Neoclassical Art Versus Romanticism Art - 1164 Words

The Neoclassical era was known as â€Å"The Age of Reason† or â€Å"The Enlightenment†. This era started in the mid 1700’s. The neoclassical era was part of the Greek and Roman history. The neoclassical era started as a reaction to the former Rococo period. The Rococo art was whimsical and playful. . The artwork of the neoclassical era was morally uplifting and inspirational. The artwork depicted the seriousness of the time, order, reason, tradition, society, intellect and political events. Neoclassical artists wanted a return to traditionalism and to the perceived purity of the arts of Rome. Neoclassical artists felt this would help the people to return to knowledge and a perfect controlled time. Philosophers of the neoclassical era believed that†¦show more content†¦There are many more differences then similarities between the neoclassical and romanticism eras. The similarity is that both art eras utilized lingering elements of the baroque era. The neoclassical era gleaned from the baroque era attention to details in the different paintings. The romanticism era gleaned from the baroque era the emotional feelings that are displayed in the different paintin gs. The differences between neoclassical and romanticism began with how the painter decides to paint the picture. Neoclassical artist paint more of reality while romanticism artist paint more emotional and what they are feeling at that time. The neoclassical artist use organization, morally uplifting, inspirational, calm, rational, and solemnity in their paintings. The romanticism artist use dramatic, carefree, spontaneous, non-conformist, emotional, and imagination in their paintings. The paintings are different in many ways. The neoclassical era uses no colour, no trace of brushstrokes, and stressed drawing with lines. The romanticism era uses rich colour, visible brushstrokes, and unrestrained lines. The neoclassical era was during the mid 1700’s and was focused in Greek and Roman. The romanticism era was during the late 18th century to the mid 19th century and was focused in Europe and America. The neoclassical era was more about content, group settings, and logic. The ro manticism era was more about form, individual, and emotion. It is very important that theShow MoreRelatedRomanticism Visual Art922 Words   |  4 PagesRomanticism was an art movement that developed in the late eighteenth century and lasted for about one hundred years. Romanticism is a rejection of the traditional values of reason, order, and objectivity that characterized Classicism and Enlightenment, in particular Neoclassicism. For the romantic artist, Neoclassical principles hindered the artist’s vision and creativity. Rather, the romantic artist emphasized and valued intuition, juxtaposing emotions, and imagination. Generally, Britain and GermanyRead MoreThe Evolution Of Ballet And The Human Body2010 Words   |  9 Pagesexample of the human body portraying the soul is through the art of ballet. From the Cambridge Dictionary Online, ballet can be defined as â€Å"a type of dancing in which controlled movements of the body are designed to express the beauty of physical motion, often while telling a story, or a piece of music for such dancing.† With ballet’s long history, it has shifted through various eras of time, including Ballet de Cour, Opera Ballet, Romanticism, Classical, Russian Imperialism, and the current modern eraRead More1 WatteausReturn from Cytheradepicts a For1331 Words   |  13 PagesCorrect: 1 point 14) The art of the Enlightenment features subject matter in which of the following areas? For 1 Point Your Answer: C) science and technology and moral issues Correct: 1 point 15) Joseph Wright of Derby employed ________ in  Philosopher Giving a Lecture at the Orrery. For 1 Point Enlarge Image Your Answer: B) tenebrism Correct: 1 point 1) The first French Revolution began in what year? For 1 Point Your Answer: C) 1789 Correct: 1 point 2) Neoclassical art favored classical andRead MoreIwc1 Literature, Arts and Humanities Essay10028 Words   |  41 Pageseffect to cause). Question 5: Multiple Choice Why is architecture considered an art? a) Because architecture provides shelter to humans b) Because architecture is often decorated with art forms c) Because architects use perspective in their work d) Because architecture is concerned with the aesthetic effect of structures in their environment Feedback: The correct answer is d. Architecture is considered an art because it is concerned with the aesthetic effect of structures in their surrounding

A Woman Is Blessed With Many Abilities - 1156 Words

As a woman is blessed with many abilities. The ability to have children, to love, to be openly strong. Within the antebellum period, black people, particularly black women’s’ lives were positioned in the hands of their slave holders. Black women in their case tendered the most hardships compared to their male counterparts. They mourned the most on loss. The loss of self-pride, holding on and protecting their families, dignity and most of all their humanity. In the times of the antebellum South, black slave women in the eyes of their slave masters were perceived as animals. Animals who do not have the right in the world to love and protect their children and themselves within the matters of self-choice, unless they wanted to die by the†¦show more content†¦Although she did not quite understand why she was so tightly watched over, she knew that being a slave was not a fortunate position to be in. Her parents (particularly her father) tried to hard to win her and her brother’s freedom. So that they both especially Harriet would not face in her future what other slave girls would succumb to when they became of age. Then once she reached the age of adolescence, she received harsh treatment from her new mistress and master. In her autobiography her slave holder is named Dr. Flint. She describes him in the story as somewhat cruel character. While working as a nurse for the mistress, Harriet explains that, â€Å"†¦entered on my fifteenth year†¦my master began to whisper foul words in my ear† (Jacobs 44). Harriet describes the beginnings of suffering verbal assault by Dr. Flint. She reveals the intentions of Dr. Flint through her reaction toward his verbal assault. The statement alone created the uncomfortable ambiance toward the antagonist. Harriet’s description provided a representation of Dr. Flint trying to take advantage of her for she was at the age of bearing children. Thus created more profit for Dr. Flint leaving Harriet stranded in her sorrows. Harriet had a different plan in mind. She was on a mission toward becoming a free woman. In her case, it was going to come with a price. As Dr. Flint continued to pursue Harriet, she performed an act that had not been done before. When Dr.

Maddalena Speaks monologue from the play by Neith Boyce Essay Example For Students

Maddalena Speaks monologue from the play by Neith Boyce Essay A monologue from the play by Neith Boyce NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from Forum: Volume 51. New York: Mitchell Kennerley, 1914. MADDALENA: Listen, Signora! I am speaking, I, Maddalena, the poor slave, the dirt beneath your feet. You bought me. A hundred lire a month, and Carme, my husband, working hard every day, cannot earn half as much! A hundred lire a month, for my milk to feed your child! Bought like a beast! A hundred lire a month, a fortune for poor people like us how thankful we should be! Yes, and presents, and fine clothes. Look at the linen I am wearing, look at my dress, look at my lace and my long ribbons that touch the ground! Could I ever have worn such things if I had not been bought? Could I have a soft bed to sleep in, could I have good food to eat, could I walk in a garden like yours, could I live in a palace like yours? Never! I am so fortunate! And I gain a hundred lire a month for my husband and he made me come. He sold me. Do you think I would not have run away long ago, if I had dared? Do you think I would not have begged my way, walked on my two feet, all the way back to Naples? But I dared not. Carme would be angry. He had sold me. And my baby! Yes, I am a mother, too, like you, Signora! But not like you, for I would never have given my baby to be nursed by a stranger woman, I would have kept him close, close and safe, on my own breast. But I was forced. I had to give him up, my little baby, my little Beppino, I had to give him to a neighbor to care for, and who knows how she cares for him? For we are poor people, Signora, we cannot buy flesh and blood for our children, like you. My baby, my first, my only one! So beautiful and strong he was, his little head with thick black hair, his little body, so brown and strong! How he pulled at my breast! Not like your puny baby, Signora, that could not take half my milk and left me aching! Oh, and my heart, my heart ached, day and night, for my baby and Carme. Carme my husband who knows? He is handsome, and he is young, and the women, the other women. There is a girl there who would have taken him from me if she could but he love d me but who knows if he loves me yet? We were married only a year who knows if he is faithful? I am here, far away, far away, and I cannot know.

Whether we are opera singers or shower-wailers, ba Essays - Music

Whether we are opera singers or shower-wailers, ballet dancers or awkward shufflers, we all understand how music makes us feel, and more importantly, makes us move. Moving to music is so much a part of the human experience that it seems innate to us as a species. A recent study supports this, showing that fetuses react to music with increased motion, and in some cases, open their mouths as if to sing. Once out of the womb, this response only grows: a catchy tune makes hips swing and toes tap, and in certain situations, heads bang. The music that moves us is itself a product of movement. As a musician who is a tactile learner, I'm keenly aware of the way a piece feels as I play it. Despite years of piano teachers telling me to read the page in front of me while I play, my eyes habitually wander to my hands, where the music is really happening. This gap between reading and performing music keeps me from fully expressing my musical ideas. As a way to bridge this divide, I am trying to create a simple instrument that translates movement directly into music, using motion to capture melodic ideas and expressions. I got this idea while watching a lively orchestra conductor, who sometimes overshadowed the players so much that he seemed to be dancing alone, pulling notes through the air with his baton. Enchanted by how effortlessly he stirred the ocean of sound around him, I caught myself swishing my hands back and forth to the beat. As I lifted my arm to match the swelling tempo, I wondered: what if we could turn all kinds of movement into melodies? It occurred to me that I could apply my skills in computer science and digital media to create a movement-to music application. To a computer everything is math, including music and movement. Every note and motion can be tracked, stored, and broken down into a set of variables, based on information from an outside source, such as a computer mouse or touchpad. I am currently taking advantage of this relationship by creating a web-based application that synthesizes music based on interactions with the cursor. The program, once completed, will play notes as the mouse is pressed, with unique pitch and tone determined by the position and motion of the pointer. Eventually, I'd like to take this concept further using more sophisticated technology. I plan to take data from a motion sensor or camera and convert it directly into sound, using a simple device that tracks movement and translates its vertical position into musical pitch, its horizontal position into musical dynamics (soft to loud), and its speed into musical tone. Imagine being able to move your hand to generate a pitch that changes with the direction of movement, producing a musical phrase. Sophisticated users would be able to control relationships between variables to suit their needs; for example, they could link various components of movement (such as direction or speed in all three dimensions) to a wide range of musical characteristics, including, but not limited to, timbre,harmonics, and distortion. Ultimately, artists could use my instrument to make music from anything that moves: dancers onstage, migrating birds, traffic at a busy intersection. It would not only close the gap between the conception and realization of music, but it could open new creative pathways that combine music and motion. As for me, I look forward to performing on an empty stage, directing an invisible orchestra with the flick of my wrist.

