Pax Americana: The Importance of Soft Power Essay

There are two main ways through which a country can lose its ascendancy. First, it can be defeated militarily by a stronger, rising power. Second, it can rot from within, its culture and institutions progressively becoming weaker while its economy stagnates. Joseph Nye Jr. , in his book The Paradox of American Power, argues early on that America is in no immediate danger of â€Å"rotting from within†, as was the case with ancient Rome. Citing statistics to buttress his point, Nye shows that the negative media (both local and international) coverage received by the United States have little factual basis. While the country is not exactly where it wants to be in terms of morality and culture, it is certainly far from being the social Sodom and Gomorrah that it is portrayed to be. While the country lags some countries (notably those in the European Union) in many social metrics, it is nevertheless substantially better-off than the rest of the world in such terms. Neither is the U. S economy undergoing major problems. Despite the many doomsday predictions, the U. S. economy is growing at a respectable rate and continues to maintain the high standard of living that Americans have enjoyed for the past twenty to thirty years. While the trade challenges posed by China and the European Union may prove problematic in the years to come, they are nevertheless still manageable at present. Thus, it appears that that the United States is not going to collapse on itself in the near future. What Might Cannot Accomplish: The Case for Soft Power With regards to military power, no one can argue that the United States is in any danger of losing its hegemonic position. However, Nye posits the argument that the United States must learn not to rely on this aspect of its national power alone. One of his key contentions is that military power is not enough to maintain the ascendancy of the United States in the coming century. Also known as hard power, military power is an important part of the country’s overall strength – but it should not be the only fount of influence from which the country draws. In a rapidly globalizing world, soft power, e. g. , economic and cultural strength, must be seen as being as important as its military capabilities. Power not only consists of brute force, but also of influence and persuasiveness. The author agrees that if the United States is to achieve its foreign policy objectives, then it must learn not only to use its soft power, but to widen its scope in the years to come. Other than terrorism, a number of issues can only be resolved by acknowledging that we live in a deeply interconnected world. Issues such as pollution and global warming, the spread of AIDS, drug trafficking, and human slavery cannot be addressed by any one country in isolation – even if that country is a superpower. Because the relationships between state and non-state actors are increasingly intertwined in a mesh of common interests, then global multilateral cooperation is the only viable alternative that the world – the United States included – can choose. Current events would seem to prove this point. While the United States remains the world’s predominant military power, it is becoming increasingly clear that it cannot achieve its goals through unilateral military action. Indeed, the present war in Iraq is a clear indication of the United States’ limitations, especially when battling non-conventional organizations such as terrorist cells. Military might is an important tool in battling terrorism on a global scale, but the help of other countries – especially when it comes to intelligence gathering – will be increasingly required. In other words, only a multilateral approach will have an appreciable effect on a global hydra such as terrorism. Similarly, only by using such an approach will the U. S. e able to make progress on a variety of global issues. Recognizing the Times: Forming a Sound Foreign Policy Nye believes that American foreign policy is too dependent on its military power, pointing out that the military receives sixteen times the funding that the diplomatic service does. As he points out, the military corps is important – but not sixteen times as important as diplomatic corps. As we enter the new millennium, the latter must gain more importance if the U. S. is to maintain its power. The era during which the U.  S. could promote its national self-interest through military power alone is fast fading, if not already gone. The United States must learn to adapt to a new international political environment, one wherein it must strive to be looked up to as much as feared. Transnational problems cannot be solved in isolation, and America will need friends and allies if it is to make any lasting progress. However, it is also clear that the United States must not simply begin to act multilaterally on a sweeping number of issues. Rationality must be pursued at all times. There are situations in which the privilege to act unilaterally must be exercised by the United States, especially when it comes to issues of national defense and survival. Neither should the U. S. allow itself to be bound to international pacts that will restrict it excessively, or will allow other countries undue leverage over it. The key here is balance: finding the right mix between protecting America’s current national interests, as well as its future credibility and influence with the world community. A corollary to the preceding statement is that the United States must continue to provide global leadership by providing global public goods, such as international order and a free market system. While some may argue that such a policy inevitably spawns free riders, the U. S. must nevertheless push through with ensuring the availability of such public goods, not only because they benefit the country directly, but also because they make America indispensable to the world, in effect legitimizing its power. The author agrees with Nye on such counts. America stands at a crossroads today; the path it chooses to take will determine its future position in the world. If it decides to play the tyrant, it will suffer the usual fate of tyrants. However, if it chooses to adapt itself to the changed international political environment, it will ensure not only its survival but also its eminence. When Theodore Roosevelt said that he would â€Å"speak softly but carry a big stick,† he was formulating sound foreign policy. What American leaders should notice is that he mentioned â€Å"speaking softly† before the â€Å"big stick. †

