Islam Informative Speech Essay Example

Islam Informative Speech Essay Example Islam Informative Speech Essay Islam Informative Speech Essay Essay Topic: Informative Introduction: Are all Muslims terrorists? The Muslim Religion teaches people to love God and serve him without killing innocent people. I. Defining Islam Muslims A. What is Islam 1. Islam means submission to Allah (which is Arabic for God) 2. Followers (muslims) live by Qur’an a. believed to be verbatim word of God B. Who is Muslim 1. 1. 57 billion Muslims in world, 23% of world population a. 2nd largest religion fastest growing 2. Majority of muslims live in Asia Africa II. Beliefs A. Purpose of existence is to worship God 1. God is beyond all comprehension, don’t visualize God but worship adore him as the Protector B. Islamic holy books records what Muslims believe were dictated by God to various prophets 1. previous scriptures: Tawrat (Torah) an the Injil (gospels) became distorted by interpretation C. Angels (malak) means messenger 1. very important in islam 2. communicate revelations from God, glorify God, record peoples actions, take persons soul @ death D. 5 pillars of Islam 1. Sunni Islam a. God is 1 Muhammad is messenger of God b. pray 5xs a day c. Ramadan d. Give to poor e. pilgrimage to Mecca E. Food 1. only eat meat from a herbivorous animal slaughtered in name of God by a Muslim, Jew or Christian, also known as halal food 2. use right hand for eating and drinking 3. prohibited to eat pork, blood, and drink alcohol III. Closing A. Islam is a major world religion that continues to grow B. There is only one God and he is to be worshipped by following the holy books prophets C. It’s not evil religion, different peoples interpretations make it good or bad

Meaning, Origin, and Uses of Gringo

Meaning, Origin, and Uses of 'Gringo' So someone calls you a gringo or gringa. Should you feel insulted? It depends. Nearly always referring to foreigners in a Spanish-speaking country, gringo is one of those words whose precise meaning, and often its emotional quality, can vary with geography and context. Yes, it can be and often is an insult. But it can also be a term of affection or neutral. And the word has been used long enough outside of Spanish-speaking areas that it is listed in English dictionaries, spelled and pronounced essentially the same in both languages. Origin of Gringo The etymology or origin of the Spanish word is uncertain, although it is likely to have come from griego, the word for Greek. In Spanish, as in English, it has long been common to refer to an unintelligible language as Greek. (Think Its Greek to me or ​Habla en griego.) So over time, griegos apparent variant, gringo, came to refer to a foreign language and to foreigners in general. The first known written English use of the word was in 1849 by an explorer. One bit of folk etymology about gringo is that it originated in Mexico during the Mexican-American war because Americans would sing the song Green Grow the Lilies. As the word originated in Spain long before there was a Spanish-speaking Mexico, there is no truth to this urban legend. In fact, at one time, the word in Spain was often used to refer specifically to the Irish. And according to a 1787 dictionary, it often referred to someone who spoke Spanish poorly. Related Words In both English and Spanish, gringa is used to refer to a female (or, in Spanish, as a feminine adjective). In Spanish, the term Gringolandia is sometimes used to refer to the United States. Gringolandia can also refer to the tourist zones of some Spanish-speaking countries, especially those areas where many Americans congregate. Another related word is engringarse, to act like a gringo. Although the word appears in dictionaries, it doesnt appear to have much actual use. How the Meaning of Gringo Varies In English, the term gringo is often used to refer to an American or British person visiting Spain or Latin America. In Spanish-speaking countries, its use is more complex with its meaning, at least its emotional meaning, depending to a great extent on its context. Probably more often than not, gringo is a term of contempt used to refer to foreigners, especially Americans and sometimes the British. However, it can also be used with foreign friends as a term of affection. One translation sometimes given for the term is Yankee, a term that sometimes is neutral but also can be used contemptuously (as in Yankee, go home!). The dictionary of the Real Academia Espaà ±ola offers these definitions, which can vary according to the geography of where the word is used: Foreigner, especially one who speaks English, and in general one who speaks a language that isnt Spanish.As an adjective, to refer to a foreign language.A resident of the United States (definition used in Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela).Native of England (definition used in Uruguay).Native of Russia (definition used in Uruguay).A person with white skin and blond hair (definition used in Bolivia, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Peru).An unintelligible language.

Labor relations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Labor relations - Research Paper Example As per the initiative, the pay increase was conditional (Neil, 2011). The initiative led to number of positive outcomes that include reinforced, improved and sustainable relationship between the two bodies. Another positive achievement was the building of coaching competencies across DHB. Health care organization can solicit for such initiatives by contacting and engaging with the regulatory or employers to accept sustainable relations with employees (Porter, 2010). This article describes a partnership between clinical nurses and nursing management that successfully implemented in a prominent teaching hospital. According to the article, the Congress in 1935 enacted National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) made collective bargaining a compulsory practice especially in private institutions (Sanders & McCutcheon, 2010). The process of unionization gave employees more power and decent ways to fight for their rights. Once workers engage in unionized activities, the legal and environmental landscapes begin to change. Workers work without fear of intimidation and quickly report any abuses to the union leaders. The institution leaderships also tend to start respecting and abiding by laws and terms of agreement for fearing the powers and influences of unions (Matthew, 2010). The work environment changes and characterize with improved relations between employer and workers (Brooke,

Environmental issues and management processes introduced to deal with Essay

Environmental issues and management processes introduced to deal with such issues - Essay Example One of the most recognised environmental effects brought about by the automotive industry is pollution. Basically, pollution can be said to occur when the introduction of chemicals, gases, fumes or even odor is released to the atmosphere (Tyler and Scott 2009). These causes harm and discomfort to both humans and other living things. It also causes damage to both natural and man-made environments. It is through activities brought about by an automotive industry that the issue of global warming comes in. Therefore, this paper is going to assess some of these issues. 1.2 Background of the Study The automotive industry has seen an outstanding change on its structure and management in the late 1990s. Lately, the new approaches have continued to weaken the customary structure of the industry (Law 1991). This includes ways in which the industry can be structured in order to be environmental friendly. Production process has been witnessed which encourages invention of electric vehicles which are friendlier to the environment (Law 1991). Globally, the automotive industry has witnessed a tremendous growth particularly in China (Law 1991). Nevertheless, the industry is faced by much challenges ranging from organization matter to its effects on the environment. In order to have a clear attention to detail of such issues, the present paper carried out investigate on currently literatures on automotive industry and its effects on the environment as discussed in chapter two. 1.3 Statement of the Problem In the last two decades, the automotive industry has been linked to unfavorable environmental harms. One of the key concerns involves globalization. Globalisation is referred as â€Å"the process through which regional economies and societies became integrated... From this research it is clear that the automotive industry has seen an outstanding change on its structure and management in the late 1990s. Lately, the new approaches have continued to weaken the customary structure of the industry. This includes ways in which the industry can be structured in order to be environmental friendly. Production process has been witnessed which encourages invention of electric vehicles which are friendlier to the environment. Globally, the automotive industry has witnessed a tremendous growth particularly in China. Nevertheless, the industry is faced by much challenges ranging from organization matter to its effects on the environment. In order to have a clear attention to detail of such issues, the present paper carried out investigate on currently literatures on automotive industry and its effects on the environment as discussed in chapter two. In the last two decades, the automotive industry has been linked to unfavorable environmental harms. One of t he key concerns involves globalization. Globalisation is referred as â€Å"the process through which regional economies and societies became integrated into a common network that has universal coverage†. Contemporary globalisation comprises incorporation of political thoughts through communication, transportation and trade. Thus the automotive industry plays a crucial role in this situation. In China, similar to other leading players in the automotive industries, globalisation has seen economic growth while the adverse environmental effects increase day by day.

The First Tim I Came to the US Essay Example for Free

The First Tim I Came to the US Essay When I came to the United States, I felt very glad. My whole family was already living here. I was excited to be with them again. My family brought me happiness and joy. They showed me around New Jersey so I would not get lost. In the next few months after my arrival, I got a job. In this state, it is very important to have a job to be able to pay bills and the necessary items needed to live. When I was in my job, I worked hard and quickly to earn my living. While I was working, I used to think about how different the Dominican Republic was here. From there, I knew that I had to think about how different the Dominican Republic was from here. From there, I knew that I had to learn English because my boss was American, and he did not know Spanish. The days went by, and I knew that I needed to learn English as fast as possible. I talked to my family because some of them knew English. I then started learning from them. I had a beautiful daughter, Leslie. I could not wait for her to get older. When Leslie got older, she helped me. She gave me homework to do and started speaking to me in English. I had to understand her because she told me she was only going to talk to me in English. Every time I said a word incorrectly, I had to keep on saying it. Months passed, and I was saying the word that I struggled with correctly. I was so happy for myself. The next thing you know, I was going to a university. My teacher, Israel Delgado, helped me a lot. I feel like English is a good thing to know. It is very helpful.

greek and roman art history Essay -- essays research papers

Greek Empire (600 B.C 1 A.D) Doric Order- entasis- swelling of the columns -always used for largest temples -alternating triglyphs and metopes Ionic Order – scrolls -shafts are thinner - no triglyphs in frieze Corinthian Order –large temples -no triglyphs, just metopes. Archaic Period – 600-500 B.C -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  stiff and rigid pose -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  focused on anatomy -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  archaic smile -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kouros, Kore – male and female archaic sculptures. Classical Period -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  depict distinct motion (Apollo belvedere) 350 B.C roman copy -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  idealism, focusing on strength of Greece as a whole. Venus D’ Milo – Roman Goddess of love 100 B.C Located in the Louvre Athena Nike (Victory) 100 B.C Depicted w/ wings Not marble Standing in front of ship going into battle Also at the Louvre Hellenistic Period -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Figure 3.5 Dying Gaul Roman copy 220 B.C -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Greeks respected the enemy, showed them dying in dignity. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Figure 3.17 Vatican, Laocoon (priest of Troy). Early first century, marble. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Priest of Troy being punished by the Gods for warning against accepting horse from the Greeks. Sea serpents attacked him and his sons. Beautiful anatomy. Bronze Bronzes are made by making two molds (one larger than the other), pouring melted bronze in...

