Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon Essay Example for Free

Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon Essay Among the films presented, what captures and awaken my interest was the film from Ann Hui entitled Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon. Somehow, it was portrayed very subtle in the few minutes of the filming, but at the end you will appreciate how it was orchestrated and letting message of the films came across to the mind of the viewers. The movie can be reflected also how the present vulnerability of some countries easily reckoned and entice by the overwhelming, numerous offers from the rich and powerful countries in exchange of something in their economy and future benefits. Then sooner or later their real intention of their acts slowly surface unveiling the shadow of hypocrites. I do appreciate much how the young and vibrant beautiful female villain in the movie depict her character of determination and patience in achieving her goal willing to gamble every thing she has in position. The female villain was willing to set whatever she has even her life was at stake for that cause of her just to fulfill the desire that stirred up her interest for her personal satisfaction and not after for the destruction of the many. Unfortunately, the fate of having that Green destiny sword was not meant for her to hold on forever for she was not the right one entrusted to look after the care of that green destiny sword. The very least she did, was trying to take the chance of having it. Thought she failed but you can not see in her face the expression of regrets. She have done her best to the best she can but maybe her best was not good enough and the fate of trying was not for the right time and responsibility to hold on that awesome destiny she ever dreamed of. The two characters that I fully appreciated to that young and vibrant villain named Jen Yu was so being energetic in pursuing her intention to have that sword and so cool that even a face of treacherous woman cannot be seen on her. But all of these Jen Yu adventures were a reflection of her mere fascination to the glamorous life of Yu Shu Lien. Believing that a woman can have so many adventures and achieving such freedom is a real marvelous for her. There we can consider also that it was her fascination for a great adventure and achieving such freedom that pushed her to commit such treachery in her in country. We can not even see any single history played along with the movie the reason why Jen Yu should be doing that kind of stuff. Though there are some influences she received from that witched type kind of a master, but we can see it clearly that she was really using her brain in a proper perspective. I really consider that Jen Yu was just using that witched type female master she clings to every time she has some chaos facing with. She was even more tricky compare to her lady master. But destiny did not fell at her hands for it was not intended to be. The least thing she did, was trying her luck on that great adventure of her. While on the other hand, Li Mu Bai, who were on the verge of his own quest of finding the missing sword, the Green Destiny who Li Mu Bai believed that finding it the said sword will open an avenue of knowing the real reason of his Master’s death. Li Mu Bai life was made colorful in the story due to Jen Yu’s presence in the said filming. It was Jen Yu’s character that made the story of Li Mu Bai more interesting and captivating. A little glimpse from the shadow of Jen Yu made Li Mu Bai shine clearly and made it more convincing to believed that such story as that still exist and continue to exist as long as it calls for someone to defend for the truth and righteousness against those people who had bested interest and willing to undermine the welfare of the many. To the question of how the story being orchestrated into the minds of the viewers, well, cinematography did it vividly. The venue of the filming was so simple and environmental yet it helped to make the story essence convey the message across to the minds of the viewers. The setting was so fit for the story because of the title that made it easily to connect with the settings itself of the story. Generally, though the story includes some furious fighting stands using their trademark artistry in handling a sword, still you can sense the compassion that goes with it. There was even a time when Li Mu Bai path came across with Jen Yu there were instance of chance giving Li Mu Bai to kill Jen Yu. But something holds on to him that reached at the back of his mind about the real motive, personality of the villain. Until such time, confession of the real scenario took place when the two characters met each other for a final encounter to fulfill their individual destiny that would dictate their fate in their future existence of the story. Just like us individual who has our own destiny to fulfill and keep continue to fight for it daily all in the name of personal gratification, satisfaction and survival. Nevertheless, we have to remember always that it is not what we have in position neither those people surrounding us and the potentials that we have that keeps us winning from the race. But it is by a having a big HEART of patience, determination and Humility.

