How to Solve a Rubik Cube

How to solve a Rubik’s cube The purpose of this report is to inform the audience on how to solve a Rubik’s cube in three simple steps. Solving a Rubik’s cube can be difficult; however by solving one layer at a time, and knowing the correct algorithm to use for each desired move, makes solving a Rubik’s cube easier than it looks. Introduction Invented by mechanics in 1974. There are over 43 quintillion possible combinations for solving a Rubik’s cube. That is 43,252,003,274,489,856,000. (information-facts). I am going to teach you how to solve one side of the cube. Which then puts you in position for solving the middle layer of the cube.That lastly enables you to execute the final layer effortlessly. Body I. The first step in solving one side of a Rubik’s cube is done by making a cross with whichever color you choose to start with. Using the algorithm â€Å"F' T L' T'. † (algorithm list) A. After completing the cross, the edge pieces ar e then put into place completing the first layer. Using the algorithm R' B' R B. II. The second step is putting the middle pieces in the correct domicile in order to finalize the middle layer. A. There are two algorithms used depending on if you are moving a piece to the left or right side of the middle layer.T R T' R' T' F' T F† for moving a piece to the left side. And T' L' T L T F T' F' for the right side. III. The third and final step is solving the last layer. Starting out by executing a cross on the top of the cube by performing F R T R' T' F’. A. Then fixing the cross by orienting the pieces in their correct positions. Using R T R' T R T T R'. 1. Followed by positioning the edge pieces in their correct places by doing T R T' L' T R' T' L. a. Leaves you with the final algorithm, which simply rotates the corner pieces that are already in their correct places. By doing an easy out, out, in, in, move R' B' R B, until the cube is complete.Conclusion I went over how to solve a Rubik’s cube step by step, starting out with the first cross and layer, to the middle layer, and the final cross and layer. If anyone would like me to email them my algorithms I would be glad to do that. And I know the process seems a bit confusing so you would like help learning to solve the cube on your own using the algorithms I can also provide some assistance with that as well. I hope this presentation helped you understand how to solve a Rubik’s cube. References A Rubik’s cube has 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possible combinations. | Information Facts. (n. d. ).Information Facts – Facts of the world, Crazy facts, What a information, Interesting facts. Retrieved February 12, 2013, from http://www. information-facts. com/shocking/a-rubiks-cube-has-43252003274489856000-possible-combinations (0), M. R. (n. d. ). Algorithm List – How to Solve a Rubik's Cube. www. personal. psu. edu. Retrieved February 12, 2013, from http://www. personal. ps u. edu/mjr5125/blogs/how_to_solve_a_rubiks_cube/algorithm-list. html Out of the Cube: Augmented Rubik's Cube. (n. d. ). Hindawi Publishing Corporation . Retrieved February 12, 2013, from http://www. hindawi. com/journals/ijcgt/201