Frankensteins Cat Essay

In China, the world’s manufacturing powerhouse, a new industry is taking shape: the mass production of mutant mice. Peek into the 45,000 mouse cages at Shanghai’s Fudan University and you’ll see a growing collection of misfits. By randomly disabling the rodents’ genes, the scientists here are churning out hundreds of odd animals, assembly-line style. They have created mice studded with skin tumors and mice that grow tusks. There’s a mouse with male-pattern baldness, hair everywhere save for a lonely bare spot on its head. Some of the mice have strange behavioral quirks—they endlessly bury marbles, for instance, or make only left turns. One strain ages at warp speed. Another can’t feel pain. While some of the rodents have obvious abnormalities, others reveal their secrets over time. One variety appears normal on the outside, with thick white fur and healthy pink ears and noses. But the animals are klutzes. They are clumsy and spectacularly uncoordinated. They fail miserably when researchers put them through their paces at a special rodent boot camp. In one test, the mice are tasked with standing on top of a rotating rod for as long as they can manage, the rodent equivalent of a logrolling challenge. It’s not an easy undertaking, but normal mice eventually find their footing. The mutant mice never do. They also have trouble balancing on a narrow wooden beam and keeping their grip when suspended, upside down, from a wire screen. And they have strange gaits—taking abnormally wide steps and holding their tails at odd angles, curved up toward the ceiling, instead of letting them simply drag along the floor behind them, as mice usually do. Even stranger, perhaps, are the Lonely Hearts Club mice. The males of this strain look like regular rodents, but the females consistently refuse to mate with them. The poor guys, lacking some certain je ne sais quoi, simply have no sex appeal, and they are rejected time and time again. These mice are just a small sample of the more than 500 different kinds of mutants the Fudan team has created. Ultimately, the researchers hope to create 100,000 strains of modified mice, each eccentric in its own way. It would be enough to fill a carnival sideshow thousands of times over. * * * As long as we’re dreaming up animal sideshows, we needn’t stop with peculiar mice. Science has given us a whole new toolbox for tinkering with life, and we have the power to modify animals in profound new ways. We are editing their genetic codes, rebuilding their broken bodies, and supplementing their natural senses. Headlines frequently herald the birth of strange new creatures: Bionic beetles! Glowing cats! Spider goats! Roborats! The breakthroughs are simultaneously astounding and puzzling. What are these creatures exactly? What do they look like? Who’s creating them, and why? And are these animals really so novel? Indeed, we have a long history of refashioning animal bodies. Take the varied members of the species Canis lupus familiaris—the modern dog—which are products of millennia of life with humans and bear little resemblance to their ancestors, gray wolves. Exactly how this dog domestication began is a subject of intense debate. Some scientists suggest that we deliberately set out to acquire canine companions, adopting wild wolf pups. Others hypothesize that hungry wolves, attracted to the bones, trash, and scraps produced by early humans, approached our camps on their own terms, and that our tolerance of the least threatening interlopers gave rise to future generations of human-friendly canines. Either way, as wolves became part of human society, moving from cold ground to warm hearth, they lost many of the traits they needed to survive in the wild. Their bodies and heads shrank, their faces and jaws grew more compact, and their teeth decreased in size. As our relationship with canines developed, we began to breed them more carefully, molding dogs that excelled at specific tasks. We created the bulky, barrel-chested mastiff to guard our homes, and the dachshund, a wiggly salami of a dog, to shimmy into badger burrows. The diversity among modern dogs is so astounding that the thirty thousand dogs that strut their canine stuff at Crufts, the largest dog show in the world, don’t even look like members of the same species. One year, the â€Å"Best in Show† contenders included King, a hound with a deer’s build, all legs and lean muscle, and Ricky, a tiny black-and-white fluff ball who could stand easily underneath King’s smooth brown belly. They shared the ring with Donny—a standard poodle whose shaved gray haunches were set off by a thick white mane—and Cruella, an Old English sheepdog whose long, shaggy hair obscured all but the black dot that presumably served as her nose. Today, thanks to us, dogs are the most physically diverse species on Earth. We’ve reshaped other species, too, turning scrawny chickens into plump broiler birds and bristlyhaired wild sheep into producers of soft wool. The list goes on and on. We learned to breed animals that suited our every need, creating hunters, herders, guardians, food sources, and companions. Over the course of generations, the members of many species diverged from their wild ancestors and took their place in a human world. But selective breeding was a blunt instrument, one that required us to transform animals using educated guesswork, breeding desirable hounds together, over and over again, until a puppy we liked squirmed into the world. It took thousands of years to turn wolves into dogs. Now we can create novel organisms in years, months, even days. Today, the tools of molecular biology allow us to target one specific gene, to instantly turn it on or off, to silence or amplify its effects. For instance, the researchers at Fudan University are creating their stunning array of strange mice simply by knocking out a single gene at a time. To do so, they’re relying on a special genetic tool called a transposon or a â€Å"jumping gene,† a segment of DNA capable of hopping around the genome. When the scientists inject a transposon into a mouse embryo, this foreign piece of DNA inserts itself into a random place in the rodent’s genome, disabling whatever gene it finds there. But the real beauty of the system is that when this mouse grows up and mates, the transposon jumps to a different location in the genome of its pups, sabotaging a new gene. With each mating, researchers have no idea where the transposon will end up, what gene it will disrupt, or what the ultimate effects will be. It’s like throwing darts at a genetic dartboard. Blindfolded. Only when the pups are born, and start exhibiting various abnormalities, do the scientists learn what part of the genome has gone haywire. The approach is allowing the researchers to create cages upon cages of novel mutants, simply by playing matchmaker between their amorous rodents. In some cases, the scientists are making furry freaks faster than they can figure out what’s wrong with them. We can also recombine genes in ways that nature never would—just consider a very curious cat skulking about New Orleans. With downy orange fur and a soft pink nose, the feline looks like your average tabby. But flick on a black light, and the cat becomes Mr. Green Genes, his nose turning from soft pink to electric lime, due to a bit of jellyfish DNA tucked into each of his cells. The insides of his ears and the whites of his eyes glow brightly, his face emerging from the dark like a modern-day Cheshire cat. (His son, Kermit, also glows green. ) Meanwhile, nearly two thousand miles away, a barn in Logan, Utah, is home to a strange herd of goats. Thanks to a pair of genes borrowed from a spider, each female goat produces milk that’s chockfull of silk proteins. When the milk is processed in the lab, scientists can extract the spider proteins and spin them into silk. Genetics isn’t the only field providing us with the power to reengineer other species. Advances in electronics and computing make it possible to merge animal bodies with machines, to use tiny electrodes to hijack a rat’s brain and guide the rodent, like a remote-controlled toy, through a complicated obstacle course. Breakthroughs in materials science and veterinary surgery are helping us build bionic limbs for injured animals, and we can train monkeys to control robotic arms with their thoughts. Today, our grandest science fiction fantasies are becoming reality. * * * Some of us may find our growing control over living, breathing beings to be unsettling. After all, biotechnology is the stuff of dystopian nightmares, and many an apocalyptic scenario has been constructed around crazy chimeras or world-conquering cyborgs. Ethicists and activists worry about whether we should be altering other species when we can’t possibly get their consent. Some say that manipulating the planet’s wild things—whether we’re inserting genes or electrodes—is profoundly unnatural, causes animal suffering, and turns other life-forms into commodities. Critics worry that our effort to remake the world’s fauna is the worst example of human hubris, the expression of an arrogant desire to play God. It’s true that remaking other species according to our own wants and needs doesn’t necessarily put animal welfare first. Selective breeding hasn’t always turned out well for animals—we’ve saddled dog breeds with all sorts of hereditary diseases and created turkeys with such gigantic breasts that they can barely walk. And of course, biotechnology gives us new ways to do damage. The Fudan University scientists have created mouse embryos with defects so severe that they die in the womb. Some of their mutant mice are prone to tumors, or kidney disease, or neurological problems. One strain, unable to absorb nutrients from food, essentially starves to death. In fact, a whole industry has sprung up to sell diseased lab animals to scientists, with numerous biotech companies hawking their unique creations. In October 2011, many of these companies converged on St. Pete Beach, Florida, for an international meeting of scientists who work with genetically modified organisms. Representatives from various biotech firms held court from booths ringing a hotel ballroom, advertising animals that had been engineered to suffer from all sorts of medical afflictions. One company was selling pigs with cystic fibrosis and cancer; a brochure from another outlined eleven available strains of