Grace hopper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Grace hopper - Essay Example Because of her personality and a moving effect towards the work that she has done, she was referred to as â€Å"Amazing Grace†. In light of her works, the US Navy destroyer USS Hopper has been named after her. Also the Cray XE6 â€Å"Hopper† supercomputer present at NERSC was named in her memory. Grace Hopper received a PhD in mathematics from the Yale University. She began teaching mathematics at Vassar in the year 1931 and the got promoted to the role of an associate professor 10 years later, in 1941. It was in 1949 that Grace Hopper became an employee of Eckert Mauchly Computer Corporation in the role of a senior mathematician where she came in close collaboration with a team that had the task to develop the UNIVAC I. During the early periods of 1950s, this company was bought out by the Remington Rand Corporation (Richard 1981). This was the time when she was still employed with Eckert Mauchly Computer Corporation that she came up with her original compiler work whic h was a novelty in those times. This compiler was later on named as the A compiler and its initial version was called as A-0. A conference by the name of CODASYL was held in 1959 which brought together computer experts and geniuses from the related industries and the government. Grace Hopper was appointed as the technical consultant of this committee which essentially laid the basis of COBOL. The new language took some of its ideas from the IBM equivalent by the name of COMTRAN. COBOL aimed to write programmes in a language which was more close to the English dictum than the machine oriented basis. This was the reason why COBOL was seen as the single most ubiquitous business language and is still considered so to this day. As a captain in the Navy, Grace Hopper developed a number of validation software for the new programming language (COBOL) as well as its compiler which was a part of the standardization program that went ahead and helped the entire Navy. During her time at the Har vard University in the year 1947, Grace Hopper along with her associates discovered a moth stuck within a relay. After they had done a small operation, Grace Hopper was able to remark this moth as â€Å"debugging† the system. She brought the term of a computer bug to popularity even though she cannot be credited with coining the same. Also, Grace Hopper is famous for her nanoseconds visual aid (Dickason 1992). Since generals and admirals used to quite frequently enquire her about the long extent of time it took for the satellite communications to revert back, she began handing out certain pieces of wire which used to be nearly 1 foot long. This was due to the measurement done on light that it traveled within one nanosecond. She exclaimed that this length of time in nanoseconds was essentially the maximum speed of signals that might travel within vacuum. She also suggested that signals would travel slowly within the wires that were set up on her part as a visual aid. Grace Hop per’s legacy turned out to be quite a popular one for the women. Since Grace Hopper introduced mathematics as a ‘cool’ and trendy subject, it started to come out just like she envisioned within women in different parts of the world. This is the reason why her name is considered as an inspiring factor within the formation of the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing. This conference is held on an annual basis which brings designers to the fore

Personal statement for master degree in english literature

For master degree in english literature - Personal Statement Example The romantic part of the story impressed me more than the historical situation which formed the backdrop to the novel. Later, I read the translated version of the book in my native language Farsi - once, and again several times over. Such is the power of this wonderful piece of literature. I read several other novels like Rebecca and Heartbeat and enjoyed reading them. I have read short stories of Guy de Maupassant and W. Somerset Maugham. Even as I was reading and appreciating them, I was evolving as a person, at times imagining myself in the roles of the protagonists, and many other times amazed at the closeness of the events/scenes/conflicts/characters in the stories with what I was familiar with in my young life. Literature is so compelling and true to life even as it influences and changes one’s personality and creates new dynamics in societies. The power of words and the art of story tellers cast a magic spell on me. Thus did my love for the subject of literature begin a nd made me to choose my academic path and career option. I wish to build upon my academic progress at the undergraduate course and achieve a higher level of proficiency in English and American literature. This is a natural progression of my chosen path and of a subject that is close to my heart. If I am selected to do this course in the prestigious California State University of Sacramento, I would consider myself blessed as it would enable me to achieve a much cherished ambition of even higher learning and acquiring a doctorate in literature in times to come. Compared to the scare resources and other facilities in my home country, this University of Sacramento has significantly higher reputation for facilities as well as academic ambience and guidance. It is this reputation that prompts me to apply for a seat in the University. Coming to the mundane issue, I have committed myself to the teaching line as a career option. Understandably, teaching and

