Saturday, September 7, 2019

Reflection paper- transition from RPN to RN Assignment

Reflection paper- transition from RPN to RN - Assignment Example Transitioning from RPN to RN makes you realize that the work of an RN requires special skills in leadership to ensure all the nurses work in a collaborative manner for the best interest of the patients. Given that the health care facilities have a mixture of both RPN and RN, there is a need for the team to establish synergetic working relations that avoids the possibility of conflicts during the practice. Having served previously as a RPN, I did not have practical experiences of how to handle the different roles that come with being in charge of my team. Consequently, there are times when it becomes difficult to merge all the diverse perceptions held by the nurses in assisting the patients cope with their problems. For instance I have had challenges in creating effective plan for the faster recovery of patients since the other members always come up with alternatives they thought was better especially with regard to quality of care and amount of time spent with the patients. Since most of the members of the team did not have confidence in the suggestions I presented as the best plan for the patients, I felt they did not think I had the qualities to be their leader. Application of my professional skills in conflict resolutions is also a challenge that has affected my practice since the transition from RPN and RN. I have identified that in most cases involving conflicts in the team I work with, there is a breakdown in communication where is becomes difficult passing my point through to the members. This is especially true when seeking to exercise what I consider as my more comprehensive knowledge in nursing by taking advantage of the in-depth and wide knowledge base. There are those in the group who feel they should get more responsibilities as opposed to being limited in the practice of less complex patient needs. This is for instance when selecting between the roles of RPN and RN with members

Friday, September 6, 2019

The portrayal of the family in The Simpsons Essay Example for Free

The portrayal of the family in The Simpsons Essay In the majority of episodes of The Simpsons, the plots are similar in the respect that one or more family members are involved in a predicament that always has a comical element, and involves Homer Simpson saying Doh! . The plots are more often than not character driven, for example, in the episode Brother Where Art Thou? Homer Simpson finds out that he has a half brother that he never knew. Homer then embarks on a journey to find him, when he does; he discovers that his brother is a millionaire. In the end, he manages to bankrupt his long lost brother, and they part ways on bad terms. The central character in that particular episode is Homer; in the episode Lisas Pony, the central character is Lisa. Even though the plots are always similar, the resolutions differ so that the viewer is kept interested in the series. To say that the Simpsons are a stereotypical nuclear family would be a dubious statement. They all have their own personalities, which have elements of certain stereotypes, but not enough of one in particular to dominate the others in their personality. Homer Simpson is a beer drinking couch potato who likes nothing more than to watch the football game on the television. Marge Simpson is a maternal housewife and a possible nag of the family. Contrary to the point I previously made, I think that the children in the family are stereotyped; Bart, who is the Dennis the Menace nuisance and underachiever, Lisa whos intelligence is far greater than anyone elses in the family, and Maggie, who never speaks, but still manages to indulge herself in a little mischief. By the writers using stereotypes in the programme, they make it easier for people to relate to the characters, and enable the viewer to understand the plot more. For example in the episode Barts Dog Gets Out, Santas Little Helper (i. e. the dog) escapes, and Barts first instinct is to get out and find him. With Homer, he would probably propose getting a new one, or discourage his family from looking for him. The relationships in The Simpsons are not stereotypical because that would make the programme less comical. Even in the opening sequence however, we still get an indication of the type of characters they are. Marge has a strong relationships with Maggie, and we see them rushing from shopping, which shows Marges role as the housewife. We see Bart in school writing lines on a blackboard, and then weaving in and out of pedestrians in his rush to get home; this shows that he is troublesome at school, but also virtually carefree. Lisa is playing in the school band, but then breaks off, and is sent out, seemingly because she plays too well for the rest of the class to keep up; this illustrates her talent. She also rides a bicycle, which one could argue, means that she is a conservative person, which she is. Homer