Whole Grain Consumption as a Target for Obesity Intervention

Whole Grain Consumption as a Target for Obesity Intervention Policy Options for Increasing Whole Grain Consumption as a Target for Obesity Intervention Tamar Roomian Executive Summary This policy brief will focus on whole-grain consumption in the United States population as a target for obesity intervention. Over one-third of U.S. adults are obese, and can contribute to heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. The estimated annual cost of obesity was $147 billion (in 2008 dollars) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Recent scientific evidence has associated refined grain consumption and lack of whole grain consumption with obesity and its complications. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a majority of adults are deficient in whole grains and fiber. Given the widespread scope of the obesity epidemic, this is problematic, as it has been demonstrated by epidemiological evidence that whole grain consumption is inversely associated with abdominal fat and weight gain. Currently, there are no policies regarding whole grain consumption beyond Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations for labeli ng number of whole grain grams per serving. Therefore, a policy to increase population-wide whole grain consumption may reduce population-wide weight gain, associated health outcomes, and economic impact. This policy brief will discuss three policy options. The first option is to impose a labeling requirement for manufactured products to report percentage whole grain, in conjunction with dietary guidelines to limit refined grain consumption, in order to encourage food manufacturers to voluntarily reformulate their products consistent with consumer demand. The second option is to require that whole grains be the default option at restaurants by taking advantage of the â€Å"default effect,† or the phenomenon that individuals tend to stick with the default choice. However, testing would be required to ensure that the nudge is indeed effective. The third option is to impose a refined grain tax to disincentivize purchase. A tax would generate government revenue, but would meet heavy resistance from the food manufacturing industry. Context and Importance of Problem According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over one-third of U.S. adults are obese, and can contribute to heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. The CDC estimates that the annual cost of obesity was $147 billion in 2008 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Obesity is a complex problem requiring many solutions at multiple levels. Recent scientific evidence has associated refined grain consumption and lack of whole grain consumption with obesity and its complications. This policy brief will therefore focus on whole-grain consumption in the United States population. Whole grains are defined as â€Å"grains that still have the endosperm, germ, and bran present in the same proportion of the intact grain.† The outer bran and inner germ are a source of dietary fiber, b-vitamins, iron, magnesium, vitamin E, as well as other potential unmeasured nutrients that are lost in processing when manufactured as refined grains (McKeown, Troy, Jacques, Hoffmann, ODonnell, Fox, 2010). Processing whole grain to white flour increases caloric density by 10% and decreases fiber content by 80% (Gross, Li, Ford, Liu, 2004). Gross et al. examined trends in refined grain consumption over the twentieth century using the National Nutrient Data Bank to obtain nutrient content of the U.S. food supply, and food availability data from the Economic Research Service and Nutrient Data Laboratory of the Agricultural Research Service. They concluded that since 1963, consumption for carbohydrates increased from 374 g/day to 500 g/day, but fiber intake did not increase proportionally, indicating that refined-grain consumption increased (Gross et al., 2004). According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a dataset from a nationally represented nutrition questionnaire, only 4.9% of adults 19-50 years of age and 6.6% of adults 51 years and over consume the government recommended three or more whole grain servings. Approximately 72% of adults 19-50 and 66% of adults 51 and over consumed less than .6 servings of whole grains. Mean dietary fiber intake was 16.1 grams, below the government recommended 25-30 grams per day (O’Neil, Zanovec, Cho, Nicklas, 2010). This is problematic, as whole grain and fiber consumption is associated with lower body weight in the NHANES (O’Neil et al., 2010). Moreover, in a study using the Framingham Heart Study cohort, whole grain consumption was inversely associated with waist circumference and abdominal fat after controlling for confounders. Abdominal fat is strongly associated to metabolic risk