Thursday, September 19, 2019

Police Work And Related Fields :: essays research papers fc

Police Work and Related Fields CO-OP Christmas exam 1. The working conditions of a police officer can vary from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  easy to stressful situations where the officers life and the lives of others are threatened. The officer must deal with these situations in the way they feel is best but sometimes the officer cannot deal with this situation on their own and they have to call in backup witch can help them deal with the situation. CHANGING IN THE WORK PLACE In these times of change many work places are finding it necessary to change the ways in which they do business. The RCMP for example are moving into a more community based policing. This makes the police more accessible to the community. In this new system the RCMP try to solve the problem if they are repeatedly called to the same home for domestic disputes they will stay for how ever long it takes to find the route of the problem, where as if they were to encounter the same situation their policy was to arrive in two minutes and stay for 20 minutes. This new program is the starting stages and already it has had great reviews and great public support, as it brings the police closer to the community. Another part of this community based policing is that there are crime prevention comities that are run by various community groups that have monthly meetings with the police. A police officer starts their career with on the job training and then they move on to become a constable where they must be able to relocate to any part of the country where they are positioned. In order for an officer to advance tier career they may have to switch divisions where their careers may excel. The work values for a police officer is to uphold the law, patrol assigned areas and maintain public safety. They also participate in public information groups and safety programs. 2. The nature of the work is always changing as crimes are becoming more and more sophisticated, as well as there is no set times that any crimes will happen so their jobs are always different. The job of a police officer is always different as they could be talking to various groups on any number of topics. They could also be testifying in court in relation to an investigation they participated in. Officers may also take calls on situations in which they can provide counselling to the caller until help arrives or provide necessary numbers of shelters and food banks. 3. The outlook in this field is good although an officer could go through the

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Aids :: Free AIDS Essays

Aids The issue of HIV/AIDS has been a developing concern since the early 1980's. It is an issue that has sparked fear in everyone, but "society" has narrowed it down to certain people that can contract the AIDS virus. The stereotypical "AIDS" victim is not an IV drug user or a practicing homosexual; it is anyone, anyone who has unprotected sex, anyone who has had a blood transfusion in the past twenty years, or anyone who was innocently brought into the world by an infected mother. As unfair as it is, HIV/AIDS can attack someone whom society would have never "branded" as a stereotypical AIDS victim. This issue of HIV/AIDS needs to be addressed, and it needs to be addressed now. The epidemic of HIV/AIDS is on the rise in the state of Massachusetts. As many as 15,000 residents may be infected with the virus and not be aware of it and the majority of these victims are between the ages of twenty and forty. The only solution to this problem, as is the only solution to any problem, is preventio n through education. Of course it is easy to hand out literature and condoms to adults, but are they really going to listen? As a community, we can encourage HIV/AIDS testing, but will it be taken advantage of? Since these are adults being familiarized with HIV/AIDS, how to contract it, the consequences, and the raw statistics, they will probably disregard all of the information. Education on the issue of HIV/AIDS obviously needs to begin at an earlier age. HIV is spread most commonly by sexual contact with an infected partner. The virus can enter the body through the lining of the vagina, vulva, penis, rectum or mouth during sex. HIV also is spread through contact with infected blood. Prior to the screening of blood for evidence of HIV infection and before the introduction in 1985 of heat-treating techniques to destroy HIV in blood products, HIV was transmitted through transfusions of contaminated blood. Today, because of blood screening and heat treatment, the risk of acquiring HI V from such transfusions is extremely small. HIV frequently is spread among injection drug users by the sharing of needles or syringes contaminated with minute quantities of blood of someone infected with the virus. However, transmission from patient to health-care worker or vice-versa via accidental sticks with contaminated needles or other medical instruments is rare.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Virginia Woolf :: essays research papers

