The Effects of the Economy on Nascar Essay examples

At its core, economics is all about how people make choices. Choices are necessary because we live in a world of scarcity. Even the richest among us have to decide how to allocate our resources. When it comes to racing there are several ways that the economy can have an effect on it. The economic downturn that began in the late 2000s and persisted through the early 2010s has revealed how much NASCAR relies on a healthy, growing economy. When Jack Roush decides to have one less race team on the track, he does so not because he doesn’t like the team that is racing, but because fielding a race team is expensive. Mr. Roush has a lot of money, but he is limited to the number of teams he can put on the track. Race fans make choices too. We†¦show more content†¦Those without a job will cut back on things they see to be unessential. Here is where NASCAR begins to feel the pinch. No matter how much you want to see a race, if you have a lack of funds, you cut the trip to Daytona out of the budget. That much we understand, but there are other forces at work that may impact the bottom line of NASCAR more than just those who are directly out of work. As the unemployment rate rises, even those who have jobs begin to get a little nervous. Seeing their neighbors and co-workers losing their jobs makes the employed start to wonder, â€Å"Am I next?† Therefore, they are likely to cut back on extra spending as well. So, next year’s trip to Daytona gets cut from their budget, just in case. Ticket sales start to fall not only because the unemployment rate is rising, but also because people are feeling less secure in their finances. As the unemployment rate was falling in the early 2000s, attendance was on the rise, but as the unemployment rate began to climb starting in 2008, attendance started to fall, and in 2010 we seen a drop below the 4 million-attendance mark for the first time since 2003. As people either lose their jobs, or fear losing their jobs, they don’t just cut back on trips to the track. They start to cut back on spending in other areas such as areas where the team sponsors feel it in their pocketbooks. Less spending by consumers means less income for the corporate sponsor, which means less spending by those sponsors onShow MoreRelated The Automobile and the Economy Essay1021 Words   |  5 Pagesand the Economy The effects the automobile has had on the economy of the world are tremendous. The major effects have came in many ways and include sales of the automobile, jobs provided to sell and manufacture the automobile, gas/oil sales to run the automobile, and the start of auto racing sport. The revolution of the automobile was the start of the most popular and successful industry in the world. The Effect of Gas/Oil There is a great effect on the economy due toRead MoreThe Struggling Attempts of the Government and Police Essay examples1701 Words   |  7 Pagesof alcohol came to a stop. At that time the 18th amendment was put into effect. In the eyes of the government it was at first a way to stop the criminal activity, but in reality it just made things worse for local police. The 18th amendment was known by multiple names partially due to its author, Andrew J. Volstead. It became known as by the Volstead Act or even as simple as the National Prohibition Act. Uprising of NASCAR and Moonshine Shortly after the amendment was enforced and all the saloonsRead More NFL and NASCAR Sponsorships Essay2078 Words   |  9 PagesAbstract The National Football League (NFL) and NASCAR thrive on sponsors and vice versa. 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My parents kept their cars full of gas, as they anticipated a hike in gas prices or even worse a gas shortage. Our family began trying to save like never before. We prepared our home for emergencies and considered not going to shopping malls or large events such as college football games, NFL football games, or NASCAR races. Having family that lived in Charlotte and Atlanta, we usually attended an NFL game or NASCAR race eachRead MoreThe s Theory Of Evolution1304 Words   |  6 Pagesthe theory that God or some form of supernatural intelligence created mankind and the habitat which mankind would survive, called earth. Mankind makes creations out of materials that already exist, we manipulate materials to construct our desired effects. Why is it then so impossible for either side of the evolution and creation argume nt to consider that God utilized objects which had already existed to form our planet and all life on it? Wouldn’t this theory make all debate over how old the earthRead MoreThe Day That Changed American Lives Forever Essay2702 Words   |  11 PagesThe Day That Changed American Lives Forever The tragic events of September 11, 2001 have changed American lives forever. We have become more concerned with our physical safety because of the terror attacks in America and other countries. The economy continues to work to recover, due to the great hit it took as a result of the attacks of 9/11. American families are still adjusting to the personal and professional changes as a result of the terrorists attacks on 9/11. Prior to the September 11th

Human Rights Problem Free Essays

string(64) " favor their own ethnic groups and ethnic favoritism persisted\." On May 21, 1999, a local road construction company, Dumez Limited, attacked a group of peaceful protesters with clubs, daggers, axes, machetes, and other dangerous weapons. Tension began to arise when on April 26, 1999 the company began destroying newly planted crops of local farmers in the Ogoni kingdom of Gokana. They did so without paying adequate compensation for the crops or carrying out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the road project, as required by international environmental standards. We will write a custom essay sample on Human Rights Problem or any similar topic only for you Order Now On May 8, 1998, a Human Rights Defender, Olisa Agbakoba, was arrested at Murtala International Airport in Lagos. The arresting officers were members of the Security Force, an agency of the Nigerian government. No reason for his arrest was given. This arrest was preceded by an earlier encounter in March 1998 where he was attacked and arrested by members of the Nigerian Police when he tried to speak at a pro-democracy rally in Yaba, Lagos. On January 8th and March 23rd of 1998, Batom Mitee and Barileresi Mitee who are brothers of Ledum Mitee, President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), were arrested. No charges were ever given for their arrests. Batum Mitee was kept detained for several weeks without having access to his lawyers, his family, or a doctor. On January 18, 1998 he was brought before a judge who declared that the case was not within his competence because of its political character. Mitee was later transferred to a military hospital because of the beatings and ill treatment inflicted by the military. These incidents of brutality and harassment are just a few examples of the abuse by members of the police, security forces, and Nigerian government and how it remains to be a persistent human rights problem. There are numerous underlying factors that contribute to the problem of human rights in Nigeria. One the major factors is that of religion. Religious differences often correspond to regional and ethnic differences. For example, the northern region is overwhelmingly Muslim, as are the large Hausa and Fulani ethnic groups of that area. Many southern ethnic groups are predominantly Christian. About half the country†s population practice Islam and about 40% practice Christianity. Approximately 10% practice exclusively traditional indigenous religions or no religion at all. Many persons practice both elements of Christianity or Islam and elements of an indigenous traditional religion. Consequently, it is difficult to distinguish religious discrimination from ethnic and regional discrimination, which is pervasive. Although the government has never outlawed proselytizing, it continues to discourage and criticize it publicly because it believes that it stimulates religious tensions. Both Christian and Muslim organizations allege that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Immigration Department restricted the entry into the country of certain religious practitioners, particularly persons suspected of intending to proselytize. Consequently, Nigeria†s constitution prohibits state and local governments from adopting an official religion. Though Nigerian law prohibits religious discrimination, it is common for government officials to discriminate against persons who practice a religion different from their own, notably in hiring or awarding contracts. There have been documented reports of harassment of Christian missions by local government officials in predominantly Islamic regions. In April and again in August 1998, the local council of Lafia, in Nasarawa State, reportedly ordered the closure of a Protestant Christian mission church in connection with a dispute about the mission†s title to the land. In March 1998, State Security Service officers detained and interrogated the mission†s pastor. The mission sought to convert members of the generally Islamic Kambari ethnic group. The lack of concern for the environment and the people that it affects has also been a major concern in the struggle for human rights. Since 1958, oil companies such as Shell have exploited oil wealth in the region of the Ogoni people. As a consequence, they have suffered extreme economic deprivation and the environmental devastation of their land. Since Shell began drilling in Nigeria†s Niger Delta, it has spilled oil on farmland and in water sources, bulldozed across farms and flared gas just meters from Ogoni villages. The people of Ogoniland suffer extreme health problems from the air and water pollution. The Nigerian military has played a significant role in the continued persecution of the Ogoni. When the Ogoni began to demand environmental justice, villages were attacked, villagers were killed and their leader was executed by the judgment of a military court. Shell has even admitted to paying the military, which brutally silences voices crying for justice from the government of Nigeria and Shell, along with other multinational oil corporations. Shell is only one of many multinational oil corporations operating in Nigeria. Mobil, Chevron, and Texaco are also found in Nigeria, operating as partners of the Nigerian government, as required by Nigerian law. â€Å"Shell is certainly not the only Oil Corporation that abuses its money, power, and feeling of superiority over the people of Nigeria. † The country†s population of about 120 million is ethnically diverse, comprising more than 250 ethnic groups, many of which speak distinct primary languages and are concentrated geographically. There is no majority ethnic group. The three largest ethnic groups are the Hausa-Fulani of the north, Yoruba of the southwest, and Igbos of the southeast, who together make up about two-thirds of the population. The fourth largest group, the Ijaw, has a population of approximately 12 million. â€Å"Societal discrimination on the basis of ethnicity is widely practiced by members of all ethnic groups and is evident in private sector hiring patterns, de facto ethnic segregation of urban neighborhoods and a continuing paucity of marriage across major ethnic and regional lines. There is a long history of tension among diverse ethnic groups. Although the country†s successive constitutions all have prohibited ethnic discrimination by the State, northerners and particularly Hausas have long been predominant in the national government, including the military officer corps. Tradition continued to impose considerable pressure on individual government officials to favor their own ethnic groups and ethnic favoritism persisted. You read "Human Rights Problem" in category "Essay examples" Resentment of northern domination of the Government aggravated by the suspension of federal decentralization under the Abacha regime and resentment of Igbo success in private commerce, have contributed to ethnic and regional tensions. Possibly the most controversial issue within Nigeria is that of the political structure of the government. Since Nigeria received its independence from Britain, in 1960, there has been conflict in regards to the military and authoritarian system of government that existed. The citizens of Nigeria have longed for a democratic system of government that included themselves as active proponents. Nigeria became a Republic in 1963 and Nnamdi Azikiwe was made the President of the Federal Republic. In January of 1966, some Igbo army officials staged a coup d†etat to overthrow the government, who were primarily Hausa, because they objected to the population census. They felt it over estimated that number of people in the northern region thereby giving them a larger representation in the federal parliament. They succeeded in killing many of the senior officers but Azikiwe was not harmed. As a result of the attempted coup, the government promised a progressive program, a return to civilian rule determined by elections, and vowed to stamp out corruption and violence. Though idealistic in theory, these promises were never realized. Instead, it became the common practice of the government to consider democracy, but continue to practice authoritarian rule. Nigeria would bear witness to numerous coup attempts over the next three decades, most involving the transition to democracy. It wasn†t until the death of Sani Abacha, possibly the most famous President of Nigeria, in June 1998 that civilian rule would be realized. A new transition program was established that would lead the country back to democracy by Abdulsalam Abubakar, the man chosen to replace Abacha. After a series of elections, Olusegun Obasanjo was declared the new and current, democratically elected president on May 29, 1999. At the end of May 1999, Nigeria completed its transition from authoritarian rule to a formal democracy. A number of Nigerian groups have managed to create strong institutional structures, with narrowly defined mandates and internal staff structures as well as program plans. While there are still growing pains within many of these groups, this type of planning process has resulted in â€Å"the Nigerian human rights community†s being far ahead of its anglophone neighbors in putting human rights institutions into place. † The Center for Advanced Social Sciences (CASS) was formed in 1992 and is based in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. CASS is a think tank concerned with improving management and public policy in Africa. It has a Board of Trustees and is governed by an international Board of Directors. The Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), established in 1987, is one of Nigeria†s largest human rights organizations. The CLO is a non-governmental organization set up for the defense and expansion of human rights and civil liberties. It investigates human rights abuses and campaigns through litigation, publications, and communications with the government on behalf of people whose rights have been abused. Another human rights advocate is the Constitutional Rights Project (CRP) that was set up in 1990. Their aims are to ensure that Nigerian legislation conforms to international standards, monitor institutions whose activity impact on the rights of citizens, and to provide legal assistance to victims of human rights abuses. The cry for human rights reform in Nigeria hasn†t fallen on deaf ears from those of the international community. On November 12, 1998 the 53rd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) met to discuss the situation of human rights in Nigeria. The General Assembly reaffirmed that Nigeria is a party to the International Covenant on Human Rights and thereby making it a Member State. All Member States have an obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Nigerian government was â€Å"strongly encouraged† that the establishment and strengthening of national structures and institutions in the field of human rights are of the utmost importance for the promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria. The sanctions imposed on Nigerian government by the European Union, the Commonwealth and the government of the United States of America were to be lifted in light of the progress made towards the restoration of democratic government and respect for human rights. The Nigerian government in its transition to democracy was applauded for its establishment of the Independent National Electoral Commission and the issuance of a detailed timetable for the election process. Overall, the UN General Assembly was satisfied with the progress of the Nigerian government in its transition to democracy. Nigeria has seen some very turbulent times in its history as it relates to democracy and human rights. Democracy consolidation, which appears to be the most immediate challenge for the human rights movement in post transition Nigeria, will require forward thinking and cohesive action on the part of the human rights community. It has been clearly demonstrated that in Africa relatively free and fair elections observed by international monitor and elaborate â€Å"handing over ceremonies† will not necessarily bring about genuine democracy and a human rights culture. Civil society organizations will have to work gradually to expand the democratic space and rebuild the institutions of civil society. The long years of military dictatorship have decimated these institutions and virtually erased the rule of law according to AFRONET Reports. Though politicians glibly vocalize democratic jargon, it is still evident that democratic values and attitudes are not yet commonplace in the political class. Also, among ordinary Nigerians, popular mentalities need to change; the people have become accustomed to not expecting anything but the worst from their leaders in terms of political leadership, economic management and respect for civil liberties and human dignity. The average Nigerian has been driven by economic hardship to adopt a survivalist mode of life in which he or she is preoccupied with access to the bare necessities of life and does not demand or expect accountability or respect for human rights from their leaders. The Nigerian government, though its history is not favorable, is making sincere efforts to overwrite its history. But unless the human rights community and the people they represent adopt a more positive attitude towards its government, change can not be realized. How to cite Human Rights Problem, Essay examples

