Carl Eugene Watts aka The Sunday Morning Slasher Speech or Presentation

Carl Eugene Watts aka The Sunday Morning Slasher - Speech or Presentation Example Therefore, learning about serial killers is a significant aspect of legal practitioners in order to separate the myths from the truths. In this case, it is important for legal practitioners to learn about different serial killers in American history. Based on the foregoing, this expose elucidates  on the life and times of  one of the  most prolific serial killers in  America known  as Carl Eugene Watts, nicknamed as â€Å"The Sunday Morning Slasher.† According to Walter and White (2008), Carl Eugene Watts  was born  on 11 July 1953 to Richard, a private in the army, and Dorothy Mae, a kindergarten teacher, in Killeen, Texas. However, the parents separated when Carl was less than two years old leaving him at the care of his mother. Consequently, her mother moved to Inkster, Michigan where she married a mechanic called Norman Caesar, with whom she bore two daughters. However, Bell (n.d.) noted that Carl did not like his stepfather and consequently had problems adju sting to this new lifestyle, which arose from the fear of losing his mother. During his child, Carl developed a fantasy to torture and kill girls and young women. Indeed, he attacked a young woman aged 26 years while at the age of 15 years as he delivered newspapers (Bell, n.d.). Consequently, Carl underwent a psychiatrist evaluation whereby he talked of his strange dream. However, Hewitt, Stewart, and Cosgriff (2002) reported that Carl responded that the strange dreams and fantasies he experienced were not disturbing him and he derived satisfaction once he had these dreams and fantasies (as cited in Bell, n.d.). At school, Carl had difficulties in learning, although he excelled in baseball, due to an incident of meningitis he suffered at the age of 8 years old. Indeed, at the age of 16 years, Carl was at third grade level of reading. However, his mother guided him and tutored him whereby he  graduated from high school at the age of  19 years. Although Carl recorded poor grades in school, he excelled in sports, which was a way of releasing his aggressive behavior. Eventually, Lane College, in Jacksonville, awarded him a football scholarship although he left school after several months in school once he suffered minor leg injuries (Bell, n.d.). As earlier explained, Carl’s first encounter with the law was at the age of 15 years when he assaulted a 26 year old named Joan Gave. Consequently, Carl underwent trial and his subsequent sentencing was to a mental facility in Detroit called Lafayette Clinic where he underwent a psychiatrist examination. During the examination, the results indicated that Carl suffered from a mild form of mental retardation with an IQ of 75 (Walter & White, 2008). However, a police officer, who interviewed Carl after arrest, indicated that Carl had an â€Å"excellent memory† and appeared to be â€Å"very intelligent† (Leung, 2004). Carl’s career as a serial killer started in 1974 at the age of 20 years wher eby he kidnapped potential victims from the comfort and safety of their homes, tortured them, and finally killed these victims (Walter & White, 2008). According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (n.d.), a serial killing is â€Å"a series  of three or more killings, not less than  one of which  was committed  within the United  States, having common characteristics such as to suggest

Fermentation Lab Report Essay Example for Free

Fermentation Lab Report Essay Increased production of CO2 is a result of increased temperatures acceleration of the rate of fermentation. Abstract: We have tested the affects of increased temperature above room temperature on the rate of fermentation of yeast. We had 6 flasks filled with 6mL DI water, 2mL Yeast suspension and 6mL glucose of which 3 were at 25 °C and 3 were at 37 °C. The flasks at 37 °C had each mixture pre-heated at 37 °C for 2 minutes before being combined and then added to the flask where it was put into the bath heated to 37 °C. We then checked CO2 levels in each flask every 2 minutes for 20 minutes. We came out results that showed a marginal difference between the amounts of CO2 produced at different temperatures. The results showed that increased temperature causes an increase in fermentation rate and increased production of CO2. Introduction: Fermentation is the break down of organic matter, by microorganism, in the absence of oxygen also known as anaerobic (Van Neil, 2008). Our reactions occurs when yeasts is added to a solution of glucose and water. Fermentation starts with a process called glycolysis. In glycolysis Glucose is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate and a net yield of 2 NADH (electron carrier) and 2 ATP (adenosine triphosphate) molecules. The first step of glycolysis is the energy investment phase. In which 2 ATP’s are added to the Glucose molecule, which produces 2 ADP’s and Fructose 1, 6-biphosphate. This is followed by the energy payoff phase. In this phase NAD+ is reduced to NADH and ADP is reduced to ATP. The total number of ATP created is 4 and 2 NAHDH. After the energy payoff phase what is left is 2 pyruvates. Fermentation then takes place only in the absence of oxygen. In fermentation the pyruvate is converted into ethyl alcohol, through the oxidation of the 2 NADH molecules, which returns them to two NAD+’s (Freeman, 2011). Oxidation is the loss of an electron in this case H+. We used information from previous labs in which we tested yeasts ability to break down disaccharides, sugar in that case, at different temperatures and found that 37 °C was the optimal temperature for yeast to break down sugar, to formulate our hypothesis. Our sources we collected also indicated that different yeasts have different optimal operating temperatures, such as baker’s yeast, which requires higher temperature for yeast to ferment the proteins (Fell, 2008). Since we were using bakers yeast in our experiment we therefore came to the conclusion that increased temperature would increase yeasts ability to ferment glucose. Using this information and our sources we came up with the hypothesis that increasing the temperature of the solution would increase the rate of fermentation. We thought this was a reasonable hypothesis based upon earlier results from our other lab on temperatures affect on the yeasts ability to break down disaccharides. The predictions we came up with for the results of our tests were that the flasks at 37 °C would have a much more accelerated rate of CO2 production then that of the 25 °C Flasks. Materials and Methods: In the experiment we obtained 9 small beakers and 6 fermentation flasks. In the one beaker we added 18mL of Glucose. In the next we added 6ml of Yeast Suspension followed by another beaker with 18ml of distilled water. We then took those 3 beakers and placed them in the incubating bath set at 37ËšC for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes took the beakers out and added 6mL of distilled water, 2mL of yeast suspension and 6mL of Glucose into 3 separate beakers and mixed them together. We then immediately added them at the same time to separate fermentation flasks and measured their CO2 levels using a ruler. We then placed them in the incubating bath set for 37ËšC and set out timer for 2 minutes. We then prepared 3 beakers using 6mL of distilled water, 2mL yeast suspension and 6mL Glucose solution. Except that this time the yeast, water and glucose was a room temperature (25ËšC). We then proceeded to pour these mixtures into 3 separate fermentation flasks and measured their CO2 levels using a ruler. We then set a timer for 2 minutes. Each time the timer went off we would check the CO2 levels using a ruler. We continued to repeat this checking every 2 minutes for 20 minutes for each set of flasks. Results: My results indicated that increased temperature increased the rate of fermentation. In the CO2 Evolution graphs it is clear that as time increased as 2-4 minutes you can see a noticeable increase in the level of CO2 in the fermentation flask. As time increases that difference only increases and increases. Then when you look and the average alcohol fermentation graph it is clear that in total amount of CO2 produced in the flasks fermented in the 37ËšC incubating bath were much quicker in the process of fermentation, so therefore they produced much more CO2 then those at room temperature (25ËšC). Discussion: My Data supported my hypothesis. Each of my graphs data supported this finding. In the graph showing CO2 evolution the data showing 37ËšC had a steep positive slope, while the 25ËšC data showed an almost unnoticeable positive slope. This shows how over time the fermentation in the flasks at 37ËšC had a noticeable increase in its rate. The other graph shows the overall production of CO2 for each set of flasks. For the flasks at 25ËšC their average CO2 produced was .7mm, while the flasks at 37ËšC produced on average was 9.2mm. This increase rate and total production increase from that at 25ËšC and 37ËšC without a doubt supported my hypothesis. Also our minimization of errors landed itself to accurate results. We minimized any error by having the same person measure levels of CO2 and measure out substances such as yeast suspension. This increases my confidence that the results of our experiment not only support my hypothesis, but also supports that our bodies’ temperature (37ËšC) is the optimal temperature for cell respiration and not room temperature. Another follow-up experiment that could be used to give more detailed information about what happened is an experiment in which you run the same test, except include a 3rd condition in which the temperature is below room temperature such as 0ËšC. This could show the increase from freezing to room temperature and room temperature to 37ËšC. References: Cornelias B Van Niel, â€Å"Fermentation,† in AccessScience,  ©McGraw-Hill Companies, 2008. Web. Freeman, Scott. Biological Science. 4th ed. Boston: Benjamin Cummings, 2011. Print. Jack W. Fell, Herman J Phaff, Graeme M. Walker, â€Å"Yeast,† in AccessScience,  ©McGraw-Hill Companies, 2008. Web. Reddy. Effect of Fermentation Condition on Yeast Growth and Volatile Composition of Wine Produced from Mango Fruit Juice. Food Biproducts Processing: Transactions of the Institute of Chemical Engineers Part C 89.4 (2011): 487-91. EBSCO. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. Web.

