The Character of Sméagol in Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings Essay

The Character of Smà ©agol in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings      Ã‚   Although JRR Tolkien is notorious for his numerous, and often seemingly irrelevant, minor characters - the necessity of an index of names in The Return of the King proves this without a doubt - one of the most crucial and fascinating characters of The Lord of the Rings physically appears in barely more than one-sixth of the novel. The character Smà ©agol, often referred to by his alter ego Gollum, on a basic level serves only to guide Frodo and Sam to Mordor, as well as to destroy the Ring when Frodo cannot. However, in the course of doing so, we are revealed, hint by hint, of the enigmatic and contradictory character who "hates the Ring and loves the Ring - just as he hates and loves himself" (Sibley 170). In The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien uses the character Smà ©agol, forged from a collection of historical and historically mythological tales, as a foil for the central hero Frodo Baggins as well as the Christian example of hope, despite the powerful corru ption of evil.    Tolkien, Oxford's Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon, was an avid fan of history; the ancient past of his beloved Europe fascinated him to such a degree that it is little wonder the history of Middle-Earth mirrors our own. Smà ©agol's lust for, reverence to, and even fear of the One Ring bases its roots, most especially, in the ancient practice of Dactyliomancy, or the use of rings for divination and magic. In the first century AD, Apollonius of Tyana, a major figure in the Gnostic religion and early alchemy, received seven rings from the Brahman Indian prince Iarchus, which he believed gave him healing powers if he would "[revere] them as divine... and... ...ous power of evil, but the everlasting, and far greater, power of good.    Works Cited Bruner, Kurt, and Jim Ware. Finding God in The Lord of the Rings. Illinois: Tyndale House, Publishers Inc, 2001. 69, 89. Chance, Jane. The Lord of the Rings: The Mythology of Power. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1992. 34, 102. Day, David. Tolkien's Ring. New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 1999. 22-23, 50-51, 88, 154. Sibley, Brian. The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. 170, 171. Tolkien, JRR. The Letters of JRR Tolkien. Ed. Humphrey Carpenter. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1981. 330. - - - . The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993. 68, 643, 659, 979. Tyler, JEA. The Tolkien Companion. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1976. 446, 454.

Concept of time Essay

Time seemed to be an important aspect that influences the well-being of the elderly in the study. Time consciousness cannot be ignored when one considers the subjective experience of well-being among the institutionalized aged. The finding showed that many of them had a keen awareness of time or awareness of the present. According to their administrators, a few of them felt the urgency to make the best use of the remaining time in their life: to get closer to God and to prepare for a ‘good death. ’ The studies done by Butler & Lewis (1972); Butler et 292 al. (1998); Sue & Sue (1999); and Knight (1996) found that there is an obvious concern with time when it is clear that the remaining days are running short among the aged. The development of a sense of immediacy, of the here-and-now, of present-ness -all these aid in the evolution of a sense of enjoyment and tranquility which ultimately are decisive elements of well-being. The findings of the study exemplified this awareness of time/time consciousness among the institutionalized aged and that it has endowed them with a sense of urgency and purpose in the ‘evening’ of their lives. It could also be presumed that these two aspects of well-being, the concept time and attitude toward death are closely related. Attitude towards Death The elderly in Gladys Spellman viewed the existential problem of death and dying in different spirit. While some of them had a positive attitude toward death and looked at death as a natural transition from this life to a better life and have reconciled with this inevitable reality. Trust in God’s compassion and mercy and the expectation of heavenly reward, growing closer to God in prayer seemed to help those elderly who said they were at ease with the thought of death. Faith and spirituality change death from an ending to a new beginning of a new existence for Christians (Moberg, 2001). Accepting old age and death meaningfully makes life happier. Fear or acceptance of death is closely related to general satisfaction or well-being. When life is lived to the full, death becomes a fulfillment, a completion (Moberg, 2001). The following words of the elderly were shared with one of the administrators. â€Å"I’ve done my job. My mission is over. I have no worries about the future†¦He will take care†¦and I’m ready for final surrender/exit. † There were others who tried to put on a brave front to show that they were not afraid to die. A third category avoided talking about death, reasoning that it was not yet time for them to think about death as they felt there was plenty time left for such things. Those who avoided thinking about death and those who did not fear death but only feared ‘pain of death’ must be coping with the unrecognized fear of death. As Atchley (1997) puts it, although death is generally accepted with little fear among older people, it is only reasonable to assume that there are some who really fear death. Their trust in God’s mercy and hope in eternal reward probably help them cope with this fear.

