Recently, in a thought-provoking blog post, James Smith claimed that all sectors of the population should celebrate the same festivals. While this may help bring all sectors of the community closer together by fostering an awareness of each other’s commonalities and differences, in my opinion, the main role of festivals should be to cater for specific groups in a country. There are a number of reasons why I believe this.
First of all, we live in a society which is homogenous. Schools and workplaces consist of people from completely different backgrounds but the underlying culture of these places is to have everyone behave in a similar way. Therefore, people’s everyday lives are very similar, perhaps even monotonous. One way to put a bit of spontaneity and heterogeneity into a country is by promoting festivals that cater for specific sectors of the community. Wouldn’t you agree? I come from an ethnic minority and once a year we have a festival to express and celebrate our differences. While it’s fantastic that other members of the community visit and participate in our festival, we don’t expect everyone in the country to celebrate with us.
Secondly, having common festivals, like St.Patrick’s Day in Ireland or Independence Day in America, that we are expected to participate in, increases nationalistic feelings in countries. Increased nationalism has the effect of marginalising minorities and causing more rifts between the various ethnic communities in countries.
Finally, forcing people to celebrate the same festivals can result in people rebelling against what the festival is trying to promote. Ireland has many festivals aiming to celebrate our artistic and literary culture. This is pushed in the mainstream media to the extent that we all feel that we must participate. But some people are just not interested in these topics or things that have happened in the past. Why should they be forced to participate in something in which they have no interest? It will just alienate them.
In conclusion, while it’s wonderful that we all have the opportunity to celebrate our commonalities, from my point of view it’s important that we have as many diverse types of festivals as possible. This will allow all sectors of the community to have something to look forward to outside study and work, ultimately resulting in happier people at a micro-level and a happier country at a macro-level. What do you think? Please feel free to add comments below.
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Friday, March 24, 2017
Personal Response - Freedom
“I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise, what is there to defend?”
Robert Redford
Our natural environment provides us with everything that we ever need such as oxygen, water, food and resources. Many of the earth's resources are now vulnerable because they are influenced by human impact across the world. Therefore, I think concern for environment should be put in the category of our national security.
Environmental concerns are growing due to many reasons such as overpopulation, new technology and the high demand for natural resources. Humans are cutting forests to build infrastructure. However, they do not think of the consequences they might face in the future as deforestation disturbs the natural cycle between the environment and life on the earth. It can also cause global warming because there will be less trees to absorb carbon dioxide. Since, natural resources are limited, they should not be overused. Otherwise they will be gone forever. Instead, we could use renewable energy. This would also help save the environment from global warming. The use of environmentally unfriendly materials such as plastic should be discouraged. Safer environmentally friendly vehicles should be used. For short distances, people should be encouraged to use bicycles instead of motor-based vehicles. Domestic and industrial disposal should not be allowed to be dumped into the sea or ocean and the domestic and industrial garbage should be segregated as recyclable and non-recyclable before being dumped.
Throughout the evolution of Homo Sapiens, we have fulfilled our needs by destroying the natural environment without realising that it can have an impact on the future generations. Therefore, defending our resources is very important. Otherwise, what is there to defend?
(Nanki, IB2)
Our natural environment provides us with everything that we ever need such as oxygen, water, food and resources. Many of the earth's resources are now vulnerable because they are influenced by human impact across the world. Therefore, I think concern for environment should be put in the category of our national security.
Environmental concerns are growing due to many reasons such as overpopulation, new technology and the high demand for natural resources. Humans are cutting forests to build infrastructure. However, they do not think of the consequences they might face in the future as deforestation disturbs the natural cycle between the environment and life on the earth. It can also cause global warming because there will be less trees to absorb carbon dioxide. Since, natural resources are limited, they should not be overused. Otherwise they will be gone forever. Instead, we could use renewable energy. This would also help save the environment from global warming. The use of environmentally unfriendly materials such as plastic should be discouraged. Safer environmentally friendly vehicles should be used. For short distances, people should be encouraged to use bicycles instead of motor-based vehicles. Domestic and industrial disposal should not be allowed to be dumped into the sea or ocean and the domestic and industrial garbage should be segregated as recyclable and non-recyclable before being dumped.
Throughout the evolution of Homo Sapiens, we have fulfilled our needs by destroying the natural environment without realising that it can have an impact on the future generations. Therefore, defending our resources is very important. Otherwise, what is there to defend?
(Nanki, IB2)
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Out with the old, in with the new! - IB Comp Pg 387
It has always been the case that technological devices get improved or become outdated. The horse and carriage changing to an automobile is one classic example. However, experts are now predicting that the rate of technological devices becoming obsolete is increasing exponentially. This article aims to reinforce this view by outlining some technologies that the author believes are bound for the scrapheap.