My walk with catholism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My walk with catholism - Research Paper Example The aims of this essay are two-fold: to observe and to participate in an unfamiliar spiritual tradition that is different from one’s own.  I was reared in a conservative southern Baptist church. For the purpose of this paper, my attendance to a Catholic church is hereby detailed and shared. Introduction to the Catholic Church The rich historical background of the Catholic Church has led scholars and theologians to pinpoint its origins from the time of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ nearly 2,000 years ago (Aguilar, 2007). People who are strongly devoted to the Catholic faith contend that Jesus Christ is the ultimate founder and supreme head of Roman Catholics. Upon the demise of Christ, one of the apostles, Peter, was reported to be designated as the first Pope, or temporal head of the increasing number of faithful devotees of the Catholic Church. Since then, it has been averred that the mission of this faith is to spread the faith across the world. According to Pope Ben edict XVI, the Catholic Church’s mission is summarized â€Å"as a threefold responsibility to proclaim the word of God, celebrate the sacraments, and exercise the ministry of charity† (Benedict XVI 2005). ... St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church is reported to have been established in the year 1853 and â€Å"named for the patron of the Bishop, Martin John Spalding† (St. Martin: Parish History, 2011, par. 1). I made four visits to this church on following dates: 21st March (Monday), 23rd March (Wednesday), 27th March (Sunday ) and my last visit was on the 30th of March (Wednesday). On first three visits, I attended Masses; while on my last visit, I conducted an interview. B. Social Issues Endorsed by the Place of Worship The St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church actively endorses participation in social issues being a multicultural Catholic church. The population living nearby in the vicinity is African American and this community is a working class and mainly poor. This church remains opens 24/7 and is open to everyone. The place of worship’s governing staff and leaders believe in supporting minorities as well as their rights. One of the main issues addressed by the parish is t he issue of racial equality, specifically black and Indian minorities living particularly in Kentucky, and in the USA, in general. The reason they address this issue is consistent with the Catholic’s mission of proclaiming the word of God to all mankind. Further, the parish aims to gather funds and donations in order to support various charitable endeavors. One of the communities supported through financial contributions is the Catholic American Indian communities on reservations, in inner cities and in rural areas. Parishioners are encouraged to give voluntary gifts, either in kind or in cash, to support evangelization programs of African Americans. From among the currently ongoing programs include Preaches in their own Archdiocese through the work of

Researched Drama Paper (Hamlet) Research Proposal

Researched Drama Paper (Hamlet) - Research Proposal Example The Shakespeares were a prosperous and locally prominent family. His father, John Shakespeare, was a successful businessman. A great deal is known of Stratford which enables us to understand something of Shakespeare’s boyhood there. The town supported a grammar school which was free to the sons of Burgesses of whom Shakespeare was one. He also went to Grammar school. It is not known what Shakespeare did between the time he left school and his departure for London. Some stories about him that he got into trouble for poaching deer – are possible, but unproved. He married Ann Hathaway, daughter of a yeoman farmer. Their first child was Susan and later, twins, Hamnet and Judith. Very soon after the latter’s birth, Shakespeare departed for London without his family. Shakespeare entered the theater as an actor and was to be an actor-manager for the rest of his life. He made money also as a playwright. Shakespeare died in Stratford in 1616 at the unbelievably early age of 52. Shakespeare wrote the following plays in a period of eight and nine years. Julius Ceasar; Hamelt; All’s Well that Ends Well; Troilus and Cressida; Measure for Measure; Othello; King Lear; Macbeth; Antony and Cleopatra; Timon of Athens; Corionalus. Hamlet has been adjudged the best of men and the worst of men. Mark van Doren in his introduction to the play states that something in his personality renders him superior to decision and incapable of acting. His antic disposition has been analyzed as both a sign of abnormality as well as a device for seeming to be mad. One judgment is as good as another. Very little can be said that will be untrue of this brilliant and abounding young man. Opinions have differed as to which other character can best bring out Hamlet’s character to the fore. Many writers would probably choose Horatio, his close friend and ally who supports Hamlet throughout the story, who echoes his way of thinking and is all praises for him. For