Musings on Caltech :: Graduate Admissions Essays

Musings on Caltech My parents convinced me to have a picture taken a couple of months after I graduated from high school, back when I still thought I was pretty smart. Now, I only take the trouble to dress up when I'm back at home, where I can be pampered by my parents. Here at Caltech, I'm usually slightly emaciated (they don't bother with feeding Techers over weekends here) with a wearier complexion (Sleep? What is this "sleep"?). Also, I tend to be a little more shaggy-looking, since haircuts are rather rare for many Scurve Techers. I like other people to think that I'm part of a multifarious cultural elite. My life is a superfetation of high culture: I enjoy classical music that turns normal humans insane (Glass's Floe from Glassworks, for example); I'd be first in line to pay millions for the mindless doodles of a preschooler; I take my dates to those enigmatic European films which people go to for the sole purpose of looking cultured; and my spewing about the untapped potential of the information superhighway will bore even Al Gore. Of course, my crassness and boorish manners probably automatically disqualify me from any elitist group I crave to be a member of; but that, of course, just apodictically identifies me as a cultural poseur. It doesn't end there. Though I'm not really all that white, I'm still male, heterosexual, Christian (Protestant, even), pretty conservative, and non-vegetarian (notice all the wrong groups). Having been fairly thoroughly corrupted in submission to Western indoctrination (MTV, and all that), I've been properly excoriated for oppressing more than my fair share of under-represented cultures: women, atheists, liberals, gays.... I've probably oppressed you, too, if you happen to be in any way different from me. Or maybe I'm the victim. When someone reaches the point where he's willing to give up 5,000 years of cultural tradition just to listen to the insidious chortles of Beavis and Butthead, we really can't tell who's been victimized. Or at least, that's what we all claim. These things should bother me constantly (I'm the kind of guy who thinks more about how he should think/feel than how he really thinks/feels), but I cope with the ennui by numbing my senses with my opiate of choice: studying Physics as a sophomore at Caltech. (This is odd, since I notice I probably waste more energy messing around with computers.

How to Plan an Event

10 STEPS TO PLAN AN EVENT A BASIC PROCEDURAL OUTLINE TO CONSIDER WHEN PLANNING AN EVENT OR ACTIVITY STEP 1 STEP 2 Identify what type of event/activity you would like to do. Determine the goals of the event and what you would like to accomplish. Define your objectives and outcomes of the event or activity. Identify the target audience and event emphasis: Education, Health etc. STEP 3 STEP 4 Decide on a date and time for the event or activity. Consider locations and types of facilities to host event. Determine the use of space and or seating arrangement and capacity required for the event or activity.Decide who will be responsible to secure the facility and be the event coordinator. STEP 5 Consider establishing partnerships with other organizations or people to assist with the execution of the event. Identify their role when determining key decisions. STEP 6 Create an event/program budget. Identify the sources and amounts of potential revenue and expenses. Revise for realistic and nece ssary true cost and revenue updates. STEP 7 Create an event timeline. Outline all essential decisions/activities in a time sequential order from the point of initial consideration to decision being finalized and decisions being executed.Document who is responsible for each function. Communicate the timeline to everyone involved in the planning or fulfillment of the event. STEP 8 Determine Key Decisions: Program Determine the order of activities that need to occur at the event or activity. 1 Determine who will perform or execute the agenda items. Determine if a published program is necessary. If so decide who will create and print the program. Presentation(s)/ Speakers Identify the topics of information to be shared. Determine if presenters/speakers are needed.If so identify potential presenters or speakers to invite to participate. Decide on the time frame for each presentation or speech. Decide the type of communication that should transpire with the presenters/speaker, when it sho uld occur and who will be responsible to execute and follow-up. Equipment Identify what equipment is necessary for the event or activity. Identify potential sources to secure needed equipment. Evaluate the cost of the equipment. Decide who will be responsible for the pick up and return of the equipment.Materials Determine what materials are needed, and identify potential sources to purchase them. Decide who will be responsible for purchasing, preparing and storing the materials. Awards Determine who will receive awards – presenters/speakers. Decide on awards items and identify sources to purchase them. Decide who will be responsible for purchasing awards and presenting them. Public Relations Identify the method(s) which will be used to publicize the event or activity. Decide who will be responsible for the development of invitations, flyers, press releases, emails, etc.Decide who will be the contact for public inquires on the event or activity. 2 Decide who will be responsibl e to disseminate the types of information on the event or activity. Internal Communication Determine the method of communication to the people within the organization to inform them, include them and encourage them to participate. For instance communicating by email, newsletter etc. STEP 9 Take into consideration these special additions/items if needed: Food Music Decorations Flowers Photography/video Clean up STEP 10 You have planned well and are ready to go. Have a Successful Event! 3

Night Mother Essay

The play â€Å"Night, Mother† addresses the human condition and how character human depth influences the way readers understand drama. The invisible characters play a large part on how the two main character’s act, and how it influences their dialogue. The father, the son of Jessie, and her ex-husband are mentioned throughout the play, and they set up the dynamic of the story, physically and emotionally. Exploring their human depth and their importance throughout the play helps the reader of the story understand theater and the drama. The father plays a large part in the play Night Mother. In the play, Jessie asks for her father’s gun. She then eventually tells her mother she is going to kill herself with it. In the play, you can tell her and her father are very close. I feel as though Jessie will only use her father’s gun because it’s as if her father is killing her. Cleaning the gun in front of her mother shows that she is making the point that she wants to kill herself. , when she could have just put it on the table or quietly went to her room with it. Throughout the play, you can barely tell the Jessie is completely serious about giving up her life. She stays so placid and calm as she tells her mother, who is in denial at first, but soon realizes as Jessie is making lists of things she will soon have to do on her own, that her daughter is completely serious. They talk about things Jessie has never been good at, like being a mother, a good wife, or having any real skills because of her battle with epilepsy. Ben Brantley from the New York Times states, â€Å"Yet anger and score-settling satisfaction flicker betrayingly across her stark features as she itemizes the long list of minuses that make up her life: her ailures as a wife and mother, her epilepsy, her lack of professional skills, the death of the father who appears to have been the only person she truly loved. † (Brantley) This quotation states that in the play, Jessie has already lost the people she has loved most already in her life. She lost her father, her son is a delinquent and her ex-husband left her because she was incapable of doing many things due to her disease. It sets a very sad tone as the play goes on. Even though Jessie seems to care a lot about her mother, since she has been taking care of her for many years, you can sort of see the bit of hostility throughout the play. Jessie blames her mother for many things that went wrong in her life. Jessie feels as though her mother never loved her father, and her father had the same seizures as she did, which her mother hid from her all along. According to Leah D Frank from the New York Times, â€Å"Next, Jessie and Thelma talk about Jessie’s ex-husband, who Thelma conspired to introduce to Jessie. During the marriage, Jessie fell off a horse, and the accident was thought to have led to her seizure disorder. But one of the truths that has come out was that Jessie began having seizures as a child, but Thelma covered it up. It was something she didn’t want to think about, so she found a way to simply go on. † (Frank) This quote explains that Thelma has been hiding so many things from Jessie, because she thought she was protecting her, but in reality it was really hurting Jessie in the long run. Thelma didn’t like to think about things, she would rather them just go on. But in the end, this really hurt Jessie because when she ‘developed’ her epilepsy, her husband left her. If she knew she had epilepsy beforehand, she wouldn’t of had a failed marriage on her head, and a delinquent son.

Female Sexuality and Gender Politics in A fine, A private Place by Diane Ackerman and Play