Does the World End Here? It’s the People’s Choice Essay

The enormous control that people have on the health of the earth has become a major problem. It is the duty the people of every nation to decide on whether they choose to continue with their ways and watch the world crash before their eyes or to do something to prevent the end from coming. â€Å"Perhaps the World Ends Here†, by Joy Harjo, exemplifies the relationship between her people, the Native Americans, and the earth. Her poem shows how all societies need the â€Å"gifts of earth† (Harjo 548) to survive and yet they have nothing to give back to the earth. Harjo uses a combination of metaphors, allusions, and symbolism to emphasize the fact that people of all ethnicities should realize the impact they are able to have on the earth and how they set the stage for the future generations. Metaphors are repetitively used to allow there to be multiple interpretations regarding how significant ones actions can transform their country. In the words of prolific writer of songs and poetry, Joy Harjo â€Å"the world begins at a kitchen table† (Harjo 548). A kitchen table is usually seen as the center of a household. Then perhaps, Harjo is literally speaking of a kitchen table or the kitchen table may be a representative form of a house, a capitol of a country, or even the heart of a human being. She allows for this wide variety of interpretation due to the fact that if one is willing to change their ways for the better of their country then where they start is their choice. They may start by changing themselves or they may begin by working to change their government. However, if one does not choose to change their ways, Harjo warns â€Å"our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children† (Harjo 548). Our dreams, what people want their life to be like, will be passed to our children because we haven’t awakened them yet. Just as one might need a cup or two of coffee to function for the day, our dreams require us to act as their coffee and take the effort to make them come true. The symbolism in this poem demonstrates how an individual might precede to change the way they choose to live. To initiate this, Harjo states that â€Å"the gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on† (Harjo 548). The gifts of earth represent everything a human being takes from nature and their country in order to survive. They have taken food, cotton, coal, water, and gold from the ground that they live on and humans always will take from nature. Now the question that remains is how nature is supposed to recover and forever provide these things. It is the older generations’, according to Joy Harjo to give the children of their country instructions on what it means to be human (Harjo 548). In other words, the parents and grandparents must teach the future generations to give back to nature, so that it may endlessly sustain them. To rephrase Joy Harjo’s words, a person’s â€Å"table† is a place to protect them from dangers like a house in the rain or an umbrella in the sun (548). Allusions allow the readers to picture events that have already occurred and show examples of why people have a duty to change their ways. â€Å"Wars have begun and ended at this table. It is a place to hide in the shadow of terror. A place to celebrate the terrible victory† (Harjo 548) alludes to the conflicts and peaceful negotiations that have occurred. â€Å"We chase chickens and dogs away from it. Babies teethe at the corners. They scrape their knees under it† (Harjo 548). These statements suggest to the fact that people of one country will fight for their land and homes so that they may raise their children there. All of the effects that people might have on their country, family, and even themselves are exemplified by Joy Harjo’s use of literary terms. Whether it is a singular person, a small group, or an entire country they can affect nature the only difference is the amount of damage they cause. Thus everyone should ask themselves, what type of issues should my family and I be focusing on to change? The apparent problems are global warming, pollution, and war. These directly damage nature, whether they contaminates the air, water, or destroys plants and soil nutrition. Yet another matter that indirectly harms our environment and people do not usually consider are diseases. When an individual becomes ill, the medicine they must take to feel well again is made of herbs and other natural materials. Is there anything an individual can do to change the future, if so then what? There are ways to also help future generations make sure that the world doesn’t end here. The first step is to take action by recycling, donating items others need, riding a bike to work. Even if people are not able do all of these things, even the small actions count. However, if an individual is capable of changing their own lifestyle, then go further. Encourage more to join the cause; make sure the world does not end here. The more that participate to take care of the earth, the better the earth will take care of them. To ensure that the â€Å"gifts of earth† (Harjo 548) will always be available the younger generations must be taught how they can take care of nature but also the extreme importance this task is. Human existence is at the mercy of the wellbeing and development of the earth.

