Arthurian Romances Essay -- essays research papers

Arthurian Romances   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Middle Ages of Europe were governed by a system which is referred to as feudalist. The people of this system flow together well; society in these times require noble people to set the example for the younger. The ranks of the noble include counts, lords, knights, kings,queens,etc. These noblemen can be compared to as dueling politicians; they watch over their communities, keeping everything orderly, and they fend off any attackers trying to besiege land. The peace keeper of the society is the knight. The knight has been appointed the position of knight by a king because his traits and characteristic best fit the standards of a good warrior and protector of the civilization. A knight is truthful, honest, capable, educated, physically fit, noble, sincere, and subservient to the king.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In â€Å"Arthurian Romances† the knight has a duty to protect his country. When he approaches a situation he does not attack the other party until he has warned them. His place in the feudalist system involves other workers (vassals) to do his bidding. They suit him up in his armor and ready his horse and weapons. The knight in the first story is named Erec, son of the King Lac. He marries a girl named Enide, who is at his side throughout the story. Together they adventure through the countryside and Erec fights his battles as they go on. The knight will give up on nothing ever, it is his duty to serve his King and God...

Political Rap and Boogie Down Productions :: Rap Music B-D-P Essays

Political Rap and Boogie Down Productions In the fall of 1987, Scott la Rock, the DJ of the rap group Boogie Down Productions (B-D-P) was shot in a car after trying to break up a fight (Small 77). In light of B-D-P's role in reforming rap in the succeeding years, his biography is significant; he was college educated and was employed--in addition to his musical activity--as a social worker. He had released a groundbreaking record that year, and had already worked on a follow-up, which would defy older categories of rap music. His violent death seemed a cause for pause to reflect on rap music's new direction. The effect on the other member of B-D-P, the rapper K-R-S One (Chris Parker), was devastating but quickened his mission. Nearly two years after the murder, he preached against black-on-black crime, promoting education, spirituality and vegetarianism. Rap had to be political and it required self-denial, even asceticism; he had made rap music an extremely serious endeavor. Enlightened rap seemed poised to enjoy mainstream popularity. But something about its message did not capture the popular imagination, and it has remained a sub-genre. Conversely, the highly materialistic rap that was popular when B-D-P appeared in 1987, glorifying jewelry, cars and brand names, is in vogue again. However, B-D-P--vintage B-D-P--enjoys a paradoxically respected position. This is strange because in some respects B-D-P's version of political rap was stricter than the other groups that comprised the so-called New School, the consciousness-raised groups that followed in his path. Something about B-D-P's asceticism had an edge that made it strangely attractive. I wish to explore this ambiguity. K-R-S One was the guiding force of B-D-P, writing its lyrics and producing its albums. He is generally regarded as the popular artist who, along with Chuck D of Public Enemy, politicized rap in the middle 'eighties. It is well known that popular rap was capable of political content from its earliest beginnings. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five released both "The Message" (1982) and "White Lines" (Don't Do It) (1983), the first a lament about ghetto life and the second a powerful indictment of cocaine (then called "freebase"), well before crack became a mainstream epidemic. Run-DMC rapped in "Hard Times" about the early 'eighties inflation economy. Of course, the political discourse of rap music has been pointed out before, but almost always in exalted form.

Female Genital Mutilation is Sexual Abuse Essay -- FGM, Female Genital

Female circumcision, also known as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), is a very dangerous surgery. It is done to girls of any age, from a few days old to right before their wedding. The most common age is three. In most countries where FGM is practiced the clitoris is considered dangerous to the man. At one point they thought that if a penis touched a clitoris, it would shrivel up and fall off. Girls in Africa and parts of Asia are genitally mutilated for family honor, cleanliness, protection against spells, insurance of virginity and faithfulness to the husband, or to terrorize women out of sex. In the late 70’s and early 80’s parts of Europe and the United States used circumcision as a way to â€Å"cure† over-sexed or neurotic women. No matter what the excuse for it, Female Genital Mutilation is a form of sexual abuse. There are three types of Female Genital Mutilation. The first type, Sunna, meaning tradition, is the only form that can correctly be called circumcision. Sunna is the removal of the tip of the clitoris. The second, clitoridectomy, is the most commo...

