11 Audiobooks to Help You Lose Your Audio Virginity

11 Audiobooks to Help You Lose Your Audio Virginity The Audiophiles  is  a regular column in which contributors Rachel S. and Cassandra chat about the latest and greatest audiobooks on their radars. RSH: Cassandra, now that our dirty little audiobook secret is getting out (i.e. we like audiobooks), audio-curious readers have been coming out of the woodwork in droves. Do you know what that means? CN: I need to have more membership cards printed! Or, maybe, that we should take some time to tell them about the very best books to get started with.  We’ve already dished on our first times. It only makes sense that we help to make their first times as memorable as possible. RSH: Ding! Cue Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On. For the brainy set, I can’t think of a better way to pop your audiobook cherry than with Sarah Vowell, so Assassination Vacation is my first pick. I go weak in the knees for non-fiction, humor, and first-person narrative, making Sarah a triple threat and me the cheapest audiobook date ever. You have to love that Assassination Vacation is about her own road-trip-cum-pilgrimage of presidential assassinations, interspersed with smart-alecky anecdotes about a) the free-love, cultish origins of the Oneida silverware company, and b) Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins musical with its heart-wrenching ballads about the woes of being a presidential murderer. Assassination Vacation is just such a great story, which is the key to a great audiobook, and Sarah’s awesome deadpan voice skyrockets her wry, witty writing to the next level.  Oh, and did I mention that the audio features cameos by Conan O’Brien, Stephen King, Dave Eggers, Catherine K eener, Jon Stewart, Daniel Handler, and David Rakoff? Mmmhmm. Yeah. CN: I just cannot do nonfiction, in print or in audio. No matter how fascinating it is. Just. Can’t. Do. It. I think an excellent place to start in the world of fiction is with a good mystery or fantasy. They tend to be on the shorter side, and they don’t require the same intense level of concentration necessary for something like, say, BLEAK HOUSE. A great beginner’s book would be John Scalzi’s Red Shirts. It’s short, hilarious, and narrated by the amazing Wil Wheaton. It’s a riff on the Star Trek universe, where the poor extra in the red shirt is always the one that doesn’t survive the away mission. Except, this time, those extras have figured it out and will do anything to survive. Or there’s Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, which is very sweet, somewhat scary, and narrated by the author himself (it’s not a secret that I am a HUGE Gaimanite). It was inspired by Kipling’s classic The Jungle Book, except that the boy lives in a graveyard and is raised by ghost s. What’s your pick for a short, sweet, and satisfying fictional listen? RSH: Haha, I’ll go on a date with fiction if you give nonfiction another chance! Deal? My fiction choice for the audiobook virgin goes to Naked by David Sedaris. Because, let’s be real, David would be the first to admit that at least half of his stories are totally made up, and I love him for it. When first trying out audio, I say go for the greatest hits, and on this front Naked delivers. Who doesnt like America’s most beloved comic essayist? Naked is packed with snarky stories about David’s martini swilling mother, awkward trips to nude beaches, and the sting of first adolescent love, all narrated in his distinctively NPRish voice. I especially love this on audio because his sister Amy performs all the female roles: crabby elementary school teachers, Greek grandmothers, suburban housewives, you name it. Even though you might find Naked on the nonfiction shelves at your library, it totally reads like a novel. I promise. And best yet for the audiobook newbie, its an easy, bre ezy three hours. What other picks do you have up your sleeve to deflower the audio-curious? CN:  I see how you avoided giving me a straight answer. I’ll consider giving non-fiction a chance, if you’ll hold up your end of the bargain and listen to fiction. If you’re looking for a kick-ass female narrator, then other good, short starter books include B.A. Shapiro’s  The Art Forger, read by Xe Sands, and Sara Henry’s  Learning to Swim, narrated by Suzanne Toren. Both are mysteries, but there’s nothing too cozy about them. They have a lot of depth, and so do the performances given by those narrators.  So good! For a longer title, and one with a sci-fi edge, I’d go with Daniel O’Malley’s  The Rook, narrated by Susan Duerden.  It is highly engaging, and probably the best audiobook I listened to last year. I am eagerly awaiting the sequel, and if the audio is not released on the same day, I will save myself until it is. I can’t imagine having it any other way! RSH: Kick-ass female narrator? You know me too well. And I was wondering if you would call me out on my fiction pick. OK, OK, here’s a real one for you. It’s not really my favorite, but I’m way in the minority here, so it definitely deserves a spot on our list. If political thrillers and post-apocalyptic horror are more your style, Max Brooks  World War Z might just be your perfect audio aphrodisiac. It’s a multicultural oral history complete with bio-warfare, cannibalism, and a 40 member all-star audio cast that includes Alan Alda, Martin Scorsese, and John Turturro. People are just nuts for it.  My last sure bets for fabulous first-time audiobook listens would have to be Tina Fey’s Bossypants (read by herself), Douglas Adams The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy  (from BBC Radio), and J.K. Rowlings  Harry Potter read by Jim Dale. 11 audiobooks for 11 different bookish proclivities I think that’s a wrap! Be safe and have fun out there, kids. You’re in good hands. Bom chicka wah wah ________________________ Sign up for our newsletter  to have the best of Book Riot delivered straight to your inbox every two weeks. No spam. We promise. To keep up with Book Riot on a daily basis,  follow us on Twitter,  like us  on Facebook,  and subscribe to the Book Riot podcast in  iTunes  or via  RSS.  So much bookish goodnessâ€"all day, every day. Sign up for Audiobooks to receive the latest from the audiobooks world. Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.

