Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I read the book Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling. It was a book filled with adventure, heartbreak and a few laughs. This is the fourth book in a series of seven books all telling the story of Harry Potter. It told an interesting story about a Wizarding world and the people inside of it. There was good and evil, happiness and sadness, and plenty of lessons to learn. Harry Potter is the main character of this novel.He has spiky black hair, round black-rimmed glasses, green eyes, a lightening shaped scar given to him on his forehead as a result of a curse from his foe Lord Voldemort. Out of all the many things that Harry Potter is, one of his main personality traits is that he is extremely brave. In this book his courage was shown during the Tri-Wizard tournament, a rare tournament where young wizards are chosen to compete for the Tri-Wizard Cup. During the second of three challenges he risks his life to not only save his best friend Ron, but also his opponent Fleurà ¢â‚¬â„¢s sister.The challenge was to save one person from the sea monsters but when Harry saw that Fleur could not complete the challenge and save her sister he saved her thus angering the sea monsters who tried to kill him for not following the rules of the challenge. Another example of Harry’s bravery was shown when he asked Cho Chang to the Yule Ball when he wasn’t sure she would say yes. This was risking rejection and humiliation from a girl Harry really liked if she said no but Harry was brave enough to face it. Another main character in this novel is Ronald Weasley. He has bright red hair, tons of freckles and is tall and gangly.He comes from a huge family and is one of seven children. In this book one of his main personality traits is jealousy. Ron is very jealous of Harry when Harry is chosen to participate in the Tri Wizard Tournament when he ineligible under the age rules of the tournament. After Harry is selected Ron shows his jealousy by ignoring his best f riend Harry. Also, Ron is jealous of Hermione Granger, another of his best friends, when she goes to the Yule Ball with Victor Krum when Ron wanted to go with her. He represents his jealousy of Hermione by trying to ruin Hermione’s night with snide comments.This novel is set in a wizarding school in Europe called Hogwarts. Hogwarts is a school that Harry, Ron and Hermione attend. This story is set in the 1990’s. This setting is important to the story because the Tri-Wizard tournament is at Hogwarts for the first time in 100 years and the whole story takes place in and around Hogwarts. The main conflict of this story is the clash between good and evil represented by Lord Voldemort’s effort to destroy Harry. Throughout the whole book Voldemort schemes to trap Harry in order to murder him. He uses his followers to get close to Harry.This is an external conflict as it is a conflict between Harry and Voldemort. In order to trap Harry Voldemort sent one of his followe rs to impersonate a Hogwarts teacher. This teacher, Dark Arts Professor Mad Eye Moody, arranges for Harry to be selected for the Tri-Wizard tournament in order to bring Harry to Voldemort. The climax of the novel occurs when at the end of the third and final challenge of the Tri Wizard Tournament. Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory both touch the Tri-Wizard Cup at the same time and, instead of being transported back to the stadium they are transported to a graveyard where Lord Voldemort is waiting for them.When Harry and Cedric arrive at the graveyard they are confused but Cedric wants to take a look around. When they see Voldemort he is not in a human form and his assistant Wormtail murders Cedric. Harry narrowly escapes death but, with the help of a potion and blood from Harry, Voldemort regains his humanity. This resolves the main conflict because Harry escapes Voldemort but Voldemort is still undefeated. One of the main themes that J. K. Rowling wanted to communicate in this book i s that no matter how rough things get always believe in yourself.For example, when Harry is selected for the Tri Wizard Tournament, the whole school shuns him but he still does well and makes it to the end of the Tournament. Also, Harry believes that he could defeat Voldemort, even though it was nearly impossible to survive, and because he believed in himself he escaped Voldemort’s deathtrap. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a truly incredible story. It shows to you that anything is possible if you believe in yourself. It opens your eyes to adventure and sadness, but also new hope. The book was entertaining and I really enjoyed reading it.

