Where have I been for so long

Where have I been for so long Sorry I havent posted in such a long time. You see, Ive been very hosed this IAP. But its IAP, you say, How can you be hosed? Well, theres the East Campus housemaster slection committee. And keeping up with whats going on in the UA. And Im in the Assassins Guilds ten-day game. And then there was Mystery Hunt, where I hunted with Project Electric Mayhem. But the biggest time sink of all of these is MASLab, the Mobile Autonomous Systems Laboratory, a six unit class/team robotics competition. I am on an all-5th East team, All Circuits Groovy. I came up with that name after Brian 08, one of my teammates, said that on the first day of class. MASLab is staffed entirely by students, who give us periodic lectures in room 35-225. This is a picture from our lecture on system control techniques. As you can see if you look closely, and know about such things, the picture displayed is of a sample finite-state machine. It takes a while for the robots to look like much of anything except a bunch of really nice electronics hacked together. In fact, each team started with a pegbot, or a bunch of components that they mounted on a given piece of pegboard. This picture is of our robot, nicknamed SpazBot, in pegboard form. I think Spazbot is trying to read green-and-black barcodes on the sample playing field. We do much of our work in 38-500, one of the EE labs. Here, Riv 07 and Andrea 07, both members of Robotron, poke at their robot. We are helped in the lab by good staff teaching assistants (TAs) and lab assistants (LAs), most of whom participated in MASLab in previous years. Here, my friend Dave 06, a supergenius coder who always reads this blog and used to leave me vaguely snarky comments, watches over my teammate Brian 08s shoulder to help him debug our software. Hi, Dave! I know youre reading this! You finally made into an entry! Soon, though, we started needing SpazBot to be something other than a pegbot, so we started building a chassis. I have no mechanical experience, and I got to learn to use lots of tools. I machined most of whats in this picture the round base (with help from teammate Matt 08, who also taught me how to use the necessary tools), the spacers for the caster, and the aluminum mounts for the optical encoders (the little electonic things that someones hand is holding). Matt 08 also taught Brian and me how to solder, but he is much better at it. Here he is, hard at work soldering. Our robot is round, but not everyone is using this strategy. One of the non-round robots belongs to Robotron (Kaia 06, Riv 07, Andrea 07 and Nelson 09). We were asked to babysit Robotrons robot one afternoon while they got lunch, so I took a picture. SpazBot (we need to come up with a better name at some point) plans to pick up balls to carry to goals with a ball gobbler of two wheels at the front which rotate in opposite directions, snagging balls and pushing them into a queue behind it. Well, if were going to be technical and computer science-y, its more like a stack than a queue, but queue describes the shape. To shoot balls into goals, the wheels reverse direction and spit out the most recent ball to go in. This is a prototype of the ball gobbler. My camera is broken, so thanks to Ben for lending me one. While learning to use it, I took some cute pictures of Ben and his son. Each MASLab team keeps a journal. Ours lives here. You can check each day to see what weve been doing. The final contest is on February 3, so expect more entries about MASLab!