rodents, from the NSE-p25 mouse, designed to display Alzheimer’s-like symptoms, to the 11BHSD2 mouse, which has a tendency to drop dead of heart failure. (And just in case nothing there caught your fancy, one company’s poster promised, â€Å"You design the experiment, we’ll design the mice. †) These companies aren’t making sickly animals purely to be cruel, of course; studying these creatures yields valuable insight into human disease. That’s good news for us, but little consolation for a tumor-riddled rodent. If there is peril here, there is also great promise. Biotechnology could do more for animals than it’s given credit for. Sure, we can make animals sick, but we can also choose to deploy our speciesshaping powers to help other species survive and thrive, to create healthier, happier, fitter critters, and some scientists are doing just that. With the sophisticated techniques at our fingertips, we may even be able to undo some of the damage we’ve done to other species, alleviating genetic disorders in dogs, for instance, or bringing wild animal populations back from the brink of extinction. Some forwardthinking philosophers are dreaming of more extreme interventions, such as boosting the brainpower of apes, and using genetic modification and electronic enhancement to help animals transcend the limits of their own bodies. Right now all the options are open. Though biotechnology’s strange new creatures are being created in the world’s labs, they don’t tend to stay there very long, and there are already cutting-edge animals living in fields, homes, and nature preserves across America. Before long, we may all be able to shop for animals the same way that scientists in Florida shopped for carefully engineered mice. Imagine a future in which we can each pick out the perfect animal from a catalogue of endless options. We could create something for everyone. Avid nighttime reader? How about your own Mr. Green Genes so you can stay up late, reading by the light of the cat? For the twelve-year-old who has everything, skip the toy cars and planes at Christmas and wrap up a remote-controlled rodent. Equestrians could order up a foal with the same genes as the winner of last year’s Kentucky Derby, while sprinters could get themselves a golden retriever whose artificial carbon-fiber legs would allow it to run as fast as a greyhound. The tools of biotechnology are becoming increasingly accessible to the public; future generations of animal lovers may be able to design their own creatures without fancy lab equipment or advanced scientific training. * * * In the pages that follow, we’ll go on a journey from petri dish to pet store, seeking out the revolutionary breeds of beasts that are taking their places in the world. We’ll venture from the rocky shores of California to the dusty fields of Texas, from the canine clones that live in Korean labs to the pets that sleep in our homes. We’ll delve into genes and brains, into work that seems frivolous and projects that are anything but. We’ll meet an engineer who is turning beetles into stunt planes and a biologist who believes cloning just might save endangered species. And, of course, we’ll come to know the animals themselves—from Jonathan, a sad sack of a seal with hundreds of online friends, to Artemis, a potentially life-saving goat whose descendants could one day take over Brazil. Along the way, we’ll puzzle through some larger questions. We’ll probe how our contemporary scientific techniques are different from what’s come before and whether they represent a fundamental change in our relationship with other species. We’ll consider the relationship we have with animals and the one we’d like to have. Most of us care deeply about some form of animal life, whether it’s the cat or dog curled up on the couch—60 percent of Americans share their homes with pets of one species or another—the chickens laying our eggs, or some exotic predator fighting to survive as its habitat disappears. Now that we can sculpt life into an endless parade of forms, what we choose to create reveals what it is we want from other species—and what we want for them. But even if you feel no special affection for the creatures with whom we share this planet, our reinvention of animals matters for us, too. It provides a peek into our own future, at the ways we may start to enhance and alter ourselves. Most of all, our grand experiments reveal how entangled the lives of human and nonhuman animals have become, how intertwined our fates are. Enterprising scientists, entrepreneurs, and philosophers are dreaming up all sorts of projects that could alter the course of our collective future. So what does biotechnology really mean for the world’s wild things? And what do our brave new beasts say about us? Our search for answers begins with a tank of glowing fish. 1. Go Fish To an aspiring animal owner, Petco presents an embarrassment of riches. Here, in the basement of a New York City store—where the air carries the sharp tang of hay and the dull musk of rodent dander —is a squeaking, squealing, almost endless menagerie of potential pets. There are the spindly-legged lizards scuttling across their sand-filled tanks; the preening cockatiels, a spray of golden feathers atop their heads; and, of course, the cages of pink-nosed white mice training for a wheel-running marathon. There are chinchillas and canaries, dwarf hamsters, tree frogs, bearded dragons, red-footed tortoises, red-bellied parrots, and African fat-tailed geckoes. But one of these animals is not like the others. The discerning pet owner in search of something new and different merely has to head to the aquatic display and keep walking past the speckled koi and fantail bettas, the crowds of goldfish and minnows. And there they are, cruising around a small tank hidden beneath the stairs: inch-long candy-colored fish in shades of cherry, lime, and tangerine. Technically, they are zebrafish ( Danio rerio), which are native to South Asian lakes and rivers and usually covered with black and white stripes. But these swimmers are adulterated with a smidgen of something extra. The Starfire Red fish contain a dash of DNA from the sea anemone; the Electric Green, Sunburst Orange, Cosmic Blue, and Galactic Purple strains all have a nip of sea coral. These borrowed genes turn the zebrafish fluorescent, so under black or blue lights they glow. These are GloFish, America’s first genetically engineered pets. Though we’ve meddled with many species through selective breeding, these fish mark the beginning of a new era, one in which we have the power to directly manipulate the biological codes of our animal friends. Our new molecular techniques change the game. They allow us to modify species quickly, rather than over the course of generations; doctor a single gene instead of worrying about the whole animal; and create beings that would never exist in nature, mixing and matching DNA from multiple species into one great living mash-up. We have long desired creature companions tailored to our exact specifications. Science is finally making that precision possible. * * * Though our ancestors knew enough about heredity to breed better working animals, our ability to tinker with genes directly is relatively new. After all, it wasn’t until 1944 that scientists identified DNA as the molecule of biological inheritance, and 1953 that Watson and Crick deduced DNA’s double helical structure. Further experiments through the ’50s and ’60s revealed how genes work inside a cell. For all its seeming mystery, DNA has a straightforward job: It tells the body to make proteins. A strand of DNA is composed of individual units called nucleotides, strung together like pearls on a necklace. There are four distinct types of nucleotides, each containing a different chemical base. Technically, the bases are called adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine, but they usually go by their initials: A, T, C, and G. What we call a â€Å"gene† is merely a long sequence of these As, Ts, Cs, and Gs. The order in which these letters appear tells the body which proteins to make—and where and when to make them. Change some of the letters and you can alter protein manufacturing and the ultimate characteristics of an organism. Once we cracked the genetic code, it wasn’t long before we figured out how to manipulate it. In the 1970s, scientists set out to determine whether it was possible to transfer genes from one species into another. They isolated small stretches of DNA from Staphylococcus—the bacteria that cause staph infections—and the African clawed frog. Then they inserted these bits of biological code into E. coli. The staph and frog genes were fully functional in their new cellular homes, making E. coli the world’s first genetically engineered organism. Mice were up next, and in the early 1980s, two labs reported that they’d created rodents carrying genes from viruses and rabbits. Animals such as these mice, which contain a foreign piece of DNA in their genomes, are known as transgenic, and the added genetic sequence is called a transgene. Encouraged and inspired by these successes, scientists started moving DNA all around the animal kingdom, swapping genes among all sorts of swimming, slithering, and scurrying creatures. Researchers embarking on these experiments had multiple goals in mind. For starters, they simply wanted to see what was possible. How far could they push these genetic exchanges? What could they do with these bits and pieces of DNA? There was also immense potential for basic research; taking a gene from one animal and putting it into another could help researchers learn more about how it worked and the role it played in development or disease. Finally, there were promising commercial applications, an opportunity to engineer animals whose bodies produced highly desired proteins or creatures with economically valuable traits. (In one early project, for instance, researchers set out to make a leaner, faster-growing pig. ) Along the way, geneticists developed some neat tricks, including figuring out how to engineer animals that glowed. They knew that some species, such as the crystal jellyfish, had evolved this talent on their own. One moment, the jellyfish is an unremarkable transparent blob; the next it’s a neon-green orb floating in a dark sea. The secret to this light show is a compound called green fluorescent protein (GFP), naturally produced by the