Francisco “Franz” Arcellana Essay

Francisco â€Å"Franz† Arcellana (September 6, 1916 – August 1, 2002) was a Filipino writer, poet, essayist, critic, journalist and teacher. He was born on September 16, 1916. Arcellana already had ambitions of becoming a writer during his years in the elementary. His actual writing, however, started when he became a member of The Torres Torch Organization during his high school years. Arcellana continued writing in various school papers at the University of the Philippines Diliman. He later on received a Rockfeller Grant and became a fellow in creative writing the University of Iowa and Breadloaf’s writers conference from 1956- 1957. He is considered an important progenitor of the modern Filipino short story in English. Arcellana pioneered the development of the short story as a lyrical prose-poetic form within Filipino literature. His works are now often taught in tertiary-level-syllabi in the Philippines. Many of his works were translated into Tagalog, Malaysian, Russian, Italian, and German. Arcellana won 2nd place in 1951 Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, with his short story, â€Å"The Flowers of May.† 14 of his short stories were also included in Jose Garcia Villa’s Honor Roll from 1928 to 1939. His major achievements included the first award in art criticism from the Art Association of the Philippines in 1954, the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan award from the city government of Manila in 1981, and the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas for English fiction from the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipino (UMPIL) in 1988. Francisco Arcellana was proclaimed National Artist of the Philippines in Literature in 1990. Arcellana is buried at theLibingan ng mga Bayani. Arcellana died in 2002. As a National Artist, he received a state funeral at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. His grandson Liam Hertzsprung performed a piano concert in 2006 dedicated to him. Arcellana’s published books include: * Selected Stories (1962) * Poetry and Politics: The State of Original Writing in English in the Philippines Today (1977) * The Francisco Arcellana Sampler (1990). * Lualhati Torres Bautista Lualhati Torres Bautista (born Manila, Philippines December 2, 1945) is one of the foremost Filipino female novelists in the history of contemporaryPhilippine Literature. Her novels include Dekada ’70, Bata, Bata, Pa’no Ka Ginawa?, and ‘GAPÔ. Bautista was born in Tondo, Manila, Philippines on December 2, 1945 to Esteban Bautista and Gloria Torres. She graduated from Emilio Jacinto Elementary School in 1958, and from Torres High School in 1962. She was a journalism student at the Lyceum of the Philippines, but dropped out even before she finished her freshman year. Despite a lack of formal training, Bautista as the writer became known for her honest realism, courageous exploration of Philippine women’s issues, and her compelling female protagonists, who confront difficult situations at home and in the workplace with uncommon grit and strength. Lualhati garnered several Palanca Awards (1980, 1983 and 1984) for her novels ‘GAPÔ, Dekada ’70 and Bata, Bata†¦ Pa’no Ka Ginawa? exposing injustices and chronicling women activism during the Marcos era. ‘GAPÔ, published in 1980, is the story of a man coming to grips with life as an Amerasian. It is a multi-layered scrutiny of the politics behind US bases in the Philippines, seen from ordinary citizens living in Olongapo City point of view. Dekada ’70 is the story of a family caught in the middle of the tumultuous decade of the 1970s. It details how a middle class family struggled and faced the changes that empowered Filipinos to rise against the Marcos government. These series of events happened after the bombing of Plaza Miranda, the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, the proclamation of martial law and the random arrests of political prisoners. The oppressive nature of the Marcos regime, which made the people become more radical, and the shaping of the decade were all witnessed by the female protagonist, Amanda Bartolome, a mother of five boys. Bata, Bata†¦ Pa’no Ka Ginawa?, literally, â€Å"Child, Child†¦ How Were You Made?†, narrates the life of Lea, a working mother and a social activist, who has two children. The novel begun with an introductory chapter about the graduation day from kindergarten of Maya, Lea’s daughter. A program and a celebration were held. In the beginning, everything in Lea’s life were going smoothly – her life in connection with her children, with friends of the opposite gender, and with her volunteer work for a human rights organization. But Lea’s children were both growing-up – and Lea could see their gradual transformation. There were the changes in their ways and personalities: Maya’s curiosity was becoming more obvious every day, while Ojie was crossing the boundaries from boyhood to teenage to adulthood. In the end, all three, and especially Lea, have to confront Philippine society’s view of single motherhood; and the novel itself brazens out to the questions of how it is to be a mother, and how a mother executes this role through modern-day concepts of parenthood. Nick Joaquà ­n Nick Joaquà ­n was born in Paco, Manila, one of the ten children of Leocadio, a colonel under General Emilio Aguinaldo in the 1896 Revolution, and Salome Marquez, a teacher of English and Spanish. Being read poems and stories by his mother, Joaquin taught himself by reading widely at the National Library of the Philippines and the library of his father, who by that time was a successful lawyer after the revolution. This developed further his interest in writing. At age 17, Joaquà ­n was first published in the literary section of the Pre-World War II Tribune under writer and editor Serafà ­n Lanot. Before publishing in the Tribune, Joaquin worked as a proofreader of the paper. After winning a Dominican Order-sponsored nationwide essay competition for La Naval de Manila, the University of Santo Tomas awarded Joaquà ­n an honorary Associate in Arts (A.A.) and a scholarship to St. Albert’s Convent, the Dominican monastery in Hong Kong. Upon his return to the Philippines, he joined the Philippines Free Press, starting as a proofreader. Soon, he was noticed for his poems, stories and plays, as well as his journalism under the pen name Quijano de Manila. His journalism was markedly both intellectual and provocative, an unknown genre in the Philippines at that time, raising the level of reportage in the country. Joaquà ­n deeply admired Josà © Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. Joaquà ­n paid tribute to Rizal by way of books such as The Storyteller’s New Medium – Rizal in Saga, The Complete Poems and Plays of Jose Rizal, and A Question of Heroes: Essays in Criticism on Ten Key Figures of Philippine History. He also translated the hero’s valedictory poem, in the original Spanish â€Å"Mi Ultimo Adios,† as â€Å"Land That I Love, Farewell!† Joaquà ­n served as a member of Motion Pictures under President Diosdado Macapagal and President Ferdinand E. Marcos. Joaquin’s first move as National Artist was to secure the release of imprisoned writer Josà © F. Lacaba. Later, at a ceremony on Mount Makiling attended by First Lady Imelda Marcos, Joaquà ­n delivered an invocation to Mariang Makiling, the mountain’s mythical maiden. Joaquà ­n touched on the importance of freedom and the artist. As a result, for the remainder of the Marcos regime, Joaquà ­n no longer received invitations to address important cultural events. LUALHATI BAUTISTA Lualhati Bautista is one of the foremost Filipino female novelists in the history of contemporary Philippine Literature. Her novels include, â€Å"Dekada ’70 (Decade ’70)†, â€Å"Bata, Bata, Pa’no Ka Ginawa? (Child, Child†¦ How were you made?†, and â€Å"‘GAPÔ (short name for Olongapo, Philippines)†. In addition to being a novelist, Lualhati Bautista is also a movie and television screenwriter and a short story writer. Her first screenplay was Sakada (Seasonal Sugarcane Workers), a story written in 1975 that exposed the plight of Filipino peasants. Bautista has received recognition from the Philippines’ Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature and the Surian ng Wikang Pambansa in 1987. Her award-winning screenplays include Bulaklak sa City Jail (A Flower in City Jail) (1984), Kung Mahawi Man ang Ulap (If The Clouds are Parted) (1984), Sex Object (1985). For screenplay writing, she has received recognition from the Metro Manila Film Festival (best story-best screenplay), Film Academy Awards (best story-best screenplay), Star Awards (best screenplay), FAMAS (finalist for best screenplay), and URIAN awards. Two of her short stories have also won the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, Tatlong Kuwento ng Buhay ni Julian Candelabra (Three Stories in the Life of Julian Candelabra), first prize, 1982; and Buwan, Buwan, Hulugan mo Ako ng Sundang (Moon, Moon, Drop Me a Sword), third prize, 1983. Bautista also authored the television dramas Daga sa Timba ng Tubig (The Mouse in the Bucket of Water) (1975) and Isang Kabanata sa Libro ng Buhay ni Leilani Cruzaldo (A Chapter in the Book of Life of Leilani Cruzaldo) (1987). The latter won best drama story for television from the Catholic Mass Media Awards. Bautista was honored by the Ateneo Library of Women’s Writings on March 10, 2004 during the 8th Annual Lecture on Vernacular Literature by Women. In 2005, the Feminist Centennial Film Festival presented her with a recognition award for her outstanding achievement in screenplay writing. In 2006, she was recipient of the Diwata Award for best writer by the 16th International Women’s Film Festival of the UP Film Center. She is also the only Filipino included in a book on foremost International Women Writers published in Japan, 1991. Francisco Baltazar, known much more widely through his nom-de-plume Francisco Balagtas, was a prominent Filipino poet, and is widely considered as the Tagalog equivalent of William Shakespeare for his impact on Filipino literature. The famous epic, Florante at Laura, is regarded as his defining work. Balagtas learned to write poetry from Josà © de la Cruz (Huseng Sisiw), one of the most famous poets of Tondo. It was de la Cruz himself who personally challenged Balagtas to improve his writing. (source: Talambuhay ng mga Bayani, for Grade 5 textbook) In 1835, Balagtas moved to Pandacan, where he met Marà ­a Asuncià ³n Rivera, who would effectively serve as the muse for his future works. She is referenced in Florante at Laura as ‘Celia’ and ‘MAR’. Balagtas’ affections for Celia were challenged by the influential Mariano Capule. Capule won the battle for Celia when he used his wealth to get Balagtas imprisoned under the accusation that he ordered a servant girl’s head be shaved. It was here that he wrote Florante at Laura—In fact, the events of this poem were meant to parallel his own situation. He wrote his poems in Tagalog, during an age when Filipino writing was predominantly written in Spanish. Balagtas published Florante at Laura upon his release in 1838. He moved to Balanga, Bataan in 1840 where he served as the assistant to the Justice of peace and later, in 1856, as the Major Lieutenant. He was also appointed as the translator of the court. Balagtas is so greatly revered in the Philippines that the term for Filipino debate in extemporaneous verse is named for him: balagtasan. Jose Garcia Villa Jose Garcia Villa (5 August 1908 – 12 June 1973) is a Filipino poet and a National Artist for Literature. He is known for introducing the â€Å"reversed consonance rime scheme,† as well as for â€Å"comma poems† that made full use of the punctuation mark in an innovative way. Villa is also a short story writer, critic, and painter. Villa was born in Singalong, Manila on 5 August 1908. He is the son of Simeon Villa, who was Emilio Aguinaldo’s physician, and Guia Garcia. Villa went to the University of the Philippines High School. He studied pre-medicine at the University of the Philippines but did not finish the course. He decided to take pre-law, but did not finish it either. Instead, he devoted a good part of his college time writing short stories and poems.In 1930, he won the Philippines Free Press literary contest for his short story entitled â€Å"Mir-i-nisa† and used the prize money to go to the United States. He studied at the University of New Mexico, and later at Columbia University. He taught poetry at the City College of New York from 1964 until 1973. He also worked in the Philippine Mission to the United Nations from 1954 to 1963 and became the vice consul in 1965. After retiring in 1973, he continued to conduct poetry workshops in his apartment in Greenwich Village, New York City. Francisco Sionil Jose He has been called a Philippine national treasure. Born on December 4, 1924 in Rosales, Philippines, he was introduced to literature in public school and later at the University of Santo Tomas. While working as a journalist in Manila, he moonlighted writing short stories and eventually novels. In the late fifties Jose founded the Philippine branch of PEN, an international organization of poets, playwrights, and novelists. In 1965 he started his own publishing house SOLIDARIDAD, and a year later he began publishing the remarkable Solidarity, a journal of current affairs, ideas, and arts, still going strong today. Jose wrote in English rather than in his national language Tagalog, or his native language Illocano. In 1962 he published his first novel The Pretenders. Today his publications include ten novels, five books of short stories, and a book of verse. His works are available in 24 languages and some have recently been published in North America by Random House. He has been awarded numerous fellowships and awards, most notable being the 1980 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts, the most prestigious award of its kind in Asia. Gilda Cordero-Fernando Gilda Cordero-Fernando is a multiawarded writer, publisher and cultural icon from the Philippines. She was born in Manila, has a B.A. from St. Theresa’s College-Manila, and an M.A. from theAteneo de Manila University.Gilda Cordero-Fernando was born on June 4, 1932. Cordero-Fernando has two landmark collection of short stories: The Butcher, The Baker and The Candlestick Maker (1962) and A Wilderness of Sweets (1973). These books have been compiled and reissued later as Story Collection (1994). Another book, Philippine Food and Life, was published in 1992. Together with Alfredo Roces, Cordero-Fernando worked on Filipino Heritage, a 10-volume study on Philippine history and culture published by Lahing Pilipino in 1978. Afterwards, she founded GCF Books which published a dozen titles that deal with various aspects of Philippine culture and society. She received several Carlos Palanca and Philippines Free Press awards for her stories. In 1994, she received a Cultural Center of the Philippines (Gawad CCP) for her lifetime achievements in literature and publishing. Cordero-Fernando has also worn numerous other hats as a visual artist, fashion designer, playwright, art curator and producer. In February 2000, she produced a hugely successful extravaganza entitled Luna: An Aswang Romance†¦.. Linda Ty Casper Linda Ty Casper is a Filipino writer who has published over fifteen books, including the historical novel DreamEden and the political novels Awaiting Trespass, Wings of Stone, A Small Party in a Garden, and Fortress in the Plaza. She has also published three collections of short stories which present a cross-section of Filipino society. In 1992, Tides and Near Occasions of Love won the Philippine PEN short story prize; another at the UNESCO International Writers’ Day, London; and the SEAWrite Award in Bangkok â€Å"Triptych for a Ruined Altar† was in the Roll of Honor of The Best American Short Stories, 1977.[2] Her novel Awaiting Trespass which is about the politically sensitive theme of torture by the Marcos regime was published by Readers International ofLondon. This work gained her major critical attention in the United States for the first time, and in Britain the novel was chosen as one of the five best works of fiction by a woman writer published in 1985-86 Born as Belinda Ty in Malabon, Philippines in 1931. She spent the World War II years with her grandmother while her father worked in the Philippine National Railways, and her mother in the Bureau of Public Schools. Her grandmother told her innumerable of stories about the Filipino’s struggle for independence, that later became the topics of her novels. Linda Ty Casper graduatedvaledictorian in the University of the Philippines, and later earned her Master’s degree in Harvard University for International Law. In 1956, she married Leonard Casper, a professor emeritus of Boston College who is also a critic of Philippine Literature. They have two daughters and reside in Massachusetts. * The Transparent Sun (short stories), Peso Books, 1963 * The Peninsulares (historical novel), Bookmark 1964 * The Secret Runner (short stories), Florentino/National Book, 1974 * The Three-Cornered Sun (historical novel), New Day, 1974 * Dread Empire (novella), Hong Kong, Heinemann, 1980 * Hazards of Distance (novella), New Day, 1981 * Fortress in the Plaza (novella), New Day, 1985 * Awaiting Trespass (novella), London, Readers International, 1985 * Wings of Stone (novella), London, Readers International, 1986 * Ten Thousand Seeds (historical novel), Ateneo, 1987 * A Small Party in a Garden (novella), New Day, 1988 * Common Continent (short stories), Ateneo, 1991 * Kulasyon: Uninterrupted Vigils (collected first chapters), Giraffe, 1995 Cecilia Manguerra Brainard Cecilia Manguerra Brainard is an award-winning author and editor of nineteen books. She co-founded PAWWA or Philippine American Women Writers and Artists; she also founded Philippine American Literary House. Brainard’s works include the World War II novel, When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, Magdalena, and Woman With Horns and other Stories. She edited several anthologies including Fiction by Filipinos in America,Contemporary Fiction by Filipinos in America, and two volumes of Growing Up Filipino I and II, books used by educators. Cecilia Manguerra Brainard (born 1947) grew up Cebu City, Philippines, the youngest of four children to Concepcion Cuenco Manguerra and Mariano F. Manguerra. The death of her father when she was nine prompted her to start writing, first in journals, then essays, and fiction. She attended St. Theresa’s College and Maryknoll College in the Philippines; and she did graduate work at UCLA. Brainard has worked with Asian American youths for which she received a Special Recognition Award from the Los Angeles Board of Education. She has also received awards from the California State Senate, 21st District, several USIS Grants, a California Arts Council Fellowship, an Outstanding Individual Award from the City of Cebu, Philippines, Brody Arts Fund Award, a City of Los Angeles Cultural grant, and many more. The books she has written and edited have also won awards, the Gintong Aklat Award and the International Gourmand Award among them. Her work has been translated into Finnish and Turkish. Brainard’s second novel, Magdalena inspired the playwright Jocelyn Deona de Leon to write a stage play, Gabriela’s Monologue, which was produced in 2011 by the Bindlestiff Studio in San Francisco as part of Stories XII! annual production showcasing original works for the stage by Pilipino/Filipino American Artists. Brainard’s writings can be found in periodicals such as Town and Country, Zee Lifestyle Magazine, Focus Philippines, Philippine Graphic, Amerasia Journal, Bamboo Ridge among others. Her stories have been anthologized in books such as Making Waves (1989), Songs of Ourselves (1994), On a Bed of Rice (1995), â€Å"Pinay: Autobiographical Narratives by Women Writers, 1926-1998† (Ateneo 2000), â€Å"Asian American Literature† Alejandro Reyes Roces Alejandro Reyes Roces (13 July 1924 – 23 May 2011) was a Filipino author, essayist, dramatist and a National Artist of the Philippines for literature. He served as Secretary of Education from 1961 to 1965, during the term of Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal. Noted for his short stories, the Manila-born Roces was married to Irene Yorston Viola (granddaughter of Maximo Viola), with whom he had a daughter, Elizabeth Roces-Pedrosa. Anding attended elementary and high school at the Ateneo de Manila University, before moving to the Arizona State University for his tertiary education. He graduated with a B.A. in Fine Arts and, not long after, attained his M.A. from Far Eastern Universityback in the Philippines. He has since received honorary doctorates from Tokyo University, Baguio’s St. Louis University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and the Ateneo de Manila University. Roces was a captain in the Marking’s Guerilla during World War II and a columnist in Philippine dailies such as the Manila Chronicle and the Manila Times. He was previously President of the Manila Bulletin and of the CAP College Foundation. In 2001, Roces was appointed as Chairman of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB). Roces also became a member of the Board of Trustees of GSIS (Government Service Insurance System) and maintained a column in the Philippine Star called Roses and Thorns. During his freshman year in the University of Arizona, Roces won Best Short Story for We Filipinos are Mild Drinkers. Another of his stories, My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken, was listed as Martha Foley’s Best American Stories among the most distinctive for years 1948 and 1951. Roces did not only focus on short stories alone, as he also published books such as Of Cocks and Kites (1959), Fiesta (1980), and Something to Crow About (2005). Of Cocks and Kites earned him the reputation as the country’s best writer of humorous stories. It also contained the widely anthologized piece â€Å"My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken†. Fiesta, is a book of essays, featuring folk festivals such as Ermita’s Bota Flores, Aklan’s Ati-atihan, and Naga’s Peà ±afrancia. Something to Crow About, on the other hand, is a collection of Roces’ short stories. The book has been recently brought to life by a critically acclaimed play of the same title; the staged version of Something to Crow About is the first Filipino zarzuela in English. This modern zarzuela tells the story of a poor cockfighter named Kiko who, to his wife’s chagrin, pays more attention to the roosters than to her. Later in the story, a conflict ensues between Kiko’s brother Leandro and Golem, the son of a wealthy and powerful man, over the affections of a beautiful woman named Luningning. The resolution? A cockfight, of course. Something to Crow About won the Aliw Award for Best Musical and Best Director for a Musical Production. It also had a run off-Broadway at the La Mama Theater in New York. Through the years, Roces has won numerous awards, including the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award, the Diwa ng Lahi Award, the Tanging Parangal of the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining, and the Rizal Pro Patria Award. He was finally bestowed the honor as National Artist of Literature on the 25th of June 2003. When once asked for a piece of advice on becoming a famous literary figure Roces said, â€Å"You cannot be a great writer; first, you have to be a good person†.

