The Future of Marijuana in the United States Essay -- Drugs

American politicians are constantly finding themselves in a heated debate concerning the legalization of marijuana. Currently the no’s have it but the real question is how long will they be able to keep it that way. Since, "To the agriculturist, cannabis is a fiber crop; to the physician, it is an enigma; to the user, a euphoriant; to the police, a menace; to the trafficker, a source of profitable danger; to the convict or parolee and his family, a source of sorrow" (Mikuriya, 1969). Introduction The future of marijuana in the United States is uncertain. Whether it is truly on the path to legalization on a nationwide scale, no one knows. But one thing is for certain: marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States. It has currently; the move towards legalization on a small scale has taken even further strides with Proposition 19 gaining approximately 44% of the California’s votes. One of the leading causes of the gradual tolerance of marijuana use has been the change in the perception of the substance among the older segment of our society. Since 2000, there has been a drastic increase in the amount of frequent marijuana users that are age 55 and above. This paper will seek to examine some of the major factors that have contributed to the significant rise in the prevalence of marijuana use among baby-boomers, the short-term effects of marijuana with an emphasis on how those effects would impact older individuals, the long-term effects of heavy mar ijuana use, and the potential political and social implications of extensive marijuana use amongst the United States’ older individuals. The first decade of the 21st century was a particularly eventful time in history. Recent studies have shown that ... ... Psycho geriatrics 20, 1081-1089. Hendrix, S. (2009). Boomers see views relaxing on marijuana. From http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/15/AR2009111503007.html. Mikuriya, Tod H. (1969). Marijuana in Medicine: Past Present and Future. California Medicine 110(1), 34–40. Stack, P, Suddath, C. (2009). A Brief History of Medical Marijuana. Retrieved November 4, 2010 from http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1931247,00.html. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies. (December 29, 2009). The NSDUH Report: Illicit Drug Use among Older Adults. Rockville, MD. (Suggested Citation) Tashkin, D.P. (1999). Effects of marijuana on the lung and its defenses against infection and cancer. School Psychology International. Special Issue: Preventing marijuana use among youth 20 (1), 23-37. .

Essay --

Introduction 　　　　Here is an interesting forecast: half of recent marriages will end in divorce. (Mahl, 2001) If this forecast proves to be true, then the questions related to divorce will be studied more in depth than ever before. An important consideration many couples make before deciding to separate has to be the negative impacts their divorce may have on their children. The general myth around is that divorce brings negative effects to the children. However, according to recent research conducted on the topic, there appears to be no conclusive evidence indicating that divorce will lead to negative impacts on the children involved. In fact, research suggests the impact of parental divorce on children is solely depended upon the situation. (Cartwright, 2006) Since each situation is different, the impact of parental divorce varies as well. This essay will examine recent sociological articles on the issue of parental divorce and its impact on the children involved. We will be investigating the impact of parental divorce on the children’s view towards their own life, the children’s relationship with their divorced parents as well as the children’s attitude when it comes to their own relationships. Impact on their individual lives A parental divorce will likely cast certain effects on the lives of the next generation involved. An important qualitative issue that requires examination is how parental divorce changes children’s view towards themselves. In a research conducted by Claire Cartwright, a large number of participants claimed that their parents’ divorce had caused them to lose trust in others, become too emotional, and develop self-esteem and communication issues. (Cartwright, 2006) These appear to be the immediate negative... ...t among young adults: The effects of parental divorce and residential stability.  Journal of Divorce & Remarriage,  54, 95-111. Miles, N., & Servaty-Seib, H. (2010). Parental marital status and young adult offspring's attitudes about marriage and divorce.  Journal of Divorce & Remarriage,  51, 209-220. Cartwright, C. (2006). You want to know how it affected me? young adults' perceptions of the impact of parental divorce.  Journal of Divorce & Remarriage,  44, 125-143. Darlington, Y. (2001). "when all is said and done":the impact of parental divorce and contested custody in childhood on young adults' relationships with their parents and their attitudes to relationships and marriage.  Journal of Divorce & Remarriage,  35, 23-42. Mahl, D. (2001). The influence of parental divorce on the romantic relationship beliefs of young adults.  Journal of Divorce & Remarriage,  34, 89-118.