factors including glucose intolerance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance (McKeown et al., 2010). Using the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, a very large longitudinal cohort of female nurses and male health professionals, whole grain consumption was inversely associated with long-term weight gain, while consumption of refined grains was positively associated with weight gain, after controlling for physical activity, television use, alcohol use, sleep duration, smoking and diet. The authors suggest that increased consumption of whole grains is therefore ass ociated with a greater reduction of intake of other foods, because fiber slows digestion and increases satiety. (Mozaffarian, Hao, Rimm, Willett, Hu, 2011). Policy Options Therefore, based on the above scientific evidence, the goal of policy is to increase consumption of whole grains while decreasing consumption of refined grains. Even if the reduction to the individual is small, because most Americans are exposed (i. e. consumers of refined grains), a modest reduction in the entire population could therefore make a large impact (Rose, 2008). While whole grain requirements have already been added to the national school lunch program, this does not address the majority of U.S. adults, as they do not attend public school (Grain requirements for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, 2012). Evidence for policy options can be derived from previous policy regarding trans fat, sodium, and sugar-sweetened beverages, as there has been strong scientific evidence to associate their consumption with poorer health outcomes, and subsequent policies have followed. The first option is to institute a labeling requirement so that manufacturers must clearly label the percentage of whole grain in the product, as recommended by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Current FDA regulations only prohibit false or misleading labeling. However, according to the CSPI, even with FDA regulations, current whole-grain labeling by manufacturers based is still misleading, as items accurately labeled as ‘made with whole grains† can still be primarily comprised of refined grains (CSPI, 2012) Requiring labeling may cause manufacturers to change formulations on their own volition. For example, In the United States, mandatory trans fat labeling decreased trans fatty acid content in manufactured foods, even without substantially increasing saturated fat (Uauy et al., 2009). In a study of 5000 chip and cookie products before and after the mandatory labeling requirement, led to a reduction of 45% and 42% respectively (Van Camp, Hooker, Lin, 2012). Bakery products reduced their trans fat level by 73% after the labeling requirement (United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 2013). It is important to note that the labeling requirement was in conjunction with the USDA’s 2005 dietary recommendations to â€Å"limit trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible.† (USDA, 2008). In contrast, the current 2010 dietary recommendations for whole grains state that at least half of servings eaten each day should be whole, rather than an explicit limit on refined grains. Labeling and the USDA requirement would therefore need to be concurrent to be most effective. In addition, changes in labeling assumes consumers will be able to understand the new labels, and therefore influence their choice of item. If the labels indeed drive consumer demand, this can provide a motivating force for manufacturers to change formulations in conjunction with the labels. The advantage is minimal government intervention beyond dietary guidelines and labeling requirements. The manufacturers would voluntarily change their product formulations because of consumer demand. Consumers w ould still have autonomy over their choices. Consumers would likely support this policy as it could increase access to information and better inform consumer choice. Food manufacturers would likely oppose this policy, as it would require testing, new labeling, and possible product reformulations, which would increase costs, unless the food manufacturers are highly motivated by consumer demand for the reformulations. A second option is to require that whole grains be the â€Å"default† option at restaurants. The default effect is defined as â€Å"the tendency for decision makers to stick with the default or the option that takes effect if one does make an explicit choice.