Smart Cities Essays - Ministry Of Urban Development, Free Essays

Smart Cities Essays - Ministry Of Urban Development, Free Essays Ministry of Urban Development Government of India June 2015 Smart Cities Mission Statement & Guidelines Government of India Ministry of Urban Development (June, 2015) Contents 1. The Challenge of Urbanization 5 2. What is a smart city 5 3. Smart City Features 7 4. Coverage and Duration 7 5. Strategy 8 6. Proposal Preparation 9 7. Smart Cities Selection Process 10 8. How Many Smart Cities in Each State/UT? 11 9. The Process of Selection of Smart Cities 11 10. Implementation by Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) 12 11. Financing of Smart Cities 13 12. Funds Release 14 13. Mission Monitoring 15 14. Convergence with Other Government Schemes 17 15. Challenges 18 Annexures Annexure 1: Scope of work for the Smart City Consulting Firm 21 Annexure 2: Number of cities allocated to States based on urban population and number of statutory towns 23 Annexure 3: Challenge Stage 1: Preconditions and Documents to be submitted by each State 25 Annexure 4: Challenge Stage 2: Criteria and Indicative Table of Contents 33 Annexure 5: Structure and Functions of SPV 37 Annexure 6: Utilization Certificate Format 41 Annexure 7: Score Card for Smart Cities 42 5 Smart Cities Mission 1. The Challenge of Urbanization 1.1 Cities are engines of growth for the economy of every nation, including India. Nearly 31% of Indias current population lives in urban areas and contributes 63% of Indias GDP (Census 2011). With increasing urbanization, urban areas are expected to house 40% of Indias population and contribute 75% of Indias GDP by 2030. This requires comprehensive development of physical, institutional, social and economic infrastructure. All are important in improving the quality of life and attracting people and investments to the City, setting in motion a virtuous cycle of growth and development. Development of Smart Cities is a step in that direction. 2. What is a smart city 2.1 The first question is what is meant by a smart city. The answer is, there is no universally accepted definition of a Smart City. It means different things to different people. The conceptualisation of Smart City, therefore, varies from city to city and country to country, depending on the level of development, willingness to change and reform, resources and aspirations of the city residents. A Smart City would have a different connotation in India than, say, Europe. Even in India, there is no one way of defining a Smart City. 2.2 Some definitional boundaries are required to guide cities in the Mission. In the imagination of any city dweller in India, the picture of a Smart City contains a wish list of infrastructure and services that describes his or her level of aspiration. To provide for the aspirations and needs of the citizens, urban planners ideally aim at developing the entire urban eco-system, which is represented by the four pillars of comprehensive development institutional, physical, social and economic infrastructure. This can be a long term goal and cities can work towards developing such comprehensive infrastructure incrementally, adding on layers of smartness. 2.3 In the approach to the Smart Cities Mission, the objective is to promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of Smart Solutions. The focus is on sustainable and inclusive development and the idea is to look at compact areas, create a replicable model which will act like a light house to other aspiring cities. The Smart Cities Mission of the Government is a bold, new initiative. It is meant to set examples that can be replicated both within and outside the Smart City, catalysing the creation of similar Smart Cities in various regions and parts of the country. 2.4 The core infrastructure elements in a Smart City would include: i. adequate water supply, ii. assured electricity supply, iii. sanitation, including solid waste management, 6 iv. efficient urban mobility and public transport, v. affordable housing, especially for the poor, vi. robust IT connectivity and digitalization, vii. good governance, especially e-Governance and citizen participation, viii. sustainable environment, ix. safety and security of citizens, particularly women, children and the elderly, and x. health and education. 2.5 As far as Smart Solutions are concerned, an illustrative list is given below. This is not, however, an exhaustive list, and cities are free to add more applications. 2.6 Accordingly, the purpose of the Smart Cities Mission is to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people by enabling local area development and harnessing technology, especially technology that leads to Smart outcomes. Area-based development will transform existing areas (retrofit and redevelop), including slums, into better planned ones, thereby improving liveability of the whole City. New areas (greenfield) will be developed

Showing Dialect in Dialogue

Showing Dialect in Dialogue Showing Dialect in Dialogue Showing Dialect in Dialogue By Maeve Maddox A reader asks how a writer wishing to create â€Å"a redneck swagger† would rewrite the â€Å"regular English† sentence â€Å"You’re surprising to me.† He offers the following options: â€Å"Y’a surprisin’ t’a me.† â€Å"Y’ah surprisin’ t’ah me.† â€Å"Ya surprisin ta me.† â€Å"Yah surprisin tah me.† Note: You can find my thoughts on the use of the term redneck here: Better Use â€Å"Redneck† With Care. My reaction to the model dialogue is that a â€Å"redneck† is not likely to utter the original sentence, with or without apostrophes. A native English speaker of any dialect would be more likely to say, â€Å"You surprise me.† But the point of the question has to do with the use of apostrophes and contractionsand presumably funny spellingsto represent dialect in fictional dialogue. Fashions in writing change. Representing dropped letters with apostrophes was a common device with 19th century authors. Well, then, Master Marner, it come to me summat like this: I can make nothing o the drawing o lots and the answer coming wrong; it ud mayhap take the parson to tell that, and he could only tell us i big words. George Eliot, Silas Marner. â€Å"I got hurt a little, en couldn’t swim fas’, so I wuz a considable ways behine you, towards de las’; when you landed I reck’ned I could ketch up wid you on de lan’ ‘doubt havin’ to shout at you, but when I see dat house I begin to go slow.† Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn. Modern readers have little patience with this kind of writing. For one thing, multiple apostrophes and odd spellings are visually distracting. For another, such detailed attention to pronunciation in a novel distracts from the thought that the character is expressing, thereby interfering with an understanding of the narrative. In addition, some readers who speak nonstandard dialects find attempts to represent their home dialectseven if they are successful renditionsdisrespectful. Sprinkling dialogue with odd spellings is especially pointless when the misspelling conveys the same pronunciation as the standard spelling. For example, sez for says, and shure for sure. The consensus among today’s writing coaches is that dialect is best expressed with vocabulary, grammar, and easily understood regional expressions, rather than with apostrophes and made-up spellings. For example, the following bit of dialogue conveys rural speech without recourse to dropped letters or misspellings: That woman runs around with anything in pants. Can’t figure out how her and him got together in the first place. Good Lord knows he’s boring as a fence post.† –Nancy Hartney, Washed in the Water. Words like drawl and whine, and expressions like â€Å"a clipped Northern accent† can also be used to suggest a specific way of speaking. In writing dialogue, let the words do the work. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Apply to, Apply for, and Apply withDoes "Mr" Take a Period?9 Forms of the Past Tense

International business(fail in emerging economies) Essay - 1

International business(fail in emerging economies) - Essay Example This is because globalization of markets, as Czinkota, et al (2010) says, has also led to the globalization of business risk. There can be a myriad of reasons for these divestments but there has not been any detailed research to investigate the underlying factors that affect the divestment. The most generic definitions of divestment is a situation where a business willingly sells off some of its assets as a result of a discontinuation of part of it operations (Nees, 1978). Divestments can therefore happen locally or in a situation where a firm requires divesting from a one of its overseas branch (Davis, 1974, p. 16). There are some generic reasons why a firm may opt to divest. These include raising funds, need to focus on core business, specialization, asset consolidation and cleansing (removing dysfunctional parts of the firm) etc (Hamilton & Chow, 1993, p.479). The current trend to divest from international markets may indicate that none of these may be involved and therefore there is a need to investigate the real dynamics behind multinational divestments from emerging markets. Wal-Mart is one of the oldest and most successful retail chains in the US. The firm runs hundreds of stores in America and across a number of other countries across the world (Wall Mart, 2013). Wal-Mart was one of the first retail chains to use information technology to help in meeting customers’ needs and also in increasing efficiency. To achieve this, the firm uses high end computer servers and system that make data sharing easy and efficient. The firm is able to have a real time data sharing using a wide area network that connects all its stores. With this kind of sharing of data the firm is able to increase efficiency and therefore make customer service better (Wall Mart, 2013). For instance, data collected at the point of sale units in every Wal-Mart satire is sent to a computer in real time. This data is used in managing inventory and also in helping

Governance in the Caribbean Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Governance in the Caribbean - Research Paper Example In political dimension, the Caribbean is defined by such countries as the republic of Guyana, Suriname and the Belize. In understanding the region of Caribbean, this paper intends to analyze the governance systems that are exercised within the region with special attention to the role that the legislative and or civil societies play in improving the governance practices within the region. Democracies have taken a central role in the modern day government systems across the globe. The provisions of democracy as a school of thought within the political government dictate the government that is instituted to cater for the people by the people. This has therefore given rise to active participation in governance structures and practices by civil societies and collaboration of these groups and the legislature of the democratic countries. Therefore the focus of this paper will be on understanding how the legislature and the civil institutions get involved in government processes within this region. The civil societies and institutions have come up to be very influential in matters of leadership and governances across the globe.1 In the Caribbean region, the governments have not failed to recognize the strategic role played by the legislature as well as the civil society institutions. For instance, the Caribbean region countries together with other sovereign countries found within Africa and North America have sought ways to have the civil society organizations included in policy deliberations.2 Corporate governance has gained special attention in the government systems across the globe in the recent past. It has been studied with special attention, as it is perceived to be an integral constituent in developing the appropriate infrastructure necessary for the realization of transparent as well as sound money as well as capital markets. The sound governance in the institutions defines the levels of investor confidence created within these countries as well as determinin g the levels of liquidity within the markets. 3 Nevertheless, some regions such as areas within the Caribbean region organized markets have been and continue to be nascent with weak corporate control, which necessitates deliberate efforts to realize governance structures, which are credible. The government corporate has suffered great losses through corrupt activities, under competent directors as well as other negligent corporate scandals. The civil societies have therefore come up strategic in addressing these underperformances with the objective of restoring sanity to government institutions, which are responsible in corporate management. Poor governance structures as instituted by the current constitutions governing many of the Caribbean states have led to observable conflicts between the public as represented by the civil groups and the government represented by the military and the political class. Powerful political executives as well as authoritarian rule characterize the go vernance frameworks within many of the Caribbean countries such as Jamaica. This has been evidenced by one party dominance and control in parliaments within the Caribbean region. Ratings by the Transparency international on corruption indices within many of the countries within this region has been low and the general perception by majority of the electorate within the