Aguilar Surname Meaning and Origin

The popular Spanish last name Aguilar likely denotes that the surnames original bearer  came from any of numerous places called Aguilar or Aguilas, from the Latin aquilare, meaning haunt of eagles. Those of Spanish origin, for example, may have come from the city of Aguilar (also called Aguilar de la Frontera) in Spain, near Cà ³rdoba. Some other possible localities of origin include Aguilar de Campoo in Palencia, Spain, and Aguilar de Segarra from the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.   Aguilar is the 45th most common Hispanic surname. According to WorldNames PublicProfiler, the name is most commonly found today in Spain, especially in the Andalucia region, followed by Argentina. Top cities include the Spanish cities of Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, and Sevilla, plus Los Angeles in the U.S. Surname Origin:  Spanish, Catalan, Jewish (Sephardic from Spain or Portugal) Alternate Surname Spellings:  AGUILERA, AGUILER, AGUILLAR, AGUILLARD Famous People with the Surname Aguilar Grace Aguilar - English novelist and poet, best known for her writing on  Jewish history and religionChristina Aguilera - American pop singer, song writer and actressJeronimo de Aguilar -  Franciscan friar involved in the 1519 Spanish conquest of MexicoPepe Aguilar - American-born Mexican  singer-songwriter and actor Genealogy Resources for the Surname Aguilar 50 Common Hispanic Surnames Their MeaningsGarcia, Martinez, Rodriguez, Lopez, Hernandez... Are you one of the millions of people sporting one of these top 50 common Hispanic last names? AGUILAR Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Aguilar surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Aguilar query. FamilySearch - AGUILAR GenealogyDiscover historical records and lineage-linked family trees for individuals with the Aguilar surname and its variations from this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. AGUILAR Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Aguilar surname. DistantCousin.com - AGUILAR Genealogy Family HistoryFree databases and genealogy links for the last name Aguilar. References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Leadership Theory Leadership Theories Essay - 849 Words

Two Leadership Theories Kendric Identify With. In another course, Organization Behavior Communication, the author of this paper was asked to identify his leadership theory, one leadership theory the author identified with was the visionary leadership style. According to the article Leadership Styles, published in the Wall Street Journal, visionary leadership requires the leader to start the employee off. Leaders that fall under the visionary leadership styles, tend to give little direction and let the individual that is completing the task put a creative flair on the project (Wall Street Journal). Calia Robins, author of Characteristic of Visionay Leadership, states that all visionary leader have goals that they share, the goals are as follows: vision, organized learning, innovation, building relationships, and pioneering (Robins). Another leadership theory that I identified with was the directive leadership theory. A completely opposite of visionary leadership theory, directive lea dership style requires the supervisor to set objectives for his or her staff and make sure they meet objectives their supervisor set. According to Shawn Grimsley of Study.com, the path-goal theory is needed understand the concept of the directive leadership theory. The path-goal theory, is a set of rules that accompany the leadership theory. Coined by Martin G. Evans in 1970 and revised by Robert J. House, the path-goal theory calls for leaders to thoroughly describe assignments, things thatShow MoreRelatedTheories Of Leadership And Leadership Theories1234 Words   |  5 Pagesthat they lead. This case study aims to compare three of the more popular theories of leadership. These leadership theories are situational leadership, trait theory and transformational leadership. Summary of Theories Situational leadership, developed by professor Paul Hersey and author and consultant Ken Blanchard. Their approach was based off of a 1967 article by W.J. Reddin called The 3-D Management Style Theory. In his article, Reddin discusses the need to have different styles basedRead MoreLeadership Theory And Leadership Theories1659 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It s about impact, influence and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire team-mates and customers.†- Robin S. Sharma. For decades, leadership theories have been the source of numerous studies. In reality as well as in practice, many have tried to define what allows authentic leaders to stand apart from the mass! Hence, there as many theories on leadershipRead MoreLeadership And Its Theory Of Leadership883 Words   |  4 Pages Leadership Leadership has been around for thousands of years, yet experts are still unable to agree on a universal definition. Perhaps it is because leadership is a complex, multidimensional concept that continuously evolves. Nevertheless, explaining leadership and its theories and approaches is a monumental task (Henman, n.d.). According to Day and Antonakis (2012), leadership is essentially an influencing process. Its effectiveness largely depends on leadership behaviors and followers perceptionsRead MoreThe Theory Of Leadership Theory940 Words   |  4 PagesChapter sixteen discusses various leadership theories which can implemented by leaders to achieve success. The choice of leadership theory differs from leader to leader as they possess different vision and way of managing. A theory isn t always perfect in itself, it is the endless effort of the leaders which makes the theory a perfect one. Two approaches of leadership that I prefer are Situational Leadership Theory and Servant Leadership Theory. Among many theories I prefer these two because I tendRead MoreThe Theory Of Leadership Theory868 Words   |  4 PagesChapter sixteen discusses various leadership theories which can implemented by leaders to achieve success. The choice of leadership theory differs from leader to leader as they possess diff erent vision and way of managing. A theory isn t always perfect in itself, it is the endless effort of the