My Thought on Virginia Woolf There are many authors who have the ability to be one of the greatest writers of all time, but to my knowledge of books I believe the majority I read are excellent. Virginia Woolf to many, is a prominent writer. I wish I could say the same as well. I can not judge her writing for I have just began to study such remarkable essayists. I can state this, her ability to capture ones mind is unprecedented. She does it so well, it is almost natural. It is clear in all her writings she has the readers attention in full, while she explains facts in great detail. Even though she had a traumatic childhood, having manic-depressive illness, she is a brilliant writer. In her essay, Thoughts on Peace in an Air Raid, she says, "We are both prisoners tonight—he boxed up in his machine with a gun handy; we lying in the dark with a gas-mask handy. If we were free we should be out in the open, dancing, at the play, or sitting at the window talking together." She was told they were free, but they were still locked in their houses occupied with fear, every hour the thought of death progressing in their head. This is an example of great imagery she uses in explaining an event. In the same essay she has many more examples of imagery, more than can be expressed. I am beginning to believe she is as remarkable as people say. The more and more I read her writing, the more I began to believe this. She grabs my attention faster and more intensely than any other essayist. Many people believe her writing style is hard to comprehend, which I can understand why. This allows her examples of imagery to go far beyond other great essayists. Her vocabulary is exceedingly more advanced and at a higher pace than of my own. It gives me the opportunity to learn such vocabulary and to use in oral communication. This paper has given me the chance to learn more about

Aqa Food Anthology Essay

Compare two texts from the Anthology, which present different views about what we should eat. Text 9 is a newspaper article by John Torode on ‘Why we should all eat red meat’ that vibrantly explores the issue of eating red meat and with a ‘meat lover’ perspective fighting a passionate argument against the ‘bad boy of British culture’ reputation meat has. John Torode is a well-known celebrity chef and his picture endorses the article with a sense of knowledge and character smiling for ‘the culmination of his love of beef’. This article is written to reach out to the general public, more so to the health conscious and the skeptics to persuade and guide through to a new way of thinking towards eating red meat and food in general. A very similar purpose is seen throughout text 11, the Vegetarian Society websites ‘Seven simple steps to going- and staying- vegetarian’ which aim to guide prospective vegetarians to the ultimatum of ‘you are vegetarian’ through the use of enabling and reassuring lexis. In text 11 the text is clearly set out into seven steps that are structured to coincide, following an order to which a structured plan flows like a timeline- building up confidence and experience to the reader with the desired effect of easing them in to the direction of becoming vegetarians. This is almost like an instruction manual and by the text being set in steps it is easy for the reader to digest. In comparison the structure of text 9 does not use bullet points but instead is presented in prose, which allows for story telling. Even though the texts are structured differently they are both still informative, instructive and possibly persuasive. Language techniques are chosen carefully to create these types of texts. For instance, Torode uses narrative and inclusive language. Torode begins by using first person pronouns: â€Å"When I first moved†¦Ã¢â‚¬  in his anecdote of his experiences with meat, this creates a personal, colloquial effect almost as if he is revealing himself to you making him more likeable and warm, and this is consistent throughout the text as he carries on telling us how he’d â€Å"been raised on the stuff† making him seem like a ‘down to earth’ guy who the reader can connect with. Later on in the article Torode employs inclusive language: â€Å"Why? Because we eat too much†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , in this example Torode also uses rhetoric possibly with the purpose of persuading as it makes the reader think and is a transition to his argument to why this is true. To end the article Torode slips back into the more personal first person narration much like the formalities of a conversation. There is a change of direction in the text from the anecdotal and friendly tone to where he gets serious and then back to very personal and reassuring- this is all formed to be persuasive as the personal address is comforting and the serious facts are used to further persuade the reader. The â€Å"Seven Steps† lack some of the fore mentioned techniques. What can be seen instead is a third person narrative throughout the article, thus making it sound less personal but more instructive and informative. The writer uses a brisk selection