Computer Security

G53SEC Computer Security Spring 2012/2013 Coursework 1 Name ID : : Arvinth Gunasegaran 005917 09/04/2013 Due date : Introduction/Technique Cryptography is the act or practice of using techniques for secret communication over public communication channels. The purpose of this is to enable the transmission of messages secretly without being understood by third parties. Cryptography is achieved by means of encryption, which is the process of converting normal text to ciphered text using a key, either public or private.The ciphered text is then transmitted to the receiver, who can decrypt it back to normal text using either a public key (symmetric cryptography) or his or her private key (asymmetric cryptography). One of most famous symmetric encryption techniques is the Caesar cipher, or also known as the shift cipher. It is a type of substitution cipher that works by replacing each alphabet in plaintext into a corresponding alphabet some fixed number of positions either to the right or left of the alphabet.The first Caesar cipher shifted all characters to three positions to the right. However, a shift of any other number or to the left is also used. Based on this, the objective of the coursework is to produce a reverse Caesar cipher encryption. The technique works by first choosing a fixed number to shift the ‘A’ character. Once the letter ‘A’ is shifted accordingly, the rest of the alphabets are filled in, in reverse. The example below shows a simple case of reverse Caesar with a shift value of 3. A B C D E F G H I J K D C B A Z Y X W V U TIn this case, the number to shift is 3. Hence, the letter ‘A’ is first shifted 3 places to the right. The rest of the alphabets are then listed in reverse order, which means the letter ‘A’ is followed by the letter ‘Z’, ‘Y’ and ‘X’, instead of ‘B’, ‘C’, and ‘D’ like in normal Caesar ciphers. Program Explanation The reverse Caesar cipher is implemented in Java. The first java class file (Reverse. java), handles most of the algorithms needed to implement the cipher. Firstly, a char array of size 26 is created and all the alphabets are stored in it in normal order.Similarly, another empty array of size 26 is created for the purpose of storing the mapped values of each alphabet in the first array after shifting. A scanner is used to get user input for the sentence they wish to encrypt and the number of places to shift. Encrypt Method This is the method that is used to convert the input text to a ciphered text. Firstly, the algorithm below sets the second array created earlier with mapped values of the characters form the first array. int shift=pass%26; //to calculate modulus int count=0+(shift-1); //insert -1 to include the first char for (int a=0; a

Why Should We Conserve Our Coral Reefs Before Its Too Late?

Why Should We Conserve Our Coral Reefs Before Its Too Late? The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s latest report warns that half of the coral reefs could disappear by 2045. Coral reefs are diverse ecosystems that support different kinds of fish species and other organisms under the sea. They are home to as many as 150,000 species in any given coral reef (Harris 1060). They are located in warm, shallow, and tropical marine waters where there is enough sunlight available for the coral reefs to thrive. It is very hard to estimate how much of the ocean floor is covered in coals because of the various places that they are located.The water temperature is also a very big influence on the growth and survival of coral reefs. For a coral to survive, the temperature needs to be around 74-78  °F and no lower then  °F. When the temperature gets too cold or too high, the coral starts dying immediately. The destruction of these coral reefs has become a dominant problem in the last ten or so years, resulting from various causes. As the number of coral reefs is rapidly declining and destruction is heading toward an all time high, while the rate of destruction is heading toward an all time high.We need to take action to conserve our coral reefs before it is too late. The destruction of coral reefs is being caused by both natural and manmade causes. The number one natural reason for the destruction of coral reefs is global warming. In an article for the Natural Wildlife Federation, author Joe Pupree explains the immediate effect of global warming and puts it into perspective saying, â€Å"While for most terrestrial creatures, the worst effects of global warming are decades away, for coral reefs the future is already here. The obvious major spikes in the oceans temperature are evident in many tropical regions today, showing pressing evidence that this is an increasing issue. The warmer water temperatures have also assisted in creating a new issue among t he coral reefs known as coral bleaching. Coral bleaching is the second biggest problem within coral reefs. When coral bleaching occurs, the coral basically gets rid of the algae that are living inside of them, which is what gives the corals their vibrant various colors.Corals draw in oxygen from algae in exchange for nutrients and carbon dioxide, so when corals expel their algae it is because they are experiencing a time of stress. When this happens the coral loose their color and turn white or become transparent. In 1998, for example, extreme water temperatures triggered a rare massive bleaching that left few corals untouched (Dupree). After this disaster, it was estimated that about 16% of the world’s corals had died in less than that one year.Regrettably, natural causes aren’t the only thing destroying our coral reefs, humans are also adding to the damage. Things like oil spills, coral mining, and dynamite fishing are all things that we have control over but havenâ €™t done anything about. Even tourism can be physically damaging to the coral reef’s structure. The list of factors contributing to the destruction of coral reefs goes on and on. Throughout the world there are some well-known coral reefs that have been affected by the destruction.Ten years ago when reefs mysteriously started dying off the coast of Key West scientists began to investigate. The way they conducted the research to find out why these coral reefs were dying, was that they cornered off parts of the reef with metal stakes and sent divers with cameras frequently so they could monitor corals and signs of pests and disease. A decade later, the metal stakes were still in place at Easter Dry Rocks Reef, but the corals themselves were gone (Dupree). Another reef that is being affected is Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.Charlie Veron, a coral expert and a longtime chief scientist for the Australian institute of Marine Sciences says that â€Å"A history of the Gre at Barrier Reef is a catalog of disasters caused by planetary chaos. But they are disaster from which the reef has always covered† (Qtd. In Dupree). As for today’s reoccurring disasters the prospect for coral reef recovery is uncertain. With the destruction of coral reefs becoming such as escalating problem, there have been several efforts to save them. The issue of global warming affecting the coal reefs is the top priority for the National Wildlife Federation.They claim to be â€Å"backing congressional legislation to reduce greenhouse gases, publishing reports on warming’s impact on wildlife and collaborating with state affiliates on the grassroots efforts† (Dupree). Management plans have been put into place that strictly enforces the limitations and controls on marine exploitation. This management plan has, however, significantly improved the health of some of the reefs they have tested this method on. There are also organizations such as â€Å"Reef C heck† that encourages people to get out into their community and volunteer and make a difference.The goal of â€Å"Reef Check† is to educate the public and governments about the value of coral reefs and the crisis facing them. The coral reefs that are dying every day not only affect our oceans, but they have a direct and indirect effect on our country. The people who depend on seafood for economic survival are finally beginning to realize that these coral reefs that they never cared to try to protect is going to have consequences. Fishermen will soon not be able o make a living in the commercial fishing industry and the economy will suffer from that.The nonexistence of coral reefs will also take a toll on the tourism industry. Things like reef tours, snorkeling, diving, and fishing, will all be affected. As said in the article Coral Crisis, â€Å"Globally, coral reefs are estimated to contribute more than 30$ billion a year in direct net benefits to human economics. â €  This is a huge sum of money and with the status of the economy at this point in time losing this money would be detrimental. Scientists as of lately have extracted over 1,200 potentially useful components from Cancer.If these components prove to be the answer to the curing of these terminal disease and there are no corals left, that could lead to some problems. Coral reefs are being destructed more and more every day. Whether it is by global warming making the temperature of the water unlivable, or by the stress placed on the corals until it causes them to become completely bleached throughout. It could also be caused by any human activities that harm the original nature of the coral reefs. The most prominent of the reefs being affected are the reefs in the Keys and in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.Efforts to save the reefs have started to begin but these efforts are no where near the magnitude that is needed if we want coral reefs to be around in the years to come. The effects of these coral reefs ceasing to exist will become apparent soon enough, but by that time we start the conservation of these beautiful underwater ecosystems it will not help. As marine, biologist Chris Langdon from the University of Miami explains to us short and to the point that â€Å"if we wipe them out, we’re not going to have them around for a very long time† (Dupree). Word Count: 1240

Fogbusters inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fogbusters inc - Essay Example The territory to investigate and give an innovation proposal and settle on a discriminating choice is the assembling and supply benefits Some of the items transformed by FOGBUSTERS Inc framework incorporate Goslyn. This is an immiscible fluid separator which works under hydro static weight and does not have any moving parts. Creative (patent pending) innovation has the proficiency to constantly and for all time uproot Fats, Oils & Greases from waste gushing. It keeps empties free as a bird while killing the requirement for unreasonable splashing frameworks or oil trap pumping. It additionally uproots the strong flotsam and jetsam that move beyond empty wicker bin. It is ordinarily these solids, blending with the fats, oils and oils that cause the lions share of channel blockages. FOGBUSTERS Inc System is altogether "greener" than the elective frameworks focused around various supportability favorable circumstances, It gets water cleaner (more level ppm of FOG), essentially diminishes the utilization of chemicals and decreases the era of oil ooze that overall obliges trucking expenses. Also, it decreases landfill use, lessens the glitch of downstream wastewater medicine frameworks, and encourages reusing of waste FOG for biodiesel generation and different employments. Most biofuel feedstocks (corn, canola, oil palm and other oil products) occupy cropland and different assets from sustenance preparation (the nourishment vs. fuel situation) come as a bi-result of Fogbuster. A business’s technological advancement plays a huge role in choosing where to locate a business. A well-developed internet, communications, and technology makes doing business across borders easy. It is like removing all boundaries that exist whether physical or imaginary. Most businesses have developed their technological infrastructure thus greatly easing the way of doing

Alroy Drawer Runners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Alroy Drawer Runners - Essay Example Alroy is a leader in the manufacture of metal drawer runners that are utilized on furnishings, custom cabinetry and any other product requiring efficient and no-slip drawer slides, hence creating a plethora of opportunities for capturing disparate markets and prospects. What makes Alroy products unique is their durability in construction and powder-coated covering that improves anti-corrosion capabilities and longevity over that of competing drawer runner manufacturers worldwide. Alroy Sheet Metal’s customer is Heritage Home Group LLC, a multi-national organization specializing in manufacture, design, distribution and retailing of a variety of home furnishings. Heritage is a very high-end producer and marketer of top quality, premium home products under the respected and well-known brand names such as Thomasville, Lane, Broyhill, Pearson and Drexel Heritage. The customer maintains a very broad group of retail channels that include branded retail stores, collaboration with world-renowned interior design agents, mass merchant retailers, and independent retail stores across the world. The relationship between Alroy salespersons and Heritage Home Group is one that is justified through a consultative selling model. Salespersons, in order to add value to the relationship and engage the customer effectively, ask a variety of strategic questions, utilize active listening skills, and illustrate a legitimate care and concern for their problems and needs. Relationship development involves more interactivity with customers, face-to-face selling practices, in which productive communications between seller and customer are critical to establishing trust and perceptions of competency in the salesperson and the corporate brand.  

