The first temple period Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The first temple period - Essay Example Later, the rise and the invasions of the Babylonian empire, which eventually led to the destruction of the First Temple in the 6th century BCE, had brought about even more social changes and climaxed into a complete crisis of faith for the Israelites' religion, which was unprecedented. At the start of the First Temple Period, when Jerusalem was ruled by King David and Solomon, people tended to be faithful to one and only one God, the God who had blessed Abraham and his descendents. Alongside Jerusalem was also an independent regional power. However, invasions from foreign empires completely demolished Jerusalem's importance in the area and deeply affected almost all aspect of the people's lifestyles, especially social structures and their religious outlook. To understand the effects of foreign invasions on Jerusalem and on the ancient Israelites living there, one needs to go through the history of the Israelites in Jerusalem. The Israelites were associated with Jerusalem ever since the historical conquest of this place in 1000 BCE by King David as described in the second book of Samuel (NRSV, 2 Samuel 5:6-10). It is mentioned in the book that King David acquired control of the city of Zion. In addition, the accounts in the first book of Chronicles tell us that it was Joab, a kinsman of David, who led the war against Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 2: 4-8). Thus the conquest of Jerusalem helped unite the northern Israelite tribe with the southern Israelite tribe because Jerusalem, which was inhabited by the alien Jebusites, was the only physical barrier separating the two tribes (Kenyon 1967: 54). The unification of the two tribes strengthened the power of the Israelites and allowed for their expansions. Known for his ability to wage war, King David defeated a lot of neighboring cities and extended his control far beyond the limits of Jerusalem, and made thus conquered neighboring cities to pay tribute to him (Burke 2007: 1/12). He sent his forces east across Jordan as far as Damascus and Zobah, and subdued the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, and Amalekites. During King David's reign, the Israelites were in control of territories running from Kadesh in Syria to Ezion-geber at the head of the Gulf of Aqabah (Orlinsky 1964: 61). Even the Phoenicians agreed to provide the Israelites with skilled engineers and craftsmen in return for their protection (Orlinsky 1964: 63). King David 's son Solomon, who is famed for his wisdom, kept up the diplomatic relationship with the other cities that were begun by his father. Thus under Solomon's reign, Jerusalem returned to more peace and had strong trading links with its neighbors. Solomon even perfected and extended the administrative organization installed by his father (1 Kings 4), an d was, thus, able to collect more taxes and recruit more labor (Orlinsky 1964: 72). Solomon also built the Temple on the Temple Mount, which later became the center of faith and acted as the axis mundi, connecting the heaven, the earth, and the underworld. The periods ruled by King David and King Solomon are still considered as the golden ages of Jerusalem. It was a great achievement that in mere fifty years, David and Solomon had built the kingdom of Israel from out of a loose tribe, creating an administrative organization, although this kingdom did not last very long (Kenyon 1967: 58). It was during the

Planning of natural Hazards and Natural disasters Essay

Planning of natural Hazards and Natural disasters - Essay Example Planning systems and techniques ought to be improved considering that the magnitude of some hazards can be altered by the effects of climate change. Planning for natural hazards is of vital essence as it can decrease the potential for damage, injury or even loss of life when a disaster occurs. Sufficient information has been put in circulation regarding preparing for natural disasters. Economists around the world have studied their long term repercussions while NGOs and governments have contemplated various mitigation practices. Scientists have evaluated the ability to improve warning systems; while planners and engineers have attempted to conquer the weaknesses of buildings and infrastructure. All these measures have been put in place with an aim of planning for disasters. However, the process of mitigating natural disasters is much more complex. Most people mainly associate natural hazards and disasters with natural causes whose occurrence cannot be prevented. However, environmenta l degradation can also trigger or even worsen some disasters. Most of these environmental challenges are associated with the outward spread of urban development. For instance, deforestation results in an increase in surface run-off concentration causing flooding as well as destabilized slopes which results devastating landslides. Empirical evidence advocates that countries in which environmental degradation is most severe suffer most from natural disasters. For example, the Nepal floods that occurred in 1993 were mainly as a result of deforestation and change in catchment drainage patterns (Shaw et al 32). Therefore, conservation of the environment can help mitigate the occurrence of these natural disasters. Planning and preparedness is of vital essence for both management and mitigation of natural hazards and disasters. The following report, based on the book The Environmental Planning Handbook for sustainable communities and regions by Tom Daniels and Katherine Daniels, presents a n analysis of how natural hazards and disasters can be prevented, through environmental