video
Computer Hardware in Plain English
02/03/09 11:21
This video from Common Craft explains the basics of computer hardware and what the hardware does inside the computer.
If you’re like most people, computers are becoming a part of your life, and it helps to know how they work. They seem complicated inside, but by understanding just a few parts, you can see a simpler side of computers.
This is Computer Hardware in Plain English.
You’ve seen them. They come in all shapes and sizes, but work pretty much in the same ways. In fact, if you could look inside these computers, they’d have the same basic parts. It’s these parts, the hardware, that do a lot of the work in computers.
To explain, let’s look at something you already know, a house. One of the great things about living in a house is that you have room for all of your stuff. In fact, many houses have basements that become the perfect place for storing things you want to use later. And the bigger the basement, the more you can store.
The same thing is true for computers. Instead of boxes and bicycles, we need a place to store things like photos, music, documents, and software. In a computer, it’s not the basement, but a hard drive. A computer’s hard drive is where you keep all the things you want to use later. And like basements, the bigger the hard drive, the more you can store.
But basements aren’t perfect. Going to the basement takes too much time whenever you need something. Closets on the main floor can help. They’re small, and make things easier to access when you need them. You don’t need to go all the way downstairs.
It’s the same with computers. Some of the information stored on computers is hard for the computer to open quickly because it needs to take the long way. To solve this problem computers use RAM or Random Access Memory. It makes information easier for the computer to access. This means RAM makes computers faster. Plus, this kind of closet gets cleaned out every time you restart your computer.
Of course, houses have all kinds of parts that need to work together. It would help to have someone like a butler in the house making sure the house is always in working order. If it’s too hot, maybe the air conditioning needs adjustment. When it’s dark, lights are needed.
Computers need this too. Something has to make sure all the parts run smoothly. In computers, this is called the processor. It’s a tiny part that’s like the butler of the computer. It sends and receives information, completes tasks and puts the software to work. And the faster it can complete tasks, the faster your computer will be.
So, let’s review. The hard drive is like a basement. It stores all the things you need for later. RAM is like a closet on the main floor. It makes some information quick and easy to access. And the processor is like having a butler around always completing tasks and making things work together.
The next time you use a computer, think about what’s happening under the hood. Computer hardware is working together to help you get things done.
I’m Lee LeFever of Common Craft and this has been Computer Hardware in Plain English.
Investing Money In Plain English
16/02/09 18:18
This video from Common Craft explains the risks and potential benefits of borrowing money.
Most of us look forward to a comfortable future.
To get there, you've got to be smart about using your money to make more money.
This is Investing Money in Plain English.
We know that putting money in savings helps you make more money over time, thanks to interest.
It's predictable and based on an interest rate.
However, there are ways to more money
if you're ready to take risks.
Consider this. You're here, and you want to be here.
You have a choice between two options.
Going around the mountain, which usually takes 5 hours.
It's very predictable.
Or going over the mountain, which can shorten the trip to 2 hours.
It may seem like an easy choice.
You can get there 3 hours earlier by going over,
but there's a catch!
You might get stuck in the snow,
which is a risk that could make the trip even longer than going around the mountain.
The best way to deal with risk is to be informed.
If you do your homework, like checking the weather reports,
you'll have a better chance of making a smart decision.
Now, of course I'm not talking about getting from town to town,
but reaching your financial goals.
Having a savings account is predictable,
it grows steadily with interest.
Investing, on the other hand, can grow your money much faster,
but there's also a chance you could lose some of it.
There are many ways to invest.
Let's say your friend is opening a coffee shop.
She needs money to buy the beans and supplies.
Because she can't afford everything,
she asks people like you to be investors.
You can see that this is a big risk,
but you do the research and find that a new coffee shop could do very well.
So, you give her company money,
and you become an owner in a tiny part of the company.
That bit of ownership represents the money you invested.
If the coffee shop business is slow,
the value of your investment may shrink.
But if the coffee shop is successful,
your investment could grow with the company.
