The eNotes Blog Digital Lending IsHere!

Digital Lending IsHere! For me, books are like crack. I will seriously consider buying less food if there is a new title out that I want to read.   And having a Kindle makes it all too easy to have instant gratification. At first I thought I was safe. After all, Kindle allows you to sample any book you are thinking about purchasing before actually doing so. I typically do opt for the free portion before buying, but rarely do I not click Download Now. In under a minute, I have added another digital notch to my bookshelf. However, roughly a third of the time I select a title, I have some buyers remorse. And as many Kindle owners know, those regrets can add up financially. Thats why I was pleased to learn that Kindle has added library lending to its services. Just like a title you purchase, your library selections allow you to annotate, highlight, and use bookmarks. If you choose to buy it or check it out again, those notes will still be there. Right now, 11,000 libraries around the country are participating in digital lending. Here  is how it works: Visit the website of a U.S. library that offers digital services from OverDrive. Check out a Kindle book (using a valid library card). Click on Get for Kindle and then sign in to your Amazon.com account to have the book delivered to your Kindle device or reading app. Your book can be delivered to your device either directly or via USB. Happy (free!) reading!!!

7 HUGE signs you aced your interview

7 HUGE signs you aced your interview Sometimes it’s all too apparent when a job interview hasn’t gone well- maybe there’s a cringeworthy statement you wish you could take back, or an icy glance from an interviewer who doesn’t seem to find your small talk very charming. But what differentiates an okay job interview from one you’ve just rocked? Here are some key signals that you’ve had a great interview. 1. The interviewer has positive body languageInterviewers are professionals (ideally!), but they’re also human. Sometimes the earliest indicator that things are going well is the immediate physical feedback you get. Is the person engaged in the conversation, or is she just asking rote questions? Are you getting a lot of positive affirmation, like nods and smiles or verbal agreement? This isn’t a foolproof way to gauge your progress (hey, some people are just very friendly), but it’s a great first clue.2. The interviewer asks you about your interest in the jobIf the interviewer asks you point blank if you’d be interested in the job, it’s not quite a job offer, but it’s a very positive sign. It may mean the person thinks that you’re a good candidate and they want to test out whether you’re serious about it before moving you to the next step. If the interviewer asks you about where else you’re interviewing, that’s also a good sign. If they weren’t interested in you, they probably wouldn’t be trying to gauge the competition or scoping out whether you’re likely to accept a potential job offer.3. You set up a second interview on the spotThe signs don’t get much clearer than this one. If they actively invite you back for another round of interviews, you’re in very good shape. But don’t forget that while a second interview is a great omen, it still means another round of prep. Aft er all, there could be other candidates coming back for a second interview as well, so it’s important not to go into the next interview thinking you have a job offer on the table just yet.4. You get a personal tourIf your interviewer brings you around the office to show you the space and introduce you to people, or calls people in to meet you, it shows they’re already thinking of you as a potential member of the team.5. The interview goes longA short interview isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker, but if your interview goes longer than the allotted time it likely means that the interviewer is interested enough to have a meaningful, in-depth conversation about the position and your qualifications for it. Particularly if you’re meeting with a single interviewer, a long conversation points to a great level of engagement.6. The interviewer goes into day-to-day job specificsMost interviewers will give an overview of the open position to make sure you understand the job. But if the interviewer takes the time to do a deep dive into the job’s responsibilities and integrates you into the discussion (â€Å"you would be doing X,† â€Å"you would be leading this project,† etc.), it suggests they already see you as a good fit.7. Your thank you note nets a responseNo matter what, you need to send a thank you note as a follow-up to your interview. The interviewer, however, is not obligated to respond in any way. If you send your thank you and you get a response (especially a quick one), it shows that your interviewer is engaged in the process and likely had a positive reaction to your conversation. Bonus points if there are specific references to a point you discussed, because that can help you tell if it’s just an automatic response on their part or a genuinely warm reaction. Tone is everything here.The waiting game after an interview can be one of the most frustrating parts of any job hunt. If you’re able to walk out of the room with any of these positive outcomes behind you, it can help reassure you that things really did go well, and that you’re on the right track for a second interview- or maybe even that job offer.

Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 20

Religion - Essay Example His ideas on life were that the soul was bound in the body awaiting its release and the eventual return to its original source in the other world. This transformation can be experienced during the present through personal purification. In many of his teachings, Attar has exemplified the essence of a pure life and the mortality of the human body (Attar, 19). In one of his many poems, Attar writes, â€Å"Life be it long or short is composed of few breaths. Whoever is born must also die. You were nourished for death; and you were brought into the world in order to be taken away from it.† (Attar, 13). nourished for death†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The statement summarizes the whole poetic line. Attar tries to show that mankind is naturally mortal. All that a man goes through prepares him for the life after in the next world. The spiritual growth of a human being is a process of ‘nourishment’. In short, according to Attar, Mankind lives to die. The ultimate result of life is transformation to the afterlife through death (Attar, 23). Learners of Attar’s theories should therefore live their lives nourish themselves spiritually for the next stage of their lives. It makes them realize that they are mortal and they should be prepared for the death and the afterlife (Attar, 24). Still on the topic of religious theories, we should look at The Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu devotional book. The book also offers insight and guidance on death and how mankind should be prepared for it. The book states in part, â€Å"The soul never takes birth and never dies at any time nor does it come into being again when the body is created. The soul is birth less, eternal, imperishable and timeless and is never terminated when the body is terminated† (Zaener, 11). The Bhagavad Gita has the same notion in it with the Attar poetry. It shows that the soul is eternal and imperishable. It is, just like in Attar’s case, housed by the body but when the body is terminated, the

Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 18

Project management - Essay Example 1b) The second difference is the work of Sprints that Hill describes. This is achieved through regular iterations of work, known as Sprints which enhance the product as depicted by the team. It is clear to understand that Agile enhances the churn by reducing defects and defining the product resourcefully. The team evaluated by practicing this technique to steer the direction of the product via this methodology. When a team stops and re-evaluates the direction of a project every two weeks, there’s time to steer it in another direction without spending quality time. 1c)The third difference is the change of scope that is prominent according to Hill 2.The closest role as defined in the Scrum Guide is The Project Manager itself, who must verify these deliverables are those items that have been finished. 2a)However, upon the end of implementation phase, closing a project becomes a necessary point. Closing a project requires careful analysis and often misunderstood from a project management standpoint. 2b) It is the best role because Keeping in track with their progress on day to day basis can be truly helpful in the long run. This become problematic as the project due date comes closer since many smaller tasks may not be captured in the WBS itself. One of the biggest concerns for closing a project is the end the finer details of the store. This becomes more problematic the project does not achieve optimal results. In the Scrum Master Toolkit, the 3 reasons it is supreme is because it is Agile. 3a) Agile allows organizations to harness growth, breed innovation, and define products that can be tangible and intuitive. 3b)Secondly, it allows organizations to one can prototype. Prototyping allows Agile engineers to draft an idea in a constructive manner. This allows organizations to capture interface requirements as depicted by Hill as a central mechanism. 3c)Lastly, props are used in non-tangible sense that allows Scrum Masters to excel in their

