Free Essays on Angelas Ashes

Angela’s Ashes The sociological imagination is best described as, an individual’s understanding of the direct affects that society and social instances have on their own personal growth and development. Angela’s Ashes is a brilliantly displayed example of how: a situation that one individual person is born into can have a great impact on the way that person continues their life. This film is based on Frank McCourt’s upbringing in Limerick, Ireland in 1935. Frankie was born into a family with intense financial burdens. At the start of the film, Frankie is one out of five children. Quickly, the audience sees that due to the father’s drinking problem, the harsh living conditions, and the father’s inability to maintain a job, three of the children die of starvation. Throughout the film, the audience continues to witness how bad the situation that Frankie and his other siblings are in is. As sad as it may seem, Frankie is the â€Å"candle burning in the windâ € , during the entire film. As much as Frankie loves his father, he realizes how he has not and continues to not provide for his family. Through this realization, Frankie decides that he will not be like that, which is a good example of how one’s society shapes one’s future. On a number of occasions, after Frankie’s father left for America, Frankie actually witnessed his mother begging for financial assistance from the government, friends, family, and neighbors. Frankie was so very ashamed of this practice that he vowed that he would, one day move to America and provide for himself and his own family. When Frankie turned fifteen, in efforts to support his mother and siblings, he went out and got a job at a coal mine. Frankie was forced to take on the position of his father, which his father did not assume, by supporting his mother and siblings. Angela’s Ashes portrays the way that one’s history affects one’s very own biography. Frankie’s histo... Free Essays on Angelas Ashes Free Essays on Angelas Ashes Angela’s Ashes The sociological imagination is best described as, an individual’s understanding of the direct affects that society and social instances have on their own personal growth and development. Angela’s Ashes is a brilliantly displayed example of how: a situation that one individual person is born into can have a great impact on the way that person continues their life. This film is based on Frank McCourt’s upbringing in Limerick, Ireland in 1935. Frankie was born into a family with intense financial burdens. At the start of the film, Frankie is one out of five children. Quickly, the audience sees that due to the father’s drinking problem, the harsh living conditions, and the father’s inability to maintain a job, three of the children die of starvation. Throughout the film, the audience continues to witness how bad the situation that Frankie and his other siblings are in is. As sad as it may seem, Frankie is the â€Å"candle burning in the windâ € , during the entire film. As much as Frankie loves his father, he realizes how he has not and continues to not provide for his family. Through this realization, Frankie decides that he will not be like that, which is a good example of how one’s society shapes one’s future. On a number of occasions, after Frankie’s father left for America, Frankie actually witnessed his mother begging for financial assistance from the government, friends, family, and neighbors. Frankie was so very ashamed of this practice that he vowed that he would, one day move to America and provide for himself and his own family. When Frankie turned fifteen, in efforts to support his mother and siblings, he went out and got a job at a coal mine. Frankie was forced to take on the position of his father, which his father did not assume, by supporting his mother and siblings. Angela’s Ashes portrays the way that one’s history affects one’s very own biography. Frankie’s histo...