Analysis Of Martin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail

Race. It’s a word that’s related to feelings, thoughts, and words. Throughout the history, Blacks have been treated unfairly due the fact that their racial appearances differ from the others. A great example of this is the Civil Rights Movement period, which is the racial tension between the blacks and whites. The driving forces behind this tension were in the past, but they still exist in our advanced society nowadays or maybe still affecting in the future. In Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail essay, he uses the racial inequality as a significant factor to strengthen his arguments. By giving his ethos, logos, and pathos to expose his credibilities, evoking readers with a lot of emotions, and leading readers to the struggles of being black. During the time King was in jail in Birmingham, Alabama, he was not only writing responses to the minister, but also to an educated, white, and middle-class family, on the toilet papers. In King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, he exposes on the letters as the following quote â€Å" I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was well timed in the view of those who have not suffered from the disease of segregation.† The letter is going on giving an explanation and making clear to the struggles of fighting against racism. In his main argument, he explains, there no matter what the circumstance is, when the blacks get mistreated by the whites, they always keep their ground and fight for the right they must have, the sameShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail962 Words   |  4 Pagesintangible, it is still necessary. Some forms of inspiration come as passionate love while others appeal as injustice. Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail was a response to A Call for Unity by eight white clergymen. His inspiration for writing the letter was the clergymens unjust proposals and the letter allowed him to present his rebuttal. Martin Luther King Jr. effectively crafted his counter argument by first directly addressing his audience, the clergymen, and then usingRead MoreSociological Analysis of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail1214 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Sociological Analysis of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail Abstract The paper analyses Martin Luther King, Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† from a sociological point of view and shows how three major theories (structural functionalism, social conflict, and symbolic interactionism) are treated in the letter. The paper shows different appreciation of King’s ideas and works by his contemporaries and modern people. It also explores the concepts of â€Å"nonviolentRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail1037 Words   |  5 PagesEssay Four Topic: Read Martin Luther King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† (in your Nexus book) and Brent Staples’s â€Å"Black Men and Public Space.† What do these works say about racism, prejudice, and bias? Have we made any progress in these areas since their publication? What problems do you still see and what solutions can you offer? According to Opposing Viewpoints Online, Racism is â€Å"a prejudice or an animosity against a person or group of people who belong to a different race†. Many Americans wronglyRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail1382 Words   |  6 Pagescan be defined as arguing the wrong and the right of human behavior. Martin Luther king through his letter â€Å"letter from Birmingham jail† he revealed his ethical thought by enunciating real facts furthermore he did not only consider his own viewpoints rather he considered viewpoints of many other people in relation to churches hypocrisy and unjust laws versus just laws. Despite the fact that martin Luther king was in jail, Luther uses ethical thought to critique the ministers by articulating his beliefsRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail955 Words   |  4 PagesBy 1963, when Martin Luther King planned a campaign against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. During the demonstration he was arrested and lives in the jail for eight days. While he was in prison, he wrote his letter from Birmingham Jail to explain his actions and those who urged him to call off the demonstrations. Martin Luther King Jr. Birmingham Jail is important because, he explains the reasons for the non-violent demonstrations, he shows that black people are intelligent, and he criticizesRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail915 Words   |  4 Pagessave another? Martin Luther King gave up his freedom in an attempt and to gain civil rights for the people of Birmingham. Peter Singer explains if you give up just $200 you can save the life of someone with nothing. King and Peter Singer both used honesty to convey their message of what is right and what is wrong, but they both describe very different situations that hold their case and point. King wrote his letter from Birmingham jail on April 16, 1963. Dr. King wrote this letter to his fellow clergymenRead MoreAnalysis of Martin Luther King Jr. ´s Letter From Birmingham Jail771 Words   |  3 Pagesagainst the prejudice that they have to face, accomplish justice that every single one of them are fighting for. Dr. Martin Luther King, a leader of the protest against prejudice was able to pursue the rights for African American people. Howev er eight of his fellow clergymen criticized his procedure to protest, but they still supported him. In the Letter from Birmingham Jail, King wanted to encourage others to rebel against the wrong, even if it is not wise it is right, he was optimistic and yetRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King Jr s Letter From Birmingham Jail986 Words   |  4 PagesInstitutions, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Letter from Birmingham Jail are two important pieces of history. In Lincoln’s speech he speaks about the dangers of slavery in the United States and warned everybody that people who disrespected American laws could destroy the United States. On the other hand, Martin Luther King Jr. defended the strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism, and argued that people have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws. Based on these facts, Martin Luther King Jr does notRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King Jr. s Letter From Birmingham Jail1399 Words   |  6 Pagesmade. For peopl e who are oppressed, what they see as the greater good may be vastly different from the views of those who are unoppressed. Martin Luther King Jr. s, Letter from Birmingham Jail illustrates how a seemingly innocent attempt at gaining one s rights can be seen as controversial and wrong by others. King was put into jail because of the peaceful protests he led. To those who shared King s method of thought, nonviolence would have been the way to maximize the gains in society by allowingRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter From A Birmingham Jail1493 Words   |  6 Pageswould have disagreed with this assertion, and died in part to keep this idea from spreading. Socrates was sentenced to death by an Athenian court, though the punishment did not fit the crimes he was accused of. We assume that any knowingly innocent person would have escaped this sentence if given the opportunity and support to do so, yet Socrates refused to and died soon after. Over 2,000 years later, Mart in Luther King is also imprisoned on petty crimes and sees his actions in