Female Sexuality and Gender Politics in A fine, A private Place by Diane Ackerman and Play The poems â€Å"A fine, A private Place† by Diane Ackerman and â€Å"Play-by-Play† by Joan Murray are both concerned with the theme of female sexuality. â€Å"A Fine, A Private Place† utilizes the third person narrative voice to express the memories of a woman who fondly remembers a lovemaking experience she had with an unidentified male lover by the shores of an unidentified ocean/sea.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Female Sexuality and Gender Politics in â€Å"A fine, A private Place† by Diane Ackerman and â€Å"Play-by-Play† by Joan Murray specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the woman reminiscing was at first none the wiser about her lover’s intentions – he had to ask twice before she could understand the nature of his request and intensions (first stanza), and before she realized his manhood was hard: an indication of lovemaking desire. However, the subseque nt lovemaking experience as reflected from the woman’s voice was mutually consented, and the lovers made love intensely and with deep feelings for each other. In â€Å"Play-by-Play†, the omniscient narrator poses rhetorical questions as the narrator watches a group of men playing softball and analyses the secrete sexual thoughts and desires of the women nearby(both old and young), as they secretly admire the men’s bodies and reflect on the men’s sexual appeal. The two poems suggest that female sexuality can be, and is, as expressive as male sexuality. In â€Å"A Fine, A private Place†, the female voice expresses the desires and thoughts of a woman during and after a lovemaking experience. These reminisces convey the idea that the female partner is not a passive player during the act of lovemaking, but is an equal partner with emotions and desires too, which have to be fulfilled and catered for in the entire lovemaking process. The male player remai ns unnamed and unidentified – ironically, the last line of stanza three has the woman wondering who the man was, yet the woman is able to make love to a point of female climax and complete satisfaction. In the last line of stanza four, the woman reaches her climax as her loins roar and she pants in climactic excitement. The fact that the woman is able to be expressive sexually with a male who is not necessarily her husband portrays a woman who has taken control of her sexuality. The woman in the poem is not tied down to certain societal expectations that women should be a passive player in both the courting/dating scene and in the act of sex/lovemaking itself (Markle 48). The woman in â€Å"A fine, A Private Place† is sexually expressive and is able to take charge of her sexual desires and her own path to sexual fulfillment. In the poem â€Å"Play-by-Play†, the omniscient narrator also highlights the sexuality of a woman being as expressive as that of a man. In the first line of the first stanza, the narrator wonders whether it would surprise the young men playing softball to discover that the women around them are admiring and discussing their sexual appeal.Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the second stanza, the narrator further asks rhetorically, but poignantly, whether the men would take offence (as many women do) if they were to know that the women were lusting after them. In these expressive questions, the narrator brings outs the voice of women’s sexuality that has been previously unheard of or ignored. The questions point to the fact that the woman’s desire for sex and the pre-lovemaking bodily admiration for a potential lover is not a preserve of men. The narrator is not condoning the act of men looking lustily at a woman, as men have been doing for generations. However, the narrator brings out the fact that a woman, too, has very similar feelings and even lusts for her lover, only that the woman prefers to do her sexual longing and lusts in a manner that does not necessarily cause her potential lover public humiliation- a point men should borrow. The narrator in â€Å"Play-by-Play† further busts the female sexuality myth that has long been held – that once a woman reaches her sixties, (past menopause); her sexual desire is non-existent. The omniscient narrator indicates that the old women in their sixties who are also watching the men play softball are actively analyzing the sexual appeal of the softball players, just as much as the young virile women drinking wine and reading books a little further in the field. The narrator further vouches for the women in their sixties as being the best-placed persons to speak on the matter of a man’s sexual appeal, since, as the narrator states in the second stanza; their experience has been horned through years of being with different lovers. Again, the fact that these women in their sixties are shown as not having been involved with one lover – or one husband, but are portrayed as having experimented with different lovers, depicts female sexuality as not dissimilar to that of men. The act of old men admiring young women is considered ‘natural’ in a macho male society, but in the poem â€Å"Play-by-Play†, the old women are comfortably admiring young men, and have had different lovers, just as men in their sixties would. These women represent a sexually expressive generation of women. Similarly, in the poem â€Å"A Fine, A private Place†, the woman reminiscing on her lovemaking encounter also highlights that, by virtue of her reminiscing, she is currently not in contact with that particular lover. Additionally, one can speculate that she has made love to other men, or is currently courting another man, thus her sexual experiences are varied; therefore, the woman is sexually liberated. Therefore, both the poems â€Å"A Fine, A Private Place,† and â€Å"Play-by-Play† portray female sexuality in a much different light than what female sexuality has been thought of, especially by men keen to preserve the status quo and relegate women to secondary and passive roles in sex and lovemaking situations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Female Sexuality and Gender Politics in â€Å"A fine, A private Place† by Diane Ackerman and â€Å"Play-by-Play† by Joan Murray specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Because sexuality is dictated by various historical, social, political, and economic factors, sexuality can be, and has been, used as a tool to subjugate women in all these realms. The subjugation has always been propagated on the myth that women are not sexually expressive. The matter of consent before a lovemaking act has been tackled in â€Å"A Fine, A Priva te Place†. The woman’s lover is portrayed as being mindful of his lover’s feelings and satisfaction throughout the lovemaking process. In the first stanza, he asks twice before he obtains consent from the woman, and throughout and after the lovemaking act, he further seeks to know whether she is fine and satisfied. Since sexuality is dictated by gender roles, the secondary role of the woman in society is usually transferred to the lovemaking process and her consent on whether she desires to make love or not is never sought – she is viewed as being ever ready, or is expected to be ever ready. This mentality plays a role in men not being overly concerned with the beastly act of rape or defilement. The poem â€Å"A Fine, A private Place† vouches for seeking the consent of the woman, and the woman’s equal status in the lovemaking process. Therefore, sexual expressiveness is parallel to women’s liberation and development within the society. Furthermore, because the woman is expected to play a subservient role in sex, her opinion on whether her lover or husband uses a condom and on the more significant way of family planning is ignored. In both poems, sexual expressiveness in the women in the poems points to the need for the women to be recognized as equal partners in not only the lovemaking process, but also in the significant issue of family planning. Women in many third world countries are saddled with child after child even when their mental and physical energies for child bearing and rearing are exhausted (Manderson, Rae Bennett, and Sheldrake 184). This occurs due to the social and political norms in such countries that reinforce the notion that women have no role in the entire family making process. The family making process is intimately linked to sex and sexuality, thus women’s sexuality is an important social, political, and economic entity. Such practices leave the women in these countries socially, p olitically, and economically disadvantaged. In conclusion, the poems â€Å"A Fine A Private Place† and â€Å"Play-by-Play† portray female sexuality as present, real, expressive, and even honorable. The role of a woman as an equal partner to the man in the sexual realm, as the poems advocate, is the first step in achieving social, political, and economic advancement for women.Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Manderson, Lenore, Rae Bennett, Linda, and Sheldrake, Michelle. Sex, Social Institutions, and Social Structure: Anthropological Contributions to the Study of Sexuality. Annual Review of Sex Research 10.6 (1999): 184. Markle, Gail. Can Women Have Sex Like a Man? Sexual Scripts in Sex and the City. Sexuality Culture 12.1 (2008): 45-57.

Facts and Figures About Plesiosaurus, the Long-Necked Marine Reptile

Facts and Figures About Plesiosaurus, the Long-Necked Marine Reptile As you may already have surmised from its name, Plesiosaurus is the eponymous member of the family of marine reptiles known as plesiosaurs, which were characterized by their sleek bodies, wide flippers, and relatively small heads set at the end of long necks. These Mesozoic reptiles were once famously described as looking like a snake threaded through the shell of a turtle, although it was quickly established that they didnt have shells and were only distantly related to modern testudines. Plesiosaurs were closely related to, but distinct from, pliosaurs, contemporary marine reptiles possessing thicker torsos, shorter necks, and longer heads. The eponymous member of the pliosaur family was – you guessed it  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Pliosaurus. Like all marine reptiles, Plesiosaurus was not technically a dinosaur, having evolved from different antecedents in the reptile family tree. Theres a lot we still dont know about Plesiosaurus, which, like many name brand prehistoric reptiles, is much less well understood than the family to which it gave its name. (For a terrestrial parallel, think of the enigmatic Hadrosaurus and the well-known family of dinosaurs to which it belonged, the hadrosaurs, or duck-billed dinosaurs). Discovered very early in paleontological history by the pioneering English fossil hunter Mary Anning in 1823, Plesiosaurus created a sensation back in the early 19th century. Scientists at the time didnt quite know what to make of this 15-foot-long, 120-million-year-old beast. However, Plesiosaurus wasnt the first marine reptile to be discovered in England; that honor belongs to the distantly related Ichthyosaurus. The Lifestyle of Plesiosaurus Plesiosaurs in general, and Plesiosaurus in particular, werent the most accomplished swimmers, ​since they lacked the hydrodynamic builds of their bigger, meaner and more streamlined cousins, the pliosaurs. To date, its unknown whether Plesiosaurus and its ilk lumbered onto dry land to lay their eggs or gave birth to live young while still swimming (though the latter is the increasingly favored possibility). We do know, however, that plesiosaurs went extinct along with the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, and have not left any living descendants. (Why is this important? Well, many otherwise well-meaning people insist that the putative Loch Ness Monster is actually a plesiosaur that survived extinction!) The heyday of the plesiosaurs and pliosaurs was the middle-to-late Mesozoic Era, especially the late Jurassic and early Cretaceous period; by the end of the Mesozoic Era, these marine reptiles had been widely supplanted by even more vicious mosasaurs, which likewise succumbed to the K/T Extinction 65 million years ago. The big fish/bigger fish template applies throughout evolutionary history; an argument has been made that mosasaurs partly went extinct because of the increasing diversity and dominance of sharks, the best-equipped marine predators yet evolved by Mother Nature. Name: Plesiosaurus (Greek for almost lizard); pronounced PLEH-see-oh-SORE-us Habitat: Oceans worldwide Historical Period: Early-Middle Jurassic (135-120 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 15 feet long and 1,000 pounds Diet: Fish and mollusks Distinguishing Characteristics: Long neck; tapered body; blunt flippers; small head with sharp teeth