Human cloning and Immanuel Kant Essay Example for Free

Human cloning and Immanuel Kant Essay Over the last decade, the advent of cloning and advancements in human genetic research have presented society with a complicated moral quandary. Debate rages as to what constitutes legitimate paths of inquiry and where to draw the line as to research that strikes many people as morally wrong. The basic question is: how does society determine whats right? While, of course, questions regarding human genetic research are new, this basic question is as hold as civilization and has been addressed over and over again by historys great philosophers. One of the most notable philosophers of the modern era is Immanuel Kant, who was born in Prussia in 1724. Kant paid a great deal of attention to formulating a complex system of morality. The following examines Kantian morals and how they might be applied to questions of human genetic research. Kants moral theory is predicated on the idea of the categorical imperative, which Kant described in the following manner, Act only on that maxim which you can at the same time will to be a universal law(Honderich, 1995, p. 436). By the term maxim, Kant meant general rules or principles upon which rational individuals act, and that these principles reflect the end that an individual has in mind in choosing actions of a certain type in given circumstances (Honderich, 1995). Therefore, maxims are principles in the following form: When in an S-type situation, act in an A-type manner in order to attain end- E (Honderich, 1995, p. 436). For example, a person might resolve to pay a bill as soon as it is received in order to not incur any debt. Kant tested a maxim by performing a thought experiment in which the individual asks oneself whether or not one would will a certain maxim to become universal law. As this suggests, moral law, in the philosophy of Kant, is inherent in reason itself. It is a priori, before experience (Frost, 1962). In every circumstance, Kant believed that categorical imperative provides a sure criterion for how to evaluate right and wrong (Frost, 1962). Kant maintained that an action that the individual can easily will that everyone should follow and perform would necessarily have to be a good act (Frost, 1962). Morality for Kant not only involved law (categorical imperative) but also the ultimate end to which action is directed. As the formulation of the concept of categorical imperative suggests, the basic problem for Kant was to discern the meaning of right and wrong, good and bad (Frost, 1962, p. 94). Fundamental to Kants thinking was the principle formulated by Rousseau that the only fundamentally good thing in the universe is the human will governed by respect for the moral law or the consciousness of duty (Frost, 1962, p. 94). He considered a moral act to be one that is performed out of respect for moral law, rather than for selfish gain or sympathy for others (Frost, 1962). Therefore, unlike other moral systems, Kant did not see consequences as the criteria for determining the moral value of a specific action. Rather, Kant looked toward the intentions of the individual. If an individual acts from good intentions, out of respect for moral law, his actions, are by definition, good. Kant argued that individuals instinctively avoid behavior, which, if performed by everyone, would create anarchy. We know, not by reasoning, but by vivid and immediate feelings, that we must avoid behavior which, if adopted by all men, would render social life impossible (Durant, 1961, p. 209). As this brief summary of Kantian ethics suggests, if Kant were presented with the problem of the morality of genetic research, he would, first of all, be concerned about the motivations of the researchers, their intentions in conducting such research (Frost, 1962). In the furor that was quickly generated over the successfully cloning of a sheep, Dolly, the usefulness of cloning technology to current medical practice was pushed aside. Nevertheless, the applications are considerable. A great deal of technical information has been left out in the sensationalism that abounded in the media. For one thing, the media did not make it clear that Dolly was not an identical clone (Wilson,1997). Part of everyones genetic material comes from the mitochondria in the cytoplasm of the egg. In the case of Dolly, only the nuclear DNA was transferred (Wilson, 1997). This may have significant information to import to scientists concerning the aging process since aging is related to acquired mutations in mitochondrial DNA (Wilson, 1997, p. 913). Furthermore, as Dolly ages, it has been noted that she is aging prematurely, which provides another source of information for scientists, but also signals that this technology is far from perfected. Research conducted on nuclear transfer into human eggs has the possibility of providing an immense amount of information that may have clinical value, by providing a model for learning more about somatic cell differentiation (Wilson, 1997, p. 913). Eventually, in due course, scientists may learn how to influence cell differentiation and this could give rise to targeted cell types (Wilson, 1997). The ability to generate tissues from different cell types could have enormous implications for transplantation. Wilson (1997) anticipates this technology utilizing skin and blood cells, and possibly even neuronal tissue that could then be used in the treatment of injury, transplants for leukemia, and for degenerative disease such as Parkinsons disease (p. 913). In another area of research, the successful cloning of human growth hormone (HGH) is important for several reasons. First of all, a child that has pituitary dwarfism requires twice-weekly injections until reaching age of 20. In the past, HGH was could only be obtained by removal of human pituitary tissue at autopsy. To treat one child with pituitary dwarfism using previous methods required obtaining over a thousand pituitaries (Emery and Malcolm, 1995, p. 165). Not only has it been difficult in the past to produce enough HGH to successfully provide treatment to all the children who needed it, but small amounts of contaminating virus caused some of the children treated to develop Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (Emery and Malcolm, 1995, p. 165). Cloning technology, which permits HGH to be produced artificially, has provided a readily available supply of HGH, which-in turn-has allowed the application of HGH in other treatments. For example, it has been discovered that HGH can be used to speed up the healing process for bone fractures (Emery and Malcolm, 1995). This is been particularly beneficial in treating the elderly (Emery and Malcolm, 1995). As this brief summary of scientific research being conducted into cloning and genetic research indicates, there are enormous benefits to be reaped from this new and controversial technology. Kant would undoubtedly approve of research that so obvious benefits humanity and society. What people seem to fear, and what would undoubtedly be wrong by any moral system, are nightmare scenarios propagated by the media and Hollywood. Images of clones being used simply as spare parts to extend the life of the rich, for example, has been dramatized in film. This sort of misuse of technology would constitute a threat to the social system and, therefore, would not pass Kants categorical imperative test. In other words, if everyone were cloned, it would significantly lower the way that human life is valued in our society. Also, the idea of human embryos being created and destroyed simply to further genetic research objectives is simply abhorrent on an instinctive level. Therefore, while it! can be seen that this technology needs to be carefully controlled and supervised in regards to moral issues, it should not be totally banned either, as it also has the power to benefit society to a great degree.

