Computer Communications & Networks Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Computer Communications & Networks - Lab Report Example The devices are called end devices or more correctly hosts; which are either the destinations or sources of information transmitted via a network so accessing a network or site remotely involves three elements; a source or sender, a destination and a medium which is the channel through which the data is transmitted. The data transmitted can be in the form of text, graphics, voice or video which are converted into a language the computer understands called binary bits (data is transmitted as a zero or a one: 0I). The bits are then ‘programmed’ or coded into signals or data packets that can be transmitted through a medium over a network. Now sending data as one continuous stream will mean that no other data or devices can use the medium while the data is being transmitted just like a pipeline; if it is delivering gasoline, it cannot at the same time deliver liquid petroleum gas; so the data is broken into smaller packets; a process called segmentation which allows many dif ferent data to be transmitted concurrently, this is called multiplexing and segmenting data enhances network reliability so data is not lost easily whenever a break in communication occurs (â€Å"3rd Symposium on Networked Systems design and Implementation (NSDI’06), San Jose, California†). ... The one used for internet communication is called TCP/IP stack which contains four layers; Application protocols layer that is defined to applications like WWW, or FTP (File Transfer Protocol), a transmission control protocol which is responsible for directing packets of data to specific computers by using a port number. It also has an internet protocol layer that directs data bits to destinations using the IP addresses of the computers and a hardware layer that converts data into data streams or signals such as the network cards or modems. An instruction flows from the sender (computer) from the application to the transfer control protocol then to the internet protocol and finally to the hardware protocol that converts the bits of information into signals transmitted through a medium through the internet. On reaching the destination computer, the signals are converted back to binary bits through the hardware layer then to the internet protocol layer then to transfer protocol layer a nd then to the application such as a web server software. The internet is made up of many big networks called Network Service providers (NSPs0 connected together in a peer standard. The NSPs exchange data packets with each other and must connect to three network access points (NAPs) and at metropolitan Area Exchanges (MAEs) both of which are called internet exchange points (IXs). Information is then sent around these networked computers to its destinations by routers which contain information tables and switch data packets to the right destination (Serpanos and Wolf 292-302) As soon as one types the web address to be accessed into a web browser (a web browser is a program that is used for internet applications and

Writing the result section of a research paper Statistics Project

Writing the result section of a research paper - Statistics Project Example With regard to the distance walked without an assistive device, the mean distance covered in meters was 283.3 while the mean of the distance covered with an assistive device being 296.63.The mean for VAS 1 was 55.3 while the mean for VAS 2 was 43.43 The question relates to the use of paired sample T-Test and aims to answer the question â€Å"Is walking with the device less fatiguing than walking without the device? .This is achieved by comparing the VAS instead of 6 MWT distance. Chart 1 shows the mean differences of VAS. As shown in chart 1, the mean fatigue for the 6MWT distance for subjects without an assistive device is higher (55.0) compared to the one for those with an assistive device (43.43).This result points out that it is less fatiguing to walk with the assistive device because the p value following the paired sample T-test for VAS is significant at 0.00.Again this is below the 0.05 significance level. The second question to be answered is â€Å"Did the subjects walk further with assistive device? and the task also requires the use of a paired sample T-test. A paired sample T-test comparison points out that the mean distance covered with an assistive device is higher compared to that covered with a non assistive device(as shown in table 1). The P value got from the paired sample T-test is 0.03 and it is considered significant for it is below the 0.05 level. The means for distance 1(without an assistive device) and distance 2 (with an assistive device) are 283.30 and 296.63 respectively. The percentage difference of these means is shown in chart 2

Identify The Needs And Expectation Of Individual Stakeholder Management Essay