Major General George McClellan in the Civil War

Major General George McClellan in the Civil War George Brinton McClellan was born December 23, 1826 in Philadelphia, PA. The third child of Dr. George McClellan and Elizabeth Brinton, McClellan briefly attended the University of Pennsylvania in 1840 before leaving to pursue legal studies. Bored with the law, McClellan elected to seek a military career two years later. With the aid of President John Tyler, McClellan received an appointment to West Point in 1842 despite being a year younger than the typical entry age of sixteen. In school, many of McClellans close friends, including A.P. Hill and Cadmus Wilcox, were from the South and would later become his adversaries during the Civil War. His classmates included future notable generals in Jesse L. Reno, Darius N. Couch, Thomas Stonewall Jackson, George Stoneman, and George Pickett. An ambitious student while at the academy, he developed a great interest in the military theories of Antoine-Henri Jomini and Dennis Hart Mahan. Graduating second in his class in 1846, he was assigned to the Corps of Engineers and ordered to remain at West Point. Mexican-American War This duty was brief as he was soon dispatched to the Rio Grande for service in the Mexican-American War. Arriving off the Rio Grande too late to take part in Major General Zachary Taylors campaign against Monterrey, he fell ill for a month with dysentery and malaria. Recovering, he shifted south to join General Winfield Scott for the advance on Mexico City. Preforming reconnaissance missions for Scott, McClellan gained invaluable experience and earned a brevet promotion to first lieutenant for his performance at Contreras and Churubusco. This was followed by a brevet to captain for his actions at the Battle of Chapultepec. As the war was brought to a successful conclusion, McClellan also learned the value of balancing political and military affairs as well as maintaining relations with civilian populations. Interwar Years McClellan returned to a training role at West Point after the war and oversaw a company of engineers. Settling into a series of peacetime assignments, he wrote several training manuals, aided in the construction of Fort Delaware, and took part in an expedition up the Red River led by his future father-in-law Captain Randolph B. Marcy. A skilled engineer, McClellan was later assigned to survey routes for the transcontinental railroad by Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. Becoming a favorite of Davis, he conducted an intelligence mission to Santo Domingo in 1854, before being promoted to captain the following year and posted to the 1st Cavalry Regiment. Due to his language skills and political connections, this assignment was brief and later that year he was dispatched as an observer to the Crimean War. Returning in 1856, he wrote of his experiences and developed training manuals based on European practices. Also during this time, he designed the McClellan Saddle for use by the US Army. Electing to capitalize on his railroad knowledge, he resigned his commission on January 16, 1857 and became the chief engineer and vice president of the Illinois Central Railroad. In 1860, he also became the president of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad. Tensions Rise Though a gifted railroad man, McClellans primary interest remained the military and he considered returning the US Army and becoming a mercenary in support of Benito Jurez. Marrying Mary Ellen Marcy on May 22, 1860 in New York City, McClellan was an avid supporter of Democrat Stephen Douglas in the 1860 presidential election. With the election of Abraham Lincoln and the resulting Secession Crisis, McClellan was eagerly sought by several states, including Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio, to lead their militia. An opponent of federal interference with slavery, he was also quietly approached by the South but refused citing his rejection of the concept of secession. Building an Army Accepting Ohios offer, McClellan was commissioned a major general of volunteers on April 23, 1861. In place four days, he wrote a detailed letter to Scott, now general-in-chief, outlining two plans for winning the war. Both were dismissed by Scott as unfeasible which led to tensions between the two men. McClellan re-entered federal service on May 3 and was named commander of the Department of the Ohio. On May 14, he received a commission as a major general in the regular army making him second in seniority to Scott. Moving to occupy western Virginia to protect the Baltimore Ohio Railroad, he courted controversy by announcing that he would not interfere with slavery in the area. Pushing through Grafton, McClellan won a series of small battles, including Philippi, but began to display the cautious nature and unwillingness to fully commit his command to battle that would dog him later in the war. The only Union successes to date, McClellan was ordered to Washington by President Lincoln after Brigadier General Irvin McDowells defeat at First Bull Run. Reaching the city on July 26, he was made commander of the Military District of the Potomac and immediately began assembling an army out of the units in the area. An adept organizer, he worked tirelessly to create the Army of the Potomac and cared deeply for the welfare of his men. In addition, McClellan ordered an extensive series of fortifications constructed to protect the city from Confederate attack. Frequently butting heads with Scott regarding strategy, McClellans favored fighting a grand battle rather than implementing Scotts Anaconda Plan. Also, he insistence on not interfering with slavery drew ire from Congress and the White House. As the army grew, he became increasingly convinced that the Confederate forces opposing him in northern Virginia badly outnumbered him. By mid-August, he believed that enemy strength numbered around 150,000 when in fact it seldom exceeded 60,000. Additionally, McClellan became highly secretive and refused to share strategy or basic army information with Scott and Lincolns cabinet. To the Peninsula In late October, the conflict between Scott and McClellan came to a head and the elderly general retired. As a result, McClellan was made general-in-chief, despite some misgivings from Lincoln. Increasingly more secretive regarding his plans, McClellan openly disdained the president, referring to him as a well-mannered baboon, and weakened his position through frequent insubordination. Facing growing anger over his inaction, McClellan was called to the White House on January 12, 1862 to explain his campaign plans. At the meeting, he outlined a plan calling for the army to move down the Chesapeake to Urbanna on the Rappahannock River before marching to Richmond. After several additional clashes with Lincoln over strategy, McClellan was forced to revise his plans when Confederate forces withdrew to a new line along the Rappahannock. His new plan called for landing at Fortress Monroe and advancing up the Peninsula to Richmond. Following the Confederate withdraw, he came under heavy criticism for allowing their escape and was removed as general-in-chief on March 11, 1862. Embarking six days later, the army began a slow movement to the Peninsula. Failure on the Peninsula Advancing west, McClellan moved slowly and again was convinced that he faced a larger opponent. Stalled at Yorktown by Confederate earthworks, he paused to bring up siege guns. These proved unnecessary as the enemy fell back. Crawling forward, he reached a point four miles from Richmond when he was attacked by General Joseph Johnston at Seven Pines on May 31. Though his line held, the high casualties shook his confidence. Pausing for three weeks to await reinforcements, McClellan was again attacked on June 25 by forces under General Robert E. Lee. Quickly losing his nerve, McClellan began falling back during a series of engagements known as the Seven Days Battles. This saw inconclusive fighting at Oak Grove on June 25 and a tactical Union victory at Beaver Dam Creek the next day. On June 27, Lee resumed his attacks and won a victory at Gaines Mill. Subsequent fighting saw Union forces driven back at Savages Station and Glendale before finally making at stand at Malvern Hill on July 1. Concentrating his army at Harrisons Landing on the James River, McClellan remained in place protected by the guns of the US Navy. The Maryland Campaign While McClellan remained on the Peninsula calling for reinforcements and blaming Lincoln for his failure, the president appointed Major General Henry Halleck as general-in-chief and ordered Major General John Pope to form the Army of Virginia. Lincoln also offered command of the Army of the Potomac to Major General Ambrose Burnside, but he declined. Convinced that the timid McClellan would not make another attempt on Richmond, Lee moved north and crushed Pope at the Second Battle of Manassas on August 28-30. With Popes force shattered, Lincoln, against the wishes of many Cabinet members, returned McClellan to overall command around Washington on September 2. Joining Popes men to the Army of the Potomac, McClellan moved west with his reorganized army in pursuit of Lee who had invaded Maryland. Reaching Frederick, MD, McClellan was presented with a copy of Lees movement orders which had been found by a Union soldier. Despite a boastful telegram to Lincoln, McClellan continued to move slowly allowing Lee to occupy the passes over South Mountain. Attacking on September 14, McClellans cleared the Confederates away at the Battle of South Mountain. While Lee fell back to Sharpsburg, McClellan advanced to Antietam Creek east of the town. An intended attack on the 16th was called off allowing Lee to dig in. Beginning the Battle of Antietam early on the 17th, McClellan established his headquarters far to the rear and was unable to exert personal control over his men. As a result, the Union attacks were not coordinated, allowing the outnumbered Lee to shift men to meet each in turn. Again believing that it was he who was badly outnumbered, McClellan refused to commit two of his corps and held them in reserve when their presence on the field would have been decisive. Though Lee retreated after the battle, McClellan had missed a key opportunity to crush a smaller, weaker army and perhaps end the war in the East. Relief 1864 Campaign In the wake of the battle, McClellan failed to pursue Lees wounded army. Remaining around Sharpsburg, he was visited by Lincoln. Again angered by McClellans lack of activity, Lincoln relieved McClellan on November 5, replacing him with Burnside. Though a poor field commander, his departure was mourned by the men who felt that Little Mac had always worked to care for them and their morale. Ordered to report to Trenton, NJ to await orders by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, McClellan was effectively sidelined. Though public calls for his return were issued after the defeats at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, McClellan was left to write an account of his campaigns. Nominated as the Democratic candidate for the presidency in 1864, McClellan was hamstrung by his personal view that the war should be continued and the Union restored and the partys platform which called for an end to the fighting and a negotiated peace. Facing Lincoln, McClellan was undone by the deep divide in the party and numerous Union battlefield successes which bolstered the National Union (Republican) ticket. On election day, he was defeated by Lincoln who won with 212 electoral votes and 55% of the popular vote. McClellan only garnered 21 electoral votes. Later Life In the decade after the war, McClellan enjoyed two long trips to Europe and returned to the world of engineering and railroads. In 1877, he was nominated as the Democratic candidate for governor of New Jersey. He won the election and served a single term, leaving office in 1881. An avid supporter of Grover Cleveland, he had hoped to be named secretary of war, but political rivals blocked his appointment. McClellan suddenly died on October 29, 1885, after suffering from chest pains for several weeks. He was buried at Riverview Cemetery in Trenton, NJ.