Chapter 12 Triwizard Tournament

Through the gates, flanked with statues of winged boars, and up the sweeping drive the carriages trundled, swaying dangerously in what was fast becoming a gale. Leaning against the window, Harry could see Hogwarts coming nearer, its many lighted windows blurred and shimmering behind the thick curtain of rain. Lightning flashed across the sky as their carriage came to a halt before the great oak front doors, which stood at the top of a flight of stone steps. People who had occupied the carriages in front were already hurrying up the stone steps into the castle. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville jumped down from their carriage and dashed up the steps too, looking up only when they were safely inside the cavernous, torch-lit entrance hall, with its magnificent marble staircase. â€Å"Blimey,† said Ron, shaking his head and sending water everywhere, â€Å"if that keeps up the lake's going to overflow. I'm soak – ARRGH!† A large, red, water-filled balloon had dropped from out of the ceiling onto Ron's head and exploded. Drenched and sputtering, Ron staggered sideways into Harry, just as a second water bomb dropped – narrowly missing Hermione, it burst at Harry's feet, sending a wave of cold water over his sneakers into his socks. People all around them shrieked and started pushing one another in their efforts to get out of the line of fire. Harry looked up and saw, floating twenty feet above them, Peeves the Poltergeist, a little man in a bell-covered hat and orange bow tie, his wide, malicious face contorted with concentration as he took aim again. â€Å"PEEVES!† yelled an angry voice. â€Å"Peeves, come down here at ONCE!† Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress and head of Gryffindor House, had come dashing out of the Great Hall; she skidded on the wet floor and grabbed Hermione around the neck to stop herself from falling. â€Å"Ouch – sorry, Miss Granger -â€Å" â€Å"That's all right, Professor!† Hermione gasped, massaging her throat. â€Å"Peeves, get down here NOW!† barked Professor McGonagall, straightening her pointed hat and glaring upward through her square-rimmed spectacles. â€Å"Not doing nothing!† cackled Peeves, lobbing a water bomb at several fifth-year girls, who screamed and dived into the Great Hall. â€Å"Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeeeeeee!† And he aimed another bomb at a group of second years who had just arrived. â€Å"I shall call the headmaster!† shouted Professor McGonagall. â€Å"I'm warning you, Peeves -â€Å" Peeves stuck out his tongue, threw the last of his water bombs into the air, and zoomed off up the marble staircase, cackling insanely. â€Å"Well, move along, then!† said Professor McGonagall sharply to the bedraggled crowd. â€Å"Into the Great Hall, come on!† Harry, Ron, and Hermione slipped and slid across the entrance hall and through the double doors on the right, Ron muttering furiously under his breath as he pushed his sopping hair off his face. The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in midair. The four long House tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils. It was much warmer in here. Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked past the Slytherins, the Ravenclaws, and the Hufflepuffs, and sat down with the rest of the Gryffindors at the far side of the Hall, next to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost. Pearly white and semitransparent, Nick was dressed tonight in his usual doublet, but with a particularly large ruff, which served the dual purpose of looking extra-festive, and insuring that his head didn't wobble too much on his partially severed neck. â€Å"Good evening,† he said, beaming at them. â€Å"Says who?† said Harry, taking off his sneakers and emptying them of water. â€Å"Hope they hurry up with the Sorting. I'm starving.† The Sorting of the new students into Houses took place at the start of every school year, but by an unlucky combination of circumstances, Harry hadn't been present at one since his own. He was quite looking forward to it. Just then, a highly excited, breathless voice called down the table. â€Å"Hiya, Harry!† It was Colin Creevey, a third year to whom Harry was something of a hero. â€Å"Hi, Colin,† said Harry warily. â€Å"Harry, guess what? Guess what, Harry? My brother's starting! My brother Dennis!† â€Å"Er – good,† said Harry. â€Å"He's really excited!† said Colin, practically bouncing up and down in his seat. â€Å"I just hope he's in Gryffindor! Keep your fingers crossed, eh, Harry?† â€Å"Er – yeah, all right,† said Harry. He turned back to Hermione, Ron, and Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"Brothers and sisters usually go in the same Houses, don't they?† he said. He was judging by the Weasleys, all seven of whom had been put into Gryffindor. â€Å"Oh no, not necessarily,† said Hermione. â€Å"Parvati Patil's twin's in Ravenclaw, and they're identical. You'd think they'd be together, wouldn't you?† Harry looked up at the staff table. There seemed to be rather more empty seats there than usual. Hagrid, of course, was still fighting his way across the lake with the first years; Professor McGonagall was presumably supervising the drying of the entrance hall floor, but there was another empty chair too, and Harry couldn't think who else was missing. â€Å"Where's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?† said Hermione, who was also looking up at the teachers. They had never yet had a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who had lasted more than three terms. Harry's favorite by far had been Professor Lupin, who had resigned last year. He looked up and down the staff table. There was definitely no new face there. â€Å"Maybe they couldn't get anyone!† said Hermione, looking anxious. Harry scanned the table more carefully. Tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was sitting on a large pile of cushions beside Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, whose hat was askew over her flyaway gray hair. She was talking to Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department. On Professor Sinistra's other side was the sallow-faced, hook-nosed, greasy-haired Potions master, Snape – Harry's least favorite person at Hogwarts. Harry's loathing of Snape was matched only by Snape's hatred of him, a hatred which had, if possible, intensified last year, when Harry had helped Sirius escape right under Snape's overlarge nose – Snape and Sirius had been enemies since their own school days. On Snape's other side was an empty seat, which Harry guessed was Professor McGonagall's. Next to it, and in the very center of the table, sat Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, his sweeping silver hair and beard shining in the candlelight, his magnificent deep green robes embroidered with many stars and moons. The tips of Dumbledore's long, thin fingers were together and he was resting his chin upon them, staring up at the ceiling through his half-moon spectacles as though lost in thought. Harry glanced up at the ceiling too. It was enchanted to look like the sky outside, and he had never seen it look this stormy. Black and purple clouds were swirling across it, and as another thunderclap sounded outside, a fork of lightning flashed across it. â€Å"Oh hurry up,† Ron moaned, beside Harry, â€Å"I could eat a hippogriff.† The words were no sooner out of his mouth than the doors of the Great Hall opened and silence fell. Professor McGonagall was leading a long line of first years up to the top of the Hall. If Harry, Ron, and Hermione were wet, it was nothing to how these first years looked. They appeared to have swum across the lake rather than sailed. All of them were shivering with a combination of cold and nerves as they filed along the staff table and came to a halt in a line facing the rest of the school – all of them except the smallest of the lot, a boy with mousy hair, who was wrapped in what Harry recognized as Hagrid's moleskin overcoat. The coat was so big for him that it hooked as though he were draped in a furry black circus tent. His small face protruded from over the collar, looking almost painfully excited. When he had lined up with his terrified-looking peers, he caught Colin Creevey's eye, gave a double thumbs-up, and mouthed, I fell in the lake! He looked positively delighted about it. Professor McGonagall now placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first years and, on top of it, an extremely old, dirty patched wizard's hat. The first years stared at it. So did everyone else. For a moment, there was silence. Then a long tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat broke into song: A thousand years or more ago, When I was newly sewn,There lived four wizards of renown, Whose names are still well known: Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor, Fair Ravenclaw, from glen, Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad, Shrewd Slytherin, from fin. They shared a wish, a hope, a dream, They hatched a daring plan To educate young sorcerers Thus Hogwarts School began. Now each of these four founders Formed their own house, for each Did value different virtues In the ones they had to teach. By Gryffindor, the bravest were Prized far beyond the rest; For Ravenclaw, the cleverest Would always be the best; For Hufflepuff, hard workers were Most worthy of admission; And power-hungry Slytherin Loved those of great ambition. While still alive they did divide Their favorites from the throng, Yet how to pick the worthy ones When they were dead and gone? Twas Gryffindor who found the way, He whipped me off his head The founders put some brains in me So I could choose instead! Now slip me snug about your ears, I've never yet been wrong, I'll have a look inside your mind And tell where you belong! The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting Hat finished. â€Å"That's not the song it sang when it Sorted us,† said Harry, clapping along with everyone else. â€Å"Sings a different one every year,† said Ron. â€Å"It's got to be a pretty boring life, hasn't it, being a hat? I suppose it spends all year making up the next one.† Professor McGonagall was now unrolling a large scroll of parchment. â€Å"When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool,† she told the first years. â€Å"When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table. â€Å"Ackerley, Stewart!† A boy walked forward, visibly trembling from head to foot, picked up the Sorting Hat, put it on, and sat down on the stool. â€Å"RAVENCLAW!† shouted the hat. Stewart Ackerley took off the hat and hurried into a seat at the Ravenclaw table, where everyone was applauding him. Harry caught a glimpse of Cho, the Ravenclaw Seeker, cheering Stewart Ackerley as he sat down. For a fleeting second, Harry had a strange desire to join the Ravenclaw table too. â€Å"Baddock, Malcolm!† â€Å"SLYTHERIN!† The table on the other side of the hall erupted with cheers; Harry could see Malfoy clapping as Baddock joined the Slytherins. Harry wondered whether Baddock knew that Slytherin House had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other. Fred and George hissed Malcolm Baddock as he sat down. â€Å"Branstone, Eleanor!† â€Å"HUFFLEPUFF!† â€Å"Cauldwell, Owen!† â€Å"HUFFLEPUFF!† â€Å"Creevey, Dennis!† Tiny Dennis Creevey staggered forward, tripping over Hagrid's moleskin, just as Hagrid himself sidled into the Hall through a door behind the teachers' table. About twice as tall as a normal man, and at least three times as broad, Hagrid, with his long, wild, tangled black hair and beard, looked slightly alarming – a misleading impression, for Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew Hagrid to possess a very kind nature. He winked at them as he sat down at the end of the staff table and watched Dennis Creevey putting on the Sorting Hat. The rip at the brim opened wide – â€Å"GRYFFINDOR!† the hat shouted. Hagrid clapped along with the Gryffindors as Dennis Creevey, beaming widely, took off the hat, placed it back on the stool, and hurried over to join his brother. â€Å"Colin, I fell in!† he said shrilly, throwing himself into an empty seat. â€Å"It was brilliant! And something in the water grabbed me and pushed me back in the boat!† â€Å"Cool!† said Colin, just as excitedly. â€Å"It was probably the giant squid, Dennis!† â€Å"Wow!† said Dennis, as though nobody in their wildest dreams could hope for more than being thrown into a storm-tossed, fathoms-deep lake, and pushed out of it again by a giant sea monster. â€Å"Dennis! Dennis! See that boy down there? The one with the black hair and glasses? See him? Know who he is, Dennis?† Harry looked away, staring very hard at the Sorting Hat, now Sorting Emma Dobbs. The Sorting continued; boys and girls with varying degrees of fright on their faces moving one by one to the three-legged stool, the line dwindling slowly as Professor McGonagall passed the L's. â€Å"Oh hurry up,† Ron moaned, massaging his stomach. â€Å"Now, Ron, the Sorting's much more important than food,† said Nearly Headless Nick as â€Å"Madley, Laura!† became a Hufflepuff. â€Å"Course it is, if you're dead,† snapped Ron. â€Å"I do hope this year's batch of Gryffindors are up to scratch,† said Nearly Headless Nick, applauding as â€Å"McDonald, Natalie!† joined the Gryffindor table. â€Å"We don't want to break our winning streak, do we?† Gryffindor had won the Inter-House Championship for the last three years in a row. â€Å"Pritchard, Graham!† â€Å"SLYTHERIN!† â€Å"Quirke, Orla!† â€Å"RAVENCLAW!† And finally, with â€Å"Whitby, Kevin!† (â€Å"HUFFLEPUFF!†), the Sorting ended. Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and the stool and carried them away. â€Å"About time,† said Ron, seizing his knife and fork and looking expectantly at his golden plate. Professor Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his arms opened wide in welcome. â€Å"I have only two words to say to you,† he told them, his deep voice echoing around the Hall. â€Å"Tuck in.† â€Å"Hear, hear!† said Harry and Ron loudly as the empty dishes filled magically before their eyes. Nearly Headless Nick watched mournfully as Harry, Ron, and Hermione loaded their own plates. â€Å"Aaah, ‘at's be'er,† said Ron, with his mouth full of mashed potato. â€Å"You're lucky there's a feast at all tonight, you know,† said Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"There was trouble in the kitchens earlier.† â€Å"Why? Wha' ‘appened?† said Harry, through a sizable chunk of steak. â€Å"Peeves, of course,† said Nearly Headless Nick, shaking his head, which wobbled dangerously. He pulled his ruff a little higher up on his neck. â€Å"The usual argument, you know. He wanted to attend the feast – well, it's quite out of the question, you know what he's like, utterly uncivilized, can't see a plate of food without throwing it. We held a ghost's council – the Fat Friar was all for giving him the chance – but most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down.† The Bloody Baron was the Slytherin ghost, a gaunt and silent specter covered in silver bloodstains. He was the only person at Hogwarts who could really control Peeves. â€Å"Yeah, we thought Peeves seemed hacked off about something,† said Ron darkly. â€Å"So what did he do in the kitchens?† â€Å"Oh the usual,† said Nearly Headless Nick, shrugging. â€Å"Wreaked havoc and mayhem. Pots and pans everywhere. Place swimming in soup. Terrified the house-elves out of their wits -â€Å" Clang. Hermione had knocked over her golden goblet. Pumpkin juice spread steadily over the tablecloth, staining several feet of white linen orange, but Hermione paid no attention. â€Å"There are house-elves here?† she said, staring, horror-struck, at Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"Here at Hogwarts?† â€Å"Certainly,† said Nearly Headless Nick, looking surprised at her reaction. â€Å"The largest number in any dwelling in Britain, I believe. Over a hundred.† â€Å"I've never seen one!† said Hermione. â€Å"Well, they hardly ever leave the kitchen by day, do they?† said Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"They come out at night to do a bit of cleaning†¦see to the fires and so on†¦.I mean, you're not supposed to see them, are you? That's the mark of a good house-elf, isn't it, that you don't know it's there?† Hermione stared at him. â€Å"But they get paid?† she said. â€Å"They get holidays, don't they? And – and sick leave, and pensions, and everything?† Nearly Headless Nick chortled so much that his ruff slipped and his head flopped off, dangling on the inch or so of ghostly skin and muscle that still attached it to his neck. â€Å"Sick leave and pensions?† he said, pushing his head back onto his shoulders and securing it once more with his ruff. â€Å"House-elves don't want sick leave and pensions!† Hermione looked down at her hardly touched plate of food, then put her knife and fork down upon it and pushed it away from her. â€Å"Oh c'mon, ‘Er-my-knee,† said Ron, accidentally spraying Harry with bits of Yorkshire pudding. â€Å"Oops – sorry, ‘Arry -† He swallowed. â€Å"You won't get them sick leave by starving yourself!† â€Å"Slave labor,† said Hermione, breathing hard through her nose. â€Å"That's what made this dinner. Slave labor.† And she refused to eat another bite. The rain was still drumming heavily against the high, dark glass. Another clap of thunder shook the windows, and the stormy ceiling flashed, illuminating the golden plates as the remains of the first course vanished and were replaced, instantly, with puddings. â€Å"Treacle tart, Hermione!† said Ron, deliberately wafting its smell toward her. â€Å"Spotted dick, look! Chocolate gateau!† But Hermione gave him a look so reminiscent of Professor McGonagall that he gave up. When the puddings too had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard. â€Å"So!† said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. â€Å"Now that we are all fed and watered,† (â€Å"Hmph!† said Hermione) â€Å"I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. â€Å"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it.† The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, â€Å"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. â€Å"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year.† â€Å"What?† Harry gasped. He looked around at Fred and George, his fellow members of the Quidditch team. They were mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak. Dumbhedore went on, â€Å"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy – but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -â€Å" But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table. A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. Hermione gasped. The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any Harry had ever seen.It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening. One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye – and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness. The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbhedore shook it, muttering words Harry couldn't hear. He seemed to be making some inquiry of the stranger, who shook his head unsmilingly and replied in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side. The stranger sat down, shook his mane of dark gray hair out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it. He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students. â€Å"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?† said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. â€Å"Professor Moody.† It was usual for new staff members to be greeted with applause, but none of the staff or students chapped except Dumbledore and Hagrid, who both put their hands together and applauded, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and they stopped fairly quickly. Everyone else seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him. â€Å"Moody?† Harry muttered to Ron. â€Å"Mad-Eye Moody? The one your dad went to help this morning?† â€Å"Must be,† said Ron in a low, awed voice. â€Å"What happened to him?† Hermione whispered. â€Å"What happened to his face?† â€Å"Dunno,† Ron whispered back, watching Moody with fascination. Moody seemed totally indifferent to his less-than-warm welcome. Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he reached again into his traveling cloak, pulled out a hip flask, and took a long draught from it. As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, and Harry saw, below the table, several inches of carved wooden leg, ending in a clawed foot. Dumbledore cleared his throat. â€Å"As I was saying,† he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, â€Å"we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year.† â€Å"You're JOKING!† said Fred Weasley loudly. The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively. â€Å"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley,† he said, â€Å"though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar.† Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly. â€Å"Er – but maybe this is not the time†¦no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Dumbledore, â€Å"where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament†¦well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely. â€Å"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities – until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued.† â€Å"Death toll?† Hermione whispered, looking alarmed. But her anxiety did not seem to be shared by the majority of students in the Hall; many of them were whispering excitedly to one another, and Harry himself was far more interested in hearing about the tournament than in worrying about deaths that had happened hundreds of years ago. â€Å"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament,† Dumbledore continued, â€Å"none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger. â€Å"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money.† â€Å"I'm going for it!† Fred Weasley hissed down the table, his face lit with enthusiasm at the prospect of such glory and riches. He was not the only person who seemed to be visualizing himself as the Hogwarts champion. At every House table, Harry could see people either gazing raptly at Dumbledore, or else whispering fervently to their neighbors. But then Dumbledore spoke again, and the Hall quieted once more. â€Å"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts,† he said, â€Å"the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age – that is to say, seventeen years or older – will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This -† Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, and the Weasley twins were suddenly looking furious – â€Å"is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion.† His light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over Fred's and George's mutinous faces. â€Å"I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen. â€Å"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!† Dumbledore sat down again and turned to talk to Mad-Eye Moody. There was a great scraping and banging as all the students got to their feet and swarmed toward the double doors into the entrance hall. â€Å"They can't do that!† said George Weasley, who had not joined the crowd moving toward the door, but was standing up and glaring at Dumbledore. â€Å"We're seventeen in April, why can't we have a shot?† â€Å"They're not stopping me entering,† said Fred stubbornly, also scowling at the top table. â€Å"The champions'll get to do all sorts of stuff you'd never be allowed to do normally. And a thousand Galleons prize money!† â€Å"Yeah,† said Ron, a faraway look on his face. â€Å"Yeah, a thousand Galleons†¦.† â€Å"Come on,† said Hermione, â€Å"we'll be the only ones left here if you don't move.† Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George set off for the entrance hall, Fred and George debating the ways in which Dumbledore might stop those who were under seventeen from entering the tournament. â€Å"Who's this impartial judge who's going to decide who the champions are?† said Harry. â€Å"Dunno,† said Fred, â€Å"but it's them we'll have to fool. I reckon a couple of drops of Aging Potion might do it, George†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Dumbledore knows you're not of age, though,† said Ron. â€Å"Yeah, but he's not the one who decides who the champion is, is he?† said Fred shrewdly. â€Å"Sounds to me like once this judge knows who wants to enter, he'll choose the best from each school and never mind how old they are. Dumbledore's trying to stop us giving our names.† â€Å"People have died, though!† said Hermione in a worried voice as they walked through a door concealed behind a tapestry and started up another, narrower staircase. â€Å"Yeah,† said Fred airily, â€Å"but that was years ago, wasn't it? Anyway, where's the fun without a bit of risk? Hey, Ron, what if we find out how to get 'round Dumbledore? Fancy entering?† â€Å"What d'you reckon?† Ron asked Harry. â€Å"Be cool to enter, wouldn't it? But I s'pose they might want someone older†¦.Dunno if we've learned enough†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I definitely haven't,† came Neville's gloomy voice from behind Fred and George. â€Å"I expect my gran'd want me to try, though. She's always going on about how I should be upholding the family honor. I'll just have to – oops†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Neville's foot had sunk right through a step halfway up the staircase. There were many of these trick stairs at Hogwarts; it was second nature to most of the older students to jump this particular step, but Neville's memory was notoriously poor. Harry and Ron seized him under the armpits and pulled him out, while a suit of armor at the top of the stairs creaked and clanked, laughing wheezily. â€Å"Shut it, you,† said Ron, banging down its visor as they passed. They made their way up to the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, which was concealed behind a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink silk dress. â€Å"Password?† she said as they approached. â€Å"Balderdash,† said George, â€Å"a prefect downstairs told me.† The portrait swung forward to reveal a hole in the wall through which they all climbed. A crackling fire warmed the circular common room, which was full of squashy armchairs and tables. Hermione cast the merrily dancing flames a dark look, and Harry distinctly heard her mutter â€Å"Slave labor† before bidding them good night and disappearing through the doorway to the girls' dormitory. Harry, Ron, and Neville climbed up the last, spiral staircase until they reached their own dormitory, which was situated at the top of the tower. Five four-poster beds with deep crimson hangings stood against the walls, each with its owner's trunk at the foot. Dean and Seamus were already getting into bed; Seamus had pinned his Ireland rosette to his headboard, and Dean had tacked up a poster of Viktor Krum over his bedside table. His old poster of the West Ham football team was pinned right next to it. â€Å"Mental,† Ron sighed, shaking his head at the completely stationary soccer players. Harry, Ron, and Neville got into their pajamas and into bed. Someone – a house-elf, no doubt – had placed warming pans between the sheets. It was extremely comfortable, lying there in bed and listening to the storm raging outside. â€Å"I might go in for it, you know,† Ron said sleepily through the darkness, â€Å"if Fred and George find out how to†¦the tournament†¦.you never know, do you?† â€Å"S'pose not†¦.† Harry rolled over in bed, a series of dazzling new pictures forming in his mind's eye†¦.He had hoodwinked the impartial judge into believing he was seventeen†¦.he had become Hogwarts champion†¦he was standing on the grounds, his arms raised in triumph in front of the whole school, all of whom were applauding and screaming†¦he had just won the Triwizard Tournament. Cho's face stood out particularly clearly in the blurred crowd, her face glowing with admiration†¦. Harry grinned into his pillow, exceptionally glad that Ron couldn't see what he could.