Identify The Needs And Expectation Of Individual Stakeholder Management Essay Organizations change constantly, a projects stakeholder set will change as stakeholder change roles within the organization, move into different roles or leave the organization to take up roles in other organizations. For whatever reason, the ability of individual stakeholder to influence the project may increase or decrease. Most project management methodologies define ways to identify project stakeholder, and then base their entire communications strategies on this initial, and only, identification. Many projects fail because stakeholders do not continue to support the vision or objectives of the project. In many cases this is because the team does not recognize changes in the relative power or position of key stakeholder and fails to make appropriate adjustments in their stakeholder management activities. This study reported upon in this paper is focused on support for project managers in building and maintaining relationships with project stakeholder. This is accomplished through using a practical methodology that allows the project team to identify and priorities the projects stakeholder and then stakeholders needs of the project to develop an appropriate relationship management strategy. The underlying assumption for this research is the stakeholder management is extremely difficult, the project manager and his/her project team members must identify, engage and sustain relationships with a diverse set of groups and individuals (including themselves) who can impact the project in many ways. STAKEHOLDER According to Freemans (1984: pg.25 and pg 26) stakeholder view of the firm instrumentally defines a stakeholder as Any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the firms objectives and he suggested that there is a need for integrated approaches for dealing with multiple stakeholder on multiple issues While Freeman framed and demarcated stakeholder as elements of corporate strategic planning. Stakeholders are persons or group who are directly or indirectly affected by a project, as well as those who may have interest in a project and/or the ability to influence its outcome, either positively, or negatively. Stakeholders may include locally affected communities or individuals and their formal and informal representatives, national or local government authorities, politicians, religious leaders, civil society organizations and groups with special interests, the academic community, or other business. The stake that each of these different individuals or groups has in project or investment will vary, for example, there may be people directly affected by the potential environmental or social impacts of a project. Others may be resident in another country altogether, but wish to communicate their concerns or suggestions to the project company. Then there are those who might have great influence over the project, such as government regulators, political or religious leaders, and others active in the local community. There are also stakeholders who, because of their knowledge or stature, can contribute positively, for example, by acting as an honest broker in mediation relationships. TYPES OF STAKEHOLDER Stakeholder is classified as being either internal or external to the firm. They are either part of the business itself, or are influenced by it. There are many groups who are stakeholders inside and outside of a firm who have an interest in its operation, and obviously its survival. The diagram below shows the different stakeholders. Internal stakeholders: are (ones from within an organization) individual, group or business with a vested interest (a stake) in the success of an organization is considered to be a stakeholder. A stakeholder will generally be someone who is concerned with an organization delivering intended results and meeting its financial objectives External stakeholders: are (outside organization) individuals, group or business with a vested interest (a stake) in the success of an organization is considered to be a stakeholder. A stakeholder will generally be someone who is concerned with an organization delivering intended results and meeting its financial objectives. From the table below, Internal stakeholders may have different objectives and level of risk. Stakeholder Objective Risk Shareholders (may be companies not people) Dividend income Small, if investment is part of the portfolio of shares owned. Directors executive Income and power Higher, but may have many directorships, and savings. Directors non-executive Many, depending why they are there. Gives some income. May well be small, smaller than that of executive directors. Managers Income Higher than Directors but lower than that of workers. Workers Continuation of job. Earnings to pay the cost of living High. No job = no income. Jobs may be hard to get. THE IMPORTANCE OF STAKEHOLDERS Stakeholders are those groups, individuals, and parties that are directly affected by the practices of an organization and therefore have a stake in the organizations performance. Some of the common stakeholders in an organization are customers, employees, investors, suppliers, local communities, etc. one of the importance of stakeholders is that a stakeholder can provide feedback to a companys performance. The critical importance of stakeholder engagement and alignment of their goals and vision has been well established (Cooke-Davies 2000, Christensen and Walker 2003). By providing more project manager with a methodology and a tool to better visualize stakeholder potential impact, it is possible to ensure a greater set of potential responses of project manager to the environment they need to operate in (Cooke-Davies 2000, p 211) Stakeholder engagement is a formal process of relationship management through which companies, industries or project engage with a set of stakeholder in an effort to align their mutual interest, to reduce risk and to advance the organizations economic advantage. Manila Water Company Organizational Point of view: (e.g.) From its inception in 