Odds and ends and Canada

Odds and ends and Canada My mother called me this weekend to ask if I was washing my sheets. QED: My own mother thinks that I have a stupendously boring life. On the contrary, Ive had a stupendously excellent weekend while my sheets have remained stupendously unlaundered. A few minutes ago, I began to chronicle this weeks adventures and realized that I was about to write a blog entry that would exceed the length of The Old Man and the Sea, and so I decided to split it into two posts. I mean, split my blog into two posts, not Hemingways novella. I tried to split The Old Man and the Sea into two blog posts in high school literature class and it didnt work. Remember this post in which I facetiously asked for a space heater? Turns out that someone unfacetiously sent me a space heater, with flannel sheets tossed in at no extra charge. Unfortunately, I will combust if I ever turn it on, considering that my room heater is consuming as much energy right now as a small nuclear reactor. Still, it was heartwarming gesture, if not a roomwarming one. On the trek back to my room from the front desk, I spied a whiteboard in the hallway with a suspicious bag of candy taped to the side. Thanks to the educational value of countless Halloweens, my childhood had taught me that the correct response to free candy is to grab it as fast as possible and run off to another strangers house. Nonetheless, I had the feeling that this particular brand of sweets was better left under the auspices of lab scientists at MITs world-renowned Whitehead Institute. Speaking of unfortunate product advertising, my roommate picked up the following gem on sale for 50 cents at the grocery market last Thursday. It passes for a can of Crayons until you pick it up and realize that the moment of inertia doesnt seem quite right. Last Thursday also happened to be the night of a Random Hall study break, hosted by none other than my floor (Loop). At Random, each floor consists of around 14 people. As it happened, almost all 14 of these people minus the freshmen were too hosed last week to devote much energy to study break, so I ended up doing most of the planning and shopping. Thus, I authoritatively present a rough guide to study breaking at MIT: 1.Come up with a theme. This was the easy part, considering that America had just had an election two days earlier. Clearly, the natural theme was Canada. 2.Buy food for the entire dorm. This, arguably, was the most difficult step. I nearly drowned on my way back from main campus earlier that night, and the storm showed no hints of subsiding. Here, I present photographic evidence of myself in a gloomy state of rain-soaked misery, burdened with the thought of venturing deeper into the raging monsoon in search of Star Market. My facial expression drips with blatant angst. In all seriousness, the streets were slick as film noir, even without the classy cars. This was the view from my window. Ok, Im done complaining. Onward. 3.Bring back food. Start cooking. (I ended up cooking about 294823934 slices of bacon, which was equivalent to a 6-unit course in Not Getting Scalded by Hot, Deadly Oil. Lesson: bacon hates people who cook it.) 4. Send email out to dorm: My dear countrymen, in light of the recent election, it has been decided that the natural and logical theme of tonights study break should be Canada. Come to Foo at 22:47 and donate your leftover patriotism to our Northern neighbors. Maple syrup and pancakes, maple bacon, hockey puck brownies, Canadian bacon, Canada Dry, and ice cream will be served, courtesy of Loop floor. -Yan 5.Serve food, make sure that people arent studying. At Random, study breaks occur weekly on Thursday nights sometime between 9:17 and 10:47 PM. Traditionally, its a time for residents to get together, enjoy free food, live up to our reputation as a close-knit community, and definitely not study. Past themes this year have included Dystopia (with Soylent Green [vegetables], Soylent Brown [coffee], and Soylent Red [pasta] . . . actually, I have no idea what they served and am probably making this up), Math Constants (with pi pie, Coulombic kool-aid, i-scream, and guacamole), Childhood Nostalgia (grilled cheese and tomato soup, even though the dietary staple of my haphazardly cross-cultural childhood was microwaved supermarket quiche), and Washing Machine #2*. *Its a big deal when the washing machines at Random get fixed. Stay tuned for the story of my four-day weekend, which will most likely be posted as soon as I reach the flip side of a physics exam. Therell be enough food to feed the Internet for a week. Post Tagged #Random Hall

Gender Stereotypes as a Reflection of Women - 2453 Words

Introduction The media holds up a mirror to our society. As condemned as the media may be, it does reflect much truth and reality. This is especially so for comics and advertising media because they are very much inspired by our daily lives and struggles (Klein, 1993). Commercials and comics should never be solely regarded as the promotion of tangible objects as they carry subtle messages and reinforces certain ideas subconsciously. Gender roles are underlying and recurring themes in these commercials and it is crucial to understand the development of the images media portray because they have a strong correlation with the society. As these forms of media dominate the industry, we have to be wary of how it validates and ascertains our†¦show more content†¦Comics have also explored the social expectations placed upon women to be glamorous and society’s tendency to judge respectability by costume (Klein, 1993). In fact, it has come to a point where physically appealing women are generally more advantaged, creating the need for them to maintain youthful looks and attain physical beauty. It has been noted that â€Å"discrimination against fat women is common, in employment in particular† (Delamont, 2001, p. 64). There is a need t o keep up with society’s demands and expectations so that women are able to fit in and gain acceptance in society. â€Å"For many women in Britain, body size is the biggest stigma: fear of being seen, or seeing oneself, as fat is an ever present terror.