Social-Ecological Model Theory

A behavior I would like to modify or change would be the sexual activity of today’s youth. Focusing more on using protection, being safe, or abstinence if possible. We know that if you aren’t careful and using protection it is very easy to attain a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or a sexually transmitted disease (STD). I would use the social-ecological model theory to accomplish a prevention and promotional change in behaviors. The social-ecological model provides a framework for understanding the different influences and their relationships to one another. In the social-ecological model theory there are different stages or levels to your prevention or promotional program. The five stages or levels are: Individual, Relationship, Community, Societal, and Policy. Individual would be intrapersonal. Relationship would be interpersonal. Community would have institutional factors. Societal would have community factors. And Policy would local, state, and national laws and policies that contribute to the prevention of your program. The first level of the social-ecological model (SEM) theory is Individual or intrapersonal stage. It represents the individual who might be affected by a sexually transmitted infection. And the sexual prevention program aims to increase the individual's knowledge and influence his or her attitudes. You do so by providing, the need for STD testing, the intention to be tested, the risks and benefits of being tested, and access to affordable and convenient STD testing, diagnosis, and treatment. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009) The second level of the SEM behavior theory is Relationship or interpersonal level. It represents STD prevention activities implemented at the interpersonal level. These activities are intended to facilitate individual behavior change by affecting social and cultural norms and overcoming individual-level barriers. Friends, family, health care providers, community health workers or promoters, and patient navigators represent potential sources of in terpersonal messages and support. Activities included are: providers making STD testing recommendations to their patients, patients receiving reminders about the need of regular STD testing, patient navigators helping to remove logistical and other barriers to screening. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009) The third level of the SEM behavior theory is Community which has institutional factors. It represents STD prevention activities implemented at the organization level. These activities are intended to facilitate individual behavior change by influencing organizational systems and policies. Health care systems, employers or worksites, health care plans, local health departments, tribal urban health clinics, and professional organizations represent potential sources of organizational messages and support. At this level you would; promote the use of client and provider reminder systems, provide provider assessment and feedback on their performance, encourage the coverage and expansion of benefits for screening, adopt worksite policies that support preventive care. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009) The fourth level of the SEM theory is Societal which has community factors. It represents STD prevention activities implemented at the community level. These activities are intended to facilitate individual behavior change by leveraging resources and participation of society-level institutions such as comprehensive abstinence coalitions, tribal health departments, media, and community advocacy groups, which represent potential sources of societal communication an d support. Several interventions appropriate for this level, includes: working with coalitions and collaborates to promote STD testing and expand resources, conducting public awareness and educational campaigns, collaborating with tribal health departments to expand STD screening. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009) The final level is Policy. It represents STD prevention activities at the policy level. These activities involve interpreting and implementing existing policy. Federal, state, local, and tribal government agencies may support policies that promote healthy behavior, including screening. Some examples include: collaborating with coalitions to communicate policy decisions to the public (i. g. insurance mandates for STD testing), and translating local policies for community members (i. g. proclamation of a STD prevention awareness month). (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009) Works Cited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009, September 9). The Social-Ecological Model: A Framework for Prevention. Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. (2012, November 16). The Social Ecological Model. Olympia, Washington, United States.

Fast Food in HK

McDonald's VS KFC Fast Food culture In the worldwide Fast food, as you can understand Is the term referring to food that Is prepared and can be delivered In a fast time. It Is traditionally American style meal that always included French fries, burgers and soft drinks. Restaurants store precooked ingredients, once the customer gives an order, take-away can be ready In a while. To be called as â€Å"Fast food†, these foods must meet a few standards: good time management, quality stability and fixed price. It is a very popular meal style in some well-developed cities, since the people have a totally busy life.The first recorded fast food restaurant A;W is founded in 1919 at the united States of America, and the second one is the famous company White Castle in 1921. In this century, fast food restaurants develop and most of them become chains suppliers. US people spent billions on buying fast food every year. The fast food globalization had now become a huge social issue. Nowaday s there are over 500,000 fast food restaurants and thousands brands in the whole world. And today we are going to focus on the two head quarters in Hong Kong- McDonald's and KFC. Introduction of McDonald's McDonald's Is definitely the biggest fast food chain In the world.It founded In 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald. Nowadays, over 33,000 McDonald's restaurants were established in the worldwide. The products of McDonald's are In various types, mainly hamburgers, French fries, chickens and soft drinks. Sometimes, they will provide seasonal meal to attract customers such as ‘Shake Shake French fries'. Following differences of choices, McDonald's would also offer vegetarian food too. In order to fit the culture, they may change the meal a little bit for example not providing beef in India. You can always find one on the street, because there are in total 200 stores in Hong Kong.McDonald's became popular all the time due to busy life schedule of Hong Kong people. Introduction of KFC On the other hand, the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is the largest fried chicken shop in the world, and the second largest fast food chain after the McDonald's. Harland Sanders founded KFC in 1930 at Kentucky in the United States of America. KFC practically sells fried chicken pieces, coleslaw and drinks. The popularity of KFC's chicken comes trom its original secret recipe which mixed with 11 herbs and spices. Not Ilke the McDonald's, KFC has a smaller scale with only 63 stores In Hong Kong.However, the numbers didn't affect the KFC's second largest place of fast food chain In Hong Kong. Advantages and disadvantages of Fast Food always in busy life schedule. Facing the hard workload, they may only have half an hour to have a meal and rush beck to their work. Thus, these quick service restaurants help to solve to lack of time problem. Meals can be prepared within ten minutes. No matter how delicious other food are, Hong Kong people have not enough time to buy ingredients, co ok or enjoy. Second is the stability of food within one chain of fast food restaurant.Tastes are ainly the same in any store. You will never taste bad with the same meal. And the prices are predictable and affordable too. One fast food meal is always cheaper than you cook alone at home. However, fast food as called as Junk food, affecting people's health. Restaurant usually uses a lot of additives such as salt, flavorings and preservatives. The large amount of calories and additives are harmful to human body. Since the fast food is all pre-cooked, the nutrients of the ingredients are lost. Therefore, some people may say that fast food is only for surviving.Eating fast food in a long term may cause arious diseases such as diabetes and heart attack. Comparison of McDonald's and KFC In Hong Kong, McDonald's is obviously in a larger scale than KFC. Except the differences on the food kinds, the way they run the company are a bit different too. Apart from fast food restaurant, McDonald's have McCaf ©s to provide desserts and coffee like Starbucks. Besides, McDonald's have works in different area of society such as charity, children health affair. But the KFC is Just only a restaurant in Hong Kong. Therefore, people would called McDonald's as a better company than KFC in Hong Kong.

How to Study and Discuss Cases

The case study is a powerful learning tool for a business major student. We may find interpreting and writing about cases mystifying, challenging, or downright frustrating. First of all, we should have good attitude, such as personal initiative, self-reliance, curiosity, taking risk and patience.. We should be initiative to study, and to have confidence in ourselves, but also to think independently and find the solutions. Curiosity is necessary to mobilize us to observe and discover all stuff that related to the cases. Dare to take risks, because failure is the mother of success. To have enough patience to think about the case solution. Second, good infrastructure is also important to our case study. The infrastructure includes study environment, tool, other relative context for business case study. Studying in the right place is necessary to us to ensure the quality of learning and thinking because noisy environment diverse out attention from the cases. We also need enough time to read and analyze a case, and spend at least 90 minutes there for each case study. Business dictionary is an important tool for us to analysis cases because many people are not English speaker, and business dictionary helps those people understand all the terms in cases; it is a prerequisite for understanding the case. Expanding the amount of reading is another tool to understand and solve cases, especially business newspaper, magazine, and business-news Web site on the Internet. Those business reading materials not only help us build a context for the case study you are trying to solve at the moment and make connections between the case study and current events, but also helps us know recent market dynamics. Learning to use software such as Microsoft Excel to analyze the data in the case. We should form a study group and meets frequently because we will learn more and perform better in class participation by discussing the cases together in a learning team. We also need to know out professor because the professor is part of the learning infrastructure. Finally, we should keep good execution as well. Read the cases really quickly in the first reading, but do not take notes on the first reading, and read the first few paragraphs that usually say a well-constructed about the problem. Then, go through the exhibits and the data to analysis them. Focus on some basis questions, such as † Who are the protagonists in the case? â€Å", â€Å"Who must take action on the problem? † and so on. Getting answers for those basis questions is the first step of understand entire cases. Finally, we should define the problem based on the concepts, principal and theorem. After defining, we need to think about the solution of the case. When we make solution decision, we keep self-confidence and trust ourselves. In conclusion, analysis business case study is a comprehensive progress. Because there is no right answer to these cases. When we are in the class, we participate actively in support of our conclusions, but still be open to new insights since there is no an exact solution to such cases. Business case studying is a good way of thinking about business situation that we can carry from one job to the future. It is also to lead us to win in the future.

Consider the relationships between culture and social identity in Essay

Consider the relationships between culture and social identity in Pygmalion and Educating Rita - Essay Example The ‘Pygmalion myth’ was a favourite subject for the Victorian play wrights where Shaw was not an exception. Will Russell’s ‘Educating Rita’ is, to a certain extent, thematically similar to Shaw’s play ‘Pygmalion.’ The central figure of this play is Susan, who calls herself as Rita, hairdresser from Liverpool who has decided to get an education, not to seek for s new job but to explore an entirely new world which she has never experienced before. She selects an Open University English Literature course and joins the world of Professor Frank, an alcoholic. Though she was determined and completed her studies, she could not either receive or reject her new state. A comparison of both the plays unveils that both the dramatists have effectively used culture and social identity as a means to makes the readers aware of the ill-effects of class distinctions and certain other factors. The play [Educating Rita] is a searing assault on our ri gid class distinctions, and culture of ignorance and misunderstanding, aggravated by inequalities in wealth and education (Educating Rita, 2010). â€Å"In retrospect, Educating Rita is a personal success story and one of hope, at least at the time it was written† (Aguilar, C. M J p.29). One can see a similar theme in ‘Pygmalion’ where Eliza is in search of her personal identity and it advocates the decisive role of culture in moulding one’s identity. The proposed study is conducted on the grounds that culture has a predominant role in forming one’s social identity or social milieu. Culture and social identity have a reciprocal relation akin to the relation between individuality and social identity. It is common knowledge that the seeds of one’s individuality lay in one’s culture, that is, the social set up figures out a person’s individuality. This is crystal clear when observing the first

How have your personal and professional experiences influenced your Essay

How have your personal and professional experiences influenced your decision to pursue a career in medicine - Essay Example In my home country, I realized that many expectant mothers (my relatives) delivered at home for lack of access to healthcare services locally and for their incapacity to afford such services. As a result, many women end up dying as they are attended to untrained and inexperienced midwives in the home environment. My experience back at home reveals that the high levels of mortality and morbidity are directly related to the poor healthcare services that community members have access to. My experience in the U.S. has convinced me that the situation in Togo can be reversed so that members of public have equal access to quality healthcare services. In the U.S. people have great access to healthcare services and are well informed about how to prevent several ailments. My experience as a direct care specialist for individuals who are mentally and physically disabled has convinced me that with good care, the quality of life of patients can be significantly improved. Each of these experiences has motivated me to seek ways of improving people’s lives. My compassion toward those who are experiencing physical and emotional pain has been reinforced by my personal and professional experiences. At the end of the day, I would not want to see lives being lost due especially to medical

