Clark And Menefee, Architects Essays - Menefee, Formwork, Plywood

Clark And Menefee, Architects Maggie Cookman September 27, 2000 The Reid House was planned by W.G. Clark and Charles Menefee and inherent Johns Island, SC in 1986. Menefee and Clark structured principally in the American South. Clark and Menefee are known for their tripartite vertical association. The base level typically comprises of optional bedroom(s)/studio spaces and administrations. The First floor is a piano nobile of chief rooms with a twofold tallness living space. The storage room level for the most part comprises of the main room and shower. The Reid House is set up in this design. The house is situated in a humble setting, encompassed by house trailers and inexpensively manufactured houses. The picture of the house was gotten from vernacular ranch structures just as from progressively formal Palladian structures. One creator depicted the setting as Johns Island, a serene scene where truck ranchers tend tomato fields cut out of scour pine and smaller person cedar timberlands, and where the front yards of shacks are covered with trashed vehicles, rusting agrarian apparatus, and other rotting impedimenta of the Industrial Revolution. The house is a three-story tower with two parts. The first is a 20 ft. sq. segment made of solid square, lodging the living and rooms, alluded to as the served space(s). The subsequent part, alluded to as the serving space(s), is a wood-outline shed that holds the kitchen and the washrooms. These two segments are joined at the chimney and fireplace, around which the step winds. The materials utilized for the house are reasonable, with regards to the encompassing structures. One area is made of solid squares, uncovered within and secured with waterproofing paint outwardly. The other piece of the house is sheathed in compressed wood and secures and its rooftop is canvassed in black-top shingle. The floors are painted pine, the inside allotments, painted compressed wood. The all out expense of the house was $102,000, just $2,000 over the spending that the Reids had set. They needed the house manufactured in light of the fact that they needed to move their two little youngsters out of a trailer home, and they needed to have a bigger space in which they could deal with their 120-section of land horse ranch. The all out region of the house is just 1600 sq. ft. One creator noticed that the house [reconciles] grand yearnings and humble methods. W.G. Clark is certainly not a local to Charleston. He labored for a long time for Robert Venturi before going to work with Charles Menefee on the Middleton Inn for Charles Duell. This task was Clarks first significant work, and was more on top of crafted by Peter Eisenman. Charles Duell, a Middleton descendent, conjured up the possibility of the Middleton Inn, 15 miles outside of Charleston. He imagined a guesthouse and gathering focus, and anticipated occasional visitors who desired bloom celebrations and other yearly occasions. The Inn was remote from city vacation destinations, and Clark profited by this and made it a rustic retreat in the forested areas. The Inn was loaded up with Charleston subtleties, which assisted with overcoming any barrier between the city and the rustic hideaway in the forested areas. These subtleties included earthenware fireplace pots, wooden screens, stick-style furniture, extraordinary plaster called slave coat, and Charleston Green paint, which highli ghted the structure amidst the trees and development in the encompassing woods. Clark and Menefee exemplified an extraordinary American temperance, restriction. Their structures had a basic and clear conventional request, and were minimal in plan. Their conviction was that liberality was accomplished in segment. In depicting their design, one pundit takes note of that Clark and Menefees structures distil a pedantic language through which both proper significance and development can be uncovered and comprehended. It was additionally said that their homes were romanticized structures sitting determinedly on the site in the traditional way. Their structures were little and concise, and inside completions were at times harsh, yet their specialty was fantastic. Clark and Menefee prevailing in reasonable plans, while conserving on spending plans and space.

The Place of Strategic Dialogue in Collaborative Learning :: Peer Tutoring Tutor Tutors Essays

The Place of Strategic Dialog in Collaborative Learning The instructional exercise association recorded as a hard copy places gives starting authors a fundamental component not found in different kinds of understudy partner cooperation. Dissimilar to the typical colloquium that happens in many homerooms, mentoring offers a one-on-one setting whereby an understudy can straightforwardly talk with, examine, and go to an accomplished friend for help with however many strides of the creative cycle as would be prudent. This one of a kind setting offers an opportunity for mentors to address students’ singular needs utilizing key discourse. Kenneth A. Bruffee discusses the significant features shared discourse brings to the instructional exercise setting. In his exposition, Peer Tutoring and the ‘Conversation of Mankind,’ he talks about discussion and its place inside the setting of â€Å"collaborative learning.† Bruffee contends that â€Å"thought and composing are extraordinary ancient rarities grounded in discussion. Thusly, both are cultivated by instructing that underscores conversational trade among peers† (Intro, 3). He accepts that idea begins in discussion. When all is said in done, discussion is a social ancient rarity that can be disguised to energize thought. Bruffee values peer mentoring such a great amount of on the grounds that, as he stated, it gives a social setting where understudies can understanding and practice the sorts of discussion that scholastics most value† (7). The exchange that happens among guide and understudy cultivates this sort of intriguing discussion. The connection is exceptional on the grounds that it gives a special setting whereby â€Å"status approaches, or peers† (Bruffee, 8) can talk about issues that are intently at the core of the creative cycle. Emily Meyer and Louise Z. Smith, authors of The Practical Tutor, concur with Bruffee on the extraordinary commitment distributed coaching awards to the way toward composing. In their part called ‘Engaging in Dialogue,’ Meyer and Smith support Bruffee when they state, the instructional exercise meeting is a perfect arrangement for such incitement since it is genuinely dialogical† (28). This perspective is extraordinary in two different ways in that first, it gives the essential one-on-one segment that starting essayists don’t get when they sit in class among a few other unpracticed journalists. Second and increasingly significant, the discourse that happens among coach and tutee animates imagined that is started in discussion. As per Bruffee, â€Å"The sort of discussion peer mentors participate in with their tutees can be genuinely included, mentally and considerably engaged, and by and by unengaged (7). Discussion, in this sense, turns into a perfect route by which unpracticed authors can let out their contemplations, conclusions, and sentiments on a given point.

The Secret Life Of Marilee Jones

The Secret Life Of Marilee Jones (Shes a rockstar by night) So Thursday night we got a preview of Marilee Joness singing voice when she sang to the students who had birthdays over Campus Preview Weekend, but the real show was during Battle of the Bands. Now this was the 4th annual BOTB, so that means its been happening ever since my CPW (Im getting old? Nah) Now I wonder which variable is responsible for the fact that we sold out Lobdell Food Court: 1. Free Ben Jerrys Ice Cream 2. Free Annas Taqueria burritos 3. Raffle of Guitar Hero An aside, if you will: Guitar Hero is one of the coolest Playstation games ever. Thats all I really wanted to say. Try it sometime. Its a good study break. Hey, he won a copy of the game, maybe you can ask him. 4. We got to rock out to the Joneses: Ben Jones and Marilee Jones. Now I dont think youd really get to have the chance to see the people who admitted you to college, rock out on stage, and then bid you farewell at the CPW desk, but here at MIT, it happens. Being able to see Tim the Beaver crowd surf and listen to Marilee on the microphone was awesome, and maybe thats the reason why they told us we couldnt sell any more tickets, but the bands were quality, and I was very impressed. Just a couple pictures from the event Ben and Marilee get psyched and ready for their performance. Nance gives Ben a supportive punch in the face. Tim the Beaver goes crowd-surfing. Marilee makes her BOTB debut. Medicated Kisses close the show. Anyhoo, Battle of the Bands was great and CPW was just that much better for it. As for those of you who attended, what did you like best? Any questions you didnt get answered? I had a fun time meeting a lot of you, and I hope to see you in the fall!