How Do We Evaluate Art? Essay -- essays research papers

How Do We Evaluate Art?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When we are trying to evaluate art, how do we know it is good or not? We usually fit our personal feelings to the good or bad decision. If the drawing is in my taste, I say it is good. If it is not my taste, I dislike it and give it a negative comment. Everyone's thinking is different. Thus we may receive hundred or thousand different kinds of opinion toward one event or object. It is important for us to know that every opinion is independent and is not absolute. After reading the article, I realized there is no absolute good or bad. Comment, literarily defined, is opinion given briefly in speech or writing about an event. It is a form of personal feedback. The feedback, however, can be based on a personal experience or knowledge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Experience and knowledge can only increase in amount. Experience is personal and independent. Everyone has different experience, no matter what the experience is: learning experience, sexual experience, entertaining experience or love experience. Experience is based on a person's life. Does that mean an older human has greater personal experience? Theoretically, it is. We see that we usually find an adult's suggestion is much more ideal than a child's. When we are judging with our experience, we are actually doing comparison. We are asking ourselves several questions. Is it better than what I had seen before? Is it creative? Can it be better? Is it professional? H...

LGUs Warned For Late Class Suspension Announcement Essay

MANILA, Philippines — Malacaà ±ang told local government units (LGUs) that the late announcement of class suspension in some areas on Tuesday should be the last time it should happen, reminding LGUs of their responsibility to announce class suspension as early as possible. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte also asked the public to be more patient with LGUs because of the new system that transferred to the LGUs the responsibility of ordering the suspension of classes which was previously the function of the Department of Education (DepEd)â€Å"We are giving them a little more time to cope with the new system and we hope that this will be the last time,† Valte said. She said it would be up to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to impose sanctions on LGUs that failed to announce class suspension on time during inclement weather. According to Valte, local governments should make the announcement as early as 4:30 a.m. â€Å"We will be asking for a little bit of your patience because it is a new system and our LGUs would also need to get used to that system, but again we would like to remind them as well as a reminder from the DILG that the responsibility of suspending classes in your locality is now with your local chief executives,† she said. Valte said the responsibility of announcing class suspension was given to the local governments because the DepEd, which used to announce the suspension of classes, also gets information from LGUs whether or not to have class suspension in their respective areas. Valte said they had noticed the numerous complaints aired by the public in various media outfits on the late class suspension yesterday. She said DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo has vowed to remind LGUs of the new protocol.Valte said President Aquino is continuing to monitor the weather and flood situation, particularly in Metro Manila and nearby areas. Classes were suspended in most parts of the metropolis yesterday due to heavy rains which caused flooding in major thoroughfares. Valte, however, said there was no suspension of work in government offices. Based on the DepEd Order, Signal No. 1 will permit the suspension of classes in public and private pre-school and kindergarten classes in the affected areas while Signal No. 2 allows for the suspension of elementary and secondary classes. At Signal No. 3, classes in all levels are cancelled. LGU officials are supposed to announce cancellation of classes not later than 4:30 a.m. for whole-day cancellation and 11 a.m. for afternoon class suspension. Meanwhile, two dams in Luzon reached their critical water level due to continuous intense rains over the watershed areas yesterday, the state weather bureau said. Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) hydrologist Max Peralta said one spillway gate of Ipo Dam in Norzagaray, Bulacan had been releasing excess water since yesterday morning. As of 11 a.m. yesterday, Ipo Dam’s level reached 100.75 meters, or 0.11 meters lower than its spilling level of 100.86 meters. â€Å"Before 10 a.m., two gates were opened. Only one gate remains opened due to less rains over the area,† Peralta said â€Å"Water released from the Ipo dam is at 48 cubic meters per second. This is quite minimal and may not flood the downstream communities near the Angat River,† he explained. Likewise, water level in La Mesa Dam in Quezon City remained critical at 79.52 meters, as of 11 a.m. yesterday. This was 0.63 meters short of the 80.15-meter spilling level Dam authorities have already issued a red alert for possible flash floods among communities near the Tullahan River. Communities that may likely be affected by flooding are Fairview, Forest Hills, Quirino Highway, Papri, Goodwill, Sta. Quiteria, and San Bartolome in Quezon City, Barangay Ligon along North Luzon Expressway in Valenzuela and Malabon.