Treatments for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Research Paper - 1

Treatments for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus - Research Paper Example Diabetes is, at the moment, ranked as the 6th leading cause of death in the United States (Rubino et al 1). In many other states, it ranks far much higher due to their deprived status of dealing with the illness. The financial turmoil, in 2007 alone, went beyond US$ 174 billion. Oral hypoglycemic and diet modification have proven inadequate, while insulin therapy simply solves the matter temporarily. In the United States Prospective Diabetes Study, people with diabetes were treated with insulin, diet modification, sulfonylurea and metformin (Sloan 194). At one with the progressive trait of diabetes, monotherapy was deserted in 75 percent of the diabetic patients assessed in a follow-up of 10 years. Even with the new-fangled pharmaco-therapies, diabetic patients still develop micro- and macro-vascular effects. Diabetes is connected to increased stroke- and cardiac-related deaths, blindness and kidney failure, as well as 69% of the non-trauma lower-limb amputations (Sloan 194). In card iac surgery, the illness as a preoperative risk element confers much better morbidity than a previous myocardial infarction. Whereas this numbers indicate to us that this disease will be a global health concern of the next generation, its actual pathophysiology is yet to be defined. Alternative treatments targeting diverse models of this disease need vigilant and responsible assessment. A tremendous body of proof now showcases that surgery for type 1 diabetes can achieve complete illness remission, an objective almost unprecedented in recent diabetes care (Perry 22; Montenero 98; Fox 1550). Data gathered over many years of surgery showcases the success and durability of diabetes management gained after the surgery. Metabolic surgery is, at the moment, emerging as a field devoted to the development of surgical processes, particularly intended to treat diabetes. However, what about non-surgical treatment? Type 1 is treated non-surgically with insulin replacement – normally

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leadership - Essay Example "Nothing matters more in winning than getting the right people on the field. Differentiation helps you do that." (Welch Way, 29 March 2009). One of the biggest challenges faced by the leaders these days is getting the right people for the job, any job can be completed by anybody but the point is how efficiently a person can do a job Leadership is all about perfection and any wrong decisions taken can prove very fatal. For instance a leader hires a person, who he believes is the right man/woman for the organization but the work of that employee proves otherwise, the organization can suffer because of the same and the loss occurred because of that wrong decision of the leader will always remain irrecoverable. It is very difficult these days to find the right people, who can commit their future to the organization but leaders are expected to have the quality of differentiation, a leader who possesses this quality can never go wrong in the process of selecting the right people for the or ganization. ... This is one of the biggest challenges which the leaders these days face, if a leader is born with this quality then major pitfalls in leadership can be avoided without facing much difficulty. "To meet the many demands of performing their functions, managers assume multiple roles. A role is an organized set of behaviors. Henry Mintzberg has identified ten roles common to the work of all managers. The ten roles are divided into three groups: interpersonal, informational, and decisional. The informational roles link all managerial work together. The interpersonal roles ensure that information is provided. The decisional roles make significant use of the information. The performance of managerial roles and the requirements of these roles can be played at different times by the same manager and to different degrees depending on the level and function of management. The ten roles are described individually, but they form an integrated whole." (Henry Mintzberg, 29 March 2009). Another big challenge which the leaders of today face is the daunting task of decision making. Decision making is the most challenging task for any leader. One wrong decision can change many things around in an organization and those changes will surely be for the worse of the organization on the other hand one good decision can help the organization in more ways than one. Decision making is a very delicate process, numerous things have to be kept in mind, a leader just cannot go on making wrong decisions because that would result in disaster, even one wrong decision can be disastrous for any organization so considering all these things it becomes imperative that leaders analyze the

Science and Scientific Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Science and Scientific Change - Essay Example I regard Kuhn’s contribution to the field as one of the most important, not because I think he’s correct, but because it radically changed the way people think about the nature and purpose of science. Before Kuhn, philosophers generally regarded science as a rational and logical enterprise, with strict standards that guaranteed objectivity. What Kuhn shows, in his The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1970), is that science, as well as scientific change, is not as rational as we think. Scientists themselves are guided not by a set of objective principles, but by their personal interests and values as much as anything else. Many philosophers and scientists have criticized Kuhn for portraying scientific change as an irrational process, one of them being Imre Lakatos. In this paper, I shall focus on the debate between Kuhn and Popper, as emphasized by Lakatos in his Falsification and The Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes. I shall divide this paper into four main parts: the first part will discuss Popper’s views on science and scientific change. Part two will be devoted to Thomas Kuhn’s analysis of the irrationality of science and paradigm shifts. The third part will synthesize the Popperian and Kuhnian debate. Here I will introduce Lakatos’ critique against Kuhn. Finally, I shall end my paper with my conclusion regarding the said issue at hand. Karl Popper What is the main difference between scientific theories and non-scientific theories? This is often referred to as the demarcation problem, which asks, what criterion can we use to distinguish scientific claims from non-scientific claims? What demarcates science from non-science? This is Karl Popper’s most renowned contribution. Yet what solution did Popper offer to his said problem? Popper’s solution to the demarcation problem is really quite simple. He says that what distinguishes scientific claims from non-scientific ones is its falsifiability. Thus, a hypothesis is scientific if and only if there is some way in which it can be falsified by means of some experiment. If we cannot construct an experiment, which can potentially falsify a hypothesis, then the hypothesis, even if meaningful, is really not scientific. In line with these two theories that are foundational to Popper’s philosophy, it is clear that Popper views science as a rational enterpri se, where theory-change is characterized by scientific progress. According to Popper, science changes through a two-step cycle. Stage one is conjecture, and the second stage is attempted refutation. Under the stage of conjecture, a theory is proposed as an attempt to solve the problem at hand. The theory is then put to test by attempted refutations. Attempted refutation occurs when â€Å"the hypothesis is subjected to critical testing, in an attempts to show that it is false† (Godfrey-Smith 61). Moreover, Popper notes that after the hypothesis is refuted, the process repeats again starting from a new conjecture, and so on and so forth. If the theory is corroborated, then it is temporarily accepted as un-refuted, but not justified. What is important to take note of here is that as the process

Separation of Complex Cations of Chromium(III) by Ion Exchange Essay

Separation of Complex Cations of Chromium(III) by Ion Exchange Chromatography - Essay Example Water soluble compounds of Chromium III do not occur naturally and are unstable in the environment (Nriagu & Nieboer, 1988 p68). Different oxides of chromium oxide are also used as pigments. Cation exchange chromatography can be used to separate different chromium III complexes into their pure forms. The most common complexes are chromium III and IV which exist at different ionisation states. Chromium III is a cation and IV is an anion. Chromium VI is toxic to humans (Vincent, 2011 p101). The separation of these complexes is based on their different ionisation states which are the principles behind ion exchange chromatography. The use of UV-Vis as analytical tools is essential in determining the value of 10q of elements. The coupled use of these diagrams and spectroscopic information enables someone to correctly calculate the electromagnetic absorption of metal compounds and how the crystal fields split energy or 10Dq (Kettle, 2008 p69). 3. Chromium solutions are then prepared that will be used throughout the experiment. At this stage, progress should immediately be made towards separation of trans-‑[CrCl2(H2O)4]+, [CrCl(H2O)5]2+ and [Cr(H2O)6]3+ after which their spectrums are measured between wavelengths 350 nm and 750 nm immediately after their collection (Beran, 2010 p200). 4. The final step involves the estimation of relative crystal field strength for Cl- and H2O. Two bands are observed in the region of 350nm and 750nm with the longest wavelength band having energy equal to 10Dq or the octahedral Crystal field splitting energy for the complex ion. Chromium III compounds have bands that are easy to interpret and they exist either in an excited state which has higher energy than the ground state which has less energy but more stable. The values of 10Dq are shown to decrease with the increasing charge of a neighbouring anion and the decreasing number of coordinating anions (Crabtree, 2011

Professional and organisational Development Assignment

Professional and organisational Development - Assignment Example It is a procedure of continuous evaluation, planning and implementation of the knowledge for the improvement of the organisation’s ability of problem solving, capacity management and changes in future. Organisational development assists in improving the business by engaging several products and services. It helps in observing the dynamics of the working environments so that the progress in faster and effective. The three components of the organisational development approaches are systems thinking, behavioural sciences and values. Fig 1: Organisational Development Approach Source: (Haneberg, 2005). The managers within an organisation use the organisational development approach for increasing the effectiveness and capacity by implementing the set of values by systematic thinking approach to provide best output in the work. Moreover, they apply the behavioural sciences theories for the success of the organisation. The values of the organisation are set which are to be followed by the people to indulge in for greater success (Haneberg, 2005). Organisational development depends on the values which help in taking proper decision regarding the employees and the organisation. These values give a shape to the decision taken and replicate an appropriate result for the efficiency of the success. The values are the most eminent part of the organisational approach as it involves the process of engagement within the culture and the employees. Relationship building, authenticity, respect, empowerment and flexibility are the values which help in the success of the organisations in any sector. In the automobile sector managers also implement these approaches for ensuring success and proper coordination among the people (Haneberg, 2005). The objective of this management report is to deal with the organisational approaches followed by the automobile sector giants such as Ford Motors, General Motors and Toyota. The approaches and their effectiveness in the development for t he professionals or leaders and the organisation are evaluated in this study. Organisational Development Approaches of a Group of Organisations in Automobile Industry Ford Motor Company Organisational development approach is an essential part in an organisation for its successful functioning. It is imperative as the profit of a concern depends a lot on the systems thinking approach and the values of the employees in accordance with the business. In this regard, it is affirmed that Ford Motor Company follows the open system approach which is a continuous process that renders emphasis on the environmental dynamics. As Ford Motors follows the open system, it gets continuous flow of information regarding the products in the form of feedback. The feedbacks are then analysed thoroughly for the betterment of the product as per the need of the environment. Therefore, the efficiency of the company depends on the interaction level with the environment. In the recent years, the organisational development demonstrates a shift in the approach from system to the organisational approach. Correspondingly, it is acknowledged that Ford Motors has used the systems analysis approach which is effective (Brown & Harvey, 2006). In this regard,