jellyfish, which takes in blue light and reemits it in a kiwi-colored hue. Hit the jelly with a beam of blue light, and a ring of green dots will suddenly appear around its bell-shaped body, not unlike a string of Christmas lights wrapped around a tree. When scientists discovered GFP, they began to wonder what would happen if they took this jellyfish gene and popped it into another animal. Researchers isolated and copied the jellyfish’s GFP gene in the lab in the 1990s, and then the real fun began. When they transferred the gene into roundworms, rats, and rabbits, these animals also started producing the protein, and if you blasted them with blue light, they also gave off a green glow. For that reason alone, GFP became a valuable tool for geneticists. Researchers testing a new method of genetic modification can practice with GFP, splicing the gene into an organism’s genome. If the animal lights up, it’s obvious that the procedure worked. GFP can also be coupled with another gene, allowing scientists to determine whether the gene in question is active. (A green glow means the paired gene is on. ) Scientists discovered other potential uses, too. Zhiyuan Gong, a biologist at the National University of Singapore, wanted to use GFP to turn fish into living pollution detectors, swimming canaries in underwater coal mines. He hoped to create transgenic fish that would blink on and off in the presence of toxins, turning bright green when they were swimming in contaminated water. The first step was simply to make fish that glowed. His team accomplished that feat in 1999 with the help of a common genetic procedure called microinjection. Using a tiny needle, he squirted the GFP gene directly into some zebrafish embryos. In some of the embryos, this foreign bit of biological code managed to sneak into the genome, and the fish gave off that telltale green light. In subsequent research, the biologists also made strains in red—thanks to a fluorescent protein from a relative of the sea anemone—and yellow, and experimented with adding these proteins in combination. One of their published papers showcases a neon rainbow of fish that would do Crayola proud. * To Richard Crockett, the co-founder of the company that sells GloFish, such creatures have more than mere scientific value—they have an obvious aesthetic beauty. Crockett vividly remembers learning about GFP in a biology class. He was captivated by an image of brain cells glowing green and red, thanks to the addition of the genes for GFP and a red fluorescent protein. Crockett was a premed student, but he was also an entrepreneur. In 1998, at the age of twenty-one, he and a childhood friend, Alan Blake, launched an online education company. By 2000, the company had become a casualty of the dot-com crash. As the two young men cast about for new business ideas, Crockett thought back to the luminescent brain cells and put a proposal to Blake: What if they brought the beauty of fluorescence genes to the public by selling glowing, genetically modified fish? At first, Blake, who had no background in science, thought his friend was joking. But when he discovered that Gong and other scientists were already fiddling with fish, he realized that the idea wasn’t far-fetched at all. Blake and Crockett wouldn’t even need to invent a new organism—they’d just need to take the shimmering schools of transgenic fish out of the lab and into our home tanks. The pair founded Yorktown Technologies to do just that, and Blake took the lead during the firm’s early years, setting up shop in Austin, Texas. He licensed the rights to produce the fish from Gong’s lab and hired two commercial fish farms to breed the pets. (Since the animals pass their fluorescence genes on to their offspring, all Blake needed to create an entire line of neon pets was a few starter adults. ) He and his partner dubbed them GloFish, though the animals aren’t technically glow-in-thedark—at least, not the same way that a set of solar system stickers in a child’s bedroom might be. Those stickers, and most other glow-in-the-dark toys, work through a scientific property known as phosphorescence. They absorb and store light, reemitting it gradually over time, as a soft glow that’s visible when you turn out all the lights. GloFish, on the other hand, are fluorescent, which means that they absorb light from the environment and beam it back out into the world immediately. The fish appear to glow in a dark room if they’re under a blue or black light, but they can’t store light for later —turn the artificial light off, and the fish stop shining. Blake was optimistic about their prospects. As he explains, â€Å"The ornamental fish industry is about new and different and exciting varieties of fish. † And if new, different, and exciting is what you’re after, what more could you ask for than an animal engineered to glow electric red, orange, green, blue, or purple thanks to a dab of foreign DNA? Pets are products, after all, subject to the same marketplace forces as toys or clothes. Whether it’s a puppy or a pair of heels, we’re constantly searching for the next big thing. Consider the recent enthusiasm for â€Å"teacup pigs†Ã¢â‚¬â€tiny swine cute enough to make you swear off pork chops forever. Harold Herzog, a psychologist at Western Carolina University who specializes in human-animal interactions, has studied the way our taste in animals changes over time. When Herzog consulted the registry of the American Kennel Club, he found that dog breed choices fade in and out of fashion the same way that baby names do. One minute, everyone is buying Irish setters, naming their daughters Heather, and listening to â€Å"Bennie and the Jets†Ã¢â‚¬â€welcome to 1974! —and then it’s on to the next great trend. Herzog discovered that between 1946 and 2003, eight breeds—Afghan hounds, chow chows, Dalmatians, Dobermans, Great Danes, Old English sheepdogs, rottweilers, and Irish setters—went through particularly pronounced boom and bust cycles. Registrations for these canines would skyrocket, and then, as soon as they reached a certain threshold of popularity, people would begin searching for the next fur-covered fad. Herzog identified a modern manifestation of our long-standing interest in new and unusual animals. In antiquity, explorers hunted for far-flung exotic species, which royal households often imported and displayed. Even the humble goldfish began as a luxury for the privileged classes. Native to Central and East Asia, the wild fish are usually covered in silvery gray scales. But ancient Chinese mariners had noticed the occasional yellow or orange variant wriggling in the water. Rich and powerful Chinese families collected these mutants in private ponds, and by the thirteenth century, fish keepers were breeding these dazzlers together. Goldfish domestication was born, and the once-peculiar golden fish gradually spread to the homes of less-fortunate Chinese families—and households elsewhere in Asia, Europe, and beyond. As goldfish grew in popularity, breeders stepped up their game, creating ever more unusual varieties. Using artificial selection, they created goldfish with freakish and fantastical features, and the world’s aquariums now contain the fantail, the veiltail, the butterfly tail, the lionhead, the goosehead, the golden helmet, the golden saddle, the bubble eye, the telescope eye, the seven stars, the stork’s pearl, the pearlscale, the black moor, the panda moor, the celestial, and the comet goldfish, among others. This explosion of types was driven by the desire for the exotic and exquisite—urges that we can now satisfy with genetically modified pets. We can also use genetic engineering to create animals that appeal to our aesthetic sensibilities, such as our preference for brightly colored creatures. For instance, a 2007 study revealed that we prefer penguin species that have a splash of yellow or red on their bodies to those that are simply black and white. We’ve bred canaries, which are naturally a dull yellow, to exhibit fifty different color patterns. And before GloFish were even a neon glint in Blake’s eye, pet stores were selling â€Å"painted† fish that had been injected with simple fluorescent dyes. With fluorescence genes, we can make a true rainbow of bright and beautiful pets. * Engineered pets also fit right into our era of personalization. We can have perfume, granola, and Nikes customized to our individual specifications—why not design our own pets? Consider the recent rise of designer dogs, which began with the Labradoodle, a cross between a Labrador retriever and a standard poodle. Though there’s no telling when the first Lab found himself fancying the wellgroomed poodle down the street, most accounts trace the origin of the modern Labradoodle to Wally Conron, the breeding director of the Royal Guide Dog Association of Australia. In the 1980s, Conron heard from a blind woman in Hawaii, who wanted a guide dog that wouldn’t aggravate her husband’s allergies. Conron’s solution was to breed a Lab, a traditional seeing-eye dog, with a poodle, which has hypoallergenic hair. Other breeders followed Conron’s lead, arranging their own mixed-breed marriages. The dogs were advertised as providing families with the best of both worlds—the playful eagerness of a Lab with the smarts and hypoallergenic coat of the poodle. The rest, as they say, is history. The streets are now chock-full of newfangled canine concoctions: puggles (a pug-beagle cross), dorgis (dachshund plus corgi), and cockapoos (a cocker spaniel–miniature poodle mix). There’s even a mini Labradoodle for doodle lovers without lots of space. Tweaking the genomes of our companions allows us to create a pet that fulfills virtually any desire —some practical, some decidedly not. When I set out to get a dog, I thought I had settled on the Cavalier King Charles spaniel: small, soft, and bred for companionship. Then I discovered a breeder who was crossing Cavaliers with miniature poodles, yielding the so-called Cavapoo. I was sold. I loved the scruffier, shaggier hair of the Cavapoo, and given what I knew about biology, I figured that a hybrid was less likely to inherit one of the diseases that plague perilously inbred canines. A dog that didn’t shed would be an added bonus. Plus, poodles have a reputation for being brainy, and I’m an overachiever; if I was going to get a dog, I wanted to be damn sure he’d be the valedictorian of his puppy kindergarten class.

