Reflective Writing Assignments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reflective Writing Assignments - Essay Example However, there should be a limit to the free will since it can be disastrous at times (Campbell 9). A world without free will but with only good things happening is an incomplete world. This is because free will is an important component of life, and thus without it life can be sometimes unbearable. Conversely, a world where the presence of free will leads to occurrence of bad things is not good either. This is because people misuse the free will accorded to perform evil actions that may sometimes end up being disastrous (Campbell 13). This is because everyone perceives free will as the right to behave or do things that only pleases without considering the impact of such actions to fellow human beings. However, when comparing the two scenarios, it is better for one to live in a world without free will but has good things happening to him rather than live in a world with free will but the freedom makes him do evil things that at times prove disastrous. A world without free will is goo d since even though a person is denied the freedom of choice, he is not exposed to bad things associated with free will. For instance, a person can live without free will but he is properly treated and therefore, exposed to good things. This is because the person is only denied freedom of choice while accorded other good things of life, which might make life more bearable. This is true since at times the presence of free will exposes an individual to bad things; for instance, freedom of choice might lead a person to make wrong decisions with grave consequences (Campbell 18). Consequently, a world with free will is not good and forms a dangerous place since the freedom makes an individual perform evil actions. Thus, the free will leads to the occurrence of bad things with grave consequences. For instance, a world where each person is permitted to kill, maim, or even oppress one another is a bad place to live in since life becomes unbearable. In such world, people become revengeful an d so evil because there is no law or person dictating the free will. Therefore, since no human being prefers facing or experiencing bad things in life, it is better to live in a world with lots of good things but without free will. This is because there is more suffering in a world with free will since every person does what pleases him or her without considering the consequences of such action to other people within the surroundings (Campbell 25). For instance, in a world without freedom, an individual might decide to play booming music late in the night without considering the unnecessary noise and inconveniences caused to the sleepy neighbors. In a retaliatory attack, the neighbors might decide to attack and severely beat him since there is no law restricting them from doing such an action. From the two scenarios, it is clear that although free will is important in the world, too much of it is so dangerous since it can lead to the occurrence of bad things. Due to such scenarios, it is better to live in a world where freedom is restricted to avoid occurrence of bad things attributed to the free will. At least such a world will have minimal records of bad things occurring and this will make life at least bearable and enjoyable. (634 words) Q2. Is it okay to spend one being in order to save one thousand human beings? Is it okay to assassinate one human being in order to save one thousand human beings? Is it okay to draw up a battle plan that deliberately costs the lives of

Article Rebuttal Essay Example for Free

Article Rebuttal Essay Abortion is a disagreement that has been discuss for years. Kenny, Ph. D. and Swope (2013) of American Thinker has share with its’ audience the understanding of the struggle women has in making a decision to continue a pregnancy or to abort an unplanned pregnancy. In analyze the information in the article the reliability, credibility, and validity of the data used by Kenny, Ph. D. and Swope comes from independent psychological analysis of women’s hidden, emotional response to pregnancy, abortion, and motherhood (Kenny, Ph. D. Swope, 2013). The writers of this article indicated that the interviews took from 75 to 110 minutes, which require them to visualize, replicate, and use relaxation techniques in accessing these individual emotional minds, and to uncover deeply seated emotional needs and barriers (Kenny, Ph. D. Swope, 2013). Significantly, some of these problems that relates to abortion are ethical, and religion. However, a woman has right to do whatever she want to her own body and upon her own judgment, whether it is to keep the baby or to have an abortion. In Fact, a woman has the authority to make the decision whether to have an abortion or not based on her personal desire, financial status, or unwanted pregnancy. Kenny, Ph. D. and Swope (2013) have provided information regarding the circumstances and how abortion can affect a woman mental state of mind. Most important is to deny a fetus by terminate the fetus merely does not mean that the person is slaughter a person. It could be that the pregnancy was an unplanned pregnancy from rape, incest, or the feeling of not wanting to bring a child in the world under certain circumstances. An example would be a medical condition that may be a live or dead situation or simply because she not ready for motherhood because of her age. For instant, a teenage girl between the age of 14 and 20 still in high school and going to college and who is struggling with finances are liable to have an abortion. She may become remorseful, but she has to think about how pregnancy can affect her future and life. In conclusion, a woman rights to be pregnant or to abort an unwanted pregnancy should solely be left up to her no matter what her reason may be. Because she is the one that have to deal with the issues of bring a child in the world or removing the fetus to remove the stress not those groups such as the pro-lifer.

