The Beat Generation and on the Road Essay Example for Free

The Beat Generation and on the Road Essay Violence and Crime is rising at a steady rate, but when did America inherit its lack of safety for the average person? The answer is from the â€Å"beat† generation. Depressed and hurt from World War Two and The Great Depression the â€Å"beat† generation sparked a downfall into theft, drug and alcohol abuse, and irresponsible sex. During the late nineteen forties and early nineteen fifties it was not uncommon to see people hitchhiking on the side of the road and getting picked up. This was a time when people considered the United States of America to be safe and the average person could walk the streets without worrying about being robbed, raped or murdered. Today it is uncommon to find someone who knowingly allows their adolescent children to hitchhike across the country or sometime even walk to school on their own. The modern-day citizens of the United States of America lock their cars, their homes and even put their children on leashes. These safety precautions would seem ridiculous and silly to those born before the nineteen sixties. This over-zealous amount of safety and security can all be blamed on those who have abused the good and innocent nature that Americans have previously displayed. The beat generation stole and lied at such an increasing rate that present-day Americans must be cautious of each other and live in fear of the most despicable crimes. In the novel, On the Road by Jack Kerouac, the protagonists steal, lie and get high to fill the empty spaces in their schedule and to sooth the pains in their souls. It is through these actions that security develops and these malevolent ideas are exchanged to the youth that is living under this broke and battered generation. The beat generation, hurt by world war two, lost the trust for the average American citizen by stealing, abusing drugs and alcohol and creating broken families. The greed for others belonging and the lack of availability of wealth in the world has tempted all to steal and lie to gain for themselves. In the novel, On the Road, the protagonists are seen stealing gas, cigarettes and even cars. Dean, the narrator’s long-time friend has literally grown up on the wrong side of the tracks. His father being a bum and a drunk helped him learn how to steal and survive the cruel world that the homeless live in. â€Å"We stopped at a gas station, and there Dean and Marylou played piggyback around the tanks and Dunkel went inside and stole three packs of cigarettes without trying. We were fresh out† (Kerouac 139). Dunkel, another homeless hitchhiker is picked up by Dean, Sal and Marylou. He effortlessly steals cigarettes for them, displaying another act of theft by a homeless person. This act of theft shows the reader the lack of morality of the vagabonds in America. When any of the protagonists are confronted by the police it is at a moment in the novel when they are not breaking the law. â€Å"We had to follow the patrolman back to the station and there spent an hour waiting in the grass while they telephoned Chicago to get the owner of the Cadillac to verify our position as hired drivers. Mr. Baron said, according to the cop, ‘Yes, that is my car, but I can’t vouch for anything else those boys might have done. ’†¦Everything was straightened out and we roared on† (Kerouac 236) It is very lucky for Dean and Sal to never get into actual trouble with the cops when they are stopped by them, because they steal so much that with the modern day security system and police they would be instantly caught and hauled off to prison. It is with this lack of morality and their never-ending desires and addictions that the protagonists continue their travels, stealing and doping back and forth across America. Along with the sins of theft comes the crime of drug and alcohol abuse. Throughout the novel the protagonists drink heavily and experiment with marijuana, and Benzedrine. When the group of irresponsible citizens travels to Louisiana to visit Bull Lee they slowly damage their livers with Benzedrine. Bull Lee represents the â€Å"teacher† of the group, the one from whom they have learned their ways of life. It is to no surprise of the reader that Bull Lee is constantly strung out on Benzedrine. â€Å"That night Marylou took everything in the books; she took tea, goofballs, benny, and liquor and even asked Old Bull for a shot of M, which of course he didn’t give her; he gave her a martini. She was so saturated with elements of all kinds that she came to a standstill and stood goofy on the porch with me† (Kerouac 147-148). It is apparent that all of the protagonists abuse drugs and alcohol. This shows their need to get away from the world and leave their lives behind. Like the road, and hitchhiking, drugs help them run from their problems so that they can find happiness. This novel present’s drug and alcohol abuse as a very apparent trend in society. Because of World War Two the people of America have seen many gruesome and horrible sights, and therefore they find the need to distance themselves from society as a whole, so that they can numb the pain from their losses. It was believed for a long time that Kerouac wrote the novel On the Road while taking Benzedrine for the euphoric and creative feeling that it gave him. â€Å"For decades, in countless publications, Kerouac’s nineteen fifty-one typing session has been described as ‘Benzedrine-fueled’ and ‘Benzedrine –drenched’ and so on. This is not the likely case. In a