Intelligent Optimism Wins In Today s World

The reality of today's world seems to leave little room for optimism. Almost every news story can lead because it does bleed. We hear of critical food shortages in Africa, daily gang deaths on city streets, the profiteering from child pornography, and the climatic disasters prompted by global warming. Health care costs move up faster than a hummingbird in flight and more children now spout profanities as a regular part of speech. With such negativity, no wonder a 2004 U.S. government survey found that depression afflicts one in 10 adults 14 days a month or more.

You probably get depressed just reading the opening paragraph. But wait! There is hope. Not the cock-eyed optimism that became fodder for a song from the musical South Pacific, but rather what psychologists in France are calling "intelligent optimism." Such optimism does not deny the reality of today's world, but rather seeks to LEARN how to fashion a life amid such difficulties. Martin Seligman, the psychologist who had made optimism and happiness his life's work, would agree with the French: optimism can be taught.

Consider these basic steps:

(1) Focus on what you can control. Don't get carried away by circumstances you cannot change. You might not change global warming but you can control your energy consumption. You can't stop the downsizing in your company but you can arm yourself with marketable skills.

(2) Reframe the event so that you are not a victim. There is always another way to view a situation. The flight cancellation that caused me to miss (and forfeit) a major engagement was not "planned" to "get" me. It just was. My choice is to figure out what I can do to help the current client and what I will put in the place of the cancelled work.

(3) Think "enough". When we concentrate on what we don't have, we miss all the many things we do have. The truth of the matter is that if you are reading this article, you do have enough computer power. You do have enough intelligence. You do have enough time.

(4) Cultivate optimistic responses. Like a farmer tending a field, optimism will never grow unless it is watered, fed, weeded and nourished. We all have days in which negativity can take over. And, sometimes, that is a WISE response because it keeps us grounded in reality. Just make sure it is reality and not the imagination making extraordinary leaps into conjecture. Weed out that conjecture. Ask what you can DO to see a result that gives you a sense of power. If we don't cultivate such intelligent optimism, be aware of reality and willing to find options, then we might do what Alexander Graham Bell warned. "Stare so long at the closed door we fail to see the one that is opening."

(5) Remember the power of generations. Children of depressed parents are more prone to depression. Children of optimists are more prone to be optimists. What do you choose to pass along? Even if your parents were negative, you can break the cycle with stopping, freeze-framing a situation, listening to the negative self talk, and then literally giving yourself a different message. Yes, this takes practice but you can make it a habit if you work it over time.

Ultimately, intelligent optimists understand that change and chaos are given. They know that "this too shall pass". In the meantime, they CHOOSE to take whatever action they can within their own sphere of influence and then settle back. It is enough.

(c) 2005, McDargh Communications. Publication rights granted to all venues so long as article and by-line are reprinted intact and all links are made live.

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What To Know About Organic Cosmetics

Due to the growing concern for the potential damage that harsh chemicals can cause the body and the environment, going natural is the current trend in cosmetics today. Women are now looking for products that are made of natural ingredients that wouldnt irritate or harm their skin in any way. The demand for safer beauty products has given rise to organic cosmetics.

The organic way of life which is usually associated with food intake has now extended its reach to cosmetics and skin care products. People who have ridden on the all-natural bandwagon have started opting for organic beauty treatments to be more consistent with the type of lifestyle that they chose. One can easily find such products in health and spa stores all over the country. Shampoos that are 95% organic or soaps made of essential oils and herbs are selling like hotcakes.

But the question still remains: are organic cosmetics really what they seem?

The answer to that really depends on your choice of makeup and beauty products. There are certain products that are quick to claim that they are made of natural ingredients but are unable to live up to this statement. On the other hand, there really are cosmetic brands that offer organic beauty treatments. The idea is to find out how to distinguish one from the other. Which ones are telling the truth and which ones are plain marketing hype?

The real ones

Organic beauty products should not contain harmful ingredients and synthetic substances. They are ideally made of essential oils and herbs found in nature. Even the sources of these ingredients are not supposed to have been subjected to chemical pesticides and such. Most beauty treatments are made of essential oils but they also have certain active ingredients and additives that may not be good for the body. One should not confuse certain products that contain a small percent of natural plant extracts as organic. Organic cosmetics have natural components for its major ingredients.

Why go organic?

There have been a lot of reports coming up about conventional beauty products containing carcinogenic ingredients. Because the skin is naturally pervasive, these components can easily enter the bloodstream and cause potential damage to the body. Being aware of your health is not only limited to food intake but should also be stretched out to other areas of your lifestyle as well. Opting for products made from natural ingredients is the best way to maintain your bodys well-being and to keep the risk of contracting allergens and various health problems to a minimum. Even if these classic cosmetics contain only a small amount of harsh chemicals, they can still cause potential harm to the body over time.

