Truth About Homeless Statistics

Ancient Greece Art

2013-05-31T14:00:00.006-07:00

Ancient Greece was controlled by men. Women could not even have a citizenship. This fact reflected in the Greek Art. Women are always portrayed with the cloth on, whereas men were always depicted uncovered. The nudity of men was a symbol of their freedom and control.

In Andrew StewArts book Art, Desire and the Body in Ancient Greece, he implies that nudity originated in the athletic facet of Greek life, specifically in the Olympics of the eight century. The story of a runner named Orsippos of Megara who was running a race and his loincloth fell off. Art after this occurrence appears to have picked up on this and from sculptures of this period men stArt to appear naked. The figure of Kouros of Anavysos is one such example of this archaic period. From this point it became popular and very desirable for men to perform athletics in the nude. Andrew StewArt is quoted as saying that, they saw the custom as a concrete manifestation of such desirable manly attributes as cou rage, strength, speed, fitness, and so on, all of which naturally create a handsome body. From this it is evident that the nude male becomes a representation beauty, strength and the perfect body. Artists, from this new concept, wanted to depict the bodies of their figures as idealistic and beautiful. Women did appear, rarely, nude when pArticipating in sporting events or at festivals and as a result of this could not be married. StewArt states that, unmarried SpArtan girls or pathenoi practiced athletics, singing and dancing naked at certain festivals; and pArticipated in some processions naked as well. Women did not have such a heavy following as their bodies were not permitted to be seen in such a manner. A married woman was not to be naked for social, familial and modesty reasons. The only naked figured were those of goddesses. Peplos Kore from 530 BCE is what a typical woman form this period would be wearing. She is modest by wearing this and the belt that gave a figure by being tied at her waist.

The Classical period of the fifth century is the culmination of Greek Art. The male nude is one of the greatest achievements. The Artists have achieved perfection of proportion and muscular anatomy. During this time the polis evolved and it encompassed women as citizens as well. Women also became subject matter for sculpture. The Art was not a copy of exactly what the Artists saw but rather an idealized expression of the idea of the perfect figure. After much, evident, analysis of the human figure Artists like Polykleitos defined and canonized the perfect proportions and shape of the male figure. Doryphoros also known as the Spear Bearer, appears very real, and life like, which is what the Artist strived for. His lack of clothing is central to the composition because it is representative of the default setting of man; nudity. The female counterpArt of this sculpture, by Praxiteles is Aphordite of Knidos from 350BCE. Until this sculpture, the female form had never appeared fully nude. This might be as a result of the new ideas that were circulating the society such as humanism. The statue appears very sensual and elegant. As a result of this new idea of humanism and sensuality, it has been said that this is why the first nude female statue is that of the goddess of love. This all occurred as a result of societal changes within the polis.

Greeks, it appears, did not go about their daily business in the nude, but rather only in certain occasion like athletics and symposiums. In Greek Art, according to John Berger, nudity becomes a form of dress, some feel comfortable and others do not. Like that of Aphordite of Knidos, who appears to be aware of her nudity and seems to be covering her genitals with her hand while reaching for her garment. Male statues until the Classical era were unselfconscious and appeared to be unaware of their nudity. Statues such as that of the Kouros and Doryphoros are comfortable in their clothing (or lack thereof). Women were not to be seen naked, and the only ones that were the ones that would not marry and entertainers, which already implied that they were of a lower class and were not seen as women. Women were supposed to be proper and elegant and were not to reveal themselves to anyone other than their husband of their families. She was under control of the man. With the later Artists portraying women in the nude, it seemed to emancipate them from their identities as the males property.

In Greek life the male body was the norm. The female was seen as the other. They were excluded from society for a long while but wer e accepted after the polis liberalized a little bit. Once this happened they were allowed to take off their peplos and become an equal; if not literally, then just in the form of a sculpture. Even that was a large step in this male oriented society. Polykleitos and Praxitelese defined the proportions and the standard of beauty for the male and female respectively. The Greeks were the only ancient civilization that celebrated the true beauty of man as an image of god and therefore depicted him in the nude. Women would also be accepted and appreciated but, like all good things, it took time.

Mary Anne Winslow is a member of Essay Writing Service counselling depArtment team and a dissertation writing consultant. Contact her to get free counselling on custom essay writing.

Author:: Mary Anne Winslow
Keywords:: greek Art,ancient greece
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

The Role of Poseidon In Ancient Greece

2013-05-31T14:00:00.005-07:00

Poseidon is one of the more famous of the deities of Ancient Greece. Here is an overview of who he was, what he did and his position the Pantheon.

The Role of Poseidon In Ancient Greece

The many gods and goddesses of the Ancient Greek culture played important roles in every Greek's life. From the family hearth, to the life-giving sun, to the water they bathed in, Greek gods were seen to govern all aspects of daily life. While some regions of the Greek realm were actual cults, which meant they worshiped one god or goddess above all others; others prayed to specific figures at different points in the year or for different strengths. If a mariner was about to go to Sea, it is pretty certain that he would have prayed to Poseidon.

While Poseidon's largest governance was the Sea and ocean, he was also considered the god of horses, and the Earth-Shaker, creator of earthquakes. In Mycenaean culture, Poseidon was seen as the most powerful of all the gods, even abo ve Zeus he was the most frequently written about god in the entire pantheon. At this point, he was associated with Two Queens, Demeter and Persephone, although in later Hellenic Greece he was not at all related to these goddesses. He was also seen in this culture as the Earth Father with Demeter being the Earth Mother.

Poseidon was also a major patron god of several large cities within Greece. In Athens, he was second in line only to Athena, and in Corinth he was the main god of the city. Apollo was a close associate god, and while Poseidon's realm was generally seen to be in the areas of the Earth and bodies of water, he also had another trait that was a bit more sinister. Poseidon was also blamed for causing mental disturbances, such as epilepsy. He shared this ability with both the god Dionysus, and the creatures known as the Maenads.

When sailors embarked on voyages, they prayed heavily to Poseidon. Occasionally, they would even sacrifice horses by drowning (as he was also known as the god of horses). It was said that when Poseidon was in his benevolent aspect, he created both calm Seas and new islands. When the god was displeased or angered, however, he would cause earthquakes and shipwrecks by striking the ground with his trident. Poseidon was often pictured in a chariot being pulled by horses or Sea horses, holding a trident, and associated with dolphins.

While Zeus was known as the originator god in later parts of Greek culture, Poseidon was the first head god of note. His later appearances as the duel god of water and earthquakes meant that he had the ability to affect many people at once, so he garnered many prayers, sacrifices and attention from all of Greece.

Richard Monk is with FactsMonk.com - a site with facts about Greece.

Author:: Richard Monk
Keywords:: Greece, Greeks, Poseidon, Religon, Olympus, Ancient, History, Sea, Oceans
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

The Life of Nikola Tesla Intro

2013-05-31T14:00:00.004-07:00

It is not my purpose to claim to know all the wonders of the life of this great man who is acknowledged as one of the great inventors of all time. Those who give him that kind of acknowledgement on TV or elsewhere are not telling the whole story. There are secret projects underway that he was involved with. HAARP is just one example; it is an extension of his radio antennae that he spent a fortune trying to develop. These technologies are potentially able to destroy all life on earth; as they are kept by war-mongers and those who might leave earth for a while and then return to take over and start anew. Or maybe it will simply be a case of successful social engineering as the mind control uses get ramped out on space platforms to accentuate the ground carrier thought cloning already done by the likes of Michael Persinger. There was a time when Tesla was hood-winked by the power elite and despite him being a good person he was not politically as wise as we all must become i f things are to really change.