1997, Manila Water Company in the Philippians has sought to have a proactive and open relationship with its stakeholders, including customers, local NGOs and government. Good stakeholder relationship are viewed as being fundamental to the core business of the company, which is to provide clean, safe water and sewage services to approximately half of manilas population. When Manila Water acquired the east concession from the government operator, it launched a walk the line program in which all company staff from managers to district level representatives visit their customers, including residents of informal settlements, to consult with them on the delivery of these essential services to their community. As a result of this engagement and other initiatives, Manila Water has significantly improved its service delivery. Between 2004 and 2006, the percentage of household having a 24-hour water supply jumped from 26% to 95%. At t he same time, water losses from the system were reduced from 63% to 35.5%. From 325,000 households served at start of 2004, there were more than 1,000,000 in 2006, including over 848,000 urban poor. The companys proactive stakeholder engagement strategy has also led to a number of partnerships that have benefited local communities, including housing reconstruction for habitat for humanity and micro-financing to start small business through the bank of Philippine islands. Manila Water has established engagement plans for key NGO stakeholders, the media, and investors that include quarterly dialogues and visits to the companys sustainable development and community projects. HOW TO ENGAGE AND MANAGE STAKEHOLDER STRATEGY Stakeholder engagement can improve long-term viability and benefits significantly by improving decision-making, understanding and accountability (Hughes and Demetrius, 2006, p.95) Due to the size and scale of our company, as well as the nature of our business, ConocoPhillips stakeholders have unique and evolving expectations. We proactively engage with them to learn their expectations of us, and then incorporate what we learn into our business plans and actions. This process fosters an environment of trust and mutual respect. Through work with industry associations, participation in multi-sector forums, and dialogue with socially responsible investors, were gaining diverse and valuable perspectives as we continuously improve our sustainable development programs and initiatives. ConocoPhillips stakeholder engagement activities are an integral part of the sustainable development commitments. The major businesses have engagement strategies which vary according to the nature of the local community. In dispersed communities, it identifies key stakeholders and engages with them face-to-face to ensure that the activities are understood and that could consider the feedback. In regions where there are opportunities to bring local stakeholders together, they work with multi-stakeholder groups in a similar way. Proactively identify and seek out key stakeholders early in the business endeavour.à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬ Include these key stakeholders in the design and implementation of the engagement process. Listen in order to understand stakeholders interests, concerns and culture. Communicate openly. Seek solutions that create mutually beneficial business and engagement approaches that also build long-term value for both the company and our stakeholders. Follow through on our commitments and stand accountable for the results, both internally and externally. We engage with stakeholders in variety of ways, for example: Customers: by carrying out a regular customer satisfaction surveys and review feedback from a range of third party surveys. Also to give customers the opportunity to provide feedback directly to stores and via customer service helps line. Employees: by having an open and honest corporate culture, and carrying out regular employee satisfaction surveys. Suppliers: by having a regular communication with its suppliers Communities and NGOs: by engaging with a wide range of local, national and international associations, organizations and NGOs, and local and national government, the municipalities of the communities they serve. Shareholder: by participating in various road shows for socially responsible investment (RSI), at which multinational investors are present. Stakeholders have important and sometimes different priorities. As an organization, there is a need to identify the key stakeholder that is relevant to the business organization activities. And these are the customers, employees, suppliers, communities, NGOs, and shareholders. Many stakeholder engagement activities currently occur at operating level; there is always a plan to aim at an increase activities at group level and also to discuss the progress of the business and implement a future strategy. Benefits of stakeholder engagement Stakeholder benefits Company benefits Reputation Reputation Innovation employee motivation and competence project outputs competitive advantage/innovation access to resources risk management social capital (networks, local knowledge) social capital (networks, local knowledge) Competitive advantage/innovation Several companies supported the view that stakeholder engagement can help create a competitive advantage (Porter and Kramer, 2002; Harting et al, 2006). One respondent noted that weve gone 100% Fair-trade on our bananas and have committed to do the same with tea big strategic changes