† (Li and Chapman, 2013). Previous evidence for the default effect is with regards to the McDonald’s Happy Meal, which changed to reduce the French fry serving size, include apples without caramel dipping sauce, and low fat or fat-free chocolate milk in place of soda. Analysis of item-level transaction data that included the children’s meals pre and post meal changes showed that the average meal after changes were initiated reduced calories by 18% (although it is worth noting that the study was partially funded by McDonald’s) (Wansink Hanks, 2014). However, despite success with the Happy Meal, â€Å"nudges† are not always successful, and testing should be conducted before any policy enac ting. The third option is to impose a tax on refined grain foods to discourage purchase. The government may benefit by using the revenue generated by the tax towards health prevention programs. Currently, taxes on harmful substances such as cigarettes can be more easily justified due to their addictive nature, strong evidence towards poorer health outcomes, and their lack of requirement for survival. However, taxes on food items can be unpopular and difficult to enact. Political climates may eventually change, easing passage of this type of policy. For example, New York City’s soda tax was unpopular at the time, but as evidence against sugar-sweetened beverages increased, the idea has become trendy and the political climate has changed. Mexico recently adopted a 10% soda tax which has resulted in a 5% decline in Coca Cola sales (Guthrie, 2014). San Francisco and Berkley, California, are now imposing a soda tax. Past efforts in United States cities have failed due to heavy lobbying b y the food manufacturing industry, as the PepsiCo Inc, Coca Cola Co., and the American Beverage Association have spent $70 million on lobbying and issue ads (Stanford, 2012). References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014f). Obesity and Overweight for Professionals: Data and Statistics: Adult Obesity DNPAO CDC. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html Center for Science in the Public Interest (2012). Misleading whole grain claims rampant on store shelves. Retrieved from http://wholegrainscouncil.org/files/CSPI_wgclaimsPR.pdf. Gross, L. S., Li, L., Ford, E. S., Liu, S. (2004). Increased consumption of refined carbohydrates and the epidemic of type 2 diabetes in the United States: an ecologic assessment. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 79(5), 774–779. Guthrie, A. (2014, February 26). Mexico Soda Tax Dents Coke Bottler’s Sales. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303801304579407322914779400 Li, Meng, Chapman, G. B. (2013). Nudge to health: Harnessing decision research to promote healthy behavior. Social and Personality Psychology Compass 7(3), 187-198. Retrieved from http://ruccs.rutgers.edu/faculty/pylyshyn/Proseminar13/NudgeToHealth.pdf. McKeown, N. M., Troy, L. M., Jacques, P. F., Hoffmann, U., O’Donnell, C. J., Fox, C. S. (2010). Whole- and refined-grain intakes are differentially associated with abdominal visceral and subcutaneous adiposity in healthy adults: the Framingham Heart Study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 92(5), 1165–1171. doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.29106 Mozaffarian, D., Hao, T., Rimm, E. B., Willett, W. C., Hu, F. B. (2011). Changes in Diet and Lifestyle and Long-Term Weight Gain in Women and Men. The New England Journal of Medicine, 364(25), 2392–2404. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1014296 O’Neil, C. E., Zanovec, M., Cho, S. S., Nicklas, T. A. (2010). Whole grain and fiber consumption are associated with lower body weight measures in US adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004. Nutrition Research (New York, N.Y.), 30(12), 815–822. doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2010.10.013 Rose, G. (2008). Rose’s Strategy of Preventive Medicine. Oxford University Press. Stanford, D. D. (2012, March 13). Anti-Obesity Soda Tax Fails as Lobbyists Spend Millions: Retail. Retrieved October 18, 2014, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-13/anti-obesity-soda-tax-fails-as-lobbyists-spend-millions-retail.html Uauy, R., Aro, A., Clarke, R., L’Abbà ©, M. R., Mozaffarian, D., Skeaff, C. M., †¦ Tavella, M. (2009). WHO Scientific Update on trans fatty acids: summary and conclusions. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 63, S68–S75. doi:10.1038/ejcn.2009.15 USDA. (2008) Chapter 6 Fats. In Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. Retrieved from http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter6.htm. USDA. (2013). Food companies reduced trans fats in new products from 2005 to 2010. (2013.). Retrieved October 13, 2014, from http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/detail.aspx?chartId=40991#.VDwdDhbUKAc Van Camp, D., Hooker, N. H., Lin, C.-T. J. (2012). Changes in fat contents of US snack foods in response to mandatory trans fat labelling. Public Health Nutrition, 15(06), 1130–1137. doi:10.1017/S1368980012000079 Wansink, B., Hanks, A. S. (2014). Calorie reductions and within-meal calorie compensation in children’s meal combos. Obesity, 22(3), 630–632. doi:10.1002/oby.20668

Why Has Reality TV Become Popular?