Media

In this book, we examine the history and business of mass media, and discuss the media as a central force In shaping our culture and our democracy. A. Critical process for Investigating media industries and Issues. L. Address key Ideas Including communication, culture, mass media, and mass communication. N. Investigating important periods In communication history: the oral, Whiten, print, electric, and digital eras. Ill. Examine the development of a mass medium from emergence to convergence. Lb. Learn about how convergence has changed our relationship to media v. Look at the central role of storytelling in media and culture. . Discuss two models for organizing and categorizing culture: a skyscraper and a map. Evil. Trace important cultural values in both the modern and postmodern societies. Viii. Study media literacy and the five stages of the critical process: description, analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and engagement. Often, culture is narrowly associated with art, the uniqu e forms of creative expression that give pleasure and set standards about what Is true, good, and beautiful. (Can be viewed more broadly as the ways In which people live and represent themselves at particular historical time.Communication: the creation and use of symbol systems that convey Information and meaning (e. G. Languages, more code, motion pictures, and one-zero binary computer codes). A. Culture, therefore, Is a process that delivers the values of society through products or other meaning making forms. B. Culture inks individuals to their society by providing both shared and contested values and the mass media help circulate those values. There eras, which all still operate to some degree, are oral, written, print, electronic, digital. A.The mass media are the culture industries-the channels f communication-that produce and distribute songs, novels, TV shows, newspaper, movies, video games, internet services, and other cultural products to large numbers of people. Mass com munication: the process of designing cultural messages and stories and delivering them to large and diverse audiences through media channels as old and distinctive as the printed book and as converged as the internet. A. Hastened by the growth of Industry and modern technology, mass communication accompanied the shift or rural populations to urban settings and the rise of a consumer culture.In digital communication, images, texts, and sounds are converted onto electronic signals( represented as varied combinations of binary number-ones and zeroes) that are then reassembled( decoded) as a precise reproduction of, say, a TV picture, a magazine article, a song, or a telephone voice. Sender (authors, producers, and organizations) transmit messages (programs, texts, images, sounds, and ads) through a mass media channel (newspapers, books, magazines, radio, television, or the internet) to large groups of receivers. . In process, gatekeeper function as message filters. Media gatekeeper mak e decisions about what messages actually get produced for particular receivers. I. The process also allows for dieback, In which citizens and consumers, If they choose, return messages to senders or gatekeepers through letters to the editor, phone calls, email, we postings, or talk shows. Elective exposure: people typically seek messages and produce meanings that correspond to their own cultural beliefs, values, and interests. Tag in the development of media-convergence- a term that media critic and analysts use when describing all the changes that have occurred over the past decade, and are still occurring, in media content and within media companies. Medium: an intervening substance through which something is conveyed or reanimated. Media innovations typically go through four stages. A. Emergence, or novelty, stage. I. Inventors and technicians try to solve a particular problem, such as making pictures move, transmitting messages form ship to shore, or sending mail electronically. . Entrepreneurial stage I. Inventors and investors determine a practical and marketable use for the new device. C. Mass medium stage I. Businesses figure out how to market the new device or medium as a consumer product. D. Convergence stage I. Older media are reconfigured in various forms on newer media. Convergence: a ERM that media critics and analysts use when describing all the changes that have occurred over the past decade, and are still occurring, in media content and within media companies. A.The first definition of media convergence involves the technological merging of content across different media channels. B. Cross platform: describes a business model that involves consolidating various media holdings, such as cable connections, phone services, television transmissions, and internet access, under one corporate umbrella. Our varied media institutions and outlets are basically in the narrative-or storytelling business. Media stories put events in context, helping us to b etter understand both daily lives and the larger world. Culture as a hierarchy, represented by a skyscraper model, and culture as a process, represented by a map model. Skyscraper High culture Good taste, high education, and supported by wealthy patrons and corporate donors, is associated with fine art, which is available primarily in libraries, theaters, and museums. Low culture Which is aligned with the questionable tastes of the masses, which enjoy the commercial Junk circulated by the mass media, such as reality TV, celebrity gossip Web sites, and violent action films. Media The 1920’s in America was a time of unprecedented growth and cultural expansion, up to that time, than ever before. America had come back from Europe victorious in the Great War and the great cities like Chicago and New York, along with the rest of the country, was now a creditor nation. This growth helped to spark the second industrial revolution in which consumerism helped to drive the needs and wants of its people. More and more inventions which the modern American takes for granted started to flood into the culture at this time. This increase in consumerism was spurred on by the gains which technology helped to make possible. The 1920’s was a very important year for the media in this country and which served as not only one of the most interesting but important decades for this medium of American culture. Television was invented in this decade but would not be introduced on a national level until the 1939 World Fair and that was only a demonstration. People got their news through the newsreels at the movies, radio, for the few people that had then but mostly through newspapers. The latter was the most important and influential medium for Americans to receive their news. In New York City, there were seventeen daily newspapers with some turning out more than one edition a day. Eventually, the influence of the radio and television would come onto the national scene and usurp the influence that those mediums had on the 1920’s but with most mediums which have such an important and resounding influence on the nation and its culture, it had to have a beginning and for radio and motion pictures which portrayed the news, the 1920’s contributed a great deal to the formation and growth of these. The 1920’s was one of the most important years for popular culture in this country’s history. Some would say that the terms â€Å"pop culture† and â€Å"important† being used in the same sentence would be an oxymoron and usually, I would not be in total disagreement with them. However, the 1920’s ushered in a greater understanding of the country which was on the move and sought a higher standard of living then ever before. This newer sense of worldly capitalism came from technology and much of that was within the media. The 1930’s and the 1940’s would eclipse the 1920’s in its dependence upon the radio.   However, its importance at this time cannot be overlooked. In moving the consumerism that would help to define the decade, the radio was able to reach the masses in a way that was unthinkable just a decade before. One example was a simple advertisement in New York City for apartments in one of its Burroughs. This single thirty second advertisement spot created a rush of phone calls to the realtor in charge of the properties that the main phone server was shut down. Over $150,000 of apartments were bought in a single day and to adjust for inflation that number would be just short of $2 million.[1] It has been proven that people respond more to what they hear and see than what they hear. This is why most people today read very little compared to what their parents or grandparents did in their youth.   Seeing the news was simply more entertaining and enticing for the majority of people. The radio exploited that truth and as a result, became the central item in a person’s house as well as in their life as a main source for their news. The first presidential election was broadcasted over Pittsburgh’s KDKA in 1920.[2] People, for the first time, could hear in almost real time, the debates and election results as they first came over the wire. This helped to spur an interest in politics and world events which before, people could successfully avoid had they not felt interested in what was occurring outside of their immediate sphere of influence. â€Å"The radio helped to create a global society for Americans who would never, could never travel to the various places which radio brought to their living rooms.†[3] This served as its major appeal. The radio also served as free advertisements for the major sports of the day. It was first protested by the baseball owners who felt that radio was stealing their product and those who could listen on the radio, would be less compelled to come to the ballpark. This seems like common sense, but in reality, the exact opposite happened. Being reminded of the ballgame and in listening to the daily actions of their favorite team, spurred a heightened interest which could only be quelled by visiting the ballpark for oneself. As a partial result, along with the heroics of Babe Ruth and other famous athletes, the sports enjoyed a golden era in sports. â€Å"Jack Dempsey vs. Gene Tunney in boxing, the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame in Football, horse racing and the further cementing of baseball as the nation’s past time, all occurred in the 1920’s because of the advances in technology; especially in the media.†[4] Another form of the media which came to take hold in the 1920’s was the newsreels. The inventor of television is still under dispute but what is not under dispute is that even though the majority of advancements in television occurred in the 1920’s, television was non existent in American homes. The closest thing to come to television was the newsreels which occurred before, in between and after the movies at the local cinema. Each one was only a few minutes in length and before 1927, were all without sound. A newsreel in the 1920’s would bring scenes of the New York Yankees winning another championship or Notre Dame running to another undefeated season. It would also bring the events of the world and Presidents Harding and Coolidge. The death of President Wilson and the beginning of the slow death which would be the League of Nations would be shown to audiences. The Teapot Dome scandal helped to infuriate a nation over the corruption of their government as well as Charles Lindbergh flight from New York to Paris in 1927.[5] People could actually see Lindbergh leaving New York and arriving in Paris instead of just reading it. This produced a highly electric feeling; a feeling which made Lindbergh the most famous non athlete of the 1920’s in America. In Chicago, the Loeb and Leopold case would have been broadcasted to a shocked Chicago as well as the rest of the nation. Two very smart and over privileged boys sought to commit the prefect crime by killing a fourteen year old boy who was picked at random. That case and the 1925 Scopes Trial in Tennessee which put evolution on trial were two events in the judicial system which would command the attention of the American public in ways that the newspaper never could. The most important form of the media was the newspaper during the 1920’s. The newspaper served as an affordable form of news and which served as the rough draft of history. Despite many newspapers being heavily influenced by one political party over another, historians look to newspapers and other primary written sources more than the various elements of popular culture when trying to interpret an era in our nation’s history. Two of the most important newspapers of that time were the New York Times and Chicago Tribune. In the eighty years since the 1920’s, the subscription of the Chicago Tribune has actually decreased from 920,000 to a little more than 620,000 in 2006.[6] This truth, despite the fact that there are roughly 180 million more Americans in the country and Chicago land, which currently totals more than 5.5 million people, helps to explain the rapid decline in the power and influence which newspapers had from then until now.[7] Also, most of the major newspapers had more than one edition per day. The Chicago Tribune would have a morning edition and then a later afternoon edition that same day with a comparable circulation. The price of the newspaper at that time was 2 cents in the city and up to 3 cents in the suburbs. Therefore, it was a cheap form of receiving the news and one which was readily available throughout the city and suburbs.   The newspaper would be divided into sections: World and Sports with other sections inverted into those sections. The events of the world and important political actions would be seen on the front of the page with editorials towards the end of the World section. Box scores and â€Å"In the Wake of the News† would help its readers to follow the actions of their favorite team.   Local sports were also very important as was seen when 109,000 people showed up at Soldiers Field in Chicago to watch the city’s high school championship football game. Another important aspect of the newspaper was the advertisements within its pages.   The largest section would be reserved for the Saturday and Sunday papers. Despite its crude pictures compared to today’s standards, seeing a model wearing the largest fashions were even more influential than the fashion magazines of its day. This helped to promote the consumerism that was so easily identifiable with the 1920’s. People need to be reminded of what will make their lives better, regardless of how little that item is actually needed. This was the job of the major clothing companies and department stores of the day and they looked to the newspapers as the number one form of advertisement for their business. One store owner stated: â€Å"The secret is not how to supply the goods but how to supply the customers by making them want what we have to sell.