Do We Need Ratings for What We Watch on TV Essay Example

Do We Need Ratings for What We Watch on TV Essay Do We Need Ratings for What We Watch on TV? Name: Institution: Do We Need Ratings for What We Watch on TV? We will write a custom essay sample on Do We Need Ratings for What We Watch on TV specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Do We Need Ratings for What We Watch on TV specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Do We Need Ratings for What We Watch on TV specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Introduction Every time one turns on the television to watch, there are countless programs to watch as there are many television stations. Most of these programs or almost all of them have some rating depicted with some letters such as TV-Y, TV-7, TV-G, TV-PG, TV-14 and TV-MA. All these letters represent the appropriateness of the program’s content to the different age groups. For instance, TV-Y programs are designed for young children while TV-MA programs are designed for adult only. The rating is determined by content such as explicit sexual nudity, suggestive dialogue and violence amongst other ratings. The main question is whether we need these ratings for every program that we view on television. These TV ratings have been around for almost two decades now. It is a television content rating system that was first introduced in December 1996 but became effective in January 1, 1997 in the United States. Before it was introduced, other ratings existed, established in 1968 by the Motion Picture Association of America film rating system, MPAA which had set the standards (Linder Gentile, 2009). However, the newer TV ratings were aimed at establishing standards that would allow voluntary rating for the broadcast and cable networks. It was adopted by most of the major United States broadcast as well as cable networks, which was in response to public concern about the increasing level of explicit sexual material, graphic violence as well as strong profanity within the television programs. There are several reasons why it is important to have these ratings for television (Linder, 2011). The main reason is because of children who are sensitive and vulnerable to content such as violence that would affect them at an early age. This research paper seeks to answer the question of whether we need ratings for what we watch on television. Literature Review A lot of research has shown that watching of television is related to hosting negative outcomes in children. Several studies have found that television watching especially with violent content is associated with increasing aggression amongst children as well as increased fear due to such violence (Linder Gentile, 2009). Currently, it is inevitable that children will watch television everywhere they go considering that almost every household in the United States have a television set. Therefore, the ratings come in to indicate what programs are suitable for them in order to avoid exposure to content that does not suit their age. This is especially important for parents in order to protect their young ones from content that could affect them negatively (Linder Gentile, 2009). The Rating System Before going even further towards answering our question, it is important to look at the ratings and what they represent in order to understand why they are needed. The TV-Y means it can be watched even by young children. This is a program designed for young children, with the theme being specifically designed for the young children aged between 2 and 6 years. The content is not likely to frighten them. TV- means the content is designed for seven of ages 7 and older. The content can contain some comic violence that would not be suitable for children below these years who are yet to understand between reality and make-believe content. TV-G is designed for general audience, meaning anybody at any age can watch including children even without parental guidance. However, this does not mean the program is specifically designed for children. The content contains hardly any violence or sexually oriented scenes (ParentsTV.org, 2010). TV-PG on the other hand means that children can view the c ontent under parental guidance since it may contain some scenes of mild violence, suggestive dialog and sexual context. TV-14 on the other hand means that the program is not suitable for children under the age of 14 years. Such programs may contain scenes with violence, sexual activity, drug use and profanity. Children under the age of 14 should be cautiously monitored if they have to watch such content. The final rating is TV-MA, which means it is designed for adults only. Therefore, children under the age of 17 should not be allowed to view such content. Such programs contain more scenes of violence, sexual nudity, profanity and drug use (ParentsTV.org, 2010). Exposing children to such content at an early age could have negative impact on children. Effects of Adult Content on Children Research shows that exposure to explicit material for children have a negative effect that could affect their future life. Such content has the tendency to sexualize children at an early age (ParentsTV.org, 2010). In the recent years, sexual content has been on the on the increase with many television programs showing a good amount of it even during primetime when children are most likely to b watching television. According to ParentsTV.org (2010), it was found that children are exposed to more than 10.8 incidents of explicit adult content every hour, which meant exposure every five and a half minutes of watching television (ParentsTV.org, 2010). The study carried out showed that children viewing PG rated content were likely to be exposed to sexual content at an early stage since the ratings have continue to under rate some of the programs. With such exposure to sexual content at an early age, the children become sexualized at an age they should not. The findings further show that a child watching a PG rated program in a period of two weeks would be exposed to 181 instance of sexual content, 239 instances of exposure to offensive language and 217 instances with violence. The finding further suggest that not only were the children exposed to the explicit adult content after every five and a half minutes while watching PG rated content, but also that the rating lacked the sub-ratings that indicate what content is contained in the program (ParentsTV.org, 2010). There were no descriptors to indicate the specific type of content. The descriptors include ‘S’ indicating sexual content, ‘D’ indicating suggestive dialogue, ‘L’ indicating coarse language and ‘V’ indicating violence. Without the descriptors, parents would not know the content that makes the program TV-PG. Thus; they have no clue about what the children are watching. This makes it hard to protect the children from inappropr iate content. The findings shows very minimal use of these descriptors, where 92% of explicit sexual content was aired without the ‘S’ descriptor, 36% of offensive language was aired without its descriptor, while 24% of this language included very harsh language (ParentsTV.org, 2010). Much of the content that children were exposed to from such content include words about sexual body parts, partial nudity, implied sexual intercourse, dialogue, curses, offensive epithets such as ‘Bitch’ and ‘Jackass,’ amongst others (ParentsTV.org, 2010). Violence included beatings, weapon violence such as shooting and stabbing, dismemberment amongst others including mutilation that is quite harmful to the children (ParentsTV.org, 2010). All these content is not appropriate for young children that are vulnerable to such language and scenes of violence and other behaviors including sexual disorientation. In particular, violence and coarse language has a far more effect on children since it can develop negative behaviors. According to KUNKEL (2006), violence on television affects children in three ways. The first one is through enhancing learning of aggressive behavior and attitude, the second one is desensitization where children’s callousness to victims of violence increases and finally, increasing fear of becoming a victim of violence. Of the three effects, it is the first one that has more adverse effects where violence in television is known to increase the propensity for violent behavior. â€Å"The statistical relationship between children’s exposure to violent portrayals and their subsequent aggressive behavior has been shown to be stronger than the relationship between asbestos exposure and the risk of laryngeal cancer†¦,† (Kunkel, 2006). Further, this study shows that violence in the television landscape is widespread, meaning that every child is lik ely to see some at some point as aforementioned. Additionally, the violence is presented in a manner that is sanitized as well as glamorized, which has the potential to affect children more. Finally, presentation of violence has remained quite stable and continues to increase daily with more and more entertainment releases all the time (Linder Gentile, 2009). After watching much of such content, the children are usually eager to know more and seek an explanation if they do not already know. Further, young children are known to try some of the things they see on television. It is not surprising to find children at a young age imitating what they see on television. With such behavior resulting from watching inappropriate content, it is worth having ratings that clearly indicate the content in the programs in order to protect the younger generation. Much of the behavior that is imitated is the violent ones and sexual acts they see on television. More literature indicates that children are aware of the ratings and some of their meaning. In a study conducted to find out what the children know about the ratings, it was found that some children had negative comments about programs rated G and PG. some said that these programs are â€Å"looser ones,† (Hamilton, 2000). Some made comments that programs rated as PG-13 would be scary. Clearly, the children understood that the ratings have to do with the content of the program of film, where higher rated ones meant more restrictive content that in fact got their curiosity. This Hamilton (2000) called the ‘forbidden fruit’ effect where one wants to have what is restricted especially for older children. However, the positive comments from children concerning the advisory given by parents concerning what to watch said it was good, meaning that parents did take the rating issue seriously. Therefore, TV ratings are important for helping the parents in selecting the best programs for their. Additionally, Hamilton (2000) cites that, â€Å"Children’s positive comments about the parental advisory and the PG-13 rating demonstrate how restrictive labels not only can enhance the attractiveness of the labeled material, but may reduce the appeal of less restricted fare,† (p. 202). Findings From this literature review, several things were evident that indicate the need for not only having ratings on what we watch on television, but also the need to tighten up the ratings or enforce them to protect the young children. The first finding is that some of the content that is viewed by children that is not appropriate for their age affects them in various ways including behavior where children can increase their aggressiveness while in other areas such as objectifying of the woman body through sexual material, a young girl would feel victimized if she does not look sexy as the programs suggest a woman should be (Linder, 2011). The other finding is that there is increased level of explicit and adult material on PG rated programs than it should be, which means children are watching a lot of adult content even on programs that they are not restricted(Linder Gentile, 2009). Finally, children as well have some understanding that the ratings mean some restrictive material, which m any have different opinions such as being scary. This further brings in the forbidden fruit effect where children want to watch what is not for their age. Further, parents are aware of the ratings and help it helps them in selecting the appropriate films. However, the rating is not sufficient considering majority of the programs are aired without the descriptor labels. Conclusion It is clear that we should have ratings on what we watch on television in order to protect the children. With the increasing programs aired on televisions during prime time that contain adult material, it is important that parents know what content is in this programs to know whether it is appropriate for their young ones. With repeated exposure to such content, it might become a norm to children who may not distinguish between the reality and make-believe images they see on television. However, despite the ratings, they have not been effective. In other regions such as the UAE, there are ratings similar to those established in unites states but whose effectiveness is not commendable. Haine (2013) provides a perfect example of how violence can affect children who are yet to distinguish reality and make-believe situations. In a cinema hall, three children playing at the front charges up the stairs screaming when a serious loud gun battle from the movie. It is clear these children thou ght it was real and were scared. Therefore, we do need to have ratings for what we watch on television in order to protect the young ones from harmful content. References Haine, A. (2013). Guns, blood and violence: is the UAE cinema ratings system effective? The National. Retrieved from http://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/well-being/guns-blood-and-violence-is-the-uae-cinema-ratings-system-effective Hamilton, J. (2000). Television, Violence and Public Policy. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press. Kunkel, D. (2006). The Effects of Television Violence on Children. University of Arizona: retrieved from http://www.apa.org/about/gr/pi/advocacy/2008/kunkel-tv.aspx Linder, J. R. Gentile, D. A. (2009). Is the television rating system valid? Indirect, verbal and Physical aggression in programs viewed by fifth grade girls and associations with behavior. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 30 (3): 286-297. Linder J. (2011). A Content Analysis of Indirect, Verbal and Physical Aggression in Television Programs Popular Among School Aged Girls. American journal of psychology, 4 (4): 24-42. ParentsTV.org. (2010). What Kids can see when it is rated TV-PG. Parents Television Council. Retrieved from http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/TVRatings2012/2012_RatingsStudy.pdf