† (Delamont, 2001, p. 64) Since few women turn to sports to achieve an ideal figure in fear of an ‘unfeminine’ muscled physique (Delamont, 2001), they resort to health and beauty products and companies. With such particular concern over one’s physical features, it is no wonder women are constantly represented as touching themselves, a sign that one’s body is delicate and precious (Cortese, 2008). As part of achieving a social identity, middle-class white women believe they are not seen as fully adult until they are mothers (Delamont, 2001). According to Bailey’s study, women reported that their social statusShow MoreRelatedGender Stereotypes as a Reflection of Women2463 Words   |  10 Pagesof tangible objects as they carry subtle messages and reinforces certain ideas subconsciously. Gender roles are underlying and recurring themes in these commercials and it is crucial to understand the development of the images media portray because they have a strong correlation with the society. As these forms of media dominate the industry, we have to be wary of how it validates and ascertains our gender perceptions, which governs the way we behave and expect others to behave. Commercials haveRead MoreGender Roles Of Women s Literature1661 Words   |  7 Pages The way in which gender roles are portrayed in children’s literature significantly contributes to the development of our youth’s understanding of their own gender’s role and how they are perceived by society. It is important for children to understand gender roles because gender roles are an essential cog in the perpetual machine that develops our society, but these cogs have been replaced with newer, more up-to-date cogs over recent years, so to speak. As society has changed, so has the typicalRead MoreGender in the Mass Media- Projecting Masculinity1397 Words   |  6 Pagespresentation of gender in the mass media and projection of masculinity The mass media play a significant role in a modern world, by broadcasting information  in fast pace and giving entertainment to vast audiences. They consist of press, television, radio, books and the Internet. The latter is now the most developing medium, however, TV also has a wide field of influence. By creating a certain type of message, media can manipulate people’s attitude and opinions. GENDER STEREOTYPES IN MASS MEDIA Read MoreGender And Gender Roles1099 Words   |  5 PagesThe topic of gender roles is a subject that has been discussed and argued upon for several years, regarding the depiction and expectations of what it means to be a man and, conversely, what it means to be a woman. Along with the topic comes what and how society defines masculinity and femininity. Society has given men the title of being masculine due to the reflection of   dominance, strength, aggressiveness, independence , and the use of interpersonal skills. Whereas society has given females theRead MoreCritical Analysis On Gender Stereotypes1072 Words   |  5 Pages Critical Analysis on Gender Stereotypes in the Workforce Yesenia Bachez California State University, Los Angeles Critical Analysis on Gender Stereotypes in the Workforce Despite various changes in the workforce, it is apparent that gender stereotypes are not extinct and are still very powerful generalizations. Through this reflection paper I hope to successfully analyze gender stereotypes and the impact they have on the workforce. Gender stereotypes influence our judgment andRead MoreRandomly Select Films From Netflix Popular Movie Section1354 Words   |  6 Pagesthan women. We can assume that the influence film has had on popularizing gender-stereotypes created a butterfly affect that has created a stigma against women from being seen as leaders; since film is also a depiction of reality, due to this fact, the opportunities for female lead roles are limited. This project will analyze gender-stereotypes with an emphasis on conformity, to better understand the characteristics and frequency of leading male and female roles in movies. Early-Present Gender StereotypesRead MoreGender Portrayal Of The Media813 Words   |  4 PagesGender Portrayal in Media Media; â€Å"The main means of mass communication (broadcasting, publishing, and the Internet) regarded collectively† Oxford dictionary. In recent years a rising issue of media gender portrayal has been massively looked at from a sociological perspective. Everything and every picture has been depicted in this primarily visual age. There’s a giant number of visual information going through our conscious and subconscious daily at a fast pace. A lot of different point of viewsRead MoreThe Division Of Gender Roles844 Words   |  4 Pages The division of gender roles is deeply rooted in society. Throughout history men have taken upon the role of independent financial providers plus of course protectors, whereas women have been portrayed as loving wives and mothers, responsible for raising the children as well as housework. Although females and males are far from being equals, the differences between genders are incredibly smaller than in the past. Unfortunately, mass media still use gender stereotypes believing they are well knownRead MoreMedia s Influence On Gender Relations And Sexuality1230 Words   |  5 Pa gesHistorically, media represented gender and sexuality in the way that matched the dominant public view and mirrors the evolution of gender-related biases and stereotypes and views on sexuality. In the course of time, gender relations and sexuality evolved and changed and all these changes found their reflection in mass media (Bonvillain, 1995, 210). Mass media, in their turn, portrayed gender relations and sexuality according to the dominant cultural view on gender relations and sexuality. This isRead MoreGender And Gender : Response Paper916 Words   |  4 PagesGender: Response Paper Since the beginnings of time itself, people of all cultures and nations have found themselves enforcing morals, etiquette, and unspoken guidelines on how to live that have been formed through many generations. Many of these â€Å"rules† are so engrained in our culture that we do not question them or consider why they exist and how they were formed. Throughout our readings we discussed the concept of gender, one of the most prominent examples of a topic that most do not actively