Organic beauty products are attracting much popularity because they offer a lot of benefits that conventional cosmetics do not have. Continuous use of synthetic chemicals through cosmetics can add to your body burden or the accumulation of toxic substances in your body. Organic cosmetics prevent this from happening because the best ones in the market do not contain toxic chemicals normally found in conventional creams and beauty products.

How to find them

It's easy to fall prey to marketing hype when you have a wide array of choices available in the market. Due to the rising interest in organic products, some brands are trying to sell off their products as organic without living up to their claims. It's important to be extra careful in making your selection because not all products that are labeled organic are exactly that. Some still contain toxic chemicals that may harm the body in the long run.

The problem is that there is that the US doesn't have a regulatory body for classifying whether a product is organic or otherwise. There are no stringent rules pertinent to this case as yet so it's up to the consumer to make sure that shes buying the right thing.

To find out if a skin-care product is organic or not, the best thing that you can do is to check the label. You will want to verify the ingredients that make up your choice and be extra cautious about certain components that you may find listed. Most toxic chemicals are found in small amounts in certain brands so youll probably find their names listed at the bottom end of the list.

It's also a good idea to go with a trusted brand. Before buying anything, make a research of highly-recommended brands in the market. The Internet and various reputable beauty and fashion magazines can give you a head start.

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Watches Time Pieces Of Eternity

Many centuries ago, man was able to tell the time by looking at the sun and its position in the sky. Then came the sundial and finally the clocks and watches.

The actual purpose of the watch as we all know is to tell us the time, date, month, and day. With the introduction of modern trends, it came to be known more for its ornamental value than anything else. The once steel watch was transformed to Gold, silver, platinum, and white gold. The plain Jane unisex watch did a makeover to look grand with the studding of precious gems that glitter and sparkle on the wrist of both genders. Time never felt or looked better.

Like with everything else, watches have evolved with time. There are mechanical watches, battery, solar, and kinetic powered watches. Mobile watch, ie. the wristwatch was popularized and materials used for the straps are all metals, including materials like leather. Sapphire crystals are used in watches to improve the quality and durability. Electronic watches with quart movements are mainly used these days. They do not need batteries and get charged with movement of the wrist. A mechanical watch does need winding up but lasts longer.

Before the advent of the wristwatch, all mobile watches that could be carried around were pocket watches. They were attached to a chain or rope and were kept in the pocket.

Coming to the current trend, a watch can do more than tell time. Some watches have a GPS or MP3 player in them and some are in fact mini computers. They also calculate for us, we can take pictures, and watch movies. Stopwatches are used for sports and they tell us the time down to the tenth of a second. Watches with heart rate monitors are exercise watches that will monitor and let us know the heart rate while we exercise.

Now, people also look at the style and design of the watch. There are specific watches made for different purposes. There are the diving watches and sports watches that are waterproof. Watches talk of us and bring forth our personality. Choosing the right watch based on our need and requirement is important. For a collector of time pieces, he would be looking at the uniqueness of the metal or precious gems used or the intricacy of the design. Similarly, youngsters would look for watches that make a fashion statement with lots of new features.

Antique time pieces are found in antique stores worldwide and are a collectors joy. It is important to buy them from well-known makers and reliable stores, especially if one is looking for a very expensive stone studded one. For the regular watch, they are found everywhere these days, on the streets, small stores, exhibitions, or malls.

Brand is the main thing people look for while buying a watch as a fashion accessory.

Cartier, Rolex, Seiko, Omega, Swatch. Casio, Tag Heuer are a few of the top watch brands that are famous for their quality, look, and design. Some of them stock jeweled watches studded with precious gems like diamonds and other gems, that gives the watch an unusual and elegant look. They have thousands of varieties in men

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Hair Removal - All Over Your Body

Today, a male body builder is not the only person into removing hair from all over their body.

Aside from the fact that there are more and more female body builders, there are scores of everyday males and females who remove hair from all over their bodies.

Both in the media and on the street, an obvious example is how many males and females are into head shaving.

At the pool or the beach, and even on neighborhood basketball courts, it's much more common to see males with smooth and hairless chests and backs. And even a few without armpit or leg hair.

And if you think about it, males in the media advertising underwear and fitness equipment don't have any body hair. They have it removed because the current fashion in this society is for males to be hairless.

Some would say it's about time they caught up with the females ...

But the truth is - Today's males ARE more aware of and conscientious about their overall image and removing body hair is a major means of projecting the most positive image. Besides, males have been learning what females have known ever since they started removing their body hair - There are some definite benefits to doing so.

Less body hair means less body heat. Less body heat means less body odor. And we can all support that.

But, perhaps even more of a benefit is the fact that removing body hair helps to define body shape. For females in particular, this applies to their legs. For males, their chests.

That's why when body builders are getting their body ready for competition, they use some type of hair removal.

And because there is such a growing trend towards complete body hair removal these days, we look to body builders and other athletes for information about the best way to accomplish it.

But even for body builders, it hasn't always been easy to connect with the, "perfect", hair removal product or system.

