Personal Growth Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Personal Growth Plan - Essay Example Some people say God is not attainable through the organs of senses. Yet relation with God remains real. God reveals Himself through the people and the variety of events within lives of people. â€Å"Always a living Person is present, speaking, pleading, loving, working, and manifesting Himself whenever and wherever His people have the receptivity necessary to receive the manifestation† (Tozer, 2008). God is a person, who also has intimate relationships. Developing direct relationships on deep personal level is a proper aim for the person, devoted to Him. Every day I start with the meditation. I really go deep and enjoy prayer and the sense of overwhelming gratitude that streams from my heart. I really need to pray; I agree with the words â€Å"prayer is something we should do, even something we want to do, but it seems like a chasm stands between us and actually praying. We experience the agony of prayerlessness† (MacDonald, 2007). I meet other people with open heart and all the events I observe as those, sent by Him. I accept the daily challenges. Even if the life seems tough, I recognize all that is sent by God to challenge and improve me, thus I meet even seemingly bad events with gratitude. I honor Him for all the blessings and challenges he addresses to me. Devotional life seems to me not only to accept His presence in everything, but also remember this bliss is about relationships; this means not only to accept and gratify for what he gives but to serve as well. Every day has its opportunities to reveal the inner potential, own best virtues and creative force. Being a creator of own life and accepting responsibility for all own deeds and behaviors implies spirituality. This means understanding of own purpose, purpose of others and purpose of all the connections. All has its aim, its hidden and explicit meaning. There is a sense, a purpose of everything happening. All the simple things are touched by

The Christ of Velázquez †Poetry Visits Art Essay Example for Free

The Christ of Velà ¡zquez – Poetry Visits Art Essay Leonardo da Vinci is quoted as saying, â€Å"Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen. † There is no better illustration of this than the inspirational painting of Diego Rodriquez de Silva y Velazquez –The Christ of San Placido, more commonly known as The Christ of Velazquez and the equally moving poetic meditation on Velazquez’s painting by Miguel de Unamuno centuries later. Painting and poetry, as da Vinci suggested, join together in a unique way – the artist painting what he feels in his soul and the poet feeling in his soul what is painted. The Painting Diego Velazquez was one of the foremost Spanish painters of the 17th century. And one of his greatest paintings was The Christ of San Placido which was painted in 1638 for the convent of San Placido, but now resides in the Museo de Prado in Madrid. This stirring depiction of Christ just after His death offers an open invitation for the viewer to meditate on this epic moment. The body of Christ on the cross stands alone on the backdrop of a black sky. The crucifix has no flourishes or embellishments. Velazquez chose to portray this solitary Christ with His head hanging and the right side of his face covered by his hair. (â€Å"Diego†) This veil of hair has prompted many explanations. The Museo de Prado’s explanation is that Velazquez could not copy Christ’s expression on that side of His face and so he â€Å"opted to cover the left [right] side with His falling hair instead. † Another analysis assumes that this disruption of the composure of the body was done to recall the torture and the cruelty that Christ suffered. Yet another attributes this half-hidden face to the artist’s intention to lead the viewer of the painting into the spiritual world. (â€Å"The Painted†) Whatever the artist’s purpose might have been, it cannot be denied that this purposely simple representation of the dead Christ, dripping blood can inspire deep spiritual reflection. Its Inspirational Connection to Poetry Ekphrasis Ekphrasis, purely defined, is: â€Å"a literary description of or commentary on a visual work of art. † (â€Å"Ekphrasis-Merriam†) This is, of course, a sterile definition that cannot begin to convey the true connection that art and poetry can enjoy. The term goes back as far as Homer’s The Iliad, in which he vividly describes how the blacksmith god forged the Shield of Achilles. Modern ekphrasis tends to focus only on works of art; and not so much by extraordinary description as in the case of the Shield of Achilles as by how the art inspires or moves the poet. (â€Å"Ekphrasis: Poetry†) This is what Miguel de Unamuno undertook to do with his book-length poem El Cristo de Velazquez. Unamuno expressed his spiritual doubts through his poetry. With El Cristo de Velazquez he confronts the painting of Velazquez to â€Å"define a uniquely Spanish Christ. † (â€Å"Miguel†) The stark figure of Christ on the cross elicited deep feelings from Unamuno, some mystical, some perplexing. He put these thoughts into lyrical form over the course of seven years producing a piece that is considered by some to be a most important religious poem. Its 2,538 lines are divided into four parts. They relate to Christ as a symbol of sacrifice and redemption, as a reflection of His many names, as God painted with the brush of Velazquez and they end with an invocation to the Holy Spirit to guide Unamuno as He guided Velazquez. (Nozick 178) The Personalization of The Christ of Velazquez by Unamuno In his book on Unamuno, Martin Nozick speculates on why Unamuno would have chosen this painting by Velazquez rather than any of the myriad of others he could have chosen as the subject of his poem. He notes that Unamuno thought that the representation of Christ that was adopted by the king of Spain as his official symbol was â€Å"bland† as compared with the image of Christ painted