Chapter 15 The Quidditch Final

â€Å"He sent me this,† Hermione said, holding out the letter. Harry took it. The parchment was damp, and enormous teardrops had smudged the ink so badly in places that it was very difficult to read. Dear Hermione, We lost. I'm allowed to bring him back to Hogwarts. Execution date to be fixed. Beaky has enjoyed London. I won't forget all the help you gave us. Hagrid â€Å"They can't do this,† said Harry. â€Å"They can't. Buckbeak isn't dangerous.† â€Å"Malfoy's dad's frightened the Committee into it,† said Hermione, wiping her eyes. â€Å"You know what he's like. They're a bunch of doddery old fools, and they were scared. There'll be an appeal, though, there always is. Only I can't see any hope†¦Nothing will have changed.† â€Å"Yeah, it will,† said Ron fiercely. â€Å"You won't have to do all the work alone this time, Hermione. I'll help.† â€Å"Oh, Ron!† Hermione flung her arms around Ron's neck and broke down completely. Ron, looking quite terrified, patted her very awkwardly on the top of the head. Finally, Hermione drew away. â€Å"Ron, I'm really, really sorry about Scabbers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she sobbed. â€Å"Oh — well — he was old,† said Ron, looking thoroughly relieved that she had let go of him. â€Å"And he was a bit useless. You never know, Mum and Dad might get me an owl now.† The safety measures imposed on the students since Black's second break-in made it impossible for Harry, Ron, and Hermione to go and visit Hagrid in the evenings. Their only chance of talking to him was during Care of Magical Creatures lessons. He seemed numb with shock at the verdict. â€Å"S'all my fault. Got all tongue-tied. They was all sittin' there in black robes an' I kep' droppin' me notes and forgettin' all them dates yeh looked up fer me, Hermione. An' then Lucius Malfoy stood up an' said his bit, and the Committee jus' did exac'ly what he told 'em†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"There's still the appeal!† said Ron fiercely. â€Å"Don't give up yet, we're working on it!† They were walking back up to the castle with the rest of the class. Ahead they could see Malfoy, who was walking with Crabbe and Goyle, and kept looking back, laughing derisively. â€Å"S'no good, Ron,† said Hagrid sadly as they reached the castle steps. â€Å"That Committee's in Lucius Malfoy's pocket. I'm jus' gonna make sure the rest o' Beaky's time is the happiest he's ever had. I owe him that†¦.† Hagrid turned around and hurried back toward his cabin, his face buried in his handkerchief. â€Å"Look at him blubber!† Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had been standing just inside the castle doors, listening. â€Å"Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?† said Malfoy. â€Å"And he's supposed to be our teacher!† Harry and Ron both made furious moves toward Malfoy, but Hermione got there first — SMACK! She had slapped Malfoy across the face with all the strength she could muster. Malfoy staggered. Harry, Ron, Crabbe, and Goyle stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her hand again. â€Å"Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul — you evil –â€Å" â€Å"Hermione!† said Ron weakly, and he tried to grab her hand as she swung it back. â€Å"Get off, Ron!† Hermione pulled out her wand. Malfoy stepped backward. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him for instructions, thoroughly bewildered. â€Å"C'mon.† Malfoy muttered, and in a moment, all three of them had disappeared into the passageway to the dungeons. â€Å"Hermione!† Ron said again, sounding both stunned and impressed. â€Å"Harry, you'd better beat him in the Quidditch final!† Hermione said shrilly. â€Å"You just better had, because I can't stand it if Slytherin wins!† â€Å"We're due in Charms,† said Ron, still goggling at Hermione. â€Å"We'd better go.† They hurried up the marble staircase toward Professor Flitwick's classroom. â€Å"You're late, boys!† said Professor Flitwick reprovingly as Harry opened the classroom door. â€Å"Come along, quickly, wands out, we're experimenting with Cheering Charms today, we've already divided into pairs –â€Å" Harry and Ron hurried to a desk at the back and opened their bags. Ron looked behind him. â€Å"Where's Hermione gone?† Harry looked around too. Hermione hadn't entered the classroom, yet Harry knew she had been right next to him when he had opened the door. â€Å"That's weird,† said Harry, staring at Ron. â€Å"Maybe — maybe she went to the bathroom or something?† But Hermione didn't turn up all lesson. â€Å"She could've done with a Cheering Charm on her too,† said Ron as the class left for lunch, all grinning broadly — the Cheering Charms had left them with a feeling of great contentment. Hermione wasn't at lunch either. By the time they had finished their apple pie, the after-effects of the Cheering Charms were wearing off, and Harry and Ron had started to get slightly worried. â€Å"You don't think Malfoy did something to her?† Ron said anxiously as they hurried upstairs toward Gryffindor Tower. They passed the security trolls, gave the Fat Lady the password (â€Å"Flibbertigibbet†), and scrambled through the portrait hole into the common room. Hermione was sitting at a table, fast asleep, her head resting on an open Arithmancy book. They went to sit down on either side of her. Harry prodded her awake. â€Å"Wh — what?† said Hermione, waking with a start and staring wildly around. â€Å"Is it time to go? W — which lesson have we got now?† â€Å"Divination, but it's not for another twenty minutes,† said Harry. â€Å"Hermione, why didn't you come to Charms?† â€Å"What? Oh no!† Hermione squeaked. â€Å"I forgot to go to Charms!† â€Å"But how could you forget?† said Harry. â€Å"You were with us till we were right outside the classroom!† â€Å"I don't believe it!† Hermione wailed. â€Å"Was Professor Flitwick angry? Oh, it was Malfoy, I was thinking about him and I lost track of things!† â€Å"You know what, Hermione?† said Ron, looking down at the enormous Arithmancy book Hermione had been using as a pillow. â€Å"I reckon you're cracking up. You're trying to do too much.† â€Å"No, I'm not!† said Hermione, brushing her hair out of her eyes and staring hopelessly around for her bag. â€Å"I just made a mistake, that's all! I'd better go and see Professor Flitwick and say sorry †¦ I'll see you in Divination!† Hermione joined them at the foot of the ladder to Professor Trelawney's classroom twenty minutes later, looking extremely harassed. â€Å"I can't believe I missed Cheering Charms! And I bet they come up in our exams; Professor Flitwick hinted they might!† Together they climbed the ladder into the dim, stifling tower room. Glowing on every little table was a crystal ball full of pearly white mist. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down together at the same rickety table. â€Å"I thought we weren't starting crystal balls until next term,† Ron muttered, casting a wary eye around for Professor Trelawney, in case she was lurking nearby. â€Å"Don't complain, this means we've finished palmistry,† Harry muttered back. â€Å"I was getting sick of her flinching every time she looked at my hands.† â€Å"Good day to you!† said the familiar, misty voice, and Professor Trelawney made her usual dramatic entrance out of the shadows. Parvati and Lavender quivered with excitement, their faces lit by the milky glow of their crystal ball. â€Å"I have decided to introduce the crystal ball a little earlier than I had planned,† said Professor Trelawney, sitting with her back to the fire and gazing around. â€Å"The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the Orb, and I am anxious to give you sufficient practice.† Hermione snorted. â€Å"Well, honestly†¦'the fates have informed her'. Who sets the exam? She does! What an amazing prediction!† she said, not troubling to keep her voice low. Harry and Ron choked back laughs. It was hard to tell whether Professor Trelawney had heard them as her face was hidden in shadow. She continued, however, as though she had not. â€Å"Crystal gazing is a particularly refined art,† she said dreamily. â€Å"I do not expect any of you to See when first you peer into the Orb's infinite depths. We shall start by practicing relaxing the conscious mind and external eyes –† Ron began to snigger uncontrollably and had to stuff his fist in his mouth to stifle the noise — â€Å"so as to clear the Inner Eye and the superconscious. Perhaps, if we are lucky, some of you will see before the end of the class.† And so they began. Harry, at least, felt extremely foolish, staring blankly at the crystal ball, trying to keep his mind empty when thoughts such as â€Å"this is stupid† kept drifting across it. It didn't help that Ron kept breaking into silent giggles and Hermione kept tutting. â€Å"Seen anything yet?† Harry asked them after a quarter of an hour's quiet crystal gazing. â€Å"Yeah, there's a burn on this table,† said Ron, pointing. â€Å"Someone's spilled their candle.† â€Å"This is such a waste of time,† Hermione hissed. â€Å"I could be practicing something useful. I could be catching up on Cheering Charms –â€Å" Professor Trelawney rustled past. â€Å"Would anyone like me to help them interpret the shadowy portents within their Orb?† she murmured over the clinking of her bangles. â€Å"I don't need help,† Ron whispered. â€Å"It's obvious what this means. There's going to be loads of fog tonight.† Both Harry and Hermione burst out laughing. â€Å"Now, really!† said Professor Trelawney as everyone's heads turned in their direction. Parvati and Lavender were looking scandalized. â€Å"You are disturbing the clairvoyant vibrations!† She approached their table and peered into their crystal ball. Harry felt his heart sinking. He was sure he knew what was coming — â€Å"There is something here!† Professor Trelawney whispered, lowering her face to the ball, so that it was reflected twice in her huge glasses. â€Å"Something moving†¦ but what is it?† Harry was prepared to bet everything he owned, Including his Firebolt, that it wasn't good news, whatever it was. And sure enough — â€Å"My dear,† Professor Trelawney breathed, gazing up at Harry. â€Å"It is here, plainer than ever before†¦ my dear, stalking toward you, growing ever closer†¦ the Gr –â€Å" â€Å"Oh, for goodness' sake!† said Hermione loudly. â€Å"Not that ridiculous Grim again!† Professor Trelawney raised her enormous eyes to Hermione's face. Parvati whispered something to Lavender, and they both glared at Hermione too. Professor Trelawney stood up, surveying Hermione with unmistakable anger. â€Å"I am sorry to say that from the moment you have arrived in this class my dear, it has been apparent that you do not have what the noble art of Divination requires. Indeed, I don't remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly mundane.† There was a moment's silence. Then — â€Å"Fine!† said Hermione suddenly, getting up and cramming Unfogging the Future back into her bag. â€Å"Fine!† she repeated, swinging the bag over her shoulder and almost knocking Ron off his chair. â€Å"I give up! I'm leaving!