of lexis making the sentences and whole body of text shorter than text 9. Even though this text is significantly shorter it still manages to come across as concerned and helpful: â€Å"or borrow one from your local library†, here its almost like a whisper as if the voice is matched to someone friendly doing you a favor. So even though text 11 is not as colloquial and expressive as text 9 it still uses language in a way that makes it seem slightly informal, neutral and relaxed for the effect of seeming reassuring and therefore persuasive. For example the personal caption under the picture of the woman also uses first person pronoun â€Å"I gave up meat†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and even uses informal language such as ‘veggie’ to seem relatable and also down to earth- just like Torode is trying to sound. This is seen in both texts as a technique to warm to the reader and draw their interest. In text 9 we see a consistent use of expressive lexis which displays passion from the narrator as he tells us ‘we ate platters of it’ and ‘I loved it’. He tells us about â€Å"my love affair with beef† using an array of adjectives (â€Å"large, smoky, well marbled join of beef†) and alliteration (â€Å"succulent steak†) to entice the readers imagination and glorify meat in support of his argument of â€Å"Why we should all eat red meat†. Combined with the use of  hyperballys and negative exaggeration (â€Å"cholesterol overdose†) when speaking of the opposing argument it radiates a consistent sense of passion backed up by authoritative facts. All in all creating a very impressive, persuasive argument. How the Vegetarian Society’s ‘Seven simple steps’ does try to persuade and guide the reader is quite different from the ‘why we should all eat red meat’ article in terms of language use. As it is a step-by-step guide it doesn’t include a personal story or emotive language like in Torodes article. Instead it uses imperatives and suggestions, (â€Å"try something new†) in every step and modal verbs throughout in a simplistic manner. Perhaps because it doesn’t need to be as persuasive since it is aimed at the already prospective vegetarian and therefore it is not opinionated or overly patronizing in any way. The effect of this is that a calm tone is created and each step simply guides the reader- the persuasion is much more subtle. Whilst language is chosen to include and instruct it is also chosen to discriminate against the opposition to eliminate possible doubts and reassure the reader, this is used in both texts. In Torode’s article he declares, â€Å"Uninformed customers still worry that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  here it mocks those who worry about BSE and what it might do. A superior stance is taken here in order to persuade. In text 11 it is strikingly similar as it tells the reader â€Å"don’t be put off by†¦ ill-informed scare stories† from â€Å"people who know very little about their own health†. Both of these bias declaratives are used to- once again- effectively comfort and assure the reader. Although not so inclusively as text 9, text 11 uses celebrity endorsement in the form of a picture of â€Å"Sir Paul McCartney† a ‘musician and vegetarian society patron’ almost like a figure head that is encouragement for readers to think that it is more acceptable to follow the views of what we should eat according to them because these famous people do. The rhetorical question posed by Sir Paul apparently, captioned below the picture is a touch to make the reader think, the words sound wise and are placed there to enliven such thoughts to the reader. This is also seen in text 9 towards the end of the article when Torode very personally tells us â€Å"My family eats†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  which he makes very personal even telling us his children’s names. Torode is using himself as a figure head to the views on ‘what we should eat’ as after all he is this celebrity chef and if it is good enough for his family- it should be good for us? In conclusion the texts argue completely different views on what we should eat but the sought effect on the reader is very similar and this is why there are similarities in the way the texts both try to persuade. They are both different types of texts and therefore the language, tone and techniques vary- text 9 uses a more personal and complex approach in the form of a personal narrative to persuade the reader and create an impressive argument, whilst text 9 is a much more simplistic and subtle informative text. They are both consistently persuasive and lead to the final purpose- of leading, encouraging and informing the reader through a set of steps or a structured narrative to a new view of what we as the reader should eat. Even though Text 9 is more opinionated both texts are still biased arguments with mainly the purpose of persuasion. I think both texts are very suited to their purpose and although look and are different they interestingly use language for a very similar purpose.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Wacc for Fedex Corp.

