Religion and the media

Religion and the media Presentation: â€Å"These days legislative issues, religion, media appear to get completely turned inside out. TV turned into the new religion quite a while back and the media has taken over.† ~ Van Morrison (Inspires Today, 2007) With time, the media has achieved incredible force, as they assume a huge job in our regular day to day existences. The above statement by Irish artist lyricist and performer, Van Morrison, would suitably portray how the media can be viewed as the new religion for certain individuals. Individuals have started to negligently put stock in what is introduced to them and neglected to scrutinize our general surroundings. Language, truth be told, has increased an extraordinary impact on our lives. Incredibly famous and long-serving British Linguist, Roger Fowler contended that â€Å"language impacts thought, as in its structure stations our psychological experience of the world.† Language has gotten compelling in our regular daily existences, and media, particularly TV and the World Wide Web are the ones that have aced this medium and extraordinarily impact our impression of the real world. This is on the grounds that the manner in which we consider our general surroundings is affected by various elements, for example, the general public we live in, broad communications, and the language itself. This thus has affected the way where we live, the governmental issues that we lecture and the manner by which we practice the religions we follow. As we create as a general public and move further into the 21st, we can obviously observe the patterns that will oversee our thoughts of strict practices and society. These ‘challenges’ as I might want to call them, are the resurrection of religion as a national and worldwide power. In logical inconsistency with the past forecasts that it would blur in view of present day life and society, religion has rather increased another character and noticeable quality all through the world since it has been influencedby virtual religion and broad communications. What is advanced media? Computerized media as characterized by Microsoft Windows is â€Å"Digital media alludes to sound, video, and photograph content that has been encoded (carefully compacted) which can be handily controlled, circulated, and rendered (played) by PCs, and is effortlessly transmitted over PC networks.† (Microsoft 2010). In layman terms it is any kind of capacity gadget that can store computerized information to be specific PCs, advanced mobile phones, iPad’s and so forth. What is virtual religion? Virtual religion rather than advanced media is hard to characterize. Basically it is religion in its electronic articulation. Numerous strict pioneers can contend at the point that it is just a ‘copy and paste’ type of ‘old’ religion into a more up to date virtual world. Virtual religion goes past the physical limits of strict practices and carries religions into the irrelevant domain of the web and Cyberspace. It intends to help investigate the augmented simulations made conceivable by new advancements. Mainstream society and Religion Mainstream society as characterized by urban word reference, â€Å"simply indicates a gathering of practices or customs acknowledged by masses.† It is the type of culture where it is broad and dependent on the thoughts and tastes of customary individuals. Because of the ascent of the domain of mainstream society and media, innovation has gotten advantageous in this quick positioned way of life. Media gives a stage to rich imagery and visual mainstream society, permitting space for regularly evolving personalities. This fits the advancing examples of the creating society we live in. The abovementioned, all direct what is present day and what we acknowledge socially and socially. This is the place the fight starts between religion, which is viewed as ‘time-honoured’ and ‘authentic’ when contrasted with media which is ‘modern’ and ‘superficial’, as expressed by Stewart M. Hoover in his proposition on media and religion. The topi c of ‘is new consistently better?’ is presented. The assembly of these two features has consistently been a point for much discussion however the possible coordinated effort of these would prompt a mutualistic relationship as one would build up the other. It is said that through media, religion is gradually losing its validness and just turning into an only creation conspire. It has gradually become a sham yet on the opposite side of the coin, media has become dreadfully carved in religion and religion in media. Online religion and religion-on the web Right off the bat, I might want to express a distinction in lingual authority between that of on the web/virtual religion and religion on the web. As expressed above on the web/virtual religion is an electronic articulation of religion, fundamentally sacred texts on the web or having the option to rehearse customs on the web while religion online as characterized by Christopher Helland just â€Å"presents data about religion.