Biography of Father Miguel Hidalgo, Mexicos Founder

Biography of Father Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico's Founder Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (May 8, 1753–July 30, 1811) is today remembered as the father of his country, the great hero of Mexicos War for Independence. His position has become cemented in lore, and there are any number of hagiographic biographies available featuring him as their subject. The truth about Hidalgo is a little more complex. The facts and dates leave no doubt: his was the first serious insurrection on Mexican soil against Spanish authority, and he managed to get quite far with his poorly armed mob. He was a charismatic leader and made a good team with the military man Ignacio Allende despite their mutual hatred. Fast Facts: Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Known For: Considered Mexicos founding fatherAlso Known As: Miguel Gregorio Antonio Francisco Ignacio Hidalgo-Costilla y Gallaga Mandarte Villaseà ±orBorn: May 8, 1753 in  Pà ©njamo, MexicoParents: Cristà ³bal Hidalgo y Costilla,  Ana Marà ­a GallagaDied: July 30, 1811 in  Chihuahua, MexicoEducation: Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico (degree in philosophy and theology, 1773)Publications: Ordered the publication of a newspaper,  Despertador Americano  (American Wake Up Call)Honors: Dolores Hidalgo, the town where his parish was located, is named in his honor and the state of  Hidalgo  was created in 1869, also in his honor.Notable Quote: Action must be taken at once; there is no time to be lost; we shall yet see the oppressors yoke broken and the fragments scattered on the ground. Early Life Born on May 8, 1753, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was the second of 11 children fathered by Cristà ³bal Hidalgo, an estate administrator. He and his elder brother attended a school run by the Jesuits, and both decided to join the priesthood. They studied at San Nicols Obispo, a prestigious school in Valladolid (now Morelia). Hidalgo distinguished himself as a student and received top marks in his class. He would go on to become rector of his old school, becoming known as a top theologian. When his elder brother died in 1803, Miguel took over for him as the priest of the town of Dolores. Conspiracy Hidalgo often hosted gatherings at his home where he would talk about whether it was the duty of the people to obey or overthrow an unjust tyrant. Hidalgo believed the Spanish crown was such a tyrant: a royal collection of debt had ruined the finances of the Hidalgo family, and he saw injustice daily in his work with the poor. There was a conspiracy for independence in Querà ©taro at this time: The conspiracy felt that they needed someone with moral authority, a relationship with the lower classes and good connections. Hidalgo was recruited and joined without reservation. El Grito de Dolores/The Cry of Dolores Hidalgo was in Dolores on September 15, 1810, with other leaders of the conspiracy, including military commander Allende, when word came to them that the conspiracy had been found out. Needing to move immediately, Hidalgo rang the church bells on the morning of the sixteenth, calling in all of the locals who happened to be in the market that day. From the pulpit, he announced his intention to strike for independence and exhorted the people of Dolores to join him. Most did: Hidalgo had an army of some 600 men within minutes. This became known as the Cry of Dolores. The Siege of Guanajuato Hidalgo and Allende marched their growing army through the towns of San Miguel and Celaya, where the angry rabble killed all Spaniards they could find and looted their homes. Along the way, they adopted the Virgin of Guadalupe as their symbol. On Sept. 28, 1810, they reached the mining city of Guanajuato, where the Spaniards and royalist forces had barricaded themselves inside the public granary. The battle, which became known as the siege of Guanajuato, was horrific: The rebel horde, which by then numbered some 30,000, overran the fortifications and slaughtered the 500 Spaniards inside. Then the town of Guanajuato was looted: creoles, as well as Spaniards, suffered. Monte de Las Cruces Hidalgo and Allende, their army now some 80,000 strong, continued their march on Mexico City. The Viceroy hastily organized a defense, sending out Spanish general Torcuato Trujillo with 1,000 men, 400 horsemen, and two cannons: all that could be found on such short notice. The two armies clashed on Monte de las Cruces (Mount of the Crosses) on Oct. 30, 1810. The result was predictable: The Royalists fought bravely (a young officer named Agustà ­n de Iturbide distinguished himself) but could not win against such overwhelming odds. When the cannons were captured in combat, the surviving royalists retreated to the city. Retreat Although his army had the advantage and could easily have taken Mexico City, Hidalgo retreated against the counsel of Allende. This retreat when victory was at hand has puzzled historians and biographers ever since. Some feel that Hidalgo feared that the largest Royalist army in Mexico, some 4,000 veterans under the command of General Fà ©lix Calleja, was nearby (it was, but not close enough to save Mexico City had Hidalgo attacked). Others say Hidalgo wanted to spare the citizens of Mexico City the inevitable sacking and plunder. In any event, Hidalgo’s retreat was his greatest tactical error. The Battle of Calderon Bridge The rebels split for a while as Allende went to Guanajuato and Hidalgo to Guadalajara. They reunited, although things were tense between the two men. Spanish General Fà ©lix Calleja and his army caught up with the rebels at Calderà ³n Bridge near the entrance to Guadalajara on Jan. 17, 1811. Although Calleja was vastly outnumbered, he caught a break when a lucky cannonball exploded a rebel munitions wagon. In the ensuing smoke, fire, and chaos, Hidalgos undisciplined soldiers broke. Betrayal and Capture Hidalgo and Allende were forced to head north to the United States in the hope of finding weapons and mercenaries there. Allende was by then sick of Hidalgo and placed him under arrest: he went north as a prisoner. In the north, they were betrayed by local insurrection leader Ignacio Elizondo and captured. In short order, they were given to Spanish authorities and sent to the city of Chihuahua to stand trial. Also captured were insurgent leaders Juan Aldama, Mariano Abasolo, and Mariano Jimà ©nez, men who had been involved in the conspiracy since the start. Death All of the rebel leaders were found guilty and sentenced to death, except for Mariano Abasolo, who was sent to Spain to serve a life sentence. Allende, Jimà ©nez, and Aldama were executed on June 26, 1811, shot in the back as a sign of dishonor. Hidalgo, as a priest, had to undergo a civil trial as well as a visit from the Inquisition. He was eventually stripped of his priesthood, found guilty, and executed on July 30. The heads of Hidalgo, Allende, Aldama, and Jimà ©nez were preserved and hung from the four corners of the granary of Guanajuato as a warning to those who would follow in their footsteps. Legacy After decades of abusing Creoles and poor Mexicans, there was a vast well of resentment and hatred that Hidalgo was able to tap into: even he seemed surprised by the level of anger released on the Spaniards by his mob. He provided the catalyst for Mexicos poor to vent their anger on the hated gachipines or Spaniards, but his army was more like a swarm of locusts, and about as impossible to control. His questionable leadership also contributed to his downfall. Historians can only wonder what might have happened had Hidalgo pushed into Mexico City in November 1810: history certainly would be different. In this, Hidalgo was too proud or stubborn to listen to the sound military advice offered by Allende and others and press his advantage. Finally, Hidalgos approval of the violent sacking and looting by his forces alienated the group most vital to any independence movement: middle-class and wealthy Creoles like himself. Poor peasants and Indians only had the power to burn, pillage, and destroy: They could not create a new identity for Mexico, one that would allow Mexicans to psychologically break from Spain and craft a national conscience for themselves. Still, Hidalgo became a great leader: After his death. His timely martyrdom allowed others to pick up the fallen banner of freedom and independence. His influence on later fighters such as Josà © Marà ­a Morelos, Guadalupe Victoria, and others is considerable. Today, Hidalgos remains lie in a Mexico City monument known as the Angel of Independence along with other Revolutionary heroes. Sources Harvey, Robert. Liberators: Latin Americas Struggle for Independence. 1st Edition, Harry N. Abrams, September 1, 2000.ï » ¿Lynch, John. The Spanish American Revolutions 1808-1826. Revolutions in the modern world, Hardcover, Norton, 1973.

Critical Issue Paper Three Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Critical Issue Paper Three - Essay Example Thus, Marshall's stance is on the brink of exaggeration or at the least overreaction. We may forgive him, considering that the victory may have pushed him to go overboard with excessive elation. But the truth of the matter is, the victory was far from being impossible. The basis for this contention is, first, Germany was practically smashed to smithereens as a result of World War I, which ended in 1919. The Treaty of Versailles in 1919 militarily, politically, and economically emasculated Germany, which was forced to limit its armed forces to a measly 100,000 troops with conscription absolutely prohibited1. Moreover, German naval forces were virtually crippled by a provision limiting it to a mere possession of 6 battleships, 6 cruisers, 12 torpedo boats and 12 destroyers plus a provision strictly banning the importation, exportation and manufacture of weapons and poison gas as well as the prohibition of submarines, military aircrafts, artillery and tanks. Thus, the Treaty of Versailles rendered Germany a political lameduck worthy of international pity. To add injury to all those insults, Germany was stripped of its territorial possessions notably West Prussia, Danzig, eastern Upper Silesia, Alsace-Lorraine, and Northern Schleswig2. In 1939, one year before the outbreak of World War II, Germany had barely revived itself from the catastrophic devastation. In 1939, the naval force of Germany was inconsequentially insignificant with a mere 8 cruisers, 18 submarines and 3 pocket battleships3. However, in direct contravention of the Treaty of Versailles, Hitler started to rearm Germany and conscripted Germans to the Nazi Wehrmacht. But still in 1939, the Allied forces were in the upper hand. The body count of those who participated in World War II in behalf of the Allied forces was overwhelming as the Allies were able to conscript not only British, French, Russians, Americans (6 million) and Poles but also Canadians (1.1 million), Mexicans, British Indians, Australians, New Zealanders, Nepalese, Greeks etc.4. The Allied manpower alone, gave them the edge. The AXIS manpower, on the other hand, was limited to the Germans, Italians and the Japanese as the conquered countries such as France, Poland, the Scandinavian and Balkan countries never willfully contributed manpower to the AXIS cause but instead fought against them via the underground resistance movements. 3 To say that the Allies were fighting an almost indefensible war is a ludicrous statement because although oftentimes they were caught with their backs on the wall yet the Allies had definite advantages. Prior to the war, Britain was one of the most prosperous nations in the world with

Foundations of Teams and Teamwork Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Foundations of Teams and Teamwork - Assignment Example This is because the success of a manager heavily relies on the teams that a manager has been able to build in an organization. Team building in an organization is a continuous process and involves the manager being able to deal with the internal dynamics of a team; issues of tasks and selection of the team members and also the management of the external dynamics; proper evaluation of organization’s environment both internal and external in relation to the team development and proper management of relationship amongst the team members. If a manager is able to fully deliver on internal and external dynamics of team building, he or she designs not just a team but an effective team (Thomson, 2008). This way, the effective team is able to properly function and achieve organization’s goals and objectives as stipulated by the mission and the vision statements. There are many factors leaders and in this case managers evaluate to determine if there is need for a team or not. Such factors include organization’s goals and objectives, the nature of the organizational tasks and also the organizational resources; financial and human resources. Organizational goals and objectives are directed by the mission and vision statements (Thomson, 2008). A leader who is focused towards effectively meeting the goals and objectives of a company and at the same time achieving the mission and the vision of the company would need quite effective and functioning teams. The nature of organizational tasks is also vital in deciding whether to have teams or not. Literally, simple tasks do not need teams to undertake them but complex tasks do. Organizational tasks such as market design and market analysis needs effort of more than one individual to adequately cover the entire market population and to adequately deliver. An organization that has no financial a nd human resources is not

Death sentence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Death sentence - Essay Example Secondly, criminologists have shown that people who commit capital crimes such as murder do it at the ‘heat of the moment.’ Such crimes are not premeditated, and are usually committed as a result of stress or the influence of alcohol or other drugs. In committing crimes, the criminals are not in a stable mind state. Therefore, previous executions do not help in stopping an individual from committing crime. Thirdly, research has shown that life imprisonment is a better alternative for deterring crime compared to the death sentence. Persons serving a life sentence operate in a certain routine and are not a threat to society. Therefore, the death sentence does not have an additional effect in deterring crime (Ruppin, 2012). Finally, history and research have shown that violence is a learnt behavior, and therefore regardless of the severity of the punishment offered, such crimes will still be committed. The death sentence cannot help in stopping a behavior that is common to a given society or group. In conclusion, there is no evidence to prove that the death penalty helps to reduce crime, and therefore should be abolished. Efforts should be directed towards solving social problems such as drug