Global pharmaceutical industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global pharmaceutical industry - Essay Example As mentioned in the company's annual report (2003, p21), "In the fourth quarter of 2003, the Company reviewed its overall business cost structure, which resulted in a reduction in force at each of its segments. The Company expects this work force reduction to generate annual cost savings of approximately $10.0 million in 2004 and $13.0 million in subsequent years. The Company is evaluating other actions to reduce its cost base in 2004 and beyond". This program was designed to improve the company's ability to retain the profit gained through sales turnover by minimising the cost incurred by the company in maintaining the large number of employees. The company even raised an expense of $8.7 million in introducing and implementing this program in the organisation as mentioned in the company's annual report (2003, 8) as, "incurred an $8.7 million pre-tax charge, in connection with an employee reduction program". Alpharma Inc, as stated above, is said to be one of the giants in the international pharmaceutical industry. The company's business can be segmented into four dimensions of activities i.e., International Generics, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, US Human Pharmaceuticals, Animal Health etc (Annual report 2003, p7). The International Generics are basically the dosage pharmaceuticals that are provided to several countries around the world including the UK, the Middle East, China, and Indonesia etc. The Active Pharmaceutical ingredients consist of antibiotic medicines that are sold to other pharmaceutical industries in the United States, serving as the raw material for certain medicines in such industries. Human Pharmaceutical provides liquid and solid based medicine to other middle businesses in the country. Animal Health business segment provides a range of product line dealing in animal health medicine (Annual report 2003, p7). The company is engaged in doing business activities in around 60 countries around the globe. According to the company's annual report (2003, p7), "the Company conducts business in more than 60 countries and has approximately 4,700 employees at 40 sites, in 27 countries". The company reduced a considerable number of employees in the year 2003, on the rationale to combat the increasing costs and expenses affecting the company's profit margin. The company had been incurring severe losses for the past few years due to the increasing costs and expenses either incurred during the production and distribution, or during the operating activities of the business. However, the company's results for the year 2003 seem to be improving the financial position of the company as the company's management introduced a workforce reduction program, curtailing the number of employees in the company in order to minimise costs. This paper discusses the impact of workforce reduction program in Alpharma on the financial statements of the company for the year 2003. In the pursuit of discussion, financial ratios have been analysed in order to provide a better insight on every aspect of the company's financial position and performance. KEY RATIO ANALYSIS A company's financial statements are the representatives of the company's financial worth i.e., the financial position and performance in terms of facts and figures. In order to get a better picture of the key impact of the employee layoff program initiated by the Alpharma's management on the financial

Hospitality and Tourism Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hospitality and Tourism Industry - Essay Example (Smith, 2003, p. 17) The term 'sustainable tourism' usually denotes the application of the more general concept of sustainable development to tourism as a specific economic sector. The ethical responsibilities towards code of practice enable the industry to acquire a critical role in protecting the vital needs of not only mainstream population but also the minorities that exist without political backup and economic support. Whether it is political extravaganza targeting masses or be it minorities, the role of legislation and codes should be based on the recognition of human rights and custom values. Hall & Richards (2000) while providing example of sustainable environment highlights the hospitality sector in which there are particular procedures of the installation of state-of-the-art energy-saving technology and waste-management which are followed by most of the hotels. In this context it is better for a hotel to survive thereby adopting 'sustainability'. For example a hotel can almost immediately have an impact on costs and may increase revenue if the organisation advertises its 'green credentials' and so attracts more eco-conscious clients. (Hall & Richards, 2000, p. 64) However, this may well lead to an increase in the level of aggregate demand and consequently an overall rise in total energy use and waste generation. Furthermore, the larger number of visitors puts unintended and increased pressure on the local infrastructure, services and environment, the effect of which is uncertain, especially with regard to the additional financial burden which is likely to fall not onl y on the public sector but the private (business) and personal sectors (perhaps receiving no direct benefit from tourism), because of the increased costs of mitigating the adverse effects of tourism, particularly dealing with waste. Besides characteristics, what matters within the context of tourism, are the characteristics of the natural, cultural and built environments of destinations that attract tourists towards them. All environments are different and have their own unique features, and what makes a particular type of environment attractive for tourism is a function of value judgements and fashions that exist in society. (Holden, 2003, p. 24) Code of Practice from Managerial Aspect The major constraints in today's tourism industry are those approaches, which are adopted by the managers, thereby influencing the hospitality of the product and labour markets, organisational status and structure, including size of workplace, and culture are chief among the factors thought to place constraints on managers. Managers, as much as workers and

Standardized Terminology in Nursing Practice Research Paper

Standardized Terminology in Nursing Practice - Research Paper Example The 514 NIC interventions will usually be found arranged in thirty classes and seven domains. The terminology is often used along with the development of electronic health records, (EHRs) (Cordova et. al., 2010). Other nursing terminologies include the Nursing Outcomes Classification, (NOC) and Standardized Nursing Diagnoses (NANDA). None of the above nursing taxonomies however have been included in a system of health information that considers the entire care that nurses provide to patients. NIC is advantageous over the other terminologies since its link to Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED) proves more important because of its ease of comprehensibility and more controlled vocabulary for biomedical sciences (Cordova et. al., 2010). This mapping integrates the NIC with other healthcare disciplines and is used in more than twenty-five countries. The NIC can also be closely related to the international method for classifying nurses, which is a base for providing a common st ructure for nursing interventions, diagnoses and outcomes. It was developed to determine the nursing costs based on interventions that have undergone standardization. The NIC terminology provides a foundation for capturing a valid measure of the nursing workload (Cordova et. al., 2010). The nature of nursing would require that the nurse engage in the care of a patient from the less complicated outpatient routines to the invasive hemodynamic procedures. The nursing process underpins nursing in five inter-related and recurrent stages: data gathering, planning, implementation and examination. The application of this process has enabled the use of standard language for the major practise situations, which are diagnosis, results and interventions (Herdman & NANDA International, 2011). The interest in using standardized language during nursing became deeper when the NANDA’s classification for nursing diagnoses developed. The

Martial relationship having problems before and after getting married Essay

Martial relationship having problems before and after getting married in the United Arab Emirates, what are these problems and h - Essay Example Their traditional cultural and religious practices often clash with their contemporary thinking, as it still influences their personalities. This creates confusion and chaos in their marital relationships. Finding solutions to end marital problems in UAE requires counselling, educating and creating awareness about the responsibilities of marriage among the youth of Emirates. In the traditional patriarchal society of UAE, women are expected to be obedient, domesticated, and willing to attend to the needs of everyone in the family. In a marital relationship, she is particularly responsible to take care of: physical, sexual, emotional and domestic needs of her husband; children; and in-laws. Carrying out domestic or household chores is the sole responsibility of the womenfolk. Men are the traditional bread earners of the family, and therefore their decisions cannot be challenged by their wives. While this traditional patriarchal system has survived through ages, the 21st century woman i s breaking this concept. â€Å"Emirati women in 2010 were ranked number one in terms of gender equality among the whole Arab world and our ranking internationally was 103. This is a big leap,† said Shamsa Saleh, Chief Executive Officer of the DWE. (Chowdhury, 2011 April 02, Khaleej Times Online ) The society of UAE is mostly governed by Islamic laws, also called sharia and family laws pertaining to marriage and divorce are handled accordingly. Muslim men are allowed to have four wives at the same time and they can even marry non-Muslim women. However, they have to bear the financial expenditures of all their wives and children. They are the ‘providers’ of their wives and children and in return their wives are supposed to be absolutely chaste, obedient, and available to satisfy their sexual and domestic needs. United Arab Emirates is one of the advanced countries in the entire gulf region. Exposure to foreign lifestyle due to tourism, foreign media, multinational organizations with its multinational work force and education has gradually changed the social system of Emirates. The youth has responded well to the social changes and they find it implausible to fit the traditional practices in their modern and contemporary lifestyles. The most adverse affect of the clash of civilizations has been on marital relationships. An increase in the divorce rate has been recorded in UAE during the past few decades. â€Å"According to latest available statistics, the UAE leads GCC states in divorce rates, which hit 36 per cent, reported 'Emarat Al Youm'†. (Emirates 24/7, March 04, 2011) Many reasons have been cited for this, among which infidelity, patriarchal system, dowry, inability to understand each other’s personal, emotional, physical and financial needs are prominent. A divorce not only shatters a family but creates social instability as well. 2. Premarital problems: Marriages in the traditional UAE society are arranged by elders or p arents of the bride and groom. Family or cousin marriages are usually preferred as social status is considered as an important aspect of marriage. Financial aspects might become a cause of pre-marital problems as the girl’s family has to arrange for dowry and the overall wedding expenses can go really high. This puts undue strain on the budgets of both the families and might create discord between the married couple. According to Maitha Al Shamsi, Minister of State and Head of the State Marriage Fund,

Maternal Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Maternal Obesity - Essay Example The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports reveals that at the beginning stage of pregnancy, one in five women are obese. Hence reducing obesity during, before, and after the pregnancy should be considered as a matter of public health importance. The obesity in pregnancy has been rapidly increasing and has now become a common risk obstetric condition in many countries. The reason for the health organizations to take extra care in the issue of maternal obesity is that the consequences of it are high and associated with adverse reproductive outcomes and hypertensive disorders and also causes for gestational diabetes mellitus, cesarean delivery, and increased risk for obesity of the child. Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) As Rivis and Sheeran (2003) explain, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was derived from the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and explains the three predicator of behavior – attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. Attitude refers the beliefs of an individual about the outcomes of the behavior mixed with an evaluation of the significance of these outcomes. The Theory of Planned Behavior is somewhat similar to the Health Belief Model. ... The results explain that both models were able to predict an important part in the variance of dieting and fasting follow-up behavior. The direct aspect of the perceived control evaluates the extent of access that the individuals believe to have in formulating the behavior question. On the other hand, the indirect aspect of perceived control is normally obtained by assessing some definite aspects, called control beliefs, which have the capability both to make it easier and to make it difficult to achieve a behavior. The Theory of Planned Behavior analysis reports no direct connection between the intention to eat healthfully and eating behavior. Besides, age, gender, and BMI were the important factors forming the response of the people. The TPB is formulated on the idea that the stronger the intention to carry out a provided behavior, the greater the chance that a person will execute that behavior. The results from the various studies prove that TPB is helpful in predicting the factor s that are directly connected with healthy eating behavior. Many factors lead to healthy eating behaviors, and the TPB can be used as a tool to formulate intervention strategies to promote healthy eating habits among the youth, especially the women who are more faced with the risk of obesity and overweight. Other factors such as attitude, barriers, are subjective norm which have chances to influence the eating behaviors, are also added to the model of TBP. At last, the suggestion is towards the parents to take reasonable care in maintaining a healthy eating habit for their children. Social and Cultural factors affecting the maternal Obesity. The causes behind the obesity are multifaceted and consist of social, cultural, genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. Generally, obesity