Using and Conjugating the Spanish Verb Oler

Using and Conjugating the Spanish Verb Oler Just as the verb to smell can be used to refer to the act of smelling or the act of producing an odor, so can the Spanish verb oler. But the verbs are used in somewhat different ways in the two languages. Oler comes from the Latin verb olÄ“re and is related to a few English words such as olfactory and odor. How To Use Oler Oler is usually used with a direct object when telling what a person or creature smells: Me gusta oler las flores. (I like smelling the flowers.)Mi hermano no podà ­a oler la comida. (My brother couldnt smell his meal.)Olà ­amos el aire fresco del bosque. (We smelled the fresh air of the forest.) Oler can also be used figuratively in the same way:  ¡Casi puedo oler la libertad! (I can almost smell freedom!) To describe what something smells like, you can use oler a: El coche olà ­a a gasolina. (The car smelled of gasoline.)Desde que comencà © a amamantar a mi bebà © siento que huelo a vaca. (Since I started to nurse my baby I have felt that I smell like a cow.)Tu casa huele a tabaco. (Your house smells of tobacco.)No huele a los baratos perfumes. (It doesnt smell like the cheap perfumes.) Again, oler can be used this way figuratively: La casa olà ­a a dinero. (The house smelled of money.) Without an object, oler can refer to the act of smelling: No puedo oler desde hace aà ±os. (I havent been able to smell for years.) When used with an indirect-object pronoun, oler can be used to mean to suspect or to seem that when it has that meaning: Me huele que el problema no es de tu ordenador. (It seems to me that the problem isnt with your computer.)A mà ­ me huele que fuiste bruja en la vida pasada. (I suspect that you were a witch in your previous life.)Ya le ha olido lo que estamos haciendo. (She already suspects what we were doing.) The reflexive form also can be used to express suspicion: Me lo olà ­a yo desde el sbado. (Ive suspected it since Saturday.)Cuando se huele algo se evoca la memoria emocional. (When you suspect something it triggers the emotional memory.) Full Simple Conjugation of Oler Oler is conjugated regularly except that the o- of the stem changes to hue- when stressed. The irregular forms are shown below in boldface: Present indicative: yo huelo, tà º hueles, usted/à ©l/ella huele, nosotros/as olemos, vosotros/as olà ©is, ustedes/ellos/ellas huelen (I smell, you smell, you/he/she smell/smells, we smell, you smell, they smell) Imperfect indicative: yo olà ­a, tà º olà ­as, usted/à ©l/ella olà ­a, nosotros/as olà ­amos, vosotros/as olà ­as, ustedes/ellos/ellas olà ­an (I used to smell, you used to smell, etc.) Preterite indicative: yo olà ­, tà º oliste, usted/à ©l/ella olià ³, nosotros/as olimos, vosotros/as olà ­as, ustedes/ello/ellas olà ­an (I smelled, you smelled, etc.) Future indicative: yo olerà ©, tà º olers, usted/à ©l/ella oler, nosotros/as oleremos, vosotros/as olerà ©is, ustedes/ellos/ellas olern (I will smell, you will smell, etc.) Conditional: yo olerà ­a, tà º olerà ­as, usted/à ©l/ella olerà ­a, nosotros/as olerà ­amos, vosotros/as olerà ­ais, ustedes/ellos/ellas olerà ­an (I would smell, you would smell, etc.) Present subjunctive: que yo huela, que tà º huelas, que usted/à ©l/ella huela, que nosotros/as olamos, que vosotros/as olis, que ustedes/ellos/ellas huelan (that I smell, that you smell, etc.) Imperfect subjunctive (more common form): que yo oliera, que tà º olieras, que usted/à ©l/ella oliera, que nosotros/as olià ©ramos, que vosotros/as olierais, que ustedes/ellos/ellas olieran (that I smelled, that you smelled, etc.) Imperfect subjunctive (less common form): que yo oliese, que tà º olieses, que usted/à ©l/ella oliese, que nosotros/as olià ©semos, que vosotros/as olieseis, que ustedes/ellos/ellas oliesen (that I smelled, that you smelled, etc.) Imperative: huele tà º, no huelas tà º, huela usted, olamos nosotros/as, oled vosotros/as, no olis vosotros/as, huelan ustedes (Smell! Dont smell! Lets smell! Smell! Dont smell! Smell!) Compound Conjugations of Oler Perfect forms of oler use the appropriate form of haber with the part participle, olido. For example, the first-person indicative perfect of oler is he olido (I have smelled). Progressive (or continuous) forms are formed with the present participle, oliendo, and the appropriate form of estar. For example, the first-person indicative present progressive form of oler is estoy oliendo (I am smelling). Both past and present participles are conjugated regularly. Key Takeaways The verb oler can refer to smelling something or to giving off an odor.The phrase oler a is the equivalent of the English phrases to smell of and to smell like.Most forms of oler are conjugated regularly, although the stem changes when stressed.

Privatizing Social Security is the best way to deal with the Social Essay

Privatizing Social Security is the best way to deal with the Social Security crisis - Essay Example During his initial campaign for the presidency and into his first term in office, President Bush outlined and championed a method that could save this ailing, enormously costly and inefficient socialist conceived dinosaur by introducing a streamlined plan that would privatize social security. This discussion briefly explains how Social Security is collected and distributed, how it affects different segments of society and why the fund is shrinking. It then examines the Bush administration’s proposed solution to the problem and appraises the merits of the plan to privatize Social Security. The Social Security system operates by collecting taxpayer money and redistributing it to selected persons in need. Employees pay about six percent of their salary into Social Security and their employer contributes a matching amount. The fund earns interest by investing in U.S. Treasury bonds then pays retirees who have paid into the fund as employees. It also pays to the spouses of deceased retirees and to disabled persons of working age. Half of the nation’s elderly would live below the poverty line if not for the benefits paid by Social Security as opposed to the ten percent presently in poverty. Today, nearly 60 percent of retirees acquire more than half of their income from Social Security. For a third of recipients, benefits account for 90 percent of their total income (Epstein, 2006 p. 12-15) Today, Social Security is taking in slightly more money than it is paying out. According to government estimates, the reverse will be true â€Å"within the next fifteen to twenty years† (Johnson, 2006) but will still be capable of paying full benefits until about 2042. The Social Security Administration estimates that the funding balance will tip by 2028 and steadily decline until the fund is exhausted in 2042 at which time it will retain the interest paid from the Treasury bonds and when that is depleted these bonds are sold back to the

Embedded Systems and Drives Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Embedded Systems and Drives - Lab Report Example The following code blocks show the implementation of the project. The codes as explained in the comment box. Â  For this exercise, each node was to be identified as an 8-bit code. Four bits compromised of a system code which is all from the same number while the other four bits were used to identify a node within the system. Â  For the condition, from if (sysIdS== sysId), is that the value received for system matches the value set for the system, nodeId check is true, and is within value of 0 to 16 in terms of arrays, then the condition is True, then the commands with the curly braces are therefore executed. For this case, the immediate action is to display date, temperature, Humidity etc. Â  for (int m = 0; m < array_size; m++) The for command, in this, defines a variable called m and gives this variable an initial value of 0. The text m < array_size appears after the semicolon. This is the representation of the condition required in staying within the loop. Therefore in other words, when m is less than array_size, things inside with the curly brackets will repeat. Â  The project implementation started with the identification of the required variables. The variables were then declared, with their relevant libraries also called. To ensure that the 16-nodes are identified, each node was declared as an integer, and assigned a name. The blocks of codes are explained in the comment box. The comment section explains why certain codes were used in a given section of the program. The transmitter and receiver snapshots are also provided.

