Freedom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Freedom - Essay Example Freedom of speech is important in media and press since it heals with public. In a democratic state, of which most states in the world are, the interest and the rights of the state take priority. Politics and freedom to speech is inseparable since politics is the main component of democracy. Some argue that democracy is an idea of peoples self governance. The electorate in such a system must be properly informed and with no constrains for ideas and information to flow. If constrained, the electorate can easily be manipulated to avoid criticisms which are healthy. Accountability process and freedom of speech significantly impacts on the governance quality of a country. The worldwide measure and indicator of the freedom of speech is the freedom of association, freedom of expression and freedom of media. Debating and open discussions in democratic nations is important in the achievement of a stable and more adaptive community. This brings about consensus rather than imposition of laws. Through social interactions, stakeholders of a particular institution are able to engage in discussions that bears development in the direction of the community. Thus, the freedom of speech and expression plays a major role in the world today and it is one of the main pillars of the democracy building. Freedom of worship also means the freedom of religion or freedom of belief. It protects individual and gives them the liberty to choose to believe in the teachings and faith of their choice. Nobody in any part of the world is compelled to follow any specific religion. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Right covers the fundamentals of the freedom of worship. There are different religions in the world ranging from Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and even Judaism. In pursuit of democracy, a nation should strive as much as possible to tolerate and respect the people’s choice that allows them to worship freely. This was a universal full fledge after the United Nations G eneral Assembly passed a declaration on elimination of all forms of intolerance and religion based discrimination on 25th November 1981. Religion freedom was recognized as a fundamental human right henceforth. (John Winthrop, 2009), the government should allow people to choose religion freely so that long run societal interest to prevail. He pointed out that laws that prevent the freedom of religion seek to preserve belief and power in a particular religion. In a given religion, the way of worship is almost similar but sharply differs between religions. Since there are no laws that prohibit religion choice, it definitely means that the freedom of worship is also guaranteed. This freedom allows people to worship God in their own way and style. In as much as freedom of worship is universal all over in the world, there are no specific and outright laws that dictate and govern on how people should worship. There is also a limit beyond which worship freedom should not go beyond. In pursu it of worship, it musts be within the limits as not to conflict with other laws. In as much as the holy books such as the bible and the Quran being one of the sources of most constitutions in the world, it does not give them prevalence over the constitution. The constitution is the supreme law of any country and any other law that is consistent with it is declared void to the extent of inconsistency. People are free to switch

Looking At The Future Of Broadcasting

Looking At The Future Of Broadcasting Media and TV have changed a lot in those last 2O years but we may think that this change is going to be even faster and more important in the 2O next years. Of course the new media (internet) and the new technologies linked to the internet have completely changed peoples habits. We should not focus on emerging technologies but on emerging cultural practices. So in a first part, we are going to focus on the consumers behavior shift, and then, we are going to get a clear vision of how the future of broadcasting devices is developing according to current movements. Finally, in a third part we are going to expose the following issue: what will the relevant challenge of this multimedia environment transformation be? First, we want to focus on the consumers changing behavior concerning TV and so in this part, we are going to look at the consumers demands regarding TV and Medias. First of all, we can notice that today (and in the future also), consumers know exactly what they want and what they dont want. For example, they dont want so many TV commercials; they are getting fed up with these commercials. Indeed, nowadays people mainly watch TV during their spare time in order to relax and get entertainment. As a consequence, TV commercials are perceived as something boring and intrusive which deprives the viewer of his relaxing and entertaining time. To crown it all the commercials are becoming less efficient than before because people feel bored with them and prefer switching programs or moving to on-demand viewing because there, the commercials are not so numerous. Furthermore, consumers also want TV to become more and more convenient for them, they want and feel the need to have all the control on it and they dont have time to waste on it. We can speak here about time, place, control, money and attention shifting. Time shifting: people want television when it suits them. For instance, they want their programs to start at a convenient time for their schedules and not to adapt their schedules to the programs Place shifting: people want television the way they want it and where they want it. They want to be able to watch television everywhere and on whatever screen they want (TV, computer, smartphone, tabletà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Control shifting: people want to be able to share, talk back, influence. They want to share and express their opinion about what they have watched Money shifting: people want to make a good deal, to have a real value for their money. Attention shifting: people want real values for their attention. Finally, consumers or viewers also want to have more and more choices and