MGMT499 - 1403B - 04 Individual Project 3 Research Paper

MGMT499 - 1403B - 04 Individual Project 3 - Research Paper Example Every supervisor in the department should be honest to ensure that the process is successful (Sargeson, 2009). Additionally, they should follow these instructions: All the supervisors will be graded according to the work they perform, ensuring that their grading is accurate and true. In this case, all their duties will be examined and accessed and their performance will be tracked to ensure that only the relevant information is acquired and filled in the performance grading form (Butera, 2013). The language must be communal on all aspects and the grading criteria must be consistence to enhance easy evaluation of their performances. Through this method, it will be easy to access the frontline supervisor performance. The grading criteria’s to use will include; unsatisfactory, below expectations, meets expectations, exceeds expectations and lastly, outstanding (Weiner, 2010). The supervisor will be graded accordingly, ensuring that the results are genuine. The criterion is very effective since every supervisor fits in one of the criteria’s. Consequently, it is effective in ensuring that all the qualities of a given supervisor, wheth er good, bad or worst are represented. All the weights are equal since every character is important for the supervisor to be characterized as perfect in performing his or her duties (6.67%). Administration: Have quality, effective and perfect administration and organizational skills. Eliminate all the unnecessary activities in the department and handle all activities with caution to enhance success. Communication: Have good communication skills such as listening to the juniors, effectively listening to their pleas and addressing their issues. Be timely while providing important information to the co-workers and the management Teamwork: Does the supervisor relate well with the employees under all conditions, especially, getting along easily with

Animal Assisted Therapy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Animal Assisted Therapy - Research Paper Example In short, wherever people have special needs, someone with creativity and an animal with the proper temperament can probably create an imaginative way to being pets and people together for mutual benefit (Welcome to the World of Animal-Assisted Therapy and Animal-Assisted Activities) Animal Assisted Therapy is gaining popularity at present because of the utility of pet animals in improving health conditions of patients. â€Å"Animal assisted therapy can be defined as the utilization of animals as a therapeutic modality to facilitate healing and rehabilitation of patients with acute or chronic ailments†(McGuirk, p.6). It is a type of therapy which involves the assistance of an animal in improving the physical, psychological and social wellbeing of a patient. Pet owners have known the health benefit of animals well before the animal therapy was introduced by the medical science. It is not necessary that animal therapy alone may successful in curing chronic diseases; however in c ombination with other therapies like physical and cognitive therapies, animal therapy found to be extremely useful in reducing mental stress, Cholesterol, high blood pressure etc. Animal assisted therapy is suitable for animal lovers. Children often establish deep relationships with pet animals. Apart from improving the physical and mental health, the presence of beloved animal can help children in improving their learning skills, memory, vocabulary, motivation etc. Though it seems possible that the novelty of the experiences themselves cause such improvements in children, therapy animals do provide them with the sort of emotional support humans novelty cannot, leading to improved physical and mental states.   The physical interaction with animals or the presence of animals can help children and animal lovers reduce their mental stress. Increased mental stress is the most prominent reason for many of the physical, psychological and social problems faced by children. In many of the cases, children may become problematic when they were unable to get the necessary love and care from the parents and beloved ones. Most of the current parents are professionals and they give more importance to their profession rather than their children. The absence of parents forced children to spend majority of their childhood time with pet animals like dogs, cats, birds etc. Thus many of the children establish deep relationships with pet animals. In some cases, such relationships are even stronger than their relationships with their parents. The presence of loved ones is always providing comfort to a person when he is in critical conditions. Children who loved their pet animals more than anything else may become relaxed in the company of such animals. Human love and animal love are entirely different. Human love in many cases is conditional whereas animal love is unconditional. Animals do not expect anything in return to the love they extend towards their owners. On the other ha nd human always expect something in return for the love they provide to another person. In other words, animals can establish much deeper relationships or love affairs with its owner. In recent years, it has been proven that by owning a pet, or just by being around dogs or other animals, one may enjoy several health benefits. These include: Lower blood pressure, Reduce cholesterol levels, Increase life expectancy, Ease loneliness, Improve communication, Foster trust, Reduce the need for medications by providing a diversion from pain, Improve cognitive functioning, Improve physical conditioning, Decrease stress and anxiety for patients and their families, Provide unconditional acceptance, especially for improving body image, Motivate patient to quicker recovery, Greater risk taking, May be able to alert to an

