Business Applications quiz

The Dutton turns open windows transparent to reveal the desktop, letting you B) Show desktop C) peek D) Display desktop 5. To turn off the computer, you would open the Start menu, then click the on the right bottom of the menu. A) hibernate B) Turn off C) stop D) Shut down 6. Button A bar that appears on the right side of the menu when all items are not visible on the menu list is the B) Jump bar C) roll bar D) scroll bar 7. . A) scan bar When you have multiple windows open, you can minimize all but the active window by . A) dragging the title bar to the top of the windowB) using Rare Flip D C) using Shake D) closing all windows except the active window 8. A Windows 7 feature that allows you to capture screen shots of any object on your screen is the . A) Snipping Tool B) Screen Shot Tool C) Print Screen Tool D) Capture Tool 9. The time before the screen saver starts is called the B) watt C) Delay D) Pause 10. Time. A) Start Virtual folders that display the contents of multiple folde rs as though the files were stored together in one location are B) Libraries C) Archives D) Collections 11. . A) AlbumsAnother name for a hard drive is USB Flash drive. B) False False 12. Two or more windows can be active at the same time. A) True 13. Shortcuts can ONLY be added to the desktop. 14. You should extract files before sending them as e-mail attachments. A) True 15. You can double-click the of a window to maximize it or to restore it. Title bar 16. When a program is pinned to the 0. 0/8. 0 task 17. Only one click is required to open it. In the Windows Explorer window, Local Disk (C:) refers to the computer. 8. 0/8. 0 hard drive on your

Internet Advantages And Disadvantages Essay

Advantages: 1) Information on almost every subject imaginable.  2) Powerful search engines  3) Ability to do research from your home versus research libraries. 4) Information at various levels of study. Everything from scholarly articles to ones directed at children. 5) Message boards where people can discuss ideas on any topic. Ability to get wide range of opinions. People can find others that have a similar interest in whatever they are interested in. 6) The internet provides the ability of emails. Free mail service to anyone in the country. 7) Platform for products like SKYPE, which allow for holding a video conference with anyone in the world who also has access. 8) Friendships and love connections have been made over the internet by people involved in love/passion over similar interests. 9) Things such as Yahoo Answers and other sites where kids can have readily available help for homework. 10) News, of all kinds is available almost instantaneously. Commentary, on that news, from every conceivable viewpoint is also available. Disadvantages: 1) There is a lot of wrong information on the internet. Anyone can post anything, and much of it is garbage. 2) There are predators that hang out on the internet waiting to get unsuspecting people in dangerous situations. 3) Some people are getting addicted to the internet and thus causing problems with their interactions of friends and loved ones. 4) Pornography that can get in the hands of young children too easily. 5) Easy to waste a lot of time on the internet. You can start surfing, and then realize far more time has passed than you realized. Internet and television together of added to the more sedentary lifestyles of people which further exacerbates the obesity problem. 6) Internet has a lot of â€Å"cheater† sites. People can buy essays and pass them off as their own far more easily than they used to be able to do. 7) There are a lot of unscrupulous businesses that have sprung up on the internet to take advantage of people. 8) Hackers can create viruses that can get in to your personal computer and ruin valuable data. 9) Hackers can use the internet for identity theft. 10) It can be quite depressing to be on the internet and realize just how  uneducated so many people have become in today’s society. -Advantages- -Data- and information-rich, including a range of media -Anyone can publish online (tripod.com and other hosting sites) -Learners can become researchers because of easier access to data -Search engines that are fast and powerful -Easy to use -Smaller, faster, cheaper all the time -Ability to link to people and places immediately -Global dissemination of information -Motivation for students in sharing their work online with the world Advantages FASTER COMMUNICATION The foremost target of Internet has always been speedy communication and it has excelled way beyond the expectations. Newer innovations are only going to make it faster and more reliable. Now, you can communicate in a fraction of second with a person who is sitting in the other part of the world. For more personal and interactive communication, you can avail the facilities of chat services, video conferencing and so on. Besides, there are plenty of messenger services in offering. With the help of such services, it has become very easy to establish a kind of global friendship where you can share your thoughts and explore other cultures. INFORMATION RESOURCES Information is probably the biggest advantage that Internet offers. Internet is a virtual treasure trove of information. Any kind of information on any topic under the sun is available on the Internet. The search engines like Google, Yahoo are at your service on the Internet. There is a huge amount of information available on the Internet for just about every subject known to man, ranging from government law and services, trade fairs and conferences, market information, new ideas and technical support, the list is simply endless. Students and children are among the top users who surf the Internet for research. Today, it is almost required that students should use it for research or the purpose of gathering resources. Even teachers have started giving assignments that require extensive research on the Internet. Besides, you can have an access to latest researches in the field of medicine, technology and so on. Numerous web sites such as America’s Doctor also allow  you to tal k to the doctors online. ENTERTAINMENT Entertainment is another popular raison d’à ªtre why many people prefer to surf the Internet. In fact, the Internet has become quite successful in trapping the multifaceted entertainment industry. Downloading games or just surfing the celebrity websites are some of the uses people have discovered. Even celebrities are using the Internet effectively for promotional campaigns. Besides, there are numerous games that can be downloaded for free. The industry of online gaming has tasted dramatic and phenomenal attention by game lovers. SOCIAL NETWORKING One cannot imagine an online life without Facebook or Twitter. Social networking has become so popular amongst youth that it might one day replace physical networking. It has evolved as a great medium to connect with millions of people with similar interests. Apart from finding long-lost friends, you can also look for job, business opportunities on forums, communities etc. Besides, there are chat rooms where users can meet new and interesting people. Some of them may even end up finding their life partners. ONLINE SERVICES The Internet has made life very convenient. With numerous online services you can now perform all your transactions online. You can book tickets for a movie, transfer funds, pay utility bills, taxes etc., right from your home. Some travel websites even plan an Itinerary as per your preferences and take care of airline tickets, hotel reservations etc . E-COMMERCE The concept of e-commerce is used for any type of commercial maneuvering or business deals that involves the transfer of information across the globe via the Internet. It has become a phenomenon associated with any kind of shopping, business deal etc. You name a service, and e-commerce with its giant tentacles engulfing every single product and service will make it available at your doorstep. Websites such as eBay allow you to even bid for homes, buy, sell or auction stuff online. Disadvantages THEFT OF PERSONAL INFORMATION If you use the Internet for online banking, social networking or other services, you may risk a theft to your personal information such as name, address, credit card number etc. Unscrupulous people can access this information through unsecured connections or by planting software and then use your personal details for their benefit. Needless to say, this may land you in serious trouble. SPAMMING Spamming refers to sending unwanted e-mails in bulk, which provide no purpose and needlessly obstruct the entire system. Such illegal activities can be very frustrating for you as it makes your Internet slower and less reliable. VIRUS THREAT Internet users are often plagued by virus attacks on their systems. Virus programs are inconspicuous and may get activated if you click a seemingly harmless link. Computers connected to the Internet are very prone to targeted virus attacks and may end up crashing. PORNOGRAPHY Pornography is perhaps the biggest disadvantage of the Internet. Internet allows you to access and download millions of pornographic photos, videos and other X-rated stuff. Such unrestricted access to porn can be detrimental for children and teenagers. It can even play a havoc in marital and social lives of adults. SOCIAL DISCONNECT Thanks to the Internet, people now only meet on social networks. More and more people are getting engulfed in virtual world and drifting apart from their friends and family. Even children prefer to play online games rather than going out and mingling with other kids. This may hamper a healthy social development in children. Thus, the Internet has the potential to make your life simple and convenient, as well as wreak havoc in your life. Its influence is mostly dictated by the choices you make while you are online. With clever use, you can manage to harness its unlimited potential.

The Scarlet Letter: Significance of Hester Prynne

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne reveals that although society attempts to confine people, those with inner strength are able to break free of their restrictive labels. Even though the public shunned Hester and forced her into solitude, she still, at the end of her â€Å"term of confinement†, found a way to overcome societys stereotypes.Hester's inner strength allowed her to rise above the negative connotations of the scarlet letter, and now viewed the symbol as a representation of sacredness, which enabled her to walk securely amid all peril† (112). She, through her determination and toughness, turned the scarlet letter from a marking of shame into a symbol of charity and ability by also dedicating herself to being kind to her community.Hester's generosity towards the people that shunned her despite their negative opinions regarding her â€Å"sinful† actions is representative of her ability to defy the stereotype that society has given h er. Hester is now known to society as a woman â€Å"who is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comfortable to the afflicted† (1 12). She assumed a â€Å"freedom of speculation†, allowing her to view the once burning symbol on her chest as a symbol of which she could be proud.Hester's mental toughness and boldness was compared to that of â€Å"men of the sword overthrowing nobles and kings† (1 14), as she was fiercely determined to reconstruct the image denoted by the scarlet letter. By overcoming the restrictions society tries to place on her, such as solitary confinement and banishment, she allows herself to emerge an admirable public fgure. Society now ceases to uphold a negative representation of Hester. Furthermore, Hester's mental strength allowed her to aintain the idea that â€Å"the world's law was no law for her mind [114]. In other words, she believes that the stereotypes and labels that society puts on people are never permanent, and is a symbol of how an image can be augmented if one possesses the will and mental toughness. Hester could have simply accept the label society has put on her, but instead through this mindset she found the strength to overcome her derogatory reputation that was bestowed upon her and turned it into one in which she could be confident. The Scarlet Letter: Significance of Hester Prynne By mnunziante

