A Second Slice of Pie essays

A Second Slice of Pie essays One of the most common complaints about capitalism is that it is inherently unfair. That the operation of an unrestrained, free market will inevitably lead to iniquity, and a great disparity in outcomes. Complaints usually proceed along the lines of - "the rich get richer, and the poor just keep getting poorer". Thus, government intervention is appealed to as protection against the vagaries and unfairness of free market forces. Arguments against unrestricted capitalism include charges of exploitation of workers, an obsession with efficiency, and the consignment of unproductive individuals to the economic scrap-heap. This essay is not intended to address each specific accusation, but will identify the erroneous, central premise behind these misgivings, and the implications of correcting it. The flawed premise held by almost all critics of capitalism, is the view that it is a zero-sum game. In other words, that any gain in a free market economy must have occured at someone else's expense. Ironically, this misconception plagues capitalism and not other economic systems, precisely because of capitalism's great success in wealth generation. It is not hard to see why this is the case. Before the advent of capitalism, the vast majority of people in Europe were indentured peasants. There was no political or economic freedom, and the masses were unable to own land, choose their employment, or respond to opportunities in the marketplace. In fact, there was no market, and most labour was unpaid, with the peasants actually remitting produce to the landed aristocracy. In feudalist Europe, it was not merit, talent, hard work or creativity which decided one's economic situation or social standing, but purely chance - namely into which family one was born. The economic freedoms which are the hallmarks of capitalism - being the right of everyone to own property, and the right to respond to the opportunities and conditions of the market rath...

Water Balance Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Water Balance - Lab Report Example The vegetation and near costal topography of Berkeley is different when compared to the hilly continental Terre Haute which earlier had a facilitating water storage with a longer period. Humid and hot air with high pressure characterize Berkeley, which has dry and hot seasons. The indication to this is through the precipitation levels, which are precipitations less than one centimeter in the region during summer and up to 10 centimeters rise in precipitation in the same region during winter. This simply means that there is a rise in precipitation during winter and a fall during summer. This shifts focus to the earlier mentioned vegetation, which can only survive in one region at a time. When compared to a low-lying coastal stretch California, Indiana has high altitude levels meaning the climatic changes in both regions differ. Precipitation come because of the humid winds that blow from the oceans because of evaporation that continuously take place in oceans. When evaporation takes place in the oceans, winds blowing collect the water in humid form thus bringing about precipitation. The latter statement suggests that without winds there can be no precipitation explaining why precipitation is less in dry areas but very high in moist and icy areas. There is a higher likelihood of Evapotranspiration taking place brought about by high pressure and temperatures. The two figures explain that when there are high speeds of wind, precipitation goes high and vice versa. Therefore, during the months or November to march when the wind speeds are slightly higher than other months, the precipitation levels are high. It is during the months of November to march that high temperature levels force water to turn to vapor which ascends to the atmosphere and falls as conventional rainfall after condensation. Science explains that when water moves up in terms of vapor it

Theories of Just War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Theories of Just War - Essay Example Keeping this in mind, people of this century need to look at the theories that have been recorded in history that regulate the forms of war that states are allowed to wage against any other state or community. The importance of this lies in the fact that it may be able to reduce or eliminate the casualties that occur in today’s world as a result of the wars that have become a regular feature of the political landscape of every continent on the world. It is ironic that even Antarctica is not exempt from being a site of war. The theories of war that exist in contemporary times have to be juxtaposed with those that were proposed by religious thinkers like Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine. Any theory of war that needs to stand the test of time needs to fulfil the basic purpose of its establishment- the meting out of justice. In this context, it would be useful to look at the theories of justice that have been a part of human historical records. Prominent among these are the ones o f Plato and Aristotle. These two thinkers have had a profound effect upon the theories of justice that have come after them. ... The criteria that the state must follow to decide which person upon which it can confer citizenship and which one it cannot is one that may seem unjust to some at present. These were based on laws that were created during the times of Ancient Greece and they were done when Greece was one of the greatest powers in the earth. To restrict foreigners from entering the land and establishing their rights was one of the main concerns of the state. Aristotle’s arguments need to be seen in this light. When viewed in the light of the democratic societies that present observers are used to, Aristotle’s