A Horrid Memory Essay Example for Free

A Horrid Memory Essay My sweaty palms ran through-out the thin strands of my hair as I tried to comfort myself for just a single moment. I felt scared, almost terrified as the screams of my nightmare echoed in my ears and made my head throb. Almost never did I have such vivid dreams, and when I did, I never remembered them the next day. Nevertheless, I dont think that Ill ever be able to make amends with my darkest memories and reliving situations that scarred my childhood and eventually my life, can never be forgotten. All I can do is go back and ask what this version of myself could have done to avoid or even confront the situations and events. Around me, there were four chairs, each one with a primary colors: blue, red, green and yellow, around the circular, light wooden table, and of course, I was in one of them. In front of me, was my mother, who had a slim and petite figure, dark brown hair, as well as matching brown eyes and tanned skin; she was feeding the birthday girl, who was a 1 year toddler. Next to me was my six year old sister, and she had pale skin with orange colored freckles, almond shaped eyes and chestnut hair. On the right side of the table, was my stepfather, who was visibly, a few drinks from drunk, and you could notice it by the scent coming out of his mouth and his blood shot eyes. He was also pale, freckles everywhere and bold eyes that made little statement thanks to his glasses. I was about thirteen years old, and I can still recall the smell of a hot and cheesy plate of macaroni, and each bite that I took of it was better than the one before. But I was so focused in my delicious food, that I hadnt realized the silence that crept over the entire table. Feeling like there was an absence of a healthy family conversation, I tried to create a conversation â€Å"So.. What did you guys do today? † I said, feeling my eyes were full of excitement and content, food always had that effect on me. Four pairs of eyes were staring at me, and I began to drop my fork as I saw my stepfather placing a knife against his five-o-clock shadow. Everyone in the table stared at him, and I immediately started to feel uncomfortable. â€Å"Is it true what Isabel told me? † His voice was cold, dark and had a sense of hidden humor, it felt like a horror movie. Our eyes then shifted towards Isabel, my little sister, and she looked like she had just fallen into a hole and had no idea how to get out of it. â€Å"She told me that you guys didnt love me, you guys didnt want me. † He spoke once again with the same tone, and at first, I thought he was joking, so I laughed but then I was rewarded with a deadly glare, which let me know that he wasnt joking. The air around the room got thin, and I could feel the walls trying to suffocate me. My mom, knowing he was drunk, had an annoyed expression planted on her face. â€Å"No, we never said that, now finish up your plate. I think its time for you to go to bed. † She usually had pretty low tolerance with drunk people, and her husband was no exception. I think that the only one that wasnt in tension, was my 1 year old sister, Dianelle because she couldnt understand dialogue, what we were saying. He shoved the plate from the edge of the table, and soon after, I heard it smash against the ground. After being well aware about what was going to happen next, I took Dianelle into my arms and let my mother handle the situation before I said anything that would make him angrier. Nelson, my stepfather, got up from his chair and went to the kitchen cabinets to get something and when he turned around, he had a jalapeno mixed with DonQ spice in his hand. â€Å"You know what happens when you lie to me? You get jalapeno in your mouth. † He must have been mentally sick, because he was actually laughing. As a result of the emitted screams, yells and pleading for him to stop, the police came and took him away, right after he took out the butcher knife. In those three months that he wasnt around, it had probably been the most peaceful moments that my mother and my sisters spent together, we were even closer. The house was calm, the flowers smelled better and I didnt feel in danger or threatened while he was gone. But he eventually came back, and my mom accepted him, with the excuse of a face that he always made, opening his eyes widely and puckering his lips, trying to make a puppy dog face and he always got everyone to laugh. Ive learned that no matter how much you love someone, theyre never worth hurting the rest of the people around you, that love you.

