Inertia lab report Essay

A Rotational motion experiment is the simplest method of finding the Moment of Inertia. Minimum equipment is required to perform this experiment. For the purposes of increasing the accuracy of the results, the procedure should be repeated three times, making our conclusion more reliable. While load is moving downwards it’s potential energy converts to kinetic. Load is accelerating because weight(Fg=mg) of the load is bigger than tension on a string so load is not in equilibrium and by Newton’s Second Law (F=ma) resultant force creates an acceleration. Resultant force can be calculated by the equation S=0. 5at2+ut to find acceleration and F=ma. String rotates the spindle which rotates the disc by creating a torque(T=Fr). Torque accelerates the disc and it can be found by ? = . To find moment of inertia now T=I? equation is used. 1 Method and observation: Apparatus: 3 different size discs, spindle, ruler, set of weights, stopwatch, stand. Disc is attached to one end of the spindle and string with load is attached to the other end. Disc’s weight, diameter and radius are required to be measured before experiment. Length of the string (L), number of loops on the spindle (n) and horizontal distance of loops (H) were measured before experiment. Using equation below r is found. = 2 Spindle Disc String Stopwatch Weights Stand After setting all the equipment up the experiment starts. The string is then wrapped around the spindle. Time was measured for load pass the distance of length of the string. To plot graph one over time2 is required to be calculated. 4 different masses of the load are used in experiment is repeated 3 times every time mass is changed to make reduce random error. After finishing all the experiments on one of the discs other disc is placed and experiment repeats. When all the experiments are done and measurements are recorded mass against one over time2 is plotted using results. 3 graphs are going to be plotted for each disc. Gradient of the graph is constant k which we could use to find I using formulae below. When observed the string with vibrating and load was moving a little which can cause some systematic error. While spindle is spinning there is some friction which is neglected and the disc is vibrating while it is spinning which also cause some systematic error. = ? 2 2 Results MEASUREMENTS ON THE SPINDLE: MEASUREMENTS ON THE DISCS n= 8 L= 0. 26m DISC 1 (small) DISC 2 (medium) DISC 3 (large) Weight (kg) 0. 314 0. 490 Diameter (m) Radius (m) 0. 1 0. 127 0. 05 0. 0635 0. 696 0. 152 0. 076 H= 0. 026m r= 5. 14Ãâ€"10-3 DISC 1 Weight (kg) Time (s) Average Time (s) 1/t? (s-2) K (m s? ) I (kg m2) experimental I (kg m2) theoretical ?I (kg m2) 0. 1 2. 93 | 2. 73 | 2. 62 2. 76 0. 131 0. 15 2 | 2. 1 | 2. 23 2. 11 0. 225 1. 439 0. 000346 0. 2 1. 87 | 1. 85 | 1. 86 1. 86 0. 287 0. 22 1. 81 | 1. 74 | 1. 78 1. 78 0. 317 0. 000393 0. 000047 DISC 2 Weight (kg) Time (s) Average Time (s) 1/t? (s-2) K (m s? ) I (kg m2) experimental I (kg m2) theoretical ?I (kg m2) 0. 1 6. 49 | 6. 16 | 6. 33 6. 33 0. 0250 0. 15 4. 97 | 4. 77 | 509 4. 92 0. 0413 0. 686 0. 000726 0. 000988 0. 000262 3 0. 17 4. 38 | 4. 97 Z 4. 43 4. 43 0. 0510 0. 20 4. 00 | 4. 13 | 4. 08 4. 07 0. 0604 DISC 3 Weight (kg) Time (s) Average Time (s) 1/t? (s-2) K (m s? ) I (kg m2) experimental I (kg m2) theoretical ?I (kg m2) 0. 1 4. 21 | 4. 13 | 4. 17 4. 17 0. 0575 0. 15 3. 13 | 3. 27 | 3. 00 3. 13 0. 102 0. 290 0. 00172 0. 00201 0. 00029 4 0. 2 2. 73 | 2. 75| 2. 73 2. 74 0. 113 0. 17 3. 03 | 2. 77 | 2. 83 2. 9 0. 119 Calculations T=I? -3 T=Fr I = = = = ? = 2 1 = ? > 1 =km >k = 2 2 9. 8x(5. 14Ãâ€"10? 3 )? I1e= 2Ãâ€"1. 439Ãâ€"0. 26 =0. 000346ms? 9. 8x(5. 14Ãâ€"10? 3 )? I2e= 2Ãâ€"0. 686Ãâ€"0. 26 =0. 000726ms? 9. 8x(5. 14Ãâ€"10? 3 )? I3e= 2Ãâ€"0. 290Ãâ€"0. 26 =0. 00172 ms? I1t=0. 5Ãâ€"0. 052Ãâ€"0. 314=0. 000393 ms? I2t=0. 5Ãâ€"0. 06352Ãâ€"0. 490=0. 000988 ms? I3t=0. 5Ãâ€"0. 07602Ãâ€"0. 696=0. 00201 ms? ?I1=|0. 000393-0. 000346|=0. 000047 ms? ?I2=|0. 000988-0. 000726|=0. 000262 ms? ?I3=|0. 00201-0. 00172|=0. 000290 ms? 5 Error Analysis = 2 1(2 +2 ) + 2( + ) + = =? r= 0. 0005+0. 0005 ?r= 0. 26+0. 026 r x5. 14Ãâ€"10-3=1. 79Ãâ€"10-5 ?s=0. 00192 ?k=0. 176 ?I=1. 79Ãâ€"10-5Ãâ€"0. 00192Ãâ€"0. 176=6. 05Ãâ€"10-9 6 Graphical representation Disc 1. 1/s? 0. 35 0. 3 y = 1. 439x 0. 25 0. 2 0. 15 0. 1 0. 05 1/t? 0 0 0. 05 0. 1 0. 15 0. 2 0. 25 Weight kg 1/s? 0. 16 Disc 2. 0. 14 y = 0. 686x 0. 12 0. 1 0. 08 0. 06 1/t? 0. 04 0. 02 0 0 0. 05 0. 1 Weight 0. 15 0. 2 0. 25 kg 7 Disc 3. 1/s? 0. 07 0. 06 y = 0. 290x 0. 05 0. 04 0. 03 1/t? 0. 02 0. 01 0 0 0. 05 0. 1 Weight 0. 15 0. 2 0. 25 kg 8 Discussion From the results gained it can be concluded that larger and heavier the disc is greater the moment of inertia of a body. As we can see the gradient on the graphs are larger at larger discs. From theoretical values which it can be concluded that experiment was right. More time is taken to pass that distance for larger discs because the moment of inertia is bigger so it torque is required to accelerate the disc. However there were some random and systematic errors. One of the most effecting random errors is the human reaction error. It could be decreased by using light gate instead of stop watch. Using more accurate equipment for taking measurements of discs and spindle would decrease the error. Masses of the loads are not exact so more accurate loads would decrease the error. Conclusion Larger and heavier discs have larger moment of inertia so they require more torque to be accelerated.

Brand Image of a University

INTRODUCTION Origin of Report As a part of our Marketing 465, Brand Management course, we learnt the various aspects of marketing and the management of brands. Problem and Purpose We were assigned a project where we were asked to find out the brand image of private university business graduates; and more specifically, the brand image of North South University, its positioning and state any improvements if necessary. Scope and Limitations The main limitation of this project was the lack of time required to carry out the type of research this project requires. Historical Background †¦ Hypothesis We hoped to establish that North South University is the best private university in Bangladesh. Research Methodology As stated previously, due to the lack of time we were not able to conduct the type of in-depth research that this project required. Instead the basis of our research were a set of in-depth interviews we carried out among various categories of people, such as current students of North South University, alumni, guardians, faculties, prospective/current employers, students of other universities, faculties of other universities, the University Grants Commission, prospective students, and the general public. There were sets of questions (See Appendix) for the various categories, and interviews were taken accordingly. THE SURVEY Findings Current Student For the current students who study at North South University, this is the best alternative for us after IBA and going abroad for studies. It’s the pioneer private university in Bangladesh, and quite popular. Even though through the years the quality of NSU has diminished, there are too many students taken in, and especially through the â€Å"backdoor† policy, and it’s become really unfair to those who work hard. However, NSU still has a lot of good name, and people do have goodwill towards it. Alumni According to the questions asked to Alumni of North South University, they believe that NSU’s graduates have an advantage over other graduates of other schools because they are more fluent in English, smart, and easily adaptable with the organizational environment. Guardians According to guardians of students studying in North South University, they believe that NSU graduates will be able to have: Jobs in MNC, monetary benefit, and be able to finish graduation quickly. They also believe that NSU is highly competitive, has the best educational quality, and the best faculty. Faculties According to faculties believe that NSU is a good university but not as good as IBA. This is because IBA concentrates more on practical fieldwork, where NSU is still lacking. Another factor they said that NSU has very short semesters, so faculties aren’t able to cover their topics completely. However, NSU students have good presentation skills, are intelligent and also street smart. Employers Certain employers believe that the graduates that come out of NSU are very hot-headed and pompous, and many of them have high CGPAs but cannot even communicate properly in the English language. NSU is believed to be the next best alternative to IBA. IBA might have worse teachers, but their student intake is much better. Students of other universities Students of other universities believe that a private university’s business program provides better job opportunities. Private universities are more efficient than pubic universities. North South University is very popular and quite sought after. University staff The university staff believes that the environment of NSU is not good. They brought up issues regarding clothing and student’s behaviour. They think students are very rude and disrespectful. University Grants Commission There are several factors through which the UGC grants a university, it focuses on infrastructure, faculties, how much money there is in the fund to make their own campus etc. Then in order to rank a university, they see how many students compete for a single seat during the admission process, the value of the certificate in the job sector, the quality of the faculties and the quality of the students. A complaint they made is that all universities are expected to shift to their new campus within 5 years of establishment, but none of the private universities have been able to do so. Prospective Students Most of the prospective students we interviewed, around the age of 16-18, none of them want to come to NSU. They believe that NSU is becoming too overrated and crowded. They would either try for abroad, or a public university, and then try for a private university. General Public In the eyes of the general public, NSU is still very sought after and considered a very good place for education. It’s only the people who are direct recipients of NSU’s output, the students and the employers who are affected the most. NSU students are seen are very culturally â€Å"fast† and ignorant. Conclusion After research we can conclude that academically, the students of NSU are good but there are behavioral and attitude problems among themselves. They’re more ignorant about what’s going on outside of NSU and they’re very pompous and they lack professionalism in the corporate world. There are a certain percentage of students who create a bad image for NSU, so most students are slammed with this label as well. But NSU comprises of all types of students from various social and economical backgrounds and not all are bad. Recommendations Alumni: Teaching method should be more practical based Internship in a good organization is very important. CPDS of NSU should be efficient enough to manage their graduates’ internship in a good organization NSU should organize more and more seminar, workshop regarding different organizational issues. University staff correct English grammar in both reading and writing environmental discipline cultural discipline manner build up moral character dress code study more Employers NSU should increase their employability NSU’s image is of No. 2, they should raise it to No. 1 NSU should move on to the researching level and provide consultancy to the different companies. Most foreign universities do consultancy work for companies on their countries. It really sets the standard for good quality education. Universities should talk to employers and brush up on the curriculum NSU should go for downward extension and start from the grassroots level. They should create primary and secondary level education so that the students go directly to the university level.

Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethics - Assignment Example The design is well thought of, appropriately organized and attractive enough for various viewers who are in the delicate situation of encountering some dilemma on the abovementioned health and ethical issues. The colors used (blue, orange, gray in a white background) is highly professional and apt. The writers and advocates of Planned Parenthood aimed â€Å"to provide comprehensive reproductive and complementary health care services in settings which preserve and protect the essential privacy and rights of each individual† (Planned Parenthood: Mission, 2010, par. 2). In this regard, this medium is effective in terms of stipulating critical information on controversial health issues (abortion, sexual orientation) without necessarily compromising confidentiality concerns. The page provides additional windows for locating a health center by providing one’s zip code or state. Teenagers, who could benefit most from learning through this site, are given opportunities to ask experts or to watch relevant videos on diverse topics. This is the most effective medium for adolescents who are afraid or embarrassed to ask adults on the subject of sex education. It also provided tools for both parents and educators faced with issues on human sexuality and the dilemma of searchin g for ways and means to share critical information to the children. The page design is holistic in its approach for information dissemination and provision for assistance. However, the site is rarely advertised and since the title is Planned Parenthood, adolescents might not tap or access the website without being given enough promotion. In this regard, the writers and advocates of the program can give flyers and brochures to schools and even in shopping malls where teenagers usually gather. It is necessary for both promoters and viewers of the site to be vigilant and concerned in strictly complying with ethical standards to monitor adherence to an ethical

Fuel cells Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fuel cells - Research Paper Example The fuel cell also comprises of an electrolyte which functions to transfer the electrically charged components across electrodes. According to the University of Stathclyde Engineering (2015), fuel cells convert the energy from convectional fuels directly into direct current electrical energy. This results in added advantages in the use of fuel cells during the production of electricity. The major advantages associated with the use of fuel cells in the production of electricity include high efficiency, reliability and responsivity levels, low production of emissions, flexible use of fuels, flexibility in the size and application of the fuel cells, a longer life and the quiet mode of operation. In regard to high efficiency levels, fuel cells have been established to be better efficient due to lack of thermodynamic laws known to limit Carnot Cycle efficiencies. Theoretically, fuel cells can attain efficiency levels of 83% which is however lower in practice and stands at 50%. The operation mechanism of fuel cells operation ensures increased efficacy due to the lack of an intermediate conversion into heat that is the case with conventional power schemes. Fuel cells have also been established to attain full power of operation with half an hour and their high responsivity (Fuel Cells, 2015). With the use of fuel cells in the production of electricity, only a quester of th e maintenance procedures currently used in convectional power production techniques is required. Apart from the preferred fuel for use in fuel cells which is hydrogen, several other alternatives are present including biogas, coal, propane, methanol, ethanol, petroleum among others. This presents an increased flexibility in fuel requirements and its lack of pollution and noise disturbance increases its suitability as a power production method. Following the flexibility in fuel requirements for use in the production of power using a fuel

Decision-Making Models And Leadership Theories Of Wal-Mart Research Paper

Decision-Making Models And Leadership Theories Of Wal-Mart - Research Paper Example The leadership concepts and decision-making models will be critically analyzed. Wal-Mart is among the leading American multinational retail corporation that operates warehouses and discount stores (Nandagopal & Sankar, 2009). It has created numerous employment opportunities within the United States and across the world. However, a majority of its workers live below the poverty line due to its poor pay and poor styles of leadership. The company has been criticized by a number of groups such as labor unions. There have been protests against the company’s policies as well as business practices. Racial and gender intolerance is yet another area that sees the company face a lot of criticism Poor leadership is the main organizational problem that has affected the operations of the company. The leadership at the company has been involved in various unethical practices as well as failure to address the issues facing the employees. The management staff is the key stakeholders in the problem. This problem has been going on for a long period of time until a bribery scandal at the company was revealed in 2012. This problem is attributed to poor leadership at the company and it affecting the brand image of the company. The poor leadership at the company has impacted negatively on the other internal stakeholders within the company (Albareda, et al, 2008). The employees of the company have been greatly affected as the management has been unable to address their welfare problems. The employees are being paid poorly despite being subjected to a huge workforce. The values and behaviors of the organization have also been affected by the poor leadership. The ethical values of the org anization have been compromised by the widespread corruption at the company. The public image of the company has also been affected by the corruption scandals and poor leadership.

Preceptor Scenario Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Preceptor Scenario - Coursework Example 3). Jackie, a thirty-one-year old Japanese with two children was complained by her preceptor. The preceptor approached the manager and stated that the new nurse doesn’t listen to her and might be the least intelligent person she has ever met. The preceptor wondered how this new nurse made it to nursing school and wanted to be demoted as the new nurse’s preceptor. The manager told the preceptor to wait until she finds a replacement. While walking through the unit, the manager overheard the senior nurse belittling the new nurse in front of a group of peers. No one dared to say anything to the senior nurse and the new nurse was already upset of the situation. As the manager, the uncomfortable situation between the preceptor and the new nurse seems to be alarming and needs to be addressed promptly to avoid serious complications. The manager may call the senior nurse and the new nurse in a private conference so that none of them will feel intimidated and can freely verbalize issues and conflicts. The case of preceptorship is like meeting two strangers (Fitzpatrick& Wallace, 2009, p. 132) and by having a conversation, the senior nurse might understand the reason why the new nurse does not listen to her (e.g., language barrier) and the new nurse might address areas of change (e.g., enhancing comprehension).

Case Study analysis (Operations Management) Essay - 1

Case Study analysis (Operations Management) - Essay Example In the mid nineties the company launched the Newton hand held personal digital assistant, and in 2001 the company launched the successful iPod which was a device that offered music, as well as some gaming and storage functions. Finally the case highlighted that Apple already had some telecommunications experience in a joint venture with Motorola launching the ROKR which was an iTunes compatible mobile device. With the natural progression of technology, market penetration and with online infrastructure (Notably iTunes) it is the case that people were already familiar with Apple’s hand held devices and software applications and as such there was massive positive reception of the phone upon its release. Why it May be Beneficial: It is the case that carriers are often the point of sale for the devices, in addition to this many carriers have to handle customer care issues as well as make constant upgrades to their infrastructure networks to accommodate changes in technology. Furthermore it may be the case that manufacturers work in close conjunction with the carriers to develop software and applications that are mutually beneficial. Why it May be Detrimental: It is simply the case that by partnering with a company that has the latest and most advanced technology already brings a significant amount of business for a carrier. It is also the case that by having exclusive distribution rights (As is the case with iPhone and AT&T mobility) the company may gain competitive customers but there may be a conflict of interest between the two companies, in that the specialization of the Apple is software and hardware development and those carriers are simply the service companies. Lastly by locking in a partnership with one carrier for a long period of time it is the case that the future partnership with the company is unknown and other carriers may be better suited to accommodate the needs of customers and Apple. According to the case

Impact of decision-making in organizational performance Article

Impact of decision-making in organizational performance - Article Example From the research it can be comprehended that organizations in the modern world are complex, and many theories have been developed to explain what makes them work, and how to make them work even more effectively. A key element of organizational performance is the way that leaders make decisions, and then persuade all members of the organization to carry out these decisions in the way that is intended. The personal qualities, skills and style of a leader are all factors which can affect the way that an organization behaves. Leaders have an important role to play in any organization and they can influence the organizational performance because everyone in the organization is expected to follow the leader. Leaders should make sure that the subordinates do not only follow them but take inspiration from them. In this way there are high possibilities that employees of the organization will give maximum output and overall performance of the organization will be enhanced. Owing to the percei ved importance of the impact of leadership on performance of the organization, several research studies have been conducted in order to analyze what kinds of leadership exist, and whether there is a relationship between leadership and the organizational performance. This paper presents a critique of several recent articles on the relationship between leadership and organizational performance. ... arajan, Sonnenfeld and Srinivasan, 2006) analyzes organizational performance and identifies its relationship with the charismatic style of leaders, as well as environmental uncertainty. In addition to this, the research also identifies the perceptions of top team management about the charisma of a CEO. The authors emphasize the fact that leadership style and its impact on organizational performance has been one of the most important topics of today’s world as leaders have a key role to play in motivating everyone in the organization and ensuring that the organization performs at its optimum level. In this research article, information has been collected using both primary and secondary research methods in order to perform the analysis. In the primary research part of the article, questionnaires were filled by people in the top management as well as CEOs of different organizations to analyze the relationship between the variables discussed above. Because the article had a large sample size, 770 questionnaires were filled and returned and this means that the results shown by this research are likely to have high validity. There was a sample size of 128 CEOs from different companies and this breadth in the location of the participants is a strength of the study. Another major strength of this article is that the study analyzed organizational performance using different criteria like the return on assets, return on equity, sales growth, return on sales and stock return. These measures provide good empirical evidence on which to judge organizational performance whereas other studies previously conducted have not considered these criteria of measuring organizational performance. One of the major weaknesses of this research study is that it included only firms operating in