Exploring Race and Challenging Privilege Essay -- Personal Narrative R

Exploring Race and Challenging Privilege I thought I understood racism well enough. Since early childhood I’ve learned from parents and teachers that racism is a sense of racial superiority, a way of making judgments about people based on their skin color before you get to know them, and a cause of hate crimes and foul language. I think I’m not racist, and as a white woman I’m not likely to be the victim of racism, so I usually think racism has nothing to do with my life. But I’m uncomfortable with the idea of race because what I’ve learned about race is contradictory. I’m taught that people of different races are equal, but I see that they live separately. I’m told that they should get along, but the past and the present reveal that they don’t. I’m a product of political correctness that at best gives me a list of things not to say, and at worst makes me want to pretend that race doesn’t exist, but that does not give me a thorough understanding of how to think about race or how to see my role in a society in which race matters. Kozol, Tatum, and Delpit made me confront my discomfort and guided me through the thorny terrain of thinking about race. They’ve made me think more about my own identity as part of racial and socio-economic groups. They’ve given me some tools that seem more effective than rhetoric about equality to help me to recognize and overcome prejudices that I’ve always pretended I didn’t have. They’ve taught me that racism and classism are not evident only in isolated discriminatory acts, but that they pervade American institutions, including the one upon which our hopes of creating a truly equal society most firmly rests, public education. They’ve made me aware of the effects of white privilege and e... ...a firm understanding of racial dynamics in my classroom and know what I want to teach my students about race and how to go about that so that I don’t accidentally teach them the wrong things. As an active tax-paying citizen, I want to support tax reform that will equalize the disparities in public education and other public institutions that should serve all Americans. As an individual, I search myself for biases, try to be aware of the way others perceive me, and make it a goal to take risks to breach gaps between racial and class groups. This commitment to open learning should help me through the many processes that remain – as I try to develop my stance on other thorny issues like affirmative action, as I form new relationships with people, and as I acknowledge my starting place as a white woman in racist America when I make choices about how to lead my life.

Executive Privilege

Executive Privilege| | | | Virginia Commonwealth University November 14, 2012| | In the past, the power of executive privilege has been used by Presidents to conceal information that has to do with foreign affairs and negotiations, military, national security issues as well as deliberations and policy making that is done between the President and his top aides. This power is only used when Congress asks the President or one of his top aides to produce all of the information pertaining to an event or situation.If the President then feels that parts of this information needs to be kept secret to protect the best interest of the public, or the other issues listed previously, then he will use executive privilege in order to not give that information to Congress. A huge part of executive privilege is to protect the deliberations and advice given by the President’s aides. When the President’s advisors give him advice, they need to be able to give him the best advice possible and if there is a chance that everything they said could be made public.For instance if the President and advisors are discussing what needs to be done in relation to a foreign power and one suggests to nuke them, one suggests a covert attack and one suggests a peaceful resolution. If the final decision is a peaceful resolution, and Congress asks for all of the information on the subject, then the President should use executive privilege to keep those other possible outcomes from going public, both to keep the public from getting out of control or uneasy and to keep the other country from finding out the other options and retaliating.This power ensures that the President’s advisors can be completely honest and say what needs to be said without being worried about their words being taken the wrong way or too harsh or hurt their image. A big argument for those against executive privilege is that there is nothing in the constitution about it even though there is something about Congress keeping secrets.Article I states that â€Å"Each House shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such parts as may in their judgment require secrecy† (US Constitution, Article 1 Section 5). Their argument is that the Constitution states that each House can withhold information that they think should be kept secret and there is nothing about secrecy when it comes to the President’s powers, however just because the words are not explicitly in the constitution does not mean that this power was not intended for the President.Even our founding fathers appreciated the importance of executive privilege and that is highlighted by this passage taken from The Works of Alexander Hamilton. In 1794, the Senate asked President George Washington, â€Å"‘to lay before the Senate the correspondences which have been had between the Minister of the United States at the Republic of France, and said Republic, and between said Minister and the office of Secretary of State. † Washington consulted his cabinet members, Henry Knox, Alexander Hamilton, and Edmund Randolph.Alexander Hamilton later wrote: General Knox is of the opinion that no part of the correspondences should be sent to the Senate; Colonel Hamilton is of the opinion that the correct mode of proceeding is to do what General Knox advises; but the principle is safe, by excepting such parts as the President may choose to withhold; Mr. Randolph is of the opinion that all correspondence proper, from its nature, to be communicated to the Senate, should be sent; but that what the President thinks is improper, should not be sent.Washington later told the Senate â€Å"After an examination of [the correspondence], I directed copies and translations to be made; except in those particulars, which, in my judgment, for