The topic will be in the instruction plus the attached file Essay

The topic will be in the instruction plus the attached file - Essay Example In the U.A.E, and indeed across the world, the problem should be tackled before the situation gets worse. Tackling the obesity issue effectively demands the appreciation of the root causes of the problem. Experts agree that the main factors behind rising obesity prevalence levels across the world are sedentary lifestyles (lifestyles devoid of exercise) and poor eating habits. In respect of eating habits, it is worth noting that the consumption of too much fatty, sugary, junk, and salty foods easily lead to obesity. To this effect, individuals should eat less of junk foods, consume more vegetables, and exercise more as ways of preventing and dealing with obesity. As a way of dealing with obesity in schools, the ministry of health plans to introduce physical exercise (P.E.) lessons as part of the school curriculum. By having three lessons of P.E. a week with each lesson taking 40 minutes, school children will become more active and burn excess fats in their bodies that would otherwise lead them to become obese. Secondly, the ministry plans to regulate the kinds of foods that children are given in school and those that are available in school canteens. The ministry will work toward ensuring that schools offer balanced diets and that canteens stock no junk foods. Cleland E. (June 16, 2013) â€Å"Obesity is a growing problem in the UAE, says health expert†. The National. http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/health/obesity-is-a-growing-problem-in-the-uae-says-health-expert Saberi Mahmood (July 6, 2012). â€Å"UAE the fifth most obese country in the world†. Gulf News. Retrieved from

Langston Hughes Essay Example for Free

Langston Hughes Essay Langston Hughes had become one of the most resounding names in American Literature. Of course, the primary reason for his success would be his adept use of words and the message he wants to convey. However, his racial profile could have also come into play in his popularity. But no one could deny the talent of Hughes in his work. His works display intricate design and a significant message such as on â€Å"Salvation. † Langston Hughes had become one of the best known writers because the messages that he wants to convey are of great value to the society, particularly the value of being proud of one’s race. He was born into a relatively large family wherein he had eight siblings. His parents had separated and he had to be taken in by his grandmother. Unfortunately, his grandmother died and again he had to be taken in by family friends. This unstable custody of Langston Hughes could direct us to the assumption that he did not live a happy childhood. Although, it could also lead us to the assumption that his unstable childhood had profoundly influenced him to be writer later in life. At a very young age, Langston Hughes was seemingly being trained unknowingly by the people around. As a child, he used to listen to the black American oral tradition of storytelling. His young mind was inculcated with the value of race to an individual. As the young Langston Hughes develops consciousness about the things that are happening around him, he is introduced to the bitter realities of life. During Hughes’ time, racism is a prevalent problem of the society. This aspect of his biography is one of the most likely reason why Langston Hughes had become a writer. His passion to fight racism is one of the main driving force of his writings. His first poem was titled â€Å"Crisis†, which was published in 1921. The concept of salvation had captivated the mind of Langston Hughes. And in relation to his writing, he may have wanted to convey how people like him, who experiences racism, experience real salvation. His works seemingly suggests that salvation could be found from within one’s self. His messages for the young people are seemingly a call for being saved from the oppression set against them by the society. If Langston Hughes did not become a writer, it is likely that he would have become a full time activist against racial discrimination. His concern for the society, especially for Black Americans is something that even he could not dismiss easily. One of his best known work is on the poem â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers. † From the title alone, the readers are already hinted that this poem would be about race, as hinted by the term â€Å"Negro. Although there could be multiple readings about the poem, the point is that it is a beautiful poem. Hughes may have wanted to tell the world that Black Americans are just as good as any race in terms of poetry. The poem is like Hughes’ statement that dares racists to say to question if Black Americans could write beautiful poems. All in all, Langston Hughes had become of the best known writers because he had become the voice for the underrepresented black community. In many respects, he had introduced the black community to the world.

