When I realized just how much information that Google and Facebook were taking from me and saving and selling to companies, I decided to take my security into my own hands and do something about it. I started by deleting my FaceBook account. FaceBook tracks and has access to my phone, computer, photos, browsing history, current location, etc. I no longer have a FaceBook account because of this, and I am happy with my decision.
According to this article, FaceBook admits that it collects content, communications, and other information. This information includes photographs, videos, accounts, hashtags, and groups we are connected to. It notes what posts, videos, and other content that we view and even collects our payment information, including credit or debit card number, billing, and shipping info. The social network tracks us on our mobile phones if we give permission, meaning the social network knows where we are, even with the app closed. It also leaves “cookie” data on our devices for tracking “to create personalized products that are unique and relevant to us.”
I deleted Google as my web browser, and I am now using DuckDuckGo as my default browser. I deleted Google because I learned that according to this article, the data they collect includes tracking where you are, what applications you have installed, when you use them, what you use them for, access to your webcam and microphone at any time, your contacts, your emails, your calendar, your call history, the messages you send and receive, the files you download, the games you play, your photos, videos, music, search history, browsing history, etc. Google even somehow has information that I have deleted. How is this even possible?
When I learned that this information storage was happening, I wanted to find out exactly what information Google had saved on me. Do you know that Google actually offers you an option to download all of the data that they have stored on you? It is called Google Takeout. If you would like to get a list of all of the information that Google has stored on you, click on this link to see your data: google.com/takeout. I decided to download the information that Google has stored on me, and I received the following message, “This process can take a long time (possibly hours or days) to complete. You’ll receive an email when your export is done.” It is terrifying to know that they have so much information on me that it could take several days to complete the download process.
If finding out this information disturbs you, please be sure to do your own research on social media platforms and search engines to find out what data they are taking from you and storing. Please also be sure to read, “How to Manage Your Privacy Settings On Social Media.” This article outlines how to manage your social media privacy settings on social networks. The networks highlighted include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.
My Father is almost 70 years old and new to using the internet. I set him up with a new computer and an email address in December. Thankfully, he is finally maneuvering his way through the digital world and taking it slow. I called him this week, and I let him know that I wanted to share a few things with him that I had learned in my ASU Digital Media Literacy class. I explained to him that fake news exists and that the internet has several different methods of how fake news spreads.
After explaining the definitions of trolls, bots, and what micro-targeting is, he had several questions. We then proceeded to spend quite a bit of time discussing how fake news is spread. He had a hard time understanding that robots are aiding in the spread of fake news. Once he understood the different ways that false news spreads, I then explained the importance of him researching the news and the articles that he reads before he shares them on his social media accounts. I explained that Snopes was an excellent source to reference when fact-checking, and I also explained how to do a reverse image search as well. He had no idea that this existed, so this was very exciting to him.
After he understood all of the technological information, I then let him know that using common sense before he shared an article and taking the time to ask himself a few questions before sharing the information was necessary. I let him know that he should always ask: Where did this information come from? Is the source reputable and trustworthy? What is the timeline for this? Is it recent? I also had him read, “How to Spot Fake news.” This article was beneficial and made him understand how important it is not to spread false information.
At the end of our conversation, my Father was very appreciative that I had shared this information with him. He was so excited that he started pulling up articles on Facebook and fact-checking them on Snopes and Factcheck.org. I am thankful that I completed this assignment with my Father, as it was a conversation that needed to be had. In the end, hopefully, this conversation will prevent one more person from spreading false information.
The Wikipedia troll article and Professor Roschke’s experience with editing Wikipedia made me very hesitant to dive headfirst into this project. My initial experience with Wikipedia was stressful as I did the first few training exercises, and I immediately decided to start editing. I did not realize at this point that I should have suggested my edits on the talk page before starting the actual editing process as I had not read through all of the training exercises.