Mary Magdalene Essay Example for Free

Mary Magdalene Essay Do you know who i am? are you not attracted to my beauty? Many lovers have come and gone through my life. but a lot of people hate me. They say i am an adulterous woman. They say i have seven demons in my body. I hate this kind of life, you know. Nobody really loves me, and the burden of my sin is heavy upon me. I am Mary of Magdala. Just call me Mary Magdalene. I am in search of true love and acceptance. But who will ever love a sinner such as I? (walks sideways and to the center of the stage) Jesus I heard that a certain jesus has come to our town. He was healing the sick ones, and calling the sinners to repentance. Who is this man that He would even proclaim forgiveness for the sins of many? I must see Jesus! He must have answers to my questions! One day, a Pharisee named Simon hosted a feast and Jesus was one of the invited guests. I will not miss the chance to meet Jesus. I will prepare myself for the feast. (Mary removes the beads on her head, wears a veil and got ready with an alabaster flask of perfume) With this alabaster flask of perfume, I will annoint Jesus feet. (Many tries to see from afar the crowd at Simons place) Oh! There is a big crowd in Simons house. How could I possibly get inside? Oh, Ill wait until Jesus enters. By then, the crowd at the gate wil be ushered in. There is Jesus sitting near the host Simon. I tried to inch my way through the crowd until I finally knelt down at His feet. I wasted no time to pour the ointment on His feet and I wipe His feet with my hair. Then with a gentle voice he said to me, Woman, your sins are forgiven, your faith has saved you, go in peace. My heart rejoiced as I went away. The burden of my sins rolled away. Now Im free to obey Him. The next time I saw Jesus, He was haning on the cross, crucified between two thieves. My heart was crushed with grief. Who has done this crime? Who killed my Jesus? Can anybody tell me? Who killed Jesus? Was it the Hebrew children? A while ago, they were shouting: Crucify Hiim, (pause), crucify Him, crucify Him! Was it Pontius Pilate? he was the Governor who gave permission for His crucifixion. Was it the Roman soldiers? Torture of criminals is part of their profession. But Jesus wasnt a criminal! He was a sinless man. Who killed Jesus? Now its plain to see. It was really me! My sins! He died for my sins! Jesus, thank You for forgiving me at such a great price.

The Turn of the Screw Essay -- Literary Analysis, Henry James

Superficially, Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw seems to reinforce the status quo of American literature as male, whereby men are viewed as having power over women leaving women to become mere objects. James creates a nameless female protagonist whose story is told through the guise of a male narrator. She becomes an object viewed by Douglas’s audience and is used simply as means for the master on Harley Street to avoid being bothered by his charges. She is then set up as naà ¯ve and love-struck, willing to do just about anything, including risking her own sanity, for the sake of keeping the master undisturbed. However, on closer examination, James actually creates a novella that subverts the traditional idea of men having power over women as it is the governess who has the final word in her story, not the male Douglas, and it is the male heir Miles who becomes the scapegoat leaving the governess free, â€Å"awfully clever and nice† (James 24). James’s unfinished frame tale creates frustration and confusion but his experiment with form also draws attention to what has largely been left unconscious. Through Douglas’s initial telling of the governess’s story she is reduced to a nameless object that they all raptly listen about rather than listen to. While at the start, Douglas does have power over the governess’s story, in the end it is the governess who has the final word and Douglas, who disappears after only the first seven pages, is never to be heard from again. James relinquishes power to the governess and allows her to participate as there is no need to return to the male voice once she takes over. Furthermore, as the governess does remain nameless throughout her own narrative this hardly is a power issues as both the master on... ...til finally â€Å"the air was clear† (116-117). In this way the governess is able to reverse the roles of passive/female and active/male as she denies Quint the power of his gaze and instead forces him to be the object of her gaze. Through his distortion of traditional male dominated structures and ideas, James is able to not only draw attention to the inequality of men’s power over women but he also uses the same devices to subvert this binary opposition. Through a distortion of the assumed patriarchal order the governess is able to adopt male characteristics in order to wrest back some of the power initially taken from her. Whether consciously or unconsciously James’s unfinished frame, disturbing death of Miles, and the disappearance of Quint’s ghost all point to a hidden power within the governess allowing her to survive long after her weaker male counterparts.

Sexuality of Men and Women: A Comparison

The perceived views of men s and women s sexuality have been the subject of great speculation and conflict. Although great strides have been made over the years in the sexual â€Å"revolution†, the basic views of male and female sexuality have remained the same. Throughout history the ideas of proper sexuality for men and women have changed little. Men have always been portrayed as the aggressive pursuer of a woman’s sexual favors. Women, in turn, have been required by society to diligently preserve their honor outside of the marital bed. Andrew Marvell’s â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† offers a good example of the game-like behavior that has become almost expected of a man and woman in society. The narrator beseeches his Lady to â€Å"sport us while we may like amorous birds of prey†. The Lady on the other hand, flirts casually and spurns the narrator’s advances. Women are praised highly for their virtue and honor in keeping their virginity for the institution of marriage. Even though it is perfectly acceptable for a man to attempt for and even acquire the sexual favors of a woman it is a social sin and in some areas a crime for a woman to succumb to her sexual desires outside of marriage. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"The Scarlet Letter†, Hester Prynne is ostracized by her community for having an extra-marital affair. Her punishment condemns her for her adultery and assures her a lifetime of humiliation. Many societies have gone through great lengths over the centuries to ensure fidelity or virginity in women. In the Middle Ages, women were often forced to wear chastity belts to ensure their virtue was kept intact while men were away at war or some other manly undertaking. In some countries, women are forced to cover every inch of their bodies in an effort to avoid the advances of other men. The narrator in Amy Lowells Patterns speaks of her passion that wars against the stiff brocade of her dress, the very heavy and unrevealing style of the era in which the poem is set. She laments the death of her betrothed as they were to be wed in a month and, as she felt bound by the dress, he was to have freed her from it. This poem also illustrates how the narrator, as many women in the past, did not consider it proper to succumb to her passions before marriage. Men on the other hand have often been revered for their sexual prowess. Kings often kept concubines, or mistresses. In some countries, it is acceptable for a man to have many wives. Sexual conquest has become almost a gauge by which manhood is tested. Men are often bombarded by peer pressure to become sexually active at an early age. Seen as a rite of passage by many men, they begin their pursuit of women before they are even capable of reproduction. In Stevie Smith s The Frog Prince, the narrator speaks of his being happy the way he is but he feels that it is required of him to have a girl. Changing times have allowed people to become a little more open in expressing their sexuality. However, more often than not, most men and women tend to conform themselves to expectations that remain the same even in today s society.

Mediating Morality Essay

This case has lots of different goals by each person and different feelings about what needs to be done. Syl priority is to get the project completed while Daniel is more focused on his belief that he is being discriminated against. Robert also wants to get the project completed but does not want to work with Daniel the same way his was before he discovered Daniel is in a homo-sexual relationship. Syl did a good thing having separate conversations with both Daniel and Robert on a way to still complete the project but when she brought them together to discuss how they would precede it fell apart. I believe when things became heated she should have ended the meeting. Allowing the guys to argue back and forth created more tension in the situation. I also believe that she should have been more commanding of here statements and not allow Robert to spread his bias to other employees. Daniel is worried about Robert spreading rumors and dislike for him to other employees. This is especially true because Robert is bringing two other employees into the project to replace Daniel because of he doesn’t like Daniel’s lifestyle. I also agree with Syl about Daniel not having a discrimination lawsuit because this situation is not hurting Daniel’s work life unless they do not complete the project. He may become uncomfortable with certain co-workers because of them listening to Robert but his work position and being able to advance it will not be affected. Robert’s priority is to also complete the project but he does not want to complete it with Daniel. He believes moral standards should be upheld in the workplace and this is important. The only thing I have against this is that this company already has a benefits process in place for same sex spouses. Knowing the company has this if Robert does not believe in same sex marriage and does not want to be around it he should consider finding a new job. This is a hard case to digest and deal with but well placed mediation and goal setting can help the process. Robert should consider a new job or counseling to help deal with his dislike of same sex marriage. Daniel should not let this affect his priorities of completing the project.

Understanding Social Exchange Theory

Understanding Social Exchange Theory Social exchange theory is a model for interpreting society as a series of interactions between people that are based on estimates of rewards and punishments. According to this view, our interactions are determined by the rewards or punishments that we expect to receive from others, which we evaluate using a  cost-benefit analysis  model (whether consciously or subconsciously). Overview Central to the social exchange theory is the idea that an interaction that elicits approval from another person is more likely to be repeated than an interaction that elicits disapproval. We can thus predict whether a particular interaction will be repeated by calculating the degree of reward (approval) or punishment (disapproval) resulting from the interaction. If the reward for an interaction exceeds the punishment, then the interaction is likely to occur or continue. According to this theory, the formula for predicting the behavior of any individual in any situation is: Behavior (profits) Rewards of interaction – costs of interaction. Rewards can come in many forms: social recognition, money, gifts, and even subtle everyday gestures like a smile, nod, or pat on the back. Punishments also come in many forms, from extremes like public humiliation, beating, or execution, to subtle gestures like a raised eyebrow or a frown. While social exchange theory is found in economics and psychology, it was first developed by the sociologist George Homans, who wrote about it in an essay titled Social Behavior as Exchange. Later, sociologists Peter Blau and Richard Emerson further developed the theory. Example A simple example of social exchange theory can be seen in the interaction of asking someone out on a date. If the person says yes, you have gained a reward and are likely to repeat the interaction by asking that person out again, or by asking someone else out. On the other hand, if you ask someone out on a date and they reply, â€Å"No way!† then you have received a punishment that will probably cause you to shy away from repeating this type of interaction with the same person in the future. Basic Assumptions of Social Exchange Theory People who are involved in the interaction are rationally seeking to maximize their profits.Most gratification among humans comes from others.People have access to information about social, economic, and psychological aspects of their interactions that allow them to consider the alternative, more profitable situations relative to their present situation.People are goal oriented in a freely competitive system.The exchange operates within cultural norms.Social credit is preferred over social indebtedness.The more deprived the individual feels in terms of an act, the more the person will assign a value to it.People are rational and calculate the best possible means to compete in rewarding situations. The same is true of punishment avoidance situations. Critiques Many critique this theory for presuming that people always make rational decisions, and point out that this theoretical model fails to capture the power that emotions play in our daily lives and in our interactions with others. This theory also undercuts the power of social structures and forces, which unconsciously shape our perception of the world and our experiences within it, and play a strong role in shaping our interactions with others.