one flew over the cuckoos nest :: essays research papers

In the book One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey the use of Christ imagery is overall effective. One of the first images was the fishing trip planned by McMurphy because only twelve people went and Jesus took twelve disciples with him on a fishing trip. Billy Bibbits turning on McMurphy near the end by admitting that he was involved in McMurphys plan was like Judas admitting he participated with Jesus. Towards the end of the story McMurphy is a martyr just like Jesus because the patients aren’t free until he dies. Those are a few examples of how Kesey uses Christ imagery in his book. On the fishing trip that McMurphy planned twelve patients went. Those patients were Martini, McMurphy, Bibbit, Bromden, Harding, Frederickson, Scanlon, Tadem, Sefelt, George, Gregory, and Dr. Spivey. By sitting back and allowing the others to handle the storm on their own, McMurphy helps them prove they are worth something to themselves. Just the way Jesus taught his disciples to be self-sufficient in preparation for his own death. When Billy Bibbit was caught by Nurse Ratched with candy the prostitute he blamed McMurphy for forcing him to do that because he was scared the nurse would tell his mother." What worries me, Billy,† she said I could hear the change in her voice-†is how your mother is going to take this.† (Kesey pg.301) †Duh-duh-don’t t-tell, M-M-M-Miss Ratched. Duh-duh-duh-----†Ã¢â‚¬ Billy, I have to tell. I hate to believe you would behave like this, but, really, what else can I think? I find you alone, on a mattress, with this sort of woman.† †No! I d-d-didn’t. I was--† (Kesey pg.301) â€Å"Billy this girl could not have pulled you in here forcibly.† She shook her head. â€Å"Understand, I would like to believe something else--for your poor mother’s sake.† (pg.302) â€Å"She d-did.† He looked around him. â€Å"And M-M-McMurphy! He did And Harding! And the-the-the rest! They t-t-teased me, called me things!†(Kesey pg. 302) â€Å"They m-m-made me! Please, M-Miss Ratched, they may-may-May---!†(Kesey pg.302) McMurphy is shown as a martyr like Jesus was because the patients really don’t become free until he dies. Before the treatment is administered to him McMurphy â€Å"climbs on the table without help and spreads his arms out to hit the shadow. A switch snaps the clasps on his wrists, ankles, clamping him into the shadow† (Kesey pg. 272) When the graphite salve is put on his temples and they tell him its a conductant he says â€Å"Anointest my head with conductant.