by Velazquez and that the Christ of Cabrera was â€Å"granitic† and the Christ of Santa Clara more like a wooden mannequin. (179) It seems that the Christ of Velazquez was ordained to be his choice. The posture of Christ in Velazquez’s painting is somewhat unique in that it suggests that death has already occurred. His head is hanging limply while His face, now as lifeless as His body, is veiled by his mangled locks of hair. Undoubtedly this moved Unamuno to comment on Christ in Part One as the white Lamb of God whose death took away the sins of the world. (Section XVI) He continues with expressive commentary on Christ as the host of wheat ground under the millstone, an apt expression for one who had gone through so much suffering for mankind. (Section XVII) The symbolic use of the colors of white and red to contrast the magnificence of Christ as the Son of God with the human suffering of the Son of Man run throughout this part of the poem especially. Unamuno stops to reflect on the white linen in which Christ’s body is so meagerly wrapped; and refers to Him as the white lion of the desert, among other references to the color white (white cloud, white light, white bull, etc. ). These references are juxtaposed against the stark images of the red blood that runs from the wounds of Christ. Unamuno â€Å"paints† this in one line as he describes Christ’s â€Å"whiteness dotted with bloody riddles. † (Section XXIV) However he does not merely explain the vividness of the white dotted with red. It is evident through his verse that he is also deeply affected by these aspects of the painting. The exhausting effort that is manifest in this first part may have prompted a weaker, less driven man to end the poem there. But Unamuno forges on. In Part II the painting inspires a recounting of earthly forces such as fire and water and storm intertwined with deep insights into the soul of Unamuno. This second part also reflects the biblical aspects of Christ and His mission of salvation. It evokes an historical aspect often citing events from the Bible as well as some of the many titles of Christ such as â€Å"Lion of Judah†, â€Å"King of the Desert,† â€Å"Light of Life† and more. From the powerful imagery of Unamuno in this part emerges the soul of a man who is trying to grasp the full meaning of salvation, seeing it as something that mankind was given as a gift but did not deserve. God the Father is seen by Unamuno as the sun; Christ is seen as the moon and the earth is the Virgin Mother. As Cannon puts it, â€Å"It is a mythic triad in accord with ancient beliefs in the magic and perfection of three-ness and in the family organization of the cosmos. † (28) Cannon tells us that Unamuno even made a full-page drawing which he attached to the final manuscript representing this cosmological triad. This seems to infer that Unamuno saw in Velazquez’s painting more than what was physically there. The painting evidently inspired a much greater vision in the mind of Unamuno – one that portrays him as â€Å"an intoxicated evangelist† (Nozick 180) Unamuno does come back to earth however in Part III by concentrating on the visible features of Christ in the actual painting – His head, face, eyes, ears, arms, hands, etc. Consider this translation in the section dealing with the eyes of Christ. Shivering russet which dew on your eyelashes, Pearls of fire shudder liquid And going through the closure of the eyelids Viewed with dark eyes . . . . The imagery is magnificent and throughout this imagery are woven references, once again, to the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. Unamuno himself calls this â€Å"a sort of rhythmoid, dense prose. † (180) This third part of the poem is probably the most descriptive of the painting itself whereas the prior two parts were more illustrative of the feelings that the painting evoked. As Unamuno leaves the more descriptive portion of his poetry behind, he approaches what Cannon considers the most famous part of the poem. (Cannon 28) It begins and ends in darkness, but in between Unamuno presents the â€Å"luminous white body of the glorified Christ. † (28) Here again, Unamuno pulls hope out of despair, joy out of sorrow, expectation out of apathy. The images that the painting of Christ by Velazquez inspires in Unamuno are powerful ones that make a lasting impression on the reader. It may be that Unamuno has personalized Christ in a way that may not occur to the casual observer of this or any other painting of Christ on the cross and in this intense personalization Unamuno vitalizes the depiction of Christ with hope – a way out of the darkness. Velazquez painted his Christ on the cross to be a stark and solitary figure devoid of the sympathetic eye of the observers present at the crucifixion. Unamuno supplements the darkness of the artist’s work with a renewed sense of anticipation of his own death and rebirth in Christ. He ends his poem with a plea that he may enter â€Å"the clear day that has no end, my eyes fixed on Thy white body, Son of Man, complete Humanity . . . my eyes fixed on Thine eyes, oh Christ, my gaze submerged in Thee, oh Lord! † His life was admittedly full of theological uncertainties, but the spiritual doubts that may have manifested themselves in the life of Unamuno are put to rest in this profusion of imagery inspired by The Christ of Velazquez that was written and rewritten over seven years by Unamuno. The sweeping dynamic of the painter’s brush met the commanding inspiration of the poet’s pen so that together they make an impact that neither of them alone could manage. Works Cited Cannon, Calvin. â€Å"The Mythic Cosmology of Unamuno’s El Cristo de Velà ¡zquez.† Hispanic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Review 28 (1960): 28 – 39. Complete Works of Miguel de Unamuno. Ed. Ricardo Senabre. Vol. 4., Madrid: Jose   Ã‚  Ã‚   Antonio Castro Foundation, 2006. Madrid: Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes 20 Oct. 2008    http://www.cervantesvirtual.com.