Mar-A-Lago and Other Spanish House Styles

A Knight s Honor An Analysis Of Chivalry - 865 Words

A Knight’s Honor: â€Å"An Analysis of Chivalry† Throughout history, people of certain cultures base their lives off special rules, or codes. The Anglo-Saxons took examples from the epic hero of Beowulf. Knights during King Arthur’s rule lasted by the code of Chivalry. Lessons from this honorable code can be extracted from the text of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, as well as from Morte D’Arthur. Each of these memorable pieces of literature show examples of the code of chivalry. The three aspects of chivalry are courage, honor, and self-control. To begin, the first form of chivalry can be clearly found in both texts and portrays courage. Kings would knight men in return for their promise of courage, honor and respect from the generous man. Courage is first found in The Green Night when an audacious man named Gawain steps in to accept the challenge demonstrated from the Green Knight himself. â€Å" Toward the king doth now incline: ‘I beseech, before all here, Tha t this melee may be mine. â€Å" Gawain demonstrates chivalry by displaying the courage to accept a fatal challenge. Heroism is also presented in the text of Morte D’Arthur. This scrap of literature tells about the closing moments of the glorious King Arthur. Even in his deathly state, Arthur shows the quality of bravery by battling for his kingdom after the brutal battle that left all but four men dead. â€Å"Now, tide me death, tide me life, †¦ now I see him yonder alone, he shall never escape mine hands.Show MoreRelatedKnights Of The Middle Ages1692 Words   |  7 PagesThe word ‘chivalry’ originates from the Old French word chevalerie which can be translated to â€Å"skill in riding a horse†. Only the men who could skillfully control the strength and speed of a horse were likely to survive in combat. Over time the word came to stand for much more, in particular, a code of behavior, conduct and ethics to which all knights were held. These knights were bound by a code of honor. Each knight had to swear that he would defend â€Å"the weak, the poor, widows, orphans, and theRead MoreImportance Of A Pentangle And Their Long Uses And The Past History Associated With It1534 Words   |  7 Pagesfrom spiritual protection to demonic associations. In order to encompass all of my Interpretations held with in this paper, my approach and analysis will be based on the pentangles meaning coming from the days of Solomon, who took the Jewish star and modified it in such a manner that the symbol began to be associated with the five virtues and, protection for knights and royalty. Pentangles began as crude drawings as diagrams that were found scratched into the walls of caves. From this point onward theRead MoreComparing and Contrasting Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, and Renaissance Perio1410 Words   |  6 PagescenterbAnalysis of Early Civilizations Through Literature/b/centerbrbrA culture that evolves and changes through time is a healthy culture indeed. From the early pagan warriors to the artisans of the Renaissance, the European world dramatically reformed. The literature of each era indicates the profound cultural innovations. The Anglo-Saxons arguably most important literary piece, Beowulf, is a story of a brave warrior who fights Grendel. Grendel is described as, A powerful monsterRead MoreAn Analysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay2387 Words   |  10 PagesThe Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘Chivalry’ as â€Å"the system, spirit, or customs of medieval knighthood,† (â€Å"Chivalry†). The late Letitia Baldridge, who served as the White House Social Secretary for Jacqueline Kennedy as well as an advisor for many more first ladies, has been quoted with saying â€Å"Chivalry isn t dead. It s just no longer gender-based,† (Baldrige). Baldrige, who was the author of more than twenty books on subjects ranging from etiquette to business and interior design, has alsoRead MoreComparing Beowulf And Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1555 Words   |  7 Pagesthan those who lived â€Å"back then† but the response to that ideology is, does one value loyalty? Among the many values of the Anglo-Saxons, such as bravery, truth, and honor, above them all stands loyalty. Through an archetypal analysis, one may view how two major works of the Middle Ages, Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, both reflect attributes of loyalty, specifically the testing of one’s loyalty and the consequences of disloyalty, which reflect the behavior and values shared by theRead MoreThe Truth Behind the Knight: the Presence of Archetypes in Sir Gawain the Green Knight2908 Words   |  12 PagesThe Truth Behind the Knight: The Presence of Archetypes in Sir Gawain the Green Knight In the medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, we are introduced to a young man, who, like many of young men, is trying to discover himself and travel through his rite of passage. He is trying to figure out who he is in life, and while in his journey, passes through many phases that mold him into one of the great Knights of the Round Table that old King Arthur wanted to serve with him. These phasesRead MoreEssay on The Legacy of Romanticism in The Great Gatsby3369 Words   |  14 Pagesimage beyond himself. Thus, when Daisy Fay enters his life, she becomes the manifestation of all that commands his desire and purpose (Way 90). Essentially, in Daisy, Gatsby finds the key to the final development in his romantic vision as â€Å"she blossom[s] for him like a flower [†¦] [making] the incarnation complete† (Fitzgerald 117). Daisy’s impact on Gatsby is immediate and cathartic. As â€Å"the golden girl† she represents the ultimate prize, â€Å"the best part of a world [†¦] of heightenedRead MoreNike Marketing Strategy5981 Words   |  24 Pagesathlete to enhance his/her activity experience. Our company works continuously to improve its social responsibility and we maintain a sustainable approach to creating quality products. Nike was founded by college athlete and present Chairman, Phil Knight, and his former coach, Bill Bowerman, to create quality shoes that help athletes reach their full potential. Our company’s headquarters are near Beaverton, Oregon. We operate in more than 160 countries and have more than 44,000 employees worldwideRead MoreAlexander Pope Essay6204 Words   |  25 Pageswhich she attempts to recover the severed curl. The lock is lost in the confusion of this mock battle, however; the poet consoles the bereft Belinda with the suggestion that it has been taken up into the heavens and immortalized as a constellation. Analysis: Themes and Form The Rape of the Lock is a humorous indictment of the vanities and idleness of 18th-century high society. Basing his poem on a real incident among families of his acquaintance, Pope intended his verses to cool hot tempers and toRead Morewisdom,humor and faith19596 Words   |  79 Pages there is â€Å"a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.† Enlightening comments on the relationship of humor to wisdom were once made by Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971), perhaps the twentieth-century’s most influential U. S. theologian (and a favorite thinker of President Obama). Although Niebuhr generally agreed that humor stresses the incongruous, he also, like Chesterton and Solomon, linked it with humility. Humor is a proof of the capacity of the self to gain a vantage