A Caregiver’s Story

Sarah (Sharon Cuneta), a grade school English teacher, joins the 150,000 Pinoy OFWs working in the United Kingdom to support her husband, Teddy (John Estrada), in making a better living for their family. More than just a chronicle of the Filipino experience working as nurses and caregivers in the U. K. , this story also charts Sarah's journey to self-discovery – from a submissive wife who makes sacrifices to make way for her Teddy's aspirations to an empowered woman who finds dignity and pride in a humbling job as a caregiver in London. The story begins as Sarah says goodbye to her familiar world. After finishing an arduous course in caregiving, she bids farewell to the Grade 5 classroom where she teaches English. She buys a winter coat for her son Paulo (John Manalo) and promises he will use it once she can afford to take him to London. In typical Pinoy fashion, she shares tearful goodbyes with her whole family at the airport when she finally leaves for the United Kingdom. Sarah arrives in London. At their apartment, she and Teddy share a passionate reunion. In a honeymoon mood, he takes her to the beautiful sights around London. While window-shopping at a famous mall, Sarah meets Sean (Makisig Morales), a spunky Filipino boy, as he tries to shoplift chocolate bars. After the initial fleeting period of excitement, she experiences the hard challenges every Filipino caregiver faces every day: cold weather, dirty work and difficult patients. Meanwhile, Teddy also struggles with the daily grind in the hospital where he works. He is stressed and drinks often because he has failed the nursing test twice. Despite the difficulty of adjusting to London life, however, Sarah faithfully stands by her Teddy. She tries to make the most of the situation by doing her best at work and earns the respect of Mr. Morgan, a wealthy old man. Teddy is oblivious to her success, however, as he is absorbed in his own problems with work. Sarah finds solace in her friendship with Mr. Morgan and his son David, who seems to appreciate her more than Teddy does, and with Sean, who eases her longing for her own son. Tension rises between Sarah and Teddy as the stress of London life takes its toll on their marriage. Because of mounting conflict both at work and home, Teddy decides to give up. He tells Sarah that they are going back to the Philippines. Sarah finds it very hard to accept Teddy's decision. She knows that staying in London is the best thing for their family, because returning to the Philippines would only mean going back to the same problems they had before. Will Sarah choose to remain by Teddy's side to keep her family intact? Or will she find the strength to stay in London to continue seeking a better life for her son, even if it means losing her marriage?

