted battlefields, waiting to bludgeon those who had gotten lost. From Red Caps they moved on to Kappas, creepy. water-dwellers that looked like scaly monkeys, with webbed hands itching to strangle unwitting waders in their ponds. Harry only wished he was as happy with some of his other classes. Worst of all was Potions. Snape was in a particularly vindictive mood these days, and no one was in any doubt why. The story of the Boggart assuming Snape's shape, and the way that Neville had dressed it in his grandmother's clothes, had traveled through the school like wildfire. Snape didn't seem to find it funny. His eyes flashed menacingly at the very mention of Professor Lupin's name, and he was bullying Neville worse than ever. Harry was also growing to dread the hours he spent in Professor Trelawney's stifling tower room, deciphering lopsided shapes and symbols, trying to ignore the way Professor Trelawney's enormous eyes filled with tears every time she looked at him. He couldn't like Professor Trelawney, even though she was treated with respect bordering on reverence by many of the class. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown had taken to haunting Professor Trelawney's tower room at lunch times, and always returned with annoyingly superior looks on their faces, as though they knew things the others didn't. They had also started using hushed voices whenever they spoke to Harry, as though he were on his deathbed. Nobody really liked Care of Magical Creatures, which, after the action-packed first class, had become extremely dull. Hagrid seemed to have lost his confidence. They were now spending lesson after lesson learning how to look after flobberworms, which had to be some of the most boring creatures in existence. â€Å"Why would anyone bother looking after them?† said Ron, after yet another hour of poking shredded lettuce down the flobberworms' throats. At the start of October, however, Harry had something else to occupy him, something so enjoyable it more than made up for his unsatisfactory classes. The Quidditch season was approaching, and O1iver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor team, called a meeting on Thursday evening to discuss tactics for the new season. There were seven people on a Quidditch team: three Chasers, whose job it was to score goals by putting the Quaffle (a red, soccer-sized ball) through one of the fifty-foot-high hoops at each end of the field; two Beaters, who were equipped with heavy bats to repel the Bludgers (two heavy black balls that zoomed around trying to attack the players); a Keeper, who defended the goal posts, and the Seeker, who had the hardest job of all, that of catching the Golden Snitch, a tiny, winged, walnut-sized ball, whose capture ended the game and earned the Seeker's team an extra one hundred and fifty points. Oliver Wood was a burly seventeen-year-old, now in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts. There was a quiet sort of desperation in his voice as he addressed his six fellow team members in the chilly locker rooms on the edge of the darkening Quidditch field. â€Å"This is our last chance — my last chance — to win the Quidditch Cup,† he told them, striding up and down in front of them. â€Å"I'll be leaving at the end of this year. I'll never get another shot at it.† â€Å"Gryffindor hasn't won for seven years now. Okay, so we've had the worst luck in the world — injuries — then the tournament getting called off last year.† Wood swallowed, as though the memory still brought a lump to his throat. â€Å"But we also know we've got the best — ruddy — team — in — the — school,† he said, punching a fist into his other hand, the old manic glint back in his eye. â€Å"We've got three superb Chasers.† Wood pointed at Alicia Spinner, Angelina Johnson, and Katie Bell. â€Å"We've got two unbeatable Beaters.† â€Å"Stop it, Oliver, you're embarrassing us,† said Fred and George Weasley together, pretending to blush. â€Å"And we've got a Seeker who has never failed to win us a match!† Wood rumbled, glaring at Harry with a kind of furious pride. â€Å"And me,† he added as an afterthought. â€Å"We think you're very good too, Oliver,† said George. â€Å"Spanking good Keeper,† said Fred. â€Å"The point is,† Wood went on, resuming his pacing, â€Å"the Quidditch Cup should have had our name on it these last two years. Ever since Harry joined the team, I've thought the thing was in the bag. But we haven't got it, and this year's the last chance we'll get to finally see our name on the thing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Wood spoke so dejectedly that even Fred and George looked sympathetic. â€Å"Oliver, this year's our year,† said Fred. â€Å"We'll do it, Oliver!† said Angelina. â€Å"Definitely,† said Harry. Full of determination, the team started training sessions, three evenings a week. The weather was getting colder and wetter, the nights darker, but no amount of mud, wind, or rain could tarnish Harry's wonderful vision of finally winning the huge, silver Quidditch Cup. Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room one evening after training, cold and stiff but pleased with the way practice had gone, to find the room buzzing excitedly. â€Å"What's happened?†, he asked Ron and Hermione, who were sitting in two of the best chairs by the fireside and completing some star charts for Astronomy. â€Å"First Hogsmeade weekend,† said Ron, pointing at a notice that had appeared on the battered old bulletin board. â€Å"End of October. Halloween.† â€Å"Excellent,† said Fred, who had followed Harry through the portrait hole. â€Å"I need to visit Zonko's. I'm nearly out of Stink Pellets.† Harry threw himself into a chair beside Ron, his high spirits ebbing away. Hermione seemed to read his mind. â€Å"Harry, I'm sure you'll be able to go next time,† she said. â€Å"They're bound to catch Black soon. He's been sighted once already.† â€Å"Black's not fool enough to try anything in Hogsmeade,† said Ron. â€Å"Ask McGonagall if you can go this time, Harry. The next one might not be for ages –â€Å" â€Å"Ron!† said Hermione. â€Å"Harry's supposed to stay in school –â€Å" â€Å"He can't be the only third year left behind,† said Ron. â€Å"Ask McGonagall, go on, Harry –â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, I think I will,† said Harry, making up his mind. Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but at that moment Crookshanks leapt lightly onto her lap. A large, dead spider was dangling from his mouth. â€Å"Does he have to eat that in front of us?† said Ron, scowling. â€Å"Clever Crookshanks, did you catch that all by yourself?† said Hermione. Crookshanks; slowly chewed up the spider, his yellow eyes fixed insolently on Ron. â€Å"Just keep him over there, that's all,† said Ron irritably, turning back to his star chart. â€Å"I've got Scabbers asleep in my bag.† Harry yawned. He really wanted to go to bed, but he still had his own star chart to complete. He pulled his bag toward him, took out parchment, ink, and quill, and started work. â€Å"You can copy mine, if you like,† said Ron, labeling his last star with a flourish and shoving the chart toward Harry. Hermione, who disapproved of copying, pursed her lips but didn't say anything. Crookshanks was still staring unblinkingly at Ron, flicking the end of his bushy tail. Then, without warning, he pounced. â€Å"OY!† Ron roared, seizing his bag as Crookshanks sank four sets of claws deep inside it and began tearing ferociously. â€Å"GET OFF, YOU STUPID ANIMAL!† Ron tried to pull the bag away from Crookshanks, but Crookshanks clung on, spitting and slashing. â€Å"Ron, don't hurt him!† squealed Hermione; the whole common room was watching; Ron whirled the bag around, Crookshanks still clinging to it, and Scabbers came flying out of the top — â€Å"CATCH THAT CAT!† Ron yelled as Crookshanks freed himself from the remnants of the bag, sprang over the table, and chased after the terrified Scabbers. George Weasley made a lunge for Crookshanks but missed; Scabbers streaked through twenty pairs of legs and shot beneath an old chest of drawers. Crookshanks skidded to a halt, crouched low on his bandy legs, and started making furious swipes beneath it with his front paw. Ron and Hermione hurried over; Hermione grabbed Crookshanks around the middle and heaved him away; Ron threw himself onto his stomach and, with great difficulty, pulled Scabbers out by the tail. â€Å"Look at him!† he said furiously to Hermione, dangling Scabbers in front of her. â€Å"He's skin and bone! You keep that cat away from him!† â€Å"Crookshanks doesn't understand it's wrong!† said Hermione, her voice shaking. â€Å"All cats chase rats, Ron!† â€Å"There's something funny about that animal!† said Ron, who was trying to persuade a frantically wiggling Scabbers back into his pocket. â€Å"It heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!† â€Å"Oh, what rubbish,† said Hermione impatiently. â€Å"Crookshanks could smell him, Ron, how else d'you think –â€Å" â€Å"That cat's got it in for Scabbers!† said Ron, ignoring the people around him, who were starting to giggle. â€Å"And Scabbers was here first, and he's ill!† Ron marched through the common room and out of sight up the stairs to the boys' dormitories. * ****** Ron was still in a bad mood with Hermione next day. He barely talked to her all through Herbology, even though he, Harry, and Hermione were working together on the same Puffapod. â€Å"How's Scabbers?