public considerations, ought not to be communicated. † (Hamilton 1851) Three of these men signed the constitution and contribut ed a great deal towards it and they clearly believe that it is the President’s right to withhold information that he deems unfit to be made public. When it comes to foreign affairs it is very important that the President has the ability to use executive privilege.For instance, if the United States was making a treaty with another country, both countries may have to give things up in order to come to an agreement, and everything considered by both sides as well as everything agreed upon should not be made public for everyone, including other countries to see. This is best stated in 1796 by George Washington after the House of Representatives requested that he give them information concerning his instructions to the United States Minister to Britain regarding the treaty negotiations between the United States and Britain.Washington replied by saying: The nature of foreign negotiations requires caution, and their success must often depend on secrecy; and even when brought to a co nclusion a full disclosure of all the measures, demands, or eventual concessions which may have been proposed or contemplated would be extremely impolitic; for this might have a pernicious influence on future negotiations, or produce immediate inconveniences, perhaps danger and mischief, in relation to other powers.The necessity of such caution and secrecy was one cogent reason for vesting the power of making treaties in the President†¦the boundaries fixed by the Constitution between the different departments should be preserved, a just regard to the Constitution and to the duty of my office.. , forbids a compliance with your request. † (Richardson 1897) As Washington states, we cannot simply make every detail public because other countries may retaliate and they will also be less likely to deal with the United States in the future. However, by invoking executive privilege the President can protect that information from causing such havoc.As he stated, it is not only the President’s right to use executive privilege, but it is his duty to use it in situations that require secrecy. Without a doubt executive privilege can have its usefulness, but it should only be invoked in certain, specific situations. In our recent history this has not been the case, some of our Presidents have tried to abuse the power of executive privilege, giving it a bad name and encouraging people to believe it should be done away with. When President Richard Nixon was in office, the Watergate scandal surfaced and Congress asked him to produce all of the information he and his aides had on the case.In an attempt to conceal what had been done as well as to protect everyone from punishment, President Nixon tried to use executive privilege. This case was brought to the United States Supreme Court because the executive privilege was being used to protect one of Nixon’s advisors from criminal prosecution, thus obstructing justice. This was by far an abuse of executive privilege and leads many to want it gotten rid of, however just because a power can be abused does not mean that its use should stop; it just means that restrictions need to be put in to place.This is highlighted by the ruling of the Supreme Court. The Court acknowledged the need for the President to used executive privilege, but determined that in cases of inquiry into possible criminal actions, the Executive has to release relating information. If we want to curb the abuse of executive privilege, we need to put guidelines into place, because without them, the meaning of executive privilege is at the discretion of the President until checked by other branches. President Nixon was neither the first nor last President to abuse this power (United States v Nixon 1974).President Bill Clinton also tried to invoke executive privilege in a very wrong way as well. Clinton tried to use executive privilege to prevent his advisors from testifying on whether he had sexual relations with Monica Lewinski or not. However, this claim of executive privilege was shot down, rightfully so (Baker 2012). These instances of abuse may lead some to think it is just a better option to not have executive privilege, but as long as barriers and restrictions can be put into place on it to prevent this from happening in the future, this power needs to stay around.This comes with some exceptions; this power should only be used when the President truly believes that if this information were to get out it would either be damaging to the public or in the best interest of the public to not find out. This power should also be used in situations where the President needs to protect national security intelligence and other matters as well as being used to protect military secrets, operations and intelligence.Lastly, this power should be used in situations where the United States is dealing with a foreign power, whether it is a treaty, a negotiation, a meeting or anything else containing sensitive m aterial that either the United States or the foreign power needs to be kept secret. This brings up another argument against executive privilege. Some feel that this power should be done away with because Congress does not have the power of checks and balances over executive privilege; however that is not the case.If the President is refusing to give Congress the information that they are asking for, they can decide to stop funding things that the President is trying to do. They can also hold people in contempt of Congress, which was done as recently as this year in the Fast and Furious case where Congress demanded that Attorney General Eric Holder give them all the information on this case. President Obama stepped in and claimed executive privilege, however in a response to this, Congress moved, then voted to hold Holder in contempt of Congress unless he hands over the information (Silverleib 2012).Another thing Congress can do if the President continues to refuse to cooperate is to impeach him. This would obviously be only done in serious situations, but would work either to get their message across or to show future Presidents that they cannot just invoke executive privilege without consequence. On top of this, the courts can rule on cases where the President tries to use executive privilege like they did in the case with President Nixon.Articles II of the Constitution states