† (Helland 2000).Helland states that due to the contrast between these two ideas there are various view of how the Internet ought to be utilized for strict purposes. Religion online can be seen, in wearing phrasing, as a golf player. He is lone in is down and doesn't rely upon his rivals and he needs partners. This is a somewhat lone, one-to-numerous perfect. There needs commitment between the individuals taking an interest as they can't give input and offer their perspectives and convictions. This idea is very clear when visiting www.vatican.va, the official site of the Vatican. This uneven idea presents supplication and sacred texts yet does not have the feeling of the right to speak freely of discourse and conviction, along these lines confining an outside view. Numerous strict gatherings utilize expertly structured strict destinations as a medium to only pass on data to their perusers by means of religion on the web. This controlled space permits them to keep up institutional structure and control. They present the ‘chapter and verse’ of the religion. By keeping it as a one-to-many structure, they consider this to be a ‘tool’, as depicted by Helland, of not ‘losing control’ of their devotees. As I would like to think, this is a type of teaching as the perusers just observe what these strict gatherings need them to see. Is this any unique in relation to what Hitler and the Nazi’s were doing? They demand such a way in light of the fact that with the headway of innovation and the considering man, strict establishments have lost their noticeable quality and their administrative authority has gotten less significant in figuring out what individuals accept and the manner by which they live their lives (Hoover 2008). This is a method of being inconspicuous tyrants attempting to keep control over their supporters. Online religion can be seen as though it is a group activity, a ‘many-to-many’ style, where you intuitive and rely upon each other. It permits the peruser to cooperate and voice their conclusion. This is allowed through sentiments like hyperlinks, permitting exercises like supplications on the web, contemplation and talk rooms on destinations like virtualreligion.net. The informal strict locales utilized for online religion are viewed as undeniably progressively open and easy to understand. It takes into account the necessities of the peruser instead of constraining strict material onto them. Individuals currently assume liability for their own confidence, spiritualities and strict personalities. This non-tyrannical condition permits the outflow of perspectives and strict encounters. Online religion, not at all like religion on the web, isn't viewed as an instrument but instead a ‘place’ where you can discover absolutely data yet rather profound and strict illumination and freedom. This expanded flexibly of intervened religion implies that religion and otherworldliness are progressively accessible beyond ‘formal’ religions; such has world-charging suggestions for those organizations. (Hoover, 2008). A model would the 9/11Twin Tower shelling where online supplications and virtual candles were touched off in memory of the l ives lost. Information about Islam was likewise accessible to perusers and they were permitted to impart the individuals who follow the Islamic confidence and thusly become familiar with the religion and their convictions. This forestalled Islam structure having cliché labels joined to them, as Osama Bin Laden gave the world that it was a fear monger religion that murdered for God. With this we can purposely express that the web itself can't be viewed as a medium that limits or frees as the decision is our own to make. It additionally relies upon strict pioneers and website page originators and whether they seen as an opportunity to authorize force and consider it to be a ‘tool’ or as a type of freedom and consider it to be a ‘place’. Accordingly, any reasonable person would agree that the web can be portrayed in a solitary statement by Frederick Langbridge: â€Å"Two men glance through similar bars, one sees mud, different sees stars.† Is Virtual Religion the response to every one of our petitions In the wake of downloading an application on Google play called â€Å"Virtual Hindu Temple Worship†, I was fairly shocked at the sentiment of illumination experienced in the wake of taking an interest in this online variant of love. I had the option to turn an insidious light and ring a bell as though I were adoring in a sanctuary. A mantra, a Sanskrit word meaning hallowed expression, played out of sight radiating this atmosphere of quiet and unity with God. I was additionally ready to pick a divinity that I might want to appeal to. This demonstrated the comfort and simplicity of my entrance to this application. My underlying assessment of this type of religion was one that was negative however with really encountering it direct, the fervor of something obscure and various was what that caught my consideration. I visited a blog by Dariush Nothaft on Yale Daily news; I was bewildered to see the levels to which virtual religion had climbed. Here he talked about bumbling uponsaranam.com, a virtual entrance for requesting supplications at Hindu sanctuaries in India, for a charge, I may include. The organizer ofsaranam.com, Mahesh Mohanan, had this aha second after the acknowledgment that post marital journeys were turning into a challenging encounter. T

Importance of Play Essay