Is there a relation between age and income Speech or Presentation

Is there a relation between age and income - Speech or Presentation Example Politicians and the media often include age as a factor when taking about income inequalities. Differences in wealth between old and young people are even greater than the differences witnessed when it comes to income. For example studies show that households headed by person who is over 65 years have more than 15 times as much wealth as compared to households held by persons below 35 years of age (Bowles and Herbert, 75). Age differences is just one of the many reasons that explains the reason behind insinuations about wealth and income that are thrown around in politics and in the media are often remote from reality. The statistics about the differences between age and income are almost perpetually about abstract income brackets. Additionally, a lot of statistical studies that follow specific individuals throughout their lives often reach diametrically conflicting conclusions from the conclusions attained by statistical studies that follow income brackets for a long period of time. A study undertaken by university of Michigan indicated that many of the working people who were in the bottom 20% of income earners in the year 1975 were also in the top 40% at some point in the year 1991. Of those in the bottom quartile in 1975, only 5% were still glued there come the year 1991 while 29% of them were now in the top quartile. This study tries to analyze the relationship between income and age and tries to explain the trend that exists between age and income. The question will be guided by the following research question: what is the relationship between income and age from the year 1974-2011 (Gray et.al, 76). Studies that have been carried out to determine the relationship between age and income have resulted in a general result that income is positively related to the age of an individual. The studies have generalized a sample to a population. Assumptions are vital concept of empirical

Team Project Evaluation Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Team Project Evaluation Paper - Essay Example The group would thereafter indicate how these attributes compare to those of a larger group. In this regard, the group work will show how the larger group’s development is more complex, how they have less freedom to operate, how they use complex communication, how they receive lower satisfaction, how they make slower decisions, how they develop sub-teams, how they have a higher turnover, how they have higher absenteeism, and how they expand the group knowledge. The case scenario that will be used to achieve the above-mentioned objectives is about aliens landing on the planet Earth, first in a small group and then in large group. The study will explore how these different groups act differently and the differences in their behavior based solely on the number of members in each group. In the representation of aliens, the study will use action figures, dolls, and stuffed animals, among others. By doing this we can alter the numbers much easier than if we used real people. Also I believe these â€Å"actors† will be able to have a stronger personality and be able to switch more easily between a small group and a large group since it is only their voices, which will be used, and hence I feel everyone will not be holding back with shyness as much. The genre of the video will be strictly comedy. Therefore, the objective of the video is to make people laugh since we do not want our audience falling asleep and this is another reason why we used things like toys to represent human beings. We are going for a PG 13 to R rated Toy Story vibe based on how intense we can get. There will be a lot physical and verbal comedy based on random actions. For example, in the small group the aliens might be smoking marijuana because they have more freedom to operate, but in a large group you will see that there is less freedom to operate so if an alien starts smoking they will probably be fired. Performance Norms Effort In normal sense it is required that every group membe r should put in a 100 % effort, but as we know this is usually not the case in most group projects. However, the group leader is guaranteeing to put too much effort, to an extent that it will not matter if a few members of the group start to slack. The ideal situation is to have constant communication since this is the most important thing in a successful working relationship. We expect for everyone to text each other back as soon as possible after they receive a text from any group member and if any group member takes longer than a twelve-hour period or the member does not text back at all, he or she will be called upon to explain the lack of communication. We will ensure we stay on the set time schedule by working on a one single concept and this would eliminate the need to reshoot the scenes a bunch of times. We will get the filming portion done all in one day so there will be no chopping of certain scenes during the editing process and the plot of the comedy will remain consiste nt. It is expected that everybody will put their best effort in on that day and no one will be absent during this crucial day. We will not accept any excuses from our members for poor attendance. In addition, enthusiasm and initiative will be expected during the filming stage since failure will not be an option but nevertheless overall A effort is expected from everyone and anything less is frowned upon. Output It is expected th

Macro9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Macro9 - Essay Example ‘Store of value’ is a term that intrinsically refers to an instrument which can be saved today with the faith that a commodity of equivalent value could be obtained in lieu of the sum at some future period. In other words, possessing a fixed sum of money X today would mean the possessor’s purchasing power amounting to X, as long as she keeps it to herself, i.e., the value of this amount X is assumed not to depreciate (Hirshleifer, Glazer & Hirshleifer, 2005, p. 442). However, post the tumultuous phase of the global financial community, such a term is no longer applicable as money saved today is seldom expected to possess the same value tomorrow. This is especially so due to the policies of the central bank of any economy that brings changes to the value of money according to the demands of the prevailing economic situation. During recessions, value of money is found to grow higher while it deteriorates during times of inflation. In the latter phase for instance, t he same amount of money X can buy a much lower quantity of goods than it could have during the earlier period. In such a scenario, it is safer for the economists to assume a definition of money that hints towards the inclusion of relatively illiquid assets, i.e., those which cannot be circulated as smoothly as others and not readily accepted as modes of payments. In such cases, there longer exists any motive behind increasing the supply of money. According to the identity underlying the Quantity theory of money, Normally, during times of inflation, purchasing powers of people fall, so that T falls in value. On the other hand, recessions enhance the purchasing power of people so that T rises. Hence, assuming the product of P.T to be constant, movements in V are bound to be reflected through inverse movements in M (Minsky, 2008, p. 125). Thus, it is safer to include those goods within the sphere of money which have a low velocity (V), since they also ensure a more-or-less constant supply of

Why were people opposed to the war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Why were people opposed to the war - Essay Example orld War I because it brought a bitter experience to the civilians who were harshly treated, bullied, deprived of basic needs and rights, and imprisoned in inhumane conditions. This war would also act as an opportunity for countries like Germany to revenge and upset the status quo. According Susan R Grayzel, World War 1 brought loss of many innocent lives especially children and women. The war also disrupted learning program in schools as children were also involved in the war effort. Their zeal was fostered by schools that introduced a variety of activities to aid the men at war. In most schools, lessons were substituted with patriotic holidays to raise money that could be spent on activities such as welcoming back soldiers home and celebrating the triumph (Grayzel, p.48).. This also introduced children to odd jobs such as digging gardens and cleaning chimneys in order to raise funds. For example, Victorian state schools raised  £422 470 during the war. Many nations for instance American were opposed the war and wanted to remain neutral. This was so due to the anticipated negative consequences of the war for the US in case they decided to get involved in. The need to remain neutral was crucial because the American population included citizens of countries engaged in the war. The France-Americans would want success for France while British-Americans and German-Americans would hope the same for their nations. The other part of the people opposed the war since it would increase tensions all over American society, leading to an outbreak of bloodshed on American soil by the American citizens themselves. In some cases, the Germans forced families to leave which caused more pain to the victims (Grayzel, p.108). Men and women who participated in the WW1 endured some of the cruelest forms of conflict ever known. They were sent to fight far away from home for months or even years, and underwent a chain of horrible physical and disturbing experiences (Grayzel, p.48). The

Program development and director Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Program development and director - Article Example Moreover, her family even up to today were not properly compensated financially for her own contribution to the fields of science and medicine; justice demands her family members should have received some form of financial aid to satisfy the requirement of â€Å"fairness in distribution.† Informed consent refers to the process of giving consent (or agreeing to something) to a proposed research study and these potential human subjects for the intended experiment be given an opportunity to decide or choose what shall or shall not happen to them. The consent process consists of three basic elements which are information, comprehension, and voluntariness. It is a crucial step to properly document this process to show that informed consent was properly given and properly obtained, that consent was voluntarily and freely given (Elliott, 2006). The process of informed consent should be different if the participants have only a fifth grade education because it will entail using simple words in plain language to explain to the participants all the information. The aim of this additional obligation is to make it comply with the requirement of comprehension and adapt to the subjects capacities (Belmont Report, 1979). Belmont Report (1979, April 18). Ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research. U. S. Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved June 04, 2014 from http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/belmont/html Elliott, M. M. (2006). Research without consent or documentation thereof. In E. A. Bankert & R. J. Amdur (Eds.), Institutional review board: Management and function (pp. 216-221). Sudbury, MA, USA: Jones & Bartlett

Obesity and How the Media and Society Play a Major Role Research Paper

Obesity and How the Media and Society Play a Major Role - Research Paper Example The best measure for defining obesity is using the body mass index. With the help of a person’s height and weight, BMI is calculated. Often people think that obesity is a cosmetic consideration. It is not just a cosmetic consideration, but there is more to it. It is a chronic disease which often leads to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, gallstones and various other chronic diseases. It is not easy to treat because the relapse rate of obesity is very high. Within a span of five years, 95 percent of people who lose the weight regain it. The treatment of obesity is not short termed even though medications and diets can be helpful. It has to be a lifelong process with a commitment to proper diet habits, increased physical activity and regular exercise. One should always concentrate on living a healthier lifestyle, rather than focusing on having an ideal weight (Balentine 2012). In this paper we will extensively talk about obesity in the children how does media and soc iety contributes to it. Increasing trends among obesity in children represents an unprecedented burden on their health. the medical complications which are commonly found in overweight children includes hypertension, type 2 diabetes, respiratory ailments, orthopedic problem, troubles in sleeping and depression. According to research, there is a variety of unrelated media factors, which contribute to obesity among children. These may include a reduction in physical education classes, after-school athletic programs have reduced, public schools have started supplying sodas and snacks. We can also see the increasing number of fast food restaurants, the concept of ‘super sizing’ of food portions and the increasing number of high calorie and high fat grocery products which are easily available. The potential costs that are associated with childhood obesity is considered to be as surprising by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The other potential contributor in the rising ra tes of childhood obesity is media. There has been an explosion in the media channels and shows which targets to children during the same period in which trends of increasing childhood obesity are observed. In addition to this, there has been an increase in videos, specialized cable networks, video games, internet websites and other computer activities. An average of five and a half hours are spent by children today on media. This time spent is equivalent to a full time job. This time spent is more than an average person spends on anything apart from sleeping. Same is the case with the pre-school children. They spend more time with screen media: which includes TV, video games and computer games, than playing outside. Much of the media that targets the children is laden with elaborate advertising campaigns, which mostly promotes candy, soda and snacks. Studies show that on an average, a child watches 40,000 ads a year on TV alone. According to the theory of experts, pediatricians and media researchers, media contributes largely to childhood obesity. Firstly, the time which a child spends using media displaces the time which they could spend on physical activities. Secondly, the advertisements, which are related to food, influences a child in making unhealthy food choices. Moreover, the food products are made more attractive when some famous TV character or a cartoon character is the ambassador of that product. This encourages children to buy and eat