Island of Stability - Discovering Superheavy Elements

Island of Stability - Discovering Superheavy Elements The island of stability is that wondrous place where heavy isotopes of elements stick around long enough to be studied and used. The island is located within a sea of radioisotopes that decay into daughter nuclei so quickly its difficult for scientists to prove the element existed, much less use the isotope for a practical application. Key Takeaways: Island of Stability The island of stability refers to a region of the periodic table consisting of super-heavy radioactive elements that have at least one isotope with a relatively long half-life.The nuclear shell model is used to predict the location of the islands, based on maximizing the binding energy between protons and neutrons.Isotopes on the island are believed to have magic numbers of protons and neutrons that allow them to maintain some stability.Element 126, should it ever be produced, is believed to have an isotope with a long enough half-life that it can be studied and potentially used. History of the Island Glenn T. Seaborg coined the phrase island of stability in the late 1960s. Using the nuclear shell model, he proposed filling the energy levels of a given shell with the optimal number of protons and neutrons would maximize binding energy per nucleon, permitting that particular isotope to have a longer half-life than other isotopes, which did not have filled shells. Isotopes that fill nuclear shells possess what are called magic numbers of protons and neutrons. Finding the Island of Stability The location of the island of stability is predicted based on known isotope half-lives and predicted half-lives for elements that have not been observed, based on calculations relying on the elements behaving like those above them on the periodic table (congeners) and obeying equations that account for relativistic effects. The proof that the island of stability concept is sound came when physicists were synthesizing element 117. Although the isotope of 117 decayed very quickly, one of the products of its decay chain was an isotope of lawrencium that had never been observed before. This isotope, lawrencium-266, displayed a half-life of 11 hours, which is extraordinarily long for an atom of such a heavy element. Previously known isotopes of lawrencium had fewer neutrons and were much less stable. Lawrencium-266 has 103 protons and 163 neutrons, hinting at as-yet-undiscovered magic numbers that may be used to form new elements. Which configurations might possess magic numbers? The answer depends who you ask, because its a matter of calculation and theres not standard set of equations. Some scientists suggest there might be an island of stability around 108, 110, or 114 protons and 184 neutrons. Others suggest a spherical nucleus with 184 neutrons, but 114, 120, or 126 protons might work best. Unbihexium-310 (element 126) is doubly magic because its proton number (126) and neutron number (184) are both magic number. However you roll the magic dice, data obtained from the synthesis of elements 116, 117, and 118 point toward increasing half-life as the neutron number approached 184. Some researchers believe the best island of stability might exists at much larger atomic numbers, like around element number 164 (164 protons). Theorists are investigating the region where Z 106 to 108 and N is around 160-164, which appears sufficiently stable with respect to beta decay and fission. Making New Elements from the Island of Stability Although scientists might be able to form new stable isotopes of known elements, we dont have the technology to go much past 120 (work which is currently underway). Its likely a new particle accelerator will need to be constructed that would be capable of focusing onto a target with greater energy. Well also need to learn to make larger amounts of known heavy nuclides to serve as targets for making these new elements. New Atomic Nucleus Shapes The usual atomic nucleus resembles a solid ball of protons and neutrons, but atoms of elements on the island of stability may take new shapes. One possibility would be a bubble-shaped or hollow nucleus, with the protons and neutrons forming a sort of shell. Its hard to even imagine how such a configuration might affect the properties of the isotope. One thing is certain, though... there are new elements yet to be discovered, so the periodic table of the future will look very different from the one we use today.

Animal Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Animal Behavior - Essay Example In what ways were chimpanzees superior to humans Goodall observed (p. 232) that unlike humans, a chimpanzee is not inhibited by any fear of making a fool of him/herself. What this means is that chimpanzees may not exhibit in their adulthood the effects of any traumatic experiences in their childhood. They instinctively learn from their experience and move on is what she seemed to imply, although such a conclusion may be doubtful scientifically because it was not possible at the time of her observation to have any properly documented childhood histories of the adult chimpanzees she observed. And, of course, what we may consider foolish behavior may be for a chimpanzee just an ordinary show of animal happiness. At the least, we can admit that chimpanzees are superior in a way because they do not go around rampaging in the forest just because they were bullied by others of their kind, as Goodall observed. Goodall also made some observations where humans were "better" than chimpanzees, and this is in caring for their young (p. 185). Unlike humans where the male of the species get involved (emotionally and physically) from pregnancy to adulthood, male chimpanzees do not do so, leaving the task and troubles of pregnancy, birth, and child-rearing to the female. This form of behavior Goodall marks as one of the main differences between human and chimpanzee societies. This leads us to ask whether this difference has something to do with the malaise in human society today, and whether leaving child-rearing to human mothers would be better. There were other instances when Goodall found chimpanzees in a league of their own and incomparable to humans, such as in the way they trust the others, especially humans, or in the tolerant and kind behavior they show towards their young (p. 74; p. 178). They do not turn traitor, friendly one moment and then aggressive the next, or harm others for no reason. This did not mean that chimpanzees do not express aggressive behavior when threatened, but once they accept someone as their own, everyone is expected to follow the established social order or get out of the group (perhaps, start a new one). In a sense, these chimpanzees were exhibiting animal behavior but devoid of the evil and bad intentions that abound among humans. Personally, Goodall's account shows the many similarities and differences between humans and chimpanzees, and leads me to question the advantages and disadvantages of rational behavior, or whether chimpanzees can teach us lessons that would help us make this world a better place. Looking at the world as it is now, I disagree with Goodall's observation (p. 34) that we accept the chimpanzee as Man, because I think it would be an insult to the chimpanzee. Perhaps later, when we humans learn to use our "superior" mental and spiritual capacities to do what is good and to avoid evil, it would be an honor for us to be accepted by the chimpanzees as their biological and genomic kin. The Truth about Dogs Budiansky (2001) presented a genomic dimension of man's best friend, a "gene's eye" view to show how dogs evolved from their

Impact of Plants, Disease from the Old World to the New Essay

Impact of Plants, Disease from the Old World to the New - Essay Example The effects of the European germs had a far more detrimental effect on the Native American population than did any series of wars or massacres of Indians for the lands they possessed. In fact, many scholars have argued that one of the prime reasons that the Native Americans were unable to defend themselves successfully from the subsequent invasion of the Europeans was due to the decreased, sickly, and severely damaged populations that they were left with.Likewise, the horse revolutionized the way of life for the Native American. As the notes indicated, tribes had previously relied on human power and dogs to move goods from one point to another; however, with the introduction of the horse, a great deal of range was gained. Furthermore, with respect to the Europeans, the availability of New World bison and deer provided supplies of wild meat that did not exist in Europe. In this way, settlers were able to supplement their oftentimes meager harvests by relying on the bountiful supplies of wild game that the New World had to offer. Furthermore, with respect to the transfer of plants, one cannot minimize the important role that tobacco and sugarcane played as instruments of trade between the Old World and the New. Europe’s increasing demand for tobacco and sugarcane led to further colonization and development/cultivation of the New World. Furthermore, the New World additionally offered Europe supplies of wheat, corn, and beans that it previously could not enjoy.

Role of Strategic Information Systems in Airline Industry Essay

Role of Strategic Information Systems in Airline Industry - Essay Example At the end of the report a conclusion is given that further emphasizes the vitality of information technology in the industry, in general, and relates this importance with the business objectives of the organizations and their need to maintain a competitive edge in their current market. Every organization in modern business world, from and medium organizations to larger ones, depends on the updated use of information technology for their survival. For the larger companies the use of information technology is vital to maintain and control the amount of data involved. For example, Organizations like oil and gas supply companies, telecommunication giants and power and water companies cannot cope with the amount of customer bills every month or every quarter with out the use of information technology. The manual route to handle these jobs would be excessively complicated and will not allow the companies to make any profit. Such is the case with all the larger organizations such as banks and product based companies to all the major governments and government entities. The According to an article published in the IT supplement of The Daily Telegraph; larger organization today cannot last for as short as 24 hours if the IT support they enjoy is taken away from them (Laudo n & Laudon, 2006). Airline industry is one of the largest industries in the business world today. The amount of administrative and operations activities that are required is huge and extremely specialized in nature. The need of every small to medium and larger companies, in the airline industry, to remain in the development stage of their life cycle demands the usage

