A Missed Opportunity :: Personal Narrative Writing

A Missed Opportunity Every time we had visited Williamsburg, my mother had always wanted to see the famous Fife and Drum Corps. Dressed in full costume of red coats and tri-corner hats, these re-enactors parade down the Duke of Gloucester Street playing their instruments in a â€Å"call to arms† of the town’s militia. These men have always been one of the main attractions of Williamsburg and one of the symbols of the colonial area. They perform only once or twice a week and by either bad luck or fate, my mother has never actually seen them march. The single time that she did wait for their performance to start, it was cancelled due to bad weather. It was the second day of our family’s annual three-day trip to Colonial Williamsburg. We had spent the majority of the day strolling about the colonial area, and tensions were getting high. My brother, as the middle child, always picked the most inopportune times to annoy my sister, the youngest. After several near fights, my parents thought that a little separation was in order, at least until dinner. My mother suggested that we go see a program entitled â€Å"Dance: Our Dearest Diversion†. Of course, she knew that neither one of us would care to go see the show, being as uninterested in colonial dancing as a cat is of swimming. Per tradition, my brother and I had earlier in the day bought colonial styled games. He had chosen a handsome set of Fox and Geese, while I had decided on the more exotic and unknown Mancala. All the game consisted of was a flat board with fourteen pits on it, two of the pits being slightly larger than the rest. The bigger pits were at the ends of the board, and the other twelve were in two rows between them. Those pits had four stones (or flattened marbles) in them, and the object of the game was to capture the most stones. According to the little pamphlet that came with the game, Mancala required more mathematical reasoning than sheer luck. We had sat under the shade of one of the numerous trees that lined the main street of the colonial section, to try out my newly bought game and to rest my tired feet. The cool breeze soothed my scorched my neck as I contemplated my next move.

Introduction to Routing and Switching Essay

1. Introduction – Computer Network A computer network is a setup which comprises of multiple computers and devices to create connection in order to support the communication of all such devices. This facilitates sharing of information and resources to all the users present in the network. The following are the main purposes that the network provides to its users:  · Communication- networks allow free flow of communication among all the users. These include chat, messages, emails, conferences, etc.  · Sharing of Resources – Resources can be shared among all the users within a network. These include: o Hardware – The different computers in a network can also make use of a single hardware attached to the network. Consider the example of a shared printer attached to multiple devices in the network like in case of a university or office environment. o Software- Network also allows users to share software application programs through their computers o Files and other data – Files and data can be shared among systems in a network environment through authorized access. This helps members to work and submit tasks on the same domain and within deadlines, thus saving from hassles. 2. The Open Systems Interconnection OSI Model The hardware components of the network operate at the layers of the OSI model which are briefly discussed below: Physical layer This is concerned with the functions that carry a stream of bits over a physical medium at the mechanical and electrical level. Hubs and Repeaters operate at the physical layer of the OSI model. Data link Layer This layer categorizes data from network layer (upper layer) into frames and handles errors of the physical layer to provide to the network layer. The Bridges operate at the Data link layer of the OSI Model. Network Layer The delivery of the packet is the responsibility of the network layer which can include multiple links. Network layer can be used in cases of multiple networks where there are some links between the networks. Routers operate at the Network layer of the OSI model. Transport Layer The transport layer is also responsible for delivery of packets but it also recognizes relationship between messages. This is done in proper order and the layer also ensures control of error and flow at the source as well as the destination. Session Layer This layer controls dialog and synchronizes interaction within the network. Presentation Layer This layer is also one of the most important layers as it is looks into the syntax and semantics of the data being transferred within the network. Application Layer This layer involves interfaces and other supporting frames for the user to access the network. 3. Hardware Components within a Network The following re the basic hardware components within a network to interconnect devices (Sosinsky 33): 3.1 Network Interface Cards (NICs) These are the components used to connect to another networking medium. The NIC has a unique identification number known as Media Access Control address (MAC address) that is provided by the manufacturer. 3.2 Repeaters Repeater is a device used to transmit signals after cleaning them by regenerating the original bit pattern. 3.3 Hubs Hub connects multiple devices in the network so that they appear as a single device, therefore, it has multiple ports. 3.4 Bridges These are also hardware components that connect multiple segments of the network. 4. Network Hardware Components – Routers and Switches Routers and switches are important components of the computer network that support the above mentioned purpose of a network. These are discussed in details as under: 4.1 Routers Router is a software or device that helps in transmitting data between users in a predefined manner, thus helping in serving the purpose of the network. The data is in the form of packets that travels along the network, where the routers process the data present in the packet. In many cases there is a pre-defined forwarding or routing table used to direct the information to the appropriate destination (Beasley 62). The main tasks of the routers include:  · Ensures information forwarding to the required destination  · Keeps track and avoids information from reaching where not needed 4.1.1 Characteristics The following are the characteristics of Routers:  · The routers correspond to internet Protocols such as the internet Protocol, internet Control message Protocol, etc.  · Provides interfaces between the packet networks through the required functions  · Sends and receives datagrams  · Chooses destination for the datagram according to the routing database  · Provides support facilities for network management which includes status and exception reporting, debugging, etc. 4.1.2 Routing Routing is the process of sharing information by connecting networks and translating protocols between them. It functions at the network layer of the OSI model, acquiring addresses from the IP header of the layer to get the sources and destination. Here the Routing Protocols are used. Routers also use the routing tables to decide the destination of the packets. The routing tables include:  · Address information  · Connection Priorities  · Traffic Rules Routing differs in its delivery schemes which include the following:  · Delivery to a single node (unicast) where the node is predefined.  · Delivery to multiple specified nodes (multicast)  · Delivery to all the nodes that are part of the network (Broadcast)