Chapter 6 Talons and Tea Leaves Free Essays

When Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall for breakfast the next day, the first thing they saw was Draco Malfoy, who seemed to be entertaining a large group of Slytherins with a very funny story. As they passed, Malfoy did a ridiculous impression of a swooning fit and there was a roar of laughter. â€Å"Ignore him,† said Hermione, who was right behind Harry. We will write a custom essay sample on Chapter 6 Talons and Tea Leaves or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Just ignore him, it’s not worth it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hey, Potter!† shrieked Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl with a face like a pug. â€Å"Potter! The Dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooooo!† Harry dropped into a seat at the Gryffindor table, next to George Weasley. â€Å"New third-year course schedules,† said George, passing then, over. â€Å"What’s up with you, Harry?† â€Å"Malfoy,† said Ron, sitting down on George’s other side and glaring over at the Slytherin table. George looked up in time to see Malfoy pretending to faint with terror again. â€Å"That little git,† he said calmly. â€Å"He wasn’t so cocky last night when the Dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn’t he, Fred?† â€Å"Nearly wet himself,† said Fred, with a contemptuous glance at Malfoy. â€Å"I wasn’t too happy myself,† said George. â€Å"They’re horrible things, those Dementors†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Sort of freeze your insides, don’t they?† said Fred. â€Å"You didn’t pass out, though, did you?† said Harry in a low voice. â€Å"Forget it, Harry,† said George bracingly. â€Å"Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he’d ever been, he came back all weak and shaking†¦They suck the happiness out of a place, Dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there.† â€Å"Anyway, we’ll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match,† said Fred. â€Å"Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?† The only time Harry and Malfoy had faced each other in a Quidditch match, Malfoy had definitely come off worse. Feeling slightly more cheerful, Harry helped himself to sausages and fried tomatoes. Hermione was examining her new schedule. â€Å"Ooh, good, we’re starting some new subjects today,† she said happily. â€Å"Hermione,† said Ron, frowning as he looked over her shoulder, â€Å"they’ve messed up your timetable. Look — they’ve got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn’t enough time.† â€Å"I’ll manage. I’ve fixed it all with Professor McGonagall.† â€Å"But look,† said Ron, laughing, â€Å"see this morning? Nine o’clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o’clock, Muggle Studies. And –† Ron leaned closer to the timetable, disbelieving, â€Å"look — underneath that, Arithmancy, nine o’clock. I mean, I know you’re good, Hermione, but no one’s that good. How’re you supposed to be in three classes at once?† â€Å"Don’t be silly,† said Hermione shortly. â€Å"Of course I won’t be in three classes at once.† â€Å"Well then –â€Å" â€Å"Pass the marmalade,† said Hermione. â€Å"But –â€Å" â€Å"Oh, Ron, what’s it to you if my timetable’s a bit full?† Hermione snapped. â€Å"I told you, I’ve fixed it all with Professor McGonagall.† Just then, Hagrid entered the Great Hall. He was wearing his long moleskin overcoat and was absent-mindedly swinging a dead polecat from one enormous hand. â€Å"All righ’?† he said eagerly, pausing on his way to the staff table. â€Å"Yer in my firs’ ever lesson! Right after lunch! Bin up since five getting’ everthin’ ready†¦hope it’s OK†¦me, a teacher†¦hones’ly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He grinned broadly at them and headed off to the staff table, still swinging the polecat. â€Å"Wonder what he’s been getting ready?† said Ron, a note of anxiety in his voice. The Hall was starting to empty as people headed off towards their first lesson. Ron checked his schedule. â€Å"We’d better go, look, Divination’s at the top of North Tower. It’ll take us ten minutes to get there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They finished breakfast hastily, said goodbye to Fred and George and walked back through the hall. As they passed the Slytherin table, Malfoy did yet another impression of a fainting fit. The shouts of laughter followed Harry into the Entrance Hall. The journey through the castle to North Tower was a long one. Two years at Hogwarts hadn’t taught them everything about the castle, and they had never been inside North Tower before. â€Å"There’s — got — to — be — a — short — cut,† Ron panted, as they climbed the seventh long staircase and emerged on an unfamiliar landing, where there was nothing but a large painting of a bare stretch of grass hanging on the stone wall. â€Å"I think it’s this way,† said Hermione, peering down the empty passage to the right. â€Å"Can’t be,† said Ron. â€Å"That’s south. Look, you can see a bit of the lake outside the window†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry was watching the painting. A fat, dappled-gray pony had just ambled onto the grass and was grazing nonchalantly. Harry was used to the subjects of Hogwarts paintings moving around and leaving their frames to visit each other, but he always enjoyed watching them. A moment later, a short, squat knight in a suit of armour had clanked into the picture after his pony. By the look of the grass stains on his metal knees, he had just fallen off. â€Å"Aha!† he yelled, seeing Harry, Ron and Hermione. â€Å"What villains are these, that trespass upon my private lands! Come to scorn at my fall, perchance? Draw, you knaves, you dogs!† They watched in astonishment as the little knight tugged his sword out of its scabbard and began brandishing it violently, hopping up and down in rage. But the sword was too long for him; a particularly wild swing made him overbalance, and he landed facedown in the grass. â€Å"Are you all right?† said Harry, moving closer to the picture. â€Å"Get back, you scurvy braggart! Back, you rogue!† The knight seized his sword again and used it to push himself back up, but the blade sank deeply into the grass and, though he pulled with all his might, he couldn’t get it out again. Finally, he had to flop back down onto the grass and push up his visor to mop his sweating face. â€Å"Listen,† said Harry, taking advantage of the knight’s exhaustion, â€Å"we’re looking for the North Tower. You don’t know the way, do you?† â€Å"A quest!† The knight’s rage seemed to vanish instantly. He clanked to his feet and shouted, â€Å"Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find our goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge!† He gave the sword another fruitless tug, tried and failed to mount the fat pony, gave up, and cried, â€Å"On foot then, good sirs and gentle lady! On! On!† And he ran, clanking loudly, into the left side of the frame and out of sight. They hurried after him along the corridor, following the sound of his armor. Every now and then they spotted him running through a picture ahead. â€Å"Be of stout heart, the worst is yet to come!† yelled the knight, and they saw him reappear in front of an alarmed group of women in crinolines, whose picture hung on the wall of a narrow spiral staircase. Puffing loudly, Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed the tightly spiraling steps, getting dizzier and dizzier, until at last they heard the murmur of voices above them and knew they had reached the classroom. â€Å"Farewell!† cried the knight, popping his head into a painting of some sinister-looking monks. â€Å"Farewell, my comrades-in-arms! If ever you have need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!† â€Å"Yeah, we’ll call you,† muttered Ron as the knight disappeared, â€Å"if we ever need someone mental.† They climbed the last few steps and emerged onto a tiny landing, where most of the class was already assembled. There were no doors off this landing, but Ron nudged Harry and pointed at the ceiling, where there was a circular trapdoor with a brass plaque on it. â€Å"‘Sibyll Trelawney, Divination teacher,'† Harry read. â€Å"How’re we supposed to get up there?† As though in answer to his question, the trapdoor suddenly opened, and a silvery ladder descended right at Harry’s feet. Everyone got quiet. â€Å"After you,† said Ron, grinning, so Harry climbed the ladder first. He emerged into the strangest-looking classroom he had ever seen. In fact, it didn’t look like a classroom at all, more like a cross between someone’s attic and an old-fashioned tea shop. At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs. Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire that was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups. Ron appeared at Harry’s shoulder as the class assembled around them, all talking in whispers. â€Å"Where is she?† Ron said. A voice came suddenly out of the shadows, a soft, misty sort of voice. â€Å"Welcome,† it said. â€Å"How nice to see you in the physical world at last.† Harry’s immediate impression was of a large, glittering insect. Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight, and they saw that she was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl. Innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings. â€Å"Sit, my children, sit,† she said, and they all climbed awkwardly into armchairs or sank onto poufs. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat themselves around the same round table. â€Å"Welcome to Divination,† said Professor Trelawney, who had seated herself in a winged armchair in front of the fire. â€Å"My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye.† Nobody said anything to this extraordinary pronouncement. Professor Trelawney delicately rearranged her shawl and continued, â€Å"So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you†¦Books can take you only so far in this field†¦Ã¢â‚¬  At these words, both Harry and Ron glanced, grinning, at Hermione, who looked startled at the news that books wouldn’t be much help in this subject. â€Å"Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future,† Professor Trelawney went on, her enormous, gleaming eyes moving from face to nervous face. â€Å"It is a Gift granted to few. You, boy,† she said suddenly to Neville, who almost toppled off his pouf. â€Å"Is your grandmother well?† â€Å"I think so,† said Neville tremulously. â€Å"I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you, dear,† said Professor Trelawney, the firelight glinting on her long emerald earrings. Neville gulped. Professor Trelawney continued placidly. â€Å"We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear,† she shot suddenly at Parvati Patil, â€Å"beware a red-haired man.† Parvati gave a startled look at Ron, who was right behind her and edged her chair away from him. â€Å"In the second term,† Professor Trelawney went on, â€Å"we shall progress to the crystal ball — if we have finished with fire omens, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And around Easter, one of our number will leave us for ever.† A very tense silence followed this pronouncement, but Professor Trelawney seemed unaware of it. â€Å"I wonder, dear,† she said to Lavender Brown, who was nearest and shrank back in her chair, â€Å"if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?† Lavender, looking relieved, stood up, took an enormous teapot from the shelf, and put it down on the table in front of Professor Trelawney. â€Å"Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading — it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October.† Lavender trembled. â€Å"Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing. Oh, and dear,† — she caught Neville by the arm as he made to stand up, â€Å"after you’ve broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I’m rather attached to the pink.† Sure enough, Neville had no sooner reached the shelf of teacups when there was a tinkle of breaking china. Professor Trelawney swept over to him holding a dustpan and brush and said, â€Å"One of the blue ones, then, dear, if you wouldn’t mind†¦thank you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  When Harry and Ron had had their teacups filled, they went back to their table and tried to drink the scalding tea quickly. They swilled the dregs around as Professor Trelawney had instructed, then drained the cups and swapped over. â€Å"Right,† said Ron as they both opened their books at pages five and six. â€Å"What can you see in mine?† â€Å"A load of soggy brown stuff,† said Harry. The heavily perfumed smoke in the room was making him feel sleepy and stupid. â€Å"Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!