that the President â€Å"shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient† (US Constitution Article II Section 3) As the Constitution says, the President does need to inform Congress on the State of the Union from time to time, however it does not say anywhere that the President is required to divulge all the information having to do with certain incidents.Between Article I and Article II, others take this to mean that Congress has an unlimited power of inquiry, but in reality that is not the case. This fact has been ruled on multiple times by different courts, where usually they determine that either the President does not have to give up the information, or that the President has to give up certain aspects of that information based on other laws. It is also Congress’s right and duty to challenge the President when he uses executive privilege, in order to make sure that the power is not being abused, which is the exact reason for having separate branches and a balance of power.If it wasn’t for executive privilege, other countries might be less inclined to deal with the United States because they fear that every detail could go public. Along the same lines the president’s advisors can’t give their best advice if they have to worry that anything they say could be made public. Military secrets and intelligence also needs to be protected to better ensure our troops safety as well as protect our country and citizens from retaliation after an exposed military operation. There is also information that needs to remain secret because it is in the best interest of the public to not find out.Lastly and most importantly, if it wasn’t for executive privilege, national security and military intelligence matters could be made public, exposing our informants and jeopardizing our national security. In order to keep this power alive and protect sensitive information, the United States needs to add guidelines or an amendment that properly codifies executive privilege to prevent its abuse. Once this is done, in theory, there would not be any more issues of whether power can or cannot be used.Everything would be stated to say that the President can only use executive privilege in the situations previously stated and any other instance where executive privilege is claimed would be thrown out. Executive privilege helps to protect our citizens, our national security and our good standing and abili ty to negotiate with other countries. If we were not able to guarantee that level of secrecy it would be nearly impossible to conduct policy making, decision making, foreign negotiations, treaties, as well as threaten the United States and their citizens’ safety.References Baker, Peter, and Susan Schmidt. â€Å"Washingtonpost. com Special Report: Clinton Accused. † Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News & Analysis. N. p. , 6 May 1998. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/starr050698. Hamilton, Alexander, and John C. Hamilton. The works of Alexander Hamilton comprising his correspondence, and his political and official writings, exclusive of the Federalist, civil and military. New York: J. F. Trow, 1851.Print. Richardson, James D.. A compilation of the messages and papers of the presidents. New York: Bureau of national literature, 1897. Print. Silverleib, Alan. â€Å"House holds Holder in contempt  œ CNN. com. † CNN. com – Breaking News, U. S. , World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. N. p. , 29 May 2012. Web. 5 Nov. 2012. http://www. cnn. com/2012/06/28/politics/holder-contempt/index. html. United States v. Nixon, 418 U. S. 683 (1974) (Justice Burger Opinion of the Court) United States Constitution, 1789

Children Obesity Essay

The problem of childhood obesity in the United States has grown considerably in recent years. Between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese.From Environmental Health Perspectives website, the recent data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey estimate 17% of youths ages 2-19 years old to be overweight compare to just 5% a few decades ago(â€Å"Child obesity†). This data shows we should act urgently to rescue children because the percentage of child obesity is increasing rapidly.According to Answer.com website, using the BMI (Body Mass Index) calculation, overweight is between 25-30, obese is 30-40 and extremely obese is 40 and up. This calculation is a height and weight comparison (BMI = weight in pounds X 705 / height in inches squared). By usingbody fat analysis, for a woman’s obesity starts about 33% body fat, for a man, it is about 24%(â€Å"How do you know†).Weight and shape of children are affected by hereditary factors from their parents. However, most of unhealthy weight gain is due to poor diet. Children who have obesity have bad habits; for example, they prefer to eat fast food such as hamburgers with french fries and coke than healthy food such as vegetable and multi-grains. Fast food is very tempting to children and theirparents because of its cheap price, taste, and convenience. The reason children like hamburgers is high levels of salt and sugar content found in most fast food items. So far, unhealthy food leads children to become obese which causes various health problems. Overweight children, when compared to healthy weight children, are more likely to develop many health problems such as depression, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which are associated with heart disease in adults. Thepurpose of this paper is to reviewhow children obesity effects on physical and mental health. First, children obesity and overweight have been found to be at an increased risk of depression. Obese children get stress from change of their body shape, perspectives from other people’s awareness that leads to poor self-esteem or social phobia which are related to the cause of depression. [ì ¶Å"ì ²Ëœ][ë ¹â€žÃ« §Å'ìš °Ã¬Å¡ ¸Ã¬ ¦ ] ë ¹â€žÃ« §Å'ê ³ ¼Ã¬Å¡ °Ã¬Å¡ ¸Ã¬ ¦ , ë ¹â€žÃ« §Å'ê ³ ¼Ã¬Å¡ °Ã¬Å¡ ¸Ã¬ ¦ Ã¬ ËœÃª ´â‚¬Ãª ³â€ž – ìž  Ã¬â€¹ ¤Ã¬Å  ¤Ã­  ¬Ã¬ ¸  Ã¬ ¢â€¦Ã­â€¢ ©Ã¬Æ' Ãª °â‚¬Ã¬Å  ¤Ã­  ¼|ìž‘ì„ ±Ã¬Å¾ spom4237236The following article, â€Å"Childhood Obesity and Depression: Connection Between These Growing Problems in Growing Children,† shows how depression is diagnosed in youths. Youthbecome depress if they gain weight more than they expected. Also, obesity and overweight are connected to sleep problem which is associated with increased risk of depression. In study of 400 