Conflict English Essay

ESSAY PLAN CONFLICT – SHOULD I PURCHASE A 1940'S GENUINE MINK FUR COAT OR NOT? Opening para – browsing Ebay, personal dilemma over ethics, state below my personal argue for and against purchase and wear of said coat FOR animal is dead – (dead over 70 yrs), not slaughtered for me, mink farms don't exist any more, can't save them now * timeless and classic piece – should be enjoyed so wear it, take care of it, piece of history * cost effective purchase from ebay – have to go abroad to get this item (eastern europe), cost of shipping, worry, uncertainty, purchase not protect like on ebay * it's recycling – why destroy piece of art, left in dusty warehouse, eat by vermin, so enjoy craftsmanship, coat hand crafted, many hours work * can't buy something like this today – source abroad for similar * warm and luxurious – eskimos wear real fur, we don't get that type of weather, feels second to none, quality, depth, finish which is rarel y seen nowadays * statement piece – unique, never a coat like this, proud and honoured to wear it, exquisite AGAINST ethically wrong – slaughter for cosmetic is barbaric, educated people shouldn't wear it * target for activist – eg, tin of paint thrown at a woman * may encourage other to wear real fur – could in increase market interest eg stoles, hats etc, may lead to a ‘black market' trade * may be smelly – real fur has a certain smell, stinks when wet, rains a lot in UK, wet dog (yuk) * only an occasion piece – not worn daily, kept locked away, no max enjoyment, scared to wear it * conclusion – didn't buy, would feel uncomfortable in myself, dearly loved to own a piece of history, conscience won't allow, olden days this garment was common not now, made and worn in an era where there were no animal rights activist, can't take a life to adorn ourselves, it's a selfish and barbaric act to wear one. QUESTION GCSE LEVEL (GRADED A* ) The web host of a creative writing website approaches you to submit some writing for it. This month’s theme is â€Å"Conflict†. You have complete freedom in your choice of form, but are asked not to make what you submit longer than 1,000 words. Write your piece for the website. CONFLICT â€Å"Should I purchase a 1940’s genuine mink fur coat or not? † Recently I was browsing ‘eBay’ on the internet looking for a winter coat when I came across the above. I bid for the item and then began a personal dilemma over the ethics of whether or not I should own a coat such as this.Below is my own personal argument as to whether or not I should indeed purchase and wear a real fur coat. Argument for purchase * The animal is dead; in fact it has been dead for over 70 years. The mink has not been slaughtered for my pleasure alone and mink farms no longer exist in this country. No matter what I do, I cannot save it now. * It is a timeless and classical garm ent and should be enjoyed. The only way to do this is to wear it, take care of the item and treasure the fact that I own a piece of history. * It is recycling – what is the point of destroying a beautiful piece of ‘art’. Do you leave the coat in a dusty warehouse to be eaten by rats or mice, or do you enjoy the craftsmanship and work of art?These coats were hand crafted and took many, many hours/weeks to complete. * It would be very cost effective to purchase a fur coat from eBay. If I were serious about purchasing real fur, I would probably have to go abroad, say Eastern Europe, to source such an item. Then there is the cost of shipping and also the worry of buying from an unknown source. I may not be protected in my purchase like I will be with eBay. * I will never find a garment like this in a shop nowadays. Again, I would have to source the item most likely abroad and there are too many uncertainties. * It will be warm and feel luxurious to the touch. Eskimos wear real fur to eep themselves warm and although England doesn’t experience weather such as theirs, it will still keep the chill at bay. Also the feel of real fur is second to none. It has quality, depth and a finish on the garment that is rarely seen on mass produced items that are manufactured today. * It is a statement piece, and unique, there will never be another coat like this, ever and I would feel proud and honoured to wear such a garment as exquisite as this. Argument against purchase * It is ethically wrong. Slaughtering animal for cosmetic purposed is barbaric and as an educated individual I do not stand for much by wearing such a garment. * I may become a target for activist.For example, I once read in the newspapers that a woman who was wearing a real fur coat had a tin of paint thrown over her. * It may encourage others to wear real fur and this in turn could create a market for garments such as real fur stoles, hats, jackets etc. It may even create a ‘b lack market’ for real fur items. * I believe real fur has a certain ‘smell’ to it, made particularly prominent when wet. I do not like the idea of being caught in the rain wearing the coat only to find I smell like a wet dog. Also it rains all the time in England! * It would be an occasion piece. I would certainly not wear it daily, therefore would I get maximum enjoyment out of it? Would I be in fear of wearing it? Would it end up just sat in the wardrobe?Therefore, in conclusion to my personal conflict, I decided not go through with the purchase. I felt I would not be comfortable, in myself, wearing this coat. I would have dearly loved to have owned this piece of history, but my conscience would not allow it. In times gone by, garments of this nature were common place amongst the wealthy and in an era where animal rights activist were virtually unheard of; real fur coats were not an issue. Nowadays, many of us consider ourselves equal to animals and that we sho uld not take their lives just to adorn our own bodies. In my opinion, this would indeed be considered a selfish and barbaric act. (707 words)