like that take a lot of planning and create real points of difference that are difficult to copy (Sainsburys). Engaging stakeholders has also been seen as a way of inspiring business innovation: were a big business but we dont have all the answers its good to listen to other people and develop new solutions Marks Spencer DESCRIBE THE ROLES 0F THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS BY ANALYSISNG DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES Commonly cited techniques for informing deliberation through stakeholder involvement Public hearings: Regulated, formal arrangements for times and places at which members of the general public and other types of stakeholders can give evidence or question public authorities about decisions under consideration. Deliberative polling: Like opinion polling, but collects views after persons have been introduced to the issue and have thought about it. Meant to give an indication of what people would think if they had the time and information to consider the issue (instead of reacting cold). Includes a feedback session, sometimes with a high media profile (e.g. broadcast by television along with documentary inserts) Focus groups: Small groups of invited or recruited persons discuss a theme or proposal; provides insight on their reactions, values, concerns and perspectives, and an indication of how group dynamics influence opinions. Citizen advisory groups: Small groups of persons who represent various interests or expertise (e.g. community leaders) meet on a regular or ad hoc basis to discuss concerns and provide informed input. Consultative groups: Forums that call together key representatives of civil society (NGOs and CSOs), economic and political spheres, to make policy recommendations and to improve the ongoing dialogue between these actors Nominal group process: A structured group interaction technique designed to generate a prioritized list of high-quality ideas within two hours or less. It is particularly helpful for setting goals, defining obstacles, and gathering creative responses to a particular question. Multi-actor policy workshops: Small groups mixing key stakeholders and technical experts, aimed at collecting a range of viewpoints on what are the important question raised by the dialogue issue. These may allow an innovative view of the problem to emerge, along with new approaches to its solution. It is not necessary or practical to engage with all stakeholder groups with the same level of intensity all of the time. Being clear on whom you are engaging with and why will save both time and money. This requires prioritizing your stakeholders and, depending on who they are and what their interests are, figuring out the most appropriate ways to engage. Stakeholder analysis will assist in this prioritization by assessing the significance of the project to each stakeholder group from their perspective, and vice versa. It is important to keep in mind that the project is dynamic and that both stakeholders and their interests might change over time. For example, some stakeholders will be more affected by a particular stage of a project. You may now have a long list of people and organizations that are affected by your project. Some of these may have the power either to block or advance it. Some may be interested in what you are doing, others may not care. You can map out your stakeholders on a Power/Interest Grid as shown in Figure 1, and classify them by their power over and interest in project. Power/Interest Grid for Stakeholder Prioritisation For example, your boss is likely to have high power and influence over your projects and high interest. Your family may have high interest, but are unlikely to have power over it. The position on the grid shows you the actions you have to take with the stakeholder: High power, high interest: these are the stakeholders you must fully engage with, and make the greatest efforts to satisfy. High power, less interest: put enough work in with these stakeholders to keep them satisfied, but not so much that they become bored with your message. Low power, high interest: keep these stakeholders adequately informed, and talk to them to ensure that no major issues are arising. These stakeholders can often be very helpful with the detail of your project. Low power, less interest: monitor these stakeholders but do not bore them with excessive communication. Internal stakeholders: Directors: may be executive or non-executive ones. They are appointed by the shareholders to look after their interest. Shareholders: are the owners of plcs (public limited companies) or private limited companies. Managers: will include the executive directors. When they are running the company they are managers. Essentially managers are the [people within a firm responsible for planning and directing the work of a group of individuals and monitoring their work. Worker: These are all the non-managerial/supervisory people that work in a firm. External stakeholder Central government: firms supply the central government with a large part of its income. They can influence their decisions, though, especially if they are large and powerful. Locality: firms create employment and income for the community. Employees spend in shops etc. creating more jobs. There is a multiplying effect from this income. They may cause pollution and other problems causing potential conflict of interest. Pressure groups: this may b e stakeholders if they are affected directly or indirectly by the