Processor Is The Heart Of The Computer

Processor Is The Heart Of The Computer A microprocessor or processor is the heart of the computer and it performs all the computational tasks, calculations and data processing etc. inside the computer. Microprocessor is the brain of the computer. In the computers, the most popular type of the processor is the Intel Pentium chip and the Pentium 1V is the latest chip by Intel Corporation. The microprocessors can be classified based on the following features. Computer memory stores data temporarily for rapid retrieval. When most computer users refer to the term, they are talking about the main memory of the computer. This is also called the random access memory (or RAM for short). However, memory chips of varying types are integrated into just about every electronic device you can think of, including coffee machines, microwaves, network routers, and cell phones. 2.0 Question 1 Nowadays, the cost of the computer continues to drop dramatically while the performance and capacity of the system continue to rise equally dramatically. I am going to write about the evolution of microprocessor system. I will start from the 1st microprocessor Intel 4004 to Pantium4. Intel 4004 The 4004 is the worlds first microprocessor. The 4004 was created at Intel with Ted Hoff and Federico Faggin as the lead designers. The 4004 provided a new tool to the world. Up to that time and semiconductors and ICs were built for a specific purpose. The 4004 was the first semiconductor device that provided, at the chip level, the functions of a computer. The 4004 contains the two basic architectural building blocks that are still found in todays microcomputers: the arithmetic and logic unit and the control unit. The Intel 4004 ran at a clock speed of 108 kHz and contained 2300 transistors. By the time it was in production the clock speed was increased to 500kHz and later to 740kHz. It processed data in 4 bits, but its instructions were 8 bits long. The 4004 addressed up to 1 Kb of program memory and up to 4 Kb of data memory (as separate entities). It had sixteen 4-bit (or eight 8-bit) general purpose registers, and an instruction set containing 45 instructions. The 4004 family is also referred to as the MCS-4. Intel 8008 The first 8-bit microprocessor, Intel 8008 (i8008) was released 5 months after Intel 4004. The 8008 was available in two speed grades 500 KHz and 800 KHz. Because it took the CPU from 5 to 8 cycles to execute each instruction, the effective rate of instruction execution was from 45,000 to 100,000 instructions per second for Intel 8008 and from 72,000 to 160,000 instruction per second for Intel 8088-1 These numbers assume that the CPU uses fast memory and doesnt require wait states to access the memory. Although the effective speed in instructions per second of the 8008 microprocessor sometimes is lower than the effective speed of the 4004 CPU, overall performance of the i8008 was greater due to faster effective speed of some instructions, 8-bit architecture and more efficient instruction set. The 8008 had other advantages over the 4004, for example: the processor supported of 16 KB of memory (ROM and RAM combined), the size of internal CPU stack was 7 levels in contrast to 3 level-stack for the i4004, and the Intel 8008 could handle interrupts. Intel 8008 microprocessor was used in Mark-8 computer, which is considered to be the first personal computer. Intel 8080 The Intel 8080 was an early microprocessor designed and manufactured by Intel. The 8-bit CPU was released in April 1974 running at 2 MHz, and is generally considered to be the first truly usable microprocessor CPU design. It was used in many early computers, forming the basis for machines running the CP/M operating system (the later, compatible, Zilog Z80processor would capitalize on this, CP/M becoming the dominant OS of the period much like MS-DOS for the PC a decade later). Shortly after the 8080, the Motorola 6800competing design was introduced. The Intel 8080 was the successor to the Intel 8008 (with which it was assembly language compatible because it used the same instruction set developed by Computer Terminal Corporation). The 8080s large 40 pin DIP packaging permitted it to provide a 16-bit address bus and an 8-bit data bus. It had seven 8-bit registers (six of which could be combined into three 16-bit registers), a 16-bit stack pointer to memory (replacing the 8008s internal stack), and a 16-bit program counter. The 8080 had 256 I/O ports (allowing I/O devices to be connected without the need to allocate memory space as is required for memory mapped devices but at the expense of separate I/O instructions). The first single-board micro computer was built on the basis of the 8080 Intel Pentium Intel Pentium microprocessor was the first x86 superscalar CPU. The processor included two pipelined integer units which could execute up to two integer instructions per CPU cycle. Redesigned Floating Point Unit considerably improved performance of floating-point operations and could execute up to 1 FP instruction per CPU cycle. Other enhancements to Pentium core included: To improve data transfer rates the size of data bus was increased to 64 