private letter, Kerouac corrected Ginsberg when, years later, he wrote an article for Village Voice saying that Benzedrine boosted Kerouac’s typing feat. Kerouac told Ginsberg in definite terms that ‘Road was not written on benny, on coffee’ (Jack Kerouac Letter to Allen Ginsberg 184)† (Theado 15). It is not unreasonable for those to have questioned Kerouac’s sobriety during the times that he wrote On the Road. It is from this generation that we have learned that one can get high on simple prescription medicine. Along with the drugs the acts of theft can even be considered one of the ways that the protagonists create artificial euphoria for themselves. â€Å"†¦while they might steal to support their drug habits, for example, Dean ‘Stole cars for joyrides’ (Kerouac 10). The phrase â€Å"joy ride† must be understood quite literally as an experience of joy, and joy-spontaneous and unmanageable- seemed to be in scarce supply in the sad world Sal describes†(Holton 23). This sadness in the world that Sal describes, can, in their eyes, only be cured through frivolity, and mischief. Causing mayhem seems to be one of the few ways the characters in the novel can create happiness for themselves. Breaking the law makes them happy and due to this life of recklessness and law breaking, promiscuity and broken families are developed. Throughout the novel Dean and Sal sleep with many women, to satisfy their desire for feelings of euphoria. Dean is found at the end of the novel in his third marriage and having four children. Although Dean loves his children it is not enough for him to stay married to the mother of his children. Dean could not find happiness in his past marriage because he constantly feels the need to be free and unattached from the real world. This could easily be because of him being brought up in a broken family. This shows that because of peoples past lack of creating stable, conventional families, has developed an age where it is more uncommon to find a family where the husband and wife have only been married to each other. It is made clear that all of those around Dean find him irresponsible and even idiotic. Galatea brings this up to Dean by saying:†You have absolutely no regard for anybody but yourself and your damned kicks. All you think about is what’s hanging between your legs and how much money you can get out of people and then you just throw them aside†(Kerouac 194). It is most obvious that Dean is careless and reckless. This is represented by his indecency to not stay with his children and not support them until he is required, by law, to do so. His lack of stability in female acquaintances upsets his friends to the point of them not seeing him in any respected way. â€Å"Dean’s liaison with a third wife is in effect a double betrayal, a double failure. It is a betrayal of his comradely marriage to Sal, and a betrayal of the freedom of action and movement that goes with ’IT’† (Hunt 51). Dean’s promiscuity is commonly seen today, and is regarded as dangerous because of the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections. This spread of STI’s could even possibly be from the beat generation’s incredible sexual deviance. As time progresses life can only get harder for everyone because of the previous generation’s irresponsibility and carelessness. One would argue that it is irresponsible to blame anyone for society’s faults and dangers. As the human race progresses, so does its troubles. It is impossible to blame one generation for all of the troubles in America, but it is clear that the crime rate jumped after World War Two with the xplanation that breaking the law was the only way for people to find euphoria. Drug abuse and theft were, for the most part, under-the-rug subjects and not expected of the average person. Society has quickly learned that anyone can be a criminal and that it is better to be precautious of the worst crimes than to be left stunned and helpless from being too naive and trusting all. Today, The United States of America is plagued with criminals and offenders of the law so that the people have covered the country with security cameras, technological safety precautions and locked doors. The people of The United States of America have learned the hard way, to not trust their neighbors from the actions of the beat generation. It also was very unheard of to have a non-conventional family before the nineteen fifties. The divorce rate is at an all-time high, and it is because of the poor actions that people make with those around them. This was all sparked by the beat generation’s lustful relationships and impromptu marriages. The rise in promiscuity and the lack of desire to be responsible with sex post-World War Two gave the idea that it is ok to not be conventional to the future generations of America. Human beings learn from those around them, and it is not uncommon to find trends in vices through different generations in families. One’s poor decision, witnessed by youth, will likely be reflected in the future by the youth. It is with the knowledge that one’s present actions will affect the future of those around him or her that one should gain responsibility for the future. It is without a doubt that society in the United States of America has drastically changed since World War Two and even more so with the creation of the internet in the nineteen eighties. The beat generation has given society the burden of lack of trust. Through the actions of many, American society has gained the knowledge that any one person can be a