It may take time to see the outcome,
but you've bet that your money would grow faster in an investment,
than the modest earnings in a savings account.
That's what makes it risky.
It's hard to know how an investment will do over time.
The same is true for the stock market.
When you buy stocks, you're buying a tiny portion of a large business,
and betting that the business will do well over time,
increasing the value of your investment.
Now, the stock market and private businesses aren't the only kinds of investing.
Let's say you'd like to invest $500.
You find antiques that you believe will be worth more in the future.
If you're right, you may be selling them for $750 in a few years.
If you're wrong, they may be worth only $400.
By investing, you're taking a risk,
and you have to be ready for both outcomes.
Whether it's a friends coffee shop, the stock market, or antiques,
the big ideas are the same.
Savings accounts are predictable, and may be a good choice.
But if you're ready to take the risk that you might lose money,
you could put your money into an investment
that has the potential for a much bigger payoff.
Investing is serious business.
And every investment comes with different risks.
Do your homework
and discuss your plans with a financial professional before getting involved.
If you plan for the long term,
you may find that a comfortable future isn't too many years away.
I'm Lee LeFever, and this has been Investing Money in Plain English.
Do you need this for work?
Find presentation quality, unbranded versions of all Common Craft videos at CommonCraft.com.
Borrowing Money In Plain English
09/02/09 11:59
This video from Common Craft teaches the risks and realities of borrowing money.
Sometimes we don’t have the money we need to accomplish a goal.
Borrowing money can help,
but if we aren’t aware of how the system works,
it can create bigger problems for us.
This is Borrowing Money in Plain English.
Among friends, borrowing money seems easy – you just pay them back.
However, we sometimes need to borrow a large amount of money from a financial institution,
maybe for a home, a car, or education.
Understanding how these relationships work
is a key to being responsible with your money.
Let’s say you need to borrow $10,000 from a bank.
As long as you meet their requirements,
the bank is happy to loan you this money because when you pay it back,
you’ll have to pay a fee.
This is how the bank makes money.
It’s called “interest.”
When you borrow money,
the interest you pay is usually a percentage of the total you borrowed.
This percentage is called the “Interest Rate.”
You’ll see this rate referred to as the Annual Percentage Rate or APR,
which is the interest and fees you’ll pay over a year for borrowing money.
Let’s see how this works for Rachel.
She’s a musician who needs to borrow $10,000 to produce her new album.
$10,000 plus interest is a lot of money to pay back,
but she doesn’t have to do it all at once.
To make it more affordable, she pays it back in monthly payments.
Each month, she’s paying back part of the money she borrowed
plus part of the interest.
It adds up over time.
This way, Rachel can see if she can afford to pay back the loan on a monthly basis.
She found one loan that had a 5% APR with a 1 year timeframe.
To pay it back, she would have had payments of $856 per month.
It was too much!
With what Rachel earns she would run out of money in just six months.
To avoid serious problems and owing even more money,
she kept looking.
Eventually, she found the right loan for her -
a lower APR and longer timeframe.
She found that spreading the payments across a longer timeframe
meant less to pay each month.
Before signing on the dotted line,
she was careful to understand all the terms of her loan.
She learned that some interest rates could change during the loan
which could impact her monthly payments.
Because she had a fixed budget,
she made sure the interest rate for her loan wouldn’t change.
While Rachel was asking questions,
she learned the rules as well,
because breaking the rules can cause an affordable loan
to become a big headache.
For instance, if she pays late,
she may owe the bank more money.
She made a promise to herself
to pay on time and avoid any late fees.
It was wasteful.
It was clear to Rachel that without care, problems could snowball.
Changing APRs and late fees
could have made her loan impossible to afford.
Because Rachel took the time to find the right loan for her,
she was able to pay back the loan on time
and publish her new album. Yaay!
Borrowing money can help you accomplish your goals,
but only if you’re realistic about what you can afford.
When it comes time to find a loan,
discuss it with a financial professional and ask questions.