When I realized that I had made this error, I was a nervous wreck and worried that I would be kicked off editing for Wikipedia in just the first couple of weeks of class. I made 13 edits to the Clean eating Wikipedia page, and I did not suggest any of the edits on the talk page before editing. Thankfully, all of my edits were saved, and I was not reprimanded or kicked off the site. Here are my first 13 edits to the Wikipedia Clean Eating page:
After reading all of the stories about how rude and condescending the Wikipedia editors could be, I was extremely nervous about reaching out to my assigned editor named Shalor. I waited a couple of days before I sent an email with my questions. After watching the tutorial on medical editing and medical sourcing, I was not sure if citing an article from healthline.com would be appropriate for the page that I was working on for clean eating? I was uncomfortable about adding something that may not be considered a proper source. Shalor responded to my email as follows:
Hi AJ,
With medical sourcing, it’s best to look for the strongest possible sourcing. With websites, it’s important to look to see who is writing the article, what their qualifications are, and how much editorial oversight the site provides. It’s also important to look and see if the site allows anyone to submit a piece or if they will sell sponsored posts to people looking to advertise a specific service or viewpoint.
So it looks like Healthline does have an editorial staff and doesn’t accept random user posts; however, they do allow for sponsored posts. There’s also a concern about whether or not this is the strongest possible source, as this site may not be as specific as needed for some claims, or their editorial staff may not be as strict as an academic or scholarly source would. It’s not an unusable source, but it’s not the strongest possible source out there. I would recommend instead looking at scholarly and academic sourcing, as that will hold up better under scrutiny. Just make sure that you avoid using primary sources when looking – literature reviews that summarize and cover studies are fine, but the studies themselves should be avoided.
– Shalor Toncray
After receiving Shalor’s response, I decided that it was probably not a good idea to edit a medical page for my first time editing for Wikipedia. I decided that I should start with something that I had a lot of knowledge about and felt confident editing. I work for Caesars Entertainment, so I started looking up pages associated with Caesars Entertainment. I found the Caesars Rewards Wikipedia page and noticed that it had incorrect information on the page as well as information that should not be on the page. I decided to change my page to edit from Clean Eating to Caesars Rewards. Per Wikipedia, Caesars Rewards is a casino loyalty program at nearly all Caesars Entertainment Corporation (formerly Harrah’s Entertainment) locations.
I noticed on the page that several of Caesars Entertainment’s new player’s card tiers announced this year had not been added to the Wikipedia page. Before I began editing this time, I did everything correctly by posting my proposed edits on the talk page before I started as follows:
Tiers [edit][edit source I propose the following edits to the Tiers Section of Caesars Rewards: I would like to add two new Diamond tiers that were just added as of February 1, 2020, to Caesars Rewards Tiers:
Diamond Plus: Higher tier requiring 25,000-74,999 tier credits earned in a calendar year. Members that reach 25,000 Tier Credits will receive complimentary access to Laurel Lounges, as they do today. They will also receive an exclusive Diamond Plus Caesars Rewards card.
Diamond Elite: Higher tier requiring 75,000-149,999 tier credits earned in a calendar year. Members that reach 75,000 Tier Credits will receive an exclusive Diamond Elite Caesars Rewards card and $600 Airfare Credit to Las Vegas.
I then waited a couple of days, and I did not receive a response from an editor or anyone at Wikipedia, so I went ahead and added these two paragraphs to the Caesars Rewards page with references #11 and #12 listed below.
Diamond Plus –Higher tier requiring 25,000-74,999 tier credits earned in a calendar year.[11] Members that reach 25,000 Tier Credits will receive complimentary access to Laurel Lounges, as they do today. They will also receive an exclusive Diamond Plus Caesars Rewards card.[12]
Diamond Elite –Higher tier requiring 75,000-149,999 tier credits earned in a calendar year.[11] Members that reach 75,000 Tier Credits will receive an exclusive Diamond Elite Caesars Rewards card and $600 Airfare Credit to Las Vegas.[12]
I also added reference #13 for the Caesars Windsor section as the page has a section that asks, “This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.” I added: Caesars Windsor (formerly Casino Windsor) uses Caesars Rewards cards.[13]
I noticed something on the Wikipedia page that I did not think should be on the Caesars Rewards page for guest privacy reasons. Under the Tier Section, it stated that Caesars Rewards has a Chairman tier and noted the following information:
Chairman – This level was created for Terrance Watanabe, superseding even the Seven Star rank. Perks of this level included “tickets to the Rolling Stones, $12,500 a month for airfare and $500,000 in credit at the gift stores. Harrah’s also offered 15% cashback on table losses greater than $500,000, special high-limit games, and other incentives.” [13] It is unclear whether or not any other Chairman-level player is likely to emerge, for Watanabe’s levels of play, resulting in a $189 million loss[14] at CET properties is unlikely to be approached by other gamblers.