† Hermione asked timidly as they stripped fat pink pods from the plants and emptied the shining beans into a wooden pail. â€Å"He's hiding at the bottom of my bed, shaking,† said Ron angrily, missing the pail and scattering beans over the greenhouse floor. â€Å"Careful, Weasley, careful!† cried Professor Sprout as the beans burst into bloom before their very eyes. They had Transfiguration next. Harry, who had resolved to ask Professor McGonagall after the lesson whether he could go into Hogsmeade with the rest, joined the line outside the class trying to decide how he was going to argue his case. He was distracted, however, by a disturbance at the front of the line. Lavender Brown seemed to be crying. Parvati had her arm around her and was explaining something to Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were looking very serious. â€Å"What's the matter, Lavender?† said Hermione anxiously as she, Harry, and Ron went to join the group. â€Å"She got a letter from home this morning,† Parvati whispered. â€Å"It's her rabbit, Binky. He's been killed by a fox.† â€Å"Oh,† said Hermione, â€Å"I'm sorry, Lavender.† â€Å"I should have known!† said Lavender tragically. â€Å"You know what day it is?† â€Å"Er –â€Å" â€Å"The sixteenth of October! ‘That thing you're dreading, it will happen on the sixteenth of October!' Remember? She was right, she was right!† The whole class was gathered around Lavender now. Seamus shook his head seriously. Hermione hesitated; then she said, â€Å"You — you were dreading Binky being killed by a fox?† â€Å"Well, not necessarily by a fox,† said Lavender, looking up at Hermione with streaming eyes, â€Å"but I was obviously dreading him dying, wasn't I?† â€Å"Oh,† said Hermione. She paused again. Then — â€Å"Was Binky an old rabbit?† â€Å"N — no!† sobbed Lavender. â€Å"H — he was only a baby!† Parvati tightened her arm around Lavender's shoulders. â€Å"But then, why would you dread him dying?† said Hermione. Parvati glared at her. â€Å"Well, look at it logically,† said Hermione, turning to the rest of the group. â€Å"I mean, Binky didn't even die today, did he? Lavender just got the news today –† Lavender wailed loudly. â€Å"?C and she can't have been dreading it, because it's come as a real shock –â€Å" â€Å"Don't mind Hermione, Lavender,† said Ron loudly, â€Å"she doesn't think other people's pets matter very much.† Professor McGonagall opened the classroom door at that moment, which was perhaps lucky; Hermione and Ron were looking daggers at each other, and when they got into class, they seated themselves on either side of Harry and didn't talk to each other for the whole class. Harry still hadn't decided what he was going to say to Professor McGonagall when the bell rang at the end of the lesson, but it was she who brought up the subject of Hogsmeade first. â€Å"One moment, please!† she called as the class made to leave. â€Å"As you're all in my House, you should hand Hogsmeade permission forms to me before Halloween. No form, no visiting the village, so don't forget!† Neville put up his hand. â€Å"Please, Professor, I — I think I've lost –â€Å" â€Å"Your grandmother sent yours to me directly, Longbottom,† said Professor McGonagall. â€Å"She seemed to think it was safer. Well, that's all, you may leave.† â€Å"Ask her now,† Ron hissed at Harry. â€Å"Oh. but –† Hermione began. â€Å"Go for it, Harry,† said Ron stubbornly. Harry waited for the rest of the class to disappear, then headed nervously for Professor McGonagall's desk. â€Å"Yes, Potter?† Harry took a deep breath. â€Å"Professor, my aunt and uncle — er — forgot to sign my form,† he said. Professor McGonagall looked over her square spectacles at him but didn't say anything. â€Å"So — er — d'you think it would be all right mean, will It be okay if I — if I go to Hogsmeade?† Professor McGonagall looked down and began shuffling papers on her desk. â€Å"I'm afraid not, Potter,† she said. â€Å"You heard what I said. No form, no visiting the village. That's the rule.† â€Å"But — Professor, my aunt and uncle — you know, they're Muggles, they don't really understand about — about Hogwarts forms and stuff,† Harry said, while Ron egged him on with vigorous nods. â€Å"If you said I could go –â€Å" â€Å"But I don't say so,† said Professor McGonagall, standing up and piling her papers neatly into a drawer. â€Å"The form clearly states that the parent or guardian must give permission.† She turned to look at him, with an odd expression on her face. Was it pity? â€Å"I'm sorry, Potter, but that's my final word. You had better hurry, or you'll be late for your next lesson.† ****** There was nothing to be done. Ron called Professor McGonagall a lot of names that greatly annoyed Hermione; Hermione assumed an ‘all-for-the-best' expression that made Ron even angrier, and Harry had to endure everyone in the class talking loudly and happily about what they were going to do first, once they got into Hogsmeade. â€Å"There's always the feast,† said Ron, in an effort to cheer Harry up. â€Å"You know, the Halloween feast, in the evening.† â€Å"Yeah,† said Harry gloomily, â€Å"great.† The Halloween feast was always good, but it would taste a lot better if he was coming to it after a day in Hogsmeade with everyone else. Nothing anyone said made him feel any better about being left behind. Dean Thomas, who was good with a quill, had offered to forge Uncle Vernon's signature on the form, but as Harry had already told Professor McGonagall he hadn't had it signed, that was no good. Ron halfheartedly suggested the Invisibility Cloak, but Hermione stamped on that one, reminding Ron what Dumbledore had told them about the Dementors being able to see through them. Percy had what were possibly the least helpful words of comfort. â€Å"They make a fuss about Hogsmeade, but I assure you, Harry, it's not all it's cracked up to be,† he said seriously. â€Å"All right, the sweetshop's rather good, and Zonko's Joke Shop's frankly dangerous, and yes, the Shrieking Shack's always worth a visit, but really, Harry, apart from that, you're not missing anything.† ****** On Halloween morning, Harry awoke with the rest and went down to breakfast, feeling thoroughly depressed, though doing his best to act normally. â€Å"We'll bring you lots of sweets back from Honeydukes,† said Hermione, looking desperately sorry for him. â€Å"Yeah, loads,† said Ron. He and Hermione had finally forgotten their squabble about Crookshanks in the face of Harry's difficulties. â€Å"Don't worry about me,† said Harry, in what he hoped was at, offhand voice, â€Å"I'll see you at the feast. Have a good time.† He accompanied them to the entrance hall, where Filch, the caretaker, was standing inside the front doors, checking off names against a long list, peering suspiciously into every face, and making sure that no one was sneaking out who shouldn't be going. â€Å"Staying here, Potter?† shouted Malfoy, who was standing in line with Crabbe and Goyle. â€Å"Scared of passing the Dementors?† Harry ignored him and made his solitary way up the marble staircase, through the deserted corridors, and back to Gryffindor Tower. â€Å"Password?† said the Fat Lady, jerking out of a doze. â€Å"Fortuna Major,† said Harry listlessly. The portrait swung open and he climbed through the hole into the common room. It was full of chattering first-and second-years, and a few older students, who had obviously visited Hogsmeade so often the novelty had worn off. â€Å"Harry! Harry! Hi, Harry!† It was Colin Creevey, a second year who was deeply in awe of Harry and never missed an opportunity to speak to him. â€Å"Aren't you going to Hogsmeade, Harry? Why not? Hey –† Colin looked eagerly around at his friends — â€Å"you can come and sit with us, if you like, Harry!† â€Å"Er — no, thanks, Colin,† said Harry, who wasn't in the mood to have a lot of people staring avidly at the scar on his forehead. â€Å"I — I've got to go to the library, got to get some work done.† After that, he had no choice but to turn right around and head back out of the portrait hole again. â€Å"What was the point of waking me up?† the Fat Lady called grumpily after him as he walked away. Harry wandered dispiritedly toward the library, but halfway there he changed his mind; he didn't feel like working. He turned around and came face-to-face with Filch, who had obviously just seen off the last of the Hogsmeade visitors. â€Å"What are you doing?† Filch snarled suspiciously. â€Å"Nothing,† said Harry truthfully. â€Å"Nothing!† spat Filch, his jowls quivering unpleasantly. â€Å"A likely story! Sneaking around on your own — why aren't you in Hogsmeade buying Stink Pellets and Belch Powder and Whizzing Worms like the rest of your nasty little friends?† Harry shrugged. â€Å"Well, get back to your common room where you belong!† snapped Filch, and he stood glaring until Harry had passed out of sight. But Harry didn't go back to the common room; he climbed a staircase, thinking vaguely of visiting the Owlery to see Hedwig, and was walking along another corridor when a voice from inside one of the rooms said, â€Å"Harry?† Harry doubled back to see who had spoken and met Professor Lupin, looking around his office door. â€Å"What are you doing?† said Lupin, though in a very different voice from Filch. â€Å"Where are Ron and Hermione?† â€Å"Hogsmeade,† said Harry, in a would-be casual voice. â€Å"Ah,† said Lupin. He considered Harry for a moment. â€Å"Why don't you come in? I've just taken delivery of a Grindylow for our next lesson.† â€Å"A what?