leaders which makes the theory a perfect one. Two approaches of leadership that I prefer are Situational Leadership Theory and Servant Leadership Theory. Among many theories I prefer these two because I tendRead MoreTheories Of Leadership And Leadership974 Words   |  4 PagesTheories of Leadership Introduction It is true that leadership and leadership theories in general, are not scientifically precise in nature. For example, some may argue that going into an apprentice program have a higher level of task-relevance education and/or experience in the field you choose. A higher relevance than a degree in Liberal Arts. Thus, one must evaluate the apprentice program and accept the responsibility of doing the apprentice work. A degree in Liberal Arts scientifically, isRead MoreThe Theory Of Leadership Theory1411 Words   |  6 Pages I do not believe that there is such thing as a correct leadership theory, there I said it, I’ve been holding it in an jesus does it feel great to get it out. Haha what I do believe in is awesome people, people who treat other people great and treat themselves and their business, foundation or institution great now that’s what I believe in. So in the sake of great leaders I will be taking on prompt number two and constructing my own theory by using 3 examples from the book and 6 sources that I willRead MoreSituational Leadership Theory Of Leadership1542 Words   |  7 Pagespowerful people? What do they have that the average person does not? Well, that answer is leadership skills. They did not know when they were born that they were going to become big leaders, but as they were growing up they learned what skills it took to allow them to become different from everyone else and become leaders. As we all know there is no magic when it comes to leadership. You either have the leadership skills or you don’t. While it is a learned behavior that begins at almost birth and isRead MoreLeadership Theories Of Situational Leadership866 Words   |  4 Pagesidea behind one of today’s most talked about leadership theories: Situational Leadership. The model, which celebrates a multitude of leadership styles instead of a single solution, has been considered a transformative and essential new way to manage and to lead. But what does it mean to be a situational leader? Is it always beneficial to change your approach to leading the troops? In this guide, we’ll examine the development of situational leadership, study its core elements and discover the qualitiesRead MoreSituational Leadership Theory Of Leadership Essay1214 Words   |  5 PagesSituational leadership can be defined as a concept that helps understand leadership in terms of changing environment. Situational leadership theory was developed in 1969 by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard. This type of leadership depends upon each individual situation. This theory requires an individual to analyze the needs according to a particular situation and then act towards it. Ability or maturity of the followers are equally important than leader who leads the situation. Situational leadership theory

Single Parenting vs Nuclear Parenting Free Essays

Although households are â€Å"supposed† to contain two parents there are ones that contain only one parent. A single parent is a parent who cares for one or more child without physical help of another parent in the house. Though people looked down upon single parenting before, it is now quite common in today’s world. We will write a custom essay sample on Single Parenting vs Nuclear Parenting or any similar topic only for you Order Now According to the United States Census Bureau the amount of children who live with a single parent has increased to a little more than 30 percent. Single parenting is a problem to others since children raised under a household of a single parent are two times more likely to end up poor, to give birth outside of marriage, to not graduate from high school, and to have behavioral and psychological problems. It is also said that children living in single parent households are more likely to experience accidents, injuries, and poisonings. Since kids living in single parent homes are more likely to undergo these problems, many people argue that children who live in single parent homes will not grow up properly. Although kids are more likely to develop those problems, if single parents raise their children properly their children will be able to avoid those problems. Single parents and other non-traditional families are quite capable of raising healthy, well-adjusted children. Those who propose that single parents are not capable of rearing healthy and well-adjusted children have comprehensible reasons. They worry that the children will lack guidance and attention needed since there is only one parent for them to go to. They also worry that the children will lack gender influence and will need help with relationship problems in the future. At last, they worry that the children will grow up unable being independent and responsible due to their parent â€Å"babying† them too much. I believe the reasons why people are against single parent homes are not very reasonable. People propose that children raised by a single parent are not being raised properly. They believe that the child won’t be attended to as often since there is only one parent. That is where they are wrong, because what is family for, right? Many single parents are able to turn to their parents, siblings or extended family quite often for help. People also argue that the child of a single parent will suffer from lack of gender influence. This is basically saying a child will not understand the role of either a male or the role of a female because of deprivation of the other parent. This argument is invalid since the role models of a single parent child could be uncles, aunties, or friends of the parents. Children raised from a single parent are able to grow up with the same amount of guidance and attention as a child reared from two parents. Many people argue that children being raised by a single parent will lack those basic essentials. Many think this because single parents often work a full-time job. I believe this claim is invalid but to a certain extent. As long as the parent has contact with family or friends, they, along