Friday, May 22, 2020

A Little Exercise For Young Theologians - 1591 Words

Introduction The small book A little exercise for young theologians is an opening lecture to students of theology given by theologian Helmut Thielicke. This book is especially important for students who are beginning their training in theology, but it also is crucial for those who are seasoned students of theology as it is a good reminder of what students need to know when studying the nature and character of God. Thielicke is brief in the lecture, but he is profound in what he says. It is an important lecture for any student of theology. This review will summarize the lecture while making critiques and provide a conclusion. Summary The lecture given by Thielicke is for the purpose and intention to speak clearly and forcefully concerning the matter of theology (vii). The discourse is given for beginning seminary students with the hope that it will be read over and over again. It is a lesson to teach students theological self-discipline (xi). Thielicke argues that each minister must be disciplined when proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ (xii). The lecture is broken down into thirteen small chapters of about 4-5 pages. Each chapter has one main point that Thielicke is presenting to his students. Thielicke first gives a warning to his students that they are in great danger because of the responsibility that they will have as ministers of Jesus Christ (1-2). Thielicke then presents in the following chapters warnings and encouragement to his students regarding the studyShow MoreRelatedThe Black Death Of The Middle Ages1825 Words   |  8 Pagesages came to a close, political theologians set forth a series of po litical ideologies that would help shape modern day democracy. The Black Death greatly affected the beliefs of the power in Catholic Church. With seemingly randomly mass death of the young and old, the peasant class began to revolt. While unrest occurred throughout Western Europe events like the conciliar movement called into question the emerging conceptions of limitations on rulers’ power. Theologian including John Wycliffe, WilliamRead MoreCompare and Contrast the Philosophical Contributions Aristotle and Descartes Make to Our Understanding of a Person1606 Words   |  7 Pages and having a biographic identity, all of which appear to have their origin from Descartes.Simuarly to Aristotle, Descartes also uses biology to argue why only humans are eligible to be classed as persons. Drawing on predessesors and Christian theologians view that the soul is the essence of a person, Descartes adds to the theory of the soul that it is located and connected to the body in the pineal gland. And as the organ is unique to humans, he is able to conclude that animals do not have soulsRead MorePhilisophical Background of The Stranger Essay1436 Words   |  6 PagesCamus was never comfortable with describing himself as an existentialist, this philosophic viewpoint became fashionable in France and he was identified with it by the public. Existentialism emphasized the freedoms that humans have and the need to exercise their individual human will in responsible ways. His philosophy tended to be atheistic and Camus himself rejected all religion. The existentialists borrowed many of their basic ideas from the 19th century German Nietzsche, although there also wereRead MoreThe Moral Argument for the Existence of God Essay example2046 Words   |  9 PagesThe Moral Argument for the Existence of God Kant did NOT put forward a moral argument and anyone who said he does is wrong!!!! Kant rejected all attempts to argue from the world to God, he regarded such an exercise as impossible. However he thought that God was a POSTULATE of practical reason. If you share Kant’s assumptions, then it becomes necessary to assume that there is a God. Kant’s reasoning†¦. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Read MoreCourtly Love in The Knights Tale and The Wife of Baths Tale1353 Words   |  6 Pagesfor Chaucer assigns the Squire that trait, he does possess the qualities of chivalry, which allow him to present a story of courtly love in his tale. While courtly love may seem like a fixation of the ancient past, the model courtship, in which two young people fall in love and eventually get married after a series of personal trials and tribulations, still exists today (Wollock 213). While this idea of daring exploits and melodramatic ideals is intriguing, in reality, courtly love is more of a literaryRead More Models of God, Humanity, and Nature My Experiences, Thoughts, and Critical Analyses5752 Words   |  24 Pagesjust couldn’t really understand why God does anything because we can’t comprehend God’s â€Å"master plan.† I’m sure that she was right, but that response is not very satisfying to a curious little boy. I saw an inconsistency in my understanding of reality, and I wanted to get things straight. I guess this little anecdote begins to illustrate a couple of my basic life principles. A concise explanation of how I look at the world is just this: We humans, as finite beings, use models to understandRead MoreGenesis : A Historical, Literal, And Theological Sense2044 Words   |  9 Pages(God creates light again), then God creates fish and birds (water and sky again), and then on day six God creates creatures and man (land again). The parallelism here is a worthy defense that people turn to when discussing Old Earth Creation verses Young Earth Creationism. Often, people will point to the poetic structure that the parallelism provides as a reason to take the creation account as more figurative. Citing the fact that this was done exactly like other near eastern creation accounts. WhenRead