† said Harry. He followed Lupin into his office. In the corner stood a very large tank of water. A sickly green creature with sharp little horns had its face pressed against the glass, pulling faces and flexing its long, spindly fingers. â€Å"Water demon,† said Lupin, surveying the Grindylow thoughtfully. â€Å"We shouldn't have much difficulty with him, not after the Kappas. The trick is to break his grip. You notice the abnormally long fingers? Strong, but very brittle.† The Grindylow bared its green teeth and then buried itself in a tangle of weeds in a corner. â€Å"Cup of tea?† Lupin said, looking around for his kettle. â€Å"I was just thinking of making one.† â€Å"All right,† said Harry awkwardly. Lupin tapped the kettle with his wand and a blast of steam issued suddenly from the spout. â€Å"Sit down,† said Lupin, taking the lid off a dusty tin. â€Å"I've only got teabags, I'm afraid — but I daresay you've had enough of tea leaves?† Harry looked at him. Lupin's eyes were twinkling. â€Å"How did you know about that?† Harry asked. â€Å"Professor McGonagall told me,† said Lupin, passing Harry a chipped mug of tea. â€Å"You're not worried, are you?† â€Å"No,† said Harry. He thought for a moment of telling Lupin about the dog he'd seen in Magnolia Crescent but decided not to. He didn't want Lupin to think he was a coward, especially since Lupin already seemed to think he couldn't cope with a Boggart. Something of Harry's thoughts seemed to have shown on his face, because Lupin said, â€Å"Anything worrying you, Harry?† â€Å"No,† Harry lied. He drank a bit of tea and watched the Grindylow brandishing a fist at him. â€Å"Yes,† he said suddenly, putting his tea down on Lupin's desk. â€Å"You know that day we fought the Boggart?† â€Å"Yes,† said Lupin slowly. â€Å"Why didn't you let me fight it?† said Harry abruptly. Lupin raised his eyebrows. â€Å"I would have thought that was obvious, Harry,† he said, sounding surprised. Harry, who had expected Lupin to deny that he'd done any such thing, was taken aback. â€Å"Why?† he said again. â€Å"Well,† said Lupin, frowning slightly, â€Å"I assumed that if the Boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort.† Harry stared. Not only was this the last answer he'd expected, but Lupin had said Voldemort's name. The only person Harry had ever heard say the name aloud (apart from himself) was Professor Dumbledore. â€Å"Clearly, I was wrong,† said Lupin, still frowning at Harry. â€Å"But I didn't think it a good idea for Lord Voldemort to materialize in the staffroom. I imagined that people would panic.† â€Å"I didn't think of Voldemort,† said Harry honestly. â€Å"I — I remembered those Dementors.† â€Å"I see,† said Lupin thoughtfully. â€Å"Well, well†¦I'm impressed.† He smiled slightly at the look of surprise on Harry's face. â€Å"That suggests that what you fear most of all is — fear. Very wise, Harry.† Harry didn't know what to say to that, so he drank some more tea. â€Å"So you've been thinking that I didn't believe you capable of fighting the Boggart?† said Lupin shrewdly. â€Å"Well†¦yeah,† said Harry. He was suddenly feeling a lot happier. â€Å"Professor Lupin, you know the Dementors –â€Å" He was interrupted by a knock on the door. â€Å"Come in,† called Lupin. The door opened, and in came Snape. He was carrying a goblet, which was smoking faintly, and stopped at the sight of Harry, his black eyes narrowing. â€Å"Ah, Severus,† said Lupin, smiling. â€Å"Thanks very much. Could you leave it here on the desk for me?† Snape set down the smoking goblet, his eyes wandering between Harry and Lupin. â€Å"I was just showing Harry my Grindylow,† said Lupin pleasantly, pointing at the tank. â€Å"Fascinating,† said Snape, without looking at it. â€Å"You should drink that directly, Lupin.† â€Å"Yes, Yes, I will,† said Lupin. â€Å"I made an entire cauldronful,† Snape continued. â€Å"If you need more.† â€Å"I should probably have some again tomorrow. Thanks very much, Severus.† â€Å"Not at all,† said Snape, but there was a look in his eye Harry didn't like. He backed out of the room, unsmiling and watchful. Harry looked curiously at the goblet. Lupin smiled. â€Å"Professor Snape has very kindly concocted a potion for me,† he said. â€Å"I have never been much of a potion-brewer and this one is particularly complex.† He picked up the goblet and sniffed it. â€Å"Pity sugar makes it useless,† he added, taking a sip and shuddering. â€Å"Why –?† Harry began. Lupin looked at him and answered the unfinished question. â€Å"I've been feeling a bit off-color,† he said. â€Å"This potion is the only thing that helps. I am very lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape; there aren't many wizards who are up to making it.† Professor Lupin took another sip and Harry had a crazy urge to knock the goblet out of his hands. â€Å"Professor Snape's very interested in the Dark Arts,† he blurted out. â€Å"Really?† said Lupin, looking only mildly interested as he took another gulp of potion. â€Å"Some people reckon –† Harry hesitated, then plunged recklessly on, â€Å"some people reckon he'd do anything to get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job.† Lupin drained the goblet and pulled a face. â€Å"Disgusting,† he said. â€Å"Well, Harry, I'd better get back to work. See you at the feast later.† â€Å"Right,† said Harry, putting down his empty teacup. The empty goblet was still smoking. ******** â€Å"There you go,† said Ron. â€Å"We got as much as we could carry.† A shower of brilliantly colored sweets fell into Harry's lap. It was dusk, and Ron and Hermione had just turned up in the common room, pink-faced from the cold wind and looking as though they'd had the time of their lives. â€Å"Thanks,† said Harry, picking up a packet of tiny black Pepper Imps. â€Å"What's Hogsmeade like? Where did you go?† By the sound of it — everywhere. Dervish and Banges, the wizarding equipment shop, Zonko's Joke Shop, into the Three Broomsticks for foaming mugs of hot butterbeer, and many places besides. â€Å"The post office, Harry! About two hundred owls, all sitting on shelves, all color-coded depending on how fast you want your letter to get there!† â€Å"Honeydukes has got a new kind of fudge; they were giving out free samples, there's a bit, look –â€Å" â€Å"We think we saw an ogre, honestly, they get all sorts at the Three Broomsticks –â€Å" â€Å"Wish we could have brought you some butterbeer, really warms you up –â€Å" â€Å"What did you do?† said Hermione, looking anxious. â€Å"Did you get any work done?† â€Å"No,† said Harry. â€Å"Lupin made me a cup of tea in his office. And then Snape came in†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He told them all about the goblet. Ron's mouth fell open. â€Å"Lupin drank it?† he gasped. â€Å"Is he mad?† Hermione checked her watch. â€Å"We'd better go down, you know, the feast'll be starting in five minutes They hurried through the portrait hole and into the crowd, still discussing Snape. â€Å"But if he — you know –† Hermione dropped her voice, glancing nervously around, â€Å"if he was trying to — to poison Lupin — he wouldn't have done it in front of Harry.† â€Å"Yeah, maybe,† said Harry as they reached the entrance hall and crossed into the Great Hall. It had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant watersnakes. The food was delicious; even Hermione and Ron, who were full to bursting with Honeydukes sweets, managed second helpings of everything. Harry kept glancing at the staff table. Professor Lupin looked cheerful and as well as he ever did; he was talking animatedly to tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher. Harry moved his eyes along the table, to the place where Snape sat. Was he imagining it, or were Snape's eyes flickering toward Lupin more often than was natural? The feast finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding; Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, had a great success with a reenactment of his own botched beheading. It had been such a pleasant evening that Harry's good mood couldn't even be spoiled by Malfoy, who shouted through the crowd as they all left the hall, â€Å"The Dementors send their love, Potter!† Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed the rest of the Gryffindors along the usual path to Gryffindor Tower, but when they reached the corridor that ended with the portrait of the Fat Lady, they found it jammed with students. â€Å"Why isn't anyone going in?† said Ron curiously. Harry peered over the heads in front of him. The portrait seemed to be closed. â€Å"Let me through, please,† came Percy's voice, and he came bustling importantly through the crowd. â€Å"What's the holdup here? You can't all have forgotten the password — excuse me, I'm Head Boy –â€Å" And then a silence fell over the crowd, from the front first, so that a chill seemed to spread down the corridor. They heard Percy say, in a suddenly sharp voice, â€Å"Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick.† People's heads turned; those at the back were standing on tiptoe. â€Å"What's going on?† said Ginny, who had just arrived. A moment later, Professor Dumbledore was there, sweeping toward the portrait; the Gryffindors squeezed together to let him through, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved closer to see what the trouble was. â€Å"Oh, my –† Hermione grabbed Harry's arm. The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor; great chunks of it had been torn away completely. Dumbledore took one quick look at the ruined painting and turned, his eyes somber, to see Professors McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape hurrying toward him. â€Å"We need to find her,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady.† â€Å"You'll be lucky!† said a cackling voice. It was Peeves the Poltergeist, bobbing over the crowd and looking delighted, as he always did, at the sight of wreckage or worry. â€Å"What do you mean, Peeves?† said Dumbledore calmly, and Peeves's grin faded a little. He didn't dare taunt Dumbledore. Instead he adopted an oily voice that was no better than his cackle. â€Å"Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful,† he said happily. â€Å"Poor thing.† he added unconvincingly. â€Å"Did she say who did it?† said Dumbledore quietly. â€Å"Oh yes, Professorhead,† said Peeves, with the air of one cradling a large bombshell in his arms. â€Å"He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see.† Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. â€Å"Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black.†