â€Å"We have recorded continuous rains over the watershed area until Tuesday noon. From 12 noon last Monday to 12 noon on Tuesday, 108 mm rains have been recorded, which is considered intense rains,† Peralta said. Meanwhile in Malolos, Bulacan, Liz Mungcal, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) chief, reported to Bulacan Governor Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado, that at around 7 a.m. yesterday, the Ipo dam began releasing water at 109 cms per second. Mungcal said as a result the Bustos Dam released 120 cms at around 9 am. Also yesterday, adding that this amount of water released was safe and tolerable and would not be felt by the community. PAGASA-Weather Branch assistant chief Rene Patient said light to moderate rains will continue to affect Western Luzon today, Wednesday. â€Å"Rains will be scattered and light to moderate as the low pressure area (LPA) continues to move away from the country. Improving weather condition can be expected this Wednesday but Bataan, Zambales, Cavite, Mindoro, Batangas, and Metro Manila will still experience scattered rains,† Paciente explained. â€Å"We have experienced moderate to heavy rains early morning on Tuesday until the afternoon, but we can expect that light to moderate rains will prevail on Tuesday evening. Rains will continue to subside until Wednesday,† he added. The LPA was estimated based on satellite and surface data at 60 km northwest of Ambulong, Batangas or 50 km west-southwest of Manila yesterday morning.Paciente pointed out that the heavy rains were caused by the LPA, â€Å"packing more rains than winds. â€Å"Because it does not have enough wind to enhance the southwest monsoon, it was just the LPA that brought rains over Luzon,† he pointed out. He cited that from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. yesterday, rain monitoring stations recorded the highest rainfall in Infanta, Quezon at 48 mm, followed by San Jose, Mindoro (42 mm), Casiguran, Aurora (39 mm), Tanay, Rizal (25 mm), Science Garden in Quezon City (21 mm), and Baler, Aurora (20 mm).He said rains measuring 7.5 mm or above is considered heavy rains. A yellow warning signal was issued in Metro Manila on Tuesday that alerts authorities and residents of continuous light rains. The Quezon City government also suspended classes in the afternoon in the grade school and high school levels of both private and public schools. Greg Banacia, chief of the city’s Public Affairs and Information Service Office (Paiso), said that the city government has coordinated closely with the Division of City Schools and the 142 barangay disaster risk reduction coordination committee in recommending the suspension of classes throughout the city. However, some parents raised howls of protest, complaining that the city government and the barangay officials should have made the announcement much earlier. With the announcement being issued in the afternoon, the parents said their children would now have to wade on flooded streets and faced the risk of being afflicted with flu and similar diseases. â€Å"The rains were strong from 12 a.m. to 8 a.m. Classes should have been suspended the whole day. Now our children are soaking wet and may get sick,’’ one of the parents complained. Another parent who was passing by Quirino Elementary School in the city’s third district said she decided to let her four schoolchildren go home because of the strong rains and flooded streets. â€Å"I do not want to take the risk what with all the news of live electric wires falling onto innocent passers-by and having them electrocuted. I do not want that to happen to my children,’’ the parent said. Yesterday’s heavy rains also forced the cancellation of six domestic’s flight. The Media Affairs Division (MAD) of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport recorded three turn-around flight services out of Manila because of the weather disturbance, as of 12 noon yesterday; the MAD had recorded flight cancellations between Manila and Naga City as well as Mani la and Busuanga in Palawan. The management of Cebu Pacific cancelled a turn-around flight between Manila and Naga and a flight between Manila and Busuanga. At the same time, Air Philippines also cancelled a turn-around flight between Manila and Naga, with both airline companies citing bad weather as the cause of the cancellations. Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DoH) warned against the possible upsurge of leptospirosis as floods inundated parts of Metro Manila yesterday. Leptospirosis is an illness brought about by animal urine that enters the body through the eyes, nose, mouth and open wounds. Leptospirosis is characterized by flu, headache, red eyes, jaundice, and difficulty in urinating that may lead to acute kidney failure. Dialysis is usually given to those who are suffering from acute kidney failure. â€Å"Those who were exposed to contaminated flood waters get sick of leptospirosis one to two weeks later,† DoH Assistant Secretary Dr. Eric Tayag said. â€Å"Leptospirosis outbreaks after floods occur within a month and may continue for several months,† he added. According to the Disease Surveillance Report of the DoH, leptospirosis cases from January 1 to May 26 reached 1,728 which are 211.35 percent higher than cases recorded in the same period last year, 555. Cases were highest in Northern Mindanao and Western Visayas. There were 75deaths reported within the said period. â€Å"Ages of cases ranged