† And to the whole class's amazement, Hermione strode over to the trapdoor, kicked it open, and climbed down the ladder out of sight. It took a few minutes for the class to settle down again. Professor Trelawney seemed to have forgotten all about the Grim. She turned abruptly from Harry and Ron's table, breathing rather heavily as she tugged her gauzy shawl more closely to her. â€Å"Ooooo!† said Lavender suddenly, making everyone start. â€Å"Ooooo, Professor Trelawney, I've just remembered! You saw her leaving, didn't you? Didn't you, Professor? ‘Around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever!' You said it ages ago, Professor!† Professor Trelawney gave her a dewy smile. â€Å"Yes, my dear, I did indeed know that Miss Granger would be leaving us. One hopes, however, that one might have mistaken the Signs†¦The Inner Eye can be a burden, you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lavender and Parvati looked deeply impressed, and moved over so that Professor Trelawney could join their table instead. â€Å"Some day Hermione's having, eh?† Ron muttered to Harry, looking awed. â€Å"Yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry glanced into the crystal ball but saw nothing but swirling white mist. Had Professor Trelawney really seen the Grim again? Would he? The last thing he needed was another near-fatal accident, with the Quidditch final drawing ever nearer. The Easter holidays were not exactly relaxing. The third years had never had so much homework. Neville Longbottom seemed close to a nervous collapse, and he wasn't the only one. â€Å"Call this a holiday!† Seamus Finnigan roared at the common room one afternoon. â€Å"The exams are ages away, what're they playing at?† But nobody had as much to do as Hermione. Even without Divination, she was taking more subjects than anybody else. She was usually last to leave the common room at night, first to arrive at the library the next morning; she had shadows like Lupin's under her eyes, and seemed constantly close to tears. Ron had taken over responsibility for Buckbeak's appeal. When he wasn't doing his own work, he was poring over enormously thick volumes with names like The Handbook of Hippogriff Psychology and Fowl or Foul? A Study of Hippogriff Brutality. He was so absorbed, he even forgot to be horrible to Crookshanks. Harry, meanwhile, had to fit in his homework around Quidditch practice every day, not to mention endless discussions of tactics with Wood. The Gryffindor-Slytherin match would take place on the first Saturday after the Easter holidays. Slytherin was leading the tournament by exactly two hundred points. This meant (as Wood constantly reminded his team) that they needed to win the match by more than that amount to win the Cup. It also meant that the burden of winning fell largely on Harry, because capturing the Snitch was worth one hundred and fifty points. â€Å"So you must catch it only if we're more than fifty points up,† Wood told Harry constantly. â€Å"Only if we're more than fifty points up, Harry, or we win the match but lose the Cup. You've got that, Haven't you? You must catch the Snitch only if we're –â€Å" â€Å"I KNOW, OLIVER!† Harry yelled. The whole of Gryffindor House was obsessed with the coming match. Gryffindor hadn't won the Quidditch Cup since the legendary Charlie Weasley (Ron's second oldest brother) had been Seeker. But Harry doubted whether any of them, even Wood, wanted to win as much as he did. The enmity between Harry and Malfoy was at its highest point ever. Malfoy was still smarting about the mud-throwing incident in Hogsmeade and was even more furious that Harry had somehow wormed his way out of punishment. Harry hadn't forgotten Malfoy's attempt to sabotage him in the match against Ravenclaw, but it was the matter of Buckbeak that made him most determined to beat Malfoy in front of the entire school. Never, in anyone's memory, had a match approached in such a highly charged atmosphere. By the time the holidays were over, tension between the two teams and their Houses was at the breaking point. A number of small scuffles broke out in the corridors, culminating in a nasty incident in which a Gryffindor fourth year and a Slytherin sixth year ended up in the hospital wing with leeks sprouting out of their ears. Harry was having a particularly bad time of it. He couldn't walk to class without Slytherins sticking out their legs and trying to trip him up; Crabbe and Goyle kept popping up wherever he went, and slouching away looking disappointed when they saw him surrounded by people. Wood had given instructions that Harry should be accompanied everywhere he went, in case the Slytherins tried to put him out of action. The whole of Gryffindor House took up the challenge enthusiastically, so that it was impossible for Harry to get to classes on time because he was surrounded by a vast, chattering crowd. Harry was more concerned for his Firebolt's safety than his own. When he wasn't flying it, he locked it securely in his trunk and frequently dashed back up to Gryffindor Tower at break times to check that it was still there. All usual pursuits were abandoned in the Gryffindor common room the night before the match. Even Hermione had put down her books. â€Å"I can't work, I can't concentrate,† she said nervously. There was a great deal of noise. Fred and George Weasley were dealing with the pressure by being louder and more exuberant than ever. Oliver Wood was crouched over a model of a Quidditch field in the corner, prodding little figures across it with his wand and muttering to himself Angelina, Alicia, and Katie were laughing at Fred's and George's jokes. Harry was sitting with Ron and Hermione, removed from the center of things, trying not to think about the next day, because every time he did, he had the horrible sensation that something very large was fighting to get out of his stomach. â€Å"You're going to be fine,† Hermione told him, though she looked positively terrified. â€Å"You've got a Firebolt!† said Ron. â€Å"Yeah †¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Harry, his stomach writhing. It came as a relief when Wood suddenly stood up and yelled, â€Å"Team! Bed!† Harry slept badly. First he dreamed that he had overslept, and that Wood was yelling, â€Å"Where were you? We had to use Neville instead!† Then he dreamed that Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherin team arrived for the match riding dragons. He was flying at breakneck speed, trying to avoid a spurt of flames from Malfoy's steed's mouth, when he realized he had forgotten his Firebolt. He fell through the air and woke with a start. It was a few seconds before Harry remembered that the match hadn't taken place yet, that he was safe in bed, and that the Slytherin team definitely wouldn't be allowed to play on dragons. He was feeling very thirsty. Quietly as he could, he got out of his four-poster and went to pour himself some water from the silver jug beneath the window. The grounds were still and quiet. No breath of wind disturbed the treetops in the Forbidden Forest; the Whomping Willow was motionless and innocent-looking. It looked as though the conditions for the match would be perfect. Harry set down his goblet and was about to turn back to his bed when something caught his eye. An animal of some kind was prowling across the silvery lawn. Harry dashed to his bedside table, snatched up his glasses, and put them on, then hurried back to the window. It couldn't be the Grim — not now — not right before the match — He peered out at the grounds again and, after a minute's frantic searching, spotted it. It was skirting the edge of the forest now†¦It wasn't the Grim at all †¦ it was a cat †¦ Harry clutched the window ledge in relief as he recognized the bottlebrush tail. It was only Crookshanks†¦ Or was it only Crookshanks? Harry squinted, pressing his nose flat against the glass. Crookshanks seemed to have come to a halt. Harry was sure he could see something else moving in the shadow of the trees too. And just then, it emerged — a gigantic, shaggy black dog, moving stealthily across the lawn, Crookshanks trotting at its side. Harry stared. What did this mean? If Crookshanks could see the dog as well, how could it be an omen of Harry's death? â€Å"Ron!† Harry hissed. â€Å"Ron! Wake up!† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"I need you to tell me if you can see something!† â€Å"S'all dark, Harry,† Ron muttered thickly. â€Å"What're you on about?† â€Å"Down here –â€Å" Harry looked quickly back out of the window. Crookshanks and the dog had vanished. Harry climbed onto the windowsill to look right down into the shadows of the castle, but they weren't there. Where had they gone? A loud snore told him Ron had fallen asleep again. Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor team entered the Great Hall the next day to enormous applause. Harry couldn't help grinning broadly as he saw that both the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were applauding them too. The Slytherin table hissed loudly as they passed. Harry noticed that Malfoy looked even paler than usual. Wood spent the whole of breakfast urging his team to eat, while touching nothing himself. Then he hurried them off to the field before anyone else had finished, so they could get an idea of the conditions. As they left the Great Hall, everyone applauded again. â€Å"Good luck, Harry!† called Cho. Harry felt himself blushing. â€Å"Okay — no wind to speak of — sun's a bit bright, that could impair your vision, watch out for it — ground's fairly hard, good, that'll give us a fast kickoff –â€Å" Wood paced the field, staring around with the team behind him. Finally, they saw the front doors of the castle open in the distance and the rest of the school spilling onto the lawn. â€Å"Locker rooms,† said Wood tersely. None of them spoke as they changed into their scarlet robes. Harry wondered if they were feeling like he was: as though he'd eaten something extremely wriggly for breakfast. In what seemed like no time at all, Wood was saying, â€Å"Okay, it's time, let's go –â€Å" They walked out onto the field to a tidal wave of noise. Three quarters of the crowd was wearing scarlet rosettes, waving scarlet flags with the Gryffindor lion upon them, or brandishing banners with slogans like â€Å"GO GRYFFINDOR!† and â€Å"LIONS FOR THE CUP† Behind the Slytherin goal posts, however, two hundred people were wearing green; the silver serpent of Slytherin glittered on their flags, and Professor Snape sat in the very front row, wearing green like everyone else, and a very grim smile. â€Å"And here are the Gryffindors!† yelled Lee Jordan, who was acting as commentator as usual. â€Å"Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley, and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best team Hogwarts has seen in a good few years –â€Å" Lee's comments were drowned by a tide of ‘boos' from the Slytherin end. â€Å"And here come the Slytherin team, led by Captain Flint. He's made some changes in the lineup and seems to be going for size rather than skill –â€Å" More boos from the Slytherin crowd. Harry, however, thought Lee had a point. Malfoy was easily the smallest person On the Slytherin team; the rest of them were enormous. â€Å"Captains, shake hands!