Th Ntur f Pristhd in th Church f nglnd Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Th Ntur f Pristhd in th Church f nglnd - Essay Example Th nly high prist in Gd's systm tdy is in hvn" Christins r prists f Gd. Th pristhd undr th lw ws vry hnrbl nd scrd ffic, Hb. 5:4, "nd n mn tkth this hnr unt himslf, but h tht is clld f Gd, s ws rn." It ws n ccunt f this hnr tht ths prud mn, Krh nd his cmpny, nvid rn; nd Gd ssrtd nd vindictd rn's right t it, by cusing his rd t bud. It ws n hnr which, bfr th giving f th lw, whn vry prticulr fmily ws wnt t ffr scrifics fr thmslvs, th firstbrn usd t clim, nd thrfr th birthright ws s much stmd nd vlud. Thrfr Jcb hd such dsir f hving th birthright f his brthr su, nd su's dspising f it is spkn f s grt instnc f his prfnnss. Prist in th Church f nglnd is sid t b chif mn mng his ppl, Lv. 21:4, "But h shll nt dfil himslf, bing chif mn mng his ppl, t prfn himslf." Bcus th ffic f th pristhd is s hnrbl, it is nticd s wickd cntmpt f it in svrl wickd kings, tht thy md f th mnst f th ppl prists. Pristhd is vry scrd ffic, nd tht bv ll thr ffics. Lv. 21:6, "Thy shll b hly unt thir Gd, nd nt prfn th nm f thir Gd, fr th ffrings f th Lrd md by fir, nd th brd f thir Gd, thy d ffr; thrfr thy shll b hly. Thy shll nt tk wif tht is whr, r prfn, nithr shll thy tk wmn put wy frm hr husbnd; fr h is hly unt his Gd. Thu shlt snctify him thrfr, fr h ffrth th brd f thy Gd, h shll b hly unt th: fr I, th Lrd, which snctify yu, m hly." Church f nglnd blivs tht... Th pristhd nw is n lngr cnfind t n fmily, t rn nd his sns, but ll th tru Isrl r prists. vry tru Christin hs wrk nd ffic tht is s scrd s tht f th prists ws undr th lw, nd vryn is dvncd t lik hnr, nd indd t grtr. But hw vry tru Christin is prist f Gd will ppr in th fllwing things. Undr th nglish Church ll wh hv "btind ccss t this grc in which w stnd" r prists f Gd (Owen, Dorothy, 2002). Ths wh nc wr nmis, whn rcncild t Gd, bcm His ministrs, thrugh Him wh lvs us nd hs frd us frm ur sins by his bld nd md us kingdm, prists t his Gd nd Fthr. N wndr tht clstil vics ris in pn f pris unt Him in th stirring wrds:"Wrthy rt thu t tk th scrll nd t pn its sls,Fr thu wst slin nd by thy bld didst rdm mn fr Gd Frm vry trib nd tngu nd ppl nd ntin, nd hst md thm kingdm nd prists t ur Gd" (Rv. 5:9, 10). Th trms "high prist" nd "chif prist" r fund but 123 tims in th Nw Tstmnt nd thus th pristhd is highly rspctd in nglish Church. Th Grk wrd fr prist is hirus, nd th trm "prist" is fund 33 tims in th Nw Tstmnt, whr it rfrs t th Lviticl prists 18 tims. f th 15 rmining ccurrncs, 8 rfr t Christ, 3 t Mlchizdk, 1 t th pgn prist f Jupitr, nd th thr 3 t th ntir mmbrship f th church f ur Lrd, wh r dsigntd s kingdm, vn prists. In n cs is th trm pplid t spcil ministry r cst in th cngrgtin f ur Lrd. N gspl prchr, bishp, r dcn ws vr rfrrd t s prist in ny distinctiv sns; n such individul ws prist by right f ffic (Best, 1995). S pwrful r th mbitins f mn, nd s wid sprd r th ids f scrdtl cst in th rlm f rligin tht it is virtully impssibl t limint th id f spcil clrgy frm th minds f mn s thy my mk cmplt rturn t pstlic simplicity in wrk nd wrship. Thr is n lmst univrsl id mng th "prists f Gd" tht thy my hir r cntrct with smn f suprir tlnt t pprch Gd in thir bhlf

The study of the hip-hop culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The study of the hip-hop culture - Essay Example The study of the hip-hop culture Some of the professional fields concerned with the study of the hip-hop culture include musicology, literature, African-American studies, linguistics, and so forth (Leach, 9; Alridge and Stewart, 190). In academic and professional conferences, hip-hop culture topics are receiving a wider attention as people strive to understand this culture. Equally, hip-hop materials are currently being sought after by research institutions (including Harvard and Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture) to provide researchers with adequate materials in the analysis of the hip-hop culture (Leach, 9). This essay compares Eminem’s video for â€Å"The Real Slim Shady† with N.W.A.’s video for â€Å"Straight Outta Compton†. In the analysis of these different rap videos, the essay constructs an argument about how hip-hop has changed since its formation in the 1970s. Defining and Understanding Hip-hop and Rap Numerous people (including knowledgeable hip-hop writers and lis teners) do not understand the meanings of rap and hip-hop; particularly, many of these individuals think that the two are interchangeable. Nonetheless, hip-hop is a cultural movement originating from South Bronx, New York. It has four main/primary elements that include rap, graffiti, DJing (also known as turntablism), and break dancing. Other elements that are also part of the hip-hop culture include language, beat boxing, and fashion. Among these elements, rap is the most popular and the most celebrated element of the hip-hop culture. ... Rapping is also known as emceeing. In this hip-hop element, the rapper or the performer speaks rhythmically to a musical beat; his/her words rhyme from one sentence to the other. In the modern hip-hop perspective, an MC is different from a rapper. An MC is an individual with superior lyrical ability; on the other hand, a rapper focuses less on lyrical prowess. Particularly, this characteristic is evident in many of the mainstream rappers today (Aces and Eighths). Although it originated in New York, hip-hop has its roots in African-American and West African music. Griots are a group of West African singers and poets whose musical style is similar to that of the hip-hop culture. They have an oral tradition similar to the one in rap music; however, theirs dates back to hundreds of years. In the City of New York, griot-like musical performances from artists such as Mansur Nuriddin and The Last Poets influenced the post-civil rights era culture in the 1960s. In the 1970s, block parties be came common creating the humble beginnings of the hip-hop culture (Aces and Eighths). â€Å"The Real Slim Shady† by Eminem â€Å"The Real Slim Shady† is a hip-hop song done by Marshall Bruce Mathers III who is popular by the name Eminem. In the process of writing this song, Eminem sought assistance from Andre Romelle Young (popular by the name Dr. Dre) and Thomas Joseph Coster Junior (popular by the name Tommy Coster Jr). Eminem was writing this song for his third studio album â€Å"The Marshall Mathers LP† released on 23 May 2000. This song was the lead single in this album. The song was highly successful as it reached number one in UK (United Kingdom) and number four on the â€Å"Billboard Hot

Harmful effects of alcohol on the brain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Harmful effects of alcohol on the brain - Essay Example To make the matter worse, the concern with drinking today becomes even more complex due to the fact that instances of under-age drinking are rapidly rising, thus increasing reported occurrences of brain damage on teenagers. Jennifer Sheridan in her article â€Å"Booze Putting Teen Brains at Risk† further discussed the dangers of under-age drinking. By presenting facts based from the studies and researches she conducted, Sheridan corroborated the high possibility of acquiring brain injury, especially for teenagers who are supposed to be undergoing various brain developmental processes, from drinking too much and/or consuming alcohol during sustained period (Sheridan, 2009). Without appropriate measures to resolve or, at least, minimize, problem with under-age drinking, the young generation’s likelihood to reach their full potential will be curtailed, hence impeding the bright future that awaits them. Alcohol poses as serious threat to the health and well being of the pop ulation at our community. Some of the health risks of consuming alcohol include, those who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol related dependence than those who do not drink until they are 21. They have a higher risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver, strokes, pancreatitis, and multiple forms of cancer. Early alcohol consumption takes a toll on youths mentally too. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, an individuals brain continues to develop throughout adolescence, therefore those who drink, may have serious side affects with the functions of their short-term and long term memory. They are more likely to suffer from depression, drop out of school because of a reduced ability to learn and carry out normal brain activity. Alcohol consumed by teenagers is hazardous, not only due to the dangers linked with acute impairment, but also due to the problems that drinking brings to their long-term development and welfar e (Sheridan, 2009). From the reports all over the world, the society has witnessed how underage drinking can cause accidents in the road, violence at school, suicide cases, academic failures, and other behavioral concerns brought by underage alcohol consumption. The question is how these teenagers manage to get access to alcoholic beverages despite of the law that prohibits selling of alcohol to youths below 21 years old. According to Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council (2004), teenagers get their access to alcohols from adults. A report shows that more than 90 percent of students from the 12th grade consider getting alcohol â€Å"very easy† or â€Å"fairly easy† (Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council, 2004). Significantly, these young individuals who are not legally allowed to get access to alcoholic beverages are more reckless drinkers than the adults. On average, these teenagers drink more than what their bodies can take and the refore categorizing them as heavy drinkers (Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council, 2004), or drinking until they black out (Sheridan, 2009). In 2004, a report from the National Survey on Drugs Use and Health stated that there were about 29 percent of young Americans, or approximately 10.8 million young individuals), specifically within the age range of 12-20, who had at least a drink a month prior to the report conducted by the organization (Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council, 2004). Still within this age group, the report further stated that 19.6 percent of these subjects were categorized as binge drinkers, or those who had 5 or more drinks on one occasion, which is considered more than the average American adult can consume. In a study conducted by D’Amico et. al. (2001), they discovered that the start of alcohol