A&P Queenie perspective Essay -- essays research papers

A&P-Queenie   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Every summer my family and I go to our house in the cape just north of Boston. One hot summer morning, I was leaving the house to meet my family at the beach, suddenly I remembered my mother asked me to pick up a jar of â€Å"Kingfish Herring† for her and her friend to snack on at the beach.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I started to walk across the street to my friend Lacey’s house. Lacey lives just outside Detroit, but like my family, her family comes to the cape for the summer. Our families’ have been friends for about 10 years, but we normally don’t see or talk to each other during the year, only summertime seems to bring us together. Traditionally Lacey and I leave for the beach together, even at age 7 we walked with our mothers, so I knew I had to tell her about this errand before I left for town.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Arriving at Lacey’s house I walk to the backdoor letting myself into the house. Lacey was putting on tanning lotion in the kitchen, â€Å"Lacey,† I called to her, â€Å"my mom wants me to pick up snacks for the beach, do you want to go into town with me?†, â€Å"Sure,† she replied, â€Å"do you mind if my cousin comes with us?†, â€Å"Of course I don’t mind,â€Å" I answered, â€Å"but we have to get moving, my dad only left me the car to use ‘til noon.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While driving, Lacey and I laughed while reminiscing, over old stories of love and trouble that we seemed to get into over the past decade at the cape, Lacey’s cousin Mary was quite, she seemed shy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We arrived at the A&P and I realized that the store was almost devoid of any human life, but it was mid Tuesday morning most towns people were either working, or at the beach.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Two men were working the front end, the cashier at register 3 was helping an older looking woman with a sun hat, Capri pants ,and far too much make up on, the other cashier was leaning on the bag rack behind him, enjoying a break in a slow day . Both of the clerks looked as if they were in their early twenties, definently townies, the townies hated summer vacationers. Townies never said a word to vacationers, and you could tell in their attitude; they all longed for Labor Day to roll around so everyone would go home, bringing peace to their little town again. My observations of the store and town politics were... ...u decently dressed when you come in here.† this man was entirely strict and conservative, as much was to be expected of a man around these part, he was most likely an avid church goer, Sunday school teacher, Boy Scout troop leader name your clichà ©. I started again â€Å"We are decent,† and before I could continue Lengel interrupted me, â€Å"Girls, I don’t want to argue with you. After this come in here with your shoulders covered. It’s our policy.† and then he walked toward the clerk with a disappointed look and asks â€Å"Sammy, have you rung up this purchase?† with an astonished expression caused by the event that just occurred before his eyes, Sammy simply replies â€Å"No† and rings me up with a great deal of haste, as to get my friends and I out of this self-righteous store before we disgrace it any further. He hands me the change then we hurry out of the store rushing to the car.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Driving out of the parking lot the car was silent, until Lacey started doing a bad imitation of the manager, â€Å"After this come in here with your shoulders covered. Its our policy.† laughing and returning to her normal voice â€Å"Even at 17 you still get us into trouble, will you ever change?†

Green IT at City University †City Green Monitor

Abstract One of the main initiatives which have been employed by the City University within the Information Technology (IT) department is that of the Green Monitor, where a computing room has been set up by a group of students aimed at recording data from an environmental perspective (Green Dragons, 2014). This initiative is both effective now and in the long run, with wider possible uses in the future. This initiative is currently in its infancy, with the wider use under analysis here, as to how it can foster Green IT, going forward. The aim of this research is to develop this resource further and to create both policies and technology that will allow the IT department to support the Green Initiative across the City University, as well as across other institutions. Introduction The first issue which needs to be determined in this proposal is what precisely is meant by Green IT and what the impact of Green IT initiatives can be on an organisation or wider groups of organisations. In accordance with the guide produced by the Chartered Institute for IT, BCS (O,Neill, 2010) states that: â€Å"Green IT is a collection of strategic and tactical initiatives that directly reduces the carbon footprint of an organisation’s computing operation†¦ However, Green IT is not just focused on reducing the impact of the ICT industry. It is also focused on using the services of ICT to help reduce the organisation’s overall carbon footprint† This basic definition presents some interesting points of discussion, before going on to look at the precise nature of the work being undertaken here. Firstly, the issue of Green IT is thought to be linked to the workings of organisations and not to individuals themselves. This raises