Flight Movie Review Essay - 917 Words

A well-known filmmaker Robert Zemeckis got a reputation as a state of the art filmmaker in 1985 when he directed the comedic time travel â€Å"Back to The Future† film series. He went on to make Academy Award movies such as ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit† and â€Å"Forest Gump† (June 3, 2011). â€Å"Flight† stars a well-rounded acting veteran Denzel Washington. Washington plays a flight captain, Whip Whittaker, who is at the difficult time in his life battling drug and alcohol addiction as a flight captain. He becomes a hero and has to make a decision that can change his life. After reviewing the movie we can determine the reason for him becoming a hero, the real Whip, and my final review of the film. In the movie â€Å"Flight†, the major character Denzel†¦show more content†¦This event leads us to determine the real whip underneath the disguise. The major character in this film shows the everyday struggles of closeted drug and alcohol abuses in a professional setting. Using a true case of addiction, Richard Zemeckis displays how your life can change in any given moment as a result of your addiction. For Whip, that moment came the day he became a hero. The moment he became a hero in other peoples eyes he had to come to grips with his own reality and not that of which the outside world perceived him as. The reality of him being a drug addict in his eyes was both a positive and negative. He knew that the drugs helped him land the plane, but that it also highlights his addiction as a new light. This film highlighted the consequences of those hiding their drug addiction. In Whips case, this plane crash brought his problem full frontal. Although, he had done this is whole life, this event was his life changer. He chose to come clean as result of this event because the person he was perceived as and the person he actua lly was two different people. At the end he came clean to others and himself. The real Whip came forward causing the change of his life. The film â€Å"Flight† directed by Richard Zemeckis uses an allegorical figure of evil to display the theme of addiction that is displayed in the film. ThisShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at the Movie Godzilla909 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"Godzilla† Review Essay I like movies with a strong female lead. A girl that defies all limits and proves herself to be just as worthy as any man. That being said, I was a tad wary about seeing the new â€Å"Godzilla† movie. The only reason I went was because my boyfriend was very excited to see it and being the dutiful girlfriend I am, I went along with an open mind. My expectations were quite low, since this movie didn’t fit in with my usual genre. I never anticipated to actually like the film. â€Å"Godzilla†Read MoreSociological Review Of The Sex And The City 21081 Words   |  5 PagesSOCIOLOGICAL REVIEW OF THE SEX AND THE CITY 2 Sex and the City 2 is an American romantic-comedy movie, published in 2010, produced and directed by Michael Patrick King. The main actresses of the movie is; Sarah Jessica Parker (Carrie), Kim Cattrall (Samantha), Kristin Davis (Charlotte) and Cynthia Nixon (Miranda). This movie is about four women who have great life and their friendship. This films states feminism, money, class differentiations, fashion, gay marriage, cultural differences etc. The essay willRead MoreRepresentation of Race in Cinema1917 Words   |  8 Pagesthis tasks, I try to understand the word â€Å"race† as people of different background and culture including different languages. So only in this essay, I will be using words like â€Å"race†, â€Å"Black† man or person, â€Å"White† person and â€Å"Negro† to fulfil the task I have been asked to do. And I personally apologize for whom I may offend by these terms used in this essay. When I heard about this task, the first thing coming to my mind was thinking of the first black man to win an â€Å"Academy Award for the best ActorRead MorePersonal Narrative Essay Models 3252 Words   |  14 PagesPersonal Narrative Essay Models Some may not be of high literary quality, but they do show personal transformation and reflection. Others may contain inappropriate subject matter for some communities. However, they can be very useful in encouraging students to write. By choosing a suitable model, demonstrating annotation and applying the steps of the writing process, teachers can help young adults to compose effective personal narrative essays. Begin by allowing the students to review narrative modelsRead MoreThe Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Portfolio6447 Words   |  26 PagesProject portfolio by Sophie Rothen Table of contents Introduction | 3 | Book report | 4 | Main characters | 5 | Themes | 7 | New book covers | 9 | Words and Phrases | 10 | Reflection | 11 | Film review | 12 | Interview | 14 | Song interpretation | 16 | Peer assessment | 18 | Vocabulary | 20 | Self evaluation | 22 | Introduction This portfolio documents my dealing with the book â€Å"The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas†, written by John BoyneRead MoreEssay The Great Gatsby2606 Words   |  11 PagesFitzgerald’s desired 75,000 mark. A second printing of 3,000 copies was ordered in August—many of which remained shelved in Scribners’ warehouse as late as Fitzgerald’s death in 1940. Contemporary Critical Reception: The initial reviews were mixed. The first appeared in The New York World just two days after publication and was headed â€Å"F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Latest a Dud.