opportunities but with less and less time. So, in the future, TV will have to adapt to these new demands in order to seduce consumers. So now, after having considered the shift in the consumers behaviors we can take a look at the technological changes that have occurred in the last decades, these changes are going to be more and more relevant over time. There is no doubt, for instance concerning the importance of internet in the modern shift followed by media and consumers around broadcasting practices. After only two short decades, internet seems to be the most relevant media for a large part of the world. Indeed actual surveys show that internet took a growing part in peoples life; in 2002 internet was considered only by 20% as the essential media in their life instead of 33% in 2007; at the same time Radio has dropped from 26% to 17%. The technological improvements which have accompanied the revolution are numerous but they seem to be characterized by the same objective: to be more efficient to deliverer wherever or whenever the consumers want the information. In order to do so marketers and industrials put a lot of efforts to ease daily life; are we witnessing a technological convergence? Today, you can find in the same apparel TV program broadcasting, radio channel, and internet access to social network or newspaper apps. Thus you can decide, and be the only one who chooses what, when or where youre gone be able to be expose. However, nowadays, people are more likely to move around and be more active; consequently they are not obviously able to hold with the initial scheduling; so in order to counteract this time-shifting problem a lot of technologies enable the viewers to shift the viewing time thanks to simple acts. For example with the emergence of Pay-TV channel, or integrated recorder material the viewers dont have any more time restraint. Maybe in a little time we can believe that we will be able to use both technologies conjointly with mobile devices. In order to conclude this report we can focus on several main points and issues. First, If we can say that, money seems to be the sinews of war; and this one between advertisers and content owners seem to be difficult. Indeed it started 60 years ago with the tremendous event of the birth of television. The advertisers quickly understood that it was a really efficient means to communicate with potential consumers. Nowadays they are still expecting good return on investment, so they expect their messages to reach the largest audience. But today the entry of the PayTV distribution is going to change things. Contents owners are going to be able to target the audience with accuracy that is to say to aim at providing the viewers with the programs they really want in exchange of their money. And its in this context that TV contents owners are going to be more and more powerful. In fact contents owners are going to be able to become greedy because a result of a survey conducted by Nielsen/AIG and according to Jason KIla shows that :Hulus[a payTV distribution] video adver tising service is roughly 2x as effective as traditional TV video advertising services. Our point of view since 2007 has been that if we become the most effective video advertising service, then we could earn higher advertising revenues. As a consequence, we can easily think that in the future, broadcasting is going to be run by economic interests. Moreover, one possible issue with pay TV or TV on demand would be that customers will be able to watch exactly what they want, and so, we may think that the majority of people may like to watch movies or series in order to have fun and relaxation. As a consequence we could notice an increase of the Dallasification phenomena on the TV market because people are usually more seduced by the American programs for entertainment. Moreover, at the same time, people would watch less cultural programs. This phenomenon could lead to the end of the public TV broadcasting service because people would neglect cultural programs in favor of entertainment programs. This, means, that PBS will no longer insure its educating duty and therefore its role would be questionable. So now, one question can be raised: how will PBS adapt itself to the future in order to stay visible and useful to the viewers? Does it also mean that we are drawn into a purely commercial and selfish society which is going to be in terested only in entertainment and the current affairs that happen within its community?

The History of the Internet Essay -- Web Computers Technology Essays

The History of the Internet When one thinks of the internet, one may think of America Online, Yahoo!, or of Sandra Bullock being caught up in an espionage conspiracy. For me, it is a means of communication. A way to talk to some of my friends who live off in distant places such as Los Angeles, New Jersey, and the Philippines. The U.S. Defense Department originally had this intent in mind when they connected a computer network with various other radio and satellite networks.[1 Krol] They wanted a means of communicating within the U.S. military that could withstand partial outages, such a bomb attacks, and still function.[2 Krol] In this paper I will cover the internet’s experimental beginnings, the commercialization of this technology in the present, and what may be the future of the internet. Before I begin, allow me to define what is the internet, who governs it, and what is the financial impact of this technology. The internet is made up of all computer networks that use IP protocol, which operate to form a seamless network for their collective users.[3 Krol] This means that federal, commercial, and institutional networks all compose parts of the internet. This network is connected to each other by either telephone wires, cable lines, or satellite signals. These wires, lines, or signals are then pipelined from server computer to server computer until your host server transmits the electronic information into your computer. The governing body of the internet is the Internet Society (ISOC).[4 Krol] The Internet Society purpose, according to Ed Krol, is to â€Å"promote global information exchange through Internet technology†. Another governing body is the Internet Architecture Board (IAB).[5 Krol] This IAB board gove... ...United States government, now is a tool to facilitate the commerce of the United States economy. Without this technology, a growing economic presence in the United States wouldn’t have been created. The internet is definitely does have an impact on the history of the United States. Sources Cited Krol, E. "The Whole Internet User's Guide and Catalog." O'Reilly and Associates, 1992. Leiner, B.M., Cerf, V. G., Clark, D. D., Kahn, R. E., L. Kleinrock, D. C. Lynch, J. Postel, L. G. Roberts, and S. Wolff, A brief history of the Internet, Version 3.31, Aug. 4, 2000. Available at _ http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/brief.html Zakon, Robert H'obbes, "Hobbes' Internet Timeline v8.1" Archive-location: http://www.zakon.org/robert/internet/timeline/ http://www.ecommerce.gov http://www.appnet.fi/~ois/usis/current/super2.shtml http://www.internet2.edu

