Video Games Why The Gender Bias Essays - Childhood, Girl, Women

Video Games: Why The Gender Bias? This Christmas, like millions of other parents, I bought my two children, a boy and a girl, a popular home video game system. I thought they could share it and when asked if this was OK with them, they replied, "Sure mom, that would be great." So, we planned on installing the little goody onto the TV in the family room, so that both kids would have an equal chance to play. So, "What then?" you may be asking is the problem. The problem arose when we went to shop for games for the system. They weren't hard to find. They were in all the local toy stores and Walmart and Kmart too! But, there weren't any for girls! I looked high and low and came up empty handed. Why was this happening? Surely, girls must want to play video games as much as boys do! Why then, aren't game manufacturers producing any video games that feature girls as the main character? On a recent trip to our local Walmart store, I found over two hundred video game titles, yes I counted, for our game system, but of these only two had female main characters. One of them was, you guessed it, Barbie! The other one was a female warrior dressed in a scantily clad leather outfit. I'm pretty sure the latter was designed for young men, and not for young girls. Surely, a big retailer, like Toys-R-Us would have more of a selection. So, off I went on my merry way only to be once again disappointed. Toys-R-Us had over 300 titles in stock for our game system and only the same two titles I found at Walmart were available there with one new addition, which was the Spice Girls CD. It's price had been reduced, so I guessed it was left over from last year when the Spice Girls used to be popular. I ended up purchasing 4 games for my kids to play. I found a few with cartoon characters as lead characters, that I felt would be appropriate for kids. I bought Rugrats, Loony Tunes, Grand Turismo (race cars), and Tetras (puzzle). All, except the puzzle game, had male characters in the lead, but at least these were rated as non-violent. After some careful research, I found that video games are a 7 billion dollar a year industry that out surpasses even the movie industry by 2 billion dollars each year ( 2 ). Mostly, these games are being sold to boys and young men. Girls currently represent only about 20 percent of the market, having been pretty much written off by important manufacturers like, Hasbro, Sony, and Sega ( 3 ). Girls have extensive buying power though, nearly 84 billion dollars annually, and over 6 million of them live in households with gaming systems ( 3 ). From ages, 6 to 10, girls play video games as much and as often as boys in that same age bracket, and one survey reports that if there were more games out there that they enjoyed, 85 percent of girls surveyed would use their gaming systems more ( 1 ). Girls don't seem to like the same kinds of games boys do. Instead of the violent, time-limited games boys go for, the girls like games that offer strong narratives, interaction, and creativity. It's not enough to simply convert or replace existing software for girls; the basic structure should be changed. A 1995 survey in Children's Software Review found only 28 of the 344 games with female characters in leading roles ( 3 ), proof that few producers have created games exclusively for girls. I believe this is largely so, due to the male dominance in the whole computer and technological industry. Males are turning out a product for other males. Then why aren't women out there designing a product girls will enjoy? Some are trying, but I have found it a catch-22 situation. Men are leading the technology industry because they are the ones inviting other males to join their ranks by making only games geared towards boys and young men. Girls are less likely to deem this area as fun and inviting and thus, turn their attention to other areas of study once college bound. Some companies are beginning to look for ways to encourage girls to get more involved in information technology. Girl Tech is one such group, in hopes of reaching 3.4 million Girl Scouts, they are sponsoring a