adolescents with a primary diagnosis of major depressive disorder, change in sleep was most common symptom remaining depression in youths. Relationship between sleep and obesity is intervened at least in part by insulin resistance. In a study of obese children, insulin was connected with shorter sleep duration according to thepolysomnography (Reeves M. G., Postolache T. T., Snitker S.).In addition, that child obesity cause depression is obesity makes children a target for bullying. According to Medscape Medical News, â€Å"Obese children are more likely to be bullied than their non-obese peers regardless of sex, race, socioeconomic status, social skills, or academic achievement† (Harrison).Because childhood and adolescent are a sensitive period, and they focus on other’s appearance, obese children can be targeted of bullying that makes them get hurt and depress. To prevent the depression, children need to eat health food and exercise. In addition to obesity causes depression, the second health problem is obesity causes diabetes. The dietary habits of obese children are eating a lot of sugar and salt which are excessive caloric intake. Being obese means you have more fatty tissue, having more fatty tissue causes the body to become insulin resistant and becoming insulin resistant causes the body to put on more weight. Becoming more insulin resistant and at a certain level of resistance, it becomes known as diabetes. Obese children also are twice as likely to have diabetes than children who are of normal weight, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Health System. The study, published in the February issue of Diabetes Care, is the most recent national study to estimate the prevalence of children with diabetes. It found that more than 229,000 children, approximately 3.2 cases for every 1,000 American children under the age of 18, currently have diabetes. And one-third of those children are obese(â€Å"Obese Children Twice†). Obesity causes the build-up of fats around cell walls. The liver loses the ability for the metabolism of glucose. Glucose is supplied with the help of the insulin hormone. In essence, obesity reduces the body’s ability to use insulin properly. A glucose build up is deposited in the urine.In addition, diabetes is explained from Washington University in St. Louis website. Diabetes mellitus is a group of disorders that have in common high blood sugar and the risk of damage to tissues and organs. There are two major types: Type1, juvenile diabetes and Type 2, adult-onset diabetes. In Type 1 diabetes, the cells of the pancreas that make insulin are destroyed. Often, the body’s immune system destroys these cells, sort of like friendly fire. Without insulin, blood sugar rises and complications occur. Lifelong insulin treatment is required. In Type 2 diabetes, organs and tissues are resistant to insulin; that is, more insulin is needed to have the same effect. When the insulin-making cells can no longer keep up with the extra insulin needed, blood sugar becomes high and diabetes occurs (â€Å"Obesity, Type 2 diabetes†). Overall, children should avoid eatingso muchunhealthy food that contain of high sugar, salt and fat that causes diabetesto continue into adulthood. In addition to obesity causes diabetes, the third health problem is obese puts children at risk for high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure that cause heart disease. Children’s diets have changed dramaticallybecause it is influenced by television commercials and the convenience of fast foods that have too much sugar and salt that leads high cholesterol level. In â€Å"Cholesterol in Childhood† by Vincent Iannelli, M.D., the author reported â€Å"The effects of cardiovascular disease is something that will especially be a problem once an overweight child grows up, when he will be at risk for a heart attack or stroke.†Also, the article exposes children who have heart disease with high cholesterol was 2.3 times as likely to have died early. These factsgive a warning to how obesity is related to serious health problem to children. The connection between high cholesterol and high blood pressure was explained on Livestrong.com website, â€Å"Cholesterol is a soft waxy material in the blood that mixes with lipids. It shapes membranes and some hormones but does not dissolve in the blood. Since it does not dissolve, lipoproteins carry it to and from cells. Blood pressure is the force that pushes blood through blood vessels, then to all body organs. When these two functions of the body are not working correctly, it can be devastating to overall health.†(â€Å"Connections Between†).According to Webmd.com website, when there is too much cholesterol in blood, it builds up in the walls of arteries, causing a process called atherosclerosis, a form of heart disease. The arteries become narrowed and blood flow to the heart muscle is slowed down or blocked. The blood carries oxygen to the heart, and if enough blood and oxygen cannot reach the heart, it may cause chest pain (â€Å"Heart disease†).Because ofhigh cholesterol, high blood pressure that are related to the heart disease, obese children need dietary changes and weight loss to help lower their cholesterol. In conclusion, children obesity is an increasingly prevalent health disorder and is of particularly concern because children who are obese are more likely to continue to become obese through adolescence and into adulthood with various health problems. Eating unhealthy food and lack of exercise lead to most of child obesity and overweight. Obesity can cause mental and physical problemsinchildren. According to â€Å"Child obesity ‘time bomb’ a threat to life expectancy†, Food Standards Agency chairman, John Krebs, told: â€Å"We already know that many children’s diets contain more fat, sugar and salt than is recommended. We know that the level of obesity in children is rising and, in the words of the chief medical officer, is a health time bomb that could explode.† (Carey). Also, children obesity can be targeted of bullying and give rise to diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart diseases. Also, child obesity has high probability to become an obese adult. Therefore, we need to accept the children obesity as a serious problem in current society in the United States and seek the solutionsto make children free from obesity and being overweight. Works Cited Brown, Joni.â€Å"Connections Between High Blood Pressure & Cholesterol†. livestrong.com, 17 Dec. 2010 Web. 22 May 2012 Carey, Dorothy. â€Å"Child Obesity ‘Time Bomb’ A Threat To Life Expectancy.† Nutridate 15.1 (2004): 8. Web. 22 May 2012. Harrison, Pam. â€Å"Obesity Makes Children a Target for Bullying.† Medscape Medical News. 4 May 2010. Web. 22May 2012. â€Å"Heart Disease and Lowering cholesterol†.Webmd.com,Web. 22 May 2012 Iannelli,Vincent. â€Å"Cholesterol in Childhood†.About.com, 13November 2011 Web. 22 May 2012 â€Å"Obese Children Twice as likely to have Diabetes†. University of Michigan, 2 Feb. 2006. Web. 22 May 2012 â€Å"Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes Growing rapidly among Children†. Washington University in St. Louis., 11 March 2005. Web. 22 May 2012 Reeves, Gloria M., Teodor T.Postolache., and Soren Snitker. â€Å"Childhood Obesity and Depression: Connection between these Growing Problems in Growing Children.† NIH Public Access. Aug. 2008. Web. 22 May 2012