The risks and benefits of social networking services Essay

The risks and benefits of social networking services - Essay Example research, it was found that through social networking sites are hugely favourable among people, especially young adults; they have been ignoring various dangerous attributes of these networking services. Social networking sites can be defined as virtual communities used by individuals for interacting and communicating with friends, families and also meeting new people based on similar or shared interests. Social networking services such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram have taken a critical important place in the lives of new age individuals. Apart from that, websites such as Facebook are known to increase the overall technical literacy of young adults. At the same time, these social media services are the cause of various positive and negative trends occurring in the society (Zafirovski, 2001). Therefore, it is important to understand the critical influence of these social media services so that negative consequences can be minimized and positive effects can be maximized. The objective of the present report is to understand the various risks and benefits of social networking sites. Recent research on usage of social networking services has suggested that the overall interest towards these sites is increasing in a substantial manner. At the same time, there contribution towards risks and benefits in an individual’s daily life is also heightened. The most common social networking services are instant messaging services, email and websites where information is shared. According to a recent survey conducted in 2011, it was revealed that almost 73 percent children as well as 47 percent adults are using these social networks (Red Crbit, 2013). Various benefits have been identified related to social media services and their usages (Cohn, 2010). By frequently using video clips, photographs and access to numerous articles, young adults gain a significant knowledge and understanding about the nature, production as well as usage of multiple content forms,

Form of education Essay Example for Free

Form of education Essay â€Å"Education is the key to success†. Everyone knows about it. Education come in many forms, that’s why many people are speaking and writing about it, some with authority and some are ordinary. But does everyone knows the real meaning of Education? How can we say that we are already educated person if we don’t know exactly the real definition of the word Education? And how can we apply it in our daily lives? Education is a stage of such a process which develops your knowledge to learn different things or simply it is the field of study that deals mainly with methods of teaching and learning in schools. There are three forms of Education. It can be Education of Heart, Education of Norm and at last Education of Dominion. The Education of Heart tackles about the education for the perception of the Individual. While, Education of Norm is all about for the perception of the Family and lastly the Education of Dominion (Intellectual, Technical, and Physical Education) it is the education for the perfection of the Nature of Dominion. Education is the most important thing in our life. It is a gift from above which cannot be taken away from us and can bring us to the top of our dreams. Education is not only by going to school, it can happen by a lot of ways. And it is important specially for those people who can’t afford to go to school, because of their status in life. And they believed that through education, one person’s knowledge can be enhanced and improve. The greatest treasure that everyone must have is Education. It’s like planting a rice; at first you need to execute more efforts, time and skills. Then, wait for the right time to harvest. Education is an important tool that is applied in the modern world to succeed, as it lessen the challenges or obstacles which are faced in life. For some people they compared Education as a special ingredient for a cooking recipe. They’ve said that any kind of dishes will never become delicious if it doesn’t have a complete and satisfying ingredient. The foundation of the society is based on Education, since it brings social and economic prosperity. Education offers a setting in which language, tradition, culture and values of the society are developed. Education has played a major role in the modern life to all individuals in the society and also in the industrial world. Employment is based on education, as employees must have the required skills that correspond with the technology to do their different tasks. As the technology keeps improving , more and more people using it in their lives. Therefore, education grown bigger because people nowadays are learning different things from this technology. Education can mold a personality of an individual. It can help one person to further to his or her own future. A good quality education is not only choosing a good school, it’s choosing a school that can handle different attitudes of students and still can teach them the right path to be a good citizen. There’s no young and adult in education as long as you want to reach your goals and your prepared enough to fight for it. Learning is an education and experience is an education too. But sometimes learning something new can be a scary experience. Specially for those times that you have been facing your fears. But it doesn’t mean that we should be afraid to overcome our own fears and mistakes because we can learn a lot from this things and sometimes it can be our guide to become a better and more stronger one. Although we already know that education is an important thing that everyone must have, but for others it still have disadvantages. Knowledge is power; though it is widely accepted that it is essential for growth and development of an individual, but sometimes it is the reason for some discrimination. Some forms of education blindly impose ideas upon young minds instead of teaching them to think for themselves. A lot of people gathered their knowledge based in their experience for which there is no substitute. An education system is very helpful in developing and improving the quality of human life. Living in this contemporary world is very hard to succeed. That’s why it is better to have a good quality education. Education will be our open doors to attain the training and learning experiences for career opportunities that we need to fulfill in our dreams. Through education we can learn how to enhance life skills such as critical thinking skills, a healthy living lifestyle and self-confidence. It also helps to build our personality to learn how to use good manners, and having respect for others. We learn healthy and productive ways to grow into socially active adults.