Paediatric case study (Indigenous community) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Paediatric (Indigenous community) - Case Study Example Bradley thus has multiple problems namely, failure to thrive, delayed psychomotor development, scabies, head louse infestation and worm infestation. He also has mild dehydration which needs to be corrected immediately. Failure to thrive in Bradley is most likely to be due to protein energy malnutrition. According to the World Health Organization or WHO (cited in Scheinfeld and Mokashi, 2008), malnutrition is the cellular imbalance between the supply of nutrients and energy and the bodys demand for them to ensure growth, maintenance, and specific functions." When malnutrition arises predominantly due to protein deficiency, the term protein-energy malnutrition is used. Marasmus, kwashiorkar and intermediate states of marasmus-kwashiorkar fall into this category of malnutrition. Bradley is affected with kwashiorkar. This condition typically appears at the time of weaning and hence is known as "sickness of the weaning" (Scheinfeld and Mokashi, 2008). Children with kwashiorkar present with weight loss or poor weight gain, slow linear growth, behavioral changes like irritability and apathy and psychomotor changes. Other symptoms include diarrhoea, edema, easy fatigability, nonhealing wounds, multisystem ic impairment, distension of abdomen, cutaneous changes like dark and dry skin, depigmentation of hair and inflammatory bowel conditions. Clinical features in Bradley which point to Kwashiorkar are failure to thrive, distension of abdomen and psychomotor changes. Bradley will need proper evaluation and admission to hospital. One of the most important aspects of evaluation in Bradley is assessment of extent of dehydration. This is important for the purpose of calculation of rehydration fluids. Dehydration in children can be classified as mild, moderate and severe. Mild dehydration occurs when

Crime and criminal justice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Crime and criminal justice - Assignment Example y garnishment of earnings fits the crime except the crime is robbery.  Day fines might not be the mainly useful sanction in discouraging or preventing crime but it is an immense method to secure the citys budget shortfall! An entity who commends a crime may be verdict to penitentiary or contracted a term of try-out by the courts. Electronic Monitoring is an electronic scheme that supplies the probation bureaucrat or bail representative a statement about whether the lawbreaker was obtainable at abode when the wrongdoer was requisite to stay put at his/her abode. Home detention (HD) is a verdict that requires a wrongdoer to stay put at an approved dwelling at all epoch under electronic scrutinizing and close control by a try-out bureaucrat.  It can aid offenders to uphold family affairs, keep effective or vigorously seek work, go to training or rehabilitative programmer. Sentences might range in extent from 14 days to 12 months. Day exposure center a place where select lawbreakers must report whilst on try-out or parole and where the lawbreaker receives an augmented concentration of services. Preparing lawbreakers for triumphant transition rear to their families and reentry to the society is the focal point of the Boards society reentry dissection. Successful reentry can augment public wellbeing, improve the vigor of the society, maintain families, perk up the advantage of kids and lower pricey criminal justice operating cost. That’s why reentry into the society is so vital. The PBPP has made sizeable savings in it is condition reentry scheme through the preparation of agents to extra successfully work with crooks, the maturity of society relationships with associations that can aid lawbreakers to be successful, and the perfection of it is reentry practices. 3- Please explain in detail the supervision of juveniles in the community. Please be sure to discuss probation, the juvenile court system, the role of juvenile records, child protective services,

Evil in the Environment Essay Example for Free

Evil in the Environment Essay John Locke is a philosopher known for introducing various significant concepts to different fields of studies. His work encompasses the fields of psychology, political science, and philosophy. One of his main contributions is his assertion that the human mind is completely empirical.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This principle would lead one to believe that every human being is born into this world having the same capacity. All human minds are empty slates (tabula rasa) when one is just born. (Hooker, 1999) Behavior is acquired through the various empirical experiences that a human being undergoes. Moral behavior stems from an individual’s empirical experiences. (Hooker, 1999) As such, it can be assumed that all immoral behavior or all â€Å"evil† is the product of the environment rather than individual. (Hooker, 1999) Such line of reasoning will lead us to assume that evil from the environment can be eradicated by a simple change in human thinking and behavior. This is known as the third â€Å"premise† of the enlightenment thinkers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The said premise remains to be significant in today’s time and age. For one, it helps people today realize that the evil that pervades in society today can be erased by humans themselves. Moreover, it teaches society that there is still hope for a better world and the fulfillment of such dreams lies in the reformation of human beings and society itself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The primary effect of such premise on society is that it gives the responsibility for the evil in the world on the shoulders of people. Fingers cannot be pointed to the heavens or to other creatures to blame them for the evil that continues to exist in the world. Rather, the premise asserts that the evil in the world is the product of human misbehavior. Human wrong doing has created the immorality that exists in the world today. However, the most important lesson that Locke’s principle teaches us today is that just as the responsibility for the evil in the world lies in our hands, so does the responsibility to change and eradicate such evil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many ways by which humans can reform and change their environment. Locke had asserted that education is the primary way by which the moral and intellectual character of the human being can be changed for the better. (Hooker, 1999) Such assertion remains to be significant in today’s society. What the premise tells us is that education is even more valuable today for it is the way by which the world can be made better. Education exists not simply for the betterment of the individual’s own life. It is not for the sole purpose of helping someone find a better job, a better way of life. Education’s primary purpose is to help every human being to determine how he can help make the world a better place. It is through education that society can reform its ways and help remove evil from the environment. Thus, the role of education is society is exemplified by the third â€Å"premise.† The role of education becomes ever more important and significant basing on what has been stated in the premise. The future of today’s society lies in the hands of human beings. The betterment of the world and the eradication of evil are the responsibilities of all human beings. Just as they can create evil, they can erase them. Reformation of one’s ways is the manner by which evil in our â€Å"faulty environment† can be obliterated. Works Cited: Hooker, Richard. Seventeenth Century Enlightenment Thought. 1999. World Civilizations. 12 Dec. 2006 from: http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/ENLIGHT/PREPHIL.HTM.

Genetic Transformation in E Coli

Genetic Transformation in E Coli Genetic Transformation is the act of changing of DNA in an organism by adding new genes, which may be done in multiple ways. The addition of new genes to DNA could have an almost infinite amount of advantages, ranging from studying the cultures of bacteria that become immune to modern medicine, to making artificial animal proteins. In a CNN article written by Matt Ford, scientists are using genetic transformation to do research on the use of growing animal proteins that the scientists claim will be healthier for the plant and mean less animal cruelty. However, the idea of artificially grow animal protein is still very controversial.ÂÂ   In the experiment performed by our lab, we used the idea of heat shock to genetically transform E coli. Heat shock is the process of exposing the cells to a temporary yet extreme increase in temperature, which temporarily opens the membranes of the cells. The purpose of opening these membranes is that the genes that are placed in the surrounding area will slip into the cell and become part of the DNA of that cell. In this experiment, we were testing whether or not the heat therapy opened the membranes of the cells, and therefore attempting to complete genetic transformation.ÂÂ   In the paper Nonchromosomal Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria: Genetic Transformation of Escherichia coli by R-Factor DNA by Stanley N. Cohen, Annie C.Y. Chang, and Leslie Hsu is also an example of this kind of genetic transformation on E Coli. After the E. Coli was exposed to CaCl2, the E coli did not fully become resistant to antibiotics. The reason was that the E coli also needed the right temperature and conditions for the genes to fully become effective in the E coli. After the E coli was introduced to a heated environment for a short time, and then allowed to change and grow in an incubated environment, the resistance for the antibiotics increased in the E coli. While there have been cases where it was found that heat shock therapy was no t necessary to engage the genetic transformation cycle, as shown in the article One-step preparation of competent Escherichia coli: transformation and storage of bacterial cells in the same solution, we still used the idea of heat shock therapy for our experiment. To begin the experiment, we took two microcentrifuge tubes and labeled them +pGLO and -pGLO. Next, taking a micropipette with a clean tip we put 250 microliters of transformation solution into each of our microcentrifuge tubes. We then put ice into a beaker large enough for ice and our two tubes, and put these materials into the beaker. After, a sterile loop was used to take a single colony of bacteria into each of our tubes, using separate loops to keep them sterile and avoid contamination. After obtaining another new sterile loop, we put the loop into a tube marked pGLO plasmid DNA. This loop was then put into the tube labeled +pGLO and mixed. After this, we left both tubes in the ice beaker for at least ten minutes to get them and their contents to a lower temperature. While these are on ice, we obtained 4 Luria Broth (LB) nutrient agar plates from our lab provider; one LB plate, two LB/ampicillin plates, and one LB/ampicillin /arabinose plates were given to us. After the ten minu tes were over, both tubes were place in water that was 42 degrees Celsius for 50 seconds. After this warm water treatment, we immediately place the tubes back into the ice beaker. After two minutes in the ice beaker, we removed the tubes from the ice beaker. Using a clean tip for each tube on the micropipette, we added 250 microliters of LB nutrient broth to the +pGLO tube and the -pGLO tube and let mixtures sit for ten minutes. After the ten minutes, we gently flicked the tubes to mix the contents of the tubes. Then, we added 100 microliters of +pGLO to the LB/amp nutrient agar plate, 100 microliters of +pGLO to the LB/amp/are plate, 100 microliters of -pGLO to the LB/amp plate, and 100 microliters of -pGLO to the LB plate. Using a new clean and sterile loop for each plate, spread the mixtures of each plate so that they are mixed up well, while being sure not to press hard into the plate. We then closed the plates with their lids and stacked them on top of each other, putting tape around them to keep them in order. We then placed the plates into an incubator for one week. In this experiment, we introduced the pGLO plasmid to E. coli bacteria so that the cells were genetically transform a resistance to ampicilin as well as the ability to produce the protein that causes a glow. We used heat shock therapy in order to introduce the pGLO plasmid stored in an incubation unit the bacteria in agar plate containing ampicilin, arabinose and nutrient broth. As a result, the agar plate containing nutrient broth with the bacteria that had not been given the pGLO plasmid had bacteria grow in the plate. The plate containing nutrient broth and ampicilin with the bacteria, which was not given any pGLO, did not have any bacterial growth in the plate. The plate with nutrient broth and ampicilin that had the bacteria that had been given pGLO did grow new bacteria, but it did not glow. The final plate containing nutrient broth, ampicilin and arabinose and the bacteria that had been given pGLO both grew new bacteria and also glowed under the light. I stated that I believed that the E. coli bacteria that had been given pGLO would not only grow in the presence of ampicilin, but would also glow in the light when there was also arabinose. The results of the experiment did not disprove my hypothesis since the bacteria that had been given pGLO grew in both of the plates with ampicilin present, and glowed in the plate with arabinose present as well. The results of this experiment were consistent with other similar experiments with the same use of heat therapy on genetic transformation. A prime example is the experiment conducted by Cohen, Chang and Hsu in which the method of heat shock was used to introduce antibiotic resistance to E. coli bacteria (Cohen, Chang, Hsu, 1972). The results of the experiment showed that the introduction of R-factor DNA could genetically transform E. coli bacteria to have certain resistances. This experiment helps support our findings since their procedure and outcomes were very similar to our experiment. A few possible errors that occurred in our experiment could include the fact that the bacteria sat for a week after the first part of the experiment instead of being examined after 24 hours, which may have altered the amount of bacteria that was cultured. Also, it was almost impossible to get two halves of the same colony so it is possible that the two samples of E. coli were not genetically identical. However, we do not believe that our experiment had been sufficiently flawed to cause significant error Citations: 1. Meat is murder? Well, perhaps not for much longer. By Matt Ford. http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/08/07/eco.invitro.meat/index.html Accessed 11-11-2009 2. Nonchromosomal Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria: Genetic Transformation of Escherichia coli by R-Factor DNA by Stanley N. Cohen, Annie C.Y. Chang, and Leslie Hsu. http://www.pnas.org/content/69/8/2110.abstract.ÂÂ   Accessed 11-10-2009 3. One-step preparation of competent Escherichia coli: transformation and storage of bacterial cells in the same solution by C T Chung, S L Niemela,, and R H Miller. http://www.pnas.org/content/86/7/2172.abstract accessed 11-10-2009 Donna Weedman, 2009 Life 102 Attributes of Living Systems, Cache House Inc. Eden Prairie, MN