Globalization and the State. Discuss Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Globalization and the State. Discuss - Essay Example Companies which grew their subsidiaries in different countries and continents found themselves in a unique situation of transcending those states where they had a presence. As globalisation become more prevalent, states find themselves unable to enforce sovereign power that is supposed to be absolute, supreme and unlimited; instead, in the name of economic progress, states have learnt to negotiate, compromise, and in some extreme cases, capitulate before the large MNCs. Globalisation challenges the traditional link between constitutionalism and the state, and elevates constitutionalism to a transnational context (Anderson 2012). The purpose of this brief discussion is to cursorily explore the various issues posed by globalisation and how in response to them the nation-state has evolved, as embodied in the academic literature existing to date. The topic will cover the political, economic and legal implications of globalisation upon the state, and how the concept of statehood is being reinvented and redefined to adjust to the recent phenomenon of modern globalisation. Dimensions of Globalisation Ewoh, Matei and Matei (2013) distinguished among three dimensions of globalisation: economic, political and social globalisation. ... Of particular interest in the investigation was the link between corruption and globalisation. In this empirical study, a direct correlation was found to exist between political globalisation, stability and impact of the anti-corruption strategies put to effect in states. The most powerful influences on political globalisation are related primarily to political stability, and secondarily to anti-corruption strategies. These findings indicate that the greater the degree of political globalisation of the state, the less likely it is subject to corruption. Globalisation and the Perfect Market Globalisation requires deregulation, but deregulation of the markets is premised on the condition that perfect market opportunities are present – this means complete transparency, complete information available to all players, transaction costs are zero, and the market is therefore efficient. It is well known, however, that markets are in reality inefficient, so deregulating the markets will be done without the assurance of free market conditions. The study by Prentis (2012) proved empirically that deregulating stock markets (and it assumed any auction market), particularly as a measure leading to globalisation, can actually hinder rather than help in returning stability to the markets. The findings of this study relate political ideology of the state to the level of its globalisation. The implication of a national economy that participates more fully in globalisation is that it tends to be more competitive, with greater openness to the free market forces; conversely, the less globalised a nation’s economy is, the more likely it is to be a