Andrew Wakefield and the Mmr Autism Fraud

ANDREW WAKEFIELD AND THE MMR AUTISM FRAUD In February 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, a British gastroenterologist, published a research paper in which he linked autism and bowel disease to the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine – creating a public health crisis in England and raising questions about vaccine safety in North America. Additional studies have since shown that the data presented was fraudulent, and after ten years of controversy and investigation, Dr. Wakefield was discredited, his licence revoked and his research discarded.The damage, however, had been done – vaccination rates in the industrialized world are down to such an extent that it has brought back diseases that have not been seen for decades. The article in the British medical journal The Lancet claimed that the three-in-one measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) was causing inflammatory bowel syndrome and brain damage in children. The five-page paper, which was backed by a press conference, p rovoked substantial media interest. Dr.Wakefield reported on twelve cases of children with what he called â€Å"regressive autism†, who had been admitted to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead (London) between July 1996 and February 1997, all within 14 days of receiving the MMR vaccine. These previously healthy children, the study claimed, suddenly lost basic language and communication skills. Wakefield theorized that the three vaccines, given together, can alter a child’s immune system, allowing the measles virus in the vaccine to infiltrate the intestines; certain proteins, escaping from the intestines, could then reach and harm neurons in the brain. It's a moral issue for me,† he announced at the 1998 press conference, where he advocated breaking up the triple MMR vaccine into single measles, mumps and rubella shots, to be given at yearly intervals. â€Å"I can't support the continued use of these three vaccines, given in combination,† he said, â€Å" until this issue has been resolved. † As the doctor campaigned, vaccination rates in the UK and Ireland dropped sharply. Wakefield supporters even involved Prime Minister Tony Blair by suggesting that his youngest son was not vaccinated with MMR.Although at the time, Mr. Blair refused to discuss the issue for privacy reasons, he did say that, â€Å"For the record, Cherie and I both entirely support the advice, as we have consistently said. It is not true that we believe the MMR vaccine to be dangerous or believe that it is better to have separate injections, or believe that it is linked to autism. On the contrary, the vaccine, which is used throughout the world, helps prevent the spread of diseases that can, if contracted, cause very serious damage to children. It was later confirmed that Leo Blair had been inoculated. In November 2000, Wakefield appeared on CBS’ 60 Minutes, linking the â€Å"epidemic of autism† to the MMR vaccine. This set off a spiral of theor ies that all vaccines are suspect: either due to their content, or because children receive too many of them at the same time. The US movement attracted celebrities such as actress Jenny McCarthy, who blamed MMR for her own son’s autism. â€Å"In 1983 the shot schedule was ten. That's when autism was one in 10,000. Now there's 36, and autism is one in 150,† she argued. All arrows point to one direction. † Although the number of children diagnosed with autism has increased dramatically over the last twenty years, it is difficult to say if this is due to improved diagnostic practices or an actual increased prevalence of the disease. Several major studies, however, have ruled out a link with vaccines: †¢The October 2004 edition of Vaccine published a meta review that looked at 120 studies to assess potential side effects of the MMR vaccine. The authors concluded that a connection between MMR and autism is â€Å"unlikely†. A 2005 study compared autism rat es in Japan before and after 1993, when the triple MMR vaccine was broken into three separate vaccines that are administered at different times. It was found that autism is still on the rise. †¢In October 2005, the Cochrance Library published a review of 31 scientific studies, none of which found a link between MMR and either autism or bowel disease. Similarly, a 2007 review of independent studies performed after Wakefield’s publication in the Lancet demonstrated overwhelming evidence against the hypothesis of associating MMR with autism.In addition to the overwhelming scientific evidence contradicting Wakefield’s claims, British journalist Brian Deer discovered that in fact, the research had been funded to create evidence against the MMR vaccine. Wakefield had concealed, misreported and changed information about the children in his study. It turned out that two years before embarking on his â€Å"research†, he had been hired by a lawyer who planned to make big money from several class action lawsuits against companies manufacturing the triple MMR vaccine. â€Å"I have mentioned to you before hat the prime objective is to produce unassailable evidence in court so as to convince a court that these vaccines are dangerous,† the lawyer reminded the doctor in a confidential letter, six months before the Lancet report. The Sunday Times investigation also discovered that in June 1997, Wakefield had filed for a patent on a single measles vaccine – for the success of which he needed to discredit the triple MMR. After the fraud came to light in February 2004, the Lancet retracted the conclusion section of the report (they would eventually retract the whole article in 2010).From July 2007 to May 2010, the General Medical Council conducted the longest ever professional misconduct hearing. Eventually, they revoked Dr. Wakefield’s medical licence, citing medical, scientific and ethical misconduct. So why do parents still believ e in Wakefield’s hypothesis? Probably because anecdotes are more satisfying than scientific methodology, and the media are very good at telling the bad story and very bad at telling the real story. In the UK and Ireland, fueled by sensationalist media coverage, MMR uptake levels between 1998 and 2008 dropped from 92 percent to 73 percent. 5 percent vaccine uptake levels are required for herd immunity (i. e. , the point when diseases cannot spread in a population). In 2008, measles was declared endemic again in the UK. There were a total of 1,348 cases that year, up 36 per cent from the previous year and up a staggering 2,400 per cent from 1998, when there were just 56 cases. In 2006 a 13-year-old boy became the first person to die of measles in Britain since 1992, with a second child dying in 2008. In the United States, the herd immunity is crumbling as states make it easier for parents to opt out of the vaccinations that are usually required to enroll in school.A study publi shed in the journal Pediatrics (2010) by researchers from the University of Michigan showed that 12 percent of parents have refused at least one recommended vaccine for their children. As a result, diseases such as whooping cough and measles are making a comeback. In 2010, 9,500 cases of whooping cough were reported in California, the most in 65 years. Ten patients died, all of them infants too young to be vaccinated. And even though measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, 2011 saw the highest number of measles cases in 15 years. None of these cases resulted in death, but one out of three people had to be hospitalized.This then is Andrew Wakefield’s legacy – an elaborate hoax for financial gain that has set back the medical clock 100 years for millions of children whose parents refuse to accept overwhelming and sound scientific evidence and would rather expose them to the very real dangers of infectious disease. Another casualty, ironically, is autism itself . Significant time, energy and financial resources were wasted that could have been spent on research and developing new treatments. Mr. Wakefield has taken up residence in an affluent suburb of Austin, Texas. Although not allowed to practice medicine, he still lectures to an adoring audience. To our community, Andrew Wakefield is Nelson Mandela and Jesus Christ rolled up into one,† according to J. B. Handley of Generation Rescue. The WHO estimates that 380 people die of measles every day. ? SOURCES: Ahmed, Kamal. â€Å"Blair Baby ‘Has Had' MMR Jab. † The Guardian 23 December 2001. Asaithambi, Rathi. â€Å"Time to Get Tough on Vaccine Refusal. † Baltimore Sun 11 April 2012. Chivers, Tom. â€Å"MMR – Autism Scare: So, Farewell Then, Dr Andrew Wakefield. † The Telegraph 24 May 2010. Deer, Brian. â€Å"MMR: The Truth behind the Crisis. † The Sunday Times 14 November 2004. Deer, Brian. Revealed: MMR Research Scandal. † The Sunday Time s 22 February 2004. DeStefano, F. â€Å"Vaccines and Autism: Evidence Does Not Support a Causal Association. † Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics December 2007: 756-759. Dominus, Susan. â€Å"The Crash and Burn of an Autism Guru. † The New York Times 20 April 2011. Freeper, Berlin. â€Å"The Autism Vaccine Hoax. † The Wall Street Journal 8 January 2011. Mascarelli, Amanda. â€Å"Vaccine Opt-Outs Causing Breaks in ‘Herd Immunity'. † Los Angeles Times 5 August 2011. Sifferlin, Alexandria. â€Å"Measles: 2011 Was the Worst in the U. S. in 15 Years. † Time 19 April 2012.