Social Conflict Theories of the Family

Social Conflict Theories of the Family The theory asserts that conflict in the families is a very normal occurrence .Conflict theories view family as a class in society, which one of the group is oppressing others. Debatably, a family is not just a social entity of children and married couples. It is a social group in which its members are linked to each other through marriage, ancestry, living together and adoption .In addition they care for each other and share economically. Family is just but a section of society. Conflict theories have variety of roots from systematic approach of society by Marxist and intra-psychic approach of individuals by frauds. Functionalists analyzed family as a miniature society in which each member of the family performs different essential activities that will lead to survival and continuity of the family. Social conflict theories are based on a family as a difficult system characterized by conflict and inequality that causes social change. Conflict theory focuses the way in which members of the family struggle for different aspects of life. This include struggle for resources and power. As the family grows individuals within the social unit compete for wealth and prestige hence it leads to creation of conflict. It is not always true that families live harmoniously. Conflict theory is there to challenge on such stereotype beliefs. In the contemporary society then economy has inflated hence there is need to struggle in order to survive. According to Marxist groups and individuals in society have different non-material and material resources. The more powerful individuals use their powers to exploit and oppress those with no power. The conflict theory views the family as a societal init that is in a continuous clash and a state of disharmony. The dynamics in the world have led to changes in roles played by each member of the family. The theory identifies and elaborates on the dynamism of roles and the genesis of conflicts in the family. Furthermore it uncovers on ways in which the members of the family deals with conflicts, adversity and changes. In families their exist diversity of powers. For example in most communities it is believed that the father is the head of the family. When families have been separated it is important to create a good relationship. It is within the family setup that its members understand and become more emphatic to the causes of conflict. It is so difficult for individuals to interact without conflict, growth of all the family members of the family occurs through conflict. The conflicts and changes that occur in human life are important indicators of normal development and growth of family members. The important aspect of conflict is how to manage it. Family members should learn how to manage conflicts so that it does not lead to alienated relationship. The theory pus lots of emphasizes on establishing the causes and solutions of conflict. Families have disagreements of various things, from the minor ones like what to eat for supper to bigger ones on how to bring up children. Members of the family differ in interests, extent of hostility, nature, personality and how we express and react on conflicts. In a nuclear family for example the mother and father may have conflicting goals such as how to spend the salaries. Due to the development of women rights working women argue that if both members are working they should divide all the activities in the house equal, but men will always belief that the household chores belongs to the women. The family as a unit is made up of individuals with different sex, age personalities and ideologies hence the occurrence of conflict is based on nature. Families too differ in power; some of the sources of power include love, money, physical cruelty and legitimacy. Each member of the family has power; the only difference is its degree and sources. Perhaps, communication is the most important solution to family issued. Members of the family should ensure that they establish a good communication.Furthaermore individuals should be understanding and empathic. The families should be ready to change in order to resolve conflict. Conflict theories of the family have various assumptions .If families interact there is no way of escaping conflict. As a family there are conflicting interests. In addition the family will feel the social change and growth through conflict. Secondly the theories assume that change and conflict in families are ever-present, foreseeable and normal in e very family relationships. The theory states conflict has been a prevalent; hence the main goal is to manage it so that it does not grow to alarming levels that may cause damage to the family members. Given a chance to develop conflict families will inevitably break and cause unhealthy separation. For example divorce occurs when issues are not solved hence becoming chronic. Families too face scarcity of resources, in most cases conflict occurs because the resources that are available are not enough to meet all the needs of the family members. We could only be free of conflict if each member gets his needs .Individuals within the family have different level of intrinsically uneven elements, hence power is not equally distributed. Individuals who have access to power in the families work towards building himself instead of changing the family as a whole. The conflict theories are not free from critiques. The theory emphasizes on the negative sides only yet in a family there are good things. For example caring parents and couples who love are not fine. The theory views this as a tool to oppress others in the family. In addition the theory emphasizes on differences within family members as the cause of conflict. Differences are appreciated and accepted because of how we were made. Certainly contemporary families do their things in a secretive manner hence it is hard to measure the level of conflict. In conclusion family setup is not the avenue on oppression and conflict. Parents work together with their children for their betterment and for the good growth. The parents should socialize with their children and the all family so that each one of them grows to fit the dynamic society. We should learn to accommodated and appreciate our diversity within the family. The family is the primary source of all the traits in the society.

Mark Twain, The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn Essay -- essays researc

In the novel by Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the two main characters, Huck and Jim, are strongly linked. Their relation is portrayed by various sides, some of them good and some others bad. But the essential interest of that relation is the way that uses the author to describe it. Even if he had often been misunderstood, Twain always implied a message behind the themes developed around Huck and Jim. The first encounter between Huck Finn and Jim is at the beginning of the book, when Huck’s friend, Tom Sawyer, tries to fool Jim, Miss Watson’s slave. Huck and Jim still don’t know each other, but Huck isn’t biased against the old slave. It’s an important point because, as racism was a widely held mentality in the South, we can learn that that young boy was more open-minded than most people there. Later, they find themselves in the same situation. As they were escaping from the civilized world, they take refuge in the Jackson’s Island, on the Mississippi river. Huck is running away from a bad father and Jim has leaved Miss Watson because he didn’t want to be sold to New Orleans. Soon after joining Jim on the island, Huck begins to realize that Jim has more talents and intelligence than Huck has been aware of. Jim knows "all kinds of signs" about the future, people's personalities, and weather forecasting. Huck finds this kind of information necessary as he and Jim drift down the Mississippi on a raft. As important, Huck feels a comfort with Jim that he has not felt with the other major characters in the novel. With Jim, Huck can enjoy the best aspects of his earlier influences. Jim's meaning to Huck changes as they proceed through their adventure. He starts out as an extra person just to take on the journey, but they transform into a friend. "It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger."(chap. XV) Huck tries to squeal on Jim but can't because he remembers that Jim called him "de bes' fren' I ever had;...de on'y white genlman dat ever kep' his promise to ole Jim."(chap. XVI) Huck reali zes that he can not turn Jim in since they both act as runaway outcasts on the river. The support they have for each other sprouts friendship. As does the Widow, Jim allows Huck security, but Jim is not as confining as is the Widow. Like Tom Sawyer, Jim is intelligent but his intelligence ... ...cial bigot, Tom. In addition, both sacrifices have as a consequence a life of everlasting hell. When Huck sacrifices himself for Jim, he accepts a literal hell (that is truly the path to heaven). Jim, on the other hand, accepts a life of figurative hell in slavery, when he is in fact free all along. Finally, each sacrifice shares irony, in that they were both based on unknown pieces of unknown, but significant pieces of information. Huck is unaware that his decision of accepting "hell" will actually lead to his salvation and ironically decides on doing what the thinks is "wrong." Likewise, Jim is unaware that he is free, and is not risking his freedom in saving Tom. In making these two brave sacrifices, Huck and Jim achieve a higher character than if they had chosen easier paths. Huck's willingness to face hell to protect Jim and Jim's willingness to face capture and slavery to save Tom, both contribute to the overall theme of racial equality/inequality present throughout the book. Huck and Jim's journey down the Mississippi River has led them to look past colour boundaries, and discover that "all me are created equal."