Things Fall Apart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Things Fall Apart - Essay Example The protagonist of the novel, Things Fall Apart, is Okonkwo who is also considered symbolic of the village, Umuofia. Okonkwo has his own identity and dignity as a reputable member of the village, Umuofia but he is shown as a willful and lose-tempered person. He loses his temper due to which, he tries to kill his second wife. Okonkwo has to suffer exile on the basis of his killing a boy for seven years. Okonkwo has ambitions to become the leader of his tribe. When he is exiled from his village, he leaves to his mother’s village, Mbanta. He waits anxiously for his return to his own village for seven years. In the meantime, Europeans enter Africa and subjugate people. Europeans try to steal away the identity of Africans by means of their missionary preaching of Christian religion. The native populations of Umoufia, Mbanta and other African villages and lands have their own traditions, laws, customs and ideology to pass their lives. However, Europeans enter Africa and try to subjugate the people of Africa by means of their religion. When Okonkwo reaches back to their village after seven years, he gets surprised by seeing the condition of his village. Along with many other villagers, his own son, Nwoye, has changed his native religion and converted to Christianity. Although, it is true that his village has economic prosperity and development but that is given to them on the basis of their giving up their identity. Through colonialism, the Europeans attacked on the native culture, customs and laws of African people. When the missionaries tried to convert people from their native religions to Christianity, they took away the identity of Africans. Okonkwo tries to maintain his identity and adheres to his traditions and recognition. He does not convert into a Christian. He also tries to help out the other members of his village. Okonkwo is also one of the egwugwu, which are masked spirits of the ancestors. On one occasion, when the tribe is busy in its

How American Sugar Buys Protection Essay Example for Free

How American Sugar Buys Protection Essay 1. The US General Accounting Office (2002) estimates that the sugar program cost domestic sweetener users about $1. 5 billion in 1996 and about $1. 9 billion in 1998. Can you validate this statement by using Probit and Tobit analysis. 2. What diagnostics are generally (multicollinearity and normality? ) run on Tobit and Probit? Do the diagnostics method differ for binomial and multinomial (say trinomial) probit? 3. â€Å"Sugar takes into account the potential influence ( power) of a party in allocating its contributions†- Explain the statement. Also give examples to prove your explanation. 4. There exists a relationship between campaign contributions and the state a Senator represents—Explain this statement and use Probit and Tobit analysis to prove your answer. Reference: US General Accounting Office (2002). Sugar Program: Supporting Sugar Prices Has Increased Users’ Costs While Benefiting Producers, GAO/RCED-00-126. http://faculty. washington. edu/belas/543/GAOSugar. pdf. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/12_december/08/todd_making.shtml

Learning Team A Reflection Essay Example for Free

Learning Team A Reflection Essay Throughout this course, we established a foundation in understanding Business Information Systems. This week’s objectives were to describe how wireless technologies are used in the workplace and how to use spreadsheets in business situations. While some members of Team A were well versed in Microsoft tools, others had their first lesson on Microsoft’s Excel and Access fundamentals. Team A’s members range from a project manager who attained their Associate Degree in Computer Programming, a logistics specialists for Amazon. com, a employee in the Hilton Hotel industry, and a wine educator working in hospitality—all very different fields with varying levels of information systems background. While for some it was a review, Team A can all agree that each and every one of us gained a better understanding on how and why information systems accomplish business objectives. Cheryl knew the degree in which wireless technologies kept users plugged into the World Wide Web. She was aware that smartphones and their many accessories allowed users to access their emails, schedules, mobile banking and participate in e-commerce as well as make online payments—she learned that M-commerce another growing trend. Due to telemedicine, modern technology has allowed the medical world to provide assistance via videoconferencing. In addition, she learned that setting up and using access points to create meshed networks called a Wide Area Network (WAN) (Rainer Cegielski, 2011). Xavier learned the relevance of wireless technology in everyday life. More specifically, he learned of the different functions of varying satellite types to communicate information. Kelly learned about the two basic operations of data mining. According to Rainer and Cegielski (2011), data mining functions in  Ã¢â‚¬Å"predicting trends and behaviors and identifying previously unknown patterns† (chap. 11). Angeliza discovered that Wi-Fi was abbreviated for Wireless Fidelity as well as the synchronization of using Microsoft Excel with Access. With the objectives of Week 3 in mind, Team A members have found varying ways in which we can apply what we have learned in the classroom into our professional or personal lives. As a project manager, Cheryl can utilize Excel to track cost of goods (COGS) inventory. As a logistic specialist, Xavier can use spreadsheets in generating employee lists and creating reports to reflect the volume of freight used on a daily basis. As a team member in hospitality, Kelly can use data mining to track hotel guests’ sign up and preferences. In customer service, Angeliza can use the point of sale system to analyze the day’s sales and returns (Rainer Cegielski, 2011). The learning activities and readings have left each member of Team A with a little more knowledge than we had previously. Cheryl knows that Microsoft Excel and Access are a perfect duo: Excel creates the tables that can be exported to Access where the data is analyzed. Xavier learned how to more effectively incorporate spreadsheet into his daily work routine. Kelly understands the role of wireless information systems in the creation of invoices for clients and making it easier to calculate daily cash sales. Angeliza learned that she doesn’t need to be an IT specialist to analyze data from Excel with Access. Despite our different backgrounds, Team A members can agree that we all gained a better understanding on how Information Systems plays into effectively and more efficiently completely business goals. Week 3’s lesson on spreadsheets and wireless technologies makes us more proficient in the language of information systems in the workplace and in our daily lives. Reference Rainer, R. K., Cegielski, C. G. (2011). Introduction to Information Systems (3rd ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database