Film Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Film Studies - Essay Example He was born and raised in New York and has a Jewish background which is often displayed by many of his heroes in films. He certainly has a love affair with the city since the majority of his films are located and situated around New York and its surroundings. His comedic talents were obvious from his younger days in school as well as his stay at New York University and the City College of New York (Wikipedia, 2007). With this set of close connections to the city his films and words can be examined to show his vision of modern city life. The first film which can be connected to these ideas is Manhattan. It was a commercial success when it came out in 1979 and for all practical purposes; it was a love letter from Woody Allen to the city of his birth (Lee, 2005). The story of the film connects with two couples who are within the city but for our purposes the opening sequence of the film becomes very important. The opening scenes of Manhattan show a montage city life which includes the skyline, eating places in the city, parades on New York streets, the parks of the cities and other important civic landmarks. At the same time, the voiceover given by the character of Isaac shows how much the city is loved by the writer. The adoration towards New York City is painfully obvious even if Isaac does not like many of the people living in the city or their behaviour towards him and others. While the city seems to have lost its value in some way since it seems to take out the idea of individuality from the people living in it, it gives something back to them in terms of creating a fraternity of city dwellers that have quite a lot in common. While a city like New York certainly contains prostitutes, drugs, criminal elements and even things which people would move to avoid, Allen focuses on the brighter side of living in a city rather than the suburbs. The brighter side shows a vision of high theatres, classical music concerts, museums and even a shot