protection at the local level. According to T. Daniels and K. Daniels (3), the issue of environmental protection is global and depends largely on timely and effective action at the local level. This report explains complex environmental issues and offers guidance to local governments on how to incorporate comprehensive planning into sustainable environmental quality in the local community. Once these guidelines are followed, they will help conserve the environment in the local community and in return help mitigate the occurrence and magnitude of natural hazards and disasters. According to T. Daniels and K. Daniels (11), planning as the process of making choices and organizing resources to achieve the set goals and objectives. Through planning, communities can minimize or even avoid water and air pollution, conversion of both farms and forestlands, loss of wild life as well as the overall degradat ion of the environment. Comprehensive planning refers to preparation of documents aimed at directing the current and future economic and physical development of a local government. Comprehensive planning is a continuous process and sets forth how a community will look, function and grow over a period of between 10 and 20 years (T. Daniels and K. Daniels 12). Environmental Hazards and Disasters The world is fast becoming more susceptible to natural

Comparison of Oral and Written Presentation

Comparison of Oral and Written Presentation RADHIKA SETHI Question Mention two different situations (imaginary) when oral presentations would be more effective than written presentations, reasoning why. Explain different principles for making successful oral business presentations. Answer Presentations mean speaking before public on some formal occasion. It is also known as public speaking. Presentation is done before a select audience. A presentation means â€Å"a formal or set piece occasion with two usual hallmarks- the use of audio visual aids and team work†. In oral presentation an individual is pitted against a group. Therefore careful preparation is necessary for ensuring success in presentation. Need for oral presentation Presenting a new business plan Launching a new product/ service Making a sales proposal Starting a training course Conference Negotiating a business deal Situations where oral presentation is more effective than written presentations 1. Rey company ltd launched its new microwave in a mall. They give an oral presentation to launch its product. They launched their product in front of a large audience gathered at the mall. They used a/v’s to demonstrate the features and usage of the microwave. A lucky draw was conducted to attract the public. People were asked to give direct feedback about the product. The speaker effectively communicated with the audience leading to an advance order of 500 microwaves. 2. A politician in its rally gave an oral presentation to persuade people to elect him. In his presentation he included lots of information from the history what his party did for the general public. Usage of bar graphs and pie charts to provide adequate data to the public. It helped him in presenting the right image for diverse audience. The complex and heterogeneous audience was motivated by his presentation. In both the situations oral presentation is more effective then written presentation because of the following reasons: Oral presentation is flexible where as written presentation is inflexible. A speaker can modify his presentation according to the needs of his audience. It is easier for a speaker to check whether the instruction is clear to the audience or not. One can personally contact his audience which is not possible in written presentation. It is easy to gain attention of the audience in oral presentation where as written presentation may sound boring. For a large number of audiences gathered at one place oral presentation plays a better role. Direct feedback is taken in oral presentations. Principles for Making Successful Oral Business Presentations 1. Purpose of presentation It is useful to make sure of the purpose of the presentation. A presentation usually has one of four basic purposes: (i) to inform, (ii) to persuade, (iii) to encourage, (iv) to entertain. The purposes are not mutually exclusive; a persuasive presentation informs, and surely benefits by entertaining. But the speaker should decide hand, what is to be the main purpose of his presentation, so that the presentation can be properly composed. 2. Audience Research Every communication must be in a form and style which suits the audience. The tone and the matter of the presentation depend on the nature of the audience. Analysing the audience, age group is an important factor. Different age groups respond differently to presentations. Children love to listen to stories and appreciate dramatic presentations Emotions of joy and sorrow can be aroused through stories; ideas have to be built up from familiar surroundings. High school children like to be treated as adults; they can appreciate sincerity and are not very critical. Visual aids are effective. College student (teenaged) audiences are responsive to new ideas; they appreciate an honest, straight forward approach and can be of interests and a progressive attitude; they like new projects. Young adults are the most sophisticated audience, having wide range ideas but are also very critical. Middle-aged audiences are conservative and do not like new ideas; they have more knowledge and experience of life, but they are not enthusiastic about changes or new ides; they listen with interest but do not easily accept. Most old people have no interest in changes at all; they like to be reminded of the good old days, but they