video credit: youtube.com
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Scorpio Traits
There’s always more than meets the eye. This phrase is often
used to describe Scorpios. Driven by tremendous power, extreme strength and
intense passion, Scorpio is the most intense zodiac of all. Not in agreement?
Well here are 15 reasons why Scorpios rule the zodiac circle.
1) Scorpios are masters of dedication and are driven by
passion. They deeply embed their emotions in whatever they do, which is why
their creations are nothing short of a masterpiece.
2) “Giving Up” is an alien term for Scorpios. Their
perseverance has no saturation point and they make sure they get where they
want to, by any means possible.
3) One word defines Scorpios the best - independent.
Scorpios hardly rely on anybody for their work. Instead, they feel content
working their own way through.
4) But that doesn’t mean they can’t function in a pack.
Scorpios are instinctive leaders and are always ready to bear the
responsibility of a front man.
5) Scorpios are synonymous to loyalty. They are extremely
loyal - be it love, family or friendship.
6) But if you cross them, it’s an eye for an eye. They will
never forget you and make sure that vengeance is served at its best.
7) In contrast, if you are helpful towards a Scorpio, they
will make sure to be with you in the worst of situations.
8) A friend in need is a Scorpio indeed. There is no
doubting the friendship of a Scorpio. They are always there- at any given hour,
in any given situation.
9) And if you are dating a Scorpio, you know that they never
stop pouring love. They simply never lose out on an opportunity to express the
undying love for their partner.
10) It gets even better under the sheets! Sex is not just
lust for a Scorpio. Instead, it’s one of their ways to explore life and
feelings. This is what makes Scorpio the most sexually passionate sign of the
zodiac.
11) Scorpios are social animals. Their jovial nature lights
up the mood of every party they go to. In short – Scorpios are party starters.
12) Quirky humor and
wittiness comes naturally to Scorpios. That’s why you can neither get bored nor
get enough of a Scorpio’s company.
13) They are emotionally profound and extremely touchy. This
makes Scorpios perfectly suited to any form of activity that can greatly impact
people and society.
14) Their instincts are supremely powerful. Nothing can beat
a Scorpio’s gut feeling, which is why Scorpios don’t fail that often.
15) Scorpios believe in taking risks, but not hasty ones.
Since Scorpios are deeper thinkers, every risk they take is well calculated and
assessed.
Sociology of religion
Sociology of religion is the
study of the beliefs, practices and organizational forms of religion using the
tools and methods of the discipline of sociology. This objective investigation
may include the use of both quantitative methods (surveys, polls, demographic
and census analysis) and qualitative approaches such as participant
observation, interviewing, and analysis of archival, historical and documentary
materials.
Modern academic sociology began
with the analysis of religion in Émile Durkheim's 1897 study of suicide rates
among Catholic and Protestant populations, a foundational work of social
research which served to distinguish sociology from other disciplines, such as
psychology. The works of Karl Marx and Max Weber emphasized the relationship between
religion and the economic or social structure of society. Contemporary debates
have centered on issues such as secularization, civil religion, and the
cohesiveness of religion in the context of globalization and multiculturalism.
The contemporary sociology of religion may also encompass the sociology of
irreligion (for instance, in the analysis of secular humanist belief systems).
Sociology of religion is
distinguished from the philosophy of religion in that it does not set out to
assess the validity of religious beliefs. The process of comparing multiple
conflicting dogmas may require what Peter L. Berger has described as inherent
"methodological atheism". Whereas the sociology of religion broadly
differs from theology in assuming indifference to the supernatural, theorists
tend to acknowledge socio-cultural reification of religious practice.
Classical, seminal sociological
theorists of the late 19th and early 20th century such as Durkheim, Weber, and
Marx were greatly interested in religion and its effects on society. Like those
of Plato and Aristotle from ancient Greece, and Enlightenment philosophers from
the 17th through 19th centuries, the ideas posited by these sociologists
continue to be examined today. More recent prominent sociologists of religion
include Peter L. Berger, Robert N. Bellah, Thomas Luckmann, Rodney Stark,
William Sims Bainbridge, Robert Wuthnow, Christian Smith, and Bryan R. Wilson.