† Professor Trelawney cried through the gloom. Harry tried to pull himself together. â€Å"Right, you’ve got a crooked sort of cross†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He consulted Unfogging the Future. â€Å"That means you’re going to have ‘trials and suffering’ — sorry about that — but there’s a thing that could be the sun. Hang on†¦that means ‘great happiness’†¦so you’re going to suffer but be very happy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You need your Inner Eye tested, if you ask me,† said Ron, and they both had to stifle their laughs as Professor Trelawney gazed in their direction. â€Å"My turn†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ron peered into Harry’s teacup, his forehead wrinkled with effort. â€Å"There’s a blob a bit like a bowler hat,† he said. â€Å"Maybe you’re going to work for the Ministry of Magic†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He turned the teacup the other way up. â€Å"But this way it looks more like an acorn†¦what’s that?† He scanned his copy of Unfogging the Future. â€Å"‘A windfall, unexpected gold.’ Excellent, you can lend me some. And there’s a thing here,† he turned the cup again, â€Å"that looks like an animal†¦yeah, if that was its head†¦it looks like a hippo†¦no, a sheep†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Professor Trelawney whirled around as Harry let out a snort of laughter. â€Å"Let me see that, my dear,† she said reprovingly to Ron, sweeping over and snatching Harry’s cup from him. Everyone went quiet to watch. Professor Trelawney was staring into the teacup, rotating it counterclockwise. â€Å"The falcon†¦my dear, you have a deadly enemy.† â€Å"But everyone knows that,† said Hermione in a loud whisper. Professor Trelawney stared at her. â€Å"Well, they do,† said Hermione. â€Å"Everybody knows about Harry and You-Know-Who.† Harry and Ron stared at her with a mixture of amazement and admiration. They had never heard Hermione speak to a teacher like that before. Professor Trelawney chose not to reply. She lowered her huge eyes to Harry’s cup again and continued to turn it. â€Å"The club†¦an attack. Dear, dear, this is not a happy cup†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I thought that was a bowler hat,† said Ron sheepishly. â€Å"The skull†¦danger in your path, my dear†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Everyone was staring, transfixed, at Professor Trelawney, who gave the cup a final turn, gasped, and then screamed. There was another tinkle of breaking china; Neville had smashed his second cup. Professor Trelawney sank into a vacant armchair, her glittering hand at her heart and her eyes closed. â€Å"My dear boy — my poor dear boy — no — it is kinder not to say — no — don’t ask me†¦.† â€Å"What is it, Professor?† said Dean Thomas at once. Everyone had got to their feet, and slowly they crowded around Harry and Ron’s table, pressing close to Professor Trelawney’s chair to get a good look at Harry’s cup. â€Å"My dear,† Professor Trelawney’s huge eyes opened dramatically, â€Å"you have the Grim.† â€Å"The what?† said Harry. He could tell that he wasn’t the only one who didn’t understand; Dean Thomas shrugged at him and Lavender Brown looked puzzled, but nearly everybody else clapped their hands to their mouths in horror. â€Å"The Grim, my dear, the Grim!† cried Professor Trelawney, who looked shocked that Harry hadn’t understood. â€Å"The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen — the worst omen — of death!† Harry’s stomach lurched. That dog on the cover of Death Omens in Flourish and Blotts — the dog in the shadows of Magnolia Crescent†¦Lavender Brown clapped her hands to her mouth too. Everyone was looking at Harry, everyone except Hermione, who had gotten up and moved around to the back of Professor Trelawney’s chair. â€Å"I don’t think it looks like a Grim,† she said flatly. Professor Trelawney surveyed Hermione with mounting dislike. â€Å"You’ll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future.† Seamus Finnigan was tilting his head from side to side. â€Å"It looks like a Grim if you do this,† he said, with his eyes almost shut, â€Å"but it looks more like a donkey from here,† he said, leaning to the left. â€Å"When you’ve all finished deciding whether I’m going to die or not!† said Harry, taking even himself by surprise. Now nobody seemed to want to look at him. â€Å"I think we will leave the lesson here for today,† said Professor Trelawney in her mistiest voice. â€Å"Yes†¦please pack away your things†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Silently the class took their teacups back to Professor Trelawney, packed away their books, and closed their bags. Even Ron was avoiding Harry’s eyes. â€Å"Until we meet again,† said Professor Trelawney faintly, â€Å"fair fortune be yours. Oh, and dear,† — she pointed at Neville, â€Å"you’ll be late next time, so mind you work extra-hard to catch up.† Harry, Ron, and Hermione descended Professor Trelawney’s ladder and the winding stair in silence, then set off for Professor McGonagall’s Transfiguration lesson. It took them so long to find her classroom that, early as they had left Divination, they were only just in time. Harry chose a seat right at the back of the room, feeling as though he were sitting in a very bright spotlight; the rest of the class kept shooting furtive glances at him, as though he were about to drop dead at any moment. He hardly heard what Professor McGonagall was telling them about Animagi (wizards who could transform at will into animals), and wasn’t even watching when she transformed herself in front of their eyes into a tabby cat with spectacle markings around her eyes. â€Å"Really, what has got into you all today?† said Professor McGonagall, turning back into herself with a faint pop, and staring around at them all. â€Å"Not that it matters, but that’s the first time my transformation’s not got applause from a class.† Everybody’s heads turned toward Harry again, but nobody spoke. Then Hermione raised her hand. â€Å"Please, Professor, we’ve just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and –â€Å" â€Å"Ah, of course,† said Professor McGonagall, suddenly frowning. â€Å"There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?† Everyone stared at her. â€Å"Me,† said Harry, finally. â€Å"I see,† said Professor McGonagall, fixing Harry with her beady eyes. â€Å"Then you should know, Potter, that Sibyll Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues –† Professor McGonagall broke off, and they saw that her nostrils had gone white. She went on, more calmly, â€Å"Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stopped again, and then said, in a very matter-of-fact tone, â€Å"You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don’t let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in.† Hermione laughed. Harry felt a bit better. It was harder to feel scared of a lump of tea leaves away from the dim red light and befuddling perfume of Professor Trelawney’s classroom. Not everyone was convinced, however. Ron still looked worried, and Lavender whispered, â€Å"But what about Neville’s cup?† When the Transfiguration class had finished, they joined the crowd thundering toward the Great Hall for lunch. â€Å"Ron, cheer up,† said Hermione, pushing a dish of stew toward him. â€Å"You heard what Professor McGonagall said.† Ron spooned stew onto his plate and picked up his fork but didn’t start. â€Å"Harry,† he said, in a low, serious voice, â€Å"You haven’t seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?† â€Å"Yeah, I have,† said Harry. â€Å"I saw one the night I left the Dursleys’.† Ron let his fork fall with a clatter. â€Å"Probably a stray,† said Hermione calmly. Ron looked at Hermione as though she had gone mad. â€Å"Hermione, if Harry’s seen a Grim, that’s — that’s bad,† he said. â€Å"My — my uncle Bilius saw one and — and he died twenty-four hours later!† â€Å"Coincidence,† said Hermione airily, pouring herself some pumpkin juice. â€Å"You don’t know what you’re talking about!† said Ron, starting to get angry. â€Å"Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!† â€Å"There you are, then,† said Hermione in a superior tone. â€Å"They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim’s not an omen, it’s the cause of death! And Harry’s still with us because he’s not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I’d better kick the bucket then!† Ron mouthed wordlessly at Hermione, who opened her bag, took out her new Arithmancy book, and propped it open against the juice jug. â€Å"I think Divination seems very woolly,† she said, searching for her page. â€Å"A lot of guesswork, if you ask me.† â€Å"There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!† said Ron hotly. â€Å"You didn’t seem quite so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep,† said Hermione coolly. â€Å"Professor Trelawney said you didn’t have the right aura! You just don’t like being bad at something for a change!† He had touched a nerve. Hermione slammed her Arithmancy book down on the table so hard that bits of meat and carrot flew everywhere. â€Å"If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I’m not sure I’ll be studying it much longer! That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with my Arithmancy class!† She snatched up her bag and stalked away. Ron frowned after her. â€Å"What’s she talking about?† he said to Harry. â€Å"She hasn’t been to an Arithmancy class yet.† ****** Harry was pleased to get out of the castle after lunch. Yesterday’s rain had cleared; the sky was a clear, pale gray, and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they set off for their first ever Care of Magical Creatures class. Ron and Hermione weren’t speaking to each other. Harry walked beside them in silence as they went down the sloping lawns to Hagrid’s hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was only when he spotted three only-too-familiar backs ahead of them that he realized they must be having these lessons with the Slytherins. Malfoy was talking animatedly to Crabbe and Goyle, who were chortling. Harry was quite sure he knew what they were talking about. Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start. â€Å"C’mon, now, get a move on!† he called as the class approached. â€Å"Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin’ up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!† For one nasty moment, Harry thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the forest; Harry had had enough unpleasant experiences in there to last him a lifetime. However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there. â€Å"Everyone gather ’round the fence here!† he called. â€Å"That’s it — make sure yeh can see — now, firs’ thing yeh’ll want ter do is open yer books –â€Å" â€Å"How?† said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy. â€Å"Eh?† said Hagrid. â€Å"How do we open our books?† Malfoy repeated. He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out too; some, like Harry, had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips. â€Å"Hasn’ — hasn’ anyone bin able ter open their books?† said Hagrid, looking crestfallen. The class all shook their heads. â€Å"Yeh’ve got ter stroke ’em,† said Hagrid, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. â€Å"Look –â€Å" He took Hermione’s copy and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quiet in his hand. â€Å"Oh, how silly we’ve all been!† Malfoy sneered. â€Å"We should have stroked them! Why didn’t we guess!† â€Å"I — I thought they were funny,† Hagrid said uncertainly to Hermione. â€Å"Oh, tremendously funny!† said Malfoy. â€Å"Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!† â€Å"Shut up, Malfoy,† said Harry quietly. Hagrid was looking downcast and Harry wanted Hagrid’s first lesson to be a success. â€Å"Righ’ then,† said Hagrid, who seemed to have lost his thread, â€Å"so — so yeh’ve got yer books an’†¦an’†¦now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I’ll go an’ get ’em. Hang on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He strode away from them into the forest and out of sight. â€Å"God, this place is going to the dogs,† said Malfoy loudly. â€Å"That oaf teaching classes, my father’ll have a fit when I tell him –â€Å" â€Å"Shut up, Malfoy,† Harry repeated. â€Å"Careful, Potter, there’s a Dementor behind you –â€Å" â€Å"Oooooooh!† squealed Lavender Brown, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock. Trotting toward them were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures Harry had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-colored beaks and large, brilliantly, orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures. â€Å"Gee up, there!