an important question from the outset: focussing on an organisation may be a false approach due to the fact that so many devices are now used by individuals and not as part of an organisation at all. Secondly, there is the notion that strategic and tactical initiatives may refer to a different approach to the strategies that may be seen as relevant for Green organisations, such as Greenpeace, thus creating a disparity in the overall objectives to be pursued. Finally, it is also noted in this definition that IT itself can be seen as a positive step towards environmental management, with factors such as the ability to work from home reducing travel emissions. This potential benefit of IT is not to be igno red and should be considered alongside the environmental costs. Moreover, O’Neill then goes on to argue that it is also necessary to look at the whole process of IT, including the manufacturing, transportation and disposal, not simply at the emissions and consumption when the item is operative. For the purposes of this research and in looking at the areas of Green IT projects within the City University, it is important to consider how the success or otherwise of the initiative may be judged. Bearing in mind the aforementioned discrepancy between strategy and tactical initiatives that may be pursued by the Chartered Institute of IT and the approach taken by environmental groups there is an immediate difficulty in producing a coherent plan for providing Green IT. In accordance with the BCS and the work by O’Neill, Green IT should be focussing on some key areas. Firstly, he argues that the area of Green IT should look at changing the ethos and culture within an organisation, so as to make sure that the corporate agenda of a company or organisation is reflective of the Green IT aim. As part of this, there should be initiatives in place to ensure that teams and individuals are able to enact Green IT initiatives that are established by the wider group. In addition, Green IT practices should be built into the wider organisational goals and processes, so that the infrastructure is purchased with Green IT in mind. By contrast, Greenpeace looks at Green IT as a means of pulling together energy efficiency and renewable energy, which is a somewhat different approach from that taken by the organisational strategy. In reality, and for the purposes of this analysis, a combined definition is to be pursued, with the suggested definition of Green IT being a set of realistic and practical measures which can ensure that IT is developed in such a way that is sustainable, energy efficient and friendly to the environment. It is this definition that will be considered for the purposes of the project being undertaken here. 1.1The Project at City University Monitoring devices created as part of this initiative are used in order to calculate the CO? emissions within the room itself. Using this information, energy consumption can then be ascertained. The aim of this initiative is to ensure that the students and staff across the University understand the impact that each computing hour has on the environment. This is, therefore, an initiative aimed at improving the environmental position in relation to the IT function and understanding how simple actions such as shutting down the PC at the end of the day or turning down the brightness on a monitor can have an impact on the CO? emissions (Curry et al., 2012). Bearing in mind the previous analysis of what precisely is meant by Green IT, it can be seen that the initiative as it currently stands within the City University deals with a minimal area of Green IT initiatives and requirements. The broader Green IT initiate needs to consider more than just the monitoring of the CO? emissions of the IT department. That said, this starting point provides the information that is necessary in order to be able to further the initiative into a working and sustainable policy, in the future. This initiative is an information gathering initiative which allows the University and then wider organisations to monitor the impact of their behaviours, in such a way that may influence behaviours, in the future. This paper will look at the strategy and concepts associated with power management in Green IT, before then going on to consider the likely behaviours and changes that are going to ensue, as a result of this Green IT initiative and then to draw conclusions on the impact of the initiative as the final section of the report. Power Management Concept within Green IT The notion of Green IT was established substantially by Murugesan, in 2008, stating that Green IT involves a wide range of activities, including designing, using and manufacturing not only the use of the computers, but also any systems associated with the renewal or purchase of such items, so that there is a minimal impact on the environment (Murugesan, 2008). Taking this on board alongside the earlier recognised area of Green IT, it can be argued that the issue of power management is a part of the overall objective which needs to be dealt with fully, before other aspects can be achieved. Without the knowledge that this type of monitoring produces, a wider IT strategy will equally not be possible. For example, if the research indicates that a certain type of screen is substantially better for the environment, then the next stage could be to roll out the provision of these screens across all departments within the University. There is a suggested indication from this perspective, that a monitoring initiative such as the one under discussion here is a suitable