† This is one of the most daunting problems which face advertisers: How to create demand for the products which a producer has to sell and which usually is not essential for the customer to have. By creating an illusion in the customer’s mind which tells him or her that such an item is essential to their continued happiness; the store that can do that, will never have to worry about producing the customers and with the mass production of their products through the modern inventions of various machines, producing the goods was neither a problem as well. At that time, they were the most important form of advertisement for the major companies in America and the store owners who took advantage of this influential medium, enjoyed high returns on their investments. The media is important in this country, not just to tell us what our nation’s movie starts up to but they serve as the first draft of history. Historians, when attempting to fully appreciate the era which they study, refer to scholarly sources but it is the primary source which is usually seen as the Holy Grail. The media in all of its various forms helps the historian as well as the interested in knowing what the society at that time felt was important and was of an interest to the country at that time. The use of the radio, newsreels and newspaper all served that purpose and help to give future generations a closer look at what motivated the country as a whole and how the media helped to motivate the shape the country as well. The stuffy of the media, in all of its forms and in the years since Thomas Paine’s Common Sense in 1776 sought to convince the rest of the colonists that the choice before them was as simple yet profound as liberty or death. In much of the same way, though not always as dramatic, the mass production of sounds, words, images and ideas, which are spread across the country and even the world; it has been the media, although not always unbiased, which has helped to bring America into the information age. As the radio and newsreels were to this generation, the Internet is to Americans of this era. Despite its major differences, they both have a lot alike and show that the more things change, the more they really do stay the same. The method of transporting information might have improved but it still affects the way people think, feel and even vote. WORKS CITED Burns, Ric   The History of New York Episode 6. Los Angeles: Time Warner 1999 Paine, Thomas Common Sense New York: WW Norton   1948 Mead, Joan The History of the Media in America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press 1987 Front page of the Chicago Tribune   October 10, 1925 Front Page of the New York Times   June 15, 1927 Top 10 American Newspapers http://www.newspapers.com/top10.html Downloaded July 10, 2007 [1] Burns, Ric   The History of New York Episode 6. Los Angeles: Time Warner 1999 [2] Burns, Ric   The History of New York Episode 6. Los Angeles: Time Warner 1999 [3] Mead, Joan The History of the Media in America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press 1987 pg. 18 [4] Mead, Joan The History of the Media in America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press 1987 pg. 22 [5] Burns, Ric   The History of New York Episode 6. Los Angeles: Time Warner 1999 [6] http://www.newspapers.com/top10.html [7] Mead, Joan The History of the Media in America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press 1987 pg. 28    Media News media plays an important role in by providing information to the public about matters affecting their lives and the society in which they live. The news media also plays an important role in identifying nonmarket issues and stimulating action that affects their progress. The news media finds business of interest, and with stories instantly transmitted worldwide by the broadcast media and the Internet, a firm's actions are in the eye of the media and under the scrutiny of interest groups, activists, and government. A fortune 500 company can have a great year according to their annual report, and then get hit by a series of blasts from the media about their labor practices, causing sales to plummet . Many companies dread media coverage of their nonmarket issues and have had to develop a capability for interacting with the media. The essential role the news media plays in a democracy is accompanied by a responsibility to provide information in an accurate and unbiased manner so that individuals can formulate their own conclusions about issues. News organizations face incentives, including those provided by profits, and pressures from competition among news organizations. Similarly, journalists face incentives associated with career and professional advancement. These incentives and pressures complicate the fulfillment of that responsibility. The news media itself is a diverse collection of organizations, including television, radio, internet services, blogs, newspapers, magazines, and journals, and each faces its own set of challenges. Management and journalists are different in their perspective on what constitutes who, what where and why of a story. Media companies are motivated by profit so management is concerned with the story that makes the most profit. On the other hand, And journalist are guided by professional standards and their conduct is governed by editorial control when choosing and reporting their subject matter. So whatever journalists have career interest. Editorial control govern their conduct. In the 21st century large media companies like Time Warner Cable, ABC, NBC and CBS, etc., control the media. It's all ratings and profitability. The higher their ratings, the better the profit for the large media companies. Media In this book, we examine the history and business of mass media, and discuss the media as a central force In shaping our culture and our democracy. A. Critical process for Investigating media industries and Issues. L. Address key Ideas Including communication, culture, mass media, and mass communication. N. Investigating important periods In communication history: the oral, Whiten, print, electric, and digital eras. Ill. Examine the development of a mass medium from emergence to convergence. Lb. Learn about how convergence has changed our relationship to media v. Look at the central role of storytelling in media and culture. . Discuss two models for organizing and categorizing culture: a skyscraper and a map. Evil. Trace important cultural values in both the modern and postmodern societies. Viii. Study media literacy and the five stages of the critical process: description, analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and engagement. Often, culture is narrowly associated with art, the uniqu e forms of creative expression that give pleasure and set standards about what Is true, good, and beautiful. (Can be viewed more broadly as the ways In which people live and represent themselves at particular historical time.Communication: the creation and use of symbol systems that convey Information and meaning (e. G. Languages, more code, motion pictures, and one-zero binary computer codes). A. Culture, therefore, Is a process that delivers the values of society through products or other meaning making forms. B. Culture inks individuals to their society by providing both shared and contested values and the mass media help circulate those values. There eras, which all still operate to some degree, are oral, written, print, electronic, digital. A.The mass media are the culture industries-the channels f communication-that produce and distribute songs, novels, TV shows, newspaper, movies, video games, internet services, and other cultural products to large numbers of people. Mass com munication: the process of designing cultural messages and stories and delivering them to large and diverse audiences through media channels as old and distinctive as the printed book and as converged as the internet. A. Hastened by the growth of Industry and modern technology, mass communication accompanied the shift or rural populations to urban settings and the rise of a consumer culture.In digital communication, images, texts, and sounds are converted onto electronic signals( represented as varied combinations of binary number-ones and zeroes) that are then reassembled( decoded) as a precise reproduction of, say, a TV picture, a magazine article, a song, or a telephone voice. Sender (authors, producers, and organizations) transmit messages (programs, texts, images, sounds, and ads) through a mass media channel (newspapers, books, magazines, radio, television, or the internet) to large groups of receivers. . In process, gatekeeper function as message filters. Media gatekeeper mak e decisions about what messages actually get produced for particular receivers. I. The process also allows for dieback, In which citizens and consumers, If they choose, return messages to senders or gatekeepers through letters to the editor, phone calls, email, we postings, or talk shows. Elective exposure: people typically seek messages and produce meanings that correspond to their own cultural beliefs, values, and interests. Tag in the development of media-convergence- a term that media critic and analysts use when describing all the changes that have occurred over the past decade, and are still occurring, in media content and within media companies. Medium: an intervening substance through which something is conveyed or reanimated. Media innovations typically go through four stages. A. Emergence, or novelty, stage. I. Inventors and technicians try to solve a particular problem, such as making pictures move, transmitting messages form ship to shore, or sending mail electronically. . Entrepreneurial stage I. Inventors and investors determine a practical and marketable use for the new device. C. Mass medium stage I. Businesses figure out how to market the new device or medium as a consumer product. D. Convergence stage I. Older media are reconfigured in various forms on newer media. Convergence: a ERM that media critics and analysts use when describing all the changes that have occurred over the past decade, and are still occurring, in media content and within media companies. A.The first definition of media convergence involves the technological merging of content across different media channels. B. Cross platform: describes a business model that involves consolidating various media holdings, such as cable connections, phone services, television transmissions, and internet access, under one corporate umbrella. Our varied media institutions and outlets are basically in the narrative-or storytelling business. Media stories put events in context, helping us to b etter understand both daily lives and the larger world. Culture as a hierarchy, represented by a skyscraper model, and culture as a process, represented by a map model. Skyscraper High culture Good taste, high education, and supported by wealthy patrons and corporate donors, is associated with fine art, which is available primarily in libraries, theaters, and museums. Low culture Which is aligned with the questionable tastes of the masses, which enjoy the commercial Junk circulated by the mass media, such as reality TV, celebrity gossip Web sites, and violent action films. Media In this book, we examine the history and business of mass media, and discuss the media as a central force In shaping our culture and our democracy. A. Critical process for Investigating media industries and Issues. L. Address key Ideas Including communication, culture, mass media, and mass communication. N. Investigating important periods In communication history: the oral, Whiten, print, electric, and digital eras. Ill. Examine the development of a mass medium from emergence to convergence. Lb. Learn about how convergence has changed our relationship to media v. Look at the central role of storytelling in media and culture. . Discuss two models for organizing and categorizing culture: a skyscraper and a map. Evil. Trace important cultural values in both the modern and postmodern societies. Viii. Study media literacy and the five stages of the critical process: description, analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and engagement. Often, culture is narrowly associated with art, the uniqu e forms of creative expression that give pleasure and set standards about what Is true, good, and beautiful. (Can be viewed more broadly as the ways In which people live and represent themselves at particular historical time.Communication: the creation and use of symbol systems that convey Information and meaning (e. G. Languages, more code, motion pictures, and one-zero binary computer codes). A. Culture, therefore, Is a process that delivers the values of society through products or other meaning making forms. B. Culture inks individuals to their society by providing both shared and contested values and the mass media help circulate those values. There eras, which all still operate to some degree, are oral, written, print, electronic, digital. A.The mass media are the culture industries-the channels f communication-that produce and distribute songs, novels, TV shows, newspaper, movies, video games, internet services, and other cultural products to large numbers of people. Mass com munication: the process of designing cultural messages and stories and delivering them to large and diverse audiences through media channels as old and distinctive as the printed book and as converged as the internet. A. Hastened by the growth of Industry and modern technology, mass communication accompanied the shift or rural populations to urban settings and the rise of a consumer culture.In digital communication, images, texts, and sounds are converted onto electronic signals( represented as varied combinations of binary number-ones and zeroes) that are then reassembled( decoded) as a precise reproduction of, say, a TV picture, a magazine article, a song, or a telephone voice. Sender (authors, producers, and organizations) transmit messages (programs, texts, images, sounds, and ads) through a mass media channel (newspapers, books, magazines, radio, television, or the internet) to large groups of receivers. . In process, gatekeeper function as message filters. Media gatekeeper mak e decisions about what messages actually get produced for particular receivers. I. The process also allows for dieback, In which citizens and consumers, If they choose, return messages to senders or gatekeepers through letters to the editor, phone calls, email, we postings, or talk shows. Elective exposure: people typically seek messages and produce meanings that correspond to their own cultural beliefs, values, and interests. Tag in the development of media-convergence- a term that media critic and analysts use when describing all the changes that have occurred over the past decade, and are still occurring, in media content and within media companies. Medium: an intervening substance through which something is conveyed or reanimated. Media innovations typically go through four stages. A. Emergence, or novelty, stage. I. Inventors and technicians try to solve a particular problem, such as making pictures move, transmitting messages form ship to shore, or sending mail electronically. . Entrepreneurial stage I. Inventors and investors determine a practical and marketable use for the new device. C. Mass medium stage I. Businesses figure out how to market the new device or medium as a consumer product. D. Convergence stage I. Older media are reconfigured in various forms on newer media. Convergence: a ERM that media critics and analysts use when describing all the changes that have occurred over the past decade, and are still occurring, in media content and within media companies. A.The first definition of media convergence involves the technological merging of content across different media channels. B. Cross platform: describes a business model that involves consolidating various media holdings, such as cable connections, phone services, television transmissions, and internet access, under one corporate umbrella. Our varied media institutions and outlets are basically in the narrative-or storytelling business. Media stories put events in context, helping us to b etter understand both daily lives and the larger world. Culture as a hierarchy, represented by a skyscraper model, and culture as a process, represented by a map model. Skyscraper High culture Good taste, high education, and supported by wealthy patrons and corporate donors, is associated with fine art, which is available primarily in libraries, theaters, and museums. Low culture Which is aligned with the questionable tastes of the masses, which enjoy the commercial Junk circulated by the mass media, such as reality TV, celebrity gossip Web sites, and violent action films.