You will hear him describe how he developed his own ESP and Dimensional travel long before he was in New York when another mystery man named Aleister Crowley was opening a portal in the Amalantrah working that some say led to the Babalon working done by Jack Parsons (Jet Propulsion Labs alchemist founding member) and L. Ron Hubbard. These things are also integrated with worm-holes and even more fantastic things but Tesla did not know his father had initiated him into the Orphic or Pythagorean Harmonic octaves very early in his life. I will also have to consider some of the things Tesla said which relate to aliens and other things deemed weird that even he may not have fully understood. Thus I will be taking a speculative journey and you are totally correct to speculate that I am wrong: just as I say Seen Casteel goes too far in saying a secret fraternal order got scientists who knew anti-gravity and went to Mars in the period when Tesla w as born. Tesla gave up his man as a machine ideas and moved towards the great Yogi Vivekananda in later life and I agree with him that this Yogis thoughts are scientific.

HAARP is a furtherance of Tesla's training that included the Lost Chord and direct cognition of the Druids through one of three different sources I can align with he and Von Neumann (all three may apply). There are people who have used lesser technology including Hitler and the tepaphone that the Borgia/De Medici/Rothschilds used to remotely poison (Kill) people.

You might want to look up Frequency Fence, Persinger, and Bearden (cheniere.org) as well. Bearden says they will have to develop a better pulse weapon than they have said they are working with to make SDI work - and Tesla had that too. You will have to look many things up as you proceed through this book. I will give summaries or my thoughts but all knowledge relating to the subject of Tesla can not possibly be contained in one book.

Spirit is beyond the void of space. This realm, beyond the void, is not an empty nothingness; it is the womb of creation. -- Nature goes to the same place to create a galaxy of stars, a cluster of nebulas, a rain forest, a human body, or a thought... That place is Spirit. (1)

The idea of thought coming from Spirit is a little general and not something I agree with unless he means REAL thought rather than regurgitated thought. Deepak Chopra is a great and wonderful human being who escaped the material competitive focused world and the 'expertise' that was his, as a doctor. However we have shown that science is getting dangerously close to finding templates or forms that mirror this kind of philosophy and it can be machine replicated. The church felt science was philosophy and that all things came from this kind of godhead in the 'Dark Ages'; and scientists have justifiably thought any mention of a bridge to religion is fraught with these kinds of intellectual author itarian terrors. Perhaps now we can re-evaluate our belief in godly forces and not involve religious or priestly interpreters who ask us to 'follow' like sheep. To replace one set of interpreters with another form of 'expertise' is not good. Surely there is a balance that harmonizes with purpose and true knowingness. I like the thought expressed by James Watson in his foreword to Discovering the Brain. He said, The brain boggles the mind.. It is also true that a lot of the boggling has been done by those saying they seek God.

Author of Diverse Druids
Columnist for The ES Press Magazine
Guest 'expert' for World-Mysteries.com

Author:: Robert Baird
Keywords:: HAARP, SDI,
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

The Holocaust

2013-05-31T14:00:00.003-07:00

Even those in a position of power and influence, who could have prevented the seriousness of the discrimination, chose not to. Teachers especially, could have helped prevent the younger generation from developing this type of discrimination in schools, out of schools and in later life. However, both German schools and the Hitler youth discriminated against Jews by teaching lessons that were designed to do this and to teach that Aryans were the superior race. One of the main areas of teaching where discrimination took place was in racial science where students were taught how Jews had a different skull shape/size to Aryans and other races and taught how they could identify a Jew by their physical features; this created a lot of discrimination towards Jews among the young people of Germany.

One o f the events to describe and demonstrate how Jews were discriminated against in Germany is the April Boycott; for one day Germans all over the country were told not to buy from shops and business' owned by Jews. SA men stood by the doors of these shops to discourage anyone from going inside. The SA men would have discouraged business, leading business away from the Jews and back into Aryan owned businesses and shops. This is discriminating against the Jews and while it was probably very beneficial to the Aryans working at the time, the Jews would have lost business, and would be looked at differently by Germans.

In many places in Germ any, there were signs that read 'Jews not welcome here'. These could be put on park benches, outside places of public interest, or even where it means that Jews are not welcome in the village, city or town. This separates Jews from the rest of the population, by discriminating against them, making Germans feel like they are different people to them, so they should be treated differently!

On the 9th November 1938 a very big event occurred which was the result and cause of more discrimination towards Jews. Kristallnacht was a night of violence across Germany and Austria, 91 Jews were murdered, synagogues were burned down, Jews were dragged from their beds sacred objects were desecrated, shop windows were smashed and 20 000 Jewish men were rounded up and sent to concentration camps. Yet in all of this the German police did nothing to stop the attacks such actions were not to be discouraged, so the discrimination grew to a point where it was acceptable to kill a Jew.

Throughout the period 1933 to 1939, many laws were passed by Nazi's to further discriminate against the Jews, and to separate them from Aryans, and the 'normal life in Germany'. This started as restricting their job opportunities, so that Aryans could benefit from an increase in business, for example a law that was passed in early 1933 is that Jews were forced out of jobs in the law, the civil service, dentistry, journalism, teaching and farming. Thus, this means that Jews are being discriminated against to benefit others. Later in 1935 a law was passed to say that Jews were banned from the armed forces, as the war is d rawing nearer, with no Jews allowed to be in the war, more discrimination goes on, in towns and cities where Aryans identify that Jews are doing nothing to help what might be the war effort, even though, they have no choice but to find another, legal, occupation. This discrimination separates Germans from Jews. In early 1935 it was announced that Jews were no longer citizens of Germany, and had lost their right to vote as written down in the Nuremburg laws, 1935 Jews have no vote. This was a big step in discriminating Jews. It had separated Germans and Aryans completely, so now they could not still be equal, they were different, and this meant that their reaction to eachother had changed.

Laws that had a real effects on any Jew at that time that dealt with their daily lives had was a massive disc rimination on them. For example in late 1933 Jews were banned from all sports and athletic clubs, and in late 1935 Jews: were no longer allowed to marry Aryan, nor to have sexual relations with them; who had married Aryans no longer had a valid marriage; were banned from parks, restaurants and swimming pools; and finally it was passed that Jewish leaders were stopped from preaching or speaking publicly. Afar from this sort of discrimination, there is also the fact that Jews were banned from having electrical and optical equipment, bicycles, typewriters, or records and were ordered to hand them over to the authorities. This discrimination meant that many Jewish families went without the opportunities and comforts that Aryans lived with, thus separating them even further, while discrimination becomes easier.

All of these things lead to the ease of what happened after 1939 where Jews were put into Ghetto's, where the Vansee conference took place and where Jews were tra nsported to death camps. The Nazi's had successfully created a place, in Germany, where people supported the ideas of Nazism and didn't object to law passed against them, discriminating or de-humanising them even further.

Jews were discriminated through making them unwelcome, to having laws passed against them, and later, to death, where they were seen as different people who should be treated differently and deserved what they got. Jews were restricted in everything they did, and because of this they became easy to discriminate against.

The article was produced by the member of masterpapers.com. Sharon White has many years of a vast experience in essay writing and custom essays writing consulting. Get free samples of essays and courseworks and buy essays.