Applications of seven habits by Steven Covey Essay

This classic best seller for management, organisations and personal development encapsulates Steven Covey’s research on 200 years of success literature since his doctoral program. It is perhaps the most influential book for managers and organizations to learn the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, as the title suggest. It begins with the concept that people perceive the world differently, and we form our own paradigm – how we view the world with our own unique â€Å"lens†. Covey explains that paradigms are the source of our attitudes and behaviours. Part of achieving insight involves making a â€Å"paradigm shift† which causes us to perceive things differently. Our paradigms will affect how we interact with others, which in turn will affect how they interact with us. Covey argues that any effective self-help program must begin with an â€Å"inside-out† approach, rather than looking at our problems as â€Å"being out there† (an inside-ou t approach). We must start by examining our own character, paradigms, and motives. Hence, character and principles are keys to success, effectiveness, and happiness in life. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People points out: â€Å"Principles are guidelines for human conduct that are proven to have enduring, permanent value.† The seven habits divided into two main groups: private victory (independence) and public victory (interdependence). Habits of Independence: Habit 1: Be Proactive We must use our resourcefulness to work toward our personal goals. Everyone has both a circle of influence and a circle of concern. Worrying endlessly about things outside of our circle of influence isn’t particularly productive. Working within our circle of influence is productive. Further, the more effective we become, the more our circle of influence will expand. Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind What do we want people to say about us at our funerals? How will we be remembered? To succeed, Cov ey suggests visualization. Every successful outcome is created twice; first one plan and second on implementation. Habit 3: Put First Things First The key to putting first things first is to understand that we have many things we can do which will have a significant, positive impact on our lives. Covey stresses that we must balance Production (P) with Productive Capability (PC). We must keep the golden eggs, but also maintain goose. Prioritization is the essence of time management. Interdependence The remaining habits in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People are habits of interdependence. Rather than being dependent upon other people, or trying to be totally independent, we learn how to be more effective by effectively working with others. Habit 4: Think Win/Win Thinking Win/Win means seeking mutual benefit in our human interactions. To be successful in the long run, we should learn to consider other’s win factors besides our own. Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood Most people talk more than they listen. Until we listen actively and seek to understand others, we would not be understood. Active listening is about sensing the three modes of communications, i.e. visual, vocal and verbal. Habit 6: Synergize It means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Combining the strengths of each individual yields multiple outcome beyond expectations, simply ‘1+1>2’. Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw Just as a machine will wear out quickly if not properly maintained, the same is true for our own personal productivity. We must take care of ourselves. The four dimensions are physical, mental, social/emotional and spiritual renewals. To me, the first concept on paradigm is profound. I agree that when we change our perspectives, our attitudes and behaviours will change. To achieve enrichment in life, we need to understand our own paradigm, crystalize and anchor our principles. I have adopted these principles and find peace in self-awareness, social relationship and professional communications. Covey has successfully synthesised the successful habits of leaders, crystallised and organized them into two progressive segments. In line with child development from birth through death, one indeed grows from dependence to independence in early childhoo d to adolescence. We then mature to adults, where we progress from independence to interdependence. The seven habits are indeed proven to be critical for any individual to attain private and public victories. Hence it is no surprise that whenever I business leaders within my network on which are some books they would read to enrich their management knowledge, this book is voted as the most influential book that changed their lives. I have personally adopted these habits in my personal and professional communications and testify their effectiveness. I have sharpened my strengths in strategic thinking and leadership by adopting the habits of ‘Begin with the end in mind’ and ‘Synergize’. For instance at the Polytechnic, I mooted the idea of Young GEMS(Go-the-Extra-Miles-for-Service) camp for upper secondary school students to build our prospects for future enrolment. Upon approval from management for the Young GEMS camp, I formed a program team and successfully lead it to implement the camp through skilful synergy of the individual’s competence. This book has provided comprehensive coverage on the why and how of each habit. The only gap I see is that the context are US-based. It would be better if there is an Asian version with case studies of local enterprises and leaders, for the benefit of Asian readers. For instance, unlike Americans, Asians are generally weak in questioning skills to ‘seek to understand’ others. It would be helpful if there are some recommended strategies in questioning to gain insights of other’s perspectives. Also, Asians tends to individual and less apt to working in teams, particularly in appreciating individual strengths, expressing diversified opinions openly. Asian case studies on ‘Win-win’ and ‘Synergize’ would certainly be helpful. There is no doubt that all seven habits are pivotal in today’s managers and organisations. I personally have benefited as an account manager in Hewlett-Packard Singapore Sales when I was sponsored to attend the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People one-week course. It has significantly increased my self-awareness, strategic thinking skills, time-management skills and revolutionizes my perspectives in life. I can testify that the Habits are practical prescriptions for building trustworthy and lasting relationships, hence empowering managers to be effective leaders who could develop the most conducive working environment that attracts and retains like-minded talents for the good of society.

How to Make Nylon - Nylon Synthesis

How to Make Nylon - Nylon Synthesis Nylon is a polymer you can make yourself in the lab. A strand of nylon rope is pulled from the interface between two liquids. The demonstration sometimes is called the nylon rope trick because you can pull a continuous rope of nylon from the liquid indefinitely. Close examination of the rope will reveal that is is a hollow polymer tube. Nylon Materials a solution made from 6 g sebacoyl chloride in 70 ml heptanea solution made from 3 g 1,6-diaminohexane in 70 ml watermetal tweezers or forceps Make Nylon Use equal volumes of the two solutions. Tilt the beaker containing the 1,6-diaminohexane solution and slowly pour the sebacoyl chloride solution down the side of the beaker so that it forms the top layer.Dip tweezers into the interface of the liquids and pull them up to form a strand of nylon. Continue to pull the tweezers away from the beaker to lengthen the strand. You may wish to wrap the nylon rope around a glass rod.Rinse the nylon with water, ethanol or methanol to remove the acid from the nylon. Be sure to rinse the nylon before handling it or storing it. How the Nylon Rope Trick Works Nylon is the name given to any synthetic polyamide. Acyl chloride from any dicarboxylic acid reacts via a substitution reaction with any amine to form a nylon polymer and HCl. Safety and Disposal The reactants are irritating to the skin, so wear gloves throughout the procedure. Remaining liquid should be mixed to form nylon. The nylon should be washed prior to disposal. Any unreacted liquid should be neutralized prior to washing it down the drain. If the solution is basic, add sodium bisulfate. If the solution is acidic, add sodium carbonate. Reference Chemical Magic, 2nd Ed., Leonard A. Ford (1993) Dover Publications, Inc.