Living At The Crossroads Book Review Religion Essay

Living At The Crossroads Book Review Religion Essay The book Living at the Crossroads, by Michael W. Goheen and Craig B. Bartholomew, provides insight into how to live a Christian life at a time in which the Christian worldview has been challenged by the tenets of what is called post-modernism. In this book, the term worldview is used to describe a belief system. That is, what an individual or group of individuals believes as to how and why the world functions, and what the goals of the worlds existence should be. In this way, the worldview of a social community is the way in which this group of people characteristically look outward upon the universe. Worldview is linked especially to the way people in a particular society, such as Christian society; see themselves in relation to God, humanity and the rest of the universe. Although there are different worldviews in our society today, the Christian worldview has come under increasing social pressure to change. This book provides Christians with a path towards understanding their role in society and to help us live faithfully as Christians at the crossroads. Despite our place at the crossroads, Goheen and Bartholomew also demonstrate that Christians need to be able to remember their roots in faith. The role of the Lord Jesus Christ is to reclaim the whole world as His kingdom. This means that our faith in salvation can result in the restoration of the whole of Gods good creation on earth, and His works in Heaven. Goheen and Bartholomew tell their readers that the Gospel as it is recorded in Scripture can been seen to be as broad as creation. Since the gospel is about Gods rule over all of creation, all nations, and all of human life, therefore the mission of Jesus followers is also as wide as creation itself. We as Christians have therefore been engaged as witnesses to the gospel in all of public life business, economics, scholarship, politics, family, criminal justice, art, media and every corner of human experience throughout the world. The challenge, however, is that there are forces working against this role for Christians in our society today. Post-modernism, according to Goheen and Bartholomew, is a term used often in our society today. It is linked to the idea that relative truth is the prevailing issue of the day. Post-modernism says that moral and religions truth do not exist in any objective sense, that individual persons are the product of their cultures, and that we must, as a global society, reject any overarching explanation of what constitutes truth and reality. This means that the Bible should no longer be used as a guide for living our lives as Christians because of the fact that there are other people and cultures which prove that God could mean something different than what we believe. Because of this threat, God has commanded His people to organize themselves into distinct visible communities. The purpose is for giving visibility to His great Kingdom, making known the Gospel of that kingdom, and of gathering all His elect subjects. Each one of these distinctive organized communities are faithful to God represents an integral part of the visible church, and all together constitutes the universal visible church. As a whole, we need to understand our mission. To achieve this goal, we also need to become aware of our own assumptions as Christians by reflecting on three parts of knowing the Bible, namely (1) giving summary expression to the grand story; (2) lifting out the fundamental beliefs of that story; (3) articulating and explicating those beliefs. This is what worldview reflection is concerned to do (Goheen and Bartholomew 26). By doing so, Goheen and Bartholomew state that this formula can be applied to their two narratives, the Biblical story and the Western story. This means that by looking at the story of humanity seen through the eyes of Christianity, and also seen through the eyes of Western culture, we can begin to understand what is happening at the crossroads. In understanding the differences between these two points of view, we can act to protect the Christian faith from a hostile worldview over the long term. Goheen and Bartholomew make three distinctions between the Christian and the Western worldviews. The first distinction is that the Christian worldview is at first religious, while the Western worldview is linked to what is called rational thought. The idea of rationalism is linked to systems theory, in that there is a focus on evolution and the ways in which human society has changed over time. The Renaissances secular humanism and the shift to a focus on science during the Enlightenment period acted to split apart the connection between the gospel and humanism. Over time, this led to a conversion of Western society from a faith in the church to a faith in reason, in that Western society believed that the world would be bettered through science and reason. The second distinction between the Christian and the Western worldviews is that the Christian worldview is first a story, not a system. A Christian worldview demonstrates that there is a deeper meaning that can be reached through faith. As Goheen and Bartholomew write, It certainly is true that Jesus death is for us, but this is too narrow a version of the truth.  In the biblical drama Jesus dies for the whole world, for every part of human life, for the whole nonhuman creation. The cross is an event whereby the course of cosmic history is settled (56).  This means that instead of focusing on the structure of society and the possibility of whether or not there is a God, like the Western worldview, the Christian worldview allows the faithful to discover meaning in life through the narrative of the Bible and its teachings. The third distinction between the Christian and the Western worldviews is that the Christian worldview is first embodied, and then articulated, according to Goheen and Bartholomew. What this means is that we, as Christians, must first live a life of God before moving towards ministry. On an individual level in our walk with Christ, there really is only one goal: to be Christ-like. Ministry is only born out of our love for Christ and our desire to be transformed into His image. If there were no love for Christ, we would have nothing to give and would not have the staying power to finish the race. God is the Creator and Maker of all things and he so desires to manifest Himself and demonstrate how much he really loves us. As well, He is revealing Himself in new, fresh and exciting ways in these days we live in where we are presented with the challenges of living at the crossroads. It is only after understanding these ideas, however, that we as Christians can come together to articulate the work of God as a community. Overall, this means that, as Goheen and Bartholomew note, the very core of human life is religious. This means that not only is we as human beings dependent on and related to God, but that our lives should incorporate a constant response to God and His will for humanity. It is not difficult to figure out how to accomplish this task. Goheen and Bartholomew write that the Gospel is the message of the kingdomà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The good news that Jesus announces and enacts, and that the church is commissioned to embody and