PC Vitals for Every Freelance Writer

PC Vitals for Every Freelance Writer PC Vitals for Every Freelance Writer PC Vitals for Every Freelance Writer By Colin If you’ve never experienced the horror of a computer screen turning stark blue and displaying garbled characters while you are working on it, then lucky you. My advice is to never take things for granted. Computers have a nasty habit of hiding their internal illnesses until it’s too late, by telling you one thing when they mean another, or by playing tricks on your mind. If, however, you have experienced this scenario, you won’t need me to remind you of the blood curdling scream that came from your throat, or the moment of rapid pleading with a metal box, or the red mist of anger that followed very soon after. You’ll already know what it’s like to have your PC, something you came to think of as a friend, get up and desert you just like that. It’s every writer’s worst nightmare. But it is avoidable. Here are a few tips to help keep your PC in tip-top shape, and to spot those all important warning signs that not everything is as it should be. Only Install What You Need Don’t install software you will probably never use. It only takes up room, and makes unnecessary entries into the computer’s registry, which over time, slows it down considerably. When you do install software, always keep a copy of the installation executable, and always keep this updated at regular intervals. If you ever find you have to start again and rebuild your PC, or even get a new one, you will be able to get back to where you were relatively easily. Make a regular point of going through the installed programs list in the Control Panel and removing what you rarely use. Hard Drive Maintenance Your PC comes with a disk defragmenter and surface scanner – use them regularly. The disk defragmenter will reorganize the data on your hard drive, to ensure faulty sectors are either repaired or removed. This process also optimizes your system to run software faster. The surface scanner checks for physical errors that can then be repaired, or give you warning that something more serious might be on the cards, and that action should be taken. Keep Your Anti-Virus Software Updated There’s a multitude of subscription and free anti-virus software products on the market, so the modern freelance writer can have no reason for not having some form or protection on his PC. Scan For Malware And Adware Regularly Along with anti virus software, these utilities keep your system free from the full spectrum of ware’isms, to the risk of data theft. There are several free products available in the Internet that do this job wonderfully, which no serious freelance writer should be without. Remove All Crap CCleaner is a highly recommended tool to remove the crap that builds up in a PC over time. It quickly and easily rids your machine of unwanted cookies, temporary files, logs, and installation garbage, clearing up space, and ensuring integrity. CCleaner is also excellent at keeping your system registry in tip-top shape, by scanning for obsolete entries, missing links and files, and removing them after taking a backup. Keep Regular Backups Perhaps the most important thing a writer can, and should, do regularly. If you take nothing else from this article, you should at least take heed of this section, the importance of which cannot be stressed enough. Should you lose your PC to internal failure, you can always buy another one. But if that failure means the loss of the directory called â€Å"All My Writing,† and you have taken no backups, your life is over. There’s no excuse for not backing up regularly. Once per month is not enough – it should be done at least once per week minimum, and daily if you have works in progress. Whether you back the whole lot up onto a DVD in one go, or do it file by file because your system still uses 4.5† floppy disks DO IT! You will never forgive yourself if the worst happens. Watch for Warning Signs PCs often give off subtle warnings that a failure is impending, so it would be useful to be able to recognize them. Should you spot any of the following, take immediate backups of everything, and start running checks. At Boot Up Watch for any difference in the start-up messages as your PC boots up, such as hardware not being located, registry information missing, control, or system file errors, etc. Listen for strange noises coming from the hard drive as it gets going. Squeaks, groans, or moans can indicate something is wrong. Keep an eye on the boot-up time. Is it getting slower or does it appear to be struggling? If so, do a back up and run your checks. While In Use Have you noticed applications taking a while to load up, or when in use, are they running slower, hanging for no reason, or closing down unexpectedly? Don’t leave it until it dies before doing something about it. Does your hard drive go through periods of seemingly intense use when nothing is happening? Watch the CPU and make sure it’s not being over-used – a larger issue could be unfolding. At Shutdown Does the machine take a while to shut down? Does it hang while closing down, leaving you to pull the plug to shut it down for the night? Are there any spurious messages on the screen? Any of these things could indicate there is a problem. The rule of thumb if you spot a potential problem is to take a backup, then get it checked out. When To Do All Of This Daily – Incremental backups on all WIPs, checks on PC running stability. Weekly – AV quick scan, ad/malware quick scan, crap clean, full backup of all data. Monthly – AV deep scan, ad/malware deep scan, full backup of the entire system (data and applications). Staying on top of your PC’s integrity can save a freelance writer much embarrassment, time, and money – even his career. Don’t be a fool and fall into the â€Å"it will never happen to me† trap, because when you start thinking like that, the chances are you’re next. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Slang Terms for Money40 Fish Idioms7 Sound Techniques for Effective Writing