Atenism as Related to Henotheism, Monotheism, and Polytheism Research Paper

Atenism as Related to Henotheism, Monotheism, and Polytheism - Research Paper Example It was a peaceful religion with brotherhood and kindness, taking precedence over the activities of daily living. Although many have considered it a type of pre-cursor to monotheism; there is no proof that it was; neither was it polytheism. It was actually a quasi-blend of the two more associated with the New Age religions, also known as henotheism. Atenism as Related to Henotheism, Monotheism, and Polytheism Initially one can say there are elements of monotheism, polytheism, and henotheism intrinsic to the ancient Egyptian religion of Atenism. In taking a closer look, Atenism is not polytheism, the worship of many gods and goddesses, or monotheism, the worship of one close and personal god, exclusive of all others, but more closely related to henotheism, a blend of the two where there is one main deity, either with multiple manifestations and names, or one main deity with many associates. While early Egyptologists felt that Atenism was a predecessor of monotheism, there has been no p roof linking that cult with today’s traditional monotheistic beliefs. (Lawlor, 2007) Atenism is the religion associated with the worship of Aten, the sun disk, who until about the 12th century B.C., was just one of the many gods and goddesses associated with ancient Egyptian religion. ... worship of other gods was permitted; however within five years of its introduction; Atenism had become the supreme religion with only one Supreme Being worshipped. During this time, Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaton, Glorious Spirit of the Aten, beneficial to Aten. He then proceeded to build a new city in honor of Aten, Akhenaten, the horizon of the sun disc; it is near what is known today as Amarna, between Thebes and Memphis in the Valley of the Kings. There is some speculation that since pharaohs were thought to be deity personified that perhaps Akhenaton was, as well, the messenger person for Aten. (Geller,2002) With the installation of Aten, nine years from the beginning of Akhenaton’s reign, all traces of Amun, the previous supreme deity, were erased even to the point of chiseling the inscription off of temples, statues and entering tombs to remove all traces of the former deity. This was a common practice aimed at removing the old and instituting the new as tho ugh the old never existed; it continues with Egyptian history today, as the national history books are re-edited with the installation of new leaders, showing the previous leaders as ineffective and requiring replacement. (Geller, 2002) In Atenism, God is seen as loving and beneficent, protecting and supporting his people through his very presence, which is real enough, though not personally involved. He is not seen as authoritarian, judgmental, and justice-oriented. The worship of idols was banned, and all references to Aten in written form were shown using a sun disk whose rays culminated in upraised hands. Later, Akhenaton permitted it to be written phonetically; a symbol of his radicalism in the new religion.

Pilchard Impact and Requirement Essay Example for Free

Pilchard Impact and Requirement Essay Pilchard or sardines are groups of small fishes which belong to the herring family. They are caught almost throughout the year especially in the night. Pilchards are rich in minerals and they are usually consumed in different ways. They are also referred to as low-value pelagic species. Pilchard and Tuna The introduction of tuna farming had a major impact on pilchard hunting simply because it was found to be a major source of food for the tuna. This resulted in an increase emphasis on pilchard research and farming. Pilchards are mostly used to feed carnivorous fishes such as tuna, trout and salmon. Pilchard farming requires marine scalefish fishers, not targeted for recreational purposes, provides feeds for predator species such as salmon, and tuna, fishing methods (use of small mesh and fishing done by night), and pilchard farming done in temperate waters. Pilchard farming is of great economic importance. About 20 pounds of pilchard is required to produce a pound of tuna, indicating a resource-intensive form of producing tuna and depleting the stock of small fishes. This will ultimately disrupt the aquatic ecosystem in that it will not only affect the fishes alone but marine mammals and seabirds directly or indirectly. Some documentation about the introduction of viral infection into the aquatic ecosystem has been documented. Several factors such as ecological integrity, social justice and status of the pilchard population must be maintained. Pilchard and Dolphins Dolphin swim license is indirectly related to pilchard in that pilchard is not farm for ecological purpose, and dolphin only feeds on them as an opportunistic predator. Dolphin feeding on pilchard will cause a major and drastic decrease in their population and subsequently leading to enormous financial loss. Conclusion Considering the immediate need for tuna fishes and the relationship between the fish and pilchard, the tuna license should be granted while licensing dolphin swim should not be allowed because of it the negative impact on the aquatic ecosystem, and associated financial loss. References Lopez, D. (2005). â€Å"Interaction between bottlenose dolphins and fish farms: could there be an economic impact†. Retrieved May 23, 2009 from http://www. thebdri. com/resources/downloads/ICES2005X10. pdf PIRSA Fisheries, (2009). â€Å"Sardine (Pilchard) fishery†. Commercial fishing Retrieved May 23, 2009 from http://www. pir. sa. gov. au/fisheries/commercial_fishing/sardine_pilchard_fishery Primary industries and resources, (2009). â€Å"Ecological assessment of the south Australian pilchard fishery†. South Australian fisheries management series. Retrieved May 22, 2009 from http://www. pir. sa. gov. au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/12858/sa_pilchard_submission. pdf Stuart, N. (2001). â€Å"Tuna farmers face fresh challenges†. Landline Retrieved May 23, 2009 from http://www. abc. net. au/landline/stories/s363097. htm

Paraprofessional for Special Needs Children

Paraprofessional for Special Needs Children Paraprofessional for Special Needs Children For the past eleven years I have been a paraprofessional for special needs children. During those years I have learned about the different treatments and intervention techniques used for the various disorders among children. Through hands-on activities at work, various workshops , seminars and my own research, I have acquired knowledge about the different disabilities. I now feel I know what to expect from a student and can make the right judgment calls in different situations in order to facilitate learning. I have learned to manage children in both groups and individually, clerical responsibilities, organizational and creative abilities, , written and spoken communication skills, following instructions given by the teacher, and classroom management. Children with special needs have certain deficits, which warrant special support to â€Å"survive† a day at school. Room preparation and preparation of class materials is very important. The classroom should be set up so that there is a smooth â€Å"flow† to it. From the moment the child arrives in the morning, the daily routine should start. An example of a classroom for special needs children will be found at the end of this paper. Preparation of classroom materials is also important. Children should have a â€Å"bin† of some sort filled with materials to use for their programs and tasks. For example, if John is working on counting, alphabet and colors then the flash cards, manipulatives and picture cards should be in the bin labeled with his name on it. This way,when it is time for him to work everything is ready. Also, if there is an art project scheduled, all necessary materials should be ready. Children with special needs find it very difficult to wait for any lengthy period of time. It is very important to have the day flow as easily and as smoothly as possible. The daily schedule is important aspect in having a successful day. Each child has his own schedule due to the different services that each one has. Not all children receive all services, which may be OT (occupational therapy), PT (physical therapy), or speech. Some schedules may be in pictures and other in words. Not all children are capable of reading and therefore some children may be more adaptable to pictures. The classroom teacher would determine this. All of these supports and organizational aids help in supporting children with special needs especially those with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) and AD/HD (attention deficit/hyperactive disorder). Their information processing difficulties and auditory weaknesses require much support. In addition, their problems in the areas of social understanding make it difficult for them to distinguish between what is important and what is not. Their problems with organizational skills sometimes make them look lazy which is another reason why they need visual supports such as pictoral or written schedules. An example of a child’s schedule is as follows: Independent work Work session 1 Work session 2 Lunch Group work Work session 3 Speech Music All done Pack-up Go home A piece of construction paper is laminated as well as all the instructions. Each instruction is velcroed onto the construction paper. When the child enters the class in the morning he removes the first instruction over to â€Å"Time for†. Then when that task is done the child goes back to his schedule and places the completed task into the pouch marked â€Å"All done† and moves the next task over to â€Å"Time for†. This is done throughout the day. Directing and facilitating attention to the teacher and/or task is another responsibility of the paraprofessional. Children who are more able – those with mild learning disabilities and attention problems – can basically take in and process information that the teacher is presenting and just need to be refocused toward the teacher. Less able students are less capable to take in information successfully so in this case the paraprofessional needs to take a more directive role with regard to instruction. The Para also needs to take on a greater responsibility for using the modifications and supports needed to promote the student’s attention. This is where the role of the Para is extremely important. He/she needs to make effective decision-making in selecting the best supports to aid in the student’s understanding and which promote learning. Another important aspect, which I have learned, is pre and post-teaching. They are the backbones of direct Para support for students with significant disabilities especially in the inclusion classroom, which is at a much faster pace that a self-contained class. (A self-contained class is a class which has only special education students in it.) Pre-teaching is a concept or lesson that helps the student to become more familiar with the materials and activities at their own pace. Therefore when the lesson is given in a group the student will have already become familiar with the topic. It would be like going to Spain without any knowledge of the Spanish language. Your anxiety level would be very high when spoken to and you would have no idea what was said. However, if you had taken a few Spanish speaking classes you would at least be familiar with some of the conversation and able to put the whole idea together. Post-teaching is also very important because it reinforces any question th e student may have. It also promotes generalization, which is one area in which children with ASD have great difficulty. Many children with ASD can learn in one setting but when taken out of that setting they can’t seem to know what was taught in the original setting. The importance, which I have learned, of pre and post-teaching cannot be over-exaggerated because it can help the student become more comfortable and more responsive in the learning environment. In working with ASD children I have also learned that breaking down tasks into smaller units is very helpful because then the task will not be so overwhelming. For example, during a math lesson the teacher will instruct the students to do the twelve problems on a certain page and when they are done the whole class will go over it. For a child with ASD these twelve problems may look like 100 problems. Not able to verbalize what the problem is, the student may act out and become disruptive in the class. It may appear that the student just didn’t want to do it. There may be several solutions to this problem. One may be to cover half the problems with a sheet of plain paper so that visually there are fewer problems that need to be done, or have the student do them at intervals throughout the day. This will result in the student being successful with the task and will also eliminate any behavioral disruption. As a Para, I learned that there are countless ways to adapt and modify the curriculum to help the special needs child perform and participate more effectively. Appropriate materials and the correct environment can also support the child in the learning process. There are long-standing supports such as daily schedules and short-term supports which would be direct instruction modification. The math example, as stated above, is short-term. For the most part, adjustments regarding teaching materials and modifications are the responsibility of the Para. However, it is the duty of the Para to review any adaptations with the certified staff member. We, as Paras, are the support staff. We are under the direction and supervision of the classroom or special area teacher. Any curricular modification directly affects the content of the student’s educational program. I learned data taking is another important responsibility of the Para. Many times, because of frustration, anxiety and the lack of being able to verbalize what the problem is, children with ASD will have problem behaviors. It is important to understand that problem behaviors are different than a behavior problem. If you consider a student a behavior problem than you look no further than the student himself. However, if you view the student as having problem behaviors, you are more likely to look for causes either from the environment or within the student himself. When a Para recognizes that there is a problem behavior, the certified staff member and the psychologist should meet to discuss what behavioral supports may be necessary. You, as the Para, will be asked to take data. This data is called ABC; A-antecedent, B-behavior exhibited and C-consequence. ABC DATA Antecedent Behavior Consequence Math lesson fell to the floor removed from room When the behavior occurs, the Para will write down what occurred before, what the behavior was and what consequence was given for the behavior. How long you take the data is at the discretion of the certified staff and psychologist. Once the data is taken, it is reviewed and a behavioral support plan is put into place. One type of plan is â€Å"if-then† support. For example, â€Å"If you throw your worksheet on the floor, then you will lose time on the computer.† It is very important that the child understands and knows what the targeted behavior and consequence is in order for the behavioral support to work. Another type of behavioral support is a token system. The child is told that when he/she gets five tokens (pennies, stickers, smiley faces, etc.) he gets to choose a preferred activity for a certain amount of time. This type of behavioral support reinforces good behavior. There are many other types of behavioral support plans and it is important to know that no two are the same. The type of plans and how it is implemented depends on each child. If implemented correctly it can have a significant impact for positive behavioral change. One important aspect in problem behaviors is to watch that the inappropriate behavior not be inadvertently reinforced. Some children act out for task avoidance. In reality the student is acting out to be removed from the situation. When this occurs the Para needs to work through the behavior. However, there are circumstances in inclusive settings where the child must be removed because it is too distracting to the typical peers. If this occurs, the child should be removed but the task must be completed in order to show the child that his behavior will not be rewarded and â€Å"get him out of doing his work†. In addition to all, which I have learned, clerical tasks are another aspect of being a Para. One clerical task is to provide a written record of the student’s daily functioning. These records are a part of the student’s programming. Giving the team important information regarding progress, setbacks and an insight into future planning is critical. Another part of the clerical tasks is also keeping data on IEP (Individualized Education Plan) goals. A Para should be proactive in consulting with the teacher to find out the goals and keeping accurate records regarding them. One example of an IEP goal would be: John will initiate game playing with a peer with 80% accuracy. A data sheet with data will show if John is reaching the goal over a certain period of time. The data will also show whether John is having difficulty accomplishing this goal and if so, adjustments should be made to the way in which this goal is being addressed. The daily record and the data on IEP goals ar e very crucial parts of supporting the student and should not be taken lightly. They are essential because they provide records for meetings and will aid the child’s next teacher, and possibly a new Para, in the event you are reassigned. All of the supports, which a Para gives to a special needs child, serve an important purpose. The support given promotes understanding, minimizes anxiety, gives a positive influence on behavior, promotes independence and competence and strengthens the overall student learning. Without these supports, students with special needs are left to help themselves. Under those circumstances stress and anxiety increase and the learning process is compromised. The proper support can mean the difference between success and failure. Through the past eleven years the knowledge that I acquired is endless and ongoing. I’ve learned about different learning disabilities, child development, instructional process for different special needs children, and most of all, working together as a team with the certified staff. As a Paraprofessional I know my role is critical to the successful school experience of the student. When a child has accomplished even the smallest goal it gives me great satisfaction and pleasure to know that I played an important part in making a difference in the life of a special needs child. These are positive steps and make me feel proud of the particular child. What happens as a result is that they themselves become encouraged by their achievement. There are days when it is particularly challenging to help a student complete a task, but these challenges are usually overcome by meeting with the team and following specific suggestions. From the Author Unknown â€Å"†¦it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove†¦ but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a CHILD.†