arguments that have a profound impact on the development of present conceptions of the sovereignty of a state may appear to be unjust to certain sections of the society. Seemingly unjust powers are granted to the state that would enable it to treat its citizens in an arbitrary manner. The state is also shown to be the ultimate reason for the existence of the citizen. This can be see n from the fact that Aristotle considers it to be of more importance for a person t be a good citizen than a good person. The goodness of a person is determined by the utility of his self to the state (Clayton). These theories of citizenship and justice can be extended to understand the powers that Aristotle may have envisaged for the state in relation to other states. The sovereignty of other states too, thus is not important, in the same way that the sovereignty of an individual is unimportant. In this context, all the actions of the state, including an unjust war may be justified and the arbitrary nature of the decisions of the state would ensure that dissent is not a part of the solutions that the citizens of a particular state may

Electro-optics and Infrared Essay Example for Free

Electro-optics and Infrared Essay Electronic warfare involves the utilization of techniques, equipment and devices to counteract or deny the enemy from using radar, communications and other radio wave devices. The EW techniques can be further subdivided into electronic support, electronic attack and electronic protection (Frater Ryan, 2001). Electronic support (ES) involves actions taken by an operational commander to search, intercept, identify and locate sources of electromagnetic energy. ES is considered to be passive as it involves using passive measures which do not generate their own energy. Electronic attack (EA) involves using electromagnetic energy to attack facilities, equipment or personnel in order to destroy the enemys combat capability. EA is taken be an active technique as it involves jamming, neutralization and electronic deception, which are usually noisy since they generate their own energy (Goodman Carus, 1990). Jamming entails use of electromagnetic energy to prevent radio signal transmission. In neutralizing the enemy’s signal, extremely high levels of electromagnetic radiation are utilized to damage permanently the enemy’s electronic equipment. While in electronic deception false or misleading signals are sent in order to deceive and confuse the enemy. Electronic protection (EP) entails the actions taken to protect facilities, personnel and equipment from effects of EW that would destroy or damage their combat capability. EP involves using active and passive techniques (Frater Ryan, 2001). In the past, EW systems were mainly concerned with the microwave spectrum region but nowadays it is continuously shifting to the longer wavelengths of IR and also to the visible region. The current weapon systems are increasingly exploiting a mixture of sensors in order to overcome the adverse climatic conditions (Szweda, 2000). To such systems, countermeasures are also needed which include compact diode laser light sources. Additionally, small and light equipment which provide a wide range of sensors and countermeasures is also needed (Selex Galileo, 2009). Land environment EW systems in land operations are very important to the military since most of their operations are done on land. In most countries their military forces are still equipped with old equipment which were utilized in the Second World War and thus are planning to adopt new ones. For instance, Canada has not yet adopted the new equipment and hence is planning to update its land EW equipment in a few years time (Farley Gauthier, 2008). According to Bellamy (1987), developments in the weapons platforms and protection have taken place gradually and slowly, and the external appearance of the battlefield can easily be seen for the year 2000 or 2010. However, in the EW field changes have occurred rapidly as new equipments are being made which serve the military better. The EW field has become like a battle field as military forces are trying to outdo each other. For instance, in equipping its military forces, the British government purchased the first soothsayer equipment at cost of about $220 million and was to start using it in 2006 (Deagel, 2003). Many countries inclusive of the United State of America are investing many funds in research on the EW systems in order to increase the military strengths (Szweda, 2000). The primary bands of the radar and its frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum are VHF, UHF and it continues onwards. The commonly used wave frequencies by the US, NATO and other military forces, ranges from about 26. 5 GHz to about 170 GHz (Bellamy, 1987). The communication channel contains a band of frequencies, however, during communications the equipment are tuned to certain frequency in order to communicate with the other person on the other side. For high communication quality broad band are essential, but are usually prone to jamming and interception by another person who could be the enemy. To avoid jamming or interception, narrow bands are therefore preferred and thus are most commonly used. On land EW systems and especially the radar components have many functions which are very useful to the military and some of them include; locating weapons, tracking shell, surveillance of battlefield, ground vehicle self protection, subsurface object detection, among others (Bretton, 1986). This information is essential for the military as it saves the lives of many military personnel. For instance, locating weapons allows military to detect land mines or bombs which have been laid down as a trap and hence are able to deactivate them. There are several EW techniques currently being used. For