The African-American Nightmare Exposed in Black Literature Essay

African-American Nightmare Exposed in Olaudah Equiano, Narrative of Frederick Douglass, Song of Solomon, and Push    The American Dream was founded on the concept that "all men are created equal"(Jefferson 729) and that everyone has the capability and resources to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps." The Declaration of Independence was written so Americans could achieve this dream, but was not written with the African slave in mind. The African slave was never intended to be a part of this American Dream, therefore, not capable of obtaining it. These slaves were beaten up and/or lynched by their massas with these bootstraps instead of being "pulled up" by them.    Even after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, Blacks still did not have access to all of the privileges of the white world. The Jim Crow laws of 1877 constantly reminded Blacks of their second-class citizenship and also limited them to certain areas and to very few resources. Signs reading "Whites Only" or "Colored" hung over restroom doors, drinking fountains and other public places.    The dominant American Dream narrative involves voluntary participation, forgetting the past, and privileging the individual while the alternative Dream narrative of American minorities involves forced participation, connecting tot the past, and privileging the group-the traditional (extended) or alternative families. So, clearly, to the African-American, there were and still are many restrictions that go along with the American Dream.    The great civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King in his famous speech, "I Have a Dream," delivered August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington, D.C., supports these limi... ...Life of Frederick Douglass. 1845. The Classic Slave Narratives. Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. New York: Penguin Group, 1987. Equiano, Olaudah. The Life of Olaudah Equiano. 1814. The Classic Slave Narratives. Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. New York: Penguin Group, 1987. Hughes, Langston. "Dream Deferred". Literature, Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama & the Essay. 4th Edition, Published by McGraw Hill, 1998. Jefferson, Thomas. The Declaration of Independence. 1776. The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 4th ed. v.1,ed. Nina Baym et al (NY: Norton, 1994), 729. King, Jr., Martin Luther. "I Have a Dream." A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King Jr., Ed. J. M. Washington. Harper & Row, 1986. 217, 219. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: The Penguin Group, 1977. Sapphire. Push. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1996.   

Teacher Cadet Essay

Often times we do not consider how a teacher has influenced us. Teachers influence whether we realize it or not can alter a student’s perspective on life. A great many of my previous teachers have left a lasting impression on me that will never be forgotten. I do admit there were much contentment, anguish and memorable things that directly connects me to them. Without my teachers, it is highly impossible for me to stand and be here today. One name in particular stands firm among others and that is Mr. Jesse L. Barrett. Mr. Barrett was my English II Honors teacher my sophomore year in high school. Sadly, he was only my English teacher for one year. I honestly could not have asked for a better teacher. At the same time as making me smile and laugh, he ultimately helped me to be successful in life. Initially, I did not enjoy English as much anymore due to a bad string of teachers who lectured endlessly on random topics other than English. He changed my outlook on life and helped me regain my passion for English. Mr. Barrett motivated me to not settle for mediocre work and to do my absolute best in anything I strived for. I never imagined that I would encounter a teacher that was as meticulous as Mr. Barrett. Everything he did had a specific place and order. He never accepted late work because we were in an honors class that required you to be punctual. This taught me how to be prompt, a skill that will help when I attend college next fall. Mr. Barrett honestly loved teaching and you could hear it in his voice; the way he would sound so excited when we read the Great Gatsby. He creates this atmosphere that causes students to feel comfortable and at ease. Everyone anticipated going to class and were quick to engage in current book discussions. Conveying information to students so they will fully comprehend the standard is his specialty. Although he was very kind and helpful when any issue developed, he was a very strict and concerned educator. Discipline was highly enforced in his classroom which influenced me to be the best student I could possibly be. Mr. Barrett has this method where he asks for input and invites the student to participate in class activities. For example, He would divide the class into groups according to our grade averages. Using this method, I quickly discovered that students in the group are in fact helping one another in answering the questions. It is a very exceptional way in learning English. During the activity, students can consult him and ask questions as well. Before the class ends, he would take out 10 to 20 minutes to summarize his teaching and sometimes even motivate us with stories that he encounters during his days outside of school. Whether he knows it or not, Mr. Barrett has influenced me tremendously. It is amazing how one individual can have such an impact on students. He simply guided me to success and I am honored to have been in such a rigorous and competitive class. Challenging me was really the driving force that connected me to him because I never felt as if the work was too easy or vague. Today, I honestly still believe he has helped me in such a way that it will follow me into my post-secondary career.

Critique of Alexander Pope by Carole Fabricante Essay

â€Å"Defining Self and Others: Pope and Eighteenth Century Gender Ideology† – Carole Fabricante. This is an in depth critique by Carole Fabricante of eighteenth century gender ideologies in which Fabricante uses the poet Alexander Pope’s poetry as an example of changing thoughts towards gender roles. In particular, or as a specific argument, Fabricante warns about the use of ‘active voices’ to relate the situations, circumstances and feelings of the ‘passive’. Herein she discusses the dangers of allowing others who attempt to empathise with the voiceless, to become the main petition for the said people. The eighteenth century being a time in which women were largely relegated to the ‘seen and not heard’ caste, Fabricante examines Pope’s position not only as a protagonist for the ‘unspoken’, but also as devils advocate. She describes Pope’s own history as a crippled and deformed individual whose own identity is compromised by his inability to conform to the socialized standards of masculinity. This would naturally grant Pope a greater ability to empathize with the underdog. â€Å"Deformed, dwarfish, sickly, and probably impotent as a result of having contracted spinal tuberculosis in infancy, Pope was someone whose â€Å"manhood† was continually being called into question both by his enemies in print and by the women in his life, not to mention by his own ironic perceptions of himself. † (Fabricante). As a result of his own deformity, Fabricante asserts that his own idea of patriarchal power hierarchy and that this may at some level give him a greater lease to speak for those who ‘cannot’. Pope is by no means a passive voice, although speaking as a women in poems such as â€Å"Eloisa to Abelard† and â€Å"Epistle to Miss Blount†, Fabricante does question whether Pope uses a form of political satire to direct is ideas. However Fabricante does admit the following: â€Å"Pope’s ambiguous and contradictory position in society affords us the opportunity to explore the dialectical interaction between the voices of marginality and dominance as these vye, not only among different groups in society, but also within a single personality and consciousness. †(Fabricante). The paper as a whole questions the usage over time of writers, artists and activists in order to speak for others, believing that this is not a clear or authentic view of those individuals. She compares Pope’s representation of women to that of Swift, another eighteenth century poet. In this comparison she examines the subtlety with which Pope describes women as a victim of choice-less marriages and breeding stock as opposed to Swifts considerably less authentic identification. She also explores the use of objectification of women as an entity for which the primary necessity it fulfils, are men. As an exploratory paper, Fabricante does touch on a great deal of the effects of subjugation of women as the ‘other’ over time. This is particularly important in an era such as the eighteenth century where the socialized acceptance by women of their fate, was beginning to disintegrate. Following the Renaissance, reading the likes of Shakespeares Othello and Romeo and Juliet, the discomfort faced by women was already rearing its head. However, it took centuries for this transformation to come into fruition. I feel that at times Fabricante attacks the wrong people though. In the beginning her main focus is on the Foucauldian perception of the voiceless being incarcerated by those intent on speaking for them. In many ways this practice does rob the recipient even further of their own right to be heard, however, those who can identify say for instance with abortion, may not be able to speak for themselves. This leads in the end, to no one getting anywhere. The point, I believe of people speaking for others, is not to precipitate further oppression, but to give them the strength to speak for themselves. Foucault, as Fabricante uses for an example, was himself a minority, being outwardly gay and questioning the idea of transgression as perceived by society, makes a good representation of those previously voiceless speaking out. As a sociological argument, Fabricante is eloquent and aggressive and may strike the reader as being decidedly feminist, although this may be a misconception on the part of the reader. Fabricante makes many interesting and pertinent points although she is not easy to read. For this reason it necessary to remember that the paper is not a poetic analysis, but a personality one. In the greater scheme of social theory, Fabricante displays all the downfalls and assets of social study particularly that of the need to label people as ‘other’. Describing another group or individual as ‘other’ is a social truth, as all things that can be defined, must by all intents and purposes possess an opposite. I believe Fabricante’s dissertation to be insightful, if at times a little aggressive. The paper sometimes appeared a little confused, perhaps because she uses a number of external which are placed within her own ideas.