Gran Torino Review Film Studies Essay

Gran Torino Review Film Studies Essay Gran Torino, directed by Clint Eastwood, is a very moving and captivating drama. Its a simple story about tolerance and cultural differences, but also one of hope, self-sacrifice, and unlikely friendships. A former auto worker at Ford, Walt Kowalski has just had to put his longtime wife to rest when the story opens. From his scowl, it looks as if he would like to join her. Instead he sits on his front porch chugging can after can of cheap beer in the company of his yellow Labrador, Daisy, while watching the world at a safe distance with a squint and a stream of bitter commentary. The remaining members of his family, including two sons with big houses, big cars, big waistlines, have no choice but to let him stew alone. Gran Torino tackles racism head on. Although the main character Walt Kowalski, played by Clint Eastwood, is prejudiced against almost everyone, the film focuses on an Asian neighborhood, uncovering racism and violence. The neighborhood has gone down hill since it has become immigrant-dominated. The house next door is now owned by a Hmong family, a widespread South-east Asian minority, and Walt does not trouble to distinguish them from the Koreans he fought in the 1950s. Throughout the film, we learn Walt had to kill many Koreans as part as his duty as a soldier during that period of time. The film takes a twist when the bitter old war veterans life takes an unexpected turn after Thao, a shy, teenage boy who lives next door to Walt is bullied by his thuggish cousin and no-good buddies into joining their gang. His initiation test is to bust into Walts garage and steal his treasured 1972 Gran Torino. Sure enough, Thao does as the others ask. While trying to steal the Gran Torino Thao tr iggers Walts halogen security lights and Walt comes out running with an assault rifle. Little do Walt and Thao know, their meeting will change both their lives forever. Thaos family, led by his mouthy, friendly sister, Sue forces the teenager to do pay his dues from trying to steal Walts car by working for Walt, an arrangement that pleases neither the Walt nor the Thao. As the story unfolds and the gang members return and Walt reaches for his gun, the film moves from comedy into drama, and then tragedy into something completely unexpected. The film takes a hard look at a Hmong community and the gang life within as it twists tough situations until its truly exposed, finding a few laughs at the core. Gran Torino portrayals real life drama while injecting it with some necessary comedy, which gives it a bit of a balance and keeps viewers even more entertained. The way the comedy weaves effortlessly in and out of the gritty Clint Eastwood film makes it an even better film for most to enjoy. Clint Eastwood has a great and useful skill of creating terrific drama films with a message, Gran Torino is one of those films. Like many of Eastwoods other films, he plays a role that involves a stereotypical toughness. This film can be seen as a interpretation on many issues encompassing gangs, racism, the disrespect of the youth culture towards their elders, and forgiveness. To me, all of these issues tend to come to mind when reminiscing about the film. I truly believe these are what the film is really about and what it was meant to be about. Throughout the film, it is mind blowing to see many of the characters change for the better throughout the film, especially Walt. This is yet another great film from Clint Eastwood, and its a film that addressees important issues that cant be ignored. Although, some may say that Gran Torino may not be the greatest work by Clint Eastwood, I believe the film did a splendid job in terms of race issues. Gran Torino is a good example of a film th at takes an unbiased look at race issues. This is a well made film, and its not just giving you straight advice like most films dealing with similar subject matter. Melancholy is imprinted in every long shot of Detroits devastated, emptied streets and in the faces of those who remain to still walk in them. Made in the 1960s and 1970s, the Gran Torino was never a great symbol of American automotive might, which makes Walts love for the car more moving and emotional. It was made by an industry that now barely makes cars, in a city that hardly works, in a country that too often has felt recently as if it cant do anything right anymore except, every so often, make a movie like this one. The drama, Gran Torino provides a surprisingly enlightened view at understanding cultural diversity within a rapidly evolving American neighborhood. The movie interjects the need for communication, understanding, and a return to middle class values in a youth oriented culture. Gran Torino expresses an issue that has been one of conflict in our society today; racism. Walt Kowalskis attitude towards minorities seems very prejudice and close-minded. I believe Gran Torino is about two things. It is about the late blossoming of a mans better nature, and it is about Americans of different races growing more open to one another in the new century. I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a drama/action film, and doesnt mind some foul language to go along with it. I think to some people this film can be a eye and mind opening experience. I believe it is important for people to see both sides of such a controversial issue, and that change is probably necessary in one way or another f or understanding, respect, and peace to surface

William F. Mays Rising to the Occasion of Our Death Essay examples --

There are three key audiences of the text for William F. May's â€Å"Rising to the Occasion of Our Death.† The first audience, in this case, would be legislative organizations or lawmakers who have researched and studied similar cases regarding euthanasia. Since May was as an ethics professor at Southern Methodist University, his tone is decidedly intellectual. An uneducated individual would find it more difficult to read his essay; for example, in declarations such as â€Å"Advocates of active euthanasia appeal to the principle of patient autonomy,† May's syntax and tone is formal, informative, and utilizes heavy technical jargon (May 662). In other words, it is authoritative, and enables the audience to view him as a credible source due to his syntactical confidence. Other organizations, lobbyists, or lawmakers who are researching evidence on euthanasia would certainly benefit from reading his expert opinion on the matter. Moreover, his desire to develop a â€Å"ju dicious, regulated policy† is a certain acknowledgement that he is attempting to legally call for regulations on euthanasia (May 662). The second audience that May is appealing to are conservative Christians, who are distinctively pro-life. As his article was originally published in well-circulated The Christian Century magazine, addressing this audience exposes members of May's audience who are unfamiliar with euthanasia to its technicalities by debating morality. His tone is similar to that of a sermon; instead of utilizing scientific facts or statistics, May chooses to exclude a logos appeal in favor of an ethos objective. He preaches on moral values about life and death, mentioning that â€Å"the best death is not always the sudden death† (May 662). According to May, preparation... ...ploying strong technical terms and establishing an extrinsic ethos, and exercising sub-arguments that would only benefit numerous groups of people, May strongly achieves his strategy of argument through ethos in terms of rhetorical persuasion. Works Cited Agatucci, Cara. "Cora Agatucci's Toulmin-Style Analysis of May's Argument." WR 122 Course Home Page. N.p., 06 Jan. 2010. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. May, William F. "Rising to the Occasion of our Death." The Christian Century Jul 11 1990: 662. ProQuest. Web. 31 Mar. 2014 "Opinion 2.21 – Euthanasia." Opinion 2.21 – Euthanasia. American Medical Association, June 1996. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. Perelman, Chaà ¯m, and Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca. Facts, Values, and Hierarchies, The New Rhetoric. N.p.: n.p., n.d. PDF. The Stases and Other Rhetorical Concepts from Introduction to Academic Writing. N.p.: n.p., n.d. PDF.

Anti-Aging Cream Goes Young

|Anti-ageing cream goes young | |2 Jun 2008, 0155 hrs IST, Amit Sharma,  TNN | | | | | | |  Print   | | | | |  EMail   | | | | |  Discuss | | | | |  Share | | | | |  Save | | | | |  Comment | | | | |Text:[pic] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |NEW DELHI: When consumer products major Hindustan Unilever (HUL) recently relaunched its Pond’s anti-aging skin cream range, it was not | | | | |only   | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |launching a ‘new-improved’ version of the product but also responding to a larger change in the core target consumers of anti-aging | | | | |products — from the middle-aged 35-40-years-old women to 20-something girls, yes, but even men too! | | | | | | | | | |Says Oriflame India national sales manager Shilpa Ajwani: â€Å"Today, we have customers in the 20-years-plus age group who start preventive | | | | |skin care through anti-aging creams and while women are still the larger consumer base, there is faster growth in demand for anti-aging | | | | |products by men too. This is unlike the scenario sometime back when classically 40-years-plus women were our target customers. †Ã‚   | | | | | | | | | |The company launches about six anti-aging products a month, which now account for over a quarter of its sales in India. | | | | | | | | | |Cosmetics are conventionally bundled into three categories — skin lightning, moisturising and anti-aging. Market research firm ACNielsen | | | | |puts the anti-aging cosmetic market in India at over Rs 60 crore. Though just over 2% of the country’s Rs 3,000-crore skin care market, | | | | |the anti-aging segment is the fastest growing at 93% year-on-year. | | | | | | | | |Anti-aging cosmetics include products as diverse as anti-aging lipsticks and eye balms, facial creams, hair lotions and  foot  creams. | | | | |Consumers pay Rs 500-6,000 for such products from brands like Mary Kay, Revlon, Schwarzkopf, Procter & Gamble, HUL, et al. | | | | | | | | | |Schwarzkopf Professional country head Mu rali Sundar confirms anti-aging products’ age defying trend: â€Å"With time, usage of anti-aging | | | | |products has got little to do with a person’s age. Rising consumer awareness means that people in their late twenties have started buying | | | | |our anti-aging hair care products. While the bulk of our customers are still women, men are fast waking up to hair-care. †Ã‚   | | | | | | | | | |While busy lifestyles and concomitant stress hasten skin aging, rising incomes and awareness are facilitating fast consumer adoption of | | | | |anti-aging products. But that’s not all, for there is also another important factor at play here. Consumers today opt to prevent and | | | | |correct rather than repair at a later stage. Marketers are quick to spot this trend and are responding appropriately. | | | | | | | | |Says HUL skin care category head Venkat Shridhar: â€Å"Today, sales of bulk of our anti-aging creams come from 28-30-years-old women. Personal| | | | |care spends have increased a lot in the past 3-4 years. Easy access to parlours, supermarkets and greater exposure to media have led | | | | |people to spend more on hygiene and  beauty. Hence, all our communication also highlights prevention as the way out to delay aging. †Ã‚   | | | | | | | | | |Agrees Mary Kay India senior marketing manager Nirupama Rao: â€Å"Anti-aging products have ceased to be prescriptive in nature. Today, they | | | | |are used for preventive purposes. Consumers realise that they help in delaying the damage caused due to aging. †Ã‚   | | | | | | | | | |Though the current penetration of anti-aging products is low, marketers see huge potential in the category and are prioritising for its | | | | |growth. Says Devendra Shinde, marketing head, Kaya Skin Clinic, Marico’s 56-store strong skin-care division: â€Å"Our age control Botox and | | | | |Fillers treatments have grown up to four times in the last year. | | | | |Currently, age control packages account for 15% of our revenues and are expected to grow even more robustly.    | | | | | | | | | |â€Å"We are witnessing a 30% year-on-year growth in the anti-aging segment. The age of consumers of anti-aging cosmetics is coming down | | | | |rapidly and there is increased penetration of these products in India. This segment is expected to contribute substantially to our | | | | |growth,† says Revlon India marketing director Deepak Bhandari. The company markets it s anti-aging products under the Revlon Reveal brand, | | | | |priced Rs 350-750. | | | |