area for Green IT and arguably the crucial first step, as it is impossible to put in place improvements without understanding the changes and impacts, in the first place. A key strategy within this area of Green IT is to put in place approaches and processes that offer greater sustainability. For example, in this case, the use of remote monitors within the IT department could then be rolled out to usage in any other department which uses IT, or any other item that could be used more effectively to improve sustainability. Information is the lifeblood of any future initiatives that can be established. It is further noted that, in any modern IT system, there is a mixture of technology, people, hardware and networks. Therefore, any area of Green IT needs to consider all of these factors; for example, user behaviours and the broader impact on networks and hardware also need to be brought into the equation. Consider, for instance, the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) which is a standard used across the entire industry to allow the operation systems to change and control the way in which the power-saving aspects operate, so that the system to a certain extent manages itself (Therien, 2011). This can be done in an entirely automated way, or can allow users to set tolerated levels, for example, how long until a monitor goes onto â€Å"energy saver†. These strategies and approaches are critical to the monitoring area, as this is ultimately the aim of monitoring, so that changes can be put in place to improve overall sustainability.Possible Uses and Recommendations Having put in place monitoring through remote sensors, the IT department is now able to provide information to the next stage of the network, in order to develop mechanisms that will allow the IT itself to manage and improve the environmental impact that computers have. For example, it is shown that CRT monitors use more power than slimmer LCD monitors and having an understanding of a link such as this allows the University (and other organisations) to make decisions at the purchasing stage that will impact on what happens in the longer run. Similarly, it is noted that LCD monitors will use a cold cathode fluorescent bulb as a general source of light, with some of the newer displays using different technologies, such as LEDs, to ensure that less electricity is used (Infoworld, 2009). Fundamentally, the aim of monitoring in this way is to ensure that there is a greater understanding obtained of the usage of electricity by simple activities, so that this can then be used firstly to influence user behaviours and secondly can then be used to develop technologies which will create automatic controls within the technology items themselves. The first element of this research policy is to understand what information has been gathered, before then formulating it in such a way that can produce clear policy guidelines for the University to then import into the wider policies and strategies which it is required to undertake, over a longer period of time. Continuous data gathering and monitoring then allows for the company or organisation to establish and improve its policies, as and when required, and as part of continuous improvement. Conclusion In conclusion, this report indicates that one relatively simple initiative of monitoring the electricity usage within an Information Systems laboratory can lead to information which is then vitally important across a wide range of departments. For example, understanding that a change in the technology of a monitor can reduce electricity usage and improve sustainability will then allow companies and organisations to change their choice of monitors, over a period of time, and to train users to amend their use of the monitors by reducing brightness, all of which will come together to improve Green IT across the campus. Future research in this area could then look at using the information gathered as a means of then developing a policy for the future BASED on the information rather than simply having the gathering of information as an agenda in its own right. References Curry, E., Guyon, B., Sheridan, C. and Donnellan, B. (2012) â€Å"Developing a Sustainable IT Capability: Lessons From Intel’s Journey†. MIS Quarterly Executive. 11(2). pp. 61–74. Green Dragons (2014) City Green Monitor, Available at: http://www.green-dragons.co.uk/projects/citygreenmonitor/ [Accessed 01/12/2014]. InfoWorld (2009) Green IT. Available at: http://www.infoworld.com/d/green-it/used-pc-strategy-passes-toxic-buck-300?_kip_ipx=1053322433-1267784052&_pxn=0 Murugesan, S. (2008) â€Å"Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices,† IEEE IT Professional, January–February, pp 24-33. O’Neill, M. (2010) Green IT For Sustainable Business Practice, The Chartered Institute for IT. Therien, G (2011) â€Å"ACPI 2.0 Specification Technical Review, Intel Developer Forum† (ppt). Intel Corporation. Green IT at City University – City Green Monitor Abstract One of the main initiatives that have been employed by the City University within the Information Technology (IT) department is that of the Green Monitor where a computing room has been set up by a group of students aimed at recording data from an environmental perspective (Green Dragons, 2014). This initiative is both effective now and in the long run with wider possible uses in the future. This initiative is currently in its infancy with the wider use under analysis here as to how it can foster green IT going forward. Introduction Monitoring devices created as part of this initiative are used in order to