History And Overview Of Frances Beauty Industry Economics Essay

History And Overview Of Frances Beauty Industry Economics Essay France is ranked 16th in the Global Competitive Report up two places from last year and demonstrating a number of competitive strengths, such as an infrastructure that is ranked second in the world, a healthy workforce, a high quality of education, a sophisticated business culture and leadership in the area of technological innovation. On the other hand, as indicated in the Global Competitive Report, France suffers from high non wage labour costs and strict rules on hiring and firing and poor labour employer relations. There is also a govern GDP Per Capita, (US$), 2007..$41,511.2 GDP: (US$ billions), 20072,560.3 GDP (PPP) as share (%) of world total, 2007à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.3.17 Total Population: (millions), 200760.9 Median Age: 39 Land Area: Largest land area of all EU members Unemployment: 7% 2008 Current President Nicolas Sarkozy ment budget deficit which is above the EU threshold of 60% and national savings rates are low. (Global Competitive Report, 2008/09 p.19) Although France is currently in a good position in 16th place, the global economy is changing and new competitors are closing in. This paper will examine the challenges that France and their beauty industry are facing. France key facts: source: The Global Competitive Report 2008-09 Exhibit A Economic PerformanceFrances Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has aligned with the European average somewhat, although, as the graph below illustrates, France has fared better than the EU within the last year. Exhibit B This chart created on the Eurostat website, compares Frances Real GDP with the European Union (EU) average. Real gross domestic product (GDP) is a macroeconomic measure of the size of an economy adjusted for price changes (that is, adjusted for changes in the value of money: inflation or deflation.) source: Real gross domestic product. Web. ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_gross_domestic_product>. Legend:Blue = FranceGreen = EU (27 countries)source:http//epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/graph.do?tab=graphinit=1toolbox=typelanguage=enpcode=tsieb010plugin=0http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/graph.do Frances Gross Domestic Product per capita (PPP US$)The Human Development report and the Global Competitive Report demonstrate that Frances purchasing power parity (PPP) has declined since 1993 to 33,000 plus/minus. Human Development Report 2009 Exhibit C Human development index 2007 and its components GDP per capita (PPP US$) HDI Rank Country 2007 1 Norway 53,433 1 2 Australia 34,923 3 Iceland 35,742 4 Canada 35,812 5 Ireland 44,613 1 6 Netherlands 38,694 7 Sweden 36,712 8 France 33,674 9 Switzerland 40,658 10 Japan 33,632 11 Luxembourg 79,485 source: http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/indicators/91.html accessed March 29 2010 source: Global Competitive Report 2008/09Exhibit D Innovation MeasuresThe Global Competitive Report says Although less-advanced countries can still improve their productivity by adopting existing technologies or making incremental improvements in other areas, for countries that have reached the innovation stage of development, this is no longer sufficient to increase productivity. Firms in these countries must design and develop cutting-edge products and processes to maintain a competitive edge. (Global Competitive Report, 2008/2009, page 6) Exhibit D shows France in blue is ahead in the percentage of GDP for RD. This hides the fact that Germany one of Frances competitors which we will discuss later in the Cosmetic industry analysis, spends a considerable amount more than France. Although France in blue is ahead in the percentage of GDP they spend on RD another important aspect of innovation is patents. Exhibit E shows that Germany has double the amount of patents. Gross Domestic Expenditure on RDExhibit D France = Blue EU = Green Germany has double the amount of patents than France Exhibit E Analysing the date from the Global Competitiveness Report it is clear that France is suffering in the ranking for innovation and sophisticatio n as illustrated below. Exhibit F France is losing behind Germany who is winning currently in 4th place Exhibit F: Innovation and sophistication factors According to Porter, a nations competitiveness depends on the capacity of its industry to innovate and upgrade. Companies gain advantage against the worlds best competitors because of pressure and challenge. (Porter, On Competition, p.171, 2008) In Exhibit F France is holding steady in 14th position an explanation for their lack of improvement is shown in Exhibit G state of cluster development, where France is low and their rate of patent development is low compared to its competitors, for example, Germany, Japan and the U.S.A. source: Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009Exhibit G France P E S T Analysis POLITICAL LANDSCAPE Overview French political system can be described as semi-presidential form of democratic republic. France has improved considering the rule of law and accountability. France ranks in the 91.3 percentile on voice and accountability as of 2007, which is an improvement from 2002, when it was ranked in the 84.1 percentile. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. Page 3) However, France is still considered as a highly centralized country and the elite group is significantly involved in the state and corporate sectors. Moreover, corruption seems to be one of the main issues in French politics. Strengths Political stability can be considered one of Frances strengths. Elections are fair and transparent. Although initially the socialist parties were more popular and therefore winning the elections, lately the majority of the society has voted for pro-reform parties. Before the elections president Sarkozy made following promises: a reduction of unemployment, flexible labour laws, pension reform and tax changes. Frances approach to preventing terrorism is considered to be one of the most effective in Europe. However, it did not come free and the price was limiting civil liberties. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 14) Weaknesses Although the current French government is definitely pro-reform, the rest of French society seems to be opposed to the changes. For example, the government wants to simplify public administration and bureaucracy, promote the competition in the market as well as make minimum wages flexible. (www.lemonde.fr)(EWA I sort of know what you mean but can you include a couple of the changes that the government want to bring in. I understand that the citizens would be unwilling to accept any change that would lower wages but does the French government want to lower wages that would also go against what Porter says is the point of being competitive. The population is unwilling to adopt any measures that cause a decrease in wages. One of the reasons would be the decline in purchasing power of the French population. As already mentioned in exhibit B above France is already showing a decline in GDP (PPP US$) per capita. Improving the pension system and modernizing the labour market has been delay ed because of the unwillingness of French citizen to accept change. In general, the reforms are being delayed. Moreover, the liberalization process is also not as dynamic as hoped for, in effect, president Sarkozy is losing his popularity. In regional elections on 21st March the Socialist Party gained 54 % while UMP 35 % only. (Web. . Accessed March 15 2010). Opportunities Improving French foreign policy has been one of president Sarkozys main goals. So far he has been successful. France has returned to NATOs military command. It has helped US in isolating Iran because of its nuclear power. In general, France has been lately very active in international relationships. With no doubt improved foreign relations will help the economic relations with these countries. French National Assembly composition Source: Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 39. President Sarkozys administration has also finally improved French bureaucracy which now should be more transparent and efficient. Threats In France, the government has continued to play a prominent role in business compared to many other EU countries. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. Page 16) A concentration of elite citizens in power helps corruption practices and also help to influence government policies which in effect can block development. (Political Science: An Introduction, Michael G. Roskin, June 2005, P. 79) Moreover, since the government becomes more unpopular while trying to implement the reforms (can we get a list of the reforms then I can weave that into this paragraph pension system reform, health care system reform, public administration reform, reform of work conditions regulations un contrat unique, reform of public finances, tax system reform, corporation tax reform) there is a risk that it will become populist to gain power back. There have been a number of protests against reform measures. ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE Overview The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated that France faced a 3 % fall in growth in 2009. The decrease of income and wages combined with rising unemployment will affect domestic consumption. Because of the opposition implementing Sarkozys reforms is not going smoothly. Frances credit rating might be affected. That will increase the cost of funding for future governments and business enterprises.(Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 14) Strengths President Sarkozys pro-reform approach affected in general review of public policy. This caused the improvement in public services and therefore reducing the public costs. French infrastructure is one of the best in Europe. There are over 10,000 km of well-maintained highways in France. That is better result than in Germany or UK. French railway network is also very well established. France is seen as global air transport hub with 27 airports. The world-class infrastructure network enables France to offer international investors excellent conditions for doing business and also drive the overall economic engine of the nation. ((Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 18) Weaknesses French external debt is above the EU limit of 60% and most probably will stay this way. Moreover, the share in exports in the Eurozone has fallen by 16% during 1999-2007. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 18) As the reasons for this situation can be named low level of industry specialization and poor price competitiveness of French industries. Moreover, Frances effective corporate tax burden is higher than EU average. Opportunities The privatization of telecommunications, electricity, gas, postal services, rail freights as well as the services sector has been in place for a while. The government has also introduced stimulus plan. The hope is that increased investment spending will stimulate domestic consumption. Threats The financial system in France is still significantly being regulated and administrated. What has helped French economy now to recover from global crisis, might create a problem in the future. Structural reforms in public enterprises, pensions and the constitution need to be completed now; otherwise France will lose the competition with countries with more liberalized systems like UK or Germany. SOCIAL LANDSCAPE Overview While social structure considered an aging population and relatively high unemployment rate seem to be main issues. As well as deficient educational system; (Global competitive report, Porter and Schwab, p.19) describes the education system as a whole is high/strength but the flexibility of the labour force is the problem as well as poor labour relations) this partly can be blamed for high unemployment rate. Unemployment rate was 10 % in January 2010. Web. Accessed March 15 2010. Monthly unemployment rates August 2008 January 2010: Strengths Taking into consideration social parameters in general France has been rather successful. For example, life expectancy at birth is in France 80 years; in terms of gender equality there is a positive social climate for women. France has one of the highest birth rate in Europe. Unlike in many other European countries although the rate is decreasing, France is still doing well. Frances birth rate of about 1.8 children per woman in 2006 makes it the only European country with the possibility of maintaining its current population. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. p. 22) Weaknesses An aging population and early retirement are serious issues on French social landscape. These issues have not been given enough attention by policy makers which now may cause big problem of additional government expenditure. Low labour participation is another issue as well as the fact that French workers work relatively low hours yearly. Source: Web. Accessed: March 15 2010 Another challenge is educational system which has not kept with changing industrial order. Opportunities New scheme Active Solidarity Revenue (RSA) has been introduced by French government. The aim is to prevent unemployment and poverty. The programme will persuade people to look for a job rather than living off social benefits. Threats Frances wage hikes have not seen an equal increase in productivity or increase in output. Thus, wage increases have become unrealistic. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 22) By continuing this policy while the wages are increased but the productivity is not increasing is a serious threat for economic growth. Moreover, France is losing competition on global market where products from emerging Asian countries are present. French government has passed new rules regarding immigrants who want to live in the country or acquiring French nationality. On one side it will help to stop illegal immigrants, however on the other side it will also put off well educated foreigners to work in France. TECHNOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE Overview RD situation in France is satisfying, although far from perfect. The level of public investment in RD is around 2 % of GDP while EUs aim is 3 %. Moreover, private sector funding is still not pleasing. Public involvement is declining and private sector funding still not increasing. This situation might cause problems in future. To improve this condition the Agency for Industrial Innovation has been established. Its main task is to support innovation in large companies. Web. Accessed March 15 2010 Strengths What can be considered as main strength is relatively large number of patents received by France. France ranks fourth in the world in terms of number of patents granted for its innovation. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 24) This situation is caused by the approach of successive French government to RD. Research and higher education are priorities of the current government. Large amount from yearly budget is dedicated to support these domains. Political commitment to RD is therefore high in France. Weaknesses Although RD is considered as an important issue by politicians Frances expenditure is at 2 % of GDP only. For comparison it is 2.68% in US and 3.18 % of GDP in Japan. Moreover, the spending on RD as a percentage of GDP by French government is declining. In addition, the input from private sector is still not rewarding. This situation will without any doubts influence future technological development of the country. Opportunities French national research and innovation policy aims to promote innovation, increase the participation of private sector, and improve the cooperation between public and private sector. The goal is to increase the spending on RD to 3 % of GDP and one third of this amount should come from private sector. Threats France lacks the coordination and one clear policy regarding RD sector. There are many research and knowledge institutes which objectives are overlapping each other. One united strategy is needed. Furthermore, there is lack of efficient communication between research institutes and private companies, therefore resources are not being used fully. Moreover, the lack of the connection between the producers and consumers of the technology can be observed. Public RD centres very often do help in application of new technology in industry. In effect, efforts and costs will be duplicated. Beauty products in France cluster analysis 1/ Description of the cluster, cluster size and performance The cosmetics and toiletries (CT) industry in France is estimated at 8 billion EUR in sales and can be divided into the following categories:       * Skincare, colour cosmetics:    37%       * Hair products :    23 %       * Perfumes :    20 %       * Toiletries:    19 %       * Other :    1 % Although in total export value, the CT industry in France shows growth of 6.5% between 1999 and 2005, in terms of global market share, France has declined from 31,6% to 28,5% during the same period. Despite this, France is still a dominant market leader with its export value sales double the amount of the second and third largest exporters Germany and USA with export value of just below 4 billion EUR respectively.Rossi, Prlic, Hoffman; November 2007, Global Insight Report, p.14 Frances beauty care industry has two specialised regional sub-clusters the PASS cluster (Parfum, Arà ´mes, Senteurs et Saveurs perfume, aromas, scents and flavours) in the Provence-Alpes-Cà ´tes dAzur region, and the Cosmetic Valley cluster (Sciences de la Beautà © et du bien à ªtre Science of beauty and well-being) based in the Centre and Normandy region.ClickPress, July 2008 [http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/82987005cp.shtml] The beauty products cluster consists of just few large corporations and over 400 Small medium enterprises (SMEs) with 25 250 employees. There has been an estimation of 855 companies in the CT industry with less than 10 employees. Rossi, Prlic, Hoffman; November 2007, Global Insight Report, p.4 Major companies include LOreal which is the global market leader with annual sales of US $ 17.7 billion, followed by Japanese owned Shiseido (US $ 5.4 billion), LVMH (US $ 2.7 billion) and Yves Rocher (US $ 1.8 billion). Smaller companies include Chanel, Clarins, Pierre Fabre Dermo Cosmetique and Yves Saint Laurent. Beauty packaging, October/November 2005 [http://www.beautypackaging.com/articles/2005/10/top-20-global-beauty-companies.php] International groups in the cosmetics sector such Beiersdorf, Henkel, Coty Inc, Puig Group and Pacific Europe have a strong presence in France and benefit from a vibrant business environment that also serves as a test market. France also offers expertise in associated industries, such as bottle manufacturing and the production of aromas and scents. Invest in France agency press release at ClickPress [http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/82987005cp.shtml] Institutions for collaboration The Cosmetic Valley and PASS regional sub-clusters support active cooperation between companies, research organisations, training institutions, laboratories, universities and suppliers. International investment into the industry is promoted and facilitated by the Invest in France Agency (IFA). ClickPress, July 2008 [http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/82987005cp.shtml] Cluster Map 2/ History The reason behind the perception of France as the cradle of beauty and luxury goes back to the 16th century when it became the center of cosmetic industry starting with the manufacturing of parfumes. Although historically the first European parfume makers originated in Venice, the trade with parfumes developed strongly during the 17th century in France which is today recognised as the dominant parfume manufacturer. This is the result of the attention and support given to the industry by the King Louis XIV whose policies stimulated luxury trade. The use of parfumes spread among the aristocrats and the trade flourished with first parfume guild being established in 1729 in the Provence region. By the 18th century, the original parfume makers started selling other beauty products such as hair dyes, powders, rouges, soaps and white face paints. The industry started being commercialised after the French revolution in 1789 as manufacturers seeked ways to avoid the association with aristocracy. The guild system was abolished in 1791 and first cosmetic shops were opened in Paris, exports to neighbouring countries also started during this time. In the 19th century, French manufacturers developed chemical processes of replacing aromas obtained by natural means with beauty products based on scientific research. This has led to inventions of completely new scents that were not just à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡copying existing natural scents. Separate male and female fragrances were also introduced during this period. Increased demand led to need for larger production facilities. First parfume factory was built in 1840 in Parisian suburb La Villette by an entrepreneour L.T. Piver. Distribution channels were developed as prices of cosmetics became more accessible to the common man and manufacturers were by now producing branded products as well as private labels for department stores. During the late 19th century, an entrepreneur Francois Coty made a major impact on the cosmetic business. His achievements include setting up own salesforce (unheard of in the cosmetics business until than) and using designer bottles for parfumes (until than parfumes were sold in pharmacy-like simple bottles) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡ to attract the eye as much as the nose. His aim was to keep the perception of cosmetic s  as a luxury that more people can afford and he succeeded in bringing cosmetics and parfumes to the masses. By the end of 19th century three quarters of French parfumes and beauty products were sold abroad thanks to the developed infractracture which made it easy to export products to Europe and the US. Typically sales were managed through local import agents. Some bigger manufactuterers such as Coty or Piver later established their own shops in other countries (Pivor in London, Coty in New York). In 1907 Eugene Schueller started new company Socià ©tà © Franà §aise de Teintures Inoffensives pour Cheveux selling hair dyes for hairdressers. The vision of the company was to doà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡research and innovation in the interest of beauty. Later renamed as LOreal, the company had by 1950s over 100 researchers. Today LOreal is a leader in the beauty products industry. Geoffrey Jones, 2007, Imagining Beauty: The History of the Global Beauty Business, p.16 38 3/ Competition and trends According to the Global Insight Inc, the world cosmetics market grew between 2000 and 2006 in Europe and China but declined slightly in US and Japan (Exhibit 2). EU15 United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Luxemburg, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Italy EU 12 Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Poland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Cyprus EU 27 = sum of the above Exhibit 2 The forecasts show expected further growth especially in developing regions such as China and central eastern Europe (EU12). (Exhibit 3) Exhibit 3 France has kept its dominant position as the leading exporter of beauty products over many years selling double the amount than its closest competitors Germany and US. The growth in value is 6.5% between 1999 and 2005. This however is lower compared to EU average (8.3% growth) as well as compared with the rest of the major beauty exporters in world USA, China and Japan (8.1% growth). This means that on the global scale, France is losing market shares. (Exhibit 3) Exhibit 3 Revealed comparative advantage Global Insight Inc measured the Revealed comparative advantage of nations exporting beauty products and in its findings we see that France is positioned in the upper right quadrant (Cosmetic Industry RCA Analysis, Exhibit 4) the threatened industries. The graph shows us that France is by far the largest exporter, is well positioned but its position is weakening due to lesser growth compared to other countries. On the other hand, the only countries showing intensive growth are developing nations that started at a much weaker base. The market for French products has matured in the developed regions of western Europe and the US which have been traditionally the largest export countries for French products. As a conclusion, France will now have to be more aggressive in creating a strong position in the developing markets of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) countries + central and eastern Europe to regain its growth. This assumption is supported by the data from French customs which point to fast growing cosmetics sales to the emerging markets, while the EU plays a less important role in French exports (50% against 64%). Between 1998 and 2008, sales growth in emerging countries was two times faster than it is for all exports of cosmetics. The share of emerging countries in total sales of cosmetics rose from 14.9% in 1998 to 24.6% in 2008, with particularly strong sales in China and Russia. A trend confirmed by Jean-Paul Agon, the Managing Director of the LOreal Group, in an interview to the French newspaper Le Monde, dated November 6: In the ten coming years, our customers will mostly be Chinese, Indian, Brazilian or Indonesian. While the group LOreal already achieves 60% of its business outside Europe, this proportion is expected to rapidly rise to 90%, according to Jean-Paul Agon Sooner or later sales catch up on demography, he claims. Exhibit 4 Frances second largest competitor in Europe Germany shows a better performance in terms of growth and is slightly gaining market shares from 13% in 1999 to 14% in 2005. Although this might seem only a slight improvement, in terms of growth in absolute numbers, Germany has grown faster than European average and almost twice as fast as France (10.9% growth for Germany versus 6.5% for France). Compared to other three top exporters of cosmetics (France, US and UK), Germany is the only country growing in market shares. In 2007, German exports rose by 14.4% compared to previous year and summed up to EUR 964 million in the first half of 2007, with highest demand from France, the United Kingdom and Russia. Gentry Earlene, German-Arab Industry of Commerce, December 2008 [http://aegypten.ahk.de/index.php?id=1093L=15] The growth of German exports is driven by local SMEs which are strategically managed by IKW the German Cosmetic, Toiletry, Perfumery and Detergent Association (Industrieverband Kà ¶rperpflege- und Waschmittel e. V.) whose mission is to help German SMEs to enter and conquer foreign markets. Gentry Earlene, German-Arab Industry of Commerce, December 2008 [http://aegypten.ahk.de/index.php?id=1093L=15] As a result of its strategic focus and investment, German SMEs have developed quality cosmetics for almost all segments. Etre Belle Cosmetic Vertrieb GmbH is an interesting illustration of those successful German SMEs. The company is now present in more than 35 countries. The brand has developed complete fragrance and skincare ranges segmented by skin types. German companies are also world leaders in some specific niches, such as organic and natural cosmetics which shows the most dynamic growth in western Europe and USA. (German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce, [http://aegypten.ahk.de/index.php?id=1093L=15 ]) Udo Frenzel, director of economic affairs at IKW, the German Cosmetics, Toiletry, Perfumery and Detergent Association, sums up the success behind Germany growth: The exports of the German cosmetics, toiletry and perfumery industry in the last ten years are a story of success based on the quality image of Made in Germany. There is nearly no country on the entire globe where not at least one German brand is available on the market. At present German exports of our industry are 68% higher than imports to Germany. Gentry Earlene, German-Arab Industry of Commerce, December 2008 [http://aegypten.ahk.de/index.php?id=1093L=15] Research and Development French companies sustain their comparative advantage by investing heavily into research and development which is a key requirement to stay competitive in the cosmetics industry. As the following table shows, Frances RD expenditure in 2001 was 2.5x higher than that of the second largest competitor Germany in 2004. (Exhibit 5) Data for other leading countries are unfortunately not available but the assumption is that France is a leading investor into RD worldwide. This is also supported by the fact that the French government actively supports research and has introduced a competitive RD tax-credit system, which reimburses 50% of RD costs in the first year. This provides incentives to non-French companies to set up research facilities in France. Companies that have done this include Pacific Chemical Corp. (South Korea), Takasago (Japan) or Hutchison Whampoa (Hong Kong).Invest in France agency press release at ClickPress [http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/82987005cp.shtml Exhibit 5 Productivity The most significant threat to the ongoing competitiveness of the industry in most EU countries but mostly relevant to France and Germany, is relatively low productivity combined with high unit labour costs which shows a wide gap between EU companies and the U.S. and Japan. Rossi, Prlic, Hoffman; November 2007, Global Insight Report, p.4 Although only average EU15 (refers to the first EU countries before entry of post-communist nations) data for productivity in the beauty products industry are available, given the size of the French market, the weighted average is likely to be similar to the actual data for France. Referring to the source above, the rest is an assumption, therefor