races off from work, and in doing so ends up with a glowing radioactive rod in the back of his radiation suit, which shows he is both careless, and lacks common sense. I think that the show itself is aimed at younger audiences, for example teenagers and young adults because; the programme has some unrealistic features such as the Simpsons skin colour and the fact that they have four fingers. Although the programme has other cultures (i. e. Indians and Black people), the main family, which are the Simpsons, have yellow as a skin colour. Their skin colour can be argued whether it is realistic or unrealistic because, yellow may have been used because it is a primary colour, and primary colours are attractive and eye catching, but; on the other hand it may have a meaning which could be universal because it is neither black nor white. Using yellow as a skin colour makes it known to viewers that racism is ruled out and I believe that yellow is a good example for this because it is warm, bright and welcoming; and this makes a good statement. Another argument could arise that their skin colour is yellow because if they were to be a real life equivalent you would assume them to be Caucasian; and so their skin is drawn as yellow to combat the idea of the common black or white situation. The fact that all the characters in The Simpsons have four fingers shows that they are all a unique and unified community despite age and race, this also makes a good statement. Both the skin colour and the four fingers are attractive to young viewers but they also have meaning to older viewers, and different parts of the show are aimed at different audiences. An example of this would be in the episode Lisas Pony; it could be argued that it is aimed at younger children, especially girls. The episode Brother, Where Art Thou? would be aimed at the older audiences, especially men, but whatever the case it is possible for a variety of age groups to watch and enjoy the programme. The allusions in the show itself prove to the audience that the show is up to date, and it gives the show a sharper angle of realism, which again would attract people to watch the show. An allusion from the film E. T. was used in The Simpsons. The film E. T. is most known for the contact of alien and human with their finger touching each other. This was like a connection. This connection was seen when Lisa and her mother did the same thing. That one moment in The Simpsons held much meaning, it showed the personal relationship with Marge and Lisa, and Marges maternal and loving side. It also showed that Marge is a significant figure in Lisas life. This allusion can be very heart-warming for viewers to see.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

The History Of The Bionic Eye

The History Of The Bionic Eye Here, we present a description of a block scheme, specific features of design and results of testing for a prototype of a bionic eye, types of them and its applications. The bionic eye is intended to provide vision, partially to the visually impaired by use of the modern day electronics devices like CCD cameras. The comprises a computer chip that sits in the back of the individuals eye, linked up to a mini video camera built into glasses that they wear. Images captured by the camera are beamed to the chip, which translates them into impulses that the brain can interpret. Although the images produced by the artificial eye were far from perfect, they could be clear enough to allow someone who is otherwise blind to recognize faces. The paper discusses the differences working methodologies used in each of them. During the tests and the clinical trails, this device made six blind people to regain their vision partially. The potential advantage of using bionic eye is to be able to remove t he blindness completely by making the advances in the present research and improving manufacturing technologies. This break through is likely to benefit approximately one crore world population who suffer from the most common causes of blindness, Retinitis Pigmentosa, Macular Degeneration. The implant bypasses the diseased cells in the retina and stimulates the remaining viable cells. This is a revolutionary piece of technology and really has the potential to change peoples lives. But we need to be aware it is still some way in the future. INTRODUCTION A Bionic Eye is a device, which acts as an artificial eye. It is a broad term for the entire electronics system consisting of the image sensors, processors, radio transmitters receivers, and the retinal chip. Based on the institute developed these devices are developed but with minor to major differences, of these the devices with functional capability and those which are clinically tested and results proved are discussed here. Here the designers objective is to go for a system that is technically perfect with no loop holes and that is harmless to the human body which receives the system and that is commercially viable both in terms of ease of manufacture, cost and the