Author:: Sharon White
Keywords:: Holocaust, Jew, Aryan, Germany
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

A Romantic Tale About an Unromantic Hero

2013-05-31T14:00:00.001-07:00

There was once a man who did not understand Society. And when I speak of this man, who regards Society as an unfathomable monster, understand that I am universally speaking of every individual thinker. But there was one particular man, one man among them, who did not understand Society. And what separates him from the other individual thinkers was his unavowed lust for Love, his desire for affection, and his outright honesty in it. He was, in many ways and like other thinkers, a hero. And though his understanding of social Romance may be below par, it cannot be denied that his journey for Love is as Romantic as they become.

Our hero is named Cassidy, and our journey takes us to the bars, pubs, and clubs of America, the raves and hangouts, anywhere there is lurking a girl for our hero's affections. Unlike the other Lovers, looking for a score or a companion, Cassidy was in these clubs and bars because, as he explained to himself many a time, he was human. It wa s his devotion to truth and honesty that made him an unlikely character in this scene. He had no fear, which allowed this truth and honesty to shine forth even in threatening situations. As a career, Cassidy was a janitor. He worked at a mall, cleaning things up, clearing off tables in the food court, picking up garbage. He wasn't bothered by it at all. Making $2.00 above minimum wage per hour, he lived a very restrained lifestyle.

There was one club, Club Down And Out, which was frequented by our friend Cassidy. There were casual contacts here, as well as friends and Lovers made. One man would hit on a woman with, You're fine, I'm fine, why don't we leave this place and do something about it? Cassidy might overhear, and he would be confused. It was completely understood what the man wanted, but the way he presented himself, beneath the shawl of lies, was what confused Cassidy. Sure, it may be true that such pickup lines as, Nice shoes, wanna fuck? among othe rs might be outdated and rarely used. But according to Cassidy, though the pickup lines changed, the attitude was just as antiquated.

Cassidy had heard enough, sometimes being approached by men and women, sometimes seeing men approach women and women approach men, or men approach men and women approach women, and the pickup lines that he had heard were nothing attractive. Some were succesful and some were failures, but they all were full of a superficiality that was completely inhuman in quality to him. The time was to act, and the object of affection was a girl sitting in a booth by herself. She had dreadlocks, thick and natural, which may have been the thing to catch Cassidy's eye. Anything that would separate itself from this unreal reality would be sexy to him. Dreadlocks and a Dead Kennedies shirt. He sat down in the booth next to her. She looked up.

Will you talk to me, because like every human, I long for the physical touch of intimacy, I cherish t he moments of reverence manifested through our acts, I hold kindled affection to be a supreme act of kindness. Will you be one with me, because only my human desires drive me to be with you, one so beautiful and individual as yourself. And you, like me, are only human, so the urge cannot vary greatly between us.

The girl got up from the booth and started to walk away. Cassidy continued talking.

Will you Love me, the way I want to Love you, because your body is the poetry of life, because your face is a gem, because I know that the passion you have is one incomparable. Because, like every human, you are an individual, and I Love you for that.

She was in the crowd, disappeared, out of sight.

Will you give to me that one kiss, that one moment, that one night, so that I can forever remember the smell of your soul, the taste of your body, the lingering desire to forever be in your arms? Will you hold me close so that I only feel your flesh and body he at, so that there is nothing to distract me from the beauty of one so outside of Society's grasp, so that I will know nothing but the pure bliss of yourself?

She had walked ten miles away.

Can I sit here forever, staring into your eyes, not forgetting that there is nobody like you? Will you give me your time, so that I can offer you my body and Love? Will you give me your lust, so I can fufill it and offer you my own? Will you give me the precious pearls of your Mind and body, so that I may give your security in comfort, life in sex, and happiness in existence?

She was in another city.

Will you let me caress your stomach, kiss your neck, nibble your thighs, give to you that one last kiss shared between the angel of loneliness and the daemon of misery? I do not want to be a lost child , looking forever, allowing every flower to pass me by, the indulgence of charity given only to myself, and I do not want to pass by another flower, smelling so sweet in the summer air, just as beautiful as the last one down. To pass one as yourself, to be given to a realm of regrets equally as a realm of mistakes.

She was in another state.

Give me a moment's tenure, and I will give you everything. Emotion like none other, truth inscribed on the long lasting heart of humanity, the tangible pleasures of our reality lighting the candles of our existence. Let me touch your face so that I can show you what I mean. Give to me that one chance of kindness and reverence. Don't let me sink into the dark abyss of nothingness -- I am not a nobody, and I would not want to be passed up. I can give you only what any other human being can give you, Love and desire, fermenting in the barrel of loneliness, given the soft glow and illuminating light of a beautiful and passio nate sight as yourself. And all the Lovers that you've had before, were just as sincere in their sensuality as I am, were just as real in their body as I am, were just as alive as I am here today. Awakened, with lust and vitality, to find something too valuable to give, to find someone too valuable to leave, to discover something deep inside all of us, that makes us all the same, as I desire for your touch in a way that only any other can desire. It is this reason that I ask for you to give me that chance...

...

She turned around from the crowd, and hugged Cassidy. http://www.punkerslut.com

For Life,

Punkerslut (or Andy Carloff) has been writing essays and poetry on social issues which have caught his attention for several years. His website http://www.punkerslut.com provides a complete list of all of these writings. His life experience includes homelessness, squating in New Orleans and LA, dropping out of high school, getting expelled from college for subversive activities, and a myriad of other revolutionary actions.

Author:: Andy Carloff
Keywords:: Romance,Virtue,Romanticism,Romantic,Thoreau,Emerson,Love,Emotion,Society,Thought,Sociology,Mind
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Elvis Presley Lifting Off

2013-05-30T14:00:00.009-07:00

He seems to live forever. A network Television movie about his life is scheduled for 2005.Three years ago,in 2002, the month of August was set aside for him. He was everywhere, as if he never died twenty-five years earlier. The old records reappeared as freshly minted CDs, he was seen shaking his hips on TV news clips and one CBS news piece revealed that an astounding forty two percent of the US population consider themselves to be Elvis Presley fans. His short life was looked at anew, re-examined and pontificated upon. Every day was accounted for, except that one day in January 1956 when he shot to stardom. Who could have known what would happen on that day? The biographers could not have been there but a handful of people did see what happened on that unusual and fascinating day. As a college student working as a weekend gofer in the CBS- TV studio, I was one of them. To fill in that gap in the Elvis Presley story, this is what happened on that remarkable day, January 26 , 1956.

The green 1952 slope-backed Pontiac crawled off of Broadway onto West Fifty-Third Street, gasped, then rolled to a stop. Four men slowly emerged, heads shaking, hands gesturing as the freezing wet January wind stole their words. Three of the men got behind the car, the dark leather encased bass fiddle strapped to its roof glistened with frost. Suddenly one of them, wearing a light blue parka broke away, bent his hooded head into the bitter wind and pushed on down the street stopping midway at a black door indented in a red brick wall. He opened the door, entered a small gray vestibule and tapped on a little square window. I was standing next to Charlie Burgess, the paunchy security guard, who turned at the clank-clank-clank on the glass and slid the window open.

What can I do for you, fella? Charlie said, the eyes in his round, gray face squinting beneath an overhang of silver hair.

Ahm on the Show tonight sir..an we got some car trouble outside. A h think we need some help.

O.K., and who are you?