Cricket Cell Phone Service Essay Example

Cricket Cell Phone Service Essay Example Cricket Cell Phone Service Essay Cricket Cell Phone Service Essay Essay Topic: Zone One I’ve found that if you mention Cricket mobile during a conversation about cell phone service providers, no one wants to hear what you have to say. Many people already have an opinion of Cricket and it’s not usually a very good one. As a faithful customer, I can relate to the negative attitude some have; I’ve experienced most of the issues that have given Cricket the bad rep they can’t seem to shake. I always want to add my own two cents to the cell phone chat. I want to tell them about my positive experiences, the tremendous change I’ve seen as this company grew and why I stick with them, for better or worse. I’d be the first one to tell you that I don’t have the coolest phone or top of the line service available but for me, it works. My loyalty as a customer has been pushed to the limit more than once and I am now someone who loves to hate them. I have come close to jumping ship several times but always stick with Cricket. I stick with them because I feel for the money; it’s the best deal around. They offer some great benefits and features that I could not afford if I signed with Verizon, T-Mobile or Sprint. It’s definitely not the service for everyone. But for someone like me, who is on a limited budget, doesn’t want to watch minutes, plan calls around nights and weekends and doesn’t need the hottest phone on the market, Cricket mobile is perfect. On their web page, it states â€Å"cheap cell phones and prepaid plans you can count on make Cricket the best choice for a no hassles and no signed contract cell phone service. † (mycricket. com/shop) The original selling point for me was the â€Å"no signed contract† feature. It really drew me in. I had not fulfilled my contract with another provider; I couldn’t get a decent signal where I lived and making calls from home was almost impossible. I was not at all happy that I had to pay them approximately $250 because my house was in an area that was a dead zone. Also, with less than perfect credit, all other cell phone companies required a hefty deposit before I could establish service. Cricket didn’t require any type of deposit. No deposit and no contract, I couldn’t help but give them a try. My total monthly cell phone bill is $59. 00. That’s everything, including taxes and fees. I have the $45 plan and lots of unlimited features including: talk, text, mobile web, picture and video messaging, long distance directory assistance calls and international texts. My plan also includes voicemail, caller id, call waiting, 3-way calling and call forwarding. I pay an additional $5 for the insurance plan. So, that’s 50 bucks for an excellent, unlimited everything plan with insurance for the phone and 9 bucks for taxes, fees etc. They offer four plans, the basic for $35, the $45, the $55 plan and the $60 plan. Cricket only offers prepaid plans so you pay for the upcoming month of service, never service from last month. I couldn’t get a plan that good anywhere else and not have to pay a deposit and sign a contract. It’s really an awesome deal. That’s a lot of unlimited features that make my personal cell phone usage less stressful. When I had to keep track of my minutes, pay attention to what time I called my family in Chicago so I didn’t eat up those minutes and send texts in strange code in hopes of not exceeding my allowed limit per month, I was always confused or nervous. I didn’t like the restrictions. When I ignored the restrictions, it cost me. And who wants to try and figure out if the free nights and weekends that start at 9pm is going to include your next call, two time zones away? Not me. I felt much of my time was wasted, tracking my minutes, planning my calls and somehow, more often than not, I messed up and got slammed on my next bill. The unlimited directory assistance feature Cricket offers really excited me because I would no longer pay almost $2 each time I dialed 411. I’d discovered the hard way that those calls could add up quickly. With Cricket, no surprises on the bill, for anything. That makes me very happy; it’s easy to budget and I get a lot for my money. A lot more then I would with other cell companies. Cricket claims they have cheap cell phones and they don’t lie. On their official company website, they currently offer refurbished phones on sale from $29 to an Android Smartphone for $249 or a Blackberry Smartphone for $299. The sales are pretty good online and most all phones offer a web only discount, a mail in rebate or both. The sales that they are currently offering on their official company website make the refurbished phone free and the Android and Blackberry both with a sale price of $179. If you buy a Smartphone, either the $55 or $60 plan is required for all phone features to work. On the official company website for T-Mobile, I found an unlimited talk, text and web, with no service contract plan for $79. I added some additional services; phone insurance for $5. 99 and unlimited international text for $5. Total cost for a plan that matched closest to my Cricket plan was $91 and that was not including taxes and fees. When I looked at their shop for phones page, I discovered an overwhelming number of phones to choose from, priced from $49 to $499. There were so many choices, it got rather confusing. If you chose a phone like a Blackberry, add an additional $29 for the data plan to the unlimited plan bringing you up to about $110. So, for the unlimited type of service I prefer, even if I had a smart phone or Blackberry, I would pay approximately $30 more per month if I went with T-Mobile service instead of Cricket. To me, that’s a huge monthly savings. Cricket made some improvements that helped keep me as a customer. Now, there are more Cricket authorized dealers which mean more places to get what I need whether it’s a new phone or an accessory for my old one. They have added a feature called bridgepay; if I am unable to pay my bill by the due date I can can pay $20 and get a seven day extension. So you will never see a late fee on your bill. The newest addition to their product line is the addition of the broadband modem, which I bought just this month. I purchased the modem for $50, received a $50 rebate and it is unlimited hours of internet access for $50 per month. This will be added to my cell phone bill and I will receive a multi line discount of $5 so next month, for cell phone and internet, I will pay $104. I can use my modem at home on my laptop or unplug it from the USB port and take it anywhere. It was easy to install and easy to use. The issues with Cricket that kept many away from trying their service are sporadic but all in all, they have improved greatly, in all areas over the years. When I first started with Cricket, the limited coverage areas had me upset. Now, they have 3G and have expanded so much, I rarely have a problem getting a decent signal to make a call. They offer better quality phones then a few years back, so my phones tend to last longer, even though I’m pretty rough with them. The customer service department has been an area of repeated troubles for me through the years. Nowadays, it’s not so hard to speak to a live person or change your plan or get technical assistance with your phone. Cricket has greatly improved in this important area. It seems that this cell phone provider really pays attention to what makes their customer’s happy. They offer more of what we like and continue to make changes to things that don’t work right. To keep their customers loyal, they continue to grow their product line. If they continue with that trend, they have a life customer in me. So, if you have to have the hottest phone on the market, you don’t want to have the stigma of being a Cricket customer and have good credit or money for a deposit, then maybe Cricket isn’t the cell phone company for you. But if you use your cell phone so much, it’s become part of you, yet you can’t afford most companies unlimited plans, Cricket’s plans may be just what you need. Of if you are a college student on a limited budged or the parent of a teenager who doesn’t want to foot the bill for someone that doesn’t keep track of minutes and texts sent, give Cricket a try. You will be hard pressed to find a better wireless deal, from any other carrier. You might just become a loyal customer like me. Cricket Communications, Shop page of official Cricket company website, Web, October 29, 2010 [www. mycricket. com/shop] Cricket Communications, Shop plans page of official Cricket company website, Web, October 29, 2010 [www. ycricket. com/cell-phone-plans] Cricket Communications, Shop phones page of official Cricket company website, Web, October 29, 2010 [www. mycricket. com/cell-phones] T-Mobile USA Inc, Shop plans page of official T- Mobile company website, Web, October 30, 2010 [www. t-mobile. com/shop/plans] T-Mobile USA Inc, Shop phones page of official T- Mobile company website, Web, October 30, 2010, [www. t-mobile. com/shop/phones] T-Mobile USA Inc, Shop services page of official T- Mobile company website, Web, October 30, 2010, [www. t-mobile. com/shop/addons/services]