Answers to Questions on Strategic Human Resource Management

Answers to Questions on Strategic Human Resource Management Due to changes in business environment, the Human Resource gained more roles and activities in the shaping of the strategy of management in organisations. The contemporary literature review provides a number of various definitions for strategy. James Brian Quinns definition of strategy focuses on the integration of goals, policies and practices: A strategy is the pattern or plan that integrates an organisation major goals, policies, and action sequences into a cohesive whole (Grees 2003, p 207). The Human Resource Management in organisations has been fully integrated with their business strategy. The strategy aims at providing a framework of directions, coordination as well as decision making. Besides, strategy may also have the role of allocating resources. According to William Henn: Strategy is the concentration of resources on selected opportunities for competitive advantage (ibid). William Henns definition refers to the making of crucial decisions that consist of moving resources from less promising projects to areas where the organisation can have more strategic and competitive advantage. Therefore, the Strategic Human Resource Management importance relies largely on its role providing competitive advantage through the effective use and implementation of such resources in such a way that enable the organisation to achieve its strategic requirements and goals. Patrick Wright and Gary McMahan summarise the Strategic Human Resource Management as the pattern of planned human resource deployments and activities intended to enable an organisation to achieve its goals (ibid). Edward et al (2003, p10) highlights the importance of Strategic Human Resource Management by emphasising on the variety of its roles and functions that include: managing change, contribution to strategy, managing the outsourcing of human resource, and operating shared services units. For instance: S.H.R.M is playing a great role in delivering changes in organisations that aspire to reposition itself in the face of changing competitive conditions. This often involves new structuring and new training that deliver the shift to new business context. 1.2. Purpose of SHRM in John Lewis As we briefly discussed above the significance of Strategic Human Resource Management in corporate world, the following analysis will attempt to identify the purpose of S.H.R.M practices in organisations but more specifically as it will examine those practices particularly in one organisation which is John Lewis. However, no doubt that the main purpose of Strategic Human Resource Management in John Lewis may largely apply to any other organisation. John Lewis as being one of the UK largest cloth retailer as well as an upmarket food retailer is always concerned with maintaining a steady growth by adding more value to the services it provides. Hence, for this purpose John Lewis has managed to successfully use the Strategic Human Resource by strongly linking its function with the competitive advantage and that is because all the employees within the company are part owners of the company  [i]  1. The overall purpose of Strategic Human Resource Management in John Lewis can be summarised in the following points: Developing highly skilled employees: John Lewis eagerness to competitiveness and an awareness of the increasing demands for technologically advanced environment showed the companys recognition that distinctive competencies are obtained through developing highly skilled employees. This requires programs of training and development that solidify the employees contribution to the company. Controlling labour costs: S.H.R.M function in John Lewis is very effective when it comes to controlling the companys total expenditure like: wages, training costs, compensationsetc. This function is very important to the company as argued by Edward et al (2003, p204) the pressure to control costs increased general managers awareness of the impact of inefficient use of human resource. Performance motivation: as mentioned above, John Lewis employees are part owners of the company. This strategy aims at pushing employees to become more committed and highly motivated towards their company. Besides, the companys strategy is to address all employees needs whether by rewards or other means. 1.3 Contribution of S.H.R.M to the achievement of John Lewis goals: John Lewis has set its S.H.R.M goals and studied the tools to achieve them. Yet, the remaining question is whether the strategies adopted have contributed to the achievement of these goals. According to John Lewis interim report 2010, the company seems to have achieved a significant growth even within a tough economic environment. We can argue that part of the success is largely owed to the integration of human resource activities within the companys strategy formulation and planning process. John Lewis provides an exemplary practice with respect to the functioning of its human resource. Having its employees as part owners, this strategy has allowed them or rather pushed them to contribute more towards improvement of their companys performance. The Strategic Human Resource Management at John Lewis may represent its main key strength. Through its skilled work force, the company has managed to distinctively position itself in the UK market. On the other hand, according to the classical human resource approach, any companys structure is affected by certain situational factors such as: technology, size and environment. As demonstrated by Pfeffer (1994), best human resource practice should have a structure that places staff members into groups that should have the ability to make their own decisions. John Lewis has adopted this structure by the division of the company into departments. These departments work together as teams to achieve goals and the company gives almost equal rewards to all members of the team. Therefore, adopting a strategic structure of the human resource at John Lewis has enable the company to achieve its objectives and gain more competitive advantage. Task2: 2.1 The Business factors that underpin human resource planning at BT: Human resource planning in current organisations is subject to constant change and development due to the influence of various internal and external factors. For BT, the industry of