Politics of Health in America Essay Example for Free

Politics of Health in America Essay The healthcare system in America is one of the hot button issues in this and every election because things are only getting worse, while not coming close to getting better. Rising healthcare costs are bringing brought on by huge hospitals that can charge as much as they want for service. Compounding the problem is the fact that many Americans cannot afford healthcare insurance in order to foot the bill for their expensive care. As the Michael Moore film, Sicko, indicates, the healthcare crisis in America is far reaching and there does not seem to be a solution on the horizon. With more and more people missing out on insurance because of basic primal greed from hospitals and insurance companies, there exists a huge problem that is sure to hinder the development of American society. Facing the biggest problems in light of this healthcare crisis are women, who need a more advanced form of care than their male counterparts. Without access to healthcare insurance, millions of women are not able to acquire the medical care that is essential to their overall health.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The American healthcare system is one that is designed to rely primarily on health insurance. Without health insurance, a majority of both basic and advanced medical procedures would not be possible for any people. The primary problem with the system is that now, health insurance companies are not doing their job anymore. Instead of being an affordable option for common people who seek to protect themselves against medical emergency, these companies are now in the business of gouging patients and withholding insurance to those that are less fortunate. The American model is not the prevailing system that is used elsewhere in the world. In places like Canada and in most of Europe, nationalized healthcare is the order of the day. Those governments do not mess around with insurance companies and they make sure that healthcare is readily available to anyone that needs it. This is an expensive, but effective way to make sure that each person is cared for. Women are specifically targeted for care under European models. In England, the national healthcare system has seen some problems, but for the most part, the nationalized nature of the system makes sure that just about anyone that needs treatment can get that treatment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The issue at the heart of the healthcare debate is over the uninsured folks that have a hard time securing healthcare. In the United States, that number is steadily growing with each passing year. This is something that Michael Moore is quick to point out in his film and it is an essential part of the argument for a national healthcare system. According to a July article from the Associated Press, â€Å"Just this past week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated there are about 43.6 million uninsured people in the country† (AP). Though that number does not represent a majority of the population, it is a significant portion of a civilized country that would have absolutely no way of getting healthcare in case of a medical emergency. Should cancer strike any of that contingent of Americans, they would have no way of coming up with the thousands of dollars for treatment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another important healthcare consideration that is taken into account in Michael Moore’s film is the disparity between the rich and the poor. This is what is really at the heart of the matter. Those with money can afford to purchase the insurance that will protect them, while those without money cannot afford insurance. Making it even worse is the fact that the jobs that give the benefit of included healthcare insurance are the jobs that actually pay people enough to afford insurance. Presidential candidate Barack Obama has taken a stance on the issue and he has clearly defined the need for more healthcare for the poor in the United States. A January Washington Post article sheds light on Obama’s opinion on the matter. In that article, Nedra Pickler writes, â€Å"He (Obama) said its wrong that 46 million in this country are uninsured when the country spends more than any one else on health care. He said Americans pay $15 billion in taxes to help care for the uninsured† (Pickler). Obama has put a specific focus on the medical plight of poor women, who are often the biggest victims in the entire ordeal. Without a national healthcare system, the rising cost of women’s care in America makes it impossible for a large chunk of the country’s ladies to keep up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For those that do not have a huge amount of understanding on women’s care and how involved it is, the situation is a difficult one to understand. While men can get away with not going to the doctor for a period of months or years, women have to have check-ups in order to stay healthy enough to have children. This must be a huge focus for American society, especially as fertility rates keep falling for women in the country. Doctors are becoming much more specialized in this day and age, so their services are costing more. Gynecologists are no different, so insurance companies are being asked to pay more for that service. Even more important than the standard checkup is the entire situation of pregnancy. Women need to see a doctor every two to three weeks during pregnancy to make sure that everything is alright in their body and for their baby. This need comes in addition to the standard medical procedures that women must undertake to make sure that they stay in good condition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Women are among the most neglected when it comes to insurance in the United States. This correlation between gender and income is an important statistic to consider when forming opinions about the plight of the national healthcare system. Though the current system was certainly not written in a way that it would intentionally preclude women, the reality of the situation has almost made it look that way. Median income levels are lower for women in American than they are for men. It is much more difficult for women, be they white, black, Hispanic or any other race, to get a high paying job or one that offers full healthcare benefits. Though insurance companies might be precluding women from involvement, pregnancy has not been nearly as kind. There is no discrimination when it comes to that, as a poor woman is just as likely to get pregnant as a rich woman. Still, adequate care must be provided through the process of pregnancy and such care cannot be provided without the proper healthcare protection. The Christiane Northup book, Women’s Body, Women’s Wisdom, breaks down pregnancy in the following terms. â€Å"Pregnancy is a miraculous process and should be a time when a woman makes every effort to tune in to her body and baby with the support of her surroundings. For centuries, midwives helped mothers through the pregnancy and birthing processes, standing by them with medical and emotional aid† (Northup). This quotation clearly shows the need for assistance in a number of different areas for women during pregnancy. It is something that cannot be ignored for many women, as they seek to have the best pregnancy possible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another thing to consider in all of this is the plight of single mothers in America. Recent sociological trends are indicating that more and more women are having children out of wedlock. Without a man present to help foot the bill for pregnancy costs, women without healthcare have an even more difficult time coming up with the money to pay for their own care. This is a trend that does not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, so it is imperative that the overriding problems get fixed before things get worse. Moore attacks this in Sicko, as he feels that single mothers are some of the biggest victims of the current healthcare system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Moore, single mothers are not the only victims in this situation. Though the politically correct notion is not to speak about race in regards to healthcare, the reality of the situation is that minority women are being left out at an alarming rate. An Amanda Gardner report in HealthDay speaks to the overall lackluster support that women have from the current healthcare system. Gardner writes, â€Å"No state met the goal for access to health insurance. Nationwide, 18 percent of women aged 18 to 64 were uninsured. In 2007, five states decreased Medicaid eligibility levels for working parents, making it more difficult for low-income people to get insurance† (Gardner). This trend has had a profound impact on minority mothers, who statistics show are working hard to provide for their children and also take care of themselves medically.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his movie Sicko, Michael Moore does not shy away from the topic of women and how they are affected by the current healthcare system. In fact, Moore makes it a point to break down how they are often the most mistreated of any of the demographic areas. A Kyle Smith article in the New York Post makes a large effort to disparage the work of Michael Moore, but it does lend light on one example from Moore’s film where the focus is clearly placed upon mistreated women. In the article, Kyle Smith writes, â€Å"Perhaps the most absurd example is that of the woman who says that after she received benefits, the check was stopped because she had previously suffered an undisclosed yeast infection† (Smith). If the story from the woman in the film is true, then the problems within the system are so apparent and so flawed that securing healthcare is almost a hopeless venture for many women within the United States. Moore has harsh criticism for the current system in its exploitation of women financially. Because the current system is one that rewards doctors and insurance companies on the amount of work they can do, it directly impacts women. As mentioned previously, women have a greater reason to head to the doctor for a plethora of events. Under the current system, women are even discouraged from heading to the doctor in order to get the care that they so desperately need. Instead of going to the doctor to get care for themselves and their unborn children, women are being asked to limit their visits in an effort to save money. This is unfair and unsafe, according to Moore. His proposed implementation of a national healthcare system would take care of this issue, as it would shift the burden to all of the taxpayers and would insure that distribution of healthcare is on a need basis. That means that women would not feel pressured and they could head to the doctor’s office freely and without worry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Michael Moore is not shy about offering up solutions for a better system. In his film, he specifically refers to the national healthcare systems used by much of Europe and Canada. He proposes that if America were to go to a taxpayer funded national healthcare system, like the one proposed by Obama, things would get much easier for women specifically. They would not only have unlimited care at their immediate disposal, but women would also have top notch care that is necessary. With fertility levels dropping and that causing problems to other national systems like Social Security, it is essential that the federal government takes action to help women protect themselves and their ability to have children. According to Moore, a federal system in which socialized medicine is offered will be the best scenario for women in the United States.   Works Cited Smith, Kyle. 19 June 2007. New York Post. Botched Operation: Crazy Moore Offers Wrong Prescription. http://www.nypost.com/seven/06192007/entertainment/movies/botched_operation_movies_kyle_smith.htm?page=0 Gardner, Amanda. 17 October 2007. HealthDay. U.S. Women’s Health Care Still Falls Short: Report. http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=609217 Associated Press. 2 July 2007. Little Defense for U.S. Health Care of ‘Sicko’. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19552132/ Nedra, Pickler. The Associated Press. 25 January 2007. Obama Calls for Universal Health Care. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2007/01/25/AR2007012500764.html

Sports Performance Essay Example for Free

Sports Performance Essay Describe theories related to personality and how they affect sports performance. Evaluate critically personality profiling in sport. What is a personality? Hollander tells us that a personality Is the sum of an individuals characteristics which make a human unique. But it is not known for sure what a personality actually is or how we actually begin to form them. There exist three main personality theories and each of them relate to sports performance in their own way. The first theory is called the trait perspective theory. Trait theory states that we are born with personality characteristics that influence the way in which we behave in sport and in everyday life. Personality traits are stable and therefore vary little over time. Some sports performers may have an aggressive trait and this may surface in a variety of different situations. The key people behind this theory are Eysenck, Cattell and Girdano. Eysenck identified four primary personality traits and arranged them in a 2 dimensional diagram. The model was laid out in a cross, and at one end you have introversion and extroversion, and the other stable and neurosis. According to Eysenck you could either be stable or neurotic, but not both for example. It is said that extroverts, with their outgoing and sociable nature, would be more suited for team games such as football. Where as a quiet, reserved Introvert would be mores suited for individual sports such as archery. This data was collected by POMS, or profile of mood states a type of personality profiling. Cattell argued that more than just two or three dimensions were needed in order to create a full picture of a persons personality. He proposed that personality could be reduced to and measured in terms of 16 personality factors. He argued that measuring these factors via his test would give an appropriate personality profile. He recognised that personality was more dynamic than Eysenck suggested and could fluctuate according to the situation. So according to Cattell, a football player who never normally shows signs of aggression, may show signs when involved in a certain situation. Girdano was also a trait theorist and he suggested there are two distinct personality types, Type A and Type B. Type A according to Girano would be; highly competitive, have a strong desire to win, fast working, controlling and prone to stress. Type B would be the polar opposite of this, and would be; non-competitive, unambitious, slow working, no urge to control and less prone to stress. From this we see that the first distinct personality type would be more suited and more successful for a team game, and Type B would be more suitable for an individual game. We also see that Type A would be likely to get stressed in high pressure situations where as Type B would keep calm, however it would be likely for Type B to be unable to trigger any sort of aggressive or competitive characteristic when it mattered. The second theory is called the social learning perspective theory. The social learning theory, developed by Bandura, differs from trait and interactional approaches in that it sees individual differences in behaviour as resulting from different learning experiences. This means that what determines an individual’s response to a situation is not so much their genetic make-up or the constraints of the particular situation, but instead how past experience has taught that person to act. Behaviour therefore changes depending on the situation and is therefore a product of our interaction with the environment. Banduras model shows us how this personality theory affects sports performance. An inexperienced performer may be inspired by the positive attitude and commitment of an experienced player, and then chooses to copy desirable approach, receiving positive reinforcement in doing so. The third and final personality theory is the interactionist approach, which was based on the work done by Hollander. It is a combination of the trait and social learning perspectives. It suggests to us that personality is modified and behaviour is formed when genetically inherited traits are triggered by an environmental circumstance, thus meaning that behaviour is unpredictable. It also explains to us why behaviour can change in different situations, so for example a competitive rugby player may not be so competitive when off the field of play. Personality profiling is done to see which personalities are fit for what sport, and if a certain individual personality is one that all athletes may share. This is difficult due to the fact there is no clear, universal definition of a personality. Personality profiling involves measuring an athlete on a number of personality scales and building up a picture of their strengths and weaknesses. Tests can be measured in a various number of ways, through; questionnaires, interviews, observations or profile of mood states. There are a number of problems with personal profiling though. There is no conclusive evidence that a sports personality actually exists, so far there only exists theories surrounding the matter and no hard evidence. Profiling results are usually subjective, and conclusions may be influenced by personal opinions with no support of scientific evidence. Profiling results are invalid more often than not. It is feared that an athlete may unconsciously modify their own behaviour to match up to the profile ascribed to them. There also exists a reliability issue, due to the fact questionnaires are often carried out using self report, so therefore not always answered correctly or honestly.