Play is one angle that is normal in each child’s life. The significance of play for youngsters is colossal. It is far beyond a recreational action for them. Play is basic for kids; it adds to solid youngster advancement intellectually, socially, and genuinely (McFadden, 2010). Along these lines, it is fundamental for guardians, parental figures, and teachers to perceive the significance of, and to support play. Why is play so significant? As of late at the preschool level, there has been a push to diminish the measure of play time and increment the measure of time spent on scholarly work. With the expanded scholarly outstanding task at hand that is being put on school-matured youngsters today, this gives off an impression of being a smart thought; in any case, the absence of play time for kids is really adverse to solid kid improvement. Youngsters consider play to be entertaining. They don't take part in perky exercises with the idea of learning social or mental abilities, yet play benefits these zones of advancement, just as a few others. At the point when youngsters play, they figure out how to share and â€Å"be pleasant. † Learning these abilities early will empower them to have the option to coexist with others in adulthood. Kids likewise figure out how to associate with their general condition. This association permits youngsters to start to understand their reality (McFadden, 2010). Collaboration and great relational abilities are fundamental in each calling and action a kid may experience as a grown-up. By speaking with others, a youngster starts to comprehend the significance of language. They figure out how to communicate their thoughts and acknowledge the thoughts introduced by others. Youngsters additionally create relational abilities that assist them with settling strife and haggle with thers. From outset, youngsters show the longing to deal with their physical practices so they can get ready to control objects of intrigue (Feeney, 2010). Play adds to this physical turn of events and refinement of engine abilities. The incredible action of a child’s play manufactures quality, endurance, and abilities they will requirement for sound physical turn of events. At the point when kids are left to choose how they will play, the regularly incline toward physical exercises, for example, running and pursuing one another or playing get with balls. This dynamic play brings about genuinely fit youngsters and physical wellness is one of the key parts in solid kid advancement (McFadden, 2010). As kids build up the control of enormous muscle bunches because of physical exercises, they additionally refine fine engine abilities and control. Working with squares, painting, and playing with mud refine material smoothness, which kids will require when they figure out how to compose and advance in school. Assume likewise has a job in the enthusiastic improvement of kids. Kids at play feel in charge of their reality, rehearsing significant peddlers that lead them to a feeling of authority of their condition and self. They figure out how to ace their apprehensions, resolve interior clashes, and to carry on outrage, antagonistic vibe, and dissatisfaction (Feeney, 2010). Frequently, play is utilized by specialists and social laborers to assist youngsters with surviving and work through maltreatment or injury. As an instructor, there are a few different ways to fuse play into learning exercises. Since kids are naturally inquisitive, they appreciate exploring and finding new things. Educators should utilize this interest while presenting science and logical thoughts. Youngsters can't comprehend convoluted logical thoughts; nonetheless, they love finding out about plants, creatures, and different items inside their condition. Science in youth instruction includes life science, physical science, and earth science (Allen, 2007). An action to investigate earth science is called â€Å"will it drift? † Children select various articles from around the study hall and speculation whether the item will skim on water. In the wake of making their conjectures, the youngsters get the opportunity to test their speculations by drifting the picked protests in the study hall water table. Kids love this action since they get the chance to play with water, however the movement really shows them weight, volume, and lightness of various things. Showing little youngsters mathematic essentials is made easier when the exercises are introduced as a pleasant action. Math guidance in youth homeroom settings must include solid thoughts, and be normally fit to the child’s play (Gabbert, 2009). Showing kids the possibility of estimations can start in the preschool setting. An extraordinary method to encourage estimation is by adding estimating spoons and cups to sand and water tables. In the action, youngsters are permitted to scoop out sand or water from the tables and spot their â€Å"measurements† into independent compartments to perceive what number of scoops will be expected to occupy the new space. The teachers should disclose to them the sums they are setting in the new space to empower the child’s comprehension of the movement. The significance of play in the youth homeroom can't be disparaged. It is the obligation of a youth training instructor to urge and permit understudies to play all for the duration of the day. Play ought to be joined into regular exercises. Little youngsters are normally inquisitive and vigorous. Fusing play into their day will permit them to â€Å"absorb† a greater amount of what is being educated. Not all youngsters, particularly youthful understudies, learn well by sitting and tuning in to a talk. Being permitted to play assists kids with considering figuring out how to be a charming thing. Play additionally guarantees they create different aptitudes: engine, social, enthusiastic, expected to get effective in their school professions, and past.