James Eugene Carrey :: Essays Papers

James Eugene Carrey The exceptional Canadian actor, Jim Carrey, has exploded onto the movie scene in the past five years. His "comedic unpredictability" has become his trademark in Hollywood (Hughes 28). The roles he played in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber have brought back the "dumb roots" back to comedy (Trakin 56). His combination of physical grace and facial contortions can make just about anyone laugh. Even as a child in Newmarket, a suburb of Toronto, Carrey put on his own comedy shows for family, friends, and schoolmates. Acting in a third-grade Christmas pageant at Blessed Trinity School, the young Carrey stopped the show with his goofy portrayal of Santa Claus. In the seventh grade he was allotted 15 minutes at the end of each school day to perform for his classmates (Hughes 39). When Jim was 14 and his father lost his job, he learned that "life offers no assurances, so you might as well do what you're really passionate about," as he explained to Richard Corliss of Time. These words represent Jim's life and how he eventually became who he is today. The whole family--Percy, Kathleen, sons Jim and John, and daughters Pat and Rita--went to work at Titan Wheels, a tire factory in Scarborough, Ontario. After putting in a full day at school, the children labored all night, as assembly line workers and janitors. "At 16 Carrey dropped out of school, his straight A's having plummeted to failing grades under the strain of working the evening shift" ("Jim Carrey" 75). The Carreys eventually quit their factory jobs and took to living in a Volkswagen camper. In an interview with Fred Schruers, Carrey said, "It sounds sad but we were so much happier than we'd been being those people we didn't like...we became living, happy, laughing people again, people that had food fights every Sunday" (Johnston 3). In the meantime, Jim Carrey had begun his standup comedy career, "A psychological double-edged sword that simultaneously provided an outlet for the pressure he felt to support his family" ("Jim Carrey" 75). In Tennessee Williams memory play, "The Glass Menagerie," a character named Jim O'Connor plays a gentleman caller. His high- school years are in great contrast to Jim Carrey's high-school days. "In high school, Jim was a hero." "He had tremendous Irish good

The Postal Acceptance Rule Essay -- Business Law

Contractual agreement has always been viewed in terms of offer and acceptance. The universal principle to contract law has always been parties may get into an agreement in whichever way they deem fit and they are subject to certain terms as they choose. As far as legal requirements vital to their formation are binding contracts may be formed. Moreover a binding agreement may be manifested in terms of writing or in verbal form. One of the controversial issues in the law of contract formation has always been the issue of distance contracts. Matters regarding to the types of rules that should be used to govern this type of contracts have always been a topic of debate. One of these rules includes the age old Postal acceptance rule also known as the â€Å"postal rule† or the â€Å"Mailbox rule†. This paper seeks to examine the justification of the postal acceptance rule and its place in the modern world with the emergence of electronic means of communication Background Postal acceptance rule dates back in 1818 when it was established in a court case of (adam v lindsell) In this case the code had to reach a verdict on the moment of contract formation by post. Apparently the courts found out that the parties communicating acceptance through post office were never certain at the exact time the acceptance had been sent. Since postal communication is subject to delay, the involved parties could never be simultaneously aware of the acceptance of the communication, that is, the communication was non instantaneous. As a result this created a series of problems that in turn led to the formation of the postal acceptance rule that still is in so much use today The postal acceptance rule The postal acceptance rule as accepted in the law legal systems... ... Journal (1997): 13. poggi, chrisopher T. "Electronic commerce legislation :An analysis of European and American approaches to contract formation." Virginia journal of international (n.d.). rule", The electronic formation of contracts and the common law: "mailbox. baylor law review. 8 april 2004. scott, Dave. Should the postal acceptance rule be applied t email. 8 april 2012 . T, Poggi and Christopher. "Electronic Commerce Legislation: An analysis of European and American Approaches to Contract Formation." Virginia Journal OF International Law (2000): 224. watnick, valerie. THE ELECTRONIC FORMATION OF CONTRACTS AND THECOMMON LAW "mailbox rule". 6 november 2004. Yamaguchi, mikio. "The problem of delay in the Contract formation Process: A comparative study of contract law' ." cornell international law (2004): 357.