Night World : Witchlight Chapter 16

We were so careful, she thought, setting up wards three days early and having agents watch the house. Nothing got inside during those three days; we were sure of that, and so we thought we were safe. But we didn't stop to think-what if the dragon was already inside when we put the wards up? Brett. He's the dragon. It could take on any shape, assume any animal's form, and know all that the animal knew. A human being was an animal. So why couldn't it touch a human and know all the human knew? It would be the perfect disguise. And we all fell for it, Keller thought. I knew there was something creepy about him, but I just put it down to him being obnoxious. And he's been here all the time, inside the wards, laughing at us, waiting for Iliana to come. And Iliana's with him right now. Keller felt sure of that in her gut. She wanted to throw herself against the door again, but that wouldn't do any good. She needed to be calm now, to think, because she couldn't afford to waste any time. The window. Keller tried to open it, looking down at a hedge of rhododendron bushes below. The sash was stuck, nailed fast. But it didn't matter. Glass was more breakable than wood. She stepped back and changed. Melting, flowing, jumpsuit becoming fur. Tail shooting free. Ears. Whiskers. Heavy paws thumping down. A single long stretch to get used to the new body and being on four feet instead of two. She was a panther, and she felt good. Strong and mean. Her muscles were like steel under her soft coat, and her big paws were twitching to bat someone silly. That dragon would be sorry he'd ever messed with her. With a rasping yowl that she couldn't help, she gathered herself and sprang straight at the window. The full weight of her panther body hit the glass, and it shattered, and then she was flying in the cold night air. She got cut. Panthers actually had thin and delicate skin compared to other animals. But she was indifferent to the pain. She landed and took off running, shaking her paws in flight to get rid of little bits of glass. She raced around the mansion, looking for a place to enter. Eventually, she found a low, unshuttered window, and once again, she gathered herself and jumped. She landed in a sitting room with glass falling all around her onto a fine, old carpet Brett. And Iliana. She would smell them out. She lifted her muzzle, smelling currents in the air. At the same time, she expanded her sense of hearing to its fullest. No Iliana. She couldn't get even a whiff of her. That was bad, but she would try again from the game room, where Iliana had been last. That was where she was going anyway, because that was where Brett was. Not Brett, she reminded herself as she loped through corridors and rooms. The dragon. She raced through the ballroom and heard a scream. She barely turned her head to notice a girl standing frozen, just lifting her hand to point. The college band crashed to a halt, almost as one, except the drummer, who went on playing for a moment with his eyes shut. Keller ignored them all, running at top speed and leaping down the stairs, her heavy front paws hitting the carpeted floor first, then her back paws hitting almost on either side of them. Each spring propelled her into the next. She burst into the game room. For an instant, she stood still, taking in the scene. She wanted to make sure with her eyes that what her ears and her nose told her was true: Iliana wasn't here. It was true. Winnie was missing, too, and Keller couldn't smell them anywhere. Then someone spotted her, a full-grown panther, jet black, with glowing eyes and long teeth just showing as she panted gently, standing in the doorway with her tail lashing. â€Å"Oh, my God!† The voice soared over the babble. â€Å"Look at that!† Everyone looked. Everyone froze for an instant. Chaos erupted. Girls were screaming. Boys were yelling. Plenty of boys were screaming, too. They saw her, and they fell over themselves, diving for the exits or for hiding places. They poured out of the room, dragging each other, sometimes trampling each other. Keller gave a loud, snarling yowl to help them on, and they scattered like chickens. The only one Keller cared about was the Brett-dragon. He turned and ran down a corridor. Luring her? He must be. Maybe he didn't realize she had found out yet Maybe he had some reason for continuing the charade. She threw her head back and gave a snarl that resounded through the house. It wasn't just anger. It was calling Nissa and Galen. If they could hear her, they would understand and come running. Then she took off after the dragon. As she loped down the corridor, she changed again. This time, she couldn't just try to kill him; she needed to be able to talk. But she also needed her claws, so she changed to her half-and-half form, fur shriveling off her arms, body rearing up to run on booted feet, hair flying out behind her. The dragon was almost at the end of the corridor when she jumped him. She knocked him down and rolled him over, straddling him. She was braced to feel the agony of the dark power crackling through her, but it didn't come. She pinned his arms and showed her teeth and screamed in his face. â€Å"Where is she? What did you do with her?