instance the British army is equipped with soothsayer EW equipment which is used for detecting and identifying radar and radio signals on the battlefield. This equipment is usually mounted on lightweight and armored military vehicles. Currently, the neodymium-YAG laser is also being used as optical range finders, however, the equipment is undergoing improvement in order to increase its smoke penetration power (Margiotta, 2004). Another technique being utilized is the signal intelligence. Signal intelligence (SIGNIT) This technique involves gathering intelligent information by intercepting signals between individuals using electronic equipment (Lindborg, 1997). It entails use of cryptanalysis since sensitive information is usually encrypted. Traffic analysis is also used in some cases to get valuable information. Through traffic analysis information concerning the sender and the receiver of that information and the quantity of information shared between the two individuals can be easily obtained (Shulsky Schmitt, 2002). This technique is broad and thus has many subdivisions; however, the two main subdivisions include communication intelligence (COMINT) and electronic intelligence (ELINT). Currently, the SIGNIT techniques also involves use optical devices thereby making it more effective and efficient. a) COMINT This type deals with voice information or messages which are derived from an interception of foreign communications (Lockwood, 2006). This technique is used for text interception, voice interception, signal channeling interception and for monitoring friendly conversations (Yusof, 1999). Text interception is currently not being used by many military forces. Military forces of nations of the former Soviet Union are the still using it and it involves use of Morse code. Radio frequencies are scanned for character sequences and facsimile in order to get intelligence information. In voice interception the technique involves listening to voice communications over radios, telephones or through wiretaps. In cases where the communication is encrypted, the information is first decrypted through an intro-electric diagram process for it to be heard. However, the interceptor has to understand the language used in order to get the information. Furthermore, the technique is also utilized to monitor own communication in order to avoid leaking intelligence information to the enemy. b) ELINT This involves use of electronic sensors to gather intelligence information. This technique focuses mainly on non-communication signals intelligence. The process entails signal identification through analysis of certain parameters, then matching the signal parameter with known parameters or recording it as potential new emitter. The data collected is usually highly classified and hence given much security to prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing it. The basic ELINT target are all radar types and these include fire control navigation, surveillance and all radars deployed on sea, land and even in the air. Other targets include navigation systems, data links, command links and telemetry links (Ince et al, 2000). In most cases and especially in times of peace, ELINT is performed regularly prior to a specific mission. Peace operations have the objective of obtaining the maximum possible information on a complete electromagnetic radiation within the areas of interest in any particular nation. In such cases, special ships, satellites, aircraft and land based ELINT facilities are utilized which operate in comprehensive reconnaissance schedules. Maritime In the maritime environment, the EW systems have to meet their operational capability requirements in order to be effective and hence meet their objectives. However, there is a high occurrence chance of adverse electromagnetic interference between the EW and sensor system, since the maritime platforms operate jointly and also the number of EW and sensor system fitted in the maritime platforms has been increasing continually (DallArmi-Stoks et al, 2007). EW systems are mainly utilized for intelligence gathering and for self protection. They are utilized for maritime surveillance because of their capability in detecting, classifying and identification of the targets by intercepting their communication and radar emissions. However, they are not useful when the target element is observing radio silence since there are no emissions of electromagnetic radiations (Ince et al, 2000). In target identification during surveillance, the method used by the EW systems involves finding several features in the intercepted signals which are unique to all emitters. These features mainly include; modulation, carrier frequency and stability, types and number of emitters, pulse width and pulse repetition frequency (Ince et al, 2000). Through the library carried by the interceptor, the target is identified. The library is usually obtained through ELINT as it collects and records much data from non-communication equipment radiation. The EW systems are usually installed in submarines or vessels for combat. There are several modern equipments which are currently being used but in limited number because of their cost. One is the naval laser warning system which is installed in surface ships. This system enables the ships command team to detect the presence of laser activity in the surrounding (Saab, 2009). They are essential for situation awareness as they allows individuals to detect any laser activity in their surrounding from the enemy. The laser warning system detects, classifies and identifies the threats and allows individuals to prepare themselves from any attack and to maneuver to safer locations. This system is also used in submarines for detection of anti-submarine LIDAR. Another EW system used is the submarine ELINT systems, which