Why Has Reality TV Become Popular? Reality TV is a phenomenon that has now been the norm for a number of years. What is the reason reality TV has become so popular and what are the negative effects on young audiences? Discuss the differences between reality TV in America and/or other western countries and reality TV in the Middle East. The bug word of my first research question is REALITY PROGRAMS. The trend of reality TV shows in today’s surrounding is increasing and spreading like a fire in forest. Every channel wants a reality TV show once in a year to broadcast to increase and enhance their GRP’S. Why the rates of reality TV shows are touching the skies now days? Obviously, people are getting attracted towards those reality TV shows like a magnet. These reality TV shows are acting like gravity for the channels which attracts the attention of our society’s conversations today. Not only ladies and women in their kitty’s parties are discussing that reality TV programs like before they used to discuss on typical women oriented dramas, about their heavy jewelries and embroided sarees. People from all age groups are watching the every season of reality TV programs. As the demand of these reality TV shows is increasing therefore channels are producing them annually in terms of seasons. And every season smashes the GRP of that channel as compare to previous season (Ramos, R. A., Ferguson, C. J., Frailing, K., Romero-Ramirez, M. , 2013). Now the question arises that why is the reality TV shows gaining importance and popularity so extensively? At first instance people used to hate them but once the train come on to the platform, no one resist catching that train. It means once the show has been broadcasted on TV, no one resist to watch the whole season that reality TV. The answer for the popularity of reality TV shows is that people start relating their own lives to the contestants on reality TV shows. People love to hear and watch the true stories and trues events of every single contestant. People get bored on the scripted items. They want something new, something extravagant, something very much prodigiously attractive for their leisure time. And all these ravishing spending they can earn from reality TV shows (Bhatti, M. A., Hassan, A. A. U. , 2014). Everything which reaches towards the highest sky of fame, people in its surrounding is going to perceive something from them, whether it’s in a good way or a bad way. Similarly it goes for the popularity of reality TV shows. What people do extract from them. Here we will discuss some facts about reality TV impact on our young generation (Gentile, D. A., Bushman, B. J. (2012). , 2012). Physical Attractiveness And Sex Appeal Numerous reality shows portray women idealizing beauty and slimness, giving the impression that a woman’s value is based on her physical appearance, and that popularity is resultant from beauty. Reality cum Competition shows such asAmerica’s Next Top Modeldisseminate this idyllic, as women participate and compete with every of their opponent to gain a worthwhile modeling agreement (Krahe, B., Moller, I., Kirwil, L., Huesmann, L.R., Felber, J., Berger, A., 2011). Acquisitiveness And Extreme Partying Other conjoint values propagated by reality TV include acquisitiveness, and an idealism of a hard-partying and â€Å"superstar† lifestyle without respect for values. BothRich Kids of Beverly HillsandShahs of Sunsetportary the lives of privileged fresh adults living in southern California. They take overgenerous trips, wear fashionable and expensive clothes, spend a lot of money on alcohol-fueled parties, and are seldom seen employed consistent jobs (Ramos, R. A., Ferguson, C. J., Frailing, K., Romero-Ramirez, M. , 2013). Difference between reality TV shows in Western Countries and Middle East countries is not very much unalike. Infect the reality TV show which western countries announces and if it gains popularity to its highest level then most seldom Middle East countries copied them and introduces them in their own country. And again that copied reality TV show also gains importance and popularity at its height. For Example: Western Reality TV Show: The Big Brother Eastern Reality TV show: the Bigg Boss Both of them gains extreme popularity not even in their own countries but also across the globe. REFERENCES: Gentile, D.A., Bushman, B.J. (2012). Reassessing Media Violence Effects Using a Risk and Resilience Approach to Understanding Aggression.Psychology of Popular Media Culture, Vol. 1, No. 3. Krahe, B., Moller, I., Kirwil, L., Huesmann, L.R., Felber, J., Berger, A. (2011). Desensitization to Media Violence: Links With Habitual Media Violence Exposure, Aggressive Cognitions, and Aggressive Behavior.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 100, No. 4. Ramos, R. A., Ferguson, C. J., Frailing, K., Romero-Ramirez, M. (2013). Comfortably numb or just yet another movie? Media violence exposure does not reduce viewer empathy for victims of real violence among primarily Hispanic viewers.Psychology of Popular Media Culture,2(1), 2. Bhatti, M. A., Hassan, A. A. U. (2014). Psychological effects of TV News Violence on youth: A Case Study of the Students of Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan.Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences (PJSS),34(1), 295-309. Scarborough, R. C., McCoy, C. A. (2014). Moral reactions to reality TV: Television viewers’ endogenous and exogenous loci of morality.Journal of Consumer Culture, 1469540514521078.