Karl Marx
"Marx was the product of the
Enlightenment, embracing its call to replace faith by reason and religion by
science." Despite his later influence, Karl Marx did not view his work as
an ethical or ideological response to nineteenth-century capitalism (as most
later commentators have). His efforts were, in his mind, based solely on what
can be called applied science. Marx saw himself as doing morally neutral
sociology and economic theory for the sake of human development. As Christiano
states, "Marx did not believe in science for science's sake…he believed
that he was also advancing a theory that would…be a useful tool…[in] effecting
a revolutionary upheaval of the capitalist system in favor of socialism."
(124) As such, the crux of his arguments was that humans are best guided by
reason. Religion, Marx held, was a significant hindrance to reason, inherently
masking the truth and misguiding followers. As we will later see, Marx viewed
social alienation as the heart of social inequality. The antithesis to this
alienation is freedom. Thus, to propagate freedom means to present individuals
with the truth and give them a choice to accept or deny it. In this, "Marx
never suggested that religion ought to be prohibited." (Christiano 126)
Central to Marx's theories was
the oppressive economic situation in which he dwelt. With the rise of European
industrialism, Marx and his colleague Friedrich Engels witnessed and responded
to the growth of what he called "surplus value." Marx's view of
capitalism saw rich capitalists getting richer and their workers getting poorer
(the gap, the exploitation, was the "surplus value"). Not only were
workers getting exploited, but in the process they were being further detached
from the products they helped create. By simply selling their work for wages,
"workers simultaneously lose connection with the object of labor and
become objects themselves. Workers are devalued to the level of a commodity – a
thing…" (Ibid 125) From this objectification comes alienation. The common
worker is led to believe that he or she is a replaceable tool, and is alienated
to the point of extreme discontent. Here, in Marx's eyes, religion enters.
Capitalism utilizes our tendency towards religion as a tool or ideological
state apparatus to justify this alienation. Christianity teaches that those who
gather up riches and power in this life will almost certainly not be rewarded
in the next ("it is harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven
than it is for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle...") while
those who suffer oppression and poverty in this life, while cultivating their
spiritual wealth, will be rewarded in the Kingdom of God. Thus Marx's famous
line - "religion is the opium of the people", as it soothes them and
dulls their senses to the pain of oppression.
Émile Durkheim
Émile Durkheim placed himself in
the positivist tradition, meaning that he thought of his study of society as
dispassionate and scientific. He was deeply interested in the problem of what
held complex modern societies together. Religion, he argued, was an expression
of social cohesion.
In the fieldwork that led to his
famous Elementary Forms of Religious Life, Durkheim, a secular Frenchman,
looked at anthropological data of Indigenous Australians. His underlying
interest was to understand the basic forms of religious life for all societies.
In Elementary Forms, Durkheim argues that the totems the Aborigines venerate
are actually expressions of their own conceptions of society itself. This is
true not only for the Aborigines, he argues, but for all societies.
Religion, for Durkheim, is not
"imaginary," although he does deprive it of what many believers find
essential. Religion is very real; it is an expression of society itself, and
indeed, there is no society that does not have religion. We perceive as individuals
a force greater than ourselves, which is our social life, and give that
perception a supernatural face. We then express ourselves religiously in
groups, which for Durkheim makes the symbolic power greater. Religion is an
expression of our collective consciousness, which is the fusion of all of our
individual consciousnesses, which then creates a reality of its own.
It follows, then, that less
complex societies, such as the Australian Aborigines, have less complex
religious systems, involving totems associated with particular clans. The more
complex a particular society, the more complex the religious system is. As
societies come in contact with other societies, there is a tendency for
religious systems to emphasize universalism to a greater and greater extent.
However, as the division of labor makes the individual seem more important (a
subject that Durkheim treats extensively in his famous Division of Labor in
Society), religious systems increasingly focus on individual salvation and
conscience.