Discrimination Of Ethnic Minorities

Discrimination Of Ethnic Minorities Racial conflict is defined as societal controversies related to variances in ethnic, cultural, or national affiliation. Specifically, racial conflict is the result of one dominant cultures control of differing cultures through economics, politics, social policy, and law. In the U.S. juvenile and criminal justice systems, the term racial conflict can be used to refer to discriminatory practices by those who work in the juvenile and criminal justice systems against minority persons (Akers Sellers, 2004). Recent literature expanding the racial conflict concern to include U.S. policy, murder as the result of identity internalizations, and merchant-consumer relationships is not discussed here (Walker et al., 2004). Instead, this paper examines the literature depicting racial conflict as a systemic and controversial topic in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Body Historical accounts of violent racial conflict have existed since before the 1800s and up to the present day. Likewise, the relationship between racial conflict, crime, and minority processing has been examined (Baldus, Woodworth, 1998). In addition to its explaining why some people commit crime, racial conflict has also been linked to disparate decision-making practices at both the arrest and the punishment stages for ethnic minorities. Specifically, African American males represent the most prevalent minority group at each of these stages. Empirical findings show that disproportionate minority confinement exists partly as the result of police discretion to arrest. Accordingly, minorities, particularly African Americans, find themselves at a disadvantage in the criminal justice system. Recent accounts of racial conflict in the criminal justice system came to the fore during the 1992 riots after a verdict of not guilty was returned for the officers involved in the Rodney King incident in Los Angeles, California. More recently, in 2005, racial conflict was linked to the governments response and policies after Hurricane Katrina in New orleans, Louisiana (Spohn, 2002). Specifically, victims of this natural disaster were outraged at the lack of governmental support and the assignment of the label refugee to American survivors in this largely minority populated area. To some, the use of the term refugee was symbolic of the perception that the survivors were outsiders to begin with. This was seized on by the national media, and the survivors were quickly recast as evacuees. Similar to disparities in the adult justice system, minority disparities in the juvenile justice system exist. Specifically, African American youth, similar to their adult counterparts, are disproportionately represented throughout the system. on one hand, criminologists argue that ethnic and racial minorities commit more crimes than their White counterparts and thereby have greater representation in the system. on the other hand, criminologists and sociologists argue that racial conflict in American society acts interchangeably with the law as a method to control minority power. Thus, as a result, disparities are found in arrest, charge, and confinement of African American youth when compared to White youth who commit the same serious and violent criminal acts. The larger implication here is consistent with the belief that racial conflict is supported and maintained by actors in the juvenile and criminal justice systems (Walker et al., 2004). Racial Conflict and Justice Research on the relationship between racial conflict and crime commission has examined interracial killings, economic and power competition, and disparities within the criminal justice system (Zatz, 2000). Racial conflict has been linked to delinquent behavior by juveniles and has been linked to school violence, juvenile homicide, gangs, theft, and other serious and violent crimes. one of the more engrossing questions facing criminologists and indeed our nation is whether the two justice systems are impartial. Criminologists have studied the relationship between judicial processes and discrimination, and some evidence suggests that ethnic minorities are overrepresented at arrest and, when compared to White offenders, are punished more severely. Similar results were found in examinations of pretrial processes where racial injustices in jury selection and judge bias against minorities were present. Whether or not African Americans and other ethnic minorities are overrepresented in the criminal justice system is not a question here, as official data provide a clear depiction of this disparity (Spohn, 2002). The concern here is, however, focused on why racial disparities continue to exist in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. The existence of conflicts between police and racial/ethnic minorities has historically been related to riots that are often the result of racial conflict. Many researchers argue that juvenile and adult processing of ethnic minorities as the result of racial conflict continues and is maintained by the continuous cycle of analyses, recommendations, and inaction that have resulted in ineffective identification and reduction of racial disparities. Contrary to this argument, other researchers point out that racial disparities exist largely as the result of serious and violent offending patterns of ethnic minorities. Conclusion The literature is filled with options for reducing racial conflict in the criminal justice system. The argument is made that to effectively address racial conflict, research should be conducted at each stage of processing so as to increase the level of accountability of officials and agencies within jurisdictions where racial disparities continue to exist. others stipulate that researchers must identify the problem, change and create policies that effectively address the real concerns, and implement and fund programs dependent upon evaluative measures. At the theoretical level, many criminologists recognize that extensive changes within both the juvenile and the criminal justice systems are needed to address prejudices in the system that exist as the result of policies and practices. Hence, the argument of racial conflict and discrimination in the criminal justice system remains unresolved. Conflict theorists believe racial conflict is the reason for minority differences in criminal and even juvenile justice processing. Even so, differing arguments are presented stipulating that the empirical nature of racism is not measurable and thus is questionable. While there are two dominant opinions, it remains evident that many researchers hold the view that racial disparities as the result of racial conflict continue to exist and should be addressed in juvenile and criminal justice processing.

Abigail Adams: Her Contributions :: Biography, History

Abigail Adams: Her Contributions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Though quiet, sickly, and shy, Abigail Adams, the wife of second president John Adams, helped plant the seeds that eventually led to the concept of women ¹s rights and women ¹s equality with men. For a country which had been founded on the idea of independence for all, these concepts were still considered radical and even ridiculous.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abigail believed that a good education was just as necessary for girls as for boys. This was a departure from the prevailing feeling of teaching girls only the skills necessary for keeping a household running smoothly. She had a passion for reading history, theology, and political theory which she passed on to her children. For Abigail to have taken such a strong interest in her education was a brave stance for her time. Education was often viewed as a corrupting influence on a woman. She requested her husband John, who was a delegate to Congress and later a U.S. president, to draft into law a commitment to supporting education for women. John was in full agreement with Abigail ¹s views on this subject.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abigail made her strongest appeal for women ¹s rights in 1776, when John was in Philadelphia serving in Congress. As members drafted laws to guarantee the independence for which the colonist were fighting, Abigail wrote to John begging him to remember that women also needed to be given the right of independence. She sensed the struggles that were to come and understood the unfairness of making one group subject to the will of another.

Essay --

Introduction Arcor est une socià ©tà © argentine fondà ©e en 1951 par Fulvio Salvador Pagani à   Arroyito, Cordoba. La socià ©tà © est dans l'industrie alimentaire, dans ses produits, nous pouvons trouver de la nourriture, biscuits, crà ¨mes glacà ©es, bonbons et chocolat. Son objectif comme socià ©tà © est d'à ©laborer des produits de qualità © accessibles à   tous les consommateurs dans tout le monde. Arcor est le premier producteur de bonbons dans le monde et la plus grande socià ©tà © argentine avec le plus ouvert marchà ©s, il y a des usines en Argentine, au Pà ©rou, au Mexique, au Brà ©sil et au Chili, l'exportation vers 120 pays sur les cinq continents. Aussi, Arcor fait son propre emballage et il est le premier producteur de cartons en Argentine. Ses revenus sont d'environ 3,300 millions de dollars (C.A) et compte environ 20,000 employà ©s. En 2005, Arcor fait un partenariat avec Danone, ils faisant la plus grande entreprise de biscuits et de cà ©rà ©ales en Amà ©rique du Sud, Bagley Latinoamerica SA. En 2006, une alliance stratà ©gique avec Bimbo au Mexique pour la distribution de chocolats et de bonbons sur le Mexique et le reste du monde a à ©tà © fait. Depuis 2004 Arcor dà ©cidà © participer à   la RSE, et en 2009 ce concept de la RSE passer à   un concept plus abarcative et complà ¨te de la durabilità © et soutenabilità ©. Dans son plan de dà ©veloppement durable Arcor a dà ©fini cinq à ©tapes ils respecter pour rendre leur entreprise, ils sont; 1. Utilisation rationnelle de l'eau. 2. L'efficacità © à ©nergà ©tique et la minimisation des impacts qui contribuent au changement climatique mondial. 3. Utilisation rationnelle de l’emballage. 4. Une alimentation saine. 5. Respect et la protection des droits des travailleurs. Ajoutà © à   cela, les actions groupe Arcor rend les actions plus humani... ...ccà ¨s dans toutes les rà ©gions. En 2012 est effectuà ©e à   la production de cà ©rà ©ales, un marchà © du monde en pleine croissance et hautement concurrentiel. Fournisseurs La relation d'Arcor avec ses fournisseurs est une relation dans laquelle cherche un dà ©veloppement durable et soutenu à   travers d'une relation à   long terme qui supportera ceux-ci à   à ªtre intà ©grà © encore plus à   la chaà ®ne de valeur d’Arcor. Arcor veut porter cette forte relation avec ses fournisseurs à   ses produits pour qu'elle les soit transmise à   ses consommateurs puisque son objectif est d'obtenir l'excellence et la qualità © en ses produits et les services. Le but d’Arcor avec ses fournisseurs dans leurs mots  « Nous avons besoin d'Arcor fournisseurs qui partagent la philosophie de l'entreprise donc cherchà © à   à ©tablir des relations de confiance à   long terme. Grà ¢ce à   une gestion durable de la chaà ®ne de valeur  » Essay -- Introduction Arcor est une socià ©tà © argentine fondà ©e en 1951 par Fulvio Salvador Pagani à   Arroyito, Cordoba. La socià ©tà © est dans l'industrie alimentaire, dans ses produits, nous pouvons trouver de la nourriture, biscuits, crà ¨mes glacà ©es, bonbons et chocolat. Son objectif comme socià ©tà © est d'à ©laborer des produits de qualità © accessibles à   tous les consommateurs dans tout le monde. Arcor est le premier producteur de bonbons dans le monde et la plus grande socià ©tà © argentine avec le plus ouvert marchà ©s, il y a des usines en Argentine, au Pà ©rou, au Mexique, au Brà ©sil et au Chili, l'exportation vers 120 pays sur les cinq continents. Aussi, Arcor fait son propre emballage et il est le premier producteur de cartons en Argentine. Ses revenus sont d'environ 3,300 millions de dollars (C.A) et compte environ 20,000 employà ©s. En 2005, Arcor fait un partenariat avec Danone, ils faisant la plus grande entreprise de biscuits et de cà ©rà ©ales en Amà ©rique du Sud, Bagley Latinoamerica SA. En 2006, une alliance stratà ©gique avec Bimbo au Mexique pour la distribution de chocolats et de bonbons sur le Mexique et le reste du monde a à ©tà © fait. Depuis 2004 Arcor dà ©cidà © participer à   la RSE, et en 2009 ce concept de la RSE passer à   un concept plus abarcative et complà ¨te de la durabilità © et soutenabilità ©. Dans son plan de dà ©veloppement durable Arcor a dà ©fini cinq à ©tapes ils respecter pour rendre leur entreprise, ils sont; 1. Utilisation rationnelle de l'eau. 2. L'efficacità © à ©nergà ©tique et la minimisation des impacts qui contribuent au changement climatique mondial. 3. Utilisation rationnelle de l’emballage. 4. Une alimentation saine. 5. Respect et la protection des droits des travailleurs. Ajoutà © à   cela, les actions groupe Arcor rend les actions plus humani... ...ccà ¨s dans toutes les rà ©gions. En 2012 est effectuà ©e à   la production de cà ©rà ©ales, un marchà © du monde en pleine croissance et hautement concurrentiel. Fournisseurs La relation d'Arcor avec ses fournisseurs est une relation dans laquelle cherche un dà ©veloppement durable et soutenu à   travers d'une relation à   long terme qui supportera ceux-ci à   à ªtre intà ©grà © encore plus à   la chaà ®ne de valeur d’Arcor. Arcor veut porter cette forte relation avec ses fournisseurs à   ses produits pour qu'elle les soit transmise à   ses consommateurs puisque son objectif est d'obtenir l'excellence et la qualità © en ses produits et les services. Le but d’Arcor avec ses fournisseurs dans leurs mots  « Nous avons besoin d'Arcor fournisseurs qui partagent la philosophie de l'entreprise donc cherchà © à   à ©tablir des relations de confiance à   long terme. Grà ¢ce à   une gestion durable de la chaà ®ne de valeur  »