bits. At first Pentium processors featured separate 8 KB code and 8 KB data caches. The size of both data and code L1 caches was doubled in Pentium processors with MMX technology. Intel Pentium CPU used branch prediction to improve effectiveness of pipeline architecture. Branch prediction was enhanced in Pentium MMX processors. Many desktop Pentiums could work in dual-processor systems. To reduce CPU power consumption the core voltage was reduced on all Pentium MMX, and many mobile and embedded Pentium processors. Intel manufactured desktop, mobile and embedded versions of Pentium microprocessors. Distinguishing between different versions of Pentiums is not always easy because desktop, mobile and/or embedded Pentiums often used the same part numbers. In some cases Pentium processors with the same part and S-spec numbers were offered as desktop and embedded, or mobile and embedded microprocessors. Later versions of Pentium processors Pentium MMX included 57 new instructions. These instructions could be used to speed up processing of multimedia and communication applications. Like the Pentium processors, the Pentium MMX CPUs were also produced in three different versions desktop, mobile and embedded processors. Pentium II Intel Corporations successor to the Pentium Pro. The Pentium II can execute all the instructions of all the earlier members of the Intel 8086 processor family. There are four versions targeted at different user markets. The Celeron is the simplest and cheapest. The standard Pentium II is aimed at mainstream home and business users. The Pentium II Xeon is intended for higher performance business servers. There is also a mobile version of the Pentium II for use in portable computers. All versions of the Pentium II are packaged on a special daughterboard that plugs into a card-edge processor slot on the motherboard. The daughterboard is enclosed within a rectangular black box called a Single Edge Contact (SEC) cartridge. The budget Celeron may be sold as a card only without the box. Consumer line Pentium IIs require a 242-pin slot called Slot 1. The Xeon uses a 330-pin slot called Slot 2. Intel refers to Slot 1 and Slot 2 as SEC-242 and SEC-330 in some of their technical documentation. The daughterboard has mounting points for the Pentium II CPU itself plus various support chips and cache memory chips. All components on the daughterboard are normally permanently soldered in place. Previous generation Socket 7 motherboards cannot normally be upgraded to accept the Pentium II, so it is necessary to install a new motherboard. All Pentium II processors have Multimedia Extensions (MMX) and integrated Level One and Level Two cache controllers. Additional features include Dynamic Execution and Dual Independent Bus Architecture, with separate 64 bit system and cache busses. Pentium II is a superscalar CPU having about 7.5 million transistors. The first Pentium IIs produced were code named Klamath. They were manufactured using a 0.35 micron process and supported clock rates of 233, 266, 300 and 333 MHz at a bus speed of 66 MHz Second generation Pentium IIs, code named Deschutes, are made with a 0.25 micron process and support rates of 350, 400 and 450 MHz at a bus speed of 100 MHz. Pentium III The Pentium III is a microprocessor designed by Intel as a successor to its Pentium II. The Pentium III is faster; especially for applications written to take advantage of its Katmai New Instructions (the code name for the Pentium III during development was Katmai). The 70 new computer instructions make it possible to run 3-D, imaging, streaming video, speech recognition, and audio applications more quickly . In addition, the Pentium III offers clock speeds up to 800 MHz. The Katmai New Instructions are similar to the instructions optimized for multimedia applications called MMX and now included in most Pentiums. However, unlike the MMX instruction set, the Katmai instructions support floating point units as well as integer calculations, a type of calculation often required when still or video images are modified for display. The Katmai instructions also support Single Instruction Multiple Data instructions. These allow a single instruction to cause data to be modified in multiple memory locations simultaneously, a kind of parallel processing. For 3-D applications, changing values in parallel for a given 3-D scene means that users can see smoother and more realistic effects. Application developers can create effects that the slower instructions could not support, such as scenes with subtle and complex lighting. Animated effects and streaming video should also be less choppy for the viewer. The new instructions also specifically include some that will make speech recognition faster and more accurate and allow the creation of more complex audio effects. Pentium IV The Pentium 4 is a seventh-generation x86 architecture microprocessor produced by Intel and is their first all-new CPU design since thePentium Pro of 1995. The original Pentium 4, codenamed Willamette, ran at 1.4 and 1.5 GHz and was released in November 2000. Unlike the Pentium II, Pentium III, and various Celerons, the architecture owed little to the Pentium Pro design, and