MoreTheological Understanding of War Essay2420 Words   |  10 Pagesthe Church began to integrate into mainstream society, our nonviolent principles began to evaporate. Upon the convers ion of Constantine, and the adopting of Christianity as the official religion of the state, theologians writing on the issue began to change. In the ensuing years, theologians like Augustine and Aquinas expounded a pragmatic, utilitarian view that violence is acceptable if it is for the greater good. Currently, Christians defend their liberty to serve in the military based, whetherRead MoreInstructions Up For Three Questions Prompt Essay2346 Words   |  10 PagesSet-up for Three Questions Prompt (Prompt #1): Review the three questions content under the Week 1 Lectures / Presentations content area. This video is by Fr. Michael Himes, a theologian at Boston College. Prompt #1: Take a moment to respond meaningfully to the â€Å"three questions† that are discussed as key to vocational discernment, and provide any additional perspective that you may feel is necessary. Don’t just settle for short, one sentence answers. Try to be very specific, aiming for a coupleRead More Development of the Montessori Method Essay3888 Words   |  16 Pagesbeginning of the Twentieth Century, conditions in the cities and industrial centers were deplorable. Adult workers were forced to work long hours and under extreme conditions, likewise children were made to endure arduous working environments with little or no concern for their well being, short of their ability to contribute to the work force. In Upton Sinclairs book, The Jungle, he describes conditions in industrial centers and factories where children were forced into labor that adult employees

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Is Gang Violence Worth It - 1964 Words

Uche Igbokwe Mr. Hines ELA 11 - Period 6 18 March 2016 Is Gang Violence Worth it? Back in 2015 there was a great concern with fraternity homicides, especially with Asian-American fraternities and sororities. Originated from Chinese men in 1916 attending Cornell University, there are now more than 65 Asian-American fraternities and sororities throughout the country today. They were created because Asians found themselves excluded from the other white fraternities in many universities. Unknown to many because it’s members keep the organization’s movements underground, similar to the code of other fraternities, they have had many disasters in their â€Å"pledging†. One of the largest of them all, Lambda Phi Epsilon International Fraternity, has†¦show more content†¦Although gang violence has tendencies to be familiar for its participants, there are more negative factors that should prevent someone from joining its ranks. A famous former baseball player once said in an interview: â€Å"A team is where a boy can prove his courage on his own. A gang is where a coward goes to hide.† (Mantle). Members of gang violence usually are hiding from who they truly are in the inside. They find that the gang is the best path out of their personal situation which definitely is not the right choice. A gang is an organized group of people affiliated with acts of violence or illegal behavior. Such things like gang violence as a whole have been a great problem with the social society of American people. Gang members are usually referred to as gangsters and most take great pride in that name. In the effort of joining gangs it is difficult to see the practical or beneficial aspects in the long run. On the eastern side of the United States, gangs first started in the post World War II era. It was a time in which African Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Euro-Americans were at battle over territory in the changing neighborhoods after urban renewal. By 2008, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, th ere were an estimation of 640 different street gangs along with more than 1700 active gang members in the New England area. A drastic increase in gangs in the eastern part of the Unites States in the late 1990s is of because of a route

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Deception Point Page 29 Free Essays

Rachel noted how careful the President was being not to mention her father. He spoke only in terms of â€Å"the opposition† or â€Å"political opponents.† â€Å"And you think your opposition will cry conspiracy simply for political reasons?† she asked. We will write a custom essay sample on Deception Point Page 29 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"That is the nature of the game. All anyone needs to do is cast a faint doubt, saying that this discovery is some kind of political fraud concocted by NASA and the White House, and all of a sudden, I’m facing an inquiry. The newspapers forget NASA has found proof of extraterrestrial life, and the media starts focusing on uncovering evidence of a conspiracy. Sadly, any innuendo of conspiracy with respect to this discovery will be bad for science, bad for the White House, bad for NASA, and, quite frankly, bad for the country.† â€Å"Which is why you postponed announcing until you had full confirmation and some reputable civilian endorsements.† â€Å"My goal is to present this data in so incontrovertible a way that any cynicism is nipped in the bud. I want this discovery celebrated with the untainted dignity it deserves. NASA merits no less.† Rachel’s intuition was tingling now. What does he want from me? â€Å"Obviously,† he continued, â€Å"you’re in a unique position to help me. Your experience as an analyst as well as your obvious ties to my opponent give you enormous credibility with respect to this discovery.