Grapes of Wrath Summary

The Grapes Of Wrath Gena Rodriguez Student in Crime Films The Grapes Of Wrath The Grapes Of Wrath was a book that followed the Joad family on their journey from their deserted farm in Oklahoma to the riches of California, as their farms were destroyed in Oklahoma. They took few possessions with them on their journey, however they had eachother. They even picked up others along the way, all in hopes of a vision of getting their lives on track in California. Their journey was not easy as they had trouble with their vehicle, they lost family members and friends to death, and even heard several rumors of a depleted job market.The salesmen and pawnbrokers took full advantage of them as they knew that the families were in no position to deny payments for their goods. The family continued to stay together and remained positive as they looked forward to what was to come. Upon arrival in California, the Joads were met with much hostility. The camps were overcrowded and full of starving migran ts, who were often nasty to each other. The locals were fearful and angry at the flood of newcomers, and label the migrants as â€Å"Okies. Work is almost impossible to find or pays such a meager wage that a family’s full day of work cannot buy a decent meal. Farmers resent the droves of Okies from flooding the state, as hungry and impoverished people are a danger. They are viewed as vagrants and thieves. The farmers, police and landowners were in a position of power, and it seems that they only seek to take advantage of those below them. They did not falter even when they were in a position to save a family, they refused to give up their wealth.The farmers used the police to their advantage, as they would have deputies destroy secret gardens, so that the camps people would not have extra food. The police labeled labor organizers as â€Å"red† and had them removed from camps for trying to organize and get decent wages and contracts for workers. Those labeled as  "red† were placed on a blacklist and could not get work. The farmers’ association even tried to organize a riot, which they would pay certain â€Å"Okies† to start trouble, get the organizers put in jail and have the camp shut down.The migrants, got word of this and prevented it. Police seemed to be uncaring, rude, and cold mannered. They were abusive and corrupt. Many of the people in the camps felt they had to pretend to be incoherent and ramble, act â€Å"bull simple†, so that the police viewed them as unthreatening and idiots. Many of the â€Å"Okies† seemed to lack respect for the police due to their degrading treatment. An example would be Ma Joad chasing the police officer with a skillet. The police also acted recklessly such as in the shooting of Floyd Knowles.The police shot at him, but struck another woman in the crowd. Floyd Knowles was being arrested for trying to organize a contract and wages for workers, however the farmer became angry and informed the police. Knowles was later arrested on a bogus charge. The portrayal of police in this book can easily be compared to that of current police portrayals in movies and television shows. The times have changed to where people want to see the bad cop win or more action from police. The book portrays police as almost heartless and insincere, and corrupt.It portrays the police officer not as someone you go to, but someone you stay away from, which is very much in line with current trends in media. There are so many different types of police officers portrayed. Certain fictional dramas have come to show police officers as being corrupt and taking advantage of the power they hold but in my opinion this is not just fictional but rather a reality. This typed is definitely apparent in the book and the show â€Å"Underbelly†. There are some shows which portray police as masculine, overly intelligent, fit, aggressive, action packed, and always willing to shoot at suspects .The reality is that the public want to see these kinds of police officers. All of the excitement and glamour of being a police officer is what everyone wants to watch. A show where police are filling out forms and writing up boring reports just won’t cut it. The glamourized types of officers are portrayed in shows like â€Å"Hawaii 5 0† and â€Å"NYPD†, whereas the more realistic approach to policing is portrayed in shows like â€Å"First 48† and â€Å"cops†. References The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Text Message Scams

Text Message Scams The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning of a dangerous new breed of identity theft scams known as â€Å"smishing.† Similar to â€Å"phishing† scams - authentic-looking emails that appear to be from the victim’s bank, government agencies, or other well-known organizations - â€Å"smishing† scams are text messages sent to mobile phones. While the risks of smishing scams are potentially devastating, the defense is simple. According to the FTC, â€Å"Just dont text back.† How the Scammer Sets the Trap The scarily convincing smishing scams work like this: You get an unexpected text message appearing to be from your bank informing you that your checking account has been hacked into and deactivated â€Å"for your protection.† The message will tell you to reply or text back in order to reactivate your account. Other smishing scam text messages may include a link to a website you need to visit in order to resolve some non-existent problem. What a Smishing Scam  Text Message Might Look Like Here is an example of one of the scam texts: â€Å"User #25384: Your Gmail profile has been compromised. Text back SENDNOW in order to reactivate your account.