Computer and Innate Ability free essay sample

We sometimes think of being good at mathematics as an innate ability. You either have it or you dont. But to Schoenfeld, its not so much ability as attitude. You master mathematics if you are willing to try. Thats what Schoenfeld attempts to teach his students. Success is a function of persistence and doggedness and the willingness to work hard for twenty-two minutes to make sense of something that most people would give up on after thirty seconds In the book â€Å"Outliers†, Malcolm Gladwell discusses some specific factors of extraordinary achievement. Some of the main ideas he discusses is advantages to succeed in life. According to Gladwell, there are tremendous advantages people have over their competitors to meet opportunities. In examining what made outliers like Bill Gates and the Beatles such phenomenal successes, Gladwell hits upon the important role played by opportunity. In each case, these successful people are given opportunities that most others do not have. We will write a custom essay sample on Computer and Innate Ability or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the case of Bill Gates, he goes to a school that owns a computer terminal connected to a large central computer. This is unusual in the 1960s and 1970s, when computers are room-sized devices costing millions of dollars and are owned only by large universities and corporations. Gates is able to start u We sometimes think of being good at mathematics as an innate ability. You either have it or you dont. But to Schoenfeld, its not so much ability as attitude. You master mathematics if you are willing to try. Thats what Schoenfeld attempts to teach his students. Success is a function of persistence and doggedness and the willingness to work hard for twenty-two minutes to make sense of something that most people would give up on after thirty seconds One example of this is Billy joy’s lucky advantage that leads him to success. Bill joy attended University of Michigan the year the advanced computer system was introduced so he began to visit the computer room more often than most; he even got a job with the computer science professor. (Sounds like he got same job with professor. I don’t know I think something wrong with that sentence) Working in collaboration with a small group of programmers, Joy to on the task of rewriting Unix, which was a software system developed by ATT for mainframe computers. Billy joy took advantage of his early computer skills to allow him opportunity that was given to him. One example of this is given by Gladwell how their (who? ) birthday can affect their overall performance . The age cutoff entry for junior hockey leagues is January, 1. A 5 year old hockey player born on that day is a little older than other competitors, giving them an advantage in size, strength and coordination. The effect at the age of nine or ten, and of course they are more likely to view as talented the bigger and more coordinated players, who have had the benefit of critical extra months of maturity. So the advantage of being more developed can potentially land them on a professional team, all due to the cutoff dates in professional hockey. Another example of an advantage in succeeding is your IQ score. In the book Gladwell interviews Chris Langan who has the highest IQ score in America. Chris Langan discusses how he had an opportunity to go to college, but never did because his mother never turned in the financial aid paper work Chris should have gone to college to reach his full potential to meet better opportunities to succeed in life. I think you have to change those paragraphs†¦?

Rappaccinis Daughter Essays - Bereshit, Adam And Eve,

Rappaccini's Daughter In the literal sense, Nathaniel Hawthorn's Rappaccini's Daughter is the story about the rivalry between two scientists that ultimately causes the destruction of an innocent young woman. However, when the story is examined on a symbolic level, the reader sees that Rappaccini's Daughter is an allegorical reenactment of the original fall from innocence and purity in the Garden of Eden. Rappaccini's garden sets the stage of this allegory, while the characters of the story each represent the important figures from the Genesis account. Through the literary devices of poetic and descriptive diction, Nathaniel Hawthorne conveys the symbolism of these characters, as well as the setting. The story takes place in mid-nineteenth century in Padua, Italy and revolves around two major settings; the mansion of an old Paduan family, and Rappaccini's lush garden. The mansion is described as, "high and gloomy...the palace of a Paduan noble... desolate and ill-furnished..." This description establishes a dark mood throughout the story. Hawthorne writes, "One of the ancestors of this family...had been pictured by Dante as a partaker of the immortal agonies of his Inferno..." The allusion of Dante refers to The Divine Comedy and the Inferno describes the souls in Hell. Furthermore, Baglioni converses with Giovanni in this mansion chamber and tries to manipulate him in his attempt to destroy Rappaccini. In a sense, the dark and gloomy mansion symbolizes the domain of evil. The second major setting is the garden. The author uses poetic diction to describe Rappaccini's garden. Hawthorne writes, "There was one shrub in particular...that bore a profusion of purple blossoms, each of which had the luster and richness of a gem...seemed enough to illuminate the garden, even had there been no sunshine...some crept serpentlike along the ground or climbed on high..." In this passage, the author depicts the liveliness and beauty of the garden in an almost fantasy-like way, a fantasy too good to be true and destined to end tragically. Hawthorne directly compares this beautiful garden to Eden when he writes, "Was this garden, then the Eden of the present world?" Thus, Rappaccini's garden symbolizes the setting of the initial fall of man. In Rappaccini's Daughter, the original sinners, Adam and Eve, are represented by Giovanni Guasconti and Beatrice Rappaccini. Giovanni symbolizes Adam in the sense that he is shallow and insincere. When Giovanni first sees Beatrice, he is love struck. Hawthorne uses poetic diction when he writes, "...the impression which the fair stranger made upon him was as if here were another flower...as beautiful as they, more beautiful than the richest of them." This passage describes Giovanni's feelings towards the beautiful Beatrice. However, later we see that Giovanni's love was actually lust when the student discovers that he has been infected by Beatrice. The author writes, "Giovanni's rage broke forth from his sullen gloom like a lightning flash out of a dark cloud. 'Accursed one!' cried he, with venomous scorn and anger" Giovanni becomes enraged and blames Beatrice of this accidental infection. Similarly, Adam blames Eve of their disobedience when he is confronted by God. Adam does not show compassion towards his wife but instead, like Giovanni, lashes out with anger against Eve. Hawthorne's critical and unsympathetic tones toward Giovanni are evident when he uses descriptive diction to explain him. Hawthorne writes, "...his spirit was incapable of sustaining itself at the height to which the early enthusiasm of passion had exalted it; he fell down groveling among earthly doubts, and defiled there with the pure whiteness of Beatrice's image." In this passage, Hawthorne shows that Giovanni's love was actually lust and his tone toward Giovanni is critical. In contrast, Hawthorne portrays sympathetic and reverent tones towards Beatrice. The author uses poetic diction to describe the beautiful young woman. He writes, "...arrayed with as much richness of taste as the most splendid of the flowers...bloom so deep and vivid that one shade more would have been too much...redundant with life, health, and energy..." Beatrice is described as a part of nature and vivacious. She has been isolated from the world and the world she lives in only consists of the garden. She has a child like innocence and is very na?ve. She even states, "I dreamed only to love thee and be with thee a little time, and so let thee pass away, leaving but thine image in mine heart." This passage shows the purity of her love for Giovanni. Thus, Beatrice symbolizes the innocence of Eve and Giovanni symbolizes the pride and shallowness of Adam. In Rappiccini's Daughter, the major conflict is between the famous doctor of Italy, Giacomo Rappaccini, and