Durkheim's definition of
religion, from Elementary Forms, is as follows: "A religion is a unified
system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say,
things set apart and forbidden – beliefs and practices which unite into one single
moral community called a Church, all those who adhere to them." (Marx,
introduction) This is a functional definition of religion, meaning that it
explains what religion does in social life: essentially, it unites societies.
Durkheim defined religion as a clear distinction between the sacred and the
profane, in effect this can be paralleled with the distinction between God and
humans.
This definition also does not
stipulate what exactly may be considered sacred. Thus later sociologists of
religion (notably Robert Bellah) have extended Durkheimian insights to talk
about notions of civil religion, or the religion of a state. American civil
religion, for example, might be said to have its own set of sacred
"things": the Flag of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, Martin
Luther King Jr., etc. Other sociologists have taken Durkheim's concept of what
religion is in the direction of the religion of professional sports, the
military, or of rock music.
Max Weber
Max Weber published four major
texts on religion in a context of economic sociology and his rationalization
thesis: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905), The Religion
of China: Confucianism and Taoism (1915), The Religion of India: The Sociology
of Hinduism and Buddhism (1915), and Ancient Judaism (1920).
In his sociology, Weber uses the
German term "Verstehen" to describe his method of interpretation of
the intention and context of human action. Weber is not a positivist – in the
sense that he does not believe we can find out "facts" in sociology
that can be causally linked. Although he believes some generalized statements
about social life can be made, he is not interested in hard positivist claims,
but instead in linkages and sequences, in historical narratives and particular
cases.
Weber argues for making sense of
religious action on its own terms. A religious group or individual is
influenced by all kinds of things, he says, but if they claim to be acting in
the name of religion, we should attempt to understand their perspective on religious
grounds first. Weber gives religion credit for shaping a person's image of the
world, and this image of the world can affect their view of their interests,
and ultimately how they decide to take action.
For Weber, religion is best
understood as it responds to the human need for theodicy and soteriology. Human
beings are troubled, he says, with the question of theodicy – the question of
how the extraordinary power of a divine god may be reconciled with the
imperfection of the world that he has created and rules over. People need to
know, for example, why there is undeserved good fortune and suffering in the
world. Religion offers people soteriological answers, or answers that provide
opportunities for salvation – relief from suffering, and reassuring meaning.
The pursuit of salvation, like the pursuit of wealth, becomes a part of human
motivation.
Because religion helps to define
motivation, Weber believed that religion (and specifically Calvinism) actually
helped to give rise to modern capitalism, as he asserted in his most famous and
controversial work, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.
In The Protestant Ethic, Weber
argues that capitalism arose in Europe in part because of how the belief in
predestination was interpreted by everyday English Puritans. Puritan theology
was based on the Calvinist notion that not everyone would be saved; there was
only a specific number of the elect who would avoid damnation, and this was
based sheerly on God's predetermined will and not on any action you could
perform in this life. Official doctrine held that one could not ever really
know whether one was among the elect.
Practically, Weber noted, this
was difficult psychologically: people were (understandably) anxious to know
whether they would be eternally damned or not. Thus Puritan leaders began
assuring members that if they began doing well financially in their businesses,
this would be one unofficial sign they had God's approval and were among the
saved – but only if they used the fruits of their labor well. This along with
the rationalism implied by monotheism led to the development of rational
bookkeeping and the calculated pursuit of financial success beyond what one
needed simply to live – and this is the "spirit of capitalism." Over
time, the habits associated with the spirit of capitalism lost their religious
significance, and rational pursuit of profit became its own aim.
The Protestant Ethic thesis has
been much critiqued, refined, and disputed, but is still a lively source of
theoretical debate in sociology of religion. Weber also did considerable work
in world religions, including Hinduism and Buddhism.
In his magnum opus Economy and
Society Weber distinguished three ideal types of religious attitudes:
1. world-flying mysticism2.
world-rejecting asceticism3. inner-worldly asceticism
He also separated magic as
pre-religious activity.