The effectiveness of Polymer reinforced Concrete Masonry (CMU) Walls Essay

The effectiveness of Polymer reinforced Concrete Masonry (CMU) Walls as Compared to unreinforced CMU Walls - Essay Example Using of FRP composites have been viewed as a suitable and cost-effective way for strengthening URM. Seismic design in the USA is nearly completely grounded on the consideration that the structural system gives a flexible failure mode. Masonry walls strengthened by FRP actually have fragile failure modes as a result of the nature of the strengthening system itself. The idea explored in our research paper is the introduction of flexibility using some kind of hybrid strengthening system. We based our investigation on the experiments held by J.J. Myers and P. Carney (cited in Tumialan, 2005). The research study investigated the practicability of developing continuity between the FRP and the surrounding reinforced concrete frame system. In the paper, we evaluated strengthened URM wall's functioning using static tests as tools for our investigation. The authors whose works we used for the examination utilized 2 strengthening methods including the application of glass FRP (GFRP) laminates to the wall's surface and the installation of near surface mounted (NSM) GFRP rods. In both methods, the strengthening material was anchored to boundary members above and below the wall on some of the specimens in the research program. A shear retrofit, the effects of bond pattern, and the effects of FRP laminate strip width were also investigated in our paper. The development of continuity between the FRP materials and the surrounding framing system is important to improving the blast resistance of URM infill walls. Keywords: FRP strengthening; blast resistance; masonry wall retrofits; masonry wall connections. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. BACKGROUND Recent events in the world have attracted attention to the vulnerability and sustainability of buildings and infrastructure to acts of terrorism. Our infrastructure is vital to this nation's economy and way of life. Any damage to it would and has had drastic effects on our culture. Attacks may cause a variety of results ranging from minor building damage to complete structural failure and considerable loss of life. Some examples within the United States include the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City (1995) and the bombing and attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City (1993, 2001). Abroad, numerous attacks have been directed toward embassies, and suicide car bombers have been used to targetpopulated areas. In the cases where complete structural failure is not an issue, the dangers of flying debris have resulted in loss of life or injury to numerous civilians. Of particular concern are unreinforced masonry (URM) infill walls. Structural sys tems composed of a reinforced concrete (RC) framing system with URM infill walls makes up a significant portion of the building inventory in the United States and around the world. Since there is no reinforcement within these walls, they have little resistance to out-of-plane loads such as a blast load. As a result, an effort has been undertaken to examine retrofit methods that are feasible to enhance their out-of-plane resistance. One method of strengthening URM walls is the application of fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) to the surface of the wall to improve their performance. Today, FRP is considered an emerging technology. Its use began becoming

Management Accounting and Financial Accounting Essay Example for Free

Management Accounting and Financial Accounting Essay The differences between management accounting and financial accounting include:[1] 1. Management accounting provides information to people within an organization while financial accounting is mainly for those outside it, such as shareholders 2. Financial accounting is required by law while management accounting is not. Specific standards and formats may be required for statutory accounts such as in the I.A.S International Accounting Standard within Europe. 3. Financial accounting covers the entire organization while management accounting may be concerned with particular products or cost centres. Managerial accounting is used primarily by those within a company or organization. Reports can be generated for any period of time such as daily, weekly or monthly. Reports are considered to be future looking and have forecasting value to those within the company. Financial accounting is used primarily by those outside of a company or organization. Financial reports are usually created for a set period of time, such as a fiscal year or period. Financial reports are historically factual and have predictive value to those who wish to make financial decisions or investments in a company. Management Accounting is the branch of Accounting that deals primarily with confidential financial reports for the exclusive use of top management within an organization. These reports are prepared utilizing scientific and statistical methods to arrive at certain monetary values which are then used for decision making. Such reports may include: * Sales Forecasting reports * Budget analysis and comparative analysis * Feasibility studies * Merger and consolidation reports Financial Accounting, on the other hand, concentrates on the production of financial reports, including the basic reporting requirements of profitability, liquidity, solvency and stability. Reports of this nature can be accessed by internal and external users such as the shareholders, the banks and the creditors.