Strategic Analysis of Facebook Inc Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Strategic Analysis of Facebook Inc - Term Paper Example In this regard, the business organization selected for the paper is Facebook Inc. Facebook is regarded as one of the most prominent social networking service provider company. The company was founded by Mark Zuckerberg in the year 2004. The company is headquartered in Menlo Park, California. In recent period of time, the company has become quite popular tool of social network among its users (Veer, 2011).The company provides the facility to its user of sharing information, posting their photos and videos, connecting and chatting with other person, joining any group, and playing online and interactive games. In order to avail such social networking facilities provided by the company, the user is required to make his own account on Facebook with the help of its e-mail Id. Nowadays, in order to make the usage of this site easy and convenient; Facebook is available on the user’s smart phone also (Business Summary, 2012). Earlier the firm used to operate as a private business organ ization within the marketplace, but in 2012, the company has become publicly traded corporation by launching one of the largest IPOs in US stock market history (Business Summary, 2012).... Industry Structure and Global Markets The company operates in the industry of Internet Information Providers. In the existing period of time of where Information Technology has become quite advanced and effective, this industry has become quite competitive. This industry can be characterized as wide-ranging competitive industry. In this direction, the company is facing some stiff competition provided by other social networking facility provider company. Among such competitors, some major competitors of the company are Google, Microsoft, and Twitter Inc. In the competition of Facebook, Google has recently launched its social networking utility, namely Google+. Moreover, there are other social networking utilities such as E-buddy, blackberry messenger, Linkdin and so on, which are delivering some intensive competition to the company (Business Summary, 2012). In existing period of time, the company is enjoying some favorable business conditions across the world. As internet penetration across the world is increasing rapidly. Moreover, the interest of young generation towards social networking is also enhancing quite intensively, which shows some positive conditions for the growth of the company (BBC: News Technology, 2011). In direction to this, the company has registered some intensive market growth in terms of international presence. The total number of users of the company across the world can be presented as below: (Source: Facebook Users in the World, 2012). Economics Before the year 2012, the company was not traded on stock market. In May 2012, the company launched its IPO. The opening share price of the company at that period of time was $38, which was considered overvalued by traders.

Import Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Import Project - Essay Example 1. SWOT Analysis Firstly, with regards to why this product has been chosen, it has come to the attention of the stakeholders for this group that there exists a very large submarket for goods within the wine community. As a function of the fact that this community consumes goods based upon utility, function, and the level to which glasses and other tools of the trade can increase the overall experience as well as the taste of the wine. Accordingly, the product is relevant due to the fact that it fills a particular need for resilient wine glasses that are neither exorbitantly expensive no so cheap that they can be considered as little more than a novelty item to be disposed of or shelved away. Naturally, with regards to how the product itself is differentiating, this is of course denoted by the product name and description. Whereas there exist many fine examples of extremely expensive wine glasses on the market, there exist relatively few offerings that both serve to integrate consumer needs with the utility of a wine glass that is not highly fragile. In the past, cheap wine glasses had sacrificed form and function for their resilience; utilizing thick glass or crystal in order to prevent breakage; however, due to the new magnesium fusion process whereby the glass is blown, much thinner crystal is able to be used. In such a way, the glasses have the feel of the much more expensive crystal wine glasses, are able to exhibit the same benefits and/or weight, and are several times more resistant to breakage. Naturally, with regards to the simplicity of the product, it is difficult to get much simpler than a glass that displays a high resistance to breakage. Although it may be seen as something of a luxury good, due to the price range, the product itself is basic and simple as a function of what it is intended to do and the overall demand that exists within the market for a product that can integrate with such a need. In such a way, the glasses themselves fall adequate ly between the more expensive examples of fine wine glass crystal that sells for many times more than the going price for these break-resistant offerings. Furthermore, it is the understanding of the analysis that has been performed that the consumer rational to spend a bit more money on the break-resistant wine glasses will be affected by the added value that will be integrated due to the fact that having break-resistant wine glasses will necessarily reduce the overall amount of money spent over time due to the fact that such a high percentage of wine glasses of lower and higher prices tend to break. Furthermore, yet another added value that will help to integrate the product with the consumer is the fact that these glasses are also dishwasher safe. One of the greatest annoyances for individuals that drink a lot of wine is the fact that the best crystal wine glasses are never intended to go in the dish washer and take the high heat and temperatures therein. Naturally, a SWOT analysi s would begin by stating that the strength of the product is the fact that it fills a particular need within the customer base that is currently under-represented. This is accomplished due to the fact that these wine glasses are substantially more resilient than those other products that have been billed as break-resistant in the past. Similarly, the greatest weakness that is exhibited is the fact that very little is known or understood with relation to this product by the