Whether the use of responsive web design is able to maintain user Literature review

Whether the use of responsive web design is able to maintain user experience quality on many devices or not - Literature review Example RWD is gaining a lot of popularity in recent times as from the year 2010. Use of responsive web pages has been popularized by the extensive us of smart-phones and tablets. Browsing through mobile phones has been foreseen to grow and outgrow browsing through the personal computer since the early 2000 and the move to mobile phone browsing dominance is predicted to take place around 2013 and 2016 (Marcotte, 2010).It has also been predicted that the sales of tablets will surpass the sale of personal computers and laptops by the year 2014 (Joly, 2013). The statistics leave web designers with no option but to optimize web pages to the user-friendly to the larger market share. Responsive web pages have achieved and maintained a rich user experience on very many different devices. Responsive web pages have used several technologies over the last few years to make this happen. Responsive web design is gradually changing from being entirely device centered into being context focused. The elements of RWD that make it successful are flexible media, fluid layout and media queries. In contrast to fixed layout that uses specified static unit like pixels, points, and inches, fluid design uses relative units and percentages (Nebeling & Norrie, 2013). Fluid design of RWD is made to be relative to the viewpoint or window width of the browser being used. Child elements are also made to be corresponding to the widths of their parent elements. Gardner, (2011) says that video, plugin content or images, which form part of flexible media, are achieved using relative units. The Relative units specify the width of the media inside their main container elements. Earlier technologies used fixed layout that had fixed width wrapping items. The elements will be of the same width for all users regardless of the device being used to view the website. Same width elements will be viewable, even though, the items inside the wrapper

September 11th Attacks on the United States and How it changed my Personal Statement