Before the mid 90s, body builders relied mostly on services employing people who became their personal body shaver. These people used a wet razor to remove the hair from the body builder's entire body a few hours before a competition. Then they'd oil them down.

After the mid 90s, body builders began relying on laser hair removal treatments. But that didn't really work out so well.

Partly because the high cost of the treatments took a big chunk of their competition winnings, but mostly because their entire body couldn't be made completely hairless in one session, or even two or three. So there was the time factor.

Then there were the unsavory side effects of swelling, redness and maybe even some blistering, that often kept body builders from competitions, even if they completed the treatments well ahead of time. When people started coming up with scars - that was pretty much it.

So many body builders returned to the tried and true body shaver.

But that's not to say that many body builders haven't experimented with a variety of other alternatives to laser hair removal.

The main laser hair removal alternative methods include: electrolysis, waxing, depilatories, and the old stand by, shaving.

Electrolysis may be the only hair removal method that has been proven to be permanent, and that would seem ideal for a body builder, but -

Because electrolysis involves treating each individual hair follicle, (the skin depression from which the hair emerges), it is also the most time consuming hair removal method. It can take years of weekly or monthly sessions to completely remove all hairs in just one area. And -

Because electrolysis involves inserting a fine wire alongside the hair shaft into the hair follicle through which an electric current and/or strong chemical is sent down to destroy the growth source, (papilla), at the end of the hair, it is also quite painful, even for mighty body builders, even with the use of a topical anesthetic. And -

Electrolysis has some of the worst temporary side effects - Swelling, redness, pinpoint scabbing and skin discoloration, and worse, the possible permanent effects of skin discoloration and scarring.

Add to all of that - Electrolysis is the next most expensive method of hair removal.

So it's easy to see why electrolysis is not a viable laser hair removal alternative for body builders.

A hair removal method that isn't as expensive, can last for 3-8 weeks and would seem viable for body builders is waxing. And because waxing can be done on the entire body in one session, it would seem ideal for a body builder, but -

Waxing basically involves applying a warmed taffy like substance to the hairs in an area, then cloth strips, all of which are allowed a moment to cool and adhere to the hairs and then the strips are very quickly removed, pulling the hairs out by their roots.

Obviously, this hair removal method is pretty painful, so a topical anesthetic is recommended. But that's not the real problem.

The real problem is that while the wax is adhering to the hairs, unfortunately, it's also adhering to the skin. Which means when the cloth strips are yanked off, sometimes so is some of the skin. Understandably, this leads to some swelling, rawness and redness.

Usually, if waxing is done several days ahead of time and they stay out of direct sunlight, a body builder's skin is able to heal for competition. Usually ... There have been some complications such as infected ingrown hairs and other infections that have left scars.

Which means waxing is not the best laser hair removal alternative.

A host of body builders use the hair removal product of a depilatory to remove all of their body hair. It's an inexpensive method that can remove hair on the chest, back, underarms, hair in the bikini line area ONLY and legs quickly, easily and painlessly for a few days, but - You knew there had to be a but -

A depilatory employs strong chemicals that basically, "melt", the hairs above the skin, which can then be wiped from the skin surface.

Problem is, hair and skin are composed of similar materials so that these harsh chemicals that melt the hair can also burn the skin and cause swelling, redness, bumps, ingrown hairs and even scarring.

So using a depilatory hair removal product is still not the best laser hair removal alternative.

Which is why many a body builder is still a body shaver when it comes to inexpensive, reliable and relatively safe hair removal that, when done properly, provides smooth results.

Sure, there's only one way to receive a, "razor burn", and that's by shaving. And it's possible to get scrapes, nicks and cuts, as well as rashes, bumps and ingrown hairs from shaving, but -

These are minor side effects as compared to all other hair removal methods. And they can be covered with make up if need be. (Yes, make up is worn by body builders, when necessary.)

And shaving truly can be done on any part of a body builder's body. In fact, if it happens to be part of their overall presentation, there's really no other way a body builder can achieve a beautiful bald head than by head shaving.

These then are the hair removal experiences and results of body builders from which the everyday person can learn.

Although there is one more method of hair removal for all body shavers, including those into head shaving - It's still shaving, but with an inexpensive tool designed to easily, quickly, and most importantly, safely provide clean, close, and smooth hair removal - All over your body.

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Diamond Fashion Rings Are For Both Sexes

Diamond rings have always fascinated men and women throughout. Such is the beauty of a diamond that makes one feel special just by wearing it. It elevates ones persona and gives the wearer the feeling of being one above everybody else.

With the coming into being of the fashion conscious modern woman, there was need for a change in the designs of rings too. With this in mind, jewelers started modifying the traditional designs to gel with the modern concepts of living. Thus was born the diamond fashion ring. The beauty of diamonds beckoned from the most modern precious metal setting and this proved to be a major attraction in the current day.

Diamond fashion rings come in a variety of designs to match every possible modern outfit and every personality that one can think of. Diamond fashion rings are made in all shapes, from geometrical to square, while the round diamond ring still remains a hot favorite amongst many. It is the combination of the old world with the new world that has brought about a revolution in jewelry and gave birth to the diamond fashion ring.