utilizes phase interferometer in order to increase accuracy when finding direction (Saab, 2009). This system comprises of radar Warner receiver antenna, an ELINT antenna, and EW processing unit installed in the vessel. Air Environment In the air environment, EW systems are used mainly for jamming, finding direction and for intelligence analysis of the ground military forces’ telephone, radio and Morse transmissions. Currently, the EW systems being used use complex command and control communications to link command posts and other posts such as weapons and radar posts (Boyne Fopp, 2002). In the past EW systems in the air force were not taken to be vitally important, but in the recent years they have become one of the critical parts of the air force plans (Gons, 2004). This is because the effectiveness of an aircraft depends greatly on the ability of the EW system. EW systems are essential for the military force to maintain dominance in the air and space. In aircrafts, the use of barrage jamming by simultaneous blocking a wide range of frequencies is currently becoming outdated since it utilizes much electrical power (Brown, 1986). Currently, lasers are being increasingly used because of their low power consumption, space saving, and many other advantages. A number of aircrafts are fitted with the modern optical devices which are entails use of lasers. One of the aircraft with modern optical devices is the air defense version of the Tornado (Brown, 1986). Optical devices used are the lasers radar which are considered to be less radical and helpful in visual recognition. There are also useful for aircraft recognition and tracking at long ranges which are usually achievable by air to air missiles. However, lasers have very narrow frequencies and thus can easily be tracked or intercepted. Furthermore, currently transferring electronic warfare capabilities across multiple platforms is not possible (AFPN, 2008). This can be attributed to lack of data standard or hardware. Conclusion and recommendation EW system EM compatibility should be addressed and managed properly using the correct procedures put in place in order to reduce EM interference. Otherwise the process of eliminating electromagnetic interference will become expensive and might affect the operational capability of the entire EW system. Consequently, adequate training might be helpful in ensuring that the proper procedures are followed. Ensuring that the right personnel have sufficient skills and knowledge on matters concerning EW system electromagnetic compatibility, interference problems will be greatly reduced. In addition to that, policies need to be developed and implemented to ensure that the correct procedures for addressing and managing the EW system electromagnetic compatibility are utilized. Policies will ensure that the technicians follow the proper procedures and not their own short cut procedures. In managing the complexity and the capability problems related to electromagnetic radiation in the EW system, it is essential that the electromagnetic capability and interference be assessed during the stages of planning, designing and even the development of the system. In addition to that assessment should be done during the installation and operation of the electronic and electrical equipment and all the stages should be governed by the electromagnetic interference control plan. Additionally, more research needs to be done on the EW systems used in the aircrafts. This is because transference of electronic warfare capabilities across multiple platforms is currently not possible. Since there is no data standard or hardware in existence, if one particular aircraft has tremendous capabilities against a certain threat, the capabilities have to be regenerated separately for other platforms. This process therefore wastes a lot time and money in regeneration of new aircrafts. This problem is not just affecting the air force but the entire military force. Researchers therefore need to concentrate more on weapon systems compatibility with electronic warfare programs. With more research standardized EW programs that are compatible with all or majority of weapon systems will be developed. In spite of the lasers being easily intercepted, they provide a number of useful advantages which include accuracy and long distance coverage. In order to eliminate the disadvantages in using lasers, research is essential and thus researchers need to find ways of maximizing the advantages of lasers and minimizing the disadvantages. However, researches need many funds and thus governments and other organizations need to invest money in funding these researches. Furthermore, an integrated approach is also needed that combines sensors, weapons, self protection systems and the centralized countermeasures systems. The approach entails use of preprogrammed automated control, command and communications networks which can transmit data from systems that collect it to EW systems. Consequently, a centralized command facility should be put in place which allows senior military officers to prioritize the threats and to determine the methods to use against that particular adversary system. Additionally, an integrated intelligence system is required which combines the large amount of data collected by the sensors and then transforms it to useful information. In conclusion, funds are essential in achieving all the above recommendations. Researches and especially scientific researches are usually expensive as they require modernized equipment, enough scientist and engineers who have adequate skills and knowledge. Governments and other world organizations therefore need to invest more money in electro-optic EW systems since they provide many advantages which are cost effective and efficient and thus useful for peace missions.