was new from the ground up. To the surprise of most industry observers, the Pentium 4 did not improve on the old P6 design in either of the normal two key performance measures: integer processing speed or floating-point performance. Instead, it sacrificed per-cycle performance in order to gain two things: very high clockspeeds, and SSE performance. As is traditional with Intels flagship chips, the Pentium 4 also comes in a low-end Celeron version (often referred to as Celeron 4) and a high-end Xeon version intended for SMP configurations. The Pentium 4 performs much less work per cycle than other CPUs (such as the various Athlon or older Pentium III architectures) but the original design objective to sacrifice instructions per clock cycle in order to achieve a greater number of cycles per second. Above are the evolution of microprocessor, I just explain some of it, because there are too many types of microprocessor. Following the microprocessor above, it showing that microprocessors is getting better and run faster year by year. 2.0 Question 2 Memory is one of the most important things that is incorporated into computers, be it computers or PCs. There are various computer memory types installed, depending upon the actual need for functioning and specifications of the system. The computer memory relates to the many devices and components that are responsible for storing data and applications on a temporary or a permanent basis. It enables a person to retain the information that is stored on the computer. Without it, the processor would not be able to find a place which is needed to store the calculations and processes. There are different types of memory in a computer that are assigned a task of storing several kinds of data. Each has certain peculiarities and capacities. Random Access Memory (RAM) RAM is a location within the computer system which is responsible for stacking away data on a temporary basis, so that it can be promptly accessed by the processor. The information stored in RAM is typically loaded from the computers hard disk, and includes data related to the operating system and certain applications. When the system is switched off, RAM loses all the stored information. The data remains stored and can be retained only when the system is running. When the RAM gets full, the computer system is more likely to operate at a slow speed. The data can be retrieved in any random order. Generally, there are two types of RAM; namely Static RAM (SRAM) and Dynamic RAM (DRAM). When many programs are running on the computer simultaneously, the virtual memory allows the computer to search in RAM for memory portions which havent been utilized lately and copy them onto the hard drive. This action frees up RAM space and enables the system to load different programs. RAM, or Random Access Memory, is volatile. This means that it only holds data while power is present. RAM changes constantly as the system operate, providing the storage for all data required by the operating system and software. Because of the demands made by increasingly powerful operating systems and software, system RAM requirements have accelerated dramatically over time. For instance, at the turn of the millennium a typical computer may have only 128Mb of RAM in total, but in 2007 computers commonly ship with 2Gb of RAM installed, and may include graphics cards with their own additional 512Mb of RAM and more. Read Only Memory (ROM) Read only memories (ROMs) are used in computer systems to provide a permanent storage of program instructions. A read only memory (ROM) structure comprises a matrix of intersecting bit lines and word lines with memory cells at select intersections. A read only memory (ROM) consists of an array of semiconductor devices (diodes, bipolar or field-effect transistors), which interconnect to store an array of binary data. A ROM basically consists of a memory array of programmed data and a decoder to select the data located at a desired address in the memory array. A ROM array of memory cells is defined by a number of transistors generally arranged in a grid pattern having a plurality of rows and columns. Each individual transistor of each memory cell of the ROM array is placed between a column of the series of columns and a voltage bus. A resistive ROM typically includes a planar array of parallel word lines, which is perpendicular to and insulated from a planar array of parallel bit lines . A designated number of the memory cells in the ROM have a resistive, element connecting a node of one word line with a node of one bit line. Each memory cell, consisting of a single transistor per bit of storage, is hardware pre-programmed during the integrated circuit (IC) fabrication process and is capable of maintaining the stored data indefinitely. ROM memory is used to hold and make available data or code that will not be altered after IC manufacture. Data or code is programmed into ROM memory during fabrication. The values stored within the ROM are read (i.e., output) by measuring a sense current flowing through each bit line from the memory cells of successive word lines. Three basic types of ROMs are mask-programmable ROM, erasable programmable