Caesars does not have a Chairman’s tier and has never had a Chairman’s tier. I was shocked that this information about a casino guest was on the Caesars Rewards Wikipedia page. I reached out to my President at Caesars Entertainment and sent him the link to the Wikipedia page. He was shocked that this information was listed under the Caesars Rewards page. He asked that I correct this error as soon as possible. I immediately proposed the following edit on the talk page:
Chairman’s Tier section: This level should be removed from the page as Caesars Rewards does not have a Chairman’s tier. Please see this link for the Caesars Rewards tier levels: https://www.caesars.com/myrewards/earn-and-redeem. The information on Mr. Watanabe should also be removed from the page as this information has nothing to do with the Caesars Rewards program. AJ Nadeau (talk) 01:38, 9 February 2020 (UTC)
I waited for several days, and I did not receive a response on the talk page, so I went ahead and deleted the Chairman’s tier completely. I also deleted all of the information on Mr. Watanabe. My bosses were pleased about this change and very thankful that I had corrected the issue. It has been about 26 days since my first edit to the Caesars Rewards page, and I still have not received a response from anyone at Wikipedia.
As of today, February 29th, all of my edits and references are still visible, and nothing has been changed on the page. I assume that I should consider this a win for my first Wikipedia editing experience. I find myself checking the page often and will most likely continue to monitor it even when class is finished. I had a positive experience editing for Wikipedia, and I am thankful that I did not encounter a mean editor or a scary troll. Here is the link to the Caesars Rewards Wikipedia page that shows all of my edits. Here is the link to the Caesars Rewards Wikipedia talk page that shows my proposed edits.
In my current job working for a large casino gaming company, I am on call 24 hours a day, and I work 60+ hours a week. I have always enjoyed helping others in the casino industry to become strong, confident, influential leaders. My greatest joy in life has been mentoring others to become successful. Needless to say, my crazy work schedule, along with my second job of going to college, does not allow for enough extra time to help others as much as I would like to.
Due to my lack of time available and my desire to help people, I came up with the idea to create an Instagram page that focused on empowering people with daily positive quotes. I titled the Instagram page, Empoweryourinnerboss. This Instagram page was dedicated to positive and uplifting quotes for everyone to enjoy and was my way of positively impacting people’s lives on a daily basis.
My intentions with creating this page were sincere, positive, and entirely from the heart. All I wanted to do was provide a picture and a quote daily that would make people smile and feel better about themselves. This all changed the day that I started my research on media laws, policies, and procedures at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
After studying media laws, policies, and procedures, I realized that I was violating all kinds of copyright laws by posting these quote pictures daily. In the beginning, I was not creating my own content to post. I was finding great quotes attached to beautiful images on the internet and sharing them on my Instagram page. I was not aware that I was violating copyright laws because I did not create the content that I was sharing. I also had not received permission to use the content. Everything that I was posting daily was basically infringing on someone else’s copyrighted work.
Of course, I did not intend to infringe on another person’s copyright. The moment that I realized that I had violated these laws, I immediately deleted all of the posts on the page that I had not created myself. I then researched further on Instagram’s rules and regulations and wondered if I can still violate another person’s copyright if I did not intend to infringe?
Instagram states, “In most cases, you shouldn’t use someone else’s copyrighted work if you don’t have permission. It is possible to infringe copyright without intending to do so. Remember, your use of someone else’s content may still be infringing their copyright, even if you:
· Give credit to the copyright owner
· Include a disclaimer that you don’t intend to infringe copyright
· Say that the use is a fair use
· Didn’t intend to profit from it
· Bought or downloaded the content (for example, a copy of a DVD or a song from the internet)
· Modified the work or added your own original material to it
· Found the content available on the internet
· Recorded the content onto your own recording device (for example, from a movie, concert, sporting event, etc.)