telecommunication is very challenging from many aspects e.g.: Business changes: BTs human resources has to adapt to the changes of the mature voice and connectivity market which is characterised by a high competitiveness and an increasing demand for reduced operational complexities. Employees development: as technology is at the heart of BTs telecommunication services, there is a constant need for developing highly skilled employees in order to better serve the customers. For instance, BT is working to grow from being a telecommunication company to become a 21st century software-driven organisation  [2]  which requires the development of new capabilities. Economic fluctuation: BT has suffered from an unbalance of financial resources due to the global economic slowdown, which had adversely impacted its human resources performance. As a consequence, BT has reduced last year the number of indirect employees working through agencies or third party contractors by around 1100 and full-time employees by 9000. 2.2 The human resource requirements in a given situation: Due to the complexities facing the sector of telecommunication (discussed above), human resources at BT needed to adopt a new culture of what is known as mobile and flexible working. The key driver behind the new strategy is to reduce operational costs and improve employees efficiency: Cost transformation: through mobile and flexible working, human resources at BT should be able to reduce property, accommodation and travelling costs. Employees efficiency: flexible working can reduce absenteeism, increase demand for new hires and offers employees a better work-life balance which meanwhile helps boosting their efficiency and productivity. 2.3 A human resource plan for BT: If the H.R new plan of mobile working at BT is to be successful, it should provide appropriate tools and set clear objectives. Peter Drucker (1950) used the SMART acronym to define goals that are: specific, measurable, agreed, realistic, time related  [3]  . The H.R should deploy necessary efforts to up-skill employees through: Introducing the plan of mobile working using presentations, reports, web applicationsetc, taking into consideration that the more employees to choose mobile working, the greater the benefits of productivity for the organisation. Designing a process to support the transition: it could be done through 12 weeks of training programs including: skills to use visual display equipments, virtual offices, capability to access automating health and safety systemsetc Ensuring that the management has the appropriate tools to monitor and measure the performance of mobile workers. 2.4 Contribution of a human resources plan to meet BTs objectives: Human resources functions are tied to organisational strategies and must be designed to support the achievement of the business objectives. The new orientation of mobile working that H.R followed at BT reflects new elements of success that can massively contribute to the growth of the company. At this stage, the H.R is not only controlling and mentoring but rather adding value and responding to the global business changes. Besides, the approach has proved beneficiary across different organisations. BTs main objectives are targeting tow areas: the quality of services and the cost transformation. Relatively, human resources at BT have been working in the same context. Their new approach can accelerate commercial benefits that are necessary for BT to take leading position within the highly competitive market of telecommunication. 2.5 The purpose of human resource management policies in organisations: Human resource policies are codified rules and guideline that organisations establish to run their businesses  [4]  . The policies reflect the organisations culture and cover a set of procedures such as: hiring, employee relations, managing risks, corporate governanceetc. through a comprehensive human resource policies, organisations are able to build up their reputation and save valuable resources in case of any emerging crisis within the business. In the UK telecommunication industry for instance, organisations performances are critically dependent on the Data Protection Act (1998) which is concerned about the regulation of the processing of information relating to individuals, including the obtaining, holding, use or disclosure of such information  [5]  . This Act helps organisation to build up trust with their stakeholders and demonstrate commitment to protect their information. On the other hand, many issues related to employees are drawn upon the Employment Act (2008) which deals with procedures for the resolution of employment disputes, compensation for financial loss, application of minimum wages legislation, the right of trade unions, enforcement of offences under the Employment Agencies Act 1973  [6]  .. and many other connected purposes. 2.6 The impact of regulatory requirements on human resource policies in BT: Human resources policies at BT span the complete business circle, from healthcare and safety of employees to security and copyright. The H.R policies at the organisation ensure the safety of employees and the public exposed to BT operations. BT is also critically concerned with the secure operation of its information systems, networks and data which are part of its major responsibilities as a telecommunication organisation. For this purpose, BT developed a set of policies and measures designed to deal with any catastrophic event such as: cyber-attacks, industrial failures, terrorist attacksetc. human resources management at BT realises that any significant failure to protect the company or customers data could ruin the business reputation and lead financial losses ( e.g. cancellation of contract, penaltiesetc). . Task3: 3.1 The impact of the organisational structure at MS on the management of human resources: Salamen, G and Asch, D (2003, P20) assume that organisational structure refers to the shape of the organisation, the number of levels of management and the nature and number of jobs. Any alterations to any element could lead to a structural change which itself impact on the human resource management. At Marks and Spencer, changes were introduced in the past years in order to keep up with the intense competition in the retail industry. Thus, the company refocused its business on three business values: quality, value, and services  [7]  . The new business strategy has created more challenges for the employees especially when the management opted for a more flatter structure by skipping some layers of authority, placing high centralisation on staff and supporting better coordination between the senior management and the business units. The process of delayering at MS created more business units and assigned more responsibilities to the employees. Therefore, human resources management introduced more programs of training and development. As the flat structure was giving employees more jobs, the management had to ensure that they possess the required technical skills and business competencies to manage ambiguities, and take wise decisions. In sum, the case of MS highlights the link between organisational structure and human resource management. The structure of any organisation has its own needs and requirements that the human resource should work towards fulfilling them. 3.2 The impact of MS organisational culture on the management of human resources: An organisational culture encompasses shared systems of meaning and values  [8]  . As mentioned earlier, MS eagerness to reposition itself in the retail market has led to major organisational changes. MS was determined to change the basis on which it competed by rebranding itself as a service based organisation  [9]  . The key focus of MS cultural change was on changing employees attitudes which clearly represents a strategic issue for the human resource management. Reinforcing desired behaviours requires big efforts and well studied actions. Human resource at MS focused on three key areas: Creating willingness to change among employees by raising the awareness about the necessity of the change, its benefits as well as the pressure that might be associated with the transition process. Communication at this stage is very important and an ongoing process of feedback is essential. Involving people: senior managers need to provide guidance and understand employees concerns. Sustaining the change: through continuous support, increased pay or bonus, develop new competenciesetc Cultural change at Marks and Spencer was dependent on the efficiency of its human resource planning. The H.R management in any organisation plays a great role in the achievement of organisations objectives and depends in the first place on the employees to make that happen. However, introducing any organisational changes always puts H.R management under substantial pressures. 3.3 How the effectiveness of human resources management is monitored: Human resource effectiveness monitoring is essential to enable the employees to focus on their next target role. Marks and Spence has successfully monitor the human resource performance through: Performance appraisals: employees discuss their development with their line managers who decide whether there is a need for further training. Every employee should make a personal development plan to set objectives on the basis of the appraisal feedback. Competency profiling: it also examines skills required for effectiveness as :communicating and influencing, decision making, business leadership, innovation and change, people and resource management, technical skillsetc. 3.4 Recommendations to improve the effectiveness of human resources management: The following is list of recommendations that aims at improving the effectiveness of human resources management in organisations: Promote diversity: which is very important especially for businesses that are growing globally and need to deal with different mindsets. Besides, diversity reflects the commitment of the organisation to its corporate social responsibilities. Support equal opportunities in job descriptions: in order to promote social inclusion. Clearly align the strategies with the organisations objectives: human resource should develop policies and practices that support the achievement of business goals. Develop a well designed pay and reward plans according to exceptional performances and meanwhile recognise the value of all the staff making significant efforts.

Lord Capulet in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet :: Romeo and Juliet Essays

In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Lord Capulet is a very prominent character. He is wealthy and a leader in his community. He is a very loving father to his daughter Juliet, he is a very contradictory person, and he trusts everyone to do as they are told and to act appropriately. Lord Capulet is a loving father who deeply cares for Juliet. When he arranges the marriage between her and Paris, he is just trying to do what he feels is best for her. He knows Paris, being handsome and rich, will make a good husband to Juliet. When she refuses to marry Paris he goes into a violent rage, saying things he doesn’t mean. â€Å"Hang thee, young baggage, disobedient wretch! / I tell thee what: get thee to church o’Thursday, / Or never after look me in the face.†(3.5.166-168). He feels that the marriage of the two will be beneficial for Juliet and he loves her so much that he doesn’t mean to hurt her feelings. When Juliet â€Å"dies† he laments. â€Å"Despised, distressed, hated, martyred, killed! / Uncomfortable time, why cam’st thou now/ To murder, murder our solemnity? / O child! O child! My soul and not my child! / Dead art thou! Alack, my child is dead, / And with my child my joys are buried.† (4.5.65-70). He cries out in a pain and anguish for his lost daughter Juliet. By showing emotion on account of her death and for her disobedience, Capulet shows that he really does care for Juliet and that he is a good father, wanting the best for her. Lord Capulet is a very trusting. He trusts Paris with his daughter, knowing that he would be a good husband to her. â€Å"Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender / Of my child’s love. I think she will be ruled / In all respects by me. Nay, more, I doubt it not-â€Å" (3.5.13-15). He believes that Paris will keep his word and love Juliet. After the death of Tybalt, he is sorrowful, and I think that is one of the reasons he trusts that Juliet will agree with this marriage. When Romeo, at the beginning of the play, shows up at the Capulet party, Tybalt is angered. He tells Capulet that he would kill Romeo if he had his permission. Even though Romeo was of the Montague family, he still trusted him not to do anything bad at the party.