The Roman Army essays

The Roman Army essays It was a mess, 2nd century BC and Rome had no army. Troops were drawn periodically from the population of male, property-owning citizens between 17 and 46. Men were ranked by age and height to ensure that no one legion monopolized the prime candidates, officers from various legions took their pick in turn. Romans considered military service a privilege, even though the soldiers received a small allowance and had to provide their own weapons and equipment. This levy system worked well as long as the tour was brief. At the end of the 2nd century resentment for the levy flared up, the need for more troops made Roman consul Gauis Marius overlook the property-owning requirement and entice poor citizens by giving arms and equipment at the states expense. They flocked to the city and served for 16 year terms. As the Republic dissolved and emperors came into power they realized their power rested on their control of these massive armed forces, paid for out of the emperors own pocket and bound to him by an oath of allegiance. Without a generous pension, maintaining a standing army would have been almost impossible. Becoming a soldier.....Typically men in their late teens and early twenties wanting to enlist reported to a recruiting station. He needed to show documents proving he was a citizen (eligible for legions) or a provincial (assigned to auxila), this rule was dropped after the AD 212 edict making provincials citizens. If he met the height requirement of 58, passed the physical exam and took an oath of service then he was sent to boot camp. According to Casson, in basic training, a recruit: ran and jumped to harden his physique, learned to swim, practiced marching with the standard military pace, which enabled troops to cover 24 miles in 5 hours, and took lessons in handling the legionarys standard weapon, the short sword; at the outset he hacked with a wooden s...

Llama Facts

Llama Facts The llama (Lama glama) is a large, furry mammal that was domesticated in South America thousands of years ago for meat, fur, and as pack animal. Although related to camels, llamas dont have humps. Llamas are close relatives of alpacas, vicuà ±as, and guanacos. Although they are all different species, a group of llamas, alpacas, guanacos, and vicuà ±as may be called lamoids or simply llamas. Fast Facts: Llama Scientific Name: Lama glamaCommon Name: LlamaBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 5 feet 7 inches - 5 feet 11 inchesWeight: 290-440 poundsLifespan: 15-25 yearsDiet: HerbivoreHabitat: From the Andes Mountains of South AmericaPopulation: MillionsConservation Status: Not evaluated (domestic animal) Description Llamas and other lamoids have cloven feet, short tails, and long necks. A llama has long banana-shaped ears and a cleft upper lip. Mature llamas have modified canine and incisor teeth called fighting teeth or fangs. Generally, these teeth are removed from intact males, as they can injure other males during fights for dominance. Llamas occur in many colors, including white, black, brown, tan, gray, and piebald. The fur may be short-coated (Ccara) or medium-coated (Curaca). Adults range from 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 11 inches in height and weigh between 290 and 440 pounds. Habitat and Distribution Llamas were domesticated in Peru around 4,000 to 5,000 years ago from wild guanacos. However, the animals actually came from North America and moved to South America following the Ice Age. Today, llamas are raised all over the world. Several million live in the Americas, Europe, and Australia. Llamas and alpacas resulted from domestication of guanacos and vicunas in the Andes. Diet Llamas are herbivores that graze on a wide variety of plants. They typically eat corn, alfalfa, and grass. Although llamas regurgitate and re-chew food like sheep and cattle, they have a three-compartment stomach and are not ruminants. The llama has a very long large intestine that allows it to digest cellulose-rich plants and also survive on much less water than most mammals. Behavior Llamas are herd animals. Except for dominance disputes, they dont usually bite. They spit, wrestle, and kick to establish social rank and fight off predators. Llamas are intelligent and easily halter-trained. They can carry between 25% and 30% of their weight for a distance of 5 to 8 miles. Reproduction and Offspring Unlike most large animals, llamas are induced ovulators. That is, they ovulate as a result of mating rather than going into estrus or heat. Llamas mate lying down. Gestation lasts 350 days (11.5 months) and results in a single newborn, which is called a cria. Crias stand, walk, and nurse within an hour after birth. Llama tongues dont reach far enough outside their mouths for the mother to lick her young dry, so llamas have evolved to give birth in warm daylight hours. Female llamas become sexually mature at one year of age. Males mature later, around three years of age. Llamas usually live 15 to 25 years, but some live 30 years. A male dromedary camel and female llama can produce a hybrid known as a cama. Due to the size difference between camels and llamas, camas only result from artificial insemination. A llama and her cria. Jonne Seijdel, Getty Images Conservation Status Because they are domesticated animals, llamas do not have a conservation status. The wild ancestor of the llama, the guanaco (Lama guanicoe), is classified as least concern by the IUCN. There are over a million guanacos and their population size is increasing. Llamas and Humans In the pre-Incan and Incan cultures, llamas were used as pack animals, for meat, and for fiber. Their fur is soft, warm, and lanolin-free. Llama dung was an important fertilizer. In modern society, llamas are still raised for all of these reasons, plus they are valuable guard animals for sheep and goats. Llamas bond with livestock and help protect lambs from coyotes, feral dogs, and other predators. How to Tell Llamas and Alpacas Apart While both llamas and alpacas may be grouped as llamas, they are separate camelid species. Llamas are larger than alpacas and occur in more colors. A llamas face is more elongated and its ears are larger and banana-shaped. Alpacas have flatter faces and smaller, straight ears. Sources Birutta, Gale. A Guide to Raising Llamas. 1997. ISBN 0-88266-954-0.Kurtà ©n, Bjà ¶rn and Elaine Anderson. Pleistocene Mammals of North America. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 307, 1980. ISBN 0231037333.Perry, Roger. Wonders of Llamas. Dodd, Mead Company. p. 7, 1977. ISBN 0-396-07460-X.Walker, Cameron. Guard Llamas Keep Sheep Safe From Coyotes. National Geographic. June 10, 2003.Wheeler, Dr Jane; Miranda Kadwell; Matilde Fernandez; Helen F. Stanley; Ricardo Baldi; Raul Rosadio; Michael W. Bruford. Genetic analysis reveals the wild ancestors of the llama and the alpaca. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 268 (1485): 2575–2584, 2001. doi:10.1098/rspb.2001.1774

Human Resources Managment - Challenges and Changes Essay

Human Resources Managment - Challenges and Changes - Essay Example As the paper highlights, let us now discuss the factors that determine the recruitment of the in-demand employees. The demand analysis is done to identify the future demands in the organization and accordingly consider the recruitment functions. There are two ways to consider the recruitment of in-demand employees. The first way is to determine the requirements through environmental scanning and understanding the external trends and secondly, by studying the internal factors of the organization such as the business operation functions, technology or strategic objectives. After determining the how and what of the future tasks, the in-demand employees are recruited. Another issue that is often seen in health care industry nowadays is reorganizing, reengineering and restructuring. It does have a major impact on the health care workforce within the organization. The effect in this industry is considered as ripple-down effect. The human resource are enforced to manage their duties with th e stipulated resources, decrease the cost by eliminating wastage and inefficiencies, highlight their competencies on preventing diseases and health issues, and improve the quality of their services. However, all these changes in the framework require quick adaptation of the new roles and qualities. Restructuring is done to eliminate medical errors, staffing development in the health care, etc. It has been seen that the organizations including the health care industry often downsize to reduce their internal cost. The best example was seen in the global financial crisis. However, the question is that, does it save the organization or its money in any case or proves to be fatal for the organization.  

Managing Human Resources Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Managing Human Resources Master - Essay Example Traditional human resource methods include but are not limited to placing an add in the newspaper or hiring a head hunter. However, neither effort can specify details of their requirements in a cost-effective way. The purchase of a advertisement leaves the employer unable to afford to pack in so much information in a print add. Traditional recruitment methods also have higher costs per hire. This is especially so in the case of head hunters who require a percentage of the annual salary of the candidate whom is ultimately hired. Human Resource recruitment has been argued to be the process of attracting the best qualified individuals or candidate to apply for a job. In business, recruitment involves three stages, identify and define the requirements including the job description, job specifications, attract potential employees and make sure the most appropriate people are retain for a particular position (Poole 1999). Human resource selection process can take place either through internal or external method. According to Poole (1999) internal recruitment and selection refers to the filling of job vacancies from within the business here, existing employees are selected rather than employing someone from outside (Poole 1999). A business might decide that it already has the right people with the right skills to do the job, particularly if its training and development programme has been effective (Poole 1999). Poole (1999) went further to states how internal vacancies are usually advertised within the business via a variety of sources such as Staff notice boards Intranets, in-house magazines etc. This internal selection method has largely been applauded because of its growth opportunity given to internal employees. For example, Osborne, Hyman & Jack (2006) stipulated that internal selection processes, gives existing employees greater opportunity to advance their careers in the business and may help to retain staff who might otherwise leave and assist in a situation of a short induction training period (Osborne, Hyman & Jack 2006). On the other hand, external recruitment and selection processes refer to the filling of job vacancies from outside the business (contrast with internal recruitment). Most businesses engage in external recruitment fairly frequently, particularly those that are growing strongly, or that operate in industries with high staff turnover (Poole 1999, Osborne, Hyman & Jack 2006). Most often, organizations used several ways to look for staff externally. Some used external agencies, some headhunts, while others use job recruitment and student placement fare (Poole 1999). The main advantages with using an agency are the specialist skills they bring and the speed with which they normally provide candidates. They also