criminal. Due to the abuse of drugs, and alcohol from the beat generation, it is not uncommon to find addicts and junkies throughout the streets. Society is not naive anymore to the abuse of prescription drugs and inhalers. Medicines that have helped many have been removed from modern medical practice because of those who abused them for euphoric experiences. Families are now commonly seen with variations in relations between siblings and without a traditional set of two parents. The divorce rate in The United States of America has increased to a magnanimous height. Promiscuous images are frequently seen on the television, in magazines, and on the internet. Children have grown to be unaffected by gruesome and sexual images. It is undeniable that stealing is looked down upon by many, but in the present United States of America, the children are no strangers to shoplifting. Society in America is losing its morality as time goes on. It is due to the inappropriate actions of past generations that the citizens of The United States of America have increased their security and distrust in people as a whole. The beat generation, especially, has disturbed the minds of the American people with its anarchist movements. One should ask him or herself why society is being constantly watched through security cameras, and why it is so hard to find a traditionally structured family, and why it is now dangerous to hitchhike.

The Stress In The Workplace Psychology Essay

The Stress In The Workplace Psychology Essay Stress is a common daily experience for many people, increasingly in the workplace. Employees complain that there are many elements that produce stress in the workplace; for example, relationships with other employees, occupational demands and lack of control work (Cooper, Dewe and ODriscoll 2001). A survey of over a million employees in the UK found that over fifty percent of them experienced health problems due to stress. More and more employees appear to be suffering from ill health, often attributed to stress. Some psychologists claim that job stress affects more than sixty percent of all workplaces in the UK (Cartwright 2000). Stress is a significant and increasing problem in many countries (Chmiel 2008). Many researchers believe that there are three main types of stress (Copper and Payne 1988): stress as a reaction; stress as a stimulus; and stress as an intermediary procedure between both reaction and stimulus. Thus, stress is a psychological or physiological response when peo ple face a difficulty. Currently, some theories suggest that stress is a negative sentimental state which is due to the reaction between people and their surroundings (Arnold et al. 2010). However, stress may also have a positive effect on employees. This essay will focus on the definition of stress and two causes of stress work-related causes and individual personality causes in the workplace. Then evaluate the organizational techniques and individual techniques of reducing stress. The first step in solving any problem is to be beginning by understanding the issue. The definition of stress is argued by many psychologists. Since 1929, different researchers have developed various definitions of stress. Some researchers believe that the definition should be impartial, while others suggest that it could depend on individual opinions (Furnham 2005). According to the early studies, Selye defines stress as the non-specific response of the body to any demand made upon it (1956 ¼Ã…’pp.27-29). Selyes definition concerns the physiological reaction instead of incorporating both psychological and physiological responses. A few years later, Cox (1978) illustrates that stress can be explained into three meanings: reaction-based, stimulus-based and interactive. Moreover, this theory is developed by other psychologists. Semmer (2003) claims that stress can be divided into stimulus, response and the intercede course between response and stimulus. Hence, Semmers definition is the most popular definition in sphere of learning. People use his definition to deeply understand stress. At present, stress is regarded as a public problem for most of employees. People try to find the roots of stress, especially in workplace. Some psychologists say that stressors such as workload, work schedule and conflict at work are the main sources of stress in the workplace (Landy Conte 2004). Furnham (2005) divides the main stressors into two types of cause: work-related causes and individual personality causes. He separates these stressors from the internal cause (personality) and external cause (environment). Currently, several studies prove that these two main causes which can produce stress in workplace. One of causes is work-related cause. Regarding work-related causes of stress, it includes job requirements, job role, work overload, work underload, organizational change, and other stressors. Firstly, Job requirements are the most significant factor which cause stress in the workplace. There are some demands which can make a job more and more stressful for instance, risk and danger. Police officers, firefighters, and other people in occupations where they often have to face physical threats always need to reduce the stress (Arnold et al. 2010). Secondly, Role-stressors include role conflict and role ambiguity (Woods West 2010). It affects the work settings and social support. Role ambiguity can also be a source of stress if a job description is too vague, and therefore employees are unsure of what duties they have in the