† he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures toward the fence where the class stood. Everyone drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence. â€Å"Hippogriffs!† Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. â€Å"Beau’iful, aren’ they?† Harry could sort of see what Hagrid meant. Once you got over the first shock of seeing something that was half horse, half bird, you started to appreciate the Hippogriffs’ gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to hair, each of them a different color: stormy gray, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and inky black. â€Å"So,† said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, â€Å"if yeh wan’ ter come a bit nearer†¦Ã¢â‚¬  No one seemed to want to. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, approached the fence cautiously. â€Å"Now, firs’ thing yeh gotta know abou’ Hippogriffs is, they’re proud,† said Hagrid. â€Å"Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don’t never insult one, ’cause it might be the last thing yeh do.† Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle weren’t listening; they were talking in an undertone and Harry had a nasty feeling they were plotting how best to disrupt the lesson. â€Å"Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs’ move,† Hagrid continued. â€Å"It’s polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an’ yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh’re allowed ter touch him. If he doesn’ bow, then get away from him sharpish, ’cause those talons hurt.† â€Å"Right — who wants ter go first?† Most of the class backed farther away in answer. Even Harry, Ron, and Hermione had misgivings. The Hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful wings; they didn’t seem to like being tethered like this. â€Å"No one?† said Hagrid, with a pleading look. â€Å"I’ll do it,† said Harry. There was an intake of breath from behind him, and both Lavender and Parvati whispered, â€Å"Oooh, no, Harry, remember your tea leaves!† Harry ignored them. He climbed over the paddock fence. â€Å"Good man, Harry!† roared Hagrid. â€Å"Right then — let’s see how yeh get on with Buckbeak.† He untied one of the chains, pulled the gray Hippogriff away from its fellows, and slipped off its leather collar. The class on the other side of the paddock seemed to be holding its breath. Malfoy’s eyes were narrowed maliciously. â€Å"Easy now, Harry,† said Hagrid quietly. â€Å"Yeh’ve got eye contact, now try not ter blink†¦Hippogriffs don’ trust yeh if yeh blink too much†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry’s eyes immediately began to water, but he didn’t shut them. Buckbeak had turned his great, sharp head and was staring at Harry with one fierce orange eye. â€Å"Tha’s it,† said Hagrid. â€Å"Tha’s it, Harry†¦now, bow.† Harry didn’t feel much like exposing the back of his neck to Buckbeak, but he did as he was told. He gave a short bow and then looked up. The Hippogriff was still staring haughtily at him. It didn’t move. â€Å"Ah,† said Hagrid, sounding worried. â€Å"Right — back away, now, Harry, easy does it –â€Å" But then, to Harry’s enormous surprise, the Hippogriff suddenly bent its scaly front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow. â€Å"Well done, Harry!† said Hagrid, ecstatic. â€Å"Right — yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!† Feeling that a better reward would have been to back away, Harry moved slowly toward the Hippogriff and reached out toward it. He patted the beak several times and the Hippogriff closed its eyes lazily, as though enjoying it. The class broke into applause, all except for Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were looking deeply disappointed. â€Å"Righ’ then, Harry,† said Hagrid. â€Å"I reckon he migh’ let yeh ride him!† This was more than Harry had bargained for. He was used to a broomstick; but he wasn’t sure a Hippogriff would be quite the same. â€Å"Yeh climb up there, jus’ behind the wing joint,† said Hagrid, â€Å"an’ mind yeh don’ pull any of his feathers out, he won’ like that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry put his foot on the top of Buckbeak’s wing and hoisted himself onto its back. Buckbeak stood up. Harry wasn’t sure where to hold on; everything in front of him was covered with feathers. â€Å"Go on, then!† roared Hagrid, slapping the Hippogriffs hindquarters. Without warning, twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of Harry, he just had time to seize the Hippogriff around the neck before he was soaring upward. It was nothing like a broomstick, and Harry knew which one he preferred; the Hippogriff’s wings beat uncomfortably on either side of him, catching him under his legs and making him feel he was about to be thrown off; the glossy feathers slipped under his fingers and he didn’t dare get a stronger grip; instead of the smooth action of his Nimbus Two Thousand, he now felt himself rocking backward and forward as the hindquarters of the Hippogriff rose and fell with its wings. Buckbeak flew him once around the paddock and then headed back to the ground; this was the bit Harry had been dreading; he leaned back as the smooth neck lowered, feeling he was going to slip off over the beak, then felt a heavy thud as the four ill-assorted feet hit the ground. He just managed to hold on and push himself straight again. â€Å"Good work, Harry!† roared Hagrid as everyone except Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle cheered. â€Å"Okay, who else wants a go?† Emboldened by Harry’s success, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock. Hagrid untied the Hippogriffs one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Neville ran repeatedly backward from his, which didn’t seem to want to bend its knees. Ron and Hermione practiced on the chestnut, while Harry watched. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Malfoy, who was now patting his beak, looking disdainful. â€Å"This is very easy,† Malfoy drawled, loud enough for Harry to, hear him. â€Å"I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it†¦I bet you’re not dangerous at all, are you?† he said to the Hippogriff. â€Å"Are you, you great ugly brute?† It happened in a flash of steely talons; Malfoy let out a high pitched scream and next moment, Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar as he strained to get at Malfoy, who lay curled in the grass, blood blossoming over his robes. â€Å"I’m dying!† Malfoy yelled as the class panicked. â€Å"I’m dying, look at me! It’s killed me!† â€Å"Yer not dyin’!† said Hagrid, who had gone very white. â€Å"Someone help me — gotta get him outta here –â€Å" Hermione ran to hold open the gate as Hagrid lifted Malfoy easily. As they passed, Harry saw that there was a long, deep gash on Malfoy’s arm; blood splattered the grass and Hagrid ran with him, up the slope toward the castle. Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class followed at a walk. The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid. â€Å"They should sack him straight away!† said Pansy Parkinson, who was in tears. â€Å"It was Malfoy’s fault!† snapped Dean Thomas. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly. They all climbed the stone steps into the deserted entrance hall. â€Å"I’m going to see if he’s okay!† said Pansy, and they all watched her run up the marble staircase. The Slytherins, still muttering about Hagrid, headed away in the direction of their dungeon common room; Harry, Ron, and Hermione proceeded upstairs to Gryffindor Tower. â€Å"You think he’ll be all right?† said Hermione nervously. â€Å"Course he will. Madam Pomfrey can mend cuts in about a second,† said Harry, who had had far worse injuries mended magically by the nurse. â€Å"That was a really bad thing to happen in Hagrid’s first class, though, wasn’t it?† said Ron, looking worried. â€Å"Trust Malfoy to mess things up for him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They were among the first to reach the Great Hall at dinnertime, hoping to see Hagrid, but he wasn’t there. â€Å"They wouldn’t fire him, would they?† said Hermione anxiously, not touching her steak-and-kidney pudding. â€Å"They’d better not,† said Ron, who wasn’t eating either. Harry was watching the Slytherin table. A large group including Crabbe and Goyle was huddled together, deep in conversation. Harry was sure they were cooking up their own version of how Malfoy had been injured. â€Å"Well, you can’t say it wasn’t an interesting first day back,† said Ron gloomily. They went up to the crowded Gryffindor common room after dinner and tried to do the homework Professor McGonagall had given them, but all three of them kept breaking off and glancing out of the tower window. â€Å"There’s a light on in Hagrid’s window,† Harry said suddenly. Ron looked at his watch. â€Å"If we hurried, we could go down and see him. It’s still quite early†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I don’t know,† Hermione said slowly, and Harry saw her glance at him. â€Å"I’m allowed to walk across the grounds,† he said pointedly. â€Å"Sirius Black hasn’t got past the Dementors yet, has he?† So they put their things away and headed out of the portrait hole, glad to meet nobody on their way to the front doors, as they weren’t entirely sure they were supposed to be out. The grass was still wet and looked almost black in the twilight. When they reached Hagrid’s hut, they knocked, and a voice growled, â€Å"C’min.† Hagrid was sitting in his shirtsleeves at his scrubbed wooden table; his boarhound, Fang, had his head in Hagrid’s lap. One look told them that Hagrid had been drinking a lot; there was a pewter tankard almost as big as a bucket in front of him, and he seemed to be having difficulty getting them into focus. â€Å"‘Spect it’s a record,† he said thickly, when he recognized them. â€Å"Don’ reckon they’ve ever had a teacher who lasted on’y a day before.† â€Å"You haven’t been fired, Hagrid!† gasped Hermione. â€Å"Not yet,† said Hagrid miserably, taking a huge gulp of whatever was in the tankard. â€Å"But’s only a matter o’ time, I’n’t, after Malfoy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"How is he?† said Ron as they all sat down. â€Å"It wasn’t serious, was it?† â€Å"Madam Pomfrey fixed him best she could,† said Hagrid dully, â€Å"but he’s sayin’ it’s still agony†¦covered in bandages†¦moanin’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He’s faking it,† said Harry at once. â€Å"Madam Pomfrey can mend anything. She regrew half my bones last year. Trust Malfoy to milk it for all it’s worth.† â€Å"School gov’nors have bin told, o’ course,† said Hagrid miserably. â€Å"They reckon I started too big. Shoulda left Hippogriffs fer later†¦one flobberworms or summat†¦Jus’ thought it’d make a good firs’ lesson’s all my fault†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It’s all Malfoy’s fault, Hagrid!† said Hermione earnestly. â€Å"We’re witnesses,† said Harry. â€Å"You said Hippogriffs attack if you insult them. It’s Malfoy’s problem that he wasn’t listening. We’ll tell Dumbledore what really happened.† â€Å"Yeah, don’t worry, Hagrid, we’ll back you up,† said Ron. Tears leaked out of the crinkled corners of Hagrid’s beetle-black eyes. He grabbed both Harry and Ron and pulled them into a bone-breaking hug. â€Å"I think you’ve had enough to drink, Hagrid,† said Hermione firmly. She took the tankard from the table and went outside to empty it. â€Å"Ah, maybe she’s right,† said Hagrid, letting go of Harry and Ron, who both staggered away, rubbing their ribs. Hagrid heaved himself out of his chair and followed Hermione unsteadily outside. They heard a loud splash. â€Å"What’s he done?† said Harry nervously as Hermione came back in with the empty tankard. â€Å"Stuck his head in the water barrel,† said Hermione, putting the tankard away. Hagrid came back, his long hair and beard sopping wet, wiping the water out of his eyes. â€Å"That’s better,† he said, shaking his head like a dog and drenching them all. â€Å"Listen, it was good of yeh ter come an’ see me, I really –â€Å" Hagrid stopped dead, staring at Harry as though he’d only just realized he was there. â€Å"WHAT D’YEH THINK YOU’RE DOIN’, EH?† he roared, so suddenly that they jumped a foot in the air. â€Å"YEH’RE NOT TO GO WANDERIN’ AROUND AFTER DARK, HARRY! AN, YOU TWO! LETTIN’ HIM!† Hagrid strode over to Harry, grabbed his arm, and pulled him to the door. â€Å"C’mon!† Hagrid said angrily. â€Å"I’m takin’ yer all back up ter school an’ don’ let me catch yeh walkin’ down ter see me after dark again. I’m not worth that!† How to cite Chapter 6 Talons and Tea Leaves, Essay examples

