The Book Of Mark An For Humanities Courses That Treat The Essay Example For Students

The Book Of Mark: An For Humanities Courses That Treat The Essay Bible As A Historical Document PART A MARKS THEOLOGY REFLECTED IN WRITING Mark and the other evangelists used basically five ways to change, edit or enhance Jesus sayings to reflect their own views of Christianity. According to the Five Gospels Book, plagiarism and changing of writing was not a crime, but actually very common Marks time. Besides, Mark never knew Jesus first-hand, he somehow had to make a story from basically Hearsay! Mark groups different parables and sayings of Jesus by topic; making a false impression that these things happened in order. This may have little effect on changing the meaning of the lesson, however it illustrates the fact that Mark was trying to author a readable story for people, rather than a book of facts. The best example would be in Mark 10:17-31 (Jesus Counsel to the Rich) ; (Parable of The Camel and the Eye of a Needle). It is doubtful that these things happened at the same time; however, they are GREY in The Five Gospels anyway and probably di dnt happen as Mark describes. This brings us to Marks writing style. Mark seems to tack-on sentences to Jesus teachings to make them more Christian. This really changes the meaning more than any other tactic! Who knows what Mark may have edited-out to accomplish what he wanted to impress upon his readers? In this, he tries to interpret the meaning of Jesus actions and does this in a misleading way. For example: Mark 2:19, Jesus regarding Fasting. Jesus makes a strong statement against importance to fasting, but Mark (in 2:20) tags on: But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and they will fast in those days. This blatantly shows that Mark held higher regard for the Old Traditions of Fasting rather than Jesus new teachings! This is also an example of Christianizing Jesus according to traditions that have already earned respect from Jews in their tradition. (Wow, this is starting to sound like a fight between Todays Political Parties, isnt it? ). Final ly, Mark likes to soften the blow of Jesus Hard sayings. He does this for probably the same reason Paul preached that Circumcision was not required for Christians. A good example is The Unforgivable Sin (Mark 3:28-). Jesus clearly states that words against the Holy Spirit are unforgivable. However, Mark adds that all things are possible with God, which softens this harsh rule! MARK ; THE PAROUSIA Mark lived during the Jewish War of 66-70 ADE. Unlike the later evangelists, Matthew and Luke, Mark believed the Parousia was upon us, about to happen at any time! And, for obvious reason: he lived in an extremely troubled time for the Jews, and he had not been worried yet by the Parousias delay as were later evangelists. Mark 13:4 Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled? According to Marks writing, Jesus first predicts the destruction of the Temple. However, Mark had written after the destruction of the Temple in 70 ADE! This t actic agrees with The Five Gospels: writing apocalyptic sayings of Jesus after they have already been fulfilled. I would suppose he did this to give credit to his writing of the second coming of God. An example is the parable of The Fig Tree in Mark 13:28-37. This addition, obviously written by Mark and not said by Jesus, shows the urgency in which Mark expected the parousia: Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. You can easily see why the other evangelists, Matthew, Luke ; John, re-wrote Marks apocalyptic writing to be more of a Sacred Time, and less definite. Mark used a common tactic of quoting scripture (especially Dan, Isa, Mic some Psalms) for his apocalyptic writing. We also saw this in Pauls letters years before. People regarded scripture as fact, therefore a perfect tool to give credit to Marks Pauls new writing! Our own culture today is wrapped-up in tradition and Bible quotes as undisputable fact, even thou gh people twist these things to promote their own interests! My own family justifies their hatred for gays by quoting the Bible; they justify a Womans Place by using the Bible; they justify their racism through the Bible (saying that Love your Brother could only possibly refer to people of your own color, because your brother could not possibly be of another color); they justify violent punishment for criminals by using the Bible; they choose their political party according to their actions being as conservative as the Bible. There isnt a day that goes by that I dont wish that my own community was not still living in the dark-ages. PART B THE PARABLE: THE UNFORGIVING SLAVE This parable reflects a part of our American Lifestyle that is very Un-Jesus! Our culture, our government and our judiciary system thrives on punishment; at least we dont still have debtors prison! Contrary to Marks interpretation of this parable, I belive it represents a type of perfect love for ones neighbor tha t is reflected in Jesus Kingdom of God. Rather than forcing a rule upon the reader, as Mark does, Jesus meant it to be a story where the listener may choose an appropriate mode of behavior; for forgiveness cannot be compromised without undesirable consequences. Instead, Mark adds a Threat to the end of the parable (which is obviously NOT the words of Jesus)! Thats what your heavenly Father will do to you, unless you find it in your heart to forgive I find in many examples that Jesus wanted to have his followers think for themselves, and make choices according to their own conscious; He only made sayings and parables to aid followers in finding the truth for themselves (much like Socrates tactic for the finding of Truth or Justice). Mark, for his own reasons, felt that it was his duty to attach every saying of Jesus with a command or threat therefore making God seem vindictive! CONCLUSION: COMPARISON TO MY FIRST PAPER I remember that when I wrote my first paper, I made a point to d iscuss quotes from Jesus that seemed foreign to my traditional feeling for Jesus. I wanted to see something in Jesus that I never knew before! Well, I was surprised to find that these same quotes turned-up to be mostly Pink in the Five Gospels (some grey, but no black)! My first quote of Jesus was from Matthew 12:49-50; Jesus refers to the multitudes as his mother and brothers. This turned-up pink in the Five Gospels. I thought that this quote represented Jesus as a God on a equal level with his followers, creating a sense of community (I think that if Jesus were around today (and wasnt in an asylum), he would be a Communist). To me, this contradicts todays church of authority, having Bishops, Deacons, etc. Next, I quoted a few of Jesus words to live by in chapters 6 and 7 of Matthew. Most of these quotes turned up pink, however a few were mixed with grey, showing the additions of Matthews redaction. I noted in my paper that I felt these rules were simple logical ways to lead a hap py and loving lifestyle, rather than hard rules that we are used to. The next two quotes I used (Matthew 12:13 Jesus Breaking the Sabbath) (Mark 15:1-15 Jesus dealing with P. Pilate) were grey and black in the Five Gospels. The interesting point to this is that these are the two quotes in which I criticized Jesus actions. I made points that I thought Jesus was a hypocrite in preaching to keep Jewish Law, and at the same time, break the Sabbath! I also seriously questioned Matthews interpretation that Pilate tried to save Jesus, knowing that Pilate was not a friend to the Jews! It is refreshing to me to find these quotes in grey black, because they were very confusing to me in forming an opinion about Jesus. I have enjoyed this assignment because I really feel like I am getting to understand the Historical New Testament! I tested my knowledge of Jesus by reading his quotes from my New King James Version Bible, and tried to spot additions that were not Jesus, and by guessing the co lor of some of his quotes. In checking back with The Five Gospels, I found myself to be pretty darn accurate! 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Examples of Petrochemicals and Petroleum Products