from less than two months to 93 years old. Majority of the cases reported were males. Most of the cases belonged to the 21 to 30 years age group,† The surveillance said. â€Å"Leptospirosis has low case fatality rate. However, it changes with advancing age and may reach 20 percent more in patients with jaundice (yellowing of the skin) and kidney damage who have not been treated with renal dialysis,† the report added. Leptospirosis without complications can be treated with antibiotics for a week. Afternoon classes yesterday in Marikina City, Pasig City, Pateros and Taguig City, in both public and private elementary and high schools, have been suspended by local officials due to the continuous rains. In Marikina City, Paul Sison, chief of the city’s Public Information Office (PIO), said Mayor Del De Guzman ordered the suspension of afternoon classes in both public and private schools in pre-school, elementary and high schools in Marikina City, due to the prevailing bad weather. However, the suspension of classes in the college level was left by the local city government to the discretion of school officials. According to the PIO, there are a total of 17 public elementary schools 14 public high schools in the city. Private elementary schools numbered 50 while there are 29 private high schools in the city. The local city government added that despite the continuous rains, the water level at the Marikina River as of 9:15 a.m. Tuesday remained normal. According to the PIO, the water level at the river was 13.9 meters above sea level based on the data gathered from the alarm gauge located at Barangay Sto. Nià ±o. Meanwhile in Pasig City, classes in both elementary and high school levels were also suspended by the local city government due to rains. In Pateros and Taguig City, the schools division superintendent of public schools in both areas also declared the suspension of classes in both public elementary and high schools for the afternoon shift. Acting Malabon Mayor Antolin Oreta declared the suspension of afternoon classes in most areas brought by flooding that submerged all low-lying areas of the city yesterday. Oreta announced the suspension of classes in 16 elementary schools and two high schools in at least 14 barangays at 10 a.m. He likewise directed the local Disaster Risk and Reduction Unit to prepare for possible evacuation of families living along danger zones such as in West Riverside, Tullahan River, and Dona Juana Riverside all in Barangay Potrero.In Rizal province, the rains prompted local officials to suspend classes in schools in their respective localities yesterday. In Cainta, Mayor Ramon Ilagan ordered the suspension of afternoon classes from preparatory to high school levels for both public and private schools yesterday. The ACEM Montessori School located at Karangalan Village in Cainta suspended classes ahead of the local government’s announcement since the streets outside the school are flood-prone during heavy downpour. In Antipolo City, Mayor Danilo Leyble ordered the suspension of classes from preparatory up to high school, both private and public before noon yesterday due to heavy rains.Reli Bernardo, information officer of the Rizal provincial government, said flood-prone localities have been monitored for possible evacuation or assistance by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council upon the directive of Rizal Governor Casimiro â€Å"Jun† Ynares, III. The local disaster management teams of the respective localities have yet to receive reports of untoward incidents as a result of the heavy rains. Meanwhile, heavy rains that spawned floods in Metro Manila forced the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday to suspend work in all trial courts, the Court of Appeals, the Sandiganbayan and the Court of Tax Appeals starting at 1 p.mCourt Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez said the suspension of work was based on a directive issued by Acting Chief Justice Antonio T. Carpio. The SC suspended its work starting at 3 p.m. According to Marquez, a 2010 administrative order issued by the SC â€Å"grants executive judges of trial courts outside Metro Manila to suspend work for their employees in the absence of an announcement from the national or local government and under certain circumstances so long as it is in line with existing rules and procedure. â€Å"He said judges have been instructed to report to the SC immediately any damage that may be wrought by the bad weather on court offices, equipment and records, and injuries that may be incurred by court officials and employees. The Senate was also forced to suspend work due to the heavy rains yesterday. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile issued the order allowing employees of the upper chamber to go home early so as to avoid being trapped by floods that inundated most parts of the metropolis. Though there were no scheduled public committee hearings, Enrile advised those with transactions at the Senate to postpone their plans. The Senate also closed public assistance center yesterday. Last year, the Senate was also forced to temporarily stop work due to typhoon Pedring. —with reports from Ellalyn B. De Vera, Freddie C. Velez, Chito A. Chavez, Jenny F. Manongdo, Francis T. Wakefield, Ed Mahilum, Anjo Perez, Rey G. Panaligan, Hannah L. Torregoza, and Nel B. Andrade URL: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/364509/lgus-warned-for-late-class-suspension-announcement#.URubrWphJpx

