My Best Friend Essay Example for Free

My Best Friend Essay Believe it or not, my best friend is an elderly woman in her late 70s. Her name is Maria. She is Spanish decent, married, with no children. We couldn’t appear to be more different. Maria and I met at the gym last year. That’s about all we had in common when we met – that we were both active and healthy. Many people would question why I would develop such a close relationship with someone more than twice my age. It was our differences that actually brought us close. Maria had already been through all of the things that I had yet to face in my life, and she had a lot to teach me. I was a ready listener, as I was facing things in my life that I had never experienced before. I needed guidance and friendship, and Maria was like an angel sent to guide me. I enjoy spending time with Maria. She is pleasant all the time and very easy going. I can talk to her about anything, and she seems to know just what to say or when not to say anything at all. She is very confident and doesn’t try to impress anyone by pretending to be someone she is not; perhaps this is why I am so drawn to her. Maria is very happy with her life despite the fact that she never had children and is in the winter of her life. She has given me the opportunity to look at my life in a different perspective and to accept and be proud of all of the choices that I have made, while at the same time offering guidance for my future. Every moment I spend with Maria is a gift. I cherish it. I hope she gains as much from our friendship as I do.

Schone Madonna :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Schone Madonna is a German term meaning â€Å"Beautiful Madonna†. This image possibly originated as a response to new ways to practice religion, and in particular, worship of the Virgin in a more personal manner. Three examples of this representation include the Roudnice Madonna, the Madonna of Krumau, and the Jihlava Pieta.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Roudnice Madonna, a 35 1/2† x 26 1/4† panel constructed in approximately 1400, effectively shows the focus on amore soft and attractive Mary than seen in previous depictions. Using chiaroscuro, the artist modeled a beautiful face for the Virgin. The Christ child is more at ease than ever, relaxing comfortably with his mother. The drapery of the Virgin’s gown, similarly seen on the statues of this type, are full and rhythmic, extending to the wrist. This image of Mary is considered to be the finest image developed by the Bohemian sculptors, likely created for South Bohemian courts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This new Madonna developed roots from the intense level of worship for the Virgin Mary at this time in history in Europe. There was a new desire to show this idol as a beautiful princess, not as a humble servant or out-of-reach queen. The Schone Madonna became the Bohemian feminine ideal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The three basic prototypes for the â€Å"Beautiful Madonna†, Krumau, Thorn, and Breslau, are all very similar, with graceful postures, made of the same material, approximately the same height, and around the same time period. Of these, the Madonna of Krumau is considered the best and most famous. A stone sculpture, 4’3†, dating to approximately 1390-1400, it was created by a Bohemian artist who focused on Schone Madonna figures. This piece â€Å"embodies the beau ideal as the chaste princess of the Late Gothic age.† (p.31 textbook) Mary has a poised head on a long neck emerging from narrow shoulders, with a charming face and high forehead. Her long fingers gently, but firmly grasp her young son, while he makes eye contact with the viewer. The Madonna’s drapery is poetic in abstraction, a Schone Madonna style characteristic. The gentle â€Å"S† curve of her body allows for elegant cascades of draped cloth. (p. 31 textbook)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Jihlava Pieta was sculpted of stone by a Bohemian artist around 1400-1410. This composition is formed by a seated Madonna, and the diagonal is marked by a rigid Christ. (p. 32 textbook) Mary almost looks happy to see her once suffering son dead, and this is somewhat disturbing. Schone Madonna :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Schone Madonna is a German term meaning â€Å"Beautiful Madonna†. This image possibly originated as a response to new ways to practice religion, and in particular, worship of the Virgin in a more personal manner. Three examples of this representation include the Roudnice Madonna, the Madonna of Krumau, and the Jihlava Pieta.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Roudnice Madonna, a 35 1/2† x 26 1/4† panel constructed in approximately 1400, effectively shows the focus on amore soft and attractive Mary than seen in previous depictions. Using chiaroscuro, the artist modeled a beautiful face for the Virgin. The Christ child is more at ease than ever, relaxing comfortably with his mother. The drapery of the Virgin’s gown, similarly seen on the statues of this type, are full and rhythmic, extending to the wrist. This image of Mary is considered to be the finest image developed by the Bohemian sculptors, likely created for South Bohemian courts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This new Madonna developed roots from the intense level of worship for the Virgin Mary at this time in history in Europe. There was a new desire to show this idol as a beautiful princess, not as a humble servant or out-of-reach queen. The Schone Madonna became the Bohemian feminine ideal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The three basic prototypes for the â€Å"Beautiful Madonna†, Krumau, Thorn, and Breslau, are all very similar, with graceful postures, made of the same material, approximately the same height, and around the same time period. Of these, the Madonna of Krumau is considered the best and most famous. A stone sculpture, 4’3†, dating to approximately 1390-1400, it was created by a Bohemian artist who focused on Schone Madonna figures. This piece â€Å"embodies the beau ideal as the chaste princess of the Late Gothic age.† (p.31 textbook) Mary has a poised head on a long neck emerging from narrow shoulders, with a charming face and high forehead. Her long fingers gently, but firmly grasp her young son, while he makes eye contact with the viewer. The Madonna’s drapery is poetic in abstraction, a Schone Madonna style characteristic. The gentle â€Å"S† curve of her body allows for elegant cascades of draped cloth. (p. 31 textbook)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Jihlava Pieta was sculpted of stone by a Bohemian artist around 1400-1410. This composition is formed by a seated Madonna, and the diagonal is marked by a rigid Christ. (p. 32 textbook) Mary almost looks happy to see her once suffering son dead, and this is somewhat disturbing.