actions of a firm. Local communities, for instance, may form a pressure group to prevent a firm from expanding its premises or even setting up in the first place. Customers: customers have an obvious interest in the survival and efficiency of the firm. They want the product at the best price and quality possible. Suppliers: suppliers have an obvious interest in the survival and efficiency of the firm. They want the product to sell so they get the orders from materials etc. Competitors: competitors have an interest in the survival of the firm. Its failure may help them (more market share available), but so may their survival. (Monopoly markets are not as good as they seem. New technology firm need competitors to help with the marketing and market development.) Local government: films are part of the locality so interface with the government. They supply income (business tax) and need services. (Planning, health, fire, police) Also, Secondary stakeholders may play key roles in managing conflict by: Information gathering and analysis providing technical support, obtaining or advising on information, participating in the search for views on possible solutions, or increasing the acceptability of various outcomes; Advocacy working alongside weaker parties to build a transparent process, or helping the wider political arena to work towards greater equity; Intermediating acting as mediators between other conflicting groups; Monitoring and enforcement ensuring compliance with agreements by helping to enforce any that are broken. Secondary stakeholders can be effectively involved without including them directly in formal negotiations. For example, they can take part in focus group meetings, advisory or working groups, surveys or interviews, and community meetings. USE RACI ANALYSIS TO CLEARIFY STAKEHOLDER MAPPING AND TECHNIQUE: by Value Based Management.net Last updated Apr 17th, 2012 RACI Analysis: The RACI model is a relatively straightforward tool that can be used for identifying roles and responsibilities during an organizational change process. After all, transformation processes do not process themselves; people have to do something to make the process happen. Therefore it is useful to describe what should be done by whom to make a transformation process happen. Instead of the term RACI, sometimes also the terms RASCI or RASIC are used. RASCI is an abbreviation for: R= Responsible owns the problem or project A= to whom R is Accountable who must sign off (approve) on work before it is effective S = can be Supportive can provide resources or can play a supporting role in implementation C= to be consulted has information and/or capability necessary to complete the work I= to be Informed must be notified of results, but need not to be consulted The techniques is typically supported by an RACI chart (see figure) which helps to dearly discuss, agree and communicate the roles and responsibilities. Typical steps in a RACL process: Identify all the processes / activities involved. Identify all of the roles. Identify who has the RASCI for each process. Every process should preferably have one and only one R as a general principle. Resolve overlaps. Resolve gaps. Responsibility matrix that helps to clarify the who-does-what on the virtual team.   While working with a team recently I realized that RACI is often confused with a similar tool called a stakeholder analysis.   Whats a stakeholder?   In the case of telework, a stakeholder is any individual, group or organization that can have a significant impact on or can be significantly impacted by the telework initiative.   A stakeholder analysis is a process to align the political aspects of the organization  to the needs and goals of telework.   The success of a telework program can be influenced by many factors.   As many studies have pointed out, some of the biggest hurdles in telework are management resistance, organizational culture, and communication.   A stakeholder analysis can help overcome these barriers by forcing the implementation team to identify all the potential parties and individuals that can positively or negatively influence the initiative and then develop strategies to align those stakeholders. Creating a stakeholder analysis is simple.   Heres how to do it step by step: First, identify the individuals or groups that qualify as stakeholders (you can list them in the first column).   Next, identify whether they are resistant, supportive, or neutral in regards to the telework implementation.   I have colored coded mine (red, green, yellow) to make it stand out more.   Some teams like to use a scale of 1 5 to add in categories of very resistant to very supportive. In this step you will identify the issues or reasons that explain the stakeholders position.   If they are resistant, why are they resistant? Once the team labels the stakeholders position, they can use the same scale described in Step 2 to list where they need the stakeholder to be.   This step will help you prioritize where to focus some of your communication and change management efforts.   For example, you may have stakeholders that are neutral to the initiative but they are not vital stakeholders and as long as they are not resistant, then there is no need to focus on them.   Lastly, for the stakeholders the team needs to align, the team can identify the specific strategies to employ to get them onboard.   Additional columns can be added to assign specific team members to the strategies and due dates. So whats the difference between the stakeholder analysis and a RACI?   