Data Management :: Microsoft Access

Microsoft Access Before you use Microsoft Access to actually build the tables, forms, and other objects that will make up your database, it is important to take time to design your database. A good database design is the keystone to creating a database that foes what you want it to do effectively, accurately, and efficiently. The first step in designing a Microsoft Access database is to determine the purpose of the database and how it’s to be used. You need to know what information you want from the database. Form that, you can determine what subjects you need to store facts about (the tables) and what facts you need to store about each subject (the fields in the tables). Talk to people who will use the database. Brainstorm about the questions you’d like the database to answer. Sketch out the reports you’d like it to produce. Gather the forms you currently use to record your data. Examine well-designed databases similar to the one you are designing. Determining the tables can be the trickiest step in the database – the reports you want to print, the forms you was to use, the questions you want answered – don’t necessarily provide clues about the structure of the tables that produce them. You don’t need to design your tables using Microsoft Access. In fact, it may be better to sketch out and rework your design on paper first. A table should not contain duplicate information, and information should not be duplicated between tables. After you have designed the tables, fields, and relationships you need, it’s time to study the design and detect any flaws that might remain. It is easier to change your database design now, rather than after you have filled the tables with data. (see figure 1-2 on page 4) Use Microsoft Access to create your tables, specify relationships between the tables, and enter a few records of data in each table. See if you can use the database to get the answers you want.

Dramatic and relevant to a modern audience Essay

Lots of the characters under go personal development: for example Reverend Hale, who at first is all to eager to ‘shout witch’ but in the end is very disbelieving. My personal belief is that the events are a testament of how people shouldn’t live in a social structure that is overly tight. A crucible is a metal container in which metals are melted to extract their pure element from the impurities. This can easily be linked to the play: first witches supposedly boil potions in cauldrons and a synonym for cauldron is crucible. Secondly, it has a metaphorical meaning: the society of Salem is being heated and stirred in an attempt to remove the impurities and leave only the pure members of the society. An artificial Noah’s Ark, as it were, however this plan backfires some. Act 1 mainly revolves around Abigail and the girls being caught dancing in the woods. The drinking of blood is supposedly a charm to kill Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail wants to be with Proctor after Elizabeth kicked her out for having an affair with Proctor: â€Å"I know that you clutched my back out side your house and sweated like a stallion when ever I come near, or did I dream that? It is she put me out, you cannot pretend it were you. I saw your face when she put me out. You loved me then and you do now! † – Abigail Proctor is fighting an internal conflict; we know that on one side he wants to be with Abigail because: â€Å"[Looking at Abigail now, the faintest suggestion of a knowing smile on his face]† – Stage direction But we also know that he feels very guilty about Elizabeth: â€Å"I mean to please you Elizabeth† – Proctor However, he does tell Abigail that he wants nothing more to do with her: â€Å"Abby, I may have thought of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched Abby. † – Proctor All the time this encounter has been in occurrence, sexual tension is building in the audience. They are also learning about Proctors and anti-hero characteristics. We learn that his name is not entirely white. He is not perfect, and the same applies to most of the characters, they all have good and bad points. I think there are two important points here. One is that Abigail is trying to seduce Proctor with seductive language, and two: Betty is only pretending to be inert. She would have heard all of this, and that is most likely the reason behind her getting up and trying to jump out of the window. Also in Act 1 Abigail threatens marry Warren, Betty and the other girls against telling anyone anything: â€Å"Let any of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you†¦ and you know I can do it†¦ I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down† – Abigail It is here that we learn just how aggressive and manipulative that Abigail really is. She was trying to manipulate Proctor and now she is being extremely aggressive and even explicit towards the girls. We can tell that this is a frantic and tense moment on stage by the over average use of exclamation marks and use of short sentences. We can also see physical violence from Abigail as she violently shakes Betty around. Visually this would be interesting for the audience, creating both anger and tension. There is contrast in the loud violence of this moment to the quiet seduction from Abigail before. Act 2 contrasts from the end of Act 1, in the fact that it is a calm and peaceful scene, over the loud fear-driven hysteria of the end of Act 1. Proctor comes home from ‘seeding’ his farm late at night, and he sits down to eat, with Elizabeth. From the general feel of the scene we can gather that the common room of Proctors house is cold, empty and unwelcoming. This parallels with the relationship between John and Elizabeth. There’s is a great amount of tension between the pair, and they idly make chit-chat at the table, as they feel they need to: â€Å"Proctor: Pray now for a good summer. Elizabeth: Aye† It should be noted that it is Proctor who is trying to make conversation; Elizabeth is spoiling his attempts with one-word answers. Proctor is feeling frustrated because Elizabeth is not acknowledging that Proctor is trying his hardest to repair the relationship. He is forever claiming his desire to please Elizabeth: â€Å"I mean to please you Elizabeth. † – Proctor I believe that the audience would to be getting frustrated with Elizabeth not forgiving him. The tension in the audience would also rise, due to the complete lack of any sexual tension. Arthur Millers ‘The Crucible’ raised issues that were as relevant in the 1950’s as they were today. The idea of conformity will always exist. People who define this ideologies and beliefs by which groups of people live will always exist. As will accusations made towards one group from another group, to solve their problem, or help their cause. Arthur Millers play took on some very strong issues, that are still relevant to date, it is one that cannot be ignored because of Millers ability to touch issues and themes that have plagued mankind all through history, and will continue to do so in the future.