Indigenous Health Case Study Essay example -- Healthcare Culture

Introduction Health is known as a state where an individual is socially, mentally and emotionally stable without the presence of any illness, disease or infirmity (Carson, 2007). Jenny, an indigenous woman is 34 weeks pregnant, she has been complaining about her abdominal pains and after seeing the flying doctor, she was asked to fly back with him as she might be in an early labour. Jenny is concerned about her family; she wonders how they will manage without her. Her mother-in-law lives with her sister-in-law and she wonders if she will be able to come and help as her mother has a diabetic leg ulcer and needs treatment so cannot travel. This essay will discuss about the health issues before colonization and after colonization, Jenny’s situation and how she faces the culture clash and dispossession, it will also look at the models of health and theories and how that affects Jenny’s life. Culture clash and indigenous dispossession at the time of colonization. Culture clash is how people behave, whether or not people recognise each other as human beings and if they share what they believe, have similar values and beliefs (Eckermann, Dowd, Chong, Nixon, Gray, & Johnson, 2006). The process of colonization is when a nation imposes itself economically, politically and socially upon another nation (Germov, 2009). People belong to different cultures; every culture has its own customs and beliefs that everyone has to follow. Culture clash can occur when people look at different cultures as not to be a part of their culture and different people as not their people (Eckermann et al., 2006). Cultural customs and beliefs are influenced by the socio-economic status, political and natural environment (Crisp & Taylor, 2009). Modern medicati... ...udy. Rheumatology , 42 (11), 1287-1294. Crisp, J., & Taylor, C. (2009). Potter & Perry's fundamentals of nursing (3rd ed.). NSW: Elsevier. Davis, B. M. (2006). How to teach students who don't lool like you; culturally relevant teaching strategies. In Culturally relevant teaching strategies (p. p.3). London: Sage publication, LTD. Eckermann, A.-K., Dowd, T., Chong, E., Nixon, L., Gray, R., & Johnson, S. (2006). Binan Goonj: Bridging cultures in Aboriginal Health (3rd ed.). NSW: Churchill Livingstone. Germov, J. (2009). Second opinion: An introduction to health sociology (4th ed.). Victoria: Oxford university. Gustafson, D. L. (2005). Transcultural nursing theory from a critical cultural perspective. Advances in Nursing Science , 28 (1), 2-16. Keleher, H., & MacDougall, C. (2009). Understanding health;A determinants approach (2nd ed.). Sydney: Oxford university.

“Relic” By Ted Hughes Essay

Although nature may be seen as a beautiful way in which different living creatures coexist, Ted Hughes however sees this differently. In the poem Relic he writes about how the creatures in the sea use each other as a means to their end. In this poem, the persona has found a jawbone on the sea shore amongst other bones of dead sea creatures. This sends the persona in deep thought and is made to wonder where it has come from and what it passed from. These predators that live in the â€Å"deeps† have to live from eating other creatures in order to survive. This is seen in the phrase, â€Å"camaraderie does not hold†. These creatures that feed on others in order to ensure their survival however are eaten by other creatures and where before they were victimisers, they have now fallen victim to others. The sea is portrayed as a continuous cycle where life is halted by death and this can be seen by the action of the jawbone to â€Å"continue the beginning†. The idea that life is recycled is also evoked through the use of the long endless lines. These extended lines keep the poem flowing in the sense of a cycle and also in rhythm. Another way, in which the idea of continuity is highlighted, is the fact that this poem evolves the whole cycle in one stanza. The rhythm in this poem is not achieved through a fixed meter, but by repetition. This is also done by the extensive use of monosyllabic words which increases the pace of the poem. The alliteration in â€Å"broken by the breakers† and the use of consonance help the reader to visualise the atmosphere at the beach were the jawbone was found, that is hearing the waves splashing with words like â€Å"flip† and â€Å"gnawn†. The tone exposes the fact that the sea is not a friendly place to be in and even the creatures that prey on other creatures, therefore are on top of the food chain, also become â€Å"Jaws eat and are finished and the jawbone comes to the beach† as they also become part of this recycling process. â€Å"Time in the sea eats its tail† and â€Å"indigestibles† are thrown away. Whatever the sea can’t make use of is disposed of which is an efficient way to help the other sea creatures to survive. The bones become a reminder of an animal which has served its purpose in the sea.