line with Socrates Analysis Of Martin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail During the course of living human being are subjected to many controversial arguments and ethical stations. Education in concept of ethical reasoning and in the fundamentals of the principles are important for one to be skilled in ethical reasoning. Ethical reasoning is a very important element in human nature of living either professionally or individually. Ethical reasoning offers critics with the capability to represent viewpoints, ideas and make judgement. Moreover ethical reasoning enable critics’ to consciously give examination for them to reach a solution that does not harm anybody else. Ethical reasoning can be defined as arguing the wrong and the right of human behavior. Martin Luther king through his letter â€Å"letter from Birmingham jail† he revealed his ethical thought by enunciating real facts furthermore he did not only consider his own viewpoints rather he considered viewpoints of many other people in relation to churches hypocrisy and unjust laws versus just laws. Despite the fact that martin Luther king was in jail, Luther uses ethical thought to critique the ministers by articulating his beliefs and ideas via displaying descriptive and meaningful illustrations of ethics of law and sensible thinking. In his letter king exceptionally introduces his point of view via observation of multiple people by using coherent thinking and more to that having a mentality that is fair minded. According to Dr. Linda Elder and Dr. Richard Paul fair mindedness isShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail962 Words   |  4 Pagesintangible, it is still necessary. Some forms of inspiration come as passionate love while others appeal as injustice. Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail was a response to A Call for Unity by eight white clergymen. His inspiration for writing the letter was the clergymens unjust proposals and the letter allowed him to present his rebuttal. Martin Luther King Jr. effectively crafted his counter argument by first directly addressing his audience, the clergymen, and then usingRead MoreSociological Analysis of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail1214 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Sociological Analysis of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail Abstract The paper analyses Martin Luther King, Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† from a sociological point of view and shows how three major theories (structural functionalism, social conflict, and symbolic interactionism) are treated in the letter. The paper shows different appreciation of King’s ideas and works by his contemporaries and modern people. It also explores the concepts of â€Å"nonviolentRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail1037 Words   |  5 PagesEssay Four Topic: Read Martin Luther King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† (in your Nexus book) and Brent Staples’s â€Å"Black Men and Public Space.† What do these works say about racism, prejudice, and bias? Have we made any progress in these areas since their publication? What problems do you still see and what solutions can you offer? According to Opposing Viewpoints Online, Racism is â€Å"a prejudice or an animosity against a person or group of people who belong to a different race†. Many Americans wronglyRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail940 Words   |  4 PagesBlacks have been treated unfairly due the fact that their racial appearances differ from the others. A great example of this is the Civil Rights Movement period, which is the racial tension between the blacks and whites. The driving forces behind this tension were in the past, but they still exist in our advanced society nowadays or maybe still affecting in the future. In Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail essay, he uses the racial inequality as a significant factor to strengthen his argumentsRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail955 Words   |  4 PagesBy 1963, when Martin Luther King planned a campaign against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. During the demonstration he was arrested and lives in the jail for eight days. While he was in prison, he wrote his letter from Birmingham Jail to explain his actions and those who urged him to call off the demonstrations. Martin Luther King Jr. Birmingham Jail is important because, he explains the reasons for the non-violent demonstrations, he shows that black people are intelligent, and he criticizesRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail915 Words   |  4 Pagessave another? Martin Luther King gave up his freedom in an attempt and to gain civil rights for the people of Birmingham. Peter Singer explains if you give up just $200 you can save the life of someone with nothing. King and Peter Singer both used honesty to convey their message of what is right and what is wrong, but they both describe very different situations that hold their case and point. King wrote his letter from Birmingham jail on April 16, 1963. Dr. King wrote this letter to his fellow clergym enRead MoreAnalysis of Martin Luther King Jr. ´s Letter From Birmingham Jail771 Words   |  3 Pagesagainst the prejudice that they have to face, accomplish justice that every single one of them are fighting for. Dr. Martin Luther King, a leader of the protest against prejudice was able to pursue the rights for African American people. However eight of his fellow clergymen criticized his procedure to protest, but they still supported him. In the Letter from Birmingham Jail, King wanted to encourage others to rebel against the wrong, even if it is not wise it is right, he was optimistic and yetRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King Jr s Letter From Birmingham Jail986 Words   |  4 PagesInstitutions, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Letter from Birmingham Jail are two important pieces of history. In Lincoln’s speech he speaks about the dangers of slavery in the United States and warned everybody that people who disrespected American laws could destroy the United S tates. On the other hand, Martin Luther King Jr. defended the strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism, and argued that people have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws. Based on these facts, Martin Luther King Jr does notRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King Jr. s Letter From Birmingham Jail1399 Words   |  6 Pagesmade. For people who are oppressed, what they see as the greater good may be vastly different from the views of those who are unoppressed. Martin Luther King Jr. s, Letter from Birmingham Jail illustrates how a seemingly innocent attempt at gaining one s rights can be seen as controversial and wrong by others. King was put into jail because of the peaceful protests he led. To those who shared King s method of thought, nonviolence would have been the way to maximize the gains in society by allowingRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter From A Birmingham Jail1493 Words   |  6 Pageswould have disagreed with this assertion, and died in part to keep this idea from spreading. Socrates was sentenced to death by an Athenian court, though the punishment did not fit the crimes he was accused of. We assume that any knowingly innocent person would have escaped this sentence if given the opportunity and support to do so, yet Socrates refused to and died soon after. Over 2,000 years later, Martin Luther King is also imprisoned on petty crimes and sees his actions in line with Socrates