process of implanting. Blindness means loss of vision. Rods and Cones, millions of them are in the back of every healthy human eye. They are biological solar cells in the retina that convert light to electrical impulses impulses that travel along the optic nerve to the brain where images are formed. Without them, eyes lose the capacity to see, and are declared blind. Degenerative retinal diseases result in death of photoreceptorsrod-shaped cells at the retinas periphery responsible for night vision and cone-shaped cells at its center responsible for color vision. Worldwide, 1.5 million people suffer from retinitis pigmentosa (RP), the leading cause of inherited blindness. In the Western world, agerelated macular degeneration (AMD) is the major cause of vision loss in people over age 65, and the issue is becoming more critical as the population ages. Each year, 700,000 people are diagnosed with AMD, with 10 percent becoming legally blind, defined by 20/400 vision. Many AMD patients retain some degree of peripheral vision. Currently, there is no effective treatment for most patients with AMD and RP, the researchers say . However, if one could bypass the photoreceptors and directly stimulate the inner retina with visual signals, one might be able to restore some degree of sight. Need for the BIONIC EYE: It has been shown that electric stimulation of retinal neurons can produce perception of light in patients suffering from retinal degeneration. Using this property the eye and make uses of the functional cells to retain the vision with the help of electronic devices that assist this cells in performing the task of vision, we can make these lakhs of people get back their vision at least artially. A design of an optoelectronic retinal prosthesis system that can stimulate the retina with resolution corresponding to a visual acuity of 20/80-sharp enough to orient yourself toward objects, recognize faces, read large fonts, watch TV and, perhaps most important, lead an independent life. The researchers hope their device may someday bring artificial vision to those blind due to retinal degeneration. BIONIC EYE DEFINED: Bionic Eye, Bio Electronic eye, is a device that can provide sight the detection of light. It replaces the functionality of a part or whole of eye. it is used to replace functionality as well as add functionality. It is a complex combination of multiple devices which work together for restoration of the vision of the subject. The Diseases that cause blindness:  Ã‚ ® Retinitis Pigmentosa  Ã‚ ® Macular Degeneration Of these, retinitis pigmentosa is a disease, which is a hereditary genetic disease in which peripheral rods degenerate gradually progresses towards center of eye and results in tunnel vision. As for macular degeneration, it is also genetically related , it degenerates cones in macula region, causing damage to central vision but spares peripheral retina. MIT- HARVARD DEVICE: This device follows an Epi-Retinal Approach. In this Microelectrode array replaces damaged photoreceptors, which act in the place of rods and cones to send the signals to optic nerve. The power source Laser(820nm wavelength). For image acquisition it uses a CCD Camera. Patient spectacle holds the camera and power source. It consists of two systems, system-1 which senses and transmits image and power and other system which stimulates the cells, there by making brain visualize the image. System 1:  Ã‚ ® CCD camera input External light intensity  Ã‚ ® CCD output amplitude-modulates laser source  Ã‚ ® This hits photodiode array of implant  Ã‚ ® This in turn powers stimulator chip (SC) System 2:  Ã‚ ® SC drives current to electrodes facing retina  Ã‚ ® This excites the ganglionic cells > axons > optic nerve > visual cortex in occipital lobe of brain  Ã‚ ® Brain helps in perceiving an image Advantages:  Ã‚ ® Very Early in the visual pathway  Ã‚ ® No Batteries implanted within body  Ã‚ ® No complicated surgical procedure  Ã‚ ® Power Requirement  ¼ of milliwatt Disadvantages  Ã‚ ® Axons b/w electrodes and ganglionic cells  Ã‚ ® Other axons get excited unwanted perception of large blur  Ã‚ ® Extra circuitry required for downstream electrical input Artificial Retina Prosthesis using ASR (Artificial Silicon Retina) ASR is a solid state biocompatible chip which contains an array of photo receptors, and is implanted to replace the functionality of the defective photoreceptors .Current generated by the device in response to light stimulation will alter the membrane potential of the overlying neurons and thereby activate Visual ensationsthoerv iPsuhaolsspyhsetenmes. can be evoked by electrical stimulation of the different levels of the visual pathway. Phosphenes are evoked by the stimulation of the eyeball or the visual cortex. Artificial vision created by the controlled electric stimulation of the retina has color.  