She’s a Dreamer – Creative Writing

I glanced over my shoulder and felt a presence lurking, looming behind me. I sniffed and for that one moment my worries flew away. Candy floss. It smelt of a sweet, soft, sugary treat that my sisters and I only received on special occasions. I heard a swear word and turned around to find a group of ‘tough' boys behind me, they were speaking in low, deep, gruff voices. I listened in, making sure I wasn't being too obvious. They were chatting about the new roller coaster here at the theme park. The terrifying ride was called The Evaporator; it lasted only seconds but it went up, down, upside down and all around. I glanced up noticing the bloody red sign hovering above a crowd of innocent children and teenagers with a few adults among them. Should I risk going on a roller coaster for the first time in my life, without my mother by my side or should the public around me, mostly consisting of my high school peers, witness me going on the babyish rides with my sisters? I shook my head at the thoughts trekking through my mind and through the corner of my right eye saw my little sister, Lucy almost reading my mind and shaking her head and telling me â€Å"No, No. † But something was telling me the opposite â€Å"Yes, Yes. I nodded my head without any hesitation and I saw the upset on her face. She stomped her feet in protest and I dropped her clutching hand from mine. She glanced at me, her older sister not doing as the little one says, and teardrops dribbled down her cheeks falling of the end of her chin. I had to make this accomplishment, for me. If I had got to the age of 50 and still not boarded a roller coaster carriage then I would be so disappointed and angry with myself. My older sister smiled, a smile aimed in my direction and wiped little Lucy's eye with a rough, green paper towel she had in her rucksack. I smiled back but it soon disappeared. I stepped under the sign and took a deep breath as I joined the queue. As we were herded forward like cattle I thought about my life and what point in life I was at. I glanced over my shoulder again and it seemed my life was passing by. I was the rollercoaster. I was going up, down and all around. I saw the birth of my sister, Lucy, then the birth of my youngest sibling, Emily, the divorce of my parents and finally, most recently my father starting his sentence in prison. I blinked my delicate, beautiful blue eyes and I came out of my†¦ daydream. A bloke directly behind me croaked â€Å"What are you staring at? † I turned back around, ignoring the man's remark. As we were travelling toward the track, I clenched my fist and squeezed my eyes shut, for reasons unknown. I took a deep breath and was spinning, spinning, spinning in circles. I heard crashes, which startled me enough for me to come out of my trance. The crashes had happened both in my spell and in reality. The ‘tough' boys I was eavesdropping on earlier were denting the sign advertising the rollercoaster. My focus was drawn to the word evaporator, the word that had remained undented. It was to do with the word evaporate, I knew that, but I was puzzled at the unusualness of the name. There was just a large group of seven in front of me, and then it was my turn I pondered, as I shuffled forward, nearly suffocating the male in front. They were all being loaded on, three per aisle, as I noticed one girl, roughly three years younger than me, gesture for me to come and sit on a spare seat on her aisle. I shook my head, delaying my turn on The Evaporator. But as I did so, I instantly changed my mind, thinking it was better to get it over and done with. But my reaction was too late. A member of staff was already ushering for any two's. I had staggered my turn for just a few more minutes. The carriage noisily started, sped up and disappeared round the corner. I heard screams of happiness and then they were gone. It was finally my turn as a carriage juttered to a halt and a mixed crowd departed, smiled and laughed to each other as they were shown to the photo pick up point. I was piled on with everybody else but when we all had boarded there were still two empty seats in my aisle. â€Å"Any two's, any two's† was starting to get annoying. A large man and his girlfriend I assume squeezed past the threes, fours, fives and sixes. They were looking very smug and ecstatic about skipping part of the queue. The large man who I christened ‘the elephant' instantly plumped himself down next to me, nudging me as he struggled to fit. â€Å"Are you excited girl, are you, girl, girl, are you, are you? † It took a lot of effort but I managed to pull a fake smile and blocked out the distant memory of dad shouting â€Å"Girls! † at my sisters and I. The elephant gave a huge grin and I wasn't too happy at the smell of his breath hitting my face every time the wind blowed. We jerked slowly forward and I grabbed the harness in fear, he noticed my anxiety and squeezed my leg in a flirty way. I screamed inside at the thought of this maybe 30-year old man squeezing a 13-year-olds leg. His girlfriend was even there. He apologised though I knew he didn't mean it. After we had sped up and were experiencing the ups, downs, upside downs and all arounds I turned to my right to look at him hoping the wind wasn't in my direction or his mouth was near me. But he had miraculously disappeared. I blinked thinking my mind was playing tricks on me. But †¦ no. He must have†¦ Thoughts rushed through my head and the only logical one was he'd FALLEN out. But thinking hard enough about it even that wasn't logical. How would he have fallen out? And wouldn't I have heard something? Was he dead? Or was I dead? Spooky thoughts were taking over my mind. I turned to my right, past the empty seat and the elephant's girlfriend looked at me. She didn't see the emptiness of our aisle to start with but then the empty seat caught her eye. I will never forget the look on that lady's face. It was horrific. Horror and fear must have been rushing through her at 1000 miles per hour at least. The things in the background were completely blanked out as I felt one hundred different emotions for this lady. I'd never felt that way, not even when my father had left me. I tried focusing on a different thought, a happy thought, so I turned round trying to see the three behind us. I strained my neck and was in agony when I finally saw the one, not three bodies in the aisle behind. I blinked. My eyes needed a check up; they were seeing weird, freaky, abnormal things. But however many times I blinked there was still the sight of a young innocent girl crying. Tears pouring, rushing down her face. I knew that there was someone at least one more person on that aisle. It was a man, maybe her dad, I thought as the ride progressed. I shut my eyes and wished that that ride would end immediately. The roller coaster drew to an end and I had done it, without my mother by my side. This was a wonderful accomplishment and how my sister would be proud. Little Lucy would be so joyful and pleased her favourite sister was back. Mel, oh how Mel would be so proud for many reasons. She would be tearful and amazed. Emily, Emily would see no difference in the world, just that everyone was happy. When a toddler's family is happy they are happy. Is that right? I think I read it in a book once. As the carriage was getting slower and slower a couple of questions came to my attention. I'd never missed dad, why hadn't I? Mel and little Lucy had, but why not me? I suppose there was an answer to one of the questions. Melanie, being the oldest at 15 would have the clearest and most happy memories of dad. She'd never thought bad thoughts or if she had then she'd never shown them. She was good at covering her emotions and at the right time and the right place; she was good at showing her emotions. But little Lucy she had only been 4 at the time, but I suppose at four you do remember. Those four years of little Lucy's life had probably been the worst. Full of negative memories of dad, times without a good father figure and long distances between them. It's not good that what Lucy remembers is mostly bad or little about dad – she will immediately hate dad or not recognise him if she ever sees him again. That would be awful. I am pleased I have at least some positive memories. I stepped out the carriage and grabbed my bag not noticing how freakily quiet the area was. I ran to the burger bar where Mel had told me they'd be. I looked around squinting and scanning the area. The vision of them not being there will be forever with me. No one was about. I walked up to the kiosk planning to ask a member of staff if they'd seen my sisters. But there was no member of staff. I was scared; where was everyone, there was no one about and I was upset; why would my sisters leave me with no explanation? I looked and looked for maybe three hours not seeing one person anywhere. I hadn't been brave enough to go and look outside the park so I'd completely and purposely not walked past the gates. As I was walking I felt a sharp, ear piercing screaming coming from not a person but from inside me. I'd never felt a similar sensation before. The screaming was of fear and there was a voice; a high toned voice that was saying â€Å"There's something freaky, something real freaky going on here. † As I tried to block out the piercing sound I had a terrifying, terrific, torturing thought that stunned me. Why would I think of such a thing? But that thought went away – thank goodness! – And I thought happier and more realistic thoughts from that point on. Maybe, I'd just been queuing for hours and the park had shut, my sisters would be waiting just outside the gates for me. I wandered the short distance towards the park gates and was surprised to see the gates wide open. I shrugged to myself and nervously walked through the gates not taking into account the sign that said ‘Saturdays Open 24 hours'. The screaming of fear inside me had started yet again. As I turned my head, on the look out, my eyes swivelled trying to see through the darkness of that winter Saturday afternoon and the darkness and gloominess of the situation. I spotted an empty bench, which I persuaded myself to sit on. After I had sat down I had a sudden rush of tiredness and as it got the better of me my head hit the cold, hard, wet, brown surface. I had one clear and one more vivid dream. One I understood yet the other was very irregular. Firstly it was my dad; he was in his favourite outfit holding hands with Lucy and Melanie. Emily was tiredly bumping on his back as he walked towards me. Every one of them had a finger or hand outstretched, stretched in my direction. Each and every one of them was saying my name, over and over. The girls were wearing pyjamas and they were all the age they were when dad went. I was walking towards them but they were getting further away. It wasn't right. It was upsetting, distressing and brought back memories. Bad memories. No one was smiling anymore. As I came out of that horrible dream, another started almost immediately. I was on the same bench but I was sitting bolt upright and I was kind of like a robot. A bus came and it was full. Some of the people on the bus I recognised from the theme park like the â€Å"elephant† from earlier and the young girls dad who was on the carriage behind me. Finally I saw my sisters, Emily, little Lucy and Mel. I suddenly opened my eyes, bringing the dream to an end. But it hadn't. The bus was still there, in front of my very eyes looking beautiful and shiny and not bus-like at all. I could still see some of the people I recognised from the theme park, the â€Å"elephant† from earlier was the young girls dad was Mel, little Lucy and Emily all smiling and gesturing for me to board the bus. I felt a sensation, almost an urge to get on that bus and I started moving quite quickly towards the bus. Just before I was ushered up the steps of the bus I caught a glimpse at where the bus was going and I was shocked to see it was going to â€Å"Heaven! † I'm now an angel in heaven along with my sisters. I still don't really know what happened that day, I came to the conclusion that we must have just collapsed and the entire roller coaster journey was my imagination. It's just a guess though. My mother is still alive and she's starting another family, but I know she misses us. She goes to our graves every other day and puts fresh flowers each time. My father is still in prison. He has another two years to go. My mother visited him for the first time with the bad news that we have passed away, three sisters died in one day. I couldn't bear look at his reactions, I could have easily. Angel's can float, can fly, can go anywhere they want and can see anyone they want, it's an easy life for an angel. My dad's reaction could have even been a happy one, who knows. Only mum. If I could have done two things differently before I died I would have said my goodbyes, even though I'm here in heaven with my sisters it's my other relatives and friends that I wish that I could have said goodbye too. I would have also died more peacefully and I a way that I knew what was happening. Like dying in your sleep. Like Nana did. Emily is 3 now, little Lucy whose not so little anymore, is 9 and finally Mel is 21. I'm 16 and boy, times flied! I'm having a wonderful time with my sisters. I've really got to know them again. Emily and little Lucy always tell me their dreams. That's the funny thing about heaven, you never forget, anything. Not even your dreams.