French democracy 1970

French democracy 1970- future Essay A comparative chronology of democracy/election and how it has and will influence politics in France between the time period of 1970-2020. In 1958, the highly centralized Fifth Republic was created, which lasts to the present day. Its constitution is characterized by the strong executive powers vested in the presidency. This constitution was approved by popular vote, and direct elections every seven years elect a President. The President presides over a cabinet of members headed by a Prime Minister of his or her choosing. The legislative body is divided into two houses, the National Assembly and the senate, whose members are elected for nine-year terms. The National Assemblys members are directly elected for five-year terms. The Senate members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve nine-year terms. The French judicial system assesses the constitutionality of legislation that is referred to review by the Parliament, Prime Minister or President. The Fifth Republic was almost overthrown in 1968 by a radical alliance of students and industrial workers. In reaction, conservative presidents and center-right m ajorities in the National Assembly governed France throughout the 1970s. In 1981, a Socialist Francois Mitterland won the presidential election, the first time the Socialist partys candidate had been victorious. In May 1988, he was reelected for a second term. Jacques Chirac, who had been both mayor of Paris and Prime Minister, had succeeded Mitterland as president in May of 1995 after a narrow victory over the Socialist challenger Lionel Jospin. In the legislature, Chirac had the benefit of a conservative majority. This came about after a victory for the right in the legislative elections in March 1993: unusually, the two right-wing parties, the Gaullist Rally for the Republic Party (RPR) and the more centrist Union Democratique Francaise (UDF)-normally fierce rivals, agreed to present joint candidates. Edouard Balladur of the RPR, a sometime Minister of Finance, became Prime Minister. In 1995, Balladur was replaced by Alain Juppe, whose rigorous pursuit of an economic austerity program undermined the support for the government and opened the way for revival of the left. Presently, France has a mixed presidential and parliamentary government that unites directly and popularly elected President, as Head of State, with a cabinet dependent on parliamentary confidence. As in other presidential governments, the presidents term is fixed, but he or she may be reelected an unlimited number of times. The French Constitution of 1958 reduced the power of the Parliament and conferred onto the President the right to dissolve the National Assembly and to appoint the head of French government, the Prime Minister, as well as the Council of Ministers. The former executive is also the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and is directly responsible to the Parliament, a two-chambered body. Originally the Prime Ministers significant power as head of the government (Council of Ministers) and the majority party in the National Assembly was sustained by the Fifth Republics constitutional arrangement. During Charles de Gaulles presidency, however, responsibility for matters of foreign policy and national defense was transferred away from the governments leadership, and the Prime Minister was divested of a good deal of his political power. Currently, the authority and influence of the presidency eclipses that of the government and the Prime Minister, although certain domestic obligations have been returned to the latter. This uneven balance of authority is unlike the power arrangements in more traditional forms of parliamentary governance. Characteristics of this type of a regime, however, are evident in the Presidents relationship to the Prime Minister and the Parliament. When the majority in the Parliament backs the President, the prime minister tends to act as a deputy to the head of state. Regardless of who is in power in the government, the president always appoints a prime minister from the parliamentary majority party, so the two executives may disagree on policy issues and strive to limit each others authority. This type of rule, known as cohabitation, is currently evident in France; the chief of state is President Jacques Chirac, who has been in power since May of 1995 and is the member of the Rally for the Republic (RPR) Party. Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, the Socialist head of government, has been in power since June of