Racism vs. Prejudice Whats the Difference

Nearly 40 percent of white Americans believe that the U.S. has made the changes necessary to give black people equal rights with whites, according to a  Pew Research Center study. However, just eight percent of black Americans believe that this is the case. This suggests that its important to discuss the difference between prejudice and racism, since some do not recognize that the two are distinct  and that racism still very much exists. Key Takeaways: The Difference Between Prejudice and Racism Prejudice refers to a preconceived idea about a particular group, while racism involves an unequal distribution of power on the basis of race.Sociologists have found that racism has led to a wide range of detrimental outcomes for people of color, including unequal access to jobs and housing, as well as an increased risk of being a victim of police brutality.According to the sociological perspective, members of privileged groups can experience prejudice, but their experience will be different than the experience of someone who experiences systemic racism. Understanding Prejudice The  Oxford English dictionary  defines prejudice as a â€Å"preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience,† and this resonates with how sociologists understand the term. Quite simply, it is a pre-judgment that one makes of another that is not rooted in their own experience. For example, from  a sociological standpoint, the dumb blonde  stereotype, and the jokes that reproduce it,  can be considered a form of prejudice. While we typically think of prejudice as a negative view towards another group, prejudices can be negative or positive (i.e. when people hold positive stereotypes about members of other groups). Some prejudices are racial in nature, and have racist outcomes, but not all forms of prejudice do, and this is why its important to understand the difference between prejudice and racism. An Example Jack explained that as a blond  person of German descent, he had experienced pain in his life due to this form of prejudice aimed at blond  people. But are the negative consequences of prejudice the same for Jack as those who are called the n-word or other racial slurs? Not quite, and sociology can help us understand why. While calling someone a dumb blonde  might result in feelings of frustration, irritation, discomfort, or even anger for the person targeted by the insult, its rare that there would be further negative implications. There is no research to suggest that hair color affects one’s access to rights and resources in society, like  college admission, ability to buy a home in a particular neighborhood, access to employment, or likelihood that one will be stopped by the police. This form of prejudice, most often manifested in bad jokes, may have some negative impact on the butt of the joke, but it is unlikely to have the same kinds of negative impacts that racism does. ThoughtCo.   Understanding Racism Race scholars  Howard Winant and Michael Omi  define racism  as a way of representing or describing race that â€Å"creates or reproduces structures of domination based on essentialist categories of race.† In other words, racism results in an unequal distribution of power on the basis of race. Because of this, using the n-word does not simply signal prejudice. Rather, it reflects and reproduces an unjust hierarchy of racial categories that negatively impacts the life chances of people of color. Using a racial slur such as the n-word, a term popularized by white Americans during the era of African enslavement, encapsulates a wide swath of disturbing racial prejudices. The wide-sweeping and deeply detrimental implications of this term, and the prejudices it reflects and reproduces  makes it vastly different from suggesting that blondes are dumb. The n-word was used historically,  and is still used  today, to perpetuate systemic inequalities based on race. This makes the use of this term racist, and not simply prejudiced, as defined by sociologists. The Consequences of Systemic Racism Racist behaviors and beliefs—even when they are subconscious or semi-conscious—fuel structural inequalities of race  that plague society. The  racial prejudices  encapsulated in the n-word are manifested in the  disproportionate policing, arrest, and incarceration of black men and boys  (and increasingly black women); in racial discrimination in hiring practices; in the lack of media and police attention devoted to crimes against black people  as compared with those committed against white women and girls; and, in the  lack of economic investment in predominantly black neighborhoods and cities 403, among many other problems that result from  systemic racism. While many forms of prejudice are  troubling, not all forms of prejudice are equally consequential. Those that beget structural inequalities, like prejudices based on  gender, sexuality, race, nationality, and religion, for example, are very different in nature from others.

Elena Is A Dense Film - 1697 Words

Elena is a dense film; Zviaginstev uses it to highlight the ways in which lives and relationships are broken apart, both interpersonally and intrapersonally. The film is permeated by divisions: division between the family of Elena and the family of Vladimir, divisions between members of Elena’s family specifically, as well as societal and spiritual divides. These separations allow the viewer to understand the depth of disintegration the director is trying to communicate. Using both characters and cinematography, Zviaginstev uses Elena to comment on the way that modernity and post-Sovietism in Russia contribute to a continued loss of social and spiritual connections. By analyzing the various ways that the director explores and comments on these themes, Elena can be viewed and understood both in and out of its context. Outside the setting of Russia, this film can also be understood as a more general commentary on social and spiritual voids. Perhaps the best place to start is wit h the setting. The viewer is met with two primary planes of interaction. First, there is Elena’s home with Vladimir and their side of the city - conversely, there is Sergei’s home, and the area of Russia in which it resides. From the beginning one can see a split between these two homes. Zviaginstev incorporates numerous shots of Elena’s home, taking care to use dark tones and slow shots, displaying how lavish and yet totally empty it is. They live in a beautiful mansion-like house, but there is noShow MoreRelatedThe Shining Path Or El Sendero Luminoso1700 Words   |  7 Pagesthe political wing, Shining Path followed the guided principles of Marxism-Leninism, Maoism, and an ideology known as â€Å"Gonzalo Thought.† Gonzalo Thought became one of the theoretical foundations for Communism. â€Å"A web of exhortations and formulas so dense that its adherents are reduced to desperate initializing whenever they attempt the simplest report.† (GP, Lima 1 990, 74). Typical Shining Path operations were selective assassinations, lightning takeovers of isolated rural enclaves, and mass executionsRead MoreMy Phone Thesis16066 Words   |  65 Pagesgradually shown as well as the Marketing strategies. II. Company Profile Solid Group Inc. Solid Group Incorporated has been in the retail industry for more than 50 years. Starting out as the exclusive distributor of Sony, Chairman Emeritus Mrs. Elena Lim has expanded the company into an empire, solely on the dream of making a difference in the Filipinos’ lives. Now the second generation has taken over. Under the leadership of Mr. David S. Lim, eldest son of Mrs. Lim and president of theRead MoreManaging Information Technology (7th Edition)239873 Words   |  960 Pagesbecome an important computer output medium. The output device is a computer output microfilm (COM) recorder that accepts the data from the memory and prepares the microfilm output at very high speeds, either as a roll of microfilm or as a sheet of film called a microfiche that contains many pages on each sheet. Voice response units are gaining increasing acceptance as providers of limited, tightly programmed computer output. To summarize, the particular input and output devices attached to a