September 11th Attacks on the United States and How it changed my outlook on Politics and world events - Personal Statement Example This attack generated hatred, depression, frustration and insecurity among the people. Every individual whether Muslim or non-Muslim has experienced a tough time after the 9/11 attack. Brutality rose to its peak in different countries that lead to discrimination. The political situation in U.S and other countries become worse. People live in fear and hesitate in exchanging their personal views regarding the prevailing political situations worldwide openly with others. U.S imposed a policy war against terrorism with the help of numerous countries in Muslim states. Its been 11 years since the attack took place and nothing has been gained so far except hatred, conflicts among nations and aggression. Inflation rose, which in turn lead to unemployment and poverty. Nations invested millions of dollars for the security of their borders to eliminate the risk of attack. Illegal activities such as drug smuggling, human trafficking, and pornography rose. I suffered a mental trauma that created a negative picture regarding different nations. The U.S economy faced budget deficits as they increased their investments in purchasing modern weapons to fight against terrorism. The Muslim community suffered more after the attack that lead to harassment, conflicts in religious practices and demoralization. This chain of events has changed my life in various ways, it has deeply affected my thinking and damaged my level of trust towards the government. The US government spends millions of dollars every year in upgrading their security systems and still 19 people armed with pocket knives could easily hijack 4 passenger planes and so easily crashed them into the twin towers and inflicted such a long-term tragedy that changed the history of mankind. Peace and harmony among nations has been taken out of peoples lives, and now they are living in fear and incursion. In my opinion the situation has become worse as it

A&P 1 chapter 8 study guide Essay Example for Free

AP 1 chapter 8 study guide Essay 1)What is a joint? Functional junctions between bones 2)How are joints classified? Structurally: fibrous, cartilaginous, synovial Functionally: immovable, slightly moveable, freely moveable 3)Describe the 3 types of fibrous joints. †¢Syndemosis: sheet or bundle of dense connective tissue †¢Sutures: only between flat bones of skull †¢Gomphosis: binds teeth to bony sockets 4)What is the function of the fontanels? Allows the skull to slightly change which allows the infant to pass through the birth canal more easily. 5)Describe two types of cartilaginous joints. †¢Synchondrosis: bands of hyaline unite the bones †¢Symphysis: bones are covered by a thin layer of hyaline cartilage, and the cartilage is attached to a springy fibrocartilage. 6)What is the function of an intervertebral disc? They absorb shocks and help equalize pressure between the vertebrae when the body moves 7)Describe the structure of a synovial joint. Two bones are held together by a joint capsule composed of two layers. Ligaments help reinforce the capsule. The cavity between the bones are filled with a viscous fluid called synovial fluid. 8)What is the function of the synovial joint? Allow free movements 9)Name six types of synovial joints and describe the structure of each. †¢Ball + Socket: globular shaped head articulates with a cup shaped cavity †¢Condylar: Ovoid condyle of one bone fits into the elliptical cavity of another †¢Plane/Gliding: nearly flat or slightly curved †¢Hinge: convex surface of one bone fits into concave surface of another †¢Pivot: the cylindrical surface of one bone fits rotates in a ring formed of a bone and a ligament. †¢Saddle: articulating surfaces have both convex and concave surfaces. 10)Define the following movements and give an example. Flexion-bending parts, angle decreases, parts come closer Extension-moving parts, angle increses, parts move farther away Hyperextension-extension beyond anatomical position  Dorsiflexion-movement at the ankle that brings the foot closer to the shin Plantar flexion-moves the foot farther from the shin  Abduction-moving part away from the midline, raising the arm Adduction-moving part toward the midline Rotation-moving part around on an axis Circumduction-moving a part so the end follows a circular path Supination-rotation of forearm so the palm is upward Pronation-rotation of forearm so the palm is downward  Eversion-turning the foot so plantar surface is facing laterally Inversion-turning the foot so the plantar surface is facing medially Protraction-moving a part forward  Retraction-moving a part backward Elevation-raising a part Depression-lowering a part 11)Describe how a movement occurs at a joint when a muscle contracts. The fibers pull the moveable end (insertion) towards its fixed end (origin) 12)What part helps to keep together the articulating surfaces of the shoulder joint? †¢Coracohumeral ligament †¢Glenohumeral ligament †¢Transverse humeral ligament 13)What factors allow an especially wide range of motion in the shoulder? †¢The looseness of its attachments †¢Large articular surface of the humerus compared to the shallow depth of the glenoid cavity 14)What structures form the hinge joint of the elbow? Trochlea of the humerus and the trochlear notch of the ulna 15)Which parts of the elbow permit pronation and supination of the hand? The head of the radius 16)Which structures help keep the articulating surfaces of the hip together? †¢Iliofemoral ligament †¢Pubofemoral ligament †¢Ischiofemoral ligament 17)What types of movements does the structure of the hip permit? †¢Flexion †¢Extension †¢Adduction †¢Abduction †¢Rotation †¢Cicumduction 18)What types of joints are in the knee? †¢Modified hinge joint †¢Plane joint 19)Which parts help hold together the articulating surfaces of the knee? †¢Patellar ligament †¢Oblique popliteal ligament †¢Arcuate popliteal ligament †¢Tibial collateral ligament †¢Fibular collateral ligament 20) Describe the following joint disorders. Sprain -over streching or tearing the connective tissues Bursitis-overuse of a joint or stress on a bursa Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)- immune system attacks body healthy tissues. Synovial membrane becomes inflamed and thickens. Then articular cartilage is damaged, fibrous tissue infiltrates and interferes with joint movement. Osteoarthritis-articular cartilage softens and disintegrates gradually Lyme Arthritis-casues intermittent arthritis of several joints 20)Which type of joint is the first to show signs of aging? Fibrous 21)Describe the loss of function in synovial joints as a progressive progress (while aging). †¢Begin in 30s but progresses slowly †¢Fewer capillaries serving synovial membrane; slows circulation of synovial fluid; resulting in a possibility of stiffening †¢More collagen cross-links shorten and stiffen ligaments; affecting range of motion