Introduction to How PCs Work

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

Macao Job Vacancy Issues in Hospitality Industry

Macao Job Vacancy Issues in Hospitality Industry Statistic Analysis Introduction This report analyses key factors which result in vacancy issue in Macao hospitality industry with supportive statistics and information basically from 2009 to 2011. Since 2009, the influx tourist flow keeps enlarging the tourism market. [18] In 2011 every Macao labour has received at least 80 tourists. (D1) The problem is that tourist growth rate (up to15. 1% in 2010 and down to 12. 2%) has far exceeded the number of labour growth rate (1. 5% in 2010, to 3. % in 2011) of Macao, and the difference keeps becoming larger during the last three years. (D5)So Macao labor market is obviously unable to feed the tourism industry employment gradually expanding need. [2] Job vacancy issues description In 2008 to 2010 periods, the total percentage of vacancy jobs has been growing with the total amount of job offered in hospitality industry from 7% to 8% in the total 50,271 offered jobs in 2010. According to the rese arch, the hospitality job vacancy problem mainly occurred on both management position (such as company leader and senior manager) and rank-and-file position.In the same period, management position vacancies drop from 3% in 2008 and ended up with 1% in all vacancy jobs). Rank-and-file position vacancies' occupation grew from 88. 2% in 2008 to 88. 5 %( 4,099 vacancies) in 2010 among all the job vacancies. Particularly, waiter/waitress, unskilled workers vacancies takes over 95% in the rank-and-file vacancies during the three years. Reasons for job vacancy issue analysis There are two reasons cause the management position vacancy. First, limited quality of labor market.Till 2011, there are 26% of the total Macao labors are holding a college or higher educational degree, this percentage would be 15. 8% if excluded imported workers apart. [3][4]Moreover, the language skills would bring the percentage even lower, as the most regular used language is Cantonese (83. 30%), and followed by Ma ndarin(5%), and English (2. 30%) respectively in 2011. Second, the lack of international exposure, makes Macao labors less competitive in the market, because of small amount of travels and business activities outside to western ountries. As for the rank-and-file job vacancy issue, mostly owes to: lower salary, lower status, and restricted labor importing policy. Low salary, especially for waiter/waitress, unskilled workers(around MOP6000), if compare with that(about MOP10,000) (D7)of rank-and-file positions in gaming industry which owns the similar job requirement; In Macau, there are common negative attitudes toward some rank-and-file jobs, because of social status concerns.Jobs like waiter/waitress, cleaning and house keeping, is always in need. Conclusion and Recommendations In conclusion, with the rapid development of tourism industry, issues like naturally lacking of human resource(267,200 local labours[10]), limited qualified manpower[14] and restricted labor importing policy, together will affect efficiency and effectiveness of the hospitality industry.In order to solve the job vacancy issues, government on the one hand, acts as a profound role in guaranteeing the benefit and priorities for local labors, in the short term; On the other hand government has being taken step improving the education system during the years, by subsidizing application for