make known, is the Gospel of the kingdom. We make a grave mistake if we ignore this, the central image of Jesus proclamation and ministry (2). Through the Gospel, we can work our way towards salvation, which is the way that God will be able to reclaim His creation, namely the community of Christian faithful. In this way, Goheen and Bartholomew demonstrate that those who do not serve God are in fact idolatrous. Western culture, with its focus on consumerism and post-structuralism, suffers from idolatry because of the fact that these people serve a leader other than God. Over the last fifty years, the development of consumerism via new methods of advertising, media, and cultural shifts has had an increasing impact on our society, and especially on those most vulnerable to influence, children. We are bombarded with images throughout the day, from television and Internet advertising to billboards and radio spots. We are encouraged to association consumption with cultural events and holidays that were formerly Christian holy days of prayer and contemplation. This intersection of consumer media in our lives has changed the ways in which we see the world, but it has also had a definitive impact on our personal habits and our spiritual health, which is why it is important to show the difference between the Western culture focus on consumer goods and the Christian focus on Gods law. These changes in our global society have led to a shift towards an unhealthy move away from the message of God. This means that we, as Christians, cannot allow those living under the Western culture have the final say on the agenda and interests of Christians today. Because of the fact that we are called to be faithful to God, we need to focus on Gods word rather than that of those who live outside of the Christian faith. At the same time, Goheen and Bartholomew write that faithfulness to the Gospel can be very costly and that suffering can come to be the result of a missionary encounter with the idolatrous powers of society as whole. The move towards what is known as secular and rationalistic humanism in Europe and other northern regions of the world has only led to the dilution and destruction of Christianity. For this reason, the only way to ensure that Christianity is maintained is through faithfulness to the Gospel. One of the most significant things that is pointed out by Goheen and Bartholomew is that the shift towards post-modernism and idolatry within traditionally Christian communities in Europe and other northern regions of the world has allowed for the rise of Islam. Part of the reason for this shift is due to the fact that Islam offers people a deep sense of community where religion and way of life are connected. Law is fundamentally important to the Muslim people and their community governance because it is treated as a way of being, rather than a legal or religious structure that is separate from other aspects of life and the Quran is its defining symbol of identity. As such, evaluation of and adherence to Islamic law has shaped the political, economic and social standards of Islamic Empires throughout history. The scope of Islam has changed because of the necessity of protecting its followers right to practice the religion, and therefore the concept of uniting and increasing Muslim te rritory through Jihad, which is mentioned as the only acceptable form of warfare. In doing so, the Islamic world forced the home of Christianity to Rome, thus essentially Europeanizing the Christian faith. This was a massive social shift, and signalled a new face of power within Europe and Asia. At the present day, this shift is beginning to be felt on a larger scale. In order for Islamic communities to thrive and get along, they follow common rules by which they have agreed to operate, based on religious tradition alone. As noted by Goheen and Bartholomew, the Islamic political and legal system is seen as inseparable from other aspects of life, and it gives a world-view, a vision, and a set of values, and leaves enough room to work out details for different situations under the guidance of its religious leaders. The challenge is that Islam is becoming stronger because it has developed a culturalist reaction against Western cultural values. The Muslim viewpoint of the West is that it is against its own collectivist worldview, because in Western culture, individuals care nothing for those around them, and seek only for self-gratification. At the same time, Western culture is also perceived to be imposing its worldview on other societies, such as Islamic countries. The West is , in this way, linked to the idea of protecting the survival of the fittest, while Islam is linked to the idea of protecting the interests of its internal religious community. For these reasons, Goheen and Bartholomew note that there needs to be a Christian empathy for the way in which Islam is responding to the individualist approach of Western communities. Islamic regions of the world are turning to fundamentalist practices as a way in which to balance out economic and social challenges between themselves and Western culture, and in this way restore order and justice to their communities. The fundamental challenge in the conflict between Muslim and Western thought is therefore not so much who people are and what they believe in, but what they are perceived to be and what they represent for each other on a cultural basis. In this way, Goheen and Bartholomew suggest that Christians need to be aware of these social dynamics on a global basis, and find our own way of challenging the force of secularism which is damaging our culture. In this way, the resurgence of Islam becomes a prophetic challenge to Christians to recover the full dimensions of their faith (Goheen and Bartholomew 124). In the end, we, as Christians, need to follow the recommendations of Goheen and Bartholomew in order to develop a comprehensive approach to cultural engagement. First, we need to be able to recognize that because Jesus Christ is Creator and Redeemer of all things, our collective Christian approach to salvation can be both restorative and comprehensive. In moving toward a kingdom of God, the Church is called to witness to this comprehensive salvation. The Gospel is, in this way, the only means of transforming human life for the better. If we do not work towards these goals in this way, Goheen and Bartholomew warn Christians that we will become a minority community in the world. Although, in remaining faithful, we may experience some degree of conflict and suffering as a community, we must understand that this will allow for restoration though Gods love. Our mission is linked to that of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Goheen and Bartholomew demonstrate that in order to complete this mission, we also need to make its goals clear to our young people who want to profess their faith through education. We must also incorporate our faith into every act or work that we do, through our professions. This may be challenging because of the fact that, in the Western culture in which we live, the word of God may call forth opposition, conflict, and rejection. At the same time, this approach will ensure that God and his faithful will be able to work towards on the final day when the Lord returns in glory to help us all realize our eternal life with Him.