· Saw that others have posted the same content as well
I read through the rules of copyright and posting content on Instagram, and the rules state, “It is generally a good idea to get permission before posting content and to get that permission in writing.” According to Instagram, if you want to make sure that the content that you post to Instagram does not violate copyright laws, you should only post content that you’ve created yourself.
Before you post content on Instagram, you may want to ask:
· Did I create all of the content myself?
· Do I have permission to use all of the content included in my post?
· Is the content protected by copyright (for example, is it a short phrase, idea, or public domain work?)
If you would like to make sure that you are not violating copyright laws and would like to learn more about Instagram policies and procedures, please read “How to legally reshare Instagram posts.”
The best approach starts with educating on how the fake new begins in the first place. It is essential to understand that trolls, bots, and micro-targeting exists and that their sole purpose is to spread false information to people that they feel will then spread the news as well. The average human being is not aware of this, so they need to understand precisely how they work.
It is essential to understand that a “troll” will hold multiple accounts on all social media platforms with the intention to argue with people, intimidate, and advocate fake news. The general public needs to understand that millions of robots “bots” are helping to spread fake news as fast as possible.
The websites that install “cookies” on your computer to analyze the websites that you visit have companies that collect this information for personalized advertising. These same companies will then micro-target the individual. Per Wikipedia, “Microtargeting is a modification of a practice used by commercial direct marketers. It would not be possible on a large scale without the development of large and sophisticated databases that contain data about as many voters as possible.” This allows for precisely targeted people who are likely to read, like, and share a post quickly.
These three methods of spreading fake news make it imperative for the reader to stop and take a moment and ask themself, is this story real? Where did this information come from? Is the source reputable and trustworthy? What is the timeline for this? Is it recent? If the article has a photo, it is always good to do a reverse photo search as well. It is crucial for everyone to fact check the information before they spread it on social media. Snopes is an excellent site to debunk information.
This article by ABC news makes a great point and explanation, “Remember that the creators of disinformation purposely make content that is designed to trigger an emotional response, so if you find yourself having those reactions, please pause.” If you would like to learn more about the spreading of misinformation, here is where governments are currently taking action against spreading online misinformation. If you would like to learn more about spotting the difference between real and fake news, be sure to read this article.
Before we examine the five best media sources for cruelty-free beauty products, what is your definition of cruelty-free? Wikipedia states that cruelty-free is a label for products or activities that do not harm or kill animals anywhere in the world. Products tested on animals are not considered cruelty-free since these tests are often painful and cause the suffering and death of millions of animals every year. In 2002, California became the first state to prohibit testing cosmetics and personal care items on animals, when an alternative test is available. In 2007, New Jersey was the next state to ban animal testing followed by New York in 2014 and Virginia in 2018.
After combing through all of the best media sources for cruelty-free beauty, I have found the five best sources to help you navigate through the cruelty-free product world. I have broken my research down into five different categories. I focused on finding the best website, best blog, best YouTube channel, best Instagram, and best app providing cruelty-free product information.
Leaping Bunny works with companies to help make shopping for animal-friendly products easier and more trustworthy. Leaping Bunny was formed by eight national animal protection groups that banded together to form the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC). The CCIC promotes a single comprehensive standard and an internationally recognized Leaping Bunny Logo, making it easy to identify cruelty-free products. Leaping Bunny has a standard by which they certify companies that apply for Leaping Bunny cruelty-free certification. Leaping Bunny provides an up to date list of all brands that they have certified as cruelty-free on their web site.
Best Blog: Logical Harmony
Logical Harmony is a blog by Tashina Combs. Tashina consistently uploads a mix of written and video content weekly regarding living an animal-friendly lifestyle. Per the site: Logical Harmony strives to make cruelty-free beauty easy.” Logical Harmony maintains an up to date list of cruelty-free brands and non-cruelty free brands as well as a list of pending brands and grey area brands as well. The blog states: Logical Harmony strives to bring you the best in beauty, lifestyle, fashion, health, and diet. The content focuses on vegan beauty and the promotion of a healthy and animal-friendly lifestyle.