Executive Compensation Ceo And Chairman Of The Board

There has been a dilemma about appointing the same person as a CEO of the company and the Chairman of the board. That person could gain too much power in their hands and act not in best interests of the company. These two roles often go side by side, conflicting one another, on the other hand. Some critics were arguing about time management and combining management control and governance in one person’s hands. Another argument is that person might gain so much power that he will not act in best interest of the company or the board won’t be able objectively evaluate his performance (in case of executive compensation). My research paper will include next arguments: †¢ Who are the CEO and the Chairman of the company and their roles †¢ Combined†¦show more content†¦The CEO is responsible for leadership of the business, managing the authorities, and also : †¢ Developing the strategy, recommendations to the Board †¢ Developing annual plan and budgeting †¢ Be responsible for the Board’s performance †¢ Oversee corporate policies †¢ Developing organizational structure and establish processes and systems to ensure the efficiency of resources †¢ Developing of performance targets †¢ Ensuring that financial results, business strategies are communicated to the community †¢ Ensuring smooth flow of information between the Board and executives †¢ Reporting to the Chairman †¢ Ensuring that management put procedures in place to ensure compliance with all regulations †¢ Internal control †¢ Keeping the Chairman informed on all materials. The Chairman, on the other hand, is a head of this board. The Board is usually elected by shareholders to oversee management, and protect the interest of the shareholders and align them with company’s goals and interests; such interests include stability and growth. The meetings normally take place several times a year to review proxy, financial statements, overview company’s performance, and vote on important strategies. However, the Chairman doesn’t play an active role in everyday management. The chairman will usually: †¢ Ensure effective operation of the Board and committees †¢ Ensure effective communication with shareholders †¢ Set agenda focused on strategy, growth, and

`` A Doll House `` Women s Rights Of Liberty, Equality,...