studying professional subjects and tertiary education, [13]in the long term.Recommendations for a company, such as arranging more practical training on management concepts and skills to develop local talents for senior positions; Language training to cater to international customers and management is also an alternative; Bring in certificate recognition system could be a good way to measure competence or set standard for employment, promotion and reward. Finally, it's also the individual responsibility to making full use of the resources offered by public and private organization, get to ready for the globa l competition. Reference: [1] 4 ? 2011 2] : http://news. china. com. cn/local/2012-03/29/content_25017774. htm [3] 1. 8? http://www. macaodaily. com/html/2012-04/24/content_692714. htm [4] 13/2010 http://bo. io. gov. mo/bo/i/2010/22/regadm13_cn. asp [5]2. 6 , , ,2011 [6] http://www. bizintelligenceonline. com/content/view/229/10/lang,/ [7] http://www. newmacau. org/cms/index. php? option=com_content&view=article&id=1290:2011-06-12-04-17-20&catid=9:2009-10-14-10-38-30&Itemid=23 [8] http://www. chengpou. om. mo/news/2011/12/9/19932. html [9] ,2009 http://www. al. gov. mo/diario/l03/cs1-4/2009-120%20%2801-05%29. pdf [10] , ,2011 [11] 14 15 http://www. gov. cn/jrzg/2007-09/12/content_746039. htm [12] – http://www. dsal. gov. mo/chinese/dfpcourse. htm [13]Government to create databank for securing young talent http://www. macaudailytimes. com. mo/macau/35383-Government-create-databank-for-securing-young-talent. html [14] http://www. macaodaily. com/html/2011-12/31/content_66071 5. htm [15] http://www. acaodaily. com/html/2011-12/20/content_657692. htm [16] http://www. macaodaily. com/html/2012-03/19/content_682512. htm [17]Macao workers happier, concerns lurking http://www. macaudailytimes. com. mo/macau/34953-Macau-workers-happier-concerns-lurking. html [18]Macau's GDP growth rate slows to 20. 7 pct in 2011 http://www. macaunews. com. mo/content/view/1667/53/lang,english/ [19] http://www. dsec. gov. mo/Statistic. aspx Diagram 1: 2008~2010 ( : ) | |2008? |2009? |2010? | | |2293. 3185 |2175. 214 |2496. 5411 | | |323. 4 |323. 9 |336. 3 | [pic] : ; Diagram 2: 2009~2010 ( : ) [pic] : -2010? 11 ; 2010~2011 ( : ) [pic] : -2011? 11 ; Diagram 3: 2009~2011 ( : ) |2009? | | |? 1? |? 2? |? 3? |? 4? | | |15176 |14250 |17272 |18222 | | 9216 |7027 |9331 |10325 | | |5960 |7223 |7941 |7897 | |2010? | | |? 1? |? 2? |? 3? |? 4? | | |14860 |29878 |44460 |45585 | | |8845 |12753 |14705 |13769 | | |6015 |17125 |29775 |31816 | |2011? | | |? 1? |? 2? |? 3? |? 4? | | 47404 |52525 |64091 |60961 | | |14199 |16912 |19554 |21278 | | |33205 |35613 |44537 |39683 | : ; Diagram 4: [pic] : ; Diagram 5: [pic] | |2009? |2010? |2011? | | |-1. 00% |1. 50% |3. 80% | | |-6. 20% |15. 10% |12. 20% | Diagram 6: 2008? ~2010 ( 😕 ) | |2008? 2009? |2010? | | |6617 |6490 |6470 | | |6468 |6340 |7850 | | |5619 |6080 |6100 | | |5633 |5820 |5830 | | |10045 |10580 |10730 | | |13974 |13360 |13710 | : ; Diagram 7: 2008? ~2010 pic] : ; Diagram 8: ( : ) [pic] : ; Diagram 9: | | (? ) | (? ) | (? ) | | |15. 7(5. 0%) |13. 9(4. 3%) |14. 8(4. 4%) | | |52. 3(16. 6%) |55. 8(17. 4%) |52. 5(15. 7%) | | |172. 6(54. 7%) |177. 6(55. 5%) |189. 8(56. 6%) | | |75. 2(23. 8%) |73. 0(22. 8%) |78. 3(23. %) | | |315. 8 |320. 2 |335. 4 | : ; Diagram 11: | | : | | : | : , | | : | : , , | | : | : | | : ? 4-5 3 , | | | : , ( ) | | | : | | | : | | : | : , | | : 18-45? | : , | | : | : , | | : | : , | | : ( ) | | | : , , | | : ;

