Arthur Schopenhauer lamented the misuse of the term "humour" (a German loanword from English) to mean any type of comedy. However, both "humour" and "comic" are often used when theorising about the subject. The connotations of "humour" as opposed to "comic" are said to be that of response versus stimulus. Additionally, "humour" was thought to include a combination of ridiculousness and wit in an individual; the paradigmatic case being Shakespeare's Sir John Falstaff. The French were slow to adopt the term "humour"; in French, "humeur" and "humour" are still two different words, the former referring to a person's mood or to the archaic concept of the four humours.
  Western humour theory begins with Plato, who attributed to Socrates (as a semihistorical dialogue character) in the Philebus (p. 49b) the view that the essence of the ridiculous is an ignorance in the weak, who are thus unable to retaliate when ridiculed. Later, in Greek philosophy, Aristotle, in the Poetics (1449a, pp. 34–35), suggested that an ugliness that does not disgust is fundamental to humour.
  In ancient Sanskrit drama, Bharata Muni's Natya Shastra defined humour (hāsyam) as one of the nine nava rasas, or principle rasas (emotional responses), which can be inspired in the audience by bhavas, the imitations of emotions that the actors perform. Each rasa was associated with a specific bhavas portrayed on stage. In the case of humour, it was associated with mirth (hasya).
  The terms "comedy" and "satire" became synonymous after Aristotle's Poetics was translated into Arabic in the medieval Islamic world, where it was elaborated upon by Arabic writers and Islamic philosophers such as Abu Bischr, his pupil Al-Farabi, Avicenna, and Averroes. Due to cultural differences, they disassociated comedy from Greek dramatic representation, and instead identified it with Arabic poetic themes and forms, such as hija (satirical poetry). They viewed comedy as simply the "art of reprehension" and made no reference to light and cheerful events or troublous beginnings and happy endings associated with classical Greek comedy. After the Latin translations of the 12th century, the term "comedy" thus gained a new semantic meaning in Medieval literature.[4]
  The Incongruity Theory originated mostly with Kant, who claimed that the comic is an expectation that comes to nothing. Henri Bergson attempted to perfect incongruity by reducing it to the "living" and "mechanical".[5]
  An incongruity like Bergson's, in things juxtaposed simultaneously, is still in vogue. This is often debated against theories of the shifts in perspectives in humour; hence, the debate in the series Humor Research between John Morreall and Robert Latta.[6] Morreall presented mostly simultaneous juxtapositions,[7] with Latta countering that it requires a "cognitive shift" created by a discovery or solution to a puzzle or problem. Latta is criticised for having reduced jokes' essence to their own puzzling aspect.
  Humour frequently contains an unexpected, often sudden, shift in perspective, which gets assimilated by the Incongruity Theory. This view has been defended by Latta (1998) and by Brian Boyd (2004).[8] Boyd views the shift as from seriousness to play. Nearly anything can be the object of this perspective twist; it is, however, in the areas of human creativity (science and art being the varieties) that the shift results from "structure mapping" (termed "bisociation" by Koestler) to create novel meanings.[9] Arthur Koestler argues that humour results when two different frames of reference are set up and a collision is engineered between them.
  Tony Veale, who takes a more formalised computational approach than Koestler, has written on the role of metaphor and metonymy in humour,[10][11][12] using inspiration from Koestler as well as from Dedre Gentner's theory of structure-mapping, George Lakoff and Mark Johnson's theory of conceptual metaphor, and Mark Turner and Gilles Fauconnier's theory of conceptual blending.
  Some claim that humour cannot or should not be explained. Author E.B. White once said, "Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but the thing dies in the process and the innards are discouraging to any but the pure scientific mind."[13]
  As with any form of art, acceptance depends on social demographics and varies from person to person. Throughout history, comedy has been used as a form of entertainment all over the world, whether in the courts of the Western kings or the villages of the Far East.  Both a social etiquette and a certain intelligence can be displayed through forms of wit and sarcasm. Eighteenth-century German author Georg Lichtenberg said that "the more you know humour, the more you become demanding in fineness." [edit] Evolutionary explanation of humour

  Alastair Clarke explains: "The theory is an evolutionary and cognitive explanation of how and why any individual finds anything funny. Effectively, it explains that humour occurs when the brain recognises a pattern that surprises it, and that recognition of this sort is rewarded with the experience of the humorous response, an element of which is broadcast as laughter." The theory further identifies the importance of pattern recognition in human evolution: "An ability to recognise patterns instantly and unconsciously has proved a fundamental weapon in the cognitive arsenal of human beings. The humorous reward has encouraged the development of such faculties, leading to the unique perceptual and intellectual abilities of our species."[1]

  The earliest Zodiac found in Egypt dates to the first century BC, the Dendera Zodiac
According to Firmicus Maternus, the system of horoscopic astrology was given early on to an Egyptian pharaoh named Nechepso and his priest Petosiris.[1] They apparently wrote a major textbook which explicated the system and it is from this text that much of Hellenistic astrology was drawn. This system formed the basis of all later forms of Horoscopic astrology.