† What’s the Worst That Can Happen? Do not respond to suspicious or unsolicited  text messages, advises the FTC, warning that at least two bad things might happen if you do: Responding to the text message can allow malware to be installed that will silently collect personal information from your phone. Imagine what an identity thief could do with the information from an online banking or credit card management app. If they don’t use your information themselves, the spammers may sell it to marketers or other identity thieves.You might end up with unwanted charges on your cell phone bill. Depending on your service plan, you may be charged for sending and receiving text messages, even scams. Yes, Unsolicited Text Messages Are Illegal Under federal law, it is illegal to send unsolicited text messages or email to mobile devices, including cell phones and pagers without the owner’s permission. In addition, sending unsolicited text or voice mail or telemarketing messages using a mass auto-dialer, so-called â€Å"robocalls,† is illegal. But There Are Exceptions to the Law In some cases, unsolicited text messages are allowed. If you have established a relationship with a company, it may legally text you things like statements, account activity alerts, warranty information or special offers. In addition, schools are allowed to text informational or emergency messages to parents and students.Political surveys and fundraising messages from charities may be sent as text messages. How to Deal With Smishing Scam Messages The FTC advises not to be fooled by smishing scam texts messages. Remember this: None of the government agencies, banks, or other legitimate businesses will ever request personal financial information via text messages.Take your time. Smishing scams work by creating a false sense of urgency by demanding an immediate response.Never click on any links or call any phone numbers in an unsolicited text or email messages.Don’t respond in any way to smishing messages, even to ask the sender to leave you alone. Responding verifies that your phone number is active, which tells the scammer to keep trying.Delete the message from your phone.Report the suspect message to your cell phone service carriers spam/scam text reporting number or general customer service number. Complaints about text message scams can be filed securely online using the FTC’s  complaint assistant.

CreateSpace is DEAD. Heres what you need to know.

CreateSpace is DEAD. Heres what you need to know. CreateSpace is DEAD. Here's what you need to know. As all writers know, the process of self-publishing a book is ever-fluctuating and evolving. Case in point: CreateSpace, one of the premier print-on-demand (POD) services for self-published authors, recently merged with Amazon’s KDP Print in late 2018. As CreateSpace was one of the go-to options for anyone aiming to print a self-published book, the switch left many in the lurch and confused.That’s where this post comes into play. In this guide, we’ll look at the differences between CreateSpace and KDP Print, clear up any misunderstandings, and answer all of your lingering questions about the switch.What happened to CreateSpace? For anyone who’s not already familiar, let’s do a quick recap. CreateSpace used to be a print-on-demand service for self-publishing authors. As far as print-on-demand services went, CreateSpace was a popular one: the company made it easy to create paperback versions of books, even providing neat bells and whistles such as expanded distribution and printed proofs to make it a well-liked choice among authors.In 2005, Amazon acquired CreateSpace while it continued building its own POD service (KDP Print). In 2018, there were signs that CreateSpace might step aside entirely for KDP Print. And, in August 2018, that came true: it was announced that CreateSpace and KDP Print would merge completely. CreateSpace books would need to be moved onto the KDP platform, as CreateSpace would hitherto be obsolete.In summary, KDP has completely replaced CreateSpace and taken over its core functions. Now, here’s why that matters to you. First, you needn’t panic. KDP Print is an established platform and Amazon took many steps to make sure that the CreateSpace-KDP Print transition was smooth as possible. And the good news is, like we mentioned before, that KDP Print took on most of the features that had made CreateSpace so popular.With this in mind, most authors have reacted to the merge in one of two ways:Transferred all CreateSpace paperbacks to KDP Print. On KDP Print, you’ll be able to publish both paperbacks and eBooks - and receive your combined royalties - on a single platform.Explored print-on-demand services outside of Amazon’s dominion.So what can you expect to find if you decide to use KDP Print - and what are the similarites and differences between KDP Print and CreateSpace?Similarities between CreateSpace and KDPWhen merging CreateSpace and KDP Print, Amazon (for the most part) kept the best of both worlds.Indeed, there are more similarities between CreateSpace and KDP Print than t here are differences. KDP Print prints paperbacks, author copies, and proof copies for the same amount as CreateSpace. In addition to the printing facilities and delivery times remaining the same, these are other important aspects you can expect to remain unchanged:ISBNs. Authors will still have the option to use their own ISBN, purchase discounted Bowker ISBNs, or obtain free ISBNs with KDP Print as the imprint.Distribution and fees. Just