Hardvard Case: TA Answers

1. This is a good deal for HPT’s shareholders and they did it for several reasons: First of all, TA’s operating business was spun off for federal income tax considerations. To maintain its status as an REIT for tax purpose, a large majority of HPT’s gross income had to be generated from real estate rents or mortgage interest. To meet these requirements, HPT was forced to divest itself of TA’s operating business. Second, the management of HPT believed that the rental income from TA’s sites would significantly diversify its revenue stream by providing exposure to a historically recession-resistant industry that did not follow the cyclical patterns of the hotel industry. Finally, the spin-off will unlock the hidden value of TA and the shareholder of HPT will receive shares of TA. As a result, this will create value for shareholders of HPT. 2. The HPT use the spin off for several reasons: Carve-out is partial spin-off, only unlocking partial hidden value. Most of the time, an equity carve-out ultimately results in the parent company fully spinning off the subsidiary. For HPT, carve-out can’t help them to avoid tax. Sell-off means selling assets, divisions, and subsidiaries to another corporation. For HPT, since they have just acquired TA, they have no reason to sell it unless there is a bigger profit than the sum of acquisition cost and the spin-off benefit. Issuing tracking stock –no legal separation or transfer of assets from HPT to TA First, issuing tracking stock will dilute the shareholders’ ownership. Instead, new spun off stock has no equity claim on the assets or cash flows of the old parent company (HTP). Second, for tax consideration, issuing tracking stock won’t help HPT to avoid tax. Third, overvalued market moods. if the investors are over-optimistic about the industry of TA, HPT can take advantage of it and have higher capital gain. But there is no evidence that investors have such mood about the TA industry. 3. Number of shares outstanding = 8628425(Exhibit 4), price per share=29 Equity value = shares outstanding * price= $250224325. There is no debt for new TA, cash equals $213205000 (Exhibit 7) Capital lease obligation = $105252000 (Exhibit 7). EV=Equity value+ debt (short+ long)-cash (and equivalents)+capital lease obligation= $142271325= $142. 27 (MM) The HPT gives $213 million to TA in order to cover up real estate properties and help TA to run its business without increasing leverage ratio. Also, it can help create better balance sheet, thus facilitating publicly trading and decreasing default risk by and large. 4. What is the fair value of one share of New-TA? 1) Multiple valuation method We use Pantry (PTRY) as comparable firm from three comparable firms. Because Pantry has a similar business model as New-TA, it leases most of its stores for operation instead of owning them (it owns 368 stores, but leases 1125 stores). Nevertheless, the other two firms own most of their stores, so they are excluded from our selection. Thus, EV/EBITDA=7. 1(data for 2007) Post-acquisition depreciation $18029000(Exhibit 9) P ost-acquisition EBIT $14936000(Exhibit 9) EBITDA = $32965000. (Exhibit 9) Based on our multiple valuations using 7. 1 times of EBITDA multiple, the fair value of New-TA is 234. 05(MM) Equity Value= EV- debt + cash – Capital lease obligation= $341. 99(MM) Price per share= $341. 99mm/8628425= $39. 64 2) DCF method (see Excel) 5. After the spin-off, New-TA has no debt outstanding so that it is easy to finance in the future operation. On top of that, the company’s leverage is low, which decreases the default risk of the company by and large. HPT retains its real estate and gives its operating business to the New TA, hoping that the New TA could focus on the its strong point and develop more aggressively in the market. Besides, there will generate some tax beneficial due to the spin-off transaction, which increases net income of the company. In addition, gross margins of New-TA are incredibly high, encouraging the company to grow at a faster speed and generate large amount of gross profits.