The specialist nature of operating department practice( Essay

The specialist nature of operating department practice( peri-operative) - Essay Example ODPs also communicate about shifting the patient in the anesthetic room and verifiy pre-operative check list about medical illnesses and allergies. They assist the anesthesist with anesthesia and stay through the surgery to maintain anesthesia. In the surgical stage, ODPs assist the surgeon during the surgery and hence scrub themselves and wear sterile gown and gloves. They are accountable for all the instruments and swabs used for the surgery. They may also act as circulation nurse to hand over extra materials to the sterilised personnel. In the recovery stage, the ODPs check the patient, manage airway, monitor vital signs, administer prescribed drugs, help patient recover from anesthesia and address to the needs of the patient until discharge to ward. Thus, ODPs have a major role to play in the surgical assessment, procedure and recovery of the patient (Nettina, 2006). In this essay, the role of ODPs in the management of a hip replacement client will be discussed through critical e valuation of literature. 65 year old Maria is a known patient of osteoarthritis of the right hip joint (name changed for confidentiality reasons). In view of distressing pain and decreased mobility because of the pain, she was posted for total hip replacement surgery. Hip replacement is a common procedure in orthopedic operation rooms. It is also known as arthroplasty. It can be total arthroplasty or hemiarthroplasty. In the former procedure, replacement of both the femoral and acetabular articular surfaces is done. This may involve either replacement of both the femoral head and neck or replacement of only the surface of the femoral head. The former is known as conventional total hip arthroplasty and the latter is known as resurfacing total hip arthroplasty. In both the procedures, replacement of the acetabulum is done. In hemiarthroplasty, replacement of the femoral head's articular surface is done without any alteration of the articular surface of the acetabulum. Replacement of t he hip joint can be done with several materials including ceramic, metal and polyethylene. Fixation of the arthroplasty can be done with materials like polymethylmethacrylate cement and screw fixation (Jacobson, 2009). Osteoarthritis is the most common indication for total hip arthroplasty in which the articular surfaces of both the acetabulum and femur is affected. On the other hand, hemiarthroplasty is done in avascular necrosis of the femoral head and displaced fracture of the femoral neck which is at increased risk of developing avascular necrosis (Jacobson, 2009). Hip joint is a ball and socket joint. The ball is formed by the head of the femur and the socket by the acetabulum, a part of the pelvis. The ends of both these bones are covered by cartilages to facilitate smooth movement. The cartilage gets damaged by arthritis which makes the joints painful and stiff (Bromhead, 2007). The components of arthroplasty for acetabulum are ceramic, cobalt-chromium metal and polyethylene. Femoral components include ceramic, metal or metal femoral stem (Jacobson, 2009). There is some evidence that use of larger femoral head component with metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty has decreased risk of dislocation (Jacobson, 2009). The most commonly used combination for total hip arthroplasty is cobalt-chromium alloy metal femoral head that is articulated with a polythelene cup. The most common complication associated with this is wear of polyethylene followed by inflammation and osteolysis

Maos Last Dancer Essay

Maos Last Dancer Essay Li Cunxin, is one of the best male ballet dancers in the world. He has shown great courage, ambition and determination throughout his entire life. He excelled in the gruelling ballet training at the Beijing Dance Academy, made his way to be one of the premier dancers with the Houston Ballet for 16 years before moving on to another career as a stockbroker and today, he resides in Australia while travelling around the world as a motivational speaker. Li was born into a very poor family in 1961 in Qingdao in China which was then a communist country led by Mao. He lived in a very small town with twenty of his relatives. His family struggled to stay alive, living close to starvation daily, but because of the familys love for each other and their determination to live, they try very hard to survive each day. Lis childhood is filled with love and affection from his family. It was always in Lis mind that he wanted to be able to do something to help his family. He knew that ballet would be his familys best opportunity to escape the bitter poverty in his rural home in China. Sure enough, he was chosen to become a ballet dancer. Li then began his journey in becoming one of the best dancers in the world. His family is always there to support him on every decision he made, giving him full support, love and encouragement. At the age of eleven, Li began his training at the Beijing Dance Academy from 5:30 am to 9 pm for 6 days a week. No matter how much he