office. Thirdly, Work overload and underload also influence emp loyee physical and mental health. Work overload means that there is too much work or work that is too difficult for an employee to complete. On the other hand, work underload means work is too simple to being a challenge for employees (Schultz Schultz 2002). Both work overload and work underload can lead to stress. The more time required completing a task, the lower employees level of happiness, and as a result, it impacts employees health and state of mind. The next factor is organizational change. Usually, it is difficult for employees to find their positions when the situation or environment changes. In that instance, not only the organization changes but also the demands of the organization changes, which in turn can make employees feel stressed. Finally, there are additional stressors in workplace, such as negative leadership and career development. Negative leadership gives employees pressure when they are provided negative feedback. Moreover, most of employees worry about th eir career development. In an employees career development, worrying over promotion and performance appraisals can be a significant factor of stress. Consequently, Work-related causes are external causes, which are objective and hard to change. The other main cause is individual personality causes. In this case, stress is influenced by individual factors, such as personality types, subjective opinions, and intelligence (Furnham 2006). There are many unique elements which can produce stress. Furthermore, peoples tendency to pay attention to the negative sides of an event is also a source of stress for employees. An individuals personality is an internal cause which can change by employees. Thus, these two causes are the common reasons of producing stress. Most employees are bothered by work-related causes, and are suffering from the negative effects of stress for a long time. As the cause of stress already discussed indicate, most researchers assert that stress is a growing problem in many countries one that has the potential to increase in the future (Chimel 2008). In general, stress tends to have negative consequences. Nevertheless, there are also some positive effects of stress in workplace. While, Selye (1956) believes that there are two kinds of stress distress and eustress. Distress is negative stress which can affect peoples health. Eustress is positive stress which can motivate people to reach a goal. Distress expresses the negative consequences of stress. These negative consequences can be separated into three main types: behavioral, psychological, and physiological (Woods West 2010). Initially, for behavior outcomes, people could make more mistakes during the learning and understanding processes. For example, fast food delivery workers can get into accidents more easily when there are too many deliveries to make (Landy Conte 2004). This is because they cannot pay more attention to the situation on the road when they are worried about how they can make deliveries on time. That is very dangerous for workers. Then, the psychological consequences of stress are also serious. Burnout, a common psychology consequence of stress, is a prominent negative effect of stress especially in caring careers nursing and teaching (Landy Conte 2004). For instance, a job which has massive workload and high work demands, usually leads to burnout. Normally, burnout will affect individual achievement. Employees who have low individual achievement will have difficulties facing challenge or difficulties well. It is clear that the high workload and job demands will increase the risk of burnout. In the meantime, some physiological changes result from stress as well. Some early studies reported that stress not only causes heart disease and headaches but also increases blood pressure and heart rate (Arnold et al. 2010). It is hazardous for employees that stress can threaten their life. The negative consequences of stress are easy to uncover, although, many articles have shown that stress can also have a positive influence in workplace. Selye (1956) suggests that a suitable amount of stress can help employee to develop their full potential. Because of eustress, they are good at receiving and acting on positive feedback during work time and they continue to find new challenges in their career development. Consequently, employees can get their goal soon. Stress can encourage employees to be successful in workplace. Nevertheless, most of the time, people spend lots of time studying the negative side of stress instead of the positive. The negative consequences of stress are the main problems that mostly disturb employees in workplace. Because of the negative consequence of stress, nowadays, there are many methods that can reduce or manage stress in the workplace. Some psychologists say that people can use organizational techniques and individual techniques to reduce stress in the workplace. Organizational techniques include changing the organizational climate and providing employee assistance procedure. The organization should make sure that employees are able to adapt to change (Cooper Locke 2000). It is important that employees engage in the decisions leading to change in the workplace. Participation could assist employees in adapting more easily to changes. Employees have a right to express their ideas and opinions. It can help employees to reduce or prevent the stress. Providing employees with assistance procedures means that organizations