Both are living documents and can be used to help increase intra-organization communication.   However, the RACI is typically used to determine who-does-what while the stakeholder analysis helps get various people or organizations onboard with the initiative.   Like the RACI, there are may variations to the stakeholder analysis.   Some practitioners like to add an additional column to help prioritize stakeholders, such as level of impact the stakeholder might have.   Other matrices can be get more elaborate by adding additional columns for identifying root causes to certain issues or specifics of the communication plan (i.e. frequency, medium, etc.).   My advice is to keep it simple.   The intent, not the table, is what is important.   Successful telework implementations depend on managing a number of stakeholders.   Getting them aligned at the onset and keeping them onboard is key and can be done with a little forethought. Analysis for each stakeholder: Are there too many Rs:  Does one stakeholder have too much of the project assigned to them? No empty cells:  Does the stakeholder need to be involved in so many of the activities? Can Responsible be changed to Consulted, or Consulted changed to Informed? I.e., are there too many cooks in this kitchen to keep things moving? (And if so, what does that say about the culture within which this project is being managed?) Buy-in:  Does each stakeholder totally agree with the role that they are specified to play in this version of the model? When such agreement is achieved, that should be included in the projects charter and documentation. Analysis for each PLC step or deliverable: No Rs:  Who is doing the work in this step and getting things done? Whose role is it to take the initiative? Too many Rs:  Is this another sign of too many cooks in this kitchen to keep things moving? No As:  Who is Accountable? There must be one A for every step of the PLC. One stakeholder must be Accountable for the thing happening the buck stops with this person. More than one A:  Is there confusion on decision rights? Stakeholders with accountability have the final say on how the work should be done and how conflicts are resolved. Multiple As invite slow and contentious decision-making. Every box filled in:  Do all the stakeholders really need to be involved? Are there justifiable benefits in involving all the stakeholders, or is this just covering all the bases? A lot of Cs:  Do all the stakeholders need to be routinely Consulted, or can they be kept Informed and raise exceptional circumstances if they feel they need to be Consulted? Too many Cs in the loop really slows down the project. Are all true stakeholders included in this model:  Sometimes this is more of a challenge to ensure, as its an error of omission. This is often best addressed by a steering committee or management team.

CONVERGE :: Essays Papers

None Provided15 CONVERGE Converge is an exhibition on at the South Australian Art Gallery between March 2nd until March 30th. The exhibition profiles a selection of work from Australian artists. Our perceptions are challenged as we explore the nexus between art, science and technology. Combining technology and science with art. Ranging from bioethics to the environment to robotics. The exhibition is based on research and discovery. Australian artists have met the challenge merging art and science together producing work that is contemporary a journey for us all to take. Converge artists are engaged in critical debates helping to fusing social and political issues. Converge symposium (at the Adelaide Festival 2002 and online) is an opportunity to express and share opinions on the many issues Converge brings up. Just how could you bring together Art, science and technology? The artists of Converse have done just this admirably. The works have been produced using many different mediums, exploring cutting edge research. One project named Pig Wings created by Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr uses semi-living tissues to create three dimensional tissue sculptures. In the last five years the artists have grown semi-living objects, by culturing cells on artificial scaffolds. The ultimate goal of this work is to culture and sustain for long periods, tissue sculptures thus creating a whole new artistic palette. The semi-living objects consist of both synthetic materials and living organic matter. This particular project used pig’s marrow stem cells in order to grow three sets of wings. The use of living cell and tissues for artistic purposes has created concerns. It blurs the boundaries between what we consider acceptable and what is not. There has been much debate recently in regard to the use of human embryonic stem cells. These cells could potentially help millions of people, but governments and churches that say it is not ethical to use â€Å"potential† human beings have blocked the use of them. This project could help to challenge our perceptions about the use of stem cells. A piece of work completely different from Pig Wings is Ngurrara Canvas by the Mangkaja artists. This work is a collorative effect with each of the artists painting his or her own piece of country. The piece is eight metres by ten metres and maps the lands that form part of the Great Sandy Desert. The main intention behind the work was political but the artists have worked well together blending each area so as to create a seamless whole.

Oh, What a Lovely Pair!