Learn about your payments and terms.
It’s up to you to make sure you know the rules
and get a loan that fits your needs.
I’m Lee LeFever and this has been Borrowing Money in Plain English
on the Common Craft Show.
One more thing,
The Common Craft Store now offers downloadable versions of our videos
for use in the workplace.
Find them at CommonCraft.com/store.
President Barack Obama's Complete Inaugural Speech
26/01/09 11:24
President Barack Obama's Complete Inaugural Speech
* My fellow citizens,
* I stand here today humbled by the task before us,
* grateful for the trust you have bestowed,
* mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.
* I thank President Bush for his service to our nation,
* as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
* Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.
* The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace.
* Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms.
* At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office,
* but because We the People
* have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
* So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
* That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood.
* Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred.
* Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some,
* but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.
* Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered.
* Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many;
* and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
* These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics.
* Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land —
* a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
* Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real.
* They are serious and they are many.
* They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.
* On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
* On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas,
* that for far too long have strangled our politics.
* We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.
* The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history;
* to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation:
* the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free,
* and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
* In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given.
* It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less.
* It has not been the path for the faint-hearted —
* for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.
* Rather, it has been the risk takers, the doers, the makers of things —
* some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor,
* who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
* For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
* For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
* For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.
* Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life.
* They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions;
* greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
* This is the journey we continue today.
* We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth.
* Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began.
* Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year.
* Our capacity remains undiminished.
* But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions —
* that time has surely passed.
* Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
* For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.
* The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act —
* not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth.
* We will build the roads and bridges,
* the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.
* We will restore science to its rightful place,
* and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost.
* We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories.
* And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.
* All this we can do. And all this we will do.
* Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions —
* who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans.
* Their memories are short.
* For they have forgotten what this country has already done;
* what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
* What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them.
* That the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long...
* ...no longer apply.
* The question we ask today is not wether our gouvernment is too big or too small...
* ..but wether it works.
* Wether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage...
* ...care they can afford and retirement that is dignified.
* When the answer is yes, we intend to move forward.
* When the answer is no, programms will end.
* And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account...
* ...to spend wisley, reform bad habits,
* ...and do our business in the light of day...
* ...because only then can we restore the vital trust between the people and their gouvernment.
* Nor is the question before us wether the market it a force for good or ill.
* Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched.
* But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchufull eye...
* ...the market can spin out of control.
* The nation cannot prosper along...
* when it favors only the prosperous.
* The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product...
* ...but on the reach of our properity.
* On the ability to extend opportunty to every willing heart.
* Not out of charity...
* ...but because it is the surest route to our common good.
* As for our common defence...
* ...we reject as false the choice between our saftey and our ideals.
* Our founding fathers....
* ...faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine....
* ...drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of men.
* A charter expanded by the blood of generations,
* whose ideals still light the world...
* ...and we will not give them up for expediate's sake.
* And so to all the other peoples and gouvernments who are watching today...
* ...from the grandest capitals to the small village, where my father was born.
* Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child....
* ...who seeks a future of peace and dignity...
* and we are ready to lead once more!
* Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism...
* ...not just with missiles and tanks...
* ..but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions...
* They understood that our power alone cannot protect us.
* Nor does it entitle us to to as we please.
* Instead they knew that our power grows through its prudent use.
* Our security emanetes from the justness of our cause....
* ...the force of our example,
* the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
* We are the keepers of this legacy.
* Guided by these priciples once more, we can meet those new threats,
* that demand even greater effort...
* even greater cooperation and understanding between nations.
* We will begin to responibly leave Iraque to its people...
* ...and forge a heard-earned peace in Afghanistan.
* With old friends and former foes we will work tirelessly...
* to lessen the nuclear threat...
* ...and roll back the spectre of a warming planet.
* We will not apologize for our way of life.
* Nor will we waver in its defence.
* And for those who seek to adavance their aims by...
* ...inducing terror and slaughtering innocents...
* ...we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken...
* ... you cannot outlast us and we will defeat you!