† said Madam Hooch. Flint and Wood approached each other and grasped each other's hand very tightly; it looked as though each was trying to break the other's fingers. â€Å"Mount your brooms!† said Madam Hooch. â€Å"Three†¦two†¦one†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The sound of her whistle was lost in the roar from the crowd as fourteen brooms rose into the air. Harry felt his hair fly back off his forehead; his nerves left him in the thrill of the flight; he glanced around, saw Malfoy on his tail, and sped off in search of the Snitch. â€Å"And it's Gryffindor in possession, Alicia Spinner of Gryffindor with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Slytherin goal posts, looking good, Alicia! Argh, no — Quaffle intercepted by Warrington, Warrington of Slytherin tearing UP the field — WHAM! — nice Bludger work there by George Weasley, Warrington drops the Quaffle, it's caught by — Johnson, Gryffindor back in possession, come on, Angelina — nice swerve around Montague — duck, Angelina, that's a Bludger!?C SHE SCORES! TEN-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!† Angelina punched the air as she soared around the end of the field; the sea of scarlet below was screaming its delight â€Å"OUCH!† Angelina was nearly thrown from her broom as Marcus Flint went smashing into her. â€Å"Sorry!† said Flint as the crowd below booed. â€Å"Sorry, didn't see her!† A moment later, Fred Weasley chucked his Beater's club at the back of Flint's head. Flint's nose smashed into the handle of his broom and began to bleed. â€Å"That will do!† shrieked Madam Hooch, zooming between then. â€Å"Penalty shot to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on their Chaser! Penalty shot to Slytherin for deliberate damage to their Chaser!† â€Å"Come off it, Miss!† howled Fred, but Madam Hooch blew her whistle and Alicia flew forward to take the penalty. â€Å"Come on, Alicia!† yelled Lee into the silence that had descended on the crowd. â€Å"YES! SHE'S BEATEN THE KEEPER! TWENTY-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!† Harry turned the Firebolt sharply to watch Flint, still bleeding freely, fly forward to take the Slytherin penalty. Wood was hovering in front of the Gryffindor goal posts, his jaw clenched. â€Å"‘Course, Wood's a superb Keeper!† Lee Jordan told the crowd as Flint waited for Madam Hooch's whistle. â€Å"Superb! Very difficult to pass — very difficult indeed — YES! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! HE'S SAVED IT!† Relieved, Harry zoomed away, gazing around for the Snitch, but still making sure he caught every word of Lee's commentary. It was essential that he hold Malfoy off the Snitch until Gryffindor was more than fifty points up — â€Å"Gryffindor in possession, no, Slytherin in possession — no! Gryffindor back in possession and it's Katie Bell, Katie Bell for Gryffindor with the Quaffle, she's streaking up the field — THAT WAS DELIBERATE!† Montague, a Slytherin Chaser, had swerved in front of Katie, and instead of seizing the Quaffle had grabbed her head. Katie cart-wheeled in the air, managed to stay on her broom, but dropped the Quaffle. Madam Hooch's whistle rang out again as she soared over to Montague and began shouting at him. A minute later, Katie had put another penalty past the Slytherin Seeker. â€Å"THIRTY-ZERO! TAKE THAT, YOU DIRTY, CHEATING –â€Å" â€Å"Jordan, if you can't commentate in an unbiased way –â€Å" â€Å"I'm telling it like it is, Professor!† Harry felt a huge jolt of excitement. He had seen the Snitch — it was shimmering at the foot of one of the Gryffindor goal posts — but he mustn't catch it yet — and if Malfoy saw it — Faking a look of sudden concentration, Harry pulled his Firebolt around and sped off toward the Slytherin end — it worked. Malfoy went haring after him, clearly thinking Harry had seen the Snitch there†¦ WHOOSH. One of the Bludgers came streaking past Harry's right ear, hit by the gigantic Slytherin Beater, Derrick. Then again†¦ WHOOSH. The second Bludger grazed Harry's elbow. The other Beater, Bole, was closing in. Harry had a fleeting glimpse of Bole and Derrick zooming toward him, clubs raised — He turned the Firebolt upward at the last second, and Bole and Derrick collided with a sickening crunch. â€Å"Ha haaa!† yelled Lee Jordan as the Slytherin Beaters lurched away from each other, clutching their heads. â€Å"Too bad, boys! You'll need to get up earlier than that to beat a Firebolt! And it's Gryffindor in possession again, as Johnson takes the Quaffle — Flint alongside her — poke him in the eye, Angelina! — it was a joke, Professor, it was a joke — oh no — Flint in possession, Flint flying toward the Gryffindor goal posts, come on now, Wood, save –!† But Flint had scored; there was an eruption of cheers from the Slytherin end, and Lee swore so badly that Professor McGonagall tried to tug the magical megaphone away from him. â€Å"Sorry, Professor, sorry! Won't happen again! So, Gryffindor in the lead, thirty points to ten, and Gryffindor in possession –â€Å" It was turning into the dirtiest game Harry had ever played in. Enraged that Gryffindor had taken such an early lead, the Slytherins were rapidly resorting to any means to take the Quaffle. Bole hit Alicia with his club and tried to say he'd thought she was a Bludger. George Weasley elbowed Bole in the face in retaliation. Madam Hooch awarded both teams penalties, and Wood pulled off another spectacular save, making the score forty-ten to Gryffindor. The Snitch had disappeared again. Malfoy was still keeping close to Harry as he soared over the match, looking around for it once Gryffindor was fifty points ahead — Katie scored. Fifty-ten. Fred and George Weasley were swooping around her, clubs raised, in case any of the Slytherins were thinking of revenge. Bole and Derrick took advantage of Fred's and George's absence to aim both Bludgers at Wood; they caught him in the stomach, one after the other, and he rolled over in the air, clutching his broom, completely winded. Madam Hooch was beside herself — â€Å"YOU DO NOT ATTACK THE KEEPER UNLESS THE QUAFFLE IS WITHIN THE SCORING AREA!† she shrieked at Bole and Derrick. â€Å"Gryffindor penalty!† And Angelina scored. Sixty-ten. Moments later, Fred Weasley pelted a Bludger at Warrington, knocking the Quaffle out of his hands; Alicia seized it and put it through the Slytherin goal — seventy-ten. The Gryffindor crowd below was screaming itself hoarse — Gryffindor was sixty points in the lead, and if Harry caught the Snitch now, the Cup was theirs. Harry could almost feel hundreds of eyes following him as he soared around the field, high above the rest of the game, with Malfoy speeding along behind him. And then he saw it. The Snitch was sparkling twenty feet above him. Harry put on a huge burst of speed; the wind was roaring in his ears; he stretched out his hand, but suddenly, the Firebolt was slowing down — Horrified, he looked around. Malfoy had thrown himself forward, grabbed hold of the Firebolt's tail, and was pulling it back. â€Å"You –â€Å" Harry was angry enough to hit Malfoy, but couldn't reach — Malfoy was panting with the effort of holding onto the Firebolt, but his eyes were sparkling maliciously. He had achieved what he'd wanted to do — the Snitch had disappeared again. â€Å"Penalty! Penalty to Gryffindor! I've never seen such tactics.† Madam Hooch screeched, shooting up to where Malfoy was sliding back onto his Nimbus Two Thousand and One. â€Å"YOU CHEATING SCUM!† Lee Jordan was howling into the megaphone, dancing out of Professor McGonagall's reach. â€Å"YOU FILTHY, CHEATING B –â€Å" Professor McGonagall didn't even bother to tell him off She was actually shaking her finger in Malfoy's direction, her hat had fallen off, and she too was shouting furiously. Alicia took Gryffindor's penalty, but she was so angry she missed by several feet. The Gryffindor team was losing concentration and the Slytherins, delighted by Malfoy's foul on Harry, were being spurred on to greater heights. â€Å"Slytherin in possession, Slytherin heading for goal — Montague scores –† Lee groaned. â€Å"Seventy-twenty to Gryffindor†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry was now marking Malfoy so closely their knees kept hitting each other. Harry wasn't going to let Malfoy anywhere near the Snitch†¦. â€Å"Get out of it, Potter!† Malfoy yelled in frustration as he tried to turn and found Harry blocking him. â€Å"Angelina Johnson gets the Quaffle for Gryffindor, come on, Angelina, COME ON!† Harry looked around. Every single Slytherin player apart from Malfoy was streaking up the pitch toward Angelina, including the Slytherin Keeper — they were all going to block her — Harry wheeled the Firebolt around, bent so low he was lying flat along the handle, and kicked it forward. Like a bullet, he shot toward the Slytherins. â€Å"AAAAAAARRRGH!† They scattered as the Firebolt zoomed toward them; Angelina's way was clear. â€Å"SHE SCORES! SHE SCORES! Gryffindor leads by eighty Points to twenty!† Harry, who had almost pelted headlong into the stands, skidded to a halt in midair, reversed, and zoomed back into the middle of the field. And then he saw something to make his heart stand still. Malfoy was diving, a look of triumph on his face — there, a few feet above the grass below, was a tiny, golden glimmer — Harry urged the Firebolt downward, but Malfoy was miles ahead — â€Å"Go! Go! Go!† Harry urged his broom. He was gaining on Malfoy — Harry flattened himself to the broom handle as Bole sent a Bludger at him — he was at Malfoy's ankles — he was level — Harry threw himself forward, took both hands off his broom. He knocked Malfoy's arm out of the way and — â€Å"YES!† He pulled out of his dive, his hand in the air, and the stadium exploded. Harry soared above the crowd, an odd ringing in his ears. The tiny golden ball was held tight in his fist, beating its wings hopelessly against his fingers. Then Wood was speeding toward him, half-blinded by tears; he seized Harry around the neck and sobbed unrestrainedly into his shoulder. Harry felt two large thumps as Fred and George hit them; then Angelina's, Alicia's, and Katie's voices, â€Å"We've won the Cup! We've won the Cup!† Tangled together in a many-armed hug, the Gryffindor team sank, yelling hoarsely, back to earth. Wave upon wave of crimson supporters was pouring over the barriers onto the field. Hands were raining down on their backs. Harry had a confused impression of noise and bodies pressing in on him. Then he, and the rest of the team, were hoisted onto the shoulders of the crowd. Thrust into the light, he saw Hagrid, Plastered with crimson rosettes — â€Å"Yeh beat 'em, Harry, yeh beat 'em! Wait till I tell Buckbeak!† There was Percy, jumping up and down like a maniac, all dignity forgotten. Professor McGonagall was sobbing harder even than Wood, wiping her eyes with an enormous Gryffindor flag; and there, fighting their way toward Harry, were Ron and Hermione. Words failed them. They simply beamed as Harry was borne toward the stands, where Dumbledore stood waiting with the enormous Quidditch Cup. If only there had been a Dementor around†¦As a sobbing Wood passed Harry the Cup, as he lifted it into the air, Harry felt he could have produced the world's best Patronus.