Chapter 4 The Leaky Cauldron

It took Harry several days to get used to his strange new freedom. Never before had he been able to get up whenever he wanted or eat whatever he fancied. He could even go wherever he pleased, as long as it was in Diagon Alley, and as this long cobbled street was packed with the most fascinating wizarding shops in the world, Harry felt no desire to break his word to Fudge and stray back into the Muggle world. Harry ate breakfast each morning in the Leaky Cauldron, where he liked watching the other guests: funny little witches from the country, up for a day's shopping; venerable-looking wizards arguing over the latest article in Transfiguration Today; wild-looking warlocks; raucous dwarfs; and once, what looked suspiciously like a hag, who ordered a plate of raw liver from behind a thick woolen balaclava. After breakfast Harry would go out into the backyard, take out his wand, tap the third brick from the left above the trash bin, and stand back as the archway into Diagon Alley opened in the wall. Harry spent the long sunny days exploring the shops and eating under the brightly colored umbrellas outside cafes, where his fellow diners were showing one another their purchases (â€Å"It's a lunascope, old boy — no more messing around with moon charts, see?†) or else discussing the case of Sirius Black (â€Å"Personally, I won't let any of the children out alone until he's back in Azkaban†). Harry didn't have to do his homework under the blankets by flashlight anymore; now he could sit in the bright sunshine outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, finishing all his essays with occasional help from Florean Fortescue himself, who, apart from knowing a great deal about medieval witch burnings, gave Harry free sundaes every half an hour. Once Harry had refilled his money bag with gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts from his vault at Gringotts, he had to exercise a lot of self-control not to spend the whole lot at once. He had to keep reminding himself that he had five years to go at Hogwarts, and how it would feel to ask the Dursleys for money for spellbooks, to stop himself from buying a handsome set of solid gold Gobstones (a wizarding game rather like marbles, in which the stones squirt a nasty-smelling liquid into the other player's face when they lose a point). He was sorely tempted, too, by the perfect, moving model of the galaxy in a large glass ball, which would have meant he never had to take another Astronomy lesson. But the thing that tested Harry's resolution most appeared in his favorite shop, Quality Quidditch Supplies, a week after he'd arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. Curious to know what the crowd in the shop was staring at, Harry edged his way inside and squeezed in among the excited witches and wizards until he glimpsed a newly erected podium, on which was mounted the most magnificent broom he had ever seen in his life. â€Å"Just come out — prototype –† a square-jawed wizard was telling his companion. â€Å"It's the fastest broom in the world, isn't it, Dad?† squeaked a boy younger than Harry, who was swinging off his father's arm. â€Å"Irish International Side's just put in an order for seven of these beauties!† the proprietor of the shop told the crowd. â€Å"And they're favorites for the World Cup!† A large witch in front of Harry moved, and he was able to read the sign next to the broom: ** THE FIREBOLT ** THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART RACING BROOM SPORTS A STREAM-LINED, SUPERFINE HANDLE OF ASH, TREATED WITH A DIAMOND-HARD POLISH AND HAND-NUMBERED WITH ITS OWN REGISTRATION NUMBER. EACH INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED BIRCH TWIG IN THE BROOMTAIL HAS BEEN HONED TO AERODYNAMIC PERFECTION, GIVING THE FIREBOLT UNSURPASSABLE BALANCE AND PINPOINT PRECISION. THE FIREBOLT HAS AN ACCELERATION OF 150 MILES AN HOUR IN TEN SECONDS AND INCORPORATES AN UNBREAKABLE BRAKING CHARM. PRICE ON REQUEST. Price on request†¦Harry didn't like to think how much gold the Firebolt would cost. He had never wanted anything as much in his whole life — but he had never lost a Quidditch match on his Nimbus Two Thousand, and what was the point in emptying his Gringotts vault for the Firebolt, when he had a very good broom already? Harry didn't ask for the price, but he returned, almost every day after that, just to look at the Firebolt. There were, however, things that Harry needed to buy. He went to the Apothecary to replenish his store of potions ingredients, and as his school robes were now several inches too short in the arm and leg, he visited Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and bought new ones. Most important of all, he had to buy his new schoolbooks, which would include those for his two new subjects, Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. Harry got a surprise as he looked in at the bookshop window. Instead of the usual display of gold-embossed spellbooks the size of paving slabs, there was a large iron cage behind the glass that held about a hundred copies of The Monster Book of Monsters. Torn pages were flying everywhere as the books grappled with each other, locked together in furious wrestling matches and snapping aggressively. Harry pulled his booklist out of his pocket and consulted it for the first time. The Monster Book of Monsters was listed as the required book for Care of Magical Creatures. Now Harry understood why Hagrid had said it would come in useful. He felt relieved; he had been wondering whether Hagrid wanted help with some terrifying new pet. As Harry entered Flourish and Blotts, the manager came hurrying toward him. â€Å"Hogwarts?† he said abruptly. â€Å"Come to get your new books?† â€Å"Yes,† said Harry, â€Å"I need –â€Å" â€Å"Get out of the way,† said the manager impatiently, brushing Harry aside. He drew on a pair of very thick gloves, picked up a large, knobbly walking stick, and proceeded toward the door of the Monster Books' cage. â€Å"Hang on,† said Harry quickly, â€Å"I've already got one of those.† â€Å"Have you?† A look of enormous relief spread over the manager's face. â€Å"Thank heavens for that. I've been bitten five times already this morning –â€Å" A loud ripping noise rent the air; two of the Monster Books had seized a third and were pulling it apart. â€Å"Stop it! Stop it!† cried the manager, poking the walking stick through the bars and knocking the books apart. â€Å"I'm never stocking them again, never! It's been bedlam! I thought we'd seen the worst when we bought two hundred copies of the Invisible Book of Invisibility — cost a fortune, and we never found them†¦Well†¦is there anything else I can help you with?† â€Å"Yes,† said Harry, looking down his booklist, â€Å"I need Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky.† â€Å"Ah, starting Divination, are you?† said the manager, stripping off his gloves and leading Harry into the back of the shop, where there was a corner devoted to fortune-telling. A small table was stacked with volumes such as Predicting the Unpredictable: Insulate Yourself Against Shocks and Broken Balls: When Fortunes Turn Foul. â€Å"Here you are,† said the manager, who had climbed a set of steps to take down a thick, black-bound book. â€Å"Unfogging the Future. Very good guide to all your basic fortune-telling methods — palmistry, crystal balls, bird entrails.† But Harry wasn't listening. His eyes had fallen on another book, which was among a display on a small table: Death Omens — What to Do When You Know the Worst Is Coming. â€Å"Oh, I wouldn't read that if I were you,† said the manager lightly, looking to see what Harry was staring at. â€Å"You'll start seeing death omens everywhere. It's enough to frighten anyone to death.† But Harry continued to stare at the front cover of the book; it showed a black dog large as a bear, with gleaming eyes. It looked oddly familiar†¦ The manager pressed Unfogging the Future into Harry's hands. â€Å"Anything else?† he said. â€Å"Yes,† said Harry, tearing his eyes away from the dog's and dazedly consulting his booklist. â€Å"Er — I need Intermediate Transfiguration and The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Three.† Harry emerged from Flourish and Blotts ten minutes later with his new books under his arms and made his way back to the Leaky Cauldron, hardly noticing where he was going and bumping into several people. He tramped up the stairs to his room, went inside, and tipped his books onto his bed. Somebody had been in to tidy; the windows were open and sun was pouring inside. Harry could hear the buses rolling by in the unseen Muggle street behind him and the sound of the invisible crowd below in Diagon Alley. He caught sight of himself in the mirror over the basin. â€Å"It can't have been a death omen,† he told his reflection defiantly. â€Å"I was panicking when I saw that thing in Magnolia Crescent†¦It was probably just a stray dog†¦.† He raised his hand automatically and tried to make his hair lie flat â€Å"You're fighting a losing battle there, dear,† said his mirror in a wheezy voice. As the days slipped by, Harry started looking wherever he went for a sign of Ron or Hermione. Plenty of Hogwarts students were arriving in Diagon Alley now, with the start of term so near. Harry met Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, his fellow Gryffindors, in Quality Quidditch Supplies, where they too were ogling the Firebolt; he also ran into the real Neville Longbottom, a round-faced, forgetful boy, outside Flourish and Blotts. Harry didn't stop to chat; Neville appeared to have mislaid his booklist and was being told off by his very formidable-looking grandmother. Harry hoped she never found out that he'd pretended to be Neville while on the run from the Ministry of Magic. Harry woke on the last day of the holidays, thinking that he would at least meet Ron and Hermione tomorrow, on the Hogwarts Express. He got up, dressed, went for a last look at the Firebolt, and was just wondering where he'd have lunch, when someone yelled his name and he turned. â€Å"Harry! HARRY!† They were there, both of them, sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor — Ron looking incredibly freckly, Hermione very brown, both waving frantically at him. â€Å"Finally!† said Ron, grinning at Harry as he sat down. â€Å"We went to the Leaky Cauldron, but they said you'd left, and we went to Flourish and Blotts, and Madam Malkin's, and –â€Å" â€Å"I got all my school stuff last week,† Harry explained. â€Å"And how come you knew I'm staying at the Leaky Cauldron?† â€Å"Dad,† said Ron simply. Mr. Weasley, who worked at the Ministry of Magic, would of course have heard the whole story of what had happened to Aunt Marge. â€Å"Did you really blow up your aunt, Harry?† said Hermione in a very serious voice. â€Å"I didn't mean to,† said Harry, while Ron roared with laughter. â€Å"I just — lost control.† â€Å"It's not funny, Ron,† said Hermione sharply. â€Å"Honestly, I'm amazed Harry wasn't expelled.† â€Å"So am I,† admitted Harry. â€Å"Forget expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested.† He looked at Ron. â€Å"Your dad doesn't know why Fudge let me off, does he?† â€Å"Probably 'cause it's you, isn't it?† shrugged Ron, still chuckling. â€Å"Famous Harry Potter and all that. I'd hate to see what the Ministry'd do to me if I blew up an aunt. Mind you, they'd have to dig me up first, because Mum would've killed me. Anyway, you can ask Dad yourself this evening. We're staying at the Leaky Cauldron tonight too! So you can come to King's Cross with us tomorrow! Hermione's there as well!† Hermione nodded, beaming. â€Å"Mum and Dad dropped me off this morning with all my Hogwarts things.† â€Å"Excellent!† said Harry happily. â€Å"So, have you got all your new books and stuff?† â€Å"Look at this,† said Ron, pulling a long thin box out of a bag and opening it. â€Å"Brand-new wand. Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair. And we've got all our books –† He pointed at a large bag under his chair. â€Å"What about those Monster Books, eh? The assistant nearly cried when we said we wanted two.† â€Å"What's all that, Hermione?† Harry asked, pointing at not one but three bulging bags in the chair next to her. â€Å"Well, I'm taking more new subjects than you, aren't I,† said Hermione. â€Å"Those are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, the Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies –â€Å" â€Å"What are you doing Muggle Studies for?† said Ron, rolling his eyes at Harry. â€Å"You're Muggle-born! Your mum and dad are Muggles! You already know all about Muggles!† â€Å"But it'll be fascinating to study them from the wizarding point of view,† said Hermione earnestly. â€Å"Are you planning to eat or sleep at all this year, Hermione?† asked Harry, while Ron sniggered. Hermione ignored them. â€Å"I've still got ten Galleons,† she said, checking her purse. â€Å"It's my birthday in September, and Mum and Dad gave me some money to get myself an early birthday present.† â€Å"How about a nice book? said Ron innocently. â€Å"No, I don't think so,† said Hermione composedly. â€Å"I really want an owl. I mean, Harry's got Hedwig and you've got Errol –â€Å" â€Å"I haven't,† said Ron. â€Å"Errol's a family owl. All I've got is Scabbers.† He pulled his pet rat out of his pocket. â€Å"And I want to get him checked over,† he added, placing Scabbers on the table in front of them. â€Å"I don't think Egypt agreed with him.† Scabbers was looking thinner than usual, and there was a definite droop to his whiskers. â€Å"There's a magical creature shop just over there,† said Harry, who knew Diagon Alley very well by now. â€Å"You could see if they've got anything for Scabbers, and Hermione can get her owl.† So they paid for their ice cream and crossed the street to the Magical Menagerie. There wasn't much room inside. Every inch of wall was hidden by cages. It was smelly and very noisy because the occupants of these cages were all squeaking, squawking, jabbering, or hissing. The witch behind the counter was already advising a wizard on the care of double-ended newts, so Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited, examining the cages. A pair of enormous purple toads sat gulping wetly and feasting on dead blowflies. A gigantic tortoise with a jewel-encrusted shell was glittering near the window. Poisonous orange snails were oozing slowly up the side of their glass tank, and a fat white rabbit kept changing into a silk top hat and back again with a loud popping noise. Then there were cats of every color, a noisy cage of ravens, a basket of funny custard-colored furballs that were humming loudly, and on the counter, a vast cage of sleek black rats that were playing some sort of skipping game using their long, bald tails. The double-ended newt wizard left, and Ron approached the counter. â€Å"It's my rat,† he told the witch. â€Å"He's been a bit off-color ever since I brought him back from Egypt.