The four-leaf clover theme diamond fashion ring is in vogue and is seen adorning the elegant fingers of many celebrities. The three stone diamond ring is a representation of the past, present and future. The value of this diamond fashion ring is not only the superficial elegant look, but the beautiful thought that goes with it. It is said that just as the man and woman and bound together in marriage, similarly their past, present, and future all come together with the wearing of this ring.

Under the diamond fashion rings category falls the ever-fashionable solitaire ring.

They could very well be the best diamond fashion rings. These rings include basket diamond rings and trellis diamond rings too.

Diamond fashion rings come in a variety of metals, aside from gold and silver. They come in titanium and platinum too. They need less maintenance and are lighter than gold and silver, and they are very popular.

Diamond fashion rings are a great way to celebrate special occasions. There are the engagement rings and the wedding rings, which are the most popular, but even a passing out of college is a great occasion that warrants a diamond fashion ring gift.

The new age fashion trends tend to be different and look for occasions to celebrate. You will find the singles ring also for the single men and women. This ring sends a message of being single and looking. There is the unbelievable chameleon like mood ring, which changes colors with the change in our moods. Imagine being envious of someone and the ring turns green.

The diamond fashion rings have taken a life of their own and have a place in everybody

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Big Brother I Was Watching You

Just my thoughts...

Rula Lenska

This was all so, so unfair for poor Rula. Many will now probably remember her career for two things; Rock Follies and this TV Folly. Rock Follies was arguably the start of her career in the public eye and this TV Folly looks like being the end of it. Pray for a cat-food commercial, Rula! In fairness, though what a nightmare she must have found herself in - a 57-year-old, clearly past her physical best, finding herself in the company of a Mata Hari (Faria), a Daisy Duke (Chantelle), Britain's Primo Slapper (Jodie) and, to cap it all, Baywatch Babe Traci! Most woman well past a certain age would bridle at the thought of competing with any of them, poor Rula had to take on the lot and she lost, in spades. I thought George Galloway was right in his comments after she did that ludicrous striptease - she was, indeed, trying too hard. Who wouldn't have their confidence rocked? The brave face she put on arguably wasn't the best one either. Go to bed with a countess, wake up with a count. I choose my words very carefully here! Gee, I'd rather go to bed with Pete - at least he looks the same in the mornings as he does last thing at night!

Chantelle Houghton

A (not quite) singing version of Jade Goody.

She is so very self-possessed, the producers must have been thrilled beyond belief by the way she stood up to Dennis Rodman. Enough is being written about her at the moment; I have no further comment other than to observer she seems areal-life version of Billie Piper's character Rose in the current Dr. Who.

Dennis Rodman

Everyone knew Pete Burns had a hard time deciding what to wear for the day but what about poor Dennis, eh? Let's (hypothetically) listen in...."Uhm it's time to get up, what kind of look shall I wear today? Little Lord Fauntleroy? Nope, did that the other day. Geisha? No, Pete'll do that any minute" (and he did). "I got it - lemme see now, just give the ol' tattoos a burnish....get them pointy studs all in...adjust the baseball cap just so...and there it is - third circle of Hell! Yay, me, not that I give a shit..."

Did anyone note that while Pete Burns got awful raggeddy when he ran short of booze and cigarettes, both Dennis Rodman and the adorable Traci Bingham got grouchy when the food got low? They being the two pro athletes it wasn't at all surprising. I noticed Dennis complaining that training without proper food wasn't too much fun. Probably the first time he's ever had to do it.

And did you see how he balanced on the exercise ball with one foot while he did push ups? Have you ever tried that? Do you know how HARD that is? And he made it look so simple! No wonder this guy is major league.

Jodie Marsh

Poor, poor Jodie. How sad and muddled she appears to be. I gather, though, that there's a very upbeat enthusiastic and likeable girl in there somewhere. She seems to be gathering acolytes rather than making friendships, confusing fans with friends. I noted when Pete Burns and Michael Barrymore were trying to get through to her late one night, Michael suggested to her that she try and envisage a certain scenario just for the sake of argument. Oh no I couldn't agree to that, says our Jodie, that would be immoral and I don't tell lies. Something similar seemed to be happening when she was talking to Davina McCall after her eviction, Davina gently suggesting that the other housemates had been trying to act in Jodie's best interests and Jodie went immediately off on a complete tangent in her reply.

I think myself that there's a great big rock sitting in the head of Jodie Marsh, never referred to, never to be admitted to. What lies under it? Something that Jodie finds so terrifying that she visibly flees from considering the rock's very existence.

One suspects that self-contemplation is not a regular pastime for Miss Marsh. A shame, as rarely does one encounter a light bulb that really, really does need to change.

Poor, poor Jodie.