define employee roles and provide programs about stress management. In order to reduce stress which due to role ambiguity, organizations should give employees a clear job d escription before they start to work. It is an effective way to reduce employees stress. Moreover, appropriate job demands can prevent and reduce work overload and underload. Anther effective way to help employees reduce stress is by providing stress management programs. For example, a survey of 130 workers in Netherlands who engage in a stress management training program reported that it is an effective solution for reducing psychology stress. More importantly, the effects of this program lasted for six months (Schultz Schultz 2002). Accordingly, training programs could be successful in helping employees reduce stress levels in the workplace. On the other hand, Individual techniques for reducing and limiting stress are also important for employees. Since the 1930s, relaxation training has been used as an effective solution for reducing stress. The purpose of this kind of training is decrease the blood pressure. That way, employees begin to feel relaxed more quickly. In addition to the methods already described, biofeedback is another popular technique for reducing stress. Through the feedback of heart rate or blood pressure, people are taught to manage their internal state. Biofeedback can also be used to control brain waves. Keeping calm is an essential element of reducing stress. As a consequence, both organizational techniques and individual techniques are effective ways for helping employees to reduce stress. However, in fact, the organizational techniques are easier than individual techniques to enforce in a company. In conclusion, stress, an increasingly public problem, bothers most employees in modern society. Some psychologists claim that stress is a reaction and stimulus. It is a kind of psychological or physiological response shown when people face challenges or a threatening situation. There are internal causes individual personality and external causes work-related causes. Work-related cause is the main cause for producing stress in workplace. Selye (1956) demonstrates that eustress is one kind of positive stress. Eustress can motivate employees to improve themselves and get their goal. Other researchers, however, say that stress only has negative effects on employees, such as disease and burnout. In accordance with the negative effects of stress, the measures of reducing stress are divided into two categories: organizational techniques and individual techniques. These techniques deal with the stress due to work-related causes and individual personality causes. In the workplace, not only the employees but also the organizations leaders should be concerned about reducing stress.

A Rhetorical Examination of The Homeless and Their Children Essay

In â€Å"The Homeless and Their Children†, author Jonathon Kozol explains how poverty and homelessness can go hand in hand, but he also shows his readers that the government in New York City during the 1980’s did not really attempt to assist those in need. The author shows us how the homeless and illiterate struggled by sharing with us an interview with a young woman called Laura who resided in a massive welfare hotel. Kozol did not find it necessary to write this piece in a persuasive tone, or a compassionate tone, or even an angry tone to get his message across. He did not need to include a multitude of statistics to convince his readers that homelessness, illiteracy, and governmental apathy were issues. As stated in the introductory paragraph that precedes Kozol’s excerpt, â€Å"Instead of arguing indignantly for literacy programs to save the lives of the poor and illiterate, Kozol simply reports the case of a single illiterate woman trying to raise her f our children† (Kozol 304). When the different aspects of this wring are studied, it can be found that Kozol successfully utilized subtlety and refinement, along with vivid imagery, to address this issue in order to inform and motivate his readers to take a stand against homelessness and illiteracy. As this was mostly an emotional piece, there are very little references to logos. However, Kozol begins with a very important statistic at the beginning: â€Å"Nearly four hundred homeless families, including some twelve hundred children, were lodged in the hotel, by arrangement with the city’s Human resource Administration† (Kozol 304). This statistic is significant because it builds the author’s credibility by providing tangible facts from the author’s research, and it also exercises our... ...his intentions well. He utilized each piece of the rhetorical triangle to build a story that was easy to read, informative, and emotive. By using the methods he did, such as staying refined and unemotional, he allows his readers to feel their own emotions and fuel their own motivation. Sometimes, this approach can be stronger than when someone tells you what you should do. Kozol has indeed created a very moving story, which no doubt has motivated, informed, and maybe even changed some minds on this topic since its publication. Works Cited Kozol, Jonathon. â€Å"The Homeless and Their Children.† The Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers. Ed. Stephen Reid. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson, 2008. Print. Weathers, Barbara. "Rachel and Her Children (Book Review)." School Library Journal 34.7 (1988): 226. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 11 Feb. 2011.

