Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Essay Example for Free

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Essay Ever since the first printing of the first Harry Potter novel, the book series has been under attack from people arguing that the books are intended to initiate children into witchcraft and demonic practices or that they undermine traditional spiritual values. Yes, indeed, there are ghosts and Halloween, and the practice of magic. However, Harry Potter books are no more a threat to the traditional spiritual values of our children than The Wizard of Oz was before them. Harry Potter has not grown up in a â€Å"normal† family, even outside of the wizarding world. The Dursleys do not care for Harry and treat him poorly. They are clearly nominally Christians; in Chapter Two, Harry’s uncle threatens him with punishment, saying that Harry will â€Å"be in that cupboard from now until Christmas† if he is involved in any â€Å"funny business† (24). There is no evidence, however, that the Dursleys ever practice any particular faith. That lack of spiritual practice carries through the book, even in the wizarding world. .While no one falls to his or her knees in religious fervor, neither does anyone sacrifice a goat to Satan. Rowling has kept her books carefully neutral, but not because she wishes to undermine traditional spiritual values. Rather, it seems that Rowling wishes to appeal to the largest possible audience, without appealing to one spiritual belief over another. Rowling presents Halloween in such a manner that would appeal to the imagination of children, with bats, candles in pumpkins, and a feast; however, it is also merely a backdrop for the action that brings the Three Musketeers of Harry, Ron, and Hermione together (Rowling 172-179). Later in the book, the characters celebrate Christmas. Christmas, however, is no different from Halloween. The Christmas break serves only to give Harry a quiet moment to investigate the library and to investigate the Mirror of Erised (Rowling 204-209). Once again Rowling is carefully neutral, describing Christmas only in terms of what would appeal to children. While Rowling focuses primarily on food, gifts, and games, Ron’s brother George also takes the time to tell another brother that he will not be sitting with his fellow prefects, because â€Å"Christmas is a time for family† (203). Rather than glorifying the wizarding world, Rowling chooses to show that the wizarding world is no more appealing than the Muggle world. There are still bullies there: Draco Malfoy is just like Harry’s cousin, only he is thinner and can ride a broom. Friendship and loyalty and knowledge are all valued there; fellowship and fun are as much a part of the school as magic is. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is simply a fantasy story about a boy and his friends away at boarding school. The only real magic connected to this book is that it rekindled many children’s interest in reading. Who can truly argue with that result?

Tony Kronheiser :: essays research papers

Tony Kronheiser Tony Kornheiser is the self-admitted opinionated, sarcastic sports and style columnist for The Washington Post. Kornheiser's purpose is not to report to the reader an objective account of a sporting event, but rather to add humor to topics that range in topic from the Washington Redskins ("It's Now an Off-Road Vehicle," November 5, 1996) to his lunch-time experience the other day ("In a Real Fix," November 3, 1996). Kornheiser's diction, figurative language, and tone make his columns what they are. Often, diction, figurative language, and tone are not common in the journalistic world, but Kornheiser's humor finds room for them. Tony Kornheiser's sarcasm is almost entirely related to his diction. He contains the skills to take something as insignificant as a restaurant changing on him unexpectedly and reports about it so that the common man can relate. He is The Washington Post's Jerry Seinfeld. He blends the slang of the street man with the poetic verbs and fluid adjectives of an English teacher. For example, in "In A Real Fixe," Kornheiser says, "George was beginning to suspect that we had entered (doo-doo, doo-doo). . . The Nouvelle Dining Zone." Most people who have watched the Twilight Zone before can relate this statement as a reference to the famous TV show, so Kornheiser's slang was effective in grabbing the reader, even if a large majority of them have no idea what the word "nouvelle" means. Kornheiser uses an array of such adjectives throughout his pieces but he does not pretend to be above his readers. He fills his work with colloquial speech such as his references in "It's Now an Off-Road Vehicle" to other Washington Post columnists such as Michael Wilbon, and to his "Redskins Bandwagon." (The Redskins Bandwagon was a common phrase used by Washington Redskins fans when the team won the Superbowl in 1991). Kornheiser assumes that the reader is familiar with him, and that is clear in his informal diction that is used with the reader. It is almost to the point of a friendship, as though a coworker was letting off his steam at work during a lunch break. Kornheiser's figurative speech also add to his style quite well. The blend of diction and figurative speech is clear as Kornheiser uses several local allusions in his metaphors and similes that add to his "common man" image. For example, in "In a Real Fixe," Kornheiser compares the look of a hostess' face to one of a nurse at St. Elizabeth's, a local mental hospital. In that same article he also compares his whole experience to "going down into the Metro and