Analysing Homelessness In Australia

Analysing Homelessness In Australia Over the past few decades, mechanisms of social exclusion and social control have made it increasingly hard for Australias homeless. Many texts discuss the issue of defining homelessness and it is now widely accepted there are several different kinds. Here, I will be talking primarily about Primary homelessness, which is also known as sleeping rough, where people sleep in cars, parks or other public spaces (Which Way Home? 2008: 18). On average around 105,000 people are homeless in Australia each night and around 15% of these are rough sleeper (The Road Home 2008: 3). The majority of homeless people list financial difficulty, domestic violence, family breakdown or substance abuse as the main causes of their homeless status (Which Way Home? 2008: 20). Homelessness remains a particular problem among Australias Indigenous people, who are over represented in their use of homeless services in all states and territories (Which Way Home? 2008: 20). While homelessness itself is not illegal in Australia, many acts committed by the homeless are, such as public urination, public drunkenness and the possession of illegal drugs. Criminalization of the homeless occurs because these people lack the private space in which to engage in these behaviours. Governments assume that by removing the homeless from public spaces that they are reducing crime and creating safe streets for the law abiding public. However, as illustrated above, the crimes the homeless commit do not generally hurt others or damage property. They are breaking specific laws that have been created by the government which are enforced to exclude certain groups of society from specific public spaces, notably the spaces that the wealthy inhabit. Criminalizing the homeless for behavior that is unavoidable in their situation is not simply poor public policy; it also places unnecessary stress on the criminal justice system. Criminalizing the homeless also leaves the law enforcement officials to deal with related issues, such as issues such as mental illness and alcoholism (citation). Alcoholism is an issue that is common among the homeless population and it is a condition that often intensifies as a result of being homeless. Criminalizing the homeless for being drunk on the streets does not treat the problem, nor does it assist the police in cleaning up the streets. It is often found is that homeless alcoholics use rehabilitation centres as shelter services, but have little intention of treating their addiction (Wilhite 1992: 190). This indicates that the provision of suitable housing is a prerequisite to treating alcoholism. Once suitably housed, alcoholics have an increased chance of using alcohol rehabilitation services effectively. However, as suitable housing becomes increasingly scarce, the homeless are released from the justice system and back on to the street, where the cycle is then repeated. Homelessness has also increased significantly among the mentally ill in recent decades. This has been attributed to discontinuity in mental health services where individuals are transferred from an institutional to community living (Conover et al. 1997: 256). This burden of care has shifted from mental hospitals to the community; however, development of housing and community services has not kept up with the demand (Greenblatt 1992: 49). The outcome here is that many of Australias mentally ill have ended up are end up on the streets and are criminalized for behaviours that are symptoms of their illness. Once again, nobody benefits from the existing system. Our mentally ill are left untreated and our criminal justice system gets increasingly clogged with cases of minor offences that have harmed no one. Debate surrounding the causes of homelessness often relates to two factors: the first are socio-structural factors, which are concerned with changing labour markets, poverty, the housing system, and the nature of the welfare state (Greenhalgh et al. 2007: 643). The second are individualist and psychological factors that reflect individual agency, including alcohol dependence, substance abuse or social and behavioural problems (ibid). While it is now widely agreed by researchers that homelessness is a process where these factors combine and contribute to an individuals risk, this view does not appear to reflect the situation as portrayed by the media. In her Australian study, Carole Zufferey found that media representations of the homeless were strongly influenced by conservative agendas that emphasised individual responsibility (Zufferey 2008: 359). Media representations generally construct deserving and undeserving homeless and focus more on individualist causes than structural ones (Zufferey 2008: 359). As the media play a key role in shaping public understanding of social issues, these attitudes are often shared by the Australian public. A perception common in contemporary Australia is that homelessness is a lifestyle choice and that homeless people choose not to take advantage of services that are available to them. This sort of thinking was demonstrated recently when Opposition leader Tony Abbott was asked whether he would continue with the Rudd Governments goal of halving homelessness by 2020 (The Road Home 2008: viii). In his response Abbott quoted the bible, from the Gospel of Matthew The poor will always be with us in an effort to demonstrate that the government cannot assist those who choose to be homeless (citation). This blatantly illustrates his lack of understanding of the issue, one that is shared by many Australians. As Morse (1992: 13) puts it The choice to become homeless is not an affirmation of an ideal lifestyle, but a means to obtain a sense of self control and dignity when faced with a lack of meaningful, safe or viable living alternatives. Australians seem to have a range of ideological constructions surrounding the homeless, that they are lazy, dirty and untrustworthy, for example. These assist the processes and practices that exclude homeless people from social life and limit their ability to participate in society. When examining a widespread, public issue such as homelessness, it is important to look at the discourses that are at play, when policy is being implemented. Discourse refers to the rules, systems and procedures which help