Best YouTube Channel: Kelly Gooch Cruelty-Free Beauty
Kelly Gooch posts videos testing cruelty-free products from makeup to cleaning products, to hair products. She uploads new videos twice a week. Kelly went cruelty-free in January of 2017, and she enjoys sharing everything about her journey with her audience. Kelly provides videos that provide a step by step process for anyone interested in becoming a cruelty-free consumer. Kelly consistently updates her audience with brands that are newly cruelty-free as well as brands that have fallen off the list.
Best Instagram
Cruelty-Free Kitty by Suzana Rose provides consistent updates on brands that are cruelty-free as well as updates on brands that are no longer on the list. Suzana’s reviews are uncensored and honest. Her Instagram profile keeps her followers up to date with cruelty-free news as well. Suzana links her posts to very informative blog articles with reviews and valuable information on cruelty-free products such as, “30 Makeup Brands That Still Test On Animals In 2020.”
Cruelty-Cutter by the Beagle Freedom Project is a very convenient app. It lets you search, browse, and scan products while shopping to determine if they are cruelty-free or not. They offer a Cruelty-Free directory list by the company’s name, category name, and product name. The app also provides a company’s information with direct links to websites, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. The Cruelty-Cutter website states, “We are rigorous in evaluating these companies; we independently research their practices as well as directly request statements from them, and compare to other cruelty-free authorities when available.
In the end, if f you want to be 100% sure that your product is cruelty-free, the best way to find out is to contact the company directly yourself. It is always best to do your own thorough research to ensure that you are receiving correct information. Explore all of the information online and check your results against each other to determine what may or may not be correct. You will find the web sites and blogs that appeal to you, and in time, you will find the sites that you feel provide the most current and correct information. Be sure that you have fun researching and know that you are doing a good deed for the beautiful animals on this earth.
Taking this class has definitely changed my source of news. Due to spending such a significant amount of time researching my topic of interest, I have found several new blogs that I enjoy reading as well as several new YouTube influencers that I enjoy as well. I have found additional sources to use when trying to determine if a product is cruelty-free or not with a long list of sites that I can reference for cruelty-free companies.
I have also added several new media sources to my list that I found from taking this class, such as the Logical Harmony Blog, the Ethical Elephant Blog, and the Cruelty-Free Kitty Blog. I have found myself referencing the Cruelty-Cutter app every time that I go shopping. This app has made my research regarding cruelty-free products so much easier.
The news article, “Cosmetics Tested on Animals Banned in Three States by ProCon,” is a detailed news article stating the facts about banning animal testing in California, New York, and Nevada. These three states will no longer allow the import or sale of cosmetics tested on animals as of the first of this year. The article provides detailed information about each state’s previous animal rights laws along with who signed the bills, sections, and the dates that they were signed.
The article is based on numerous sources and lists the 17 sources at the end of the story. I followed up on every statement and quote in the story referencing the source information, and everything was correct. The sources that were listed allowed for fact-checking, which created trust in ProCon because of their transparency.
The creator of the story, The ProCon Organization, was founded on July 12, 2004. Per the ProCon.org website, they are the country’s leading source for pro, con, and related research on controversial issues. The mission statement at ProCon.org is: “Promoting critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship by presenting controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, and primarily pro-con format.” Mediabiasfactcheck.com says, “Overall, we rate ProCon least biased based on presenting both sides of issues with minimal bias. We also rank them High for factual reporting due to proper sourcing and a clean fact check record. A factual search reveals they have never failed a fact check.”
ProCon does not give their opinion or show bias in this article and clearly states the facts about the laws. They make it clear at the end of the article that the FDA said last year that animal research is still necessary for many areas. While animal testing is not specifically required for cosmetics, the FDA says it advises manufacturers “to employ whatever testing is appropriate and effective for substantiating the safety of their products.”
I decided to give this story an A. I would have given this story an A+ if they had included direct links to all of their sources in the article. I must say that it was very nice to have every source listed at the end of the story, as I was able to research and verify all of the direct quotes and statements made.
The New York News Publishers Association says, “News articles are factual and often answer the questions of who, what, where, when, why, and how. A writer’s opinion should not appear in a news article, and professional journalists make every effort to write news objectively. The easiest way to tell the difference between a fact and an opinion is to ask if the statement can be proven.”