The effect of concentration on rate of reaction was investigated Essay Example for Free

The effect of concentration on rate of reaction was investigated Essay Analysis: 1. How does reaction rate change according to concentration? Based on our processed data, the lower the concentration the faster the reaction. This also means that the higher the concentration, the slower the reaction. 2. Why is the cotton wool plug needed? The cotton wool plug is needed to absorb the amount of carbon dioxide released. It acts as a sponge in absorbing the gas expelled from the conical flask. The cotton wool is weighed beforehand and then after absorbing carbon dioxide, to find the mass of carbon dioxide released. The amount of carbon dioxide released can be used to calculate the rate of reaction. 3. Why is there no further loss in mass at the later time intervals? Eventually, there arent enough remaining moles of HCl to react with the calcium carbonate marble chips. Thus, there is no more reaction and there is no carbon dioxide to be expelled. 4. How could reaction rate be calculated from your graph? The first graph shows the loss of carbon dioxide over time. In this experiment, the rate of a reaction may be measured by following the rate at which carbon dioxide is formed. It is equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide formed divided by time. The gradient of the graph can be used to calculate the rate of reaction, because the gradient is equal to a change in the y values over a change in the x values. In this graph, it would be equivalent to a change in the loss of carbon dioxide over a change in time. This shows the rate of reaction and how fast it is going. Based on the graph, the steeper the slope, then the faster the reaction and vice versa. Conclusion and Evaluation In this experiment, the effect of concentration on rate of reaction was investigated. We did this by reacting marble chips (calcium carbonate) with hydrochloric acid, and recording the expelled mass loss of carbon dioxide as the concentration of hydrochloric acid began to drop. The carbon dioxide loss in mass over time was used to calculate the rate of reaction. In chemistry, the rate of reaction is used to describe how quickly a reaction happens. It is defined as the measure of the amount of reactants being converted into products per unit amount of time. In our case, we measured the amount of hydrochloric acid and calcium carbonate being converted into carbon dioxide in 20 seconds intervals. There are several ways to vary and experiment with a rate of reaction. Students can observe a change in volume of gas produced, change the transmission of light in the experiment, change the concentration using titration or even change the concentration using conductivity. For this experiment, we observed rate of reaction by a change of mass. We calculated our rate of reaction by dividing the grams of carbon dioxide released by 20 seconds. Because 20 seconds was a constant divisor, the more mass of carbon dioxide released, the greater the rate of reaction. We also calculated the concentration of HCl left and observed the relationship. Based on our processed data, the lower the concentration, the greater the rate of reaction. For example, after 320 seconds, 2.00 g of carbon dioxide was expelled when the concentration of HCl was 0.182 mol dm-3. This gives a rate of reaction of 0.1 g of carbon dioxide produced per second. At 20 seconds, 0.70 g of carbon dioxide was released when the concentration of HCl was a whopping 1.364 mol dm-3. This gave a rate of reaction of 0.035 g CO2 per second, which is 0.065 g more than the aforementioned low concentration. The two graphs confirm this conclusion. As time goes on, the mass of carbon dioxide expelled increases, while the concentration of hydrochloric acid decreases. A lower concentration of hydrochloric acid causes more carbon dioxide to be expelled and thus lead to a greater reaction rate. I was quite shocked by our results. I thought that with a higher concentration and more molecules moving around, there would be a better chance of reactions taking place. However, this experiment shows that it was in fact the other way around. Perhaps, with a lower concentration of hydrochloric acid, there needed to be more carbon dioxide expelled to balance out the equation. With fewer moles of hydrochloric acid and lower concentrations, the equation was most likely out of proportion. In an attempt to make up for the lower number of moles, more carbon dioxide was released. Limitation Significance Improvement Tearing of cotton wool when it was being removed from the flask and then losing the torn cotton. When the cotton wool was being removed, some it may have been torn off. As a result, the mass could be a lot lighter than it should have been. When taking out the cotton, damage should be limited so that everything is accounted for and a more accurate carbon dioxide mass is achieved. Be very careful when removing the cotton to avoid any tearing. If a piece of cotton is accidently torn off, do not throw it away! Keep it and weigh it so that it is accounted for. Experiment was not performed until carbon dioxide stopped being expelled. The data was limited. Carbon dioxide was still being produced and there were still 0.091 moles of hydrochloric acid left when the experiment was stopped. Do not finish the experiment until there is no more carbon dioxide being expelled. This way, we get a better idea of the limits and possibilities of the reaction rate and how far it can go. Timer was not started the same time the marble was entered. Some marble could have been left inside the solution for a longer or shorter time than others. As a result, carbon dioxide values could be lower or higher than they should have been. The timer should be alert and there should be communication between the partners. The timer needs to begin once the marble chips are placed inside, and it needs to be removed right after twenty seconds. By maintain a steady time of twenty seconds, we can properly assess the reaction rates without adding another independent variable of time.

Miscommunication :: essays research papers

â€Å"Miscommunication† Problems in every society usually derive from one specific thing. Miscommunication. How many times have you gotten in an argument or a disagreement with someone over what someone said, and then you later found out that that person meant something completely different from what was running through your head? How many times have you gotten off the phone with someone—someone important, --and wondered, what in the world were he or she talking about? I often get this feeling after class. Now, have you ever looked—I mean really looked at the English language? It is a very confusing language and it’s no wonder so many other people have so much trouble understanding it. Have you ever talked to someone from a foreign country and you’ve had to rephrase the entire thing you were trying to say because they didn’t understand? That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Let’s start with something simple. Oxymorons. Let’s say you’re getting ready for a job interview and as you’re leaving the house, someone yells out behind you, â€Å"Just Act Natural, you’ll be fine.† You get in the car and the only thing you get on your mind is â€Å"acing natural.† A person can’t act and be natural at the same time and the entire time you’re driving to the job interview, you’re thinking, what can I do to act more natural. That, my friend, is an oxymoron and can easily be mis-interrupted. You’ve heard of them before. They can easily be defined as a couple of words contradicting one another but used as a fixed expression. A couple of examples, found missing, same difference, good grief, and airline food. Expressions such as these can cause miscommunications, misunderstandings, and basically just a lot of confusion. Have you ever been watching the news or Sportscenter ® and they show a clip with the small title of â€Å"taped live† down in the corner? How can something already have been taped and yet they’re showing it over live television? Our government seems to enjoy these phrases quite a bit. In our government, they have many divisions called government organizations. Tell me if I’m wrong but I believe the government is an organization itself. How can they call them government organizations if the government IS an organization? That’s like saying organization organization. We also have a division we call the Peace Force. How can a person force peace without destroying the entire definition of the word?