Another drop of sweat dropped down my forehead and off the end of my nose as my eyes moved vigorously behind my dark shades. â€Å"Oh what a lovely pair!† I thought to myself, however I seemed to have thought out loud rather than to myself. My curious wife, who was lying on her sun bed next to me queried: â€Å"A lovely pair of what?† â€Å"A lovely pair of sunglasses, they are great at keeping out the glare.† I was getting rather bored on his sunbathing outing to the beach, so I decided to take some money out of the wife's purse and head up towards the main town, where I could have a beverage and possibly a bite to eat. To get up towards the bars and restaurants I had to cross over a main and very busy road, there were always mopeds rushing by, not even giving you the slightest of chances to cross over. Even though there are plenty of zebra crossings throughout the resort's roads, I think that the locals just assume that the black and white stripes across the street are a nice decoration. Finally I managed to get to the other side of the mad obstacle. It would have been a good twenty-minute stroll up past some tacky old souvenir shops until I reached the exciting part of the holiday resort. Another drop of sweat dropped down my forehead and off the end of my nose as my eyes moved vigorously behind my dark shades. â€Å"Oh what a lovely pair†¦I'll have to get hold of them.† I thought to myself while looking in a shoe shop, at the young lady on the till. Unfortunately, I must have thought a little on the loud side. An elderly lady, who was stood behind my asked: â€Å"A lovely pair of what?† So I replied, â€Å"A lovely pair of moccasins, I'm sure they would keep out the rain, and not rub your feet the first time you wear them!† I continued with my trip, from the shops to the main shopping centre of the holiday resort. There were lots of clothes and designer gear in these shops; they were the upper class stores of the Spanish town. I fancied a new pair of trousers as the ones that I was wearing were a little on the small side and were beginning to go a little on the shiny side, a bit like the tradition of schoolboy's trousers, short and shiny. I started to browse each designer store, on my search for a new pair of nice looking trousers, within my tight price range of course. I certainly could not afford any of the clothes in these upper class shops; I come from a lower class household back home in England. I thought to myself, â€Å"I can't be dreaming about these clothes, I've got to look for a respectful charity shop such as Oxfam or even Scope.† But then I realised that we are in Spain here, not England. I was sure that in this foreign country they wouldn't know what I was on about if I asked directions for a charity shop! I decided that it would be a good idea to give the local bookshop a small visit to purchase a Spanish phrase book. So I headed towards the book shop, that wasn't too far away from where I was, just a couple of hundred yards away from the designer shops in this shopping mall. I arrived at the shop and noticed that it was closed for lunch, but it reopened within five minutes. So I went to buy a sandwich from across the way. I sat down on a relatively new bench that was situated right outside of the bookshop, munching away at the sandwich. I came across quite a few grizzly and rather chewy bits of ham, they were spat straight out. By the time I had finished eating what could have been eaten of the sandwich, the bookshop was open. I entered the shop and asked the sales assistant whether he sold phrase books. He spoke perfect English, so this task was not too much trouble for me at all. I followed the man to what seemed like an educational section of the shop. He picked up a phrase book off the shelf and gave it to me to have a look. I decided to buy the book I paid in cash. I exited the posh shopping mall and headed up towards the small, tacky old souvenir shops. I took the same route as earlier on. I came across a young man, who looked well educated; he was in a business suit with a lovely pair of trousers on. I was going to ask him where he bought his trousers, but then noticed what a silly thing that would be. I could have asked him where the nearest charity shop was, but he would have thought that I was a scruff or something, in the end I decided to just ask the man for the time. I was trying to pick someone out of the passing crowd who was normal looking, and not an over-paid businessman. After a good five minutes of searching I decided to approach an old lady, she was wearing some old and tatty clothes, to be honest, they looked as though they were bought from some kind of charity shop or car boot sale. So I caught eye contact with the lady and asked, â€Å"Hay una tienda caridad por aqui?† Which in English means, â€Å"is there a charity shop around here?† The lady replied, â€Å"Si, esta a la derecha† which means, â€Å"Yes, it's on the right.† So I looked to my right and there it was, a small charity shop, not up to as good as a standard as the ones home in England, but it still sold the same type of goods and proceedings went to a charity in the local area. As it was very hot outside, I dedicated myself to purchasing a pair of Hawaiian shorts rather than a nice pair of trousers. I tried them on in the fitting room, they were slightly loose and baggy, but this didn't bother me as I had heard my nephew talking about how good it is to have baggy shorts, I thought that these would pull the girls and would be a cool fashion accessory. I walked over, in a cool way to the counter; I looked in the mirror and said to myself â€Å"Wow baby, you look sexy in those!