The effectiveness of SSL and Certification authentication and how can Research Paper

The effectiveness of SSL and Certification authentication and how can the client be better protected - Research Paper Example Clients deserve to know how their personal information is being stored and what it being done to protect their information from getting into the wrong hands. To this end, the SSL and Certificate Authentication processes have been developed and refined over the years to better protect the client and enhance the security of information stored digitally and electronically via the Internet and other mediums (Alnatheer, 2014). The problem is that the Internet is increasingly becoming a place where the transmission of private information, such as credit card data, is a potentially dangerous activity that could result in the data being intercepted by hackers that would seek to do harm. The purpose of this study is to examine and analyze the concepts of the secure socket layer (SSL) and certificate authentication in order to determine how the client can be better protected. The objective is to determine how this technology is currently being utilized to make the transmission of electronic data via the Internet safer and more secure, while also looking at potential barriers to security that must be addressed moving forward. Failure to address these important issues will undermine the very integrity of the Internet and potentially lead to a general populace that is leery of trusting Web sites with their most private and confidential of information. Research questions are invaluable to the researcher in terms of guiding hi or her in the proper direction, in addition to working to ensure that the project remains focused and relevant to the reader. In consideration of this, this particular study has several main questions that, when answered, will lead to the conclusions that form the basis for chapter 5. This will enable the reader to effectively ascertain the need to keep clients safe when transmitting information online, and how SSL and certificate authentication can help to make this possible. Authentication Certificate - Digital certificate

Why Framers Chose Federalism Essay Example for Free

Why Framers Chose Federalism Essay Introduction: Federalism is a system of government that divides governing power and authority between the national governments and the state governments (Bowman). In 1787, the framers of the constitution chose this specific type of government to rule over the United States. I will show you that the framers chose this system of government for several different types of reasons. Reasons are because the national government was not strong enough, to maintain the states sovereignty, and it will protect individual liberty. I will also show you how the 10th Amendment, Concurrent Powers, and Block Grants each apply to the federalist system of government. You will see why the framers chose Federalism and understand how Block Grants, Concurrent Powers, and the 10th amendment is important and ties into federalism. Weak National Government A reason why framers chose Federalism is because the national government was not strong enough. The type of government that was already in action which was confederalism which made the states too democratic. There was no leadership. The separate individual states were actually considered stronger than the central government. Which made it so that the national government was unable to enforce laws and collect taxes as well as recommendations, having no national court system effective. There was a big lack of unity and common laws because the states were too independent and full of themselves. Federalism, on the other hand, gave the national government the power that they needed to be more in control, let them enforce laws and collect taxes and balanced out the powers between the national and state governments. Maintaining The Sovereignty of The States Federalism also helped to maintain the sovereignty of every state. State sovereignty is the power of a state to do everything it can to self govern itself. This was very important because the states each valued their own uniqueness and this helped them to keep that. Each state was still able to have their own laws, build what they want, just as long as it didn’t conflict with the national government. For example, Texas could not make a law forbidding women to vote, because the national government has said that it is a right for all citizens of this country. There are many laws that the states may have, there’s traffic laws, criminal laws, property laws and many others. For example, Colorado is allowed to give the death penalty to someone who has committed a murder. Federalism made it so that the states were still able to do what they wanted to do, but with a little more control and organization. Protecting Individual Liberty Liberty is the condition of being free from restriction. It is the right to act, believe, or express oneself in a manner. The Framers of the constitution believed that any governmental power was a threat to our individual liberty, and that the exercise of governmental power should be restrained. They felt that to divide governmental power prevented the abusement of liberty. Since the powers is shared between the federal and state governments, it prevents either one of the governments from going corrupt and denying personal liberty. Federalism also protects the liberty of all persons within a State by ensuring that laws that are enacted in excess of delegated governmental power cannot direct or control their actions. Federalism: The 10th Amendment The 10th amendment is basically almost the meaning of federalism. This brief statement says â€Å"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.† Which means, the powers that are not granted to the National government are given to the states or the people. It states the idea that local and national governments should share the power of governing which is exactly what federalism is. The 10th amendment was written to emphasize the limited nature of the powers that were delegated to the national government. In delegating just specific powers to the federal government, the states and the people, with some small exceptions, were free to continue exercising their sovereign powers. It served as a wonderful compromise for both states and the national government as a whole. Federalism: Concurrent Powers Concurrent Powers is a big part of federalism. This is where the national government and the state government powers are shared. Concurrent Powers were mentioned by Alexander Hamilton in the federalist papers. He wrote that it was important for states to maintain their sovereignty and he felt that concurrent powers would help do so. For example, they each have the power to tax. The federal government has the power to tax its citizens, and the state government has the power to tax its residents. This refers to federal income tax which everybody pays and state income tax which is paid and imposed in the state which you live. Other concurrent powers includes building roads, protecting the environment, borrowing money, creating and enforcing laws, borrow money, create lower courts, and charter banks and corporations. Federalism: Block Grants Block grants are grants from the central government to the state government with general provisions as to the way it is spent. They tie into federalism because it shows the unity between the central and state governments, they both cooperate to help communities and the people. States usually use block grants for welfare, social services, education and urban development. For example, when the Republicans retook Congress in 1994, they changed many federal grants into block grants. Instead of giving money to states to buy textbooks or repair schools, for example, Congress gave states blocks of money to spend on education in any way the states saw fit. Another example includes medicaid. It gives states the option to consolidate Medicaid and SCHIP funding into state acute care and long term care allotments. Block grants are very beneficial, they give more opportunity to state and local governments to help people in their communities. They also can reduce the amount of money spent on burea ucracy so that more can be dedicated to the area of need. Conclusion: The framers chose federalism for distinct reasons. It was very important for us to have a stronger national government, the states were to independent and it was destroying the unity. We needed to maintain state sovereignty, the uniqueness of each state was very significant. Protecting our individual liberty was a must. It was necessary for us to continue to have our individual rights and freedom. The 10th Amendment, Concurrent Powers, and Block Grants all play very important roles when it comes federalism. Without the 10th amendment, federalism wouldn’t even exist. If it weren’t for concurrent powers, the two governments would be very separated and not very unified. Federalism and the factors that influence it is extremely important to know about because it allows people living in different states with different needs and different interests to set policies suited to the people in their state, yet still come together with other states as one nation. It allows our nation to be more diverse and more unified, the way the nation should be.

Reliance Group | International Business Environment

Reliance Group | International Business Environment The Reliance Group, founded by Late Dhirubhai H. Ambani, and is one of the largest private sector companies in India, with businesses in the energy and materials value chain. Reliance Groups annual revenues are in excess of US $ 58 billion. Reliance Industries Limited has become a Fortune Global 500 Company. Reliance Group is a highly diversified group and is in to multiproduct business like oil and gas exploration, retail of petro and consumer products and manufacturing of petrochemicals / refining and textile products. Here I have summarised how Globalisation has affected the survival and sustainable development of Reliance Industries Ltd. Reliance Group is a highly diversified group and is in to multiproduct business like oil/gas exploration, retail of petro/consumer products and mfg. of petrochemical/refining and textile products. Here I have summarised how Globalisation has affected the survival and sustainable development of Reliance Industries Ltd. GLOBALISATION If I was to summarise in one word as to what is Globalisation Liberalisation is leading to I will say Competition. Globalisation has a significant impact on entrepreneurial enterprises in many ways. Globalisation provides a great opportunity for entrepreneurial ventures to expand their business internationally. With the help of local governments, large corporations, and international organisations, entrepreneurial enterprises are able to confront the challenges posed by globalisation and economic liberalisation, to improve their competitiveness in the global market, and better serve the global consumers. A number of hypotheses are examined to understand how globalisation has affected the survival and sustainable development of entrepreneurial enterprises. Globalisation has forced Reliance in the following ways It has aligned with the global trends Development policies and compensation systems were put in place. Built leaders within organisation, within this talent pool. International Business Environment affects the development of RIL Exploration and production of oil and gas is critical for Indias energy security and economic growth. India imports almost two-thirds of its crude oil requirement. Reliances oil and gas exploration and production business is therefore inevitably linked with the national imperative. Exploration and production, the initial link in the energy and materials value chain, remains a major growth area and Reliance envisions evolving as a global energy major. With growing competition and ever growing demand for energy, especially from developing countries, the focus is on energy security. Over the years the EP industry has registered significant growth, primarily due to spiralling crude oil and gas prices. RIL began gas production within six and a half years of gas discovery, in comparison to the world average of 9-10 years for similar deep water production facilities. Continuous gas production for about a year, with 100% uptime, once again demonstrates the Companys flawless commissioning and execution capabilities. In April 2010, RIL entered into a joint venture with the USA based Atlas Energy, Inc. (Atlas) under which RIL acquired 40% interest in Atlas core Marcellus Shale acreage position. RIL has become a partner in approximately 300,000 net acres of undeveloped leasehold in the core area of the Marcellus Shale region in south western Pennsylvania for an acquisition cost of $ 339 million and an additional $ 1.36 billion capital costs under a carry arrangement for 75% of Atlass capital costs over an anticipated seven and a half year development programme. Low operating costs and proximity to USA northeast gas markets combine to make the Marcellus Shale region one of the most economically attractive, unconventional natural gas resources play in North America. The acreage will support the drilling of over 3,000 wells with a resource potential of approximately 13.3 Trillion Cubic Feet equivalent (TCFe). While Atlas will serve as the development operator for the joint venture, RIL is expected to become a development operator in certain regions in the coming years in the JV. Atlas will continue acquiring leasehold in the Marcellus Shale region and RIL will have the option to acquire 40% share in all new acreages. RIL also obtained the right of first offer with respect to potential future sales by Atlas of around 280,000 additional Appalachian acres currently controlled by Atlas (not included in the present joint venture). The RIL-Atlas joint venture has the potential to become one of the largest prime acreage holders in the Marcellus Shale region. This joint venture will materially increase RILs resource base and provide an entirely new platform from which to grow its exploration and production business while simultaneously enhancing its ability to operate unconventional projects in the future. Additionally, RIL has farmed out 20% PI in the blocks Borojo North and Borojo South in Colombia; and 30% PI in block 18 and 25% PI in block 41 in Oman. The Regional Government of Kurdistan has assigned third party participating interest of 20% each in blocks Rovi and Sarta to M/s OVM; the assigned agreement is yet to be signed by RIL. RIL now has 13 blocks in its international EP portfolio including 2 in Peru, 3 in Yemen (1 producing and 2 exploratory), 2 each in Oman, Kurdistan and Colombia, 1 each in East Timor and Australia; amounting to a total acreage of over 93,500 sq. kms. Sustainability Strategy adopted/used by RIL in Global Markets Reliance has made sustainable development a cornerstone of its business strategy to achieve sustainable and profitable growth. RIL adopted principle of materiality and prioritized key issues after collective deliberation by management and key stakeholders. These issues include; Energy Security, Health Safety, Corporate Governance and Transparency, Product Responsibility, Climate Change and Waste Management. RIL sustainable development strategy draws on proven technology and risk management framework and evolves from the materiality analysis that has been performing over the years. The focus areas under sustainability development strategy include the following: Energy Security As a company RIL involved in the energy and materials value chain, so it is committed to responsible use of energy. Its systems and processes ensure optimum energy usage by continuous monitoring of all forms of energy and increasing the efficiency of operations. Growth through Innovation RIL firmly believe that growth through innovation will give a big competitive advantage and will be a key differentiator. Companys goal is to make RIL one of the most innovative companies in the world and to achieve breakthrough growth in revenues and profits by creating and implementing sustainable solutions. RIL is developing an innovative ecosystem that builds on organisational systems and processes, talent management, open innovation and world class RD facilities. Health and Safety Safety overrides all production targets this vision drives RIL to continuously look for ways to achieve zero accident at workplace. RILs vision is to develop a dedicated pool of safety professionals and lead in safety performance across its operations by focusing on process safety and behavioural safety.. Environment Protecting the environment and preserving natural resources is a high priority area. Through annual environment plan and business targets, RIL identify projects and take action to reduce water consumption and become carbon neutral and achieve maximum possible recycling and reuse of wastes. RIL set targets for key environment-related performance indicators such as material intensity, GHG emissions, air quality, water consumption, effluent discharge, waste generation and disposal, and conservation of bio-diversity. Product Responsibility For RIL, product responsibility is to offer efficient and reliable product and services with minimum environmental impact throughout the life cycle of the product from the cradle to the grave. Its product and services are designed, manufactured and delivered with principle consideration of customer safety. Social Institution Building Social welfare and community development is at the core of RILs Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) philosophy. RILs strategy is to have close and continuous interaction with the people and communities around our manufacturing divisions to bring qualitative changes and support the underprivileged.