Free Essays on The Road Not Taken

Life, Decisions and Consequences The writer Robert Frost in the poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken† emphasizes how the life has its own surprises and uncertainties and its own up and downs. Frost can be the speaker in this poem. He has to take a life decision, â€Å" Two road diverged in a yellow wood† the road represents the journey of our lives. No one knows where the road will lead us or what the future will bring us. There are many decision that might we have to take, we try to predict and wonder what is the wisest decision to be made. But there are pros and cows in any specific choice that we have to make. Sometimes we succeed and we make the right decision and some other times we fail to successful in the decision that we make. Is the dilemma that makes our life interesting and worth living. Because if one knows what everyday would bring than life could have no meaning. If we do not succeed, we pay for the consequences but we also learn from those experiences and in this way we can challenge and be stronger to face other difficulties of life. Frost tries to show this by describing the road that â€Å"it was grassy and wanted wear† where the grassy means the road that most of the people had not walk and â€Å"wanted wear† was one of his desire to discover the unknown. It was the one that he will chose and start exploring on something new. The speaker’s eyes try to see â€Å"the undergrowth† wondering if he can see which route to take but he cannot because his eyes can not see so far. He tries but is difficult to understand which route he should take. He thinks if he should take the common route or the other one that not to many people took. He is in dilemma because all his life depends on his decision. The man thinks on negative way for the two routs but at the same time he seems undecided and scared if he is not going to take the right decision and if will be the right one. â€Å"Two roads in the wood† represent th... Free Essays on The Road Not Taken Free Essays on The Road Not Taken â€Å"The Road Not Taken† By: Robert Frost In the â€Å"Road Not Taken† by Robert Frost, up until the last stanza the poem appeared to be concerning only on the choice between two roads in a woods. The final stanza, however, gave a significance to the apparent choice that was incompatible with just the choice between two roads in a woods because this seemingly insignificant choice ended up â€Å"making all the difference.† Many times in life people are faced with choices to make that, at the time, seem insignificant, although, in the long run prove to have made a great impact on their life’s course. I, myself, have experienced this very situation more than once- one of which being whether to attend college or to go to work. At the time this seemed to be just a choice, only now, four years later, am I seeing the significance of making the choice I did. When I was graduating from High School I was faced with the decision of whether to attend college and make a career choice or to just join the work force and become independent. Only a couple of people in my family had gone to college, and only one actually got a degree- the rest went to work. It seemed to me that going to college would be much harder, however, would yield higher results. At which time, I decided to pursue a college degree. In High School I had concentrated on medical studies, which I decided to follow up with in college. I soon saw that this was something I was interested in, however, not what I wanted to spend my career doing. I took some time off from school to work and to see just what the difference would be had I decided not to continue with pursuing a degree. In applying for positions, I immediately saw the benefit of continuing my education. Not only does having a degree give you a competitive edge when you do venture out into the working world, i.e., better jobs are available for you, it is easier to climb the ladder to higher positions, the pay... Free Essays on The Road Not Taken In Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken there are many things that can be interpreted several ways. This is my interpretation. Frost begins the poem by describing two roads diverging in a yellow wood. The two roads represent a decision. Do you travel one journey or the other? The yellow wood to me means that it is getting towards the autumn of the day. Meaning that the decision can’t be put off much longer. He then describes being sorry he could not travel both. We often have decision that we would like to do both things or travel both roads. But in the next line Frost says being one traveler long I stood. One person can not be in two places or follow two paths. It is usually not clear which path we should follow or which decision is the correct one. Since the decision is not easy the traveler stands for a long time. We often think about our decisions for a long time, making sure it is the correct one. Because as the traveler knows we can not turn back. Once the path is taken, we are on it until the end. He looks down one as far as he can see until he is unable to see the path for its turns and ben ds. In life we can look ahead to the immediate results of our decisions but usually can not see very far. We do not know what lies ahead around that next curve or bend. The traveler studies the second path as well, studying all possible decisions closely. The second path appears to be slightly less used. The path is grown up with grass and has not had as