The Church of Scientology: Copyright vs. Free Speech -- Legal Law Essa

The Church of Scientology: Copyright vs. Free Speech Abstract: In 1995, the Church of Scientology sued a number of parties, including the Washington Post, in an attempt to prevent the circulation of secret documents about the â€Å"religion.† This paper examines both sides of this issue, explores the implications to copyright law and the First Amendment, and describes the actual results of the case. The Church of Scientology is a global organization with over 270 churches or missions worldwide. For decades, it has possessed followers with an almost fanatical devotion to their leader, L. Ron Hubbard. Since the advent of the Internet, the Church has begun to resort to various legal actions to maintain the secrecy of their â€Å"scriptures.† On August 4, 1995, Arnaldo Lerma received a fax from a lawyer representing the Church of Scientology. This letter demanded that he remove from his webpage certain â€Å"Advanced Technology materials† from the Church. In the letter, the Church claimed both copyright and trade secret protection for the materials [1]. The next day, Lerma received an unannounced visit from two members of the Church who wanted to express their â€Å"concern† over the materials he posted. In response to this, Lerma sent a reply to the Scientologists’ lawyer and claimed that the materials he posted were affidavits taken from the public record, and so were not subject to copyright or trade secret protection. He also informed the law firm that he had sent a copy of the disputed materials along with a tape recording of the Scientologists’ visit to a reporter from the Washington Post [2]. On the morning of August 12, 1995, Arnie Lerma’s house was raided by lawyers of the Church of Scientology two armed Federal Marshals. A... ...mputer Seized in Internet Lawsuit.† Washington Post, 13 Aug 1995. 5. http://www.xs4all.nl/~kspaink/cos/rnewman/lerma/cos-sues-washpost-8.22.95: A press released issued by the Church of Scientology on August 22, 1995. 6. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.text.html: Title 17, Section 107 of the U.S. Code 7. http://www.xs4all.nl/~kspaink/cos/rnewman/media/bj-8.25.95: A posting to the Usenet group alt.religion.scientology regarding the 25 Aug 1995 hearing before Judge Leonie Brinkema. 8. http://www.xs4all.nl/~kspaink/cos/rnewman/lerma/brinkema-post-11.28.95: An opinion issued by Judge Leonie Brinkema on 28 Nov 1995. 9. Hall, Charles W. â€Å"Church of Scientology Wins Cyberspace Copyright Fight.† Washington Post, 20 Jan 1996. 10. http://www.xs4all.nl/~kspaink/cos/rnewman/media/bj-10.8.96: An opinion issued by Judge Leonie Brinkema on 8 Oct 1996.