† Adding further fuel to the negative buzz, The Brooklyn Eagle reviewer claimed that there was not â€Å"one chemicalRead MoreEvaluating The Medias Representations Of Science And Technology With Focus On Female Scientists3502 Words   |  15 Pages(cultural) institutions associated with it, such as universities, and that produces very powerful stories and ways of storytelling†. (Bell, 2006, p.3) Bell and Goldblatt’s theories about knowledge and power can translate through to the title of my essay and case study, The Representation Of Female Scientists in TV and Film, because there’s an order in society regarding knowledge, women have always struggled to be represented in society due to sexism and radicalism. I want to pacifically look in theRead MoreFtv 106a Essay9564 Words   |  39 PagesEdison—â€Å"large film showing large pictures† o He also used a mutoscope film viewer which was based off of a flip book (more durable product—cards fan in front of you to create the illusion of movement) ï‚ § 1892-1901: filmed at the Black Maria (1st movie studio in NJ, shack-like); but had roof panels that flipped open to allow in natural sunlight which was very important o Was a French-born Anglo-Scots inventor who devised an early motion picture camera under the employ of Thomas Edison (post-datingRead More Comparing the Innocent Criminal in Black Boy, Uncle Toms Children, Native Son, and Outsider3186 Words   |  13 Pagesquest for selfhood, a longing for stable and meaningful values, and an appetite for violence (Moss 596).   As Wright struggles to escape this oppressive society, he resorts to petty crimes: selling bootleg liquor to prostitutes, swindling tickets at a movie house, and stealing food from the commissary of a Negro college.   He cannot hold proper jobs (which are reserved for whites) and thus is unable to afford his voyage north; society gives him no choice but crime.   As Robert Bone writes, Wright insistsRead MoreEssay Witchcraft Portrayed in Films6180 Words   |  25 Pagesin which some unwholesome-looking liquid is boiling and sending off coloured fume into the air. In the background, one can glimpse a row of jars and pot s, each filled with exotic and macabre ingredients. Her old broom, made not for sweeping but for flight stands in a corner, and she is watched by the glowing and unmoving eyes of a black cat that sits calmly atop the table. Now she takes one of the jars with her long crooked fingers, and after inspecting it, she opens it and plops some of its contents

Quantitave Plating Free Essays

BioSci 101 – Lab Section 810 QUANTITATIVE PLATING PURPOSE The purpose of this lab is to see the effects of pasteurization while emphasizing the process for serial dilutions. PROCEDURE See references (1) RESULTS As the dilution factor increased for both the raw milk (unpasteurized) and pasteurized milk samples, the number of colonies decreased. The number of cells/mL in the pasteurized milk sample is considerably less than the number of cells/mL in the raw milk sample. We will write a custom essay sample on Quantitave Plating or any similar topic only for you Order Now RAW (UNPASTEURIZED) SAMPLE Dilution Factor| Number of Colonies| Number of cells/mL| 10-3| TMTC| TMTC| 0-4| TMTC| TMTC| 10-5| TMTC| TMTC| 10-6| 284| 284,000,000 cells/mL| 10-7| 44| 440,000,000 cells/mL| | AVERAGE| 362,000,000 cells/mL| PASTEURIZED SAMPLE Dilution Factor| Number of Colonies| Number of cells/mL| 10-3| 71| 71,000 cells/mL| 10-4| 9 (TLTC)| TLTC| 10-5| 6 (TLTC)| TLTC| 10-6| 1 (TLTC)| TLTC| 10-7| 12 (TLTC)| TLTC| | AVERAGE| 71,000 cells/mL| DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS Pasteurization, a process named after scientist Louis Pasteur, involves the application of heat to destroy the majority of human pathogens in foods. In the dairy industry, pasteurization involves the â€Å"heating of every particle of milk or milk product to a specific temperature for a specified period of time without allowing recontamination of that milk or milk product during the heat treatment process. † (2) For public health purposes, pasteurization is the process of making milk and milk products safe for human consumption by destroying all bacteria that may be harmful to health. (2) A serial dilution is a laboratory technique in which a substance is decreased in concentration in a series of proportional amounts. Dilutions are usually made in multiples of 10. 3) The viable plate count procedure allowed for live cells in the milk samples to be analyzed. The raw milk (unpasteurized) sample demonstrated too many colony forming units to count in the first three dilutions of 10-3, 10-4, and 10-5. The 10-6 dilution demonstrated 284,000,000 cells/mL and the 10-7 dilution demonstrated 440,000,000 cells/mL. This demonstrates t hat raw milk contains a lot of bacteria even after multiple serial dilutions. In the 10-3 pasteurized sample, the plate exhibited 71,000 cells/mL. The results of the additional dilution samples contained too few colony forming units to count. However, in the 10-7 dilution, although the plate demonstrated 12 colonies, there should have been no colony forming units on this plate. The reasons for this could have been that this sample was contaminated from â€Å"double-dipping† the sample before dispensing it onto the plate or when using the pipette, it mistakenly was inserted in a higher