ROM (EPROM) and field-programmable ROM (PROM). Cache Cache is a kind of RAM which a computer system can access more responsively than it can in regular RAM. The central processing unit looks up in the cache memory before searching in the central memory storage area to determine the information it requires. This rule out the need for the system to search for information in larger and bigger memory storage areas, which in turn leads to a faster extraction of data. Cache memory is random access memory (RAM) that a computer microprocessor can access more quickly than it can access regular RAM. As the microprocessor processes data, it looks first in the cache memory and if it finds the data there, it does not have to do the more time-consuming reading of data from larger memory. Cache memory is sometimes described in levels of closeness and accessibility to the microprocessor. An L1 cache is on the same chip as the microprocessor. (For example, the PowerPC 601 processor has a 32 kilobyte level-1 cache built into its chip.) L2 is usually a separate static RAM (SRAM) chip. The main RAM is usually a dynamic RAM (DRAM) chip. In addition to cache memory, one can think of RAM itself as a cache of memory for hard disk storage since all of RAMs contents come from the hard disk initially when you turn your computer on and load the operating system (you are loading it into RAM) and later as you start new applications and access new data. RAM can also contain a special area called a cache that contains the data most recently read in from the hard disk. Computer Hard Drive A hard disk is part of a unit, often called a disk drive, hard drive, or hard disk drive, those stores and provides relatively quick access to large amounts of data on an electromagnetically charged surface or set of surfaces. Todays computers typically come with a hard disk that contains several billion bytes (gigabytes) of storage. A hard disk is really a set of stacked disks, each of which, like phonograph records, has data recorded electromagnetically in concentric circles or tracks on the disk. A head (something like a phonograph arm but in a relatively fixed position) records (writes) or reads the information on the tracks. Two heads, one on each side of a disk, read or write the data as the disk spins. Each read or write operation requires that data be located, which is an operation called a seek. (Data already in a disk cache, however, will be located more quickly.) A hard disk/drive unit comes with a set rotation speed varying from 4500 to 7200 rpm. Disk access time is measured in milliseconds. Although the physical location can be identified with cylinder, track, and sector locations, these are actually mapped to a logical block address (LBA) that works with the larger address range on todays hard disks. Flash Memory Flash memory (sometimes called flash RAM) is a type of constantly-powered non-volatile memory that can be erased and reprogrammed in units of memory called blocks. It is a variation of electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) which, unlike flash memory, is erased and rewritten at the byte level, which is slower than flash memory updating. Flash memory is often used to hold control code such as the basic input/output system (BIOS) in a personal computer. When BIOS needs to be changed (rewritten), the flash memory can be written to in block (rather than byte) sizes, making it easy to update. On the other hand, flash memory is not useful as random access memory (RAM) because RAM needs to be addressable at the byte (not the block) level. Flash memory gets its name because the microchip is organized so that a section of memory cells are erased in a single action or flash. The erasure is caused by Fowler-Nordheim tunnelling in which electrons pierce through a thin dielectric to remove an electronic charge from a floating gate associated with each memory cell. Intel offers a form of flash memory that holds two bits (rather than one) in each memory cell, thus doubling the capacity of memory without a corresponding increase in price. Flash memory is used in digital cellular phones, digital cameras, LAN switches, PC Cards for notebook computers, digital set-up boxes, embedded controllers, and other devices. These are just the common and main computer memory types which facilitate memory and data storage. However, there are many subtypes which are sorted out according to the memory-related functionalities they perform and the requirements they serve. 4.0 Conclusion In the assignment, I have completed it by myself and I was doing research in internet, reference books and some of the notes that giving by lecturer. In question, I was explaining the evolution of the microprocessor, from the 1st generation to Pentium 4. I was choosing some of the microprocessors randomly and explain it with detail. Through the question, I know the microprocessors are getting better year by year. In question 2, I was requested to compare the various types of memories. So I have explained and compare in my question 2. For example: RAM, ROM, Hard drive, cache and so on. I learn a lot of knowledge through the assignment. It will be helpful for my examination.