as CreateSpace offered authors distribution to Amazon only (with a fee of 40%), and expanded distribution to stores other than Amazon (with a fee of 60%) - so will KDP Print. There is one key difference in regards to expanded distribution, which is outlined below.Book cover and interior design tools. The same Word templates and Cover Creator tool that CreateSpace offered will still be available on KDP Print.Differences between CreateSpace and KDPNow, these are some of the key differences you will find between the two services:Expanded distributio n. If you want to make your KDP Print book available for expanded distribution, you cannot also opt out of Amazon. Expanded distribution with KDP Print means that you must also list your book on Amazon.Royalties. On CreateSpace, royalties were paid every month, 30 days after the month in which they were earned. KDP Print, on the other hand, pays royalties 60 days after the month in which they were earned, meaning that any sales in February would be paid in April.Non-standard trim sizes. KDP Print offers several nontraditional trim sizes that weren’t previously available on CreateSpace.Updating books. If you upload an updated version of your book, you won’t lose the old version (which used to be frustrating if you’d already garnered many reviews and sales). The old version will continue to be available until the new version is approved.Integrated sales dashboard. Publishing and accounting are combined for both Kindle and print versions of your books, so that the user experience is vastly improved!Amazon advertising. While already available for ebooks, publishers will now also be able to purchase Amazon advertising for print books.Local printing for Europe. Instead of printing and shipping from the US (as CreateSpace did), KDP Print will print books locally for European publishers.Author copies. KDP Print lets you order author copies by adding them to your regular Amazon shopping basket, where they are treated as any other Amazon order. If your order is above Amazon’s minimum spend, or if you’re a Prime member, this should save time and money for you.Expanded international distribution. Authors will now be able to distribute to Japan.In general, most authors do end up switching to KDP Print, and most reports about the KDP Print experience are positive. We particularly recommend KDP Print if you want to distribute to Amazon, as you’ll end up saving on time and fees. (Distributing to non-Amazon online stores is another sto ry. Jump here for our discussion of this course of action). Expanded distribution, non-standard trim sizes, oh my! What are the other differences between CreateSpace and KDP Print?Click To Tweet And here’s the great news: transitioning from CreateSpace over to KDP Print is very seamless, as you'll find out for yourself shortly in the next section.How to switch from CreateSpace to KDP PrintIf you decided that you want to continue with KDP Print, Amazon’s made it pretty simple to transition existing titles on CreateSpace to KDP Print. You might even say that it’s as easy as one, two, three, (and four).Let’s get started.Begin by verifying your CreateSpace and KDP accounts on this page.Hit â€Å"Start your move† to begin importing your entire catalog from CreateSpace to KDP Print. Amazon will do it all for you at this point - the whole process should only take a minute or two!Double-check all of your ported data - just to make sure that Amazon imported everything correctly. This includes your titles, book covers, blurbs, and metadata.Double-check your pricing and distribution fields once everything is imported.And that’s it! From this moment on, everything you do to print your self-published book should go through KDP Print - and once you make the switch, there’s no returning to CreateSpace.Finally, a note on your metadata: KDP will offer you seven keyword fields, in contrast to the five that CreateSpace provided. That’s a great chance for added discoverability, so be sure to use them wisely. You can discover more about Amazon algorithms and ways to use them to your advantage in this free course. Level up your Amazon algorithmsSign up for this free 10-part course! Enter your email below and select 'Marketing - All You Need to Know About Amazon Algorithms' in the drop-down menu. Print and Distribute Your Book with Blurb and Reedsy Read post Of course, you may also decide that this is the perfect time to branch out and learn what exists beyond Amazon. Several other companies offer reputable print-on-demand services - each with its own pros and cons. These include:BookBabyIngramSpark (use that link to get a promo code!)BlurbLast year, we tested the quality of the four biggest print-on-demand services in the industry by sending a book to BookBaby, IngramSpark, KDP Print, and Blurb to be printed. Our comprehensive breakdown, along with the results (and winner) of our test, are in this post. We also go in-depth into our recommended distribution setup and considerations of royalties that may prove important to your decision.Where to print your book - and making sure that you get the maximum quality of service and product - is an important decision that you’ll need to make if you’re not planning to only publish eBooks. When you get to this stage in your self-publishing journey, it’s better to be fully i nformed. We hope that this post has cleared some things up for you, but if you have any more questions and concerns, please leave them in the comments and we’ll be happy to answer them to the best of our ability.Are you a self-published author who recently had to make the switch from CreateSpace to KDP Print? What did you think about the experience? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Market Cultural Report ( International Business ) Essay