† Rachel felt a growing disillusionment. He wants to use me†¦ just like Pickering said he would! â€Å"That said,† Herney continued, â€Å"I would like to ask that you endorse this discovery personally, for the record, as my White House intelligence liaison†¦ and as the daughter of my opponent.† There it was. On the table. Herney wants me to endorse. Rachel really had thought Zach Herney was above this kind of spiteful politics. A public endorsement from Rachel would immediately make the meteorite a personal issue for her father, leaving the senator unable to attack the discovery’s credibility without attacking the credibility of his own daughter-a death sentence for a â€Å"families first† candidate. â€Å"Frankly, sir,† Rachel said, looking into the monitor, â€Å"I’m stunned you would ask me to do that.† The President looked taken aback. â€Å"I thought you would be excited to help out.† â€Å"Excited? Sir, my differences with my father aside, this request puts me in an impossible position. I have enough problems with my father without going head-to-head with him in some kind of public death match. Despite my admitted dislike of the man, he is my father, and pitting me against him in a public forum frankly seems beneath you.† â€Å"Hold on!† Herney waved his hands in surrender. â€Å"Who said anything about a public forum?† Rachel paused. â€Å"I assume you’d like me to join the administrator of NASA on the podium for the eight o’clock press conference.† Herney’s guffaw boomed in the audio speakers. â€Å"Rachel, what kind of man do you think I am? Do you really imagine I’d ask someone to stab her father in the back on national television?† â€Å"But, you said-â€Å" â€Å"And do you think I would make the NASA administrator share the limelight with the daughter of his arch enemy? Not to burst your bubble, Rachel, but this press conference is a scientific presentation. I’m not sure your knowledge of meteorites, fossils, or ice structures would lend the event much credibility.† Rachel felt herself flush. â€Å"But then†¦ what endorsement did you have in mind?† â€Å"One more appropriate to your position.† â€Å"Sir?† â€Å"You are my White House intelligence liaison. You brief my staff on issues of national importance.† â€Å"You want me to endorse this for your staff?† Herney still looked amused by the misunderstanding. â€Å"Yes, I do. The skepticism I’ll face outside the White House is nothing compared to what I’m facing from my staff right now. We’re in the midst of a full-scale mutiny here. My credibility in-house is shot. My staff has begged me to cut back NASA funding. I’ve ignored them, and it’s been political suicide.† â€Å"Until now.† â€Å"Exactly. As we discussed this morning, this discovery’s timing will seem suspect to political cynics, and nobody’s as cynical as my staff is at the moment. Therefore, when they hear this information for the first time, I want it to come from-â€Å" â€Å"You haven’t told your staff about the meteorite?† â€Å"Only a few top advisers. Keeping this discovery a secret has been a top priority.† Rachel was stunned. No wonder he’s facing a mutiny. â€Å"But this is not my usual area. A meteorite could hardly be considered an intelligence-related gist.† â€Å"Not in the traditional sense, but it certainly has all the elements of your usual work-complex data that needs to be distilled, substantial political ramifications-â€Å" â€Å"I am not a meteorite specialist, sir. Shouldn’t your staff be briefed by the administrator of NASA?† â€Å"Are you kidding? Everyone here hates him. As far as my staff is concerned, Ekstrom is the snake-oil salesman who has lured me into bad deal after bad deal.† Rachel could see the point. â€Å"How about Corky Marlinson? The National Medal in Astrophysics? He’s got far more credibility than I do.† â€Å"My staff is made up of politicians, Rachel, not scientists. You’ve met Dr. Marlinson. I think he’s terrific, but if I let an astrophysicist loose on my team of left-brain, think-inside-the-box intellectuals, I’ll end up with a herd of deer in the headlights. I need someone accessible. You’re the one, Rachel. My staff knows your work, and considering your family name, you’re about as unbiased a spokesperson as my staff could hope to hear from.† Rachel felt herself being pulled in by the President’s affable style. â€Å"At least you admit my being the daughter of your opponent has something to do with your request.† The President gave a sheepish chuckle. â€Å"Of course it does. But, as you can imagine, my staff will be briefed one way or another, no matter what you decide. You are not the cake, Rachel, you are simply the icing. You are the individual most qualified to do this briefing, and you also happen to be a close relative of the man who wants to kick my staff out of the White House next term. You’ve got credibility on two accounts.† â€Å"You should be in sales.† â€Å"As a matter of fact, I am. As is your father. And to be honest, I’d like to close a deal for a change.† The President removed his glasses and looked into Rachel’s eyes. She felt a touch of her father’s power in him. â€Å"I am asking you as a favor, Rachel, and also because I believe it is part of your job. So which is it? Yes or no? Will you brief my staff on this matter?† Rachel felt trapped inside the tiny PSC trailer. Nothing like the hard sell. Even from three thousand miles away, Rachel could feel the strength of his will pressing through the video screen. She also knew this was a perfectly reasonable request, whether she liked it or not. â€Å"I’d have conditions,† Rachel said. Herney arched his eyebrows. â€Å"Being?† â€Å"I meet your staff in private. No reporters. This is a private briefing, not a public endorsement.† â€Å"You have my word. Your meeting is already slated for a very private location.† Rachel sighed. â€Å"All right then.† The President beamed. â€Å"Excellent.† Rachel checked her watch, surprised to see it was already a little past four o’clock. â€Å"Hold on,† she said, puzzled, â€Å"if you’re going live at eight P.M., we don’t have time. Even in that vile contraption you sent me up here in, I couldn’t get back to the White House for another couple of hours at the very fastest. I’d have to prepare my remarks and-â€Å" How to cite Deception Point Page 29, Essay examples