(Sam) Preston

Just like Dennis Rodman, I had no idea who Preston actually was. I gathered he was in a band called the Ordinary Boys, and going from his appearance in general, I'd have put them somewhere between the Jam and and number of ska bands, say, The Selector? Later in the show we were treated to some Ordinary Boys tunes and it looks as though I wasn't too far off the money.

Apart from that, I knew nothing before about Le Preston and I know little else now, other than that he seems to be a perfectly decent sort of geezer with, I rather imagine, considerable woman trouble on his plate.

All quite ordinary, in fact.

Michael Barrymore

What a piece of work is this man! How infinite in frailty, his new personna suggests, and I have no reason to believe anything other than that the face we saw was the real one. He seemed a perfectly decent being, flawed, ragged round the edges, and while he and Pete Burns together both displayed an ability to provoke gales of genuine laughter (from me) it's Barrymore who has the touch of genius about him, the air of one driven to perform yet denied his stage. I hope the UK does what Pete said it should and opens its arms to welcome Barrymore back. He's a tonic for the nation. We probably need him more than he needs us.

Pete Burns

Twisted embittered genius. Youngsters will probably be too young to realise this but in the genre of movies known as noir, in small, run-down and seedy clubs in the boonies of Anytown, USA, the kind a Private Dick would inevitably find their way to when they were looking for clues or following leads they'd find the Heroine of the movie. She'd be seated, alone at the bar, she'd have a cool drink that she hadn't paid for in a tall glass in front of her and she'd always be smoking. Whatever happened, even if it happened right in front of her, her face would be frozen into a mask of disdained amusement. In other words, she'd look like Pete. Assuming that's what he had in mind when he had his plastic done, he's got it dead right.

For me the best times in the house were when the Pete and Michael show hit the road, late at night or early in the morning over coffee and cigarettes when the rest of the house was asleep. Funny funny funny.

Who was it pleaded with George to go and speak with Rula because she was feeling so bad as a woman? Pete.

Who was it spoke up so volubly for Barrymore after being evicted, saying how much he needed to be rehabbed back into this country? Pete. Not quite such the monster then, eh?

Traci Bingham

The delightful, the truly gorgeous Traci Bingham. Every man should have a Bingham of his own. starting with me. The rest of you can get your own, though, I want that one. See how she went straight into a series of classic brilliantly executed girlie poses for the photographers as she left the house? An absolute professional, a master of her craft. And how beautiful in her red devil costume! Cheap to run too, (once you've bought the mansion), give her alcohol and she wanders around making small, happy sounds all day (whether you want her too or not). Does the guy she's engaged to realise he's marrying one of the Clangers? "Oh my Gah-had, it's the Soup-Drag-gen..."

I don't think Traci understood the show, which goes a long way to explaining why she was so devastated by being nominated. Observe when she was talking to Davina at the end, she said how hard she'd tried to be a good housemate. I suspect she thought you had to win by proving how pleasant you were to live with and dutifully went out of her way to be just that. I don't think she had to go far our of her way at all, either, I think she really is that nice a person. that's why she was so upset at being nominated, she thought she was doing something wrong on a personal level to the other housemates. Hence her shock and surprise. You get the feeling that to a certain extent, once you reach a certain level of stardom your life is run to a large extent by your agent; Traci and Dennis both gave the impression that they simply went where they were signed to go and did their best when they were there.

George Galloway

What a clear-cut warning to us all of how politicians plan to use us. We seem to be no more than stepping stones to their own self-serving ends. How did he serve his constituency in the BB house? His blustering complaints about censorship left me unimpressed.

I noticed too that when there was the first a major disagreement in the house - I believe over a misunderstanding about racism - George it was who suggested that a round table discussion be held which George, seemingly thoughtfully, offered to chair.

Thus, it begins. How long before, in order that George may the better to fulfil his post as arbiter of the house decisions, not be made to suffer the distractions of, say, hunger; shouldn't he be given a bigger share of the food than the others, so that his thinking may be clearer and not distracted by hunger? It's in the best interests of the group as a whole, after all; he's the decision maker.

In the same vein, we might conjecture, how long before George's sexual needs/desires must similarly be given priority over the others, the women of the tribe, sorry, house, should be encouraged to offer themselves freely and regularly to George over and above the others. All in the best interests of the group, of course. Politicians, eh? They never close.

Maggot

Maggot, the common man - the voice of reason, as he said. A straightforward decent guy. Good to see he got over his initial reserve about Barrymore. Why was he concerned about his image, I wondered? How genuine can he be if that's a concern? Subsequently, though, he proved himself a steadying influence on the rest of the household.