Diagnostic Urinalysis Lab Essay

Introduction/Background Today’s lab exercise is about diagnostic Urinalysis. Urine reflects the many chemical components found in blood. This test is a good measure of health of endocrine system, kidneys, and urinary tract. Artificial urine samples are used for today’s lab thank goodness. The test that this lab is mostly focused on is called â€Å"dipstick† urinalysis test where students will analyze the chemical composition of urine by dipping the chemical indicator stick or â€Å"dispstick† into a sample of urine. The chemicals in the pad of the indicator stick will react with various biochemicals, ions and salts found in urine and indicate the presence of hemoglobin, glucose, ketones, protein and specific gravity. The change in color indicates the quantity and presence of particular urine component. High level of glucose indicates the endocrine system’s inability to regulate sugar concentration. Dilute urine indicates the adrenal gland defect that prevents kidney from r egulating water and salt levels. Urine containing blood and protein indicates damage to a Kidney’s blood filtering system. Hypothesis: No hypothesis is necessary as this lab is an observational lab Objectives: The objective of today’s lab is to learn and understand diagnostic urinalysis. The focus of today’s lab is geared more towards dipstick analysis. Students are to complete the chart, answer all associated questions, and include references. Students will learn the importance of urine and the various diseases/problems that can be diagnosed using it. Students will diagnose the unknown samples of â€Å"Jane and John†. Materials: 1. Acetoacetic acid 2. Creatinine 3. Urine test strips – multisticks that can measure blood, glucose, ketones, pH and protein are required and should be also able to measure specific gravity – are needed. Brand recommended is Clinistick TM . 4. Five test tubes per group Procedure 1 (Calibration) Calibration This is to ensure that the data collected from the patient is accurate. You will be provided with the positive and negative standard solution. The Positive Standard determines whether the indicator determines the correct response to presence of chemicals in the urine. A false positive when using water will indicate that the â€Å"stick† is detecting substances that are not there. A false negative indicates that the stick is unable to detect the presence of substances that are present in the sample. 1. Obtain the negative and positive standard bottles. Note the color on the indicator stick prior to start of experiment. 2. Collect 2 tubes and label as â€Å"neg† and â€Å"pos† for negative and positive standard solution. 3. Pour  ¾ full of the tube with â€Å"neg† solutions in the tube labeled â€Å"neg.† 4. Pour  ¾ full of the tube with â€Å"pos† solutions in the tube labeled â€Å"pos.† 5. Insert the indicator stick in the tube la beled â€Å"neg.† Observe the color and odor of the solution. 6. Insert the indicator stick in the tube labeled â€Å"pos.† Observe the color and odor of the solution. 7. Record your data in the table as â€Å"+† or â€Å" –â€Å" to indicate positive or negative result. Procedure 2 (analysis of samples) Obtain a set of the urine samples to analyze. 1. Collect and label three tubes as normal (N), John , and Jane. 2. Pour Normal urine sample  ¾ full of the tube labeled N 3. Pour John’s urine sample  ¾ full of the tube labeled John 4. Pour Jane’s urine sample  ¾ full of the tube labeled Jane 5. Insert the indicator stick in the tube labeled N. Observe the color and odor of the solution. 6. Record the data 7. Perform the same test on the samples labeled John and Jane using new sticks and record your observation in the table provided above. Please refer to the attachment for interpretation of Urinalysis results. If not provided please ask your Instructor for the same. Discussion: This lab discussed urinalysis. Urinalysis is a diagnostic test that evaluates health of endocrine system, kidneys, and urinary tract. Urine can be visually examined sample for color (clear to dark yellow or red), and clarity (clear to cloudy), and odor. A complete diagnostic urinalysis includes a dipstick evaluation and a microscopic analysis. Dipstick evaluation includes parameters such as glucose, ketones, pH, protein, blood, bilirubin, etc. The microscopic visualization allows for detection of bacteria (UTI), RBCs, crystals (metabolic derangements), renal tubular cells (toxicity or severe renal disease), or transitional cells (from bladder). Acid urine and alkaline urine have crystals that form different from that of normal urine. Some terms that the students learned were glycosuria-excess glucose levels, hematuria-RBCs present in urine, hemaglobinuria-hemoglobin pigment is present in urine, ketonuria-high levels of ketones, myoglobinuria-high levels of myglobin (pigments that are released when muscles breakdown), and pH-measure acidity or alkalinity of urine. In order to be certain that values are correct, known negative and positive standards are used to compare with the clinical sample. This process is called calibration. Calibration should be done for all diagnostic tests and the equipment used to make these determinations. Calibration is necessary to avoid false negative and false positives. A false positive when using water will indicate that the â€Å"stick† is detecting substances that are not there. A  false negative indicates that the stick is unable to detect the presence of substances that are present in the sample. Conclusion: In conclusion, students successfully performed a urinalysis dipstick test. The lab had students test the negative and positive tests, and then the James and Jane urine samples were tested. John’s urine was clear and tested negative for protein, which indicated it was normal. The pee was slightly turbid. The urine had a strong odor and a specific gravity of 1.005, which is lower than normal urine. The pH of John’s pee is 5 and the glucose was extremely high with 1000mg, tested with small (+) amounts of ketones and also showed trace amounts of blood. Jane’s urine was a very light yellow with a very faint odor, tested negative for ketones, tested negative for proteins, had a pH of 6, and had a specific gravity of 1.015. The glucose was extremely high with 1000mg. Jane also showed About 250 Ery/nanoliters of blood in her urine. The protein portion of the dipstick tested for 100 (++) in Jane’s urine sample. Students learned different types of disease that could be associated with the test results that were discovered with the dipstick. Lab Questions: 1. What are the possible causes of John’s test results? John’s urine was clear and tested negative for protein, which indicated it was normal. The pee was slightly turbid which could be caused by Lipiduria, hyperoxaluria, chyluria, pyuria, excess phosphate crystals precipitating in alkaline urine, hyperuricosuria, or contamination with vaginal mucus or epithelial cells. The urine had a strong odor which could indicate alkaline fermentation, diabetic ketoacidosis, cysteine decomposition, gastrointestinal-bladder fistulae, or could be caused by medications or diet. John’s urine was observed to have a specific gravity of 1.005, which is lower than normal urine. Decreased specific gravity is seen in excessive fluid intake, renal failure, pyelonephritis, and central and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. False low readings of specific gravity are associated with alkaline urine (a high-citrate diet). The pH of John’s pee is 5, which is considered to be within the normal range, but it is on the lower end which could be caused by diet and uric acid calculi. The glucose was extremely high with 1000mg, which is extremely strange due to that fact that  nearly all glucose filtered by the glomeruli is reabsorbed in the proximal tubules and only undetectable amounts appear in urine in healthy patients. False positive results are seen when high levels of ketones are present and also in patient taking levodopa. Something to remember about dipstick tests is that reagent strip tests are specific for glucose. John’s sample tested with small (+) amounts of ketones. A positive test, since ketones are not normally found in urine, is associated with uncontrolled diabetes, pregnancy without diabetes, carbohydrate-free diets, and starvation. False trace results may be seen in highly pigmented urine and in patiens taking levodopa. John’s urine also showed trace amounts of blood. 2. Of the diseases mentioned, what disease might John have? Of the diseases mentioned, it is believed that John might have either diabetes mellitus or a renal impairment. 3. How did you come to this conclusion about John’s condition? The conclusion was made that John might have diabetes mellitus, due to the high levels of glucose, slightly lower pH, and traces of ketones. The decreased level of specific gravity, and traces of blood lead to the belief that John may have a renal impairment. 4. What are the possible causes of Jane’s test results? Jane’s urine was a very light yellow with a very faint odor, tested negative for ketones, tested negative for proteins, had a pH of 6, and had a specific gravity of 1.015. All of these characteristics do not indicate abnormalities with Jane’s pee. The glucose was extremely high with 1000mg. False positive results are seen when high levels of ketones are present and also in patient taking levodopa. Something to remember about dipstick tests is that reagent strip tests are specific for glucose. Jane also showed About 250 Ery/nanoliters of blood in her urine. This could indicate lower urinary tract bleeding and inflammation/infection, acute glomerulonephritis, or lupus nephritis. The protein portion of the dipstick tested for 100 (++) in Jane’s urine sample. Proteinuria is indicative of renal disease, and small amounts accompany hematuria and acute urinary tract infection. 5. Of the diseases mentioned, what disease might Jane have? Of the diseases mentioned, Jane might have an acute urinary tract  infection/inflammation, or renal disease. 6. How did you come to this conclusion about Jane’s condition? The conclusion about renal disease is because proteinuria is indicative of renal disease. Jane might instead have an acute urinary tract infection/inflammation due to not only the protein in her urine but also the blood in the urine. 7. Why is Urine useful as an indicator of the endocrine and kidney disease? Urine is as an indicator of the endocrine and kidney disease because through its protein, pH, glucose, ketones, specific gravity, and blood that can possibly be found, physicians can diagnose disease. Urine indicates diseases with the kidney because the kidney is what filters out the body fluids that become the urine. 8. What is the laboratory procedure that can be used to test the presence of certain specific biochemicals in urine? The laboratory procedures that can be used to test the presence of certain specific biochemical in urine could be microscopic analysis, or even a urine electrophoresis test 9. Which blood chemical will be found in high levels in patients diagnosed with untreated diabetes mellitus? The chemical that will be found in high levels in the blood of patients diagnosed with untreated diabetes mellitus would be glucose. 10. How does odor help in diagnosis of disease? Odor of urine helps in diagnosing disease by merely alerting the patient that something is wrong. Because urine doesn’t have a very strong smell, if a whiff of something is particularly pungent when peeing, it may indicate that the patient could have an infection or urinary stones, which can create an ammonia-like odor. Diabetics might notice that their urine smells sweet because of excess sugar. Alkaline fermentation causes an ammoniacal smell, and patients with diabetic ketoacidosis produce a urine that may have a sweet or fruity odour. Other causes of abnormal odours are cystine decomposition (a sulphuric smell), gastrointestinal-bladder fistulae (a faecal smell), medications (eg, vitamin B6), and diet (eg, asparagus). 11. Define the following terms associated with urinalysis: Glycosuria: Glucose normally is filtered by the glomerulus, but it is almost completely reabsorbed in the proximal tubule. Glycosuria occurs when the filtered load of glucose exceeds the ability of the tubule to reabsorb it (i.e., 180 to 200 mg per dL). Etiologies include diabetes mellitus,  Cushing’s syndrome, liver and pancreatic disease, and Fanconi’s syndrome. Ketonuria: Ketones, products of body fat metabolism, normally are not found in urine. Dipstick reagents detect acetic acid through a reaction with sodium nitroprusside or nitro-ferricyanide and glycine. Ketonuria most commonly is associated with uncontrolled diabetes, but it also can occur during pregnancy, carbohydrate-free diets, and starvation. Hematuria: Hematuria can be glomerular, renal, urologic, and exercise-induced. Urologic causes of hematuria include tumors, calculi, and infections. Urologic hematuria is distinguished from other etiologies by the absence of proteinuria, dysmorphic RBCs, and erythr ocyte casts. Even significant hematuria will not elevate the protein concentration to the 2+ to 3+ range on the dipstick test. (23) Up to 20 percent of patients with gross hematuria have urinary tract malignancy; a full work-up with cystoscopy and upper-tract imaging is indicated in patients with this condition. (24) In patients with asymptomatic microscopic hematuria (without proteinuria or pyuria), 5 to 22 percent have serious urologic disease, and 0.5 to 5 percent have a genitourinary malignancy. pH: Urinary pH can range from 4.5 to 8 but normally is slightly acidic (i.e., 5.5 to 6.5) because of metabolic activity. Ingestion of proteins and acidic fruits (e.g., cranberries) can cause acidic urine, and diets high in citrate can cause alkaline urine. (15-17) Urinary pH generally reflects the serum pH, except in patients with renal tubular acidosis (RTA). The inability to acidify urine to a pH of less than 5.5 despite an overnight fast and administration of an acid load is the hallmark of RTA. In type I (distal) RTA, the serum is acidic but the urine is alkaline, secondary to an inability to secrete protons into the urine. Type II (proximal) RTA is characterized by an inability to reabsorb bicarbonate. This situation initially results in alkaline urine, but as the filtered load of bicarbonate decreases, the urine becomes more acidic. Determination of urinary pH is useful in the diagnosis and management of UTIs and calculi. Alkaline urine in a patient with a UTI suggests the presence of a urea-splitting organism, which may be associated with magnesium-ammonium phosphate crystals and can form staghorn calculi. Uric acid calculi are associated with acidic urine. Hemoglobin: The presence of free hemoglobin in the urine, an abnormal finding, that may make the urine look dark. Hemoglobin in the urine is termed hemoglobinuria. Hemoglobin is  the protein in the red blood cells which carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of the body and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs. The iron contained in hemoglobin gives red blood cells their characteristic color. Red blood cells are normally taken out of circulation after approximately 4 months; they are trapped and disassembled in the spleen, bone marrow, and liver. If, however, red cells hemolyze (break down) within the vascular system, the components are set free in the blood stream. Free hemoglobin is bound by haptoglobin (another protein) and reprocessed. But if the level of hemoglobin in the blood rises above the ability of haptoglobin to reclaim it, hemoglobin begins to appear in the urine — there is hemoglobinuria. Hemoglobinuria is a sign of a number of conditions including: acute nephritis, burns, kidney cancer, malaria, sickle cell anemia, a transfusion reaction, tuberculosis of the urinary tract, and many other conditions. References: Benejam R, Narayana AS. Urinalysis: the physician’s responsibility. Am Fam Physician 1985;31:103-11. Brendler, CB. Evaluation of the urologic patient: history, physical exami-nation and urinalysis. In: Campbell MF, Walsh PC. Campbell’s Urology. 7th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders, 1998:144-56. Fogazzi GB, Garigali G. The clinical art and science of urine microscopy. Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens 2003;12:625- 32. Hanno PM, Wein AJ, Malkowicz SB. Clinical manual of urology. 3d ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001. Kiel DP, Moskowitz MA. The urinalysis: a critical appraisal. Med Clin North Am 1987;71:607-24. Laboratory manual for physiology, 2005. Leman P. Validity of urinalysis and microscopy for detecting urinary tract infection in the emergency department. Eur J Emerg Med 2002;9:141-7. Rabinovitch A. Urinalysis and collection, transportation, and preservation of urine specimens: approved guideline. 2d ed. Wayne, Pa.: National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, 2001. NCCLS document GP16-A2. Sheets C, Lyman JL. Urinalysis. Emerg Med Clin North Am 1986;4: 263-80. Van Nostrand JD, Junkins AD, Bartholdi RK. Poor predictive ability of urinalysis and microscopic examination to detect urinary tract infection. Am J Clin Pathol 2000;113:709-13.