Writingcommons.org has the following information about the difference between news and opinion:
News
Opinion
The writer reports the news. People’s opinions may appear as part of that reporting (“According to Mr. Smith…”), but the writer does not explicitly present his/her own views.
The writer shares his or her own views and explicitly seeks to persuade readers to adopt those views as their own.
The article states, “As of January 26, 2020, Cruelty-Free International reported, “Italian court stops cruel monkey experiments.” They say, “Some great news from Italy today as the country’s top court suspends experiments intended to be conducted on six macaque monkeys by the University of Turin and University of Parma. We congratulate our friends at the Italian animal protection organization LAV who led the campaign to stop the university research project, gathering signatures for a petition from over 425,000 people.”
This article is an opinion piece because it gives the author’s opinion on the news. The author says congratulations in the article and states that this is great news from Italy, so this article is an opinion piece.
This news article presents facts to the public. This article does not reference a person’s opinion and focuses on clear and concise news. According to Wikipedia, “WREX is a dual NBC/CW+-affiliated television station licensed to Rockford, Illinois, United States. Owned by Quincy Media, it is the market’s only full-powered VHF station and is Rockford’s second-oldest television station.” Given this information, I would say that the news is credible.
According to this news article by NPR, Trump Signs Law Making Cruelty To Animals A Federal Crime, “The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (PACT) is a bipartisan initiative that bans the intentional crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impalement, or other serious harm to living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians. The law also bans “animal crush videos,” meaning any photograph, motion picture film, video, or digital recording or electronic image that depicts animal cruelty. The penalty for violating the law can include a fine, a prison term of up to seven years or both.”
This article offers statements by Kitty Block, the president, and CEO of the Humane Society as well as statements by other animal activists. It does not include the author’s opinion. The article does not add the opinion of the author, so this article would be considered news.
Mediabiasfactcheck.com states, “Overall, we rate NPR (National Public Radio) left-center biased based on story selection that leans slightly left and very high for factual reporting due to thorough sourcing and very accurate news reporting. A factual search reveals that NPR has not failed a fact check. I view NPR as a trustworthy source.
In this opinion article by Angelica Lawson, “Let’s end animal testing,” she states her opinion that animal testing is an inhumane practice and should not be tolerated. Angela believes there are now ways to test and ensure that products are safe for human contact without causing harm to animals. She feels that we need to end animal testing here in the United States, we need to pass legislation that forbids, or at the very least limits, animal testing. She believes other alternatives provide just as much insight and are less invasive for all involved.
This article is an opinion piece because Angela is only sharing her views on the subject and trying to persuade the reader to believe her views as well. As we have learned, news contains factual information reported by journalists. Angela has included facts in her article, but because she has also included her very extreme feelings towards animal testing, this piece would be considered opinion.
According to Wikipedia, the Iowa State Daily is an independent student newspaper serving Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, that is published in print and online. It was founded in 1890 and is primarily funded by advertising revenues. While researching, I found an Iowa State Daily Fact Check Facebook page. The page says, “This page is committed to providing Iowa State students with the facts and stories that the Iowa State Daily does not accurately or sufficiently represent or cover. We will do regular fact checks of Iowa State Daily articles that appear to be biased or inaccurate. We will be committed to delivering the truth and facts to our readers.”
I was initially impressed with the Facebook page and thought it was an excellent transparency tool until I realized that the last post was from 2018. Given this information, I believe that the Iowa State Daily is doing its best to be as credible as possible. Because it is a student newspaper, I would suggest fact-checking stories on a case by case basis.
For every news story that you read and feel the information may not be correct or based on opinion, you should research and fact-check to confirm. In the future, hopefully, these examples will help you to determine whether a story is a news story or opinion. How well can you tell factual from opinion statements? Test your skills here with a quiz from the Pew Research Center.
You may ask yourself, what is mindful living? Mindful living is clean and conscientious living on a daily basis. The definition of clean-living, according to the Cambridge dictionary, is someone who lives a healthy and morally acceptable way of life. If each one of us were more conscientious about our health, animals, others, and the health of our planet, we would be a much healthier and happier society.