† The face looked back at her. It looked just like Brett, just like a human. It was sickly white, with rolling eyeballs and spittle at the corners of the mouth. The only answer she got was a moan of what sounded like terror. â€Å"Tell me! Where is she?† â€Å"-it's not my fault†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What?† She lifted his body and banged it down again. His head flopped on his neck like a dead fish. He looked like someone about to faint Something was wrong. â€Å"She's in the bedroom with my parents. They're all asleep-or something-â€Å" His forehead. When she shook him, his hair flew around. It was uncharacteristically messy, but the forehead underneath was smooth. â€Å"I couldn't help it He did something to my brain. I couldn't even think until a few minutes ago. I just did what he told me to do. I was like a robot! And you don't know what it was like, having him in the house the last three days, and feeling like a puppet, and when he let go a few minutes ago, I thought I was going to be killed-â€Å" The babbling went on, but Keller's mind had disengaged. She had lots of thoughts all at once, like layers in a parfait. Chalk up another ability for dragons: telepathic mind control. Of weak human subjects, anyway. Nissa was right* the Night World did know what had happened in the music room. The substitution was probably made right after that. They could have grabbed Jaime on her way back to class. The car incident was designed to make us sympathetic and to lull our suspicions before they began. We thought of her as a victim. The doctors at the hospital must have been controlled, too. They had to have been-they'd looked at Jaime's head. Jaime's headaches have kept her at home for the past three days, so she never had to cross the wards. Diana trusts Jaime implicitly and would go anywhere with her without a fight Jaime wears bangs. And on the last layer, rushing at her cold and sharp as crystal: Jaime is the dragon. Jaime is the dragon. A vast, silent calm seemed to have filled Keller. She felt as if there was too much space inside her head. Very slowly, she looked down at Brett again. â€Å"Stop talking.† It was almost a whisper, but his gabble stopped as if she'd turned off a faucet â€Å"Now. Who's in the bedroom with your parents? Your sister?† He nodded, terrified. Tears spurted out of his eyes. â€Å"Your real sister.† He nodded again. They must have brought her in sometime, Keller thought. Certainly before we put the wards up and started checking cars, maybe even before the fake Jaime got back from the hospital. Why they'd kept her alive was a mystery, but Keller didn't have time to worry about it â€Å"Brett,† she said, still in a careful whisper, â€Å"what I want to know is where Iliana is. Do you know where she's been taken?† He choked. ‘1 don't know. He didn't tell me anything, even when he was in my mind. But I noticed-4here were some people down in the cellar. I think they were making a tunnel.† A tunnel. Under the wards, of course. So we were made fools of twice. She had to grit her teeth to keep from screaming. The floor plan of the house was a blur in her mind. She hauled Brett up by his shirt and said, â€Å"Where's the basement door? Show me!† Ic-can't-â€Å" â€Å"Move!† He moved, staggering. She followed, pushing him along, until they got to a door and stairs. Then he collapsed. â€Å"Down there. Don't ask me to go with you. I can't. I can't look at him again.† He huddled, rocking himself. Keller left him. Three stairs down, she bounded back up and grabbed him by the shirt. â€Å"That phone call from Iliana's mother-does he really have the baby?† She need to know if it came to bargaining. â€Å"I don't know,† Brett moaned in a sick voice. He was clutching his stomach as if he were wounded. â€Å"There wasn't any phone call, but I don't know what he's been doing.† He threw her a desperate look and whispered hoarsely, â€Å"What is he?† Keller dropped him. â€Å"You don't want to know,† she said, and left him again. She took the stairs very quietly but very quickly. Her senses were open, but the farther she went down, the less useful they were. They were being swamped by an overpowering sickly-sweet odor and by a rushing sound that seemed to fill her head. By the time she got to the last step, her fur was bristling, and her heart was pounding. Her tail stood out stiffly, and her pupils were wide. It was very dark, but details of the room slowly came into focus. It was a large furnished basement, or had been. Now every piece of furniture seemed to be broken and piled in a heap in the corner. There was a raw hole in one concrete wall, a hole that opened into a black tunnel. And the sickly-sweet smell came from piles of dung. They were lying on the floor all around, along with giant scratch marks that had dug grooves into the tile. The entire place looked like nothing so much as a huge animal's den. She couldn't sense anything alive in the room. Keller moved toward the tunnel, fast but stealthy. Ripple, freeze. Ripple, freeze. Leopards could move this way across grassland bare of cover and not be seen. But nothing jumped out to attack her. The mouth of the tunnel was wet, the soil crumbly. Keller climbed in, still moving lightly. Water dripped from the mat of roots and earth above her. The whole thing looked ready to cave in at any moment. He must have made it The dragon. Goddess knows how; maybe with claws. Anyway, he wasn't too fussy about it; it was meant to