with the single parent will help guide and support the child throughout their life as long as they are around. A life example would be a single parent that has to work. They will call their parents to watch their child. The child will then be taken care of by their grandparents. The grandparents will teach the child what is right from wrong (guidance); something the single parent may not have the time to do. They may also be there for the child when the single parent is not. Since many children crave attention, they like showing their parents their accomplishments from school they obtain. Since a single parent is usually too busy to take the time to notice. By having the grandparents there for the child, the child will more likely be able to receive the attention they wish to receive. Raising a child in a single parent household will not affect the child’s future relationships. Others argue against this because when children are young, they fall in love with their parent of the opposite sex. For the boys it is the Oedipus complex and for girls it is the Electra complex. Boys later on, end up looking for personality traits which their mother hold and choose a girl based upon those traits; for girls they undergo the same affair though they do so based off of their fathers traits. Some children unable to learn this develop relationship problems since they do not know what traits they are searching for in a partner. This task is extremely difficult for single parents to succeed in doing though it is not impossible. A parent can carry out this troublesome task by taking on both roles of the parents; as a father and as a mother. Single parenting holds the ability to teach independence and responsibility indirectly to their child. Others think differently, they assume these children won’t be ready for the real world due to the amount of â€Å"babying† while growing up. This of course is incorrect because studies show that children of single parents are more independent that those with two parents. Being there only one parent, they are unable to do everything on their own; this moderately forces their child to learn to do tasks the parent has not the time to handle, on their own and at a younger age. An example, if a parent is running late for work, their child may have to make their own meal since their mother or their father does not have the time to do so. Individual parents and other non-traditional families are completely able to rear normal, balanced offspring. Single parent children are fully capable of having guidance and attention, learning roles of the opposite gender, and being independent as children with two parents. If you do not believe single parents are able to raise normal children, you are thinking wrong because this type of family makes up about 30 percent of the United States population; this number continues to escalate. How to cite Single Parenting vs Nuclear Parenting, Papers

TCP/IP and OSI Networking Essay Example

TCP/IP and OSI Networking Essay In this essay I intend to analyse why networking software is divided into layers, and to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of such a division. I will then go on to analyse what the main differences between the networking protocols known as OSI and TCP/IP are. I will also attempt to analyse what factors led to their successes and failures respectively in terms of their diffusion into the technology sector. However, before we can discuss this, we must first be sure that we are aware of the meanings of terms such as networks, network architecture, protocols, and distributed networks/systems so I will begin by defining these phrases. Essentially, a network is the connection of two or more computers for the purpose of data communication and resource sharing. the formal definition of a network could be given as a number of interconnected devices capable of communicating and sharing each others resources (Bandyo-padhyway, 2000:157) As can be seen from the above quote, networking offers organisations a wealth of benefits. A network enables an organization to centralize its computer system and allows users to access the facilities of a large computer system via desktop computers. (Bandyo-padhyway, 2000:157) It could be said that network architecture is, in theory, a model for the set-up of a network. To help deal with this complexity, network designers have developed general blueprints usually called a network architecture that guide the design and implementation of networks. (Peterson Davie, 1996:29) We will write a custom essay sample on TCP/IP and OSI Networking specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on TCP/IP and OSI Networking specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on TCP/IP and OSI Networking specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Protocols, in the networking sense, could be considered as sets of rules or procedures that control how a message is sent from sender to receiver and all the factors involved in this process. A protocol is a set of rules or conventions which govern the way a message is transmitted from the sender to the receiver passing through a number of steps and via a number of network elements. (Bandyo-padhyway, 2000:178) Finally, a distributed network/system is where the tasks to be to be performed are distributed among a number of small PCs that are coordinated by a larger central computer. (Bandyo-padhyway, 2000:173) Having defined the aforementioned basic technological terms, I can now go on to my analysis of the reasons why networking software is divided into layers. The primary reason is that having separate distinctive layers reduces design complexity. By this, I mean having different layers means certain operations and tasks that must be carried out, can be carried out in a simple and organised order, rather than all at the same time. First, it decomposes the problem of building a network into more manageable components. (Peterson Davie, 1996:30) Layering allows for changes to be made at a specific layer, as a result of new ideas/innovation, and will not disrupt the software at other levels. Second, it provides a more modular design. If you decide that you want to add some new service, you may only need to modify the functionality at one layer, re-using the functions