Sociological Perspective: Birth Control
Sociological Perspective: Birth
Control
By: Kate Fawcett, Sarah Owens,
and Wesley Ply
This topic will explore the topic
of birth control from different sociological perspectives. It will discuss how
birth control, an issue of our social world, can connect individual experiences
and societal relationships. We will discuss American contraceptive culture, how
society influences the individual’s views through the media, and demonstrate
how different forms of conflict theory can influence the perception of birth
control.
Culture from a sociological
perspective is made up of many components. There are tangible components, such
as technology and symbols, and there are intangible components, such as values,
beliefs, norms, and taboos. Culture changes through out history as discoveries
are made and new inventions are created. There are subcultures that are
considered deviant from society that form their own set of tangible and
intangible components. When looking at birth control as a part of American
culture, it is easy to identify our symbols, beliefs, and norms of using birth
control. However, it was not always like this. As stated above, culture changes
with discoveries and inventions and it has been an uphill battle for birth
control to be considered a norm. Today, there are still subcultures that
completely condemn the use of any contraception.
The pill, condoms, spermicides,
intra-uterine devices, diaphragms, vaginal rings, and the morning after pill
are all examples of the tangible components of birth control in our culture.
There are literally 20+ methods of contraception to choose from in our culture
today. These methods can also be a symbol of maturity or promiscuity. To a
teenage boy, receiving a condom from his dad before he goes on a date can be a
symbol of the boy maturing and coming of age. It can also be a sign of the
dad’s respect or trust that he has for his son. While the pill has many
different medical uses, seeing a teenage girl using the pill can be a symbol of
her promiscuity. In college, some girls may view the pill as a symbol of her
independence and ability to make her own decisions. Each method can have a
different symbolic meaning to different people.
The values, beliefs, norms, and
taboos of birth control in our culture vary but there is an overall acceptance
of contraception that wasn’t there before.
There is a belief among Americans that contraception is a smart and
healthy choice. There has even been a push to make the pill an over the counter
drug. Statistics show that the vast majority of sexually active Americans use
some form of birth control making it a social norm of our culture. Of course
these beliefs are not shared among all Americans. There are many who believe
contraception to be morally wrong, mainly for religious reasons, who do not use
any form of birth control even during marriage. This would be a taboo to our
culture now. They might even be considered a subculture that has developed
their own cultural components.
The acceptance of birth control
is a relatively recent cultural conception. Congress passed an anti-obscenity
law that deemed birth control information obscene and outlaws it’s
dissemination in 1873. Since then, technology and science have greatly
progressed and new methods of birth control were invented and tested. The
social view of contraception slowly began to change from obscene to healthy. This
is not all due to the advance in technology. The beliefs and values of
Americans concerning sex began to change as well, taking on the perspective
that sex is more acceptable. In 1965, Griswold v. Connecticut made the
prohibition of contraceptives illegal, setting the course for American culture
and birth control in the years to follow.
Society’s opinion of birth
control heavily influences the media that we see involving the topic. On the
other hand, various mediums of advertisements and commercials play a huge role
in providing the public with knowledge of the methods and facts concerning
birth control as well as swaying their opinions on the topic. Some of the first
birth control pill advertisements were seen in 2000, with Tri-Cyclen. There is
a direct correlation with the time that commercials for various birth control
methods came about with society’s opinion on the topic as a whole. The United
States government began supporting birth control clinics in 1974, and it was
not much later that public messages endorsing contraceptive through various
mediums were accepted. The FDA accepted the pill as an effective and safe
contraceptive in 1990 and a decade later, multiple television and magazine
advertisements for the pill would be seen by millions of Americans. As time as
progressed, especially with society’s growing acceptance of the pill as well as
other forms of birth control, the media has received more freedom in selecting
and placing what was once seen as controversial or sacrilegious advertisements
and endorsements for various contraceptives. Although companies have been more
liberal about the content of birth control advertisements in recent years, many
companies still tread on thin ice with media promoting or even involving
contraceptive methods.