Analyzing Riordan Manufacturings HR System

Analyzing Riordan Manufacturings HR System Free Online Research Papers A description of the information – gathering techniques and design methods have been provided in an effort to present a general idea of what steps are required to complete the project in order to ensure that required information is gathered successfully key factors have been identified, along with an explanation of the scope and feasibility of the project. Gathering Techniques and Design Methods Riordan Manufacturing’s IT department has received information requesting that the HR system be Analyzed. This will require the use of information – gathering techniques and designing methods. However in order to describe information gathering techniques and design methods that will be used for the project one must first define the business needs and current technical resources. Riordan Manufacturing’s current system was installed in 1992 and independent of its branch offices. Riordan Manufacturing’s ERP system is an integral part of the finance and accounting system. With over 550 employees and offices located in California, Michigan, Georgia and China, each branch office has its own independent finance and accounting system; which is consolidated at corporate headquarters in San Jose, California. COO Hugh McCauley is seeking a single integrated application that uses today’s existing tools in the HR system. HR is seeking the opportunity of having the benefits that a more sophisticated, information technology system can offer. Requirements modeling will be used to gather information needed to begin developing the system, and fact – finding techniques will be used in the process of gathering development requirements (Shelly, Cashman, Rosenblatt, 2003 p. 96). To further describe the information – gathering technique the use of Rapid Application Development (RAD) techniques will be incorporated, along with interviews with key employees, document reviews, observations, future growth, and a cost and benefits analysis. Once fact – finding techniques have been concluded and findings have been assessed, we can complete enterprise modeling by constructing data and process and object models with all focus on producing a systems requirements document (Shelly, Cashman, Rosenblatt, 2003, p. 96). In order to analyze future growth, costs and benefits, we will need to consider two main points; which is the scalability and the total costs of ownership. Scalability has to do with the company’s ability to handle an increased load on the system through increased volume transactions (Shelly, Cashman, Rosenblatt, 2003, p. 102). Evaluating the scalability of the system will require the evaluation of future growth projections in volume for all input and output processes (Shelly, Cashman, Rosenblatt, 2003, p. 102). Data storage will need to be considered as well as a determination on how much data storage is currently needed, and will be needed for future activity and growth (Shelly, Cashman, Rosenblatt, 2003, p. 102). The total cost of ownership will encompasses both direct and indirect cost associated with the project; after all costs have been documented, we can then determine whether or not the project will be too costly to complete and began to consider alternative solutions for completing the project. In order to ensure that requirement findings include end users expectations, a systems requirement checklist will be created that includes the following: Output Data, which is produced for the users and will return the Data in a layman readable format, Expected Outcomes will display to the end users inputs. Information that will be put into the Systems Design is, Time Clock Data for Employees with E-Cards, Data Inp uts from HR Web Browser Application, and Direct Input into the HR System by Employee Processes. The System Design will anticipate who will be accessing the application, how the application will be accessed, and any system automation. Behind the scenes the System Design will be processing Interfacing with other systems, and Performance Concurrent user ability, Operational time frames will be 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. The System Design will also have the ability to conduct Business intelligence processing, reminders of timed events in specified time frames and Control Built-in System Security (logons) Role and or user base permissions to access information The interview process will consist of key people, such as managers, and staff that use the current application in the HR department, they will be asked questions such as, what their current system tools are used for in HR and how they are used. They will also be asked why the tools currently used are i mportant to the current HR system. Other interview questions will be open-ended questions in order to stimulate spontaneous and structured responses, along with closed-ended questions, to get a limited or restricted response. The use of questions that generate a range-of-responses will also aid in determining what is needed for the new HR system, some employees will be asked to evaluate a specific item. Adequate question preparation time will also be used to prepare for the interviews, which will aid in ensuring that clear, concise and precise communication was used during each interview, this will also ensure that time and dates are recorded accurately. Reminder emails will be sent out before the interview is to take place. Interviews will be conducted in the employee’s office in order to ensure that they are comfortable. Finally document the interview with as many notes as possible to make sure that all information is captured (Shelly, Cashman, Rosenblatt, 2003, p.106). Th e Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is the process that will be used to design a new HR system for Riordan Manufacturing. When designing a new system application, time is generally crucial and development of a new system is limited to about 6 months most often. Therefore A complete rewrite of the HR application tools and/or replacement of the existing applications with new ones may not be cost effective when offering a solution to Riordan Manufacturing. Conclusion Gathering information for the purpose of creating a system design plays an important role assessing the needs of a company. Riordan Manufacturing ERP System is an integral part of its finance and accounting system which has branch offices in States such as Michigan, Georgia and even China, it is important that outlying branches be able to communicate with one another through consolidation at a central headquarters. The Systems Design should have the ability to conduct Business intelligence processing, with reminders of timed events in specified time frames. Therefore a rewrite of the HR application tools and or replacement of existing applications may not be cost effective. References Shelly, Cashman, Rosenblatt, 2003, p. 96, 102, 106 Shelly, G., Cashman, T., Rosenblatt, H. Systems Analysis and Design (2003). Course Technology. Satzinger, J., Jackson, R., Burd, S. Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World (2004). Course Technology. Riordan Manufacturing (2008). Riordan Manufacturing Intranet. Research Papers on Analyzing Riordan Manufacturing's HR SystemThe Project Managment Office SystemIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfDefinition of Export QuotasInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseStandardized TestingTwilight of the UAWGenetic Engineering