Digital Fortress Chapter 27 Free Essays

On the Crypto floor, the shadows were growing long and faint. Overhead, the automatic lighting gradually increased to compensate. Susan was still at her terminal silently awaiting news from her tracer. We will write a custom essay sample on Digital Fortress Chapter 27 or any similar topic only for you Order Now It was taking longer than expected. Her mind had been wandering-missing David and willing Greg Hale to go home. Although Hale hadn’t budged, thankfully he’d been silent, engrossed in whatever he was doing at his terminal. Susan couldn’t care less what Hale was doing, as long as he didn’t access the Run-Monitor. He obviously hadn’t-sixteen hours would have brought an audible yelp of disbelief. Susan was sipping her third cup of tea when it finally happened-her terminal beeped once. Her pulse quickened. A flashing envelope icon appeared on her monitor announcing the arrival of E-mail. Susan shot a quick glance toward Hale. He was absorbed in his work. She held her breath and double-clicked the envelope. â€Å"North Dakota,† she whispered to herself. â€Å"Let’s see who you are.† When the E-mail opened, it was a single line. Susan read it. And then she read it again. DINNER AT ALFREDO’S? 8 PM? Across the room, Hale muffled a chuckle. Susan checked the message header. FROM: [email protected] Susan felt a surge of anger but fought it off. She deleted the message. â€Å"Very mature, Greg.† â€Å"They make a great carpaccio.† Hale smiled. â€Å"What do you say? Afterward we could-â€Å" â€Å"Forget it.† â€Å"Snob.† Hale sighed and turned back to his terminal. That was strike eighty-nine with Susan Fletcher. The brilliant female cryptographer was a constant frustration to him. Hale had often fantasized about having sex with her-pinning her against TRANSLTR’s curved hull and taking her right there against the warm black tile. But Susan would have nothing to do with him. In Hale’s mind, what made things worse was that she was in love with some university teacher who slaved for hours on end for peanuts. It would be a pity for Susan to dilute her superior gene pool procreating with some geek-particularly when she could have Greg. We’d have perfect children, he thought. â€Å"What are you working on?† Hale asked, trying a different approach. Susan said nothing. â€Å"Some team player you are. Sure I can’t have a peek?† Hale stood and started moving around the circle of terminals toward her. Susan sensed that Hale’s curiosity had the potential to cause some serious problems today. She made a snap decision. â€Å"It’s a diagnostic,† she offered, falling back on the commander’s lie. Hale stopped in his tracks. â€Å"Diagnostic?† He sounded doubtful. â€Å"You’re spending Saturday running a diagnostic instead of playing with the prof?† â€Å"His name is David.† â€Å"Whatever.† Susan glared at him. â€Å"Haven’t you got anything better to do?† â€Å"Are you trying to get rid of me?† Hale pouted. â€Å"Actually, yes.† â€Å"Gee, Sue, I’m hurt.† Susan Fletcher’s eyes narrowed. She hated being called Sue. She had nothing against the nickname, but Hale was the only one who’d ever used it. â€Å"Why don’t I help you?† Hale offered. He was suddenly circling toward her again. â€Å"I’m great with diagnostics. Besides, I’m dying to see what diagnostic could make the mighty Susan Fletcher come to work on a Saturday.† Susan felt a surge of adrenaline. She glanced down at the tracer on her screen. She knew she couldn’t let Hale see it-he’d have too many questions. â€Å"I’ve got it covered, Greg,† she said. But Hale kept coming. As he circled toward her terminal, Susan knew she had to act fast. Hale was only a few yards away when she made her move. She stood to meet his towering frame, blocking his way. His cologne was overpowering. She looked him straight in the eye. â€Å"I said no.† Hale cocked his head, apparently intrigued by her odd display of secrecy. He playfully stepped closer. Greg Hale was not ready for what happened next. With unwavering cool, Susan pressed a single index finger against his rock-hard chest, stopping his forward motion. Hale halted and stepped back in shock. Apparently Susan Fletcher was serious; she had never touched him before, ever. It wasn’t quite what Hale had had in mind for their first contact, but it was a start. He gave her a long puzzled look and slowly returned to his terminal. As he sat back down, one thing became perfectly clear: The lovely Susan Fletcher was working on something important, and it sure as hell wasn’t any diagnostic. How to cite Digital Fortress Chapter 27, Essay examples