Celebrity Culture Essay

Celebrity culture is recognized today as the popularization of certain individuals that have characteristics which may or may not be authentic, but society views as exceptional. Today’s stars do not really need to have an admirable talent or virtue to be known throughout the world. These idols are now able to gain worldwide coverage through common celebrity magazines and accepted television shows due to self-promotion or unethical behaviour. The celebrity culture always has and always will have an impact and influence on society. Celebrities are constantly in the media and have become role models for adolescents and teenagers. The adolescent minds in the current generation is becoming more deviated from picturing the world as a whole and is more focused on their own â€Å"bubbles† where anything in that bubble must directly relate and affect them. The most noticeable impact is on their views towards beauty, sexualisation or sexual development, and health. Beauty, in a typical teenager vocabulary, has been narrowly transformed into a young, symmetrical, skin-and-bone, tanned woman or man swishing back and forth their gorgeous hair and smiling their perfect teeth. Commercials featuring these celebrities give an impression of â€Å"if you want life and happiness† be like me and buy these products. Teens are misunderstanding that they are more than the sum of their possessions and salaries, more than the sum of their appearance and image, and more than the sum of their achievements and failures because of what they are seeing and everyone else is seeing through the media. More and more of teenagers are being affected by the sexualisation of girls according to mental health experts. A research on analyzing the effects of virtually every form of media from music lyrics to video games showed an effect that young girls are succumbing to the pressure of sexualisation by posting naked pictures of themselves on the internet or allowing boyfriends to take nude photos of them. Furthermore, casual celebrity sex appears to be the norm amongst the youth. As a result of an over-sexed society, young girls can be found with self-image and emotional problems like anxiety and shame, and lack of confidence in and comfort with her own body. Sexualisation of girls has negative consequences on girls’ ability to develop a healthy sexual self-image, research suggests. Celebrities do not only have a negative impact on the personalities and looks of fans, but also in their health. There have been cases where fame has been used positively and to send out a good message but there have been other instances in which celebrities have put out a bad image. For example, the appeal of drug and alcohol abuse has increased and so have images of intoxicated celebrities in magazines and television. Celebrities have glamorized smoking in the media and are setting an example for people everywhere that it is acceptable to smoke. Stars should make it an ambition to refrain from using drugs and drinking excessive amounts of liquor because it sends a message to supporters that a life of drugs and alcohol is a satisfactory way to live. Celebrities need to change the way they act and how they are viewed. Their actions have more of an effect on us then many people believe they have. Thin, compulsive celebrities are changing the way many young teenagers think and act. Celebrities need to change these unpleasant habits now and realize that they need to be more concerned with themselves and with their portrayal in the media. Unfortunately, the power of who becomes famous and what images are presented is completely in the hands of the media.

Oates v Emerson Essay

In class out of the three essays we read I choose to do a compare-contrast between Ralph Waldo Emerson’s and Joyce Carol Oates’s essays. I choose these two because they both had different feels towards nature. Oates is against nature and Emerson is about becoming one with nature. Even though both have different meaning, both Oates and Emerson successfully uses rhetorical strategies such as appeal to credibility, emotion, and logic to support their claims on nature. In Emerson’s â€Å"From Nature† he uses credibility when he refers to god. He states that â€Å"I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing†¦I am part or particle of God†. Emerson is basically saying that he is one with nature. He is persuading the reader to think this. Emerson relates to his audience through the feelings that nature by its self can inspire. In Oates â€Å"Against Nature† she uses credibility at the very beginning of her essay by stating, â€Å"I was lying o n my back in the dirt†¦staring up at the sky†¦Ã¢â‚¬  By this statement you get an image in your head of what’s occurring. Oates uses credibility again in her essay when referring to â€Å"Edmund of King Lear†. In both of their essays, Emerson and Oates effectively use credibility to support their claims. In Oates essay she uses emotion when mentioning something quite gruesome. She states â€Å"†¦the raccoon†¦tearing at his own belly with his teeth, so that his intestines spill out†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Another example is when she mentions that she has â€Å"paroxysmal tachycardia† and that it just so happens to be â€Å"fatal†. You cannot help but to feel bad for her. Is this the reason she doesn’t enjoy nature since her condition can attack so unexpectedly? In Emerson’s essay he uses emotion when states that â€Å"but none†¦owns the landscape†. He is saying that anyone can enjoy nature. Next he says that â€Å"In the woods, is perpetual youth†. This is emotion because Emerson mentions childhood, and this is something that people remember. He has felt that he has been changed by nature, and that you should to. Both essays use logic in order to support their position on nature. Oates uses logic in her essay when stating the dangers of her medical condition. She mentions why it’s â€Å"fatal† by reason, and that the most important thing you can do with tachycardia is that â€Å"you must prevent  panic†. She with this statement also includes statistics on the amounts of heartbeats it takes for the condition to be fatal. Another example is when Oates refers poems of writers such as â€Å"Flowers and Fruit† by Colette and â€Å"Taking the Side of Things† by Ponge. Now in Emerson’s he uses the appeal of logic when he convinces his reader that â€Å"we have no questions†¦are unanswerable†. This statement is reasoning that nature will answer all questions. He proves that nature is greater than man, and that it deserves respect. To conclude, both Oates and Emerson effectively use the appeals of credibility, emotion, and logic to support their position when it comes to nature. They both are complete opposites when it comes to nature. Emerson feels that nature is not only beautiful, but that it holds something different for everyone. Oates on the opposing side dismisses nature and all its glory. Oates has her view against nature and Emerson’s essay is successful in uncovering truths about nature and man’s role in nature.