Why I Own A Computer

Computers are capable of doing more things every year. There are many advantages to knowing how to use a computer, and it is important that everyone know how to use them properly. Using the information I have gathered, and my own knowledge from my 12 years of computer experience, I will explain the many advantages of owning a computer and how they important they are in your everyday life. I hope this helps others understand why computers and the Internet are so important to have access to. Webster’s New World Compact Dictionary defines a computer as â€Å"an electronic machine that performs rapid, complex calculations or compiles and correlates data† (Computer, 1995, p. 226). While this definition gives one a very narrow view of what a computer is capable of doing, it does describe the basic ideas of what I will expand upon. We have been living through an age of computers for a short while now, and there are already many people worldwide that are computer literate. According to Using Computers: A Gateway to Information World Wide Web Edition, over 250 million Personal Computers (PC’s) were in use by 1995, and one out of every three homes had a PC (Shelly, Cashman, & Waggoner, 1996,p138). Computers are easy to use when you know how they work and what the parts are. All computers perform the four basic operations of the information processing cycle: input, process, output, and storage. Data, any kind of raw facts, is required for the processing cycle to occur. Data is processed into useful information by the computer hardware. Most computer systems consist of a monitor, a system unit which contains the Central Processing Unit (CPU), a floppy-disk drive, a CD-ROM drive, speakers, a keyboard, a mouse, and a printer. Each component takes a part in one of the four operations. The keyboard and mouse are input devices I use to enter data into the computer. From there the data goes to the system unit where it is processed into useful information the computer can understand and work with. Next the processed data can be sent to storage devices or to output devices. Normally output is sent to the monitor where I can view it or stored on the hard-disk or to a floppy-disk located internal of the system unit. Output can also be printed out through the printer, or can be played through the speakers as sound depending on the form it takes after it is processed. Once I had grasped an understanding of the basic parts and operations of a computer, I then discovered how computers were going to make my life easier and more enjoyable. Being computer literate allows you to use many powerful software applications and utilities to do work for school, business, or pleasure. Microsoft is the current leading producer of many of these applications and utilities. Since Microsoft is the largest software producer it stands to reason most people including myself probably use one of their products on a daily basis. As for myself, I use a variety of software products from many different software vendors. Microsoft has also produced a software package called Microsoft Office that is very useful in creating reports, databases, spreadsheets, presentations, and other documents for school and work. Included in Microsoft Office, are Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, and Microsoft PowerPoint. Microsoft Word is a word processing program that makes creating professional looking documents such as announcements, resumes, letters, address books, and reports easy to do. I use Word everyday in my job. I write many letters and other forms of communications to my customers or fellow employees at Hewlett-Packard. Microsoft Excel, a spreadsheet program, has features for data organization, calculations, decision-making, and graphing. I find it very useful in making professional looking reports. I also use it for tracking my sales and income using its spreadsheet capabilities. Microsoft PowerPoint is â€Å"a complete presentation graphics program that allows you to produce professional looking presentations† (Shelly, Cashman, & Vermaat, 1996,p. 2). PowerPoint is flexible enough so that you can create electronic presentations, overhead transparencies, or even 35mm slides. I don t use this as much as the others, but I do use it when giving tours to students who visit Hewlett-Packard. When I using the Internet it allows me access to a vast resource of facts, knowledge, information, and entertainment that can help me do my work and have fun. According to Netscape Navigator 2 running under Windows 3. 1, â€Å"the Internet is a collection of networks, each of which is composed of a collection of smaller networks† (Shelly, Cashman, & Jordan, 1995, p. 12). Information can be sent over the Internet through communication lines in the form of graphics, sound, video, animation, and text. These forms of computer media are known as hypermedia. Hypermedia is accessed through hypertext links, which are pointers to the computer where the hypermedia is stored. The World Wide Web (WWW) is the collection of these hypertext links throughout the Internet. Each computer that contains hypermedia on the WWW is known as a Web site and has Web pages set up for users to access the hypermedia. Browsers such as Netscape allow me to â€Å"surf the net† and search for the hypermedia of their choice. I have found millions of examples of hypermedia on the Internet. While surfing I also found art, photos, information on business, the government, and colleges, television schedules, movie reviews, music lyrics, online news and magazines, sport sights of all kinds, games, books, and thousands of other hypermedia on the WWW. Through the Internet I can use, electronic mail (E-Mail), chat with other users around the world, buy airline, sports, and music tickets, and shop for a house or a car. All of this, and more, provides me with a limitless supply of information for research, business, entertainment, or other personal use. Online services such as America Online, Prodigy, or CompuServe make it even easier to access the power of the Internet. The Internet alone is almost reason enough to become computer literate, but there is still much more that computers can do. One of my favorite reasons for having a computer is for playing video games. With a PC you can play card games, simulation games, sport games, strategy games, fighting games, and adventure games. Today’s technology provides the ultimate experiences in color, graphics, sound, music, full motion video, animation, and 3D effects. Computers have also become increasingly useful in the music, film, and television industry. I have used my computer to compose music, create sound effects, create special effects, and create 3D life-like animation. I haven t done this but I know its possible to edit previous existing movie and TV footage into new programs, as seen in the movie Forrest Gump. All this and more can be done with computers. I feel that there is truly no time like the present to become computer literate. Computers will be doing even more things in the future and will become unavoidable. Purchasing and learning about a new PC now will help put PC’s into the other two-thirds of the homes worldwide and make the transition into a computer age easier. I believe everyone should own a computer regardless of age. The time is now, and the future is here.