Introduction to How PCs Work

When you mention the word â€Å"technology,† most people think about computers. Virtually every facet of our lives has some computerized component. The appliances in our homes have microprocessors built into them, as do our televisions. Even our cars have computers. But the computer that everyone thinks of first is typically the personal computer, or PC. A PC is a general-purpose tool built around a microprocessor.It has lots of different parts — including memory, a hard disk, a modem, and more — that work together. â€Å"General purpose† means that you can do many different things with a PC. You can use it to type documents, send e-mail, browse the Internet and play games. PCs trace their history back to the 1970s, when a man named Ed Roberts began to sell computer kits based on a microprocessor chip designed by Intel. Roberts called his computer the Altair 8800 and sold the unassembled kits for $395.Popular Electronics ran a story about the kid in its Ja nuary 1975 issue, and to the surprise of just about everyone, the kits became an instant hit and the era of the personal computer began [source: The Computer History Project]. A few years later, the dynamic duo of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak unleashed the Apple II computer on the world. From that point on, the personal computer really began to take off. Other manufacturers followed suit, and soon there were computers from Commodore, Atari and Texas Instruments.Not long after the debut of the Apple II, IBM got into the personal computer game. Today, when someone says PC, chances are they mean a machine running on the Microsoft Windows operating system with an x86-compatible microprocessor. While Apple Macintosh computers are technically personal computers, most people wouldn't call them PCs. In this article, we will talk about PCs in the general sense and all the different parts that go into them. You'll learn about the various components and how they work together in a basic operat ing session.You'll also find out what the future may hold for these machines. PC Parts Let's take a look at the main components of a typical desktop computer: †¢ Central processing unit (CPU) – The microprocessor â€Å"brain† of the computer system is called the central processing unit. It's a chip that holds a complete computational engine. It uses assembly language as its native language. Everything that a computer does is overseen by the CPU. †¢ Memory – This is very fast storage used to hold data. It has to be fast because it connects directly to the microprocessor.There are several specific types of memory in a computer: †¢ Random-access memory (RAM) – Used to temporarily store information with which the computer is currently working †¢ Read-only memory (ROM) – A permanent type of memory storage used by the computer for important data that doesn't change †¢ Basic input/output system (BIOS) – A type of ROM that i s used by the computer to establish basic communication when the computer is first powered on †¢ Caching – The storing of frequently used data in extremely fast RAM that connects directly to the CPU †¢ Virtual memory – Space on a hard disk used to temporarily store data and swap it in and out of RAM as needed †¢ Flash memory – a solid state storage device, Flash memory requires no moving parts and retains data even after the computer powers off †¢ Motherboard – This is the main circuit board to which all of the other internal components connect. The CPU and memory are usually on the motherboard. Other systems may be found directly on the motherboard or connected to it through a secondary connection.For example, a sound card can be built into the motherboard or connected through an expansion slot. Power supply – An electrical transformer regulates the electricity used by the computer. †¢ Hard disk – This is large-capa city permanent storage used to hold information such as programs and documents. Traditional hard drives contain moving parts — the drive has platters on which it stores data. The drive spins the platters to record and read data. But some newer hard drives are flash-based with no moving parts. These drives are called solid-state drives. †¢ Operating system – This is the basic software that allows the user to interface with the computer. †¢ Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) Controller – This is the primary interface for the hard drive, CD-ROM and floppy disk drive.Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) – This is a very high-speed connection used by the graphics card to interface with the computer. †¢ Sound card – This is used by the computer to record and play audio by converting analog sound into digital information and back again. †¢ Graphics card – This translates image data from the computer into a format that can be displaye d by the monitor. Some graphics cards have their own powerful processing units (called a GPU — graphics processing unit). The GPU can handle operations that normally would require the CPU. †¢ Ports – In computer hardware terms, a port is an interface that allows a computer to communicate with peripheral equipment. †¢ Real-time clock – Every PC has a clock containing a vibrating crystal.By referring to this clock, all the components in a computer can synchronize properly. †¢ Complementary Metal-oxide Semiconductor – The CMOS and CMOS battery allow a computer to store information even when the computer powers down. The battery provides uninterrupted power. †¢ Fans, heat sinks and cooling systems – The components in a computer generate heat. As heat rises, performance can suffer. Cooling systems keep computers from overheating. PC Connections A typical computer connects to the world around it in three different ways: input/output d evices, ports and networking. No matter how powerful the components inside your computer are, you need a way to interact with them. This interaction is called input/output (I/O).The most common types of I/O in PCs are: †¢ Monitor – The monitor is the primary device for displaying information from the computer. †¢ Keyboard – The keyboard is the primary device for entering information into the computer. †¢ Mouse – The mouse is the primary device for navigating and interacting with the computer. †¢ Removable storage – Removable storage devices allow you to add new information to your computer very easily, as well as save information that you want to carry to a different location. There are several types of removable storage: o CD-ROM – CD-ROM (compact disc, read-only memory) is a popular form of distribution of commercial software.Many systems now offer CD-R (recordable) and CD-RW (rewritable), which can also record. CD-RW discs ca n be erased and rewritten many times. o Flash memory – Based on a type of ROM called electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), Flash memory provides fast, permanent storage. CompactFlash, SmartMedia and PCMCIA cards are all types of Flash memory. o DVD-ROM – DVD-ROM (digital versatile disc, read-only memory) is similar to CD-ROM but is capable of holding much more information. You may use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to sync your music player or print driving directions, but many computers still have ports to help you connect to a wide selection of peripherals.While there have been others, two are most commonly found on newer computers: †¢ Universal Serial Bus (USB) – The most popular external connection, USB ports offer power and versatility and are incredibly easy to use. †¢ FireWire (IEEE 1394) – FireWire is a very popular method of connecting digital-video devices, such as camcorders or digital cameras, to your computer. Networking , especially to the Internet, is very important to today's computer users. Your computer can probably use one or more of these methods: †¢ Modem – This is the standard method of connecting to the Internet. †¢ Local area network (LAN) card – This is used by many computers, particularly those in an Ethernet office network, to connect to one another. Cable modem – This type of modem uses the cable system in your home, like the kind you might use to subscribe to cable TV, to connect to the Internet. †¢ Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modem – This is a high-speed connection that works over a standard telephone line. †¢ Very high bit-rate DSL (VDSL) modem – A newer variation of DSL, VDSL requires that your phone line have fiber-optic cables. An even faster version called the gigabit per second DSL (GDSL) may follow [source: Cioffi, et al. ]. Powering Up a PC A typical computer session begins with turning on the power. Here's what happen s in that process: 1. You press the â€Å"On† button on the computer and the monitor. 2.You see the BIOS software doing its thing, called the power-on self-test (POST). On many machines, the BIOS displays text describing such data as the amount of memory installed in your computer and the type of hard disk you have. During this boot sequence, the BIOS does a remarkable amount of work to get your computer ready to run. †¢ The BIOS determines whether the video card is operational. Most video cards have a miniature BIOS of their own that initializes the memory and graphics processor on the card. If they don't, there is usually video-driver information on another ROM on the motherboard that the BIOS can load. †¢ The BIOS checks to see if this is a cold boot or a reboot. It does this by hecking the value at memory address 0000:0472. A value of 1234h indicates a reboot, in which case the BIOS skips the rest of POST. Any other value is considered a cold boot. †¢ If yo ur computer is undergoing a cold boot, the BIOS verifies RAM by performing a read/write test of each memory address. It checks for a keyboard and a mouse. It looks for an expansion bus and, if it finds one, checks all the connected cards. If the BIOS finds any errors during the POST, it notifies you with a series of beeps or a text message displayed on the screen. An error at this point is almost always a hardware problem. †¢ The BIOS displays some details about your system.This typically includes information about the following: o Processor o Floppy and hard drive o Memory o BIOS revision and date o Display †¢ Any special drivers, such as those for expansion cards, are loaded from the adapter and the BIOS displays the information. †¢ The BIOS looks at the sequence of storage devices identified as boot devices in the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) setup. Boot is short for â€Å"bootstrap,† as in the old phrase â€Å"Pull yourself up by your boo tstraps. † Boot refers to the process of launching the operating system. The BIOS tries to initiate the boot sequence from the first device using the bootstrap loader. 