A Short Dining Guide to Cambridge

A Short Dining Guide to Cambridge Its unfair, I admit: Ive rhapsodized aplenty about Manhattans food dives while glossing over the restaurants at MITs doorstep. Whats worse is that one year ago, I vowed to leave no restaurant within walking distance of 77 Massachusetts Avenue uneaten at, pardon the grammatical ugliness. Fulfillment proved to be elusive, expensive, and less compelling than getting problem sets finished on a Friday night instead of chewing slowly over two-hour, three-fork dinners in French restaurants with napkins pre-folded in topologically confusing structures (not that I needed to see any more of those, really). Honestly, I cant count the nights when nothing was more satisfying than the mouth-drying sodium-shock of defrosted vegetables ($2.00 per 16 oz.) doused in oyster sauce and Sriracha, digging for leftover cornbread and lentil stew in pikas fridge (too many potatoes per 16 oz., depending on the cook), reheating homemade cooking experiments from last weekend (1-10 units of bragging rights per 16 oz., depending on difficulty of recipe and whether or not it contained the LN2 that you accidentally borrowed indefinitely from your lab, or whatever), or scouring the Infinite Corridor for pasta salads and cold trays of curry leftover from catered dinners (1 sprint to campus from Random Hall per 16 oz.). But enough about my autobiography-in-progress. Chances are, if youre arriving on campus within the next week, you have an interest in avoiding starvation in ways that do not involve the Ben Salinas Delight (last Wed. nights snack, if youre interested). In my infinite kindheartedness to this years incoming class*, I started to compile a list of memorable-but-not-necessarily-recommended-eateries around MIT but suffered a minor aneurysm from food nostalgia overload and decided to stick to just restaurants on the Cambridge side of the river. (Boston deserves a separate blog post. Or six.) *Seriously, I not only started the MIT 2013 Facebook Group but even refrained from changing the group name to “Harvard Class of 2013” and posting “Welcome to Harvard!” on the day that MIT matriculation decisions were due. It took some serious self-control. View Dining around MIT in a larger map Lets start with grocery stores. 1. Star Market: The closest grocery store to most of the MIT dorms, Star Market is your generic, jumbo-sized, ten-flavors-of-Triscuits supermarket. The fruit is an order of magnitude cheaper than at LaVerdes in the Student Center, and sales on staples like cereals, breads, sandwich meat, canned soup, and frozen vegetables are routine. The downside is that the incomprehensible store layout turns shopping for dried split peas into a labrythine task involving three aisles and a compass. Also, one of the employees doesnt know what peppermint bark is. 2. Trader Joes: Fantastic bread. Fantastic frozen risotto. Fantastic granola bars. The temptation to spend your entire Saturday morning browsing the 3948294 varieties of mustard while downing free shots of coffee is dangerously irresistible. Remember this warning before you get on the MIT Weekend Grocery Shuttle (loops around to most of the dorms and ends at Trader Joes/Whole Foods). 3. Harvest Co-op: A scarcely-mentioned, community-owned grocery store on Massachusetts Ave., Harvest has the cheapest prices on the following: bagged spinach, loose oranges, bagged apples (sometimes), soymilk, Sabra pine-nut hummus (the Shawshank Redemption of hummus: spectacular and life-affirming.) You can usually get better prices on fresh produce than at Shaws, depending on the weekly sales. Restaurants in Central Square (North of MIT along Massachusetts Avenue): Toscaninis: Famous for eclectic ice cream flavors like Burnt Caramel and Banana Gingersnap Molasses and Burnt Banana Ginger Molasses with Snapped Caramel (not really), Toscaninis is MITs canonical provider of late-night ice cream (other than JP Licks, of which we shall not speak*). The three best flavors in the humble opinion of this critic are Tiramisu (picture below), Lemon Expresso, and Khulfee. Belgian Chocolate, Earl Grey, Burnt Caramel, and Vienna Finger Cookie are also noteworthy. [*Clarification: I have nothing against JP Licks, but the whole JP Licks vs. Toscis debate at MIT is worth a blog post in itself. Or six. The best thing to do is to try both of them for yourself. Life is hard, I know.] Pepper Skys: Serves the best Thai curries within a stones throw of MIT, unless you can throw a stone all the way to the Boston University vicinity. I recommend the Duck or Seafood Choo Chee. Thailand Cafe: Serves the worst Thai curries ever, but its literally next door to Random Hall and delivers comparatively cheap late-night fare, which turns out to be edible sometimes once you remove the brown paper bag. However, the Cumin Braised Beef from the secret Sichuan menu (ask for it) is unreasonably delicious. Bertuccis: One word- rolls. Skip the salad, pizza, and pasta; just get an eternally-refilling basket of the complimentary bread rolls, and youve got the perfect date. Fine, you can get the three-cheese ravioli too if you want. But only after the eighth basket of rolls. Mary Chung: Confucius says, “Every campus has a Chinese restaurant within three blocks.” Marys is where you will buy dinner for your friends on their birthdays if youre too lazy to plan a party or bake a cake or remember their birthdays until 8 pm on their birthdays. The Dun Dun Noodles with Shredded