Chapter 24 Rita Skeeter’s Scoop

Everybody got up late on Boxing Day. The Gryffindor common room was much quieter than it had been lately, many yawns punctuating the lazy conversations. Hermione's hair was bushy again; she confessed to Harry that she had used liberal amounts of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion on it for the ball, â€Å"but it's way too much bother to do every day,† she said matter-of-factly, scratching a purring Crookshanks behind the ears. Ron and Hermione seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement not to discuss their argument. They were being quite friendly to each other, though oddly formal. Ron and Harry wasted no time in telling Hermione about the conversation they had overheard between Madame Maxime and Hagrid, but Hermione didn't seem to find the news that Hagrid was a half-giant nearly as shocking as Ron did. â€Å"Well, I thought he must be,† she said, shrugging. â€Å"I knew he couldn't be pure giant because they're about twenty feet tall. But honestly, all this hysteria about giants. They can't all be horrible†¦.It's the same sort of prejudice that people have toward werewolves†¦.It's just bigotry, isn't it?† Ron looked as though he would have liked to reply scathingly, but perhaps he didn't want another row, because he contented himself with shaking his head disbelievingly while Hermione wasn't looking. It was time now to think of the homework they had neglected during the first week of the holidays. Everybody seemed to be feeling rather flat now that Christmas was over – everybody except Harry, that is, who was starting (once again) to feel slightly nervous. The trouble was that February the twenty-fourth looked a lot closer from this side of Christmas, and he still hadn't done anything about working out the clue inside the golden egg. He therefore started taking the egg out of his trunk every time he went up to the dormitory, opening it, and listening intently, hoping that this time it would make some sense. He strained to think what the sound reminded him of, apart from thirty musical saws, but he had never heard anything else like it. He closed the egg, shook it vigorously, and opened it again to see if the sound had changed, but it hadn't. He tried asking the egg questions, shouting over all the wailing, but nothing happened. He even threw the egg across the room – though he hadn't really expected that to help. Harry had not forgotten the hint that Cedric had given him, but his less-than-friendly feelings toward Cedric just now meant that he was keen not to take his help if he could avoid it. In any case, it seemed to him that if Cedric had really wanted to give Harry a hand, he would have been a lot more explicit. He, Harry, had told Cedric exactly what was coming in the first task – and Cedric's idea of a fair exchange had been to tell Harry to take a bath. Well, he didn't need that sort of rubbishy help – not from someone who kept walking down corridors hand in hand with Cho, anyway. And so the first day of the new term arrived, and Harry set off to lessons, weighed down with books, parchment, and quills as usual, but also with the lurking worry of the egg heavy in his stomach, as though he were carrying that around with him too. Snow was still thick upon the grounds, and the greenhouse windows were covered in condensation so thick that they couldn't see out of them in Herbology. Nobody was looking forward to Care of Magical Creatures much in this weather, though as Ron said, the skrewts would probably warm them up nicely, either by chasing them, or blasting off so forcefully that Hagrid's cabin would catch fire. When they arrived at Hagrid ‘s cabin, however, they found an elderly witch with closely cropped gray hair and a very prominent chin standing before his front door. â€Å"Hurry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago,† she barked at them as they struggled toward her through the snow. â€Å"Who're you?† said Ron, staring at her. â€Å"Where's Hagrid?† â€Å"My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank,† she said briskly. â€Å"I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher.† â€Å"Where's Hagrid?† Harry repeated loudly. â€Å"He is indisposed,† said Professor Grubbly-Plank shortly. Soft and unpleasant laughter reached Harry's ears. He turned; Draco Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins were joining the class. All of them looked gleeful, and none of them looked surprised to see Professor Grubbly-Plank. â€Å"This way, please,† said Professor Grubbly-Plank, and she strode off around the paddock where the Beauxbatons horses were shivering. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed her, looking back over their shoulders at Hagrid's cabin. All the curtains were closed. Was Hagrid in there, alone and ill? â€Å"What's wrong with Hagrid?† Harry said, hurrying to catch up with Professor Grubbly-Plank. â€Å"Never you mind,† she said as though she thought he was being nosy. â€Å"I do mind, though,† said Harry hotly. â€Å"What's up with him?† Professor Grubbly-Plank acted as though she couldn't hear him. She led them past the paddock where the huge Beauxbatons horses were standing, huddled against the cold, and toward a tree on the edge of the forest, where a large and beautiful unicorn was tethered. Many of the girls â€Å"ooooohed!† at the sight of the unicorn. â€Å"Oh it's so beautiful!† whispered Lavender Brown. â€Å"How did she get it? They're supposed to be really hard to catch!† The unicorn was so brightly white it made the snow all around look gray. It was pawing the ground nervously with its golden hooves and throwing back its horned head. â€Å"Boys keep back!† barked Professor Grubbly-Plank, throwing out an arm and catching Harry hard in the chest. â€Å"They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front, and approach with care, come on, easy does it†¦.† She and the girls walked slowly forward toward the unicorn, leaving the boys standing near the paddock fence, watching. The moment Professor Grubbly-Plank was out of earshot. Harry turned to Ron. â€Å"What d'you reckons wrong with him? You don't think a skrewt -?† â€Å"Oh he hasn't been attacked, Potter, if that's what you're thinking,† said Malfoy softly. â€Å"No, he's just too ashamed to show his big, ugly face.† â€Å"What d'you mean?† said Harry sharply. Malfoy put his hand inside the pocket of his robes and pulled out a folded page of newsprint. â€Å"There you go,† he said. â€Å"Hate to break it to you. Potter†¦.† He smirked as Harry snatched the page, unfolded it, and read it, with Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville looking over his shoulder. It was an article topped with a picture of Hagrid looking extremely shifty. DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE Albus Dumbledore, eccentric Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been afraid to make controversial staff appointments, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. In September of this year, he hired Alastor â€Å"Mad-Eye† Moody, the notoriously jinx-happy ex-Auror, to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, a decision that caused many raised eyebrows at the Ministry of Magic, given Moody's well-known habit of attacking anybody who makes a sudden movement in his presence. Mad-Eye Moody, however, looks responsible and kindly when set beside the part-human Dumbledore employs to teach Care of Magical Creatures. Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, has enjoyed the position of gamekeeper at the school ever since, a job secured for him by Dumbledore. Last year, however, Hagrid used his mysterious influence over the headmaster to secure the additional post of Care of Magical Creatures teache r, over the heads of many better-qualified candidates. An alarmingly large and ferocious-looking man, Hagrid has been using his newfound authority to terrify the students in his care with a succession of horrific creatures. While Dumbledore turns a blind eye, Hagrid has maimed several pupils during a series of lessons that many admit to being â€Å"very frightening.† ‘I was attacked by a hippogriff, and my friend Vincent Crabbe got a bad bite off a flobberworm,† says Draco Malfoy, a fourth-year student. â€Å"We all hate Hagrid, but we're just too scared to say anything.† Hagrid has no intention of ceasing his campaign of intimidation, however. In conversation with a Daily Prophet reporter last month, he admitted breeding creatures he has dubbed â€Å"Blast-Ended Skrewts,† highly dangerous crosses between manti-cores and fire-crabs. The creation of new breeds of magical creature is, of course, an activity usually closely observed by the Department fo r the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Hagrid, however, considers himself to be above such petty restrictions. â€Å"I was just having some fun,† he says, before hastily changing the subject. As if this were not enough, the Daily Prophet has now unearthed evidence that Hagrid is not – as he has always pretended – a pure-blood wizard. He is not, in fact, even pure human. His mother, we can exclusively reveal, is none other than the giantess Fridwulfa, whose whereabouts are currently unknown. Bloodthirsty and brutal, the giants brought themselves to the point of extinction by warring amongst themselves during the last century. The handful that remained joined the ranks of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and were responsible for some of the worst mass Muggle killings of his reign of terror. While many of the giants who served He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were killed by Aurors working against the Dark Side, Fridwulfa was not among them. It is possible she escaped to one of the giant communities still existing in foreign mountain ranges. If his antics during Care of Magical Creatures lessons are any guide, however, Frid-wulfa's son appears to have inherited her brutal nature. In a bizarre twist, Hagrid is reputed to have developed a close friendship with the boy who brought around You-Know-Who's fall from power – thereby driving Hagrid's own mother, like the rest of You-Know-Who's supporters, into hiding. Perhaps Harry Potter is unaware of the unpleasant truth about his large friend – but Albus Dumbledore surely has a duty to ensure that Harry Potter, along with his fellow students, is warned about the dangers of associating with part-giants. Harry finished reading and looked up at Ron, whose mouth was hanging open. â€Å"How did she find out?† he whispered. But that wasn't what was bothering Harry. â€Å"What d'you mean, ‘we all hate Hagrid'?† Harry spat at Malfoy. â€Å"What's this rubbish about him† – he pointed at Crabbe – â€Å"getting a bad bite off a flobberworm? They haven't even got teeth!† Crabbe was sniggering, apparently very pleased with himself. â€Å"Well, I think this should put an end to the oaf's teaching career,† said Malfoy, his eyes glinting. â€Å"Half-giant†¦and there was me thinking he'd just swallowed a bottle of Skele-Gro when he was young†¦.None of the mummies and daddies are going to like this at all†¦.They'll be worried he'll eat their kids, ha, ha†¦.† â€Å"You -â€Å" â€Å"Are you paying attention over there?† Professor Grubbly-Planks voice carried over to the boys; the girls were all clustered around the unicorn now, stroking it. Harry was so angry that the Daily Prophet article shook in his hands as he turned to stare unseeingly at the unicorn, whose many magical properties Professor Grubbly-Plank was now enumerating in a loud voice, so that the boys could hear too. â€Å"I hope she stays, that woman!† said Parvati Patil when the lesson had ended and they were all heading back to the castle for lunch. â€Å"That's more what I thought Care of Magical Creatures would be like†¦proper creatures like unicorns, not monsters†¦.† â€Å"What about Hagrid?† Harry said angrily as they went up the steps. â€Å"What about him?† said Parvati in a hard voice. â€Å"He can still be gamekeeper, can't he?† Parvati had been very cool toward Harry since the ball. He supposed that he ought to have paid her a bit more attention, but she seemed to have had a good time all the same. She was certainly telling anybody who would listen that she had made arrangements to meet the boy from Beauxbatons in Hogsmeade on the next weekend trip. â€Å"That was a really good lesson,† said Hermione as they entered the Great Hall. â€Å"I didn't know half the things Professor Grubbly-Plank told us about uni -â€Å" â€Å"Look at this!