Will we still be using desktop PCS? While there will probably always be a need for larger workstations in industry, futurologists believe that the large personal computers will be replaced by more powerful mobile phones and handheld devices. These portable devices will not only allow us to communicate but also take an increasingly important role in organising our lives.
What about the television? Modern televisions have undergone a lot of changes recently. For example, they have become lighter and thinner, have enormous screens and internet connectivity. However, they still tend to be stuck in the corner of the room. These static monoliths are soon to be replaced by the mobile devices mentioned previously. Projection capabilities on mobile devices will allow any space on a wall to be utilised as a screen, thereby allowing “TV” to be anytime and anywhere.
What will happen to ‘compact’ discs? Well, these used to be compact, but not any more by today’s standards. Rather than putting a CD on your favourite band in your CD player, people will connect to YouTube or download from a streaming server. Even in cars, the CD player is disappearing. In its place, USB socket allow for a wide variety of mobile devices to be plugged in and listened to. But they will always make nice shiny decorations in the garden to scare off the birds.
And finally, what will become of our wired technology? It will become wireless of course, similar to the television remote control in the 1950s. No longer will we have to worry about those meddlesome wires getting in the way or stopping us from having a truly mobile lifestyle. One good example will be the humble ear phones. Just plug two indiscrete buds in your ear, activate the bluetooth capability, and, bingo, musical freedom.
As much as change can be painful, it is inevitable that the technology that supports our lifestyle will look much different in the future. Let’s embrace this. Viva la change!
Sean Dowling
Will we still be using desktop PCS? While there will probably always be a need for larger workstations in industry, futurologists believe that the large personal computers will be replaced by more powerful mobile phones and handheld devices. These portable devices will not only allow us to communicate but also take an increasingly important role in organising our lives.
What about the television? Modern televisions have undergone a lot of changes recently. For example, they have become lighter and thinner, have enormous screens and internet connectivity. However, they still tend to be stuck in the corner of the room. These static monoliths are soon to be replaced by the mobile devices mentioned previously. Projection capabilities on mobile devices will allow any space on a wall to be utilised as a screen, thereby allowing “TV” to be anytime and anywhere.
What will happen to ‘compact’ discs? Well, these used to be compact, but not any more by today’s standards. Rather than putting a CD on your favourite band in your CD player, people will connect to YouTube or download from a streaming server. Even in cars, the CD player is disappearing. In its place, USB socket allow for a wide variety of mobile devices to be plugged in and listened to. But they will always make nice shiny decorations in the garden to scare off the birds.
And finally, what will become of our wired technology? It will become wireless of course, similar to the television remote control in the 1950s. No longer will we have to worry about those meddlesome wires getting in the way or stopping us from having a truly mobile lifestyle. One good example will be the humble ear phones. Just plug two indiscrete buds in your ear, activate the bluetooth capability, and, bingo, musical freedom.
As much as change can be painful, it is inevitable that the technology that supports our lifestyle will look much different in the future. Let’s embrace this. Viva la change!
Sean Dowling
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Healthy, balanced diet - guidelines
Eating a healthy and balanced diet plays an essential role in maintaining a healthy body and preventing diseases. You are advised to eat a balanced diet. This includes the five main factors of foods which are proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. The guidelines below cover the basics of healthy eating and can help you make healthier choices.
1. Eat the right amount of calories. It is recommended that men should have around 2,500 calories a day and women should have around 2,000 calories. If you eat too much, you will gain weight which can lead to obesity.
2. Fish is a good source of protein. It contains many vitamins and minerals. Aim to eat at least two portions of fish a week, including one portion of oily fish. Oily fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which may help with preventing heart diseases.
3. You need some fats in your diet. However, it is important to pay attention to the amount and type of fats you are eating. There are two types of fats: saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats are found in foods, such as cake, biscuits and butter. Too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases the risk of developing heart diseases. Instead, choose food that contains unsaturated fat, such as vegetable oils, oily fish and avocados.
4. Regularly consuming foods and drinks high in sugar increases the risk of obesity and tooth decay. Many packaged foods and drinks contain high amounts of sugars. Therefore, you should be cutting down on these types of sugar, replacing them with sugars found in fruits.
5. Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure. Even though you do not add salt to your food, you may still be eating too much since about three quarters of salt is already in the food we buy.
6. You need to drink plenty of water to avoid getting dehydrated. You are recommends to drink 6-8 glasses every day. This will flush all the toxic out of your body.