Analysis of Organizational Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of Organizational Behaviour - Essay Example These writers stress the importance of both ethical understanding and self-efficacy, stating that in order to ensure good ethical practice it is important that the leader and decision maker has sound knowledge and the necessary experience. However, experience gained in one cultural situation may well be different from those in another culture. The executive in Japan, for instance, will have a very different knowledge set from one who has worked only in Arabia. I can back this up from my personal experience of working in a multi-cultural situation. Kuwait has more or less equal numbers of Kuwaiti nationals and foreigners. The non-nationals come from a variety of countries and this results in a mixture of ideologies, religions and general outlook on life. For example, someone from Lebanon will see his work and go about his tasks is different from an Indian employee. The same is true for many others ex-patriates. There are of course similarities, but always some differences between for example Asians and Arabians. In such a multi-cultural environment the wisdom and efficiency of leaders in building and maintaining good ethical codes and practices are very important. As he uses the knowledge and experience he already has and is gaining over time, a leader gets ever stronger and gains confidence when it comes to making ethical decisions. Confidence in one’s own ability and strengths means a greater ability to be a strong and confident leader when dealing with a variety of situations. In our organization practicing good ethics is not easy. This is not because of leadership deficiencies when it comes to decision, but because of the variations in cultural outlooks of employees despite good communications. The authors cited have talked about the problems of global business with its mix of cultures and ethical ideas.