Preface First of all, I would like to thank Ms. Thuy for her enthusiastic guidance and response all of questions to help me complete this exercise easily. Simultaneously, thanks to her professional lectures on class which also build me with deep understanding of how to access and deal with problems in financial management so that I can complete this report. All of the data is collected through 2 website: http://finance. yahoo. com/ and http://www. finra. org/ I. ABOUT FEDEX CORPORATION: FedEx Corporation is a holding company.The Company provides a portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services under the FedEx brand, originally known as  FDX Corporation, is an American global  courier  delivery services company headquartered in  Memphis, Tennessee. FedEx Corporation is a Delaware corporation, incorporated October 2, 1997. FDX Corporation was founded in January 1998 with the acquisition of Caliber System Inc. by Federal Express,  the world's  largest airlineà ‚  in terms of freight tons flown and the world's fourth largest in terms of fleet size, delivering packages and freight to more than 375 destinations in nearly every country each day.With the purchase of Caliber, FedEx started offering other services besides express shipping. The  Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC)  is a unique code used to identify transportation companies. It is typically two to four alphabetic letters long. It was developed by the  National Motor Freight Traffic Association  in the 1960s to help the transportation industry for computerizing data and records. FedEx's codes include: * FDE – FedEx Express * FDEG – FedEx Ground * FXFE – FedEx Freight * FDCC – FedEx Custom Critical II. STATISTICS AND CALCULATION: 1. Summary  statistics:Accroding to the collected data: There is one non- callable bond issues of FedEx Corporation (FDX) in the ten-year maturity which is FDX. GD, use its yield of maturity as the pre-tax cost of debt. * Market value of equity: 34. 3 billions in USD * Value cash: 34. 02 billions in USD * The beta is 1. 32 and risk-free rate is 2% * A market risk premium of 5% and tax rate of 35% 2. Estimated equation a. The market value of debt: Using the collected data in the appendix 3, the market value of debt can be easily calculated: The market value of FDX’s debt = $250,000,000*105. 08%+$750,000,000*130. 704%+$239,000,000*131%=$1,557,390,000 * Total value of the firm = Total of market value of debt and equity =$34,300,000,000+$1,557,390,000=$35,857,390,000 b. The weights for FedEx’s equity and debt: Weight for equity =34,300,000,00035,857,390,000=95. 6567% Weight for debt=1,557,390,00035,857,390,000=4. 3433% 3. Apply the CAPM to Calculate GM’s WACC Cost of Equity = Risk-Free Rate + Equity Beta * Market Risk Premium =2%+1. 32*5%= 0. 086 Effective Cost of debt = Rd1-Tc=5. 89%1-0. 35=0. 0376 WACC is the average of the costs of these sources of financing, each of which is we ighted by its respective use in the given situation. By taking a weighted average, we can see how much interest the company has to pay for every dollar it finances. A firm's WACC is the overall required return on the firm as a whole and, as such, it is often used internally by company directors to determine the economic feasibility of expansionary opportunities and mergers.It is the appropriate discount rate to use for cash flows with risk that is similar to that of the overall firm. The WACC equation is the cost of each capital component multiplied by its proportional weight and then summing:   WACC= EV. Re+DV. Rd(1-Tc) We can easily calculate: WACC of FedEx Corporation is approximately 8. 3898%. III. APPENDIX: Appendix 1: Market value of equity| Enterprise value cash| Beta| $34. 3| $34. 02| 1. 32| *dollar amount in billions| Appendix 2: Risk free rate| Pre-tax cost of debt (Rd)| %| 5. 789| Appendix 3: Bond Symbol| Issuer Name| Coupon| Maturity| Callable| Price| Yield| Amount out standing| | | | | | | | | FDX. GX| FEDERAL EXPRESS CORP PASS THRU TR| -| -| No| 121. 375| 4. 153| -| FDX. HR| FEDERAL EXPRESS CORP| -| -| No| -| -| -| FDX. HO| FEDEX CORP| 7. 38| 01/15/2014| Yes| 105. 608| 0. 507| $250,000| FDX. HP| FEDEX CORP| 8| 01/15/2019| Yes| 130. 704| 2. 327| $750,000| FDX. GD| FEDERAL EXPRESS CORP| 7. 6| 07/01/2097| No| 131| 5. 789| $239,000| *dollar amount in thousands|