â€Å"In the history of feminism Universalism has played a crucial role. The revolutionary promise to realize the individual human rights of liberty, equality, and political participation has been the basis for women’s claim for citizenship in Western democracies since the eighteenth century† (Scott). The problem, of course, could be that feminism is often difficult to define, a problem noted by bell hooks and Carmen Vasquez. Vasquez argues that feminism, unfortunately, has come to mean anything you like [†¦] There are as many definitions of Feminism as there are feminists (Vasquez qtd. in hooks 17 qtd. in Brunnemer). Women fought long and hard to achieve equal right with men, but in the 1870s that equality was just a dream. Ibsen’s play â€Å"A Doll House† shows just how unequal women were compared to men during this period of time. â€Å"The play was deemed so daring that, when performed in many countries, the ending was changed so that Nora return s home, finding she cannot leave Torvald or her three children so great is her love and devotion to them† (Brunnemer). There were two roads that could have been taken by women in this era. Road one was being a wife and a stay at home mom. The second road was being a low paid labor worker. Nora and her childhood friend Kristen represent the two choices that women had to choose from. â€Å"In The Myth of Motherhood: An Historical View of the Maternal Instinct (1981), the French philosopher Elisabeth Badinter argued that motherly love is not anShow MoreRelatedGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 PagesResponsibility of Media j. Media ethics k. New Media and Democracy 2. Science/Tech a. Science and Ethics b. Government and scientist role in science c. Rely too much on technology? d. Nuclear technology e. Genetic modification f. Right tech for wrong reasons 3. Arts/Culture a. Arts have a future in Singapore? b. Why pursue Arts? c. Arts and technology d. Uniquely Singapore: Culture 4. Environment a. Developed vs. Developing b. Should environment be saved at all

Weekly Portfolio Learning Table

Question: Discuss about theWeekly Portfolio Learning Table. Answer: Weekly Portfolio Learning Table Topic and reading samples. Your personal learning outcomes from this course. Learnings from your experience. Supporting documentation including your prior learnings. LEGISLATION, STANDARDS, FRAMEWORKS, GUIDELINES, METHODOLOGIES. I have learnt in the process of doing this course, the to better achieve its goals, organisations need to combine the systems of program management, portfolio management, and project management. OPM provides a framework through which an organisation can move through change on the basis of consistent practices that offer a repeatable way of doing business based on continuous improvement and learning through lessons learnt (Larry, Korinna and Claudia, 2012). OPM is an execution-focused strategy rather than one focused on strategy creation. OPM combines knowledge, talent, and processes across an organisation to ensure all stakeholders and functions are engaged in delivering its strategy. OPM ensures the effective integration of the organisations management systems to maximise their engagement and their contribution to its strategy delivery. I have also learned that OPM aligns strategy development with its implementation through deploying its collection of projects and programs for creat ion and delivery of business results. PMO enhances accountability and governance, ensures buy-in by stakeholders, helps navigate risks pro-actively, and helps drive the necessary change (Milosevic, Patanakul and Srivannaboon, 2011) While doing a course project, the OPM framework became very hand for me and my group where I was team leader; it helped me harness the available talent in the group and combine these with knowledge and process in order to complete a new previously not-done project. It enabled me to combine elements of project management, portfolio management, and program management to successfully complete a group project. Read the book PMI Implementing Organisational PM Preface Chapter 1 by Kerzner to better understand the workings of OPM and its implementation in a modern business perspective. I also watched Week 5 Tutorial Recording and Harold Kerzner Video: An Introduction to the Best Practices in Project Management to better understand the importance and framework of OPM Portfolio Reflection Using the OPM framework, as I realized, is an important tool for making decisions on the projects or investments to select and focus more resources on because with the use of project management principles integrated into the OPM framework, it is possible to select not just the most viable project with the potential highest return; but also select the project most aligned with the organizations objectives. This was evidently used in a course project where we selected a project best aligned with the course requirements and the skills of the team References Larry, B., Korinna, S. and Claudia, B. (2012). PMO - Organizational Project Management (OPM). [online] Pmi.org. Available at: https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/pmo-opm-performance-strategy-6075 [Accessed 8 Apr. 2017]. Milosevic, D., Patanakul, P. and Srivannaboon, S. (2011). Case Studies in Project, Program, and Organizational Project Management. 1st ed.Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons.