External Influences on Lenovo

External Influences on Lenovo The main purpose of this report is to show the way of Lenovo from just project to international corporation and to analyze their way using such methods as PEST and SWOT analysis as well as Porters Five Competitive Forces. Using PEST makes possible to determine the impact of external environment (politics, economics, society and technology) and indirect factors on company. SWOT reveals the strengths and weaknesses of given organization. Combining these two methods makes analysis even more precise. In its turn, Porters Five Competitive Forces helps to understand the competition within the industry. Lenovo is a great example of a company which used innovation and creativity, obstinacy and communication with customer as a tool to make their way to the top. Today Lenovo is one of leading PC vendors. They manufacture tablets, laptops, ultrabooks, All-in-One PCs, desktops, nettops and own accessories. Lenovo creates unique and durable products at really aggressive price point. And they are here to stay. Introduction Lenovo. The company was established in Beijing, China in 1984 by eleven members of the Computer Technology Research Institute, they called it the Legend Holdings. But in 2003, decision to expand outside Chinese market led to another one change the name of the company. Legend changed their name to Lenovo. Name of Lenovo is combination of Le- (as part of Legend) and novo Latin ablative for new. In Chinese it can also be understood as connected thinking or creativity. Despite the fact that current name of the company was introduced just in 2003, Lenovo already gained trust and loyalty of millions of customers. The company has started from budget of 200ÂÂ  000 yuan commissioned Liu Chuanzhi (founder of Lenovo) by Chinese government in order to distribute computers which are made in other countries. Lenovos first office was about 17 square meters. Mr. Chuanzhi once said: It wasnt easy. The lowest thing you could do in the early 80s, as a scientist, was to go into business. China had a strict planned economy and there was barely room for a freewheeling company like ours (Liu Chuanzhi for Asiaweek, June 13, 1997). First major win was a circuit board which enabled IBM computers to process Chinese characters Han-card. Later on Lenovo started to create and distribute computers using its own brand. In May 1988, Lenovo looked for employees for the first time. They have placed ads on the cover of the China Youth News. Out of all respondents, 280 were selected to sit for a written exam. About 120 of the candidates were interviewed in person. Despite interviewers had authority to hire only 16 people, 58 were given offers. 18 people of these had graduate degrees, 37 had undergraduate degrees, and three students did not have university-level education at all. Their average age was 26. Future CEO of Lenovo Yang Yuanqing was among this group who introduced new name and expanded company on Europe and USA. In 1994 Lenovo became a publicly traded company after listing in Hong Kong. Later in 2002 Lenovo Group made partnership with Xiahua Electronics Stock Company, giving the start of Lenovo mobile phone business. In 2008 Lenovo has sold its mobile department but then would pay $200 million to buy it back in November of 2009. Now Lenovo Mobile ranks third in terms of market share of mobile phones market in China. On May of 2005 Lenovo Group announced the completion of the $1.75 billion deal of acquisition of IBMs PC unit. That made companys annual revenue almost quadruple. Company which used to have $3 billion in annual revenue now had nearly $13 billion. They became the worlds third-largest PC vendor, behind Dell and Hewlett-Packard. But revenues are not the only benefit Lenovo got from this deal. They have acquired the ThinkPad brand. ThinkPad is ultra-resistant due to special casing, special keyboard structure that let water drain through the laptop. Moreover it was one of first laptops with hard disk block system, which could turn on emergency brakes thereby save data from being just lost because of physical damage of the disk when laptop is dropped. Later Lenovo would face the closest rival on their way to the top Dell. It was a hard competition, it was a complex competition. The main problem of Lenovo back in the days was a bit more conservative way of making business. Dell used new and innovative methods to produce, distribute and promote products. They spent on ads twice as more than Lenovo, their prices were lower and market share grew more and more. Dell even captured segments which used to be favorite ones of Lenovo. To overcome the enemy Lenovo started to increase value of brand. That means they started to raise name awareness among the customers, they delivered maximum possible customer satisfaction. They are still using those principles as core philosophy of the company. Nowadays, Lenovo has three main categories of laptops. ThinkPads are powered for productive work experience, uncompromised secured and ultra-reliable, solid and durable. IdeaPads are optimized for entertainment and multimedia. They have some enchantments in audio, video performance and possess both functional internal and beautiful external designs. The third lineup is Essential. These products have nothing unnecessary; they are always up-to-date, portable enough and reliable. The tablets are also divided on Idea and Think lineups as well as All-in-Ones and desktops. The principal stays the same. Idea for creativity and entertainment, Think for business and work. In 2012 Lenovo became the fastest growing company in the USA for 8 quarters in a row. Actually, they are the only one who has a growth. In the third financial quarter of 2012, shipments of the company expected to reach 15.7 per cent of world-wide PC shipments. Lenovo would surpass Dell and HP. The Mission and Vision of Lenovo Mission is the main goal, beliefs which push company to develop into new something more than just business. Mission is the reason why company does actually exist. Lenovos origins are in China; their name has meaning so their mission is strong and inspiring as well. Lenovo has a desire to become the leading company of new world that is respected for break-through innovation and award-winning designs, quality, to be loved for an ecosystem of devices, services. Become recognized as one of the best, most trusted and most well-respected companies to work for and do business with. And they are on the right way to reach the goal. Company strives to be one that creates extraordinary, innovative and exceptionally great PCs for its customers. They do not have formal restrictions and bonds which could distract or interfere from manufacturing best possible machines. Lenovo claims that they design exciting and innovative products, services to meet customers needs. And sometimes they even manage to exceed level of the expectations. Lenovo wants to do business from their own global point of view, own perspective and own commitment to building great technology for people who view technology as a tool to accomplish fascinating things. By having few categories of products, Lenovo does not put any effort on useless departments therefore does not waste resources and time. David Schmoock, President of North American Lenovo department said: What I want to do is get to number one and be sustainable as number one. At the very basic level of the company there is one core principle that is extremely important: We do what we say and own what we do. So far the main goals company wants to reach are serving customers, trust and integrity, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. Lenovo. New World, New Thinking PEST Analysis PEST analysis in general measures a market, its potential, indicates growth or decline, thereby market attractiveness. Actually, PEST analysis helps to determine SWOT factors. PEST analysis is a model that can be used for describing the framework of macro environmental factors that a company should have in mind forming its long-term strategic plans. Of course, the external factors may vary in significance to a given company based on the products and services that it produces and also on the industry it is in. For any company which wants to win in the competitive marketing, such methods of analysis of the external factors and environment are the way to succeed. In this report PEST will be used in order to focus on analyzing external environment of the Lenovo Corporation and try to foresee major influence of those external factors in their business environment. The letter P stands for political factors influencing companys market. Those are level of bureaucracy, laws and regulations, legalization and policies, rule of law, freedom of press, tariff controls and trade. Nowadays, computers are tightly linked with peoples life. From the last century computers were used in business and other areas and help factories, hospitals and other structures to increase production and interest. At the same time, new technology caused some new problems such as pollution of the environment, health and energy consumption. Considering these problems European Union, China and other countries encourage the Green IT. That means computer must not produce noise pollution more than specified, energy consumption must be no more than required. In Lenovo groups, the isopsophic index is lower than 30dB. Therefore, Lenovo has achieved in noise pollution section. Since China has a population of one and a half billion, there is more than enough labor and payment would not be too high. That is the reason why many of assembly lines are Chinese, so Lenovo placed factory in China as well. When China joined WTO in 2005, the export tariff for IT products has decreased to 9.1%. So thes e policies are encouraging business organization developing to global. Next one is E. It stands for economic factors such as interest rates and inflation, disposable income, labor cost and supply, impact of globalization. Letter S is for social culture. It is social studies and education, lifestyle attitudes and choice, population growth rate and age profiles, etc. And the last letter is T. That is for technological factors such as impact of energy technologies, increase in remote working, and current level of technological development, impact of technology on the work process and productivity. For economic, influence by the 2008 economic crisis, the world economic tends to going down. But in the worst time, Chinese government published the new economic policy which was positive financial policy and loose and comfortable monetary policy. The government also offered four-hundred million RMB stimulates economic development (The Marketing Surveillance Center of China, 2008). For Chinas IT industry, this is a great opportunity to develop them. Then change the focus to the economic development. In 1950, the total trades of China include import and export was 11.3 hundred million dollars, but in 2008, it enhanced 25616 hundred million dollars. Also at home, the GDP increased with a high speed: So according to this chart, it very clear that Chinas GDP has achieved satisfactory level and the disposable personal income has increased also (stats, 2009). So the demand of products will increase with the economic enhancing. In the other words, the IT market becomes bigger and Lenovo also has strength to competitive the market share because Lenovo not only produce computers, mobile phone also produced by them. For society culture, the population growth, lifestyle choice and attitudes, population health, education, social mobility and attitudes are influence the demand of high technology products. 60 years ago, 80% people in China were illiteracy, but under the new government value, in 2008, the Einschulungsrate f. of different education level has achieved a satisfactory level: It is clearly that the education level has increased and the demand of high technology products also enhancing (Communist Party Learning, 2009). This situation also offered a huge market for Lenovo. On the other hand, because the globalization and influenced by the developed countries lifestyle, the Chinese people also become more international which live with a high level life and influenced by the education level, the lifestyle of Chinese people become more out-going and open enough (Human Geography Research Center, 2003). So the consumption custom of modern Chinese people also offers a good developing environment to Lenovo. Also in the next five to ten years, this situation will be increase. At the same time, the social culture of China has changed from traditional feudalism to modern lifestyle which is more science and high technology in life. For technological, Lenovo was set by 11 scientists who worked in Chinese Academy of Science which is a governmental organization. So this situation offered a good technology support. In 2005, Lenovo has finished the purchase IBM, so the technology transfer from IBM also helps Lenovo make the Research Development activities and produce high quality products with high technology (Lenovo, 2005). At the same time, with the technology development, the communications costs and increased remote work can help the different corporations share their techniques and also good for Research Development activities. So all of these technological factors can help Lenovo increase their competitive ability in the next five to ten years and the marketing share of IBM also belongs to Lenovo. For the legal section, here just mention two articles which can support Lenovo. Firstly, in light of article 6, Peoples Republic of China Consumer Protection, the government encourages and supports every person and organization supervises the illegal action which damages the consumers legal power (National Peoples Congress, 1993). So this law can reduce other organizations use illegal method to competitive in the marketing and its also a protection for Lenovo. On the other hand, in light of article 6, Peoples Republic of China Law on Product Quality, the government encourages apply scientific management method, advanced science and technology, support the products achieved or beyond the industry standard or international standard. And give the award to the organizations whose products achieved or beyond the international standard (National Peoples Congress, 1993). So as an international corporation, Lenovo links the technology of IBM, they will produce the high quality products and r eceived the government supports from the legal. Finally, for the ethical, because the increased of education level, the peoples diathesis also enhanced. So protect the legal power has become normal in the modern society. Then if the organization make illegal actions, it will be ejected from the market by customers, such as never buy their products. Also for an organization, the ethical problems are faith, fair and good service. As Lenovo, their value are serve consumers, innovation, faith and fair (Lenovo, 2005). So this entire ethical development tendency is good for Lenovos business environment in the next five to ten years. In summary, the policies which about green IT from European Union and the export tariff which from Chinese government are good for Lenovos improvement; at the same time, the economic development of China and the increased disposable personal income also offering a big market to Lenovos development in the future; as the modern society, the population of the world was achieved 67-hundred million in 2007 (Unctad Report, 2008). It offers a huge number of customers; also because the education increase, the lifestyle of modern customers is tend to high technology and high quality. On the other hand, the purchase of IBM also offers the technology transfer and the development mechanics of communication saved the communications costs and its good for international Research Development activities and international cooperation. At the same time, the law of Chinese government also supports and the ethical factors in the modern society are good for Lenovos improvement. So based on the analysis, in the next five to ten years, the likely major influences in Lenovos business environment are environment protection, international cooperation, the economic development, technology communication and Research Development, legal protection and ethical problems. But all of these tend to good for Lenovo in the future. So if the strategy department managers based on the external environment to make the strategic planning, Lenovo will take a great leap for their business in the next five to ten years. The PEST analysis is a model for reviewing and surveying a companys strategy or its position in the market. It measures the market, along with its competitors from the viewpoint of a particular business. It is also used to describe the framework of macro environmental factors that a company should regard and take into consideration. Of course, the external factors may vary in significance to a given company based on the products and services that it produces and also on the industry it is in. Political factors Economic factors Economic factor relates to the economy of the country itself, as well as market and trade cycles. Over the past years Walmart has had a stable economic condition and had 11% growth totalling in $6.5 billion. Why Walmarts figure has been doing so well so far is because it takes into account not only the economy of the company, but also of the countrys economy in which they are setting up their business. Another reason for its success is that Walmart prefers to first check the economical factors of the county before actually doing any business there. The main economical factors that are worth considering are economic stability and peoples purchasing power. Its crucial to acknowledge these factors for doing business in the third world countries because any change in economy can increase the actual price of the goods and services, which the company offers to its customers and of course the demand for these products will go down. Social Factors Social factors are made up of lifestyle trends, major events and various influences, religious and ethnic factors. Walmart has a tendency of evaluating and measuring social factors, just like economic factors, of a country they have chosen to do business in. Social values and frugality are also quite important factors. Walmart appeals to consumers with a rather low income, nevertheless, it ensures that the goods, products and services that they provide are apprised and accepted by their customers. It is a known fact that Walmart doesnt supply its stores with goods that are likely to cause various complaints from the clients and customers. The company makes good relationships with its customers in engaging and taking part in various public activities. Technological Factors Technological factors generally include various factors like maturity of technology, global communications and innovations, as well as technology legislation. Nowadays technology plays an immense part in the whole society. As a matter of fact, technology hugely improves quality of the products, however it tends to decrease the amount of time to promote and advertise the goods and services. Walmart was quick to accept new technology and to make effective and best use of it. It operates most of its logistics with the usage of a modern system called hub-and-spoke of its distribution centres. Customers that shop at Walmart stores get the most benefits out of it. Walmart believes that by introducing natural products on the market, it can have a big and positive impact on the atmosphere around us and the worlds natural resources. Walmart exploits the newest technology such as brad new cash register and security system. In short, Walmart keeps up with technology innovations and adjusts very well to the changes in the world. Porters Five Competitive Forces Porters Five Forces model is generally used in order to understand better the context of the industry in which the company is operating in and to see the attractiveness of an industry structure. By using this model we can see that Walmart is a strong independent company that has a stable growth, professional management and reasonably competitive prices. This model helps to look into the company more closely by assessing the potential threat of new entrants, the competitive rivalry within already existing companies, the threat of substitute products and goods, the bargaining power of suppliers and finally, the bargaining power of customers. Threat of new entrants Theres always a possibility of new companies coming into existence, however in order to compete with such strong company as Walmart they will need a relatively large capital. Walmart is expanding rather fast and it practically leaves neither chance nor room for other new companies to enter the competitive market. Above anything else, Walmart has excellent distribution systems, for example hub-and-spoke system that I mentioned before, as well as good locations and an enormous capital to be actually able to compete with new entrants. Competitive rivalry Walmart is a much larger and more profitable company than its competitors, so the competition inside the retail industry poses no threat whatsoever to it. However, there are a few other strong competitors such as Target, which can bring out some fair competition to Walmart. To sum up, Walmart is generally ahead of its competitors; it is a global leader in the retail industry and has a firm position in the competitive market. Threat of substitute products There arent a lot of direct substitutes to Walmart, because stores in the retail industry sell products for everyday use mostly. However, there are some substitute products that can be a threat to the sales of branded products. Another threat can be put from specialized retail stores like electronics and various garments. There are stores such as Carrefour and Target, which can offer same goods at a similar price or even lower. Still, when it comes to Walmart, there arent many other stores that can actually replace its convenience and attractively low prices. Bargaining power of suppliers Walmart is a huge customer to its suppliers and, thus, it has a lot of power, because in case it decides to switch to a different supplier, this would create a very scary tactic for its suppliers. It also has an option to purchase goods from many various suppliers so if they decide to drop out some, this wont make a significant difference. Walmart definitely takes advantage of being one of the largest customers to such international companies as Kraft Foods and Gillette. Because of its strong position in the market, suppliers are more than willing to satisfy Walmarts requirements, as well as provide them with favourable terms of payment and various discounts. We can see this good relationship between Walmart and its suppliers through its enhancing success. Bargaining power of buyers The customers will surely always be a threat to Walmart mainly because there are so many competitors. The buyers decision tends to be based on the price and quality of the product, and also on the convenience. Usually consumers are price sensitive and their decisions are based mainly on the price itself. And if products are similar this will increase the rivalry in the industry, which will lead to lower prices and thus, lower profit. Also, Walmart is not in a monopolistic market, but a competitive one, so the goods it offers can be replaced or substituted by its rivals. However, the company strives to please its clients by making the prices of their products and services similar to those of their competitors. Its profitability has proved that consumers are pleased with the chains reasonably low prices and its very convenient locations. Conclusion The purpose of this report was to analyze the external factors that have a certain impact and influence on Walmart. There are some significant factors that became clear after the PEST analysis and Porters Five Competitive Forces analysis have been made. I found out that Walmart is one of the global leaders in the retail industry, which has a great influence on various sectors. Walmart is still expanding to new locations and it is a growing strong company that has a firm position in the domestic market in the US and abroad as well. Unfortunately, Walmart, just like any other organization, isnt protected against the negative influence from various environmental factors, which may decrease the companys total revenues or even weaken the popularity of the whole company. However, despite all of the negative factors mentioned above, the positive impact of the external factors is much greater. Walmarts intention to help people save money so they can live better moves the company on the top position in the retail industry and makes it more attractive and appealing to existing and future consumers. Recommendations In my personal opinion the future success and survival of Walmart will depend on changing its attitude and becoming even more customer focused, as well as building even closer relationships that would broaden the product range and competitive prices. The company should take into consideration that the market is still rather new to foreign companies and that other retail stores are also expected to appear in the nearest future, which will probably result in reduction of clients Walmart is considered as one of the international leaders in the retail industry and I think it will keep its position for a certain period of time. However, I have to make a point that the company should also consider its promotion and shouldnt rely in the fact that they are one of the best in the market. Whats more Walmart should take into consideration that the market is still rather new to foreign companies and that other retail stores are also expected to appear in the near future, which will probably result in reduction of clients.