† Harry snarled, and he shoved the Daily Prophet article under Hermione's nose. Hermione's mouth fell open as she read. Her reaction was exactly the same as Ron's. â€Å"How did that horrible Skeeter woman find out? You don't think Hagrid told her?† â€Å"No,† said Harry, leading the way over to the Gryffindor table and throwing himself into a chair, furious. â€Å"He never even told us, did he? I reckon she was so mad he wouldn't give her loads of horrible stuff about me, she went ferreting around to get him back.† â€Å"Maybe she heard him telling Madame Maxime at the ball,† said Hermione quietly. â€Å"We'd have seen her in the garden!† said Ron. â€Å"Anyway, she's not supposed to come into school anymore, Hagrid said Dumbledore banned her†¦.† â€Å"Maybe she's got an Invisibility Cloak,† said Harry, ladling chicken casserole onto his plate and splashing it everywhere in his anger. â€Å"Sort of thing she'd do, isn't it, hide in bushes listening to people.† â€Å"Like you and Ron did, you mean,† said Hermione. â€Å"We weren't trying to hear him!† said Ron indignantly. â€Å"We didn't have any choice! The stupid prat, talking about his giantess mother where anyone could have heard him!† â€Å"We've got to go and see him,† said Harry. â€Å"This evening, after Divination. Tell him we want him back†¦you do want him back?† he shot at Hermione. â€Å"I – well, I'm not going to pretend it didn't make a nice change, having a proper Care of Magical Creatures lesson for once – but I do want Hagrid back, of course I do!† Hermione added hastily, quailing under Harry's furious stare. So that evening after dinner, the three of them left the castle once more and went down through the frozen grounds to Hagrid's cabin. They knocked, and Fang's booming barks answered. â€Å"Hagrid, it's us!† Harry shouted, pounding on the door. â€Å"Open up!† Hagrid didn't answer. They could hear Fang scratching at the door, whining, but it didn't open. They hammered on it for ten more minutes; Ron even went and banged on one of the windows, but there was no response. â€Å"What's he avoiding us for?† Hermione said when they had finally given up and were walking back to the school. â€Å"He surely doesn't think we'd care about him being half-giant?† But it seemed that Hagrid did care. They didn't see a sign of him all week. He didn't appear at the staff table at mealtimes, they didn't see him going about his gamekeeper duties on the grounds, and Professor Grubbly-Plank continued to take the Care of Magical Creatures classes. Malfoy was gloating at every possible opportunity. â€Å"Missing your half-breed pal?† he kept whispering to Harry whenever there was a teacher around, so that he was safe from Harry's retaliation. â€Å"Missing the elephant-man?† There was a Hogsmeade visit halfway through January. Hermione was very surprised that Harry was going to go. â€Å"I just thought you'd want to take advantage of the common room being quiet,† she said. â€Å"Really get to work on that egg.† â€Å"Oh I – I reckon I've got a pretty good idea what it's about now,† Harry lied. â€Å"Have you really?† said Hermione, looking impressed. â€Å"Well done!† Harry's insides gave a guilty squirm, but he ignored them. He still had five weeks to work out that egg clue, after all, and that was ages†¦whereas if he went into Hogsmeade, he might run into Hagrid, and get a chance to persuade him to come back. He, Ron, and Hermione left the castle together on Saturday and set off through the cold, wet grounds toward the gates. As they passed the Durmstrang ship moored in the lake, they saw Viktor Krum emerge onto the deck, dressed in nothing but swimming trunks. He was very skinny indeed, but apparently a lot tougher than he looked, because he climbed up onto the side of the ship, stretched out his arms, and dived, right into the lake. â€Å"He's mad!† said Harry, staring at Krum's dark head as it bobbed out into the middle of the lake. â€Å"It must be freezing, it's January!† â€Å"It's a lot colder where he comes from,† said Hermione. â€Å"I suppose it feels quite warm to him.† â€Å"Yeah, but there's still the giant squid,† said Ron. He didn't sound anxious – if anything, he sounded hopeful. Hermione noticed his tone of voice and frowned. â€Å"He's really nice, you know,† she said. â€Å"He's not at all like you'd think, coming from Durmstrang. He likes it much better here, he told me.† Ron said nothing. He hadn't mentioned Viktor Krum since the ball, but Harry had found a miniature arm under his bed on Boxing Day, which had looked very much as though it had been snapped off a small model figure wearing Bulgarian Quidditch robes. Harry kept his eyes skinned for a sign of Hagrid all the way down the slushy High Street, and suggested a visit to the Three Broomsticks once he had ascertained that Hagrid was not in any of the shops. The pub was as crowded as ever, but one quick look around at all the tables told Harry that Hagrid wasn't there. Heart sinking, he went up to the bar with Ron and Hermione, ordered three butterbeers from Madam Rosmerta, and thought gloomily that he might just as well have stayed behind and listened to the egg wailing after all. â€Å"Doesn't he ever go into the office?† Hermione whispered suddenly. â€Å"Look!† She pointed into the mirror behind the bar, and Harry saw Ludo Bagman reflected there, sitting in a shadowy corner with a bunch of goblins. Bagman was talking very fast in a low voice to the goblins, all of whom had their arms crossed and were looking rather menacing. It was indeed odd. Harry thought, that Bagman was here at the Three Broomsticks on a weekend when there was no Triwizard event, and therefore no judging to be done. He watched Bagman in the mirror. He was looking strained again, quite as strained as he had that night in the forest before the Dark Mark had appeared. But just then Bagman glanced over at the bar, saw Harry, and stood up. â€Å"In a moment, in a moment!† Harry heard him say brusquely to the goblins, and Bagman hurried through the pub toward Harry, his boyish grin back in place. â€Å"Harry!† he said. â€Å"How are you? Been hoping to run into you! Everything going all right?† â€Å"Fine, thanks,† said Harry. â€Å"Wonder if I could have a quick, private word, Harry?† said Bagman eagerly. â€Å"You couldn't give us a moment, you two, could you?† â€Å"Er – okay,† said Ron, and he and Hermione went off to find a table. Bagman led Harry along the bar to the end furthest from Madam Rosmerta. â€Å"Well, I just thought I'd congratulate you again on your splendid performance against that Horntail, Harry,† said Bagman. â€Å"Really superb.† â€Å"Thanks,† said Harry, but he knew this couldn't be all that Bagman wanted to say, because he could have congratulated Harry in front of Ron and Hermione. Bagman didn't seem in any particular rush to spill the beans, though. Harry saw him glance into the mirror over the bar at the goblins, who were all watching him and Harry in silence through their dark, slanting eyes. â€Å"Absolute nightmare,† said Bagman to Harry in an undertone, noticing Harry watching the goblins too. â€Å"Their English isn't too good†¦it's like being back with all the Bulgarians at the Quidditch World Cup†¦but at least they used sign language another human could recognize. This lot keep gabbling in Gobblede-gook†¦and I only know one word of Gobbledegook. Bladvak. It means ‘pickax.' I don't like to use it in case they think I'm threatening them.† He gave a short, booming laugh. â€Å"What do they want?† Harry said, noticing how the goblins were still watching Bagman very closely. â€Å"Er – well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Bagman, looking suddenly nervous. â€Å"They†¦er†¦they're looking for Barty Crouch.† â€Å"Why are they looking for him here?† said Harry. â€Å"He's at the Ministry in London, isn't he?† â€Å"Er†¦as a matter of fact, I've no idea where he is,† said Bagman. â€Å"He's sort of†¦stopped coming to work. Been absent for a couple of weeks now. Young Percy, his assistant, says he's ill. Apparently he's just been sending instructions in by owl. But would you mind not mentioning that to anyone. Harry? Because Rita Skeeter's still poking around everywhere she can, and I'm willing to bet she'd work up Bartys illness into something sinister. Probably say he's gone missing like Bertha Jorkins.† â€Å"Have you heard anything about Bertha Jorkins?† Harry asked. â€Å"No,† said Bagman, looking strained again. â€Å"I've got people looking, of course†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (About time, thought Harry) â€Å"and it's all very strange. She definitely arrived in Albania, because she met her second cousin there. And then she left the cousin's house to go south and see an aunt†¦and she seems to have vanished without trace en route. Blowed if I can see where she's got to†¦she doesn't seem the type to elope, for instance†¦but still†¦.What are we doing, talking about goblins and Bertha Jorkins? I really wanted to ask you† – he lowered his voice – â€Å"how are you getting on with your golden egg?† â€Å"Er†¦not bad,† Harry said untruthfully. Bagman seemed to know he wasn't being honest. â€Å"Listen, Harry,† he said (still in a very low voice), â€Å"I feel very bad about all this†¦you were thrown into this tournament, you didn't volunteer for it†¦and if†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (his voice was so quiet now, Harry had to lean closer to listen) â€Å"if I can help at all†¦a prod in the right direction†¦I've taken a liking to you†¦the way you got past that dragon!†¦well, just say the word.† Harry stared up into Bagman's round, rosy face and his wide, baby-blue eyes. â€Å"We're supposed to work out the clues alone, aren't we?† he said, careful to keep his voice casual and not sound as though he was accusing the head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports of breaking the rules. â€Å"Well†¦well, yes,† said Bagman impatiently, â€Å"but – come on. Harry – we all want a Hogwarts victory, don't we?† â€Å"Have you offered Cedric help?† Harry said. The smallest of frowns creased Bagman's smooth face. â€Å"No, I haven't,† he said. â€Å"I – well, like I say, I've taken a liking to you. Just thought I'd offer†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Well, thanks,† said Harry, â€Å"but I think I'm nearly there with the egg†¦couple more days should crack it.† He wasn't entirely sure why he was refusing Bagman's help, except that Bagman was almost a stranger to him, and accepting his assistance would feel somehow much more like cheating than asking advice from Ron, Hermione, or Sirius. Bagman looked almost affronted, but couldn't say much more as Fred and George turned up at that point. â€Å"Hello, Mr. Bagman,† said Fred brightly. â€Å"Can we buy you a drink?† â€Å"Er†¦no,† said Bagman, with a last disappointed glance at Harry, â€Å"no, thank you, boys†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Fred and George looked quite as disappointed as Bagman, who was surveying Harry as though he had let him down badly. â€Å"Well, I must dash,† he said. â€Å"Nice seeing you all. Good luck, Harry.† He hurried out of the pub. The goblins all slid off their chairs and exited after him. Harry went to rejoin Ron and Hermione. â€Å"What did he want?† Ron said, the moment Harry had sat down. â€Å"He offered to help me with the golden egg,† said Harry. â€Å"He shouldn't be doing that!† said Hermione, looking very shocked. â€Å"He's one of the judges! And anyway, you've already worked it out – haven't you?† â€Å"Er†¦nearly,† said Harry. â€Å"Well, I don't think Dumbledore would like it if he knew Bagman was trying to persuade you to cheat!† said Hermione, still looking deeply disapproving. â€Å"I hope he's trying to help Cedric as much!† â€Å"He's not, I asked,† said Harry. â€Å"Who cares if Diggory's getting help?† said Ron. Harry privately agreed. â€Å"Those goblins didn't look very friendly,† said Hermione, sipping her butterbeer. â€Å"What were they doing here?† â€Å"Looking for Crouch, according to Bagman,† said Harry. â€Å"He's still ill. Hasn't been into work.† â€Å"Maybe Percy's poisoning him,† said Ron. â€Å"Probably thinks if Crouch snuffs it he'll be made head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.† Hermione gave Ron a don't-joke-about-things-like-that look, and said, â€Å"Funny, goblins looking for Mr. Crouch†¦.They'd normally deal with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.† â€Å"Crouch can speak loads of different languages, though,† said Harry. â€Å"Maybe they need an interpreter.† â€Å"Worrying about poor ‘ickle goblins, now, are you?