Chicken (or without, if youre vegetarian) are unregrettably tasty, whether you were ever born or not. Wait, that made no sense. Kendall Square (Slightly east of MIT proper, close to the T stop and East Campus): The Black Sheep at the Kendall Hotel: Its expensive and dressy as any decent hotel restaurant, so you probably should stay away, but let me assure you that the Yucca Mashed Potatoes are the greatest permutation of root vegetable that Ive ever witnessed. Black Sheep takes the humble potato and transforms it into an earthy study in textural contrasts, tempering the ambient starchiness with crunchy, buttery morsels. But you still should stay away. (Ignore the shrimp and vegetables in the foreground; the potatoes didnt just steal the show, they were the show. And it was a good show. You should go see it.) Cuchi Cuchi: Flamboyantly gourmet and culturally ambiguous, Cuchi Cuchi refuses to refer to their “international smaller plates to be shared” as “tapas” in the same way that MIT refuses to refer to “the other school in Cambridge” as “Harvard University.” Self-denial issues aside, Cuchi Cuchi serves up semi-haute cuisine that manages to be both flashy and flavorful. Its pricey, but keep in mind that the wallpaper is probably more visually entertaining than some Broadway shows. Great for bringing a crowd for a splurgetastic celebration (graduation, birthdays, passing 8.012 with a C-, etc.). Ive had nearly everything on their menu as of May, and the standout dishes are the Bliny (Pancakes w/mushroom filling; topped w/sour cream caviar), Caspian Heaven (Roasted Fingerling potatoes, crispy oysters, creme fraiche, salmon roe champagne sauce; picture below), and the Tiramisu (caffeine-loaded and bitter, like the upperclassman down the hall). Clover Food Truck: The brainchild of a visionary MIT graduate, Clover Food Labs is revolutionizing the way that mankind buys food from the back of a truck. I assert that only at MIT will you find a food truck parked in the alley behind MIT medical whose slogan is “Everything will be different tomorrow.” I originally interpreted this as an inspirational message about world peace and environmental sustainability and banning chickpea sandwiches that arent at least 30% hummus, but I think it actually means that their menu changes daily. Anyway, whether or not Clover wins the Nobel Peace Prize, I will remain a staunch advocate of their menu (local, seasonal vegetarian food cooked from scratch that will rarely cost you over 5 bucks) as well as their business model (involves Twitter and a friendly, candid blog from the owner that gets updated more frequently than the MIT homepage sometimes.) Last Monday, I ordered the Chickpea Fritter, mostly because I liked the word “fritter.” Lots of nice consonants. It was essentially falafel snuggled with red cabbage in grain-rich pita bread. Tasty, but could have used more hummus. Keep in mind that I say this about 90% of the things that I encounter on a daily basis. Ex: “Hey, hows the 8.03 textbook?” “It could use more hummus.” Other choices include the BBQ Seitan Sandwich: And the Egg and Eggplant, the sandwich that I would have picked hands-down if only it also contained eggfruit. Alas, the egg triumvirate remained sadly incomplete. Miscellaneous (One of the locations isnt in Cambridge, and the other isnt within walking distance of MIT except by European standards of “walking distance.” Lets just agree that to first order, this item belongs on the list of Cambridge Eateries within Walking Distance of MIT.) Elephant Walk: A few weekends ago, Jess Lin and her family met in Cambridge for family bonding time over lunch at Elephant Walk in Cambridge, a French-Cambodian restaurant specializing in making colonialism taste delicious. Im obnoxious on Saturdays, so I tagged along. Starters were glorified spring rolls, which were completely forgettable. Skip it if youre ever given the chance. In brilliant contrast, the second course was a bright, tangy Cambodian chicken soup with sparkling tones of lime and lemongrass. It was like drinking broth in C Major. For her main course, Jess ordered the unpronounceable Croustillants aux Poires et Crevettes Flambv ©es aux Vin Blanc (Translation: wontons layered with warm Bartlett pear, topped with shrimp with flaming bees and white wine. Pardon any minor errors.). All observable evidence suggests that Jess was ready to take this dish on a honeymoon by the time she finished. I was less enamored with my main course, the Curry aux Crevettes (curry with Corvettes. I guess the Corvettes made it an expensive dish). Although the sauce was fragrant with the rich creaminess of coconut milk, it lacked spice. Unlike law-obeying citizens, the heat of a good curry should punch you in the face. Jesss dessert was a passion fruit mousse. By the way, there are far too many double sss in the previous sentence. Bottom line: Elephant Walk has one of the most inconsistently wonderful menus that Ive ever seen. Great concept, poor execution, just like the Soviet Union except for the great concept part. Considering the price (around 20 bucks for a three-course lunch), Id rather stay at home and dumpster-dive through pikas fridge. Speaking of which, yesterdays Franken-lunch of pika leftovers turned out to be a quinoa carrot avocado salad with corn, squash, and zucchini, tied together with a touch of golden raisins and honey mustard. Call it an edible requiem for bygone summer afternoons. But it could have used more hummus.