Second Shift

A Woman’s Work Is Never Done Traditionally men worked and brought home the bacon while women stayed home and took care of the children and the home. This changed when the new liberated independent women became driven towards acquiring a career, caring for the children and balancing domestic work. Thus women started to complain about being exhausted from working, multi-tasking, and solely taking care of the house-hold, while their husbands worked and bring forth a paycheck and think that is efficient enough and his job is pretty much done. ’I definitely concur with The Second Shift because this essay most women can really relate to, including me. It filters the contribution of what the husband brings to the house-hold versus the woman. It makes me ponder about why our husbands are letting us become husbands†. The author, Ariel Hochschild demonstrates keen examples and stated factual research from her findings on the percentages of husbands that said they should hel p out around the house and the ones that actually did, and furious Wives who not only had to work an eight hour shift; but also took care of the house-hold duties and tended to the children.From the author’s eight year research she concluded that failed marriages were not due to alcohol, physical and or mental abuse, infidelity, or financial problems, but due to the lack of domestic assistance from the husband. Men say that they want a woman to build with but why is she building alone while he frolics in the sun. If wives work a nine to five just like their husbands then the husband should be just as domesticated as his wife. Times have changed and women are not succumbing to the position of home maker anymore. Now a day’s women are solid with a take charge personality; which most men are fancy of.But even the most resilient woman can crumble after a hard day of work and then to come home to a husband watching sports while she has to cook, clean, tend to the kids, groc ery shopping, schools visits, do the laundry, maintain doctor’s appointment and still have a whooping sexual appetite at the end of the night is just out right preposterous. Every house-hold, family, and situation is different; therefore if both partners work then both partners should come to a mutual understanding based on each other’s schedule and split the domestic work evenly.A wife working is of great assistance to her husband financially, so like the old saying goes I scratch your back and you scratch mine. The husbands pay bills in the home and guess what, so goes the wife. They both occupy the same house, so why is the wife doing all the domestic work by herself? By all means the husband should help out in the house a lot more, but let us take a walk down the American road for a second to decipher what could possibly help this problem.If America were concerned with the hindrance that the broken home poses on its citizens the government would offer a helping han d to families, As far as funding programs to offer low costing or free child care, offer family assistance to families that make a little bit above the poverty margin, offer in home cleaning for families with more than one child or any assistance that could alleviate the stress on the woman financially, mentally and physically; While bringing the family structure together and keeping it that way.Who would turn this proposal down if it were given? This help would lead to wives spending more quality time with the kids and the husband. Families could do what they should do; enjoy and spend time together with mom not worrying about what elbow grease is ahead of her. A non-frazzled woman equals a euphoric home. Switzerland government offers a system very close to this, even in England and Canada health care is free, and these countries are not as rich and advanced as America. â€Å"In my opinion America will only help out if you are literally a bum on the street†.If families make more than the marginal poverty line annually then forget about it. America could take a lesson or two from these countries. This sociological and economical methodology could move society on a whole towards a better functionality. Hence this kind of help is like a domino effect in that it would not only help out families, but there will be an extensive percentage drop in divorces, mental illness, teen crimes, parent absence, child neglect and single mothers raising children.In essence, having a family and a beautiful home is a gift from god and should not be classified as the Second Shift; therefore the husbands should step up and assist their wives around the house daily so she does not have to feel this way. He too should have an idea of what it is like to arrive home from work and still have to work. He should have a very vivid idea of what it is like to work all day without any sleep prior to the night before, pick up each child from daycare, cook, clean, shopping and tend to th e kids etc. And let us see how he holds up.This domestic conflict between husbands and wives has been going on years now, and based on Ms. Hochscild’s studies from 1960s to the 1970s women worked fifteen more hours each week than men. Over a year women worked an extra month of twenty four hour days. Over a dozen years, it was an extra year of twenty four hour days. â€Å"Can you believe this? , Women working more hours than men†. Woman I have to credit you because you are so strong, for centuries you bore the struggles of society/mankind in your womb and now you have placed it on your backs.