* For we know...
* that our patchwork heritage is a stength, not a weakness.
* We are a nation of Christians an Muslims...
* ... Jews and Hindus...
* ...and non-believers.
* We are shaped by every language and culture...
* ...drawn from every end of this earth.
* And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation...
* ...and emerged from that dark chapters stronger and more united...
* ...we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass...
* that the lines of tribes shall soon dissolve...
* ...that as the world grows smaller our common humanity shall reveal itsself...
* ...and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
* To the Muslim world:
* We seek a new way forward.
* Based on mutual interest and mutal respect.
* To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict,
* or blame their societies' ills on the west -
* know that your people will judge you on what you can build...
* ...not what you destroy.
* To those....
* ...who cling to power through corruption and deceit,
* and the silencing of dissent:
* Know that you are on the wrong side of history.
* But that we will extend a hand
* if you are willing to unclench your fist.
* To the people of poor nations.
* We pledge to work alongside you,
* to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow.
* To nurse starved bodies and feed hungry minds.
* And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty:
* We say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders.
* Nor can we consume the world's recourses without regard to effect.
* For the world has changed.
* And we must change with it.
* As we consider the road that unfolds before us...
* we remember with humble gratidude...
* those brave American who at this very hour....
* patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains...
* They have something to tell us.
* Just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages...
* We honour them not only because they are the guardians of our liberty...
* but because they embody the spirit of service.
* A willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.
* And yet at this moment...
* ... a moment that will define a generation...
* it is precisly this spirit that must inhabit us all.
* For as much as gouvernment can do...
* ..and must do...
* it is ultimatly the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.
* It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levies break...
* the selflessness of workers...
* ...who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job,
* which sees us through our darkest hours.
* It is the fire-fighter's courage, to storm a stairway filled with smoke...
* but also a parent's willingness tu nurture a child...
* ...that finally decides our fate.
* Our challenges may be new...
* ...the instruments with which we meet them, may be new...
* ...but those values upon which our succes depends...
* ...honesty and hard work...
* ...courage and fair play...
* ... tolerance and couriosity...
* ...loyalty and patriotism...
* these things are old.
* These things are true.
* They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.
* What is demanded then is a return to these truths.
* What is required of us now is a new era of responsiblity.
* A recognition on the part of every American,
* that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world...
* duties, that we do not grudgingly accept but rather see gladly...
* firm in the knowlegde, that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit...
* ...so defining of our character...
* ...than giving our all to a difficult task.
* This is the price and the promise of citicenship.
* This is the source of our confidence.
* The knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
* This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed,
* why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall...
* ...and why a man, whose father less than 60 years ago...
* ...might not have been served at a local restaurant...
* ...can now stand before you...
* ...to take a most sacred oath.
* So. let us part this day in rememberance...
* ...of who we are and how far we have traveled.
* In the year of America's birth...
* ..in the coldest of months...
* ...a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river.
* The capital was abandonded.
* The enemy was advancing, the snow was stained with blood.
* In a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt...
* the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people.
* "Let it be told to future world,
* that in the depth of winter,
* when nothing but hope and virtue could survive,
* that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger
* came forth to meet it."
* America,
* in the face of our common dangers...
* in this winter of our hardship...
* let us remember these timeless words.
* With hope and virtue let us break once more the icy currents,
* and endure what storms may come.
* Let it be said by our children's children
* that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end!
* That we did not turn back nor did we falter!
* And with eyes fixed on the horizon and with God's grace upon us...
* ...we carried forth that great gift of freedom...
* ...and delivered it safely to future generations.
* Thank you. God bless you.
* And God bless the United States of America.
Saving Money in Plain English
18/01/09 18:48
White Christmas
16/12/08 11:33
A great version of White Christmas by The Drifters
White Christmas
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten,
and children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white
One Laptop Per Child
02/12/08 18:13
This simple video explains the One Laptop Per Child project. Read the mission statement below and visit the OLPC website here
The mission of One Laptop per Child (OLPC) is to empower the children of developing countries to learn by providing one connected laptop to every school-age child. In order to accomplish our goal, we need people who believe in what we’re doing and want to help make education for the world’s children a priority, not a privilege.