Monday, April 27, 2020

Stanley Milgram’s Experiment on Obedience Essay Example

Stanley Milgram’s Experiment on Obedience Essay This simple experiment demonstrates how people behave in concrete situations. It tested how much pain an ordinary citizen could inflict on another person simply because he was commanded by authority. Stanley Milgram experiment was conducted to shed light on how the Nazi used the apparatus of Germany to exterminate Jews and other nationalities who were considered undesirable by the Nazis in Europe during the war. Social psychologists believe that at that time the only fringe segment of society is capable of extremely moral irresponsible behavior. Milgram disproved this assumption when he showed that ordinary people are also capable of committing violence. People obeyed the authorities even as it conflicts with internal personal beliefs. This paper looks at the ethical aspects and the contributory areas which the study helped especially in the field of psychology.The ExperimentThe â€Å"teachers† in the experiment served as subjects and were recruited by Milgram through the news paper ad. He offered $4.50 for one hours work. The â€Å"teachers† were then told that they were to take part in a psychology experiment investigating memory and learning. They were introduced to two experiment collaborators, the stern-looking experimenter, and the friendly co-subject who was an actor here. The co-subject and the â€Å"teacher† draw lots in a rigged manner that results in the â€Å"teacher† assuming the role of the real subject. To reinforce the authenticity of the experiment, the â€Å"teacher,† and â€Å"learner† were given a sample shock of 45 volts from the chair in which the â€Å"learner† will be strapped. The â€Å"teachers† were then told that the purpose of the experiment is to explore the effects of punishment for incorrect responses on learning behavior. The â€Å"teacher† was told to use a shock generator capable of producing a 15 to 450 volt shock with a 15-volt increment for wrong response. After the experiment, they were given the real debriefing of the experiment. Most subjects were shocked to discover that they were capable of such a deed and some even developed psychological problems. The results revealed that of the 40 subjects (â€Å"teachers†) in Milgram’s experiment, 68 percent delivered the full 450-volt capacity. Of the 40 subjects, 15 performed the task with nervous laughter.Implications of the Results of the StudyThe results of the study revealed that: 1) The person who is in authority is significant because the subjects were under his command to perform as tasked. 2) There was a gradual commitment that was observed which resulted in seemingly insignificant increase in commitment building. 3) The experiment had to be done as objective as possible because the prestige of Yale was on the line. 4) The delegation of authority shifted some of the moral weight of the experiment from the subject to the â€Å"experimenter.†Experts questioned this bec ause they say that experiments require the experimenter to seek informed consent so that subjects will know what they will be doing before they do it. Furthermore, as the experiment was conducted in other countries, the experiment was incorporated in the US military training as a required psychology course as part of command training. The experiment had a questionable ethical structure. Yet it contributes to psychology and the study of the behavior of man. This is in relation to the amount of regulation or supervision that parents undertake with their children. Controlling/demanding parents place limits on their children’s freedom of expression by imposing many demands and actively surveying their children’s behavior to ensure that these rules and regulations are followed. Uncontrolling/ undemanding parents are much less restrictive; they make fewer demands and allow children considerable freedom to pursue their interests and to make decisions about their own activitie s. This experiment points to the authoritarian parenting which is a very restrictive pattern of parenting in which adults impose many rules, expect strict obedience, rarely if ever explain to the child why it is necessary to comply with all these regulations, and often rely on punitive, forceful tactics (that is, power assertion or love withdrawal) to gain compliance. Authoritarian parents are not sensitive to a child’s conflicting viewpoints, expecting instead for the child to accept their word as law and to respect their authority.Putting this in the context of the Milgram experiment, we find that anything that is forced upon an individual and curtails his freedom is unethical and is not the best way to effect a change.Even in the military, war is a socially sanctioned and approved form of violence. The military services of many nations, including ours, drill young men over and over until they perform the act of killing automatically and choicelessly when a certain signal c omes. When the war is over, nothing is done to extinguish this conditioned readiness to kill so that, under stress, the ex-soldier may turn it even toward his own countrymen. He also often lives with a lifetime of prejudice toward people he learned were â€Å"the enemy.