Market Cultural Report ( International Business ) - Essay Example This is because people in different countries have different cultures depending on their understanding of things and their traditions. This is also so as to avoid cultural conflicts in the host country that may affect the acceptance of the business by the citizens. This report analyses the culture of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in specific the Emirates of Dubai. It looks at some of the cultural components of the country and how this impacts the international business. These cultural components include, the traditions of the country, the beliefs and the religious aspects affecting the market. Finally, it looks at what businesses need to do or consider in order for it to operate effectively in this country and gives a conclusion of the important factors from the report based on the chosen market and the cultural factors in the market. The reason for choosing the Emirates of Dubai is because it is the second largest city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It has a growing reputation as being one of the most attractive places in the world. It is modern with infrastructure and has become a major force of the economy globally, it has world class business environment that attracts many investors. It is also a politically stable country able to attract many foreign investors. The fact that it has a free economy means that there is minimal government control and minimal regulation in the private sector making the country to become a very attractive place to invest. It is one of the most liberal countries in the gulf that results to an attraction of a high capital to flow across the region (Noack, 2009). This makes it worth to look at the country when considering international business. The country also is rich in its culture. The Emirates of Dubai culture is mainly shaped by the traditions of the Arabs that are based on the Islam background. The religion shapes all aspect of the daily life of people in the country. It is

Finance and Financial Management assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Finance and Financial Management - Assignment Example hat; organization is a place where in different departments work together in order to contribute in the long run productivity of the company as a whole (Lauby, 2005). Among number of departments work in an organization, the name of finance department is one of them, which has its own recognition and importance from the standpoint of a company as it deals with the management of the funds of the company as a whole. Among different functions and operations, usually initiated by the finance department, the name of capital budgeting is one of them. The main theme of this paper is to analyze the capital budgeting stance of the company, mentioned in the case study as a whole. There are total four questions that require being answered accordingly in this particular report. The essence of investment is extremely important from the viewpoint of an organization and there are number of methods from which an organization can analyze the stance of investment as well as appraisal in a perfect and efficient manner. Under the nose of Investment Appraisal, the name of methods like NPV, IRR, Payback and PI comes heavily and each and every method has its recognition and importance as far as analyzing the competitiveness is concerned. Mentioned below table is showing the cash flow which would have been generated by Bodmin Plc by considering the above cost benefit analysis. Net Present Value (NPV) is one of the most important methods, used for the purpose of Capital Budgeting (Lawrence J. Gitman, 2008). Net Present Value analyzes the future cash flow at the present time. The table of NPV is mentioned below, Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is yet another important methods that use in the process of capital budgeting. IRR is a point where in the future cash flow of a project or a company becomes zero (Bryman A, Bell E, 2007). Apart from the NPV, this particular method also used heavily by the companies and the analysis is mentioned below, A method that analyzes the efficiency of a

Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Domingo Faustino Sarmiento - Essay Example First of all, the author points out that a bad gaucho is not a bandit, but a man who steals horses due to the fact that it is â€Å"his profession, his trade, his science† (Sarmiento & Ross, 2003, p. 69). This is why the bad side of gauchos is their devotion for stealing instead of working and gaining things in an honorable way. It is here that Sarmiento emphasizes what made gauchos replaced by farmers and laborers at the time (Goodrich & Sorensen, 1996). Thus, it is a standpoint to think of defects gauchos possessed in terms of further effects on the country. The question is that chaos and lack of order came from bad gauchos due to their love for stealing horses every now and then. Therefore, Sarmiento’s discourse on the bad features relevant to gauchos touches upon their devotion to stealing horses throughout the Argentina. In this respect gauchos were well associated with outlaws and those who have no idea of order and rules of living in the society (Ramos, 2001). Thus, their example teach people about the reasons why gauchos had a bad effect in the history of Latin America.