3.The bootstrap loader loads the operating system into memory and allows it to begin operation. It does this by setting up the divisions of memory that hold the operating system, user information and applications. The bootstrap loader then establishes the data structures that are used to communicate within and between the sub-systems and applications of the computer. Finally, it turns control of the computer over to the operating system. PC Operating Systems Once loaded, the operating system's tasks fall into six broad categories: †¢ Processor management – Breaking the tasks down into manageable chunks and prioritizing them before sending to the CPU †¢ Memory management -Coordinating the flow of data in and out of RAM and determining when virtual memory is necessary †¢ Device management â⠂¬â€œ Providing an interface between each device connected to the computer, the CPU and applications †¢ Storage management – Directing where data will be stored permanently on hard drives and other forms of storage †¢ Application Interface – Providing a standard communications and data exchange between software programs and the computer †¢ User Interface – Providing a way for you to communicate and interact with the computer Say, for example, that you open up a word processing program and type a letter, save it and then print it out. Several components work together to make this happen: ? The keyboard and mouse send your input to the operating system. The operating system determines that the word-processing program is the active program and accepts your input as data for that program. ?The word-processing program determines the format that the data is in and, via the operating system, stores it temporarily in RAM. ? Each instruction from the word- processing program is sent by the operating system to the CPU. These instructions are intertwined with instructions from other programs that the operating system is overseeing before being sent to the CPU. ? All this time, the operating system is steadily providing display information to the graphics card, directing what will be displayed on the monitor. When you choose to save the letter, the word-processing program sends a request to the operating system, which then provides a standard window for selecting where you wish to save the information and what you want to call it. Once you have chosen the name and file path, the operating system directs the data from RAM to the appropriate storage device. ? You click on â€Å"Print. † The word-processing program sends a request to the operating system, which translates the data into a format the printer understands and directs the data from RAM to the appropriate port for the printer you requested. ? You open up a Web browser and check out HowStuffWorks. Once again, the operating system coordinates all of the action. This time, though, the computer receives input from another source, the Internet, as well as from you.The operating system seamlessly integrates all incoming and outgoing information. ? You close the Web browser and choose the â€Å"Shut Down† option. ? The operating system closes all programs that are currently active. If a program has unsaved information, you're given an opportunity to save it before closing the program. ? The operating system writes its current settings to a special configuration file so that it will boot up next time with the same settings. ? If the computer provides software control of power, then the operating system will completely turn off the computer when it finishes its own shut-down cycle. Otherwise, you will have to turn the power off manually. The Future of PCsSilicon microprocessors have been the heart of the computing world for more than 40 years. In that time, microprocessor manufacturers have crammed more electronic devices onto microprocessors. In 1965, Intel founder Gordon Moore predicted that microprocessors would double in complexity every two years. Since then, the number of electronic devices put on a microprocessor has doubled every 18 months, and the prediction has come to be known as Moore's Law. Many have predicted that Moore's Law will soon reach its end because of the physical limitations of silicon microprocessors. 