Acute Problems in Regard to Modern Society and Religion

Acute Problems in Regard to Modern Society and Religion Young Pope - Young Religion The religion question is always under active discussion. People argued from the ancient times about different religious trends and beliefs. Our history faced even long and bloody wars, which were started, basing on the religious background. So if you are not from a religious family and came across a course of religion at university, it can become a complicated affair to sort all those things out. As in any matter of such serious kind it is discussed from different points of view and with the providing all kind of various factors. To write an appropriate essay or to prepare an informative report, one should sweat over a large scope of informational resources. Religion as a strong manipulative mechanism Unfortunately, most of the historical events, which humanity have faced and which have more or less relation to religion, were often a speculation of the people being in the pursuit of power and authority. It can be easily understood, if you read original religious literature. Thus, the statements written, for example, in the Bible encourage us not to do murder, not to steal, etc. So, the religion by itself has the peaceable and kind thoughts and beliefs, which are aimed to make a person better and harmonious. But at the same time it can be an effective tool for the manipulation of the hundreds or even thousands of righteous minds. Thus, the modern cinematographic embodiment of the intrigues in the higher religious circles is displayed in the English-language Italian television drama series, called â€Å"Young Pope†. This story can be to some extend disappointing, since if the serving in the church people can undertake such affairs, what we can wait from the ordinary people, who have so many temptations. Nevertheless, the strong and independent pope appears to become a real leader and nipped the desired manipulations in the bud. So if you want to start exploring religious questions, you can begin with the films like â€Å"Young Pope†. Of course, you cannot be able to study this theme in such a way, but through it you can prepare yourself for serious and often contradictory resources and books in religion. Developing brands and branches With every year such religions as Christianity, Islam and Buddhism give a lot of branches and newly created religious groups. People interpret beliefs in some other manner, create their own churches and gather the followers. We should admit that there is nothing bad in this fellowships and groups, if people have peaceful and positive goals, though the main churches often do not confess these branches. Along with the numerous religious filiations, there are a lot of groups and pseudoreligions, arranged by swindlers. They use the religious background and psychological methods for personal profit, most often the financial one. While surfing with an objective to learn about religion more or just receiving invitations to join some religious group, be sure to find out everything at first. Nowadays, there are a lot of examples, when people, who wanted to lead a righteous being, were coaxed out of their money or were trapped into the physical or moral slavery. New age –new problems The life of the society and moral principles differ with each decade. It is hard to imagine our grandmother to talk about the official recognition of homosexual marriage. But for our time such things become more and more common. There is the democracy in the social life of the people, so very often we hear the same question towards religious institutions and representatives. Besides, such questions are also raised in the â€Å"Young Pope† and a lot of other films. Perhaps, it is the question, which disturbs a lot of people and democracy fighters in our society, so that is why it is so relevant. Besides, young pope can better realize all similar problems, since he is a representative of the modern generation and understands the opinions, which are generated by the youth. Thus, you can see that the questions and issues concerning religion are very difficult and ambiguous. Anyway, respect all religions and people, since no matter what religion they adhere, the thing, which really matters, is our human qualities and open-heartedness.