Internet friends real or fake Essay Example

Internet friends real or fake Essay What constitutes a real friendship? In this day and age many people have lots of friends with social media especially Facebook users. Can a friendship through social media replace a friend that you can touch and feel? People use social media websites to keep in touch or reconnect to past acquaintances and follow each others lives. People use social media sites such as facebook, myspace or instgram to keep in touch and follow each others lives. Before these sites or the internet people kept in touch with friends by visiting, calling and writing letters all of which require a real ffort to nurture a friendship. During those times if you werent close friends with someone they would eventually not be part of youre so called friends after sometime. Now you can keep in up with people who would have fallen out of your life before. Now with the click of a button or two you will be friends with anyone anywhere in the world. These friends can offer support in hard times and celebrate with someone when times are good. In Friends with Benefits by Kate Dailey she speaks of friends and how they can support you through social media. One thing that is addressed is Researchers have et to significantly study the social implications of Facebook (Dailey 219). The information provided goes over friends on Facebook and how they be of some support when someone suffers a loss or has something good happen. They might offer support or words of encouragement with a loss which can be helpful. If someone was to lose a Job, spouse, child or some other tragic incident then a person could offer words of encouragement or support. The question is can these online friends help and offer the same support as a friend there in person. We will write a custom essay sample on Internet friends real or fake specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Internet friends real or fake specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Internet friends real or fake specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Having someone ho can offer sincere condolences versus someone who sends a frowning face on a social media website. People usually like to interact with real people during hard times and those friends are people involved in each others lives. Friends that are wanted in our lives will be connected by more than a screen name. During a bad time of someones life they can be helped by many things such as words of encouragement, a shoulder to cry on or a good deed. Online friends can offer typed words of help or encouragement but nothing more really but flesh and blood friends can offer all of that plus the real human interaction. On the opposite side is support when theres good things happening in ones life like kids, Job and other accomplishments. When a goal is met or some other great event occurs in someones life online friends can be supportive with words or smiley faces. Before the internet we wouldnt see our acquaintances very often: every once in a while, we might show up at a wedding and suddenly have 100 of our closest friends around (Daly 219). Theres an endorphin release when people receive good news or words of encouragement but nothing can compare to the feeling for actual human to human contact. Flesh a blood friends can do more than send each other a message or post a comment on a page or picture. Many people gather with their friends and do things such as BBQs, dinners, birthday parties and even go on vacations together. Many friendships are built over time and through ups and downs they share together some over many years. Having online friends express well wishes some success. Looking at online friends one may amass hundreds of these friends but in reality people only have a few good friends according to Shelley E. Taylor, professor of psychology at the University of California, Los Angles (Dailey 219). By having so many so called friends some fell more important but most only keep in contact with a small number of their friends. Its impossible to have more than a few friends in anyones life as there isnt enough time to grow that many relationships. Many people seem to confuse friends and acquaintances in the realm of social media leading them to think they can count on everyone they correspond with on these sites. When you need help can you post on a something like Facebook and count on people outside of your core group of friend showing up to help? Its interesting at how many people use social edia Facebook attracted 67. million visitors in the U. S. in April (according to ComScore Inc. ), and the fastest-growing demographic is people over 35 (Dailey 219). This in itself is interesting but the reason for the old age of the growing population is the connecting with past acquaintances from our past. I did a survey of my friends list and asked why everyone was friends with the people they had chosen to be friends with on Facebook. Many answers were to reconnect with people they had lost contact with while others wanted to see if past relationships had moved up or gone down in their opinion. This part was shocking and funny that some would admit this and it seems many would use friends to check on ex-spouses or ex-lovers. The people with children use Facebook to keep track of their kids friends and families. Another interesting fact was the way military or veterans use Facebook to stay in contact with friends all around the world. One big positive benefit was how many grandparents use Facebook to keep up to date on what their grandchildren are doing which before the internet they waited for a phone call or a letter. Now they can see pictures the day the picture is taken and can essage them with no mail or long distance calls. Can Facebook friends provide the same as a flesh and blood friend? The simple answer is no but there are many variables that must be considered. During a hard time Posting personal experiences, no matter how painful, also allows acquaintances who have lived through similar experiences to reach out, either with information about support groups or Just an empathetic ear. The idea of sharing a commonality helps make it a little more bearable. Youre not alone, and there are others going through what you went through (Dailey 220). This shows that if you allow people to know things are going rough you well have people whoVe gone through similar situations support you and point you in the right direction. Another aspect is you can freely vent frustrations without someone feeling attacked. On the positive side you receive support whether youre dealing with a hard time or a great experience youVe had recently. People can express support or reassurance online but nothing replaces the warm feeling-or brain-boosting endorphins-that come from human-on-human contact, and you cant send someone a casserole through Facebook (Dailey 220). Nothing will ever replace a real friend that you can see and touch no matter what applications or emotions are added. People by nature need to be around others and spend time with people who know us down to the core. Some may have hundreds of you are more involved than an online friend that may Just be there to wish you well, say happy birthday because Facebook told them it was your birthday and to give some condolences. A real friend will come sit and listen during a tough phase, bring you food to eat when youre sick or come to see the new baby you Just had at the ospital. Real friends you can call in the middle of the night for anything and theyll be there to help you were a online friend might send you a message or comment in a few days or weeks. Humans speak more in actions than they do with words and the majority of our communication is nonverbal than it is actual verbal communication. Cited Work Dailey, Kate. Friends with Benefits: Do Facebook Friends Provide the Same Support as Those in Real Life. Writing Today. Ed. Richard Johnson-Sheehan and Charles Paine. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2010. 218-221. Print