Select a research topic of your interest and explain relevance of the Assignment

Select a research topic of your interest and explain relevance of the selected topic. Clearly define how it will benefit the ind - Assignment Example This shows that many people in the 21st century are appreciating the rapid development in technology. Therefore, it is an admissible fact that many people that are involved in economic activities have access to technology, which connects people across the globe (Khosrow-Pour, 2006:23). This creates a scenario where businesses have to use technology to improve on their services. As such, they will keep changing their approach to technology. Many people have taken the initiative of taking statistics on how technology is used in the world. These statistics have been influential in ensuring other businesses are not left behind when it comes to technology. Many businesses have been benchmarking technological advancement that is used by other businesses to ensure they are on the verge of making successful impact in the market. The statistics show that the developed countries in the world have appreciated the use of technology to greater heights. Developed countries have massive resources t hat have been used to improve their indulgence in technology. In most instances, the developing countries invest heavily in companies and firms that are allied to manufacturing technology. As such, they will have an advantage in accessing the technology that is manufactured. Similarly, developed countries have an upper hand in that they manufacture technology in bulk. This gives such countries the advantage of large scale production. As such, the technology will be retailed at lower prices. In the same line, developed countries were on the frontline in researching on the internet usage and its advantages. As such, they were on the frontline in implementing the use of technology in most parts of the economy. These countries go to greater heights in ensuring all businesses are interconnected to each other. This creates a scenario where businesses are in healthy competition in the market. This leads to high quality products offered in the market. Internet users in the developed countri es are advanced in that most of the population has access to internet services. The service providers are well established in the market and offer top notch services (Bailey, 2011:10). When the internet service providers are well established in the market, they will offer their services at subsidized prices. This is done to attract a larger demand for their services. Since the internet services are retailed at acceptable and affordable prices. As such, most of the population will feel the need to use the internet services in most of their working. The developing countries have followed the trend of savouring internet use and connection. The developing countries have taken the internet issue seriously and have gone to greater heights in ensuring most of the population are accessible to the internet. Most of the companies that offer the service in the developed countries have taken the initiative of investing in the developing countries. As such, they also give the developing countrie s priority in service delivery. Apparently, the developing countries have been influential in ensuring the internet development and use is on constant growth. Therefore, the number of people that use the internet has been increasing through the years. Virtually most of the businesses in developing countries have appreciated the need for internet connection and use, as it enhances their businesses. On the other hand,

What is superconductivity and what practical applications does it have Essay

What is superconductivity and what practical applications does it have (radiotelescopes, MagLevs, etc) - Essay Example Their application makes use of the properties rendered to them by electric and magnetic reactivity that is exploitable in major engineering projects. As briefly indicated in the applications segment, it is clear that superconductivity phenomenon offers a wide range of application solutions that increase efficiency and safety. According to the Bardeen, Cooper and Schrieffer (BCS) theory, electron pairing phenomena near the Fermi level then inside Cooper pairs occasions some rare form of interaction that stabilizes the crystal lattice of the material in question (Creswick et al, 1995). The three scientists behind the discovery were led to this discovery by the existence of a band gap on the Fermi level which was then extrapolated to the interpretation of crystal lattice phenomenon. Further research that included the isotope effect was applied in conjunction with the critical temperature observation of a physical state that exhibited superconductor features finally led to the discovery credited to Bardeen, Cooper and Schrieffer who won the Peace Nobel Prize in 1972 (hyperphysics.edu, n.d). This happens when the material is subjected to the temperatures specification that supports the superconductivity phenomena. Electron pairing of this phenomenon obeys quantum mechanics principles where lattice vibrations cause them to attract each other in what is referred to as phonon interaction. This happens in type I semiconductors that consist of about thirty pure metals of the periodic table. Type I superconductors obey the BSC theory and only experience superconductivity below the critical temperature (Tc). The exact temperature for which each of these superconductor materials exhibit this zero electric resistance phenomenon is referred to as critical temperature (Tc) and it varies from one material to the other. To achieve the critical temperature for any of these materials in order to acquire the near

Select a research topic of your interest and explain relevance of the Assignment

Select a research topic of your interest and explain relevance of the selected topic. Clearly define how it will benefit the ind - Assignment Example This shows that many people in the 21st century are appreciating the rapid development in technology. Therefore, it is an admissible fact that many people that are involved in economic activities have access to technology, which connects people across the globe (Khosrow-Pour, 2006:23). This creates a scenario where businesses have to use technology to improve on their services. As such, they will keep changing their approach to technology. Many people have taken the initiative of taking statistics on how technology is used in the world. These statistics have been influential in ensuring other businesses are not left behind when it comes to technology. Many businesses have been benchmarking technological advancement that is used by other businesses to ensure they are on the verge of making successful impact in the market. The statistics show that the developed countries in the world have appreciated the use of technology to greater heights. Developed countries have massive resources t hat have been used to improve their indulgence in technology. In most instances, the developing countries invest heavily in companies and firms that are allied to manufacturing technology. As such, they will have an advantage in accessing the technology that is manufactured. Similarly, developed countries have an upper hand in that they manufacture technology in bulk. This gives such countries the advantage of large scale production. As such, the technology will be retailed at lower prices. In the same line, developed countries were on the frontline in researching on the internet usage and its advantages. As such, they were on the frontline in implementing the use of technology in most parts of the economy. These countries go to greater heights in ensuring all businesses are interconnected to each other. This creates a scenario where businesses are in healthy competition in the market. This leads to high quality products offered in the market. Internet users in the developed countri es are advanced in that most of the population has access to internet services. The service providers are well established in the market and offer top notch services (Bailey, 2011:10). When the internet service providers are well established in the market, they will offer their services at subsidized prices. This is done to attract a larger demand for their services. Since the internet services are retailed at acceptable and affordable prices. As such, most of the population will feel the need to use the internet services in most of their working. The developing countries have followed the trend of savouring internet use and connection. The developing countries have taken the internet issue seriously and have gone to greater heights in ensuring most of the population are accessible to the internet. Most of the companies that offer the service in the developed countries have taken the initiative of investing in the developing countries. As such, they also give the developing countrie s priority in service delivery. Apparently, the developing countries have been influential in ensuring the internet development and use is on constant growth. Therefore, the number of people that use the internet has been increasing through the years. Virtually most of the businesses in developing countries have appreciated the need for internet connection and use, as it enhances their businesses. On the other hand,

Exploring Gender Roles in the 1940s With Reference Death of a Salesman Research Paper

Exploring Gender Roles in the 1940s With Reference Death of a Salesman - Research Paper Example The rigid view of gender roles in the family In the play, the â€Å"death of a salesman,† there is a clear distinction between the gender roles in the family unit. The story, revolving around the family of the main character, Willy, shows the differences in the gender roles between the men and women in the family. While the role of men was to provide for the family, women held the role of looking after the house and helping their husbands out (Gentry and Lee 309). This, as the character of Willy and his wife Linder portrayed, was the actual scene in the family then. Willy, with the high ambitions of becoming a successful man, single-handed works in order to provide for his small family. Through the flashbacks to the time when he was a young family, both held the same roles. Subsequently, there was a clear distinction between these roles between the two. ... Women, currently hold two different roles, one of looking after their homes and that of helping in providing for their families (Morin 438). Before the era of gender equality set in, there was a significant difference. According to Morin (437), women did not take part in the financial issues facing the family, as men were the primary breadwinners. They cooked for their husbands, took care of the children, washed and entertained their husbands. This, as Gentry and Lee (309) observe, was a role naturally determined and, one that nobody could alter. Regardless of their level of education, women remained under their men. To some extent, this play portrays the plight of women in American society during this time. Although in some instances Willy paid attention to his wife, this did not happen until his health condition became worse. Willy never honored his wife’s advice, until the day he walked home in a critical health condition, and his wife became more concerned about his health . Only then did he agree that he would buy her idea of talking to his boss on a job that would keep around New York. Perhaps, from the flashbacks that he had of his brother’s departure to Alaska, and the frequency with which Ben’s images haunted him, Willy blamed Linda for his desolate state and stalled success. Despite working extremely hard, he had nothing to show out of it. On the other hand, his brother Ben, who had left for Alaska had discovered a gold mine in Africa and was now an extremely rich person. Before Ben left for Alaska, he had persuaded Willy to join him.  

The cyberpunk novel Feed Essay Example for Free

The cyberpunk novel Feed Essay Analyse how a writer used language to develop the theme(s) of the written text. The cyberpunk novel, Feed, is a book which explores the dangers of overpowering consumerism. Author MT Anderson uses language to develop the theme of a failing futuristic society as an outcome of constant consumerist influence. Anderson uses character dialogue, descriptions of environmental degradation and internally received ‘banners’ or advertising inside the characters’ heads to explore the problems encountered when a society fails to protect their most valuable resource – nature. The characters in Feed are all implanted with a chip at birth which allows them to access the internet without the need of any external device. Computers are no longer outside the body, but are referred to as â€Å"wetware†. This allows the characters to m-chat or text inside their heads. The feed also provides them with a near constant flow of advertising banners or pop-ups depending on current trends or a shop they may walk past. This corporate control of communication leads the characters to live a superficial existence, where their main concerns are for the latest hairstyles and show no interest towards political events, which are hinted at throughout the book. The story is narrated by Titus, a teenager who meets Violet while celebrating Spring break on the Moon. During the exposition the reader learns that in this society the characters have minimal vocabularies and use a lot of futuristic teenage slang. The group refer to each other as â€Å"unit† and describe a good looking girls as being â€Å"meg youch†.There is also a lot of swearing which illustrates how limited their vocabularies have become. The characters use the phrase â€Å"da da da† whenever they can’t think of what to say. This has happened because school no is longer run as a centre for education, rather, it has become â€Å"SchoolTM† and teaches students how to use their feeds, consequently how to consume m ore and more. The poor vocabulary, coupled with a preoccupation with peer pressure to keep up with current trends helps to create a mood of apathy and hopelessness in the characters thoughts and actions.