Ã‚ ® Epiretinal Approach involves a semiconductor based device positioned on the surface of the retina to try to simulate the remaining overlying cells  Ã‚ ® Sfutbhreerteintianla A pproach involves implanting the ASR chip behind the retina to simulate the remaining viable cells. IMPLANT DESIGN: Primitive devices Single photosensitive pixel(3mm in diameter) Neo devices The current micro photodiode array (MPA) is comprised of a regular array of individual hotodiode subunits, each approximately 20ÃÆ'-20-ÃŽÂ ¼m square and separated by 10-ÃŽÂ ¼m channel stops (37). The resulting micro photodiode density is approximately 1,100/m2. IMPLANT features The size of implant is 50um. And it needs no external power supply. The response 500nm to 1100nm wavelength response. Working: For the technique to work, the patient must still have some functioning ganglion cells nerve cells that transmit visual information from the retinal cells to the optic nerve as well as a fully-functioning optic nerve. A tiny electronic pad is placed onto the retina of one eye, so that the electrodes are in direct contact with the ganglion cells. Each of the devices 100 electrodes can stimulate 20 to 30 cells. Real-time vision: The user wears a pair of glasses that contain a miniature camera and that wirelessly transmits video to a cellphone-sized computer in the wearers pocket. This computer processes the image information and wirelessly transmits it to a tiny electronic receiver implanted in the wearers head. When received in the implanted chip, the digital information is transformed into electrical impulses sent into the ganglion cells. From there, the brain takes over as the information travels down the optic nerve to the visual cortex at the back of the brain. The whole process occurs extremely rapidly, so that patients see in real-time. This is important any noticeable lag could stimulate the vestibular-ocular reflex, making people feel dizzy and sick. Currently recipients of the device experience a relatively narrow view, but more electrodes should provide a greater field of vision. By stimulating more ganglion cells, he hopes that visual acuity will increase dramatically. His teams next goal is to design a device with 1000 electrodes. MANUFACTURING PROCESS: Implants are comprised of a doped and ion-implanted silicon substrate disk to produce a PiN (positive-intrinsic-negative) junction. Fabrication begins with a 7.6-cm diameter semiconductor grade N-type silicon wafer. For the MPA device, a photomask is used to ion-implant shallow P+ doped wells into the front surface of the wafer, separated by channel stops in a pattern of individual micro photodiodes. An intrinsic layer automatically forms at the boundary between the P+-doped wells and the N-type substrate of the wafer. The back of the wafer is then ion-implanted to produce a N+ surface. Thereafter, an insulating layer of silicon nitrate is deposited on the front of the wafer, covering the entire surface except for the well openings. A thin adhesion layer, of chromium or titanium, is then deposited over the P+ and N+ layers. A transparent electrode layer of gold, iridium/iridium oxide, or platinum, is deposited on the front well side, and on the background side. In its simplest form, the photodiode and electrode layers are the same size. However, increasing the photodiode collector to electrode area ratio can increase the current density available at each individual micro photodiode subunit. Post Implant function and Inference.  Ã‚ ®Measurement procedure  Ã‚ ® IR stimulation at 940nm on the ASR chip  Ã‚ ® Recorded at the corneal surface using contact lens electrode  Ã‚ ® Comparison of responses of gold, platinum and iridium electrodes  Ã‚ ® Iridium based device has a longer persistence  Ã‚ ® Stability of these electrodes BIO-COMPATIBILTY RESULTS: There is no progressive change in retinal appearance that may be associated with retinal toxicity. But there is loss of photoreceptive layer over the region of implant, which is expected due to deprival of oxygen and nutrients to those cells underlying the chip. Multiple Unit Artificial Retina Chipset (MARC): The other revolutionary bio electronic eye is the MARC , this uses a ccd camera input and a laser beam or rf to transmit the image into the chip present in the retina using this a resolution of 100 pixels is achieved by using a 1010 array. It consists of a platinum or rubber silicon electrode array placed inside the eye to stimulate the cells. THE MARC SYSTEM BLOCK: Outside Eye: The video input to the marc system block is given through a CCD camera. This image is further processed using a PDA sized image processor to transmit it , we do pulse width modulation in first stage and then ASK modulation is done. This signal is further amplified using a class E power amplifier and transmitted using RF telemetry coils. Inside Eye: The signal received from the RF telemetry coils is power recovered and then these signal is ASK demodulated and the data and clock is recovered from this signals and these signal are sent to the configuration and control block of the chip which from its input decode what information has to be sent to each of the electrodes and sends them this