provided at all the other layers. (Peterson Davie, 1996:30) This means that it accommodates incremental changes more readily. (www. cs. wpi. edu/~rek/Undergrad_Nets/B03/HTTP_DNS. pdf) Another advantage of layering is that details of how the lower level services are implemented are shielded from the higher levels, allowing the higher levels to function more efficiently. This can be seen, from a more technological point of view, in the following quote. Many times there are multiple abstractions provided at any given level of the system, each providing a different service to the higher layers but building on the same low-level abstractions. (Peterson Davie, 1996:30) A final advantage of layering is that as a result of the different types of layers, making it so different types of translations can take place; different types of hardware are enabled to communicate. Having looked at the advantages of layering, I will now spend some time discussing its disadvantages. Some functions (like FDDI station management) really need to access and operate at multiple layers. (courses. cs. vt. edu/~cs5516/spring03/ slides/introduction_6. pdf) As the above quote displays, one disadvantage is since the software is split up into layers, functions will operate at one level at a time, where as some functions have the necessity to operate at several layers. Poorly conceived layers can lead to awkward and complex interfaces. (courses. cs. vt. edu/~cs5516/spring03/ slides/introduction_6. pdf) This quote shows us that unless a large amount of thought and work goes into each individual layer, then a very bad and hard-to-use interface can be the end-result. Another disadvantage is if new design for a layer is done, an old layer may become inappropriate or unsuitable given the properties of the new layer. (courses. cs. vt. edu/~cs5516/spring03/ slides/introduction_6. pdf) A final disadvantage of layering is something known as information hiding, this may take place and this can lead to inefficient implementations. (www-inst. eecs. berkeley. edu/~cs268/ sp03/notes/Lecture2. pdf) I have discussed why networking software is divided into layers as well as evaluating both the advantages and disadvantages of layering. I now intend to introduce the first of the aforementioned protocols Open Systems Interconnection (OSI), before then introducing the second. A number of different types of distributed systems were being developed in the 1970s and as a result, a range of standards had to be introduced. (Halsall, 1996:11) An organisation called the International Standards Organizaton (ISO) created the ISO Reference Model for OSI. The ISO was a body founded in 1945 to coordinate international standards for a wide range of industries. (The Internet in the Arena of International Standards) Below is a diagram of the OSI protocol, taken from Peterson and Davie. As can be seen, the OSI protocol has seven layers. The application layer provides the user interface to a range of networkwide distributed information services. The presentation layer is associated with the representation of data during transfer between two communicating application processes. The session layers job is to set up a communication channel between two communicating application layer protocol entities during a network transaction. The network layer is responsible for establishing a networkwide connection between two transport layer protocol entities. The link layers job is to build on the physical connection provided by the network to provide the network layer with a reliable information transfer facility. Finally, the physical layer is associated with the physical and electrical interfaces between the user equipment and the network terminating equipment. (Halsall, 1996:16, 17, 18) I will now introduce the second networking protocol so that we have a good understanding of them both, before analysing their differences. The second protocol is called Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). TCP/IP was developed by the US Department of Defence (DOD) research project to connect a number of different networks designed by different vendors into a network of networks. (www. yale. edu/pclt/COMM/TCPIP. HTM) The idea behind the DODs thinking was that in the Cold War, if the right designated place was bombed successfully, then the whole countries network communication facilities would become inoperable. This was obviously be a bad thing and so the DOD wanted to develop a standard that would connect all the networks together to prevent this from happening. Below is the model of the TCP/IP protocol, taken from (www-staff. t. uts. edu. au/~sean/DSP. dir/dsp00s. dir/lect1. dir/sld014. htm) As can be seen, the TCP/IP protocol has only four layers. The application layer handles high level protocols. The transport layer deals with quality-of-service issues. The internet layer determines the path to forward packets of data. The network layer is concerned with all of the issues that an IP packet requires to make a physical link. (www-staff. it. uts. edu. au/~sean/DSP. dir/dsp00s. dir/lect1. dir/sld014. htm) Now that I have briefly introduced both of the protocols, I will now move on to my analysis of their main differences. A difference between the two protocols in terms of their establishers is that OSI was orally established by Telcos, a telecommunications company and had a large connected emphasis linked to it. TCP/IP came more from a computing background with a large connectionless emphasis associated with it. Another difference that should be noted is that the two models have opposing approaches. The OSI model has a top-down approach meaning the processes that take place within the layers start at the top of the model and work their way down to the bottom. The TCP/IP model has a bottom-up approach meaning the processes taking place within the layers begin at the bottom of the model and move upwards. As can be seen from the models, the visible difference is the number of layers present within each. The OSI protocol has application, presentation, session, transport, network, data link, and physical layers. Where as the TCP/IP protocol has only application, transport, internet and network layers. Even though some of the layers have different names, they essentially do the same thing. However, the