O Come All Ye Faithful in Spanish

O Come All Ye Faithful in Spanish One of the oldest Christmas carols still sung is often known by its Latin title, Adeste fideles, in Spanish. Here is one popular version of the song with an English translation and vocabulary guide. Venid, adoremos Venid, adoremos, con alegre canto;venid al pueblito de Belà ©n.Hoy ha nacido el Rey del los ngeles.Venid y adoremos, venid y admoremos,venid y adoremos a Cristo Jesà ºs. Cantadle loores, coros celestiales;resuene el eco angelical.Gloria cantemos al Dios del cielo.Venid y adoremos, venid y adoremos,venid y adoremos a Cristo Jesà ºs. Seà ±or, nos gozamos en tu nacimiento;oh Cristo, a ti la gloria ser.Ya en la carne, Verbo del Padre.Venid y adoremos, venid y adoremos,venid y adoremos a Cristo Jesus. Translation of Venid, adoremos Come, lets us worship with a happy song;come to the little town of Bethlehem.Today the King of the angels has been born.Come and worship, come and worship,Come and worship Christ Jesus. Sing him praises, heavenly choirs;may the angelical echo sound.Let us sing glory to the God of heaven.Come and worship, come and worship,come and worship Christ Jesus. Lord, we rejoice in your birth;O Christ, the glory will be yours.Now in the flesh, Word of the Father.Come and worship, come and worship,come and worship Christ Jesus. Vocabulary and Grammar Notes Venid: If youre familiar with only Latin American Spanish, you might not know this verb form of venir well. The -id is the ending for a command that goes with vosotros, so venid means you (plural) come or simply come. Canto: Although this word, meaning song or the act of singing, isnt particularly common, you should be able to guess its meaning if you know that the verb cantar means to sing. Coros, eco: Both of these words have English cognates (choir and echo, respectively) where the c of Spanish is the ch in English, although the sounds of both are the hard c. The sound of I and ch in  in these words comes from the chi or χ of Greek. Among the many other word pairs like these are cronologà ­a/chronology and caos/chaos.   Pueblito: This is a diminutive form of pueblo, meaning (in this context) town or village. You may have noticed that in the translation of O Little Town of Bethlehem that the form pueblecito is used. There is no difference in meaning. Diminutive endings can sometimes be applied freely; in this case pueblito was used because it fit the rhythm of the song. Belà ©n: This is the Spanish name for Bethlehem. It isnt unusual for names of cities, particularly those well-known centuries ago, to have different names in different languages. Interestingly, in Spanish the word belà ©n (not capitalized) has come to refer to a nativity scene or a crib. It also has a colloquial use referring to confusion or a confusing problem. Cantadle: This is the familiar command form of cantar (cantad), and le is a pronoun meaning him. Cantadle loores, coros celestiales means sing him praises, heavenly choirs. Resuene: This is a conjugated form of the verb resonar, to resound or to echo. Loor: This is an uncommon word meaning praise. It is seldom used in everyday speech, having mostly liturgical use. Seà ±or: In everyday use, seà ±or is used as a mans courtesy title, the same as Mr. Unlike the English word Mr., the Spanish seà ±or can also mean lord. In Christianity, it becomes a way of referring to Jesus. Nos gozamos: This is an example of a reflexive verb usage. By itself, the verb gozar would typically mean to have joy or something similar. In the reflexive form, gozarse typically would be translated as rejoice. Nacimiento: The suffix -miento offers one way of transforming a verb into a noun. Nacimiento comes from nacer, a verb meaning to be born. Carne: In everyday use, this word typically means meat.   Verbo del Padre: As you might guess, the most common meaning of verbo is verb. Here, verbo is an allusion to the Gospel of John, where Jesus is referred to as the Word (logos in the original Greek). The traditional Spanish translation of the Bible, the Reina-Valera, uses the word Verbo rather than Palabra in translating John 1:1 from Greek.