Sunday, September 15, 2019

The Host Chapter 58: Finished

I was so tightly wound that I shrieked in terror; I was so terrified that my shriek was only a breathless little squeal. â€Å"Sorry!† Jared's arm went around my shoulders, comforting. â€Å"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.† â€Å"What are you doing here?† I demanded, still breathless. â€Å"Following you. I've been following you all night.† â€Å"Well, stop it now.† There was a hesitation in the dark, and his arm didn't move. I shrugged out from under it, but he caught my wrist. His grip was firm; I wouldn't be able to shake free easily. â€Å"You're going to see Doc?† he asked, and there was no confusion in the question. It was obvious that he wasn't talking about a social visit. â€Å"Of course I am.† I hissed the words so that he wouldn't hear the panic in my voice. â€Å"What else can I do after today? It's not going to get any better. And this isn't Jeb's decision to make.† â€Å"I know. I'm on your side.† It made me angry that these words still had the power to hurt me, to bring tears stinging into my eyes. I tried to hold on to the thought of Ian-he was the anchor, as Kyle somehow had been for Sunny-but it was hard with Jared's hand touching me, with the smell of him in my nose. Like trying to make out the song of one violin when the entire percussion section was bashing away†¦ â€Å"Then let me go, Jared. Go away. I want to be alone.† The words came out fierce and fast and hard. It was easy to hear that they weren't lies. â€Å"I should come with you.† â€Å"You'll have Melanie back soon enough,† I snapped. â€Å"I'm only asking for a few minutes, Jared. Give me that much.† Another pause; his hand didn't loosen. â€Å"Wanda, I would come to be with you.† The tears spilled over. I was grateful for the darkness. â€Å"It wouldn't feel that way,† I whispered. â€Å"So there's no point.† Of course Jared could not be allowed to be there. Only Doc could be trusted. Only he had promised me. And I wasn't leaving this planet. I wasn't going to go live as a Dolphin or a Flower, always grieving for the loves I'd left behind me, all dead by the time I opened my eyes again-if I even had eyes. This was my planet, and they wouldn't make me leave. I would stay in the dirt, in the dark grotto with my friends. A human grave for the human I had become. â€Å"But Wanda, I†¦ There's so much that I need to say to you.† â€Å"I don't want your gratitude, Jared. Trust me on that.† â€Å"What do you want?† he whispered, his voice strained and choked. â€Å"I would give you anything.† â€Å"Take care of my family. Don't let the others kill them.† â€Å"Of course I'll take care of them.† He dismissed my request brusquely. â€Å"I meant you. What can I give you?† â€Å"I can't take anything with me, Jared.† â€Å"Not even a memory, Wanda? What do you want?† I brushed the tears away with my free hand, but others took their place too quickly for it to matter. No, I couldn't take even a memory. â€Å"What can I give you, Wanda?† he insisted. I took a deep breath and tried to keep my voice steady. â€Å"Give me a lie, Jared. Tell me you want me to stay.† There was no hesitation this time. His arms wound around me in the dark, held me securely against his chest. He pressed his lips against my forehead, and I felt his breath move my hair when he spoke. Melanie was holding her breath in my head. She was trying to bury herself again, trying to give me my freedom for these last minutes. Maybe she was afraid to listen to these lies. She wouldn't want this memory when I was gone. â€Å"Stay here, Wanda. With us. With me. I don't want you to go. Please. I can't imagine having you gone. I can't see that. I don't know how to†¦ how to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His voice broke. He was a very good liar. And he must have been very, very sure of me to say those things. I rested against him for a moment, but I could feel the time pulling me away. Time was up. Time was up. â€Å"Thank you,† I whispered, and I tried to extricate myself. His arms tightened. â€Å"I'm not done.† Our faces were only inches apart. He closed the distance, and even here, on the edge of my last breath on this planet, I couldn't help responding. Gasoline and an open flame-we exploded again. It wasn't the same, though. I could feel that. This was for me. It was my name that he gasped when he held this body-and he thought of it as my body, thought of it as me. I could feel the difference. For one moment, it was just us, just Wanderer and Jared, both of us burning. No one had ever lied better than Jared lied with his body in my last minutes, and for that I was grateful. I couldn't take it with me, because I wasn't going anywhere, but it eased some of the pain of leaving. I could believe the lie. I could believe that he would miss me so much that it might even mar some of his joy. I shouldn't want that, but it felt good to believe it anyway. I couldn't ignore the time, the seconds ticking like a countdown. Even on fire, I could feel them dragging at me, sucking me down the dark corridor. Taking me away from all this heat and feeling. I managed to pull my lips away from his. We panted in the dark, our breath warm on each other's faces. â€Å"Thank you,† I said again. â€Å"Wait†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I can't. I can't†¦ bear any more. Okay?† â€Å"Okay,† he whispered. â€Å"I just want one more thing. Let me do this alone. Please?