Show Your Support for U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band!

        On Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, at 7 p.m., Greensboro will hold an exciting and fun-filled night with The United States Air Force Heritage of America Band. The history of heritage and inspiration brought to you but The United States Air Force Heritage of America Band is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for your Tuesday night. The Band will feature a multitude of different instruments and talented artists, such as Concert Band, Full Spectrum, Heritage Brass, and many more. 

 For over 60 years, the United States Air Force Heritage of America Band, Concert Band has inspired and brought musical charms to over 1.5 million people and continues to stimulate all who listen. The Concert Band is made up of 45 well-versed Airmen who educate the public about the Air Force story. Along with 55 acclaimed recordings and their collaboration with world-renowned artists. The Concert Band spreads the values of the Air Force through their music, which they lead with integrity, service, and excellence.  

Another well-known band that will be performing is Full Spectrum, which features eight members and creates an electrifying "Pop & Hip-Hop' sound. The band includes a bass player, drummer, keyboardist, two guitarists, and two vocalists who are based out of Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. These active duty musicians play many well-known hits and craft an exciting experience that leaves the audience wanting more. The band aims to connect with America's youth and young adults, leaving them with exhilaration in their eyes. 

Next to perform is Heritage Brass from the United States Air Force Heritage of America Band. This band consists of six members who bring the art and history of brass and percussion to the show. The ensemble maintains a busy performance schedule to bring encouragement and relay the Air Force’s mission to serve their country. The ensemble performs many patriotic favorites and jazz standards. This ensemble is sure to awaken the patriot in anyone. 

The United States Air Force Heritage of America Band hopes you will attend their event and cheer on our active and veteran service members. The band has also been featured performing at the DESSERT STORM National Victory Parade, as well as on The Today Show. In addition to this exciting musical performance, tickets are FREE! Yes, free, but limited to 4 per person. Bring your friends, family, and neighbors to experience this magical event on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2022. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m. at the High Point Theater. See you there!

Today is Totally Toyota!

 

Toyota Motor Corporation is proud to show the public the 2022 Toyota car lineup! At Toyota, it is necessary to ensure safety and comfort in your brand-new car but first, you must pick one out. Headlining this lineup is the always-beloved Toyota Corolla. The Corolla comes with amazing safety features while creating a fun-to-drive experience. Some of the features you can find are the SE and XSE grade's sport mesh grille, LED Daytime running lights and the fantastic 169 horsepower engine. While the outside is nice let's see what features you can look forward to for the interior. The Smart key system is one to point out, this will allow users to seamlessly unlock doors and start the car without ever having to take it out of their pocket. Other interior features include easy access to navigation using the 8-in. touchscreen display, and the Moonroof which allows users to let the sunshine in or gaze at the stars. A day drive in the Toyota Corolla could be exactly what you are looking for!

If the Corolla isn't what you are looking for don't worry we have plenty more exciting offers to show you. Next up Toyota presents the 2022 Avalon Hybrid, this car meets and exceeds all standards with its energy-conserving 3.5L V6 engine. Another exterior feature you can find is the Adaptive Variable Suspension, this feature will help users travels the roads easier by using virtually instantaneous damping adjustments while the car "reads" the road in front of them. Looking for luxury this car has got it with Cognac leather-trimmed seats which also reduce road noise for a smooth and quiet drive. Another interior feature is the Floating Center Stack which provides the distinct look of the Avalon. This control center puts everything you need within reach along with the 9-in. touchscreen display that is seemingly floating over the dashboard. The Avalon is your chance to get on the road with style! 

Each car presents comfort and style with safety remaining the top priority. Some features can even be added to some models such as Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+, this feature includes Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection. PCS w/PD can detect when another vehicle or pedestrian using both cameras and radar. You and others are sure to drive safely with this revolutionary feature.

Toyota continues to work on new models for 2023 and announcements will be coming soon. Want to learn more? Check out the official Toyota website for other available models and colors. Or contact the nearest Toyota dealership to seal your ride!

Key Words: Toyota, Features, Car Lineup, Interior, Style, Comfort. 