Examples of Petrochemicals and Petroleum Products According to the American Heritage Dictionary, petroleum is a thick, flammable, yellow-to-black mixture of gaseous, liquid, and solid hydrocarbons that occurs naturally beneath the earths surface, can be separated into fractions including natural gas, gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, fuel, and lubricating oils, paraffin wax, and asphalt and is used as raw material for a wide variety of derivative products. In other words, petroleum is much more than oil, and it has an astounding array of uses. The Many Uses of Petrochemicals Petrochemicals are any products made from petroleum. Youre probably aware gasoline and plastic start out as petroleum, but petrochemicals are incredibly versatile and are incorporated into a huge range of products ranging from groceries to rocket fuel. The Primary Hydrocarbons Raw crude oil and natural gas are purified into a  relatively small number of hydrocarbons (combinations of hydrogen and carbon). These are used directly in manufacturing and transportation or act as feedstock  to make other chemicals. Methane: a greenhouse gas that can be used as fuel and is often included in rocket fuelEthylene: used to  make plastics and films, as well as detergents,  synthetic lubricants, and styrenes (used to make  protective packaging)Propylene: a colorless, odorless gas used for fuel and to make polypropylene, a versatile plastic polymer used to make products ranging from carpets to structural foamButanes: hydrocarbon gases that are generally used for fuel and in industryButadiene: used in the manufacture of synthetic rubbersBTX (benzene, toluene, xylene): benzene, toluene, and xylene are aromatic hydrocarbons.  A major part of gasoline, benzene is also used to make nylon fibers which, in turn, are used to make clothing, packaging, and many other products Medicine Petrochemicals play many roles in medicine because they are used to create resins, films, and plastics. Here are just a few examples: Phenol and Cumene are used to create a substance that is essential for manufacturing penicillin (an extremely important antibiotic) and aspirin.  Petrochemical resins are used to purify drugs, thus cutting costs and speeding the manufacturing process.Resins made from petrochemicals are used in the manufacture of drugs including treatments for AIDS, arthritis, and cancer.Plastics and resins made with petrochemicals are used to make devices such as artificial limbs and skin.Plastics are used to make a huge range of medical equipment including bottles, disposable syringes, and much more. Food Petrochemicals are used to make most food preservatives that keep food fresh on the shelf or in a can. In addition, youll find petrochemicals listed as ingredients in many chocolates and candies. Food colorings made with petrochemicals are used in a surprising number of products including chips, packaged foods, and canned or jarred foods. Agriculture More than a billion pounds of plastic, all made with petrochemicals, find use  annually in U.S. agriculture. The chemicals are used to make everything from plastic sheeting and mulch to pesticides and fertilizers. Plastics are also used to make twine, silage, and tubing. Petroleum fuels are also used to transport foods (which are, of course, stored in plastic containers).   Household Products Because it is used to make plastics, fibers, synthetic rubber, and films, petrochemicals are used in a bewildering array of household products. To name just a few: CarpetingCrayonsDetergentsDyesFertilizersMilk jugsPantyhosePerfumeSafety glassShampooSoft contact lensesWax

Biography of Rihanna

She began signing when she was seven with two of her classmates but it wasn’t until she was sixteen that she met Evan Rogers and began to work with him and moved out of Barbados. A year after moving to the states she was asked to meet with Jay-z at DefJam Records where she was offered a contract in February 2005. Working with DefJam records she was able to record her first album by the end of 2005. â€Å"Music of the sun† was released and Pon De Replay became her first widely known hit making it in to the top 5 singles for that year. Just about a year later she released album number two â€Å"A Girl Like Me†. Her song S. O. S. was her first number one hit and the album was ranked in the top five albums for the year. In May 2007 she released her third album â€Å"Good Girl Gone Bad† which won her a Grammy for best rap/collaboration for her number one hit Umbrella. This album also was known for three other number one hits including Don’t Stop the Music, Take a Bow, and Disturbia. Around two years later she released her fourth album â€Å"Rated R† which was the number one album on the Billboard Hot 100 albums for the year. Three of her songs from this album made it to the top ten singles including Russian Roulette, Hard, and Rude Boy. Under a year later she released â€Å"Loud† being one of her most popular albums and being known for her three number one singles Only Girl(In the World), Samp;M, and What’s My Name?. Finally her most recent album â€Å"Talk That Talk† was released in 2012 and is currently known for the number one single We Found Love. As of now we know that she is working on her seventh album which no information has been release about. She had been on four tours around the world and has one upcoming tour Diamonds World Tour which will be her biggest, longest tour yet. Rihanna often gives credit to her idols that all influenced her in different ways. The person she says influenced her the most would be Madonna saying â€Å"I want to be the Black Madonna. † She also has said that Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Bob Marley, Marilyn Monroe, Mariah Carey and Destiny’s child were very influential on her life becoming a successful artist in today’s music industry. Rihanna has become an influential person herself, having been and idol for Justin Bieber and Rita Ora, both younger artists. She has been named one of the most influential people in the world and ranks fourth in the most powerful celebrities. She has received many awards including five American Music awards, eighteen Billboard Music awards, two BRIT awards and 5 Grammys. She has had eleven number one singles on Billboards top 100 and was named Digital Artist for the 2000’s by Billboard Music as well. She is the highest selling digital artist of all time with 47,571,000 sold singles as of early 2012. Forbes reported that she earned a little over $82 million between May 2010 and May 2012 and she continues to expand on her career. Rihanna in known for her thought provoking music videos, many of them with under-lying meanings. Much like Madonna she incorporates substance abuse, domestic violence or love triangles into her videos. She also turns obscure situations into glitz and glamorous situations. Many of her videos and outfits have caused controversy because of the explicit content. Her live shows are known for her hip shaking, sex appeal, attitude, sexy outfits and over the top performances sometimes being quite risque. She has said that â€Å"These performances are all an act, that’s not me. That’s a part I play. You know it’s like a piece of art with all these toys and textures to play with. † In her early days she was a typical teen pop star but she easily shifted her appearance dramatically and continues to change frequently. By the time she released her â€Å"Good Girl Gone Bad† album she had completely shook the teen pop star image everyone had gave her. By 2008 she was named best dressed by Peoples magazine and was on Maxims Hot 100 for five consecutive years (2007-2011). In 2009 Glamour named her Woman of the year and she ranked seventeenth out of fifty in Most Glamorous Women. She also was named sexiest women alive in 2011 by Esquire. Not only is she an extremely successful music artist, she has had her share in acting as well. In 2006 she mad a cameo appearance in the movie Bring it On: All or Nothing. In 2012 she was seen in the movie Battleship as GM2 officer Cora Raikes and had another cameo appearance in The Katy Perry Movie. In the next two years she will be seen in End of the World and Happy Smekday. The successful Barbadian superstar started out as a typical teen pop singer and has made a huge name for herself, not only singing but acting as well. Attempting to turn herself into the â€Å"Black Madonna† it seems she has met her goal although she continues to do more with her career. After seven years and six albums Rihanna has become one of the most popular music artists not only in the USA but worldwide. She is one of the most influential celebrities for upcoming music artists in the industry today.

Law Enforcement Investigators (Traditionalist vs. Revisionist) Assignment

Law Enforcement Investigators (Traditionalist vs. Revisionist) - Assignment Example The traditionalists, on the other hand, have dismissed revisionists as using dubious means to undo the work of revolution. Both schools of thought, ideologies can be useful in the implementation of the law. When analyzed, they can tell how investigation officers who ascribe to either of the two paradigms have portrayed these ideologies in solving criminal cases. The traditionalist school of thought is important for various factors. One is that it helps to appreciate the knowledge of previous generations. By using this approach, law enforcement agents can find a way to finding a solution to a criminal situation. Another advantage is that traditionalists appreciate that even though people from previous generations were not as technologically advanced as those in the present generation, progression patterns can be seen. This is because even though inferior to the present generation, they were superior to those that came before them. This approach helps in analyzing details so as not to miss the point that was missed in previous events. This approach can, however, be detrimental because the circumstances that were there in the past could be different in present cases. Another disadvantage is that with improved technology, the way to solve problems today is through the use of better technological tools to help analyze present cases. This theory is advantageous in that it puts into place the facts and circumstances of the time. The benefit of this is that all scenarios will be considered before taking a certain direction during criminal investigations. Another advantage is that it looks at a particular even not as though it was inevitable due to past occurrences, but as one that happened due to circumstances just prior to the event. It is necessary to look at a particular instance, independent of other historical chains of events, but overlooking such matters can be detrimental during investigations. There could be different sides of the story.  