Family Centered Care Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Family Centered Care Case Study - Essay Example This ideology draws on theoretical backgrounds in the humanistic approach in nursing as well as the interpersonal approach also. The current scenario in this literature follows a case study where a family member has died in ICU quite suddenly and despite the high quality of care the nurses who were in charge of the patient have given there was no reliable way to tell the patient was not going to make it. Thus the proponent of care and concern falls on paying considerable attention to the family's needs following this unforeseen event. There is agreement that patients with life-threatening illnesses, including progressive malignancies, need appropriate therapy and treatment throughout the course of illness. At one stage, therapy is directed toward assessment and intervention in order to control and/or to cure such illness and alleviate associated symptoms. For some persons, however the time comes when cure and remission are beyond current medical expertise. It is then that the intervention must shift to what is now often termed 'palliative treatment,' which is designed to control pain in the broadest sense and provide personal support for patients and family during the terminal phase of illness. In general, palliative care requires limited use of apparatus and technology, extensive personal care, and an ordering of the physical and social environment to be therapeutic in itself. Th There are, as it were, two complementary systems of treatment which may often overlap: One system is concerned with eliminating a curable disease and the other with relieving the symptoms resulting from the relentless progress of an incurable illness. There must be openness, interchange, and overlap between the two systems so that the patient receives continuous appropriate care. The patient should not be subjected to aggressive treatment that offers no hope of being effective in curing or controlling the disease and may only cause further distress. Obviously, the clinician must be on the alert for any shifts that may occur in the course of a terminal illness, which make the patient again a candidate for active treatment. Patients suffer not only from inappropriate active care, but also from inept terminal care. This is well documented by studies that only confirm what dying patients and their families know at first hand. These principles have been prepared as an aid to those who ha ve initiated or are planning programs for the terminally ill in delineating standards of care. General Assumptions and Principles in the Care and Commitment to the Terminally Ill Patient and the Family The care of the dying is a process involving needs of the patient, family, and caregivers. The interaction of these three groups of individuals must constantly be assessed with the aim being the best possible care of the patient. This cannot be accomplished, however, if the needs of the family and/or caregiver are negated (Dickenson & Johnson 1993, pg. 76). The problems of the patient-family facing terminal illness include a wide variety of issues: psychological, legal, social, spiritual, economic, and interpersonal. Care requires collaboration of many disciplines working as an integrated clinical team, meeting for frequent discussions, and with commonness of purpose. Dying tends to produce a feeling

How technology, with particular emphasis on the internet and Essay - 4

How technology, with particular emphasis on the internet and computers, has changed world culture - Essay Example ideoconferencing like communication channels help people to conduct meeting in the virtual world just like real world, no matter where the people are located. Social networking is another latest development in computer technology. It helps people from distant parts of the world to assemble in a common web platform and share their ideas, views, photos and videos. Social networks play a vital role in enhancing the intercultural communication. It should be noted that increase in intercultural communication may definitely contribute heavily to global peace and harmony. The recent revolutions in Libya and Egypt are often labeled as Facebook revolution. This is because of the huge role played by Facebook in empowering the people in these countries. Business is another area in which computers and internet have brought huge changes. Instead of typewriters and fax machines, computers and internet are used in the business world at present for preparing and sending documents. Earlier, documents were stored in paper formats in the business world. However, at present such things are stored in digital format so that the data may not be conserved for longer periods. It is quite possible for the business executives to conduct business meeting and negotiations in the virtual world just like real world. Moreover, computers and internet help business people to take quick decisions. Education is another area in which computer and internet have brought meaningful changes. Instead of traditional classrooms, computer assisted classrooms are used in educational institutions at present. Students can get any information at their fingertips with the help of a single click, from internet. The difficulties in searching particular information in a book are completely eliminated by computers and internet. Distant education made possible by computers and internet. It is easy for a student in America to get tuition classes from a teacher in India with the help of computers and internet at

Rating takes priority over 'quality' when it comes to television Essay

Rating takes priority over 'quality' when it comes to television programming provision. Discuss - Essay Example s, due to the introduction of innovative modalities such Cable Television, Satellite and Broadband Television and due to the multitude of channels available, the television industry worldwide has become extremely competitive1. Broadcasters and channels, in order to maintain their position in the industry, often face a dilemma as to whether to adopt an audience-oriented approach, thereby maintaining quality of programmes produced, or a market-oriented approach, focusing on ratings and the business generated and compromise on aspects of the final product2. In order to attract more viewers there is often a trade-off between quality and ratings thus jeopardizing program quality. This paper discusses the various measures of assessment of television programs including their quality and ratings, and elucidates whether ratings are prioritized over quality in the current competitive era of television programming. Television viewing can be best described and explained as being pervasive in nature and television programmes have a significant impact on the lives of the viewers as they help the audiences in formulating their views, opinions and notions regarding various matters. According to Strivers (1994)3, mass media plays a significant role in shaping the public opinion and perceptions, in both a negative and a positive manner. This has important implications for the media, including the television industry as the media has to play a very responsible role in relaying constructive notions of the society only. In addition to that, one of the integral purposes of television programming is the provision of entertainment. Entertainment can be defined in several different ways. Gripsrud (2002) states that the purpose of provision of entertainment is to capture the audience’s attention and making them ‘so engaged in/by something, that we mentally leave our immediate surroundings to some extent (pg 276)’4. The aforementioned discussion serves to underscore the importance

Risk Assessment for Non-profit Hospital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Risk Assessment for Non-profit Hospital - Essay Example book as a whole provides the readers with a comprehensive view of multiple risk assessment techniques along with a detailed analysis of current methodologies and concepts in risk assessment practices. It clearly defines the concept of risk assessment giving specific focus to the current day ‘messy business’ environment. Hospital Data Project (HDP) is a project initiated by the European Union Health Monitoring Programme (HMP), and it intends ‘to develop comparable hospital utilization data and indicators between Member States (MS)’. This data, loaded into the Commission’s pilot system has turned to be the hub of health information. The document describes the objectives of HDP with regard to data collection methodology and the creation of a pilot data set. This book is an excellent source of information on emerging trends, legal requirements, and challenges associated with internal information transfers and SSH integration. It gives a good account of SSH2 as a reliable tool that complies with the latest standards of communication security norms. This book is a ‘must read’ for learners of advanced risk assessment practices. This excerpt from online encyclopedia gives a brief account of Nessus-one of the most comprehensive vulnerability scanning program available today. It describes how the program helps clients to assess the level of their system’s vulnerability to data theft or virus attack. The website gives very detailed information about the vulnerability scanning tool-Nessus. The site has included several frequently asked questions and their answers along with the basic instructions for its users. One who goes through the site will get a clear idea of the total functions of Nessus. The relevance of this book is clear as it has been stated in the introduction, â€Å"each technical advance brings new security holes†. It reminds us of the incessant threat persisting over the internet which has the potential to assault thousands of computers in no

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 11

Management - Essay Example Competing values framework for psychological states defines appropriate behavior that has to be upheld during negotiations. During negotiations, there is the existence of conflicting cultures that may co-exist due to different characteristics of the management team (Drucker, 2012). This should be appropriately handled during negotiations. Refers to the mastery of the knowledge and skills required to enhance sustained success in the current changing business environment. This means that the leaders of the company in negotiations should carefully highlights and extensively consider the scope of competency they have. The leaders to be chosen during the negotiations should be having immense skills and experience needed to propel their respective companies to greater heights. This wills enhance their business competitiveness in the current times of stiff global competition. (Drucker, 2012). The agenda for personal leadership improvement helps the company to use small innovations that can be proven directly, to come up with products of higher quality faster. This will totally enhance customer advantage as they are currently asking for faster and higher quality products than ever before (Drucker,