Nietzsches Superman Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Though when most people think of superheroes they think of the type with super powers, the original idea of the ‘superman’ was developed by Friedrich Nietzsche in the 1800s. The ubermensch (literally overman in German) never had extra-ordinary powers and wasn’t developed as the protector of man. Instead, the superman is a person who has overcome all the flaws of mankind and is essentially ‘perfect.’ This idea, though it was thought of as an ideal goal that all people should strive for, has almost completely been used for less-than-good agendas. The details of what Nietzsche’s superman is supposed to be and how that compares with how it was used to the advantage of many dictatorships and other oppressive leaders is amazing and in many ways disgusting. What Nietzsche tried to create with his idea of the superman was human perfection, but what it actually created was fuel for evil in the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) developed his idea of the superman after many years of studying and teaching philosophy. It was a culmination of many ideals that Nietzsche felt were the ideals a person should follow to lead a perfect life. The superman is essentially his own society, determining his own values, finding his own happiness, and finding joy in being the one to control all of this himself. He doesn’t believe in a God or a soul or an afterlife, and therefore makes the most out of his life since he has no one else’s morals to follow. One interesting aspect of Nietzsche’s superman is his lack of compassion for the weak. Nietzsche believed that any pity felt for the less-abled only hindered the growth of the superman. This is very much like survival of the fittest that has allowed animals to evolve into better and better creatures. Though it seems uncaring and thoughtless, in some sense the idea makes sense because the superman is a ty pe of evolution of man. Without the need to support the weak, the superman can rise above the common man and evolve into a greater being. These ideas are strictly philosophical and were most likely not meant to be used in the real world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many people and societies, however, who believed that Nietzsche’s writings should be followed strictly. These include Adolph Hitler, National Socialism, Fascism, and even the rock star Marilyn Manson... ... the highest virtue is to be true to yourself; sexuality must be included in a healthy, rounded life; the goal of life should be to find yourself; a high self-esteem is needed for good growth; the mind and body make up a single whole; you can't love someone else if you don't love yourself; and challenge yourself and don't live passively. These beliefs, especially in the last fifteen to twenty years, have shaped America and many other cultures into what they are today. Nietzsche was in some ways a very modern thinker and can be credited at a minimum with creating change in the world. His idea of the ubermensch was very revolutionary from the ideas at the time put forth by the Christian church and other facets of society. Though it seems extreme, many of the ideas about how the superman should be are built into the core of modern societies. None-the-less, men such as Hitler used his ideas against the rest of the world and caused much mayhem and destruction based on these ideas. It is hard to say whether Nietzsche’s idea of the superman had an overall positive or negative impact on the world, but it is for sure that society would not be where it is today if it were not for Nietzsche.

Essay on The Holy Bible - Comparing Identity in the Tower of Babel and

Identity in the Tower of Babel and Creation Stories God recognizes that human beings are not specifically good the moment He creates them; for unlike His other creations, He does not pronounce them as such. But also unlike His other creations, they are the only ones created like something else, like God, in His image. If they are truly to exist and be good, they must become separate from God, as the other creations are separate and categorized. It takes some human action to get them out of the Garden of Eden--specifically, the woman and the man eating the fruit. Unfortunately, they can't do everything on their own. They need some interference from God, namely the flood, to distance themselves further from Him and to separate them individually, from each other. Though the people in the Babel story do not exercise it very well, the ability to name, to define, to separate, and to classify seems like a prodigious power, and even a privilege. To become fully human men must distinguish themselves from God. When God sends the flood. He separates Himself from them by putting the world into their hands, as if to say, "There you go, you're grown up now, you take care of it." The gift of the Earth should be God's last active attempt at separation; from then on the humans should try to separate themselves from Him on their own. But like birds kicked out of the nest who try to climb back up the tree, they try to build the tower to heaven; and once again, God must intervene by creating even greater difference. This time He confuses their languages so they are not only different from God but also different from each other. Both God and mortals understand the tremendous power of language and of naming. For example, at one point ". .... ...er He changes their languages first, and they scatter themselves once they realize they can't understand one another. The former interpretation is probably more accurate, but both show how distance, both physical and figurative, creates difference. And in this case it is a difference that makes teamwork, and the tower which would bridge the gap between earth and heaven, as well as the gap between man and God, impossible. Therefore, by being different from each other, the scattered people of Babel grow even more different from God. Despite the problems that arise from difference (namely conflict), it is necessary for humans to be distinct from one another because they need to obtain identity, both as a race of beings and as individuals, separate and different not only from God, but from one another. Work Cited 1 The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version.