Religion and Science Essay

They can actually complement each other. To understand what Einstein meant when he said this, we must first understand his views on religion. When I was first given Einstein’s article â€Å"Religion and Science† in class, I felt like he was very anti-religious. Throughout the first few paragraphs of the article he talked about why people were led to religious thought and belief. According to him, it was fear and the desire for guidance, support, and love – emotions that were considered signs of â€Å"weakness† – that evoked religious notions. It was just this that drove people to look into a higher being as a means of hope. These feelings are what initiated religious beliefs that told people what they can and can’t do to please God. Einstein’s belief that these â€Å"weak† feelings initiated religion, made him seem so opposed to the idea of looking into an unknown being as a sense of security. Later on in his article, Einstein also told us that religion is not necessary for a person’s ethical behavior. You don’t need a God to tell you right from wrong. After reading all of this, I came to the conclusion that Einstein did not believe in religion. However, after further reading on Einstein I realized that I was very much wrong. Einstein did believe in a religion, but his religion was not the typical, traditional, organized religion like most people believe in. Einstein believed in a â€Å"cosmic religious feeling;† he believed in a higher being that controlled the universe, but not one who was interested in the personal affairs of humans. It was his line of work that had become his religion. He was so passionate and devoted to science that it had become his faith. His religious feeling was of â€Å"inklings† and â€Å"wondering. His religion was his thoughts, and it was through this that Einstein studied and came to scientific conclusions. Einstein’s religion was his questions, and science was his means of getting the answers. Einstein once said that you are not a true scientist if you don’t approach science with religious awe. Einstein believed that science and religion were nothing without each o ther. Since religion was Einstein’s â€Å"inklings† and â€Å"wondering,† religion was a sort of motivation for science. After all, what would science be without human questioning? Science would be pointless without religion, and that is what Einstein meant when he said â€Å"Science without religion is lame. † Science is just, as many people see it, a search for answers, and religion gives the questions. Some people choose to follow a religion without any logical thinking of their own; this is what Einstein meant by â€Å"Religion without science is blind. † It doesn’t make sense to believe in something without any logical reasoning. You would have to do some further research and study to give yourself further knowledge and understanding of a certain belief. Many people believe in a certain religion just because their parents believe in it, and that is the faith they grew up in to. They practice this religion because it’s what they were taught to do, not because it’s something they personally believe in. This is an example of a religious belief being â€Å"blind. † The person hasn’t looked into the religion at all on their own to see if there is any truth in it. They believe it just because their family believes it. This is completely illogical. Without proven facts to back up a belief, the belief is simply blind. A belief being blind, meaning that the belief has no evidence to back it up. There is no logical reason to believe in it. Science helps to create an open minded understanding of religion. Without science, religion would be useless and completely illogical. Although religion is not the same to me as it was to Einstein, I completely agree that religion and science are nothing without each other. Religion and science go hand in hand. My religion, Islam, doesn’t only tell me to believe, but it also provokes me to ask questions. Unlike Einstein, my religion is not just a religion of questions, it gives answers as well. However, most of these answers can be scientifically backed up, and the others have not been scientifically disproven either. Religion, or more specifically, Islam, is not primarily scientific; however it does answer some of the same questions as science. I believe that religion is nothing without science because it doesn’t make sense to blindly believe in something without some fact to back it up. Religion is a strong elief, and science may elaborate on that belief. In fact, Islam encourages scientific research. Time and time again, it is mentioned in the Quran (holy book) to reflect, not to just blindly believe. A verse in the Quran states, â€Å"And it is He who spread the earth and placed therein firmly set mountains and rivers; and from all of the fruits He made therein two mates; He causes the night to cover the day. Indeed in that are signs for a people who reflect† [13:3] . This verse encourages us to reflect over these â€Å"signs,† to do research and believe with reason. It is only through research that religion is understood and appreciated even more. In Islam, it is believed that the Quran, the holy book was brought down over 1400 years ago, during the 7th century. That was a time when people didn’t know many of the scientific facts we know now. They weren’t advanced enough, and they didn’t have the correct technology. It was a time when people thought that the world was flat. The Quran, however, stated differently, it hinted at the roundness of the Earth. â€Å"He has created the Heavens and the Earth for Truth. He wraps the night up in the day, and wraps the day up in the night† [39:5]. The Arabic word that translates to â€Å"to wrap† in this verse is â€Å"yukawwir,† which comes from the origin â€Å"kurah† meaning sphere. Also, in this verse, wrapping the night up in the day means that the night slowly and gradually turns to day, which could only happen if the Earth was round. Another example is the formation of rain. The three stages of rain formation are the â€Å"raw material† of rain rising up into the air with the wind, clouds forming from the water vapor, and finally raindrops falling. In the Quran, it is stated, â€Å"It is Allah Who sends the winds which stir up clouds which He spreads about the sky however He wills. He forms them into dark clumps and you see the rain come pouring out from the middle of them. When He makes it fall on those of His servants He wills, they rejoice† [30:48]. The stages of rain formation weren’t discovered until after the weather radar was invented, but the same stages are discussed in the Quran. These are just two of many scientific signs in the Quran, but it shows that in Islam, absolute religious text and absolute scientific fact never contradict. Many people believe that religion and science can’t coexist because they cancel each other out. It is either one or the other, but this just simply isn’t true. In Islam, there is no conflict between absolute scientific fact and absolute religious text; everyone would be able to see this if they really looked into both of these factors. Religion actually encourages people to expand their knowledge through scientific research and come to a deeper understanding of their religion.