are interested in information about what is going on in the world. Besides age, there are other factors which the speaker must know about his audience. Socio-cultural, educational and economic background obviously affect what the audience will understand and accept. Educated people of any age-group are naturally more critical; rich people do not favour social changes, while the poor are interested in change. All the above mentioned factors determine how a speaker should plan oil and do the necessary exercise in collecting, arranging and shaping the material for his or her presentation. He or she should remember what his or her audience expects from him. Effective speaking depends upon the speakers grabbing at sustaining the interest of the audience. He or she should know how to organise his or her matter that the concentration required for understanding a comprehending a specific component of the presentation is put in by the audience. The language component that the speaker makes use of to encode his message thoughts, ideas and views must match the choice, taste, interpretative and analytical acumen of the listeners. The speaker should know that any matter not following these conditions if put across his or her audience will result in the lack trust of the audience †¢ the speaker followed by a lack of concentration and of interest effecting noise and unrest. A speaker remains consc ious of these factors and accordingly prepares his or her material for presentation. 3. Preparation of the Text of the Presentation In the preparation of the subject matter for the presentation the very primary concern of the presentation is the determination of the objectives of the presentation. What as speakers do we want to do? Do we want to persuade the listeners to believe in us or to do what we want? Do we want to teach them what we presume to be taught to them? Do we want to stimulate their thinking by raising issues that require their pondering? Do we want to inform them which we think they should know? Finally, do we want to entertain our audience like a comedian creating humorous elements in our presentation? These are all general objectives of our presentation. However, the text of the presentation itself determines its specific objectives. After preparing the text for the presentation we should check whether it meets the pre-determined objectives or not. A presentation will turn out to be ineffective unless we pay attention to its texture and structure. A presentation should be able to catch the attention of the listeners. This can be done by telling them what they should expect to listen from the speaker. The speaker should start his presentation by giving the plan of his presentation, so that the listeners can follow the sequence. To attract the attention of the listener, a speaker could begin with questions like: Do you know how many people live below the poverty line? Did you read todays newspaper? 4. Structuring the Subject Matter A presentation has three fundamental parts; the introduction, the main body and the conclusion. This kind of structuring of the text of the presentation helps the speaker ways: Establishing the relationships among ideas. Developing the complete argument. Lightening the text as per the time constraint. Providing the audience a grip on the subject matter. Emphasizing the significant ideas of the theme. Stimulating the audience to learn what he or she thinks. Registering the important concepts with the audience. For a forty-five minute presentation a speaker should keep the number of main points to five to six points. After the decision regarding the audience, objectives and the collection of the ideas, the structuring of the text depends upon the time constraint. For providing a clear picture to the audience about the subject matter the speaker has to limit the number of main points to five or six points. Before going to the introduction of the text of the presentation or an oral presentation, we should concentrate on the main body of the text. In fact the composition of the main body determines the nature of introduction as well as the conclusion. 5. Language and Style The style of oral communication is different from the style of written communication, in any language. This difference must be kept in mind while drafting a presentation; the style of a presentation must be as simple and direct as the style of conversation. Words used in common everyday talk are the best for use in a presentation. Besides, the following tips should be considered by the speaker: Some words which are quite suitable for written communication must be avoided in oral communication: French and Latin words and phrases like raison detre, sine qua non, inter alia are likely to cause misunderstanding. Many people mispronounce these phrases, and even if the speaker pronounces them correctly, most people are not sure of their meanings. Technical terms which are understood only by people who belong to particular professions should be avoided. If they are absolutely necessary they should be explained. Words which are likely to give offence to members of the audience should not be used. It must be remembered that a public presentation has an audience beyond the people who are present; the presentation may be reported in the press and may be printed in full in the house magazine. if the speaker uses words like widows, blind, agitators, lame, old maids, or socially unpleasant words, some sections of the audience may feel hurl or displeased. Repeating phrases like as you know, you see, you know, can be irrital Also using the same adjective too many times becomes boring to listen Such mannerisms of presentation must be rigorously avoided. 