10 Potassium Facts (K or Atomic Number 19)

10 Potassium Facts (K or Atomic Number 19) Potassium is a light metallic element that forms many important compounds and is essential for human nutrition. Here are 10 fun and interesting potassium facts. You can get more details about potassium on the potassium facts page. Fast Facts: Potassium Element Name: PotassiumElement Symbol: KAtomic Number: 19Atomic Weight: 39.0983Classification: Alkali MetalAppearance: Potassium is a solid, silvery-gray metal at room temperature.Electron Configuration:  [Ar] 4s1 Potassium is element number 19. This means the atomic number of potassium is 19 and each potassium atom has 19 protons.Potassium is one of the alkali metals, which means it is a highly reactive metal with a valence of 1.Because of its high reactivity, potassium is not found free in nature. It is formed by supernovas via the R-process and occurs on Earth dissolved in seawater and in ionic salts.Pure potassium is a lightweight silvery metal that is soft enough to cut with a knife.  Although the metal appears silver when its fresh, it tarnishes so quickly that it normally appears dull gray.Pure potassium usually is stored under oil or kerosene because it oxidizes so readily in air and reacts in water to evolve hydrogen, which may be ignited from the heat of the reaction.The potassium ion is important for all living cells. Animals use sodium ions and potassium ions to generate electric potentials. This is vital for many cellular processes and is the basis for the conduction of nerve im pulses and stabilization of blood pressure. When not enough potassium is available in the body, a potentially fatal condition called hypokalemia can occur. Symptoms of hypokalemia include muscle cramps and irregular heartbeat. An overabundance of potassium causes hypercalemia, which produces similar symptoms.  Plants require potassium for many processes, so this element is a nutrient that is readily depleted by crops and must be replenished by fertilizers. Potassium was first purified in 1807 by Cornish chemist Humphry Davy (1778–1829) from caustic potash (KOH) via electrolysis. Potassium was the first metal to be isolated using electrolysis.Potassium compounds emit a lilac or violet flame color when burned.  It burns in water, just like sodium. The difference is that sodium burns with a yellow flame and is more likely to shatter and explode!  When potassium burns in water, the reaction releases hydrogen gas. The heat of the reaction can ignite the hydrogen.Potassium is used as a heat transfer medium. Its salts are used as a fertilizer, oxidizer, colorant, to form strong bases, as a salt substitute, and for many other applications.  Potassium cobalt nitrite is a yellow pigment known as Cobalt Yellow or Aureolin.The name for potassium comes from the English word for potash. The symbol for potassium is K, which is derived from the Latin kalium and Arabic qali for alkali. Potash and alkali are two of the potassium compounds k nown to man since ancient times. More Potassium Facts Potassium is the 7th most abundant element in the Earths crust, accounting for about 2.5% of its mass.Element number 19 is the 8th most abundant element in the human body, accounting for between 0.20% and 0.35% of body mass.Potassium is the second lightest (least dense) metal after lithium.Three isotopes of potassium occur naturally on Earth, although at least 29 isotopes have been identified. The most abundant isotope is K-39, which accounts for 93.3% of the element.The atomic weight of potassium is 39.0983.Potassium metal has a density of 0.89 grams per cubic centimeter.The melting point of potassium is  63.4  oC or  336.5 K and its boiling point is  765.6  oC or  1038.7 K. This means potassium is a solid at room temperature.Humans can taste potassium in aqueous solution. Dilute potassium solutions taste. Increasing the concentration leads to a bitter or alkaline flavor. Concentrated solutions taste salty.One lesser-known use of potassium is as a portable oxygen source. Potassium superoxide (KO2), is an orange solid used to release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide in respiration system for submarines, spacecraft, and mines. Sources Haynes, William M., ed. (2011). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (92nd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.Marx, Robert F. (1990). The history of underwater exploration. Courier Dover Publications. p. 93.Shallenberger, R. S. (1993). Taste chemistry. Springer.

Brand management report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Brand management report - Essay Example Target customers are the high-end customers of the society thrive for lifestyle trendy products like Apple. Innovative and technological attributes of the Apple products are reinforcing the brand. The personality of the brand Apple is very different from other competitor brands. It is unique in nature. Trust worthiness of Apple products are very important benefit for the brand as can be seen in appendix. Innovative technologies provide intellectual development for consumers. Brand mantra of Apple is described on the basis of three factors those are 1) Brand Function, 2) Descriptive Modifier and 3) Emotional Modifier. Brand function of apple describes it as an example of innovation. Descriptive modifier for the brand Apple is technology. Emotional modifier is the passion for Apple products. Customer feels very passionate about possessing Apple products (Michael, 2005, pp. 145-152). On the base of the above analysis the brand identity of Apple is unique in nature. Apple products are generally costlier than its competitors. Still people feel passionate about buying this product because people get excitement and emotional attachment with the brand. The brand identity of Apple is unquestionable and unique in nature. Apple uses a different strategy of Blue Ocean that makes it different from other brand. The brand focuses on emotional aspects of the customers. It is very much related with life style kind of product. People feel that Apple is a very reliable brand. Customers fells lots of trust worthiness out of Apple. Customers feel very excited for the particular brand. Customers are so emotionally attached with the brand that they feel Apple as an important part of their life. Continuous innovation in technology is making this brand more and more superior in nature. Customers are always expecting something new from the brand and the brand always coming up with som e new innovations. Technological

Challenges in Capacity and Decision Making Case Study

Challenges in Capacity and Decision Making - Case Study Example As the report declares the Mr. Jones scenario presents one of the many complexities that are experienced in the healthcare practice. Numerous stakeholders are confined into a common ground where objectives are straight and result-oriented. Mr. Jones is facing health complications that the relevant parties must try and resolve in a bid to improve the patient’s health status and welfare. In the Mr. Jones scenario, a number of legal issues emerge. To start with, Mr. Jones is entitled to quality health care just like any other patient. The law provides for indiscriminate care of patients in whatever state. Patient rights are at stake in the scenario.This discussion stresses that choice and consent to care is another critical legal issue observed in the scenario. Although Mr. Jones is entitled to care by law, the caregivers and physicians cannot force him to any medical practice if he does not consent and choose to be treated. A complementing legal aspect herein is the role of guar dian or surrogate decision maker. If Mr. Jones is entitled to one, then the surrogate decision maker can make a choice on behalf of Mr. Jones. However, the legal process that provides this practice must be observed. Another legal issue pertains to the role of doctors and nurses attending to Mr. Jones. They must adhere to the code of ethics and conduct in caring for Mr. Jones. They should work to their level best to ensure that Mr. Jones receives the attention he needs, subject to ensuring that Mr. Jones capacity to make a decision is accounted for.  

Effect of Greek Financial Crisis on the British Economy Essay

Effect of Greek Financial Crisis on the British Economy - Essay Example During the early days of 2010 sovereign debt was a subject of attention for the whole world. Sovereign debt is the total debt owed by a sovereign country like Greece to its creditors. As a result of this crisis, there was a panic in the financial market worldwide and euro suffered a huge decline in its value. Greece was helped by the EU and IMF to provide them with loans that could rescue the situation. This can be a short term solution to the problem but the obligations of long term debt will still persist or may even get worse (Abboushi, â€Å"Abstract†). David Cameron in one of his statements warned that British economy will suffer more due to this euro zone crisis. It remains a threat to the future of euro. There had been a decline in the growth rate of employment, especially in public sector of UK. The investors are losing confidence in the market and the financial market in UK suffered a setback. A deep recession is on the cards if the situation is not handled carefully. More support for the banking sector is needed and the Government should be forced to take some emergency steps to help improve the financial system, before the crisis worsens further. Even though Britain is not a part of euro zone, still budgetary deficit concerns of the country should be addressed immediately. British banks already hold a considerable amount of debt in Greece, which can be an area of major concern. Moreover, with Greece defaulting to pay their debts, the problem can spread over nations like Spain and Italy where UK has a much larger investment. In addition to this, euro zone is one of the biggest trading partners of UK, so obviously this crisis can have an impounding effect on UK’s economy if other big European economies falter (PRLog, â€Å"How the Greek economy can affect us all†). 2. Changes in the NHS led by the UK Government UK government took a bold step towards reforming National Health Services (NHS) in the country. There had been many major changes in NHS structure due to this decision of UK government and it is for the first time in the history of NHS that such radical changes are taking place. Hospitals are no longer under NHS. General Practitioners (GPs) and not the management bodies now have a huge role and responsibility and are in charge of major part of the budget. This move resulted in abolition of all the 10 strategic health authorities as well as 152 primary care trusts which are the management bodies of NHS. Most of the budget of NHS is now in the hands of GPs only and they have the authority to plan out things accordingly. The GPs are now to decide on the spending of NHS. This new re-structuring of NHS gives way to the development of a new board which is independent of any kind of political influence. It is completely an independent body now and has control over its own accountability. Health of public is now the responsibility of local authorities. NHS industry is now more of a top-down design with GPs sit ting at the top level. The patients are now being provided with more information through ‘HealthWatch’, a new type of body specially designed for the purpose. The patients now have the option to choose the GP according to their own wish and get registered with them. Since its inception in the year 1948, NHS has never experienced such drastic changes. Now the question remains as to what benefits these changes will bring to the people and the