Evaluate the development of a measurement tool FLACC Scale Essay

Evaluate the development of a measurement tool FLACC Scale - Essay Example The scale was developed to compensate the complex and more tasking assessment scales by providing a simple dimension for undertaking any assessment (Nilsson, Finnstrà ¶m & Kokinsky, 2008). In addition to the simple framework it provides, the scale also provides a reliable means and clear objective over which the pain behaviors in children who cannot communicate are quantified. They are able to perform such exercises using five classes of tool behaviors that ranges from expressions in the face, movements of the legs, any bodily activity, and cry and consol ability. LOINC release files are the files from which Metathesaurus as a representation of FLACC scale is extracted from to be used by nurses and all the other categories of health officers in the healthcare industries. The paper is, therefore, designed to evaluate the development of the FLACC scale which is a measurement scale used to detect pain in children who are not able to communicate, hence, saving time in finding and elimination pain and as a result resulting into efficiency and effectiveness in hospital operations (Aday, Begley, Lairson & Balkrishnan, 2004). A FLACC scale is a measurement tool that is sued to assess pain in children aged between ages of 2 months and 7 years. Such are individuals who are believed not to be in a position of communicating their pain level accurately making it difficult for doctors or health officers to administer treatment effectively. The scale has five criteria of measuring pain and these criteria are assigned scores 0, 1 or 2 and measure pain between scores 0 to 10 with 0 indicating no pain at all and 10 representing the maximum (Burns & Grove, 2009). Due to incubation, the scale has also been employed on adults in Intensive Care Units (ICU) to bring accurate results of pain experienced in adults who are maimed. Other scales which can be used in the ICU are the Checklist of Nonverbal Pain

Propolis To Be Selected For Winter Promotion Essay Example for Free

Propolis To Be Selected For Winter Promotion Essay Introduction In coming winter, there will be a special promotion event and a brand of propolis capsules will be selected to present. The aim of this report is to describe the basic information of propolis, show the popularity of propolis and evaluate the advantages and reputation of best seller on market. Firstly the method of research is described, followed by the findings. Then conclusions are drawn and recommendations are made. Methodology Research was conducted to find out the information about propolis. Firstly, table of information about basic information of propolis and research results of evaluation of Comvita Propolis Capsules were conducted by Mr. Tim Burch. Then, websites of two exhibition were visited to get information on Popularity of propolis as a health supplement product. Findings (a) Basic information of propolis According to the table of information, propolis is produced by bee and it is used to build the hives in nature. It is 100% natural substance. Regarding the function, propolis has special power in strengthen and accelerate regeneration of cell as to speed up wound healing. It helps to whiten skin and make skin fine. Besides, boosting immune system is another unique effect of propolis. It contains some anti-allergies like asthma and nasal allergy. Therefore, it helps fight inflammation caused by viruses, bacteria and fungi and lower the chance for other complication occur. (b) Popularity of propolis as a health supplement product Propolis has a board usage as a health supplement product. From the website of MedinePlus(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/390.html) shows the following findings. There sufficient evidence to rate effectiveness for Cold sores, Genital herpes and Mouth surgery. Propolis is very popular as it has many medicinal uses today and it presents over the world. From the website of JAFRA(http://www.jafra.gr.jp/eng/propolis1.html)  shows the findings that just in Japan, there are 300 companies are selling propolis health foods and the market is still increasing. Thus, it shows that propolis is very well-received now. (c) Evaluation of Comvita Propolis Capsules Based on research results from Mr. Tim Burch about the best seller on market, Comvita Propolis Capsules. It evaluates this brand of propolis has two major advantages. High purity and flavonoid has found in Comvita Propolis Capsules, it has competitive content of purity and flavonoid than other product. One of the unique features of the product is † additives free†. Comvita Propolis Capsules is a natural product with no artificial colourings lavourings or preservatives. Other than advantages, it has a reputation for honesty and efficiency. There is more than 1000 positive reviews by users on online shopping websites. And Comvita Propolis Capsules becomes the finalist of ‘Product of the Year’ by the Women’s Weekly Health Wellbeing magazine in Australia. It is perceived that Comvita Propolis Capsules is the best seller on market. Nevertheless, the products are not very stable during winter due to the peak consuming season. Pre-order is needed for porduct s supply.

Essay on the Character of Offred in The Handmaids Tale

The Character of Offred in The Handmaid's Tale Offred is one of the main characters in The Handmaid's Tale. She was the faithful wife of Luke, mother of an eleven month old child and a working woman, before she entered the Republic of Gilead. She was given the name "Offred", when she entered Gilead. This was to make it known that she was a handmaid. Offred becomes psychologically programmed in Gilead as a handmaid, and the mistress of the commander who is in power of all things. She was used for her ovaries to reproduce a child, because they are living in an age where birth rates are declining. Offred was ordered by Serena Joy, the handmaid's barren wife who develops some jealousy and envy towards her to become the lover of Nick. Nick is the family chauffeur, and Offred becomes deeply in love with him. At the end of all the confusion, mixed emotions, jealousy, envy and chaos towards her, she escapes the Republic of Gilead. Offred is given treatment and advantages by the commander that none of the there handmaids are given. During the times the commander and Offred were seeing each other secretly, he began to develop some feelings for her that he tried to hide. Somewhere along the times when Offred and the commander began having secret meetings with each other, Offred too began to develop some feelings for the commander. Offred is also a special handmaid, because she has actually experienced love, the satisfaction of having a child years before. She knows what it is to feel loved, to be in love and to have someone love you. That is all when she has knowledge, a job, a family and money of her own. That is when her life was complete. Because all of that has been taken away from... ...adn't noticed....." (p. 209). Touching was forbidden during the ceremony and showed a sign of emotion and enjoyment, in which he was not supposed to do at all. He had just been caught up in the moment and almost forgot about Serena Joy, his poor barren wife. Offred had been though many mixed feelings throughout this entire book. She has been able to feel, experience and thinks thoughts that she had not ever imagined that she would have. Offred can not escape the fact that in spite of the treatment from Serena Joy and the commander, that they both will have if not already have an impact on her life. Not to mention Nick also. Nick gave her the comfort and the security that she wanted, and at the end nothing done to her by the commander or his wife mattered to her. Living in the Republic of Gilead will always be a memory that she will probably try to forget.

Do We Have a Throw Away Society

Do we have a throw-away society? A Swedish proverb says â€Å"don't throw away the old bucket until you know whether the new one holds water†. The sad story is that most of us today are throwing away so much, it is very likely that there will be no resources in the future. Many of our practices today are putting a lot of stress on future resources and we might soon find many of our needs unsatisfied because of our throw away attitude and careless practices. There are many reasons as to why we are subject to the jeopardy of a resource-deficient future.One of these is the constant demand for better lifestyles and standards of living. Another reason is our increased consumption of food, products and materials as well as our increased use of items that pollute our environment and make it unsafe for living. Society nowadays seeks better lifestyles and standards. We live in a society where technological advances have erupted and where everybody seeks towards the latest items attempt ing to obtain a high standard of living. However, luxury wants never seem to come to an end.Whenever a new model appears in a market, the older possessions of the same product soon become unwanted and obsolete. As a result, many earlier acquired models are disposed of instead of being recycled, or given to needy people who probably find this accommodation useful. â€Å"A study commissioned by Environment Canada estimated that 81,000 tons of  IT  and telecom equipment were disposed of in 2002. Computers and monitors accounted for 70% of this total. The study projected that disposal of  IT waste would increase to 91,000 tons in 2010. This study was made in 2002, where technology was not as advanced as it is nowadays. The amount of disposed items in 2011 is definitely larger than it was in 2002, as technology has advanced rapidly within the last decade. Moreover, as society promotes better living standards, money is largely being spent on luxurious products such as modern phones , modern cars, and other modern equipment, instead of being spent on necessities such as food and shelter. People have been working tremendously for longer hours in order to ensure a high standard of living for themselves and their families.However, they unfortunately do not take into account the amount of money spent on unnecessary products which could have been spent on necessities. This results in a throw-away society, where money is being thrown away like a pebble being thrown on a huge sea causing big ripples. http://www. statcan. gc. ca/pub/16-002-x/2008001/10539-eng. htm Consumption of products has been increasing every year. We live in a society where consumption is regarded as a positive way of life, leading to a healthy society.However, what society fails to realize is that the more we consume, the more products are being disposed or thrown away. This is due to the fact that we are being controlled by advertisements, which are mainly used in an attempt to increase profit, not to enhance the well-being of society. Because we’ve been told that disposing items instead of reusing them is better through advertisements, we find it difficult to make a decision towards such a subject. Single-time use items are increasing rapidly in markets, which encourages consumers to throw away such items after only one use, increasing literation. According to EPA the average American produces 1600 pounds of garbage per year. Multiply that by 300 million and you can begin to imagine the amount of trash that is produced. † Moreover, we judge people according to how much they consume. Sadly, we are usually judged by how much we consume instead of being judged on how efficiently we consume items. This creates an incentive for people of high standards to consume much more than is needed, marking us as a throw-away society.Financially supported people purchase valuable items that they don’t actually need in an attempt to be judged as people of high standing s within society. A person does not need more than a car to move from one place to the other and definitely does not need more than one phone to reach others. However, this is sorrowfully common in society nowadays. http://publicagenda. org/whoturnedoutthelights/number-of-vehicles-per-household According to the pie chart, 19. 9% of households in the US, probably those of financially supported families, have three or more cars, which is definitely a waste of resources.Unfortunately, we live in a throw-away society where resources are less important than consumption and high living standards. Our environment is being disturbed day after day. While society is living the present and not taking care about the future We are being recognized as a throw-away society because we are unaware of the effects of our action that are adversely affecting our planet and causing a fast deterioration in resources. The modern world society values the present much more than the