produce and form knowledge about the world (Hook 2001: 522). The rules of discourse govern the way that a topic can be meaningfully talked and thought about. It is therefore linked to the exercise of power, because it ensures the reproduction of the social system, through forms of selection, exclusion and domination (Young 1981: 49; Hook 2001: 522). In relation to homelessness there are many conflicting and overlapping discourses to be taken into account. Here, I will cover discourses relating to neo liberalism, personal responsibility, individualism and obligation in relation to homelessness policy. In policy responses, there is often a common sense assumption that all citizens aspire to be competitive, independent, self responsible, hardworking and morally autonomous individuals (Zufferey 2008: 362). In Australia, there is an unspoken assumption that these are the qualities needed for citizenship. This is evident in that the overall aim in many policies and services is for individuals to be governed into a state where they can self-regulate their behavior without the need for direct intervention by the state (Gilbert 2008: 109). In 2008, two policy papers were created by the Australian government in response to the current situation. The first was Which Way Home: A New Approach to Homelessness which aimed to examine a range of perspectives on homelessness in order to inform further policy (Which Way Home? 2008: 8). From this, a second paper was developed, entitled The Road Home: A National Approach to Reducing Homelessness which outlined the governments strategies for the future. Throughout both of these texts, there is the heavy promotion of moving people into the paid labour market, so they can be independent members of society. In Which Way Home, it states Stable long-term employment should be the ultimate goal for most . . . . With proper support, people can become more resilient and better able to manage their personal, financial and housing needs, and gain the confidence and skills they need to participate in mainstream economic and social life. (Which Way Home 2008: 14) While the aim of many of the proposed programs is to support clients by improving their independent living skills, they are still deeply embedded with assumptions about control, surveillance, containment, independence and self-determination (Greenhalgh 2007: 646). It is important to question who benefits from these programs and whose interests are being served. Is it the homeless who will benefit from these policies, or are they implemented for the bourgeoisie, who feel threatened by the presence of others who do not conform to the status quo? Policy responses such as those listed above may also be seen as an attempt to reduce expectations of what the state will provide by promoting the ideas of the personal responsibilities required for citizenship (Beresford et al. 1996: 179). Neo liberalist discourse appears to be pervasive throughout the proposed policies which are littered with management orientated methods and techniques (Anker 2008: 37). It can be seen that such methods are being implemented in the interest of efficiency and productivity, as opposed concern and assistance for people who have a range of problems and lack the tools that allow them to participate in social life. There is a sense that these individuals are seen as objects of policy as opposed to people who need care and resources. Policy makers also seem unaware that these people often do not lack the competence to participate in society; however their participation is undermined by dominant culture and ideologies that prevent them from doing so (Beresford et al. 1996: 193). Legitimation crisis A shortage of affordable housing has been identified as a major contributing factor to homelessness in Australia. Increased house prices and rentals have put financial pressure on both individuals and families and some find they are unable to afford their current living arrangements.Between 2002 and 2007, the number of families seeking assistance from homeless services in Australia increased by 30 per cent (Which Way Home 2008:12). This suggests that policy responses to housing in Australia are under developed and indicates that affordable housing for those in low income brackets is in extremely short supply. The government played a key role in creating this shortage by reducing its investment in public housing over recent years. It is estimated that between 1994 and 2004 government funding for the Commonwealth State Housing Agreement (CSHA) fell by 54 per cent in real terms (Judd et al. 2005: 246). This demonstrates where the governments priorities lie. Instead of investing in housing, which would assist the homeless and many low income earners, they continue to reduce their spending in this area. Certainly in the Howard years, this could be seen as a strategy to create a budget surplus, which could then be distributed via tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy. Homelessness is sometimes viewed as a complex problem attributed to the clients, not to the systems they have access to (Conover et al. 1997: 258). However, as demonstrated, policies and infrastructure which aim to reduce its prevalence are often under developed, impractical and show a lack of insight into the lives of those they are designed to help. Even if the infrastructure was developed, it wouldnt stop the government and the public acting on pre-existing discourses that say that homeless people are not entitled to participate in society Numerous and diverse factors contribute to homelessness in Australia. Homelessness has been maintained in the past due to ideological constructions that promote processes of exclusion (Morse 1992: 14) and by the absence of policy responses committed to reducing its prevalence. Future challenges lie in the further development of existing policies and integration of services and programs that together can provide comprehensive and innovative solutions to homelessness. Further understanding of the issue through research will also contribute to better policies and help to address practices that lead to social exclusion. 16 February, 2010 Bible bashing the homeless, Abbott style MICHAEL PERUSCO February 16, 2010 http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/bible-bashing-the-homeless-abbott-style-20100215-o2tj.html