Basic Geography of Rivers

Basic Geography of Rivers Rivers provide us with food, energy, recreation, transportation routes, and of course water for irrigation and for drinking. But where do they start and where do they end? Basic Geography of Rivers Rivers begin in mountains or hills, where rain water or snowmelt collects and forms tiny streams called gullies. Gullies either grow larger when they collect more water and become streams themselves or meet streams and add to the water already in the stream. When one stream meets another and they merge together, the smaller stream is known as a tributary. The two streams meet at a confluence. It takes many tributary streams to form a river. A river grows larger as it collects water from more tributaries. Streams usually form rivers in the higher elevations of mountains and hills. The areas of depression between hills or mountains are known as valleys. A river in the mountains or hills will usually have a deep and steep V-shaped valley as the fast moving water cuts away at the rock as it flows downhill. The fast moving river picks up pieces of rock and carries them downstream, breaking them into smaller and smaller pieces of sediment. By carving and moving rocks, running water changes the earths surface even more than catastrophic events such as earthquakes or volcanoes. Leaving the high elevations of the mountains and hills and entering the flat plains, the river slows down. Once the river slows down, the pieces of sediment have a chance to fall to the river bottom and be deposited. These rocks and pebbles are worn smooth and get smaller as the water continues flowing. Most of the sediment deposition occurs in the plains. The wide and flat valley of the plains takes thousands of years to create. Here, the river flows slowly, making S-shaped curves which are known as meanders. When the river floods, the river will spread out over many miles on either side of its banks. During floods, the valley is smoothed and tiny pieces of sediment are deposited, sculpting the valley and making it even smoother and more flat. An example of a very flat and smooth river valley is the Mississippi River valley in the United States. Eventually, a river flows into another large body of water, such as an ocean, bay, or lake. The transition between river and ocean, bay or lake is known as a delta. Most rivers have a delta, an area where the river divides into many channels and river water mixes with sea or lake water as the river water reaches the end of its journey. A famous example of a delta is where the Nile River meets the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt, called the Nile Delta. From the mountains to the delta, a river does not just flow - it changes the surface of the earth. It cuts rocks, moves boulders, and deposits sediments, constantly attempting to carve away all of the mountains in its path. The goal of the river is to create a wide, flat valley where it can flow smoothly towards the ocean.