Egoism in Crime and Punishment :: Crime Punishment Essays

Egoism in Crime and Punishment An egocentric attitude can be seen in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment. Dostoyevsky's young Raskolnikov is staggeringly arrogant. Raskolnikov commits a murder and a failed robbery in the story. His journey in overcoming his ego can be seen through his initial crime, denial of failure, and acceptance of mistakes. Raskolnikov commits his initial crime out of arrogance. "The old hag is nothing.... I killed not a human being," he says. (245) Raskolnikov feels that he has justification for killing the pawn broker. He thinks that the woman has no reason to live. He believes that the woman is less than a human, and that he is a superior being. Raskolnikov thinks that he has a right to kill. After the botched crime Raskolnikov is plagued his failures. "He was conscious at the time that he had forgotten something that he ought not forget, and he tortured himself." (107) After he carelessly kills both women, and allows for the evidence to be found, Raskolnikov realizes he did not commit the perfect crime. This devastates his ego, so he tries to cling to his previous self perception. He is also plagued with feelings of guilt. His guilt, combined with the mistakes he made during the crime, shatter his self perception of perfection. When Raskolnikov surrenders he accepts his mistakes and rejects his self-centered attitude. "It was I who killed the old woman and her sister, Lizaveta, with an axe, and robbed them," Raskolnikov confesses. (476) With his surrender he not only accepts his methodical mistakes in the execution of the crime, but he sees something beyond himself. He begins to see the magnitude and horror of his act. He had taken a life. By realizing the immorality of his crime and rejecting his self glorifying mind set, Raskolnikov accepts his own humanity. In Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov's initial crime, failure, and acceptance of mistakes are his road to overcoming his ego, as well as self discovery.

Facebook Privacy Restrictions Essay

It is alarming how fast technology is improving. Nowadays, it seems like having a Facebook account is a daily necessity or even a trend. According to a research done by TIMES magazine, more than one in four people who browse the Internet not only have a Facebook account but have returned to the site in the past thirty days. It is truly alarming how much Facebook has expanded. â€Å"Sometime in the next few weeks, Facebook will officially log its 500 millionth active citizen. † (Fletcher, 2010, TIMES, p. 6) Fletcher (2010) also stated that Facebook would be the world’s third largest country by population, which is two- thirds larger than America, if it were granted terra firma. With such a high popularity, an increasing number of Facebook users had raised the issue on privacy – limiting what others can say about you and who can say it. I believe that everyone does have the right to privacy. However, when it comes to sharing information on such a virtual yet convenient media, the Internet, can privacy restrictions really be achieved that easily and securely? In addition, will Facebook take that chance to make a major loss in its business? Devils are in the details. The Facebook’s Terms of Use may not be as fair and protective on their users’ privacy disclosure. As argued by Yoder in his website article â€Å"Top Ten Reasons You Should Quit Facebook†, Facebook not only compels its users to keep updating by threatening to terminate their accounts, it also states that it owns your data. Some may argue that these terms may only be set to defend the interests of Facebook. However, who can protect the interests of the many Facebook users? Being such a broadly used media, is it not the least reasonable to review the ethics policy and start readjusting the privacy settings? On the other hand, Facebook is not the only one to take the blame. The account users may have most likely overlooked the Terms of Use and simply jumped to click on the â€Å"I Agree† button just to start using Facebook as soon as possible. When these users found out that things are not going as they had expected, they start pointing their fingers to others and maybe neglecting their own responsibilities on the faults. Readjusting the privacy settings seems to be the only solution. However, who really has the persistence to fight for the change? How many people are really willing to give up the most widely- used socializing network just to defend a right that may take a considerable time to be protected? This shows successfulness of Facebook’s tactic – allowing a channel for emotional investments of its users and creating a cultural shift, making the public more accustomed to openness. The research done by TIMES magazine founded that over seventy percent of current Facebook users expressed negative feelings when asked how life would be like without Facebook. This may be attributed to Facebook’s development of a formula for the precise number of aha! moments a user must have before he or she is hooked, reported from an interview with the CEO (Fletcher, 2010, TIMES, p. 19). If the users leave Facebook, they might get the oh-no! moment in which they find out how much social updates they had missed. Facebook had been so successful in making itself indispensible. Who would really want to lose the connection? Some may have tried to remove their accounts. However, Yoder (2010) revealed that it is difficult to genuinely delete your account. Facebook will only deactivate your account but you will still be spammed by Facebook. Facebook is not really worried about losing its users because of the uproar on privacy control on its site. Similar protest had been demonstrated before such as the default settings of news feeds on the website which allows the action of a user to be published on the social update wall of their friends. Now, it seems silly to protest against news feeds. Though the nature of the two incidents are not at most similar, Facebook has so little to worry about as it is still operating within the restrictions set by the law. It is a frustrating matter to define the suitable extent of restriction on privacy for data disclosure on the Internet. Protection is undeniably necessary. However, when it comes to security on such a virtual ground, it seems the only one who can protect you is yourself.