Many perspectives are based on
items seen in magazines, on television, popular culture as well as life
pressures. Throughout the late 60s,
catholic officials refused to accept any form of birth control, including the
pill. However, due to the need for it as well as the influence media placed on
many individuals, over two thirds of catholic women across the world were on
the pill at that time. As more information has become available to women and
their spouses, the acceptance of birth control has become more widespread. In
recent happenings, society’s common “need” for birth control has stopped many
republican governors and representatives from making various forms of birth
control illegal or much more difficult to obtain. Media and pressure from
spouses are major contributing factors to a woman’s decision to start taking
birth control.
Deciding what form of birth
control to use is dictated by when you believe that life begins. Contraceptives are the most utilized form of
birth control, and are defined as any process, device or method used to prevent
conception. Conception marks the onset
of pregnancy, and once this occurs the only birth control option is
abortion. Abortion is a very controversial
topic in our society and women are forced to make decisions based on their
beliefs. Conflict theory is the idea
that conflict between competing interests is the basic, animating force of
social change and society in general.
The conflict in abortion is the battle between “pro-life” and
“pro-choice”. These competing interests
are what drive most advertisements for birth control in our society. Advertisements can be seen everywhere, either
promoting “choice” or promoting “life”.
Laws have also been passed because of these competing interests. All states had banned abortion by 1965, but
in 1973 the Supreme Court in the famous case of Roe v. Wade, declared state
abortion laws to be unconstitutional.
The conflicting beliefs of different groups in our society have been the
cause for major changes in our societies views and even our laws.
One type of conflict theory is
feminist theory, which involves the advocacy of social equality for women. In today’s society, women are becoming more
and more active in the work force. Women
are becoming just as successful as men, and are much more career oriented than
they were in the past. In many cases,
women are faced with the conflict of deciding between starting a family or
focusing on their career. Traditionally
women were expected to be stay at home moms, but with the rise in birth control
methods and awareness, women have become empowered to make their own decisions
on whether to have children or not.
Recently women have been trying to increase the availability of birth
control. Georgetown Law student Sandra
Fluke went before a Democratic hearing in February asking them to consider
including free contraceptive pills in the new health care bill. She claims that she spent $3000 on
contraceptives during her three-year period in law school. This caused a lot of controversy among
right-winged conservatives specifically catching the attention of radio host,
Rush Limbaugh, who called her a “prostitute” because taxpayers would be paying
for her to have sex. As you can imagine,
there was a large outcry from feminist throughout the country, and Sandra Fluke
has become a symbol for women’s empowerment and contraceptive
availability.
Birth control, although more
widely accepted now, is still a controversial issue in our social world.
Companies must take into consideration culture, society’s pull, and conflicting
ideologies when promoting their contraceptive methods. It is important to look
at this issue from a sociological perspective to gain a better understanding as
to why birth control is such a prominent topic.
Article Credit: http://birthcontrolsoc302.blogspot.com/2012/04/this-blog-will-explore-topic-of-birth.html
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Friday, July 11, 2014
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Monday, July 7, 2014
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Vitamin E
Vitamin E capsules for Hair
Unbeknownst to many, Vitamin E is an essential nutrient that helps in keeping the heart and skin healthy. But more than this, vitamin E proves to be beneficial to hair health as well. Although scientists and medical experts alike cannot exactly determine how vitamin E aids in keeping the hair healthy, they believe that it produces the same exact mechanism that it does for keeping the heart healthy. It has been proven to show positive effects to hair such as prevention of hair loss and promoting hair growth by enabling growth of the capillaries.
Benefits of Vitamin E for Hair
There are countless benefits that vitamin E can provide for the body including healthy hair growth. Regular intake of this vitamin can prove to be beneficial and its effects can be seen in just a matter of weeks. This supplement can also be applied to skin or scalp topically to further enhance and accelerate the appearance. The quality and texture of the hair can be improved when it is regularly applied with vitamin E oil.