Cuban Missile Crisis Essay Example For Students

Cuban Missile Crisis Essay The Cuban Missile Crisis was a time when tensions were running high in all parts of the world. Many nations were frightened that nuclear war would put everyone in misery. While America was holding their breath as the possibility of nuclear world war grew greater and greater as the Soviet Union continued to supply Cuba with thermonuclear weapons (http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=28554tocid=0). In 1960, as conflicts arose between Cuba and the United States. During this time Soviet Union leader Nikita Khrushchev secretly began to supply Cuba with missiles that could hit much of the eastern United States within a few minutes if launched from Cuba (Leckie 957). This missiles could easily destroy all of the USs national defense in under 17 Minutes. Khrushchev built 42 secret missile sites (Littell 492), and in 1962 the United States learned that the Soviet Union had begun missile shipments to Cuba by the U-2 spy planes that flew over the island. The photos showed two types of missil es: medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBM) able to travel about 1100 nautical miles (about 2000 km, or 1300 mi) and intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM) able to reach targets at a distance of about 2200 nautical miles (about 4100 km, or 2500 mi) (http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=28554tocid=0). Fear swept over the country and the American citizens supported their president in planning action. (Bender 330). President John F Kennedy warned the soviets the gravest issues would arise if they were to place nuclear weapons in Cuba. People all over the world feared this standoff would led to World War III and a nuclear disaster (Littell 493). After carefully considering the alternatives of an immediate U.S. invasion of Cuba (or air strikes of the missile sites), a blockade of the island, President John F. Kennedy decided to place a naval quarantine, or blockade, on Cuba to prevent further Soviet shipments of missiles. President John F Kennedy also stated that missile strike launched from Cuba would be considered as an act of war by the Soviet Union. He also made it clear that an attack on the US would result in a direct retaliation on the Soviet Union. During this time, soviet ships bound for Cuba altered this way and began their way back to the Soviet Union. On October 28, 1962 Khrushchev capitulated, informing Kennedy that work on the missile sites would be halted and that the missiles already in Cuba would be returned to the Soviet Union. In return, Kennedy committed the United States never to invade Cuba. Ke nnedy also secretly promised to withdraw the nuclear-armed missiles that the United States had stationed in Turkey in previous years. In the following weeks both superpowers began fulfilling their promises, and the crisis was over by late November. Cubas communist leader, Fidel Castro, was outraged by the Soviets retreat in the face of U.S. power but was powerless to act. The thaw led to the signing of the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1963 by Britain, the United States, and the USSR (Leckie 957). The treaty outlawed nuclear test explosions in the atmosphere or underwater, but allowed them underground. This also was the closest our world has ever gotten to a devastating nuclear war. For Americans, the Cuban Missile Crisis was one of uncertainty and fear, many of which thought that their lives were threatened. Most Americans supported their president in not being intimidated by the Soviets shipping nuclear missiles and standing up and defending the American people. Kennedys actions altered the history of the world by saving us from nuclear warfare.