A Student’s Life in “Challenging The Traditional Classroom”

Education is a wonderful asset to anyone. With a good one the sky is the limit, and without one opportunity may never come knocking. In today†s society, so much emphasis is put on education. How many times have we heard the saying â€Å"if you get a good education, you†ll get a good job and make a lot of money†? Even today, my parents remind me of how much a college degree would add to my marketability. But when does it become too much? Is it possible that one could overlook the more important values in life in search to become a â€Å"learned man†? In Richard Rodriguez†s story Challenging The Traditional Classroom he examines his life as a student, and the affects his learning has towards his attitude about family and heritage. Rodriguez is without a doubt a very talented student. His ability to learn is enviable. Many times I would wish that I were able to get into my academics as much as he was into his. For example, while in high school, my English class was reading several plays by Shakespeare. With all the difficult words and hard to follow story lines, it would have been extremely helpful to have been able to go through the plays willingly, and with enthusiasm. Instead, I read it because I had to, for fear of getting a bad grade. On the contrary, Rodriguez actually enjoyed schoolwork. He tells us, â€Å"†¦. any book they (teachers) told me to read, I read –then waited for them to tell me which books I enjoyed. Their every casual opinion I came to adopt and to trumpet when I returned home†¦ â€Å". He approached academics with an eagerness that left everything else behind, including his family and culture. As Rodriguez became more involved with his academics he drifted further away from his family. The intimacy once shared between them was disappearing. â€Å"He takes his first step toward academic success, away from his family. â€Å". His family also understood the importance of education, as his siblings did well in school, but were never â€Å"so anxious about their schooling†. Upon making sure that her children learned English, Rodriguez†s mother would tell them to maintain their Spanish. This was obviously a hint to the children to remember their culture. While soaking in all his academics, Rodriguez intentionally abandons his culture. He makes it obvious that he wants nothing to do with his heritage by imitating the accents and diction of his teachers. He also doesn†t participate in family gatherings, which is evident when he tells us, â€Å"Nights when relatives visited and the front rooms were warmed by Spanish sounds, I slipped quietly out of the house†. Rodriguez actually uses his academics to move further away from his culture. He believes that being educated in academics will truly make him successful, and â€Å"like his teachers†. It†s sad to think that one could put so much focus on education, and not see the importance of family and heritage. These two things are what make us who we are, and despite what we go through, they will remain unchanged (in most cases). Rodriguez learns this lesson first hand when he realizes the error in his ways. He goes back to his family and heritage, who end up still providing the love and compassion that has been, and always will be there.

Employment Labor and Anti-Discrimination Law Essay

You are an employee at a nice paper mill and want to impress the boss by burning the midnight oil (cut not too close to the wood pulp). For four consecutive weeks, you work forty-five, forty-two, thirty-nine, and thirty-one hours. If you are a nonexempt employee covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act, how many hours of overtime pay, if any, would you be entitled to? What would be the rate? Fair Labor Standards Act Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 is concerned with child labor, maximum hours, minimum wages, and overtime provisions. Overtime An employee who works more than forty hours over week must be paid 1.5 times his or her regular pay rate for all hours over forty. Employers whose jobs are categorized as executive, administration, or professional, as well as outside salespersons and computer employees, are exempt. Employees who are not exempt include manual laborers and other blue-collar workers who perform tasks involving repetitive operation with their hands (non-management production line employees, for example). Other non-exempt employees include police officers, firefighters, licensed nurses and other public safety workers. Employers can pay overtime to exempt employers if they want to, but they cannot otherwise waive or reduce the overtime requirements. The employee will be paid overtime for the weeks he or she worked the forty-five, forty-two, but not the thirty-nine or the thirty-one hour week.