Faria Alam

The Big Brother experience must have been very difficult for Faria. I thought she behaved throughout as I imagine she was brought up to be, dignified and reserved. I never thought she was a slapper, or in any way cheap, when her sex life got her in the news. Her business, I would have thought. I was subsequently a bit disappointed to hear quite how promptly she was hawking her BB story round Fleet Street but, I suppose, a girl has to be practical and topical if she's going to make money that way. For me, the most interesting thing about Faria was her apparent inability to express the emotions she was claiming to feel. I put this down to her upbringing to and there may be a lesson there for all of us. Imagine a girl bought up in strict circumstances in old established traditions, then abruptly cast out of that culture into a new and different one. She'll know how to function emotionally in the old culture, her appropriate upbringing will have prepared her for that, but i n this new (by which I mean, 'Western') culture, one where the world has moved on from the time that birthed the culture she was raised in, she struggles to express emotions that she has no name for. We're probably all a bit that way at times as the world turns faster. Our childhood upbringing can less and less prepare us for adulthood as effectively the two happen in different worlds. Poor Faria. I liked her.

Big Brother grew up and found its feet here, this was ground-breaking TV. It still seems the fashion in newspapers that somehow, inexplicably, appear to consider themselves and their readers above Big Brother viewers. It's only for the oiks is the subtext of the copy in pretty much all the nationals.

Synchronise watches, tv kids; only a matter of time before they change their tune and accept that here are observations made on life in the raw, that the spat between Dennis and Chantelle, the spats between everybody and George, everybody and the confused unfortunate Jodie Marsh, weren't far more riveting viewing than anything scriptwriters could have dreamed up. It's been an age in coming, but Big Brother seems to be coming of age.

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Fashion Industry: Ready To Face The Future - Business

The fashion industry is very complicated. There are no standard fashion companies. They come from a wide spectrum of enterprises working in the apparel, footwear, home textiles and accessories markets. The industry is made up of various kinds of companies like retailers, design source and selling companies, companies with their own manufacturing facilities and other companies who outsource production but retain control over parts of the production process.

Moreover, companies functioning in the high fashion segment often face a different kind of pressure as compared to those functioning with commodity fashion goods.

All of these aspects combine to make the fashion industry one of the most complicated industry. Yet, various issues can be noticeably recognized as common across the industry.

. Consumers have the power. Supply chains are complicated. Product launching and delivery takes time. Companies must be able to manage a product mix. Inventory control maintenance is important. Impact of the latest technology on the fashion industry . Copyright issues for fashion designs Consumers have more power

Today's buyers have more purchasing power then ever before and are less tolerant due to increased time pressure in today's lifestyles.

They are more aware about environmental and human rights issues and have superior quality demands. They demand a huge variety and more frequent changes in the choices available to them. Moreover, they also expect immediate availability of perfect matching set of garments and accessories in their preferred color and size combinations in the same store.

In terms of satisfying the consumer's needs, retailers are the first in line, but all companies in the supply chain are driven by the prerequisite to anticipate the expectations and requirements of their customers. From design to production and to the final sale, all members of the supply chain need to check that stores are stocked with the correct requirements when the consumer needs to buy!

The companies that are quick to respond to the consumer requirements are those that will remain profitable in an environment of rapid global competition and increasing material and operational costs.Supply chains are complicated

The fashion industry is distinguished by global supply chains and complicated logistics. Labor and transportation costs often determine where production takes place and outsourcing of all or part of production is common. Companies throughout the industry have to deal with global sourcing problems and need to regularly evaluate their sourcing strategies.

Production work is often done across multiple places, which may be also located in different countries. Setting up of cutting, sewing, subcontracting and transportation, and the synchronization with raw material supply, is a very tedious process.

Product launching and delivery takes time

While working through the many pre production steps, including yarn or fabric selection, garment development, specification and sampling, the industry takes a long time to introduce a new product in the market.

Both, the complex nature of the supply chain and the global nature of production add to the industry's long lead times. This arrangement of long time-to-market and long lead times does not correlate with the need to react immediately to changes in customers requirements.

The ever changing seasonal and trend driven nature of the industry depicts that the product life cycles are too short. Even for cyclic demands where the life cycle may continue further, there are often small changes to design, and color or size combinations may be changed. The logistics of managing the large number of styles and maintaining stock keeping units is a difficult practice. Companies must manage a product mix

Besides long lead times, fashion producers are stressed to constantly design and develop new product lines to maintain retailers' interest and increase consumer sales. Producers have noted that in order to maintain this speed, raised flexibility and quickness to satisfy changing customer demand, which is quicker than ever before, it is very challenging for them to judge or come out with such types of products. Gone are the days when a perfect fashion trend direction decided what consumers wore. At present, many styles are available, and with rising globalization, consumers can approach fashion news through latest media tools.

Fashion products change frequently, from hosiery and basic underwear through medium-priced high street brands, to exclusive high fashion brands. Managing brand awareness and brand loyalty is a serious task in retaining the position in the market. Margins in repetitive basic products are low, so neither a retailer nor a manufacturer can ever afford being out of stock.

Shifting to the high-end fashion sector, margins increase and sales volumes are lower, but consumers demand an ever changing range of choices, forcing the companies to produce multiple collections per year.