Using ‘Ode on Melancholy’ and one other, examine how Keats uses languag

Using ‘Ode on Melancholy’ and one other, examine how Keats uses language to explore his muses Keats In ‘Ode on Melancholy’ Keats accepts the truth he sees: joy and pain are inseparable and to experience joy fully we must experience sadness or melancholy fully. The first stanza urges us not to try and escape pain; stanza two tells us what to do instead - embrace the transient beauty and joy of the nature and human experience, which contain pain and death. Stanza three makes clear that in order to experience joy we must experience the sorrow that beauty dies and joy evaporates. The more intensely we feel happiness, the more subject we are to melancholy. The poet's passionate outcry not to reject melancholy is presented negatively – â€Å"no,† â€Å"not,† â€Å"neither,† â€Å"nor.† The degree of pain that melancholy may cause is implied by the ways to avoid it, for example â€Å"go to Lethe† and â€Å"suffer thy pale forehead to be kissed by nightshade†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The first two words, â€Å"No, no,† are both accented, emphasising them; their forcefulness expresses convincingly the speaker’s passionate state. In the first stanza, the language used presents â€Å"the wakeful anguish of the soul†. Keats speaks of â€Å"yew-berries† which are generally associated with mourning; the mood of the stanza is joyless which mirrors the subject it speaks of. However, Keats describes the â€Å"anguish† as â€Å"wakeful† because the sufferer still feels and so still has the capacity to feel happiness. The language used in ‘Ode on Melancholy’ is highly appropriate – the clouds are â€Å"weeping†. Much of the effectiveness of this poem derives from the concrete imagery. Throughout the poem, Keats yokes elements, which are ordinarily regarded as incompatible or as opposites. These ... ...e him unable to hear it anymore and therefore feel anguish. In the end of ‘Ode on Melancholy’, we see the reward of the â€Å"wakeful anguish of the soul†. The possessor of the wakeful soul â€Å"shall taste the sadness of her might†. The change of tense from present pleasure to future melancholy expresses their relationship – one is part of and inevitably follows the other. Keats concludes that the wakeful soul will be the â€Å"trophy† gained from melancholy. However, the trophies are described as â€Å"cloudy,† which has negative overtones keeping the muse of the poem constant throughout. Keats explores his muses using language of both happiness and despondency. Each of these feelings characterise the poems and therefore the use of imagery is relevant. The language used enables Keats to convey his emotions and experiences to the point where the reader can feel them too.

Stephen Hawking :: essays research papers

Stephen Hawking was born on January 8, 1942, in Oxford, England. His father, Frank, was a specialist in tropical medicine, his profession often kept him away from home and family. Hawking’s mother, Isabelle, was a very politically active person, which kept her away from home too. Even though his parents were gone a lot, they had a big influence on his life. Hawking always wanted to study mathematics and physics, but his Dad said that mathematics did not have many job opportunities. He ended up majoring in physics and chemistry. Another reason he did not take mathematics was because it was not available at Oxford University, his local college. When he was growing up, he was a â€Å"self-learner†. His friends did not know how smart he was until his second year of college. He and his friends were assigned thirteen honors questions in the area of electricity and magnetism. It took his friends, Derek, Gordan, and Richard, a week to complete two and a half of the problems. Ha wking did the first ten in three hours, he did not complete the others because he said he did not have enough time. Once, in college, he fell down a flight of stairs. After he fell down, he could not remember anything, gradually he began remembering, until he remembered it all, which took all of two hours. Stephen Hawking graduated from Oxford University at the age of twenty in 1962. He then took a trip to Prussia with a friend. During the visit, he became ill. Upon returning to England, he had a series of tests to identify his health problem. He moved to Cambridge to attend graduate school, which is where he learned that he had Lou Gehrig’s disease. This disease destroys the voluntary muscles, making normal tasks become impossible, such as walking and eating. Doctors predicted that he had to and a half years to live. He became depressed at stopped working and going to school. During this time, he met his future wife, Jane Wilde. They had three children: Robert (1967), Lucy ( 1970), and Timothy (1979). Meeting Jane, lifted Hawking’s spirits so much that he disregarded his illness, returned to work and school. He did research at Caisus College and studied theoretical physics. He did this partly because he found elementary particles unattractive and he wanted to study with Fred Hoyle, who was a British astronomer and also a science fiction novelist.