Final Blog Post by Olivia Moran

    For the final blog post of the semester, I was prompted to think about my relationship with technology. While encountering technology and using it every day for my phone or computer which seem impossible to go without for a day. I think back before phones and computers were used in the ways I use them today. I got my first flip phone in 6th grade and slowly upgraded through the coming years. From the flip phone to the iPhone 6 and finally, to the iPhone XS, this slow progression made an impact on my days. In 5th grade when I wanted to hang out with friends after school I would have to make the plan the night before and let my mother know or call her using the school phone whenever I got the chance. Having my own phone made everything easier and I'm sure eased the stress my mother thought about throughout the day. I always felt very savvy with technology I’m sure because it was the cornerstone of how I grew up. I remember times where I was riding the bus in the morning and would use song downloading apps to listen to music I didn’t pay for on iTunes, back when that was the only way to listen to songs other than the radio. Soon I bought my own iPad mini that was on sale during Black Friday, using that to play games, and soon discovered Spotify, which my dad thought was a scam. 

    As I got older I got to download all the apps I wanted to without my parent's permission, only free of course, which catapulted me into freedom with technology that I had never known before. Fast-forwarding to today I believe there is an even balance of a healthy and an unhealthy relationship with technology and social media in general. Almost every day my phone and computer help me stay on top of homework in classes and stay in contact with my friends and family. 

    Most days I spend time scrolling through TikTok which wastes time and entertains the moments where I procrastinate my obligations, on the rare occasion I scroll or post on Instagram I see people who seem to be doing more with their lives and having more fun so I chose to distance myself from scrolling on there and it is now an app I rarely use. After reading the article Youth suicide rates are on the rise in the U.S. by Laura Santhanam I found this quote the most shocking, “Between 2000 and 2007, the suicide rate among youth ages 10 to 24 hovered around 6.8 deaths per 100,000 people. Then, the rate curved upward, reaching a rate of 10.6 deaths per 100,000 by 2017 — a 56-percent increase in less than two decades.” I can’t help but think that social media and the freedom of posting whatever you want has an underlying effect on today’s youth.

    When I think about my online footprint I think I have a pretty good record. Not only do my social media platforms remain respectful and professional it also shows my personal life. Every post I make I think about who will see it, from friends to family to even future employers. With the help of my Graphic Software Packages course this semester I just joined LinkedIn. Although it was an assignment I didn’t think to join before this course, after completing it I have found it will increase my online presence. With a professional style photo and about section and mentions of my work experience and achievements, it will make future employers possibly increase their likeliness to hire me in the future. 

       When I search my own name on Google and click on LinkedIn profiles mine is the 27th one mentioned. While I am not sure how to get mine to come up first I do think that employers would match a face to a name, but with more keywords like HPU 2024, my profile is the first to come up. This is because I made my individual profile URL specific to myself. The name Olivia Moran is more common than I thought but my online presence remains respectable.

    

    Overall, between self-driving cars that may save more lives than humans can or medical miracles helped by technology, there will always be good and bad. Social media is how you use it and keeping your head above water and keeping a level head over what is real and what is fake. As an avid user of technology, I believe it will not only always be used in our everyday lives but expand and help make the world a better place, not only making things easier in life but benefitting humanity as a whole.  

 

EOTO #2 Reflection

 During the second EOTO, there were a lot of new terms I learned throughout the presentations. One that stood out to me more than others is Kayla Miller’s presentation about the echo chamber. The term echo chamber refers to the environment where someone encounters here opinions from others, only to reflect or reinforce their own. But echo chambers prominently occurs on social media whether that is with the newest story on the Kardashians where false news is being spread but everyone perceives it as true. When an echo chamber exists on social media, it is called a filter bubble. Filter bubbles are created by algorithms on social media which keep track of all of the interests that a person has, forcing them to see the same things time and time again. This is something that I have also seen in my daily life scrolling on social media.

On these platforms, people have the opportunity to form digital communities, forging connections with people near or far. While a constant flow of communication can be seen as a positive thing, there is a downside. If a person is to exist in a constant state of the same idea being presented time and time again, it becomes hard to see other perspectives. This can become a lasting issue as it can exist for a prolonged period of time. Another issue that comes with echo chambers is the lack of opposing viewpoints and stable information. Because people are being confronted by likened opinions rather than facts,

echo chambers can cause a spread of misinformation. The lack of opposing viewpoints can lead to an almost narcissistic perspective.