How to Make Ice Spikes in Your Freezer

How to Make Ice Spikes in Your Freezer Ice spikes are tubes or spikes of ice that shoot up or off at an angle from a container of frozen water, such as a bird bath or bucket in the winter. The spikes resemble an inverted icicle. Ice spikes form rarely in nature, but you can make them in your own freezer quite simply and reliably. Heres what you do. Ice Spike Materials distilled waterice cube trayfrost-free freezer (ordinary home freezer) Its important to use distilled or reverse osmosis purified water. Ordinary tap water or mineral water contain dissolved substances that may prevent the water from forming spikes or reduce the number of spikes that are formed. You can substitute a bowl or cup for the ice cube tray. Plastic ice cube trays are nice because they contain several small compartments, meaning you have a quick freeze time and several chances for spikes. Make Ice Spikes Its easy! Simply pour the distilled water into the ice cube tray, set the tray in your freezer, and wait. You can expect about half of the ice cubes to contain ice spikes. An ordinary ice cube tray freezes in about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. The spikes degrade and soften over time since most home freezers are frost-free and will blow warmer air over the spikes. How It Works Pure water supercools, which means it remains liquid past the ordinary freezing point. When it starts to freeze at this lower temperature, it solidifies very rapidly. The freezing process starts at the edges of the container because the nicks, scratches, and imperfections allow for nucleation of the ice crystals. Freezing continues until there is only a hole near the middle of the container, which contains liquid water. Ice is less dense than liquid water, so some of the crystals float to the top and are pushed out, forming a spike. The spike grows until the water is frozen. There are two reasons why ordinary tap water or mineral water are less likely to form ice spikes. The first reason is that this water tends to freeze at its regular freezing point. This is a much slower process than freezing from the supercooled state, so solidification is more likely to be homogeneous or occur throughout the ice cube all at once. If there isnt a hole in the ice, the ice spike cant grow. The other reason is that contaminants or impurities in the water become concentrated in the liquid as the water freezes. Researchers believe solids become concentrated at the growing tip of an ice spike and inhibit further growth. Learn More How To Supercool WaterMake Hot Ice or Supercooled Sodium AcetateWhy Ice Floats