Chapter 7 Bagman and Crouch

Harry disentangled himself from Ron and got to his feet. They had arrived on what appeared to be a deserted stretch of misty moor. In front of them was a pair of tired and grumpy-looking wizards, one of whom was holding a large gold watch, the other a thick roll of parchment and a quill. Both were dressed as Muggles, though very inexpertly: The man with the watch wore a tweed suit with thigh-length galoshes; his colleague, a kilt and a poncho. â€Å"Morning, Basil,† said Mr. Weasley, picking up the boot and handing it to the kilted wizard, who threw it into a large box of used Portkeys beside him; Harry could see an old newspaper, an empty drinks can, and a punctured football. â€Å"Hello there, Arthur,† said Basil wearily. â€Å"Not on duty, eh? It's all right for some†¦.We've been here all night†¦.You'd better get out of the way, we've got a big party coming in from the Black Forest at five fifteen. Hang on, I'll find your campsite†¦.Weasley†¦Weasley†¦.† He consulted his parchment list. â€Å"About a quarter of a mile's walk over there, first field you come to. Site manager's called Mr. Roberts. Diggory†¦second field†¦ask for Mr. Payne.† â€Å"Thanks, Basil,† said Mr. Weasley, and he beckoned everyone to follow him. They set off across the deserted moor, unable to make out much through the mist. After about twenty minutes, a small stone cottage next to a gate swam into view. Beyond it, Harry could just make out the ghostly shapes of hundreds and hundreds of tents, rising up the gentle slope of a large field toward a dark wood on the horizon. They said good-bye to the Diggory's and approached the cottage door. A man was standing in the doorway, looking out at the tents. Harry knew at a glance that this was the only real Muggle for several acres. When he heard their footsteps, he turned his head to look at them. â€Å"Morning!† said Mr. Weasley brightly. â€Å"Morning,† said the Muggle. â€Å"Would you be Mr. Roberts?† â€Å"Aye, I would,† said Mr. Roberts. â€Å"And who're you?† â€Å"Weasley – two tents, booked a couple of days ago?† â€Å"Aye,† said Mr. Roberts, consulting a list tacked to the door. â€Å"You've got a space up by the wood there. Just the one night?† â€Å"That's it,† said Mr. Weasley. â€Å"You'll be paying now, then?† said Mr. Roberts. â€Å"Ah – right – certainly -† said Mr. Weasley. He retreated a short distance from the cottage and beckoned Harry toward him. â€Å"Help me, Harry,† he muttered, pulling a roll of Muggle money from his pocket and starting to peel the notes apart. â€Å"This one's a – a – a ten? Ah yes, I see the little number on it now†¦So this is a five?† â€Å"A twenty,† Harry corrected him in an undertone, uncomfortably aware of Mr. Roberts trying to catch every word. â€Å"Ah yes, so it is†¦.I don't know, these little bits of paper†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You foreign?† said Mr. Roberts as Mr. Weasley returned with the correct notes. â€Å"Foreign?† repeated Mr. Weasley, puzzled. â€Å"You're not the first one who's had trouble with money,† said Mr. Roberts, scrutinizing Mr. Weasley closely. â€Å"I had two try and pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago.† â€Å"Did you really?† said Mr. Weasley nervously. Mr. Roberts rummaged around in a tin for some change. â€Å"Never been this crowded,† he said suddenly, looking out over the misty field again. â€Å"Hundreds of pre-bookings. People usually just turn up†¦.† â€Å"Is that right?† said Mr. Weasley, his hand held out for his change, but Mr. Roberts didn't give it to him. â€Å"Aye,† he said thoughtfully. â€Å"People from all over. Loads of foreigners. And not just foreigners. Weirdos, you know? There's a bloke walking 'round in a kilt and a poncho.† â€Å"Shouldn't he?† said Mr. Weasley anxiously. â€Å"It's like some sort of†¦I dunno†¦like some sort of rally,† said Mr. Roberts. â€Å"They all seem to know each other. Like a big party.† At that moment, a wizard in plus-fours appeared out of thin air next to Mr. Roberts's front door. â€Å"Obliviate!† he said sharply, pointing his wand at Mr. Roberts. Instantly, Mr. Roberts's eyes slid out of focus, his brows unknitted, and a took of dreamy unconcern fell over his face. Harry recognized the symptoms of one who had just had his memory modified. â€Å"A map of the campsite for you,† Mr. Roberts said placidly to Mr. Weasley. â€Å"And your change.† â€Å"Thanks very much,† said Mr. Weasley. The wizard in plus-fours accompanied them toward the gate to the campsite. He looked exhausted: His chin was blue with stubble and there were deep purple shadows under his eyes. Once out of earshot of Mr. Roberts, he muttered to Mr. Weasley, â€Å"Been having a lot of trouble with him. Needs a Memory Charm ten times a day to keep him happy. And Ludo Bagman's not helping. Trotting around talking about Bludgers and Quaffles at the top of his voice, not a worry about anti-Muggle security Blimey, I'll be glad when this is over. See you later, Arthur.† He Disapparated. â€Å"I thought Mr. Bagman was Head of Magical Games and Sports,† said Ginny, looking surprised. â€Å"He should know better than to talk about Bludgers near Muggles, shouldn't he?† â€Å"He should,† said Mr. Weasley, smiling, and leading them through the gates into the campsite, â€Å"but Ludo's always been a bit†¦well†¦lax about security. You couldn't wish for a more enthusiastic head of the sports department though. He played Quidditch for England himself, you know. And he was the best Beater the Wimbourne Wasps ever had.† They trudged up the misty field between long rows of tents. Most looked almost ordinary; their owners had clearly tried to make them as Muggle-like as possible, but had slipped up by adding chimneys, or bellpulls, or weather vanes. However, here and there was a tent so obviously magical that Harry could hardly be surprised that Mr. Roberts was getting suspicious. Halfway up the field stood an extravagant confection of striped silk like a miniature palace, with several live peacocks tethered at the entrance. A little farther on they passed a tent that had three floors and several turrets; and a short way beyond that was a tent that had a front garden attached, complete with birdbath, sundial, and fountain. â€Å"Always the same,† said Mr. Weasley, smiling. â€Å"We can't resist showing off when we get together. Ah, here we are, look, this is us.