Both of these problems can lead to a damaging societal outlook. People of all backgrounds, whether they are a part of the majority or minority, different sexuality, ages, and class ranks are included in this large issue at hand. Gen Z, specifically, is enraptured by social media has

grown up with its existence making filter bubbles nearly inescapable. Because of this, echo chambers can be seen as traps we can all easily fall into anywhere.

Kayla made it clear she was very knowledgeable on her topic and shared a ton of information about it. She kept the audience engaged and entertained with her presentation. Overall, Kayla has a very good and elaborate presentation.

EOTO #1 Reflection

 When asked to reflect on what I learned I found that Gianna Lobman’s EOTO presentation was the most eye-catching and creative. While we all know about the creation of the

 television, she gave good insight into everything that went into it. She goes into detail about the complications during its creation. Charles Francis Jenkins, John Logie Baird, Kenjiro Takayanagi, and Philo Farnsworth were the inventors of the television. While across and all over the world from each other it was a race to finish. Starting in 1925, Charles Francis Jenkins created the transmission of synchronized images. Although not exactly a piece of the television, this invention essentially paved the way for motion pictures and video feeds. The following year in 1926, we saw the entrance of John Logie Baird and Kenjiro Takayanagi into the television hemisphere. Slightly earlier in the year, John Logie Baird invented the very first mechanical television in London, which we know today as the first-ever blueprint of a television. 

    The best examples of how much politics was impacted through the invention of the television can be seen through Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Fireside Chats,” the Nixon v. JFK debate, and the coverage of the Vietnam War. Former President FDR was the first president to ever be televised, using his “Fireside Chats,” in which he would address the nation with their concerns, and/or discuss any new policies or steps that have been taken by the government. The Vietnam War

 was the first ever televised war, in which they showed through video and photo footage the true cruelties of the war, and just how bloody it had gotten.

 Consequently, this led to the public being able to strongly empathize with the soldiers and therefore began to protest both the war and the draft. These four men brought together their individual inventions to revolutionize the world. In the end,
Gianna presented very well and was very informed upon her topic along with engaging the audience.  

{EXTRA} In the Age of AI by Olivia Moran

    While watching In the Age of AI I found it crazy to hear that China and Japan are behind the use with the revolution of self-driving cars. Yes, they have more technology but the United States launched self-driving cars before the rest of the world with thanks from

 Elon Musk but, Kai-fu Lee predicts that China and Japan will adopt the technology much faster. Lee knows the United States will launch it well before Japan but he knows the people of japan will integrate it into their lives much faster than the rest of the world. To myself, this seems like a good thing especially after hearing more than 90% of automotive accidents are caused by humans. In my mind when I hear that I was thinking, “well of course is humanly caused. Would it be safer if humans didn’t drive at all?”

Soon the film moved to self-driving semi-trucks that ship products all over the United States and one business, Embark, has already started using this technology. This was crazy to hear that test runs from exit to exit on the interstate were already happening. Although it is very cool it was very concerning for me, I don’t believe I could put all my trust into a self-driving vehicle. It is known that the pros of this is that the
trucks can operate 24 hours straight while regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA),

keep human drivers at a maximum of only 11 hours a day. It would also lower costs of shipping by half that the company originally pays, which is hundreds to millions of dollars a year. It worries me that self-driving freight trucks could be used everywhere because they would no longer need experienced drivers and it would put a lot of people out of work. Many families who drive freight only make about 30-40 thousand dollars a year which is very equal to managers at McDonald’s who make up to $40,000 per year. It is sad to hear that truck drivers have to pay for all equipment and gasoline needed to deliver what they are shipping. It is very similar to owning your own car but with astronomical prices if it is in need of repair.

I wanted to only focus on self-driving cars for this blog post but there is still so much with AI that has equal pros and cons such as, AI-assisted medical care, revolutionary technology, and data collection safety.

EOTO #2 - Sherman Antitrust Act by Olivia Moran

    For this EOTO I was assigned with research based on the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890. Specifically put into place by president Harrison on July 2, 1890. This act was put into law to outlaw monopolistic business practices. Breaking that down a little bit more it means interstate commerce and competition in the marketplace is prohibited, “every contract, combination, or conspiracy in restraint of trade, monopolization, attempt monopolization, or conspiracy or combination to monopolize,” (Documents) Antitrust laws are put into place in order to protect competition when compared to a free and open market which ensures low prices and business cutting costs to attract customers to buy their product.