be a temporary thing. The smell was just as powerful here, and the rushing sound was even clearer. There must be an underground stream-or maybe just water pipes- very close. Come on, girl, what are you waiting for? You're a grunt, it's your job to move! Don't stand around trying to think! It was hard to make herself go deeper and deeper into that damp and confining place. Her senses were all useless, even sight, because the bore twisted and turned so she could never see more than a few feet ahead. She was heading blind and deaf into she had no idea what. At any moment, she might reach a shaft or a side tunnel where something could attack her. And the feel of the earth above her was almost crushing. She kept going. Please let her be alive. He doesn't need to kill her. He should try to make her join him first Please, please, don't let him have killed her. After what seemed like forever, she realized that the angle of the tunnel was changing. She was heading up. Then a current of air swirled to her, barely sniffable under the thick dragon smell, and it was fresh. Night air. Somewhere ahead. The end of the tunnel. A new panic invaded her. Please don't let them have gotten away. She threw aside all caution and sprinted. Up, up-and she could smell it clearly now. Cold air, unfouled. Up, up-and she could hear sounds. A yell that suddenly broke off. The voice sounded like- Galen! she thought, and her heart tore. Then she saw light Moonlight. She gathered her muscles and jumped. She scrambled out of the mouth of the tunnel. And there, in moonlight that hurt her eyes, she saw everything. A car, a black Jeep, parked under a tree. The engine running but the seats empty. And in front of it, what looked like a battlefield. There were bodies everywhere. Several were vampires in black-dark ninjas. But also on the ground were the bodies of Nissa and Winnie and Galen. So they followed, a distant part of Keller's mind said, not interfering in the slightest with the part that was getting ready for the fight. They followed the dragon-which must have done something to Winnie to get Iliana away from her. That was why I couldn't smell anybody; they all went into the tunnel while I was upstairs with brother Brett. She couldn't tell if they were dead. They were all tying very still, and there was blood on Winnie's head and on Nissa's right arm and back. Blood and daw marks. And Galen†¦ he was sprawled out full-length, with no signs of breathing. He wasn't even a warrior. He'd never had a chance. Then Keller saw something that drove the others out of her head. The dragon. It was standing near the Jeep, but frozen, as if it had just wheeled to face her. It was holding a limp figure in silvery-white casually, almost tucked under its arm. And it still looked like Jaime Ashton-Hughes. It was wearing Jaime's pretty blue dress. Its soft brown hair blew gently about its face, and Keller could feel its dark blue eyes fixed on her. But there were differences, too. Its skin was deadly pale, and something yellowish was oozing from a cut on its cheekbone. Its lips were drawn back from its teeth in a grinning snarl that Jaime never could have managed. And when the wind blew the soft hair off its forehead, Keller could see horns. There they were. Stubby and soft-looking-or at least soft on the outside, like downy skin over bone. They were so obviously real and yet so grotesque that Keller felt her stomach turn. And there were five of them. Five. The book said one to three! Keller thought indignantly. And in rare cases four. But this thing has five! Five seats of shapeshifting power, not to mention the black energy, mind control, and whatever else it's been keeping up its sleeve just for me. I'm dead. Well, she had known that from the beginning, of course. She'd known it six days ago when she first leaped for the dragon's back in the mall. But now the realization was more bitter, because not only was she dead, so was all hope. I can't kill that thing. It's going to slaughter me as easily as the others. And then take Iliana. It didn't matter. She had to try. â€Å"Put the girl down,† she said. She kept her half-and-half shape to say it. Maybe she could startle it by changing suddenly when she sprang. â€Å"I don't think so,† the dragon said with Jaime's mouth. It had Jaime's voice down perfectly. But then it opened the mouth, and basso profundo laughter came out, so deep and startling that Keller felt ice down her spine. â€Å"Come on,† Keller said. â€Å"Neither of us wants her hurt.† While she was talking, she was moving slowly, trying to circle behind it. But it turned with her, keeping its back to the Jeep. â€Å"You may not,† the dragon said. â€Å"But I really don't care. She's already hurt; I don't know if she'll make it anyway.† Its grin spread wider. â€Å"Put her down,† Keller said again. She knew that it wouldn't. But she wanted to keep talking, keep it off guard. She also knew it wasn't going to let her get behind it. Panthers naturally attack from behind. It wasn't going to be an option. Keller's eyes shifted to the huge and ancient pine tree the Jeep was parked under. Or they didn't actually shift, because that would have given the dragon a clue. She expanded her awareness to take it in. It was her chance. â€Å"We haven't even properly introduced ourselves-† she began. And then, in mid-sentence, she leaped.