My name is Elvis Presley, siran like Ah said sir, our car broke down on the way over here. Can we can get some help, sir?

And so he had arrived, not only for his first scheduled appearance in New York City, but to appear for the first time on network Television before the entire nation on Stage Show starring Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. Prime time. Live. Saturday night. The eight p.m. lead-in to The Honeymooners. But his appearance on network Television would not be his New York debut. That would be something, unscheduled and unexpected And something small, like the spark in the ignition of a Saturn rocket.

Elvis Presley, a wild card, was signed for one appearance on Stage Show for January 28,1956. Although he was gaining some notoriety in three southern states and had connected with a local Louisiana Television show, he did have one try at the county Music big time on the Grand Ole Oprey and was told never to come back. On Stage Show he would be one of three guests that night and he would be the least guest of all. Sarah Vaughan would headline and comedian Gene Sheldon, would be second on the bill.

It would be Elvis first opportunity at the really big time. In a cultural world governed by tastes developed over the decades, the big eastern cities, New York especially, were the epicenters of what was considered to be popular Music. Country Music was held at a distance. Not one radio station in New York played country Music. Elvis, the country boy, just turned twenty one years of age, not only knew this but had to have apprehensions about being in the biggest and most alien of all cities for his chance at the real big time. If he was told never to come back, by Stage Show where else could he go, after the whole country had seen him? He was understandably nervous when he arrived.

His face in the window was a smooth, hairless, oval outline, framed in a tightly drawn b lue hood. The soft skin on the face glowed red from the cold. Checking the show roster, Charlie Burgess nodded Yep, there you are. and opened the inner door. As he did, the three car pushers opened the outer door and squeezed in, shivering and shaking their fingers from the cold. All four shuffled into the warm interior corridor that led to the small dressing room elevator which was my theater of operations. As a gofer I not only got the coffee but I drove the dressing room elevator. .After warming up, Elviss companions, his back- up Musicians and driver, had gone out to bring in the instruments. When they returned, a rumbling of pounding feet and the prattle of voices arose as a crowd of young women in leotards turned the corner from the backstage wing. The June Taylor Dancers just off rehearsal, their feet clicking on the gray tiled floor, swarmed past Elvis and his manager, the short, pudgy, Colonel Parker,whom he had just met, and past the three companions bringing smi les of wonderment and a thaw to their frozen faces. Then Elvis and his back-up team went up to their dressing rooms on the fifth floor, the area they were scheduled to share with ventriloquist Jimmy Nelson, his dummy Danny ODay and actor Jimmy Blaine who did the shows commercials. Used by The Ed Sullivan Show, airing from the same studio on Sundays to house the acrobats, jugglers and animal acts usually booked, it was the floor customarily used for the lesser acts.

When he returned to the backstage, the hooded parka was gone and he was there in all his hair. His pompadour crested backward like a dark wave into currents of hair that flowed across the top of his head then channeled downward on a wild run past both his ears and there was an oil slick to it all. People tried not to notice but in a post-war, military- influenced world of crew cuts and close -cut hairstyles, people did notice. The DA of the grease- minded Happy Days crowd, carefully modeled after a ducks aft er body, was the accepted form of hirsute rebellion. This was hitting the cultural beach with a shock assault. I could feel the bristles of my crewcut standing tall. Surely,I thought, he was defying the gods.

In a few moments Col. Parker, dark suited and hands in his pockets, joined Elvis who was talking to Jimmy Dorsey. Tommy Dorsey, trombone in hand, the overhead lights a glint on his gold-rimmed glasses, and Executive Producer Jack Philbin, lean and fortyish in a dark pinstriped suit, closed in a moment later. Weve got an idea!. Philbin said.

It was a two minute buzz of conversation alive with staccato phrases and clauses:... lets get the studio reactionthe warm-up hes gotta do it, the kids got a wild act lets see how the audience reacts, this is New York, for petessake. maybe tone it down a bit , its national TV..do a test run you mean,hmmm, but no one does the warm-up . Its just not done. Do you mind, Elvis? No sir, dont mindLets do it. Youll do it then? You dont mind? No sir, yes sir, Ill do it.

So he would do the studio warmup, something a featured performer simply did not do because ego always stood in the way. But it was something that would become the highlight of the evening. Like a shooting star on a summer night.It was noted by Charley Burgess that Elvis Presley, used the word sir a lot and had a desire to please. Perhaps the latter trait was why he agreed to do something that other featured performers would never do. Something that was, perhaps, the explosive charge that got him off the launching pad.

Elvis wanted to go up to his dressing room and as he walked toward the elevator his head started to nod. Suddenly, like a plane vibrating with restrained energy before take-off, he stopped walking and started bobbing his head. Then his arms reached out and pumped back and forth and he started slashing the air with his fists leading with his left, whipping in with his right. Then, suddenly, as if hearing the bell, he straightened up, and went to his corner in the far side of the elevator. I watched him with curiosity as we went up in the elevator. We were the same age, the same six feet in height and the same weight but he was definitely different.

The nervous energy was building up and the choke was still on. Upon returning from the dinner break, while riding the elevator again to the sixth floor, he vibrated into round two, crouching and punching the air with a fury, the little elevator car shaking against the shaft. Then, when the little car reached his floor he stopped as quickly as he started, straightened his shoulders and walked off, his head still bobbing.

Elvis was the first to answer the ten- minute show time alert that I customarily called out. Guitar in hand, dressed in a mustard plaid sport jacket that had a second-hand store look and with abundant and oily hair locked in place, his eyes, now, were peering out from a deep, dark ring of eye shadow. My ey es were transfixed as we descended.

Sixteen June Taylor Dancers, wearing black and white harlequin outfits and scheduled to open the show were falling into place behind the closed curtain. Announcer Jack Lescoulie who always did the studio warm-up by telling stories to loosen up the audience was standing in the wing, staring out at the stage. Prop men, stagehands and electricians were clustered around Lescoulie and staring past him at Elvis as he, guitar in hand, was walking out on the stage. He was about to do something scheduled performers had never done before nor would ever think of doing: the studio warm-up, a task usually assigned to a production aid or the announcer, certainly not a billed performer. More, it was to be a test run.

Whats he doing out there? someone said. I cant believe it, another added. I think hes actually going to do the warm-up.

Suddenly there was a loud, sharp strumming of guitar and with equal suddenness Elvis Presley, standing in front of the shimmering gold curtain, catapulted forward. One two three oclock,four oclock rock! Five six seven oclock,eight oclock rock!

The words and the Music swirled around the studio and his body followed. Were gonna rock around the clock tonight! As he plunged into the rhythm a fever picked up backstage. June Taylor Dancers, in their thigh-high black and white outfits, flashed their legs as they twirled in an impromptu lindy hop with stagehands. Prop men and more stagehands gyrated in tempo as the words gave way to wild rhythm. On stage, Elvis, one with the beat, swung his shoulders, spread his legs apart, vibrated his hips with frenzy. Backstage, mouths dropped halfway stopping to laugh incredulously then appreciatively. I felt a wild surge of excitement, and wanted to connect with the Music, to dance, but all the girls were taken. I joined the chorus.

Yeah, yeah!Wow! Holy Cow, I cant believe it. Go, go, go. My God, do you see that! Go man, go.

A nd so it went, his New York debut. A studio warm-up and a test run. It was also lift-off time. Returning backstage he was showered with kudos. The normally taciturn backstage crowd that had worked with the greatest of the great on The Ed Sullivan Show were electric, You were great man!. Wonderful, wonderful. Terrific, just terrific.