The Meanings and Variations of Brother

The Meanings and Variations of Brother The Meanings and Variations of Brother The Meanings and Variations of Brother By Mark Nichol Brother, from the Old English word brothor and cognate with the Latin term frater and the Greek word phrater (both of which mean â€Å"fellow clan member†), means not only â€Å"a male with one or more parents in common† but has also come, by extension, to refer to a man with whom one has a bond or a common interest. It also applies to national or racial commonality, as in the term â€Å"soul brother,† which in American English describes a black male. In addition, it can refer loosely to a male relative or generically to something that is similar to something else. In religious contexts, it denotes a minister or a member of a religious order who has not been ordained. The plural is either brothers or, in formal and religious contexts, the archaic form brethren. The quality of being a brother, literally or figuratively, is brotherhood, and brotherly is the adverbial form. A blood brother is literally a brother by birth or figuratively someone with whom one shares a bond of loyalty; originally, the term alluded to the ceremonial exchange of blood between two men, often by mingling blood at the point of a slight self-inflicted wound. Brother-german is a technical legal term pertaining to the default definition of brother- â€Å"a man or boy who has both of the same parents as a given person,† as opposed to a half brother, who shares only one parent, or a stepbrother, the son of a stepparent. Likewise, a sister-german shares both parents with a given person. (The term german, from the Latin word germanus, means â€Å"having the same parents† and is unrelated to the proper noun referring to a person from Germany.) Brother-in-arms originally strictly referred to a fellow combatant in the same military service, but by extension it alludes to anyone one is closely associated with. (Because women have only recently had a significant role in the military, no equivalent term developed for female soldiers, but the term sisters-in-arms has been employed sporadically, such as in the title of a documentary about female soldiers in combat.) Idiomatic uses of brother include â€Å"brother’s keeper,† a reference to the biblical exchange in which Cain protests, â€Å"Am I my brother’s keeper?† when God asks the whereabouts of Cain’s brother Abel, whom Cain has killed. (The contemporary notion behind the phrase is of interdependent responsibility among people.) Meanwhile, â€Å"Big Brother† is a reference (from George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four) to an all-seeing authoritarian leader or any government entity that practices oppressive surveillance or control. However, â€Å"big brother† also refers generically to one’s older male sibling or to a man who mentors a boy to whom he is not related. Recent idioms include bromance, a portmanteau word from brother and romance, pertaining to depictions in popular culture of close platonic friendships among men, and brogrammer, a mash-up of brother and programmer that alludes to assertive, masculine computer programmers, a divergence from the stereotype of technologically adept but physically and socially awkward males. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:85 Synonyms for â€Å"Help†15 Words for Household Rooms, and Their Synonyms5 Tips to Understand Hyphenated Words