The Trouble with Working It Essay -- Unemployment Jobs Careers Essays

The Trouble with Working It Alison Hooker is a bright young woman. She is a middler communications major at Northeastern University and performing well in her classes. She has experience as a waitress and recently finished her first co-op at a broadcasting company in her native Chicago. She is friendly and outgoing, and carries herself with a confident, yet approachable demeanor. In all regards, she appears to be a capable and collected individual. Despite all these positive attributes, however, Hooker has been unable to find a job in Boston. â€Å"I’ve applied so many places,† said Hooker, who has been persistently searching for work since returning to Boston in January. â€Å"It takes a lot of time to go out and apply to a lot of different places, and it’s even harder when you have classes all during the day. I can’t even remember every place I applied to, probably because a lot of them never even called back.† Hooker isn’t alone in her sentiments of frustration. Within the past few years, finding a job has become increasingly difficult for people across the nation. Unemployment rates have, with few exceptions, been steadily climbing, and that trend is reflected in many discouraged would-be workers. In Boston alone, average unemployment rates more than doubled in the past four years, from 2.9% in 2000 to a full 6% in 2003, according to statistics from the Massachusetts Division of Employment and Training (MDET). Finding and maintaining employment has been difficult for white-collar professionals, let alone unskilled college students that are only available for part-time hours. On the rare occasions that unemployment rates have declined in recent months, many analysts dismiss the seemingly positive statistic as a sign of the ... ...re hoping that things will soon be looking up for the average campus dweller. The statistics vary and the interpretations contradict; for Alison Hooker, however, all that matters is whether all this economic debate will lead to her finding a paycheck. â€Å"It costs a lot of money to go to this school, and it would be really nice to be making some back,† she said. â€Å"I am not all that concerned about getting a real job after school. I think that the job contacts I’m making through co-op will help a lot with that,† said Hooker, who has plans to return to her previous co-op at a Chicago broadcasting corporation in June of 2004. â€Å"I’m not even looking for anything all that great right now, just something part-time. And I just feel like, I made it into college and am getting through all this higher learning- should it really be more difficult to get hired at Starbucks?†

Master of Health Management Systems Program

My background in health care made me choose an education that would assist me in my long term career plan of the expansion of my family owned rehabilitation center. I have a BS degree in Respiratory Care from Shenandoah University, in VA and my curriculum here has laid the basic foundation for my career in the healthcare setting. I am not employed at present but I am currently a graduate student at NYU majoring in Occupational Therapy. So far in my one year experience at NYU as a graduate student, I have realized that this course would help me become a therapist but I would not be able to manage health care institutions .I can shine better as a leader and a team head rather than a therapist. I have organizing capabilities and good interactive skills that would find a better outlet in a manager’s position†¦ The greater percentage of the population in Saudi Arabia is under the age of thirty and this offers very great career prospects. I wish to make a mark in my own rehabilitation center in my home country. As I already have a family owned center I only need to refine certain systems and bring in innovative techniques. I would be a leader who is dedicated to make changes and contribute to our health care system in Saudi Arabia The health care industry in Saudi Arabia is growing rapidly and would provide excellent and challenging opportunities for providers My short term goal is to work in the ministry of health in Saudi Arabia and move up the ladder to assure better health care delivery. My long term goal is to work for the world health organization in the Middle East sector. My family has a rehabilitation center in Saudi Arabia .Ultimately I would be in a position to manage this also. I would make it a different one which is able to offer the best care possible .I have visions of expansion and opening branches. I need to survey the potential prospects in the places where I would like to branch out and run efficient organizations. I wish to bring in some innovative techniques, equipments and offer this to the patients in a cost effective manner. As an efficient manager and a healthcare provider I must be in a position to demonstrate quality outcomes, fiscal responsibility, and efficient and effective practices. To do this, I would have to collect and analyze data, incorporate innovative management techniques, and utilize new technologies to provide the best health care. This is a field that is constantly evolving. And unless I have a high quality education and the proper accompanying training, I would not be able to be a trendsetter in this field. The health professional is trained to acquire a unique blend of skills in health sciences, management and systems. As a graduate from this school, I would be prepared to understand trends and provide solutions in the evolving healthcare market. So far, my exposure has been fairly limited and though I have grand plans I do not know the integration of technology and management in this field of healthcare. This is what I would need in any healthcare organization and also in my own rehabilitation center. My ultimate aim is to improve the quality of life of physically impaired people in my residential city in Saudi Arabia and I am convinced that this Master of Health Management Systems Program would equip me with the necessary skills to fulfill my obligations to society.