Excel and word Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Excel and word - Assignment Example 4: Frequency distribution for labour hours Bin Frequency 0-1000 0 1001-1100 5 1101-1200 1 1201-1300 2 1301-1400 4 1401-1500 3 1501-1600 6 1601-1700 2 1701-1800 1 1801-1900 0 More 0 Graph 1: Histogram for labour hours The frequency distribution table and the histogram confirms dispersion of observed values on the variables and the slight skewedness. Section B Graphical representation of variables is one of the strategies for identifying their correlation. The following graph shows consistency in changes among all the variables across the considered months. Graph 2: Comparative graph of the variables across the considered months The observed consistency in the variables’ trend suggests possible association among them. A more clear causal effect relationship can be observed from correletion coefficientthat is shown in the following table. Table 5: Correletion coefficients    Overhead costs Direct labour hours Machine hours No. Of set ups Overhead costs 1 Direct labour hours 0.7 03705 1 Machine hours 0.74701 0.680397 1 No. Of set ups 0.555748 0.321948 0.333965 1 The table identifies the strongest association between overhead costs and direct labor hours and machine hours because of the highest coefficient, 0.74701, as compared to coefficients for the other overhead cost drivers. Analysis of variance however offers the most accurate causal effects relationship and the tables bellow shows the regression analysis results. Table 6: ANOVA table for multiple regression analysis ANOVA    df SS MS F Significance F Regression 3 5284.197 1761.399 16.63454 1.17E-05 Residual 20 2117.761 105.8881 Total 23 7401.958          The low significance value, 1.17E-05 that is lower than 0.05, means that the null hypothesis is rejected to the effect that the cost drivers have significant... Advantages and disadvantages of using a spreadsheet package to compile statistical calculations Operating spreadsheets in calculations has both advantages and disadvantages with which users interact. One of the associated advantages is the ease with which an individual can learn about spreadsheet features and apply the features in analysis. Readily available functions for calculations facilitates these as users can easily identify the functions’ locations and use them at the click of a tab. Spreadsheet functions are also organized into categories with distinct features and this allows users to predict, with ease, location of a function for use. The overall display of input values also offer references to facilitate learning of spreadsheet operations. Another identified advantage with spreadsheets is the ability to develop them within a short period and with significant ease. Users’ ability to design and develop spreadsheet also means that the data analysis tools are cheap. Spreadsheets are also flexible to handle both simple and complex data analysis and this make s them applicable to diversified users and professions. Programmed features of spreadsheets with â€Å"built-in capabilities, functions, and tools† also offer an advantage of spreadsheet and empower users in data analysis (Lau and Gugden 2011, p. 247). Most spreadsheets are also readily available with operation systems and from vendors and the accessibility promote training on the spreadsheet applications and familiarity with different spreadsheet features (Tennent and Friend 2011, n.p.). Spreadsheets also allows for multiple representation of data through â€Å"numerical, graphical, and algebraic representations† (Stacey, Chick and Kendal 2004, p. 107).

Arguing that owen shows the horrific and piterous nature of war Essay

Arguing that owen shows the horrific and piterous nature of war - Essay Example In this poem he portrays the futility of soldiers deaths and sufferings of men who are still alive, but know that death is â€Å"around the corner†. The message of this poem is that war is senseless, war brings only grief and constant tension to be killed. In contrast to this horrible picture of war reality, the other poem â€Å"The Send Off† depicts the departure of soldiers who have not been faced with reality of war. It is possible to predict that these young boys have heard a lot of battles and operations, but none of them can imagine the casualties of war-time. In both poems, Owen uses similar techniques to impress the reader and convey the message of the poems. His structural and stylistic devices reveal a variety of interpretations as to the meaning in the poems. The title â€Å"Futility† comments on the main idea of the poem, which means death of innocent people (soldiers) who can do nothing to protect themselves. The use of past tense underlines the fact that a soldier on the battlefield is dead and nothing can bring him back. The title â€Å"The Send Off† is an example of sarcasm which questioned the necessity of new deaths. Rural landscapes in â€Å"Futility† underlines that the common sense of a battle field cannot be explained through a personal interest of people taking part in a battle because a soldier means nothing as a subject but more as a tool of a battle field. In â€Å"The Send Off†, Owen uses the phrase â€Å"down the close darkening lanes† to depicts that even nature is against futile sacrifices. The use of â€Å"once† means that a person has only one life, which cannot be â€Å"restored†; it means that soldiers can never rise from the dead. The contrast between picturesque landscapes and deaths helps Owen to emphasize the futility of war-time. The pessimism of â€Å"The Send Off† unveils the outcome of soldiers’ departure when Owen questions the necessity of civic duty or â€Å"The Send Off† which is usually accepted and accomplished