† â€Å"Bang him on the counter,† said the witch, pulling a pair of heavy black spectacles out of her pocket. Ron lifted Scabbers out of his inside pocket and placed him next to the cage of his fellow rats, who stopped their skipping tricks and scuffled to the wire for a better took. Like nearly everything Ron owned, Scabbers the rat was secondhand (he had once belonged to Ron's brother Percy) and a bit battered. Next to the glossy rats in the cage, he looked especially woebegone. â€Å"Hm,† said the witch, picking up Scabbers. â€Å"How old is this rat?† â€Å"Dunno,† said Ron. â€Å"Quite old. He used to belong to my brother.† â€Å"What powers does he have?† said the witch, examining Scabbers closely. â€Å"Er –† The truth was that Scabbers had never shown the faintest trace of interesting powers. The witch's eyes moved from Scabbers's tattered left ear to his front paw, which had a toe missing, and tutted loudly. â€Å"He's been through the mill, this one,† she said. â€Å"He was like that when Percy gave him to me,† said Ron defensively. â€Å"An ordinary common or garden rat like this can't be expected to live longer than three years or so,† said the witch. â€Å"Now, if you were looking for something a bit more hard-wearing, you might like one of these –â€Å" She indicated the black rats, who promptly started skipping again. Ron muttered, â€Å"Show-offs.† â€Å"Well, if you don't want a replacement, you can try this rat tonic,† said the witch, reaching under the counter and bringing out a small red bottle. â€Å"Okay,† said Ron. â€Å"How much — OUCH!† Ron buckled as something huge and orange came soaring from the top of the highest cage, landed on his head, and then propelled itself, spitting madly, at Scabbers. â€Å"NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!† cried the witch, but Scabbers shot from between her hands like a bar of soap, landed splay-legged on the floor, and then scampered for the door. â€Å"Scabbers!† Ron shouted, racing out of the shop after him; Harry followed. It took them nearly ten minutes to catch Scabbers, who had taken refuge under a wastepaper bin outside Quality Quidditch Supplies. Ron stuffed the trembling rat back into his pocket and straightened up, massaging his head. â€Å"What was that?† â€Å"It was either a very big cat or quite a small tiger,† said Harry. â€Å"Where's Hermione?† â€Å"Probably getting her owl.† They made their way back up the crowded street to the Magical Menagerie. As they reached it, Hermione came out, but she wasn't carrying an owl. Her arms were clamped tightly around the enormous ginger cat. â€Å"You bought that monster?† said Ron, his mouth hanging open. â€Å"He's gorgeous, isn't he?† said Hermione, glowing. That was a matter of opinion, thought Harry. The cat's ginger fur was thick and fluffy, but it was definitely a bit bowlegged and its face looked grumpy and oddly squashed, as though it had run headlong into a brick wall. Now that Scabbers was out of sight, however, the cat was purring contentedly in Hermione's arms. â€Å"Hermione, that thing nearly scalped me!† said Ron. â€Å"He didn't mean to, did you, Crookshanks?† said Hermione. â€Å"And what about Scabbers?† said Ron, pointing at the lump in his chest pocket. â€Å"He needs rest and relaxation! How's he going to get it with that thing around?† â€Å"That reminds me, you forgot your rat tonic,† said Hermione, slapping the small red bottle into Ron's hand. â€Å"And stop worrying, Crookshanks will be sleeping in my dormitory and Scabbers in yours, what's the problem? Poor Crookshanks, that witch said he'd been in there for ages; no one wanted him.† â€Å"Wonder why,† said Ron sarcastically as they set off toward the Leaky Cauldron. They found Mr. Weasley sitting in the bar, reading the Daily Prophet. â€Å"Harry!† he said, smiling as he looked up. â€Å"How are you?† â€Å"Fine, thanks,† said Harry as he, Ron, and Hermione joined Mr. Weasley with their shopping. Mr. Weasley put down his paper, and Harry saw the now familiar picture of Sirius Black staring up at him. â€Å"They still haven't caught him, then?† he asked. â€Å"No,† said Mr. Weasley, looking extremely grave. â€Å"They've pulled us all off our regular jobs at the Ministry to try and find him, but no luck so far.† â€Å"Would we get a reward if we caught him?† asked Ron. â€Å"It'd be good to get some more money –â€Å" â€Å"Don't be ridiculous, Ron,† said Mr. Weasley, who on closer inspection looked very strained. â€Å"Black's not going to be caught by a thirteen-year-old wizard. It's the Azkaban guards who'll get him back, You mark my words.† At that moment Mrs. Weasley entered the bar, laden with shopping bags and followed by the twins, Fred and George, who were about to start their fifth year at Hogwarts; the newly elected Head Boy, Percy; and the Weasleys† youngest child and only girl, Ginny. Ginny, who had always been very taken with Harry, seemed even more heartily embarrassed than usual when she saw him, perhaps because he had saved her life during their previous year at Hogwarts. She went very red and muttered â€Å"hello† without looking at him. Percy, however, held out his hand solemnly as though he and Harry had never met and said, â€Å"Harry. How nice to see you.† â€Å"Hello, Percy,† said Harry, trying not to laugh. â€Å"I hope you're well?† said Percy pompously, shaking hands. It was rather like being introduced to the mayor. â€Å"Very well, thanks –â€Å" â€Å"Harry!† said Fred, elbowing Percy out of the way and bowing deeply. â€Å"Simply splendid to see you, old boy –â€Å" â€Å"Marvelous,† said George, pushing Fred aside and seizing Harry's hand in turn. â€Å"Absolutely spiffing.† Percy scowled. â€Å"That's enough, now,† said Mrs. Weasley. â€Å"Mum!† said Fred, as though he'd only just spotted her and seizing her hand, too. â€Å"How really corking to see you –â€Å" â€Å"I said, that's enough,† said Mrs. Weasley, depositing her shopping in an empty chair. â€Å"Hello, Harry, dear. I suppose you've heard our exciting news?† She pointed to the brand-new silver badge on Percy's chest. â€Å"Second Head Boy in the family!† she said, swelling with pride. â€Å"And last,† Fred muttered under his breath. I don't doubt that,† said Mrs. Weasley, frowning suddenly. â€Å"I notice they haven't made you two prefects.† â€Å"What do we want to be prefects for?† said George, looking revolted at the very idea. â€Å"It'd take all the fun out of life.† Ginny giggled. â€Å"You want to set a better example for your sister!† snapped Mrs. Weasley. â€Å"Gunny's got other brothers to set her an example, Mother,† said Percy loftily. â€Å"I'm going up to change for dinner†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He disappeared and George heaved a sigh. â€Å"We tried to shut him in a pyramid,† he told Harry. â€Å"But Mum spotted us.† ****** Dinner that night was a very enjoyable affair. Tom the innkeeper put three tables together in the parlor, and the seven Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione ate their way through five delicious courses. â€Å"How're we getting to King's Cross tomorrow, Dad?† asked Fred as they dug into a sumptuous chocolate pudding. â€Å"The Ministry's providing a couple of cars,† said Mr. Weasley. Everyone looked up at him. â€Å"Why?† said Percy curiously. â€Å"It's because of you, Perce,† said George seriously. â€Å"And there'll be little flags on the hoods, with HB on them–â€Å" â€Å"– for Humongous Bighead,† said Fred. Everyone except Percy and Mrs. Weasley snorted into their pudding. â€Å"Why are the Ministry providing cars, Father?† Percy asked again, in a dignified voice. â€Å"Well, as we haven't got one anymore,† said Mr. Weasley, â€Å"and as I work there, they're doing me a favor†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His voice was casual, but Harry couldn't help noticing that Mr. Wesley's ears had gone red, just like Ron's did when he was under pressure. â€Å"Good thing, too,† said Mrs. Weasley briskly. â€Å"Do you realize how much luggage you've all got between you? A nice sight you'd be on the Muggle Underground†¦You are all packed, aren't you?† â€Å"Ron hasn't put all his new things in his trunk yet,† said Percy, in a long-suffering voice. â€Å"He's dumped them on my bed.† â€Å"You'd better go and pack properly, Ron, because we won't have much time in the morning,† Mrs. Weasley called down the table. Ron scowled at Percy. After dinner everyone felt very full and sleepy. One by one they made their way upstairs to their rooms to check their things for the next day. Ron and Percy were next door to Harry. He had just closed and locked his own trunk when he heard angry voices through the wall, and went to see what was going on. The door of number twelve was ajar and Percy was shouting. â€Å"It was here, on the bedside table, I took it off for polishing –â€Å" â€Å"I haven't touched it, all right?† Ron roared back. â€Å"What's up?† said Harry. â€Å"My Head Boy badge is gone,† said Percy, rounding on Harry. â€Å"So's Scabbers's Rat Tonic,† said Ron, throwing things out of his trunk to look. â€Å"I think I might've left it in the bar –â€Å" â€Å"You're not going anywhere till you've found my badge!† yelled Percy. â€Å"I'll get Scabbers's stuff, I'm packed,† Harry said to Ron, and he went downstairs. Harry was halfway along the passage to the bar, which was now very dark, when he heard another pair of angry voices coming from the parlor. A second later, he recognized them as Mr. and Mrs. Weasleys†. He hesitated, not wanting them to know he'd heard them arguing, when the sound of his own name made him stop, then move closer to the parlor door. â€Å"†¦makes no sense not to tell him,† Mr. Weasley was saying heatedly. â€Å"Harry's got a right to know. I've tried to tell Fudge, but he insists on treating Harry like a child. He's thirteen years old and –â€Å" â€Å"Arthur, the truth would terrify him!† said Mrs. Weasley shrilly. â€Å"Do you really want to send Harry back to school with that hanging over him? For heaven's sake, he's happy not knowing!† â€Å"I don't want to make him miserable, I want to put him on his guard!† retorted Mr. Weasley. â€Å"You know what Harry and Ron are like, wandering off by themselves — they've ended up in the Forbidden Forest twice! But Harry mustn't do that this year! When I think what could have happened to him that night he ran away from home! If the Knight Bus hadn't picked him up, I'm prepared to bet he would have been dead before the Ministry found him.† â€Å"But he's not dead, he's fine, so what's the point –â€Å" â€Å"Molly, they say Sirius Black's mad, and maybe he is, but he was clever enough to escape from Azkaban, and that's supposed to be impossible. It's been three weeks, and no one's seen hide nor hair of him, and I don't care what Fudge keeps telling the Daily Prophet, we're no nearer catching Black than inventing self-spelling wands. The only thing we know for sure is what Black's after –â€Å" â€Å"But Harry will be perfectly safe at Hogwarts.† â€Å"We thought Azkaban was perfectly safe. If Black can break out of Azkaban, he can break into Hogwarts.† â€Å"But no one's really sure that Black's after Harry –â€Å" There was a thud on wood, and Harry was sure Mr. Weasley had banged his fist on the table. â€Å"Molly, how many times do I have to tell you? They didn't report it in the press because Fudge wanted it kept quiet, but Fudge went out to Azkaban the night Black escaped. The guards told Fudge that Blacks been talking in his sleep for a while now. Always the same words: â€Å"He's at Hogwarts†¦he's at Hogwarts.† Black is deranged, Molly, and he wants Harry dead. If you ask me, he thinks murdering Harry will bring You-Know-Who back to power. Black lost everything the night Harry stopped You-Know-Who, and he's had twelve years alone in Azkaban to brood on that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There was a silence. Harry leaned still closer to the door, desperate to hear more. â€Å"Well, Arthur, you must do what you think is right. But you're forgetting Albus Dumbledore. I don't think anything could hurt Harry at Hogwarts while Dumbledore's Headmaster. I suppose he knows about all this?† â€Å"Of course he knows. We had to ask him if he minds the Azkaban guards stationing themselves around the entrances to the school grounds. He wasn't happy about it, but he agreed.† â€Å"Not happy? Why shouldn't he be happy, if they're there to catch Black?† â€Å"Dumbledore isn't fond of the Azkaban guards,† said Mr. Weasley heavily. â€Å"Nor am I, if it comes to that†¦but when you're dealing with a wizard like Black, you sometimes have to join forces with those you'd rather avoid.† â€Å"If they save Harry –â€Å" â€Å"?C then I will never say another word against them, said Mr. Weasley wearily. â€Å"It's late, Molly, we'd better go up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry heard chairs move. As quietly as he could, he hurried down the passage to the bar and out of sight. The parlor door opened, and a few seconds later footsteps told him that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were climbing the stairs. The bottle of rat tonic was lying under the table they had sat at earlier. Harry waited until he heard Mr. and Mrs. Wesley's bedroom door close, then headed back upstairs with the bottle. Fred and George were crouching in the shadows on the landing, heaving with laughter as they listened to Percy dismantling his and Ron's room in search of his badge. â€Å"We've got it,† Fred whispered to Harry. â€Å"We've been improving it.† The badge now read Bighead Boy. Harry forced a laugh, went to give Ron the rat tonic, then shut himself in his room and lay down on his bed. So Sirius Black was after him. This explained everything. Fudge had been lenient with him because he was so relieved to find him alive. He'd made Harry promise to stay in Diagon Alley where there were plenty of wizards to keep an eye on him. And he was sending two Ministry cars to take them all to the station tomorrow, so that the Weasleys could look after Harry until he was on the train. Harry lay listening to the muffled shouting next door and wondered why he didn't feel more scared. Sirius Black had murdered thirteen people with one curse; Mr. and Mrs., Weasley obviously thought Harry would be panic-stricken if he knew the truth. But Harry happened to agree wholeheartedly with Mrs. Weasley that the safest place on earth was wherever Albus Dumbledore happened to be. Didn't people always say that Dumbledore was the only person Lord Voldemort had ever been afraid of? Surely Black, as Voldemort's right-hand man, would be just as frightened of him? And then there were these Azkaban guards everyone kept talking about. They seemed to scare most people senseless, and if they were stationed all around the school, Black's chances of getting inside seemed very remote. No, all in all, the thing that bothered Harry most was the fact that his chances of visiting Hogsmeade now looked like zero. Nobody would want Harry to leave the safety of the castle until Black was caught; in fact, Harry suspected his every move would be carefully watched until the danger had passed. He scowled at the dark ceiling. Did they think he couldn't look after himself? He'd escaped Lord Voldemort three times; he wasn't completely useless†¦. Unbidden, the image of the beast in the shadows of Magnolia Crescent crossed his mind. What to do when you know the worst is coming†¦ â€Å"I'm not going to be murdered,† Harry said out loud. â€Å"That's the spirit, dear,† said his mirror sleepily.