calculate the CO2 emissions within the room itself, and then, using this information, energy consumption can then be ascertained. The aim of this initiative is to ensure that the students and staff across the University understand the impact that each computing hour has on the environment. This is therefore an initiative aimed at improving the environmental position in relation to the IT function and understanding how simple actions such as shutting down the PC at the end of the day or turning down the brightness on a monitor can have an impact on the CO2 emission (Curry et al 2012). This initiative is an information gathering initiative that allows the University and then wider organisations to monitor the impact of their behaviours in such a way that may influence behaviours in the future. This paper will look at the strategy and concepts associated with power management in green IT before then going on to look at the likely behaviours and changes that are going to ensue as a result of this green IT initiative and then to draw conclusions on the impact of the initiative as the final section of the report. Power Management Concept within Green IT The notion of Green IT was established substantially by Murugesan in 2008 stating that Green IT involves a wide range of activities including designing, using and manufacturing not only the use of the computers but also any systems associated with the renewal or purchase of such items so that there is a minimal impact on the environment (Murugesan 2008). There is a suggested indication from this notion therefore that a monitoring initiative such as the one in discussion here is a suitable area of Green IT and arguably the crucial first step as it is impossible to put in place improvements without understanding the changes and impacts in the first place. A key strategy within this area of Green IT is to put in place approaches and processes that offer greater sustainability.. For example in this case the use of remote monitors within the IT department could then be rolled out to usage in any other department that uses IT or any other item that could be used more effectively to improve sustainability. It is further noted that in a modern IT system there is a mixture of technology, people, hardware and networks. Therefore any area of Green IT needs to consider all of these factors, for example user behaviours the broader impact on networks and hardware need to also be considered. Consider for example the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) which is a standard used across the entire industry to allow the operation systems to change and control the way in which the power-saving aspects operate, so that the system to a certain extent manages itself (Therien, 2011). This can be done in an entirely automated way or can allow users to set tolerated levels for example how long until a monitor goes onto ‘energy saver’. These strategies and approaches are critical to the monitoring area as this is ultimately the aim of monitoring so that changes can be put in place to improve overall sustainability. Possible Uses and Recommendations Having put in place monitoring through remote sensors the IT department is now able to provide information to the next stage of the network to develop mechanisms that will allow the IT itself to manage and improve the environmental impact that computers have. For example it is shown that CRT monitors use more power than slimmer LCD monitors and having an understanding of links such as this allows the University (and other organisations) to make decisions at the purchasing stage that will impact on what happens in the longer run. Similarly it is noted that LCD monitors will use a cold cathode fluorescent bulb as a general source of light with some of the newer displays using different technologies such as LEDs to ensure that less electricity is used (Infoworld 2009). Fundamentally the aim of monitoring in this way is to ensure that there is a greater understanding obtained of the usage of electricity by simple activities so that this can then be used to firstly influence user behaviours and secondly can then be used to develop technologies that will create automatic controls within the technology items itself. Conclusion In summary this report indicates that one relatively simple initiative of monitoring the electricity usage within an Information Systems laboratory can lead to information which is then vitally important across a wide range of departments. For example understanding that a change in the technology of a monitor can reduce electricity usage and improve sustainability will then allow companies and organisations to change their choice of monitor over a period of time and to train users to amend their use of the monitors by reducing brightness, all of which will come together to improve Green IT across the campus. References Curry, E., Guyon, B, Sheridan, C and Donnellan, B (2012) â€Å"Developing a Sustainable IT Capability: Lessons From Intel’s Journey,† MIS Quarterly Executive, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 61–74. Green Dragons (2014) City Green Monitor, Available at: http://www.green-dragons.co.uk/projects/citygreenmonitor/ InfoWorld (2009) Green IT. Available at: http://www.infoworld.com/d/green-it/used-pc-strategy-passes-toxic-buck-300?_kip_ipx=1053322433-1267784052&_pxn=0 Murugesan, S (2008) â€Å"Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices,† IEEE IT Professional, January–February, pp 24-33 Therien, G (2011) â€Å"ACPI 2.0 Specification Technical Review, Intel Developer Forum† (ppt). Intel Corporation.