The Contribution to Economics of Each of the Following

â€Å"Many Economists have tried to establish why the economy performs as it does and want to have a basis for predicting how the economy will perform when circumstances change†. (Nagel, S pg 1 1999) Economists are just people after all, who have lived through different times and experiences in their lives, thus leading to different values and views. George Bernard Shaw once said that â€Å"If all economists were laid end to end they would not reach a conclusion†,(cited in Mankin, Taylor 2006) In this essay we will look at what contributions each of the above economists have made, keeping in mind the era in which they lived . Reputed to be the father of â€Å"The Classical School† of economics, the Scottish born Adam Smith (1772-1790) was a supply side economist. â€Å"He attributed economic expansion to expanding production and trade with expanding demand as a by-product and consequence†(Jacobs, J 1985 p12) He promoted the invisible hand of free enterprise, which showed that individuals in pursuing their own selfish interest could benefit society. In other words, if people wish to sell, they must produce what others require at a price that they are prepared to pay. (Palmer. N, 1990). He also advocated the â€Å"Laissez-faire† approach, which means that the government should only get involved in the economy in order to raise monies for the upkeep of infrastructure, to sustain the legal system and to defend the country. In Smith’s book ‘An inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations’ which was published in 1776, he covered the previous two concepts as well as the division of labour and the function of markets. Division of labour was not a new idea but Smith believed it to be very important as a way of increasing wealth. According to Delaney, Smith established the 4 canons of taxation. â€Å"Firstly, the tax levied on each person should be related to the person’s ability to pay. Secondly, the amount of tax which a person must pay should be certain and clear. Thirdly, the manner and timing of payment of taxes should have regard to the convenience of the tax payer. Finally, the cost of collection should be small relative to the yield†. (2008) Another belief of Smiths was the Labour Theory of Value, which means the value of a product is equal to the value of the labour involved in its production. Delaney. N 2008). Smith believed that there was a distinction between productive and non-productive labour. Teachers, engineers and people with similar professions were considered to be non-productive as they did not produce goods for resale or create funds for reinvestment. Smith also introduced the â€Å"value in use† and the â€Å"value in exchange† of a product (the paradox of value). Twenty years after Smiths death his writings and theories were embraced by the next generation of writers and economists who established Smith as the founder of economic science. It has been said that before Adam Smith there had been much economic discussion, but with him it reached the stage of discussing economics. (Palmer, N) The classical school of thought was later developed and refined by Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834) and David Ricardo (1772-1823). Both were English born and were followers of Smith’s theories. Malthus is known for his famous â€Å"Essay on the Principles of Population as it affects the Future Improvements of Society† published in 1798. At this time in history the Industrial Revolution was taking place which meant more people were moving from rural areas into urban areas. Malthus saw many slums being created with food, water and sewage becoming a huge problem. In his essay, he laid out how the population would grow by a geometric progression, while food supply would only grow by an arithmetic progression. He identified that there should be a check on the growth of the population. These checks included positive checks which involved death through war and disease or preventative checks which meant people should have fewer children. He advocated the wages fund theory. The idea behind this theory was that payment to workers in excess of the subsistence level would lead to an increase in the size of the workers families thus causing the worker to be brought down to a subsidence level of existence. (Palmer) This idea dominated for over a century. It was very popular with employers as it allowed them to pay lower wages and to feel justified in doing so. He is linked with the theory of the â€Å"Paradox of Thrift† meaning that if people save consumption decreases, leading to over-production. To counteract this problem, he advised the government to spend monies on non-productive areas such as the building of parks in order to create the circulation of money and therefore stimulate demand. (Delaney) Malthusian theories are still relevant today in some areas of the LCD’s (lower developed countries) Like Malthus, Ricardo too accepted the wages theory and introduced the concept of â€Å"economic rent†. The idea behind this rent was â€Å"any payment to a factor of production above its supply price†(Delaney) For example during the Napoleonic wars, Europe turned to Britain for its food supply. This created huge demand and it became very profitable to produce food. In order to produce as much food as possible, landowners were now using less fertile land which had not been used before for food production. This increased the demand for land thus driving up the rent, especially the rent for the more fertile land. He thought that agriculture was very important and industry depended on it. Ricardo inspired by â€Å"Sutter’s† books developed the law of comparative advantage. This formed the basis of international trade. He believed in free international trade as it gets the maximum out of resources thus increasing income (Nagel) Karl Marx was born in Germany in 1818. He expressed his revolutionary socialist ideas in his two main publications the Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital. Marx basic economic beliefs were very alike the Classical economists, in that he supported a labour theory of value but his approach was completely different. Marx wanted things to change in such a way that would help to improve working conditions for the working classes. He did not believe in the â€Å"invisible Hand† and was more concerned with change and evolution throughout society. He believed communism would replace capitalism and that workers would have full control over all means of production leading to a more even allocation of wealth. He believed that the value of a good was the value of the amount of labour necessary to produce it. Therefore the value of goods produced by the worker was more than the wages paid to the worker, the difference being a surplus or profit to the employer. Marx argued that this was exploitation of the workers by their capitalistic employers. Believing that the capitalists were profit hungry, Marx stated that the demand for labour would amplify which would in turn cause wages to rise. The rise in wages above subsistence level would lower the capitalist’s profits therefore causing them to look for ways in which to lower their wage costs. Many employers would start introducing new labour saving machines in order to save money. As the machines would replace labourers this would lead to a rise in unemployment thus leading to lack in demand for goods produced. As more workers became deskilled and redundant their bargaining power for better wages weakened leading to a two tiered society namely â€Å"the proletariat† (working classes) and â€Å"the capitalists† classes. Marx believed that the working classes would rise up and overthrow the capitalists’ regime. The workers would then be in control of the factors of production. He predicted the emergence of oligopolies and trade cycles. Marx died in London in 1883. The introduction of maths to illustrate economic theory or as it is better known now as econometrics was introduced by the English born Alfred Marshall (1842-1924). He introduced the law of diminishing marginal utility and coined the term elasticity to describe the response of demand to the small changes in price. He put forward the well-know scissors analogy, likening the demand and supply to the two blades of a scissors interdependent on each other. He pointed out that there was a difference between the long run and the short run for production purposes. Recognising that in the short run at least one factor of production would be fixed in contrast to the long run where all factors of production were changeable. Marshall came up with the concept of quasi rent, which was economic rent earned by labour in the short run and which disappeared in the long run by the increase in the supply of that labour. He believed in a free enterprise economy with some government intervention for example the introduction of government controls and consumer education. Marshall’s theories were hugely influential; in fact his book the Principles of economics (1890) was the main textbook for students of economics up to the great depression of the 1930’s. (Delaney) John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) was an Englishman who became one of the most influential economists of the twentieth century. â€Å"His influence on economics was so great that the boom the Western industrial countries experienced between 1945 and 1975 has been termed the â€Å"Age of Keynes†. (123HelpMe. com) Keynesian theory advocated the exact opposite to the Classical â€Å"Laissez-faire† approach. According to Delaney,R 2008, Keynes was a demand side economist, who stressed that economies could be regulated by government fiscal policy. He believed that budgetary policy should be the main economic instrument used in the control of the economy. During the Great depression, Keynes became the life saver of the American economy. His main objective was to come up with a solution for the mass unemployment during this terrible time. In his book The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money (1936), Keynes put forward that there could be equilibrium at less than full employment. He stressed that by increasing government expenditure in areas like public works, this could help increase total spending thereby helping to bring economic activity to the full employment level. (Palmer,N. 1990). Keynes also introduced the multiplier effect, which means the National Income would rise by some multiple of the initial injection of government expenditure. (Nagle, S 1999) Keynes developed the liquidity preference theory of interest rates and also explained that savings and investments were not always equal to each other. (Delaney, R 2008). Keynes theories are still relevant to this day. Milton Friedman was born in American in 1912. He tried to make economics more user friendly to the layperson. His theories were in direct opposition to Keynes. He wrote many books but his main publications were ‘Inflation, Causes and Consequences’ and ‘A Monetary History of the United States 1867-1960’. â€Å"His theories first attracted national attention in the 1970s, when the combination of inflation and stagnant economic growth — stagflation — undercut the dominant Keynesian policies of the post-war decades†. Friedman was a monetarist and he argued that monetary policy rather than fiscal policy should be the main tool used to control the economy. Monetarists believe that increases in the money supply results in an increase in prices rather than an increase in the level of output. They argue, like the classical approach, for no government intervention in the economy, that free-market forces should be relied on to bring the economy into equilibrium. He promoted privatisation of all government-owned or controlled businesses. Removal of inflation is a greater priority to the monetarists rather than the removal of unemployment. (Delaney) In 1976 Friedman won the 1976 Nobel Prize in economics. â€Å"An advocate of personal liberty, free markets, deregulation, and reduced government intervention in the economy, he has seen his ideas on issues as Social Security privatization, welfare reform, and school vouchers become part of national political debate†.