Student Athletes Essays - Student Athlete, , Term Papers

Student Athletes Athletes Should Get Paid As you sit at the stadium or in your home and watch college football, basketball, or even baseball, do you ever wonder where the money goes from all the ticket sales? Colleges make a lot of money from their athletics. I feel that the profit that is made should partly go back to the student athlete. College athletes should be paid for their participation in sports, since sports make a lot of money for the college. A student athlete's schedule is very hectic. There are many activities that have to be attended daily. A student athlete is expected to go to class every day, and later in, the day they are expected to meet at practice, no matter what the sport. After practice, the student athlete must eat dinner. Then, the person has to go home to their dorm to do homework, which can last for hours. There is very little time during the day, to allow the student athlete to get a job. Most of the time coaches will not allow the students to work, due to schedule conflict, and it is also hard on the student's studies. If the coach doesn't allow a job and there is no time for one, where does the student get money? Student finances are very limited. Most of the money that students have is from parents or student loans. Students need money for food, gas and laundry. If a student eats three meals a day, it would usually cost then about fifteen dollars. For a five-day week it would be around seventy-five dollars. Usually, the student athletes do not travel much, so gas expenses would be minimal. However there are those occasional trips home to see family. The student also needs money for laundry. Laundry runs around five or six dollars per week. Years ago, student athletes at colleges and universities were given laundry money, which was twenty-five to thirty dollars a week. The money could be spent freely. It was like an allowance that your parents would give you every week. I feel that this little support would at least help the student when money is hard to come by at home. With the financial help of the college, a student athlete would only have to supply around fifty dollars per week instead o f seventy- or eighty-five A student would have less financial troubles if they were compensated for athletics. If athletes were paid, they could have a better start out of college. For instance, if the student athlete has to get a loan during college because he or she has no money for necessities, that student athlete has started to dig a financial hole. That hole will be a burden to the student athlete when her or she graduates from college. Also, the student athlete's parents will not be financially troubled when the student graduates from college. It would make it easier on student athletes and their parents mentally and physically if student athletes were paid. Mentally, the parents would not have to worry about paying the bills when tuition is due. Physically, the parents and students would not have to break their back to work overtime, or to have a job while in school, and play athletics as well. I feel that student athletes have a lot to worry about. One is their grades; two is their performance in games. I feel the last thing a student athlete should worry about is how they are going to make money to pay for necessities, since the student plays a sport that makes money for the college. Student athletes should be compensated for their participation in athletics while attending college.

Production Department Essay Example

Production Department Essay Example Production Department Essay Production Department Essay AS 400 has helped Honda in developing a data warehouse which is stored on DB2. This data warehouse stores all the current and historical data of the organization. Therefore all the data, regardless of its source is consolidated and integrated in one database. For the convenience of each department in Honda, data marts are designed which are basically subsets of data in a data warehouse. These data marts ensure that specific information relevant to each department is readily available to them. The creation of data warehouse and data marts help the employees at different levels in decision making. A range of queries can be run which enable the concerned departments in extracting the required information. The information obtained helps in the generation of reports. SALES DEPARTMENT Honda has just started with its CRM system. It helps Honda with some of the after sales queries and surveys. This also helps to track down its customers. Even though system has been put forward but it’s not fully operated yet. The CRM for example is in a way used on its website. Even though Honda has its website, it is not being used for e-commerce or direct selling of cars. However, a customer can launch his complains here. He would have to submit his complain alongside the car’s bonnet number. With the help of their CRM system Honda will suggest the nearest Honda dealership center to the customer. Honda does not directly deals with its clients. The product distribution channel it chooses is through the car dealers as their middle person or agent. Dealers only work as commission agents and cannot therefore sell the cars on their own. When, a customer places an order at any of the Honda dealer’s showroom, the dealer will notify the Honda’s head office and sales department through e-mail or VPN about the order and its details like color and other features. The sales department generating the orders report will send it to the production department. When the orders are completed according to the information provided to them, the sales department generates the sales receipt and invoice as dealers cannot do it themselves. The receipt will contain the amount of commission to be given to the dealers added on to the car’s base price. The sales department interlinked with MIS, also uses it for generating reports like forecasted sales and trends. These sales forecasting helps them in setting pre-production targets and ordering supplies. The Honda Company orders its spare parts rather than manufacture it at its plant. It uses the system of N-3 or N-4 to order these parts needed for production either 3 or 4 months before, production takes place. This is the part of their SCM. The SCM is usually handled through e-mails with their suppliers. They use excel sheet as their basic ordering format, and use internet as their network of communication with them. APPLICATIONS FOR CUSTOMER RELATION MANAGEMENT A market information system employs procedures and practices to analyze and assess market information gathered from sources inside and outside a firm. Timely market information provides basis for decisions such as product development or improvement and helps a firm manage its customers in a better and efficient way. Honda also uses a web based application, Market Information System, developed on Cisco Systems. This again was in in-house development in mid 2009. Basic purpose of this application is Customer Relation Management (CRM). This is done by collecting customer data, generating reports based on this data and then further by analyzing these reports. MIS is installed at all Honda dealership outlets throughout Pakistan and is also accessible by the sales and marketing departments at the head office. The application is run using Honda’s Virtual Private Network (VPN). Functions of MIS 1. Main Screen: This is the homepage or the index screen after the user logs in using his/her ID for this application. It displays a list of all the activities such as: 1. Pending follow ups 2. Insurance renewals 3. Registration expiry 4. Upcoming customers’ birthdays and anniversaries A bulletin board on this index page consists of the latest news or notifications for sales staff and the dealerships. 1. Data Entry: This module is used to record all the information of any customer interaction i. e. in the form of walk-in, telephone call, sales visit, referral or email inquiry. First a customer interaction form is filled and then this data which consists of fields such as name, contact numbers, birthday, correspondence address and details of car history is entered into the MIS system and according to the customer type, individual or corporate a pink or white card is assigned respectively. How the card system works After the initial cards that are pink and white have been assigned, when a sale is made the operator saves the customer record as sold and converts these cards into yellow card by entering additional information. This clearly creates a distinction between follow up or deferred customers and those to whom a sale has been made. 1. Posting This option allows any operator to put up some information for others or make an announcement on the bulletin board. 1. Report Generation The Reports Menu can generate different reports showing detailed information for the period specified. It is used to drive the statistics of the issues stored in the database based on the required parameters. The following reports can be generated: 1. Follow up report 2. Customer birthday report 3. Customer marriage anniversary report 4. Staff activity report 5. Pending insurance Registration expiry report 1. Inquiries All customer records can be searched through their name, date of data entry, NTN number, NIC number, credit card data, and phone numbers using this data mining module. 1. DONet: To maintain after sales Customer Relation Management, Honda uses DONet. It enables smooth flow of information to the production department in case of any complaint. 1. Handles all the customer data to provide after sales service which includes repairs history, complete car maintenance records and the level of customer satisfaction on each visit to the dealership workshop. 2. In addition to these functions, DONet also maintains the inventory of spare parts and the level is maintained according to the customer demand.

Textual analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Textual analysis - Essay Example This narrative is a remarkable tale, and with her discerning language and word use, Chopin provides importance to the audience with every particular expression. Even though it is presented in a quite short description on the beginning of the narrative, one apparently becomes acquainted with the life of Louise Mallard and with her as a symbol, a great deal about the status of women in the time of Chopin. The Story of an Hour is one of the most concise works of Kate Chopin, but perhaps her most revolutionary literary creation: â€Å"It was an attack on marriage, on one person’s dominance over another in ‘that blind persistence which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow creature. A kind intention or a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime.’ The demand of self-sacrifice was the crime† (Kahle 2010, 11). Louise Mallard, the major character, was suffering from a heart disease. This description is the first one given to the audience about Louise; her first name was introduced after this particular description. It provided her a particular image, a fragile, flimsy, and weak individual. Her sister informed her, in ‘veiled hints that revealed in half concealing’ (Chopin & Knights 2000, 259) of the death of her husband in a railroad accident. The mention of the ‘veiled hints’ imply that t he Victorian society did not recognize women having the ability to handle such terrible news and the cruel truth. And the response of Louise was a deviation to Victorian norms: she remained composed, yet â€Å"she wept at once† (Chopin & Knights 2000, 273) and immediately escaped to her room. Instead of anguish an unexplainable happiness flooded her because of her newly found freedom, liberated from the authority and repression of her husband. She repeatedly utters, â€Å"Free! Body and soul free!† (Chopin & Knights 2000, 260) Her sudden bliss represented

Strategic Management - Southwest Airlines Essay

Strategic Management - Southwest Airlines - Essay Example Despite having having gone through some legal battles, it has nonetheless pulled from them to be a resounding airline company. However, there is need for a hallmark of strategies within its paradigm of domestic ridership. These strategies should be tailored around offering in flight luxuries such as in flight meals and entertainment, and providing different seating options such as first & business class accommodations (Jackson, 2011). This will go along way in providing what Karami (2003) reckons as a significant component to a firm’s achievement. His view of strategic management is of encompassing the establishment of the groundwork objectives of an organization, by selecting the best goals towards those aims, and seeking to satisfy them with time (Karami, 2003). Strategic formulation, for Southwest Airline Company which will consider and enhance competition for primary categories of customers namely: Travel agents, corporate travel managers, as well as individual travelers, should be the best way forward (Jackson, 2011). Of course, tagging them along that line would lead to adopting strategies that take care of that, and will certainly go along way in being concomitant with what Karami refers to as†¦``prioritizing strategies to pursue’’ (Karami, 2003). ... Beyond that is used to reflect on the Opportunities and Threats exposed by information accrued usually through an evaluation research, the outside environment and by means of comparative studies. In so doing, the team members of an organization as well as the managers employ its usage in the development of a plan (Bohm, 2008). Indeed, it is used in the circumstances of wanting to formulate a strategic plan or often times, crafting out a solution to revert a situation. (Bohm, 2008) So how is SWOT analysis being useful is Southwest Airline? First has been its usefulness in Internal Analysis, which involves the study of the organization’s strengths and weaknesses in a number of theoretically formulated ways (Bohm, 2008). a. Management Capabilities One such is on organizational structure, where the point of focus is usually to examine if the structure limits or enhances flow of information and client responsive mechanisms are in place (Bohm, 2008). Southwest has often demonstrated quick response to clients when their flight delays or a possibility of a flight not taking off due to weather conditions. Besides, the organizational organ gram is such the pecking order is clear and so flow of information to the right people is promptly facilitated for action (Daft, 2008). Beyond this, the strength in communication is further compounded by the fact that Southwest Airline has internet presence. It was indeed one of the first airlines to have a website. However, one the weakness within its website is that prices are not outlined to enable customers have knowledge in advance just by the click of ‘mouse’. Regardless of this, it is reported that it is so far the largest in terms of