† They had reached the very edge of the wood at the top of the field, and here was an empty space, with a small sign hammered into the ground that read WEEZLY. â€Å"Couldn't have a better spot!† said Mr. Weasley happily. â€Å"The field is just on the other side of the wood there, we're as close as we could be.† He hoisted his backpack from his shoulders. â€Å"Right,† he said excitedly, â€Å"no magic allowed, strictly speaking, not when we're out in these numbers on Muggle land. We'll be putting these tents up by hand! Shouldn't be too difficult†¦.Muggles do it all the time†¦.Here, Harry, where do you reckon we should start?† Harry had never been camping in his life; the Dursleys had never taken him on any kind of holiday, preferring to leave him with Mrs. Figg, an old neighbor. However, he and Hermione worked out where most of the poles and pegs should go, and though Mr. Weasley was more of a hindrance than a help, because he got thoroughly overexcited when it came to using the mallet, they finally managed to erect a pair of shabby two-man tents. All of them stood back to admire their handiwork. Nobody looking at these tents would guess they belonged to wizards, Harry thought, but the trouble was that once Bill, Charlie, and Percy arrived, they would be a party of ten. Hermione seemed to have spotted this problem too; she gave Harry a quizzical look as Mr. Weasley dropped to his hands and knees and entered the first tent. â€Å"We'll be a bit cramped,† he called, â€Å"but I think we'll all squeeze in. Come and have a look.† Harry bent down, ducked under the tent flap, and felt his jaw drop. He had walked into what looked like an old-fashioned, three room flat, complete with bathroom and kitchen. Oddly enough, it was furnished in exactly the same sort of style as Mrs. Figg's house: There were crocheted covers on the mismatched chairs and a strong smell of cats. â€Å"Well, it's not for long,† said Mr. Weasley, mopping his bald patch with a handkerchief and peering in at the four bunk beds that stood in the bedroom. I borrowed this from Perkins at the office. Doesn't camp much anymore, poor fellow, he's got lumbago.† He picked up the dusty kettle and peered inside it. â€Å"We'll need water†¦.† â€Å"There's a tap marked on this map the Muggle gave us,† said Ron, who had followed Harry inside the tent and seemed completely unimpressed by its extraordinary inner proportions. â€Å"It's on the other side of the field.† â€Å"Well, why don't you, Harry, and Hermione go and get us some water then -† Mr. Weasley handed over the kettle and a couple of saucepans â€Å"- and the rest of us will get some wood for a fire?† â€Å"But we've got an oven,† said Ron. â€Å"Why can't we just -â€Å" â€Å"Ron, anti-Muggle security!† said Mr. Weasley, his face shining with anticipation. â€Å"When real Muggles camp, they cook on fires outdoors. I've seen them at it!† After a quick tour of the girls' tent, which was slightly smaller than the boys', though without the smell of cats, Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off across the campsite with the kettle and saucepans. Now, with the sun newly risen and the mist lifting, they could see the city of tents that stretched in every direction. They made their way slowly through the rows, staring eagerly around. It was only just dawning on Harry how many witches and wizards there must be in the world; he had never really thought much about those in other countries. Their fellow campers were starting to wake up. First to stir were the families with small children; Harry had never seen witches and wizards this young before. A tiny boy no older than two was crouched outside a large pyramid-shaped tent, holding a wand and poking happily at a slug in the grass, which was swelling slowly to the size of a salami. As they drew level with him, his mother came hurrying out of the tent. â€Å"How many times, Kevin? You don't – touch – Daddy's – wand – yecchh!† She had trodden on the giant slug, which burst. Her scolding carried after them on the still air, mingling with the little boy's yells â€Å"You bust slug! You bust slug!† A short way farther on, they saw two little witches, barely older than Kevin, who were riding toy broomsticks that rose only high enough for the girls' toes to skim the dewy grass. A Ministry wizard had already spotted them; as he hurried past Harry, Ron, and Hermione he muttered distractedly, â€Å"In broad daylight! Parents having a lie-in, I suppose -â€Å" Here and there adult wizards and witches were emerging from their tents and starting to cook breakfast. Some, with furtive looks around them, conjured fires with their wands; others were striking matches with dubious looks on their faces, as though sure this couldn't work. Three African wizards sat in serious conversation, all of them wearing long white robes and roasting what looked like a rabbit on a bright purple fire, while a group of middle-aged American witches sat gossiping happily beneath a spangled banner stretched between their tents that read: THE SALEM WITCHES' INSTITUTE. Harry caught snatches of conversation in strange languages from the inside of tents they passed, and though he couldn't understand a word, the tone of every single voice was excited. â€Å"Er – is it my eyes, or has everything gone green?† said Ron. It wasn't just Ron's eyes. They had walked into a patch of tents that were all covered with a thick growth of shamrocks, so that it looked as though small, oddly shaped hillocks had sprouted out of the earth. Grinning faces could be seen under those that had their flaps open. Then, from behind them, they heard their names. â€Å"Harry! Ron! Hermione!† It was Seamus Finnigan, their fellow Gryffindor fourth year. He was sitting in front of his own shamrock-covered tent, with a sandy-haired woman who had to be his mother, and his best friend, Dean Thomas, also of Gryffindor. â€Å"Like the decorations?† said Seamus, grinning. â€Å"The Ministry's not too happy.† â€Å"Ah, why shouldn't we show our colors?