†The experiment leads us to the ethics of it and sends the message that man is indeed capable of violence when forced to do it. Violence has long been a part of our human tradition. An innate tendency toward acting violently exists in every one of us. Where we get into trouble is through the many ways our culture approves of the vicious expression of violence. By vicious, I mean destructive, non-problem-solving reactions that ultimately lead to further violence in a self-perpetuating way. We have too often tried to solve complex, frustrating problems with oversimplified response of the gun or the A-bomb.Other Ramifications on the issueThe issue of the quest for knowledge and the respect for people definitely ca n be made more distinctive in experiments such as these. The initiators need to spell out the boundaries in conceiving of an experiment. The Milgram experiment shows to all how the psychology of man and how his mind works. In a way, I have to realize as I ponder on the ramifications of the experiment that the essence of much of our violence, is this: We project the cause of our own unhappiness and dissatisfaction outward onto others, and try to attack it and eradicate it there.ConclusionsOur violence is a symptom of a deeper psychological disturbance  Ã‚   within us. It goes back to fear and pain and punishment. In my psycho-logic, I equate my â€Å"enemies† with those who punished and injured me when I was a child, with those who had little love for me, and with those who create conditions that make it easy for my life to be empty and loveless and unsatisfying now. In the end, Milgram states it succinctly, â€Å"For a man to feel responsible for his actions, he must sense that the behavior has flowed from the self.† It is only then that true change happens.;

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Who is Beyonce

Who is Beyonce Introduction Beyonce is arguably the top female musician in the world. From a career that emerged from the success of an all-girl music group, she has received several accolades for her music and acting careers. Her success has attracted a lot of media attention from critics and fans alike.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Who is Beyonce? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, her recent engagement and wedding to rapper Jay-Z has even brought more media attention to the laid-back musician. Now, most entertainment observers consider Beyonce and Jay Z as America’s â€Å"power couple† (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par. 1). In several ways, Beyonce has been in the limelight for most parts of the last decade. Thus, different media have always contained different stories about her. This paper compares the singer’s image in the news media and academic literature by arguing that both sources share more similarities than differences in how they portray the artist. Notably, this paper shows that academic literatures are concerned with Beyonce’s role in female empowerment and healthy living, while her media image focuses on her glamour, music, sex symbolism, and style. The structure of this paper first analyzes Beyonce’s image in academic literature. Subsequent sections of this paper highlight her image in news media. The last section of this paper compares both images (in news media and academic literature). Image in Academic Literatures Symbol of Female Empowerment Professionally, Beyonce’s image has easily appeared besides other powerful African-American personalities, like Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama and the likes. Most of these comparisons stem from Beyonce’s success in the music industry and her ability to transcend the superficial and stereotypical image of African American women, as objects of sexual gratification (with in the confines of white supremacy) (Celeste 11).Advertising Looking for term paper on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More While it is important to appreciate the individual successes of music icons, such as Beyonce, many academic journals have found it difficult to do so outside the confines of race (Fan 117). Thus, in many academic circles, many researchers largely perceive Beyonce as an icon of female empowerment (Celeste 11). Feminists have especially championed this view. For example, Murphy (96) says Beyonce is an icon in the success of the third wave feminist movement. This perception led Murphy to say, â€Å"Beyonce is a girl power icon who is average but, beyond her star status, she is overwhelmingly portrayed as a normal and powerful woman† (96). Indeed, in one journal article, Celeste says, â€Å"The media has portrayed Knowles as empowered and in charge, as a mask to make oppres sive forces, such as the â€Å"sexualization† of black women and white supremacy, invisible† (12). The depiction of Beyonce as a female icon has made it difficult for scholars to ignore the racial identity within the discourse of female empowerment. Indeed, many academic literatures appreciate Beyonce’s stature as a woman of color. Therefore, unlike most female icons (mostly white women) that demonstrate the â€Å"girl power† ideology, Beyonce has achieved the same stature by demonstrating multiple talents and performing abilities. Evidence of Beyonce’s multi-talented nature comes from her career launch in the pop group, Destiny’s Child. Murphy says, â€Å"As a dancer, songwriter, and choreographer, she later catapulted her success into new fields, such as acting and fashion design† (p. 97). Through such multi-variable talents, scholars have not shied from associating Beyonce’s success with the third wave of feminism. Certainly, they have done so by associating racial identities with discussions concerning the empowerment of young women. African-American scholars have especially used the success of young African-American women, like Beyonce, to inspire African-American audiences.