Chapter 8 The Quidditch World Cup

Clutching their purchases, Mr. Weasley in the lead, they all hurried into the wood, following the lantern-lit trail. They could hear the sounds of thousands of people moving around them, shouts and laughter, snatches of singing. The atmosphere of feverish excitement was highly infectious; Harry couldn't stop grinning. They walked through the wood for twenty minutes, talking and joking loudly, until at last they emerged on the other side and found themselves in the shadow of a gigantic stadium. Though Harry could see only a fraction of the immense gold walls surrounding the field, he could tell that ten cathedrals would fit comfortably inside it. â€Å"Seats a hundred thousand,† said Mr. Weasley, spotting the awestruck look on Harry's face. â€Å"Ministry task force of five hundred have been working on it all year. Muggle Repelling Charms on every inch of it. Every time Muggles have got anywhere near here all year, they've suddenly remembered urgent appointments and had to dash away again†¦bless them,† he added fondly, leading the way toward the nearest entrance, which was already surrounded by a swarm of shouting witches and wizards. â€Å"Prime seats!† said the Ministry witch at the entrance when she checked their tickets. â€Å"Top Box! Straight upstairs, Arthur, and as high as you can go.† The stairs into the stadium were carpeted in rich purple. They clambered upward with the rest of the crowd, which slowly filtered away through doors into the stands to their left and right. Mr. Weasley's party kept climbing, and at last they reached the top of the staircase and found themselves in a small box, set at the highest point of the stadium and situated exactly halfway between the golden goal posts. About twenty purple-and-gilt chairs stood in two rows here, and Harry, filing into the front seats with the Weasleys, looked down upon a scene the likes of which he could never have imagined. A hundred thousand witches and wizards were taking their places in the seats, which rose in levels around the long oval field. Everything was suffused with a mysterious golden light, which seemed to come from the stadium itself. The field looked smooth as velvet from their lofty position. At either end of the field stood three goal hoops, fifty feet high; right opposite them, almost at Harry's eye level, was a gigantic blackboard. Gold writing kept dashing across it as though an invisible giant's hand were scrawling upon the blackboard and then wiping it off again; watching it, Harry saw that it was flashing advertisements across the field. The Bluebottle: A Broom for All the Family – safe, reliable, and with Built-in Anti-Burgler Buzzer†¦Mrs. Shower's All Purpose Magical Mess Remover: No Pain, No Stain!†¦Gladrags Wizardwear – London, Paris, Hogsmeade†¦ Harry tore his eyes away from the sign and looked over his shoulder to see who else was sharing the box with them. So far it was empty, except for a tiny creature sitting in the second from last seat at the end of the row behind them. The creature, whose legs were so short they stuck out in front of it on the chair, was wearing a tea towel draped like a toga, and it had its face hidden in its hands. Yet those long, batlike ears were oddly familiar†¦. â€Å"Dobby?† said Harry incredulously. The tiny creature looked up and stretched its fingers, revealing enormous brown eyes and a nose the exact size and shape of a large tomato. It wasn't Dobby – it was, however, unmistakably a house-elf, as Harry's friend Dobby had been. Harry had set Dobby free from his old owners, the Malfoy family. â€Å"Did sir just call me Dobby?† squeaked the elf curiously from between its fingers. Its voice was higher even than Dobby's had been, a teeny, quivering squeak of a voice, and Harry suspected though it was very hard to tell with a house-elf – that this one might just be female. Ron and Hermione spun around in their seats to look. Though they had heard a lot about Dobby from Harry, they had never actually met him. Even Mr. Weasley looked around in interest. â€Å"Sorry,† Harry told the elf, â€Å"I just thought you were someone I knew.† â€Å"But I knows Dobby too, sir!† squeaked the elf. She was shielding her face, as though blinded by light, though the Top Box was not brightly lit. â€Å"My name is Winky, sir – and you, sir -† Her dark brown eyes widened to the size of side plates as they rested upon Harry's scar. â€Å"You is surely Harry Potter!† â€Å"Yeah, I am,† said Harry. â€Å"But Dobby talks of you all the time, sir!† she said, lowering her hands very slightly and looking awestruck. â€Å"How is he?† said Harry. â€Å"How's freedom suiting him?† â€Å"Ah, sir,† said Winky, shaking her head, â€Å"ah sir, meaning no disrespect, sir, but I is not sure you did Dobby a favor, sir, when you is setting him free.† â€Å"Why?† said Harry, taken aback. â€Å"What's wrong with him?† â€Å"Freedom is going to Dobby's head, sir, † said Winky sadly. â€Å"Ideas above his station, sir. Can't get another position, sir.† â€Å"Why not?† said Harry. Winky lowered her voice by a half-octave and whispered, â€Å"He is wanting paying for his work, sir.† â€Å"Paying?† said Harry blankly. â€Å"Well – why shouldn't he be paid?† Winky looked quite horrified at the idea and closed her fingers slightly so that her face was half-hidden again. â€Å"House-elves is not paid, sir!† she said in a muffled squeak. â€Å"No, no, no. I says to Dobby, I says, go find yourself a nice family and settle down, Dobby. He is getting up to all sorts of high jinks, sir, what is unbecoming to a house-elf. You goes racketing around like this, Dobby, I says, and next thing I hear you's up in front of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, like some common goblin.† â€Å"Well, it's about time he had a bit of fun,† said Harry. â€Å"House-elves is not supposed to have fun, Harry Potter,† said Winky firmly, from behind her hands. â€Å"House-elves does what they is told. I is not liking heights at all, Harry Potter† – she glanced toward the edge of the box and gulped – â€Å"but my master sends me to the Top Box and I comes, sir.† â€Å"Why's he sent you up here, if he knows you don't like heights?† said Harry, frowning. â€Å"Master – master wants me to save him a seat, Harry Potter. He is very busy,† said Winky, tilting her head toward the empty space beside her. â€Å"Winky is wishing she is back in master's tent, Harry Potter, but Winky does what she is told. Winky is a good house-elf.† She gave the edge of the box another frightened look and hid her eyes completely again. Harry turned back to the others. â€Å"So that's a house-elf?† Ron muttered. â€Å"Weird things, aren't they?† â€Å"Dobby was weirder,† said Harry fervently. Ron pulled out his Omnioculars and started testing them, staring down into the crowd on the other side of the stadium. â€Å"Wild!† he said, twiddling the replay knob on the side. I can make that old bloke down there pick his nose again†¦and again†¦and again†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hermione, meanwhile, was skimming eagerly through her velvetcovered, tasseled program. â€Å"‘A display from the team mascots will precede the match,†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ she read aloud. â€Å"Oh that's always worth watching,† said Mr. Weasley. â€Å"National teams bring creatures from their native land, you know, to put on a bit of a show.† The box filled gradually around them over the next half hour. Mr. Weasley kept shaking hands with people who were obviously very important wizards. Percy jumped to his feet so often that he looked as though he were trying to sit on a hedgehog. When Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself, arrived, Percy bowed so low that his glasses fell off and shattered. Highly embarrassed, he repaired them with his wand and thereafter remained in his seat, throwing jealous looks at Harry, whom Cornelius Fudge had greeted like an old friend. They had met before, and Fudge shook Harry's hand in a fatherly fashion, asked how he was, and introduced him to the wizards on either side of him. â€Å"Harry Potter, you know,† he told the Bulgarian minister loudly, who was wearing splendid robes of black velvet trimmed with gold and didn't seem to understand a word of English. â€Å"Harry Potter†¦oh come on now, you know who he is†¦the boy who survived You-Know-Who†¦you do know who he is -â€Å" The Bulgarian wizard suddenly spotted Harry's scar and started gabbling loudly and excitedly, pointing at it. â€Å"Knew we'd get there in the end,† said Fudge wearily to Harry. â€Å"I'm no great shakes at languages; I need Barty Crouch for this sort of thing. Ah, I see his house-elf's saving him a seat†¦.Good job too, these Bulgarian blighters have been trying to cadge all the best places†¦ah, and here's Lucius!† Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned quickly. Edging along the second row to three still-empty seats right behind Mr. Weasley were none other than Dobby the house-elf's former owners: Lucius Malfoy; his son, Draco; and a woman Harry supposed must be Draco's mother. Harry and Draco Malfoy had been enemies ever since their very first journey to Hogwarts. A pale boy with a pointed face and white-blond hair, Draco greatly resembled his father. His mother was blonde too; tall and slim, she would have been nice-looking if she hadn't been wearing a look that suggested there was a nasty smell under her nose. â€Å"Ah, Fudge,† said Mr. Malfoy, holding out his hand as he reached the Minister of Magic. â€Å"How are you? I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco?† â€Å"How do you do, how do you do?† said Fudge, smiling and bowing to Mrs. Malfoy. â€Å"And allow me to introduce you to Mr. Oblansk – Obalonsk – Mr. – well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, so never mind. And let's see who else – you know Arthur Weasley, I daresay?† It was a tense moment. Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy looked at each other and Harry vividly recalled the last time they had come face-to-face: It had been in Flourish and Blotts' bookshop, and they had had a fight. Mr. Malfoy's cold gray eyes swept over Mr. Weasley, and then up and down the row. â€Å"Good lord, Arthur,† he said softly. â€Å"What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?† Fudge, who wasn't listening, said, â€Å"Lucius has just given a very generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur. He's here as my guest.† â€Å"How – how nice,† said Mr. Weasley, with a very strained smile. Mr. Malfoy's eyes had returned to Hermione, who went slightly pink, but stared determinedly back at him. Harry knew exactly what was making Mr. Malfoy's lip curl like that. The Malfoys prided themselves on being purebloods; in other words, they considered anyone of Muggle descent, like Hermione, second-class. However, under the gaze of the Minister of Magic, Mr. Malfoy didn't dare say anything. He nodded sneeringly to Mr. Weasley and continued down the line to his seats. Draco shot Harry, Ron, and Hermione one contemptuous look, then settled himself between his mother and father. â€Å"Slimy gits,† Ron muttered as he, Harry, and Hermione turned to face the field again. Next moment, Ludo Bagman charged into the box. â€Å"Everyone ready?† he said, his round face gleaming like a great, excited Edam. â€Å"Minister – ready to go?† â€Å"Ready when you are, Ludo,† said Fudge comfortably. Ludo whipped out his wand, directed it at his own throat, and said â€Å"Sonorus!† and then spoke over the roar of sound that was now filling the packed stadium; his voice echoed over them, booming into every corner of the stands. â€Å"Ladies and gentlemen†¦welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!† The spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket. The huge blackboard opposite them was wiped clear of its last message (Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans – A Risk With Every Mouthful!) and now showed BULGARIA: 0, IRELAND: 0. â€Å"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce†¦the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!† The right-hand side of the stands, which was a solid block of scarlet, roared its approval. â€Å"I wonder what they've brought,† said Mr. Weasley, leaning forward in his seat. â€Å"Aaah!† He suddenly whipped off his glasses and polished them hurriedly on his robes. â€Å"Veela!† â€Å"What are veel -?† But a hundred veela were now gliding out onto the field, and Harry's question was answered for him. Veela were women†¦the most beautiful women Harry had ever seen†¦except that they weren't – they couldn't be – human. This puzzled Harry for a moment while he tried to guess what exactly they could be; what could make their skin shine moon-bright like that, or their white-gold hair fan out behind them without wind†¦but then the music started, and Harry stopped worrying about them not being human – in fact, he stopped worrying about anything at all. The veela had started to dance, and Harry's mind had gone completely and blissfully blank. All that mattered in the world was that he kept watching the veela, because if they stopped dancing, terrible things would happen. And as the veela danced faster and faster, wild, half-formed thoughts started chasing through Harry's dazed mind. He wanted to do something very impressive, right now. Jumping from the box into the stadium seemed a good idea†¦but would it be good enough? â€Å"Harry, what are you doing?† said Hermione's voice from a long way off. The music stopped. Harry blinked. He was standing up, and one of his legs was resting on the wall of the box. Next to him, Ron was frozen in an attitude that looked as though he were about to dive from a springboard. Angry yells were filling the stadium. The crowd didn't want the veela to go. Harry was with them; he would, of course, be supporting Bulgaria, and he wondered vaguely why he had a large green shamrock pinned to his chest. Ron, meanwhile, was absentmindedly shredding the shamrocks on his hat. Mr. Weasley, smiling slightly, leaned over to Ron and tugged the hat out of his hands. â€Å"You'll be wanting that,† he said, â€Å"once Ireland have had their say.† â€Å"Huh?† said Ron, staring openmouthed at the veela, who had now lined up along one side of the field. Hermione made a loud tutting noise. She reached up and pulled Harry back into his seat. â€Å"Honestly!† she said. â€Å"And now,† roared Ludo Bagman's voice, â€Å"kindly put your wands in the air†¦for the Irish National Team Mascots!† Next moment, what seemed to be a great green-and-gold comet came zooming into the stadium. It did one circuit of the stadium, then split into two smaller comets, each hurtling toward the goal posts. A rainbow arced suddenly across the field, connecting the two balls of light. The crowd oooohed and aaaaahed, as though at a fireworks display. Now the rainbow faded and the balls of light reunited and merged; they had formed a great shimmering shamrock, which rose up into the sky and began to soar over the stands. Something like golden rain seemed to be falling from it – â€Å"Excellent!† yelled Ron as the shamrock soared over them, and heavy gold coins rained from it, bouncing off their heads and seats. Squinting up at the shamrock, Harry realized that it was actually comprised of thousands of tiny little bearded men with red vests, each carrying a minute lamp of gold or green. â€Å"Leprechauns!† said Mr. Weasley over the tumultuous applause of the crowd, many of whom were still fighting and rummaging around under their chairs to retrieve the gold. â€Å"There you go,† Ron yelled happily, stuffing a fistful of gold coins into Harry's hand, â€Å"for the Omnioculars! Now you've got to buy me a Christmas present, ha!† The great shamrock dissolved, the leprechauns drifted down onto the field on the opposite side from the veela, and settled themselves cross-legged to watch the match. â€Å"And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome – the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you – Dimitrov!† A scarlet-clad figure on a broomstick, moving so fast it was blurred, shot out onto the field from an entrance far below, to wild applause from the Bulgarian supporters. â€Å"Ivanova!† A second scarlet-robed player zoomed out. â€Å"Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! Aaaaaaand – Krum!† â€Å"That's him, that's him!† yelled Ron, following Krum with his Omnioculars. Harry quickly focused his own. Viktor Krum was thin, dark, and sallow-skinned, with a large curved nose and thick black eyebrows. He looked like an overgrown bird of prey. It was hard to believe he was only eighteen. â€Å"And now, please greet – the Irish National Quidditch Team!† yelled Bagman. â€Å"Presenting – Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaaand – Lynch!† Seven green blurs swept onto the field; Harry spun a small dial on the side of his Omnioculars and slowed the players down enough to read the word â€Å"Firebolt† on each of their brooms and see their names, embroidered in silver, upon their backs. â€Å"And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!