Edgar Allan Poe Essay -- essays research papers

Edgar Allan Poe   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Edgar Allan Poe, the first master of the short story, had written many short stories from mysteries to morbidity. Edgar was born on January 19,1809 in Boston, Massachussettes. Edgars Parents, David and Eliza, were both in the acting business. Poe also had a sister, who is rarely spoken of. When Edgar was young his father fleed from the family, leaving Edgar, his mother, and sister alone. At the age of two Edgar's mother died of tuberculosis. Edgar was then placed in a foster home with John and Fanny Allan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Edgar was fifteen he had enough stories written to publish a book, but his foster father would not allow it. In 1826 Edgar enrolled into the University of Virginia. He wanted to become a translator. The life at the University of Virginia was very disturbing, there were many accounts of violence such as; riots, fighting, and murders. By the end of the year Edgar was in debt from gambling, exceeding two-thousand five-hundred dollars. When Poe went back to Richmond, Virginia, where John lived for the summer, he expected his father to pay his debts, but his father made him work to pay his debts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1827 Edgar moved out of the Allan house to Boston, Massachussettes. Edgar then published his first book Tamerline and Other Poems . In 1827 Edgar joined the U.S. Army where he stayed for two years. In 1829 Edgar wrote his second book Aarat, Tamberline, and Other Poems by...

Persuasive Paper on Video Game Violence Essay

=Today’s youth live in a time where video games are a fixture of entertainment. Video game consoles are found in almost every home, including a child’s bedroom. I believe that the portrayal of violence in video games is not the reason for the increase of violent acts committed by and against youth. Parents and the government should understand it is not the fault of the game itself. Modern parents should be engaged in the messages their children are receiving from video games and the images they are allowing them to witness. Creating more laws and legislations surrounding the sale and content of video games will not provide the protection that parents think they will. I believe that parents who refuse to engage in the content their children are exposed to must educate themselves actively and be aware of what their children are observing when they play video games. They need to actively seek out information about the game and what types of content it contains before their children start to play. Parents should not solely rely on the rating provided by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), an independent board that provides ratings to video games. Games with the rating of Everyone, or â€Å"E†, contain mild violence. According to a study from the Journal of the American Medical Association where 55 video games were played, â€Å"27 games (49%) depicted deaths from violence† (Thompson and Haninger). Parents who do not take the time to learn about a game first risk their children killing in the game that is rated for â€Å"Everyone†. Children need their parents to talk with them and explain that what they are seeing is not real and that violence like that is not appropriate behavior. A study by the American Psychological Association found that game players self-reported that â€Å"game playing was found to elicit more fear than anger, depressed feeling, or pleasant relaxation, and respectively; however it elicited more joy than fear† (Ravaja, Saari and Turpeinen). Desire to commit violence was not one of them. Parents also need to set clear boundaries on what is appropriate and what is  not for their children, based on their own beliefs. The violence portrayed in video games exists without a call to action. The games do not command players to go outside of the game and commit the same acts. It is also not the duty of lawmakers to limit accessibility or ban content all together because they fear that the violence could incite an incident. The British Medical Journal originally published findings from the United Kingdom Millennium Cohort Study. The study was conducted over 10 years and included more than 11,000 children. It â€Å"did not find associations between electronic games use and conduct problems, which could reflect the lower exposure to games and/or greater parental restrictions on age-appropriate content for games† (Parkes, Sweeting and Wright). Parents should determine what is right for their children and what is not. The boundaries of every family are different and need to be enforced by the parents. The creators and retailers of video games often become the scapegoat for lawmakers and government officials when a violent act occurs that involves or is perpetrated by youth. Parents rely on their legislators to take up their causes and seek out laws that will promote their cause. Regulating video games on their behalf is one of those causes. Legislative bodies across the country are looking for ways to prevent incidences of violence, especially gun violence like what occurred in Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, Connecticut and the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. The state of New Jersey outlined a plan last year that included measures to limit and restrict how retailers merchandise games in retail outlets and would require parental consent for kids to purchase games rated â€Å"Mature† or â€Å"Adults Only† ( Friedman). The state of Massachusetts  also considered legislation that would assemble a group to â€Å"investigate the influence of violent video games and to find if there is a connection with real world violence† (GamePolitics Staff). However, these, and other laws being debated across the country, face a significant legal road block. Video game retailers already take precautions and preventative measures to keep certain games from being purchased by children and further regulation on a legal level is not needed. The Supreme Court heard