Basics Of Embedded Systems

Basics Of Embedded Systems The term embedded systems is quite a complex one. Simply put, it is a combination of hardware and software that performs the component of a larger system. A few years ago embedded technology existed in stand alone devices such as vending machines and copiers that did their jobs with little regards for what went on around them. But as technology advance to connect devices to the internet and to each other, the potential of embedded technology has increased. Home appliances, mobile phones, cars, tiny micro chips, avionics etc.., are all using embedded technology. High-profile embedded chips are scaleable, generate small amounts of heat, and consume less power. These are generally preferred for their speed, accuracy and reliability. As they are compact in size and ability to perform time-critical and task specific operators, embedded devices find application in all segments of industrial and commercial market places and home appliances. In recent years,it became apparent that control systems as integral components of larger systems, should be developed and designed concurrently with mechanics, hydraulics, and electronics. It is important that engineers have a good understanding of the implications of software technology embedded into traditional engineering systems. Current machines consist of physical components providing the means and a control system employing those means to fulfill the machines function. Together, they build up the controlled machine, which can also be called an embedded system. . New innovative applications in different areas will make embedded systems as one of the fastest developing technology of the near future. This paper deals with concepts and developments of embedded systems in control of machines and gives a general overview of the basic components of control systems, ranging from sensors to actuators. Embedded Systems An embedded system employs a combination of hardware software (a computational engine) to perform a specific function; is part of a larger system that may not be a computer; works in a reactive and time-constrained environment. Software is used for providing features and flexibility Hardware = {Processors, ASICs, Memory} is used for performance ( sometimes security) The term embedded system can be used for a wide range of applications and devices. A useful definition is not easy to formulate. Boasson mentioned one characteristic that applies to all embedded systems: Neither the computer system without the special environment in which it is embedded, nor the environment without the computer system has any significance in itself. An embedded system employs a combination of hardware software (a computational engine) to perform a specific function; is part of a larger system that may not be a computer; works in a reactive and time-constrained environment. Basics of Embedded systems An embedded systems typically comprises the hardware, embedded RTOS, device drivers, communication stacks and embedded application software. Embedded hardware: The embedded hardware mainly consists of a microcontroller with various peripheral ICs. A fixed size volatile memory such as DRAM or SRAM and non volatile memory such as Flash or EPROM, connected to the microcontroller, are an integral part of the device. Depending on the targeted application of the device, the peripheral can include communication device such as serial controller, Ethernet controller, or a wireless communication controller and other application-specific ICs (ASICs). Many handheld devices these days also have sensors, actuators, keypads and graphical LCD screens as user interfaces. The only way a embedded machine control system can get information about its surroundings, is through the use of sensors and/or sensor systems. Control signals from the embedded control are converted into power and/or movement through Actuators. Sensors: During the past years a shift has taken place from mechanization towards automation. This implies the extensive use of sensors (and actuators) in order to be able to actually control (and influence) the actions that are performed by the controlled system.In principle the task of a sensor is fairly simple. It transforms an input signal that usually is difficult to handle in its original form to a more manageable form. Between input and output of the sensor a number of processes take place to obtain the desired result, as schematically shown in Figure. Actuators: Actuators come in many forms and shapes. They act as the arms and legs of the machine. Actuators convert control signals into power and/or movement,as schematically shown in Figure below. Control signals do not have to be of electrical nature, also other kinds are possible. The power conversion can be done in a number of ways. The most common energy sources for actuators are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Compressed air, pneumatics à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Pressured oil, hydraulics à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Electricity, electro mechanics Embedded RTOS: The concept of real-time operating system (RTOS) is inseparable when we talk about embedded systems. All intelligent devices that perform complex functions have an embedded operating system inside. A real-time operating system (RTOS) is built for specific applications and guarantees response to an external event with in a specified time constraint. This operating system is typically real time in nature, i.e. it is capable of responding deterministically to time-critical external events. For example, when you suddenly apply brakes for your car to avoid an accident, the intelligent gad-get responds immediately. Imagine the plight of a driver if there is no responseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the result is obvious. Device drivers: The lowest-level software that acts as glue between the operating system and the peripheral devices is called the device driver. The device driver software controls every peripheral device that is connected to the micro controller. Communication stacks: If the embedded device is capable of communicating to the external world, it has a communication software stack running on the top of the operating system. In order to connect to the Internet, the embedded device needs a TCP/IP stack. Characteristics of Embedded systems are: Small, low power, high performance Compact efficient use of PCB / IC real-estate Maximum output for minimum size High MIPS to power ratio High bus bandwidth Low interface bottlenecks Advantages: Customization yields lower area, power, cost Disadvantages: Higher HW/software development overhead. Design, compilers, debuggers May result in delayed time to market! Control Systems Control system is the section where the system senses the input by sensors and compares with the internal reference of the system and gives the output obtained through the actuators as shown in figure below. Control systems implementations: Looking at the history of controllers, we can distinguish six types of control systems: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Black box or embedded control à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Relay-based logic control à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Single-board control (SBC) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Programmable control (PLC) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Computer numerical control (CNC) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Distributed control systems (DCS) Black box or embedded control: Embedded control is all around us. More and more household appliances are being designed with some form of embedded control in it. Washing machines, microwave ovens, car radios, cellular phones, VCRs, and digital photo cameras are just a few examples of ordinary devices with embedded control in it. Embedded control is used in product itself, not in the production system with which the products are manufactured. The use of embedded control software enables product designers to design smarter products with a large portion of its functionality embedded in the software of the product. This results in increased product flexibility and the possibility to change or add new functionality without having to redesign the physical product. So, in a way the software has become the product. Relay-based logic control: Before electronic control was developed, relays (as well as pneumatic and hydraulic components) were widely used as control elements. They serve as switching, timing and multiplying mechanisms for input devices such as switches, push buttons, photo-electric sensors, etc. Since the control is hard-wired, flexibility is low and troubleshooting difficult. Today, they are less used in the actual control functions but many control applications use relays in conjunction with the more sophisticated forms of control for isolation and other specialized electromechanical functions. Single-board Control (SBC): Electronic controllers on circuit boards first appeared in the 1960s. The early ones consisted of logic modules with lots of discrete components like transistors, capacitors, resistors, etc. on them with which the desired control functions were implemented. Later on, integrated circuits (LSI, VLSI) are applied. Since no moving parts are used they are inherently more reliable than relay-based control systems. Because they are custom-made, maintenance and repair can be a problem. Many original equipment manufacturers still choose to design their own single-board controllers for their own unique machine applications. Programmable logic controller (PLC): The need for more flexibility in control systems has led to the development of the programmable logic controller, the PLC. In the early seventies, the automotive industry was growing rapidly. In order to be able to react more quickly to a changing demand in the marketplace, one had to have a more flexible, easily adaptable and expandable control system; therefore it had to be a programmable control system. The early PLCs were programmed in so-called relay ladder. Today, high level programming languages like Pascal, C/C++ and even Java are being used to program PLC(-like) systems. Computer Numerical Control (CNC): Essentially, numerical control is nothing more than sending a sequence of commands to a machine, that in turn interprets them and performs the desired movement and machining actions. Before the introduction of NC these commands were issued manually by pressing buttons and switches, turning handwheels, etc. The path information is presented in numeric coordinate values (X, Y, Z), hence the name numerical control. Distributed Control System (DCS): Relay-based control, SBC and PLC are widely used in the discrete production area. The process industry is the domain of distributed control systems, where the number of analog I/O points exceeds the number of discrete I/O points. DCSs are used where the controlled process is continuous, has a high analog content and throughput, is distributed across a large geographical area and where down time is very expensive. Embedded Systems in Control of Machines In early days, the major part of the control was built into the physical machine, using mechanical parts. Although hardware-based control is still widely applied, major developments take place in the field of software-based control. An increasing part of the design process deals with the software of the control system. The development of the microprocessor and subsequent gain in flexibility has contributed a great deal to this Controlled machine Current machines consist of a physical machine providing the means, and a machine control system employing those means to fulfill the machines function. Together, they build up the controlled machine, also called an embedded system. The term embedded system is used for a wide range of applications or devices. The physical machine can be considered to consist of three subsystems: the main structure, actuators and sensors. The main structure physically connects the parts of the two remaining sub systems. The machine control system sends information to the actuators and receives information from the sensors via the I/O-interface. The machine control system can be divided into five functional subsystems: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Regulative control, also referred to as direct control or feedback à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Error-handling control, also referred to as fault detection and isolation (FDI) or exception à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supervisory control also referred to as logic control. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The data processing subsystem stores and manipulates gathered data. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The user interface subsystem allows the user to interact with the machine-control system. The machine control system can also be regarded as a layered control system, as shown in Figure. The bottom layer interacts directly with the actuators and sensors, that is, the physical machine. Some components are controlled directly (for instance, pneumatic components).Some components are controlled by regulative control (for instance, motorized manipulators) or by both regulative and error-handling control subsystem (for instance, robot arms). Some components are controlled by an error-handling subsystem only (for instance, warning lamps or safety locks). The intermediate layer is involved in scheduling, coordinating control of individual machine components, gathering and processing data, monitoring and compensating possible machine failures, and providing the top layer with the required information on the machine status. The top layer allows the user to interact with and to monitor the machine. Machine control is closely related to manufacturing control. The goal of machine control is to perform certain manufacturing functions in a controlled manner. Machine control enables us to influence production means in such a way that the manufacturing process produces the desired products of the correct quality at the planned time in the required quantity. Over the years, a lot of developments have taken place in production methods, machine design and machine control design. Not surprisingly, they all influence each other. In the route from manual work to automation we can distinguish five phases of mechanization or automation. The meaning of the term phase of mechanization is the extent to which a machine or production system can function independently, without human intervention. Manual labour with tools Specific machines Universal machines Multiple link specific machines Multiple specific Intelligent control In universal machines, control is embedded in the machine itself, through the use of mechanical parts like eccentrics, cams, camshafts, springs, gearboxes, drive axis, etc. The result depends less on the quality of the worker and more on the quality of the machine. To avoid unnecessary delays, attention has to be paid to operating procedures, work preparation, material handling and tool preparation. An example of an embedded control system: Dryer Different sub systems in the dryer are Main structure: The motor Sensors : Temperature sensor, humidity sensor Actuators : Motor driver control, fan control Machine control system : SAB-C504 Examples: Consumer electronics: e.g., cameras, camcorders . Consumer products: e.g., washers, microwave ovens Automobiles (anti-lock braking, engine control ) Industrial process controllers avionics/defense applications Computer/Communication products: e.g., printers, FAX machines Emerging multimedia applications consumer electronics: e.g., cellular phones, personal digital assistants, videoconferencing servers, interactive game boxes, TV set-top boxes Multimedia: Increasing computational demands, and increased reliance on VLSI, HW/SW integration. Embedded software can support such applications as the Internet, e-mail and MP3 decoders etc. They also support sophisticated graphical user interface screens. The automatic DAM DOOR opening systems is a system where the DAM DOORS is controlled on the speed of the raising water. A situation araises where the raising water in the river may be very fast as the rainfall increases. If the river is blocked by a DAM then the speed of the raising water will obviously rise very soon. To prevent this raising and to prevent flooding of the river bank the DAM DOORS has to be opened but with a controlled speed because there is no point on opening the DOOR slowly if the water is raising at a quicker pace. It is a circuit to measure the flow rate of water .Using this device one can determine the total volume of water raised in the river. The instrument is a microcontroller based system. It can have a optional of manual operation. In manual method of measuring the flow rate of water, we need to observe the rise of water in river .As soon as water reaches a fixed point in the river , we press start button on the stopwatch .After the water reaches another fixed point, we need to press stop button on the stopwatch. The observed time and level are used to calculate the flow rate of the water. Flow rate = volume/time But in this procedure there are chances of errors . The device eliminates the errors and has the following features. Automatically senses the level and generates triggering pulses for counting of the elapsed time there by providing basis for calculation of the flow rate of waters. Includes the circuit for digital display of the elapsed time using MICROCONTROLLER as well as a 7-segment display. DESCRIPTION : The circuit can be divided into four blocks ,namely ,sensor ,logic controller ,pulse generator ,switching module. The sensor section for conducting waters: Sensor 1 is permanently connected to circuit ground, while sensors 2 and 3 should/might be connected to positive supply via some pull up resistors. When the water level touches sensor 2 and/or sensor 3, 2 and/or 3 are pulled low towards ground potential. As a MODEL PROJECT we can use small spherical stainless steel probes as sensors and screw the wires coming from the circuit to them . To avoid oxidation and sulphation of the naked portion, we can cover the joints using araldite or any other suitable epoxy compound .For longlife and protection against weather, we can use Teflon-insulated multistrand wires . For proper support wires along with the probes , a PVC support rod may be used for tying the wires to PVC rod to keep them in their proper position. The logical control section: This section might comprises a quad two-input NOR gates. When the water level is so slow that both sensors 2 and 3 are out of the water , the voltage at input of NOR gates may become logic 1 ,while their other input terminals may be logic 0. So the output pins of NOR gates are at logic 0. The output of those/that NOR gates connected to sensor 2 and 3 and the output of those/that NOR gates from sensor 1 are terminated at another NOR gate where in we get logic 0. The logic controling cuircuit is proposed to be designed to give an apropriate logical output acording to the the sensor inputs. The output This final output of the logic control unit is proposed to keep the pulse generator formed by timer IC. It is decided that the timer IC will be 555. When the water level rises to touch sensor 2 the output of the NOR gates combination should be logic 1,which initiates the operation of the pulse generator. When the water level further rises to touch sensor 3, the output of NOR gate will be logic 0, which should be in a position to terminate the operation of the pulse generator. In this way, the pulse generator can be automatically controlled as per other requirement. Pulse generator: Timer IC 555 will be used in out project to generate pulses with pulse recurrence frequency of 1 Hz. The frequency /period of the astable should depend on combination of resistences , capasitences and variable resistences also. The switching section: The switching module is used to make and break switch contacts at 1 Hz rate, using the output of the timer IC555 . This function analogous to pressing/releasing of a push-to -on switch once a second . An optocoupler is proposed to be used for making/breaking contact between to points. Whenever the output of timer IC555 goes high, the optocoupler conducts . this optocoupler is connected to the microcontroller KIT. The road ahead Telematics: The impact of telematics would be really innovative. With access to e-mail the internet, and telephone services, car occupants could shop and bank online, receive traffic and navigation information, and avail of remote diagnostics facilities Automotive electronics: Remember the talking car in the serial knight rider, a fully computerized car capable of doing almost everything a car lover would want to. Seems like a fantasy but the day is not far when almost all automobiles would interact with computers on dash- boards. From ordering a pizza to booking tickets at the nearest theaters, things would be as easy as giving orders to your servant. Whole of which would be possible with embedded systems. Mistral software is in the process of developing text to speech and speech reorganization technologies to give the car occupants the ultimate comfort. Whenever theres a call on your mobile, you need not get jumpy at the very onset of the call. The computer in the cars dashboard would do the job for you. GPS navigation guides you safely through the traffic. The GPS interface in the car pinpoints your exact location on a map. In case GPS signal cant be received due to high density of tall buildings or other magnetic interface, the dead reckoning technique, which works for short durations, guides you effectively. The system is also loaded with GSM/CDMA protocol standards. Biomedical solutions: The biomedical chord developed by mistral is a centrelised patient monitering system that allows remote monitering of up to 32 patients at a given time through a central computer. It can process of maximum of 32 channels usin the state-of-the-art DSP in a PC environment. Economy: The world of embedded systems is a dreamers paradise with unlimited possibilities. According to the global market size for embedded software development alone was $7 billion in 2001, which is expected to reach $20 billion in 2003 and $31 billion by 2005.For India are $400 million. $750 million and $1.1 billion respectively. In India RD in embedded system was worth $1.1 billion in 2001, which would grow to $8 billion by 2008. CONCLUSION: Further more, embedded systems are rapidly becoming a catalyst for change in the computing, data communications, telecommunications, industrial control and entertainment sectors. Automatic systems in any field will be useful and will save the people and organizations. New innovative applications in these as well as other areas will make embedded systems as one of the fastest developing technology of the near future.Thus the embedded system plays an important role in our day today life.

AIDS :: Free AIDS Essays

AIDS is a serious (often fatal) disease of the immune system transmitted through blood products especially by sexual contact or contaminated needles. It is the most serious outcome of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. People with AIDS often suffer lung, brain, eye and other organ disease along with debilitating weight loss, diarrhea, candidacies, dementia, toxoplasmosis and a type of cancer called Kaposi's Sarcoma, and makes the immune system weak and therefore less able to fight certain infections and diseases. (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&oi=defmore&q=define:aids) AIDS is currently incurable, and is spread through the transfer of bodily fluids. According to WHO estimates, by end-1996, nearly 30 million people – including over 2.5 million children – had been infected with HIV since the start of the pandemic. Every day, more than 7000 adults and 500 babies are infected. More than 8 million people have developed AIDS. Of the 26.8 million adults wi th HIV infection – the global estimate in end-1996 – 14 million were in Sub-Saharan Africa and more than 3.5 million in Asia. Our region, that is South-East Asia, is likely to suffer the brunt of the pandemic - being home to over half the world’s population. Moreover, HIV/AIDS is now present in every continent and in every region of the world. (http://w3.whosea.org/en/Section10/Section18/Section349.htm) Founded in 1983, The National Association of People with AIDS advocates on behalf of all people living with HIV and AIDS in order to end the human suffering caused by HIV/AIDS. They are the oldest national AIDS organization in the United States and the oldest national network of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world. Over 80% of their staff are people of color, and women living with HIV hold senior staff positions at NAPWA. The majority of their staff members are people living with HIV. Their Board of Directors is equally diverse, providing representation of the many communities impacted by the epidemic. The vast majority of Board Members are also HIV positive. These dedicated and hard working people make NAPWA unique among national AIDS organizations. They offer many programs, including important conferences and training sessions throughout the year, including the Leadership Training Institute, Helping Communities Build Leadership, the Ryan White National Youth Conference on HIV and AIDS, and Staying Alive, NAPWA's national conference for people living with AIDS and HIV. The target population for this group is anybody with AIDS, but also those at risk. Like stated before, nearly 30 million people, including over 2.