concentration sample and then immediately to a lower concentration sample before it was dispensed onto the plate. The results suggest that pasteurization kills most pathogens in milk by brief exposure to relatively high temperature. This was demonstrated most beneficially with the 10-6 and 10-7 dilutions wherein the raw milk exhibited 284,000,000 cells/mL and 440,000,000 cells/mL respectively and the pasteurized milk had too few cell colony forming units to even count. Unpasteurized milk is not healthy for people to drink. For example, in a study performed in December of 2001, the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni, a microaerophilic bacteria commonly found in animal feces, was found in unpasteurized milk at an organic dairy farm in Wisconsin and caused 75 people, ages 2 to 63, to become ill. 4) Therefore, pasteurized milk is essential for ensuring good quality, nearly bacteria-free drinkable milk. REFERENCES 1. BioSci 101, Section 810 – PowerPoint Lab 9A 2. http://www. foodsci. uoguelph. ca/dairyedu/pasteurization. html 3. BioSci 101, General Survey of Microbiology Laboratory Supplement Fall 2012 4. http://foodsafety. ksu. edu/articles/1138/Raw_Milk_Outbreak_Table. pdf How to cite Quantitave Plating, Essay examples

World Wide Web Business Analysis Essay Example

World Wide Web Business Analysis Essay There has been an evolution of ways in doing business. From early ages when barter system used to be applied by man to this age when business operations are done on a single mouse click, it is a long journey. This journey started from barter trading when man started exchanging things for meeting his basic necessities such as food, cloth, shelter, etc. By the time medium of exchange kept on altering from stone coins, leather coins, metal coins, and then paper currency which evolved from currency to card having credit, which further advanced to plastic cards which has advanced even more today. This is a money-less exchange or virtual money. Payments are not made through currency but it is more or less made through cards now. Now business is also carried out on internet right away and there are websites that are specific for online business. (Guru, 2007). The era where all the transactions are shifting to the virtual world of internet, how can the banking sector left behind in the race of advancement?   Although the innovation in this field can be an arduous job to do but once it’s done it can be way too profitable and convenient for a firm itself and the client too. Therefore the task of transforming the manually operational firms to digital firms got started and finally got achieved. In this paper we will examine and evaluate the online banking services of Bank of America and assess the features such as user friendliness, compatibility, security and others and present our findings about the bank’s website. Emergence of e-commerce in Banking Basically when customers can access their bank accounts and carry out their banking transaction without going to bank just through any intelligent device like their personal computer or mobile phone, this trend is referred as banking online (Comptroller of the Currency Administrator of National Banks, 1999). Bank of America also facilitates its customers with online banking options where they can do a number of operations and real time transactions on a single mouse click. We will write a custom essay sample on World Wide Web Business Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on World Wide Web Business Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on World Wide Web Business Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer But along with the merits there are always demerits too. With the practice of doing business online, a great many thefts have been observed which resulted in loss of money and precious information. These thefts were due to hacking of information in the middle of transactions. In banking due to this treat, there were so many risks credit risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk, price risk, transaction risk, foreign exchange risk, compliance risk, strategic risk and above all of them the reputation and credibility risks (Comptroller of the Currency Administrator of National Banks, 1999). Bank of America not only introduced many internet banking features but additionally this corporation helped the humanity in bringing out ways to transfer data in a very safe n secure manner. The employment of new technologies is discussed below in the paper which includes Site Key feature along with Safe Pass and Check scanning. Briefly these were the features which added an extra layer over the other frequently used protocols. Bank of America: Website’s features Overview These online banking options   includes products and services that the firm offers e.g. Checking, Savings, Credit Cards, Mortgage, Refinance, Auto loans, investing services, Individual Retirement Account, Insurance, and other specialized features as well. Bank of America provides its customers with the management of their accounts too, this includes fees and processes such as student banking overdraft fee, monthly service fee, management of balances etc., upgrading or reordering of check cards, online investments, Online Banking options such as viewing accounts, accessing credit cards, Bill Pay, Tracking expenses and also the Mobile Banking features (Bank of America, 2008). One of the most intuitive options for people is also provided in this website which is a helpdesk in which they help and guide people in achieving their goals like buying a home, searching for a home, retirement centre, planning for a college, student loan, purchasing a car, strengthening debts, small business o nline community and many other financial goals achievement help. One can also open an account online. This website also offers security