Definition and Examples of Sound Bites

Definition and Examples of Sound Bites A sound bite is a brief excerpt from a text or performance (usually ranging from a single word to a sentence or two) that is meant to capture the interest and attention of an audience. Also known as a grab or a clip. In recent presidential elections, said Craig Fehrman  in 2012, the average TV sound bite has dropped to a tick under eight seconds (The Boston Globe). In the 1960s, a 40-second sound bite was the norm. Examples and Observations From Other Writers From the late 1960s to the late 1980s, the place of oratory in U.S. public culture was shrinkingliterally. In 1968, the average sound bite in presidential election news coverage was more than 43 seconds long. In 1972, it dropped to 25 seconds. In 1976, it was 18 seconds; in 1980, 12 seconds; in 1984, just 10 seconds. By the time the 1988 election season rolled around, the size of the average sound bite had been reduced to less than 9 seconds. . . . By the end of the 1980s, . . . the time and space allotted to political oratory in the American mainstream media had already been incrementally eroded.(Megan Foley, Sound Bites: Rethinking the Circulation of Speech From Fragment to Fetish. Rhetoric and Public Affairs, Winter 2012)A day like today is not a day for sound bites, really. But I feel the hand of history upon our shoulders.(Prime Minister Tony Blair on arriving in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for the talks that produced the Good Friday Agreement, April 8, 1998Seeking to prod Congre ss to provide more money to help prevent layoffs from local and state governments, [President] Obama stressed how much better off private companies are doing in terms of hiring.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The private sector is doing fine, he said, immediately giving Mitt Romney the same kind of bumper-sticker sound bite that Mr. Obama used against Mr. McCain four years ago. (Michael D. Shear, Republicans Take Aim at Obama’s ‘Doing Fine’ Comments. The New York Times, June 8, 2012) Over images of factory employees hard at work and smiling families, an announcer says, when a million jobs were on the line, every Republican candidate turned their back, even said, Let Detroit go Bankrupt.Then the commercial pivots to the president. Not him, says the announcer as a sound bite of the president plays. Don’t bet against the American auto industry, Mr. Obama is shown saying.(Jeremy W. Peters, Obama Goes After Republicans in New Michigan Ad. The New York Times, February 23, 2012)I am even told that you like your reading in short bursts now. Little chunks. Sound bites. Like that. Because you are busy. In a rush. Like to graze. Like cows. A bite here. A bite there. Too much to do. No time to spare. Under pressure. Bollocks. Lazy. Stupid. Finger out. Socks up.It was not always thus. Time was when an Englishman could happily gawp at a single sentence for an hour at a time. The ideal magazine essay took roughly as long to read as it took your umbrella to dry.(Michael B ywater, The Chronicles of Bargepole. Jonathan Cape, 1992) Sound Bites as Compressed Arguments As Peggy Noonan has explained so well, a sound bite is the culmination of good writing and a good argument. Ask not what your country can do ... or The only thing we have to fear ... represented the sharpest point of the speeches behind them. (John Dickerson, Dispatches From the Republican National Convention.Slate, August 30, 2012)The sound-bite should encapsulate the main point of the argument; the strongest opinion or reaction. Again there is a danger of