10 Ways to Get the Job You Love

10 Ways to Get the Job You Love People generally get exactly what they are looking for, and people who are looking for a job- any job- are not an exception to the rule. They, in fact, illustrate the rule. They often make the mistake of settling for the first job opening available, which is understandable- responsible people have to do whatever it takes to meet their obligations. But if you don’t want to be searching again in a few months, you should do your best to get  a job you love from the beginning. Here are 10 simple things you can do to help  get once step closer to getting a job you love.Assess YourselfYou need to know what fits you the best. One simple way to do this is by taking self-assessment tests, which are typically short and widely available online- sometimes at no cost. Classic examples are available from Myers-Briggs or Keirsey. These tests will help you understand where your greatest potential for productivity, satisfaction, and success may be.Focus on the Best-Fitting JobsWhile the ur gent need may seem like the real issue, it is really the long-term need that deserves your attention. You will discover that as you assess yourself your focus will be much more finely tuned and you will find yourself looking for a job that is a good match. You will now be operating more efficiently, not wasting time filling out endless online applications for jobs you didn’t really want in the first place.Nail Your ResumeLisa Cefali and Alesia Benedict offer several insights into nailing your resume:Write the resume for the reader. The hiring authority does not care that you played varsity basketball in high school or that your hobbies include collecting stained glass. They want to see your experience and accomplishments. Give them what they want.Connect the dots. Make it easy to for the reader to see why you are a good fit for the job by connecting the dots between your talents and skills and the job.Don’t write an introduction. Write an executive summary (and name it such) of the information that follows.Use keywords. Write with the language that appeared in the job posting. Some resumes are scanned for matching keywords before being read by a human.Nail Your Cover LetterEvery cover letter should be written exclusively for each job and company to which you apply. Within a matter of seconds, the recipient should be able to see that you are an excellent candidate for the job. The cover letter should do that, causing them to take particular note of the details in your resume. Restate the defined requirements of the job and show how you meet or exceed those specifications.Nail Your InterviewDon’t go to a job interview to decide if you want the job, because you have nothing to decide until an offer is put on the table. Martin Yates, the author of the bestseller, Knock ’em Dead, says this about the interview:You go to a job interview to get a job offer. Nothing else matters, not the pay, the benefits, or the work environment; they are a ll irrelevant until an offer is on the table. The person on the other side of the desk is not your adversary. They want to find someone who can do the work, wants to do the work, and can get along with others so that they can and get back to their real work ASAP. Your job is to help them make that decision.Look for the Perfect MatchJob hunting is kind of like dating, only more complex and, typically, with more competition. Sign up with TheJobNetwork and let us help you find the perfect job match for you. Anybody can find a job. We can help you find the job you want.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY SUMMARY Assignment