† said Mrs. Finnigan. â€Å"You should see what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over their tents. You'll be supporting Ireland, of course?† she added, eyeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione beadily. When they had assured her that they were indeed supporting Ireland, they set off again, though, as Ron said, â€Å"Like we'd say anything else surrounded by that lot.† â€Å"I wonder what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over their tents?† said Hermione. â€Å"Let's go and have a look,† said Harry, pointing to a large patch of tents upfield, where the Bulgarian flag – white, green, and red – was fluttering in the breeze. The tents here had not been bedecked with plant life, but each and every one of them had the same poster attached to it, a poster of a very surly face with heavy black eyebrows. The picture was, of course, moving, but all it did was blink and scowl. â€Å"Krum,† said Ron quietly. â€Å"What?† said Hermione. â€Å"Krum!† said Ron. â€Å"Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker!† â€Å"He looks really grumpy,† said Hermione, looking around at the many Krum's blinking and scowling at them. â€Å"‘Really grumpy?† Ron raised his eyes to the heavens. â€Å"Who cares what he looks like? He's unbelievable. He's really young too. Only just eighteen or something. He's a genius, you wait until tonight, you'll see.† There was already a small queue for the tap in the corner of the field. Harry, Ron, and Hermione joined it, right behind a pair of men who were having a heated argument. One of them was a very old wizard who was wearing a long flowery nightgown. The other was clearly a Ministry wizard; he was holding out a pair of pinstriped trousers and almost crying with exasperation. â€Å"Just put them on, Archie, there's a good chap. You can't walk around like that, the Muggle at the gate's already getting suspicious -â€Å" â€Å"I bought this in a Muggle shop,† said the old wizard stubbornly. â€Å"Muggles wear them.† â€Å"Muggle women wear them, Archie, not the men, they wear these,† said the Ministry wizard, and he brandished the pinstriped trousers. â€Å"I'm not putting them on,† said old Archie in indignation. â€Å"I like a healthy breeze 'round my privates, thanks.† Hermione was overcome with such a strong fit of the giggles at this point that she had to duck out of the queue and only returned when Archie had collected his water and moved away. Walking more slowly now, because of the weight of the water, they made their way back through the campsite. Here and there, they saw more familiar faces: other Hogwarts students with their families. Oliver Wood, the old captain of Harry's House Quidditch team, who had just left Hogwarts, dragged Harry over to his parents' tent to introduce him, and told him excitedly that he had just been signed to the Puddlemere United reserve team. Next they were hailed by Ernie Macmillan, a Hufflepuff fourth year, and a little farther on they saw Cho Chang, a very pretty girl who played Seeker on the Ravenclaw team. She waved and smiled at Harry, who slopped quite a lot of water down his front as he waved back. More to stop Ron from smirking than anything, Harry hurriedly pointed out a large group of teenagers whom he had never seen before. â€Å"Who d'you reckon they are?† he said. â€Å"They don't go to Hogwarts, do they?† â€Å"‘Spect they go to some foreign school,† said Ron. â€Å"I know there are others. Never met anyone who went to one, though. Bill had a penfriend at a school in Brazil†¦this was years and years ago†¦and he wanted to go on an exchange trip but Mum and Dad couldn't afford it. His penfriend got all offended when he said he wasn't going and sent him a cursed hat. It made his ears shrivel up.† Harry laughed but didn't voice the amazement he felt at hearing about other wizarding schools. He supposed, now that he saw representatives of so many nationalities in the campsite, that he had been stupid never to realize that Hogwarts couldn't be the only one. He glanced at Hermione, who looked utterly unsurprised by the information. No doubt she had run across the news about other wizarding schools in some book or other. â€Å"You've been ages,† said George when they finally got back to the Weasleys' tents. â€Å"Met a few people,† said Ron, setting the water down. â€Å"You've not got that fire started yet?† â€Å"Dad's having fun with the matches,† said Fred. Mr. Weasley was having no success at all in lighting the fire, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Splintered matches littered the ground around him, but he looked as though he was having the time of his life. â€Å"Oops!† he said as he managed to light a match and promptly dropped it in surprise. â€Å"Come here, Mr. Weasley,† said Hermione kindly, taking the box from him, and showing him how to do it properly. At last they got the fire lit, though it was at least another hour before it was hot enough to cook anything. There was plenty to watch while they waited, however. Their tent seemed to be pitched right alongside a kind of thoroughfare to the field, and Ministry members kept hurrying up and down it, greeting Mr. Weasley cordially as they passed. Mr. Weasley kept up a running commentary, mainly for Harry's and Hermione's benefit; his own children knew too much about the Ministry to be greatly interested. â€Å"That was Cuthbert Mockridge, Head of the Goblin Liaison Office†¦.Here comes Gilbert Wimple; he's with the Committee on Experimental Charms; he's had those horns for a while now†¦Hello, Arnie†¦Arnold Peasegood, he's an Obliviator – member of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, you know†¦and that's Bode and Croaker†¦they're Unspeakables†¦.† â€Å"They're what?† â€Å"From the Department of Mysteries, top secret, no idea what they get up to†¦.† At last, the fire was ready, and they had just started cooking eggs and sausages when Bill, Charlie, and Percy came strolling out of the woods toward them. â€Å"Just Apparated, Dad,† said Percy loudly. â€Å"Ah, excellent, lunch!† They were halfway through their plates of eggs and sausages when Mr. Weasley jumped to his feet, waving and grinning at a man who was striding toward them. â€Å"Aha!† he said. â€Å"The man of the moment! Ludo!