suffered during the training, he never thought of giving up. He realised that dancing is his passion and it motivated him to give his 100% effort in dancing. Li would wake up at 5 in the morning when everyone is still sleeping and hop up and down the stairs to build the strength of his leg as well as his stamina. At night he would practice his turns by the candlelight. As much as he wanted to live a better life, he had never forgotten about his family that he left behind. Lis determination has steered him onto the path of success that helped him break free from his communist homeland. After 7 years of harsh training at the Beijing Dance Academy, Li had become a self disciplined and a student with great determination. He received a golden opportunity to study dance in America through a student exchange program under Maos regime. He was later offered a contract as a soloist with the Houston Ballet and danced for the company for 16 years. He was regarded as one of the best dancers in the world. In three international ballet competitions, he won silver and a bronze medal at three international ballet competitions and he performed with some of the best ballet companies in the world. Here are some quotes and principles that Li stands firm on which have led to his success in dance. Dance is the ultimate combination of discipline and freedom. Discipline is the foundation to become totally free and creative. If youre free without a foundation then you could go off the rails. His self determination, dedication and the willingness to work hard and always behave positively to achieve his goal is his approach to success and to dance. In the official site of Li Cunxin, here are the testimonials that document his influence on the development of dance. According to Australian Friendly Societies Association (AFSA), Without a doubt one of the most powerful and invigorating presentations I have seen. The AFSA are extremely impressed by Lis impact, style, personable nature and overall attitude. What makes me think that Li is impressive is in the sense of his style and movement in dance which are strong and defined which is beyond ethereal with his emotional conveyance. His dances are one of the dances that are hard to forget. I believe that his approach to dance is one of commitment and focus. From his attitude and behaviour, it can motivate us as dancers to keep in mind that we can do it as long as we stay determined. Lis film, Maos Last Dancer, is an amazing true story based on the extraordinary pathway he had to go through to become a famous dancer. Lis success is not just as a dancer, he succeeded in lighting for the true human ideal. The film Maos last dancer explores the struggle for two freedoms: personal choice and artistic expression. On the surface, this true story concerns the struggle between the eastern and western ideologies. While some people view his choices as heroic, others see him as a traitor to his homeland. In my point of view, Li left his family behind in Beijing to U.S and began to not only see the world for the first time, but also found his passion in dance. Going even deeper, viewers will see his struggle for creative freedom the ability to say, do, and dance what he feels as an artist. This is how he has made an influence in dance. I believe that it is true; he gives every dancer mental motivation and hope to achieve a goal by reminding us not to waste every single mome nt of our dancing journey. Other than that, Li likes to take on challenges. He requested to enter the America International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, the equivalent of the Olympics for ballet dancers and he achieved a silver medal. I wanted to get a sense of how my dancing stood up to international standards. (Li, 292). Li always had a positive attitude towards dance. He had to constantly confront and overcome his self-doubt and insecurities; even when he was locked up in the Chinese Consulate in Houston for 21 hours, which is one of the most famous and controversial defection in the U.S history. The FBI and also the then Vice  president George W.Bush was called in resulting in a tension with the Chinese Consulate. The world waited for 21 hours to see what fate has for Li. Li walked out after 21 hours into the streets of Texas and never looked back ever since. These are what people admire about him the most. We have to find our own direction in dance; our own style by dancing from our heart and soul. Nowadays, the hard work and dedication towards dance that Li has are rarely seen. We can truly see that Lis story is a true fairytale about a boy who had a dream to become the best ballet dancer in the world. His view on dance training is one of determination and hard work because it provided a path for him to break free of communist China and take him around the world as a professional dancer. To prove the validity of the story above, here are the substantial evidences on his personal thoughts about his life in China. When Li was in America, he told himself that he was the fish and China is the pond. From this metaphor we can see how Li felt about China as a fish cannot exist anywhere else other than its pond so like the fish, Li thought he would not be able to live out of China. From what we can see from his life experience, the approach that Li took towards dance is full of determination, courage, discipline and the passion to be one of the best dancers in the world. His sheer discipline and the need for him to lift his family out of poverty drove him to achieve beyond his limit. Work Cited Elias, Debbie Lynn. Maos Last Dancer. 20 August 2010. Tonight at the Movies. . FAQs, Career. Li Cunxin Dancer, Stockbroker and Author of Maos Last Dancer. 2010. . Determination and Defection. TripAtlas.com. 2010. . Li, Cunxin. Maos Last Dancer. Offical Site of Li Cunxin. N.p., 2005. Web. 23 Aug 2010. . Li, Cunxin. Maos Last Dancer. Australia: Sheena Dewan, 2003.