Frank Sinatra :: essays research papers fc

Before Tim McGraw, Led Zeppelin, and even before Elvis Presley there was Frank Sinatra. The man some say "held the patent for the popular song". During his career Ol' Blue Eyes had cut some 1,800 recordings, gathered nine Grammys, and was considered by many critics to be the preeminent singer of this century (CNN, N.Pag). Durring his long career he became on e of the most successful pop music figures of the century. Sinatra’s sophisticated musicianship was evident in his many recordings. (Columbia Encyclopedia). blah blah blah†¦. Frank Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey on December 12th 1915. (Encyclopedia Americana) He made it through Junior High school but only lasted forty-seven days in senior high. This could be partly due to his attitude toward school, Frank was quoted saying: "To my crowd, school was very uninteresting, and homework was something we never bothered with. The few times we attended class we, we were rowdy. So it isn’t surprising that a bunch of us were expelled." (Madigon 148) After dropping out of high school, Frank Sinatra got his first big break in the music industry with Major Boes and his "Amateur Hour" in 1935, singing in a group called the Hoboken Four. Four years later in 1939, Frank Sinatra got his first radio play on a station out of New York, WNEW. (enc world bio) After having his first Radio play, Frank Sinatra was ready to go after "the big guys". In 1939 He went after big-band leader Harry James, Taking note of Sinatra's slim build an d huge ego, James remarked, "He considers himself the greatest vocalist in the business. Get that! No one's ever heard of him! He's never had a hit record, and he looks like a wet rag, but he says he's the greatest" (CNN, N.Pag). He then signed with Harry James for $75 a week. After seven months with Harry James, Frank Sinatra joined Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra (Enc world bio). With Tommy Dorsey, Frank’s singing career began to skyrocket, with the Dorsey band he had his first big hits, including "I'll never Smile Again" and "In the Blue of Evening" (Grolier Multimedia, N.Pag). These two songs topped the charts in 1943 (Reader’s Companion). The attention Sinatra was getting for his performances caught the eye of the movie industry, and he appeared in more than sixty films. Durring his â€Å"acting years† Frank Sinatra continued to sing as well, and landed at the top of the music charts. Frank Sinatra :: essays research papers fc Before Tim McGraw, Led Zeppelin, and even before Elvis Presley there was Frank Sinatra. The man some say "held the patent for the popular song". During his career Ol' Blue Eyes had cut some 1,800 recordings, gathered nine Grammys, and was considered by many critics to be the preeminent singer of this century (CNN, N.Pag). Durring his long career he became on e of the most successful pop music figures of the century. Sinatra’s sophisticated musicianship was evident in his many recordings. (Columbia Encyclopedia). blah blah blah†¦. Frank Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey on December 12th 1915. (Encyclopedia Americana) He made it through Junior High school but only lasted forty-seven days in senior high. This could be partly due to his attitude toward school, Frank was quoted saying: "To my crowd, school was very uninteresting, and homework was something we never bothered with. The few times we attended class we, we were rowdy. So it isn’t surprising that a bunch of us were expelled." (Madigon 148) After dropping out of high school, Frank Sinatra got his first big break in the music industry with Major Boes and his "Amateur Hour" in 1935, singing in a group called the Hoboken Four. Four years later in 1939, Frank Sinatra got his first radio play on a station out of New York, WNEW. (enc world bio) After having his first Radio play, Frank Sinatra was ready to go after "the big guys". In 1939 He went after big-band leader Harry James, Taking note of Sinatra's slim build an d huge ego, James remarked, "He considers himself the greatest vocalist in the business. Get that! No one's ever heard of him! He's never had a hit record, and he looks like a wet rag, but he says he's the greatest" (CNN, N.Pag). He then signed with Harry James for $75 a week. After seven months with Harry James, Frank Sinatra joined Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra (Enc world bio). With Tommy Dorsey, Frank’s singing career began to skyrocket, with the Dorsey band he had his first big hits, including "I'll never Smile Again" and "In the Blue of Evening" (Grolier Multimedia, N.Pag). These two songs topped the charts in 1943 (Reader’s Companion). The attention Sinatra was getting for his performances caught the eye of the movie industry, and he appeared in more than sixty films. Durring his â€Å"acting years† Frank Sinatra continued to sing as well, and landed at the top of the music charts.

Role of the New Zealand Reserve Bank :: essays papers

Role of the New Zealand Reserve Bank The Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s Role and Polices. The 1980’s saw some major changes for New Zealand, but none as significant as the deregulation of the financial institutions and economic policy undertaken by the Labour government. The trigger for these changes occurred in 1984 whilst the country was still under the National party control. The economy was in a bad way, with inflation high, foreign debt through the roof, and the subsequent lack of equity left in the country. The National, ruled under Robert Muldoon, called a snap election, which lead to the Labour party taking control of the country. The new Prime Minister, David Lange, immediately froze the foreign exchange market due to the major flow of currency out of the country, caused by speculation of the New Zealand dollar being devalued. Five later the exchange was reopened with the New Zealand dollar being devalued by 20 cents. This first major reform conducted by the newly elected government was to be just one of many carried out during the deregulation of the next eight months. By March 1985 a number of reforms had been passed by government to help save the economy and bring it in line with other modern economies and financial systems throughout the world. These reforms included the removal of interest rate controls, removal of the limit on interest paid to savings accounts (previously 3%), removal of the 30-day rule (a rule for trading banks, halting them from paying interest on money deposited for less than 30 days), removal of the special position given to a number of dealers on the short term money market, removal of the limitations placed interest rates and maturity for off shore borrowings, reduction in boarder controls, and the floating of the New Zealand dollar on the exchange market. Perhaps the most important changes made, however, were the reforms of the Reserve Banks monetary policies (Spencer, 1990)(Spencer & Carey, 1988)(Peare, 1999). In 1986 the reforms, by the Labour party, of the New Zealand banking system began with expansion of the financial system to incorporate new domestic and foreign banks, with no limits placed of the number of new banks allowed. As well as leading to a more competitive banking system, it also lead to an increase in the powers of supervision allocated to the Reserve

Medea Essay

In Euripides’ play â€Å"Medea† the main character is a powerful, but controversial woman – Medea herself. Reading the story some people might be confused with the actions that the protagonist decides to take. She is violent, vindictive, bloody and seemingly crazy. By looking at actions alone, Medea would certainly be considered evil. However, the author creates a character decidedly more complex. We can see it through the background story of the character and development of the play’s plot.That is why I think the full presentation of the character in the work makes people react more sympathetically towards the character. As the Nurse at the beginning of the story tells, Medea gave up everything she had to be with Jason. She left her family, and even killed her own brother to be able to run away with him. Medea, who has been dishonestly betrayed by her husband, uses revenge to punish him for his deeds and to seek the rewards which it offers to  ones prid e.The reader begins to feel pity for the main character and even excuse her actions. That is a result of identification with Medea, as a cheated spouse. In any kind of relationship during life, people expect fidelity, so they clearly understand why she wanted revenge. Medea’s other main reason why she took such a bloody revenge on Jason, was the fact that, she was under a spell, that Athena cast on her. Thus her actions are not completely under her control. The love spell is so strong, that the protagonist decided to kill even her own kids.She wanted him to feel the mutual pain, she went through after the betrayal. At the end the story Jason stays without descendants or wife, and on a foreign land, what makes him unable to improve his social status. At this point of the story the reader understand, that Medea is not completely mentally healthy, so they don’t judge her as harshly, as an absolutely conscious person. At the end I would like to mention about the other reas on, why Medea decided to kill her children. Her main purpose was to look out for what was â€Å"best for her kids†.She thought it would be better to kill her children then to leave them for her enemies that they would soon have to face, after her exile. Medea suspected that they might get killed out of revenge for what she did to the princess and the king. The reader starts to sympathize her, because of the tough decision she had to confront as a loving and carrying mother. For some people Medea might be seen as a cruel and evil character. However, I certainly can state that the reader tend to sympathize her more, by looking at the whole character, instead of only judging her by the actions.The character was under a very powerful love spell and moreover, she had been betrayed by her beloved what might led her to put those drastic plans into actions. Furthermore, Medea was trying to do the best she could for the children, despite of the tragic ending that was either way about to happen. All those circumstances definitely led her to an emotional instability and also to choose the bloody path of revenge. Probably she would have never done all this without provocation.