Character Analysis for Maus by Art Speigleman

Character List- round or flat Art Spiegelman- r * Art Spiegelman is the author and narrator of Maus, and also one of the story's main characters. * Born in Stockholm after the Holocaust, he is the only surviving child of Vladek and Anja Spiegelman. * He is married to Francoise, a French woman who converted to Judaism upon their engagement. * Maus centers around two primary narratives: Vladek's experiences as a Jew in World War II Poland, and Art's relationship with his aging father. * When the story opens, Art lives in New York and does not see his father very often, though he lives only a short distance away in Queens. But as Art begins to draw this story about Vladek's Holocaust experiences, he begins to visit his father more and more frequently. * Their relationship is strained, as Vladek's gruff demeanor and unwillingness to spend money routinely infuriate his son. * Art is filled with complex feelings towards his father ranging from admiration for his survival in Auschwitz, to f rustration towards his aggravating tendencies, and guilt for his own neglect of a father who has lived through so many difficult times. * Art also has complex emotions towards the Holocaust.Though he did not live through it personally, he feels that he is constantly affected by it. * His father's personality was largely formed from his experiences in Auschwitz, and this personality in turn directly affected the way in which Art was raised. Vladek Spiegelman- r * Vladek is Art Spiegelman's father. * He grew up in pre-war Poland, and much of Maus traces his experiences in the Holocaust, as told in his own words to his son. * As the story opens in 1978, he is married to his second wife, Mala. The couple does not get along * Vladek's personality is largely dominated by his Holocaust experiences. During the Holocaust, he exhibited a spectacular resourcefulness, work ethic, and presence of mind that often enabled him to secure food, shelter, and safety for himself and his family. * He was a shrewd businessman, and in the most troubling times he saved everything of use. In 1978, he still saves everything and tries to exchange those things that he no longer needs. * Once so resourceful and competent, he is still constantly working on small projects, some of which he is incapable of completing. Anja Spiegelman- r * Anja is Art's mother and Vladek's first wife.The couple meets in Poland while Vladek is in a long-term relationship with another woman, Lucia Greenberg. * Always an anxious woman, she suffers an acute depression shortly after the birth of her son and spends three months recovering in a sanitarium. * She survives the Holocaust with her husband, and they immigrate to the United States a few years after the war. * Anja commits suicide in 1968, leaving both Art and Vladek in emotional turmoil. * Art's last memory of his mother is recorded in a comic called â€Å"Prisoner on the Hell Planet,† in which she enters Art's room and asks him if he still loves he r.His response, a terse and dismissive â€Å"sure,† haunts him for years. Lolek- f * Vladek's nephew and Uncle Herman's son. * Lolek lives with Anja's family for much of the initial German occupation, first at Anja's father's house and then in the Srodula ghetto. * When the situation deteriorates and Vladek makes preparations to hide in a shelter until the Nazis have evacuated the town, * Lolek tells his uncle that he is tired of hiding, and he is soon transported to Auschwitz. He survives the camps and eventually becomes a college professor. Richieu Spiegelman- f Richieu is Vladek and Anja's first child, born in Poland in 1937. * In 1943, Vladek and Anja send him to live under the protection of Uncle Persis, where they think he will be safer. * Richieu travels with Anja's sister, Tosha; * But soon after, Zawiercie is liquidated by the Nazis. Rather than be taken to the gas chamber, Tosha poisons herself and the children under her care, including Richieu. * After his death, V ladek and Anja keep a photograph of their first child hanging on the wall of their bedroom. Mala Spiegelman- f * Mala is Vladek's second wife, and a friend of his family from before the war. The couple does not get along. * Mala is consumed with frustration towards Vladek's inability to part with money, while Vladek views his wife with considerable distrust and accuses her of trying to steal his money. Francoise- f * Art's wife. * She is French and converted to Judaism in preparation for their marriage to please Vladek. * She is intelligent, kind, and opinionated, and their relationship is strong. * She plays a relatively minor role in the story, serving mostly as a means for Art to discuss his relationship with his father and the Holocaust. Mr. Zylberberg- f Anja's father. * Before the war, he is a wealthy manufacturer who owns a factory. * When Vladek and Anja are married, he provides Vladek with a factory of his own. * He survives with his family in German-occupied Poland, until the family is captured and sent to await transport to Auschwitz. * By bribing his cousin, Haskel, Vladek is able to arrange for the release of himself and Anja. Orbach- f * A friend of Vladek's family in Poland. * When Vladek is a prisoner of war, Orbach claims him as a cousin, so that Vladek is released into his custody and eventually returns home to Sosnowiec.Vladek's father- f * Vladek's father is a tough and deeply religious man. * His wife dies of cancer before the worst of the Holocaust. * Before the war, Vladek's father intentionally starves his son so that he will be declared unfit for the army. * Later, the Nazi grip tightens, and all Jews are made to register in a nearby stadium. Those who are fit to work are sent to one side, while the elderly and women with many children are sent to their deaths at the concentration camps. By registering at a table manned by his cousin, Mordecai, Vladek's father is spared. Before he leaves the tadium, however, he sees his daughter, Fela (Vladek's sister) and her four small children standing with those destined for Auschwitz. He crosses over to be with her, and all die in the camps. Uncle Herman- f * Anja's brother. * Along with his wife, Hela, he is visiting the New York World's Fair when the war begins, and they remain in the United States to escape the horrors abroad. Tosha- f * Tosha is Anja's older sister. * At the beginning of the German occupation of Poland, she lives with Anja's family in her father's house, along with her husband, Wolfe, and their small daughter, Bibbi. As the situation deteriorates Uncle Persis offers to keep her safely in nearby Zawiercie ghetto, where he is a prominent member of the Jewish Council. * She agrees, and leaves with Wolfe, Bibbi, and Vladek's son Richieu. Soon, though, the Germans slaughter the Jewish Council and begin to evacuate the Jews of Zawiercie to the camps. Rather than be sent to the gas chambers, Tosha poisons herself, her daughter, Herman's daughter Lonia, and Vlad ek's son Richieu. Mr. Ilzecki- f * A former customer of Vladek's from before the war. The two meet again after the German occupation and begin conducting business on the Sosnowiec black market * Mr. Ilzecki has a son about the same age as Vladek's, and he offers to send Richieu along with his own son to a Polish friend to hide until things get better. Nahum Cohn- f * A friend and business partner of Vladek's during his black market days in Sosnowiec. * Nahum is arrested along with his son for selling goods without coupons. * The Nazis decide to make an example of them and they are hanged in a well-know black market center and left there for a full week. Anja's Grandparents- f During the initial period of the German occupation, they live in Anja's father's house with the rest of the family. * Later, they are told to relocate to a â€Å"community better prepared to take care of the elderly. † * The family hides them for over a month, until the authorities arrest Anja's father a nd threaten to arrest more of his family if the grandparents are not given over to the Germans. * Anja's grandparents are taken away to Auschwitz, where they are killed. Haskel Spiegelman- f * Haskel is Vladek's cousin, and chief of the Jewish Police in the Srodula ghetto. He is the brother of Miloch and Pesach. He is what Vladek calls a kombinacya, or â€Å"schemer. † * While he is a rather unsavory character, he is a good person to know in the ghetto. * When Vladek's family is discovered in the â€Å"chandelier† bunker and sent to a compound to wait for transport to Auschwitz, Haskel arranges for Vladek, Anja, and Lolek to be released in exchange for valuables. Miloch Spiegelman- f * Miloch is Vladek's cousin, and brother to Haskel and Pesach. * He is Vladek's supervisor at the shoe repair shop in the Srodula ghetto, and an honorable man compared to the scheming Haskel. When the Germans make plans to eliminate all Jews in the ghetto, he prepares a hidden shelter behi nd a pile of shoes at the shop, where Vladek, Anja, and 15 other people hide for days. Pesach Spiegelman- f * Pesach is Vladek's cousin, and brother to Miloch and Haskel. * Like Haskel, he is a schemer and a rather unsavory character. * His most significant involvement centers on a scheme to sell cake to the inhabitants of the ghetto. * He makes a fortune, but everyone who eats it becomes sick – the cake was accidentally made with laundry soap in addition to flour. Mr. Lukowski- f The janitor at Anja's father's house. * When Vladek and Anja escape from the Srodula ghetto, they knock on his door and he allows them to stay in a shed behind his house. Mrs. Kawka- f * Mrs. Kawka is the owner of a small farm on the outskirts of Sosnowiec, and for a price she allows Vladek and Anja to hide in her barn. * Mrs. Kawka is the person who tells Vladek about the smugglers who can take him to Hungary. Mrs. Motonowa- f * Vladek befriends Mrs. Motonowa at the Sosnowiec black market after the liquidation of Srodula, and she offers to hide him and Anja at her farm, with her seven-year-old son. She is a kind woman, and the house is comfortable, except for a ten-day period in which Mrs. Motonowa's husband returns home from Germany on vacation, and they are forced to stay in the basement. * After Vladek and Anja attempt to escape to Hungary, she shelters Miloch and his family for the remainder of the war. Mandelbaum- f * Before the war, Mandelbaum owned a pastry store in Sosnowiec where Vladek and Anja often shopped. Abraham- f * Abraham is Mandelbaum's cousin. * He agrees to accompany the smugglers, and promises to write Mandelbaum and Vladek if he arrives safely in Hungary. He is betrayed, however, and forced at gunpoint to write the letter anyway. The Karps- f * The Karps are Vladek's neighbors at his Catskills bungalow. * When Art visits his father there, they take him aside and tell him that Vladek cannot possibly take care of himself. Vladek's Kapo- f * A â€Å"kapoà ¢â‚¬  is a Polish supervisor at a concentration camp. * Soon after Vladek arrives at Auschwitz, Vladek's kapo asks the Jews in the barracks if anyone there can speak English. Pavel- f * Pavel is Art's psychiatrist. * Like Art's father, Pavel is a survivor of the Holocaust. Art sees him once a week, and the sessions always seem to make him feel better. Mancie- f * Mancie is a female Hungarian Jew at Birkenau with Anja, * has higher status as a result of an affair with S. S. guard. * She acts as a go-between for Vladek and his wife, carrying notes and food. The Frenchman- f * After Vladek is transferred from Auschwitz to Dachau, he befriends a Frenchman with whom he converses in English. * Because he is not Jewish, the Frenchman is able to receive packages of food through the Red Cross, which he shares with Vladek, probably saving his life. http://www. gradesaver. com/maus/study-guide/character-list/