6. Environment for Speaking while Making Presentation For effective speaking the venue or the place of delivering the presentation plays a very important role. The speaker must be aware of the size of the room he or she has to deliver the presentation for an oral presentation. Sometimes the rooms are large and echoing. Speaking in such rooms requires less resonating sound. The voice should be a little muffled following the lower notes. However, it5Poity have the required power. For the acoustically treated rooms the resonance of the voice in an oral presentation has an absolutely different kind of impression on the audience. The speaker should also check his or her voice in the rooms; find it out on his or her own, whether it reaches the last listener sitting at the back row. He or she should also find out how the delivery of the †¢voice is. Has he or she practised with the microphone? The room should be well-ventilated and well-illuminated. There should not be any distractions to both the speaker and the listeners. The distraction s like noise and any other interruptions should not be entertained. The seating layout also determines the voice flow, voice reverberation. Every seating arrangement has its merits and demerits. There are various seating arrangements available. When the audience sits in rows like that in a theatre, there is difficulty in eye contact between the speaker and the listener. The environment is very formal. The horseshoe pattern of seating arrangement is more informal and it helps in increasing participation. The curved rows too hinder proper eye contact. People sitting around tables make it very informal unless the audience is divided into groups for formal intercourse. 7. Timing for the Oral Presentation The efficient speaker arranges the text of his presentation in such a way that till the end of the presentation the listeners do not get restless. Also the time of day affects the audience. The afternoon hours hardly make any listener interested to listen to a presentation. But yet an efficient speaker may try to make that session interesting. For keeping to time an efficient speaker takes care of the concentration problem that the audience has with regard to time. Initially the concentration level is not much. After time duration it reaches its peak, and then it starts falling. The end of the presentation again increases the concentration level. However, the span of moderate concentration level may be attained by various concentration enhancing practices. Similarly, the speaker also has a specific time duration when he or she is in his or her sound physical and mental state. 8. Preparing Notes for the Presentation For the presentation in an oral presentation if the speaker writes out the complete presentation and learns it by heart when exact presentation is delivered it sounds stilted. In fact an efficient speaker though prepares the whole text of the presentation; he or she never learns it by heart. He or she reduces it to short notes and puts them on cards. These short notes are nothing but key words. Cards do not shake even if the speaker is nervous. The speaker does not require the papa weight to keep his or her papers as he or she can hold the cards very easily. The cards should be prepared by the speaker in his or her own handwriting as during a presentation or in an oral presentation if the speaker is not able to understand key item because of its illegibility, the complete oral presentation may be ruined. In the cards he or she should write the expected time duration that he or she may require while dealing with that specific point. He or she should clip the cards together by numberin g them. On each card he or she may write some messages regarding making eye-contact with the audience, making no mannerisms, slowing down when speaking fast, stressing on key words, modulating the voice etc., so that they remind him at every step and the presentation is delivered successfully. 9. How to Begin a Presentation? There are various ways of beginning presentation; the aim is to catch the attention of the audience. One may start with a question, a startling fact, a prominent statistics. One may begin with an anecdote or story, thus, â€Å"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am reminded of a story†. One may make some personal references, expressing one’s great pleasure in being invited to speak and so on. A well planned introduction motivates and stimulates the listeners. Simultaneously it generates confidence in the speaker. The impact of an impressive introduction is as follows: It grabs the attention of the audience. It establishes rapport with the audience. It earns the trust and belief of the audience in the speaker. The preview of the main body in the introduction removes all anticipation and draws the audience to the presentation. The introduction showing the speakers personalisation of the topic generates a feel in audience about its significance. It creates the first impression of the speaker among his or her audience. A well-knit introduction creates a favourable impression resulting in a greater attention of the audience to the speakers presentation. An effective introduction effects a smooth transition of the audience to the main body of the presentation. The speaker should not start with an apology or with a se speaker doubt. The speaker may choose from the following methods in the introduction to involve the audience in his or her presentation: By relating an incident to grab the attention. By making a statement to arouse the curiosity. By presenting facts to arrest thinking. By giving statistics to startle him or her. By asking questions to make them start pondering over it. By giving a friendly look to make them feel happy and energetic. By making an intriguing or a surprising statement to frighten the audience. By quoting an eminent person to generate interest of the audience in the subject matter. By telling a story to motivate them to think its significance. By paying a compliment to the audience to flatter them to listen to the speaker. 