Friar Lawrence to Blame for Romeo and Juliets Death :: Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Friar Laurence’s interference in the families of Romeo and Juliet set much of the fighting, rage and death of these characters into motion. Romeo and Juliet is the title of a great tragedy. This tragedy has been caused by Friar Laurence’s involvement in the marriage of Romeo and Juliet, the Friar’s lying to Capulet and his family, and his involvement in the false death of Juliet. Friar Laurence’s involvement in the marriage of Romeo and Juliet has caused a tragedy. Romeo and Juliet thought that they fell in love, but the Friar should have known that they were just kids and they were really rushing into things. In Romeo and Juliet, Friar Laurence says, â€Å"These violent delights have violent ends. Is loathsome in his own deliciousness, and in the taste confounds the appetite: Therefore love moderately: long love doth so, too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.† When he says this, he is giving Romeo a warnin. Also, Friar Lawrence should have known at the time, that Romeo was loving with his eyes and not with his heart. For example, Romeo was in a relationship with Rosaline, before marrying Julliet. Inonclusion , the Friar did not have the expierence to know that they were kids. The Friar thought that this marriage will end an ancient grudge of two prominent families, when it will only separate them even more. Friar Laurence was helping Capulet and Lady Capulet mourn over Tybalt’s death. Paris says, "With these times of woe afford no time to woo!" . If everything was thought about clearly and not rushed through then none of this would have happened and Romeo and Juliet would not have died such a tragic death. Another example of the Friar lying is by not telling Montague and Lady Montague of Romeo and Juliet’s elopement. This only made matters worse, and now both Romeo and Juliet are dead. The Friar made this marriage a huge mistake, and he could have stopped the whole thing right there and then by just saying no. The bad advice keeps coming. Hold, daughter. "I do spy a kind of hope, Which craves as desperate an execution, As that is desperate which we would prevent. If, rather than to marry County Paris,"When Juliet turns to Friar Lawrence in desperation because her parents are forcing her to marry Paris, the Friar concocts the crazy scheme for Juliet to fake her own death.

Horses of the night

The story â€Å"Horses of the Nigh? ‘ centers the theme of depression. The story is told from Vanessa point of view, a 6 year old girl, who dollies her cousin Chris, a teenager who comes to live with them to complete his high school. Vanessa grows closer to Chris during his stay. He would talk to her about his life goals or occasionally also talk about his â€Å"beautiful† hometown. She describes Chris as a handsome boy who is very creative, entertaining and a dreamer.She admired the little things about him, how he overlooked negative comments instead of talking back, how he would easily mix up with children etc. He seemed to have everything figured out and he made it look so simple. As Vanessa grew up she started to understand the realities of life. She realized on her trip to Chrism's hometown that it was not after all the paradise he described to her. The reason why Chris overlooked peoples' comments was because he wanted to escape his own reality.He could not accept the fact that he was poor, that he couldn't afford college so he created his own imaginary world where everything worked for him. Slowly Vanessa started to realize that Chris is not the perfect boy she thought he was. The fact that his dreams were slipping away from his hands was dragging him further into the darkness. He joined the army to escape his destiny as a farmer which only backfired on him because the conditions of the war were way worst which landed him in a mental hospital.