Limitations of Interviews in Social Research

Limitations of Interviews in Social Research Why might you decide to use in-depth interviews for a research project? What are the potential limitations? Give examples of studies which have employed this technique well and discuss critically why in your opinion they are good examples. In the social research an interview/interviews are a frequently used mode of data collection. The aim is for the interviewer to elicit from the interviewee or respondent all manner of information. (Bryman, 2008:192). In-depth interviewing is more commonly known as a method that enables the researcher to explore the deeper structure of ideas presented by the participants. Many sociologists use in-depth interviewing to explore a multitude of substantive and theoretical topics (e.g., Bell and Hartmann 2007; Quark 2007; Read and Oselin 2008). (Healey-Etten, V., Sharp, S.,2010: 157). There are many types of interviews that can be used to carry out research however, I am going to describe why it may be beneficial to use in depth interviews for a research project and the potential disadvantages and previous examples of in-depth interviews that have been used to carry out research. Sociologists commonly use this popular method because it enables further detailed exploration about peoples subjective experiences, meaning-making, accounting processes, and unspoken assumptions about life and the social world in general.Two primary objectives of in-depth interviewing are exploration and verification (Johnson, 2002). One reason why it would be useful to conduct an in-depth interview, would be to reduce error due to interviewer reliability. The aim of this concept is to keep error down to a minimum, as should error occur it would have an adverse effect on the validity of the measure. The validity would be compromised if there is a high possibility of error occurring. However, due to the benefit of standardisation in depth interviews are useful to clarify any potential confusion. For example, in a self-completion questionnaire the participants. However, with the help of an interviewer the ambiguity can be clarified and the responses given by the interviewee are more li kely to be valid, based on the fact their answers where given under full understanding of the question. Interview control questions (ICQs) are in fact investigation questions aiming at both verification and exploration. A study that has exemplified the use of in depth interviews, was reported by Ramji Hasmita that focused on exploring commonality and difference in in-depth interviewing: a case-study of researching British Asian women. This research focuses on the experience British South Asian womens lives in London, and how a female British Asian researcher to explores this topic by investigating how and to what extent common social attributes are a result of influence. It examines these issues through a discussion of how the shared cultural identity of the researcher and the interviewees emerged as both a point of commonality and difference in the research process; with the researcher being positioned in terms of both because of the interviewees agency in interpreting their cultural commonality. Issues regarding Indian culture and religion emerged as points on which interviewees exercised agency and interpreted the researchers cultural identity. This was the basis on which they claimed commonality or difference and this assessment consequently impacted on their interaction with the researcher. The article suggests that more attention needs to be given to how assumptions made by interviewees regarding the cultural identity of the researcher through their agency and interaction in the research process shapes interview dynamics. (Ramji, H.,2008) Regardless of the differences between therapy and research interviews, and considering the similarities in approach and outcomes, I am suggesting the argument that participating in in depth interviews can be inherently therapeutic. Additionally, qualitative researchers must recognise the importance of this therapeutic possibility because it can and should affect participants reactions, interviewers approaches, and how researchers can make a difference in peoples lives. As well as clinical interviews, the social research interview context is a space for sharing stories, which can provide credible information for researchers and provide a platform for alleviation and healing. It has been recognised by several health practitioners