† Ludo Bagman was easily the most noticeable person Harry had seen so far, even including old Archie in his flowered nightdress. He was wearing long Quidditch robes in thick horizontal stripes of bright yellow and black. An enormous picture of a wasp was splashed across his chest. He had the look of a powerfully built man gone slightly to seed; the robes were stretched tightly across a large belly he surely had not had in the days when he had played Quidditch for England. His nose was squashed (probably broken by a stray Bludger, Harry thought), but his round blue eyes, short blond hair, and rosy complexion made him look like a very overgrown schoolboy. â€Å"Ahoy there!† Bagman called happily. He was walking as though he had springs attached to the balls of his feet and was plainly in a state of wild excitement. â€Å"Arthur, old man,† he puffed as he reached the campfire, â€Å"what a day, eh? What a day! Could we have asked for more perfect weather? A cloudless night coming†¦and hardly a hiccough in the arrangements†¦.Not much for me to do!† Behind him, a group of haggard-looking Ministry wizards rushed past, pointing at the distant evidence of some sort of a magical fire that was sending violet sparks twenty feet into the air. Percy hurried forward with his hand outstretched. Apparently his disapproval of the way Ludo Bagman ran his department did not prevent him from wanting to make a good impression. â€Å"Ah – yes,† said Mr. Weasley, grinning, â€Å"this is my son Percy. He's just started at the Ministry – and this is Fred – no, George, sorry – that's Fred – Bill, Charlie, Ron – my daughter, Ginny and Ron's friends, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter.† Bagman did the smallest of double takes when he heard Harry's name, and his eyes performed the familiar flick upward to the scar on Harry's forehead. â€Å"Everyone,† Mr. Weasley continued, â€Å"this is Ludo Bagman, you know who he is, it's thanks to him we've got such good tickets -â€Å" Bagman beamed and waved his hand as if to say it had been nothing. â€Å"Fancy a flutter on the match, Arthur?† he said eagerly, jingling what seemed to be a large amount of gold in the pockets of his yellow-and-black robes. â€Å"I've already got Roddy Pontner betting me Bulgaria will score first – I offered him nice odds, considering Ireland's front three are the strongest I've seen in years – and little Agatha Timms has put up half shares in her eel farm on a weeklong match.† â€Å"Oh†¦go on then,† said Mr. Weasley. â€Å"Let's see†¦a Galleon on Ireland to win?† â€Å"A Galleon?† Ludo Bagman looked slightly disappointed, but recovered himself. â€Å"Very well, very well†¦any other takers?† â€Å"They're a bit young to be gambling,† said Mr. Weasley. â€Å"Molly wouldn't like -â€Å" â€Å"We'll bet thirty-seven Galleons, fifteen Sickles, three Knuts,† said Fred as he and George quickly pooled all their money, â€Å"that Ireland wins – but Viktor Krum gets the Snitch. Oh and we'll throw in a fake wand.† â€Å"You don't want to go showing Mr. Bagman rubbish like that,† Percy hissed, but Bagman didn't seem to think the wand was rubbish at all; on the contrary, his boyish face shone with excitement as he took it from Fred, and when the wand gave a loud squawk and turned into a rubber chicken, Bagman roared with laughter. â€Å"Excellent! I haven't seen one that convincing in years! I'd pay five Galleons for that!† Percy froze in an attitude of stunned disapproval. â€Å"Boys,† said Mr. Weasley under his breath, â€Å"I don't want you betting†¦.That's all your savings†¦.Your mother -â€Å" â€Å"Don't be a spoilsport, Arthur!† boomed Ludo Bagman, rattling his pockets excitedly. â€Å"They're old enough to know what they want! You reckon Ireland will win but Krum'll get the Snitch? Not a chance, boys, not a chance†¦.I'll give you excellent odds on that one†¦.We'll add five Galleons for the funny wand, then, shall we†¦.† Mr. Weasley looked on helplessly as Ludo Bagman whipped out a notebook and quill and began jotting down the twins' names. â€Å"Cheers,† said George, taking the slip of parchment Bagman handed him and tucking it away into the front of his robes. Bagman turned most cheerfully back to Mr. Weasley. â€Å"Couldn't do me a brew, I suppose? I'm keeping an eye out for Barty Crouch. My Bulgarian opposite number's making difficulties, and I can't understand a word he's saying. Barty'll be able to sort it out. He speaks about a hundred and fifty languages.† â€Å"Mr. Crouch?† said Percy, suddenly abandoning his look of poker-stiff disapproval and positively writhing with excitement. â€Å"He speaks over two hundred! Mermish and Gobbledegook and Troll†¦.† â€Å"Anyone can speak Troll,† said Fred dismissively. â€Å"All you have to do is point and grunt.† Percy threw Fred an extremely nasty look and stoked the fire vigorously to bring the kettle back to the boil. â€Å"Any news of Bertha Jorkins yet, Ludo?† Mr. Weasley asked as Bagman settled himself down on the grass beside them all. â€Å"Not a dicky bird,† said Bagman comfortably. â€Å"But she'll turn up. Poor old Bertha†¦memory like a leaky cauldron and no sense of direction. Lost, you take my word for it. She'll wander back into the office sometime in October, thinking it's still July.† â€Å"You don't think it might be time to send someone to look for her?† Mr. Weasley suggested tentatively as Percy handed Bagman his tea. â€Å"Barty Crouch keeps saying that,† said Bagman, his round eyes widening innocently, â€Å"but we really can't spare anyone at the moment. Oh – talk of the devil! Barty!† A wizard had just Apparated at their fireside, and he could not have made more of a contrast with Ludo Bagman, sprawled on the grass in his old Wasp robes. Barty Crouch was a stiff, upright, elderly man, dressed in an impeccably crisp suit and tie. The parting in his short gray hair was almost unnaturally straight, and his narrow toothbrush mustache looked as though he trimmed it using a slide rule. His shoes were very highly polished. Harry could see at once why Percy idolized him. Percy was a great believer in rigidly following rules, and Mr. Crouch had complied with the rule about Muggle dressing so thoroughly that he could have passed for a bank manager; Harry doubted even Uncle Vernon would have spotted him for what he really was. â€Å"Pull up a bit of grass, Barry,† said Ludo brightly, patting the ground beside him. â€Å"No thank you, Ludo,† said Crouch, and there was a bite of impatience in his voice. â€Å"I've been looking for you everywhere. The Bulgarians are insisting we add another twelve seats to the Top Box.