Brown v. EMA, a case against California’s laws that restricted the sale of certain games to teenagers based on state’s determination that they were violent. The basis  of the case came down to a First Amendment issue because California’s specifically singled out video games and no other form of media. The Court struck down California’s law and ruled â€Å"the games, like books and movies, are protected under the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech. The Supreme Court also said it found no convincing link between the games and real world violence† (Friedman). Justice Antonin Scalia stated, â€Å"Psychological studies purporting to show a connection between exposure to violent video games and harmful effects on children do not prove that such exposure causes minors to act aggressively† (Friedman). Regulation by the government is a clear-cut defense for parents who battle with their kids about certain games being purchased and played. It is easier to tell a child that they cannot have something because someone else restricts it and not because the parent forbids it. It means the child is not upset with the parent and diverts their displeasure. Parents do not have to be the â€Å"bad guy† because a law takes care of that for them. I have personally witnessed parents telling kids that they cannot purchase a particular game because it is too graphic or not for their age. Most of the children are less than pleased by the response and show it. I imagine most parents want to avoid that reaction from their child in a store. Creating legislation that the Supreme Court found infringes on the collective’s First Amendment rights or circumventing the current self-regulation of the video  game retailers is not the solution. Today’s parents should stop seeking a solution for interference outside of their own decisions as a parent by increasing legislation on games. Parents to the next generation are severely taxed by the demands of day to day life. The one item that they cannot be relaxed about is the entertain they choose for their children. Buying a video game console and unleashing a child into the world of gaming is almost a rite of passage for parents, especially parents that grew up playing Super Mario Bros. It is unwise to do so without rules, boundaries, and some due diligence on their part. They should be educating themselves on the games and need to be reviewing game content information available from web sites like IGN.com. Parents should be supervising their kids playing the games that they may not be familiar with yet many do not. They should also be looking at what they can control in their own home, including utilizing  parental control settings on the consoles themselves and restricting online and downloadable content. Parents should not lean on lawmakers to establish those confines for them nor does not lie in society’s hands. The ultimate responsibility lies with parents who are willing to unplug what video game content they do not want their child to play. Works Cited Friedman, Matt. â€Å"Game over? Christie’s plan to restrict video games would likely be overturned, experts say.† 24 April 2013. NJ.com. Web. 3 March 2014. GamePolitics Staff. Massachusetts State Senator Proposes Study on Violent Video Games. 14 November 2013. Web. 3 March 2014. Parkes, Alison, et al. â€Å"Do television and electronic games predict children’s psychosocial adjustment? Longitudinal research using the UK Millennium Cohort Study.† British Medical Journal (2013). Web. Ravaja, Niklas, et al. â€Å"The Psychophysiology of James Bond: Phasic Emotional Responses to Violent Video Game Events.† American Psychological Association (2008): Vol. 8, No. 1, 114-120. Thompson, ScD, Kimberly M. and Kevin Haninger. â€Å"Violence in E-Rated Video Games.† Journal of the American Medical Association (2001). Web.

Are You a Genuine Author

Are You a Genuine Author Sure you are. Writing is in your blood. You adore telling stories, and if you could, youd do nothing but write for a living . . . forever and ever. But do your readers know that? The majority of writers struggle to make that connection between themselves and readers. They assume their book speaks for them. But there are a gadzillion books out there, and until a reader loves the book and decides to know more about the author, that connection isnt made. Let me say it another way . . . do readers like you? Do they feel they are getting to know you? Are you reachable? Are you personable? How do readers know? They dont have to be groupie-in-love with you, but are they curious? Do they like what you represent? Sometimes its simply do they like your smile? Your love of cars, your love of travel. The fact you bake quiche, paint chicken pictures, or garden spaghetti squash. How can they relate to you? After all, you wouldnt put yourself out there if you didnt want to be friends, right? Your job as an author is not only to write a good book and market it well, but you have to make readers enjoy the fact you are there for them. And to do that is to act like you appreciate them. You dont have time for all of that? Then how do you expect readers to have time to read your work? The connection is more about relationships than  you may think. Some ideas to show your care: 1) Make every single blurb you sign in your book different, and relatable. 2) Answer all emails from readers timely. 3) Wish people happy birthday on Facebook . . . and say more than just Happy Birthday. 4) Give advice when asked. You dont have to write a thousand words. Just the fact you gave back matters. 5) Give back. Review other books often. Not only will the author appreciate it, but others who read the reviews will recognize your name, your sincerity, and your respect for reviews. 6) Appear at someone elses reading, speaking engagement, class, presentation. 7) Recommend others. 8) Congratulate others. 9) Welcome others. 10) Thank others. It isnt about your book. It isnt just about you. Its about making readers and other authors (who are your readers, too) feel good that they are in your world. It isnt hard once you think about it.