Further backstage more kudos but Elvis hadnt smiled through any of them. He had a blank look as though he was afraid to give away his thoughts or feelings. He moved to a corner of the wing, his guitar diagonally across his mustard plaid jacket. Only his eyes moved, shifting laterally to different angles like a visitor to a strange new land.

Then the curtain parted to the blaring rush of the Dorsey Orchestra. The June Taylors stepped off flying into their number. Seconds after their finish, Elvis Presley stepped on stage. He was in full color, his mustard jacket in its greatest glory. But he was not. It wasnt the same. His frenetic ene rgy was held back by the Dorsey Music. It didnt mix. The excitement and beat of the warm-up was lost. But the body language wasnt and that came across on the black and white telecasts across America.

Then the phones started ringing but no kudos from Mr. and Mrs. America that night. Charges of moral turpitude and obscenity filled the wires from parents concerned for their childrens virtue.

But destiny could not be denied. Fate had intervened. He was now off the pad and heading downrange. The reaction backstage was positive. The Producers knew what he could do with the right Music. Elvis was signed for another week then four more after that. I estimated that during those five weeks, Elvis went the full fifteen rounds. I noticed too, that his dressing room assignment gradually descended to the lower floors. When he returned to the studio several months later to do The Ed Sullivan Show and the famous show no pElvis,Elvis show when the cameramen were instructed to s hoot only above the waist, he not only arrived in a fully powered limousine but he moved down to share Ed Sullivans dressing room on the second floor.

He was heading for the stars.

Don Bracken is the Senior Editor of the History Publishing Company and the author of the forthcoming book, Times of the Civil War, a study of the New York Times and the Charleston Mecury's coverage of the American Civil War.He also co-edited the Historyscope Series, a computerized study of the American Civil War that has been widely hailed by educators and Civil War experts.When a college student in New York, he worked for CBS Television in what is now known as The Ed Sullivan Theater on week-ends and was there when Elvis Presley showed up. http://www.historyscope.com

Author:: Don Bracken
Keywords:: Elvis, Presley, rock n' roll, Television,Music,Fifties
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Stagecoach Drivers and Their Whips

2013-05-30T14:00:00.007-07:00

Not everyone could manage a stagecoach. The stagecoach driver was held in higher esteem when on the summit of the Sierra than was the millionaire statesman who might be riding beside him.

While most stage drivers were sober, at least while on duty, nearly all were fond of an occasional eye opener. A good driver was the captain of his craft. He was feared by his timid passengers, awed by stable boys, and was the trusty agent of his employer.

The seat next to the driver, weather permitting, was the preferred seat of the men passengers. But this was one seat that was reserved, and it was not gotten by simply being the first to hop on the left front wheel rim and climbing into the box.

If the driver didnt want the person who took the seat there, he would firmly order him down, and then enjoy the passengers discomfiture for the next ten miles.

To sit in the drivers seat, one proceeded very much in the manner of securing an appointment to a high offic e. He went to the source of authorityabove the driver himselfto the superintendent and even to the president of the company.

Charlie Parkhurst was one of the more skillful stagecoach drivers, not only in California, but throughout the west. He was variously called One-eyed or Cockeyed Charlie, because he had lost an eye when kicked by a horse. For 20 years, he drove stagecoach in California. Twice Charlie was held up. The first time, he was forced to throw down his strongbox because he was unarmed. The second time, he was prepared.

When a road agent ordered the stage to stop and commanded Charlie to throw down its strongbox, Parkhurst leveled a shotgun blast into the chest of the outlaw, whipped his horses into a full gallop, and left the bandit in the road.

One-eyed Charlie was known as one of the toughest, roughest, and the most daring of stagecoach drivers. Like most drivers, he was proud of his skill in the extremely difficult job as whip. Proper handling of the horses and the great coaches was an art that required much practice, experience, and not the least, courage.

Whips received high salaries for the times, sometimes as much as $125 a month, plus room and board.

How in the world can you see your way through this dust? one passenger asked Charlie.

Smell it. Fact is, Charlie replied, Ive traveled over these mountains so often I can tell where the road is by the sound of the wheels. When they rattle, Im on hard ground; when they dont rattle I genrlly look over the side to see where shes agoing.

Yet, little was really known about Charlie Parkhurst before or after he came to California. It wasnt until his body was prepared for burial that his true secret was discovered.

Charlotte Charlie Parkhurst was a woman. One doctor claimed that at some point in her life, she had been a mother.

Unknowingly, Parkhurst could claim a national first. After voting on Election Day, November 3, 1868, Charlie was probably the first woman to cast a ballot in any election. It wasnt until 52 years later that the right to vote was guaranteed to women by the nineteenth amendment.

All stagecoach drivers, including Charlie, considered their whips worth their weight in gold. Drivers considered their whips a badge of honor.

Some drivers would as soon be caught without their pants as without their whips. Many of the whips used by the stage drivers were fine works of art, generally ornamented with handcrafted silver ferules girdling a handle made of hickory. Many of these whips are prized museum pieces today.

Whips were never sold, loaned, borrowed, or traded. In his book, Stagecoach Days in Santa Barbara County, Walker A. Tompkins wrote, Whips were considered a part of the driver, who kept the lashes well-oiled and as pliable as a snake in the sun.

Most stagecoach whips had buckskin lashes, usually from 11 to 12 feet in length, attached to a five-f oot hickory shaft. The lashes were 10 feet too short to reach the lead team, which was controlled by reining.

Some rare drivers did carry a six-horse whip with a 22-foot lash, but these were mainly for circus and rodeo appearances, and considered too unwieldy for practical use.

The driver took his whip with him when off duty, and always hung it up. He never rested it in a corner for fear of warping the stock. Neither did he wrap the lash around the handle for fear of curling the thongs.

Stagecoach drivers were scornful of the way they were depicted in the movies. The top-grade stagecoach drivers used cracking of the whip sparingly. These drivers were concerned that the pistol-shot sounds made by the whips would only startle their passengers out of their naps or, worse yet, spook their teams.

Roads had to be built at public expense before stagecoaches were given a route. Some were little more than ox-cart tracks linking the various ranchos. Even the El Camino Real, the storied Kings Highway, was little more than a foot trail.

A tale is told about stage driver Whispering George Cooper. He got his name because of his loud bellow, which was said could be heard for miles, even against a wind, while he pushed his team up a treacherous pass.

At one point, Whispering George needed to repair a broken single tree that had developed a bad split. He scoured the stage for a bit of rope or a scrap of baling wire, to make the repair.

At that moment, a rattlesnake slithering across the road in front of them spooked his team. George killed the snake, which measured five feet or more in length. A passenger commented how much the snake resembled a rope.

By gawd, thats what Ill use it for! exclaimed George. He wrapped the dead snake around the single tree and knotted it into place. It worked, holding the damaged single tree together until it reached a relay station.

The term stagecoach came about in medieval Europe, when public coach travel was the only way one could get from one point to another without walking.

Trips were generally made in easy stages because of bad roads and the lack of overnight lodgings along the way. Hence, the term stage coach.

Alton Pryor has been a writer for magazines, newspapers, and wire services. He worked for United Press International in their Sacramento Bureau, handling both printed press as well as radio news. He traveled the state as a field editor for California Farmer Magazine for 27 years. He is now the author of 10 books, primarily on California and western history. His books can be seen at www.stagecoachPublishing.com Readers can Email him at stagecoach@surewest.net.