Diet Food Industry

Serious illnesses or diseases and poor physical conditions that cause personal problems and difficulties are commonly attributed to the health and lifestyle of individuals, particularly the kind of food that they eat. For instance, obesity that is consequently known to lead to other major and fatal diseases such as heart attack, hypertension, diabetes, etc. , is not only caused by a sedentary lifestyle but also the unceasing consumption of unhealthy foods, particularly sweet and fatty ones.Most people are aware of this fact even without the aid of informational tools and activities. Due to the widespread occurrence of these illnesses or diseases, medical health professionals and health buffs have advocated for a â€Å"health and lifestyle revolution† that consists of a healthy diet and a fit lifestyle. With these changes, the diet food industry has also been established.The diet food industry operates internationally, with various organizations and establishments capitalizing on the strength of the industry’s market; thus, the influx of new groups or individuals who are willing to venture into the diet food industry especially within the international setting. However, groups and individuals who are highly interested in investing in the diet food industry need to go over various processes and succeeding stages in order to ensure their place and position within the corporate arena.The remainder of this paper will discuss these processes and stages, including the study of the global prospect, particularly for a planned restaurant that specializes in diet food meals, the current trends and practices in the diet food industry, available opportunities as well as probable risks and threats, the competition, and the nature and dimensions of the market situation. First, setting up a restaurant in some part of the world requires the study of worldwide acceptance and national or cultural responses to diet foods.(The International Food Information Council, 2 008) This particular process is a good way to start of establishing a business plan because it directly determines whether the targeted market in a particular place exist and is enough to fuel the success of the business in terms of sales and revenue. In addition, there are other considerations such as multicultural diversity, the availability of channels of distributions, the moral or ethical practices prevailing over a particular place, and the availability of resources.(Shay, 2007)Since the structures and dimensions of these factors and requirements differ for each place, there is a pressing need to conduct surveys and market researches in order to determine the best place to set up a restaurant that specializes in diet food. Perhaps, it should be developed in nations or localities that have high incidences of illnesses and diseases that are attributed to unhealthy diets and lifestyles, while considering the number of competition that exist within the area.Overall, the quality of the global prospect of establishing a diet food restaurant will depend on the results and outcomes of the survey and market research. Second, there is a need to review the current trends that fuel the diet food industry. Usually, they are backed up scientific breakthroughs in food or biological technology and the condition of the economy. For instance, the current global economic crisis will lead to the control and limitation of pricing strategies if the restaurant owner will expect the market to frequent the products and services provided by the establishment.(Heigl, 2008)According to the research conducted by MSN Health and Fitness (2008), individuals find it hard to maintain a healthy diet considering the price that they have to pay for each meal. In addition, there has been much discussion and recommendations on the consumption of organic foods – versus the widespread production of genetically modified organisms or GMOs and food products – as chief sources vitamin s and minerals needed by the body. Organic food has also been found out to be a good prevention measure to avoid illnesses and diseases brought about by GMOs.(Greene, 2008)With the reason aforementioned above – that is the alarming increase in the number of individuals who die or get stricken by major illnesses and diseases that are attributed to unhealthy diet and lifestyle as well as the growing importance directed by individuals to the physical and aesthetic condition of individuals – there are various opportunities open for existing business organization to expand or venture into the diet food industry.The continuous evolution of dietary constructs as brought about by the advancement of science and technology allow the diet food industry to reap the benefits of discoveries, developments, and improvements that fit the landscape of diet food restaurants. In addition, the existence of numerous dietary food plans or selections also build up opportunities for organizati ons or establishments to compete. For instance, there are restaurants that specialize on vegetarian meals, low-carbohydrate diets, low cholesterol diets, sugar-free food products, high fiber meals, etc.(â€Å"Special Dietary Needs,† 2008)Moreover, as time progresses, there will be other introductions to the diet food industry. On the other hand, the risks involved have something to do with the problems those organizations or establishments would have to encounter during the planning and implementation process. For instance, competition is always considered a risk, as well as the market acceptability and response of the market to diet food products and services.Moreover, the risks are great for restaurants in terms of how they will be able to handle the market saturation of organizations and establishments that specialize on the diet or special foods. For this reason, the restaurant should be able to offer something new and innovative to the market, set it on affordable prices as compared to other establishments, and ensure the quality and efficiency of the food products and services being offered for the benefit of the consumers.With the development of the diet food industry, organizations and establishments are slowly trying to get into the bandwagon by modifying or transforming their products and services in order to attract the bulk of the market that patronizes special and diet foods. For instance, various supermarkets have involved themselves in promoting healthy diet foods for their consumers by taking part in the implementation of various strategies in terms of consumer purchases of healthy foods. (Mhurchu, et. al., 2005)In addition, well-known restaurants such as Chili’s Grill & Bar, TGI Friday’s, Fresh Fit, etc. In addition, this valuable cause of promoting the health and well being of individuals is also backed up by city governments and private organizations that are concerned about health awareness and consciousness. (Barlyn, 2 008) For ideas on how to introduce healthy diet foods, restaurants should follow by example from the popular restaurants aforementioned. Fresh Fit offers meals that include a sandwich, yogurt, and a bottle of water which is known to be only 340 calories.Chili’s Grill & Bar offers the Guiltless Grill meals that are packed with a variety of vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, and peppers. In addition, it also comes with a low-fat dressing. The Applebee’s Grill & Bar also offer meals that include various vegetables including low-calories steaks and beneficial seafood selections such as shrimps. All the healthy diet foods offered by Applebee’s, Chili’s, Romano’s Macaroni, Subway, and TGI Friday’s only amount from 300 to 400 calories per meal.