Myths of Harry Potter - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1157 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2019/04/12 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Harry Potter Essay Did you like this example? It is safe to say that the Harry Potter franchise is one of the most successful franchises in history. The brand is worth about $25 billion dollars, the movies together made about 7.7 billion dollars, and the books have made JK Rowling one of the riches authors in the world with a net worth of $ 1 billion. What made this series so popular? I believe the reason why this series was so popular because both children and adults enjoyed the story. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Myths of Harry Potter" essay for you Create order Children could experience a world of fantasy and adults could see the mythology behind the characters and creatures they come across in the books. In this essay I will be discussing all the references of ancient mythology that are represented in the Harry Potter films and books. According to Joseph Campbell, when people think of mythology, â€Å"they usually think of Greek mythology or the biblical mythology† (Campbell pg. 71). Myths are stories that can help us and guide us through life, and there are lessons that can be learned from these myths. Some myths are so ancient that people forget about them and just dont talk about them, forgetting the lessons that can be learned from them. In Joseph Campbell novel A Hero with a Thousand Faces, he says, â€Å"‘the models must be appropriate to the time in which they are living’ (Campbell pg. 16). The models Campbell mentions are the myths and in this case the models are the Harry Potter books and films. Harry Potter fulfills society’s earning for supernatural and fantasy by creating a wizarding world with new creatures and history but also incorporating our history ancient mythology. In Sharon Black’s article, The Magic of Harry Potter: Symbols and Hero of Fantasy, talks about h ow children use these stories of supernatural and fantasy to understand reality, â€Å"to speak to him in the language of symbols and not that of everyday reality† (Black pg. 239). When Harry find the Mirror of Erised he sees his dead parents stare back at him from the mirror, that isn’t real because Harry’s parents are dead. What is real is Harry’s desire to be loved by a family which is a real feeling people have. There are many references to ancient mythology all throughout the Harry Potter series. We can see a lot of influence from ancient mythology starting with characters names. Hermione, one of the main female roles and she is Ron and Harry’s best friend. Her name was inspired from Greek mythology, the god Hermes, who is known for being a quick thinker which is shown in Hermione’s intelligence. Minerva McGonagall, a Hogwarts professor was also inspired by Greek mythology. Minerva was the roman goddess of wisdom, craft, and strategy. Minerva Mcgonagall is the transfiguration professor at Hogwarts who is also very wise, and she is also see as fierce and smart when going into the battle of Hogwarts in the last book. Sirius, another character, was the pet dog of Orion, and Artemis the Greek goddess falls in love with Orion. Artemis accidentally kills Orion and to remember him she him in the sky as a constellation with his dog Sirius by his side. In Harry Potter Prisoner of Azkab an, we meet Sirius Black who is an Animagus, a wizard that can transform into an animal and he takes form of a dog. His form of a dog is fitting because Sirius is a loyal friend to Harry, and we later find out is Harry’s godfather and was best friends with Harry’s father when they attended Hogwarts. In the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, we come across some Christian allegory. Harry and Hermione visit Harry’s parents grave, on the grave it reads â€Å"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death,† which is a verse from the Bible, 1 Corinthians 15:26. Laura Feldt talks about in her article that religion is a form of believing and understanding your emotions and knowing what is right and what is wrong (Feldt p. 563). What helped Harry win in the end was his understanding of what he had to do in order to do what was right and protect the ones that he loved. This religious idea that the last enemy is death is also seen throughout the last five Harry Potter books when Lord Voldemort comes back to life. Throughout the last books the main conflict is Harry fighting Voldemort and in the end we come to find that in order for Harry to defeat Voldemort for good Harry must die which shows the last enemy to face is death. In the fifth book, Harry Potter a nd the Order of the Phoenix, Hermione uses a protean charm to communicate with all the other members of Dumbledore’s army. Each member has a galleon that is charmed to change, so they all know when the next meeting time is without drawing attention to themselves. The name for the charm comes from Greek mythology, Proteus. Proteus was a servant of Poseidon who was able to change into any animal or creature. â€Å"Protean† means, â€Å"to change frequently.† In the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Hogwarts hosts the Yule ball. In the wizarding world, the Weird sisters are a popular wizard band that also performs at the Yule ball. The bands name comes from the three witches in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, which were also called the Weird Sisters. Shakespeare even got the name from British folktales. JK Rowling has also mentioned in interviews that Macbeth is her favorite Shakespeare play which shows were the influence came from. We come across a couple creatures that have been inspired by different mythologies. In the first book, Harry Potter the Sorcerer’s Stone we meet Fluffy, the three headed dog that guards the Sorcerers Stone. In Greek mythology there is a three headed dog named Cerberus, who guards the entrance to the underworld. Orpheus uses his gift of music to send Cerberus into a deep sleep. This same strategy is used in the first book when Harry, Ron, and Hermione use Hagrids flute to send Fluffy to sleep, so they can get past Fluffy to retrieve the Sorcerer’s Stone. Nagini is another creature we encounter throughout the books and films, Nagini is Voldemort’s pet snake and one of the living Horcruxes. Naga means snake in Sanskrit; the name is a kind of semidivine snake in Hinduism and Buddhism. according to legend nagas are half human half snake. In the most recent film The Crimes of Grindelwald, we come to find that Nagini was a woman that could transform into a snake, and fe male nagas are called nagini. There are other creatures that have appeared throughout the series like, Hippogriffs that come from European folklore, Cornish pixies appeared in the 4th book; they originally appeared in English, Scottish, and Irish folktale. Dragons and goblins appear in the series, both date back to Medieval folklore.