Endoplasmic Reticulum

Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum The smooth endoplasmic reticulum functions as a packaging system, and unlike its counter part, the rough endoplasmic reticulum, it does not have ribosomes attached to it. The endoplasmic reticulum works closely with the Golgi apparatus, ribosomes, RNA, mRNA, and tRNA. It creates a network of membranes found through the whole cell. The endoplasmic reticulum may also look different from cell to cell, depending on the cell's function.Smooth endoplasmic reticulums are shaped more like tubes. The endoplasmic reticulum is important because it plays a big part in a cell because it acts like a storage organelle. It helps create steroids and proteins then stores them. In muscle cells, it stores calcium. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum is also used to synthesise lipids. This synthesis creates lipoproteins which is found in the liver. The endoplasmic reticulum also stores glycogen.The endoplasmic reticulum consists of tubules and vesicles that branch forming a network. In some cells there are dilated areas like the sacs of rough endoplasmic reticulum. The endoplasmic reticulum is folded and stacked layer upon layer within the cell and is connected to the cell's nuclear membrane Another function of the endoplasmic reticulum is to control the movement of newly synthesized proteins to their proper locations in the cell or to the membrane to be sent outside the cell.This is done by a process called budding, where small vesicles of smooth endoplasmic reticulum are cut off to carry the proteins to their new spots in the cell. It also stores ions in solution that the cell may need at a later time. The endoplasmic reticulum allows molecules to be moved between the lumen and the cytoplasm, and since it is connected to the double-layered nuclear envelope, it gives a route between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. In muscle cells the endoplasmic reticulum releases calcium to trigger muscle contractions.The endoplasmic reticulum also has a role in drug toleranc e. The smooth endoplasmic reticulum functions to get rid of poisons, and drugs are considered a poison to the cell, if you consume more drugs, your cells will make more endoplasmic reticulum to get rid of the poisons. The cycle will the continue, the more drugs you take, the more smooth endoplasmic reticulum your cells will make. Your body builds up a tolerance for drugs because it will have a lot of smooth endoplasmic reticulum to discard the drugs, and Endoplasmic Reticulum The primary purpose of this research paper is to find out whether the endoplasmic reticulum in the eggs of animals undergoes any structural or morphological changes during fertilization. The experiment studies this phenomenon by microinjecting a dye in unfertilized egg and then visualized using a confocal microscope to detect any alterations in structure. Eventually, this paper tries to explain the role played by the endoplasmic reticulum in fertilization. The research question that is being tested in this paper was about the Endoplasmic reticulum and how it plays a role in the fertilization which can be evidenced by structural changes that taking place during the fertilization process. The most important aspect of this experiment in the paper is the microinjection of eggs with soya beans oil saturated with DiI solution which enables visualization of the endoplasmic reticulum using the confocal microscope. The dye then spreads through the ER only in 30 minutes during which the cisternae and tubules of the ER can be identified. This method of staining is also utilized to stain the plasma membrane which is also a bilayer membrane. This experiment, therefore, teaches that the ER is a complex organelle, bilayer membrane with lipophilic layers.The weakness of this paper shows the changes in calcium levels in the fertilized eggs of Sea Urchin during the first few minutes when ER structural changes are thought to take place. The ER has an internal compartment that is involved in regulation of calcium. There is evidence that calcium is produced during fertilization. Is this calcium from the ER? Does calcium generation cause the structural changes in ER? These questions have not been answered by this research paper. Also, the control experiment for this would include a repeat of the tests under similar temperature conditions as previously conducted research experiments to compare the calcium levels. If this was my experiment, I would conduct similar research (ER changes) on large mammal animal models using unfertilized eggs incubated and fertilized at room and atmospheric temperature (conditions).