Performance Appraisal: Reliability and Effectiveness

Performance Appraisal: Reliability and Effectiveness Introduction The whole principle of this study report is to identify and appreciate the value of performance appraisal system, from the staff point of view, in command to notify a developed system that will be executed in Sidmak Laboratories (India) Pvt. Ltd. The first chapter gives a general idea of the entire dissertation. It will present background to the research, give explanation exactly what the matter is that needs research, validate the project, and present a summary of the methodology that will be used. Background to the research Sidmak India was established in 1984 in technical collaboration with Sidmak USA. Sidmak India has successfully adopted various technology platforms under this collaboration and continues to develop additional technologies. Sidmak Laboratories (India) Pvt. Ltd. is a pharmaceutical corporation contains developing ability at Gujarat, India. Sidmak point towards at improved safety and ease for human life through a dedicated excellence in manufacturing recommendation drugs, specifically oral dosages. The organisation is permitted by W.H.O. as per GMP rule and by local FDA as per Drug and Cosmetic Act. The organisation has skill in the production of constant release solid dosage mode. Sidmak manufactures both pharmaceuticals as well as nutraceuticals products. The organisation preserves highest level of quality by sticking on to cGMP and cGLP compliance rule in manufacturing products and meeting national and international requirement. Working with Sidmak has given me good experience about how to work in an organisation. It has also given me knowledge about the flow or work from one department to another department. Thought the work flow is very smooth in Sidmak, I personally feel that it can be more productive and beneficial to the employee and the organisation if company adopts proper appraisal system. Research Questions The whole research dilemma relates to the reliability and effectiveness of performance appraisal systems. The literature review will sketch many comments in relation to the plan and function of such systems. It was transparent from administrating the literature review that a large amount had been written regarding the effectiveness of performance appraisal system. The goal, therefore, of this dissertation is to realize and appreciate the effectiveness of performance appraisal, from the staff point of view. Four objectives have been recognised, and by undertaking these unified objectives, a comprehensive literature review, and new practical research, answers to the problem should be known. The objectives of this research are: Figure: 1 Methodology The research pattern take on is interpretive. The interpretive model is an idealistic location which is related to with understanding the way we humans build logic of the world surrounding us (Saunder at al, 2007). The purpose for this method are set out in describe in the methodology. The study method is qualitative. The methodology is extra related with human questions than pure science. The literature review does not place out a specific theory, but does set up a theoretical structure to assist the gathering and study of data, to respond the research issues. The preferred research tactic is a case study. The practical data will be established on qualitative interview techniques. This will present the utmost transform of successful research, as it will quantify human reaction. It can also be accomplished inside the timescale of the project. Semi-structured interviews and utilise of secondary data from comprehensive Employee estimation Survey will be incorporated in the research methods. The primary source includes the personal experience which I had experienced while working with Sidmak Laboratories (I) Pvt. Ltd. and the secondary sources includes information gathered through surfing the internet, information available on intranet site on knowledge management, different study materials, and sample performance appraisal forms obtained from reliable resources. The research will permit evaluation between groups of employees, to find out if duration of service or superiority is a issue. Privacy will be guaranteed to participants and the information will be edited to look after the identification of persons before it is pass around to the organisations management board. Outline of the chapters Chapter 1 This chapter presents a summary of the entire project. It puts out what the research area is, splits it down into a sequence of objectives for the project, and associates this to the background of the firm that is to be researched in depth. Chapter 2 This section reviews literature related to the research purposes. It constructs a theoretical establishment upon which the research is build. It starts with an assessment of what performance is, and why it is measured. The vital parts of a valuable and efficient performance appraisal system consist of recognize its foundations and the important steps that set the foundation. It is also essential to make out the objectives and advantages of this system. For profit realization it is required to recognize Key Result Areas (KRAs) i.e. goal setting and observe resulting performance so that a significant relationship between performance, reward and development of necessary skills, through counseling, can be set up. And a lot of thinking, suggestions and bright ideas are required to be done to develop a sensible appraisal system by assessing available techniques and execution process. The section then takes into account how performance appraisal fits into the parent control of performance m anagement. A study of literature including appraisal systems and their application follows, and this consists of reference to new appraisals. The above data will then direct to the creating of the conceptual type that will be build up through the research. Chapter 3 This section explains the methodology that will be employed to collect the primary data. It will sketch the research model selected, put out the research strategy, and also give explanation for the selection of the methodology. Ethical problems will also be focused in this chapter. Chapter 4 This section will put forward the findings of the research. Due to the diverse ways used to research the issues, some of the findings will be put out in text, and some will be displayed in tables. The data will be examined in research of the following chapter, which sets out the conclusions. Chapter 5 This section will put out conclusions on the subject of the research objectives through connecting the research findings, with the findings of section 2. The chapter will talk about the limitations of the research and place opportunities for further research that will ahead make clear the problem area. Chapter 6 Based on the conclusion of section 5, this section involves advices and suggestions for new performance appraisal system. Summary This beginning section has familiarized the reader to the organisation, and quoted its new transformation. The section has exposed the need, to build up a performance culture, and contained by that, a full-bodied performance appraisal system. The research question and objectives have been put out, together with the methodology to be used to deal with the objectives.

Schizophrenia Essay -- Schizophrenia Essays

Schizophrenia is a serious, chronic mental disorder characterized by loss of contact with reality and disturbances of thought, mood, and perception. Schizophrenia is the most common and the most potentially sever and disabling of the psychosis, a term encompassing several severe mental disorders that result in the loss of contact with reality along with major personality derangements. Schizophrenia patients experience delusions, hallucinations and often lose thought process. Schizophrenia affects an estimated one percent of the population in every country of the world. Victims share a range of symptoms that can be devastating to themselves as well as to families and friends. They may have trouble dealing with the most minor everyday stresses and insignificant changes in their surroundings. They may avoid social contact, ignore personal hygiene and behave oddly (Kass, 194). Many people outside the mental health profession believe that schizophrenia refers to a â€Å"split personalit y†. The word â€Å"schizophrenia† comes from the Greek schizo, meaning split and phrenia refers to the diaphragm once thought to be the location of a person’s mind and soul. When the word â€Å"schizophrenia† was established by European psychiatrists, they meant to describe a shattering, or breakdown, of basic psychological functions. Eugene Bleuler is one of the most influential psychiatrists of his time. He is best known today for his introduction of the term â€Å"schizophrenia† to describe the disorder previously known as dementia praecox and for his studies of schizophrenics. The illness can best be described as a collection of particular symptoms that usually fall into four basic categories: formal thought disorder, perception disorder, feeling/emotional disturbance, and behavior disorders (Young, 23). People with schizophrenia describe strange of unrealistic thoughts. Their speech is sometimes hard to follow because of disordered thinking. Ph rases seem disconnected, and ideas move from topic to topic with no logical pattern in what is being said. In some cases, individuals with schizophrenia say that they have no idea at all or that their heads seem â€Å"empty†. Many schizophrenic patients think they possess extraordinary powers such as x-ray vision or super strength. They may believe that their thoughts are being controlled by others or that everyone knows what they are thinking. These beliefs ar... ...ected over another because it has less chance of damaging a diseased liver, worsening a heart condition, or affecting a patient’s high blood pressure. For all the benefits that anti-psychotic drugs provide, clearly they are far from ideal. Some patients will show marked improvement with drugs, while others might be helped only a little, if at all. Ideally, drugs soon will be developed to treat successfully the whole range os schizophrenia symptoms. Roughly one third of schizophrenic patients make a complete recovery and have no further recurrence, one third have recurrent episodes of the illness, and one third deteriorate into chronic schizophrenia with severe disability (Kass, 206). Bibliography BIBLIOGRAPHY Arasse, Daniel. Complete Guide to Mental Health. Allen Lane Press,New York, 1989. Gingerich, Susan. Coping With Schizophrenia. New Harbinger Publications, Inc. Oakland, 1994. Kass, Stephen. Schizophrenia: The Facts. Oxford University Press. New York, 1997. Muesen, Kim. â€Å"Schizophrenia†. Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia. Microsoft Corporation, 1998. Young, Patrick. The Encyclopedia od Health, Psychological Disorders and Their Treatment. Herrington Publications. New York, 1991.