† Ron asked Hermione. â€Å"Thinking of starting up S.P.U.G. or something? Society for the Protection of Ugly Goblins?† â€Å"Ha, ha, ha,† said Hermione sarcastically. â€Å"Goblins don't need protection. Haven't you been listening to what Professor Binns has been telling us about goblin rebellions?† â€Å"No,† said Harry and Ron together. â€Å"Well, the're quite capable of dealing with wizards,† said Hermione, taking another sip of butterbeer. â€Å"They're very clever. They're not like house-elves, who never stick up for themselves.† â€Å"Uh-oh,† said Ron, staring at the door. Rita Skeeter had just entered. She was wearing banana-yellow robes today; her long nails were painted shocking pink, and she was accompanied by her paunchy photographer. She bought drinks, and she and the photographer made their way through the crowds to a table nearby. Harry, Ron, and Hermione glaring at her as she approached. She was talking fast and looking very satisfied about something. â€Å"†¦didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo? Now, why would that be, do you think? And what's he doing with a pack of goblins in tow anyway? Showing them the sights†¦what nonsense†¦he was always a bad liar. Reckon something's up? Think we should do a bit of digging? ‘Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman†¦' Snappy start to a sentence, Bozo – we just need to find a story to fit it -â€Å" â€Å"Trying to ruin someone else's life?† said Harry loudly. A few people looked around. Rita Skeeter's eyes widened behind her jeweled spectacles as she saw who had spoken. â€Å"Harry!† she said, beaming. â€Å"How lovely! Why don't you come and join-?† â€Å"I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick,† said Harry furiously. â€Å"What did you do that to Hagrid for, eh?† Rita Skeeter raised her heavily penciled eyebrows. â€Å"Our readers have a right to the truth, Harry. I am merely doing my-â€Å" â€Å"Who cares if he's half-giant?† Harry shouted. â€Å"There's nothing wrong with him!† The whole pub had gone very quiet. Madam Rosmerta was staring over from behind the bar, apparently oblivious to the fact that the flagon she was filling with mead was overflowing. Rita Skeeter's smile flickered very slightly, but she hitched it back almost at once; she snapped open her crocodile-skin handbag, pulled out her Quick-Quotes Quill, and said, â€Å"How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid you know. Harry? The man behind the muscles? Your unlikely friendship and the reasons behind it. Would you call him a father substitute?† Hermione stood up very abruptly, her butterbeer clutched in her hand as though it were a grenade. â€Å"You horrible woman,† she said, through gritted teeth, â€Å"you don't care, do you, anything for a story, and anyone will do, wont they? Even Ludo Bagman -â€Å" â€Å"Sit down, you silly little girl, and don't talk about things you don't understand,† said Rita Skeeter coldly, her eyes hardening as they fell on Hermione. â€Å"I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl†¦not that it needs it -† she added, eyeing Hermione's bushy hair. â€Å"Let's go,† said Hermione, â€Å"c'mon. Harry – Ron†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They left; many people were staring at them as they went. Harry glanced back as they reached the door. Rita Skeeter's Quick-Quotes Quill was out; it was zooming backward and forward over a piece of parchment on the table. â€Å"She'll be after you next, Hermione,† said Ron in a low and worried voice as they walked quickly back up the street. â€Å"Let her try!† said Hermione defiantly; she was shaking with rage. â€Å"I'll show her! Silly little girl, am I? Oh, I'll get her back for this. First Harry, then Hagrid†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You don't want to go upsetting Rita Skeeter,† said Ron nervously. â€Å"I'm serious, Hermione, she'll dig up something on you -â€Å" â€Å"My parents don't read the Daily Prophet. She can't scare me into hiding!† said Hermione, now striding along so fast that it was all Harry and Ron could do to keep up with her. The last time Harry had seen Hermione in a rage like this, she had hit Draco Malfoy around the face. â€Å"And Hagrid isn't hiding anymore! He should never have let that excuse for a human being upset him! Come on!† Breaking into a run, she led them all the way back up the road, through the gates flanked by winged boars, and up through the grounds to Hagrid's cabin. The curtains were still drawn, and they could hear Fang barking as they approached. â€Å"Hagrid!† Hermione shouted, pounding on his front door. â€Å"Hagrid, that's enough! We know you're in there! Nobody cares if your mum was a giantess, Hagrid! You can't let that foul Skeeter woman do this to you! Hagrid, get out here, you're just being -â€Å" The door opened. Hermione said, â€Å"About it-!† and then stopped, very suddenly, because she had found herself face-to-face, not with Hagrid, but with Albus Dumbledore. â€Å"Good afternoon,† he said pleasantly, smiling down at them. â€Å"We er we wanted to see Hagrid,† said Hermione in a rather small voice. â€Å"Yes, I surmised as much,† said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. â€Å"Why don't you come in?† â€Å"Oh†¦um†¦okay,† said Hermione. She, Ron, and Harry went into the cabin; Fang launched himself upon Harry the moment he entered, barking madly and trying to lick his ears. Harry fended off Fang and looked around. Hagrid was sitting at his table, where there were two large mugs of tea. He looked a real mess. His face was blotchy, his eyes swollen, and he had gone to the other extreme where his hair was concerned; far from trying to make it behave, it now looked like a wig of tangled wire. â€Å"Hi, Hagrid,† said Harry. Hagrid looked up. â€Å"‘Lo,† he said in a very hoarse voice. â€Å"More tea, I think,† said Dumbledore, closing the door behind Harry, Ron, and Hermione, drawing out his wand, and twiddling it; a revolving tea tray appeared in midair along with a plate of cakes. Dumbledore magicked the tray onto the table, and everybody sat down. There was a slight pause, and then Dumbledore said, â€Å"Did you by any chance hear what Miss Granger was shouting, Hagrid?† Hermione went slightly pink, but Dumbledore smiled at her and continued, â€Å"Hermione, Harry, and Ron still seem to want to know you, judging by the way they were attempting to break down the door.† â€Å"Of course we still want to know you!† Harry said, staring at Hagrid. â€Å"You don't think anything that Skeeter cow – sorry, Professor,† he added quickly, looking at Dumbledore. â€Å"I have gone temporarily deaf and haven't any idea what you said. Harry,† said Dumbledore, twiddling his thumbs and staring at the ceiling. â€Å"Er-right,† said Harry sheepishly. â€Å"I just meant-Hagrid, how could you think we'd care what that-woman-wrote about you?† Two fat tears leaked out of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes and fell slowly into his tangled beard. â€Å"Living proof of what I've been telling you, Hagrid,† said Dumbledore, still looking carefully up at the ceiling. â€Å"I have shown you the letters from the countless parents who remember you from their own days here, telling me in no uncertain terms that if I sacked you, they would have something to say about it -â€Å" â€Å"Not all of 'em,† said Hagrid hoarsely. â€Å"Not all of 'em wan me ter stay.† â€Å"Really, Hagrid, if you are holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time,† said Dumbledore, now peering sternly over his half-moon spectacles. â€Å"Not a week has passed since I became headmaster of this school when I haven't had at least one owl complaining about the way I run it. But what should I do? Barricade myself in my study and refuse to talk to anybody?† â€Å"Yeh – yeh're not half-giant!† said Hagrid croakily. â€Å"Hagrid, look what I've got for relatives!† Harry said furiously. â€Å"Look at the Dursleys!† â€Å"An excellent point,† said Professor Dumbledore. â€Å"My own brother, Aberforth, was prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat. It was all over the papers, but did Aberforth hide? No, he did not! He held his head high and went about his business as usual! Of course, I'm not entirely sure he can read, so that may not have been bravery†¦.† â€Å"Come back and teach, Hagrid,† said Hermione quietly, â€Å"please come back, we really miss you.† Hagrid gulped. More tears leaked out down his cheeks and into his tangled beard. Dumbledore stood up. â€Å"I refuse to accept your resignation, Hagrid, and I expect you back at work on Monday,† he said. â€Å"You will join me for breakfast at eight-thirty in the Great Hall. No excuses. Good afternoon to you all.† Dumbledore left the cabin, pausing only to scratch Fangs ears. When the door had shut behind him, Hagrid began to sob into his dustbin-lid-sized hands. Hermione kept patting his arm, and at last, Hagrid looked up, his eyes very red indeed, and said, â€Å"Great man, Dumbledore†¦great man†¦.† â€Å"Yeah, he is,† said Ron. â€Å"Can I have one of these cakes, Hagrid?† â€Å"Help yerself,† said Hagrid, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand. â€Å"Ar, he's righ', o' course – yeh're all righ'†¦I bin stupid†¦my ol' dad woulda bin ashamed o' the way I've bin behavin'†¦.† More tears leaked out, but he wiped them away more forcefully, and said, â€Å"Never shown you a picture of my old dad, have I? Here†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hagrid got up, went over to his dresser, opened a drawer, and pulled out a picture of a short wizard with Hagrid's crinkled black eyes, beaming as he sat on top of Hagrid's shoulder. Hagrid was a good seven or eight feet tall, judging by the apple tree beside him, but his face was beardless, young, round, and smooth – he looked hardly older than eleven. â€Å"Tha was taken jus' after I got inter Hogwarts,† Hagrid croaked. â€Å"Dad was dead chuffed†¦thought I migh' not be a wizard, see, ‘cos me mum†¦well, anyway. ‘Course, I never was great shakes at magic, really†¦but at least he never saw me expelled. Died, see, in me second year†¦.† â€Å"Dumbledore was the one who stuck up for me after Dad went. Got me the gamekeeper job†¦trusts people, he does. Gives 'em second chances†¦tha's what sets him apar' from other heads, see. He'll accept anyone at Hogwarts, s'long as they've got the talent. Knows people can turn out okay even if their families weren'†¦well†¦all tha' respectable. But some don understand that. There's some who'd always hold it against yeh†¦there's some who'd even pretend they just had big bones rather than stand up an' say – I am what I am, an' I'm not ashamed. ‘Never be ashamed,' my ol' dad used ter say, ‘there's some who'll hold it against you, but they're not worth botherin' with.' An' he was right. I've bin an idiot. I'm not botherin' with her no more, I promise yeh that. Big bones†¦I'll give her big bones.† Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another nervously; Harry would rather have taken fifty Blast-Ended Skrewts for a walk than admit to Hagrid that he had overheard him talking to Madame Maxime, but Hagrid was still talking, apparently unaware that he had said anything odd. â€Å"Yeh know wha, Harry?† he said, looking up from the photograph of his father, his eyes very bright, â€Å"when I firs' met you, you reminded me o' me a bit. Mum an' Dad gone, an' you was feelin' like yeh wouldn' fit in at Hogwarts, remember? Not sure yeh were really up to it†¦an' now look at yeh, Harry! School champion!† He looked at Harry for a moment and then said, very seriously, â€Å"Yeh know what I'd love. Harry? I'd love yeh ter win, I really would. It'd show 'em all†¦yeh don' have ter be pureblood ter do it. Yeh don have ter be ashamed of what yeh are. It'd show 'em Dumbledore's the one who's got it righ', lettin' anyone in as long as they can do magic. How you doin' with that egg, Harry?† â€Å"Great,† said Harry. â€Å"Really great.† Hagrid's miserable face broke into a wide, watery smile. â€Å"Tha's my boy†¦you show 'em, Harry, you show 'em. Beat 'em all.† Lying to Hagrid wasn't quite like lying to anyone else. Harry went back to the castle later that afternoon with Ron and Hermione, unable to banish the image of the happy expression on Hagrid's whiskery face as he had imagined Harry winning the tournament. The incomprehensible egg weighed more heavily than ever on Harry's conscience that evening, and by the time he had got into bed, he had made up his mind – it was time to shelve his pride and see if Cedric's hint was worth anything.