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Who is Beyonce? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Health Image Although Beyonce has received global accolades for being a top female musician, her image has transcended her professional career and delved into her lifestyle attributes. Notably, she has curved out an image of being an enviable female icon for healthy living. Academic journals that focus on healthy living have especially affirmed this image because they say Beyonce has an ideal body that most women strive to have. For example, Apple (111) exposed a study which asked women to state the body type they would like to have (the researchers gave the women the options of choosing the body types of four female celebrities including, Beyonce, Kate Moss, Keira Knightly, and Queen Latifa). Most of the respondents preferred Beyonce’s body style (Men want a† 121). The emphasis on Beyonce as a fitness model stems from her widely publicized workout and diet plans. Concisely, her name has appeared in most health fitness regimes (Another jar of† 50). For example, Beyonce’s workout plan exists in healthyceleb.com and motleyhealth.com (these websites advice people how to live healthy by maintaining a proper diet regime) (Borges 7). For example, Beyonce advises women on how to lose weight, at healthyceleb.com. She gives a step-by-step account of the time she wakes up, the types of activities she does for exercise, and how her diet helps her to be healthy. In the same forum, she advises most young women to breastfeed, as a way to stay healthy (Borges 7). Here, she emphasizes the importance of a vegetarian diet and its role in keeping her healthy (Borges 7). From the huge responses she receives from the website, Beyonce also provides a link for people to contact her personal trainer and get more advice on healthy living. Her success in health education has permeated through most academic literatures. News Media Image Flamboyant Image Beyonce’s image in mainstream media contrasts with her â€Å"academic† image. While the above sections of the paper highlight Beyonce as a motivational icon for racial minorities in America, her public image in mainstream media portrays her as a glamorous and flamboyant person.Advertising Looking for term paper on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As portrayed in the introduction section of this report, Beyonce’s image in news media largely premise on her superficial attributes, such as her sense of fashion, style, net worth, and the likes. For example, her recent marriage to rapper Jay Z has shifted most of her public image to her net worth, lifestyle, and influence in the music industry (Seno and Lukas 121). For example, many American newspapers picked an article from Forbes magazine to show the position of the â€Å"power couple† as America’s highest earning celebrity couple (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par. 1). Such news has always been associated with huge monetary figures, to show how rich the artist is, and how she compares with other wealthy celebrities in the country. For instance, mainstream media have often compared Beyonce and Jay Z to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Similar comparisons also exist with the celebrity couple Tom Brady and Gisele Bundschen (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par . 2). Sex Icon Besides the media’s obsession with Beyonce’s money and wealth, the singer has adopted an image of being a crossover sex symbol in American music. Indeed, most news media have referred to the singer as â€Å"bootylicious,† â€Å"voluptuous,† and similar acronyms to denote her status as a sex symbol (Seno and Lukas 122). Partly, the singer, through the former all-girl music group, Destiny’s Child, affirmed this image through songs, like â€Å"bootylicious.† However, mainstream media have emphasized this image as the singer’s trademark. Beyonce’s image as a sex symbol largely differs from the star’s academic image. Certainly, earlier sections of this paper show that, academically, scholars have perceived Beyonce as a role model for women worldwide (Celeste 11). Scholars have also disassociated the singer from stereotypical images of African-American superstars as sex symbols (Celeste 11). However, this image appears to disappear in the news media because her image consistently depicts her as a sex symbol. This image has not only existed in music videos and television, but also in print media. For example, â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† (par. 3) says, after Beyonce appeared on Tom Ford’s fashion show, in 2011, People magazine identified her as the world’s sexiest woman. Complex (a celebrity website) also named the singer the sexiest musician of all time. The list of other print media that have popularized Beyonce’s stature as a sex symbol is endless. For instance, VHA and GQ have also named the star as the sexiest woman of the century. This way, Beyonce has received several offers to appear on magazine covers from different entertainment outlets in America and Europe. Her success on this front has affirmed her image as a sex icon. Fashion Icon News media have also highly popularized Beyonce’s image as a fashion icon, to characterize her identity. Murphy (131 ) says this image has largely been popularized by mainstream media, but the Knowles family has also helped to cement it. For example, Beyonce’s mother co-authored a book, in 2002, titled, Destiny’s Style. She revealed that Beyonce’s fashion sense had a huge role to play in her