7. You should not be skipping breakfast as it has positive effects on mental performance and increase concentration throughout the morning.
8. You should try to eat at least five portions of various fruits and vegetables every day because they are good sources of fibre which will help with your metabolism. Meat does not have any fibre so; try to avoid it.
There is no better time than now for starting a healthy diet. Once you do, you will wonder why you did not start earlier.
(Nanki, IB2)
1. Eat the right amount of calories. It is recommended that men should have around 2,500 calories a day and women should have around 2,000 calories. If you eat too much, you will gain weight which can lead to obesity.
2. Fish is a good source of protein. It contains many vitamins and minerals. Aim to eat at least two portions of fish a week, including one portion of oily fish. Oily fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which may help with preventing heart diseases.
3. You need some fats in your diet. However, it is important to pay attention to the amount and type of fats you are eating. There are two types of fats: saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats are found in foods, such as cake, biscuits and butter. Too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases the risk of developing heart diseases. Instead, choose food that contains unsaturated fat, such as vegetable oils, oily fish and avocados.
4. Regularly consuming foods and drinks high in sugar increases the risk of obesity and tooth decay. Many packaged foods and drinks contain high amounts of sugars. Therefore, you should be cutting down on these types of sugar, replacing them with sugars found in fruits.
5. Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure. Even though you do not add salt to your food, you may still be eating too much since about three quarters of salt is already in the food we buy.
6. You need to drink plenty of water to avoid getting dehydrated. You are recommends to drink 6-8 glasses every day. This will flush all the toxic out of your body.
7. You should not be skipping breakfast as it has positive effects on mental performance and increase concentration throughout the morning.
8. You should try to eat at least five portions of various fruits and vegetables every day because they are good sources of fibre which will help with your metabolism. Meat does not have any fibre so; try to avoid it.
There is no better time than now for starting a healthy diet. Once you do, you will wonder why you did not start earlier.
(Nanki, IB2)
Action speaks louder than words!
(You are participating in a class debate on how non-verbal communication can be louder than verbal communication. IB Companion - pg 387)
Good morning students, I agree with the motion that non-verbal communication can be louder than verbal communication. I will demonstrate this to you in number of ways.
First of all, one of the most important parts of any conversation is the silence. Silence can serve many functions in a conversation. It is always nice to be able to speak your heart out, but there is a powerful essence to silence. For instance, during an argument, by staying silent and listening you can gather your thoughts so you are able to handle the situation more adequately. Silence can also indicate that the other person is having negative emotions. Therefore, silent speaks when words cannot.
Secondly, body language is a nonverbal communication, where thoughts, intentions or feelings are expressed by physical behaviour, such as facial expressions, eye contact, hand gestures, body posture and body movement. Without these actions, we might not be able to understand the emotion of the person who is talking to us; whether they are happy, sad or mad. Moreover, sometimes body language may even help us to detect whether the person is telling us the truth or not.
Finally, even though texting is verbal communication, those little smiley, sad and angry face icons used to show various emotions, also known as emoji’s or emoticons are non-verbal communication. They have become a way to convey the tone and non-verbal context behind our texts. They also reduce the negative effect in the email messages, by making the same message sound less negative when paired with a positive emoticon.
In conclusion, the ability to understand using non-verbal communication is powerful tools that can help you connect with others, express what you really mean and build better relationships. Therefore, action speaks louder than words.
Good morning students, I agree with the motion that non-verbal communication can be louder than verbal communication. I will demonstrate this to you in number of ways.
First of all, one of the most important parts of any conversation is the silence. Silence can serve many functions in a conversation. It is always nice to be able to speak your heart out, but there is a powerful essence to silence. For instance, during an argument, by staying silent and listening you can gather your thoughts so you are able to handle the situation more adequately. Silence can also indicate that the other person is having negative emotions. Therefore, silent speaks when words cannot.
Secondly, body language is a nonverbal communication, where thoughts, intentions or feelings are expressed by physical behaviour, such as facial expressions, eye contact, hand gestures, body posture and body movement. Without these actions, we might not be able to understand the emotion of the person who is talking to us; whether they are happy, sad or mad. Moreover, sometimes body language may even help us to detect whether the person is telling us the truth or not.
Finally, even though texting is verbal communication, those little smiley, sad and angry face icons used to show various emotions, also known as emoji’s or emoticons are non-verbal communication. They have become a way to convey the tone and non-verbal context behind our texts. They also reduce the negative effect in the email messages, by making the same message sound less negative when paired with a positive emoticon.
In conclusion, the ability to understand using non-verbal communication is powerful tools that can help you connect with others, express what you really mean and build better relationships. Therefore, action speaks louder than words.