and privacy validation checks. Searching locations of branches is made easy for the customers by providing numerous options in the website. Besides that the website contains signing in to other services too. The website is also providing its achievements list in different banking transactions and asking for guidance on many places (Bank of America, 2008). Types of advertisement The site map is not available unless we sign up. Most of the options are for members; where as many promotional offers and help desk features are publically available. There are no banner ads on the website of any other company. The site do has some banner ads but only for their promotional offers. As far as my observation is concerned I have hardly seen any of their promotion on any other website or advertisement on television or radio. They host their website internally, not by any external host who can manage websites. Technologies used The technologies employed by the company are numerous. On their website they have put a video promotion for their visa card offer which seems very interactive that attracts the customer a lot and persuades him to have an account in the Bank of America. They have also employed some new technologies such as ‘Safe Pass and Site Key’ (Boston College, 2008) and ‘Check Scanning’ (Boston College, 2008). Safe Pass Safe Pass is a very ground-breaking technology introduced by the Bank of America where it proof reads the process of securing member’s information in order to keep from threatening activities of hacker. A member is given a 6-digit code on his smart device which a member must enter before carrying out transactions online. This code is changed once it is used and another random pass-code is generated for the transactions to be carried out next. As this information is only sent to you on your personal device and your card therefore there is no chance of its exposure. If card is stolen, even then there is no other personal information so it is of no use for the thief (Boston College, 2008). Site Key Site Key is a series of steps required before a transaction is made, its specialty is a secret image that is selected by a member and its name is kept by the member himself therefore if a password or pass-code gets hacked, this image would leave the hacker with nothing on his hands. Although there are numerous security protocols applied on internet transactions that prevents the user from the exposure of his personal information but these added features satisfies the bank’s customers that their information is safe while doing online transactions (Boston College, 2008). Check Scanning Check Scanning is yet another feature from the Bank of America which prevents the user to go to any of the branches and get a check cashed into currency; instead a user scans that check into ATM and the screen displays the check with the required amount. This makes customers capable of cashing their checks anywhere and anytime they want in a very secure way (Boston College, 2008). Although an OSI Model Architecture provides with a safe traversal of information and when it comes to secret information there are added layers of protocols to safely transmit and receive the data like Secure Sockets Layer known as SSL which is kept on presentation layer of an OSI model.   We often watch an eye icon on the screen of internet explorer; this icon shows the presence of SSL protocol which ensures safe data transmission. These added layers applied by the Bank of America are like confirming the strict security of user’s precious information. Policies, Annual Reports, Forms and Acknowledgement The website of The Bank of America has published their annual reports, quarterly reports, and current reports known as 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K respectively on their websites for public. They have also kept the amendments of those reports as filings for public viewing. All these reports are in accordance with Security Exchange Act 1934. Filings are filed by Security Exchange Commission know as SEC. The website also provides with the policies and rules such as Code of Ethics and Insider Training Policy, Corporate Governance, and the charter of its Board Committees. The amendments to all these guidelines are also available from Chief Accounting Officer, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer (Bank of America, 2006). Their strategies for growth include Global Consumer and Small Business Banking which focuses on retail financial services (Bank of America, 2008). Another strategy is Global Wealth and Investment Management which focuses on Premier Banking that brings overseas cust omers to the Bank. Also there is Global Corporate and Investment Banking which is for the betterment of many e.g. shareholders, corporate and commercial clients, and financial-sponsor clients. The other paths for growth of the company may be acquisition of capital, financing the economy which can compel the future growth of company. Keeping good relationship with neighbors would make strong market. These strategies can make them grow as said by the chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Bank of America Kenneth D. Lewis. The Bank of America is in competition with other corporations through its website, this competition holds in terms of customer relationship management, customer services, interest rates, lending boundaries, etc. as the corporation is providing internet-based features of finance which other competitors are also doing but either they have a low-cost structure or possession of regulatory constraints. Besides internet-based financing activities they are also providing products and offering services on internet, which is grand in itself but obviously applying technology can be expensive too therefore the services should be offered in such a way that it is immediately