5 Ways You Can Collaborate With Other Companies

Collaboration between companies on marketing initiativescan be hugely beneficial. Not only can it increase exposure for both companies, it can result in more leads and greater overall success compared to working on the same initiative alone. You may even get better content as a result because while your business might be one of the best in its field, it’s not the best in every field.Partnering with another company with complementary expertise can enrich the content and attract a wider engaged audience. Who To Collaborate With Choosing the right partner to collaborate with is the key to ensuring high-quality content is created from your joint efforts. Following these few guidelines will ensure that your companies complement each other. Partner with brands you respect: Look towards brands that are effective with their own marketing efforts; companies that market themselves effectively are more likely to also co-market effectively. Keep your values in mind: The values and goals of your company are what drives your marketing efforts. Ensure that the company you choose to work with is clear in its own identity in order to find synergies together. Do some research: Don’t shy away from diving into the content your potential partner is producing. Is their content engaging? Are their followers interacting with their content? If your potential co-collaborator engages their audience in the same way you would like to, it’s much more likely that a successful partnership will develop. Collaboration Inspiration and Examples Not sure what to collaborate on?These ideas can get you started: 2. Cross-promotions: There are countless ways you can collaborate with other businesses for a cross-promotion.You can mention each other on social media, create a joint advertisement for a newspaper, split a booth at a trade show or combine your email subscriber lists to send out a joint promotional mailing. 3. Discounts and special offers:Everybody loves a discount, so why not partner up with another company for a special offer?Include a discount for your partner company on your invoices, or offer free shipping when a customer places an order from both businesses. 4. Co-branding: Co-branding is a unique type of marketing partnership in which two brands combine their expertise to develop an even more attractive or valuable product.One example of a killer co-branding effort is the Doritos Locos Taco, the brainchild of Frito-Lay and Taco Bell. This insanely popular item set sales records at Taco Bell, selling over $1 billion of the product since its debut. 5. Run a contest together: This is one of the easiest and most fun collaborations you can do with other companies.The prizes can come from both businesses, reducing each company’s cost while simultaneously making the contest more attractive. Effective Collaborations Are A Win For All Involved Collaborating can help companies make the most of their content marketing efforts.Joining forces can help brands widen their audience, cut marketing costs and produce more compelling content.