Political Economy Theory Essay

The political economy in mass media theory argues that â€Å"the structure of the industry influences content.† _(Andrejevic M, 2007)._ This theory will be demonstrated by analysing an article entitled _'†Sky’s the limit† for MySpace’_, published on _News.com.au_ on August 10th 2007. The presumption of the theory is that media content is influenced by a combination of the media owners (individuals or corporations), advertisers, competitors/other media, government regulations and viewers or readers. In the case of media ownership, â€Å"Private individuals decide what information should be provided to the public based on what earns them the most money.† _(Andrejevic M, 2007)_ The _News.com.au_ article on _MySpace_ appears in the National News section and describes the firm grasp and incredible influence the social networking site, established in 2003, has on the internet and throughout the business world. The article is saturated with references to the innovations and stunning success of _MySpace_. For example the opening sentence reads â€Å"Social networking website _MySpace_ has more than 115 million members around the world and already plays a key role in launching music careers, political campaigns and the way people communicate in general.† _(Gadd M, 2007)_ At this point a discerning reader should recall that _News Corp_ bought _MySpace_ from its co founders Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe in July 2005. _(Malick O, 2006)_ The propaganda model developed by Edwards S Herman and Noam Chomsky asserts that information presented to the general public via mainstream media outlets will be biased in relation to the interests of the multinational organisations or media conglomerates that own them. _(Herman & Chomsky, 1988)_ By publishing an article promoting the dominant discourse that _MySpace_ is a popular, thriving production with unlimited potential, _News Limited_ are encouraging awareness of the website, which in turn provides it with traffic and publicity. Since _News Corp_ owns _MySpace_ and is a holding company for _News Limited_, this is a chief example of the  propaganda model and reinforces the political economy theory that media content is affected by media owners. The positive language used in the article demonstrates the power of linguistic controls in promoting a discourse. The writers of the article use phrases such as â€Å"it’s just the tip of the ice berg† _(Gadd M, 2007)_ to imply there is a wealth of possibilities for _MySpace_ to accomplish. The website is described as â€Å"a platform for individuals to express themselves and socialise.† _(Gadd M, 2007)_ This quote is relevant to today’s society as ideas of non-conformity, individuality and creativity are attractive to today’s youth. Of all the quotes available from the interviews with the co founders, there is a deliberate choice on behalf of _News.com.au_ to feature words such as ’emerging’, ‘prominent’, ‘innovate’, and ‘evolve’ that connote ideas of positive change and progression. This gives the impression that _MySpace_ is at the forefront of the online social networking phenomenon with millions of individuals flocking to be involved. These terms are deliberately chosen by _News Limited_ to appeal to advertisers who wish for their products to be seen and purchased by the â€Å"trend-setters† in society, and this will consequently benefit its parent, _News Corp_. The article also suggests the potential power MySpace has for advertisers in the future. â€Å"Mr DeWolfe said mobile advertising would be a lucrative fund source and video would take a more prominent place in the way people communicated and shared their art.† _(Gadd M, 2007)_ It should be noted that _News Corp.,_ along with other media conglomerates, is ultimately a commercial organisation. By using _News Limited_’s article to draw attention to the incredible infiltration ratio of _MySpace_ (four million unique accounts in Australia, and 50% of all internet users in America) _News Corp_ is securing advertisers’ interest in _MySpace_. The statement by Walt Disney Corporation CEO, Michael Eisner, is particularly powerful in demonstrating the reality of what drives media conglomerates: â€Å"We have no obligation to make history. We have no obligation to make art. We have no obligation to make a statement. To make money is our only objective.† _(Andrejevic M , 2007)_ Newspapers, TV networks and magazines rely on advertisers to finance their business, so to encourage advertisers to buy space in their publication they commodify and promote their audiences. According to Dallas Smythe â€Å"audiences are bought by advertisers on the basis on income, age, sex, ethnic and class specifications.† _(Stevenson N, 2002:10-11)_ Rupert Murdoch outlined his plans for the future of _MySpace_ in a 2006 interview at the Citigroup Entertainment, Media and Telecommunications Conference. He revealed that an instant messenger client with voice capabilities, increased worldwide penetration, and free video downloads were in the works. (The free video downloads have been successfully incorporated into the website since the interview.) Following this, Mr Murdoch said â€Å"We’ve got the biggest mass of unsold inventory. We have the third most page views of the Internet in America,† and explained that _News Corp_ had met with advertising networks to â€Å"judge whether they can sell it better than we can.† _(Burns E, 2006)_ In conclusion, the political economy theory, which highlights the a link between â€Å"ownership and †¦ content of media production† _(Stevenson N, 2002: 41)_, can be applied to the _News.com.au_ article about _MySpace_ to reveal how much ownership, among other things, can affect the information the public receives from mass media outlets. As demonstrated in the way that _News Limited_ portrayed _MySpace_ in a positive light for the economic benefit of its parent firm _News Corp,_ it is important for audiences to be aware of the political economy theory, and to detect not only bias but the possible reasons behind such bias in media texts they consume. BIBLIOGRAPHY Andrejevic M (2007) _The Mass Media: A Political Economic Approach._ Lecture slides for JOUR2211 Week 2. Available from https://my.uq.edu.au/blackboard_frame.html Accessed on 12/08/07 Burns E (2006) _Murdoch discusses future of MySpace.com._ Available from Accessed on 10/08/07 Gadd M (2007) _’Sky’s the limit’ for MySpace._ Available from Accessed on 10/08/07 Herman E S and Chomsky, Noam. (1988) _Manufacturing Consent: the Political Economy of the Mass Media_. New York: Pantheon Books Malick O (2006) _Why Murdoch Really Bought MySpace._ Available Accessed on 11/02/03 McQuail D (2002) _McQuails Reader in Mass Communication Theory._ Sage publications. Stevenson N (2002) Understanding Media Cultures: Social Theory and Mass Communication. Sage publications. pp10-11