Compare and Contrast Auden’s and Faulks Essay Example for Free

Compare and Contrast Auden’s and Faulks Essay Both Sebastian Faulks and W. H. Auden write about the tales of Jewish refugees living in the time of holocaust during WW2 in their two pieces, ‘The Last Night’ and ‘Refugee Blues’. By using literary techniques such as imagery and tone both writers, Auden and Gray create a sense of alienation for the characters portrayed in their writing. Both Auden and Gray create a sincere illusion of reality to promote the refugee’s alienation and suffering in both stories ultimately bringing the two gripping tales to life. Both Auden and Faulks use imagery as an extremely strong literary device to create alienation towards the refugees in their two stories. Immediately Auden introduces the reader to the impossible situation that the characters that they find themselves in. Auden manipulates social structure and the feeling of alienation towards the refugees with the use of natural imagery. Lines such as â€Å"saw a door opened and a cat let in† and â€Å"Thought I heard thunder rumbling in the sky; †¦ they must die†. These two lines not only show the manner in which the refugees have been regarded as completely inferior but also that they are willed to die, disregarding the concept of escape. In Faulk’s ‘The Last Night’, though not as frequently, also uses natural imagery to highlight the distressing solitude of the refugees and their impossible situation. â€Å"Though none of the scraps reached as far as the enclosure. † The word ‘enclosure’ emphasizes how the Jews had been cast aside as ‘social dirt’ as animals are normally associated as being hoarded into an enclosure by human beings. The two pieces ‘Refugee blues’ and ‘The Last Night’ differ significantly in the way that they are written. In Auden’s ‘Refugee Blues’ the story of the refugees is told through a poem with three lines in each stanza. Whereas in Gray’s ‘The Last night’ the structure follows more of a story and is written in the third person. Auden’s poem is written to the tune of blues music, which was very popular and fashionable at the time the poem was written. Say this city has ten million souls, some are living in mansions, some are living in holes. The rhythm created throughout provokes a melancholy atmosphere to be interpreted by the reader enticing compassion towards the refugees and further discriminating and separating the Jewish characters and their race from the rest of the world. Unlike Gray, Faulks writes the ‘The Last Night’ in the form of a historical fiction indicating the lack of a particular rhythm in which the story can be read. These contrasting rhythms though seem to create to same feeling of sadness and empathy towards the characters. Faulk’s choice of diction and literary techniques match with the rhythm and tone of ‘Refugee Blues’ and create a huge similarity between the way the two poems are written to create alienation towards the refugees. Auden and Faulks use foreshadowing both subtly and palpably early on in each text to show what will happen in the near future of the two stories. Faulks in particular manipulates this technique to show upcoming events. In the opening statement â€Å"Andre and his brother Jacob†¦ to a concentration camp† presented in bold for added effect, Faulks immediately introduces the reader to the ignorance and innocence of the children not being able to fully understand their predicament because they are both at such a young age. They do not realise the harsh reality that has befallen them and the rest of the Jews in Europe. As orphaned children they have already been split up from their parents and this can be interpreted as a model for other families who are situated with the two boys. That pain and sorrow will be felt and loneliness endured by all the children going to the concentration camp. Additionally, in the second paragraph of Faulk’s text he speaks of a woman handing out food and people having â€Å"food for the journey†. This can be deduced by the reader as another use of foreshadowing. It was believed that Adolf Hitler was of the Christian religion. This scene of people eating food before the tragic events that ensue are similar and almost mirror that of the last supper, the Christian fable that exists in the bible where Jesus was last before he was crucified and sent to his imminent death. It is seen as the ultimate betrayal in the bible when Judas sold out Jesus to the Romans for thirty silver coins. The connection between the two estranged events though shows that, just like Jesus, the ignorant children are completely unaware of the fact the food being handed out represents to the reader that the end is near as did the last supper for Jesus. This could be seen as the Faulk’s demonstration of Hitler’s somewhat extreme impiety displaying him as Judas even though Hitler was of Christian religion. In ‘Refugee Blues’ Auden writes in his first paragraph â€Å"Yet there’s no place for us, my dear, yet there’s no place for us. † Auden exploits the predicament of the refugees to demonstrate that they are completely alone and segregated from society and they are regarded as substandard population and presages what is to come for the Jews at the conclusion of the poem. With the use of Irony Auden ends the poem on the line â€Å"Looking for you and me, my dear, looking for you and me. † After so much suffering was brought to the refugees by being neglected by people who thought to be superior human beings, they were finally being sought after but only to taken to their inexplicably to their death, meaning that there is still no place for them in the society that they will no longer live in. In conclusion Both W.H. Auden and Sebastian Faulks tell the tragic tales of Jewish Refugees who find themselves in an impossible situation. Their attention to detail is impeccable allowing the reader to be engulfed in the story and empathise with the characters and live the story. Both manipulate certain ideas, themes and literary devices using similar and contrasting ideas to ultimately create a sense of great alienation towards the refugees in each tale.

The Historical Changes Within The Family

The Historical Changes Within The Family Family can be defined as a group of people related by heredity, such as parents, children and siblings. It is sometimes broadened to include persons related by marriage or those living in the same household who are emotionally attached, interact regularly, and share concerns for the growth and development of the group and its individual members. There is legal definition of the family, but it varies depending on the jurisdiction and purpose for which it is defined. The family can have two basic types: nuclear and extended family. A nuclear family consist of adult husband, the wife, and their dependent children who are not of age, and the extended family is composed of the nuclear family and other relatives. Apart from the above mentioned types of family, there are other types such as the lone-parent families, which is one parent and his or her dependent children, the reconstituted family- when a new family is created after divorce through a second marriage and the empty nest family w here the children of nuclear family has grown and left home. Functionalism is a theory that sees society as a social system designed to meet the basic needs and to promote the survival of its members. According to them, the social system comprises of economic, political, kinship and culture and each of these has an established institution that plays a role in the running of society. Functionalists talk about society being like a human body. The organic analogy incorporates the ideas of a system to emphasise the inter-relatedness and mutual dependency of the major institutions of society. To them, the family is at the heart of society. They therefore, see the family as changing and responding to the needs of society. The systems approach has been used by functionalists to explain how social change occurs in society. Talcott Parsons is one of the most important functionalist sociologists who studied family life in the 1950s. He referred to families as personality factories which meant that, families produce children who share the basic norms and values of their society and were moulded in the image of the society. He saw the family as the basic and most vital institution in society whose irreducible function is the stabilisation of adult personalities, where the family gives the emotional support necessary to cope with the stress of everyday life, especially at younger age in order to develop a strong emotional bond and to grow and function well in the society. Once the personality is produced, adults need emotional security and a source of release from the stresses and strains of modern life. The emotional support of partners helps to provide this security and prevent stress from overwhelming the individual and threatening the stability of society. This is the warm bath theory: the husband arriv es home from a stressful day at work and sinks into the warm bath that his family (wife) provides. Peter Murdock, (1949) is another functionalist who studied 250 societies and identified the functions of the family as sexual, where the family provides environment for regulating sexual desires. Families make sure that, such activities happens or takes place at the right location. The next function is reproduction, essential for survival of human society. Families ensure the survival of babies becoming adults. Babies are born vulnerable and incapable of taking care of themselves. It is therefore the duty of the family to train and equip them until such time that, they become adult and matured enough to face the world on their own. Another function of the family, according to Murdock, is to instil the norms, cultures and values of society into children and to make sure they are satisfactorily socialised. The family also provide economic support for other family members. This can happen in all sorts of forms like provision of child care and financial support in difficult times. Murdocks ideas were that, the nuclear family is so useful to society, inevitable and universal because it fulfils the essential functions. This is because he had found evidence of nuclear families in the 250 different societies he studied. He saw the nuclear family as the most efficient arrangement for performing all of the above vital functions and defined it as a universal human social grouping, either as the sole prevailing form of the family or as the basic unit from which more complex forms compounded. It exists as a distinct and strong functional group in every society. However, they have been criticised by the way they see the family. Parsons picture is of a typical middle class USA family which may not be representative for most families. They have also been accused of idealising the family. Functionalist fails to consider the validity of other family structures and do not consider the diversity of family types. They ignore conflict, abuse, gender inequalities, and rising divorce rates within the family. Interpretative sociologists tend to argue that, functionalists concentrate too much on the importance of the family to society and ignore the importance and meanings of family that individuals perceive. Feminists argue that the functionalist view of the expressive and instrumental roles as natural are in fact socially constructed. They also disagree with Murdochs idea that the nuclear family is natural, believing that there is no preferable family structure and encourage family diversity. They are of the opinion that, the functionalist view of the family encourages oppression of women. Marxists argue that the functionalist view of the family views those family structures which support and benefit capitalism, and that, the nuclear family is part of the superstructure with the sole purpose of perpetuating a capitalist system. They also believe that, the family socialises its members to accept the false consciousness that capitalism is good for all and that the government helps the people through healthcare. Marxism also rejects the functionalist idea that society is based on consensus; they would say that current society is based upon a conflict between the small powerful ruling class and the working majority. Both Marxists and feminists disagree with the functionalist idea that each organ of society exists for the benefit of society itself and for its individual members, they believe that they exist for the benefit of the ruling class of either capitalists or men. The next theoretical approach is the feminist. It is worth mentioning that, there are several types of feminism, included are, liberal, radical, socialist, and humanist but they all share in common the following about the family according to Barrie Thorne (1982). They see the society as male dominated, the family as an institution involving power relationships, men having different ideas of being in the family from women, the family being a source for the control of women, that there is no biological need for the family which is just a product of culture rather of nature, the ideologies of socialisation is based on gender, men gaining more from family life than women, and has also challenged the view of the family as being based on cooperation, shared interests and love. Feminist see society as being patriarchal where things are made up of unequal structures of power between men and women. It practically means rule of the father which is more to do with culture and makes us believe and think the family is one of the biological things we need naturally. Beechey (1986) is of the view that, people has taken the family for granted and the family requiring different things from men and women, and are also made to believe that, it is ideal to bring up children in a family setting where most of the work is done by women. Feminist think that, all this has contributed and continue to the male dominance in the family and society as a whole. Benton regards the structure of the family life as the main cause of womens oppression (housewife role), where the wife provides a relaxing environment for the male worker. Things have changed in recent years in the family. Decision making in the home as pointed by Stephen Edgell (2000) shows that, in middle class homes, women have sole responsibility for financial decisions in areas as home decorating. Some things still need to be changed when we look at the following which has been pointed by the feminist as the dark side of the modern day family. The family contains a large amount of psychological harm for women, and still perform the majority of the housework. Evidence suggests that many women today have a dual burden of labour-home responsibilities as well as work. Majority of emotional work still remains a job for women and there are lots of instances of sexual and domestic abuse of women in the family. The Marxist theory of the family was developed by the work of Karl Marx (1818-1883) and believed that, society was made up of two important parts, the economic base and the superstructure which includes the family. He describes the economic base as the most important because it influences the superstructure. The family will therefore reflect the values and concerns of the economic base. The Marxist idea of the family was that, society was the family and believed early society was based on a primitive form of communism where there was no such thing as private property, no rules limiting sexual behaviour and promiscuity was normal. Their idea supports capitalism where the family forms part of the superstructure and passes on ideologies that justify inequality and enables the bourgeoisie to maintain control of the economic base. The family evolved in order to establish paternity to protect private property and its oppressive inhibited creativity. The family is therefore an ideological conditioning device. In short, the family was seen as an institution when wives play their traditional roles as takers of shit, and often absorb their husbands legitimate anger and frustration in a way which poses no challenge to the system (Ashley). Also, the child is in fact primarily taught how to submit to the society but not how to survive (Cooper). This theory has got the strength of exploring the role of oppressive ideologies and offers explanation for the development of the family. It also acknowledges the dark side of the family, links it to inequality in capitalist society, and offers critical approach. It has however been criticised of ignoring family diversity, seeing the nuclear family as simply determined by the economy. It ignores how changes may come about due to legal and attitudinal changes and also ignores the patriarchal nature of society. Considering the above discussion, it is true that men, the state, society and its institution have exercised enormous power over women by deciding how parenting and household responsibilities should be distributed? Who should have a right to household earnings and property? Who has the right to form a family? What defines a parent? How many parents can a child have? How many children can a parent have? Answering these already complex questions is additionally complicated by the existence of new technologies that make possible multiple ways of becoming a parent. Below, is the examination of two main values that feminists have argued should guide the families we make, individual choice and equality. The traditional family has seen many changes in the last fifty years. In the decades following WW II increasing numbers of women entered the labour force. Divorce rates increased dramatically: the divorce rate in the 1980s was almost two and a half times what it had been in 1940. The development of the birth control pill has made it easier for women to avoid unwanted pregnancies and to plan when to have children. There are a growing number of single parent families, gay families, and extended families. By 1989, 25% of children were living in single parent households. Economic, technological and social factors have together made the full time-stay at home housewife and mother with a working husband a statistical minority. Laws governing families have also changed. Modern laws are more likely to view men and women as equals, who can be subjected to the authority of each other only with their own consent. How far should the idea of womens right in marriage, the institutions and society be taken? Some feminists have proposed contract model of marriage to allow any and all consenting adults to marry and to freely choose the terms of their association. These feminists would abolish state-defined marriage altogether and replace it with individual contracts drawn up by each couple wanting to marry (Fine man 1995, Weitzman 1985). Indeed, contracts would allow not only gay couples to marry but would also allow multiple marriages, as in the case of polygamy and determine the domestic division of labour. They argue that by moving marriage from an implicit status based, patriarchal arrangement to an explicit contract, womens freedom and equality would be enhanced (Weitzman 1985). Divorce has become more commonplace due to the fact that, feminism has altered the perception of what a wife might expect from a marriage, women have become more financially independent of their husbands, religious values have become less important and the process of getting a divorce has been made easier. The question therefore to ask, is this right and freedom we are fighting for good for the society? I will say too much of everything is bad and we need to be aware of the consequences of such changes upon family members and the structure of families. One example would be the growing number of reconstituted family. Another issue to consider is the decline of the nuclear family due to a greater acceptance within society of other types of family. For example cohabitation is no longer described as living in sin. Women are now more wiling to consider alternatives to raising children within the nuclear family, which is partly due to the impact of feminism; divorce is more socially accept able than in previous generations and there is a greater willingness amongst many people to accept alternatives to the family.