Chapter 17 Cat, Rat, and Dog

Harry's mind had gone blank with shock. The three of them stood transfixed with horror under the Invisibility Cloak. The very last rays of the setting sun were casting a bloody light over the long-shadowed grounds. Then, behind them, they heard a wild howling. â€Å"Hagrid,† Harry muttered. Without thinking about what he was doing, he made to turn back, but both Ron and Hermione seized his arms. â€Å"We can't,† said Ron, who was paper-white. â€Å"He'll be in worse trouble if they know we've been to see him†¦.† Hermione's breathing was shallow and uneven. â€Å"How — could — they?† she choked. â€Å"How could they?† â€Å"Come on,† said Ron, whose teeth seemed to be chattering. They set off back toward the castle, walking slowly to keep themselves hidden under the cloak. The light was fading fast now. By the time they reached open ground, darkness was settling like a spell around them. â€Å"Scabbers, keep still,† Ron hissed, clamping his hand over his chest. The rat was wriggling madly. Ron came to a sudden halt, trying to force Scabbers deeper into his pocket. â€Å"What's the matter with you, You stupid rat? Stay still — OUCH! He bit me!† â€Å"Ron, be quiet!† Hermione whispered urgently. â€Å"Fudge'll be out here in a minute –â€Å" â€Å"He won't — stay — put –â€Å" Scabbers was plainly terrified. He was writhing with all his might, trying to break free of Ron's grip. â€Å"What's the matter with him?† But Harry had just seen — stinking toward them, his body low to the ground, wide yellow eyes glinting eerily in the darkness — Crookshanks. Whether he could see them or was following the sound of Scabbers's squeaks, Harry couldn't tell. â€Å"Crookshanks!† Hermione moaned. â€Å"No, go away, Crookshanks! Go away!† But the cat was getting nearer — â€Å"Scabbers — NO!† Too late — the rat had slipped between Ron's clutching fingers, hit the ground, and scampered away. In one bound, Crookshanks sprang after him, and before Harry or Hermione could stop him, Ron had thrown the Invisibility Cloak off himself and pelted away into the darkness. â€Å"Ron!† Hermione moaned. She and Harry looked at each other, then followed at a sprint; it was impossible to run full out under the cloak; they pulled it off and it streamed behind them like a banner as they hurtled after Ron; they could hear his feet thundering along ahead and his shouts at Crookshanks. â€Å"Get away from him — get away — Scabbers, come here –â€Å" There was a loud thud. â€Å"Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat –â€Å" Harry and Hermione almost fell over Ron; they skidded to a stop right in front of him. He was sprawled on the ground, but Scabbers was back in his pocket; he had both hands held tight over the quivering lump. â€Å"Ron — come on back under the cloak –† Hermione panted. â€Å"Dumbledore — the Minister — they'll be coming back out in a minute –â€Å" But before they could cover themselves again, before they could even catch their breath, they heard the soft pounding of gigantic paws†¦. Something was bounding toward them, quiet as a shadow — an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog. Harry reached for his wand, but too late — the dog had made an enormous leap and the front paws hit him on the chest; he keeled over backward in a whirl of hair; he felt its hot breath, saw inch-long teeth – But the force of its leap had carried it too far; it rolled off him. Dazed, feeling as though his ribs were broken, Harry tried to stand up; he could hear it growling as it skidded around for a new attack. Ron was on his feet. As the dog sprang back toward them he pushed Harry aside; the dog's jaws fastened instead around Ron's outstretched arm. Harry lunged forward, he seized a handful of the brute's hair, but it was dragging Ron away as easily as though he were a rag doll — Then, out of nowhere, something hit Harry so hard across the face he was knocked off his feet again. He heard Hermione shriek with pain and fall too. Harry groped for his wand, blinking blood out of his eyes â€Å"Lumos!† he whispered. The wandlight showed him the trunk of a thick tree; they had chased Scabbers into the shadow of the Whomping Willow and its branches were creaking as though in a high wind, whipping backward and forward to stop them going nearer. And there, at the base of the trunk, was the dog, dragging Ron backward into a large gap in the roots — Ron was fighting furiously, but his head and torso were slipping out of sight — â€Å"Ron!† Harry shouted, trying to follow, but a heavy branch whipped lethally through the air and he was forced backward again. All they could see now was one of Ron's legs, which he had hooked around a root in an effort to stop the dog from pulling him farther underground — but a horrible crack cut the air like a gunshot; Ron's leg had broken, and a moment later, his foot vanished from sight. â€Å"Harry — we've got to go for help –† Hermione gasped; she was bleeding too; the Willow had cut her across the shoulder. â€Å"No! That thing's big enough to eat him; we haven't got time –â€Å" â€Å"Harry — we're never going to get through without help –â€Å" Another branch whipped down at them, twigs clenched like knuckles. â€Å"If that dog can get in, we can,† Harry panted, darting here and there, trying to find a way through the vicious, swishing branches, but he couldn't get an inch nearer to the tree roots without being in range of the tree's blows. â€Å"Oh, help, help,† Hermione whispered frantically, dancing uncertainly on the spot, â€Å"Please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Crookshanks darted forward. He slithered between the battering branches like a snake and placed his front paws upon a knot on the trunk. Abruptly, as though the tree had been turned to marble, it stopped moving. Not a leaf twitched or shook. â€Å"Crookshanks!† Hermione whispered uncertainly. She now grasped Harry's arm painfully hard. â€Å"How did he know –?† â€Å"He's friends with that dog,† said Harry grimly. â€Å"I've seen them together. Come on — and keep your wand out –â€Å" They covered the distance to the trunk in seconds, but before they had reached the gap in the roots, Crookshanks had slid into it with a flick of his bottlebrush tail. Harry went next; he crawled forward, headfirst, and slid down an earthy slope to the bottom of a very low tunnel. Crookshanks was a little way along, his eyes flashing in the light from Harry's wand. Seconds later, Hermione slithered down beside him. â€Å"Where's Ron?† she whispered in a terrified voice. â€Å"This way,† said Harry, setting off, bent-backed, after Crookshanks. â€Å"Where does this tunnel come out?† Hermione asked breathlessly from behind him. â€Å"I don't know†¦It's marked on the Marauder's Map but Fred and George said no one's ever gotten into it†¦It goes off the edge of the map, but it looked like it was heading for Hogsmeade†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They moved as fast as they could, bent almost double; ahead of them, Crookshanks's tail bobbed in and out of view. On and on went the passage; it felt at least as long as the one to Honeydukes†¦ All Harry could think of was Ron and what the enormous dog might be doing to him†¦He was drawing breath in sharp, painful gasps, running at a crouch†¦. And then the tunnel began to rise; moments later it twisted, and Crookshanks had gone. Ahead Harry could see a patch of dim light through a small opening. He and Hermione paused, gasping for breath, edging forward. Both raised their wands to see what lay beyond. It was a room, a very disordered, dusty room. Paper was peeling from the walls; there were stains all over the floor; every piece of furniture was broken as though somebody had smashed it. The windows were all boarded up. Harry glanced at Hermione, who looked very frightened but nodded. Harry pulled himself out of the hole, staring around. The room was deserted, but a door to their right stood open, leading to a shadowy hallway. Hermione suddenly grabbed Harry's arm again. Her wide eyes were traveling around the boarded windows. â€Å"Harry,† she whispered, â€Å"I think we're in the Shrieking Shack.† Harry looked around. His eyes fell on a wooden chair near them. Large chunks had been torn out of it; one of the legs had been ripped off entirely. â€Å"Ghosts didn't do that,† he said slowly. At that moment, there was a creak overhead. Something had moved upstairs. Both of them looked up at the ceiling. Hermione's grip on Harry's arm was so tight he was losing feeling in his fingers. He raised his eyebrows at her; she nodded again and let go. Quietly as they could, they crept out into the hall and up the crumbling staircase. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust except the floor, where a wide shiny stripe had been made by something being dragged upstairs. They reached the dark landing. â€Å"Nox,† they whispered together, and the lights at the end of their wands went out. Only one door was open. As they crept toward it, they heard movement from behind it; a low moan, and then a deep, loud purring. They exchanged a last look, a last nod. Wand held tightly before him, Harry kicked the door wide open. On a magnificent four-poster bed with dusty hangings lay Crookshanks, purring loudly at the sight of them. On the floor beside him, clutching his leg, which stuck out at a strange angle, was Ron. Harry and Hermione dashed across to him. â€Å"Ron — are you okay?† â€Å"Where's the dog?† â€Å"Not a dog,† Ron moaned. His teeth were gritted with pain. â€Å"Harry, it's a trap –â€Å" â€Å"What –â€Å" â€Å"He's the dog†¦he's an Animagus.† Ron was staring over Harry's shoulder. Harry wheeled around. With a snap, the man in the shadows closed the door behind them. A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his elbows. If eyes hadn't been shining out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The waxy skin was stretched so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. His yellow teeth were bared in a grin. It was Sirius Black. â€Å"Expelliarmus!† he croaked, pointing Ron's wand at them. Harry's and Hermione's wands shot out of their hands, high in the air, and Black caught them. Then he took a step closer. His eyes were fixed on Harry. â€Å"I thought you'd come and help your friend,† he said hoarsely. His voice sounded as though he had long since lost the habit of using it. â€Å"Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful†¦it will make everything much easier†¦.† The taunt about his father rang in Harry's ears as though Black had bellowed it. A boiling hate erupted in Harry's chest, leaving no place for fear. For the first time in his life, he wanted his wand back in his hand, not to defend himself, but to attack†¦to kill. Without knowing what he was doing, he started forward, but there was a sudden movement on either side of him and two pairs of hands grabbed him and held him back†¦ â€Å"No, Harry!† Hermione gasped in a petrified whisper; Ron, however, spoke to Black. â€Å"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!† he said fiercely, though the effort of standing upright was draining him of still more color, and he swayed slightly as he spoke. Something flickered in Black's shadowed eyes. â€Å"Lie down,† he said quietly to Ron. â€Å"You will damage that leg even more.† â€Å"Did you hear me?† Ron said weakly, though he was clinging painfully to Harry to stay upright. â€Å"You'll have to kill all three of us!† â€Å"There'll be only one murder here tonight,† said Black, and his grin widened. â€Å"Why's that?† Harry spat, trying to wrench himself free of Ron, and Hermione. â€Å"Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those Muggles to get at Pettigrew†¦What's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?† â€Å"Harry!† Hermione whimpered. â€Å"Be quiet!† â€Å"HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!