Religion and Science Can They Coexist in the Modern World

Religion and Science: Can They Coexist in the Modern World Since the dawn of man, humans have struggled to explain the many mysteries of the universe, and to justify their existence in it. Throughout this journey of self-understanding, numerous standpoints about human existence have evolved and merged into a complex, abstract manifestation called religion. Advances in science and technology have yielded a new breed of human thought that has disturbed and shaken the foundations of religious ideology. The new, scientifically-grounded understanding of the universe has unfolded a plethora of answers to age-old questions, which are antithetical to the explanations offered by some religious beliefs. The Bible has answered the questions: how†¦show more content†¦Many religious thinkers have responded to this evidence, by claiming that the methods used to ascertain the Earths age are inaccurate. They argue that radioactive dating; a widely accepted method of determining the age of rocks, is inaccurate because there is no available rock sa mple of a known age, to which the method can be calibrated. However, this argument is obsolete because the only calibration required to find the age of a rock is the measurement of decay rates, which can be found in the laboratory in a controlled experiment (Badash, 1995, 90). Because of the evidence provided by scientific research, many religious thinkers have been forced to compromise their position, and have attempted to blend scientific fact with biblical accounts of the age of the earth. Many theists contend that the words of the Bible are metaphorical, and can be interpreted in a way that reconciles the biblical account of the Earths age with scientific fact. According to Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament, the earth was created in six days: And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day (Genesis 1:31). They argue that other passages in the book of Genesis can be interpreted to mean that a day to God can be thousands of years, and because of this, the Earth could have been created over a much longer timeframe than six days, and can thus be asShow MoreRelatedSimilarities And Differences Of Science And Religion1585 Words   |  7 PagesZamora Gabriela Professor: R. Stringer Friday English 101 Class 12/05/14 Similarities and Differences of Science and Religion Where do we come from? Why are we here? And What is our purpose are questions that many of us ask ourselves sometime. During the debate on, Does Science Refutes God?, it is well seen that science can overthrow the credibility of God because science has a lot of relevant studies and conclusions, but it certainly does not refute God. It is clearly seen that shermer and KrauzeRead MoreThe Star by Arthur C. 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