† â€Å"Oh is that what they're after?† said Bagman. I thought the chap was asking to borrow a pair of tweezers. Bit of a strong accent.† â€Å"Mr. Crouch!† said Percy breathlessly, sunk into a kind of halfbow that made him look like a hunchback. â€Å"Would you like a cup of tea?† â€Å"Oh,† said Mr. Crouch, looking over at Percy in mild surprise. â€Å"Yes – thank you, Weatherby.† Fred and George choked into their own cups. Percy, very pink around the ears, busied himself with the kettle. â€Å"Oh and I've been wanting a word with you too, Arthur,† said Mr. Crouch, his sharp eyes falling upon Mr. Weasley. â€Å"Ali Bashir's on the warpath. He wants a word with you about your embargo on flying carpets.† Mr. Weasley heaved a deep sigh. â€Å"I sent him an owl about that just last week. If I've told him once I've told him a hundred times: Carpets are defined as a Muggle Artifact by the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects, but will he listen?† â€Å"I doubt it,† said Mr. Crouch, accepting a cup from Percy. â€Å"He's desperate to export here.† â€Å"Well, they'll never replace brooms in Britain, will they?† said Bagman. â€Å"Ali thinks there's a niche in the market for a family vehicle, said Mr. Crouch. â€Å"I remember my grandfather had an Axminster that could seat twelve – but that was before carpets were banned, of course.† He spoke as though he wanted to leave nobody in any doubt that all his ancestors had abided strictly by the law. â€Å"So, been keeping busy, Barty?† said Bagman breezily. â€Å"Fairly,† said Mr. Crouch dryly. â€Å"Organizing Portkeys across five continents is no mean feat, Ludo.† â€Å"I expect you'll both be glad when this is over?† said Mr. Weasley. Ludo Bagman looked shocked. â€Å"Glad! Don't know when I've had more fun†¦.Still, it's not as though we haven't got anything to took forward to, eh, Barty? Eh? Plenty left to organize, eh?† Mr. Crouch raised his eyebrows at Bagman. â€Å"We agreed not to make the announcement until all the details -â€Å" â€Å"Oh details!† said Bagman, waving the word away like a cloud of midges. â€Å"They've signed, haven't they? They've agreed, haven't they? I bet you anything these kids'll know soon enough anyway. I mean, it's happening at Hogwarts -â€Å" â€Å"Ludo, we need to meet the Bulgarians, you know,† said Mr. Crouch sharply, cutting Bagman's remarks short. â€Å"Thank you for the tea, Weatherby.† He pushed his undrunk tea back at Percy and waited for Ludo to rise; Bagman struggled to his feet, swigging down the last of his tea, the gold in his pockets chinking merrily. â€Å"See you all later!† he said. â€Å"You'll be up in the Top Box with me – I'm commentating!† He waved, Barty Crouch nodded curtly, and both of them Disapparated. â€Å"What's happening at Hogwarts, Dad?† said Fred at once. â€Å"What were they talking about?† â€Å"You'll find out soon enough,† said Mr.Weasley, smiling. â€Å"It's classified information, until such time as the Ministry decides to release it,† said Percy stiffly. â€Å"Mr. Crouch was quite right not to disclose it.† â€Å"Oh shut up, Weatherby,† said Fred. A sense of excitement rose like a palpable cloud over the campsite as the afternoon wore on. By dusk, the still summer air itself seemed to be quivering with anticipation, and as darkness spread like a curtain over the thousands of waiting wizards, the last vestiges of pretence disappeared: the Ministry seemed to have bowed to the inevitable and stopped fighting the signs of blatant magic now breaking out everywhere. Salesmen were Apparating every few feet, carrying trays and pushing carts full of extraordinary merchandise. There were luminous rosettes – green for Ireland, red for Bulgaria – which were squealing the names of the players, pointed green hats bedecked with dancing shamrocks, Bulgarian scarves adorned with lions that really roared, flags from both countries that played their national anthems as they were waved; there were tiny models of Firebolts that really flew, and collectible figures of famous players, which strolled across the palm of your hand, preening themselves. â€Å"Been saving my pocket money all summer for this,† Ron told Harry as they and Hermione strolled through the salesmen, buying souvenirs. Though Ron purchased a dancing shamrock hat and a large green rosette, he also bought a small figure of Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker. The miniature Krum walked backward and forward over Ron's hand, scowling up at the green rosette above him. â€Å"Wow, look at these!† said Harry, hurrying over to a cart piled high with what looked like brass binoculars, except that they were covered with all sorts of weird knobs and dials. â€Å"Omnioculars,† said the saleswizard eagerly. â€Å"You can replay action†¦slow everything down†¦and they flash up a play-by-play breakdown if you need it. Bargain – ten Galleons each.† â€Å"Wish I hadn't bought this now,† said Ron, gesturing at his dancing shamrock hat and gazing longingly at the Omnioculars. â€Å"Three pairs,† said Harry firmly to the wizard. â€Å"No – don't bother,† said Ron, going red. He was always touchy about the fact that Harry, who had inherited a small fortune from his parents, had much more money than he did. â€Å"You won't be getting anything for Christmas,† Harry told him, thrusting Omnioculars into his and Hermione's hands. â€Å"For about ten years, mind.† â€Å"Fair enough,† said Ron, grinning. â€Å"Oooh, thanks, Harry,† said Hermione. â€Å"And I'll get us some programs, look -â€Å" Their money bags considerably lighter, they went back to the tents. Bill, Charlie, and Ginny were all sporting green rosettes too, and Mr. Weasley was carrying an Irish flag. Fred and George had no souvenirs as they had given Bagman all their gold. And then a deep, booming gong sounded somewhere beyond the woods, and at once, green and red lanterns blazed into life in the trees, lighting a path to the field. â€Å"It's time!† said Mr. Weasley, looking as excited as any of them. â€Å"Come on, let's go!†