presentation and session layers that are in the OSI model are not present in the TCP/IP model. This makes the two protocols technologically different. First there were the technical differences, chief among them that OSI had a more complicated and compartmentalised design. (Lyon Hafner, 2003:246) The above quote points out how the OSI design was considered to be very large and complex where as the TCP/IP design was far more simplistic and smaller. On the OSI side stood an entrenched bureaucracy, with a strong we-know best attitude, patronizing and occasionally contemptuous. There was a certain attitude among certain parts of the OSI community whose message was, Time to toll up your toy academic network,' recalled one ardent TCP/IP devotee (Lyon Hafner, 2003:247) We can see from the above quote that OSI was regarded as a potential official standard with a considerable amount of bureaucratic support, as opposed to TCP/IP, which was seen by some as a toy network for the academic world only, and would never have any real chance of becoming an official standard networking protocol. The reason being was that the OSI was created by the ISO, and the ISO had long been responsible for creating international standards for a variety of industries, as the following quote displays. Since the 1940s, ISO had specified worldwide standards for things ranging from wine-tasting glasses to credit cards to photographic film to computers. (Lyon Hafner, 2003:246) As a result of this official standardization reputation that ISO had created for themselves, OSI was backed by several governments, led by Europe, and was thought to be meeting the needs of the whole world. Another difference between TCP/IP and OSI, was that TCP/IP had actually been implemented where as the only thing OSI had to offer was the design model for the protocol, as the following quote shows. And it was a design, never tried. As far as the Internet crowd was concerned, they had actually implemented TCP/IP several times over, whereas the OSI model had never been put to the test of daily use, and trial and error. (Lyon Hafner, 2003:247) An extremely large difference between the two protocols is in relation to their impacts on the networking world respectively. OSI failed to become to the official international networking standard that it was predicted to be. TCP/IP, contrary to what many had anticipated, was a huge success within the networking protocol world and is used across the world today. However, one must ask, what factors led to this outcome? One factor was that one key TCP/IP developer, Bill Joy, decided that TCP/IP when bought was to come with free networking software, which was based on Unix. As can be imagined, the fact that one received free Unix networking software when buying TCP/IP with no extra charge dramatically helped push TCP/IP further than OSI. The first Sun machines were shipped with the Berkeley version of Unix, complete with TCP/IP. Berkeley Unix with TCP/IP would be crucial to the growth of the Internet. When Sun included network software as part of every machine it sold and didnt charge separately for it, networking exploded. (Lyon Hafner, 2003:250) To clarify, Sun was the name of the computer company that Joy joined as the Unix expert. Another factor that led to TCP/IPs success was the fact that ARPANET decided to switch over to it on January 1, 1983. ARPANET was the resulting internetwork developed when computer networks associated with a large number of universities and other research establishments were linked and it was in large usage. (Halsall, 1996:19) As a result, TCP/IP was pushed even further ahead when ARPANET switched its protocols from Network Control Protocol to TCP/IP as this meant only machines running the new protocols could communicate over the network. Lyon Hafner, 2003:248) Dennis Jennings tells us of a factor that largely contributed to the failure of OSI when it was announced by the manager of a company called ICL at a review meeting that the output of the OSI research would not be in the interests of ICL. The Commission then told ICL that they could do what ever they like. This meant that where would be no available implementation opportunities for OSI once the research had been completed, and Jennings feels that this made it so that OSI had absolutely no chance of success. So what ever the merits of having a set of open OSI protocols, it was a serious attempt to provide an available solution, and the Commission allowed the project to throw it away. OSI died at that meeting. Without available implementations, it had no hope. (Randall, 1997:218) Another thing worth saying is that because the Internet boomed and became increasingly popular, and TCP/IPs design had a layer devoted to the Internet, TCP/IPs popularity was again increased further as a result of the Internets rapid growth. One could argue that OSI, being a protocol that did not include a layer for the Internet in its design, was over-run by the Internets growth. A final factor I would like to mention is the belief that a main reason OSI was not a success was because it got too preoccupied with the standards process and attempting to approve too many that it became caught up with them. It is seen by some that this caused it to fail as it distracted OSI from the one single standard that it was supposed to produce, the following quote shows this. But ISOs plan to make the OSI protocols a single standard for all computer users was defeated by ISOs own practice of approving multiple standards. (International Standards). To conclude, the concept of layering within networking software is in usage as it provides many advantages in terms of the softwares performance itself. Although, it does also pose some disadvantages, I feel they are small in number are not strong enough to outweigh the advantages. My analysis of the two networking protocols, OSI and TCP/IP, shows their main differences in terms of technical as well as social factors. I have also discussed the two differing impacts the protocols had in the world of networking and have attempted to explain why by looking at important factors associated with their diffusions. From my analysis, one can see that OSI was mostly a failure, as opposed to TCP/IP which won the protocols war and is in large international usage today.