Chapter 2 Aunt Marge’s Big Mistake

Harry went down to breakfast the next morning to find the three Dursleys already sitting around the kitchen table. They were watching a brand-new television, a welcome-home-for-the-summer present for Dudley, who had been complaining loudly about the long walk between the fridge and the television in the living room. Dudley had spent most of the summer in the kitchen, his piggy little eyes fixed on the screen and his five chins wobbling as he ate continually. Harry sat down between Dudley and Uncle Vernon, a large, beefy man with very little neck and a lot of mustache. Far from wishing Harry a happy birthday, none of the Dursleys made any sign that they had noticed Harry enter the room, but Harry was far too used to this to care. He helped himself to a piece of toast and then looked up at the reporter on the television, who was halfway through a report on an escaped convict. â€Å"†¦the public is warned that Black is armed and extremely dangerous. A special hot line has been set up, and any sighting of Black should be reported immediately.† â€Å"No need to tell us he's no good,† snorted Uncle Vernon, staring over the top of his newspaper at the prisoner. â€Å"Look at the state of him, the filthy layabout! Look at his hair!† He shot a nasty look sideways at Harry, whose untidy hair had always been a source of great annoyance to Uncle Vernon. Compared to the man on the television, however, whose gaunt face was surrounded by a matted, elbow-length tangle, Harry felt very well groomed indeed. The reporter had reappeared. â€Å"The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will announce today –â€Å" â€Å"Hang on!† barked Uncle Vernon, staring furiously at the reporter. â€Å"You didn't tell us where that maniac's escaped from! What use is that? Lunatic could be coming up the street right now!† Aunt Petunia, who was bony and horse-faced, whipped around and peered intently out of the kitchen window. Harry knew Aunt Petunia would simply love to be the one to call the hot line number. She was the nosiest woman in the world and spent most of her life spying on the boring, law-abiding neighbors. â€Å"When will they learn,† said Uncle Vernon, pounding the table with his large purple fist, â€Å"that hanging's the only way to deal with these people?† â€Å"Very true,† said Aunt Petunia, who was still squinting into next door's runner-beans. Uncle Vernon drained his teacup, glanced at his watch, and added, â€Å"I'd better be off in a minute, Petunia. Marge's train gets in at ten.† Harry, whose thoughts had been upstairs with the Broomstick Servicing Kit, was brought back to earth with an unpleasant bump. â€Å"Aunt Marge?† he blurted out. â€Å"Sh-she's not coming here, is she?† Aunt Marge was Uncle Vernon's sister. Even though she was not a blood relative of Harry's (whose mother had been Aunt Petunia's sister), he had been forced to call her ‘Aunt' all his life. Aunt Marge lived in the country, in a house with a large garden, where she bred bulldogs. She didn't often stay at Privet Drive, because she couldn't bear to leave her precious dogs, but each of her visits stood out horribly vividly in Harry's mind. At Dudley's fifth birthday party, Aunt Margo had whacked Harry around the shins with her walking stick to stop him from beating Dudley at musical statues. A few years later, she had turned up at Christmas with a computerized robot for Dudley and a box of dog biscuits for Harry. On her last visit, the year before Harry started at Hogwarts, Harry had accidentally trodden on the tail of her favorite dog. Ripper had chased Harry out into the garden and up a tree, and Aunt Marge had refused to call him off until past midnight. The memory of this incident still brought tears of laughter to Dudley's eyes. â€Å"Marge'll be here for a week,† Uncle Vernon snarled, â€Å"and while we're on the subject,† he pointed a fat finger threateningly at Harry, â€Å"we need to get a few things straight before I go and collect her.† Dudley smirked and withdrew his gaze from the television. Watching Harry being bullied by Uncle Vernon was Dudley's favorite form of entertainment. â€Å"Firstly,† growled Uncle Vernon, â€Å"you'll keep a civil tongue in your head when you're talking to Marge.† â€Å"All right,† said Harry bitterly, â€Å"if she does when she's talking to me.† â€Å"Secondly,† said Uncle Vernon, acting as though he had not heard Harry's reply, â€Å"as Marge doesn't know anything about your abnormality, I don't want any — any funny stuff while she's here. You behave yourself, got me?† â€Å"I will if she does,† said Harry through gritted teeth. â€Å"And thirdly,† said Uncle Vernon, his mean little eyes now slits in his great purple face, â€Å"we've told Marge you attend St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys.† â€Å"What?† Harry yelled. â€Å"And you'll be sticking to that story, boy, or there'll be trouble,† spat Uncle Vernon. Harry sat there, white-faced and furious, staring at Uncle Vernon, hardly able to believe it. Aunt Marge coming for a weeklong visit — it was the worst birthday present the Dursleys had ever given him, including that pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. â€Å"Well, Petunia,† said Uncle Vernon, getting heavily to his feet, â€Å"I'll be off to the station, then. Want to come along for the ride, Dudders?† â€Å"No,† said Dudley, whose attention had returned to the television now that Uncle Vernon had finished threatening Harry. â€Å"Duddy's got to make himself smart for his auntie,† said Aunt Petunia, smoothing Dudley's thick blond hair. â€Å"Mummy's bought him a lovely new bow-tie.† Uncle Vernon clapped Dudley on his porky shoulder. â€Å"See you in a bit, then,† he said, and he left the kitchen. Harry, who had been sitting in a kind of horrified trance, had a sudden idea. Abandoning his toast, he got quickly to his feet and followed Uncle Vernon to the front door. Uncle Vernon was pulling on his car coat. â€Å"I'm not taking you,† he snarled as he turned to see Harry watching him. â€Å"Like I wanted to come,† said Harry coldly. â€Å"I want to ask you something.† Uncle Vernon eyed him suspiciously. â€Å"Third years at Hog — at my school are allowed to visit the village sometimes,† said Harry. â€Å"So?† snapped Uncle Vernon, taking his car keys from a hook next to the door. â€Å"I need you to sign the permission form,† said Harry in a rush. â€Å"And why should I do that?† sneered Uncle Vernon. â€Å"Well,† said Harry, choosing his words carefully, â€Å"it'll be hard work, pretending to Aunt Marge I go to that St. Whatsits†¦.† â€Å"St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys!† bellowed Uncle Vernon, and Harry was pleased to hear a definite note of panic in Uncle Vernon's voice. â€Å"Exactly,† said Harry, looking calmly up into Uncle Vernon's large, purple face. â€Å"It's a lot to remember. I'll have to make it sound convincing, won't I? What if I accidentally let something slip?† â€Å"You'll get the stuffing knocked out of you, won't you?† roared Uncle Vernon, advancing on Harry with his fist raised. But Harry stood his ground. â€Å"Knocking the stuffing out of me won't make Aunt Marge forget what I could tell her,† he said grimly. Uncle Vernon stopped, his fist still raised, his face an ugly puce. â€Å"But if you sign my permission form,† Harry went on quickly, â€Å"I swear Ill remember where I'm supposed to go to school, and Ill act like a Mug — like I'm normal and everything.† Harry could tell that Uncle Vernon was thinking it over, even if his teeth were bared and a vein was throbbing in his temple. â€Å"Right,† he snapped finally. â€Å"I shall monitor your behavior carefully during Marge's visit. If, at the end of it, you've toed the line and kept to the story, Ill sign your ruddy form.† He wheeled around, pulled open the front door, and slammed it so hard that one of the little panes of glass at the top fell out. Harry didn't return to the kitchen. He went back upstairs to his bedroom. If he was going to act like a real Muggle, heed better start now. Slowly and sadly he gathered up all his presents and his birthday cards and hid them under the loose floorboard with his homework. Then he went to Hedwig's cage. Errol seemed to have recovered; he and Hedwig were both asleep, heads under their wings. Harry sighed, then poked them both awake. â€Å"Hedwig,† he said gloomily, â€Å"you're going to have to clear off for a week. Go with Errol. Ron'll look after you. Ill write him a note, explaining. And don't look at me like that† — Hedwig's large amber eyes were reproachful — â€Å"it's not my fault. It's the only way I'll be allowed to visit Hogsmeade with Ron and Hermione.† Ten minutes later, Errol and Hedwig (who had a note to Ron bound to her leg) soared out of the window and out of sight. Harry, now feeling thoroughly miserable, put the empty cage away inside the wardrobe. But Harry didn't have long to brood. In next to no time, Aunt Petunia was shrieking up the stairs for Harry to come down and get ready to welcome their guest. â€Å"Do something about your hair!† Aunt Petunia snapped as he reached the hall. Harry couldn't see the point of trying to make his hair lie flat. Aunt Marge loved criticizing him, so the untidier he looked, the happier she would be. All too soon, there was a crunch of gravel outside as Uncle Vernon's car pulled back into the driveway, then the clunk of the car doors and footsteps on the garden path. â€Å"Get the door!† Aunt Petunia hissed at Harry. A feeling of great gloom in his stomach, Harry pulled the door open. On the threshold stood Aunt Marge. She was very like Uncle Vernon: large, beefy, and purple-faced, she even had a mustache, though not as bushy as his. In one hand she held an enormous suitcase, and tucked under the other was an old and evil-tempered bulldog. â€Å"Where's my Dudders?† roared Aunt Marge. â€Å"Where's my neffy poo?† Dudley came waddling down the hall, his blond hair plastered flat to his fat head, a bow tie just visible under his many chins. Aunt Marge thrust the suitcase into Harry's stomach, knocking the wind out of him, seized Dudley in a tight one-armed hug, and planted a large kiss on his cheek. Harry knew perfectly well that Dudley only put up with Aunt Marge's hugs because he was well paid for it, and sure enough, when they broke apart, Dudley had a crisp twenty-pound note clutched in his fat fist. â€Å"Petunia!† shouted Aunt Marge, striding past Harry as though he was a hat-stand. Aunt Marge and Aunt Petunia kissed, or rather, Aunt Marge bumped her large jaw against Aunt Petunias bony cheekbone. Uncle Vernon now came in, smiling jovially as he shut the door. â€Å"Tea, Marge?† he said. â€Å"And what will Ripper take?† â€Å"Ripper can have some tea out of my saucer,† said Aunt Marge as they all proceeded into the kitchen, leaving Harry alone in the hall with the suitcase. But Harry wasn't complaining; any excuse not to be with Aunt Marge was fine by him, so he began to heave the case upstairs into the spare bedroom, taking as long as he could. By the time he got back to the kitchen, Aunt Marge had been supplied with tea and fruitcake, and Ripper was lapping noisily in the corner. Harry saw Aunt Petunia wince slightly as specks of tea and drool flecked her clean floor. Aunt Petunia hated animals. â€Å"Who's looking after the other dogs, Marge?