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY SUMMARY - Assignment Example The corporation’s vision is to be the customer’s favorite place, hence the best fast food corporation globally. However, this vision is achievable if the firm fully embraces Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) whereby currently it has instituted programs towards in each state. This study will discuss in detail about McDonald’s corporation how it exercises its CSR and some of the areas that need improvement for it to realize its vision. When it comes to CSR, this firm ensures that it does the best as cited by Kathleen Bannan, who is the CSR senior manager. She contended McDonald’s has evolved in how it handles its CSR with the intention of being unique in the market (Singh, 2010). Hence, achieving its goals seen in its establishment of branches in other states that serve quality products. The firm is always making efforts to safeguard environment by using less energy, hence fewer emissions compared to others that have proved to be great emitters in their locations. For instance, all their trucks run on biodiesel, which is normally reused from spent cooking oil (McDonald’s UK 2011). To safeguard environment, the firm also utilizes LED bulbs and waterless urinals to reduce the amount energy used. Apart from using recycled cardboard boxes, it also recycles its packaging materials, hence saving on packaging costs (Lee & Kotler, 2013). Due to its involvement in charitable activities, the company has build it reputation besides fame especially among the youths who love snacks. One program under its organizations is the HACER launched in attempt to minimize schools’ dropout which was on the rise especially among Hispanic students (RMHC, n.d). McDonald’s also gives accommodation to families who have children in hospital through the â€Å"home away from home† program (RMHC, n.d). Despite achievements that the

Disneyland Hong Kong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Disneyland Hong Kong - Essay Example It helps the company to enrich its corporate values. Greater socialization allows the company to evaluate the cultural and traditional aspects and social preferences of a country, which helps the organization to innovate new services that would best suit the taste of the target consumers (Flamholtz and Randle, 2011). Disney on international forum The paper takes a look into the process in which the company has handled the cultural differences experienced by Disney in its course of expansion into the oriental world. Disney is an iconic symbol of entertainment amalgamating the western and the eastern culture through a highly innovative and customer oriented business strategy. The American cultural experience has been recreated in the Asian countries, and has become a controversial as well as hugely profitable model in Japan and Hong Kong. Although the company had not faced great success on opening the first theme park in Europe, in 1992, in the capital city of France, by 2003, Disneyla nd Paris had gained enough attention and has become a thriving business joint for the company (Aaker and Mcloughlin, 2010; Porter and Prince, 2007). More recently, The Walt Disney Company is taking an initiative to open a new theme park in India. The features of the Indian market are diverse which calls for a detailed study on the successes and hardships faced by the company in its previous ventures. Company background The Disneyland Park is a theme park originally based in America and embodying and representing the American culture. The company had made a humble beginning in 1923 with the Disney brothers, Walter Elias Disney and Roy Disney, starting the... It is present in different countries and is rated as one of the best elements in the global entertainment industry. Since 1955, The Walt Disney Company has set up different theme parks in the USA, France and in the Asian countries. All through these years the company has faced various hurdles and has achieved success by way of adjusting with the existing cultural background of the host countries and has made numerous adaptations in its own corporate culture. Disney has the potential to deliver such experiences that can go far ahead of the pleasure of watching cartoons. It aims at providing its visitors with an experience that is free from the hassle of the world outside the Disneyland. The company can make it possible due to its immense brand power and unmatched flexibility in the model of corporate culture that it follows. The parks have created a consumption culture that celebrates the middle-class virtues. This would help the park to find a booming market in the Indian sub-continent. Since India is a developing country, this process of business development would be beneficial for its expansion in India. Besides, India is a country with diverse geographical backgrounds, traditions and religions. Disney utilizes various strategies to make promotions of its services aiming the target groups and to design the theme of the localized theme parks in this country. A significant dissimilarity can be found between the cultures in the East and t he West. This is the root cause behind the diversity is the mentality of the tourists visiting the theme parks. Besides, the cultural elements present in these parks are different which might affect the response of the customers.

Differing views of salvation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Differing views of salvation - Essay Example The emphasis on soteriology in Revelation has mainly to do with perseverance. Christ is introduced as the one who died and was raised again. Christ is also the Lamb slain who calls the thirsty to drink of the water of life. This is shown in His anticipated second coming when He is expected to judge the world. As in (Revelation 1:7.). John’s book of revelation is unique because of its apocalyptic nature. In his book, he fosters a sense of crisis, proclamations and impending traumas, which reveals a sense of world-ending catastrophes, which are unimaginable. However, his visions are just to clarify the importance of the churches for God’s purposes in the world and push them to ensure the fulfillment of the purposes. The vision of a slain lamb (Revelation 5) standing victorious underscores that the congregations are supposed to walk faithfully with the one with the definitive triumph. Their suffering can only be saved by the one sitting on the throne because He has power t hat creates, sustains and also brings fulfillment. John talks about the beast, and their allies that conquer with retributive violence, force, deception and domination. It seems like an overwhelming situation that nobody can stand against, but those who follow the lamb wherever He goes come out conquerors (Revelation 14:4). These worship visions also remind believers that despite overwhelming plagues, they can overcome them because the God of Jesus remains the true God and the one worthy of their trust.