Constitutional Monarchy Definition and Examples

Constitutional Monarchy Definition and Examples A constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch- typically a king or queen- acts as the head of state within the parameters of a written or unwritten constitution. In a constitutional monarchy, political power is shared between the monarch and a constitutionally organized government such as a parliament. Constitutional monarchies are the opposite of absolute monarchies, in which the monarch holds all power over the government and the people. Along with the United Kingdom, a few examples of modern constitutional monarchies include Canada, Sweden, and Japan. Key Takeaways: Constitutional Monarchy A constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a non-elected monarch functions as the head of state within the limits of a constitution.Political power in a constitutional monarchy is shared between the monarch and an organized government such as the British Parliament.A constitutional monarchy is the opposite of an absolute monarchy in which the monarch has total power over the government and the people. Power Distribution in a Constitutional Monarchy Similar to the way in which the powers and duties of the President of the United States are described in the U.S. Constitution, the powers of the monarch, as the head of state, are enumerated in the constitution of a constitutional monarchy. In most constitutional monarchies, the monarchs’ political powers, if any, are very limited and their duties are mostly ceremonial. Instead, real governmental power is exercised by a parliament or similar legislative body overseen by a prime minister. While the monarch may be recognized as the â€Å"symbolic† head of state, and the government might technically function in the name of the queen or king, the prime minister actually governs the country. Indeed, it has been said that the monarch of a constitutional monarchy is, â€Å"A sovereign who reigns but does not rule.† As a compromise between placing blind trust in a lineage of kings and queens who have inherited their power, and a belief in the political wisdom of the people being ruled, modern constitutional monarchies are usually a blend of the monarchal rule and representative democracy.  Ã‚   Besides serving as a living symbol of national unity, pride and tradition, the constitutional monarch may- depending on the constitution- have the power to disband the current parliamentary government or to give royal consent to the actions of the parliament. Using England’s constitution as an example, British political scientist Walter Bagehot listed the three main political rights available to a constitutional monarch: â€Å"the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, and the right to warn.† Constitutional vs. Absolute Monarchy Constitutional Monarchy A constitutional monarchy is a blended form of government in which a king or queen with limited political power rules in combination with a legislative governing body such as a parliament representing the desires and opinions of the people.   Absolute Monarchy An absolute monarchy is a form of government in which a king or queen rules with total unchallenged and unchecked political and legislative power. Based on the ancient concept of the â€Å"Divine Right of Kings† suggesting that kings derived their authority from God, absolute monarchies operate under the political theory of absolutism. Today the only remaining pure absolute monarchies are Vatican City, Brunei, Swaziland, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. After the signing of the Magna Carta in 1512, constitutional monarchies began to supplant absolute monarchies for a combination of similar reasons, including their often weak or tyrannical kings and queens, failure to provide funds for pressing public needs, and refusal to address valid grievances of the people.   Current Constitutional Monarchies Today, the world’s 43 constitutional monarchies are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, a 53-nation intergovernmental support organization headed by the sitting monarch of the United Kingdom. Some of the best-recognized examples of these modern constitutional monarchies include the governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, and Japan. The United Kingdom Made up of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, in which the queen or king is the head of state, while an appointed prime minister leads the government in the form of the British Parliament. Bestowed with all lawmaking powers, the Parliament is composed of the House of Commons, the members of which are elected by the people, and the House of Lords made up members who have either been appointed or have inherited their seats. 28th September 1952: Princess Elizabeth watching her son Prince Charles playing in his toy car while at Balmoral. Lisa Sheridan / Getty Images Canada While the monarch of the United Kingdom also serves as Canada’s head of state, the Canadian people are governed by an elected prime minister and a legislative parliament. In the Canadian parliament, all laws are proposed by a popularly-elected House of Commons and must be approved by the royally-appointed Senate.   Sweden The King of Sweden, while the head of state, lacks any defined political power and serves a largely ceremonial role. All lawmaking power is vested in the Riksdag, a single-chambered legislative body composed of democratically elected representatives.   Japan In the world’s most populous constitutional monarchy, the Emperor of Japan has no constitutional role in the government and is relegated to ceremonial duties. Created in 1947 during the country’s post-World War II U.S. occupation, Japan’s constitution provides for a government structure similar to that of the United States. Newlywed Prince and Princess Hitachi pose at the doorway of the imperial Palace. Bettmann Archive / Getty Images The executive branch is overseen by a royally-appointed prime minister who controls the government. The legislative branch, called the National Diet, is a popularly-elected, bicameral body composed of a House of Councillors and a House of Representatives. The Japanese Supreme Court and several lower courts make up a judicial branch, which functions independently of the executive and legislative branches. Sources Bogdanor, Vernon (1996). The Monarchy and the Constitution. Parliamentary Affairs, Oxford University Press.Constitutional Monarchy. British Monarchist League.Dunt, Ian, ed. (2015). Monarchy: What is a Monarchy? politics.co.ukLearning with the Times: 7 nations still under absolute monarchy. (Nov. 10, 2008) The Times of India

How to Get Started as a Freelance Writer in 6 Simple Steps

How to Get Started as a Freelance Writer in 6 Simple Steps How to Get Started as a Freelance Writer in 6 Simple Steps How to Get Started as a Freelance Writer in 6 Simple Steps By Ali Hale Would you love to be a freelance writer? Maybe youre hoping to make a bit of money on the side of your day job, or you want to find some work that fits around being at home with your kids much of the day. Perhaps youre hoping to launch a whole new career. You might well be feeling daunted before youve even begun, though. Theres just so much information out there: where do you even start? These  six steps are all you really need in order to get going: Step #1: Find Out How Self-Employment and Tax Works in Your Country Before you start freelancing, it’s important to figure out how self-employment (and particularly tax) works in your own country. You don’t necessarily need to do anything about it right away, but you do need to know what to expect. Here in the UK for instance, sole traders (the simplest set up for a freelancer) don’t have to register with HMRC (the tax authorities) from the first moment they start freelancing. They do need to be ready to submit a self-employed tax return on time, though – e.g. by the end of January 2020 for the tax year 6th April 2018 – 5th Mar 2019. If your country isn’t on this list, just search for â€Å"register as self-employed† and your country name, and you should find plenty of advice. Step #2: Create a  Gmail Account (for Email and Google Docs) Do you have an email address that looks something one of these? chocolatelover@hotmail.com GameofThronesfan@yahoo.com I’m sure it goes without saying that those aren’t very professional looking! Even if your email address uses your name (or your pen name), free providers like hotmail and yahoo have a bit of an â€Å"unprofessional† reputation. Gmail is much better regarded, perhaps because it started out being very popular with techy types, and is now so ubiquitous. So I’d recommend setting up a professional looking email address with Gmail, for now – something like yourname@gmail.com or yournamewriter@gmail.com. One important reason for having a Gmail address is that it also gives you a Google account, which you can use for Google Docs – I find that many clients want to collaborate in this way. If you prefer to have a really professional looking email address, then you’ll need to register a domain name of your own (e.g. mine is www.aliventures.com) and then set up an email address at that domain (mine is ali@aliventures.com). Step #3: Figure Out What Topics You Want to Write About Before you go any further with freelancing, it’s a good idea to figure out what you want to write about. You might think that it’d be best to write about anything and everything, in the hopes you’ll get plenty of work – but the truth is that clients prefer writers who have prior experience in a particular area. You’ll also probably enjoy freelancing more if you’re writing about topics you’re actually interested in. When you’re figuring out which topics to focus on, you might want to consider: Your personal life and experiences – e.g. if you’re a parent to school-age children, you could write about pregnancy, babies, toddlers, etc. Your professional life – e.g. if you work in IT, you might want to specialise in technical writing or in writing for blogs that cover techy topics. Your hobbies – e.g. if you love to craft, then you might want to look for blogs about craft or companies that sell craft supplies to write for. You can switch or add topics as you go forward in your career, but you’ll find it helpful to have some idea of the areas you want to focus on when it comes to the next two steps. Step #4: (Optional) Create a Website You don’t have to have a website in order to freelance – so if this is just a step too far right now, then feel free to skip it. At some point fairly early in your freelancing career, though, you’re going to want to have a web presence. You’ll want somewhere to direct potential customers, whether those are your current contacts, friends of friends, or people who read your guest posts (see Step #5). If you don’t want to spend any money at this stage, I recommend setting up a free website with WordPress.com (just follow their process step by step). Your website will have â€Å"wordpress† in the address, so it’ll look something like yourname.wordpress.com. While this isn’t the most professional option out there, plenty of freelancers do just fine with a free WordPress site – and I think it’s absolutely fine when you’re just starting out. Alternatively, if you’re fairly confident about techy things and if you have a bit of money to invest, I’d recommend purchasing web hosting, registering your own domain name (e.g. yourname.com) and setting up self-hosted WordPress on that site. Most web hosts have a simple â€Å"one click† installation process for WordPress, as it’s so popular. Step #5: Get Some Published Experience Before you can start landing freelancing clients, you need some experience: published pieces that you can show them as examples of your work. But how do you get that experience when you don’t have any clients? One simple way is to write guest posts for large(ish) blogs: a big advantage of these is that your posts will be online, so it’s very easy to send clients a link to them. You can also create a â€Å"Portfolio† page on your website with screenshots of and links to your work. Ideally, you’ll want to target blogs that fit in with the areas you want to write about, so that you’ve got relevant freelancing clips. Most guest posts are written for free, and although some freelancers feel you should never work for free, I think it makes sense to do so when you’re just starting out. (Don’t spend ages at this stage, though; three to five published pieces should be plenty.) You’ll almost always get the opportunity to write a â€Å"bio† to go along with your guest post (normally at the bottom of it). You can use this to promote your freelancing services, writing something like: Ali Luke is a freelance writer, specialising in blog content for small businesses. You can find out more about her and her services at  www.aliventures.com. If you want to freelance for magazines or print publications, rather than blogs or websites, then you’ll want to look for ways to get some experience with print. A good place to look is local free newspapers and magazines – they probably won’t be able to pay, but they’ll likely be very willing to publish your work. Step #6: Start Finding Clients If there’s one thing you take away from this post, make it this: Don’t use content mills. If you’re not sure what a content mill is, it’s a site where you sign up and get sent writing jobs. They often promise lots of work, or tell you how much writers can make – but the reality is that they pay peanuts. They often call themselves â€Å"article writing services†. Textbroker is a well-known one; Copify and iWriter are other examples. Content mills can’t afford to pay much, because their main selling point to their clients is that they’re a cheap way to get lots of content. So where else can you find work? Let family and friends know that you’re freelancing, and tell them what type of work you’re looking for. You never know when someone will know someone! Look at the ProBlogger jobs boards and Freelance Writing Gigs’ daily round-up of writing work. (There are plenty of other similar job boards online, but I’ve found that between these two, they cover all the good opportunities.) Pitch directly to websites (or magazines, or whatever type of publication you want to write for). Target local clients, perhaps with an ad in a local paper, shop window, or library, or by attending local small business networking events. Browse the website of companies that offer services related to your niche and in case they dont have a regularly updated blog contact them offering your writing services and explaining the benefits that fresh content would bring to their website. Think beyond writing articles. You can offer services such as crafting email marketing campaigns, writing e-books and reports, website editing and proofreading and so. Finding your first paying client can feel like a huge hurdle but once youve found one client, more will follow. In case you want more help, I have a 6-week program that covers all the aspects of getting started as a freelance writer, from improving your writing productivity to landing high-paying gigs, from promoting yourself online to running your freelance business efficiently. The course has been offered for 8 years and over 1300 students enrolled during that time. I offer a complete money back guarantee, and surprisingly no one ever asked for it! In order to celebrate its eighth anniversary we are offering the course for just $29, so check it out below before the promotion ends. Above all, if you decide to try freelance writing, make sure you persevere. Getting results takes time, as with virtually all endeavors in life, and the biggest mistake I see aspiring freelance writers making is giving up too soon. Hang in there for 6 to 12 months before you evaluate your results. Good luck! Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Apply to, Apply for, and Apply withRules for Capitalization in Titles15 Names and Descriptions of Effects