success (Murphy 131). Independent fashion designers (who have worked with the star) have also reinforced this image. For example, one Italian fashion designer, Roberto Cavalli, also revealed that Beyonce’s success largely stemmed from her strong fashion sense (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par. 3). He made this statement after referring to the diverse fashion styles used by the singer during her performances. Indeed, based on an assessment of Beyonce’s music videos, it is difficult to dispute the fact that Beyonce’s fashion sense ranges from a continuum of classic to contemporary fashion styles. Again, magazines and other types of news media have not shied from affi rming Beyonce’s image as a fashion icon. For example, People Magazine listed Beyonce as the best dressed celebrity of 2012. Such rankings paved the way for the star to feature in more prestigious print media magazines, such as the Sports Illustrated Swimsuits Issue. Again, it is important to highlight Beyonce’s stature as an icon of African-American descent because she was the second African-American woman to feature in this magazine (Tyra banks preceded her debut on the Magazine). Musical Icon Since Beyonce started her solo career as an artist, after breaking away from Destiny’s Child, she has cut out an image as an influential and powerful musician. This image has largely dominated most mainstream media because many commentators have portrayed Beyonce as a great and influential musician. Music critics, for example, consider Beyonce as the greatest musician of all time (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par. 1). Influential commentators, such as Jody Rosen of th e New Yorker, hold this view. Surprisingly, most news media have upheld this image of the singer for a greater part of the last decade. In fact, 2013 rankings showed Beyonce leads other artists in exerting the most influence in America’s music industry. Her musical prowess prompted Luhrmann (12) to say, No one has that voice, no one moves the way she moves, no one can hold an audience how she does. When Beyonce does an album, when Beyonce sings a song, when Beyonce does anything, it is an event, and it is broadly influential. Right now, she is the heir- ­apparent diva of the USA - the reigning national voice† (Luhrmann 12). Such views have brought a lot of national attention to Beyonce’s influence in mainstream music. The Guardian has even named her the greatest artist of the decade (Luhrmann 12). This image has elevated the mellow-voiced singer to iconic status in the music industry. This image has also enabled Beyonce to command unwavering respect in the ind ustry. Observers say her production of two great musical singles of the decade (crazy in love and put a ring on it) marked the reinvention of Rhythm and Blues (RB) music in the last decade. Indeed, Luhrmann (12) says through Beyonce’s contribution to the music industry, pop music has relied on the success of RB, as its favorite medium. Beyonce’s influence in the RB genre has also replicated in redefining the success of other musicians. For example, evidence shows that Beyonce’s works have influenced other successful RB musicians, such as Adele and Rihanna to succeed. Seno and Lukas (121) say Beyonce’s reputation, as a successful artist, mainly stems from her strong stage presence. Through her success on stage, other artists, such as Rihanna, have reinvented their stage performances to make them more entertaining and captivating. Beyonce’s success beyond music has spilled over into marketing and branding (Seno and Lukas 121). Here, she has also infl uenced other artists to participate in marketing campaigns. For example, in a recent interview, Nicki Minaj claimed that Beyonce’s commercial success in a Pepsi campaign motivated her to try the same in a 2012 global campaign. Through her influence in the music industry and other artists, mainstream media continue to affirm Beyonce’s image as a music icon. Conclusion After weighing the findings of this paper, it is important to say Beyonce’s image in news media and academic sources differ. Notably, both sources focus on different aspects of the celebrity. News media portray the singer as a sex symbol, musical icon, and fashion icon. Comparatively, academic literatures appreciate the artist for her contribution to female empowerment and health education. These two zones of focus highlight different aspects of Beyonce. News media highlights her superficial and glamorous aspects of life, while academic literature highlights her beneficial contributions to society. A comparison of these two aspects of analysis shows that academic literature and news media share one similarity of depicting Beyonce in a positive way. Although news media concentrates on her glamour and splendor, they still show Beyonce’s positive contribution to the music industry. Evidence of her contribution to the RB genre is the most notable contribution to the music industry. News media also portray her as a mentor to upcoming and existing musicians. Overall, an assessment of Beyonce’s image in academic and news media shows that both media are sympathetic to the artist. Furthermore, both depictions of Beyonce’s image do not exaggerate her achievements and contributions. Instead, they portray a factual image of her personality and achievements. Both perceptions (from news media and academic sources) are also not stereotypical (however, academic literatures show the stereotypical background that influences the perception of African-American artists, such a s Beyonce). Comprehensively, this paper shows that there are more similarities than differences between how academic literatures and news media portray Beyonce. Another jar of baby food? Nutrition Food Science 39.1(2009): 49- 53. Print. Apple, Michael. â€Å"Democratic Education in Neoliberal and Neoconservative Times.