GANGS Essays (1641 words) - Crime, Criminology, Urban Decay

GANGS Essays (1641 words) - Crime, Criminology, Urban Decay GANGS OVERVIEW OF GANGS Originally the word gang had no negative connotation. In Old English, gang simply referred to a "number of people who went around together-a group." Today a gang can be defined in four basic ways: ? an organized group with a leader ? a unified group that usually remains together during peaceful times as well as times of conflict ? a group whose members show unity through clothing, language ? a group whose activities are criminal or threatening to the larger society. Gangs are one of the results of poverty, discrimination and urban deterioration. Some experts believe that young people, undereducated and without access to good jobs, become frustrated with their lives and join gangs as an alternative to boredom, hopelessness and devastating poverty. Studies have attempted to determine why gangs plague some communities but there has been no definitive answer. As a result, people working to solve gang problems have great difficulty. They find the situation overwhelming, and the violence continues. EARLY GANGS IN UNITED STATES HISTORY No groups completely fitting the above description of gangs existed in America until the early 1800s, but from the beginning of the European settlement in America there was gang-like activity, especially when class distinctions came into being. Gang members tended to be from the poorer classes and tended to be from the same race or ethnic background. They banded together for protection, recreation or financial gain. THE 20TH CENTURY GANGS In the early 1900s the U.S. economy worsened, the population grew at a rapid pace, and the gap between the rich and poor widened. All across the nation gangs appeared where poor, hopeless people lived. The dawning of the 20th century also brought with it a widespread use of firearms. 1920s By mid 1920s there were 1313 gangs in Chicago and more than 25,000 members. Gang warfare in Chicago was widespread and fighting took place along ethnic, cultural and racial lines. Some gangs had no noticeable cultural, ethnic or national ties and consisted mostly of whites. Chicano Gangs The 1920s and 1930s saw the rise of Chicano (Mexican-American) gangs in Los Angeles. By the 1940s Chicano gangs established their place in Los Angeles-their zoot suits (a style of dress incorporating tapered pants, long wide- shoulder coats and broad-brimmed hats) had become a familiar sight. Fighting back against harassment of white residents and visiting soldiers during the so-called zoot suit riots in 1943 strengthened their cause. Post World War II After World War II gang membership: 1.became younger, 2.the nationality of the membership became largely non-white (though Italians, Irish and other white ethnic groups still made up a percentage), 3.drugs became a more publicized concern, 4.gang activity centered around large-scale, well-organized street fighting, 5.fire-arms were used more often, 6.the structure of organization became more rigid, 7.and society at large became concerned with gangs as a social problem and worked toward rehabilitation. Changes in Ethnic Populations The 1950s During the 1950s gang fighting rose to an all time high in cities like New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and Cleveland. Gang members were usually in their teens. Codes of dress (black leather jackets were popular) and mannerisms were an important means of identification. Body language said a lot about the nature of the gang. When a gang decided to become a fighting, or "bopping" gang, its members immediately took on a different way of walking. A rhythmic gait, characterized by the forward movement of the head with each step. Terms for fighting were: bopping, rumbling, jitterbugging. Gang members used guns, knives, and homemade weapons. Most common drugs-alcohol, marijuana, heroin. New York gangs fought along racial lines-African-American, white, Puerto Rican. Usually they fought over girls or turf. Turf could be anything from a few blocks to an entire neighborhood. Gang members believed it was essential to protect the honor of their girlfr! iends. And in the late 1950, girl gangs, with strong ties to boy gangs, began to form. Revenge was required by an inflexible code of gang loyalty. It was from such incidents that gangs drew their sense of pride, of "being somebody." In order to combat the rise of violence, organizations like the New York City Youth Board sent social workers into the slums to form relationships with the gangs. In some

John Muir Biography

John Muir Biography John Muir is a significant figure of the 19th century as he stood opposed to the exploitation of natural resources at a time when many believed the resources of the earth were infinite. Muirs writings were influential, and as co-founder and first president of the Sierra Club, he was an icon and inspiration to the conservation movement. He is widely remembered as the father of the National Parks. As a young man, Muir demonstrated an unusual talent for building and maintaining mechanical devices. And his skill as a machinist might have made a very good living in a rapidly industrializing society. Yet his love of nature drew him away from workshops and factories. And he would joke about how he gave up pursuing the life of a millionaire to live like a tramp. Early Life John Muir was born