† A small and skinny wizard, completely bald but with a mustache to rival Uncle Vernon's, wearing robes of pure gold to match the stadium, strode out onto the field. A silver whistle was protruding from under the mustache, and he was carrying a large wooden crate under one arm, his broomstick under the other. Harry spun the speed dial on his Omnioculars back to normal, watching closely as Mostafa mounted his broomstick and kicked the crate open – four balls burst into the air: the scarlet Quaffle, the two black Bludgers, and (Harry saw it for the briefest moment, before it sped out of sight) the minuscule, winged Golden Snitch. With a sharp blast on his whistle, Mostafa shot into the air after the balls. â€Å"Theeeeeeeey're OFF!† screamed Bagman. â€Å"And it's Mullet! Troy! Moran! Dimitrov! Back to Mullet! Troy! Levski! Moran!† It was Quidditch as Harry had never seen it played before. He was pressing his Omnioculars so hard to his glasses that they were cutting into the bridge of his nose. The speed of the players was incredible – the Chasers were throwing the Quaffle to one another so fast that Bagman only had time to say their names. Harry spun the slow dial on the right of his Omnioculars again, pressed the play-by-play button on the top, and he was immediately watching in slow motion, while glittering purple lettering flashed across the lenses and the noise of the crowd pounded against his eardrums. HAWKSHEAD ATTACKING FORMATION, he read as he watched the three Irish Chasers zoom closely together, Troy in the center, slightly ahead of Mullet and Moran, bearing down upon the Bulgarians. PORSKOFF PLOY flashed up next, as Troy made as though to dart upward with the Quaffle, drawing away the Bulgarian Chaser Ivanova and dropping the Quaffle to Moran. One of the Bulgarian Beaters, Volkov, swung hard at a passing Bludger with his small club, knocking it into Moran's path; Moran ducked to avoid the Bludger and dropped the Quaffle; and Levski, soaring beneath, caught it – â€Å"TROY SCORES!† roared Bagman, and the stadium shuddered with a roar of applause and cheers. â€Å"Ten zero to Ireland!† â€Å"What?† Harry yelled, looking wildly around through his Omnioculars. â€Å"But Levski's got the Quaffle!† â€Å"Harry, if you're not going to watch at normal speed, you're going to miss things!† shouted Hermione, who was dancing up and down, waving her arms in the air while Troy did a lap of honor around the field. Harry looked quickly over the top of his Omnioculars and saw that the leprechauns watching from the sidelines had all risen into the air again and formed the great, glittering shamrock. Across the field, the veela were watching them sulkily. Furious with himself, Harry spun his speed dial back to normal as play resumed. Harry knew enough about Quidditch to see that the Irish Chasers were superb. They worked as a seamless team, their movements so well coordinated that they appeared to be reading one another's minds as they positioned themselves, and the rosette on Harry's chest kept squeaking their names: â€Å"Troy – Mullet – Moran!† And within ten minutes, Ireland had scored twice more, bringing their lead to thirty-zero and causing a thunderous tide of roars and applause from the green-clad supporters. The match became still faster, but more brutal. Volkov and Vulchanov, the Bulgarian Beaters, were whacking the Bludgers as fiercely as possible at the Irish Chasers, and were starting to prevent them from using some of their best moves; twice they were forced to scatter, and then, finally, Ivanova managed to break through their ranks; dodge the Keeper, Ryan; and score Bulgaria's first goal. â€Å"Fingers in your ears!† bellowed Mr. Weasley as the veela started to dance in celebration. Harry screwed up his eyes too; he wanted to keep his mind on the game. After a few seconds, he chanced a glance at the field. The veela had stopped dancing, and Bulgaria was again in possession of the Quaffle. â€Å"Dimitrov! Levski! Dimitrov! Ivanova – oh I say!† roared Bagman. One hundred thousand wizards gasped as the two Seekers, Krum and Lynch, plummeted through the center of the Chasers, so fast that it looked as though they had just jumped from airplanes without parachutes. Harry followed their descent through his Omnioculars, squinting to see where the Snitch was – â€Å"They're going to crash!† screamed Hermione next to Harry. She was half right – at the very last second, Viktor Krum pulled out of the dive and spiraled off. Lynch, however, hit the ground with a dull thud that could be heard throughout the stadium. A huge groan rose from the Irish seats. â€Å"Fool!† moaned Mr. Weasley. â€Å"Krum was feinting!† â€Å"It's time-out!† yelled Bagman's voice, â€Å"as trained mediwizards hurry onto the field to examine Aidan Lynch!† â€Å"He'll be okay, he only got ploughed!† Charlie said reassuringly to Ginny, who was hanging over the side of the box, looking horror-struck. â€Å"Which is what Krum was after, of course†¦.† Harry hastily pressed the replay and play-by-play buttons on his Omnioculars, twiddled the speed dial, and put them back up to his eyes. He watched as Krum and Lynch dived again in slow motion. WRONSKI DEFENSIVE FEINT – DANGEROUS SEEKER DIVERSION read the shining purple lettering across his lenses. He saw Krum's face contorted with concentration as he pulled out of the dive just in time, while Lynch was flattened, and he understood – Krum hadn't seen the Snitch at all, he was just making Lynch copy him. Harry had never seen anyone fly like that; Krum hardly looked as though he was using a broomstick at all; he moved so easily through the air that he looked unsupported and weightless. Harry turned his Omnioculars back to normal and focused them on Krum. He was now circling high above Lynch, who was being revived by mediwizards with cups of potion. Harry, focusing still more closely upon Krum's face, saw his dark eyes darting all over the ground a hundred feet below. He was using the time while Lynch was revived to look for the Snitch without interference. Lynch got to his feet at last, to loud cheers from the green-clad supporters, mounted his Firebolt, and kicked back off into the air. His revival seemed to give Ireland new heart. When Mostafa blew his whistle again, the Chasers moved into action with a skill unrivaled by anything Harry had seen so far. After fifteen more fast and furious minutes, Ireland had pulled ahead by ten more goals. They were now leading by one hundred and thirty points to ten, and the game was starting to get dirtier. As Mullet shot toward the goal posts yet again, clutching the Quaffle tightly under her arm, the Bulgarian Keeper, Zograf, flew out to meet her. Whatever happened was over so quickly Harry didn't catch it, but a scream of rage from the Irish crowd, and Mostafa's long, shrill whistle blast, told him it had been a foul. â€Å"And Mostafa takes the Bulgarian Keeper to task for cobbing – excessive use of elbows!† Bagman informed the roaring spectators. â€Å"And – yes, it's a penalty to Ireland!† The leprechauns, who had risen angrily into the air like a swarm of glittering hornets when Mullet had been fouled, now darted together to form the words â€Å"HA, HA, HA!† The veela on the other side of the field leapt to their feet, tossed their hair angrily, and started to dance again. As one, the Weasley boys and Harry stuffed their fingers into their ears, but Hermione, who hadn't bothered, was soon tugging on Harry's arm. He turned to look at her, and she pulled his fingers impatiently out of his ears. â€Å"Look at the referee!† she said, giggling. Harry looked down at the field. Hassan Mostafa had landed right in front of the dancing veela, and was acting very oddly indeed. He was flexing his muscles and smoothing his mustache excitedly. â€Å"Now, we can't have that!† said Ludo Bagman, though he sounded highly amused. â€Å"Somebody slap the referee!† A mediwizard came tearing across the field, his fingers stuffed into his own ears, and kicked Mostafa hard in the shins. Mostafa seemed to come to himself; Harry, watching through the Omnioculars again, saw that he looked exceptionally embarrassed and had started shouting at the veela, who had stopped dancing and were looking mutinous. â€Å"And unless I'm much mistaken, Mostafa is actually attempting to send off the Bulgarian team mascots!† said Bagman's voice. â€Å"Now there's something we haven't seen before†¦Oh this could turn nasty†¦ It did: The Bulgarian Beaters, Volkov and Vulchanov, landed on either side of Mostafa and began arguing furiously with him, gesticulating toward the leprechauns, who had now gleefully formed the words â€Å"HEE, HEE, HEE.