10. How to End an Oral Presentation? The conclusion of the presentation leaves the final impression on the minds of the listeners. A well-conceived conclusion not only signals the end of the presentation bile also reinforces the central idea in the mind of the listeners. A good presentation may lose all its impact if the conclusion is loose. A strong ending leaves the audience brooding and cogitating the presentation they have just heard. The techniques to draw an ending of the presentation are : By giving verbal clues like Let me end by saying, Before I conclude, One last point, In conclusion, To sum up, To conclude, etc. By our manner of delivery decreasing the pitch of the tone to lower notes. By slowing down the articulation of words and phrases. By going back to the story or incident with which the speaker started his or her presentation. By making a summary of the presentation. By quoting an eminent personality. The presentation should not end with the expressions like I think thats all I had to say. In fact the conclusion should make it clear to the audience what they should do next. The conclusion should generate the last thought in the minds of the listeners regarding the issues taken up in the presentation. 11. Question-Answer Session The ending of an effective presentation or an oral presentation depends upon how well the audience has participated in it. For audience participation there should be separate question answer sessions duly planned. The large audience may be divided into groups and separate sessions may be arranged at the end the talk. However, all this should be done keeping in mind the time constraints. The speaker invites questions from the audience. The questions should be expected after the audience is given some time to think. The speaker, after getting the question, should first repeat it and then answer it as concisely as pool but the answer is not known to the speaker, he or she should not make a guess a invite if any of the audience to offer the answer. The speaker should give to all groups to ask questions for clarification. The efficient speaker usually remains prepared with answers to the anticipated questions on his or her talk.

Old Testament Vs. Hellenic Divine Intervention :: essays research papers

Old Testament vs. Hellenic Divine Intervention The Old Testament and Hellenic texts we have studied have numerous examples of divine intervention. The range and complexity in human affairs that these interventions occur have similar, yet different attributes. Both texts describe divine intervention as a way of explaining "why things happen(ed) and being "chosen" by God or gods to fulfill a destiny. Both also see divine intervention as something that can not be understood by humans; God or the gods have their reasons why people are "chosen" and why certain gifts, events, and catastrophes happen and we will never understand the reasoning. Differences in the texts stem from the reasons they are the same; why certain people are chosen, why events happen, etc. The range and complexity in human affairs of divine intervention as described in the Hellenic texts and the Old Testament are similar because of the interference in human affairs, yet they are different because of why certain people are chosen to fulfill a destiny. For instance, in the Old Testament, God chooses Noah and his family to be the only survivors after the flood that wipes out the earth. His destiny was to build the ark and take a pair of every living creature to help repopulate the earth after everything is wiped out. This is similar to Oedipus at Colonus, in the Hellenic texts, because the gods choose Oedipus to save the city of Colonus from his own sons. They differ because God, in the Old Testament, chooses rather blindly. He does not choose people for any reason except that is who He wanted. If He does choose, it is based on goodness or loyalty to Him. The gods of Hellenic texts, like in Oedipus at Colonus, the gods choose Oedipus because of his wisdom and his family line. The Hellenic texts choose based on prestige, family, and honor. Another example of this is the story "Joseph" in the Old Testament. Joseph was chosen to be a powerful ruler in Egypt for no reason whatsoever, just because God wanted him to be. In The Illiad, this would never happen, Achilles is chosen to defeat Hector because of his prestige, honor, and family line. Achilles is not chosen because Zeus just wanted him to. Not just anybody could have killed Hector, it had to be someone famous. In the Old Testament, divine intervention, especially in "Genesis," plays a very important part. For example, in "The Creation of the Universe," God wills everything into being. "God said, ‘Let there be light,'" (Genesis 1:5) "Then God said, ‘Let the earth produce growing things,'" (Genesis 1:11)

Letters Home From Vietnam Review Essay