at Dunbar, Scotland on April 21, 1838. As a small boy, he enjoyed the outdoors, climbing hills and rocks in the rough Scottish countryside. His family sailed to America in 1849 with no apparent destination in mind but wound up settling on a farm in Wisconsin. Muir’s father was tyrannical and ill-suited to farm life, and young Muir, his brothers and sisters, and his mother did much of the work on the farm. After receiving some infrequent schooling and educating himself by reading what he could, Muir was able to attend the University of Wisconsin to study science. He gave up college to pursue various jobs which relied on his unusual mechanical aptitude. As a young man, he received recognition for being able to make working clocks out of carved wooden pieces and also inventing various useful gadgets. Travels to the American South and West During the Civil War, Muir moved across the border to Canada to avoid being conscripted. His action was not viewed as a terribly controversial maneuver at a time when others could legally buy their way out of the draft. After the war, Muir moved to Indiana, where he used his mechanical skills in factory work until an accident nearly blinded him. With his sight mostly restored, he fixated on his love of nature and decided to see more of the United States. In 1867 he embarked on an epic hike from Indiana to the Gulf of Mexico. His ultimate goal was to visit South America. After reaching Florida, Muir became ill in the tropical climate. He abandoned his plan to go to South America, and eventually caught a boat to New York, where he then caught another boat that would take him â€Å"around the horn† to California. John Muir arrived in San Francisco in late March 1868. That spring he walked to the place that would become his spiritual home, Californias spectacular Yosemite Valley. The valley, with its dramatic granite cliffs and majestic waterfalls, touched Muir deeply and he found it difficult to leave. At that time, parts of Yosemite were already protected from development, thanks to the Yosemite Valley Grant Act signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864. Early tourists were already coming to view the astonishing scenery, and Muir took a job working in a sawmill owned by one of the early innkeepers in the valley. Muir stayed in the vicinity of Yosemite, exploring the area, for most of the next decade. Settling Down, for a Time After returning from a trip to Alaska to study glaciers in 1880, Muir married Louie Wanda Strentzel, whose family owned a fruit ranch not far from San Francisco. Muir began working the ranch, and became reasonably prosperous in the fruit business, thanks to the attention to detail and enormous energy he typically poured into his pursuits. Yet the life of a farmer and businessman didn’t satisfy him. Muir and his wife had a somewhat unconventional marriage for the time. As she recognized that he was most happy in his travels and explorations, she encouraged him to travel while she remained at home on their ranch with their two daughters. Muir often returned to Yosemite, and also made several more trips to Alaska. Yosemite National Park Yellowstone was named the first National Park in the United States in 1872, and Muir and others began to campaign in the 1880s for the same distinction for Yosemite. Muir published a series of magazine articles making his case for further protection of Yosemite. Congress passed legislation declaring Yosemite a National Park in 1890, thanks in large part to Muir’s advocacy. The Founding of the Sierra Club A magazine editor with whom Muir had worked, Robert Underwood Johnson, suggested that some organization should be formed to continue to advocate for Yosemite’s protection. In 1892, Muir and Johnson founded the Sierra Club, and Muir served as its first president. As Muir put it, the Sierra Club was formed to â€Å"do something for wildness and make the mountains glad.† The organization continues at the forefront of the environmental movement today, and Muir, of course, is a powerful symbol of the club’s vision. Friendships When the writer and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson visited Yosemite in 1871, Muir was virtually unknown and still working in a sawmill. The men met and became good friends, and continued corresponding after Emerson returned to Massachusetts. John Muir gained considerable fame in his life through his writings, and when notable people visited California and specifically Yosemite they often sought his insights. In 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt visited Yosemite and was guided about by Muir. The two men camped under the stars in the Mariposa Grove of giant Sequoia trees, and their campfire conversation helped form Roosevelts own plans for conserving Americas wilderness. The men also posed for an iconic photograph atop Glacier Point. When Muir died in 1914, his obituary in the New York Times noted his friendships with Thomas Edison and President Woodrow Wilson. Legacy In the 19th century, many Americans believed natural resources should be consumed with no limits. Muir was utterly opposed to this concept, and his writings presented an eloquent counterpoint to the exploitation of the wilderness. Its difficult to imagine the modern conservation movement without the influence of Muir. And to this day he casts an enormous shadow over how people live, and conserve, in the modern world.