Video game controversy Essay Example for Free

Video game controversy Essay Video game controversies are unresolved societal and scientific arguments about whether or not the content of video games can change the behavior and attitudes of a player. Since the early 1980s, advocates of video games have emphasized their use as an expressive medium, arguing for their protection under the laws governing freedom of speech and also as an educational tool. Detractors argue that video games are harmful and therefore should be subject to legislative oversight and restrictions. The positive and negative characteristics and effects of video games are the subject of scientific study. Results of investigations into links between video games and addiction, aggression, violence, social development, and a variety of stereotyping and sexual morality issues are debated God Of War Series – Saudi Arabia The Guy Game – USA 8. RapeLay – Argentina/Indonesia/Malaysia/Thailand EA Sports MMA – Denmark Manhunt 2 – Various Postal 2 http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-infamously-banned-games-around-world. php/11 10 Video Game Endings With Disturbing Implications You Totally Missed Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-video-game-endings-with-disturbing-implications-you-totally-missed. php/2#0LO1TBf6EwdT9Ea3. 99 Heavy Rain: The Neglectful Father Metal Gear Solid 2: The Hangover After the giant Arsenal Gear crashes into New York city and Raiden and Solidus Snake are forced to fight one another (after a myriad of narrative revelations involving pregnancies, double agents and adoption,) Raiden emerges victorious and is reunited with his girlfriend Rose, who is now with child. Aside from a few loose ends, the narrative ends on a nice positive note, with man and his love reunited and a bright new dawn rather insistently represented by the growing life in her belly. But wait†¦ Half of New York is now squashed. People are no doubt dead, thanks to the Arsenal Gear stomping a big hole in Manhattan, and those who survived are likely to take a massive beating from the tax-man in the coming years to fix the damage caused to the Big Apple. It’s rather short-sighted to call this a victory, simply because the hero gets his girl. What about the legacy of destruction, not to mention the giant robot lying in the middle of the city? Noone ever thinks about the clean-up job. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-video-game-endings-with-disturbing-implications-you-totally-missed. php/3#t8VahiJ4DfS6AhYp. 99 Medal Of Honor: Warfighter – AWOL Warfighter caused some serious controversy – not least when it was revealed that seven members of Naval Special Warfare Development Group who worked as consultants for EA had been disciplined for releasing classified information – and the ending was another of those modern â€Å"Horrors Of War† endings that sought to make the player think. EA decided to have Preacher weighing up whether to report back for duty, or desert to fix his family life, despite the formerly gleeful embrace of the mythology of the soldier (the idea of them as supermen.). The idea might be half-baked, and slightly odd considering the trajectory of the rest of the narrative (and the presentation of characters specifically) but it was an interesting way to leave the game. But wait? Doesn’t desertion still carry a fairly hefty punishment? Honour and dedication to his family is one thing, but winding up locked up in prison for ignoring a mission (which is presumably what awaits if he were to answer his mobile) is a fairly counter-productive solution. The key thing is that Preacher’s desertion would weaken the unit, especially in deployment, and his punishment would presumably be greater than any â€Å"normal† soldier. There’s also a further implication. Though he’s seen some serious action, and untold horrors of war by the end of the game, and the ending suggests he has had his fill of duty, Warfighter is keen to stress that the soldiers involved are action-hero-like thrill seekers, as opposed to particularly patriotic men. And if Preacher cannot get his thrills from his own army, which he may or may not desert (the implication is he does,) he may find himself tempted to go mercenary, which would presumably be deemed joining another force while AWOL. That’s often called treason (depending on the client,) and the penalty for that tends to be fairly severe†¦ Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-video-game-endings-with-disturbing-implications-you-totally-missed. php/4#ILEhM7Obvv7HWdJY. 99 Uncharted 2: Shambhala Destroyed. As the events of Uncharted’s excellent sequel come to a head, Nathan Drake is thrust onto a journey of vengeance when Elena (his new lady friend, obviously) is almost killed by a grenade just after the pair discover the invulnerability applications of the blue resin found at the Tree Of Life. Drake gets to the tree just after the nick of time, and watches his latest mortal enemy drink from the tree’s sap and become almost invincible, before deciding the best way to kill him is to explode the sap and then leave Lazarevic to be killed by the Guardians of the secret, sacred city of Shambhala. He dies, Nathan and Elena kiss, and sunsets are ridden off into. But wait†¦ Much like Indiana Jones – the single most careless archaeologist in the history of the subject, thanks to his tendency to destroy previously perfectly preserved artefacts – Nathan Drake is awful at his job. He is supposed to be committed to discovering and preserving articles and locations of historical significance, and yet his destruction of the Tree Of Life pretty carelessly destroys the wonderful kingdom of Shambhala. Rather than sharing the spiritual significance of the place, or helping its inhabitants (such as those Guardians) escape, Drake blows the entire place up, and enjoys a sexy kiss to seal the deal. Quite how he deserves his reputation in the industry is beyond me. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-video-game-endings-with-disturbing-implications-you-totally-missed. php/5#2v72bY4C1ojLYBPL. 99 Freedom Fighters: The Russians Are Coming (Back) Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-video-game-endings-with-disturbing-implications-you-totally-missed. php/7#8VePctXW3iZsJJUx. 99 Hurray, we killed the Russians and stopped them from invading Good Old America! Just like Hollywood always promised us we could. We’ve saved democracy, and hot dogs, and Mountain Dew. It’s time to party, since there definitely won’t be any come back from defying a nation of the might and malevolent will to invade the Greatest Country In The World EVER! But wait†¦ It’s not over. Like termites temporarily pushed away from their quarry, the Russians will inevitably return, and in greater numbers with greater force. They are not to be denied, and though they were once defeated, they won’t be again, with the morbid realisation then being that America is not long for this Earth. It might be a victory party by the end of Freedom Fighters, but there’s no chance it lasted long, as Chris himself points out in the clip below†¦ Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-video-game-endings-with-disturbing-implications-you-totally-missed. php/7#8VePctXW3iZsJJUx. 99 10 Outrageous Sexy Moments Hidden In Video. Games Read more at http://whatculture.com/gaming/10-outrageous-sexy-moments-hidden-in-video-games. php#MLJkrZvCm3CV6eOt. 99 1. San Andreas – Hot Coffee Mod Where else could we start? San Andreas’ Hot Coffee Mod was the moment that realised ever adults’ fear that their GTA-loving children were playing something not altogether wholesome. As if murder, soliciting prostitutes and revelling in a life of crime weren’t enough San Andreas included the remains of an ultimately cut sex mini-game that cheeky modders found and duly shared with the world. Okay so admittedly it’s pretty difficult to actually do anything other than simulate sex with all of your clothes on, but the grinding was probably more than enough for prudish mothers everywhere to explode with righteous indignation when they discovered their sons playing through the mini-game. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-outrageous-sexy-moments-hidden-in-video-games. php#MLJkrZvCm3CV6eOt. 99 Pantless Meryl – MGS A classic. If you followed Metal Gear Solid’s Meryl Silverburgh into the toilet quickly enough when she was disguised as an enemy soldier and you’d catch her with her pants down. Naturally upset, Meryl pulls a gun – which is probably even more understandable given that this is actually the second time it’s possible to catch her in her underwear in the same game. Earlier, when you enter the B1 lock up it’s possible to watch her doing exercises in her pants, provided you’re willing to keep exiting and entering the vents to spy on her – and apparently some gamers were more than willing†¦ Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-outrageous-sexy-moments-hidden-in-video-games. php/2#5thdRWFtCM0EsfdW. 99 3. SiN Hottub Scene. It’s not exactly the greatest shooter series in the history of the genre, but the Activision published SiN series, which ran on the Quake 2 engine was remarkable for an easter egg that allowed the hero John Blake to break through some walls and spy on the enigmatic and villainous Elxis Sinclaire, owner of biotech firm SiNtex enjoying a bit of bath-time fun. By noclipping through some walls, the player could walk in on Sinclaire in her hot tub (wearing a bikini despite her assumed privacy), rubbing herself and shouting â€Å"sexy† phrases. To be honest, the â€Å"sexy talk† isn’t exactly top notch, by any means, but back in those heavily pixelated days, we had to make do with what we could get. And the site of a nubile sprite fondling her own slightly squared breasts while saying â€Å"rub-a-dub-dub† was about as sexy as it got†¦ Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-outrageous-sexy-moments-hidden-in-video-games. php/3#FSghlsiY5BXEMz5J. 99 Metroid Sexy Reveal Talk about obligatory semi-nudity! It probably says a great deal about the way gamers and developers think that one of the most profound revelations in the early days of gaming came in the shape of Metroid’s â€Å"secret† female hero. Completing the original game revealed that the hero we had just guided through saving the galaxy was in fact a girl, and just to almost entirely wipe out the Girl Power sentiments of that narrative twist, the developers decided to objectify her just a little bit by having her strip down to a bathing suit for those lucky enough to complete the game. Do it in under three hours – which was basically impossible – and Samus would strip a little further, revealing more skin in a bikini to show her gratitude to the gamer for being so incredibly talented, in a very much not sexist at all manner. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-outrageous-sexy-moments-hidden-in-video-games. php/4#DqTImrz17SoMY3zF. 99 Banjo Kazooie’s Dirty Geography Spend enough time exploring Terrydactyland from the air in Banjo Tooie and you’ll see the unmistakable sight of an ejaculating penis carved out of the landscape and coloured conspicuously in emerald green, just in case you missed it first time. You might think it’s just a coincidence, even despite the very obvious design, if it weren’t for the fact that Banjo has previous, and the hidden adult-appropriate secrets hidden in the games could probably run close to the hundreds. It all gets forgiven as Rare’s British sense of humour and fun, but is it really appropriate to have an ejaculating penis is a game so obviously marketed at a younger audience? Well no, but that doesn’t make it any less hilarious. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-outrageous-sexy-moments-hidden-in-video-game s. php/5#LV3tCq31g4DwjvCx. 99 GTA IV: Stripper Bonus One of the most notorious GTA moments from the history of the franchise, and facilitated by the move to greater graphics, GTA IV’s stripper sequences were about as authentically sexy as the series had ever got. Sure, up to this point the player had been able to use prostitutes (and kill them for their money,) as well as some cheeky devils gaining access to the Hot Coffee mod previously mentioned, but that was all just pixelated suggestion compared to the rampant sexuality on show in GTA IV. And it was fairly difficult to explain to the girlfriend why you were sitting watching what amounts to a bunch of very cleverly arranged squares making sexy moves – especially when access to the internet and real naked ladies was but a few simple clicks away. Not content with offering â€Å"normal† stripping services, the game’s Pink Triangle Club also provided special services like the particularly colourful dance session below†¦ Read more at http://whatculture.com/gaming/10-outrageous-sexy-moments-hidden-in-video-games. php/7#leuecMuobHdGjsgx. 99 10. Tomb Raider Nudity Strictly speaking, this one doesn’t quite fit with the others, since the infamous Lara Croft Nude cheat code was in fact a great big hoax and resulted in the slinky archaeologist exploding in a shower of limbs, but that doesn’t in any way dillute its infamy or its impact on the controversy-hating communities of complainers who pick up on anything a little untoward. Ironically, the Tomb Raider devs’ trick actually convinced hackers to create a mod that allowed PC gamers the opportunity to see Croft naked, and though it wasn’t hidden in the actual game, the genesis of the mod, and the crucial part the developers played in pulling the switch means the nude mod actually qualifies for this list. Sadly, the closest we ever got to legitimately seeing Lara naked was this ever so slightly titivating, but all too murdery shower scene from Tomb Raider 2. Seems something of an over-reaction to us just hanging around in the bathroom†¦ Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-outrageous-sexy-moments-hidden-in-video-games. php/10#m1TTIw1UmUll01c4. 99 GTA V: 12 Dirty Hidden Secrets And Easter Eggs You Probably Missed Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php#Ih5PUmoxVDvwArlt. 99 Don’t Be A Perv Taking selfies is a big thing in this Rockstar world, and the fully functioning camera on the player’s phone can lead to some hilarious situations, as we have already pointed out in our recent run-down of the best GTA V selfies we’ve seen so far in the game. Slightly bucking the trend of naughtiness at the same time as reinforcing it, it is possible to take pictures of the topless girls partying at the Playboy Mansion. Unfortunately, and somewhat confusingly, the girls won’t actually react as positively as they would in a real, legitimately organised photoshoot with a photography professional as opposed to a crazed man running through the grounds of their haven with several high-powered weapons and a worrying look on their face. Taking photos with your phone without request will lead to the girls kicking right off, calling you a creep (understandably) and then getting their boyfriends to pick a fight with you. This is clearly only a minor disruption, since fully automatic weapons are far more powerful a dissuasion tool than disgruntled boyfriends. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php/2#Ffq5iVE9orj3vs8E. 99 Obsessed With 69? There’s nothing childish about Grand Theft Auto’s concept – in fact, it is provocatively anti-childish, and its controversy comes largely because of the way the franchise invites players to enjoy adult activities in a fundamentally child-like way. It’s perverse, occasionally puerile, and hugely entertaining, and it’s mostly thanks to the commitment to story-telling, the vast open-world and the characters – but then you start to notice the little jokes and nods that add a whole new level, such as Rockstar’s apparent obsession with the number 69. It’s nice to see the commitment to furthering the school-yard fascination with the number, and its sexy (and logistically quite difficult) implications, peppered throughout the GTA V world, like the graffiti tag on the back of the Vinewood sign, or the fact that the game has 69 main missions. And if you’re looking even closer, you might find some tittering in the fact that the Los Santos Country Club has a hole length of 169 yards. This of course all follows on from the presence of Area 69 in San Andreas, which was far less sexy than it initially sounded. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php/3#otq0FVM4OyWlaxqS. 99 10. Goatse 9. The Naughty Gnomes Not even the simple world of the garden gnome is left untouched by the sordid pervery of Rockstar’s developers. Out in Vinewood Hills, on the edge of the desert, not far from the runaway bride’s home, there is a small collection of garden gnomes, posed harmlessly by a white fence. It all seems pretty picturesque – an idealised version of the American suburban dream – as you look at the first two gnomes, painted and posed traditionally, one with a fishing rod and the other with a lantern. And then you see the third gnome, bent over, with his pants down, and clearly spreading his cheeks. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php/5#vHMHQ7hpqcPIoMIO. 99 Some Easter Egg hunters have suggested that the dirty little devil might be presenting ready for penetration, or that he’s simply offering a cheeky moon to anyone lucky enough to find him. But it’s fairly obvious, given the Goatse reference previously mentioned, that the distasteful spreading action is another nod to that unfortunately viral, bottom-based activity. Elsewhere in the game, the same gnome is posed bending over in front of another of his less naughty-looking friends, giving the impression, as in the image at the top, that the two have been rumbled about to make sweet, sweet porcelain love. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php/5#vHMHQ7hpqcPIoMIO. 99 Sexy Yoga Rockstar’s dedication to bringing in more past-times and leisure activities to while away the hours within GTA V’s world is one of the reasons why the game is so successful: it has become more than a simple endeavour to complete missions, it’s more like a second life style game where the real world simulations are engaging mini-games and side concerns in their own rights. And chief among those past-times is the ability to take yoga lessons under the private tutelage of Master Private Yoga Instructor Fabien LaRouche, whose particular brand of Yoga differs somewhat to the traditional, tranquil set-up yoga fans might be accustomed to. Positions include the Punching Starfish (requires slow entry, in case the partner weeps), the Downward Facing Camel (encouraging the third eye to open to increse the flow of divine love) and the Lucky Triangle (which often requires a safe word). It’s pretty clear from the positions (above) and the descriptions alluded to, that these are particularly sexualised versions of normal yoga poses, and that LaRouche is just as sordid as the rest of the GTA cast of characters. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php/9#DcTR5MZymzFUJaOg. 99 Sexy Golf Following on from GTA V’s sordid version of yoga, there’s also a reference to an altogether more dirty version of golf than you might be used to, if you’re a fan of dragging a heavy bag of metal around a giant field and unsuccessfully navigating big holes full of sand. This one isn’t actually taken from the game itself, but rather the Los Santos Blaine County Travelogue, which hinted at what GTA V players could get up to in the game ahead of release. Under the country club section, the Travelogue talks about the progressive club, which ignores the usually limited rules on gender-bias in the sport of golf, as suggested in the message below, which accompanies the image above: â€Å"Thanks to equality laws passed recently, the LS Country Club has announced the admittance of two carefully selected women. Of course all are welcome to enroll for membership, though the selection criteria are kept confidential for legal reasons. † Clearly that means adding strippers to the course to make aiming for the hole a whole new ball game. Now, that’s probably not the kind of behaviour that your normal, run-of-the-mill golf course would accept, and there was certainly very little mention of it in Bagger Vance, and it probably explains why the country club comes with a hefty price tag of $150,000,000 for anyone who wants to sell out for that type of luxury. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php/10#A41YkISjRuzdTIW3. 99 Life Invader Extra Features Not content with simply killing Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Rockstar clearly wanted to bait the king of nerds even more by casting aspersions on some of the social network’s more sordid users, as well as offering a side-swipe at one notoriously failed technological off-shoot of the website. As just one of the immersive, cleverly executed commercials to appear in the GTA V universe, it would be quite easy not to notice some of the details within Rockstar’s in-game ad for Life Invader (the thinly-veiled stab at Facebook) but you don’t have to be particularly attentive to have noticed that the website also has a tablet (a parody of Zuckerberg’s failed Facebook phone, no doubt. ). Read more at http://whatculture.com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php/11#UlvHXSGdTeDuXxyY. 