Author:: Alton Pryor
Keywords:: article submission, Articles, Writer s, Writing, Publishing, Ezine, Email marketing, Email newsletter, Email
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

The History of Body Piercings Ancient and Fascinating Around the World

2013-05-30T14:00:00.005-07:00

Body Piercings have seen a resurgence of interest in the last ten to twenty years and are becoming more and more a part of the mainstream Western Culture. Take a look at any fashion or entertainment magazine and youll see plenty of well-known Celebrities with Body Piercings like navel rings or a labret. You might be surprised to find out that Piercing is actually an ancient form of expression that most Cultures have practiced at some time or other for thousands of years.

Egyptian Body Piercings reflected status and love of beauty

The earliest known mummified remains of a human that was Pierced is over 5,000 years old. This worthy gentleman had his ears Pierced with larger-gauge plugs in his ears, so plugs may be one of the oldest forms of Body modification there is! We also know that the Egyptians loved to adorn themselves elaborately, and even restricted certain types of Body Piercings to the royal family. In fact, only pharaoh himself could have his navel Pierced. Any one else who tried to get a belly button ring could be executed. (Tell that to Britney Spears!) Almost every well-to-do Egyptian wore earrings, though, to display their wealth and accent their beauty. Elaborate enameled and gold earrings frequently portrayed items in nature such as lotus blossoms.

Body Piercings are also mentioned in the Bible. In the Old Testament its obvious that Body Jewelry is considered a mark of beauty and wealth, especiall y for Bedouin and nomadic Tribes. In many cases, Body Jewelry was given as a bridal gift or as part of a dowry. It is clear that Piercing was a sign of status and attractiveness in Biblical times.

Romans were practical Piercers

Romans were very practical people, and for them Piercing almost always served a purpose. Roman centurions Pierced their nipples not because they liked the way it looked, but to signify their strength and virility. It was a badge of honor that demonstrated the centurions dedication to the Roman Empire. As a symbol, it was important and served a specific function, unifying and bonding the army. Even Julius Caesar Pierced his nipples to show his strength and his identification with his men.

Genital Piercing through the head of the penis was performed on gladiators, who were almost always slaves, for two reasons. A ring through the head of the penis could be used to tie the organ back to the testicles with a length of leather. In gladiatorial combat, this prevented serious injury. With a large enough ring or bar, it also prevented the slave from having sex without the owners consent. Since the gladiator was property, a stud fee could be charged to another slave owner for the highly prized opportunity to raise the next generation of great fighter.

Making love or war, Piercing makes it better

Going across the ocean at around the same time, the Aztecs, Maya and some American Indians pr acticed tongue Piercing as part of their religious rituals. It was thought to bring them closer to their gods and was a type of ritual blood-letting. The Aztec and Maya were warrior Tribes, and also practiced septum Piercing in order to appear fiercer to their enemies. Nothing looks quite as frightening as an opponent sporting a huge boar tusk thrust through his nose!

This practice was also common among Tribes in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Some of the materials commonly used were bone, tusks and feathers. Hundreds of years later, French fur trappers in Washington State discovered American Indian Tribes who wore bones through their septum and called them the Nez Perce, meaning Pierced Noses in French. Its interesting that civilizations separated by thousands of miles and even centurie s often developed a love for the same kind of Body Piercings to enhance certain features, isnt it?

In Central and South America, lip labrets were popular for purely aesthetic reasons women with Pierced lips were considered more attractive. In fact, the holes were often stretched to incredible size as progressively larger wooden plates were inserted to emphasize the lips as much as possible. (Kind of like collagen today). The Aztecs and Maya also sported lip labrets of gold and jade, many of them elaborately carved into mythical or religious figures or sporting gemstones. These were seen as highly attractive and to enhance sexuality.

As the world moved into the dark ages, interest in Piercing died down somewhat and the medieval church began to condemn it as sinful. For a few hundred yea rs, Western civilization abandoned the practice. As the Renaissance went into full swing, however, interest in Piercing began to pick up again.

A new era and a new interest in Body Piercings

Sailors became convinced that Piercing one ear would improve their long-distance site, and so the site of a sailor with a gold or brass ring became common. Word also spread that should a sailor be washed ashore after a shipwreck, the finder should keep the gold ring in exchange for providing a proper Christian burial. Sailors were both religious and superstitious, so they generally spent a lot for a large gold earring to hedge their bets.

Men became much more fashion-conscious during the Renaissance and Elizabethan eras, and almost any male member of the nobility would have at least one earring, if not more. Large pearl drops and enormous diamond studs were a great way to advertise your wealth and standing in the community. It could also designate royal favor if yo ur earring was a gift from a member of the royal family.

Women, not wanting to be outshone by the men in all their finery, began to wear plunging necklines, with the Queen of Bavaria introducing the most outrageous, which consisted of not much at all above the waist. In order to adorn themselves, women began Piercing their nipples to show off their Jewelry. Soon they began wearing chains and even strands of pearls draped between the two.

Men and women both discovered that these nipple Piercings were also delightful playthings in bed, adding sensitivity to the breasts and giving the men both visual and tactile stimulation. Men began getting Pierced purely for pleasure as well. While not entirely mainstream, Piercing of the nipples and, occasionally, the genitals, continued to hold interest for members of the upper crust of society in Europe on and off for the next few hundred years.

The next resurgence of interest was, surprisingly, during the Victorian age, which is usually seen as very repressed. Prince Albert, future husband of Queen Victoria, is said to have gotten the penis Piercing that is named after him in order wear the tight-fitting trousers so popular at the time. The ring could then be attached to a hook on the inside of one pant leg, tucked safely away between the legs for a neat, trim look. Although we have no record of Victorias response to the Piercing itself, there is ample evidence she was wildly in love with her husband and almost never left his side after their marriage!

Soon, Victorian men were getting Prince Albert's, frenums and a variety of other Piercings purely for the pleasurable sexual effects, and women were doing the same. By the 1890s, it was almost expected that a woman would have her nipples Pierced. In fact, some doctors at the time suggested it improved conditions for breastfeeding, although not all agreed. It was an interesting double standard - plenty of people were doing it, but no one was talking about it.

Modern-day Body Piercings

In the last hundred years or so, Body Piercings in the Western world have mostly been limited to the ears, a standard hold-over from the fact that both men and women wore earrings during Elizabethan times. The Puritan movement did away with men wearing earrings, however, and it didnt really regain popularity until recently.

Nose rings found new interest when young people (they were called hippies then) from the U.S. began traveling in India extensively looking for enlightenment in the 1960s. They noticed the nostril rings that most women had been wearing ther e since the sixteenth century. In India, this was a form of traditional, accepted adornment and was often linked to an earring by a chain. For rebellious teens from America, it was a great form of rebellion.

After bringing nose Piercings back to the U.S., the interest in Body Piercings of all kinds quickly caught on during the 1980s and 1990s. Celebrities, sports stars and singers all began sporting a variety of Piercings. Soon, high school students and even stay-at-home moms were flashing new Body Piercings. And the rest, as they say, is History!

This article on the History of Body Piercings reprinted with permission.
Copyright 2004 Evaluseek Publishing.