If the general public were fully aware of the horrendous testing that is done on animals every day, the majority of our population would stop using specific brands immediately. Did you know that more than 100 million animals are tortured and killed each year for animal testing? Did you know that beagles are the most used breed of dog in testing because of their gentle and loving nature? This article confirms animal testing using beagles by the Huffington Post.
Do you notice how infrequently you see the media report about animal cruelty associated with product testing? We all need to become more knowledgeable about the companies that are performing these tests so that we can make ethical and informed choices about the products that we are buying. This article by NPR focuses on the EPA pledging to severely cut back on animal testing.
The contents of this blog will focus on mindful living and discussing topics such as clean eating, clean products, and living a cruelty-free life. Clean and conscientious living or mindful living can be defined in several ways. In regards to clean eating, Clean & Delicious is an excellent YouTube channel. This channel focuses on clean and nutritious recipes along with valuable information outlining what is considered clean eating and what is not.
We need to be better informed about the different preservatives and additives in our food and the potential diseases that they cause. We need to become better educated about chemical pesticides and herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics that are added to our food as well as genetically modified foods. Green Kitchen Stories on YouTube focuses on healthy and simple vegetarian recipes with all-natural ingredients. If you are new to clean eating or interested in becoming a vegetarian, Naturally Ella is an excellent reference for absolutely amazing vegetarian recipes. NBC News recently posted this article about clean eating. Perhaps you don’t like the term clean eating? Good Housekeeping addresses this issue in a recent article.
What is clean beauty? This article by Harpers Bazaar will explain everything that you need to know in precise detail. Clean beauty in general steers clear of the following ingredients: Parabens, Fragrances, Aluminum, Compounds, Ethoxylated Agents, Formaldehyde, Refined Petroleum, Hydroquinone, Talc, Triclosan, Silica, and Oxybenzone.
When it comes to clean beauty, Kackie Reviews Beauty is a great channel to watch if you are new to learning about clean beauty products. Kackie tests clean beauty products and breaks down the best products to use, and she also describes the not so great products as well. Sunkiss Alba is an excellent channel to watch that focuses on natural beauty and natural living. The great thing about her channel is that she covers all bases from all-natural remedies to hair products, skincare, etc. The transition to clean beauty has become very popular. Just last week, the Today Show had a segment on 39 clean beauty products that will have you feeling good in 2020.
A cruelty-free company is a company that doesn’t test products on animals. In the cruelty-free realm, Kristen Leanne is the creator of a vegan hair dye brand called Arctic Fox. Kristen donates 15 percent of her company profit to animal welfare organizations. As a vlogger, Kristen posts honest reviews of vegan products and shares hair and makeup tips. She also has an animal channel where she shares tips on caring for her extensive list of animals that she rescues. Kelly Gooch is another incredible YouTuber that has been living cruelty-free for two years now. Kelly explains her journey and the surprising information that she has learned about specific companies that say that they are cruelty-free and are not. If you are new to the cruelty-free arena, this as a great channel to watch.
Are you interested in living a cruelty-free lifestyle? If you are new to cruelty-free, a great place to start is at one of the top vegan beauty and lifestyle websites called Logical Harmony. Logical Harmony by Tashina combs provides a list of cruelty-free and non-cruelty free brands. Tashina offers in-depth reviews on each company and explains in great detail precisely what constitutes cruelty-free. Another excellent resource is the Cruelty-Free Kitty blog by Suzana Rose. Suzana focuses on the best cruelty-free, vegan, and eco-friendly products. She also provides an up to date list of cruelty-free brands on her site along with in-depth stories that will educate you about specific brands.
As I start my day off with a cup of coffee and my two rescue cats by my side, I turn on Good Morning America. I like the way that GMA flows with its fun and upbeat style of reporting the news. Michael Strahan’s smile alone starts my day off on a positive note, not to mention that his charisma and funny attitude always put me in a good mood. Robin Roberts has a way of providing news in a very emotional yet positive manner that draws me into whatever story that she is reporting. My favorite day of the week for GMA is Thursday. On Thursdays, Tory Johnson has her amazing Deals and Steals show, providing huge discounts on useful everyday products. As embarrassing as it sounds, I am a person who thoroughly appreciates a good deal. Because of this, Thursdays have become the highlight of my week.