† Mostafa was not impressed by the Bulgarians' arguments, however; he was jabbing his finger into the air, clearly telling them to get flying again, and when they refused, he gave two short blasts on his whistle. â€Å"Two penalties for Ireland!† shouted Bagman, and the Bulgarian crowd howled with anger. â€Å"And Volkov and Vulchanov had better get back on those brooms†¦yes†¦there they go†¦and Troy takes the Quaffle†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Play now reached a level of ferocity beyond anything they had yet seen. The Beaters on both sides were acting without mercy: Volkov and Vulchanov in particular seemed not to care whether their clubs made contact with Bludger or human as they swung them violently through the air. Dimitrov shot straight at Moran, who had the Quaffle, nearly knocking her off her broom. â€Å"Foul!† roared the Irish supporters as one, all standing up in a great wave of green. â€Å"Foul!† echoed Ludo Bagman's magically magnified voice. â€Å"Dimitrov skins Moran – deliberately flying to collide there – and it's got to be another penalty – yes, there's the whistle!† The leprechauns had risen into the air again, and this time, they formed a giant hand, which was making a very rude sign indeed at the veela across the field. At this, the veela lost control. Instead of dancing, they launched themselves across the field and began throwing what seemed to be handfuls of fire at the leprechauns. Watching through his Omnioculars, Harry saw that they didn't look remotely beautiful now. On the contrary, their faces were elongating into sharp, cruel-beaked bird heads, and long, scaly wings were bursting from their shoulders – â€Å"And that, boys,† yelled Mr. Weasley over the tumult of the crowd below, â€Å"is why you should never go for looks alone!† Ministry wizards were flooding onto the field to separate the veela and the leprechauns, but with little success; meanwhile, the pitched battle below was nothing to the one taking place above. Harry turned this way and that, staring through his Omnioculars, as the Quaffie changed hands with the speed of a bullet. â€Å"Levski – Dimitrov – Moran – Troy – Mullet – Ivanova – Moran again – Moran – MORAN SCORES!† But the cheers of the Irish supporters were barely heard over the shrieks of the veela, the blasts now issuing from the Ministry members' wands, and the furious roars of the Bulgarians. The game recommenced immediately; now Levski had the Quaffle, now Dimitrov – The Irish Beater Quigley swung heavily at a passing Bludger, and hit it as hard as possible toward Krum, who did not duck quickly enough. It hit him full in the face. There was a deafening groan from the crowd; Krum's nose looked broken, there was blood everywhere, but Hassan Mostafa didn't blow his whistle. He had become distracted, and Harry couldn't blame him; one of the veela had thrown a handful of fire and set his broom tail alight. Harry wanted someone to realize that Krum was injured; even though he was supporting Ireland, Krum was the most exciting player on the field. Ron obviously felt the same. â€Å"Time-out! Ah, come on, he can't play like that, look at him -â€Å" â€Å"Look at Lynch!† Harry yelled. For the Irish Seeker had suddenly gone into a dive, and Harry was quite sure that this was no Wronski Feint; this was the real thing†¦ â€Å"He's seen the Snitch!† Harry shouted. â€Å"He's seen it! Look at him go!† Half the crowd seemed to have realized what was happening; the Irish supporters rose in another great wave of green, screaming their Seeker on†¦but Krum was on his tail. How he could see where he was going, Harry had no idea; there were flecks of blood flying through the air behind him, but he was drawing level with Lynch now as the pair of them hurtled toward the ground again – â€Å"They're going to crash!† shrieked Hermione. â€Å"They're not!† roared Ron. â€Å"Lynch is!† yelled Harry. And he was right – for the second time, Lynch hit the ground with tremendous force and was immediately stampeded by a horde of angry veela. â€Å"The Snitch, where's the Snitch?† bellowed Charlie, along the row. â€Å"He's got it – Krum's got it – it's all over!† shouted Harry. Krum, his red robes shining with blood from his nose, was rising gently into the air, his fist held high, a glint of gold in his hand. The scoreboard was flashing BULGARIA: 160, IRELAND: 170 across the crowd, who didn't seem to have realized what had happened. Then, slowly, as though a great jumbo jet were revving up, the rumbling from the Ireland supporters grew louder and louder and erupted into screams of delight. â€Å"IRELAND WINS!† Bagman shouted, who like the Irish, seemed to be taken aback by the sudden end of the match. â€Å"KRUM GETS THE SNITCH – BUT IRELAND WINS – good lord, I don't think any of us were expecting that!† â€Å"What did he catch the Snitch for?† Ron bellowed, even as he jumped up and down, applauding with his hands over his head. â€Å"He ended it when Ireland were a hundred and sixty points ahead, the idiot!† â€Å"He knew they were never going to catch up!† Harry shouted back over all the noise, also applauding loudly. â€Å"The Irish Chasers were too good†¦He wanted to end it on his terms, that's all†¦. â€Å"He was very brave, wasn't he?† Hermione said, leaning forward to watch Krum land as a swarm of mediwizards blasted a path through the battling leprechauns and veela to get to him. â€Å"He looks a terrible mess†¦.† Harry put his Omnioculars to his eyes again. It was hard to see what was happening below, because leprechauns were zooming delightedly all over the field, but he could just make out Krum, surrounded by mediwizards. He looked surlier than ever and refused to let them mop him up. His team members were around him, shaking their heads and looking dejected; a short way away, the Irish players were dancing gleefully in a shower of gold descending from their mascots. Flags were waving all over the stadium, the Irish national anthem blared from all sides; the veela were shrinking back into their usual, beautiful selves now, though looking dispirited and forlorn. â€Å"Vell, ve fought bravely,† said a gloomy voice behind Harry. He looked around; it was the Bulgarian Minister of Magic. â€Å"You can speak English!† said Fudge, sounding outraged. â€Å"And you've been letting me mime everything all day!† â€Å"Veil, it vos very funny,† said the Bulgarian minister, shrugging. â€Å"And as the Irish team performs a lap of honor, flanked by their mascots, the Quidditch World Cup itself is brought into the Top Box!† roared Bagman. Harry's eyes were suddenly dazzled by a blinding white light, as the Top Box was magically illuminated so that everyone in the stands could see the inside. Squinting toward the entrance, he saw two panting wizards carrying a vast golden cup into the box, which they handed to Cornelius Fudge, who was still looking very disgruntled that he'd been using sign language all day for nothing. â€Å"Let's have a really loud hand for the gallant losers – Bulgaria!† Bagman shouted. And up the stairs into the box came the seven defeated Bulgarian players. The crowd below was applauding appreciatively; Harry could see thousands and thousands of Omniocular lenses flashing and winking in their direction. One by one, the Bulgarians filed between the rows of seats in the box, and Bagman called out the name of each as they shook hands with their own minister and then with Fudge. Krum, who was last in line, looked a real mess. Two black eyes were blooming spectacularly on his bloody face. He was still holding the Snitch. Harry noticed that he seemed much less coordinated on the ground. He was slightly duck-footed and distinctly round-shouldered. But when Krum's name was announced, the whole stadium gave him a resounding, earsplitting roar. And then came the Irish team. Aidan Lynch was being supported by Moran and Connolly; the second crash seemed to have dazed him and his eyes looked strangely unfocused. But he grinned happily as Troy and Quigley lifted the Cup into the air and the crowd below thundered its approval. Harry's hands were numb with clapping. At last, when the Irish team had left the box to perform another lap of honor on their brooms (Aidan Lynch on the back of Confolly's, clutching hard around his waist and still grinning in a bemused sort of way), Bagman pointed his wand at his throat and muttered, â€Å"Quietus.† â€Å"They'll be talking about this one for years,† he said hoarsely, â€Å"a really unexpected twist, that†¦.shame it couldn't have lasted longer†¦.Ah yes†¦yes, I owe you†¦.how much?† For Fred and George had just scrambled over the backs of their seats and were standing in front of Ludo Bagman with broad grins on their faces, their hands outstretched.