Don Quxiote :: essays research papers

Don Quixote: Renaissance humor with a modern translation A Spanish knight, about fifty years of age, gave himself up so entirely to reading the romances of chivalry, that in the end they turned his brain, and nothing would satisfy him but that he must ride abroad on his old horse, armed with spear and helmet, a knight-errant, to encounter all adventures, and to redress the innumerable wrongs of the world. As is the case in this epic tale by Cervantes, modern man is not immune to prolonged sustained suggestion. All irony criticizes the imperfect ideas and theories of mankind, not by substituting for them other ideas and other theories, less imperfect, but by placing the facts of life, in mute comment, alongside of the theories. To be put in a more tangible sense, after addressing a subject matter over a sustained period of time one is apt to view them selves in the same light as the character of which they are enamored by. It plagues the news as high school children take arms and seek vengeance inside schools today. As the Scapegoat they place the blame on television, violent movies, and video games. Theorists and psychologists say that the harsh and abrasive nature of movies like the Matrix and Rambo are absorbed into the maturing mind of adolescence and are seen as fact. As is the case in Don Quixote where our chivalric hero takes arms after reading one to many romance novels. Every one sees the irony of Don Quixote, and enjoys it in its more obvious forms. This absurd old gentleman, who tries to put his antiquated ideas into action in a busy, selfish, prosy world, is a figure of fun even to the meanest intelligence. But, with more thought, there comes a check to our frivolity. Is it possible that the criticism is double-edged, and that what we are celebrating with our laughter is the failure of the world? But, Don Quixote, it may be objected, is mad.

Study of Knowledge

Epistemology – The Study of Knowledge Jeff Castro PHI 200 Dr. Akins February 4, 2013 Epistemology – The Study of Knowledge The study of knowledge has always been the journey toward truth and understanding. Epistemology deals with the creation and distribution of knowledge in certain areas of inquiry. Humans should be free to gain, study and question knowledge and claims without repercussions in any social, cultural or religious setting. As we move forward in our understanding of life, religion and nature, we have changed our way of thinking through philosophy.We are less ignorant and uneducated about the truths of the world and how we as human beings perform in it. Knowledge and the confirmation of knowledge can be confirmed by propositional and procedural knowledge or knowledge by acquaintance. Propositional knowledge is expressed in declarative sentences or indicative propositions of one’s knowledge based on the known or knowing that. If someone says â€Å"all birds have feathers† they are stating or asserting a proposition that is factual or somewhat factual. Procedural knowledge is the knowledge used in the performance of a task, such as knowing how to replace brakes on a vehicle.It is learned knowledge through doing that act. Knowledge by acquaintance is experience based knowledge learned through casual interaction, such as knowing a place or person well (Mosser, 2010). Knowing for certain is always questionable because everything can be challenged. For the three identified ways of attaining knowledge, the most challenged one is propositional knowledge. Propositional knowledge receives the most skepticism because of the statements it brings forward, like â€Å"I believe that†, â€Å"I know that† and â€Å"I think that† (Steup, 2005). These statements are based on one’s beliefs, thoughts and ideas which can be questioned.If knowledge is based on one’s beliefs or opinions it will bring challenges , but remember an individual’s ideas based on beliefs or opinions should respected. We are certain of the other two due to experiencing or performing acts to solidify the knowledge. But then still can be questioned because of different procedures or experiences can still result in a different or validation of an outcome or answer. To justify what we really know is inherited, learned or experienced. We cannot really be certain of our knowledge because we can be tricked or limited by our sense that provides us this information to confirm or deny what we know or learn.Knowledge at one point is imperfect, but the truth at that point and is reinforced by the progress of science to be an absolute truth to some degree and as Vladimir Lenin says, â€Å"There is no impassable boundary between relative and absolute truth. † (Bogdanov, 1908). The normal order of the world is how we perceive it through our senses. It can play tricks on us and deceive through illusions that the min d receives from sight, sound, taste