much wear as the other. Both paths appear appealing to him even though one is in better condition. He gives a little foreshadowing of his ultimate decisions by telling us that the second, grassier, path has the better claim. The second path upon his seeing it immediately has his eye. When he studies it more he says that really they are pretty much worn the same. When we make hard decisions we often jump back and forth between the choices at hand. We find good things and bad in all choi... Free Essays on The Road Not Taken â€Å"The Road Not Taken† In Robert Frost’s â€Å"The Road Not Taken,† the speaker stands in the woods, considering a split in the road. Both ways are similarly worn, and equally overlaid with un-trodden leaves. The speaker chooses one, telling himself that he will take the other another day. Yet he knows it is unlikely that he will have the chance to do so. And he admits that someday in the future he will recreate the scene with a slight twist: he will claim that he took the less-traveled road. The whole poem is an extended metaphor, where Frost describes a path in the woods that is directly comparable to a major decision in life. In this case, the narrator is â€Å"lost† in the poem, both on the trail, and in his life. "The Road Not Taken" consists of four stanzas of five lines each having an identical rhyme scheme of ABAAB. The first, third, and fourth lines in every stanza rhyme, along with the second and fifth lines. Thus, allowing the poem to flow at a smoother and steadier pace. There are four stressed syllables per line, forming an iambic tetrameter base. The majority of the lines contain nine syllables. This structure is maintained through out the poem. The stanzas are arranged like that of a thought. One continues to undermine the other, much like decision making. Our first thoughts are always second-guessed by our second and so forth until we make our final decision, which cancels out all that was thought before. This is what Frost manages to do in the arrangement of his stanzas. Imagery is the primary concept of this work thus being the means used by Frost to transmit the poems message. The two roads are each described in such a way that the reader can easy picture the dilemma faced by the traveler. Image is so precise that we can picture the first road bending to the right while the other bends in the opposite direction. In the first stanza, (line 1) Frost introduces the elements of his primary metaphor: the diver... Free Essays on The Road Not Taken The Road Not Taken I decided to do â€Å"The Road Not Taken† by Robert Frost. When people read the poem without any other interpretation or knowledge of it the most popular interpretation is that Frost is talking about his own life in this poem. I was convinced that was the case until I decided to do this paper. I will be focusing on what appears to be very obvious in the poem but after looking a little deeper is untrue. That portion I am talking about is the sigh in the fourth stanza of the poem. A simple sigh out of someone’s mouth could be interpreted many ways. It could be tension, a thought, or just exhaling from a deep breath. In the poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, by Robert Frost, many argue as to what the ‘sigh’ towards the end of the poem actually means. Some think it is a shift of tone in the poem, others say that it signifies that he is unhappy about the road that he has taken in his life. Little do they know, they are all very wrong. In fact, the poem is not written about Frost at all. This shows the simple ways that a poem can easily be misinterpreted. The history of why a poem was written can dramatically change the meaning of a poem and the way that it is read. Robert Frost’s â€Å"The Road Not Taken† is a great example. The literal meaning of this poem by Robert Frost is pretty obvious. A traveler comes to a fork in the road and needs to decide which way to go to continue his journey. After much thought, the traveler picks the road "less traveled by." The poem describes the tough choices people make when traveling the road of life. The traveler regrets leaving the road he has already passed by and realizes that he probably won’t travel that same way again. I’m sure many of us could compare similar instances in their own lives to the one Frost describes in the poem. Robert Frost began writing â€Å"The Road Not Taken† in England in 1914, and completed it in Franconia before his first publ... Free Essays on The Road Not Taken Life, Decisions and Consequences The writer Robert Frost in the poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken† emphasizes how the life has its own surprises and uncertainties and its own up and downs. Frost can be the speaker in this poem. He has to take a life decision, â€Å" Two road diverged in a yellow wood† the road represents the journey of our lives. No one knows where the road will lead us or what the future will bring us. There are many decision that might we have to take, we try to predict and wonder what is the wisest decision to be made. But there are pros and cows in any specific choice that we have to make. Sometimes we succeed and we make the right decision and some other times we fail to successful in the decision that we make. Is the dilemma that makes our life interesting and worth living. Because if one knows what everyday would bring than life could have no meaning. If we do not succeed, we pay for the consequences but we also learn from those experiences and in this way we can challenge and be stronger to face other difficulties of life. Frost tries to show this by describing the road that â€Å"it was grassy and wanted wear† where the grassy means the road that most of the people had not walk and â€Å"wanted wear† was one of his desire to discover the unknown. It was the one that he will chose and start exploring on something new. The speaker’s eyes try to see â€Å"the undergrowth† wondering if he can see which route to take but he cannot because his eyes can not see so far. He tries but is difficult to understand which route he should take. He thinks if he should take the common route or the other one that not to many people took. He is in dilemma because all his life depends on his decision. The man thinks on negative way for the two routs but at the same time he seems undecided and scared if he is not going to take the right decision and if will be the right one. â€Å"Two roads in the wood† represent th...