(Nanki, IB2)
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Happiness - internal or external?
Happiness, or lack of it, is perhaps the most crucial factor in determining our quality of life. Some of us feel happy when we are accepted by those around us. Others believe we can only really achieve happiness when we learn to accept ourselves. Personally, I believe that it is a ‘chicken and egg’ scenario. So which comes first?There is no doubt that most people, even those with the toughest skins, are concerned about how others view them. Being viewed in a negative light can lead to feelings of depression. It can cause people to react in one of two ways; either they retreat from society or they change themselves so as to be accepted. This change can be good, particularly if a person improves; however, if a person changes just to be accepted by others, it may actually increase unhappiness levels. Therefore, to be truly happy, it is important that we also learn how to accept who we are. We must realise that nobody is perfect, but that we should also strive for improvement. This goal of self-improvement will lead to more self-happiness. Ultimately, improved self-happiness will lead to us being accepted by others, increasing the happiness and sense of wellness in both the individual and the group.
To summarise, no man is an island; our sense of happiness depends on how we treat each other. Learning to accept ourselves is the first stage in being accepted by others. Once we can can do this, the path to happiness is made smoother for everyone.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Non-verbal communication - IB Companion Pg 387
Good morning, classmates and teachers. While it may seem odd to say that non-verbal communication is louder than verbal communication, today I will argue that this is in fact the case in a great number of instances.
It is quite often said that ‘actions speak louder than words’. For example, ignoring someone, or giving them the cold shoulder, sends out a powerful message that you do not want to talk to them. In addition, when you have done something wrong, rather than just apologising to them, show them that you are really sorry by doing something that proves this such as buying some flowers or fixing the problem. Sometimes indicating displeasure by the way you act, like stomping your feet or tutting your tongue, gets the message across much more effectively than words.
Body language, such as facial expressions, hand gestures and body posture, can also send out stronger messages than words. For example, even though your words may be neutral, your facial expressions may give away how you’re really feeling. You may be trying to sound angry, but the little smile on your face reveals all. In addition, the animation of your hands during conversation demonstrates how emotional you are feeling about a topic. Furthermore, body posture can also give strong indications as to your mood. Turning you back on a person leaves no doubt that you’re not too inclined to talk to them. On the other hand, facing someone and opening your arms towards them indicates a strong welcome. Consider my speech today. If it wasn’t to use hand gestures, eye contact and certain body postures, I’m sure that you wouldn’t find my argument quite as convincing.
Technology can also demonstrate how the power of non-verbal communication. Nowadays, most of us use text messages to communicate with a friends. In the early days, text message were just text, or verbal communication. They lacked the non-verbal cues to ensure full communication. This led to the invention of emojis, which allow us make text messages more communicative. In fact, many text messages now contain no verbal, or textual, communication; the careful use of emojis can speak louder!
In conclusion, even though well-constructed words can be powerful, I believe that the use of non-verbal cues such as actions, body language and emojis can make communication more effective. Thank you for listening.
(390 words)
It is quite often said that ‘actions speak louder than words’. For example, ignoring someone, or giving them the cold shoulder, sends out a powerful message that you do not want to talk to them. In addition, when you have done something wrong, rather than just apologising to them, show them that you are really sorry by doing something that proves this such as buying some flowers or fixing the problem. Sometimes indicating displeasure by the way you act, like stomping your feet or tutting your tongue, gets the message across much more effectively than words.
Body language, such as facial expressions, hand gestures and body posture, can also send out stronger messages than words. For example, even though your words may be neutral, your facial expressions may give away how you’re really feeling. You may be trying to sound angry, but the little smile on your face reveals all. In addition, the animation of your hands during conversation demonstrates how emotional you are feeling about a topic. Furthermore, body posture can also give strong indications as to your mood. Turning you back on a person leaves no doubt that you’re not too inclined to talk to them. On the other hand, facing someone and opening your arms towards them indicates a strong welcome. Consider my speech today. If it wasn’t to use hand gestures, eye contact and certain body postures, I’m sure that you wouldn’t find my argument quite as convincing.
Technology can also demonstrate how the power of non-verbal communication. Nowadays, most of us use text messages to communicate with a friends. In the early days, text message were just text, or verbal communication. They lacked the non-verbal cues to ensure full communication. This led to the invention of emojis, which allow us make text messages more communicative. In fact, many text messages now contain no verbal, or textual, communication; the careful use of emojis can speak louder!
In conclusion, even though well-constructed words can be powerful, I believe that the use of non-verbal cues such as actions, body language and emojis can make communication more effective. Thank you for listening.
(390 words)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)