and touch. How humans recognize what is real and not real through their senses is known as empiricism (Mosser, 2010).Empiricists view that there is no such thing as innate knowledge, but instead knowledge is received from experience. On the argument side you have rationalism which view knowledge to be innate. It argues that the knowledge of God, mathematics and science cannot be explained by the senses (Mosser, 2010). But this does contradicts how we learn, because without the senses how do we learn mathematics, science or the knowledge of God (the bible). Innate knowledge is derived from the mind, but requires other things to support or build the mind, the senses.Let’s break down the five senses (vision, sound, touch, smell and taste) and try to understand what can be limited and why. Vision can be received or altered based on the ability to distinguish objects, the depth or field, color, contrast, or even color blindness. Sound can be aff ected by the volume or pitch that is received by the ears. Touch can be affected by your haptic perception and how sensitive one’s outer skin is. Smell and taste can be affected by our bad habits (smoking and drinking), disease or medications. So the limitations of one’s senses can fool and be limited by our own doings and by the aging process (Gwizdka, 2010).Cognitive relativism is the idea of the knowledge we hold of the real world requires assistance from our mental/mind to build and support and that things being the truth or false are relative to a society, group or individual. I also realize that there are cognitive bias, notational bias and culture bias, which prevents us from seeing or analyzing something objectively with our senses (empiricism) which we cannot discount. So to really assert a position of truth would depend on who interprets it based on moral, ethical, or social view (Slick, 2012).Friedrich Nietzsche developed perspectivism which supports cogniti ve relativism in that there are many possible perspectives to determine any possible assessment of the truth to be determined. This means that there is doubt and uncertainty about how we see the world and the truth about it based on perspectives. The limits to human perception or cognition are bounded by each individual and how they can comprehend or process what they are receiving. The processing of the knowledge can be expanded upon through the use of one’s innate knowledge.We limited ourselves based on what we only know and what is in front of us. If we can make sense of the world beyond what our senses take in we would be much better off, but remember it is all based on one’s perspective of faith, ideas, thoughts and knowledge. Skepticism is originally was defined as someone who simply looked at things and now it is someone who doubts claims. Skepticism forces claims to be justified (Mosser, 2010). When assessing epistemology on the bases of what is known and the u nknown we will still question everything for it is uncertain that we really know the truth about something.Yet there will still be limits on what we question because some are based on faith, which is an individual’s belief in their religion. There are several types of skepticism: moral, religious, metaphysical and scientific. Each identifying a particular area to question or doubt, but what I find most questionable or intriguing are the religious skepticism or theological skepticism which examines faith-based claims and scientific skepticism or empirical skepticism which uses the scientific method of examining claims.Religious skepticism does not mean one would be either an Atheist or Agnostic. These skeptics question religious authority, but are not anti-religious just because they question specific or all religious beliefs or practices. One of the first religious skeptics was Socrates, he questioned the legitimacy of the beliefs during his time of the existence of various g ods and this led to his trial and execution. Scientific skepticism seek proof through deductive argument before accepting any knowledge in any area, such as health claims, environmental claims, parapsychology, etc.Carl Sagan originated scientific skepticism and was a world-famous astronomer and astrophysicist well known for supporting the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence (SETI) and questioned that there was more than earth in our and other vast universes. There is also a sub-set of scientific skepticism which is call activist skepticism who seek to expose or prove false publicly what they see as the truth behind extraordinary claims (Klein, 2000). Socrates claimed that he knew one and only one thing: that he knew nothing, which was in line with being a Pyrrhonist.He questioned everyone who claimed to have knowledge, hoping to learn from them, but he never claimed that gaining knowledge was impossible and never claimed to discover