distortion by over-emphasizing the already emphatic and polarizing a point of view, and this danger can only be eliminated by carefully explaining the context in which the remarks were made. (Andrew Boyd, Peter John Stewart, and Ray Alexander, Broadcast Journalism: Techniques of Radio and Television News, 6th ed. Focal Press, 2008) The Sound Bite Culture A sound bite society is one that is flooded with images and slogans, bits of information and abbreviated or symbolic messagesa culture of instant but shallow communication. It is not just a culture of gratification and consumption, but one of immediacy and superficiality, in which the very notion of news erodes in a tide of formulaic mass entertainment. It is a society anesthetized to violence, one that is cynical but uncritical, and indifferent to, if not contemptuous of, the more complex human tasks of cooperation, conceptualization, and serious discourse. . . . The sound bite culture . . . focuses on the immediate and the obvious; the near-term, and the particular; on identity between appearance and reality; and on the self rather than larger communities. Above all, it is a society that thrives on simplicity and disdains complexity.(Jeffrey Scheuer, The Sound Bite Society: How Television Helps the Right and Hurts the Left. Routledge, 2001) Television Journalism and Sound Bites In any campaign reform, it must be acknowledged that television news is an accomplice as well as a victim of the politicos. The sound bite is to television what the fang bite was to Dracula. The office seeker who has a thought that takes more than 30 seconds to express turns producers rabid. (Walter Goodman, Toward a Campaign of Substance in 92.  The New York Times, March 26, 1990)Television is the enemy of complexity. You rarely have time to express the fine points, the caveats, the context of your subject. Youre always being interrupted just as you try to make a larger point. What works best on a talk show is the snappy one-liner, the artful insult, the definitive declaration. What makes you look weak and vacillating is an acknowledgment that your case is not airtight, that the other side may have a valid point. (Howard Kurtz, Hot Air: All Talk, All The Time. Times Books, 1996)If news reporters and cameras are only there to be used by politicians as recording devices for their sc ripted soundbites, at best that is a professional discourtesy. At worst, if we are not allowed to explore and examine a politicians views, then politicians cease to be accountable in the most obvious way. (ITV news reporter Damon Green, quoted by Mark Sweney in Ed Miliband TV Interviewer Reveals Shame Over Absurd Soundbites. The Guardian, July 1, 2011) Sound-Bite Sabotage Sound-bite saboteurs on all sides of the aisle try to move the opinion of publics toward positions that are contrary to the best available data. Rather than communicating with publics to enable more informed decision making, sound-bite sabotage occurs when public and private leaders use the tools of public relations to discredit the importance of using data, engaging in scholarly inquiry, and supporting democratic deliberation.Seeing (hearing, reading, experiencing) sound-bite sabotage draws our attention to the commodification of political discourse rather than to the political spectacles constructed, to distract citizens from the communicative strategies mobilized by public and private elites. (Julie Drew, William Lyons, and Lance Svehla. Sound-Bite Saboteurs: Public Discourse, Education, and the State of Democratic Deliberation. SUNY Press, 2010) Alternate Spellings: sound-bite, soundbite