The History Of Oxygen Therapy Nursing Essay

The History Of Oxygen Therapy Nursing Essay The nursing process, which is an organized approach of planning, delivering, and evaluating individualized care for clients in any state of health or illness was not followed in this case. Kamila, after moving the patient from the bed to the commode should of assess the oxygen saturation of the client since the client was on 2 L via nasal cannula. The nursing process is recurrent with each steps depend on the accuracy of the previous one. With the nursing process being decisive, the goal is to provide outstanding, individualized, client-centered care. I found it vital to know the baseline assessment of my patient. As soon as Melissa informed me about the status of my patient; I assessed the patient, vital signs were within the normal range and I failed to report it to either the nurse or my team leader. Although during report the ongoing nurse failed to mention the patient was on 2 L via nasal cannula, as the student nurse assigned to that patient I should of report the incidence and my assessment to the nurse to prevent future escalation of the patient condition. This assessment of the patient being short of Breath on exertion could be helpful in the development of the care plan of the patient in response to actual or potential health conditions or needs. Excellent communication between the healthcare team is fundamentally imperative in taking care of a client. Constant follow up is important in comparing the baseline assessments and the actual findings to determine if the outcomes are met. In this case I didnt communicate it to nurse nor the team leader who could of reported to our clinical instructor. I was in the receiving end, and didnt take it further. This kind of poor communication is not beneficial toward the patient outcomes or a modification in the plan of care. As patient advocate, in taking care of a patient we need to critically think about the outcomes we want to achieve in planning care. Because Critically thinking is an intelligently well-organized process of actively and competently conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, or evaluating information collected from, or created by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a pilot to confidence and action. I failed to critically think in taking care of my patient by not anticipate that the nurse contact the healthcare provider, to ask for an order foe oxygen which is at this point very important in the plan care of this patient. Oxygen therapy is a medical intervention, which involves administration of oxygen in both acute and chronic care. Oxygenation of body tissues is vital for cell metabolism and subsequent physiological functioning of the body (PLoS Medicine, 2008). According to Bailley (2010), continuous oxygen therapy is often prescribed for patients with severe Hypoxemia and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). There are three common modes for oxygen administration. These include; compressed gas, liquid gas and oxygen concentrators. Physicians need to be extra vigilant to ensure that patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease receive continuous and long-term oxygen therapy. There is significant evidence that proves administration of long-term and continuous oxygen therapy increases survival of patients with severe hypoxemia but not nocturnal desaturation (Bailley, 2010). When subjected to long-term oxygen therapy for 24 months, the mortality rate of patients with a PaO2 not exceeding 58 mm Hg reduced significantly as compared to nocturnal therapy. In a separate experiment, patients with a PaO2 ranging between 40 and 60 mm Hg on long-term oxygen therapy increased their survival rate by 5 years as compared to patients under placebo (NNT, five) (Bailley, 2010). Bailley (2010) also notes that other nursing interventions found effective in COPD treatment include inhaled corticosteroids, anti-cholinergic agents, long-acting beta2 agonists and pulmonary rehabilitation. However, choice of any intervention depends on the stage of the disease. Ranchord (2009) notes that although most clinicians understand the hazards of oxygen therapy in chronic pulmonary disease and hypoxemia-induced respiratory drive patients, there is little appreciation that exposure to higher than normal physiological levels of oxygen (a condition called Hypoxemia) is associated with detrimental effects in patients with ischemic heart condition. According to Ranchord (2009), in the past years, clinicians were made to believe that inhaled oxygen increased oxygen in the arteries during acute myocardial infarctions, however; this may reduce the cardiac output, increase blood pressure and resistance to blood flow. This incident had lead to some potential negative outcomes like the patient being short of breath. If Melissa didnt go to the room to do her initial assessment, patient could of gone to respiratory arrest. One of the probable cause of respiratory arrest is decrease respiratory drive. If respiratory arrest is prolonged, cardiac arrest rapidly follows because continuing hypoxia damages cardiac system, harmful effect is brain damage cause by lack of oxygen to the brain and death. Evidence-based practice is the reliable and thoughtful use of recent best indication to improve the quality care of the patients. It is important for me to provide safe and accurate patient care to avoid any negative outcome that could lead to deterioration of the patient condition. (Issel, 2010) identify patient safety has freedom from accidental injury, It has become established as a foundation of quality care for acute care institutions and, subsequently, for other health care settings in which direct care is provided. As healthcare professional I need to be vigilant in providing the safest care and anticipate that the best current evidence is use in making decisions about patient care.

My Dream Place Essay -- Descriptive Essay, Descriptive Writing

My dream place would be a house on a Galapagos Island. My land will be located on the Isabella Island. It will be nice and relaxing because it has a constant weather all that time, perfect environment. Also I will have a nice 2 floor cabin. The cabins will look like the ones that you see in forest. My whole family will live there after I am 75. But before that I will spend my time gathering all the money to buy a piece of land, a plane, a boat, and some vegetable seed (lot of them). I want my dream place to be nice and relaxing where you can enjoy the environment and very peaceful weather. Since I am a vegetarian, I will own a farm with couple of horses, cows, chickens, couple of healthy, fully trained by me dogs, and the lands will be about 17 acres. The horses and the cows will have 15 flat acres of land. In this specific area, it will have a beautiful lake that surrounds 0.13 acres of land where there will be an oak tree. It will be a home to all the ducks, swan, and flamingos. And on this lake there will be couple of different types of fountains. Surrounding the lake will be s...