How to Homeschool If You Work Outside the Home

How to Homeschool If You Work Outside the Home If you and your spouse both work full- or part-time outside the home, you may think homeschooling is out of the question. Although having both parents working outside the home does make homeschooling trickier, with efficient planning and creative scheduling, it can be done. Here are some practical tips for successfully homeschooling while working outside the home. Alternate Shifts With Your Spouse Perhaps the most difficult aspect of homeschooling when both parents work is figuring out the logistics. This can be especially tricky  when young children are involved. One of the easiest ways to ensure that there is always a parent at home with the children is to alternate work shifts with your spouse. Alternating shifts also helps with school. One parent can work with the student on a few subjects while he or she is home, leaving the remaining subjects for  the other parent. Maybe Dad is the math and science guy while Mom excels at history and English. Splitting up the schoolwork allows each parent to contribute and to work to his or her strengths. Enlist the Help of Relatives or Hire Reliable Childcare If you  are a single parent of young children, or you and your spouse are unable or unwilling to alternate shifts (because that can  put a strain  on both the marriage and family), consider your childcare options. You may want to enlist the help of relatives or consider hiring reliable childcare. Parents of teens may decide that their kids can stay home alone during the parents’ working hours. Maturity level and security concerns should  be taken into serious consideration, but it is often a viable option for a mature, self-motivated teen. Extended family may be able to provide childcare and oversee schoolwork that your child can do with minimal help and supervision. You might also consider hiring an older homeschooled teen or college student to provide childcare if there are only a few overlapping hours in the working parents’ schedules. You may even consider exchanging child care for rent if you have extra space available. Use Curriculum That Your Students Can Do Independently If you and your spouse are both working  full-time, you’ll probably want to consider homeschool curriculum that your children on their own, such as textbooks, computer-based curriculum, or online classes. You might also consider mixing independent work that your children can do during your work shifts with more activity-based lessons you can do in the evenings or on weekends. Consider a Co-Op or Homeschool Classes In addition to the curriculum that your kids can complete on their own, you might also consider homeschool classes and co-ops. Many co-ops do require that the parents of the kids enrolled to take an active role, but others do not. In addition to regular co-ops, many areas offer group classes for homeschoolers. Most classes meet two or three days per week. Students enroll in and pay for the classes that meet their needs. Either of these options can meet the scheduling needs of working parents and provide in-person teachers for core classes and/or desired electives. Create a Flexible Homeschool Schedule Whatever you decide to do as far as curriculum and classes go, take advantage of the flexibility that homeschooling offers. For example,  homeschooling doesnt have to take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. You can do school in the mornings before going to work, in the evenings after work, and on the weekends. Use historical fiction, literature, and engaging biographies as your family’s bedtime stories. Science experiments can make exciting family activities in the evenings or on the weekend. Weekends are also the perfect time for a family field trip. Get Creative Working homeschool families encourage thinking creatively about activities with educational value. If your kids are on sports teams or take a class such as gymnastics, karate, or archery, count that as their P.E. time. Use dinner prep and household chores to teach them home economics skills. If they teach themselves a skill such as sewing, playing an instrument, or drawing during their free time, give them credit for the time invested. Be aware  of the educational opportunities in the everyday aspects of your lives. Split up or Hire Help for Household Chores If both parents are working outside the home, it is vital  that everyone either pitch in to help or that you seek outside help for maintaining your home. Mom (or Dad) can’t be expected to do it all. Invest time to teach your children the life skills necessary to help with the laundry, housekeeping, and meals. (Remember, it’s home ec class, too!) If theres still too much for everyone, consider what you may be able to hire out. Perhaps just having someone clean your bathrooms once a week would lighten the load or maybe you need to hire someone to maintain the lawn. Homeschooling while working outside the home can be challenging, but with planning, flexibility, and teamwork, it can be done, and the rewards will be worth the effort.