Chinese Flowers and Their Meanings

Chinese flowers are a recurring theme in Chinese art and poetry. But without understanding the floriography—the meanings associated with certain flowers—the symbolism and thus underlying message could go over your head. Some flowers represent seasons or months: for example the four seasons are represented by flowering cherry (winter), orchid (spring), bamboo (summer) and chrysanthemum (fall).   Wallcoo Others have symbolic meanings based on their Chinese names. Learn the importance of flowers in Chinese culture along with symbolism and taboos associated with some Chinese flowers. Iris On the lunar day May 5,  Irises  are hung over doors to repel evil spirits. The flower is also a symbol of spring, and eating them is said to prolong ones life. Magnolia Magnolias were once so precious, that only Chinese emperors were allowed to own them. They have also been used in Chinese medicine. Today, magnolias represent beauty. Peony Peonies are the flower of spring, also known as the queen of flowers. The flowers symbolize fame and wealth. Red peonies are the most desired and valuable, while white peonies symbolize young, witty, beautiful girls. Lotus The lotus is a flower that is steeped in Buddhist symbolism and is considered one of the eight precious things in the Buddhist faith. It symbolizes purity and coming out of mire unsullied.  The lotus is said to bloom in Beijing on lunar April 8, which is the Buddha’s birthday, and on lunar January 8, which is lotus day. The lotus is known as the gentlemans flower because it grows out from the mud, pure and unstained. It is taboo for a woman to sew in January, as she may have menstrual trouble, according to Chinese culture. Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemums  are one of the most  common flowers in China and are symbolic of autumn and of the ninth lunar month. The Chinese word for chrysanthemum is similar to  jÃ… «, which means to remain and jiǔ  which means long time. Therefore, chrysanthemums  symbolize duration and long life. Hibiscus The  hibiscus  is a popular Chinese flower that symbolizes fame, riches, glory, and splendor. The flower also can symbolize the fleeting beauty of fame or personal glory and is given as a gift to both women and men. Lily In Chinese culture, lilies are supposed to bring sons to a family; as a result, they are often given to women on their wedding day or on birthdays. The Chinese word for lily sounds like  bÇŽi hà ©, which is part of the proverb bÇŽinià ¡n hÇŽo hà ©, which means happy union for one hundred years. The flower is considered a good gift for all occasions and are said to help people forget their troubles. Orchid The orchid symbolizes love and beauty and can be a symbol of a married couple. The flower also represents wealth and fortune, and when placed in a vase, orchids symbolize unity. Other Flower Symbolism In addition to flowers and plants having their own symbolism, the color of a flower can also give it a special meaning in Chinese culture. For example, pink and red are colors of celebration, good luck, and happiness, while white is the color of death and ghosts. Sources and Further Reading Koehn, Alfred. Chinese Flower Symbolism. Monumenta Nipponica 8.1/2 (1952): 121–146.  Lehner, Ernst, and Johanna Lehner. Folklore and Symbolism of Flowers, Plants and Trees. New York: Dover, 2003.Minford, John. The Chinese Garden: Death of a Symbol. Studies in the History of Gardens Designed Landscapes 18.3 (1998): 257–68.The Hibiscus Flower: Its Meanings and Symbolism. Flower Meaning.com