Free Essays on Distorted Sexual Values

Williams 1 Distorted Sexual Values In today’s society it is evident that premarital sex is a common view. This can be due to several reasons. The meaning of sex is different o different people the word sex alone has several connotations it may refer to gender, the reality of our being male or female example â€Å"opposite sex†. It may pertain to erotic awareness and arousal the attraction toward and desire for intimacy with another example sex appeal. The word sex also used to indicate function activity involving the genital organ as in "having sex"(Clarke 230). This causes confusion in the minds of may people in society today. In the comic strip â€Å"Cathy† Cathy Guise- Wite captures the confusion of many in this comic. As the almost but not quite liberated â€Å"Cathy† is getting dressed to go out on a date, she reflects: â€Å"I’m wearing the â€Å"heirloom lace’ of my grandmothers generation †¦with the conscience of my mothers generation †¦coping with the mora ls of my generation†¦ No mater what I do tonight, I’m going to offend myself† (Clark 231). Society as a whole is confused about sex and its sex values. Sex is a gift from the creator, a part of human God given nature and as such it is good. Writers of scripture clearly endorse the celebration of human sexuality. Society must remember, â€Å"sexuality must be expressed according to the makers instructions† (Clarke 233). Sex has been given this view or definition of something that should be used naturally everyday, when ever we want enjoyment (Leone 22). In the world today all that we do is for self-gratification and pleasing one’s desires. This has had a major role on people’s sexual values/ morals. Williams 2 There is a large group of people in society today that hold the belief that premarital sec is helping society. Leone quotes The Humanist to show the views that many have. Physical pleasure ha worth as a moral value. Traditional religious and social v... Free Essays on Distorted Sexual Values Free Essays on Distorted Sexual Values Williams 1 Distorted Sexual Values In today’s society it is evident that premarital sex is a common view. This can be due to several reasons. The meaning of sex is different o different people the word sex alone has several connotations it may refer to gender, the reality of our being male or female example â€Å"opposite sex†. It may pertain to erotic awareness and arousal the attraction toward and desire for intimacy with another example sex appeal. The word sex also used to indicate function activity involving the genital organ as in "having sex"(Clarke 230). This causes confusion in the minds of may people in society today. In the comic strip â€Å"Cathy† Cathy Guise- Wite captures the confusion of many in this comic. As the almost but not quite liberated â€Å"Cathy† is getting dressed to go out on a date, she reflects: â€Å"I’m wearing the â€Å"heirloom lace’ of my grandmothers generation †¦with the conscience of my mothers generation †¦coping with the mora ls of my generation†¦ No mater what I do tonight, I’m going to offend myself† (Clark 231). Society as a whole is confused about sex and its sex values. Sex is a gift from the creator, a part of human God given nature and as such it is good. Writers of scripture clearly endorse the celebration of human sexuality. Society must remember, â€Å"sexuality must be expressed according to the makers instructions† (Clarke 233). Sex has been given this view or definition of something that should be used naturally everyday, when ever we want enjoyment (Leone 22). In the world today all that we do is for self-gratification and pleasing one’s desires. This has had a major role on people’s sexual values/ morals. Williams 2 There is a large group of people in society today that hold the belief that premarital sec is helping society. Leone quotes The Humanist to show the views that many have. Physical pleasure ha worth as a moral value. Traditional religious and social v...