99 Without too much explanation, the advert clearly suggests that the tablet allows the user to insert their penis into the tablet, to â€Å"dock† with other users, and while the advert seems to suggest that as a holding technique for hands free typing, the subtler moments, like the artwork of two phalluses coming together, and the inference of the term â€Å"docking† suggests a far more dirty reason. For the uninitiated or sheltered players out there, docking involves the coming together of two penises, in a unique, and wholly inappropriate-for-here manner. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php/11#UlvHXSGdTeDuXxyY. 99 The Nudist Colony†¦ Sort Of The presence of a cult in GTA V was heavily publicised ahead of release, and the pay off in the game was oddly sexual, especially if you really like the sight of middle-aged men with paunches and no pants. The Altruist Cult, as they are officially known are a group of old men, with a hatred of both modern technology and underpants, in some cases, who can be fed young drifters (they’re cannibals, obviously) and taking them four people leads to Trevor being taken into the camp at gunpoint (despite an implied history of him bringing regular â€Å"offerings† without incident. ) Trevor then must fight his way out, while being confronted by semi-nude, deranged men with heavy weapons. Some of these men, for some reason are entirely nude, with carefully crafted penises on show, which it is very easy to miss, especially if you don’t spend your time scrutinising the groins of NPCs. This of course confirmed the pre-release rumours of full-frontal male nudity, which appeared after the game’s ESRB rating was unveiled, and mentioned â€Å"non-sexual† male nudity. Imagine the poor intern/work experience lad (probably) who was forced to spend their coding and design days making sure the penises and testicles of the nudists cult members looked and responded in an authentic way. Sadly for some, there is no option to shed your own clothes and embrace the welcoming bond of your fellow nudes. In Trevor’s case, this can only be a good thing. Incidentally, the same ESRB rating that confirmed we’d see male nudity in the game also mentioned one brief reference to necrophilia, which so far has proved elusive. Not that we’re looking too hard, but it’s interesting to see something so openly discussed ahead of the release, and then so difficult to find (no matter how brief. ) Perhaps Rockstar’s DLC is going to be REALLY bold. Did we miss any Dirty Easter Eggs or hidden messages that you think should have made this list? Share your own finds in the comments below. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php/13#qYw1X3o7lktHeAtx. 99 7. Lawsuits Against The Franchise Total Over $1 Billion Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-9-facts-that-will-blow-your-mind. php/3#zJ1PsYbf7ted734A. 99 GTA and controversy go together like peanut butter and jam; the franchise is never going to steer away from it, and as you’ll learn in a minute, it often even encourages it. Rockstar’s history in court has been well-documented, perhaps best of all their legal feud with disgraced Florida attourney Jack Thompson, who once referred to GTA as a â€Å"cop-killing simulator†, and has filed a litany of lawsuits on behalf of families who lost loved ones â€Å"because of the game†. You might think these suits frivolous, yet Thompson clearly meant business, filing a $246m suit against Rockstar a decade ago after two teens murdered two other motorists. That’s just one example, though; the man has filed countless suits in the name of his self-righteous crusade, yet they never seem to come to anything. Still, as it stands, Rockstar’s combined lawsuits surrounding the franchise total over $1 billion, which little – if any – they’ve ever had to pay out. Let’s see how many more games it takes them to reach the $2 billion milestone†¦ Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-9-facts-that-will-blow-your-mind. php/3#zJ1PsYbf7ted734A. 99 7 Reasons We Should Be Worried About Video Game Violence Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/7-reasons-worried-video-game-violence. php/2#KwUUcZepH9gdxhEP. 99 7. High Level Of Graphics Realism Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/7-reasons-worried-video-game-violence. php/2#KwUUcZepH9gdxhEP. 99 Games today are far more aesthetically pleasing and with this often comes a greater degree of realism. Most game players can understand the difference and progression in game graphics – even if it’s simply between hand held and next generation game consoles. But along with the quality of the graphics also comes the detail. Take, for example, the game Mortal Kombat – which along with Grand Theft Auto is a tabloid aphrodisiac – and its ‘fatality’ finishers. The original game was released in 1992 and of course garnered plenty of debate regarding video game violence; but if you look at the fatalities from that game compared to today, it’s startling. Check out Raiden’s finishing moves – he shoots some blue lighting into the stunned opponent whose head then explodes into low quality cartoonish spurts of blood. Raiden shouts something like â€Å"heynamameeeh† and we all high five. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/7-reasons-worried-video-game-violence.php/2#KwUUcZepH9gdxhEP. 99 6. Desensitisation With the realism and popularity of games comes the risk that we might become desensitized to violence. The majority of the research literature on video game violence focuses on this theory in one way or another; be it that it allows us to mute our own acts of aggression as suggested by Tobias Greitemayer in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, or that games are just part of a gradual global desensitisation to violence, as noted by Carnagey, Anderson and Bushman. Although much of modern research points away from violent video games reciprocating real world violence, the issue of desensitisation seems to be a constant theme. After all, if you see something over and over again it’s far less likely to shock you. However, what has changed along with video games, is the ease of access to violent and graphic images or video. Most owners of a Facebook account will have accidently played a shared video only to find half way through that it’s something sinister, like a cretin throwing puppies into a river, or the horrific video doing the rounds of a woman being decapitated. Also: as mentioned in the previous chapter, the depiction of violence on some of the most popular television shows is becoming increasingly more realistic and graphic. Several recent studies point to other mitigating, â€Å"real world† factors – and given the sheer number of us playing video games that are deemed violent, it’s these findings that make more sense to me. After all, if every Grand Theft Auto player replicated the game, we would need a Kevlar vest just to go fetch the newspaper. A study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research suggests that matters such as depression, antisocial personality traits, exposure to family violence and peer influences were the best predictors of youth aggression. This idea of video games merely being a piece of the desensitisation pie is further supported in recent research. A study in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, funded in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings – this will be discussed in a later chapter – tried to address the discrepancies in research. The study by Ferguson and Olson looked at vulnerable groups, namely children with pre-existing mental health problems. They concluded that the association between video game violence and aggression was minimal, but did point that further work was needed when looking at children’s attainment of violent stimulus. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/7-reasons-worried-video-game-violence. php/3#Mc34jEfUCkm8wtJf. 99 5. Children Playing Adult Games With many video games now marketed exclusively for adults, the content can be unapologetically violent and graphic†¦ but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. With many games now seemingly more like interactive films, you’d be rather disappointed if when you shot the game’s villain, blue glitter poured out and a care bare gave you a hug. For example, in the recent GTA V, the torture scene with Trevor is incredibly detailed and forces the player to engage in order to continue the game. Apart from being uncomfortable – which was the point – it reminds you that you’re in a very adult world. Yes, you can have sex with a prostitute then beat her to death with a baseball bat to recoup your money, but you can also take your character for a jog around the block, or play a round of golf. The point is – it’s your choice. You are essentially controlling a character in a godfather sandbox. As an adult who understands that this is a game, the implications of game violence are minimal. Otherwise, as stated earlier with around 13 million people buying the recent Call Of Duty, we would all need to know effective covering fire when leaving the house. The danger comes when you imagine children playing adult games. Aside from the point of desensitisation, a child’s mind is still developing and their view and understanding of the world is still being shaped. Therefore they are far more susceptive to influence, which is why film and television is so carefully scrutinised. In 1994, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) was put together to give age and content advisories on games. However this was only in Canada and the US and was not enforced by law. Fast forward to 2012 and the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) system becomes legislated, meaning anyone selling a game to an individual under-age faces a possible 6 months in prison and a ? 5,000 fine. Of course, how well enforced the ratings are is debatable, with most games still fairly easily bought online by teens. What’s interesting about the PEGI system is that violence can be present in games for ages as young as 12. For 12 year olds, it has to be in a fantasy setting such as Lord Of The Rings. For 16 year olds it can be explicit and once you get to 18 you can engage in graphic violence towards defenceless people including multiple, motiveless killings – hooray. The point is that whilst there are now more stringent controls on violent games, it’s only recently becoming enforced with any vigour. This in itself brings with it another reason to be worried about violence in video games†¦. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/7-reasons-worried-video-game-violence. php/4#d0pyFo3jvDHcpzJK. 99 4. Stricter Controls Leading To Less Brave Games Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/7-reasons-worried-video-game-violence. php/5#R4q8EqZIh4V4Lrtu. 99 With the increase in game ratings and restrictions, there’s the risk that video games might follow their Hollywood counterparts.