The Dust Veil Environmental Disaster of AD 536

The Dust Veil Environmental Disaster of AD 536 According to written records and supported by dendrochronology (tree ring) and archaeological evidence, for 12-18 months in AD 536-537, a thick, persistent dust veil or dry fog darkened the skies between Europe and Asia Minor. The climatic interruption brought by the thick, bluish fog extended as far east as China, where summer frosts and snow are mentioned in historical records; tree ring data from Mongolia and Siberia to Argentina and Chile reflect decreased growing records from 536 and the subsequent decade. The climatic effects of the dust veil brought decreased temperatures, drought, and food shortages throughout the affected regions: in Europe, two years later came the Justinian plague. The combination killed perhaps as much as 1/3 of the population of Europe; in China, the famine killed perhaps 80% of people in some regions; and in Scandinavia, the losses may have been as much as 75-90% of the population, as evidenced by the numbers of deserted villages and cemeteries. Historical Documentation The rediscovery of the AD 536 event was made during the 1980s by American geoscientists Stothers and Rampino, who searched classical sources for evidence of volcanic eruptions. Among their other findings, they noted several references to environmental disasters around the world between AD 536-538. Contemporary reports identified by Stothers and Rampino included Michael the Syrian, who wrote: [T]he sun became dark and its darkness lasted for one and a half years [...] Each day it shone for about four hours and still this light was only a feeble shadow [...] the fruits did not ripen and the wine tasted like sour grapes. John of Ephesus related much the same events. Prokopios, who lived in both Africa and Italy at the time, said: For the sun gave forth its light without brightness, like the moon, during this whole year, and it seemed exceedingly like the sun in eclipse, for the beams it shed were not clear nor such as it is accustomed to shed. An anonymous Syrian chronicler wrote: [T]he sun began to be darkened by day and the moon by night, while the ocean was tumultuous with spray, from the 24th of March in this year till the 24th of June in the following year... The following winter in Mesopotamia was so bad that from the large and unwonted quantity of snow the birds perished. A Summer Without Heat Cassiodorus, praetorian prefect of Italy at the time, wrote: so we have had a winter without storms, spring without mildness, summer without heat. John Lydos, in On Portents, writing from Constantinople, said: If the sun becomes dim because the air is dense from rising moisture- as happened in [536/537] for nearly a whole year [...] so that produce was destroyed because of the bad time- it predicts heavy trouble in Europe. In China, reports indicate that the star of Canopus could not be seen in as usual in the spring and fall equinoxes of 536, and the years AD 536-538 were marked by summer snows and frosts, drought and severe famine. In some parts of China, the weather was so severe that 70-80% of the people starved to death. Physical Evidence Tree rings show that 536 and the following ten years was a period of slow growth for Scandinavian pines, European oaks and even several North American species including bristlecone pine and foxtail; similar patterns of ring size decrease are also seen in trees in Mongolia and northern Siberia. But there seems to be something of a regional variation in the worst of the effects. 536 was a bad growing season in many parts of the world, but more generally, it was a part of a decade-long downturn in climate for the northern hemisphere, separate from the worst seasons by 3-7 years. For most reports in Europe and Eurasia, there is a drop in 536, followed by a recovery in 537-539, followed by a more serious plunge lasting perhaps as late as 550. In most cases the worst year for tree ring growth is 540; in Siberia 543, southern Chile 540, Argentina 540-548. AD 536 and the Viking Diaspora Archaeological evidence described by Grslund and Price shows that Scandinavia might have experienced the worst troubles. Almost 75% of villages were abandoned in parts of Sweden, and areas of southern Norway show a decrease in formal burials- indicating that haste was required in interments- up to 90-95%. Scandinavian narratives recount possible events that might be referring to 536. Snorri Sturlusons Edda includes a reference to Fimbulwinter, the great or mighty winter that served as a forewarning of Ragnarà ¶k, the destruction of the world and all of its inhabitants. First of all that a winter will come called Fimbulwinter. Then snow will drift from all directions. There will then be great frosts and keen winds. The sun will do no good. There will be three of these winters together and no summer between. Grslund and Price speculate that the social unrest and sharp agrarian decline and demographic disaster in Scandinavia may have been a primary catalyst for the Viking diaspora- when in the 9th century AD, young men left Scandinavia in droves  and sought to conquer new worlds.   Possible Causes Scholars are divided concerning what caused the dust veil: a violent volcanic eruption- or several (see Churakova et al.), a cometary impact, even a near miss by a large comet could have created a dust cloud made up of dust particles, smoke from fires and (if a volcanic eruption) sulfuric acid droplets such as that described. Such a cloud would reflect and/or absorb light, increasing the earths albedo and measurably decreasing the temperature. Sources Arrhenius B. 2012. Helgà ¶ in the shadow of the dust veil 536-37. Journal of Archaeology and Ancient History 2013(5).Arjava A. 2005. The Mystery Cloud of 536 CE in the Mediterranean Sources. Dumbarton Oaks Papers 59:73-94.Baillie M. 2007. The case for significant numbers of extraterrestrial impacts through the late Holocene. Journal of Quaternary Science 22(2):101-109. doi: 10.1002/jqs.1099Baillie MGL, and McAneney J. 2015. Tree ring. Climate 11(1):105-114. effects and ice core acidities clarify the volcanic record of the first millennium of the PastChurakova OV, Bryukhanova MV, Saurer M, Boettger T, Naurzbaev MM, Myglan VS, Vaganov EA, Hughes MK, and Siegwolf RTW. 2014. A cluster of stratospheric volcanic eruptions in the AD 530s recorded in Siberian tree rings. Global and Planetary Change 122:140-150.Engvild KC. 2003. A review of the risks of sudden global cooling and its effects on agriculture. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 115(3–4):127-137. doi:10.1016/s0168-1923(02 )00253-8Grslund B, and Price N. 2012. Twilight of the gods? The ‘dust veil event’ of AD 536 in critical perspective. Antiquity 332:428-443. Larsen LB, Vinther BM, Briffa KR, Melvin TM, Clausen HB, Jones PD, Siggaard-Andersen M, Hammer CU, Eronen M, and Grudd H. 2008. New ice core evidence for a volcanic cause of the AD 536 dust veil. Geophysical Research Letters 35(4)Rigby E, Symonds M, and Ward-Thompson D. 2004. A comet impact in AD 536? Astronomy Geophysics 45(1):1.23-1.26