About the Author:
Lori Wilkerson is a full-time freelance writer who loves her work because it gives her the opportunity to learn more about the world every day. Right now, she knows a little bit about almost everything, and a lot about Body Jewelry, belly button rings and tongue rings. She h as two dogs who are spoiled and one teenager who is not.

Author:: Lucy P. Roberts
Keywords:: History, Body, Piercing, Piercings, Jewelry, Culture, Cultures, Celebrities, Tribes, Pierced, Pierce
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Representation of Female "Figure and Character" in Art and Literature of Pakistan

2013-05-30T14:00:00.003-07:00

Female figure has always been in the limelight in the works of artists and authors, who commented on the society, collective Psyche and behavioral changes through gradual evaluation of centuries. First in Subcontinent and subsequently in Pakistan, due to great influence of Hindu Mythology women have been depicted either as goddesses or witches, in accordance to their relationship to the class they abode in.

In Pakistan, Art & Literature depicted woman as the tragic icon. In 1947, during cruel process of genocide she became the target of violence, all this changed the concept of her personality, and during each freedom movement she had to endure all the consequences.

In Art, Ustad Allah Baksh, in his mystic, supernatural and metaphysical paintings like Talism-e-Hoshruba, portrayed women as angels, fairies or witches. Afterwards under the mixed influence of Art and Literary movements, Realism, Romanticism, Expressionism, Impressionism, Symbolism, Cubism, and Hum anism, woman became the symbol of glamour and Sensuality. Shakir Alis abstract approach towards nature and beauty made his treatment of presenting female figure simple but very rangy, both in terms of apparent sketch as well as the inner meanings. The sharp edges of his brush presented the balance and beauty of figure, influenced by distortions, felt and absorbed. Whereas Sadeqain explored this enchanting manifesto through his Pen N Ink technique while presenting nudes with all the essential details, even of less beautiful or non beautiful parts of female figure, but it is hard to find any character in those drawings on the contrary to Sadeqains male figure based paintings and drawings.

Later Iqbal Hussain portrayed her, sitting in the posture full of elegance, romanticism and temptation. In Saeed Akhtars work we find a woman with elegant and snobbish look. Rahat depicted her with soft touch of innocence. Collin David and Jamil Naqsh focused on the centuries old tradit ion in art THE NUDES, which was a dare step in society like Pakistan where it was not acceptable openly. Collin David explored the female figure as the symbol of beauty and presented woman as woman with all her subtlety and femininity, while Naqsh was a bit ambiguous in his approach, adopted a hazy expression that was, due to its un clear expression, more sensuous.

On the other hand just after partition Saadat Hassan Manto, Asmat Chugtai, Bano Qudsia, and Qurat-ul-Ain Haider presented her as victim of sexual assault and violence. In Bano Qudsias work we find womans struggle and internal conflict, how she survives in the social setup. Hajra Masroor and Khadija Mastoor highlighted the problems faced by middle class woman, injustice and inequity faced by ordinary woman, encroachment upon their rights. Different shades of her personality conveyed through stream of consciousness technique by QuratulAin Haider. In the work of above mentioned writers and artists, we become fa miliar with the emotional and sentimental picture of traditional female figure, her confrontation with society, changes in behavior due to unequal socioeconomic status.

In Parveen Shakirs poetry we find a subtle image of woman with all feminine emotions and qualities. All these painters and writers tried to lay a foundation and give a direction to their successors. Female figure being a strong character in different ways, in a society gives birth to new dimensions in Art and Literature.

I want to disclose the hidden realities and socio-economic, emotional and psychological facts that caused writers and painters to capture feminist values.

In our society the role of women is essential in all cultural and social activities, none of our rituals is complete without female character, folk songs are sung and expressed by women, moreover, she is expressed through her dance.

The little innocent daughter or younger sister is an epitome of affection, Love and c are, while the young girl of our society is to remain modest and noble in all means, so she is the center of all concerns by her parents and this concern, in our society is the cause of many traditional subjects of our art and literature. Young womans body has been described in detail even in our mystic poetry as Waris Shah in his narrative piece of poetry (Heer) did. While the painters and sculptors found the female shape and contours, the universal phenomena to understand and express the real sense of beauty, apart from that external value, the sentiments of a women, being a tender character in our society, always have attraction to feel, observe and express, so, the outer shape as a figure and the inner quality as a character always inspired artists and writers to ponder on a women, even more than needed.

The bridal activities start from woman and end on her as well as she is the center of attraction in this festival, while the groom is a silent figure who just has to sit idle in all the activities, his mother, sisters and afterwards his wifes sisters and friends are active in all the rituals connecting to a wedding ceremony. Being the most wanted and awaited ceremony in our folk culture, and the only platform for folk women to express their artistic qualities, wedding becomes a vital source of cultural information regarding women character.

Same is the case in funeral procession in our society, male are responsible just to burry the dead body accordingly while female characters as mother, sister, daughter and wife are the core characters to enhance the element of sorrow and pain through a dare, open and above board expression of mourning. In our art, it is not very obvious but the grief and sorrow has been painted through female portraits without any detail of circumstances while literature has got its very base for mourning songs (Marsia) through womens voice. The pain of dear departed as son, brother or husband is always depic ted in literature through womens expression and feelings. Moreover, all the rituals regarding deaths directly influence female of our society like widow has to go through (Iddat) after the death of her husband, avoid color clothes in connection with century old Hindu tradition that has influenced our society a lot.

My proposal basically reaches out to reveal social, economical, cultural, and ritual factors and reasons that make our female figure and character prominent and its influence on our society. This research will discuss and disclose the restraints and barriers those are in common practice in society but broken through art and literature regarding women. The research will go a long way into the roots of our concepts that are pruned by religion, ethics, myths, media and education through a process of century old evaluation and the shape we are into, in twenty first century. It will also enable us to analyze our status in the modern multi-culture or global cultur e scenario.

Painter, Sculptor, Photographer, Researcher and Poet.

Author:: Nadeem Alam
Keywords:: Female Figure, Female Character, Love, Motherhood, Sensuality, Glamour.
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Mobile Car Wash Push Carts for Africa to Provide Jobs

2013-05-30T14:00:00.001-07:00

Many people in Africa would like to stArt a business and it is hard to find a business that is easy to do and does not cost much to stArt. I propose that we make possible very low cost mobile wash push-cArts that could be used to clean automobiles and also used for cleaning. The wash-cArts could be built with a plastic water tank, which help 50-60 gallons of water and have a very inexpensive pressure washer on it that was durable and needed little if any maintenance to work. The pressure washer would run off very low batter power source.

The battery could be charged by solar panels, which would be pArt of the top of the push-cArt. Other units for the city could be made to run off fuel and have very small low power generators. By keeping the cost down very low the return on investment would be doable and micro-loans could be made to stArt the commerce going. Training could also be done very easily and up to 20 of these cArts could be put in each major city to be pushed around on car-wash routes and work in a zone defense pattern.

One business person could buy all the cArts and rent them out to individuals, as independent contractors and store the car wash push cArts at their building or yard at night then stock them with fuel, water and supplies each day. Or individuals could purchas e them and run their own businesses. Either way this would be a good business and improve the quality of life in the city for many people and that would be a very positive thing indeed.

By providing mobile type service businesses more people who are willing to work hard could in fact get off the streets and therefore also employ people to help them wash the cars and perhaps this could provide 3-jobs per mobile wash cArt. I have been in the mobile car wash business for 27 years and have designed such a unit and believe these should be built in Africa to also provide jobs and then the entire project would be self-sustaining. Consider all this in 2006.