Being Single Today Final

I strongly believe that being a single person is easier and carries fewer stigmas than it was 10 years ago. The Census Bureau reported last year that approximately 97 million Americans above 18 years were single with most of them having never married before. People have whole-heartedly embraced single hood way of life as normal. The initial tradition of women thinking marriage immediately after college has been abolished. Although most single people above 18 years look forward to marriage at a certain point in their lives, this does not hinder them from working hard to achieve in life.The effects of everyday wedding celebrations and the many dating sites have received neutral effects on most youth. (Sharon, pp 98) Happiness has proved to be acquired or created and traditional way of doing things and defining happiness has changed. I am single at 20 and happy. People have accepted the single way of life and the stigma attached to it is declining. There has emerged alternative ways of leading better single life. Perception about single hood way of life has changed to be more accommodative. Society is slowly recognizing the needs of the single people who were initially not excluded in work policies and tax codes.Books are published to enlighten the single on how they can be happy despite their single status. Such books include: Better Single than Sorry, A No Regret Guide to Loving Yourself and Never Settling. Such books encourage the single people (Sharon, pp 99) Single people can enjoy their life and maximize their happiness even when they are alone. In restaurant, parties and movies they can have fun by concentrating on themselves and the activities carried out at the respective places. Even in wedding parties one can socialize with people present and celebrate the day’s activity without thinking about relationship.(Jennifer, pp 110) Relationships are not working out nowadays, people are getting married today and divorcing tomorrow. This has made people s hy away from marriages or relationship. Some are worried about finding the right partner and have ended up staying single for longer. As more women are gaining education and staying and striving to achieve more in their career goals they are forfeiting traditional rules non relationships /marriage and motherhood (Jessica Yellin pg 108) I believe being single has more benefits or advantages than when in a relationships.Most of my friends share this conviction. People have different moodiness and emotional changes. If one is in a relationship one has to cope up with the other person’s feelings. The baggage of tolerating another person’s feelings is out of the question in the single hood way of life. http://www. aretax. furniture. com/article/article4. doc An old friend once collapsed and on rushing her to the hospital she had a feeding disorder. It was to our great astonishment that she had foregone meals for a couple of days in trying to cut weight as her spouse always complained she was growing fat.Such problems are hard to be encountered by the single people. One is able to appreciate one’s self and does not have to go overboard to simply please a partner. I believe single hood way of life will improve an individual’s personality. It can help one become a well-rounded person as one’s free time can be used in having fun as well as acquiring skills beneficial to the individual. It enhances independence a value that is envied by many. Instead of searching for friends to hand out with that time can be used in productive activities that will go a long way in ensuring their self-improvement.Recently, a woman took his husband to court over their finances. The lady was financially stable, a good job, house and care. Her family was also of a higher status socially. The husband was accused of misusing the wife’s finances. I just stopped and wondered where one’s independence goes on getting into relationships. One doesnâ €™t have control of his or her own finances. I think such problems would not arise if one chooses a single way of life, as they would have complete monitoring of what is their own. I went picking my cousin one day, as there was a movie to watch.Everyone was talking about it and it was a must watch. The disappointment on my face cannot be explained when she told me that the boyfriend was coming over and they were going to watch a football match. I pitied her since I knew very well she doesn’t like football. Is it this slavery? One doesn’t have for activities that they please with a single hood way of life one has the time to spend with their friends and don’t have to sacrifice what is meaningful to them (http://www. avetexfurniture. com/article/article4. doc)I wonder how I would deal with irritating habits of a partner. I agree nature has it that all people are different. Everyone is unique in his or her own ways. There are those who snore and those who do no t? Compatibility of divergent personalities could be difficult. For instance, I would not sleep peacefully when someone is snoring next to me. My single hood way of life eliminates such worries. I do not have to worry or deal with someone else’s personal habits that are unacceptable or irritating to me. I have seen couples break up due to very trivial issues.Trivial they may appear to me, but the involved parties handle them with a lot of intensity. A lady broke up with her boyfriend of six years simply because she bought a car without his consent. I wondered aloud don’t rights and independence exist anymore? Must I seek for another person’s point of view before responding to issues that affect me or must I seek another person’s consent before doing anything? Single people do not have to undergo such problems. They can spontaneously decide on the course of action to be taken in responding to any issue.Freedom of choice is best exercised when one is single than when one is in a relationship or is married. (http://www. avetexfurniture. com/article/article4. doc ) Relationship demand time and resources. People in relationships buy each other presents or gifts, which cost money. Treats also involve finances. To flourish parties involved must spend ample time together; this is not the case for the singles. The time they would have spent together is used more productive activities like mounding one’s career. Efforts are channeled towards career growth and development.Most single people develop their career to great heights and are able to raise their social status. Single people do not have to answerable to anyone. They are free to choose the direction of their life without prior consultations. They are masters of their own life and destiny. One doesn’t have to worry of why they interact with, as would be the case in relationships when a man may be offended if his lady interacted well with other gents or vice versa. One is i n a position of expressing their feelings in words without constraints. References: Jennifer Benjamin.How to love your time alone. Even the most social chicks occasionally find themselves flying solo pg. 109-111 http://www. aretexfurniture. com/article/article3. doc Jameson Oliver . 10 benefits of being single http://www. avetexfurniture. com/article/article4. doc Sharon Jayson. Free as a bird and loving it, more Americans are happy to marry later †¦ or not at all. Pg. 98- 99 http://www. avetexfurniture. com/article/article1. doc Jessica Yellin. Single Female and Desperate No More, 2006. pg. 106/108 http://www. avetexfurniture. com/article/article2. doc

Case Study Zara the Technology Giant of the Fashion World Essay Example

Case Study Zara the Technology Giant of the Fashion World Essay Example Case Study Zara the Technology Giant of the Fashion World Essay Case Study Zara the Technology Giant of the Fashion World Essay Question and discussion As complete as possible, sketch the supply chain for Zara from raw materials to consumer purchase. Raw material – High tech automated cutting facilities – Small workshops – Ware houses – Stores – customers – Stores – Commercial managers Raw material Zara makes 40 percent of its own fabrics and produces more than half of its own clothes (maximize time efficiency) Cuts fabric in-house As it completes designs, Zara cuts fabric in-house. The cutting is done in Zara’s own high-tech automated cutting facilities. Local co-operatives The cut pieces are distributed for assembly to a network of small workshops (350 workshops, 11,000 workers). Workshops are provided with a set of easy to follow instructions, which enable them to quick sew up the pieces and provide a constant stream to Zara’s garment finishing and packing facilities. Thus, what takes months for other companies, takes no more than a few days for Zara. Clothing items are wrapped in plastic and transported on conveyor belts to a group of giant warehouses. Ware houses Zara’s warehouses are a vision of modern automation as swift and efficient as any automotive or customer electronics plant. The computerized system sorts, packs, labels, and allocate clothing items to every one of Zara’s 1,495 stores. Stores For stores within a 24-hours drive, Zara delivers goods by truck, whereas it ships merchandise via cargo jet to stores farther away. Each stores receives deliveries twice a week, so after being produced the merchandise does not spend more than a week at most in transit. Commercial managers Everyday store managers report hot fads to headquarters. Thus, store managers help shape design by ensuring that the creative teams have real-time information based on the observed tastes of actual customers. What the garment will look like? What fabric it will be made out of? What it will cost? What price it will sell? Discuss the concepts of horizontal and vertical conflict as they related to Zara. Vertical marketing systems provide channel leadership and consist of procedures, wholesalers, and retailers acting as a unified system. Horizontal marketing systems are when two or more companies at one level join together to follow a new marketing opportunity. Zaras parent company owns the manufacturing plants, warehouse facilities, retail outlets, and design studios, it can dictate the priorities and objectives of that supply chain and thus conflict is lessened. And each of these levels are leaded by Zara headquarter, so all the process in each level can be flexible. Which type of vertical marketing system does Zara employ? List all the benefits that Zara receives by having adopted this system. The portion of its supply chain that Zara owns and controls is called a corporate vertical marketing system. A corporate VMS integrates successive stages of production and distribution under single ownership. Benefits from corporate VMS for Zara: Time saving Keeping inventories low More flexible More efficient Low cost Small risk High revenue Honor (good name) Process controlling 4. Does Zara experience disadvantages from its â€Å"fast-fashion† distribution system? Are these disadvantages offset by the advantages? Disadvantage: Collections are small and often sell out. Advantage: Creating an air of exclusivity and leading the customers to very high levels of repeat patronage. Disadvantage: The company designs and cuts its fabric in-house and it acquires fabrics in only four colors. Advantage: But it helps to keep costs low. Zara postpones dyeing and printing designs until close to manufacture, thereby reducing waste and minimizing the need to clear unsold inventories. Disadvantage: Doesn’t use Asian cheap outsourcing. Zara’s competitors, through outsourcing to Asian countries such as China, sacrifice the benefits of proximity for low labor and production costs. Zara use 17-20% more expensive European (Spain) manufactures. Advantage: However, Zara has disadvantage in its cost, there is a lack of flexibility in changing orders based on current trends hinders their operational efficiencies in its competitors. Zara does have a competitive advantage over its competitors in regards to operations. How does Zara add value for the customer through major logistics functions? Such a retail concept depends on the regular creation and rapid replenishment of small batches of new goods. Zaras designers create approximately 40,000 new designs annually, from which 10,000 are selected for production Customers who are wearing Zara, undoubtedly sure itself to wear hot and brand new fashion based upon their request.