† I pointed to the phrase in my phrase book that translated to â€Å"How much?† and I was pretty much surprised at the cheapness of the garment, 250 pesetas, that is around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 in English money. I handed over the money and the lady gave me a used plastic bag to put my old trousers in. I exited the shop. As I started to walk up towards the bars and restaurants, in my cool stroll, I got the impression that people were pointing and laughing at me. I soon realised that there was one huge draft coming in from the rear end of my new shorts, there was a great big hole in the back of them. No wonder they were so cheap! I started to go excessively red in the cheeks, I felt like curling up into a small ball and going into none-existence. Looking for a public toilet, the draft was becoming increasingly gusty. I found a nice little local cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, so I thought that I would give the toilet a bit of custom, while I made a quick change of pants. The bar was full of locals; they greeted me in a warm fashion, until I walked past them, towards the toilet. The whole place just burst out with laughter. Not pleased with the fact that people could humiliate me in such a way, I locked the door behind me and got changed as soon as possible. Another drop of sweat dripped down my forehead and off the end of my nose as my eyes moved vigorously behind my dark shades. â€Å"Oh what a lovely pair!† I celebrated at the top of my voice. I had learnt my lesson the hard way, â€Å"Don't buy items from foreign charity shops ever, ever again, at least if you don't want to be ripped off. I ran out of the local cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ and headed towards some English bars. I ordered a large Scotch. After my session in the bar, I flagged down a taxi from the main road and took a ride back to the beach. There was my angry wife, she had the properties of a raging bull, and some Germans had stolen our sun beds by draping their towels over them while she was bathing. â€Å"Where have you been? I've been worried out of my mind.† My curious, hag of a wife asked. So I looked at her with a frustrated expression on my face. I produced the dodgy pair of shorts from the used plastic bag that the lady in the shop had given to me. My wife asked, â€Å"What is wrong with those? They look fine to me.† â€Å"What? I asked furiously. â€Å"These shorts have me more bother in the last couple of hours than you have since our marriage, it is unbelievable.† My wife still couldn't see the ‘slight' imperfection in the garment, so I decided to point it out to her. â€Å"Now do you see what is wrong with them?† The look on her face was outstanding, I wish I had my two for the price of one disposable camera with me; it would have made a great picture for her fiftieth birthday in the local newspaper. We both laughed together, she still brings that point up now, twenty years on. I should never have stayed with this woman; I should have approached the babe on the beach earlier on, or even the stunner in the shoe shop for that matter! Another drop of sweat dripped down my forehead and off the end of my nose as my eyes moved vigorously behind my dark shades†¦

Madame Bovary and the Religious Significance

Gina GarifoIntro to the Novel Prof SestoWriting Assignment #1 Madame Bovary and the Religious Significance Madame Bovary, a novel by Flaubert’s was filled with many different consequences to all sorts of actions, unmoral and disgraceful acts; especially for Emma. The majority of Emma's life is filled with sin; she is an adulterous, lying woman who ends up taking her own life. Her life is disgrace as well as a mockery of religion. She starts off as a Christian. From a young age , Emma is in a convent- but that was the beginning.Emma is captured by the fantasies she reads in novels, and she wants that life, no matter what. Emma marries Charles because at the time she thinks he is her way out of small town life and the way to became like a character in one of her novels. Later she is driven by her own selfishness into two separate loves affairs, and when those end badly she turns to her religion, because of the fear of God punishment to those who do not abide by his laws. Monsieu r Bournisien was sought out by Emma, and the priest seemed to laugh off Emma problem and perceived it as â€Å"small† and said other have worse problems.He really didn’t have any heavenly advice for her.. The multiple love affairs are a disgrace according to the catholic faith, and until the affair were over Emma didn’t think of God once. Once she was devastated and hurt she turned to her faith. She called up the priest for communion and described it as a new life, and how she can feel the presence of the holy lord. This vision she dreamt of stayed with her and she recalled it as such a beautiful thing Russell’s writings express that religion is based on fear, and in Emma case this is entirely true.Emma only turned to her faith when all other options were exerted. This novel relates to his experts in more than one way. The writing express that fear is what drives people to religion, but more and more people are making their own choices in lives, based on the person. This writing should have been written to Emma herself, because this is exactly what she does. She doesn’t look to god for answers; she makes her own, which ultimately caused her to have two love affairs, lie and cheat and end up taking her own life.