adopted by the users so that the burden of cost reduces to its maximum. While doing Small business Banking and grabbing customers from abroad, it is the use of internet that can bring capital of a person living far away to the bank. This is the reason Bank of America is serving up to 29 states, 27 countries which are segregated into some geographic sections United States of America and Canada; Asia; Europe, Middle East, Africa, and has 5873 banking centers and 16,785 domestic branded ATMs, and telephone and internet channels which are mainly providing Real Estate guidance, Admission Assistance, Debit products and consumer deposits (Bank of America, 2006). The Annual Report also states about the Global Business and Financial Services that they finance small businesses. There is a global treasury services provision as well which provides treasury solutions, management of capital, foreign exchange etc. Middle Market Banking provides lending and investment services. Business banking offers client managed small business members some value added services like wide range credit, treasury management, and other advisory services. Leasing services are especially for middle market, small business, and corporate firms in America. Business capital also provides lending services but asset-based. Dealer financial services provides many direct or indirect investing and lending activities that helps in financing for floor, vehicle, marine and auto-dealerships (Bank of America, 2006). Precisely these global activities are bringing great business to the firm, which is made possible only through internet. Otherwise these interactive and innovative servic es would not have been in common practice. E-commerce has proven to be highly profitable to businesses because it needs less man force and bigger operation get done on a small screen. The Bank of America applies new technologies in doing business. Senior Vice President Kirk Lindsey says Customers will get better validation of their deposits and a copy of their check printed on their receipts. It will also give us the ability to have later hours to make deposits without having to pick up the items every day (Boston College, 2008). By applying new things it is over shadowing the others in competition. All this is due to the emergence of e-commerce. Above everything else they have been working hard to enhance security features. The firms in competition imitate what they do but in the bigger picture, it is for the good of mankind today that all their transactions go safe and sound. Conclusion World Wide Web brought out major changes to the way of doing almost everything. Therefore banking sector too cannot be left behind in the race. Bank of America has introduced many technologies in secure online banking. The website of Bank of America gives a number of options that a man can perform anywhere and anytime on a single mouse click and very safely. The journey of trade and commerce has been very strenuous and has advanced to e-commerce now. Each and every transaction that needed to be done by putting in manual and physical effort now can be done virtually in a very secure manner. In this paper, journey of money transactions have been overviewed. How Bank of America facilitates its customers in their website. Features they offer and how and finally their policies have also been discussed in the paper. References Bank of America. (2008). Chairmans Letter. Retrieved February 17, 2009, from Bank of America: http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/71/71595/reports/2007_AR/chairman_3.html Bank of America. (2008). Home Page. Retrieved February 17, 2009, from Bank of America: https://www.bankofamerica.com/ Bank of America. (2006, March 16). US SEC Form 10-K Annual Report. Washington D.C., United States of America. Boston College. (2008). Computers in Management. Retrieved February 17, 2009, from Group Project:Bank of America: http://www.socialtext.net/lite/page/cim/group_project_bank_of_america Comptroller of the Currency Administrator of National Banks. (1999). Internet Banking Comptrollers Handbook. Guru, P. (2007, March 11). Emergence of eCommerce eBusiness-Internet Business! Retrieved February 16, 2009, from Ezine Articles: http://ezinearticles.com/?Emergence-of-eCommerceeBusiness-Internet-Business!id=484425

Identify the Common Poplars in North America

Identify the Common Poplars in North America The genus Populus  most common North American natives include  one true poplar in the north, four primary species of cottonwoods and the quaking aspen. Most of the known 35 natural poplar species live in the Northern Hemisphere. The cottonwoods thrive in an ecosystem associated with riparian and wetland areas in eastern and western North America. The aspens are most comfortable in boreal environments dominated by conifers with aspen being a major broad-leaved species. Balsam poplar  (Populus balsamifera)  is the northernmost American hardwood and a major deciduous tree in Canada and Alaska. The Common North American Poplar Species Quaking aspenBalsam poplarEastern cottonwoodBlack cottonwood All have long reproductive catkins that appear just before the new leaves of spring and can help in identification. The resulting fruit is a capsule that opens into 2 tp 4 parts. The tufted seeds are shed in masses of white cotton which can cover the ground inches deep. The leaves of aspen and Eastern cottonwood are deltoids  where black cottonwood and balsam poplar are ovate. They occur on a branch alternately, are simple (single leaf) and mostly toothed. Interesting Facts The Eastern Cottonwood,  Populus deltoides, is one of the largest North American hardwood trees.  The aspen  has the widest range in the United States.  It occurs throughout the eastern United States and throughout Canada.Yellow poplar is not a true poplar and not listed here.