It’s not a laptop project. It’s an education project
In 2002, MIT Professor Nicholas Negroponte experienced first-hand how connected laptops transformed the lives of children and their families in a remote Cambodian village. A seed was planted: If every child in the world had access to a computer, what potential could be unlocked? What problems could be solved? These questions eventually led to the foundation of One Laptop per Child, and the creation of the XO laptop.
OLPC’s mission is to provide a means for learning, self-expression, and exploration to the nearly two billion children of the developing world with little or no access to education. While children are by nature eager for knowledge, many countries have insufficient resources to devote to education—sometimes less than $20 per year per child (compared to an average of $7,500 in the United States). By giving children their very own connected XO laptop, we are giving them a window to the outside world, access to vast amounts of information, a way to connect with each other, and a springboard into their future. And we’re also helping these countries develop an essential resource—educated, empowered children.
Phishing Scams in Plain English
16/11/08 08:58
A short guide to recognizing and avoiding a phishing scam by Common Craft.
You've probably seen it.
You receive an email from your bank or trusted company and it's asking you for information.
It looks real, but it's designed to fool you into handing over important information.
This is a scam called Phishing, and you need to avoid it.
This is Phishing Scams in Plain English.
Most of us have gotten used to doing business online.
We buy and sell things.
We have accounts with sensitive information.
The risk of doing business online is low, as long as you deal directly with organizations you trust.
Problems occur when criminals impersonate these organizations,
and fool you into handing over sensitive information, like account numbers, passwords, and PIN numbers.
The key to avoiding this scam is awareness.
Here's one example. You receive an email that looks like a trustworthy message from a bank.
It asks you to click a link to verify information.
You assume it's legit. So you click the link and log in to what appears to be your bank's website.
At this point, the scam is complete.
You've handed over your bank password to the crooks who can use it to take your money! Booo!
They were able to fool you by impersonating the bank's website.
There are a few keys to detecting phishing emails.
They often try to scare you by saying "your account has been accessed" or "security has been compromised."
They also insist that you click a link to verify information or fill out a form.
Do NOT click links or fill out forms in suspicious emails.
The email may also have misspellings and call you something like "Valued Customer." The crooks don't know your name!
Remember, phishing emails may use the exact same logos, phone numbers, and addresses that appear on your statements or bills.
Always be suspicious of an email that asks for your information.
No exceptions!
If you receive a phishing email, stay calm. There's no risk in receiving it. Just delete it.
You can also safely report it by forwarding it to:
reportphishing@antiphishing.org or spam@uce.gov.
If an email does lead you to a suspicious website, remember to look at the web address.
The address in your browser should look familiar.
If you suspect that criminals have your information, immediately contact organizations where you have accounts.
To protect yourself in the long run, you might also consider anti-phishing software.
Further, check your online accounts and credit reports regularly, and quickly report anything that is out of place.
Phishing scams are a growing threat on the Internet.
By being aware of the scam, you can feel confident in working with companies online. Yaay!
I'm Lee LeFever and this has been Phishing Scams in Plain English on the Common Craft Show.
One more thing, you can download presentation-quality versions of our videos, without ads like this, in the Common Craft Store
A cautionary tale for Hallowe'en
25/10/08 11:01
Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book
12/10/08 11:26
One of the great things about the Internet is how people use it to present ideas in a different way. Neil Gaimen writes books for teenagers and is using his website to read the book to the public:
Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book
Watch Neil Gaiman read The Graveyard Book on a 9-city video tour. At each stop on the tour, Neil will read one chapter from The Graveyard Book. Beginning on October 1st, we will post the video readings daily. By the end of the tour, on October 9th, you will be able to watch the master storyteller himself read The Graveyard Book in its entirety right here.