data. And the electrodes in turn stimulate the cells in the eye so as to send this stimulation to the brain through optic nerve and help brain in visualizing the image and while this process is going on the status of each electrode is sent to the marc diagnostics chip outside the eye Block Diagram Of Image Acquisition System: The image acquisition system consists of a CMOS digital camera which acquires images and sends it to the Analog to Digital Converter. It converts this analog input to digital data. This data is first sent into a video buffer where it is processed, the images are color mapped and this processed images are sent through RS232 interface. this serial data is then sent to the electrodes or testing monitor through a RF circuit or laser beam. Marc Hermetic Sealing And Positioning: The RF coils either intra ocular or extra ocular coil arrangement as shown in figure. This rf probes receives the transmitted RF energy and give it to the MARC chip. The AC wires from this coil is sent to the MARC chip. This chip is hermetically sealed in silicone gel and the other sides of the chips have the electrodes, which stimulate the cells in eye. Advantage of the Marc system: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Compact Size 66 mm à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Diagnostic Capability à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reduction of stress upon retina Conclusion: Researchers throughout the world have looked for ways to improve peoples lives with artificial, bionic devices. Its been 40 years since Arne Larsson received the first fully implanted cardiac pacemaker. Researchers throughout the world have looked for ways to improve peoples lives with artificial, bionic devices. Bionic devices are being developed to do more than replace defective parts. Researchers are also using them to fight illnesses. Providing power to run bionic implants and making connections to the brains control system pose the two great challenges for biomedical engineering. But what ever be the pro and cons of this system. If this system is fully developed it will change the lives of millions of people around the world. We may not restore the vision fully, but we can help them to least be able to find their way, recognize faces, read books, above all lead an independent life.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Queen Victoria :: essays research papers

Queen Victoria was born in 1819 and she died in 1901. She was queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1837-1901) and empress of India (1876-1901). Queen Victoria was born Alexandrina Victoria on May 24, 1819, in Kensington Palace, London. Victoria's mother was Victoria Mary Louisa, daughter of the duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Her father was Edward Augustus, duke of Kent and Strathern, the fourth son of George III and youngest brother of George IV and William IV, they were kings of Great Britain. Because William IV had no legal children, his niece Victoria became inheritor apparent to the British crown upon his accession in 1830. On June 20, 1837, with the expiration of William IV. Victoria became queen at the age of 18. Early in her power Victoria developed a serious concern with goings on of state, guided by her first prime minister, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne. Melbourne was leader of that wing of the Whig Party that later became known as the Liberal Party. He exercised a immovably progressive command on the political thinking of the sovereign. Marriage In 1840 Victoria married her first cousin, Albert, ruler of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, who she had known for about four years. Although this was a wedlock of state, it was a highly extravagant and prosperous one, and Victoria was devoted to her family responsibilities. The first of their nine children was Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise, later queen of Germany. Their first son, Albert Edward, prince of Wales and later monarch of Great Britain as Edward VII, was born in 1841. When the cautious Prince Albert persuaded her that Liberal policy jeopardized the coming of the Crown, the queen began to lose her eagerness for the party. After 1841, when the Melbourne government fell and Sir Robert Peel became prime minister, Victoria was an enthusiastic supporter of the Conservative Party. Also under Albert's influence, she began to interrogation the tradition that restricted the British ruling to an advisory part. In 1850 she challenged the command of Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, alien secretary in the Whig government that had been in command since 1846. Her post was that the sovereign should at least be consulted on different policy. Palmerston, independent and self-assertive, disregarded the request. Their conflict reached a crucial period in 1851, when the prime minister, Lord John Russell, who was also unhappy with Palmerston's elective methods, removed him from the foreign office.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