† Harry roared, and with a huge effort he broke free of Hermione's and Ron's restraint and lunged forward — He had forgotten about magic — he had forgotten that he was short and skinny and thirteen, whereas Black was a tall, full-grown man — all Harry knew was that he wanted to hurt Black as badly as he could and that he didn't care how much he got hurt in return — Perhaps it was the shock of Harry doing something so stupid, but Black didn't raise the wands in time — one of Harry's hands fastened over his wasted wrist, forcing the wand tips away; the knuckles of Harry's other hand collided with the side of Black's head and they fell, backward, into the wall — Hermione was screaming; Ron was yelling; there was a blinding flash as the wands in Black's hand sent a jet of sparks into the air that missed Harry's face by inches; Harry felt the shrunken arm under his fingers twisting madly, but he clung on, his other hand punching every part of Black it could find. But Black's free hand had found Harry's throat â€Å"No,† he hissed, â€Å"I've waited too long –â€Å" The fingers tightened, Harry choked, his glasses askew. Then he saw Hermione's foot swing out of nowhere. Black let go of Harry with a grunt of pain; Ron had thrown himself on Black's wand hand and Harry heard a faint clatter — He fought free of the tangle of bodies and saw his own wand rolling across the floor; he threw himself toward it but â€Å"Argh!† Crookshanks had joined the fray; both sets of front claws had sunk themselves deep into Harry's arm; Harry threw him off, but Crookshanks now darted toward Harry's wand — â€Å"NO YOU DON'T!† roared Harry, and he aimed a kick at Crookshanks that made the cat leap aside, spitting; Harry snatched up his wand and turned — â€Å"Get out of the way!† he shouted at Ron and Hermione. They didn't need telling twice. Hermione, gasping for breath, her lip bleeding, scrambled aside, snatching up her and Ron's wands. Ron crawled to the four-poster and collapsed onto it, panting, his white face now tinged with green, both hands clutching his broken leg. Black was sprawled at the bottom of the wall. His thin chest rose and fell rapidly as he watched Harry walking slowly nearer, his wand pointing straight at Black's heart. â€Å"Going to kill me, Harry?† he whispered. Harry stopped right above him, his wand still pointing at Black's chest, looking down at him. A livid bruise was rising around Black's left eye and his nose was bleeding. â€Å"You killed my parents,† said Harry, his voice shaking slightly, but his wand hand quite steady. Black stared up at him out of those sunken eyes. â€Å"I don't deny it,† he said very quietly. â€Å"But if you knew the whole story.† â€Å"The whole story?† Harry repeated, a furious pounding in his ears. â€Å"You sold them to Voldemort. That's all I need to know.† â€Å"You've got to listen to me,† Black said, and there was a note of urgency in his voice now. â€Å"You'll regret it if you don't†¦You don't understand†¦.† â€Å"I understand a lot better than you think,† said Harry, and his voice shook more than ever. â€Å"You never heard her, did you? My mum†¦trying to stop Voldemort killing me†¦and you did that†¦you did it†¦.† Before either of them could say another word, something ginger streaked past Harry; Crookshanks leapt onto Black's chest and settled himself there, right over Black's heart. Black blinked and looked down at the cat. â€Å"Get off,† he murmured, trying to push Crookshanks off him. But Crookshanks sank his claws into Black's robes and wouldn't shift. He turned his ugly, squashed face to Harry and looked up at him with those great yellow eyes. To his right, Hermione gave a dry sob. Harry stared down at Black and Crookshanks, his grip tightening on the wand. So what if he had to kill the cat too? It was in league with Black†¦If it was prepared to die, trying to protect Black, that wasn't Harry's business†¦ If Black wanted to save it, that only proved he cared more for Crookshanks than for Harry's parents†¦. Harry raised the wand. Now was the moment to do it. Now was the moment to avenge his mother and father. He was going to kill Black. He had to kill Black. This was his chance†¦. The seconds lengthened. And still Harry stood frozen there, wand poised, Black staring up at him, Crookshanks on his chest. Ron's ragged breathing came from near the bed; Hermione was quite silent. And then came a new sound — Muffled footsteps were echoing up through the floor — someone was moving downstairs. â€Å"WE'RE UP HERE!† Hermione screamed suddenly. â€Å"WE'RE UP HERE — SIRIUS BLACK — QUICK!† Black made a startled movement that almost dislodged Crookshanks; Harry gripped his wand convulsively — Do it now! said a voice in his head — but the footsteps were thundering up the stairs and Harry still hadn't done it. The door of the room burst open in a shower of red sparks and Harry wheeled around as Professor Lupin came hurtling into the room, his face bloodless, his wand raised and ready. His eyes flickered over Ron, lying on the floor, over Hermione, cowering next to the door, to Harry, standing there with his wand covering Black, and then to Black himself, crumpled and bleeding at Harry's feet. â€Å"Expelliarmus!† Lupin shouted. Harry's wand flew once more out of his hand; so did the two Hermione was holding. Lupin caught them all deftly, then moved into the room, staring at Black, who still had Crookshanks lying protectively across his chest. Harry stood there, feeling suddenly empty. He hadn't done it. His nerve had failed him. Black was going to be handed back to the Dementors. Then Lupin spoke, in a very tense voice. â€Å"Where is he, Sirius?† Harry looked quickly at Lupin. He didn't understand what Lupin meant. Who was Lupin talking about? He turned to look at Black again. Black's face was quite expressionless. For a few seconds, he didn't move at all. Then, very slowly, he raised his empty hand and pointed straight at Ron. Mystified, Harry glanced around at Ron, who looked bewildered. â€Å"But then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lupin muttered, staring at Black so intently it seemed he was trying to read his mind, â€Å"†¦why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless† — Lupin's eyes suddenly widened, as though he was seeing something beyond Black, something none of the rest could see, â€Å"– unless he was the one†¦unless you switched†¦ without telling me?† Very slowly, his sunken gaze never leaving Lupin's face, Black nodded. â€Å"Professor,† Harry interrupted loudly, â€Å"what's going on –?† But he never finished the question, because what he saw made his voice die in his throat. Lupin was lowering his wand, gazing fixed at Black. The Professor walked to Black's side, seized his hand, pulled him to his feet so that Crookshanks fell to the floor, and embraced Black like a brother. Harry felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his stomach. â€Å"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!† Hermione screamed. Lupin let go of Black and turned to her. She had raised herself off the floor and was pointing at Lupin, wild-eyed. â€Å"You — you –â€Å" â€Å"Hermione –â€Å" â€Å"?C you and him!† â€Å"Hermione, calm down –â€Å" â€Å"I didn't tell anyone!† Hermione shrieked. â€Å"I've been covering up for you –â€Å" â€Å"Hermione, listen to me, please† Lupin shouted. â€Å"I can explain –â€Å" Harry could feel himself shaking, not with fear, but with a fresh wave of fury. â€Å"I trusted you,† he shouted at Lupin, his voice wavering, out of control, â€Å"and all the time you've been his friend!† â€Å"You're wrong,† said Lupin. â€Å"I haven't been Sirius's friend, but I am now — Let me explain†¦.† â€Å"NO!† Hermione screamed. â€Å"Harry, don't trust him, he's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too — he's a werewolf!† There was a ringing silence. Everyone's eyes were now on Lupin, who looked remarkably calm, though rather pale. â€Å"Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione,† he said. â€Å"Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry dead. An odd shiver passed over his face. â€Å"But I won't deny that I am a werewolf.† Ron made a valiant effort to get up again but fell back with a whimper of pain. Lupin made toward him, looking concerned, but Ron gasped, â€Å"Get away from me, werewolf!† Lupin stopped dead. Then, with an obvious effort, he turned to Hermione and said, â€Å"How long have you known?† â€Å"Ages,† Hermione whispered. â€Å"Since I did Professor Snape's essay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He'll be delighted,† said Lupin coolly. â€Å"He assigned that essay hoping someone would realize what my symptoms meant†¦ Did you check the lunar chart and realize that I was always ill at the full moon? Or did you realize that the Boggart changed into the moon when it saw me?† â€Å"Both,† Hermione said quietly. Lupin forced a laugh. â€Å"You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione.† â€Å"I'm not,† Hermione whispered. â€Å"If I'd been a bit cleverer, I'd have told everyone what you are!† â€Å"But they already know,† said Lupin. â€Å"At least, the staff do.† â€Å"Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf,† Ron gasped. â€Å"Is he mad?† â€Å"Some of the staff thought so,† said Lupin. â€Å"He had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that I'm trustworthy –â€Å" â€Å"AND HE WAS WRONG!† Harry yelled. â€Å"YOU'VE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL THE TIME!† He was pointing at Black, who suddenly crossed to the four-poster bed and sank onto it, his face hidden in one shaking hand. Crookshanks leapt up beside him and stepped onto his lap, purring. Ron edged away from both of them, dragging his leg. â€Å"I have not been helping Sirius,† said Lupin. â€Å"If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain. Look –â€Å" He separated Harry's, Ron's and Hermione's wands and threw each back to its owner; Harry caught his, stunned. â€Å"There,† said Lupin, sticking his own wand back into his belt â€Å"You're armed, we're not. Now will you listen?† Harry didn't know what to think. Was it a trick? â€Å"If you haven't been helping him,† he said, with a furious glance at Black, â€Å"how did you know he was here?† â€Å"The map,† said Lupin. â€Å"The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it –â€Å" â€Å"You know how to work it?† Harry said suspiciously. â€Å"Of course I know how to work it,† said Lupin, waving his hand impatiently. â€Å"I helped write it. I'm Moony — that was my friends' nickname for me at school.† â€Å"You wrote –?† â€Å"The important thing is, I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea that you, Ron, and Hermione might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before his Hippogriff was executed. And I was right, wasn't I?† He had started to pace up and down, looking at them. Little patches of dust rose at his feet. â€Å"You might have been wearing your father's old cloak, Harry–â€Å" â€Å"How d'you know about the cloak?† â€Å"The number of times I saw James disappearing under it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Lupin, waving an impatient hand again. â€Å"The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, you still show up on the Marauder's Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back toward the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else.† â€Å"What?† said Harry. â€Å"No, we weren't!† I couldn't believe my eyes,' said Lupin, still pacing, and ignoring Harry's interruption. â€Å"I thought the map must be malfunctioning. How could he be with you?† â€Å"No one was with us!† said Harry. â€Å"And then I saw another dot, moving fast toward you, labeled Sirius Black†¦I saw him collide with you; I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow –â€Å" â€Å"One of us!† Ron said angrily. â€Å"No, Ron,† said Lupin. â€Å"Two of you.† He had stopped his pacing, his eyes moving over Ron. â€Å"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?† he said evenly. â€Å"What?† said Ron. â€Å"What's Scabbers got to do with it?† â€Å"Everything,† said Lupin. â€Å"Could I see him, please?† Ron hesitated, then put a hand inside his robes. Scabbers emerged, thrashing desperately; Ron had to seize his long bald tail to stop him escaping. Crookshanks stood up on Black's leg and made a soft hissing noise. Lupin moved closer to Ron. He seemed to be holding his breath as he gazed intently at Scabbers. â€Å"What?† Ron said again, holding Scabbers close to him, looking scared. â€Å"What's my rat got to do with anything?† â€Å"That's not a rat,† croaked Sirius Black suddenly. â€Å"What d'you mean — of course he's a rat –â€Å" â€Å"No, he's not,† said Lupin quietly. â€Å"He's a wizard.† â€Å"An Animagus,† said Black, â€Å"by the name of Peter Pettigrew.†