The Pequot War - A History

The Pequot War - A History The Pequot War - Background: The 1630s were a period of great unrest along the Connecticut River as various Native American groups battled for political power and control of trade with the English and Dutch. Central to this was an ongoing struggle between the Pequots and the Mohegans. While the former typically sided with the Dutch, who occupied the Hudson Valley, the latter tended to ally with the English in Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, and Connecticut. As the Pequots worked to expand their reach, they also came into conflict with the Wampanoag and Narragansetts. Tensions Escalate: As the Native American tribes fought internally, the English began to expand their reach in the area and founded settlements at Wethersfield (1634), Saybrook (1635), Windsor (1637), and Hartford (1637). In doing so, they came into conflict with the Pequots and their allies. These began in 1634 when a noted smuggler and slaver, John Stone, and seven of his crew were killed by the Western Niantic for attempting to kidnap several women and in retaliation for the Dutch killing of the Pequot chief Tatobem. Though Massachusetts Bay officials demanded those responsible be turned over, the Pequot chief Sassacus refused. Two years later, on July 20, 1836, trade John Oldham and his crew was attacked while visiting Block Island. In the skirmish, Oldham and several of his crew were killed and their ship looted by Narragansett-allied Native Americans. Though the Narragansetts typically sided with the English, the tribe on Block Island sought to discourage the English from trading with the Pequots. Oldhams death sparked outrage throughout the English colonies. Though Narragansett elders Canonchet and Miantonomo offered reparations for Oldhams death, Governor Henry Vane of Massachusetts Bay, ordered an expedition to Block Island. Fighting Begins: Assembling a force of around 90 men, Captain John Endecott sailed for Block Island. Landing on August 25, Endecott found that most of the islands population had fled or gone into hiding. Burning two villages, his troops carried off crops before re-embarking. Sailing west to Fort Saybrook, he next intended to capture the killers of John Stone. Picking up guides, he moved down the coast to a Pequot village. Meeting with its leaders, he soon concluded they were stalling and ordered his men to attack. Looting the village, they found that most of the inhabitants had departed. Sides Form: With the beginning of hostilities, Sassacus worked to mobilize the other tribes in the region. While the Western Niantic joined him, the Narragansett and Mohegan joined the English and the Eastern Niantic remained neutral. Moving to avenge Endecotts attack, the Pequot laid siege to Fort Saybrook through the fall and winter. In April 1637, a Pequot-allied force struck Wethersfield killing nine and kidnapping two girls. The following month, leaders of the Connecticut towns met in Hartford to begin planning a campaign against the Pequot. Fire at Mystic: At the meeting, a force of 90 militia under Captain John Mason assembled. This was soon augmented by 70 Mohegans led by Uncas. Moving down the river, Mason was reinforced by Captain John Underhill and 20 men at Saybrook. Clearing the Pequots from the area, the combined force sailed east and scouted Pequot Harbors fortified village (near present-day Groton) and Missituck (Mystic). Lacking sufficient forces to attack either, they continued east to Rhode Island and met with the Narragansett leadership. Actively joining the English cause, they provided reinforcements that enlarged the force to around 400 men. Having seen the English sail past, Sassacus wrongly concluded that they were retreating to Boston. As a result, he departed the area with the bulk of his forces to attack Hartford. Concluding the alliance with the Narragansetts, Masons combined force moved overland to strike from the rear. Not believing they could take Pequot Harbor, the army marched against Missituck. Arriving outside the village on May 26, Mason ordered it surrounded. Protected by a palisade, the village contained between 400 to 700 Pequots, many of them women and children. Believing his was conducting a holy war, Mason ordered the village set on fire and anyone trying to escape over the palisade shot. By the end of the fighting only seven Pequots remained to be taken prisoner. Though Sassacus retained the bulk of his warriors, the massive loss of life at Missituck crippled Pequot morale and demonstrated the vulnerability of his villages. Defeated, he sought sanctuary for his people on Long Island but was refused. As a result, Sassacus began leading his people west along the coast in the hope that they could settle near their Dutch allies. Final Actions: In June 1637, Captain Israel Stoughton landed at Pequot Harbor and found the village abandoned. Moving west in pursuit, he was joined by Mason at Fort Saybrook. Aided by Uncas Mohegans, the English force caught up to Sassacus near the Mattabesic village of Sasqua (near present-day Fairfield, CT). Negotiations ensued on July 13 and resulted in the peaceful capture of the Pequot women, children, and elderly. Having taken refuge in a swamp, Sassacus elected to fight with around 100 of his men. In the resulting Great Swamp Fight, the English and Mohegans killed around 20 though Sassacus escaped. Aftermath of the Pequot War: Seeking aid from the Mohawks, Sassacus and his remaining warriors were immediately killed upon arriving. Desiring to bolster goodwill with the English, the Mohawks sent Sassacus scalp to Hartford as an offering of peace and friendship. With the elimination of the Pequots, the English, Narragansetts, and Mohegans met at Hartford in September 1638 to distribute the captured lands and prisoners. The resulting Treaty of Hartford, signed on September 21, 1638, ended the conflict and resolved its issues. The English victory in the Pequot War effectively removed Native American opposition to the further settlement of Connecticut. Scared by the European total war approach to military conflicts, no Native American tribes sought to challenge English expansion until the outbreak of King Philips War in 1675. The conflict also laid the foundation for the perception of future conflicts with the Native Americans as battles between civilization/light and savagery/darkness. This historical myth, which persisted for centuries, first found its full expression in the years after the Pequot War. Selected Sources Society of Colonial Wars: The Pequot War Mystic Voices: The Story of the Pequot War