Battle of Mons in World War I

Battle of Mons in World War I The Battle of Mons was fought August 23, 1914, during World War I (1914-1918) and was the British Armys first engagement of the conflict. Operating at the extreme left of the Allied line, the British assumed a position near Mons, Belgium in an attempt to stop the German advance in that area. Attacked by the German First Army, the outnumbered British Expeditionary Force mounted a tenacious defense and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. Largely holding through the day, the British finally fell back due to increasing German numbers and the retreat of the French Fifth Army on their right. Background Crossing the Channel in the early days of World War I, the British Expeditionary Force deployed in the fields of Belgium. Led by Field Marshal Sir John French, it moved into position in front of Mons and formed a line along the Mons-Condà © Canal, just to the left of the French Fifth Army as the larger Battle of the Frontiers was getting underway. A fully professional force, the BEF dug in to await the advancing Germans who were sweeping through Belgium in accordance to the Schlieffen Plan (Map). Comprised of four infantry divisions, a cavalry division, and a cavalry brigade, the BEF possessed around 80,000 men. Highly trained, the average British infantryman could hit a target at 300 yards fifteen times a minute. Additionally, many of the British troops possessed combat experience due to service across the empire. Despite these attributes, German Kaiser Wilhelm II allegedly dubbed the BEF a contemptible little army and instructed his commanders to exterminate it. The intended slur was embraced by the members of the BEF who began to refer themselves as the Old Contemptibles. Armies Commanders British Field Marshal Sir John French4 divisions (approx. 80,000 men) Germans General Alexander von Kluck8 divisions (approx. 150,000 men) First Contact On August 22, after being defeated by the Germans, the commander of the Fifth Army, General Charles Lanrezac, asked French to hold his position along the canal for 24 hours while the French fell back. Agreeing, French instructed his two corps commanders, General Douglas Haig and General Horace Smith-Dorrien to prepare for the German onslaught. This saw Smith-Dorriens II Corps on the left establish a strong position along the canal while Haigs I Corps on the right formed a line along the canal which also bent south along the Mons–Beaumont road to protect the BEFs right flank. French felt this was necessary in case Lanrezacs position to the east collapsed. A central feature in the British position was a loop in the canal between Mons and Nimy which formed a salient in the line. That same day, around 6:30 AM, the lead elements of General Alexander von Klucks First Army began making contact with the British. The first skirmish occurred in the village of Casteau when C Squadron of the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards encountered men from the German 2nd Kuirassiers. This fight saw Captain Charles B. Hornby use his saber to become the first British soldier to kill an enemy while Drummer Edward Thomas reportedly fired the first British shots of the war. Driving the Germans off, the British returned to their lines (Map). The British Hold At 5:30 AM on August 23, French again met with Haig and Smith-Dorrien and told them to strengthen the line along the canal and to prepare the canal bridges for demolition. In the early morning mist and rain, the Germans began appearing on the BEFs 20-mile front in increasing numbers. Shortly before 9:00 AM, German guns were in position north of the canal and opened fire on the BEFs positions. This was followed by an eight-battalion assault by infantry from IX Korps. Approaching the British lines between Obourg and Nimy, this attack was met by heavy fire form the BEFs veteran infantry. Special attention was paid to the salient formed by the loop in the canal as the Germans attempted to cross four bridges in the area. Decimating the German ranks, the British maintained a such a high rate of fire with their Lee-Enfield rifles that the attackers believed they were facing machine guns. As von Klucks men arrived in greater numbers, the attacks intensified forcing the British to consider falling back. On the north edge of Mons, a bitter fight continued between the Germans and the 4th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers around a swing bridge. Left open by the British, the Germans were able to cross when Private August Neiemeier jumped in the canal and closed the bridge. Retreat By afternoon, French was forced to order his men to begin falling back due to heavy pressure on his front and the appearance of the German 17th Division on his right flank. Around 3:00 PM, the salient and Mons were abandoned and elements of the BEF became engaged in rearguard actions along the line. In one situation a battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers held off nine German battalions and secured the safe withdrawal of their division. As night fell, the Germans halted their assault to reform their lines. Though the BEF established new lines a short distance south, word arrived around 2:00 AM on August 24 that the French Fifth Army was in retreat to the east. With his flank exposed, French ordered a retreat south into France with the goal of establishing at line along the Valenciennes–Maubeuge road. Reaching this point after a series of sharp rearguard actions on the 24th, the British found that the French were still retreating. Left little choice, the BEF continued to move south as part of what became known as the Great Retreat (Map). Aftermath The Battle of Mons cost the British around 1,600 killed and wounded. For the Germans, the capture of Mons proved costly as their losses numbered around 5,000 killed and wounded. Though a defeat, the stand of the BEF bought valuable time for Belgian and French forces to fall back in an attempt to form a new defensive line. The BEFs retreat ultimately lasted 14 days and ended near Paris (Map).  The withdrawal ended with the Allied victory at the First Battle of the Marne in early September.