2008 HowStuffWorks Extreme ultraviolet lithography is the future of computer-chip manufacturing.The current process used to pack more transistors onto a chip is called deep-ultraviolet lithography (DUVL), which is a photography-like technique that focuses light through lenses to carve circuit patterns on silicon wafers. While new manufacturing techniques have extended the useful lifespan of the DUVL process, before long chip manufacturers will have to use new techniques to keep up with Moore's Law. Many are already looking at extreme-ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) as a way to extend the life of silicon at least until the end of the decade. EUVL uses mirrors instead of lenses to focus the light, which allows light with shorter wavelengths to focus on the silicon wafer accurately. To learn more about EUVL, see How EUVL Chipmaking Works.Beyond EUVL, researchers have been looking at alternatives to the traditional microprocessor design. Two of the more interesting emerging technologies are DNA computers and quantum computers. DNA computers have the potential to take computing to new levels, picking up where Moore's Law leaves off. There are several advantages to using DNA instead of silicon: †¢ As long as there are cellular organisms, there will be a supply of DNA. †¢ The large supply of DNA makes it a cheap resource. †¢ Unlike traditional microprocessors, which are made using toxic materials, DNA biochips can be made cleanly. †¢ DNA computers are many times smaller tha n today's computers.DNA's key advantage is that it will make computers smaller than any computer that has come before, while at the same time increasing storage capacity. One pound (0. 45 kilogram) of DNA has the capacity to store more information than all the electronic computers ever built. The computing power of a teardrop-sized DNA computer, using the DNA logic gates, will be more powerful than the world's most powerful supercomputer. More than 10 trillion DNA molecules can fit into an area no larger than 1 cubic centimeter (. 06 cubic inch). With this small amount of DNA, a computer would be able to hold 10 terabytes (TB) of data and perform 10 trillion calculations at a time. By adding more DNA, more calculations could be performed.Unlike conventional computers, DNA computers could perform calculations simultaneously. Conventional computers operate in linear fashion, taking on tasks one at a time. Parallel computing will allow DNA to solve complex mathematical problems in hour s — problems that might take electrical computers hundreds of years to complete. You can learn more about DNA computing in How DNA Computers Will Work. Today's computers work by manipulating bits that exist in one of two states: 0 or 1. Quantum computers aren't limited to two states; they encode information as quantum bits, or qubits. A qubit can be a 1 or a 0, or it can exist in a superposition that is simultaneously 1 and 0 or somewhere in between.Qubits represent atoms that are working together to serve as computer memory and a microprocessor. Because a quantum computer can contain these multiple states simultaneously, it has the potential to be millions of times more powerful than today's most powerful supercomputers. A 30-qubit quantum computer would equal the processing power of a conventional computer capable of running at 10 teraops, or trillions of operations per second. To equal the top of the line in supercomputers you'd need more qubits. The Roadrunner supercomput er can run at a petaflop — 1,000 trillian floating point operations per second. You can learn more about the potential of quantum computers in How Quantum Computers Will Work.

A Muslims View essays

A Muslims View essays For decades, the situation in Palestine has been promoted as an "Arab" issue, or a "Palestinian" issue, and Muslims have, by and large, gone along with this charade. Such a belief gas proven fatal as the Zionists have succeeded in further dividing the opposition to their occupation of Palesine, with the inevitable weaknesses that implies. And yet, paradoxiically, with the latest "peace treaties", between themselves and Jordan, and with the Palestinians of Yasser Arafat's Palestine National Authority (sic), the Zionists have brought into the open what should have been obvious all along. Palestine is an Islamic Issue, and Muslims all over the world have a duty to care about what is going on. Failure to do so, to dismiss it as yet another nationalistic or regionl flash point best left alone, is tantamount to surrendering the land of Al-Isra wal Mi'raj to Zionist control. Why? Consider the evidence. Who are now promoted as the demons of the case, the "enemies of peace" as they have been dubbed by the world's politicians and media? The Muslims. Under whose rule did peace actually exist in the Holy land, with Muslims, Christians and Jews alike sharing the land in harmony? The Muslims'. Who are persecuted mercilessly by those self-same "peace-loving" regimes? The Muslims! How much more evidence do we need before we wake up to what is really happening? We have heard how King Hussein of Jordan has been "guaranteed his right" to be the guardian of Al-Aqsa, usurping Arafat's tenuous and preposterous claim to that honour. And yet what sort of guardian allows his ward to be occupied and desecrated by hostile forces? Politics is a dirty business, especially in the international arena. It is one of the worst-kept secrets that King Hussein has been a regular visitor to Israel over the years for talks with the Israeli government. He has also met Israeli leaders in London and other world capitals on many occasions. It would be interesting to know, there...