Construction Management and Health Safety Free Essay Example, 1000 words

The terrain and slopping of the area will also determine the construction expenses. A sloppy or highly mountainous area will require a deeper tunnel which will be expensive to construct, unlike a gentle sloppy area where the tunnel will be easy to construct, ad will be less costly. The construction materials will also determine the construction cost. Locally available materials will be cheap. However, other materials may require importation or may be generally expensive. The mode of construction of the tunnel will also determine its expenses. Shallow tunnels are easy and to construct, unlike deep underground tunnels which will require stronger materials and highly skilled personnel. The nature of the area under construction will also determine the machinery to be used. Rocky areas will require strong machinery which will add to the construction cost. Constructions of tunnels under deep waters will also be costly (Hemphill, 2013). The size of the tunnel is another aspect that will de termine its procurement. Large tunnels which are wide and extents along large areas will add on the materials to be used, making this expensive and more costly. We will write a custom essay sample on Construction Management and Health & Safety or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Short and narrow tunnels are easy and cheap to construct. The technology used in the construction work will be another determinate factor. The contract price of the construction project is determined uponthe evaluation of the nature of the tunnel, required materials of construction and the labour to be employed. The price should cater for the machineries to be used, whether for purchase or hire. Long term construction will require purchase of machinery, while a short term contract may involve hire of the machines. The pricing of the equipment and construction materials should be based on the current market price, and should cater of unforeseen contingencies such as breakdown, failure or cases of theft (European agency for safety and health at work, 2004). Upon the establishment of the construction cost, the monitoring of the cost is the responsibility of the contractor. The contractor is solely responsible of assessing the amount of money allocated for the project, its flow infrom the funding department and the flow out, I terms of purchase of materials and settling t of the labour expenses. This is detailed showing ex penditure for each individual item over the period of the project. The monitoring of cash flow and project cost can be doe through the use of the cash flow charts. The cashflow charts enables the project manager to foresee and prevent any case of liquidity problem.