The Patriot Act Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Patriot Act. On September 11, 2001 Muslim terrorists instilled with a hatred of the west attacked the United States in a brutal fashion. Planes were hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center in New York. Over three thousand people were killed and the impregnable nation known as America was know scared and vulnerable. Almost immediately the legislature began drafting an act that would make the war on terror and the fight for homeland security a little easier to fight, this would come to be known as the Patriot Act â€Å"PATRIOT† is an acronym for â€Å"Uniting and Strengthening America by providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism. The Patriot Act allows the government and law enforcement agencies to have certain freedoms that have not been allowed since before the attacks. The most controversial part of the Act is that surveillance guidelines have been relaxed along with investigative guidelines, while no system of checks to safeguard civil liberties are provided (Podesta) Another problem that is somewhat alarming was the quickness and haste with which the act was introduced-less than a week after the attacks. President Bush signed the Act on October 26 with no House, Senate, or conference reports. (Podesta) The Act is an expansion of the Anti Terrorism Act of 2001 (ATA) which was also intended to strengthen America against terrorism. Both acts expand the ability of law enforcement and an intelligence agency, the only difference is that the ATA contained safeguards against violations of constitutional rights. One of the safeguards was known as the â€Å"sunset provision†, which stated that certain sections of the Act expired after a period of time if it was not renewed by congress. Due to the fear and pandemonium our country was suffering the implementation of the Patriot Act commenced without any sort of judicial oversight. This has caused people to be discontent with the violation of their constitutional civil liberties. In the months before September 11, 2001 many ideas and provisions that are found in the Act were already being proposed and debated, especially those relation to electronic surveillance. Podesta states that the topic of broadening electronic surveillance was criticized harshly but after the attacks people chose panic over their misgivings. This is why the act passed so quickly. Podesta warns that many of ... ... an inferno. â€Å"But its my toy† they would complain, and your duty as a parent would be to tell them that trying to hold on to that toy would result in a serious injury to themselves and people around them. Civil liberties will come back to America in the coming years but for now I want my security to be first priority. Works Cited Frieden, Terry. â€Å"Attorney general defends Patriot Act† CNN.Com Apr. 6, 2005 http://edition.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/04/05/patriot.act Hatch, Orrin G. "Judiciary Statement: 'America After 9/11: Freedom Preserved Or Freedom Lost?'" Before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Nov. 18, 2003. http://hatch.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.View&PressRelease_id=215260 Masci, David. "Civil Liberties in Wartime." The CQ Researcher Online 11.43 (2001). 4 May 2005 http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2001121400. Document ID: cqresrre2001121400. Podesta, John. â€Å"The USA Patriot Act: The Good, the Bad and the Sunset†. Winter, 2002. http://www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/usapatriot/ The American Civil Liberties Union. "Civil Liberties after 9/11". 2004. http://www.garynull.com/Documents/ACLU/911_Report.htm

Monday, September 2, 2019

Vietnam War :: essays research papers

The Vietnam War   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Vietnam War was the longest war in America's history of involvement. Twenty years of hell, land mines, cross-fire, and death. Vietnam was divided by the Geneva Accord. The north being communist run by Ho Chi Minh. The south being anti-Communist run by Ngo Dinh Diem. Before Vietnam was separated, it was run by France. France had ruled most of Indochina since the late 1800s. The Vietnamese were unhappy with the way the French were controlling, therefore, many of them took refuge in China. When in China, they began to follow the lead of Ho Chi Minh, who wanted to model the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence as that of the U.S. version. In the 1940s, Japan had taken over Vietnam which upset Ho Chi Minh and his revolutionaries when they had returned a year later.