Bag of Bones CHAPTER FOUR

The phone was ringing when I walked in my front door. It was Frank asking me if I'd like to join him for Christmas. Join them, as matter of fact; all of his brothers and their families were coming. I opened my mouth to say no the last thing on earth I needed was a Irish Christmas with everybody drinking whiskey and waxing sentimental about Jo while perhaps two dozen snotcaked rugrats crawled around the floor and heard myself saying I'd come. Frank sounded as surprised as I felt, but honestly delighted. ‘Fantastic!' He cried. ‘When can you get here?' I was in the hall, my galoshes dripping on the tile, and from where I standing I could look through the arch and into the living room. There was no Christmas tree; I hadn't bothered with one since Jo died. The room looked both ghastly and much too big to me . . . a roller rink furnished in Early American. ‘I've been out running errands,' I said. ‘How about I throw some in a bag, get back into the car, and come south while the still blowing warm air?' ‘Tremendous,' Frank said without a moment's hesitation. ‘We can have us a sane bachelor evening before the Sons and Daughters of East Malden start arriving. I'm pouring you a drink as soon as I get off the telephone.' ‘Then I guess I better get rolling,' I said. That was hands down the best holiday since Johanna died. The only good holiday, I guess. For four days I was an honorary Arlen. I drank too much, toasted Johanna's memory too many times . . . and knew, somehow, that she'd be pleased to know I was doing it. Two babies spit up on me, one dog got into bed with me in the middle of the night, and Nicky Arlen's sister-in-law made a bleary pass at me on the night after Christmas, when she caught me alone in the kitchen making a turkey sandwich. I kissed her because she clearly wanted to be kissed, and an adventurous (or perhaps ‘mischievous' is the word I want) hand groped me for a moment in a place where no one other than myself had groped in almost three and a half years. It was a shock, but not an entirely unpleasant one. It went no further in a houseful of Arlens and with Susy Donahue not quite officially divorced yet (like me, she was an honorary Arlen that Christmas), it hardly could have done but I decided it was time to leave . . . unless, that was, I wanted to go driving at high speed down a narrow street that most likely ended in a brick wall. I left on the twenty-seventh, very glad that I had come, and I gave Frank a fierce goodbye hug as we stood by my car. For four days I hadn't thought at all about how there was now only dust in my safe-deposit box at Fidelity Union, and for four nights I had slept straight through until eight in the morning, sometimes waking up with a sour stomach and a hangover headache, but never once in the middle of the night with the thought Manderley, I have dreamt again of Manderley going through my mind. I got back to Derry feeling refreshed and renewed. The first day of 1998 dawned clear and cold and still and beautiful. I got up, showered, then stood at the bedroom window, drinking coffee. It suddenly occurred to me with all the simple, powerful reality of ideas like up is over your head and down is under your feet that I could write now. It was a new year, something had changed, and I could write now if I wanted to. The rock had rolled away. I went into the study, sat down at the computer, and turned it on. My heart was beating normally, there was no sweat on my forehead or the back of my neck, and my hands were warm. I pulled down the main menu, the one you get when you click on the apple, and there was my Word Six. I clicked on it. The pen-and-parchment logo came up, and when it did I suddenly couldn't breathe. It was as if iron bands had clamped around my chest. I pushed back from the desk, gagging and clawing at the round neck of the sweatshirt I was wearing. The wheels of my office chair caught on little throw rug one of Jo's finds in the last year of her life and I tipped right over backward. My head banged the floor and I saw a fountain of bright sparks go whizzing across my field of vision. I suppose I was lucky to black out, but I think my real luck on New Year's Morning of 1998 was that I tipped over the way I did. If I'd only pushed back from the desk so that I was still looking at the logo and at the hideo us blank screen followed it I think I might have choked to death. ‘When I staggered to my feet, I was at least able to breathe. My throat the size of a straw, and each inhale made a weird screaming sound, but I was breathing. I lurched into the bathroom and threw up in the basin with such force that vomit splashed the mirror. I grayed out and my knees buckled. This time it was my brow I struck, thunking it against the lip of the basin, and although the back of my head didn't bleed there was a very respectable lump there by noon, though), my forehead did, a little. This latter bump also left a purple mark, which I of course lied about, telling folks who asked that I'd run into the bathroom door in the middle of the night, silly me, that'll teach a fella to get up at two A.M. without turning on a lamp. ,'When I regained complete consciousness (if there is such a state), I was curled up on the floor. I got up, disinfected the cut on my forehead, and sat on the lip of the tub with my head lowered to my knees until I felt confident enough to stand up. I sat there for fifteen minutes, I guess, and in that space of time I decided that barring some miracle, my career was over. Harold would scream in pain and Debra would moan in disbelief, but what could they do? Send out the Publication Police? me with the Book-of-the-Month-Club Gestapo? Even if they could, what difference would it make? You couldn't get sap out of a brick or blood out of a stone. Barring some miraculous recovery, my life as a writer was over. And if it is? I asked myself. What's on for the back forty, Mike? You can play a lot of Scrabble in forty years, go on a lot of Crossword Cruises, drink a lot of whiskey. But is that enough? What else are you going to put on your back forty? I didn't want to think about that, not then. The next forty years could take care of themselves; I would be happy just to get through New Year's Day of 1998. When I felt I had myself under control, I went back into my study, shuffled to the computer with my eyes resolutely on my feet, felt around for the right button, and turned off the machine. You can damage the program shutting down like that without putting it away, but under the circumstances, I hardly thought it mattered. That night I once again dreamed I was walking at twilight on Lane Forty-two, which leads to Sara Laughs; once more I wished on the evening star as the loons cried on the lake, and once more I sensed something in the woods behind me, edging ever closer. It seemed my Christmas holiday was over. That was a hard, cold winter, lots of snow and in February a flu epidemic that did for an awful lot of Derry's old folks. It took them the way a hard wind will take old trees after an ice storm. It missed me completely. I hadn't so much as a case of the sniffles that winter. In March, I flew to Providence and took part in Will Weng's New England Crossword Challenge. I placed fourth and won fifty bucks. I framed the uncashed check and hung it in the living room. Once upon a time, most of my framed Certificates of Triumph (Jo's phrase; all the good phrases are Jo's phrases, it seems to me) went up on my office walls, but by March of 1998, I wasn't going in there very much. When I wanted to play Scrabble against the computer or do a tourney-level crossword puzzle, I used the Powerbook and sat at the kitchen table. I remember sitting there one day, opening the Powerbook's main menu, going down to the crossword puzzles, then dropping the cursor two or three items further, until it had highlighted my old pal, Word Six. What swept over me then wasn't frustration or impotent, balked fury (I'd experienced a lot of both since finishing All the Way from the Top), but sadness and simple longing. Looking at the Word Six icon was suddenly like looking at the pictures of Jo I kept in my wallet. Studying those, I'd sometimes think that I would sell my immortal soul in order have her back again . . . and on that day in March, I thought I would sell my soul to be able to write a story again. Go on and try it, then, a voice whispered. Maybe things have changed. Except that nothing had changed, and I knew it. So instead of opening Word Six, I moved it across to the trash barrel in the lower righthand corner of the screen, and dropped it in. Goodbye, old pal. Weinstock called a lot that winter, mostly with good news. Early in March she reported that Helen's Promise had been picked as one half of the Literary Guild's main selection for August, the other half a legal thriller by Steve Martini, another veteran of the eight-to-fifteen segment of the Times bestseller list. And my British publisher, Debra, loved Helen, was sure it would be my ‘breakthrough book.' (My British sales had always lagged.) ‘Promise is sort of a new direction for you,' Debra said. ‘Wouldn't you say?' ‘I kind of thought it was,' I confessed, and wondered how Debbie respond if I told her my new-direction book had been written a dozen years ago. ‘It's got . . . I don't know . . . a kind of maturity.' ‘Thanks.' ‘Mike? I think the connection's going. You sound muffled.' Sure I did. I was biting down on the side of my hand to keep from howling with laughter. Now, cautiously, I took it out of my mouth and examined the bite-marks. ‘Better?' ‘Yes, lots. So what's the new one about? Give me a hint.' ‘You know the answer to that one, kiddo.' Debra laughed. †You'll have to read the book to find out, Josephine,† she said. ‘Right?' ‘Yessum.' ‘Well, keep it coming. Your pals at Putnam are crazy about the way you're taking it to the next level.' I said goodbye, I hung up the telephone, and then I laughed wildly for about ten minutes. Laughed until I was crying. That's me, though. Always taking it to the next level. During this period I also agreed to do a phone interview with a Newsweek writer who was putting together a piece on The New American Gothic (whatever that was, other than a phrase which might sell a few magazines), and to sit for a Publishers Weekly interview which would appear just before publication of Helen's Promise. I agreed to these because they both sounded softball, the sort of interviews you could do over the phone while you read your mail. And Debra was delighted because I ordinarily say no to all the publicity. I hate that part of the job and always have, especially the hell of the live TV chat-show, where nobody's ever read your goddam book and the first question is always ‘Where in the world do you get those wacky ideas?' The publicity process is like going to a sushi bar where you're the sushi, and it was great to get past it this time with the feeling that I'd been able to give Debra some good news she could take to her bosses. ‘Yes,' she could say, ‘ he's still being a booger about publicity, but I got him to do a couple of things.' All through this my dreams of Sara Laughs were going on not every night but every second or third night, with me never thinking of them in the daytime. I did my crosswords, I bought myself an acoustic steel guitar and started learning how to play it (I was never going to be invited to tour with Patty Loveless or Alan Jackson, however), I scanned each day's bloated obituaries in the Derry News for names that I knew. I was pretty much dozing on my feet, in other words. What brought all this to an end was a call from Harold Oblowski not more than three days after Debra's book-club call. It was storming out-side a vicious snow-changing-over-to-sleet event that proved to be the last and biggest blast of the winter. By mid-evening the power would be off all over Derry, but when Harold called at five P.M., things were just getting cranked up. ‘I just had a very good conversation with your editor,' Harold said. ‘A very enlightening, very energizing conversation. Just got off the in fact.' ‘Oh?' ‘Oh indeed. There's a feeling at Putnam, Michael, that this latest of yours may have a positive effect on your sales position in the market. It's very strong.' ‘Yes,' I said, ‘I'm taking it to the next level.' ‘Huh?' ‘I'm just blabbing, Harold. Go on.' ‘Well . . . Helen Nearing's a great lead character, and Skate is your best villain ever.' I said nothing. ‘Debra raised the possibility of making Helen's Promise the opener of a three-book contract. A very lucrative three-book contract. All without prompting from me. Three is one more than any publisher has wanted to commit to 'til now. I mentioned nine million dollars, three per book, in other words, expecting her to laugh . . . but an agent has to start somewhere, and I always choose the highest ground I can find. I think I must have Roman military officers somewhere back in my family tree.' Ethiopian rug-merchants, more like it, I thought, but didn't say. I felt the way you do when the dentist has gone a little heavy on the Novocain and flooded your lips and tongue as well as your bad tooth and the patch of gum surrounding it. If I tried to talk, I'd probably only flap and spread spit. Harold was almost purring. A three-book contract for the new mature Michael Noonan. Tall tickets, baby. This time I didn't feel like laughing. This time I felt like screaming. Harold went on, happy and oblivious. Harold didn't know the bookberry-tree had died. Harold didn't know the new Mike Noonan had cataclysmic shortness of breath and projectile-vomiting fits every time he tried to write. ‘You want to hear how she came back to me, Michael?' ‘Lay it on me.' ‘Well, nine's obviously high, but it's as good a place to start as any. We feel this new book is a big step forward for him.' This is extraordinary. Extraordinary. Now, I haven't given anything away, wanted to talk to you first, of course, but I think we're looking at seven-point-five, minimum. In fact ‘ ‘No.' He paused a moment. Long enough for me to realize I was gripping the phone so hard it hurt my hand. I had to make a conscious effort to relax my grip. ‘Mike, if you'll just hear me out ‘ ‘I don't need to hear you out. I don't want to talk about a new contract.' ‘Pardon me for disagreeing, but there'll never be a better time. Think about it, for Christ's sake. We're talking top dollar here. If you wait until after Helen's Promise is published, I can't guarantee that the same offer ‘ ‘I know you can't,' I said. ‘I don't want guarantees, I don't want offers, I don't want to talk contract.' ‘You don't need to shout, Mike, I can hear you.' Had I been shouting? Yes, I suppose I had been. ‘Are you dissatisfied with Putnam's? I think Debra would be very distressed to hear that. I also think Phyllis Grann would do damned near anything to address any concerns you might have.' Are you sleeping with Debra, Harold? I thought, and all at once it seemed like the most logical idea in the world that dumpy, fiftyish, balding little Harold Oblowski was making it with my blonde, aristocratic, Smith-educated editor. Are you sleeping with her, do you talk about my future while you're lying in bed together in a room at the Plaza? Are the pair of you trying to figure how many golden eggs you can get out of this tired old goose before you finally wring its neck and turn it into pat? ¦? Is that what you're up to? ‘Harold, I can't talk about this now, and I won't talk about this now.' ‘What's wrong? Why are you so upset? I thought you'd be pleased. Hell, I thought you'd be over the fucking moon.' ‘There's nothing wrong. It's just a bad time for me to talk long-term contract. You'll have to pardon me, Harold. I have something coming out of the oven.' ‘Can we at least discuss this next w ‘ ‘No,' I said, and hung up. I think it was the first time in my adult life I'd hung up on someone who wasn't a telephone salesman. I had nothing coming out of the oven, of course, and I was too upset to think about putting something in. I went into the living room instead, poured myself a short whiskey, and sat down in front of the TV I sat there for almost four hours, looking at everything and seeing nothing. Outside, the storm continued cranking up. Tomorrow there would be trees down all over Derry and the world would look like an ice sculpture. At quarter past nine the power went out, came back on for thirty seconds or so, then went out and stayed out. I took this as a suggestion to stop thinking about Harold's useless contract and how Jo would have chortled the idea of nine million dollars. I got up, unplugged the blacked-out TV so it wouldn't come blaring on at two in the morning (I needn't have worried; the power was off in Derry for nearly two days), and went upstairs. I dropped my clothes at the foot of the bed, crawled in without even bothering to brush my teeth, and was asleep in less than five minutes. I don't how long after that it was that the nightmare came. It was the last dream I had in what I now think of as my ‘Manderley series,' the culminating dream. It was made even worse, I suppose, by unrelievable blackness to which I awoke. It started like the others. I'm walking up the lane, listening to the crickets and the loons, looking mostly at the darkening slot of sky overhead. I reach the driveway, and here something has changed; someone has put a little sticker on the SARA LAUGHS sign. I lean closer and see it's a radio station sticker. WBLM, it says. 102.9, PORTLAND'S ROCK AND ROLL BLIMP. From the sticker I look back up into the sky, and there is Venus. I wish her as I always do, I wish for Johanna with the dank and vaguely smell of the lake in my nose. Something lumbers in the woods, rattling old leaves and breaking a branch. It sounds big. Better get down there, a voice in my head tells me. Something has taken out a contract on you, Michael. A three-book contract, and that's the worst kind. I can never move, I can only stand here. I've got walker's block. But that's just talk. I can walk. This time I can walk. I am delighted. I have had a major breakthrough. In the dream I think This changes everything! This changes everything! Down the driveway I walk, deeper and deeper into the clean but sour smell of pine, stepping over some of the fallen branches, kicking others out of the way. I raise my hand to brush the damp hair off my forehead and see the little scratch running across the back of it. I stop to look at it, curious. No time for that, the dream-voice says. Get down there. You've got a book to write. I can't write, I reply. That part's over. I'm on the back forty now. No, the voice says. There is something relentless about it that scares me. You had writer's walk, not writer's block, and as you can see, it's gone. Now hurry up and get down there. I'm afraid, I tell the voice. Afraid of what? Well . . . what if Mrs. Danvers is down there? The voice doesn't answer. It knows I'm not afraid of Rebecca de Winter's housekeeper, she's just a character in an old book, nothing but a bag of bones. So I begin walking again. I have no choice, it seems, but at every step my terror increases, and by the time I'm halfway down to the shadowy sprawling bulk of the log house, fear has sunk into my bones like fever. Something is wrong here, something is all twisted up. I'll run away, I think. I'll run back the way I came, like the gingerbread man I'll run, run all the way back to Derry, if that's what it takes, and I'll never come here anymore. Except I can hear slobbering breath behind me in the growing gloom, and padding footsteps. The thing in the woods is now the thing in the driveway. It's right behind me. If I turn around the sight of it will knock the sanity out of my head in a single roundhouse slap. Something with red eyes, something slumped and hungry. The house is my only hope of safety. I walk on. The crowding bushes clutch like hands. In the light of a rising moon (the moon has never risen before in this dream, but I have never stayed in it this long before), the rustling leaves look like sardonic faces. I see winking eyes and smiling mouths. Below me are the black windows of the house and I know that there will be no power when I get inside, the storm has knocked the power out, I will flick the lightswitch up and down, up and down, until something reaches out and takes my wrist and pulls me like a lover deeper into the dark. I am three quarters of the way down the driveway now. I can see the railroad-tie steps leading down to the lake, and I can see the float out there on the water, a black square in a track of moonlight. Bill Dean has put it out. I can also see an oblong something lying at the place where driveway ends at the stoop. There has never been such an object before. What can it be? Another two or three steps, and I know. It's a coffin, the one Frank Arlen dickered for . . . because, he said, the mortician was trying to stick it to me. It's Jo's coffin, and lying on its side with the top partway open, enough for me to see it's empty. I think I want to scream. I think I mean to turn around and run back up the driveway I will take my chances with the thing behind me. But before I can, the back door of Sara Laughs opens, and a terrible figure darting out into the growing darkness. It is human, this figure, and yet it's not. It is a crumpled white thing with baggy arms upraised. There is no face where its face should be, and yet it is shrieking in a glottal, loonlike voice. It must be Johanna. She was able to escape her coffin, her winding shroud. She is all tangled up in it. How hideously speedy this creature is! It doesn't drift as one imagines ghosts drifting, but races across the stoop toward the driveway. It has been waiting down here during all the dreams when I had been frozen, and now that I have finally been able to walk down, it means to have me. I'll scream when it wraps me in its silk arms, and I will scream when I smell its rotting, bug-raddled flesh and see its dark staring eyes through the fine weave of the cloth. I will scream as the sanity leaves my mind forever. I will scream . . . but there is no one out here to hear me. Only the loons will hear me. I have come again to Manderley, and this time I will never leave. The shrieking white thing reached for me and I woke up on the floor of crying out in a cracked, horrified voice and slamming my head repeatedly against something. How long before I finally realized I was no longer asleep, that I wasn't at Sara Laughs? How long before I realized that I had fallen out of bed at some point and had crawled across the room in my sleep, that I was on my hands and knees in a corner, butting my head against the place where the walls came together, doing it over and over again like a lunatic in an asylum? I didn't know, couldn't with the power out and the bedside clock dead. I know that at first I couldn't move out of the corner because it felt safer than the wider room would have done, and I know that for a long time the dream's force held me even after I woke up (mostly, I imagine, because I couldn't turn on a light and dispel its power). I was afraid that if I crawled out of my corner, the white thing would burst out of my bathroom, shrieking its dead shriek, eager to finish what it had started. I know I was shivering all over, and that I was cold and wet from the waist down, because my bladder had let go. I stayed there in the corner, gasping and wet, staring into the darkness, wondering if you could have a nightmare powerful enough in its imagery to drive you insane. I thought then (and think now) that I almost found out on that night in March. Finally I felt able to leave the corner. Halfway across the floor I pulled off my wet pajama pants, and when I did that, I got disoriented. What followed was a miserable and surreal five minutes in which I crawled aimlessly back and forth in my familiar bedroom, bumping into stuff and moaning each time I hit something with a blind, flailing hand. Each thing I touched at first seemed like that awful white thing. Nothing I touched felt like anything I knew. With the reassuring green numerals of the bedside clock gone and my sense of direction temporarily lost, I could have been crawling around a mosque in Addis Ababa. At last I ran shoulder-first into the bed. I stood up, yanked the pillowcase off the extra pillow, and wiped my groin and upper legs with it. Then I crawled back into bed, pulled the blankets up, and lay there shivering, listening to the steady tick of sleet on the windows. There was no sleep for me the rest of that night, and the dream didn't fade as dreams usually do upon waking. I lay on my side, the shivers slowly subsiding, thinking of her coffin there in the driveway, thinking that it made a kind of mad sense Jo had loved Sara, and if she were haunt anyplace, it would be there. But why would she want to hurt me? Why would my Jo ever want to hurt me? I could think of no reason. Somehow the time passed, and there came a moment when I realized the air had turned a dark shade of gray; the shapes of the furniture in it like sentinels in fog. That was a little better. That was more it. I would light the kitchen woodstove, I decided, and make strong coffee. Begin the work of getting this behind me. I swung my legs out of bed and raised my hand to brush my sweat-hair off my forehead. I froze with the hand in front of my eyes. I must have scraped it while I was crawling, disoriented, in the dark and to find my way back to bed. There was a shallow, clotted cut across the back, just below the knuckles.