Most Fun Classes to Take in College

Most Fun Classes to Take in College Certain college courses have a bad rap. You know the ones: Organic Chemistry, Quantum Mechanics, Calculus III. Not to say that college students are lazy or that doing something difficult isn’t worthwhile but, with these classes, you’ve really got to want it. Take many of the same topics that make upper level Sociology (or Literature or Math) so unappealing and approach them from a different angle and you’ve got students lining up around the block to sign up. You have to admit that The Sociological Implications of Tattoos in American Popular Culture makes sociology sound down-right interesting. Below are eight more classes we’d stand in line for. The Art of Walking The Art of Walking is about more than just walking – although ambulation does play a major role in the course work. The Art of Walking weaves together pedestrian travel, history, philosophy, and sight-seeing into a course that’s about more than the sum of its parts. Tree Climbing This course teaches students how to get into the canopy of a tree, climb around, even to move from one tree to another without getting back to the ground. Students will also learn how to use technical climbing gear and ropes to reach the top of any tree. At the end of the course you will be able to reach any heights! Age of Piracy For those interested in learning more about the art of pirating, this course offers a detailed examination into the real, often unappealing, lives of pirates. Not all of them were as exciting and romantic, as the life of Captain Jack Sparrow. Lego Robotics Children all over the world are familiar with Legos and all the wonderful things they can build with the plastic toy. Now, a college course investigates how these bricks can be used to build real robots. What robot would YOU like to build? Game of Thrones The immensely popular television show based on George R.R. Martin’s popular books is now a college class. This course aims to teach students how the skills that are used to study literature can be put to use examining television as well. Also find out what the book-to-screenplay adaptation process is like. Nuthin’ but a â€Å"G† Thang This course examines hip-hop masters such as Run DMC, Nas, TuPac, Biggie, Snoop, Dre, Scarface, Wu-Tang Clan, DJ Screw, A Tribe Called Quest, and Grandmaster Flash in an attempt to learn about the history and variety of the genre and its effect on the music industry and culture. The class covers artists from all periods and the major genres within hip hop beginning with its roots with the Grandmaster Flash and Sugar Hill Gang all the way to Lil Wayne, and everything in between. Ice Cream Short Course Learn all the small details of ice cream manufacturing and witness the creation of this delicious treat as it goes from cow to cone. The program instructs students in the fine points of ice cream making on a commercial level. There might also be some practical studies where you can actually take a bite! Feminist Perspectives: Politicizing Beyonce This course focuses on how Beyonce has used her lyrics and celebrity status to illustrate issues regarding sexuality, female empowerment and gender. The course includes readings by prominent black feminists including Bell Hooks and Octavia Butler. The Science of Superheroes Comic book readers around the world are already familiar with discussing the finer points of Superman’s flight. The reality of the Silver Surfer has been debated for decades and Wolverine’s claws is always a popular topic at parties. Now the discussion and debate has moved from basement to college classroom and students can do it for college credit. The Science of Superheroes uses the popular genre to teach real lessons about physics. Though you probably wouldn’t want to pursue a Ph.D. in the art of walking, it certainly could make for a fun way to satisfy you physical education requirement. And though you might not major in Game of Thrones, it could be an interesting way to fulfill the Literature part of your degree. Keep an eye out for these interesting classes, give them a try, and you might learn more than you think.

How print press stimulated social and political change in Europe Essay

How print press stimulated social and political change in Europe - Essay Example People such as Martin Luther openly opposed the rule of the Roman Catholic Church. He argued that its acts went against the values of Christianity. In the political arena, people had the platform to voice out their political opinions. Wars and revolutions emerged because people realized that their leaders were either dictatorial or had propaganda agendas. The paper will discuss how the printing press stimulated social and political change in Europe. The Printing Press The printing press (movable type) was the indicator innovation in the early contemporary information technology. Between the years 1446 and 1450, Johannes Gutenberg introduced the first printing press in Mainz, Germany. In the following five decades, the technology was widely adopted across Europe. In the same period, the prices of book decreased by two thirds and this transformed the conditions of intellectual work and the ways in which ideas were distributed. Historians indicate that the printing press was one of the greatest inventions in the history of humanity.12 How Print Press Stimulated Social and Political Change in Europe The rise of modernism is attributed to the invention of the printing press and the spread of literacy throughout Europe. ... crucial in the success of modernism in the West.3 It is important to note that before the printing press invention, owning a Bible or any other book was a rare feat. As the printing presses proliferated, so did the Bibles and other books. These books became increasingly available to the population, thus the information accessible and available to individuals increased rapidly. Consequently, it encouraged the development of literacy. In the 17th century, political pamphlets and technical literature, storybooks and novels, as well as commentaries on religious matters and the Bible became very common. Magazines and newspapers began appearing in the 18th century. In the 19th century, the levels of literacy were well spread enough to develop a market for cheap press. It is during this time that advertising found its place in the market.4 The printing press created significant changes in the economic, political, and social spheres. It increased the speed and reduced the costs of reproducti on. Printing press made the dissemination of ideas much easier. Manuscripts and books ceased to be isolated to a particular group (monarchs) in the society, and became accessible and available to most people in the society. Thus, they started serving as important forums for public discussion. Happening at a period of political and religious turmoil, the printing press presented the European monarchs with both an economic opportunity and political threat. The development of the law of copyright was to deal with this threat and take advantage of the opportunity presented.5 Direct censorship was the viable means for confronting the political threat coming from the printing press. It also muffled the printing industry and consequently limited the economic benefits of the government from the