and researchers that engaging in conversation can be liberating, as it encourages emotional release and can provide a sense of comfort at times. Sharing information and feeling building relationship by trying to understand ones mindset can also raise self-awar eness and perhaps even reform their perspectives on certain topics. This organization of thoughts can trigger new perspective and aid in promoting resolutions. The in-depth interviews are not aimed to act therapy, but it is therapeutic in that it offers a space for relaxation through sharing. In 2013 Yvonne Kahl, Johannes Jungbauer published an article reporting qualitive research regarding, Challenges and Coping Strategies of Children with Parents Affected by Schizophrenia: Results from an In-Depth Interview Study. The research consisted of thirty-four children undergoing in depth interviews to find out different forms of coping mechanisms they used to deal with their parents who were battling the mental health disorder, schizophrenia. The children who were being interviewed, expressed many obstacles in which they face daily, and in conclusion the report recognised through what was said by the interviewees that there is a desperate need for more professional support, to assist the children who are affected to discover more and appropriate forms of coping. (Kahl Jungbauner, 2013). The reason I believe an in-depth interview was more useful in understanding the question being researched here is due to the sensitive nature of the Schizophrenia and the stigmatisation of ment al health disorder. Through the in depth interviews the children conveyed many aspects of fear in relation to fear, frustration and stigmatisation as emotions they regularly feel concerning the relationship with their parents. As previously mentioned, in- depth interviews can be therapeutic and can offer a space for relaxation through sharing therefore would have been more useful as oppose to questionnaire, in enabling the interviewees to be as open as possible. Of course, with any form of research comes limitations. Regarding in depth interviews, there are many ethical issues. Although interviews may naturally be therapeutic for participants, and offer rich data, this quality can pose challenges to interviewers. As researchers encourage sensitive disclosures, role confusion may occur (Dickson-Swift, James, Kippen, Liamputton, 2006; Weiss, 1994). Participants could mistake the interview as therapy and, as such, the interviewer as a therapist. Researchers must carefully maintain boundaries to protect the researcher-participant relationship and ethical obligations to do no harm (Birch Miller, 2000; Dickson-Swift et al., 2006; Haynes, 2006). Boundaries can be achieved through minimizing personal disclosure, debriefing (Dickson-Swift et al., 2006), recognizing distress signals (Kavanaugh Ayres, 1998), drawing back when responses become negative (Haynes, 2006), and being direct about the research relationship. Because researchers are not train ed counsellors, they might experience emotional vulnerability, guilt, fatigue, and burnout (Dickson-Swift et al., 2006). The researchers role is listener, learner, and observer, not counsellor or therapist. A list of local counselling resources should be available for participants to highlight this distinction. References Willis, G. B. (2005). Setting the stage for cognitive interviewing: first principles of questionnaire design. In Cognitive interviewing (pp. 12-33).: SAGE Publications Ltd doi: 10.4135/9781412983655.n2 Healey-Etten, V., Sharp, S. (2010). Teaching Beginning Undergraduates How to Do an In-depth Interview: A Teaching Note with 12 Handy Tips. Teaching Sociology, 38(2), 157-165. Free, C., Lee, R., Ogden, J. (2002). Young Womens Accounts Of Factors Influencing Their Use And Non-Use Of Emergency Contraception: In-Depth Interview Study. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 325(7377), 1393-1396. Retrieved from http://0-www.jstor.org.serlib0.essex.ac.uk/stable/25453157 Ramji, H. (2008). Exploring commonality and difference in in-depth interviewing: A case-study of researching British Asian women. British Journal of Sociology, 59(1), 99-116. doi:http://0-dx.doi.org.serlib0.essex.ac.uk/10.1111/j.1468-4446.2007.00184.x Kahl, Y., Jungbauer, J. (2014). Challenges and coping strategies of children with parents affected by schizophrenia: Results from an in-depth interview study. Child Adolescent Social Work Journal, 31(2), 181-196. doi:10.1007/s10560-013-0316-2