You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 8

Chapter Eight She Walks in Beauty Jody moved down Columbus Avenue with long, runway-model strides, feeling the windblown fog brush by her like the chill ghosts of rejected suitors. What she could never teach Tommy, what she could never really share with him, was what it felt like to move from being a victim – afraid of attack, the shadow around the corner, the footsteps behind – to being the hunter. It wasn't the stalking or the rush of taking down prey – Tommy would understand that. It was walking down a dark street, late at night, knowing that you were the most powerful creature there, that there was absolutely nothing, no one, that could fuck with you. Until she had been changed and had stalked the city as a vampire, she never realized that virtually every moment she had been there as a woman, she had been a little bit afraid. A man would never understand. That was the reason for the dress and the shoes – not to attract a minion, but to throw her sexuality out there on display, dare som e underevolved male to make the mistake of seeing her as a victim. Truth be told, although it had come down to confrontation only once, and then she'd been wearing a baggy sweatshirt and jeans, Jody enjoyed kicking ass. She also enjoyed – every bit as much – just knowing that she could. It was her secret. Without fear, the City was a great sensual carnival. There was no danger in anything she experienced, no anxiety. Red was red, yellow didn't mean caution, smoke didn't mean fire, and the mumbling of the four Chinese guys standing by their car just around the corner was just the click and twang of empty swinging dick talk. She could hear their hearts speed up when they saw her, could smell sweat and garlic and gun oil coming off them. She'd learned the smell of fear and imminent violence, too, of sexual arousal and surrender, although she'd have been hard-pressed to describe any of that. It was just there. Like color. You know†¦ Try to describe blue. Without mentioning blue. See? There weren't a lot of people out on the street at this time of night, but there were a few, spread up the length of Columbus: barhoppers, late diners just wrapping it up, college boys heading down to the strip clubs on Broadway, the exodus from Cobb's Comedy Club up the street, people giddy and so into the rhythm of laughing that they found one another and everything they saw hilarious – all of them vibrant, wearing auras of healthy pink life, trailing heat and perfume and cigarette smoke and gas held through long dinners. Witnesses. The Chinese guys weren't harmless, by any means, but she didn't think they'd attack her, and she felt a twinge of regret. One of them, the one with the gun, yelled something at her in Cantonese – something sleazy and insulting, she could tell by the tone. She spun as she walked, smiled her biggest red carpet smile, and without breaking stride, said, â€Å"Hey, nano-dick, go fuck yourself!† There was a lot of bluster and shuffle, the smart one, the one with fear coming off him, held his friend Nano-dick back, thus saving his life. She must be a cop, or just crazy. Something's wrong. They clustered around their tricked-out Honda and huffed out great breaths of testosterone and frustration. Jody grinned, and detoured up a side street, away from traffic. â€Å"My night,† she said to herself. â€Å"Mine.† Now off the main drag, she saw only a single old man shuffling ahead of her. His life aura looked like a burned-out bulb, a spot of dark gray around him. He walked stooped over, with a dogged determination, as if he knew that if he stopped, he would never start again. From what she could tell, he never would. He wore baggy, wide-wale corduroys that made the sound of rodents nesting when he walked. A wisp of breeze off the Bay brought Jody the acrid smell of failing organs, of stale tobacco, of despair, of a deep, rotting sickness, and she felt the elation leave her. She slipped comfortably into the new slot the night had made for her, like tumblers of a lock slipping into place. She made sure that she made enough noise so that he could hear her approaching, and when she was beside him, he paused, his feet still moving in tiny steps that turned him to the side, as if his motor was idling. â€Å"Hi,† she said. He smiled. â€Å"My, you are a lovely girl. Would you walk with me?† â€Å"Sure.† They walked a few steps together before he said, â€Å"I'm dying, you know.† â€Å"Yeah, I kind of figured,† Jody said. â€Å"I'm just walking. Thinking, and walking. Mostly walking.† â€Å"Nice night for it.† â€Å"A little cold, but I don't feel it. I got a whole pocketful of painkillers. You want one?† â€Å"No, I'm good. Thanks.† â€Å"I ran out of things to think about.† â€Å"Just in time.† â€Å"I wondered if I'd get to kiss a pretty girl once before the end. I think that would be all I'd want.† â€Å"What's your name?† â€Å"James. James O'Mally.† â€Å"James. My name is Jody. I'm pleased to meet you.† She stopped and offered her hand to shake. â€Å"The pleasure is all mine, I assure you,† said James, bowing as best he could. She took his face in her hands, and steadied him, then kissed him on the lips, softly and for a long time, and when she pulled away they were both smiling. â€Å"That was lovely,† James O'Mally said. â€Å"Yes it was,† Jody said. â€Å"I suppose I'm finished now,† James said. â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"The pleasure was all mine,† Jody said. â€Å"I assure you.† Then she put her arms around his slight frame, and held him, one hand cradling the back of his head like an infant, and he only trembled a little when she drank. A little later, she bundled his clothes together under her arm, and hooked his old wing tips on two fingers. The dust that had been James O'Mally was spread in a powdery-gray pile on the sidewalk, like a negative shadow, a bleached spot. She brushed it flat with her palm, and wrote, Nice kiss, James, with her fingernail. As she walked away, an hourglass trickle of James trailed out of his clothes behind her and was carried off on the chill bay breeze. The guy working the door of the Glas Kat looked like a raven had exploded on his head, his hair plastered out in a chaos of black spikes. The music coming from inside sounded like robots fucking. And complaining about it. In rhythmic monotone. European robots. Tommy was a little intimidated. ‘Sploded raven-head guy had better fangs than he did, was paler, and had seventeen silver rings in his lips. (Tommy had counted.) â€Å"Bet it's hard to whistle with those in, huh?† Tommy asked. â€Å"Ten dollars,† said ‘Sploded. Tommy gave him the money. He checked Tommy's ID and stamped his wrist with a red slash. Just then a group of Japanese girls dressed like tragic Victorian baby dolls breezed by behind Tommy, waving their wrist slashes like they'd just returned from a joyful suicide party instead of smoking cloves on the street. They, too, looked more like vampires than Tommy did. He shrugged and entered the club. Everyone, it appeared, looked more like a vampire than he did. He'd bought some black jeans and a black leather jacket at the Levi's store while Jody was off finding something hideous for her mother for Christmas, but evidently he should have been looking for some black lipstick and something cobalt- or fuchsia-colored to weave into his hair. And in retrospect, the flannel shirt may have been a mistake. He looked like he'd shown up at the sacrificial mass of the damned ready to fix the dishwasher. The music changed to an ethereal female chorus of Celtic nonsense. With a techno beat. And robots complaining. Grumpy robots. He tried to listen around it, the way Jody had taught him. With all the black light, strobes, and black clothing, his newly heightened senses were overloading. He tried to focus on people's faces, their life auras, look through the haze of heat, hairspray, and patchouli for the girl he'd met at Walgreens. Tommy had felt alone in a crowd before, even inferior to everyone in a crowd, but now he felt, well, different. It wasn't just the clothes and the makeup, it was the humanity. He wasn't part of it. Heightened senses or not, he felt like he had his nose pressed against the window, looking in. The problem was, it was the window of a donut shop. â€Å"Hey!† Someone grabbed his arm and he wheeled around so quickly that the girl nearly tumbled over backwards, startled. â€Å"Fuck! Dude.† â€Å"Hi,† Tommy said. â€Å"Wow.† Thinking, Ah, jelly donut. It was the girl from Walgreens. She was nearly a foot shorter than he, and a little skinny. Tonight she'd gone with the waifish look, wearing striped stockings with holes ripped in them and a shiny red PVC miniskirt. She'd traded in her Lord Byron shirt for a tank top, black, of course, with dripping red letters that read got blood? and fishnet gloves that went halfway up her biceps. Her makeup was sad-clown marionette: black tears drawn streaming down either side of her face. She crooked her finger to get him to bend down so she could shout into his ear over the music. â€Å"My name's Abby Normal.† Tommy spoke into her ear; she smelled of hairspray and what was that? Raspberry? â€Å"My name is Flood,† he said. â€Å"C. Thomas Flood.† It was his pen name. The C didn't really stand for anything, he just liked the sound of it. â€Å"Call me Flood,† he added. Tommy was a stupid name for a vampire, but Flood – ah, Flood – there was disaster and power there, and a hint of mystery, he thought. Abby smiled like a cat in a tuna cannery. â€Å"Flood,† she said. â€Å"Flood.† She was trying it on, it seemed to Tommy. He imagined that she'd have a black vinyl binder at school and she'd soon be writing Mrs. Flood surrounded by a heart with an arrow through it on the cover in her own blood. He'd never seen a girl so obviously attracted to him, and he realized that he had no experience in dealing with it. For a moment he flashed on the three vampire brides of Dracula who try to seduce Jonathan Harker in Stoker's classic novel. (He'd been studying all the vampire fiction he could get his hands on since meeting Jody, since it didn't appear that anyone had written a good how-to book on vampirism.) Could he really deal with three luscious vampire brides? Would he have to bring them a kid in a sack the way Dracula does in the book? How many kids a week would it take to keep them happy? And where did you get kid sacks? And although he hadn't discussed it with Jody, he was pretty sure she was not going to be happy sharing him with two other luscious vampire brides, even if he brought her sacks and sacks full of kids. They'd need a bigger apartment. One with a washer and dryer in the building, because there'd be a lot of bloodstained lingerie to be washed. Vampire logistics were a nightmare. You should get a castle and a staff when you got your fangs. How was he going to do all of this? â€Å"This sucks,† Tommy finally said, overwhelmed by the enormity of his responsibilities. Abby looked startled, then a little hurt. â€Å"Sorry,† she said. â€Å"You want to get out of here?† â€Å"Oh, no, I didn't mean – I mean, uh, yes. Let us go.† â€Å"Do you still need to get your heroin?† â€Å"What? No, that matter is taken care of.† â€Å"You know, Byron and Shelley did opiates,† Abby said. â€Å"Laudanum. It was like cough syrup.† Then, for no reason that he could think of, Tommy said, â€Å"Those scamps, they loved to get wrecked and read ghost stories from the German.