Electronegativity and Chemical Bonding

Electronegativity and Chemical Bonding What Is Electronegativity? Electronegativity is a measure of the attraction of an atom for the electrons in a chemical bond. The higher the electronegativity of an atom, the greater its attraction for bonding electrons. Ionization Energy Electronegativity is related to ionization energy. Electrons with low ionization energies have low electronegativities because their nuclei do not exert a strong attractive force on electrons. Elements with high ionization energies have high electronegativities due to the strong pull exerted on electrons by the nucleus. Periodic Table Trends In an element group, the electronegativity decreases as atomic number increases, as a result of increased distance between the valence electron and nucleus (greater atomic radius). An example of an electropositive (i.e., low electronegativity) element is cesium; an example of a highly electronegative element is fluorine. Moving left to right across the periodic table, electronegativity increases.Moving top to bottom down the periodic table, electronegativity decreases.

Flat U.S. Wages Help Fuel Rebound in Manufacturing Assignment

Flat U.S. Wages Help Fuel Rebound in Manufacturing - Assignment Example With the sluggish economy, waning consumer confidence, and less access to credit (among other factors), manufacturers have struggled to keep pace. This reality, however, appears to be drawing to a close as manufacturing numbers and production output have been up in recent quarters. This phenomenon is partly fueled by the reality that wages in this sector have remained stagnant, ironically allowing manufacturing companies to catch up on their productivity and increase profitability due to less expense related to labor costs and benefits. It is important to understand the relationship that exists between labor cost and the cost of manufactured goods. In times of decreased production, if wages kept pace with inflation, many plants would quickly find themselves in dire situations. With the tables reversed, however, and production picking up due to stagnant wages, many industries in the manufacturing sector are returning to the United States. This further fueling the economic development, even though many argue that the retailing and services side of the economy are left out in the dark because of decreased buying power exhibited by workers. There are certainly challenges facing the manufacturing industry in America as it continues to compete in an increasingly global economy, but the current signs are positive and the trends are moving in the right direction.

'China should prioritise improving its relationship with the ASEAN Essay

'China should prioritise improving its relationship with the ASEAN countries over its relationship with the US'. Discuss - Essay Example It is indeed, an open secret that the relationship between some countries is more cordial, integrative and coordinated than others. Commonly, a nation will consider a number of factors before deciding the type of countries it would forge alliance or relations with. Over the past decade or two, the need for economic advancement and growth has become one of the most paramount factors considered in the stake for selecting partner (Hyer, 2004). Political factors have also been very influential as a means of seeking political dominance. Like all other countries, China has its own international partners and coordinated countries. China’s relations with the United States for instance have been one of the most talked about over the past decade. Apart from the United States, China also has had a higher level of relationship with the Association of South Eastern Asian Nations (ASEAN). In this essay, there is a careful scrutiny to the relationship that exists between China and the United States as well as China and ASEAN to discuss why prioritizing her relationship with ASEAN would do more good to China than a prioritized relationship with the United States. Overview of International Relations International relation is basically the study of relationship that exists between countries. ... ernational relations is a pathway that leads to and brings about an essential and itemized formulation of foreign policy strategy (Dowdy and Trood, 2007). What this means is that countries engage in relationships with other countries as a means of forging and achieving long term foreign policy plans to rule their nations. Commonly, countries want to achieve political and economic power over others. But to make political dominance possible, the counties ought to have several representation and seats in as many international organizations and institutions as possible (Prakash, 1994). To this end, they would relate with other countries so as to gain voting support when the need arises for such international office elections. For economic dominance to be possible also, it is important that countries have as many international markets as possible as the size of a country’s market is proportional to the size of its economy (Shenon, 2005). Against this backdrop also, countries would want to have as many international partners as possible. Indeed, as long as the phenomenon of the League of Nations through the United Nations Organization continues to exists, there is the tendency that such flexibility and allowances that make easier inter-national relations will continue. History of China-US relations The relationship between China and the United States dates back to 1844 when it took place in the form of the Treaty of Wanghia in 1844. Among other factors, the treaty and for that matter relationship was necessitated as a means as allowing much and easier accessibility of the movement of people and good to and from the two countries. To this end, there was the fixing of trade tariffs for the two countries. Citizens of the United States were also allowed the freedom or right to