† â€Å"If†¦ if you're sure that's what you want†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He trailed off, unsure. â€Å"It's what I need, Jared.† â€Å"Then I'll stay here,† he said hoarsely. â€Å"I'll send Doc to get you when it's over.† His arms were still locked around me. â€Å"You know that Ian is going to try to kill me for letting you do this? Maybe I should let him. And Jamie. He'll never forgive either of us.† â€Å"I can't think about them right now. Please. Let me go.† Slowly, with a palpable reluctance that warmed some of the cold emptiness in the center of my body, Jared let his arms slide away. â€Å"I love you, Wanda.† I sighed. â€Å"Thanks, Jared. You know how much I love you. With my whole heart.† Heart and soul. Not the same thing, in my case. I'd been divided too long. It was time to make something whole again, make a whole person. Even if that excluded me. The ticking seconds pulled me toward the end. It was cold when he no longer held me. It got colder every step I took away from him. Just my imagination, of course. It was still summer here. It would always be summer here for me. â€Å"What happens here when it rains, Jared?† I whispered. â€Å"Where do people sleep?† It took him a moment to answer, and I could hear tears in his voice. â€Å"We†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He swallowed. â€Å"We all move into the game room. Everyone sleeps in there together.† I nodded to myself. I wondered what the atmosphere would be like. Awkward, with all the conflicting personalities? Or was it fun? A change? Like a slumber party? â€Å"Why?† he whispered. â€Å"I just wanted to†¦ imagine. How it will be.† Life and love would go on. Even though it would happen without me, the idea brought me joy. â€Å"Goodbye, Jared. Mel says she'll see you soon.† Liar. â€Å"Wait†¦ Wanda†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hurried down the tunnel, hurried away from any chance that he might, with his grateful lies, convince me not to go. There was only silence behind me. His pain did not hurt me the way Ian's had. For Jared, pain would be over soon. Joy was only minutes away. The happy ending. The southern tunnel felt only a few yards long. I could see the bright lantern burning ahead, and I knew Doc was waiting for me. I walked into the room that had always frightened me with my shoulders squared. Doc had everything prepared. In the dimmest corner, I could see two cots pushed together, Kyle snoring with his arm around Jodi's motionless form. His other arm was still curled around Sunny's tank. She would have liked that. I wished there was some way to tell her. â€Å"Hey, Doc,† I whispered. He looked up from the table where he was setting out the medicine. There were already tears streaming down his face. And suddenly, I was brave. My heart slowed to an even pace. My breath deepened and relaxed. The hardest parts were over. I had done this before. Many times. I had closed my eyes and gone away. Always knowing new eyes would open again, but still. This was familiar. Nothing to fear. I went to the cot and hopped up so that I was sitting on it. I reached for the No Pain with steady hands and screwed the lid off. I put the little tissue square on my tongue, let it dissolve. There was no change. I wasn't in any pain this time. No physical pain. â€Å"Tell me something, Doc. What's your real name?† I wanted to answer all the little puzzles before the end. Doc sniffed and wiped the back of his hand under his eyes. â€Å"Eustace. It's a family name, and my parents were cruel people.† I laughed once. Then I sighed. â€Å"Jared's waiting, back by the big cave. I promised him you'd tell him when it was over. Just wait until I-until I†¦ stop moving, okay? It will be too late for him to do anything about my decision then.† â€Å"I don't want to do this, Wanda.† â€Å"I know. Thanks for that, Doc. But I'm holding you to your promise.† â€Å"Please?† â€Å"No. You gave me your word. I did my part, didn't I?† â€Å"You did.† â€Å"Then do yours. Let me stay with Walt and Wes.† His thin face worked as he tried to keep back a sob. â€Å"Will you be†¦ in pain?† â€Å"No, Doc,† I lied. â€Å"I won't feel anything.† I waited for the euphoria to come, for the No Pain to set everything glowing the way it had the last time. I still didn't feel any difference. It must not have been the No Pain after all-it had just been being loved. I sighed again. I stretched out on the cot, on my stomach, and turned my face toward him. â€Å"Put me under, Doc.† The bottle opened. I heard him shake it onto the cloth in his hand. â€Å"You are the noblest, purest creature I've ever met. The universe will be a darker place without you,† he whispered. These were his words over my grave, my epitaph, and I was glad that I got to hear them. Thank you, Wanda. My sister. I will never forget you. Be happy, Mel. Enjoy it all. Appreciate it for me. I will, she promised. Bye, we thought together. Doc's hand pressed the cloth gently over my face. I breathed in deeply, ignoring the thick, uncomfortable scent. As I took another breath, I saw the three stars again. They were not calling to me; they were letting me go, leaving me to the black universe I had wandered for so many lifetimes. I drifted into the black, and it got brighter and brighter. It wasn't black at all-it was blue. Warm, vibrant, brilliant blue†¦ I floated into it with no fear at all.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