† â€Å"That is so fucking cool,† Abby said, grabbing his arm and hugging his biceps like it was her newest, bestest friend. She started pulling him toward the door. â€Å"What about your friend?† Tommy said. â€Å"Oh, someone made a comment about his cape being gray when we first got here, so he went home to redye all of his blacks.† â€Å"Of course,† Tommy said, thinking, What the fuck? Out on the sidewalk, Abby said, â€Å"I suppose we need to find somewhere private.† â€Å"We do?† â€Å"So you can take me,† Abby said, stretching her neck to the side, looking more like a stringless marionette than ever. Tommy had no idea what to do. How did she know? Everyone in that club would have scored higher on the â€Å"are you a vampire?† test than he would. There needed to be a book, and this sort of thing needed to be in it. Should he deny it? Should he just get on with it? What was he going to tell Jody when she woke up next to the skinny marionette girl? He hadn't really understood women when he was a normal, human guy, when it seemed that all you had to do was pretend that you didn't want to have sex with them until they would have sex with you, but being a vampire added a whole new aspect to things. Was he supposed to conceal that he was a vampire and a dork! He used to read the articles in Cosmo to get some clue to the female psyche, and so he deferred to advice he'd read in an article entitled â€Å"Think He's Just Pretending to Like You So You'll Have Sex with Him? Try a Coffee Date.† â€Å"How 'bout I buy you a cup of coffee instead,† he said. â€Å"We can talk.† â€Å"It's because I have small boobs, isn't it?† Abby said, going into a very practiced pout. â€Å"Of course not.† Tommy smiled in a way he thought would be charming, mature, and reassuring. â€Å"Coffee won't help that.† As Jody pushed the bundle of clothes into the storm sewer, a silver cigarette case slid out of the jacket pocket onto the pavement. She reached for it and felt a light shock – no, that wasn't it. It was a warmth that moved up her arm. She kicked the clothes into the opening and stood under the streetlight, turning the silver case in her hands. It had his name engraved on it. She couldn't keep it, like she had the folding money from his pockets, but she couldn't throw it away either. Something wouldn't let her. She heard a buzz, like an angry insect, and looked up to see a neon  «Open » sign flickering above a shop called Asher's Secondhand. That was it. That's where the cigarette case had to go. She owed it to James. After all, he'd given her everything, or at least everything he'd had left. She quick-stepped across the street and into the shop. The owner was working the counter at the back by himself. A thin guy in his early thirties, with a look of pleasant confusion not unlike the one she'd first noticed on Tommy's face. Normally, this guy would be prime minion material, or at least based on her minion recruitment of the past he would, except apparently, he was dead. Or at least not alive like most people. He had no life aura around him. No healthy pink glow, no crusty brown or gray corona of illness. Nothing. The only time she'd ever seen this before was with Elijah, the old vampire. The shopkeeper looked up and she smiled. He smiled back. She moved to the counter. While he tried not to stare at her cleavage, she looked more closely for some life aura. There was heat, or at least there appeared to be some heat coming off him. â€Å"Hi,† said the shopkeeper. â€Å"Can I help you?† â€Å"I found this,† she said, holding up the cigarette case. â€Å"I was in the neighborhood and something made me think that this belonged here.† She set the case down on the counter. How could he have no life aura? What the hell was he? â€Å"Touch me,† she said. She held out her hand to him. â€Å"Huh?† He seemed a little frightened at first, but he took her hand, then quickly let go. He was warm. â€Å"Then you're not one of us?† But he wasn't one of them either. â€Å"Us? What do you mean us?† He touched the cigarette case and she could tell that this was exactly why she had brought it here. It was supposed to be here. Whatever part of James O'Mally had been left in that cigarette case had led her here. And this thin, confused-looking guy was supposed to have it. He took what was left of people all the time. It's what he did. Jody felt some of the confidence she'd felt earlier draining away. Maybe the night wasn't hers after all. Jody backed away a step. â€Å"No. You don't just take the weak and the sick, do you? You take anyone.† â€Å"Take? What do you mean, take?† He was furiously trying to push the cigarette case back to her across the counter. He didn't know. He was like she was when she'd awakened that first night as a vampire and had no idea what she had become. â€Å"You don't even know, do you?† â€Å"Know what?† He picked up the cigarette case again. â€Å"Wait a second, can you see this thing glowing?† â€Å"No glow. It just felt like it belonged here.† This poor guy, he didn't even know. â€Å"What's your name?† She asked. â€Å"Charlie Asher. This is Asher's.† â€Å"Well Charlie, you seem like a nice guy, and I don't know exactly what you are, and it doesn't seem like you know. You don't, do you?† He blushed. Jody could see his face flush with heat. â€Å"I've been going through some changes lately.† Jody nodded. He really would have been perfect as a minion – if he hadn't been some bizarre supernatural creature. She'd just gotten used to the idea of vampires being real, and it took some serious blood drinking to drive that reality home, and now there were other – other – things? Still, Jody felt bad for him, â€Å"Okay,† she said. â€Å"I know what it's like, uh, to find yourself thrown into a situation where forces beyond your control are changing you into someone, something you don't have an owner's manual for. I understand what it is to not know. But someone, somewhere, does know. Someone can tell you what's going on.† And hopefully they aren't just fucking with you, she wanted to add, but thought better of it. â€Å"What are you talking about?† he asked. â€Å"You make people die, don't you Charlie?† She didn't know why she said it, but as soon as she said it, she knew it was true. Like when all her other senses had been dialed to eleven, she could sense something new, like noise on the line, and it was telling her this. â€Å"But how do you – ?† â€Å"Because it's what I do,† Jody said. â€Å"Not like you, but it's what I do. Find them, Charlie. Backtrack and find whoever was there when your world changed.† She shouldn't have said that, she knew it as she was saying it. She'd just handed him an item that had been owned by someone she'd taken not twenty minutes ago. But even as regret for passing out incriminating evidence hit her, she also realized that she had left Tommy out there to wave in the wind just like this guy. Even if it was only for a few hours, Tommy had no idea how to go about being a vampire – truth be told, he hadn't really been that good at being a human. He was just a doofy guy from Indiana and she'd abandoned him to the merciless city. She turned and ran out of the shop. â€Å"Cocoa?† Tommy said. â€Å"You look cold.† He'd given her his jacket out on the street. He's so gallant, Abby thought. He probably wants me to drink cocoa to get my blood sugar up before he sucks the life from my veins. Abby had lived much of her life waiting for something extraordinary to happen. No matter where she had been, there was a world somewhere that was more interesting. She'd progressed from wanting to live in a fantastic, kawaii-cute plastic world of Hello Kitty, to being a Day-Glo, Manga lollipop space girl in platform sneakers, and then just a couple of years ago she had moved into the dark gothic world of pseudo vampires, suicidal poets, and romantic disappointment. It was a dark, seductive world where you got to sleep really late on the weekends. She'd been true to her dark nature, too, trying to maintain an aspect of exhausted mopeyness while channeling any enthusiasm she felt into a vehicle for imminent disappointment, and above all, suppressing the deep-seated perkiness that her friend Lily said she'd never shed when she'd refused to throw away her Hello Kitty backpack or let go of her Nintendog virtual beagle puppy. â€Å"He has virtual parvo,† Lily had said. â€Å"You have to put him down.† â€Å"He doesn't have parvo,† Abby had insisted. â€Å"He's just tired.† â€Å"He's doomed, and you're cute, and hopelessly perky,† Lily taunted. â€Å"I am not. I'm complex and I'm dark.† â€Å"You're perky and your e-dog has i-parvo.† â€Å"As Azrael is my witness, I will never be perky again,† said Abby, her wrist set tragically to her forehead. Lily stood with her as she threw her Nintendog cartridge under the tire of the 91 midnight express bus. And now she had been chosen by a real creature of the night, and she would be true to her word: she had shed her perkiness. She sipped her hot chocolate, and studied the vampire Flood across the table. How clever, that he could appear as just a simple, clueless guy – but then, he could probably take many shapes. â€Å"I could be a slave to your darkest desires,† Abby said. â€Å"I can do things. Anything you want.† The vampire Flood commenced a coughing fit. When he had control again, he said, â€Å"Well, that's terrific, because we have a lot of laundry piled up and the apartment is a wreck.† He was testing her. Seeing if she was worthy before bringing her into his world. â€Å"Anything you desire, my lord. I can do laundry, clean, bring you small creatures to quench your thirst until I am worthy.† The vampire Flood snickered. â€Å"This is so cool,† he said. â€Å"You'll do my laundry, just like that?† Abby knew she had to tread carefully here, not fall for his trap. â€Å"Anything,† she said. â€Å"Have you ever gone apartment hunting?† â€Å"Sure,† she lied. â€Å"Okay, you can start tomorrow first thing. You need to find us an apartment.† Abby was horrified. She hadn't really tried on the idea of leaving her old life so quickly. But all that would mean nothing when she became immortal, and ran with the children of the night. But her mom was going to be pissed. â€Å"I can't move in right away, my lord. I have affairs to put in order before I make the change.† The vampire Flood smiled, his fangs barely visible now. â€Å"Oh, it's not for you. There's another.† He paused and leaned across the table. â€Å"An elder,† he whispered. There was another? Was she to become the sacrifice to a whole coven of the undead? Well, whatever. Lily would be so jealous. â€Å"As you please, my lord,† she said. â€Å"You might want to chill with the ‘my lord' stuff,† Flood said. â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"It's okay. You know this all has to be completely secret, right?† â€Å"Right. Secret.† â€Å"I mean, I'm okay with it, but the other, the elder, she has a terrible temper.† â€Å"She?† â€Å"Yeah, you know, an Irish redhead.† â€Å"A Celtic countess, then? The one who was with you at Walgreens?† â€Å"Exactly.† â€Å"Sweet!† Abby blurted out. She couldn't help it. She immediately tried to hide her latent perkiness by biting the edge of her cocoa cup. â€Å"You've got chocolate, here.† The vampire Flood gestured to her lip. â€Å"Kind of a marshmallow mustache.† â€Å"Sorry,† Abby said, wiping her mouth furiously with the back of her fishnet glove, smearing her black lipstick across the side of her face. â€Å"It's okay,† said the vampire Flood. â€Å"It's cute.† â€Å"Fuck!† Abby said.