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After returning, Minh had help from the Vietminh; an organization of communist that wanted freedom from other countries. Their main goal was to turn Vietnam into a self-governed communist country. France wanted none of this non-sense. In 1945 they had moved back into southern Vietnam and ruled most of the cities. Ho Chi Minh swore to fight France to gain control of the whole country. U.S. promised to aid France, and sent almost $15 million worth of financial aid to France. The French fought for four years, being financially aided by the U.S. the whole time. The U.S. spent nearly one billion dollars in order to help France regain control of the tiny country. The only reason that much effort was put into a small area was the fear of the y. Domino Theory. The Domino Theory first showed it's head during a 1954 news conference by U.S. President Eisenhower. The domino theory is the fear of the spread of communism from one country to the next, and so on. Even with the as sistance of the U.S. France could not gain the control it once had on Vietnam.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When president of south Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Diem decided that the election of 1956 should be canceled, America strongly agreed so that Minh could not gain control of the whole country. Diem was a Catholic, which angered the country consisting mostly of Buddhist. In opposition to Diem, a new regime was conjured up in south Vietnam called the Vietcong. Vietcong were residents of South Vietnam who were in favor of the communist rule in North Vietnam.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

How Indian Cinema Evolved over the Years Essay

A hundred years ago on this date, India’s first film Raja Harishchandra was released. Over the past hundred years, our cinema and its facets have evolved and how!! The hero From mooch to macho From a bulky mustached Raj Kapoor in the 40s to a six-pack flaunting, butt-baring John Abraham now, the Bollywood hero has had quite a makeover. The 50s was the era of method-acting with the likes of Dilip Kumar, while in the 60s, Rajesh Khanna and Dev Anand epitomised romance on screen. After Khanna’s guru kurtas and fluffy hairtop, Amitabh Bachchan brought the angry young man into the picture in the 70s and 80s with Zanjeer, Deewar and Agneepath, also bringing to the fore, bell bottoms and side burns. The 90s was the time of the lover boys Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan dancing in exotic foreign locales. Now, the Bollywood hero is not restricted by genre or style and fits into every mould. He is a looker, chocolatey, experimental and total paisa vasool, read Ranbir Kapoor and Imran Khan. The heroine From feeble to fabulous In the early decades, the heroine in Indian cinema had only one objective in life, that of being a sati-savitri, who never looked beyond her family and husband. The kitchen was her cocoon, and she epitomised all things good. Through the 1940s, 50s and 60s, heroines such as Mala Sinha, Meena Kumari, Madhubala, Nanda and Asha Parekh ruled these roles. It was only in the 80s and 90s that she evolved as a strong character (Rekha in Khoon Bhari Mang, 1988), (Meenakshi Sheshadri in Damini, 1993). While in the early 2000s, she was still the demure girl, she managed to live her life on her terms like Rani Mukerji in Kabhie Alvida Naa Kehna. And the heroine today is the sexy, uber cool woman who cares for little more than her own life. Way to go girl! The villain From scary to suave From the usual lot of wicked village zamindars, smugglers, murderers, rapists, dacoits and terrorists, the larger-than-life Bollywood villains have become rare in new age cinema. Thus the traditional villain, Loin, Shakal, Mogambo, Dr Dang and Badman, has died a natural death. The wigged, cigar-smoking avatars played by the likes of Pran, Prem Chopra, Amrish Puri, have made way for smart and sometimes more-adorable-than-the-hero kind of villains. Exhibit A- Saif Ali Khan (Omkara) and Shah Rukh Khan (Don). No lines are drawn now and black characters have became grey with lead actors playing antagonists in films, almost replacing the dedicated villains. This marked the end of ever reverberating iconic one liners like â€Å"Kitne aadmi the?† and â€Å"Saara sheher mujhe Loin ke naam se jaanta hain.† The maa Rona-dhona to supercool From the God fearing and homely mum to a party freak, mothers in Bollywood have come a long way since 1930s. While Nargis in Mother India (1957) played a mother who went through hardships and struggled to bring up her offsprings, Nirupa Roy in the 70s became synonymous with white saris and a melancholic look. Then came Reema Lagoo, with her bindi and sindoor, an ideal middle class Indian mother in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) and Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), who tried to be a friend to her son. But now, mothers are the uber cool women who are ready to accept even same-sex couples, case in point, Kirron Kher in Dostana (2008). And now there are mom who drink and dance at weddings, ala Dolly Walia in Vicky Donor (2012). The item girl Taboo to must-haves The dancing girl evolved from the Cabaret seductress, the free-spirited banjaran, the sensuous courtesan to dancing temptresses in half-saris. In the 