The Other Side of Email

The Other Side of Email Electronic communication has become a part of every aspect of our society and is recognized as being one of the most important and influential aspects of the way we carry out business. The days of anxiously waiting by the mailbox for news from a long distance relative or lover are over. We no longer send cute, labor intensive, hand written letters to relatives, and close ones. Instead, they are sent via e-mails. Email-type technology has made it much easier to contact other people in the same city, and even others around the world. In other words, instead of actually taking the time to write a letter to a friend through the mail, one can send an e-mail that takes about three seconds opposed to three or more days. In the article â€Å"The Other Side of E-Mail,† author Robert Kuttner explains the other side of email and technology, the dark side. Kuttner says that although, technology offers us many conveniences, such as being able to send and receive messages instantly, it brings along many drawbacks, such as privacy infringement. I agree with Kuttner’s thoughts on these downsides of technology. In my opinion, internet and email technology has definitively made our lives easier, but it has put our personal information at risk, significantly limited privacy, and leads to a waste of our time on a daily basis. Kuttner describes several negative effects of messaging technology. First one is that we might waste too much time in the E-mail and our privacy might be compromised. Social networking sites, like Facebook, have gotten users hooked on to the internet as if it were a drug. Almost every person I can think of has a Facebook account now days. A recent survey estimates that more than 85% of all college students use Facebook and more than 30 million users update their status at least once each day. Although, Facebook is a marvelous communicating media, hardly anything gets accomplished there. From personal experience, I have found it to be a massive waste of time that has people from all around the world addicted to it. The new, fancy technology in general is a waste of money and time. College students get caught up in the sweet talks of salesmen, and buy tablets, and other expensive gadgets to allow them to take notes in class etc. however, none of that note taking ever takes place. Most end up playing video games and texting in class, which is a step backward, not forward. Statistics also show that there is a relationship between divorce rates and Facebook, as it conveniently allows couples to stalk one another. Gary Traystman, a divorce attorney in New London, Conn. , said that of the 15 cases he handled in 2011 where co mputer history, texts and emails are admitted as evidence, 70% exclusively involve Facebook. The biggest problem with internet and messaging technology, however, is security. The fact that every bit of information about us is stored on the internet and can easily be stolen is nerve-wracking. Communication sites like Facebook, MySpace have the user’s full name, their date of birth, email ID, and even their phone numbers. All of that information can be accessed with the click of a button. The consequences of that can obviously be extremely dangerous. The internet is also filled with email scammers, and hackers. My uncle was recently scammed via the email. He made an online deal to purchase a car, which turned out to be a scam that took away $15,000 from his bank account. The clever scammer was never caught. That’s just one instance of how upsetting, and demoralizing the internet can be. Email is the main communicating media of the 21st century. When you register for banking or gaming accounts online, or even make online purchases, you are required to enter an E-mail address. If that email account is hacked, which happens frequently, all of your personal information can be stolen. In 2011, Sony’s online gaming servers were hacked, and â€Å"Hackers may have stolen the personal information of 24. 6 million Sony Online Entertainment users†, the company said. More than 20,000 credit card and bank account numbers were also put at risk. † There are many other demoralizing aspects of internet based technology, such as pornography. Children that learn how to use a computer at a young age are introduced to such content at an age that they shouldn’t be. This significantly hinders their future progress and affects their morals. Children adapt a lifestyle of sitting at home, playing with their iPods, Laptops and other internet devices, as opposed to playing sports, spending time with their relatives and family. This has led to a social disaster, especially in the U. S. , where we are so consumed by technology. As final remarks, I believe that the internet and emailing technology have completely revolutionized the world, however, it also led to many serious problems, such as infringement of privacy, wastage of time, and aiding in the leakage of personal information to online hackers. These concerns along with many others make emailing and internet not as divine and marvelous as we may think. Works Cited â€Å"Does Facebook Wreck Marriages? † – Real-Time Advice. N. p. , n. . Web. 31 Oct. 2012. . Haisha, Lisa. â€Å"Is Your Facebook Addiction a Sign of Loneliness? † The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost. com, 13 Apr. 2010. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"Sony Hacked Again; 25 Million Entertainment Users’ Info at Risk. † Wired. com. Conde Nast Digital, 30 Apr. 0011. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. .