    A trust was an arrangement by which stockholders in several companies transferred their shares to a single set of trustees. In exchange, the stockholders received a certificate entitling them to a specified share of the consolidated earnings of the jointly managed companies. The trusts came to dominate a number of major industries, destroying competition. For example, on January 2, 1882, the Standard Oil Trust was formed. Attorney Samuel Dodd of Standard Oil first had the idea of a trust. A board of trustees was set up, and all the Standard properties were placed in its hands. Every stockholder received 20 trust certificates for each share of Standard Oil stock. All the profits of the component companies were sent to the nine trustees, who determined the dividends. The nine trustees elected the directors and officers of all the component companies. This allowed Standard Oil to function as a monopoly since the nine trustees ran all the component companies.

                                                

Some may think Is the Sherman Antitrust Act still in force? If so, when was it last invoked? Some have even theorized that by the year 2050 there will have a corporation that runs everything. I will use the Bell corporation as an example. the Bell Telephone Corporation which was renamed AT&T in 1885, had a hold on the phone industry throughout much of the 20th century. Many of their great achievements were AT&T Long Lines, which provided long-distance service; and Bell Labs, which did research and development. This, of course, was great for AT&T. Theodore Newton Vail, an early company president came up with the slogan for the company, “One Policy, One System, Universal Service.” It Faced its first antitrust suit in 1913, for example, AT&T agreed to sell its stake in Western Union,

 allowing independent companies to interconnect with its system, and not acquire those companies without government authorization. In 1949, the government filed suit again, resulting (seven years later) in AT&T agreeing to limit its control of the U.S. phone network to 85 percent and to sell its interests in Canada and the Caribbean. But it took another 30 years for the government to drive a stake through AT&T’s heart. By 1974, the Department of Justice suspected AT&T was using profits from its Western Electric to lower the costs of its networks, which was contrary to antitrust policy. This and other illegal practices led to what some called “The Deal of the Century” — the breakup of the company into what became known as the regional Bells and a new, far smaller AT&T. That was Congress’ idea in 1890 when it passed the Sherman Act as a “comprehensive charter of economic liberty aimed at preserving free and unfettered competition as the rule of trade,” (Schlueter).

 

“Our Documents - Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890).” Our Documents, OurDocuments.gov, www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=51. Accessed 30 Nov. 2021.

Schlueter, Roger. “Here’s Why You Don’t Have to Worry about ‘Unicorp’ Running Everything.” Belleville News-Democrate, Belleville News-Democrate, 4 Nov. 2017, www.bnd.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/answer-man/article182686016.html.

Privacy, Online and Off by Olivia Moran

    After watching all of the TED Talk videos I learned that we are never really safe from surveillance. Whether that be from the government looking for people doing something wrong or illegal or the stalker that finds where you are at all times or the text messages you send to other people. After watching Christopher Soghoian’s TED Talk on surveillance among your telephone calls and text messages we learned that Apple

 is one of the most secure databases in the United States. While he does make a point the Whatsapp is also a viable option to communicate with each other he puts an extreme emphasis on communicating through imessage and facetime provided by Apple.

Soghoian also made the point that while we want the government to know about drug dealers and criminals and to track their behavior that the government would also be able to watch everyone else in the world as well. So with the best of both situations, he promoted safe and secure communication through the applications previously stated. 

    I also found Catherine Crump’s TED Talk on security through license plate readers used by police enforcement. 
During her presentation, she talked about how many tools including cellphone towers and license plate readers track anyone who may pass a cop car or use a cell tower to operate their phone can be tracked. Using the example of Mike Lacave asking his police department what they had of his license plate he found they had tracked his location and the time that he was there along with a picture of each. The department had also found that they had pictures of his car along with him and his two daughters getting out of the car at his house.

    Now, was this too far? In my opinion absolutely, while everyone, I’m sure, wants to stay safe and secure and want people who have maybe stolen cars to be caught it seems too far to track people of no interest. Crump stated that once there is power it will be abused such as blackmail or saving locations and dates for a possible future investigation. 

    Overall, protecting ourselves without being coders or technologically inclined can be possible like using secure messaging applications or city counsels passing laws to have police departments dispose of the data about Innocent people while still allowing the ligament uses of the technology to go forward.