The Broken Spears Book Review essays

The Broken Spears Book Review essays Subject: The Broken Spears Book Review The Broken Spears, by Miguel Leon-Portilla, is a detailed and graphic account of the Spanish conquest, told from the point of view of the conquered (the Aztecs). Leon-Portillas selections of events portrayed in this book combine giving the reader a big picture view of the Spanish conquest. This book gives a historical event an emotional, human, perspective, which helps the reader understand and empathize with the terror and fear the Aztecs were faced with. The book also provides in-depth details concerning the correlation of superstitions, poor (or misguided) leadership, and technological disadvantages that led to the Aztecs being conquered. After reading this book one begins to understand how and why the Aztecs were conquered. I was always under the impression that Cortes was just a great leader with great army and his victory in Mexico was as easy as the US victory was in Iraq (it amazing how similar the two events are; both fed by the hunger for power, and greed). After reading this book I have begun to realize that Cortes may have been a good leader but there were many more circumstances stacked against the Aztecs. These circumstances include native allies of the Spaniards, non-indigenous disease, inferior weapons, and bad interpretations of the Spaniards intentions. The Aztecs did not seem to have any cards in their favor. Most importantly this book shows the stark contrast and ultimate clash of different cultures. The Aztecs superstitious and ceremonial way of life clashed with the brutal and savage methods of Cortes. While the Aztecs decorated idols and built statues the Spaniards planned surprise attacks, for ex ample the attack at the fiesta and the statue of Huitzilopochtli. This passage is found on page 72 and includes a graphic account of the Spaniards brutality. Throughout the entire book these cultural differences are present, forming and ...

A Marketing analysis of Italian wine in the Chinese market Dissertation

A Marketing analysis of Italian wine in the Chinese market - Dissertation Example Political Political factors play an important role in the performance of businesses in the long run. In China, political risk is relatively low compared to other emerging economies in the world. This is because China follows a one party policy, which reduces chances of political parties among opponents. The central government of China has recently revised its taxation policy in order to help it encourage wine business in the country. The government has taken the initiative to provide funds for the infrastructural projects that would help the wineries in their process of production (Daft, Kendrick and Vershinina, 2010). In case of a political framework, in which there is the existence of more than one party, as the ruling party changes, it leads to the change of ideologies and policies. The one party policy in China acts as a favourable factor for any business operation in the country. Therefore, the wine industry faces positive thrust in China. Import of bottled wine has increased be tween 2004 and 2009 as shown in the graph below. It can be seen from the figure that imports from Italy have increased considerably after 2006. Figure: Imports of bottled wine by China (Source: DPI, 2013) However, there is little transparency in the political system of the country. There are wide assortments of different rules encompassing the businesses in all industries in the country. Such regulations increases challenges for the investors that are currently investing in the country or are willing to invest in the near future (Collins, 2013). Economic China is the largest economy in the world in terms of population and the ranks third in the world in terms of purchasing power parity (CIA, 2013). According to 2012 estimate, the real growth rate of the nation is 7.8 percent and per capita GDP is $9300 (CIA, 2013). There is a rising middle class in China that possesses high purchasing power. This middle income group in China makes very high demand for luxury goods in the internation al market (Zhou, 2010). With rising income of the people belonging to the middle class in China, their exposure to the international market is increasing and they are becoming more accustomed to the western culture. This develops taste among the population for luxury products, such as high quality refined wine. This provides positive incentive for the wine manufacturers to increase their operations in China. According to comments by experts, in years to come, the Chinese â€Å"middle class† would become one of the greatest stakeholders for the wine firms. With evolution of the Chinese economy the society is also advancing. A greater proportion of the population is entering the middle class (Okonkwo, 2007). They are having high average earning and are influenced by the western culture to a greater extent. These people are becoming loyal customers of wine. Besides, increasing price differentials in the international market is a major factor that brings about growth in the Chine se wine market. Social China has a long history of brewing wine and there is a tradition of wine consumption in the country. Research shows that the consumption of wine by the Chinese population has been increasing over the last decade. Researchers have claimed that consumption of wine in China would double by 2014 (UPENN, 2012). The reason behind this change

Reality TV Influence on the Audience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reality TV Influence on the Audience - Essay Example As the discussion stresses  during the initial years of the twenty first century, viewers watched reality TV to observe people’s lives, watch them argue, fight, eat bizarre things and reveal personal details of their lives. These reality shows were humored and harmless. But with time, the essence of reality TV has changed. People now participate in reality shows to contest against each other in order to win some prize or gain popularity. This reflects increased competitiveness and materialism prevailing in the society.  This research declares that  as television drama became more violent and sexually explicit, reality TV evolved as a more meaningful genre of TV shows that present viewers with more competitive and bitter versions closer to reality. Psychologists present interesting explanation as to why reality shows are very popular. One of the primary reasons is that viewers can identify themselves with the participants who are initially ordinary people and then become famous. Secondly, they enjoy the competitive nature of such shows since there are always winners and losers.  Reality TV is taking over regular TV and is polluting people’s mind. Violence, distorted pictures of reality, language and stunts are marking a lot of reality TV. These shows are very entertaining but many professionals are expressing concerns over the harmful implications. They point out that negative impacts of reality TV are higher for children and teenagers than adults.