Many companies have to put in efforts to overcome the added challenge of arranging a mix of repetitive lines and collection-driven products, and a requirement to segment their product range and arrange the different segments in a suitable way. From design to demand planning, sourcing, production, distribution and sale, the demand of various product segments must be separately tackled if companies need to perform well.

Companies require clarity about the sector of the market they are targeting, and they have to direct their business in that way.

Inventory control management is important

Companies try to keep inventory levels at a minimum in all industries. In the fashion industry the requirement to maintain inventory levels under control is worst due to less product life cycle. In this industry, there is only one solution to sell the goods.

For collection-driven brands, the entire floor sets must be in the retail stores when these products are introduced, otherwise the chance to sell the goods is missed and obsolescence exposure is a high risk.

For the products that are frequently in demand, it is crucial that retailers and suppliers do not undergo stockouts. This part of the market does not possess the same level of brand loyalty, and customers may well be attracted to shift brands if the color and size they required is not immediately available in the stores when they need to buy.

For all companies, the balancing action of keeping inventory at the necessary level to fulfill demand, while ensuring that they are not left out with obsolete inventory, is a main problem.Latest technological impact on fashion industry

Recently, the Burton Amp jacket, what is depicted as "the world's first and only wearable electronic jacket with an integrated Apple iPod" was introduced.

According to some fashion experts the clothes will soon turn into accessories for your gadgets. Today new technologies are much involved with clothing and apparels that you can not judge whether you are wearing technology or whether technology is wearing you?Besides, electronics will keep decreasing in size to such an extent where we would no longer considerably need the objects to hold them. Hence, today the fashion industry is experiencing new challenges: "intelligent textiles", "smart clothes", "i-wear" and "fashion engineering" and are only a few of the trends which will transform the entire fashion industry within the next decade.

Nowadays, many new materials and technologies are applied in textiles and accessories when they are still too costly or primitive for other applications. A wide variety of electronic devices can already be made into clothes and this will rise. New fabrics are already being developed to offer power generation - by using solar power, electromagnetic, thermal and mechanical means.

The combination of high-technology into textiles, e.g. modern communication or monitoring systems or the development of new materials with new applications, has just begun, but the branch has already moved in a gigantic expansion for this sector. Particular applications for the health and security sector, e.g. clothes with extern monitoring systems, already today exist in a large quantity.

Within the coming few years, we'll see a lot more new applications in garments with latest technology. Hence, there are many designing challenges for fashion designers and engineers for making most demanding fashionable wears.

Copyright issues for fashion designs

Fashion apparel is a multi-billion dollar business that has no national boundaries due to its global existence. Designers, retailers and consumers decide their statements according to international fashion trends. In the last decade, consumer awareness of particular designers has also raised dramatically. Magazines and newspapers also cover the fashion industry as a part of their national news coverage, concentrating on the dynamic world of creative designer expressions.

The common man is very much aware about names and faces of fashion models and the designers for which they model. At present many television channels and feature films involve the fashion industry. Consumers can now identify the various types of designers and designs.

Today, many designers find inspiration from street fashion, celebrities, vintage styles and other designers' work. Even though there are possibilities of duplication in products and designs due to easy accessibility of the latest printing and computer technology, and due to appearance of the regional or traditional designs in apparels worldwide, it can not be ignored easily. It is really a challenging task to cope with this issue globally.To read more articles on Textile, Fashion, Apparel, Technology, Retail and General please visit /industry-article. If you wish to download/republish the above article to your website or newsletters then please include the "Article Source". Also, you have to make it hyperlinked to our site.

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Copyright For Fashion? The discussion - Publishing - Copywriting

The copying of fashion design originals - "knocking off" or "affordable interpretation," depending on your point of view - is a practice that designers may have grudgingly accepted in the past, when less expensive copies took some time to reach stores and only those consumers who could afford the designer-label originals could be the first to follow a trend. This practice is costing designers greatly as more advanced technology makes it possible to see high-quality copies appear in stores before the original has even hit the market. While it has long been the practice of the American fashion industry to knock off European designs, American designers did not copy one another. They registered their original sketches with a trade group called the Fashion Originators Guild, an organization that urged retailers to prohibit styles known to be knockoffs.

In 1941, the Supreme Court held that the Guild was an unreasonable restraint-of-trade; the end of the Guild marked the beginning of the knocking off "free-for-all" that we are familiar with today began. It is now common for imitators to photograph the clothes in a designer's runway show, send the photo to a factory to be copied, and have a sample ready within a couple of days for retail buyers to order. Since fashion collections are displayed in runway shows approximately four to five months before they are available to the public, this leaves the fashion impersonator plenty of time to get the copies to stores at the same time, if not earlier, than the originals. Designers assert that design piracy cuts into their longstanding franchise of uniqueness, lowers their sales volume, and ultimately removes incentives for creativity.