† Uncle Vernon asked. â€Å"Oh, I've got Colonel Fubster managing them,† boomed Aunt Marge. â€Å"He's retired now, good for him to have something to do. But I couldn't leave poor old Ripper. He pines if he's away from me.† Ripper began to growl again as Harry sat down. This directed Aunt Marge's attention to Harry for the first time. â€Å"So!† she barked. â€Å"Still here, are you?† â€Å"Yes,† said Harry. â€Å"Don't you say â€Å"yes† in that ungrateful tone,† Aunt Marge growled. â€Å"It's damn good of Vernon and Petunia to keep you. Wouldn't have done it myself. You'd have gone straight to an orphanage if you'd been dumped on my doorstep.† Harry was bursting to say that he'd rather live in an orphanage than with the Dursleys, but the thought of the Hogsmeade form stopped him. He forced his face into a painful smile. â€Å"Don't you smirk at me!† boomed Aunt Marge. â€Å"I can see you haven't improved since I last saw you. I hoped school would knock some manners into you.† She took a large gulp of tea, wiped her mustache, and said, â€Å"Where is it that you send him, again, Vernon?† â€Å"St. Brutus's,† said Uncle Vernon promptly. â€Å"It's a first-rate institution for hopeless cases.† â€Å"I see,† said Aunt Marge. â€Å"Do they use the cane at St. Brutus's, boy?† she barked across the table. â€Å"Er –â€Å" Uncle Vernon nodded curtly behind Aunt Marge's back. â€Å"Yes,† said Harry. Then, feeling he might as well do the thing properly, he added, â€Å"All the time.† â€Å"Excellent,† said Aunt Marge. â€Å"I won't have this namby-pamby, wishy-washy nonsense about not hitting people who deserve it. A good thrashing is what's needed in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred. Have you been beaten often?† â€Å"Oh, yeah,† said Harry, â€Å"loads of times.† Aunt Marge narrowed her eyes. â€Å"I still don't like your tone, boy,† she said. â€Å"If you can speak of your beatings in that casual way, they clearly aren't hitting you hard enough. Petunia, I'd write if I were you. Make it clear that you approve the use of extreme force in this boy's case.† Perhaps Uncle Vernon was worried that Harry might forget their bargain; in any case, he changed the subject abruptly. â€Å"Heard the news this morning, Marge? What about that escaped prisoner, eh?† ****** As Aunt Marge started to make herself at home, Harry caught himself thinking almost longingly of life at number four without her. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia usually encouraged Harry to stay out of their way, which Harry was only too happy to do. Aunt Marge, on the other hand, wanted Harry under her eye at all times, so that she could boom out suggestions for his improvement. She delighted in comparing Harry with Dudley, and took huge pleasure in buying Dudley expensive presents while glaring at Harry, as though daring him to ask why he hadn't got a present too. She also kept throwing out dark hints about what made Harry such an unsatisfactory person. â€Å"You mustn't blame yourself for the way the boy's turned out, Vernon,† she said over lunch on the third day. â€Å"If there's something rotten on the inside, there's nothing anyone can do about it.† Harry tried to concentrate on his food, but his hands shook and his face was starting to burn with anger. Remember the form, he told himself. Think about Hogsmeade. Don't say anything. Don't rise — Aunt Marge reached for her glass of wine. â€Å"It's one of the basic rules of breeding,† she said. â€Å"You see it all the time with dogs. If there's something wrong with the bitch, there'll be something wrong with the pup –â€Å" At that moment, the wineglass Aunt Marge was holding exploded in her hand. Shards of glass flew in every direction and Aunt Marge sputtered and blinked, her great ruddy face dripping. â€Å"Marge!† squealed Aunt Petunia. â€Å"Marge, are you all right?† â€Å"Not to worry,† grunted Aunt Marge, mopping her face with her napkin. â€Å"Must have squeezed it too hard. Did the same thing at Colonel Fubster's the other day. No need to fuss, Petunia, I have a very firm grip†¦.† But Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were both looking at Harry suspiciously, so he decided he'd better skip dessert and escape from the table as soon as he could. Outside in the hall, he leaned against the wall, breathing deeply. It had been a long time since he'd lost control and made something explode. He couldn't afford to let it happen again. The Hogsmeade form wasn't the only thing at stake — if he carried on like that, he'd be in trouble with the Ministry of Magic. Harry was still an underage wizard, and he was forbidden by wizard law to do magic outside school. His record wasn't exactly clean either. Only last summer he'd gotten an official warning that had stated quite clearly that if the Ministry got wind of any more magic in Privet Drive, Harry would face expulsion from Hogwarts. He heard the Dursleys leaving the table and hurried upstairs out of the way. ****** Harry got through the next three days by forcing himself to think about his Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare whenever Aunt Marge started on him. This worked quite well, though it seemed to give him a glazed look, because Aunt Marge started voicing the opinion that he was mentally subnormal. At last, at long last, the final evening of Marge's stay arrived. Aunt Petunia cooked a fancy dinner and Uncle Vernon uncorked several bottles of wine. They got all the way through the soup and the salmon without a single mention of Harry's faults; during the lemon meringue pie, Uncle Vernon bored them a with a long talk about Grunnings, his drill-making company; then Aunt Petunia made coffee and Uncle Vernon brought out a bottle of brandy. â€Å"Can I tempt you, Marge?† Aunt Marge had already had quite a lot of wine. Her huge face was very red. â€Å"Just a small one, then,† she chuckled. â€Å"A bit more than that†¦and a bit more†¦that's the ticket.† Dudley was eating his fourth slice of pie. Aunt Petunia was sipping coffee with her little finger sticking out. Harry really wanted to disappear into his bedroom, but he met Uncle Vernon's angry little eyes and knew he would have to sit it out. â€Å"Aah,† said Aunt Marge, smacking her lips and putting the empty brandy glass back down. â€Å"Excellent nosh, Petunia. It's normally just a fry-up for me of an evening, with twelve dogs to look after†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She burped richly and patted her great tweed stomach. â€Å"Pardon me. But I do like to see a healthy-sized boy,† she went on, winking at Dudley. â€Å"You'll be a proper-sized man, Dudders, like your father. Yes, I'll have a spot more brandy, Vernon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Now, this one here –â€Å" She jerked her head at Harry, who felt his stomach clench. The Handbook, he thought quickly. â€Å"This one's got a mean, runty look about him. You get that with dogs. I had Colonel Fubster drown one last year. Ratty little thing it was. Weak. Underbred.† Harry was trying to remember page twelve of his book: A Charm to Cure Reluctant Reversers. â€Å"It all comes down to blood, as I was saying the other day. Bad blood will out. Now, I'm saying nothing against your family, Petunia† — she patted Aunt Petunia's bony hand with her shovel-like one â€Å"but your sister was a bad egg. They turn up in the best families. Then she ran off with a wastrel and here's the result right in front of us.† Harry was staring at his plate, a funny ringing in his ears. Grasp your broom firmly by the tail, he thought. But he couldn't remember what came next. Aunt Marge's voice seemed to be boring into him like one of Uncle Vernon's drills. â€Å"This Potter,† said Aunt Marge loudly, seizing the brandy bottle and splashing more into her glass and over the tablecloth, â€Å"you never told me what he did?† Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were looking extremely tense. Dudley had even looked up from his pie to gape at his parents. â€Å"He — didn't work,† said Uncle Vernon, with half a glance at Harry. â€Å"Unemployed.† â€Å"As I expected!† said Aunt Marge, taking a huge swig of brandy and wiping her chin on her sleeve. â€Å"A no-account, good-for-nothing, lazy scrounger who –â€Å" â€Å"He was not,† said Harry suddenly. The table went very quiet. Harry was shaking all over. He had never felt so angry in his life. â€Å"MORE BRANDY!† yelled Uncle Vernon, who had gone very white. He emptied the bottle into Aunt Marge's glass. â€Å"You, boy,† he snarled at Harry. â€Å"Go to bed, go on –â€Å" â€Å"No, Vernon,† hiccuped Aunt Marge, holding up a hand, her tiny bloodshot eyes fixed on Harry's. â€Å"Go on, boy, go on. Proud of your parents, are you? They go and get themselves killed in a car crash (drunk, I expect) –â€Å" â€Å"They didn't die in a car crash!† said Harry, who found himself on his feet. â€Å"They died in a car crash, you nasty little liar, and left you to be a burden on their decent, hardworking relatives!† screamed Aunt Marge, swelling with fury. â€Å"You are an insolent, ungrateful little –â€Å" But Aunt Marge suddenly stopped speaking. For a moment, it looked as though words had failed her. She seemed to be swelling with inexpressible anger — but the swelling didn't stop. Her great red face started to expand, her tiny eyes bulged, and her mouth stretched too tightly for speech — next second, several buttons had just burst from her tweed jacket and pinged off the walls — she was inflating like a monstrous balloon, her stomach bursting free of her tweed waistband, each of her fingers blowing up like a salami†¦ â€Å"MARGE!† yelled Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia together as Aunt Marge's whole body began to rise off her chair toward the ceiling. She was entirely round, now, like a vast life buoy with piggy eyes, and her hands and feet stuck out weirdly as she drifted up into the air, making apoplectic popping noises. Ripper came skidding into the room, barking madly. â€Å"NOOOOOOO!† Uncle Vernon seized one of Marge's feet and tried to pull her down again, but was almost lifted from the floor himself. A second later, Ripper leapt forward and sank his teeth into Uncle Vernon's leg. Harry tore from the dining room before anyone could stop him, heading for the cupboard under the stairs. The cupboard door burst magically open as he reached it. In seconds, he had heaved his trunk to the front door. He sprinted upstairs and threw himself under the bed, wrenching up the loose floorboard, and grabbed the pillowcase full of his books and birthday presents. He wriggled out, seized Hedwig's empty cage, and dashed back downstairs to his trunk, just as Uncle Vernon burst out of the dining room, his trouser leg in bloody tatters. â€Å"COME BACK IN HERE!† he bellowed. â€Å"COME BACK AND PUT HER RIGHT!† But a reckless rage had come over Harry. He kicked his trunk open, pulled out his wand, and pointed it at Uncle Vernon. â€Å"She deserved it,† Harry said, breathing very fast. â€Å"She deserved what she got. You keep away from me.† He fumbled behind him for the latch on the door. â€Å"I'm going,† Harry said. â€Å"I've had enough.† And in the next moment, he was out in the dark, quiet street, heaving his heavy trunk behind him, Hedwig's cage under his arm.