The Nature And Purpose Of Business Research

The Nature And Purpose Of Business Research Abstract: The paper seeks to demonstrate the importance of business research for the organizations in terms of marketing and collection of data. Various concepts of business research and its requirements have been thoroughly discussed in this paper. This research papers further explores the different methods and techniques for writing the business research. The classification of data and the limitations and reliability of each class has also been discussed. Finally, the other methods of data collection such as questionnaires, interviews and surveys are discussed to elaborate the concept of data collection. The paper, thus, seeks to identify the various ways of collecting data to carry out a business research in an effective and efficient manner. Introduction: A thorough, complete and well-organized research is the only tool for different organizations to get the overview of their targeted audience. Particularly in business related research, there are various research modules that are carried out in order to understand the marketing trends and patterns. For instance, what are the current needs and wants of the customers and clients in the market and how can the organization meet those needs in an easily accessible manner, the best prices for customers needs, how can you compete efficiently with your competitors and with whom you have to keep well collaborative terms (Bryman and Bell, 2007, p.33). Therefore, there are different research methods depending on the requirements of an individual organization: Planning a Research: The basic step in order to plan a research related to any purpose of any organization depends heavily on what are the requirements of that organization. Thus, you must know your primary objectives that would help you collect the relevant data and information and makes you design a well-organized and precisely targeted research plan. These objectives may include, a current frequent complaint by customers regarding a particular product or service, need to improve a particular service for customers, need to get a high amount of loan from a bank or a fund provider, and the like (Sumner, 2005). Thus, deciding your objectives at first will not only improve the efficiency of your research, but also save you lots of time that you might have spent researching random objectives. Here are the top ten factors that should be kept in mind in order to bring out the best possible plan for any research: You should be precise about the sole objective of the research. You should know before planning research that what goals you want to achieve, what objectives are there that you want to pursue through this research. The clearer you are in your approach, the better results you will most likely get. What will be the information regarding a particular product or service that will make you take the correct decision. For instance, the weakness and strength of a product or service, the failure of a particular product, etc. The audience of the research is another critical factor for carrying out any kind of research. You should be aware of what audience you are going to target for a particular research. The audience may include customers, employees, shareholders, fund provider, bankers, etc. The source of information is also a very crucial part of any research. The research that will provide you information can depend on your objects as it may have consumers, employees, managers, etc. You should also know the deadline for a particular research. As a deadline helps keep the research precise to a particular time only. You should also be aware about the sources that would collect the data and information from different audience. How much can you afford to conduct a research? How much time you are ready to spend in conducting the research? Last but certainly not the least, what will be the methods of collecting information or conducting the research itself. These methods may include, interviews, observation of the targeted audience, case studies, listening, surveys, and the like. Nature and purpose of business research: No hard and fast rules can be described in order to express the purpose of a business research. The reason is simple; each business research depends on the situation and the person or organization that is carrying out the research. However, only one thing is sure that the general purpose of any business research is to get success in the future. It is an undeniable fact that every individual or organization enters the market hoping to gain massive profits. Thus, the primary objective of any business research can be explained as an attempt to improve the sales and income ratio of the company (Hair et al, 2011, p. 82). In addition, it helps the government agencies in obtaining a sort of financial support (Gravetter and Forzano, 2008, p.495). Therefore, conducting a business research will let you understand the trend of the market and what are the needs of the markets and if you would be able to respond to those needs in an efficient manner. You will have to sell only such products or services that the market requires; otherwise, you will have no sale at all. As it is the first rule of entering any market along with your business that never enter a market without knowing each and everything about it. Hence, you should make sure that everything is planned out for even worse of the scenarios. However, if you have done a thorough research, then you can have massive gain in profit in near future. Methods of writing a research proposal: There are various types of research proposal depending on the needs of the research and its purpose. Writing a research proposal for a business is one of those proposals that require a great deal of skills in order to achieve the desired results. The exact research proposal of each organization is different according to its needs and objectives. However, the basic outline can stay the same for almost all the business research proposals (Gravetter and Forzano, 2008, p.495). Title The title of a business research proposal should be attractive enough to catch the attention of the readers in instance of a second and make them curious. However, it should be short and concise, but informative to give an overview picture of the research. Abstract Different sections of the research proposal should be summarized in 3-4 sentences that should relate to the general objective of the research. The key points and facts and figures of a research should be the part of this section. Introduction The introductory part of a research proposal is another important aspect of the proposal. It should state the research purpose in the business context. However, there are two important theses in the introduction. The opening thesis should state the problem properly for which the research is being conducted and expected to be resolved through the research. Meanwhile, the thesis statement should state the expected outcome and the measures that get decided as a result of the research. Features of literature review The literature review of a research proposal is the heart and soul of the research. The feature of literature review is that it justifies and gives arguments to conduct research in the future and shows the already possessed knowledge by the writer ((Bryman and Bell, 2007, p.94). Thus, the core purpose of literature review is that the writer of the research proposal have carried out an extensive research and grasped a large area of the knowledge regarding the research and that the writer is well-aware of the problems and have learned the new theories and patterns. On the other hand, literature review should be strong enough to show a massive gap between the theory or business practice. Methods This section of the research proposal should provide a thorough outline of the activities and methods that the writer have planned to carry out during the research. If the writer of the research wants to achieve success in a research proposal, the methods should be discussed and analyzed that can be used to collect data, information, facts and figures from different source. The top three primary activities for conducting a research are to do surveys, have face-to-face interviews and have focused groups. On the other hand, the sources for secondary activities may be market reports, financial and legal documents, executive publication, etc. Nevertheless, the focus on this section should be on the time to complete any particular activity, materials, script for interviews, etc. All in all, the more thorough and descriptive the data are, the better will be the research proposal. Conclusion The conclusion of a research proposal should state a brief review of all the aspects of the research including the problems, the activities going to be used to counter them and the methods that will benefit a business in theory and in practice (McNabb, 2010, p. 126). Planning a literature search It is always a tricky task to plan a literature search to grasp the relevant, adequate and up-to-date literature. Making sure this thing will actually help you compare your current literature search with the ones that has been conducted in the past. It can really be a time-consuming task for any student. However, if you plan well ahead, then the chance of wrapping it up quickly increases (Hart, 2001). Meanwhile, the best way to bring out everything out of your mind is to use the brainstorming technique. Thus, start your research without concentrating on a single objective and does the literature search from a broader aspect. You can then plan your strategy for the search and then reexamine it with friends or your tutor. Further, you should keep the following information with you, when you are going to discuss with your tutor: The parameters of the literature search should be well explained in an organized manner. The collected databases and the number of different search engines you used to carry out the search. The keywords that you targeted along with the terms or phrases you used for searching purpose. What are the criteria that you have used in search of your literature and the basis on which you collected different data and information? Different approaches to research There are different approaches to conduct a research related to any aspects of life. Few of the most important and crucial approaches to conduct a research are explained below: Primary Research: Primary research is the most widely used approach to conduct a research. It includes the construction and conduction of different surveys, interviews, questioners, etc. to the top-notch people of media and different industries having a diary of log of data. For instance, this research may be about observing what women or men have been doing on television for a whole week. Therefore, the research can be extensive, complex and difficult to conduct. Hence, it requires a much more committed and dedicated efforts to conduct the research. However, if your research is an extensive and thorough project or assignment, then these kinds of researches can be the best available option in terms of choosing a method to conduct a research (Norris and Ortega, 2006). Secondary Print and Multimedia Sources: This method of conducting a research is less complicated and easy to carry out. It deals with the collection of data and information from print media like newspapers, books. Printed statistics issued by different organizations, etc. and from multimedia like radio, television, etc. Hence, these sources can provide a very firm base for statistics, remarks, interviews, collected research details and so many of the other valuable information. Since, most of the part of the research in this approach is collected by these resources and hence makes the job fairly easy enough to just organize the information and present it in a professional manner. Secondary Online Sources: This kind of method of conducting a research can be a tricky one. Most of the people can do a thorough research online, but they will have to compare the information and the source of information as well. Since, most people believe whatever they see online, but it is not entirely true. A website stating a fact or figure does not mean it is true, as there are millions of fake websites roaming around online. Thus, only the official websites can provide the real fact and figures about different surveys and researches conducted at an official level. However, it can be difficult for people to differentiate between a fake and an official website, but the doubt can be put to rest by watching the URL. If a website ends up with an extension like .edu, .ac, .org, etc. then the website is of an official level. Meanwhile, any regular website or blog cannot be termed as an official until or unless confirmed by contacting them. However, these sources provide a good base for the data collection and it is relatively easier to collect the data through these sources (Kotler and Armstrong, 2008). Comparison: After collecting different data and information from different sources, you need to compare and analyze them. One cannot simply rely on something that he found on television, book or anywhere before getting any further information via different sources. Thus, comparison and analysis of the already collected information is an important part to conduct an efficient research. Therefore, we can conclude that the collection and evaluation of the secondary that is the first pre requisite for the collection of the primary data (Malhotra, 2008). Definition of Secondary Data: Secondary data is a form of data that is readily available from the internal and external sources of the organization. Due to the frequent availability of this data within or from outside the organization, this form of data is much cheaper to obtain as compared to the primary data which may involve a lot of resources for the collection of data (Saunders, 2003). Sources of Secondary Data: There are two main sources for the collection of secondary data which are discussed below: Internal Sources: The Internal sources may include the internal experts, the reports that have been put forward by the organizations and also the internal conditions of the organization. All these things greatly facilitate the researcher to carry on his research after having an overview of the internal factors and internal knowledge of the organization (Winer, 2007). External Sources: The external sources reside outside the organization and the collection of data from the external sources is much more difficult as compared to the internal sources. This is due to the fact that data is huge and is spread on a wider scale. Thus its not an easy task to select some particular sources that may be helpful for the completion of the research. The external sources may well include government and non government publications along with the syndicate services like survey and mail delivery panel (Winer, 2007). Advantages of Secondary data There are quite a few advantages that have been associated with the collection of the secondary data. As previously mentioned, it is not only economical but also save a lot of effort and time. It give the researcher a complete overview of his research and after the collection of the secondary data the user is well aware of the deficiencies in data that are still there which can be overcome with the help of primary sources. This data mainly concentrates on providing a way to the researcher to understand the problem statement in a more efficient and comprehensive way (Saunders, 2003). Limitations of Secondary Research Apart from the above mentioned disadvantages, there are some limitations of secondary data as well which are associated with the secondary researches that also need to be kept in mind. When going for the secondary data, the accuracy issue might be a substantial one. It is not really assured that the data obtained from the secondary research is of accurate nature. Thus one cannot go blindly on the results obtained from the secondary research. These results can be important but surely not the final one. It is also an issue that data from secondary research may be outdated due to the fact that the secondary data is generally obtained from the employees within or outside the organization. Thus there is a chance that the information can be obsolete. Keeping this in view, it is strongly recommended that secondary research should be carried out; however the results cannot be deduced by seeing the results of this research alone. The final results should be the combined effect of the secondar y as well as the primary research (Saunders, 2003). Evaluating the Secondary Data While evaluating the secondary data, there are some essential requirements that need to be satisfied before going for that particular secondary data. These are: Availability: It has to been seen that whether that secondary data for which one is going is easily accessible or not. Relevance: The data which one is going to use should meet the requirements of the research to be carried out. The concepts should be same as that of the proposed research and also the units used are not outdated. Accuracy: This is an important factor which should be considered before going for the secondary data. For finding the accuracy of the data the user can determine the margin of error, the dependability of that particular source and finally the authenticity of that data. If all these three conditions are satisfied then the data can be termed as accurate enough to be used for the research. Sufficiency: Finally there is a sufficiency factor. The data that is available should be sufficient enough to cover all the desired topics Sampling of Primary Data: The data which is never taken before and is collected by the researchers on the first hand is known as primary data. The data which is obtained as a result of primary research may be huge and needs to be filter out in order to make it more rational for the research. This process of filtering out is known as the sampling of the primary data. In the sampling process, one makes sure that which group will provide the best information. Obviously there are a lot of groups; thus sampling is important in the collection of the primary data (Hodges and Videto, 2010, p-98). There are a large number of benefits that are associated with the process of sampling of the data. First of all accuracy is one of the main benefit that can be assured after the sampling of the primary data. One can also increase the scope of the data by this strategy. When sampling is being done, the researcher is supposed to question specific group of people as stated by the aims and objectives of the research. In this scenario, gathering the data from limited number of groups will provide a way to the user to better concentrate on his required objectives. Using of samples may also decrease the errors in the collected data as the researcher is now only focused towards specific community as a result of sampling. Thus the margin of error will be minimized in the process of sampling (Hodges and Videto, 2010, p-98). The sampling frame is an important term in this regard which includes the list of all those people from which the sample is going to be taken. It is better to make a new list for the research as the already existing list which may include schools student lists, call center lists etc might be outdated and hence cant be used. The researcher needs to update the previously made list and add the new list of peoples to form a complete sampling frame (Hodges and Videto, 2010, p-98). Data Collection by Observation In the last couple of centuries, the collection of the data by observation is of particular interest especially in the collection of scientific data. The world of science is doing their research majorly on the basis of the observation of the scientists. Thus most of the scientists collect the relevant data on the basis of observation. However in the present age, the most of the research is being done in the field of sociological sciences in which majority of the research is based on the other data collection methods. Data Collection by Interviews: Data collection with the help of interviews is an important strategy that is being used by most of the researchers. Interview is an effective mean of data collection which is well suited for assessing the behavioral characteristics. The interviews are of flexible nature and can be taken in variety of different scenarios. It is the only way that enables the researcher to have direct conversation. After having an interview the researcher comes in a better position to know more about the problems, challenges and the limitations of that particular organization. This will obviously assist him in carrying out the research in a better way (Brown, 2006, p.162). Semi-structured and in depth Interviews Semi-structured interview is a type of interview that is carried out by using an interview guide. The guide contains the questions that need to be discussed during the interview in order to have maximum benefit from the interview. This is actually a kind of pre-planned interview which is meant for short time. The interview is often considered to somehow superior than the survey due to the fact that the answerer is not restricted anymore to limit his answer whereas in case of survey there are specific options to choose from. Thus an interview gives a sense of freedom to a person to express his/her views in a more convincing way (Geerlings, J. n.d., p.28). Collecting Data by Questionnaires Data collection by questionnaires along with interviews is probably the most commonly used method for the data collection. The questionnaire is basically a set of different questions that is put forward by the researcher in order to gain maximum information about the subject. Some basic types of questionnaires that are being used are Postal questionnaires, Online, Face to face and also telephonic questionnaires. While carrying out the research it is important for the researcher to be aware of the fact that whether the questionnaire is the right mean for the collection of data or not. Questionnaires are usually appropriate for those scenarios where data required is relatively simple, quantitative in nature and required from large number of people (Gratton and Jones, 2010). Questionnaire design A questionnaire is an organized technique that is used to conduct research by collecting the primary data in a survey. Questionnaire can be of any form, i.e. verbal or written. However, the basic goal of designing a Questionnaire is to encourage the respondent to provide accurate and complete information (Brace, 2008). Although questionnaire is the primary tool for collecting data, but there are other components as well that make a research complete and accurate. These components may include, developing a reward system for the respondents, communication methods, field-work, and the like. Basic steps for designing a Questionnaire: The process of designing a questionnaire is a step by step method which should be carried out with a great care (Stevens, 2006, p. 139). No matter which research you are pursuing, but a well-organized and professionally design questionnaire should possess the following guidelines: The first and foremost thing that should be kept in mind before designing a questionnaire is that you should determine the actual information you are looking for and put that in front of you all the time to keep the track in check. The more target information you try to seek, the better will be the outcome of the whole questionnaire. You should determine which form of answers you will provide as an option in a questionnaire to the respondents. The sequence of the questions should make sense and form a fluent flow to keep the respondent interested in the questionnaire. General question material should be put aside and determined to obtain the desired information. One of the most important steps is to determine what kind of question structure and methods of administrating a questionnaire should be used. You should be collecting a set of questions that can bring out more and more information from a respondent without making them bored. Meanwhile, the medium of administrating a questionnaire is a crucial step as well. For instance, a long questionnaire over a telephone call will not give you any proper information, but annoy the respondent. Qualitative data and its reliability Reliability is one of the major characteristics for determining the quality of the data collected and observed. The idea is used in almost all kinds of research. Therefore, a good qualitative data can give a huge boost to the quality of the research. Similarly, a less reliable qualitative data will blur the real picture of the situation and can become immensely confusing. However, the different between the qualitative and the quantitative research that makes the concept of reliability irrelevant in the qualitative research (Silverman, 2006). Meanwhile, there were three questions by Patton (2001) for the credibility of the qualitative research; here are those questions that were raised against the reliability of the qualitative data: What assumptions are taken? What approach and strategy was used to keep the validity, accuracy and integrity of the findings in check? What experience and qualification does the researcher possess that could help the course of the survey? Presenting and analysing data Presenting and analyzing the collected data is the most crucial part of any research (Israel, 2008). Even if the data you collected is reliable and has a good credibility, but the analysis goes wrong, then the whole research will become of no use. Therefore, the data should be organized and the analysis should be made in a decent sequence. First, before you start the analyzing questionnaires, interviews, statistics, etc. you should review the basic reason behind carrying out the whole research itself. For instance, if the reason behind conducting research for you is to improve a particular product or service, then the analysis should be made accordingly, i.e. the strong points, weak points and the suggestions to improve the product or service. On the other hand, if the basic reason behind the survey is to analyze the mechanism of your program, then the customers, clients, employees, etc. should go through your program. Basic analysis presentation of data of Quantitative Information The basic analysis and presentation of Quantitative Information can be performed by the following guidelines: First of all, backup of information collected is a must. Make copies of the data and use the copied version of the data in order to make changes, edit or improve the data. Giving answers in range looks a more sophisticated way to present the data. For example, 10 of the 50 people were ranked on the 1st place. Calculating a mean or average of the data collected is a much more organized manner to show ratings and rankings. An average of 30.7 seems much more professional then quoting the exact figures four, five times. It is important to use tabular form to present the data in terms of ratings and rankings. However, a yes or a no answer should be placed next to each question. Basic analysis presentation of data of Qualitative Information The basic analysis and presentation of Qualitative Information can be performed by the following guidelines: Re-read the complete data and review if there are any mistakes. Strong point, weakness and suggestion should all be labeled accordingly to make it presentable. Once the qualitative data is collected, the next step is a very critical one that is to analyze the data. You should keep a close eye on the data and analyze it thoroughly to form different patterns, trends, similarity, association or any kind of relationships between the two terms. For instance, people of age 30 or less liked music more than the older ones, etc. Never discard the only conducted research, as you might need it for future references or research. The Final Analysis, Presentation and Interpretation of Data The final analysis presentation of data for conclusion is the heart and soul of a research. It shows what your goals were and what you achieved through conducting the research. Thus, a professional looking, well-organized evaluation of the research should be presented to the companys employees and managers to improve the products and service of the organization (If the survey was conducted for the evaluation of the products and services of a company). Show brief information about what results you expected and what was the result that you found? If it was a performance evaluation research, make sure to label the good and the bad of the performance according to the research. If it was a program evaluation, then give a proper place to the peoples experience section and try to learn the common findings from the experience of people who took part in the research. After the complete interpretation of the collected data and information, a reporting result should be presented expressing concerns, recommendations and the association of different facts and figures that could help the cause of the survey. Conclusion: In this modern era, the need of carrying out a business research to sort out different problems which an organization may face as well as to determine the reliability and effectiveness of a particular project has become extremely vital. Business research, however, need to be carried out in an effective and efficient manner to draw accurate results. The most important part of the business research is the data collection. Primary data and secondary data are the two categories in which the data can be classified. For accurate results, it is requisite that both primary data and secondary data should be considered. Data can be collected through various ways such as interviews, surveys and questionnaires. Whatever the method of data collection is, it should be ensured that the results are drawn out after the careful analysis of all the available data.