While watching GMA, I will scroll through all of my work emails, texts, and voicemails on my iPhone. I need to make sure that nothing huge has happened overnight in the gaming arena that may need to be addressed immediately. Once I have made sure that all is well in the casino world and that none of my messages require an urgent reply, I will then flip through several different websites. I will look at Nasdaq and The Wall Street Journal to view the current gaming stock numbers focusing on Caesars Entertainment and Eldorado Resorts. Eldorado Resorts is acquiring Caesars Entertainment right now, so the vast amount of news reported on my company recently keeps me busy with daily reading. I will also read the Las Vegas Review-Journal to catch up on local news. Once I have caught up on world news, local news, gaming news, checked my messages, and stocks, I then proceed to get ready for my workday.
Audiobook inspiration and podcasts
As I prepare for the day and I run my bath, I turn on my most recent audiobook purchased from Amazon Audible called Shoe Dog. Shoe Dog is a memoir by the creator of Nike, Phil Knight. I enjoy listening to books about successful people and learning the back story of how they have become who they are today. Listening to books such as these serve as a form of daily inspiration for me. When I start my day off with inspiration, positive energy continues throughout my workday. For the last two years, I have been listening to one audiobook almost every other week through audible. I will play the book in the morning for an hour while I am taking my bath and getting ready for work. If you make reading a part of your daily routine, you will be surprised by how much you can learn and absorb while expanding your vocabulary at the same time.
When I drive to work, I will listen to the current audible book on my drive, or I may turn on a podcast. For example, if I want to zone out, I will put on The Joe Rogan Experience. Some of the topics and people that Joe has on his show are utterly shocking but also intriguing. Once I am at work, I will spend the majority of my day on the phone and in meetings. A large amount of my day is spent responding to extensive emails and phone calls regarding marketing.
Casino gaming alerts and YouTube
I am currently marketing for a 24 person, million-dollar winner-take-all blackjack tournament that we are having at Caesars Palace in March. I am spending the majority of my day making phone calls and sending emails and texts for this private VIP tournament. During the day, I will receive news alerts while I am marketing. I have my phone set to alert me with vital news information pertaining to my business. For example, I may be informed about the sale of an Atlantic City casino property or perhaps a change in management at another property. I will check these alerts and also check the world news throughout the day. On my drive home, if I am inspired by what I had listened to in the morning, I will continue where I left off. If I have had a long day and I am exhausted, I will listen to music.
The conclusion of my day usually includes one of my guilty pleasures, which is ending my day by watching one of my favorite YouTube channels. I enjoy the beauty guru channels on YouTube as they are so far removed from my everyday corporate life. I have even learned special makeup techniques that I now use daily thanks to watching the makeup tutorials. I also like to watch other channels such as 60 Minutes Australia and Gone with the Wynns, which is a channel that follows the exciting travels of a couple and their cats as they sail around the world. Before I go to bed, I will go through my work emails one last time and check the news alerts. As long as nothing urgent has occurred in the casino gaming world, I am off to sleep to get ready to do it all again tomorrow.
I have listed the media sources that I utilize below along with a ranking from 1 (least trusted) – 10 (most trusted):
Las Vegas Review-Journal (8) The RJ is known for factual reporting due to the proper sourcing of information. In some stories, I do question Sheldon Adelson’s influence on the paper.
Good Morning America (8) I believe GMA is mostly accurate with their reporting. I feel that more research is needed in some cases on specific stories.
Wall Street Journal (8) The Wall Street Journal is primarily accurate with their reporting, and they have low biased news reporting.
Nasdaq (9) Highly reliable computer systems are used to handle the exchange of stocks between buyers and sellers in a real-time format.
The Joe Rogan Experience (6) Joe does not pretend to be an expert on anything, and he is speaking more about his personal life experiences and not necessarily proven facts that require fact-checking.
“Facebook vs Google” by theglobalpanorama is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
“duckduckgo” by laboratoriolinux is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
“google error” by Gábor Farkas is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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