Jonathan Edwards - Colonial Clergyman of the Great Awakening

Jonathan Edwards - Colonial Clergyman of the Great Awakening   Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was an extremely important and influential clergyman in the New England colonial America. He has been given credit for beginning the Great Awakening and his writings provide insights into colonial thought.   Early Years Jonathan Edwards was born on October 5, 1703 in East Windsor, Connecticut. His father was Reverend Timothy Edwards and his mother, Esther, was the daughter of another Puritan clergyman, Solomon Stoddard. He was sent to Yale College at the age of 13 where he was extremely interested in natural science while there and also read widely including works by John Locke and Sir Isaac Newton. John Lockes philosophy had a huge impact on his personal philosophy. After graduating from Yale at 17, he studied theology for two more years before becoming a licensed preacher in the Prsbyterian Church. In 1723, he earned his Master of Theology Degree. He served a New York congregation for two years before returning to Yale to serve as a tutor.   Personal Life In 1727, Edwards married Sarah Pierpoint. She was the granddaughter of the influential Puritan minister Thomas Hooker. He was the founder of the  Connecticut Colony following a dissent with the Puritan leaders in Massachusetts.Together they had eleven children.   Heading His First Congregation   In 1727, Edwards was given a position as the assistant minister under his grandfather on his mothers side, Solomon Stoddard in Northampton, Massachusetts. When Stoddard passed away in 1729, Edwards took over as the minister in charge of a congregation that included important political leaders and merchants. He was much more conservative than his grandfather.   Edwardseanism Lockes Essay Concerning Human Understanding had a huge impact on Edwards theology as he tried to grapple with mans free will combined with his own beliefs in predestination. He believed in the need for a personal experience of God. He believed that only after a personal conversion instituted by God could free will be turned away from human needs and towards morality. In other words, only Gods grace could give someone the ability to follow God.   In addition, Edwards also believed that the end times were near. He believed that with the coming of Christ, each person would have to give account of their lives on earth. His goal was a pure church filled with true believers. As such, he felt that it was his responsibility to ensure that his church members lived according to strict personal standards. He would only allow those he felt truly accepted Gods grace could partake of the sacrament of the Lords Supper in the church.   The Great Awakening As previously stated, Edwards believed in a personal religious experience. From 1734-1735, Edwards preached a number of sermons about justification of faith. This series led to a number of conversions among his congregation. Rumors about his preaching and sermons spread to surrounding areas of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Word spread even as far as Long Island Sound.   During this same period, traveling preachers had begun a series of evangelist meetings calling on individuals to turn away from sin throughout the New England colonies. This form of evangelism focused on personal salvation and a correct relationship with God. This era has been called the Great Awakening. The evangelists produced huge emotions. Many churches were disapproving of itinerant preachers. They felt that the charismatic preachers were often not sincere. They didnt like the lack of propriety in the meetings. In fact, there were laws passed in some communities to ban preachers the right to hold revivals unless they had been invited by a licensed minister. Edwards agreed with much of this but did not believe that the results of revivals should be discounted.   Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God   Probably Edwards most well-known sermon is called Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. He not only delivered this at his home parish but also in Enfield, Connecticut on July 8, 1741. This fiery sermon discusses the pains of hell and the importance of devoting ones life to Christ to avoid this fiery pit. According to Edwards, There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any one moment, out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God. As Edwards says, All wicked mens  pains  and  contrivance  they use to escape  hell, while they continue to reject Christ, and so remain wicked men, dont secure em from hell one moment. Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself for his own security....  But the foolish children of men do miserably delude themselves in their own schemes, and in their confidence in their own strength and wisdom; they trust to nothing but a shadow.   However, as Edward says, there is hope for all men. And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has flung the door of mercy wide open, and stands in the door calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners... As he summed up, Therefore let everyone that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the wrath to come... [L]et everyone fly out of Sodom. Haste and escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed [Genesis 19:17].   Edwards sermon had a huge effect at the time in Enfield, Connecticut. In fact, an eyewitness named Stephen Davis wrote that people were crying out throughout the congregation during his sermon, asking how to avoid hell and be saved. In his today, reaction to Edwards was mixed. However, there is no denying his impact. His sermons are still read and referred to by theologians to this day.   Later Years Some members of Edwards church congregation were not happy with Edwards conservative orthodoxy. As previously stated, he enforced strict rules for his congregation to be considered part of those who could partake in the Lords Supper. In 1750, Edwards attempted to institute discipline on some of the children of prominent families who were caught looking at a midwives manual that was considered a bad book. Over 90% of the members of congregation voted to remove Edwards from his position as minister. He was 47 at the time and was assigned to minister to a mission church on the frontier in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. He preached to this small group of Native Americans and at the same time spent the years writing many theological works including Freedom of the Will (1754), The Life of David Brainerd (1759), Original Sin (1758), and The Nature of True Virtue (1765). You can currently read any of Edwards works through the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University. Further, one of the resid ential colleges at Yale University, Jonathan Edwards College, was named after him.    In 1758, Edwards was hired as the president of the College of New Jersey which is now called Princeton University. Unfortunately, he only served for two years in that position before he died after he had an adverse reaction to a smallpox vaccination. He died on March 22, 1758 and is buried in Princeton Cemetery.   Legacy Edwards is seen today as an example of revival preachers and an initiator of the Great Awakening. Many evangelists today still look to his example as a way to preach and create conversions. In addition, many descendants of Edwards went on to be prominent citizens. He was the grandfather of Aaron Burr and an ancestor of  Edith Kermit Carow who was Theodore Roosevelts second wife. In fact, according to George Marsden in Jonathan Edwards: A Life, his progeny included thirteen presidents of colleges and sixty-five professors.   Further Reference Ciment, James. Colonial America: An Encyclopedia of Social, Political, Cultural, and Economic History. M. E. Sharpe: New York. 2006.

Relationship Between the EUs Protection of Human Rights and Other Essay

Relationship Between the EUs Protection of Human Rights and Other Domestic Regional and International means of Protecting Human - Essay Example Among these three human rights protection mechanisms, EU charter of Fundamental Rights is the focus of this paper, and so this paper will critically discuss the relationship between this EU charter’s protection of Human Rights and other domestic, regional and international means of protecting human rights, particularly its relationship with national constitutional traditions, ECHR and United Nations (UN) Background of EU's protection of Human Rights European Union (EU) views protection of human rights, uploading of democracy and the rule of law as its core values. Although EU has not embedded human rights in its founding treaties, it spelled out its stance on human rights protection through the adoption of a Charter of Fundamental Rights in the year 2000. ... t human rights, as the well as countries which have concluded trade and other agreements with it.†3 Thus, on the whole, EU charter of Fundamental rights is uploading human rights in EU countries, as well as doing its part in non-EU countries, in association with other regional and international entities. As mentioned above, EU charter is one of the three layers of human rights protection in EU member countries, so it have ‘relationship’ with other layers of national constitution traditions and importantly with fellow regional grouping of ECHR, with varying degree of cooperation as well as divergence. Relationship between the EU's protection of Human Rights and domestic entities’ means of protecting human rights For most part of their existence, EU and its ECJ did not try to dominate or usurp the powers of the national governments in relation to human rights. This is because ECJ was not a human rights guardian per se, instead it was established by EU as the h ighest legal institution, designed â€Å"to uphold the process of economic integration among various member states.†4 However, it all changed with EU’s adoption of charter in 2000, and also due to certain actions by national legal bodies, which in a way tried to undermine EU. The threat to the supremacy of EU’s human rights laws over national laws arose when constitutional courts resisted Community action, â€Å"insofar as they considered it as violating fundamental rights protected in national constitutions.†5 This can be seen in Stauder v. City of Ulm, Case 29/69, [1969] ECR 419, in which the decision of the ECJ appeared to be contrary to the basic rights that were enshrined in the German constitutional law. To further assert its supremacy only, EU and ECJ decided to include fundamental human rights in

English Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English Paper - Essay Example This can be forced or voluntary and can often have severe effects on the minority culture. Such effects may include the loss of unique traditions and or other cultural aspects. The assumption that assimilation may be considered necessary or even desirable demonstrates an ethnocentric view of the minority culture – that is, that they are judged according to the standards of the dominant culture. In the case of the Australian Aborigines, assimilation was initiated largely as a result of such ethnocentric views, as will be explained. The British colonists who arrived in Australia towards the end of the 18th century saw the Aboriginal people and their lifestyle as lazy and degenerate. Partly due to the unpredictable climate of their environment, the Aborigines had long ago chosen not to adopt an agricultural style of subsistence, instead opting for a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. (Clarke 17) As a second consideration, agriculture is more demanding than the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, because cultivation and animal husbandry take up significant amounts of time. It never occurred to the British settlers that the natives had chosen their lifestyle for specific reasons. They simply saw the Aborigines as lazy people because they did not work all day. This label has persisted in the national consciousness of Australia and is still not completely eradicated in the present day (Clarke 18). Lingering attitudes such as these indicate that the incomplete understanding that began in the 18th century is still a part of modern Aus tralia. In the nineteenth century the welfare of the natives was not an issue in the minds of settlers, and they were often exploited as well. The following passage highlights not only practices of kidnapping and mutilation, but also the prevailing attitude of the settlers towards the natives: Aboriginal men and women were routinely kidnapped to