40s and 50s, Cuckoo Moray, hotted up the screen with her innocent charm. The 50s saw Vyjayanthimala woo the audience in songs such as Chad Gayo Papi Bichua in Madhumati (1958) in ghagra cholis, and junk silver jewellery. Helen ruled the 60s and 70s, emerging in a bold avatar with dramatic ensembles. The 80s saw the trend of heroines appear in item numbers with Zeenat Aman in Qurbani (1980). Madhuri Dixit’s Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai became the ultimate tease in the 90s. The item girls of 2000s are sexy, not afraid to show skin and love to play hard to get, be it Malaika Arora Khan in a mid-riff baring choli dancing atop a train or Katrina in Sheila Ki Jawani. The comedian Funny face to frontman The comedian in the 40s, was the fat man with funny facial expressions, whose mere presence made audiences laugh. In the 1950s, the lean Johnny Walker broke that trend and managed to win hearts with his slapstick humour. Kishore Kumar, essentially a singer, redefined comedy by using his songs like Meri Pyari Bindu (Padosan 1968) as elements of fun in films. But it was Mehmood, with his fringed hair and impeccable dialogue delivery who became the king of comedy in the 1970s. The next big thing in comedy was Johnny Lever, who left audiences in splits with his body language and dialogues in films like Raja Hindustani (1996) and Dulhe Raja (1998). Now, it’s the heroes — Akshay Kumar (Hera Pheri), Ajay Devgn (Golmaal) who are doubling as comedians. The friend Sidekick to the right-hand man The side kick or hero’s best friend, every Bollywood film has had one. The role could be that of a fun buddy who provides comic relief to the film or that one jigari dost who stays with the hero through thick and thin (in other words, fights for the hero and often dies in the end). From the days of Mukri and Mehmood, who played the hero’s good friend in the 1950s and 60s to the current time where actors like Arshad Warsi and Sharman Joshi play as powerful characters as the hero himself, this portrayal has had a sea change. Mehmood in Humjoli (1970), for instance, played a sidekick who brought the house down with his antics, but Arshad Warsi in the Munnabhai series (2003/06) played the ideal Robin to Sanjay Dutt’s Batman, and got some of the best lines in the films. The romance Touch-me-not to pre-marital sex Romance in Bollywood turned from bold to coy and back to racy and bold. The silent film, ‘A Throw of Dice’ (1929) saw actor Seeta Devi kiss actor Charu Roy. Post-independence, in the 1940s, romance became conservative. The Cinematograph Act in 1952, called kissing on screen indecent and romance became associated with clasping hand and staring into each other’s eyes. Kissing was shown with two flowers coming together or honey bees sucking nectar from flowers. 1970s was Raj Kapoor’s era that brought a passion back to romance with movies such as Bobby (1973), Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978). It was the 90s that romance took a pure and sweet form the two blockbuster hits Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994) Dilwale Duhaniya Le Jayenge (1995). Now, in the 2000s, pre-marital sex shown in films like Salaam Namaste (2005) and Rockstar (2011), is considered cool. The music Melodies to racy tracks The 1930 and 40s, were defined by nasal renditions by the likes of KL Saigal (Jab Dil Hi Tooth Gaya, Shahjahan, 1946) and Noorjehan. The 50s were all about soul-soothing melodies. Songs like it Pyaar Huya Ekraar Huya (Shree 420 1952) or Jaane Woh Kaise Log The (Pyaasa 1957) became epics. However, it was R D Burman, who single-handedly changed the course of Bollywood film music, and introduced westernised tunes in songs in the 60s. While 70s remained the decade of a mix of soft and fast numbers, the 80s turned Bollywood music on its head, as Bappi Lahiri brought in disco music. Disco Dancer (1982) marked the beginning of a range of high-on-noise, low-on-lyrics songs. The 1990s churned out several hugely forgettable numbers, except for musical hits like 1942 a Love Story (1994), Saajan (1991). The 2000s have been the decade of experimenting – thus Sonu Nigam and Yo Yo Honey Singh both find place in the same film. The dialogues Melodrama to quirky Power-packed dialogues get the maximum seetis from the audience, and why not. A film is often remembered for its iconic dialogues. Kaun kambakth bardasht karne ke liye peeta hai, from Devdas that’s a favourite even with the ‘daarubaaz’ of today. However, dialogues like Kitne aadmi the, and â€Å"Kuttey main tera khoon pi jaunga† from Sholay, â€Å"Pushpa, I hate tears† from Amar Prem and â€Å"Mere paas maa hai† from Deewar; have gone on to become epic. In the 1990s, heroes impressed their lady love with dialogues. Thus came, â€Å"I love you Kkk†¦ Kiran† (Darr), â€Å"Bade bade shehron mein aisi chhoti chhoti baatein hoti rehti hain.† (DDLJ 1995). In 2000, quirky dialogues such as, Main apni favourite hoon (Jab We Met), Picture Abhi Baki Hai Dost (Om Shanti Om) are the big hits among film buffs.