Evaluating a Website for Credibility Essay

A search for men’s health related website conducted using the public search engine Google.com. Men’s Health Network (MHN), http://www.menshealthnetwork.org, is a nonprofit organization reaching out to males and their families focusing on the growing health crisis that affect the premature mortality of men (Men’s Health Network, 2014). Approximately 50% of the population is male; evaluating the sites credibility is important when using it as an educational tool for male patients related to prevention and management of health. Evaluation of website MHN is comprised of spokespersons and advisory board. The website discloses a limited list of spokespersons with title and areas of educational focus. The site states, â€Å"†¦there are over 800 physicians, mental health experts, and other key thought leaders among the MHN Board of Advisors†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Men’s Health Network, 2014). The readability of the website is not technical, the average person will be able to read the information on the site and be able to understand the intent of the organizations message. The information that is presented is accurate but referencing to studies and citations are lacking or difficult to find. Brief explanations of diseases are summarized followed by links to outside sources such as the American Urology Association, National Institute of Health, or Journal of Men’s Health for additional information. MHN is sponsored by monetary donations from the public as well as internships to promote education to the public and policy makers related to men’s health (Men’s Health Network, 2014). Partnerships are publicly display at the bottom of the website and range from for-profit drug companies such as Glaxo Smith Kline, Bayer and Pfizer as well as nonprofit organizations such as Boy Scouts of America and Veterans Health Council. Since the number of for-profit partnerships with MHN supersedes the  nonprofit partnerships, one can view the information provided on MHN as favoring the for profit companies despite MHN having links to outside sources for information on diseases. MHN website navigation is user friendly with headings at the top of the web pages that are identical on every page. The font utilized is clear, easy to read, and not strenuous on the eyes. All links in headings are operational and link phrases are clearly described to target page. MHN security link states commitment to ensuring user privacy and that any information collected is used only in accordance to the November 2012 policy (Men’s Health Network, 2014). MHN informs that the website will request permission to place â€Å"cookies† on user’s computer. The term â€Å"cookie† is defined and gives the user informed consent. MHN clearly states that clicking links to partnerships and outside sources link takes the user away from MHN site and states, â€Å"we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement.† (Men’s Health Network, 2014). Empirical evidence Building credibility for a website requires providing links to reputable organizations which increase traffic, thereby increasing its relevance in search outcomes (Calabro, 2010). MHN achieves this with a banner containing links to other organizations for the reader to get additional information, but the sites that the reader is linked to do not always reciprocate a link back. Calabro (2010) suggests that updating the home page regularly with updated graphics, information, and testimonials are vital to enhancing the websites presence on the internet. MHN, compared to www.nih.org which publicly displays the sites last revision, information contained on the site doesn’t display last revision although there is updating to the site by evidence of seminar announcements, online flyers, and press releases. In a study of 1,442 acute care nurses employed in one large hospital system with readily available library sources, 43% reported starting a search with Google. Of that group 64% reported success in obtaining results using a general search engine such as Google. While 49% started a search using CINAHL or MEDLINE, a much smaller percentage reported successful searching (20% and 24% respectively) of these professional databases. (Miller, Graves, Jones, & Sievert, 2010, p. 3) Not having a subscription to CINAHL or  MEDLINE, according to (Miller et al., 2010), should not hinder knowledgeable nurses in using public search engines for credible information as a tool to educate patients and families. Application to nursing practice Evaluating information found on the internet is important to properly educate patients as MHN provides educational material for men, boys, women and families. The professional nurse can utilize the site resources to aide families to cope with ailments that affect their male loved ones. Nurses can resource MHN to provide information to families to co-pay card programs to curb the high cost of health insurance. Summary MHN demonstrates credibility by the use of expert advising board and links to creditable organizations which have done studies to support their mission. The site is easy to find on public search engines, easy to read for the lay person while giving links to more detailed information for the healthcare professional. References Calabro A 2010 Endhave your presensce on the internet with an improved website.Calabro, A. (2010). Enhance your presence on the internet with an improved website. O&P Business News, 19(12), 18. 201409201149291993026019 Mens Health NetworkMen’s Health Network. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2014, from http://www.menshealthnetwork.org 201409161816071882827044 Miller L C Graves R S Jones B B Sievert M C 2010 Beyond Google: Finding and evaluating web-based information for community-based nursing practice.Miller, L. C., Graves, R. S., Jones, B. B., & Sievert, M. C. (2010). Beyond Google: Finding and evaluating web-based information for community-based nursing practice. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 7(1), 1-16. doi:10.2202/1548-923X.1961 201409201214161550333619