Here are some specific benefits that Vitamin E can provide:
Used For
|
Description
|
|---|---|
Hair Growth
|
Vitamin E is a great stimulant for growth of capillaries, when the capillaries are healthy and profuse, the blood circulation in the scalp will be enhanced which will therefore promote strong and healthy growth of hair.
|
Pre-mature Greying
|
Vitamin E contains effective and potent antioxidants that inhibit good health of our body tissues, when our body tissues are strong and healthy, our aging process slows down as well. Therefore, aging signs that may appear in our skin and hair will slow down as well. With regular intake of vitamin D, you will notice that not only will the skin look younger, but premature graying of the hair will be prevented as well.
|
Lustrous Hair
|
Because vitamin D oil can be used topically, it can directly condition the hair making it more lustrous, shinier and stronger than it was before. This vitamin oil can also be combined with commercially manufactured conditioner and then massaged on to the scalp to further make the hair soft and smooth.
|
Split Ends
|
A lot of women often complain about having split ends, and this is understandable as its appearance can really make hair look dull, dry and lifeless. This can be caused by constant use of hot hair tools without using proper protection on the hair or by regular dyeing of the hair. In order to restore the hair’s health, hair experts advise to treat it with the combined mixture of equal amounts of coconut, olive, jojoba and hemp oils to make 12 ounces. Mix in two oz. vitamin E oil into the mixture and apply to the roots up to the tips of the hair.
|
Yo Yo Honey Singh
Honey Singh (born Hirdesh Singh
in Delhi), better known by his stage name Yo Yo Honey Singh, is an Indian
rapper, music producer, singer and film actor. He started as a session and
recording artist, and became a Bhangra producer. He has also begun to produce
music for Bollywood films.
Career
It is reported that Honey Singh
prefers to sing in his native language Punjabi and Hindi rather than
English. The Punjabi album International Villager was released on 11
November 2011 (11-11-11). The track Gabru from International Villager
featuring singer J-Star topped Asian music charts (including the official BBC
Asian charts)
He has performed at many college
festivals including at Ansal Institute of Technology and Ramjas College,
Delhi. He learned DJing from DJ Vishal and stood second in "War of
DJs"
Bollywood
Honey Singh has also become
widely popular in Bollywood. He was first noticed after his debut song in a
Bollywood film featuring Gagan Sidhu for the film Shakal Pe Mat Ja. He has also
charged Rs. 7 million for a song in an upcoming film titled Mastaan starring
Naseeruddin Shah. It is the biggest amount paid to a song artist in Bollywood
to date, making Honey Singh the highest-paid musical artist in Bollywood.
Also, a song named Angreji Beat
from Honey Singh's recently released album International Villager featuring
Gippy Grewal, was featured in Saif Ali Khan's film Cocktail.
Singh, also launched his single
track "Bring Me Back ft. Spoken Word" at Video Music Awards India
which aired on MTV India. The award show was packed with many films and
independent artists throughout the world including India. After the end of the
show, his song was also premiered at the channel.
He has been widely popular in
Bollywood film music these days for composing songs in films such as Mere Dad
Ki Maruti, Bajatey Raho, Chennai Express & Boss. He has also signed on a
few of his songs on some of Akshay Kumar's next films, including his production
Fugly and the Shaukeen remake.
Acting
Honey Singh made his acting debut
in a Punjabi movie, titled Mirza (2012), performing the role of Deesha, a mad
gangster. Despite only being a cameo appearance, the role went on to win Singh
an award for Best Male Debut (PTC Punjabi Film Awards). The following year,
Singh appeared in another Punjabi flick, the comedy film Tu Mera 22 Main Tera
22, as Rolly, a childish and spoilt brat, alongside Amrinder Gill.
Despite appearing in a number of
guest appearances in Bollywood films for the songs he produces, in films such
as Boss, Honey Singh made his actual Bollywood acting debut with the 2014
musical-thriller film The Xpose alongside Himesh Reshammiya. The film released
on 16 May 2014, to mixed reviews from critics, and a below average response at
the box office apparently. Despite a
Bollywood acting debut, Honey Singh is also expecting to star in his third
Punjabi film this year, titled Zorawar, directed by Vinnil Markan.
Friday, July 4, 2014
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Blogger news
Custom Search