Sometimes the same department stores that carry the higher-priced version of a garment will also sell the lower-priced knockoff, often under the store's private label. Knocking-off is widespread in the fashion industry and even those designers who fume over being copied are not above doing it themselves. Because of the speed with which designs can be recreated, it is not even always clear which designer created the original and which designer simply copied it. This discussion will explore how protection of fashion works fits - or does not fit - into the current intellectual property law framework in the United States. The overall organization of this discussion is a systematic consideration of possible protection for works of fashion under copyright, patent, and trade dress law. This discussion will encompass not only the current state of the law, but also proposals for reform, such as an amendment to the Copyright Act to protect fashion works.

The central question is whether fashion design is an art worthy of protection or a craft whose practitioners can freely copy one another. In an industry where many designers come out with similar looks each season - and where inspiration is said to be "in the air" - designers and the thriving knockoff industry are fiercely debating the issue.

Another key question: whether knockoffs actually benefit the industry as a whole. Copying, some argue, propels the fashion cycle forward by creating popular trends that encourage designers to move on to the next big idea. In what they call the "piracy paradox," law professors Kal Raustiala of the University of California, Los Angeles, and Christopher Sprigman of the University of Virginia argue that copying makes trends drench the market quickly, driving the fashion cognoscenti to search out newer looks. "If copying were illegal, the fashion cycle would occur very slowly, if at all," While they admit copying can harm individual designers, they say Congress should protect industries only when piracy stymies -- rather than encourages -- innovation.

Despite the apparent unsuitability of copyright protection to works of fashion, commentators are often confused by the anomalies in copyright law under which fashion accessories, works of architecture, and computer chip designs are eligible for copyright protection. Some argue that since copyright has already been extended to protect the aforementioned items, copyright may be the best legal tool that fashion designers have when fighting design piracy.

For example, Robert Denicola has argued that it would be more consistent with the legal principles of intellectual property law to draw the line of copyright with respect to arguably "useful articles" by shaping whether, in the process of creating the item, the designer focused primarily on aesthetic or utilitarian consideration. Such a test would to a great extent improve the odds that works of fashion would be granted copyright protection, as most fashion designers are concerned with the aesthetic rather than the functional aspects of their clothing.

The specific extension of copyright to fashion works would have many advantages for designers. First, a copyright owner may seek an injunctive remedy to prevent the impersonator of his or her design from making and selling copies of the original. Second, copyright law allows for the imposing and discarding of the infringing items. Third, the copyright owner can recover damages, either actual or statutory, and also profits. Finally, the copyright owner may be able to recover court costs and attorney's fees. This last remedy is especially important in fashion design cases, as it allows small new designers to take on big manufacturers whose greater power and financial resources would otherwise be an intractable obstacle.Despite these advantages to fashion designers, an amendment to the Copyright Act for works of fashion is not likely to be passed soon. As one commentator concisely stated that the current situation of the legislators and courts has a great deal of trouble seei ng past the utilitarian function of a piece of clothing. While industrial designs have been the subject of repeated bills, Congress has explicitly excluded fashion works from these bills. For example, while the Design Anti-Piracy Act of 1989 would have protected original designs of useful articles against unauthorized copying, the bill would have barred apparel designs composed of three-dimensional shapes and surfaces with respect to apparel. According to one commentator, this exclusion has no basis in any discernible principle. It was added to help still the vociferous opposition of retailers to the bill." In this current climate of judicial and legislative hostility, copyright protection will probably not be extended to specifically protect fashion works.

Fashion seems to be an industry particularly ill-suited to legal restrictions against copying. Copying - or "borrowing" or "reinterpreting" - is prevalent at every level of the fashion industry. When a lower-priced designer knocks off a higher-priced designer's clothing, the copy may be a huge success because it offers more value for the price. But it is the higher-priced designers who are copying each other.

Fashion designers labors over their finished product just like any other creator or inventor. It takes hours upon hours of careful effort until a dress with just the right cut or a purse with the perfect design is complete. Why should this hard work and effort not grant the person behind the creation some level of security, allowing them to collect the benefits of their labor?

As a matter of Public policy it is generally believed that copycats are good for the economy. The claim asserts that preventing copyright for fashion eliminates the possibility of a monopoly by providing the consumer with lower priced knockoffs. Furthermore it is contended that knockoffs really promote business for the designer by creating a market for a style of fashion. But do we believe this actually? And what's wrong with having a monopoly on fashion? When a consumer spends thousands of dollars on a purse or a dress that others will recognise as a Louis Vuitton or Versace, they should be able to enjoy the exclusivity that comes with such a purchase. Knockoffs steal from the consumer of their exclusive right to enjoy a specific product.

There are policy based arguments behind the government's resistance to providing a copyright for fashion; ranging from the dislike for creation of monopolies to improving the market.

If the designer believes another person infringed his copyright, he could sue those who sell or manufacture the design in any federal court. Those found guilty would face fines of 250,000 or $5 a copy, whichever is greater.

To read more articles on Textile, Fashion, Apparel, Technology, Retail and General please visit /industry-article. If you wish to download/republish the above article to your website or newsletters then please include the "Article Source". Also, you have to make it hyperlinked to our site.

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