  Astrology is a group of systems, traditions, and beliefs which hold that the relative positions of celestial bodies and related details can provide information about personality, human affairs and other "earthly" matters. A practitioner of astrology is called an astrologer. Astrologers generally believe that the movements and positions of celestial bodies can inform them about events experienced on a human scale or that predictions can be made from them.[1]HYPERLINK \l "cite_note-1"[2] Many astrologers see astrology as being a purely symbolic language whereas others see the movements and positions of celestial bodies as influencing human and mundane affairs, either causally or otherwise.[3]HYPERLINK \l "cite_note-3"[4]Despite differences in definitions, a common assumption of astrologers is that celestial placements can aid in the interpretation of past and present events, and in the prediction of the future.
  Astrology is considered a pseudoscience or superstition by the scientific community, which sees a lack of statistically significant astrological predictions, while psychology explains much of the continued faith in astrology as a matter of cognitive biases.[5]HYPERLINK \l "cite_note-fisa-5"[6]HYPERLINK \l "cite_note-6"[7]HYPERLINK \l "cite_note-7"[8] In 2006 the U.S. National Science Board published a statement which said it considers belief in ten survey items, astrology among them, to be "pseudoscientific".[9]
  Numerous traditions and applications employing astrological concepts have arisen since its earliest recorded beginnings in the 3rd millennium BC. Astrology has played an important role in the shaping of culture, early astronomy, the Vedas,[10] and various disciplines throughout history. In fact, astrology and astronomy were often regarded as synonyms before the modern era, with the desire for predictive and divinatory knowledge one of the motivating factors for astronomical observation. Astronomy began to diverge from astrology after a period of gradual separation from the Renaissance up until the 18th century.    Eventually, astronomy distinguished itself as the empirical study of astronomical objects and phenomena, without regard to the terrestrial implications of astrology.
  The word "astrology" comes from the Latin term astrologia ("astronomy"),[11] which in turn derives from the Greek noun αστρολογία: ἄστρον, astron ("constellation" or "star") and -λογία, -logia ("the study of"). The word "starcraft" has also traditionally been used to mean astrology.

 

  Enlarge ImageWHEN you are operating or planning a small business that is seeking funding for less than five million dollars, it's wise to consider writing your own plan.

  WHY you are the best qualified. You probably have superior knowledge of your target market, prospective customers and your product or service. If not "superior," at least, you have adequate knowledge. You are probably resourceful enough to find the necessary data and general information.

  Are you planning to write a novel or describing a set of business conditions and functions? Your descriptions need only to be accurate, factual and realistic. You are equal to the task if you know how to construct simple sentences. There's ample free or inexpensive advice available to edit your writing output. Good writing results from re-writing.

  Many of the business plan guides available in your local community are free. There are plan writing coaches with reasonable rates and arrangements.

  Compare the benefits from writing your own business plan with the costs and shortcomings of a plan written by a third party.

  Personal development is a spinoff from your investment of time and energy. Being able to write a plan is a valuable management skill that remains with you.
  During the writing process, you create additional ideas and variations. Your pride in your accomplishment will be apparent to your readers and others.
  Your composition is easier and less costly to revise. Business plans are noted for quickly becoming out-of-date because data, circumstances and events are ever changing. Different lenders or investors have varying requirements and almost all request some alteration or additional information. Suggestions from associates and reviewers are easily inserted. Your visions remain adjustable and flexible.
  Confidential data remains in YOUR files where you can easily access it for applying to other purposes.
  You are more aware of discrepancies or inconsistencies which you can defend or correct.      

  Your investor or lender may be able to supply privileged information such as economic analyses, highly protected marketing intelligence or pending legislation.
Ease in converting into internal project plans increases your return from your major writing investment and reduces "re-inventing the wheel" for subsequent projects or plans.


  Writing your own business plan requires a little courage. If you are operating or planning to operate your own business, it's a good bet you've got loads of that! The next requirement is time. Study the benefits listed here and I'm sure you will manage that accordingly.