Feeding Problems and Autistic Spectrum Disorder Research Paper

Feeding Problems and Autistic Spectrum Disorder Research Paper Feeding Problems and Autistic Spectrum Disorder Research Paper Evidence Based Practice Articles on Autism and Feeding Problems Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by different forms of difficulties such as verbal and non-verbal communication, repetitive behaviors, and social interactions (Freedman, 2008 p.4). The condition is a learning disorder, and it depicts a development issue in the brain. Children with autism and autistic spectrum disorder find it hard to interact with other children of their age, and when in school, teachers, and other pupils consider the autistic children as â€Å"difficult†. However, autism can be managed very well. Children with autism need nursing care to bring out the best from them. According to a research conducted by Marcus Autism Center, children with autism are at risk of poor feeding and feeding disorder (Woodruff Health Sciences Center , 2013 para.1). It is notable that proper and healthy meals help children to develop mentally by socializing during meals, but autistic children do not experience that. Good nursing practice are needed to ensure that autism does not affect feeding and health of a child. Children with Autism at Considerable Risk of Nutritional Deficits and Feeding Problems The Department of Pediatrics at the Emory University School of Medicine and the Marcus Autism Center were the first institutions to conduct a research on the issue (Woodruff Health Sciences Center, 2013). First of all, it is not clear what causes autism. It may be genetic since the condition runs in families. Scientists have conducted several other researches to determine the brain sections that lead to the condition (Woodruff Health Sciences Center, 2013). The investigation carried out involved using all peer reviewed articles written on autism and feeding problems. A meta-analysis of the peer reviewed articles was conducted by researchers from Emory University and Marcus Autism Center. From the research, they noted that most children diagnosed with the condition have a lower intake of calcium and protein, and also have a high number of other nutritional problems (Woodruff Health Sciences Center , 2013). Some of the feeding problems that children with autism experience include allergies for many food products. Therefore, the nurses should monitor the feeding habits of children, and ensure that the children eat food which is full of nutritional value (Woodruff Health Sciences Center, 2013). Secondly, autistic children also suffer from pica, a condition in which they eat nonfood materials, which is also a feeding and behavioral deficiency that nurses must observe and restrain. The peer reviewed literature meta-analysis did not indicate that feeding disorders in autistic children resulted from the fact that they had a diet with only a few types of food. However, the Marcus Autism Centre researchers subtly indicated that parents of autistic children complained that few foods make up the diets of their autistic children (Woodruff Health Sciences Center , 2013). As a result of this meta-analysis conducted by researchers from Emory University and Marcus Autism Centre, nurses and caregivers of autistic children now have a chance to make the diets of children right by ensuring that they give supplementary nutrients such as proteins and calcium in the form of tablets or injections. The information is essential in making long-term decisions on the management plan for autistic children and the management of other health issues which they have. Another significant impact of the Emory University and Marcus Autism Center research is that the nurses dealing with autistic children can develop a guideline on how to cope with the condition of those children who suffer from autism. Elimination diet has traditionally been used by nurses in coping with the adverse reactions which autistic children have to some types of food, but now it is clear that utilizing the elimination diet strategy could have a malnutrition potential for those involved (Brown-Guttovz, 2008 p.29). This is what drives the nursing community helping the autistic people to determine the best way of dealing with the feeding disorders. The Emory and Marcus Autism Center research was unique and it aimed at improving nursing process for the autistic children. Early Feeding Problems that Indicate Autism Early diagnosis of any condition is beneficial because it helps in determining the right strategies of coping and managing the impacts of the condition. Researchers at the University of Bristol in England noted that children who have feeding disorders are most likely to be autistic (Neale, 2010 Para. 5). This opens a primary method for early diagnosis of ASD (autistic spectrum disorder) which would help in nursing of such children especially in managing their diet and nutrition. According to the study conducted by Golding and his colleagues, children with autism are selective on the food they eat and accept solid foods way later as compared to those who do not suffer from the condition. They are also not easy to feed, and nurses or parents have to struggle to feed them (Land, 2001 p.10). They are slow feeders and accept very few varied diets. Diagnosis should not be entirely dedicated to the feeding habits; hence, the discovery that children are pervasive food refusers or slow feeders, and other factors such as their speech, attention and behaviors should also be scrutinized to determine if they could be suffering from autism (Neale, 2010 para.8). To come to that conclusion, the researchers asked parents to fill questionnaires with information on feeding and dietary habits of their children at different stages in life starting with 6 to 54 weeks, and when the children were at the age of 7, their heights were measured (Neale, 2010 para.8). The information collected from the questionnaires was compared with the information collected on children who have ASD and those who did not have. The patterns of feeding were identified the characteristic of resistance towards change exhibited by autistic children and, hence, found to be very important in early diagnosis of the condition for easy management. SWEAA – A Self-Report Questionnaire Targeting Eating Disturbances within the Autism Spectrum Children with ASD are sometimes thought to be fussy eaters. In many cases, caregivers and parents withhold food from fussy eaters so that they can eat when hungry. With children suffering from ASD, this strategy is dangerous (Karlsson, Rà ¥stam, Wentz, 2013 p.2225). Wentz et.al developed a self reliant questionnaire which people filled to determine how their eating habits were affected by autism. This questionnaire is useful for teenagers and young adults who have autistic spectrum. However, the young adults must have an IQ of over 70 or have no potential for diagnosis of intellectual disability (Karlsson, Rà ¥stam, Wentz, 2013 p.2225). The Swedish Eating Assessment for Autism spectrum disorders (SWEAA) research conducted by Wentz et.al showed that people with ASD prefer food of certain colors and taste. They were also unable to eat because of the inability to eat certain foods and cut at the foods with the utensils provided (Lesinskiene, PÃ… «ras, Kajokiene, Senina, 2002). Thirdly, the traditional setup of the eating place in which there was a sense of sociability was a challenge for people with autism because most of them prefer to do things on their own, but not in a place where there are other people. This indicated that people with ASD could suffer from different other disorders especially related to allergies and phobias, and the best way to handle such cases is by ensuring that these people are well understood (Pinto-Martin, Souders, Giarelli, Levy, 2005 p.164). Secondly, the SWEAA questionnaire is very essential because it helps in knowing the types of foods that the autistic individual does not naturally take so that substitutes are made available for the individual, and the nutritional balance in the body is maintained (Spurgeon, 1967 p.1416). It is quite unhealthy to withhold food for an autistic individual because such an individual may get malnutrition. John 2004 Reflective Model Johns model of reflection is based on five main questions. The cue questions enable an individual to break an issue into several stages including the process, outcomes and experience. In the determination of nursing issues, Johns reflection model was utilized. The breakdown of its application is shown in the discussion below. Description of the Experience At this stage, the knowledge of how autism is manifested in individuals is very important. The investigations conducted all focused on the feeding problems associated with the autistic children and the implications which these children might get from the feeding problems. Children with such conditions also have great potential to lack good social skills, especially those which are acquired during meals. Parents and caregivers of children with this condition understand better how the children behave with food. It was noted that children with ASD usually accepted solid food later in life as compared to their peers. Autistic children are also choosy on the foods they take (Neale, 2010 para.4). The research conducted by Jean Golding and her colleagues also indicated that some were slow eaters, while others were quite troublesome during feeding (Neale, 2010 para.2). In the Emory University and Marcus Autism Center research, an analysis of case recorded about autism and feeding problems were subjected to meta-analysis to come to a conclusion. In the Jean Golding research, parents and caregivers were asked to fill questionnaires which were used in the determination of the impact of autism on feeding, and the SWEAA study involved young adults and teens with ASD. The teens and young adults were required to fill in the questionnaires on their own (Karlsson, Rà ¥stam, Wentz, 2013 p.2226). The information collected from the three empirical researches was subjected to scrutiny and compared to that of feeding behaviors of people without ASD and the difference noted. The Goals and Objectives of the Researches All three researches, the Emory University and Marcus Autism Centre, the Jean Golding headed Bristol University research and SWEAA study, had one main goal and objective which they wanted to achieve. The goal was to determine the extent of feeding problems associated with autism and the consequences they have on health and nutrition of people suffering from the condition, and hence, and secondly, to determine the best nursing strategy which would impacts of autism to the people diagnosed with the condition. It is necessary to keep in mind that they all suffer allergies towards some food, they have a dislike for foods of certain colors, and more importantly, they suffer a low intake of calcium and proteins. These are some of the issues which nurses consider to define the relevant supplements or alternative feeding which can be used. Influencing Factors Age is one of the most important factors influencing the study. If feeding disorders are discovered early, they can be used to diagnose the condition early. Early diagnosis leads to early intervention for children with ASD, including offering substitutes and food supplements in their diet to ensure that the feeding disorders do not affect their health. Secondly, it is notable that early diagnosis of any condition offers the best chance for effective management, and hence, it is beneficial in nursing. Good nursing practice requires the individual to have a guideline for management. What Could Have Been Improved The articles selected for these assignments are all articles which deal with feeding disorders among the autistic children. However, although they are empirical and they give detailed information on the consequences of the disorders among the autistic, it is worth noting that they do not have mathematical representation, which could be essential for quantification. This would have been appropriate and quite beneficial for the study. Research Outcomes There are many issues that an individual can learn from the exercise. First of all, children with autism are not difficult to feed simply because they want to be rebellious, but because they have allergies for some foods. ASD affects some functions of the brain which cause autistic people to be choosy at what they eat or to have repetitive behavior. It is, however, not certain why children with autism have some allergic reactions to some foods since there is not direct connection of the brain functions with the diet. Secondly, it is important to develop a diet which can help in substituting the foods which the autistic children do not like, because it would be even harder to nurse the autistic children if they are in bad health. Lastly, some of the traditional strategies used in managing choosy children cannot be applied to children with autism, and hence, it is important for parents to enlist the help of professional nurses with knowledge and experience in handling such children. If food is denied to force them to eat it when hungry, they may still not take it because they do not refuse to take on their volition, but as a direct response from the brain triggered by color of food, smell or taste as a result of brain function. Conclusion The study involves analyzing three empirical researches on a learning disorder in regards to nursing. The condition chosen is autism, which is a learning disorder and quite challenging in nursing. Three studies have been analyzed and a John 2004 model of reflection used on the three studies. The intention is to help in further understanding of autism and its implications in nursing. If you need a custom research paper written by a professional academic writer dont miss your chance to contact .

Avoidance of Information Technology Project Failure Essay

Avoidance of Information Technology Project Failure - Essay Example Reasons for the project failures and their sufficient deeds for its avoidance are kept in focus while discussions and consultations with project managers and other resources like books and Internet. Â  Being an IT student, keeping only objectives in hand don’t completes my traits. Though it is the world of proofs and proving objectives with the presentations and documentation. Every deliverable clutches some fundamentals of this project. Deliverables until the end of the project will be as per defined: Â  This is the first deliverable that embraces the contents of Information Technology. What is Information Technology? When is it started? Since then how it is improved? What is the status of Information Technology nowadays? What kinds of projects and their importance in the real world? Etc. This document is a small thesis on Information Technology with a little introduction to the real topic. This deliverable accomplishes first three above-mentioned objectives of the project. Â  A sample of professionals is gathered to have a little talk on the topic. Few famous and well-known software houses are being listed. Moreover, to reach these software houses and contact the entire professionals, references are gathered. This list along with the professional names holds their contacts, their references, and a name of people they are referred by. Reason to make them our samples. This deliverable, strengths of our project research and help in the accomplishment of our forth above mentioned objective. Â  This deliverable is a complete document carrying related questions focusing the topic and finding what may be the reasons or strategies to avoid projects to be failed. This deliverable is submitted to get the approval from the supervisor for proceedings. The questionnaire holds both close-ended and open-ended questions related to their experience and professionalism. Â