†Ã‚  International Studies in Sociology of Education 21.1 (2011): 111-118. Print. Beyonce, Jay-Z Top Forbes’ Highest-Earning Celebrity Couple  List. 2013. Web. Borges, Marco 2012, Beyonce Knowles Workout Routine Diet Plan. Web. Celeste, Manoucheka. I’m Universal: Beyoncà © and the Re-Packaging of Black  Women in Media, Boston, MA: TBA, 2013. Print. Fan, Weihua. â€Å"Social Influences, School Motivation and Gender Differences: An Application of the Expectancy-Value Theory.† Educational Psychology: An International Journal of Experimental Educational Psychology 31.2 (2011): 117-122. Print. Luhrmann, Baz 2013, The 2013 Times 100. Web. Men want a body like Beckham. Nutrition Food Science 41.4 (2011): 238 – 241. Print. Murphy, Caryn. New Girl Order: Youth, Gender, and Generation in Contemporary  Teen Girls Media, University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin Press. Print. Seno, Diana and Lukas Bryan. The equity effect of product endorsement by celebrities: A conceptual framework from a co-branding perspective. European Journal of Marketing 41.1 (2007): 121 – 134. Print.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

How to Become More of a Morning Person

How to Become More of a Morning Person You hear a lot, especially around the new year, about early birds getting worms and how important it is to start your day off right with all these morning rituals. But what if your morning ritual is sleeping as late as possible, then snapping at everyone in your path until your triple shot of coffee kicks in? Here are a few strategies to train yourself to be a morning person.Get enough sleep.This is the number one most important factor to waking up fresh: getting enough sleep. Try to normalize your sleep routine. Start going to bed religiously at a certain time that leaves you sufficient sleep before your desired wake-up time. Be consistent. Try to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. If your desired schedule is really far from where you are now, start working back to it slowly, in 20 minute increments until you’re in the groove.Make waking up a gentle experience.Turn off that honking awful alarm and switch it to something more soothing and fun that makes you want to get out of bed. If you can,  leave your blinds open so you will get a flash of natural light to help jumpstart your body clock.Protect your time.Having enough time to do the things you need to do in a day and still take care of yourself can be difficult. Learn to say â€Å"no† to added activities and obligations. Slash an hour out of your day that’s just for you (to sleep!).Create your own rituals.Give yourself a bedtime ritual and follow it religiously. Turn off your electronics for at least an hour before turning in. Lay out your lunch and clothes and materials for the morning. Make your to-do list for the next day. Have a soothing cup of tea and get into a cozy robe. Make sure you have a nice sleeping area as well- new sheets never hurt at times like these!Reward yourself.Give yourself treats for accomplishing your early rise. Some ideas: set up all the elements to create your favorite breakfast, or save a podcast to listen to  while you’re in the shower. Maintain a healthy lifestyle.There’s no underestimating eating right and exercise in your new sleep pattern project. Exercise boosts energy- particularly when done in the early morning, and so does feeding your body the good things that it needs. Especially protein. You’ll be setting yourself up for all kinds of success- not just with your sleep schedule.Give yourself a reason.Keep your mind on why you’re trying to carve out this new habit. Eyes on the prize. Make it mean something to you and you’re more likely to stick with it.Try an app.If you need a little outside intervention, try an app like Better Me, or Sleep Cycle, or Wake n Shake.

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Green Buildings in Saudi Arabia Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Green Buildings in Saudi Arabia - Dissertation Example The researcher of this dissertation chapter states that it has been expected that regulation of Green Buildings would become obligatory in Saudi Arabia in the recent times. The government and the industry have been obtained to work together in this regard such that a common standard may be incorporated and applied in the process. Water and energy savings in buildings have also been considered significantly where the Ministry of Electricity is effectively involved with the Green Building Council and other associated companies. The researcher describes that green building that practices the creation of structures and use of processes intending to increase the effectiveness of use of resources like energy, water, and materials, at the same time plummeting the impacts of building on human health and the surroundings during the lifecycle of the building, with the use of enhanced design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal, has been considered in the strategic plan by the Gul f countries like Dubai. The researcher also analyzed and discussed the availability of using different regulations in the country, energy efficiency of Saudi Arabia, air and indoor environmental quality of green houses and causes leading to increased demand of power and electricity in Saudi Arabia today. In conclusion, it is stated by the researcher that It can be expected that in the near future the country would be able to successfully achieve the green building constructions for the purpose of living and work in the country.