The powerful emotions triggered through watching this film can be acknowledged without question. What I found the most interesting was the use of real news footage from that time period that aired on major news networks, swaying people’s opinions about our justification for being in Vietnam. Being able to view that gave me a 1st hand look into soldiers’ opinions of the war as well as protests and how they differed then. The actors reading the leaders with pure emotion and feeling in order to accurately portray how much these soldiers put into these letters was remarkable because I felt as though I was experiencing that time period as if it were real and the soldiers were scrambling to write as I watched on. The stories they depicted throughout their words definitely provided for a flurry of reactions. I wanted to be happy for those men honored for combat, living through the horrors of hell, and seeing the relief on their faces when being honorably discharged and sent home. I was equally and oppositely somber, however, for those men’s lives stolen in combat, for those permanently crippled and bitter, to hear of the unspeakable horrors awaiting prisoners of war, as well as letters from optimistic soldiers killed in action shortly after. Another thing I found effectively executed by this film was the specific numbers given. They showed the variation in the number of soldiers deployed to Vietnam over the course of the war, as well as the rising KIA numbers and wounded in combat. A gruesome part of this war as well was the thick jungle that the soldiers had to navigate through blindly until ambushed by the Vietcong, and I thought the film did an excellent job of revealing that to the public. One of the most powerful moments of the film was when a soldier, grieving over his superior officer exclaimed that â€Å"he’ll be given a silver star, and somehow that is supposed to suffice for his life being taken.†

Take a stand Essay

Energy drinks have become very popular amongst today’s youth. America’s youth has easy access to these dangerous drinks and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at this time does not regulate the amount of caffeine that is allowed into these beverages (Cool, 2011). These drinks contain high levels of caffeine and other herbs that have ill effects on ones heart, along with high sodium and sugar levels that can adversely affect ones overall health.The FDA on should regulate the allowable caffeine content in these drinks and energy drinks should be prohibited for children under the age of 18 years. The dangerous ingredients, ill side effects, and the deadly amounts of caffeine found in these drinks will be discussed in this paper. It is important that Americans become educated about the deadly drinks that are being marketed as safe, and pushed on our youth (Clair, 2013). There are similar ingredients found in all of the energy drinks on the market today.Some of these are Caffeine, Guarana, Taurine, Sugar, Genseng, and Bitter orange (Rath, 2012). Caffeine has adverse effects on the body such as nausea, heart palpitations, headaches, sleeplessness, hypokalemia, rabdomylosis and atrial and ventricular tachycardia that can both be deadly (Rath, 2012). Guarana, while not as harmful, still has many adverse effects of its own, some of which are: nervousness, tachycardia, anxiety, chest pain and cardiac dysrhthmias (Moodie, 2009). No evidence at this point has shown Taurine to have any adverse effects on one’s health.The high sugar content promotes obesity, diabetes and cavities. Ginseng has effects such as hypertension, tachycardia, heart palpitations, insomnia, vaginal bleeding and breast tenderness (Rath, 2012). Bitter orange has been linked to heart attacks, strokes, seizures, disrythmias, and migraine headaches. Almost every ingredient found in these drinks can have deadly side effects. Of the above mentioned ingredients, five of the six have s imilar effects on the body. All of these combined into one drink makes a deadly combination especially when used in excess.There are other side effects that can be caused from energy drinks aside from the deadly cardiac effects that these drinks cause. Because caffeine is a stimulant and the other ingredients with the same effects on the body, these drinks cause high blood pressure, elevated heart rates, liver damage, and even death, just to name a few (Cool, 2011). There has also been a link to women experiencing late miscarriages as well as stillbirth and drinking energy drinks (Claire, 2013). Drinking energy drinks can also give a person a false sense of sobriety when mixed with alcohol.This could lead to a person driving more intoxicated than they feel that they are, thus; increasing risk for alcohol related crashes (Moodie, 2009). Caffeine is a stimulant that is found in many products that we consume daily. In small amounts it can be safe and works as an energy booster in some cases. â€Å"Caffeine found in energy drinks can range from 80 to 300mg in an 8 ounce serving† (Rath, 2012, p. 72). The main problem with this is that most energy drinks are sold in cans sizes that range from 16 to 24 ounces.This doubles or triples the amount of caffeine a person is consuming. The FDA limits the amounts of caffeine that soda companies are allowed to put into soda beverages to 71mg per 12 ounces (Cool, 2011). The same is not true for energy drinks, there is no limit placed on the amount of caffeine that companies such as Red Bull or Monster can place in their energy drinks. Teenagers and children are ingesting unsafe levels of caffeine mixed with other dangerous ingredients and the FDA has turned a blind eye to this growing problem, in turn; putting our youth at risk for death.Adults must wake up and realize that there is a poison in soda machines and grocery stores across America, and our children have easy access to it. Caffeine is an addictive drug that has been made readily available to our children in alarming amounts. The FDA must regulate the amount of caffeine and other dangerous ingredients allowed or ban the selling of these drinks to minors, in order to prevent ill health effects to our children. The public needs to be educated on the deadly side effects that these drinks cause and demand action by the FDA.