any knowledge. As such proof of never record ing anything to prove or disprove his knowledge (Mosser, 2010). Sagan wrote in his publications â€Å"Too much openness and you accept every notion, idea, and hypothesis—which is tantamount to knowing nothing. Too much skepticism—especially rejection of new ideas before they are adequately tested—and you’re not only unpleasantly grumpy, but also closed to the advance of science.A judicious mix is what we need. † (Sagan, 1995). Both men were skeptics who believed in questioning and challenging claims and exhibited a fascination with discovery. I believe it is in our nature to question everything to ensure we have validated the claim, but as Sagan has stated there is a fine line before tilting it too far to the left or right. I believe the two skepticisms try to get at the answer of how humans came to being. The religious skeptic will question all religions by comparing claims and questioning why to find the ultimate truth of our existence and our tr ue meaning.The scientific skeptic will require proof in the way of science before accepting knowledge to be true (Munchin, 2011). By taking the two and trying to analyze and form a more complete set of questions to develop a more sensible truth or theory behind the human existence would possibly help me understand or rationalize the questions of â€Å"why† and â€Å"how† in my mind. But I understand there are limits to what I chose to believe as my ideas or perceptions (Shogenji, 2011). The decision between right and wrong is relative to one’s society or cultural background.Relativism in the Muslim world would be a death sentence (honor killing) and we would see it as radical relativism. It is easily defendable in their culture and country because it is viewed as a norm or way of life, but not so within most other countries. It is all about perspective because we to at one time burned people at the stake for being witches. Ignorance and lack of education or know ledge made it defensible and accepted at that time. So is radical relativism defensible, it is all about an individual’s or country’s perspective, religious beliefs and culture to decide one way or the other (Mosser, 2010).The basic understanding of philosophy and how it affects our lives is sometimes transparent to most people because they only do without thinking. We have gotten so busy with our tethered lives we do not take the time to question why something is true or not, we move around like mindless beings. Epistemology gives us that way to question and seek knowledge to validate truth and to hope to truly understand the â€Å"why† and â€Å"how† of our lives and everything in and around us.Humans should be free to gain, study and question knowledge and claims without repercussions in any social, cultural or religious setting. But this is an ongoing battle to be free from repercussions or persecution of our thoughts, ideas and actions when publicall y projected. Some countries and cultures still lash out in the way of medieval and barbaric manner at anything that does not fit their way of life and interactions, but it is all relative and it still falls within the study of philosophy.Choosing to accept this or not, based on beliefs, ideas and religion is your choice, but to understand and have a greater degree of insight of knowledge and truth is true epistemology. References Bogdanov, A. (1908). Absolute and Relative Truth, or the Eclecticism of Engels. Retrieved from: http://www. marxists. org/archive/lenin/works/1908/mec/two5. htm Gwizdka, J. (2010). Human Perception & Cognition. Retrieved from: http://comminfo. rutgers. edu/~jacekg/teaching/ITI230_HCI/2006_4f/lectures/Lecture3. pdf Klein, P. (2000).Contextualism and the Real Nature of Academic Skepticism. Retrieved from: http://www. jstor. org. proxy-library. ashford. edu/stable/pdfplus/3050570. pdf? acceptTC=true Mosser, K. (2010). A Concise Introduction to Philosophy. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Munchin, D. (2011). ‘Is theology a science? ’ Paul Feyerabend’s anarchic epistemology as challenge test to T. F. Torrance’s scientific theology. Retrieved from: http://search. proquest. com. proxy-library. ashford. edu/cv_756002/docview/894110952/fulltextPDF/13C00235777679CB0A0/4? accountid=32521 Sagan, C. 1995). Wonder and Skepticism, Vol 19, Issue 1. Retrieved from: http://www. positiveatheism. org/writ/saganws. htm Shogenji, T. (2011). Internalism and Externalism in Meliorative Epistemology. Retrieved from: http://search. proquest. com. proxy-library. ashford. edu/cv_756002/docview/1111853938/fulltextPDF/13C06554AFF58193594/1? accountid=32521 Slick, M. (2012). Cognitive Relativism. Retrieved from: http://carm. org/secular-movements/relativism/cognitive-relativism Steup, M. (2005). Epistemology. Retrieved from: http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/epistemology/