Critiquing Internet Sources Essay

The internet is filled with information. Podcasts, videos, and blogs are the most used forms of information on the internet. Three factors that need to be used when evaluating internet sources for use in research are authority, can the speaker be authenticated, and is he qualified to speak on the subject, accuracy, can the information be found in other credible sources, and currency is the information current or when was the last revision to the page? The topic is Elder Abuse, a blog, video, and podcast, have been evaluated pertaining to the subject to show the credibility and reliability of the sources. A blog is a website containing a writer’s or group of writers’ own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often having images and links to other websites (Oxford Dictionaries, 2015). The blog Elder Care and Technology is written by a group of writers’ in the Walton Law Firm. The blog explains in detail the impact of modern technology on Elder Abuse. The law firm based in San Diego, California specializes in court cases representing abused elders and their families. The Law firm can be authenticated and has been successful in prosecuting and retaining damages against nursing homes and personal care homes for years (Walton Law Firm, 2014). The blog does show some bias against people and organizations accused of elder abuse. The information in the blog is accurate and valid, because there are links to the law firm site that confirm the blog’s content. The information is current and applicable to the topic of Elder Abuse. A video is the recording, reproducing, or broadcasting of moving visual images (Oxford Dictionaries, 2015). The video Elder Abuse: the Crime of the Twenty-First Century, was produced by The Stein Institute for Research on Aging. The guest speaker is Deputy District Attorney of San Diego County; Paul Greenwood J.D. Attorney Greenwood has prosecuted over  four-hundred felony cases of Elder Abuse, both physic al and financial. The video gives a detailed explanation of what is being done in the state of California to combat Elder Abuse. The speaker is biased towards the prosecuting of those who mistreat the elderly. Attorney Greenwood is a valid source and the information he shares in the video is applicable to this research. The video shares information that can be found in other resources and is just one in a series offered by The Stein Institute for Research on Aging to show the new ideas that the state of California is implementing to fight elder abuse. District Attorney Greenwood is a credible source for information because of his background in the fight against elder abuse. The video is informative and the speaker is clear and concise in his reporting of the facts. A podcast is a digital audio file made available on the internet for downloading to a computer or portable media player, typically as a series, new installments of which can be received by subscribers automatically (Oxford Dictionaries, 201 5). The New York City Elder Abuse center has a series of podcasts about Elder Justice. The center was erected in 2009 to improve professional, organizational, and system responses to elder abuse (NYCEAC, 2013). The most current podcast in the aging series is Ageism, Elder Justice, and The Legacy Project, each podcast has a guest speaker and the speaker on this podcast is Professor Karl Pillemer, a noted author, Director of Bronfenbrenner’s Center for Translational Research, Hazel E. Reed Professor in the Department of Human Development, Professor of Gerontology in Medicine at the Weill Cornell Medical Center, and a collaborator on the Legacy Project (Cornell University, 2015). Professor Pillemer is an expert on the issues of the elderly, and his qualified to express his opinions though somewhat biased in favor of the elderly. He uses his bias in a way that expresses the deep concern for the elderly and their treatment, which tends to sway one to favor his arguments. The podcast is one in a series of valid podcasts and the information is easily applied to this research. The information can also be found in other credible sources on the internet. The information given in blogs, videos, and podcasts are great examples of web-based information. Web-based information has a major influence on how students gather information for research, global citizenship, and multicultural understanding. Web-based information helps develop intercultural literacies that students, parents,  educators, and leadership groups need to live and work as a diverse and globalized population. Web-based information gives the user awareness of the interconnectedness with people and environments around the globe (Department of Education, 2013). Web-based information is being infused in today’s global history classroom curriculum to enable students to have access to the global network of multimedia information while being engaged in self-directed learning activities (Scheidel, 2003). Web-based information influences the understanding of global citizenship and multicultural understanding, because people are able to put themselves in the position of the citizens of foreign countries, which helps them broaden their understanding of the different cultures that they meet right here in the United States, and helps us understand the complexities of ethnicity and culture (Hickling, 2012). Elder Abuse is a subject that has recently been raised by different organizations and advocates that fight for the elderly and their rights. The different blogs, videos, and podcasts, are ways that a researcher can find the relevant information they need to learn more about the subject and the policies being used to combat elder abuse. The internet is the leading source of information in society today. The information by way of blogs, videos, and podcasts are all perfect ways to get and exchange information. The credibility and relevance of the information should be easy to prove and sh ould always be authenticated when using these methods for research. References Ageism, Elder Justice & The Legacy Project (April 22, 2014). Retrieved from: http://podgallery.org/elder-justice-podcast-series/ January10, 2015 Cornell University College of Human Ecology (2015). Karl Pillemer-Bio Retrieved from: http://www.human.cornell.edu/bio.cfm?netid=kap6 January 11, 2015 Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Education for Global and Multicultural Citizenship: A Strategy for Victorian Government Schools 2009-2013. Retrieved from: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/programs/multicultural/default.htm. January 11, 2015. Elder Abuse: The Crime of the Twenty-First Century? – Research on Aging MAY 5, 2014 University of California Television (UCTV) Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JoUapRfjZw January 10, 2015. Elder Care and Technology By Walton Law Firm http://www.nursinghomeabuselawyerblog.com/2014/05/elder-care-technology.html Hickling, F.W. (2012). Understanding Patients in Multicultural Settings: A Personal Reflection on Ethnicity and Culture in Clinical Practice. Ethnicity & Health, 17(1/2), 203-216. Doi:10. 1080/ 13557858.2012 655266. Retrieved from: Ashford University Library, January 14, 2015. Oxford University Press (2015) http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/ Scheidet, R.A. (2003). Improving Student Achievement by Infusing a Web-Based Curriculum into Global History. Journal Of Research on Technology in Education. International Society for Technology in Education, 36(1), 77-94. Retrieved from: Ashford University Library, January 14, 2015.

The Power of Social Media and Its Impact on the Current Business Environment

The number of internet users has increased over the last decade due to the development of new technologies, internet availability and improved connectivity. Various online communications platforms have been invented and are widely used for both personal and business purposes world wide and social networking is the latest communication platform helping people connect to each other across different places. Its introduction has changed the way groups of people are connecting and communicating in business via online communities and professional networks. In business, many multi-national companies are currently moving beyond traditional media channels and using social network sites as a medium to reach their targets consumers instead. There is no argument that social networking is the key player driving new media communications in the digital era and its benefits and functions are impacting business considerably. There are hundreds of social networking platforms that have been introduced to the market but currently there are only two major sites recognised as the world's most powerful platforms attracting millions of users to participate. Firstly there is Facebook, a social network service that allows users to create their own profile, status, interest and preferences and also share information with friends and contacts. According to Trimpe (2011), reported that Facebook's active user base is 519 million which equates approximately to 1 in 13 of every person on earth. In the Facebook world millions of pieces of content, links and event invitations are shared every 20 minutes indicating the enormous power of Facebook as a social media tool. Secondly there is Twitter, a social network platform that allows users to generate and share messages, or â€Å"Tweets†, up to a maximum of 140 characters. According to Chiang (2011), claimed that there are nearly 200 million Twitter's users worldwide. The most common use is to promote business information about products and services or sometimes to educate industry on a business products or services. Due to the fact that these two social networking services possess millions of people's profiles, demographics and personal interests, thousands of multinational companies have turned their focus on new social media strategy to reach their target online. The term ‘social media’ has become the most recent area focused on by marketers, advertisers and public relations professionals in various business sectors and many experts have studied and tried to understand the benefits and functions of the term social media. According to Turner (2011), the Chief Content Officer of the 60 Second marketer reported that social media is about creating and having conversations among networks in online forums, blogs, and social networking sites. The key fundamental function is to use them as a medium for contacting, sharing and promoting data and contents. But when it comes to business, the main objective of operating social media is far beyond that. In business, social media is currently claimed to be the best tool in helping a company gain larger numbers of their target consumers just by providing a digital experience related to their products and services. Social media is also playing an important role in driving consumers brand engagement. According to Schmitt (2009), studied about digital brand experience and the result indicated that consumers who have a chance to engage with a brand in social networking sites can evolve from passive reactors to support the brand almost instantaneously. Creating a brand presence in social media can create not only opportunities for a company to gain more customers but also help marketers to understand more deeply what their potential target customers think towards their products and services thanks, for example, to Facebook that first invented the â€Å"Like† application that allows users to express their interest towards other websites, links or even competitors brands and share across networks. Thanks considerably to the advantages of social media, and its large numbers of potential target consumers, it is no surprise that many global companies have selected social networking as a key medium to start launching their campaign. According to Parsons (2011), reported that recently, Kellogg’s, the cereal manufacturer, launched a new range of Krave cereal and used Facebook as a medium to communicate and offer free sample packs to around 80,000 consumers on their Facebook fan page. The brand also developed video content to engage their 16-24 year old target age group to create interaction in Facebook. Additional examples show that Dell also gained a major success generating $3 million in sales after it launched its online outlet through Twitter and Starbucks has achieved the top ranking of Facebook brand pages, with nearly 4 million friends, by just offering fans coupons for free pastries and ice cream. Additionally, Whole Foods has topped Twitter with 1. million followers by broadcasting weekly specials and shopping tips (Schmitt 2009, p. 26). Companies in the FMCG industry are not the only sector that is involved in social media. Currently Honda, the Japanese automotive manufacture, is implementing their new marketing initiative from budget-led to customer-led by moving beyond traditional advertising and using social media as a tool to understand, manage and encourage open communication and conversation among their customers (Fisher 2011). In this point, the decision to buy a durable good like a car is a lengthy process, so to ensure that their brand will be in front of mind of consumers, Honda then focuses through a combination of data analytics using, and social influence methodologies, to engage and change consumer perception and increase brand awareness at the same time. In other words the role of social media, in this case, is to help maximise the goodwill and favourable mentions of company and brands. Moreover, not only can a platform of social networking provide a benefit to communicate with customers but it also enhances the capability of internal communications amongst staff as it has benefits of real-time discussion, response and speed to spread out information or opinions internally and reduce the time spent in meetings and it is enormously useful for companies with teams/staff members who working in different locations or time zones. For instance, according to Willson (2011) reported that AT&T, a US telecommunications company, launched a new tool aimed at providing their staff the opportunity to have discussions, brainstorm and refine ideas through its own internal social media platform. Employees have opportunities to be involved by voting their opinion on the company's ideas and strategies. As a result of this implementation, and in just 6 months, there are more than 200 topics that have been discussed with great outcomes and many fresh ideas generated without wasting time in meetings. Undoubtedly, social media platforms help a company communicate to both customers and staff faster and easier, however, the easy access of shared data can be a risk to a company’s confidential products and information. Many companies to date have suffered from the secret leaking of their products before its launch to market and it is not only bloggers or online journalists who cannot keep the information secret but also staff who are caught, sometimes by mistake, sharing confidential information. As recent examples, Coggan (2011), reported that Renault has suspended three senior executives allegedly for passing on blueprints for electric cars, Facebook’s corporate privacy settings went wrong when some of the social network’s finances were published and a strategy document from AOL came to light revealing that the internet and media firm’s journalists were expected to write five to ten articles a day. As a result of this type of leak information many companies, especially in the USA, do not allow employees to use their own computers or use memory sticks for certain online services. Accordingly Robert Half Technology also found in 2009 that more than half of chief information officers in America blocked the use of networking sites such as Facebook at work to prevent leaking of information. In the digital era, today's business is borderless with mobile devices, smartphone and computers helping the world connect with the internet. Social networking is a new communications platform that enhances this borderless world providing users with an ability to contact one another and spread information. Many companies use these social networks as a key strategic media to reach their target consumers or adapt its platforms for internal communications purposes to enhance the productivity of its members. However, with its easy access and ability to disperse information rapidly, social networking is becoming a big challenge for todays businesses on how to control data leaking and to protect information assets whilst, at the same time, sharing data without affecting the company's competitiveness. Ultimately, the challenge of gaining benefit from social media is to operate it in a balanced way and in the same way a company has always managed its confidential information. A company must know what it wants to achieve from spreading information about its products and services and also what information it needs to protect . A businesses staff who are involved in the management, operation and control of these platforms should be trained to know how to add accurate data in an online social context and be able to understand what information is acceptable to share.