Lance Winslow, a retired entrepreneur, adventurer, modern day philosopher and perpetual tourist.

Author:: Lance Winslow
Keywords:: Mobile Car Wash Push CArts for Africa to Provide Jobs
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

The Serpent Sword

2013-05-29T14:00:00.007-07:00

In The Quest of the Holy Grail, a uniquely alchemical tale, the sword is seen as a fiery serpent. It is the sword of King David, made by the wise Solomon (Sol Om On) with a pommel stone of all the colors of the earth, with two rib hilts, one made from the fish of the Euphrates and the other the serpent.

It is said to resemble the sword of Arthur, which itself is said to be serpentine in the Dream of Rhonabwy. When Arthurs sword is drawn it was said that two flames of fire burst out of the jaws of the two serpents, and so wonderful was the sword that it was hard for anyone to gaze at it. It is necessary for Arthur to maintain ownership of the sword, whether it is the sword from the stone or Excalibur, as it ensures his victory and his life. Malory indicates again the brightness of the sword and its fiery aspect, writing: but it was so bright in his enemies eyes, that it gave light like thirty torches. But the sword in the stone does not last long and the Lady of the L ake gives Arthur his Excalibur, and also a serpent scabbard, which ensures eternal life. Malory states quite clearly for whiles ye have the scabbard upon you, ye shall never lose no blood, be ye never so sore wounded; therefore keep well the scabbard always with you. It is only when Arthurs half sister Morgan le Fay steals the scabbard and replaces it that Arthur becomes susceptible to the deadly blows of Mordred. The once prized sword is then returned to the water, the home of the Lady of the Lake the serpent spirit.

There is a remarkable resemblance between the tales of Arthurs sword and an unsuspecting Chinese legend. A hero from the 6th century BC named Wu Tzu-hsu threw his sword into a river It shot forth like a spirit-glow, sparkling brightly as it thrice sank and thrice came to the surface with a great gush and then hovered above the water. The god of the river . . . heard the swords roar . . . he rolled in the waters in a great and frothing frenzy . . . Dragon s raced along the waves and leaped out of the water. The river god held the sword in his hand and, frightened, told Wu Tzu-hsu to take it back. (Mair 1983, 141 and 286.) This story, related in the 8th century AD simply cannot differ from Malorys tale of the sword. In China there were tales of great swords such as Dragon Spring and others still that leap into the waters surrounded by dragons, which churn up the water. Wu Tzu-hsus sword is also called Dragon Spring.

But is there any archaeological evidence for the existence of a real sword or swords, which, were seen as serpents? Well we just so happened to find such evidence in the Catalogue of The Fourteenth Park Lane Arms Fair. Lee A Jones authored a fascinating article entitled, The Serpent in the Sword: Pattern-welding in Early Medieval Swords, which immediately made the hairs on the back of our necks tingle. (see http://www.viKingsword.com/serpent.html) Error! Unknown switch argument.

The sword first appear ed around 4000 years ago and immediately became the pre-eminent weapon, preferred by the warrior class. Recent metallurgical studies have shown how the complex piled structures or layers improved the sword from as early as 500 BC. Little wonder that the smithy was an important part of legend and folklore, as the skill implied in the making of these swords is substantial. Several rods are welded together down the length of the blade, joining the various levels of metal together. Heated and then pounded into shape, this sword making was an awesome task. Smaller rods that were carburized (improved carbon) were introduced to increase the hardness. This formed steel, an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon, which was introduced into the edges of the blade as it was stronger and more effective.

Through the 5th to 10th centuries AD sword smiths actually managed to manipulate this piled structure to create wonderful designs within the blade. The method remained virtually unchanged even into the 20th century as can be seen with the daggers of the Nazis, who utilized it extensively.

The patterns (seen above) are seen from the varying degrees of trace elements within the different rods, showing alternating shades. The rods are invariably twisted down the shaft, forming a spiral effect. These twisted swords are seen as early as the 1st century BC in the La Tene period, although more effectively used from the 3rd and 5th centuries the very early period of Arthur. Cassiodorus was a secretary of Theodoric and in 520 AD he wrote to a northern Germanic tribe regarding a gift of words praising their skills, especially the shadows and colors seen in the blades, which he likened to tiny snakes. In the 10th century Kormaks Saga says concerning the sword Skofnung: a covering goes with it and thou shall leave it quiet; the sun must not shine on the upper guard, nor shall thou comest to the fighting place, sit alone, and there draw it. Hold up the b lade and blow on it; then a small snake will creep from under the guard; incline the blade and make it easier for it to creep back under the guard. It is the considered opinion of some scientists that this implies that the dew would reveal the pattern of the serpent upon the sword, giving the impression that a serpent is emerging from the sheath.

This inclusion of the serpent in the blade was eventually replaced with iron inlaid letters and symbols, and Christian phrases such as In Nomine Domini (In the name of the Lord). The remarkable archaeological fact of serpents appearing in the designs of 5th century swords links perfectly with the time of Arthur. As the Pendragon or Head/Chief Dragon Lord he would certainly have been seen with such a device and in the stories mentioned above there are textual links in the legend.

About the Author

Philip Gardiner is the author of the best selling The Serpent Grail, The Shining Ones, and Gnosis: The Secret of Solomons Temple Revealed. He does talks, lectures, has his own radio show and does tours across the world via www.powerplaces.com

Philip has a degree in marketing and 9 diplomas ranging from etymology to holistic medicine. He is hosting the Philip Gardiners Forbidden Knowledge Conference UK (FKCUK) in July 2006.

www.philipgardiner.net
www.gardinerosborn.com

Author:: Philip Gardiner
Keywords:: St Teilo,roman culture,Antiquity,Kings,Nomine Domini,Templar,holy grail,philip gardiner,arthur's swo
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Overworked and Underpaid!

2013-05-29T14:00:00.006-07:00

Lest we feel we are overworked and underpaid, here is a gem from 1892:

This notice was found in the ruins of a London office building. It was dated 1852.

1. This firm has reduced the hours of work, and the clerical staff will now only have to be present between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays.

2. Clothing must be of a sober nature. The clerical staff will not disport themselves in raiment of bright colors, nor will they wear hose unless in good repair.

3. Overshoes and topcoats may not be worn in the office, but neck scarves and headwear may be worn in inclement weather.

4. A stove is provided for the benefit of the clerical staff. Coal and wood must be kept in the locker. It is recommended that each member of the clerical staff bring four pounds of coal each day during the cold weather.

5. No member of the clerical staff may leave the room without permission from the supervisor.

6. No talking is allowed during business hou rs.

7. The craving for tobacco, wine, or spirits is a human weakness, and as such is forbidden to all members of the clerical staff.

8. Now that the hours of business have been drastically reduced, the partaking of food is allowed between 11:30 and noon, but work will not on any account cease.

9. Members of the clerical staff will provide their own pens. A new sharpener is available on application to the supervisor.

10. The supervisor will nominate a senior clerk to be responsible for the cleanliness of the main office and the private office. All boys and juniors will report to him 40 minutes before prayers and will remain after closing hours for similar work. Brushes, brooms, scrubber, and soap are provided by the owners.

11. The owners recognize the generosity of the new labor laws, but will expect a great rise in output of work to compensate for these near Utopian conditions.

Anonymous

Author:: Patricia Nordman
Keywords:: 18 00 employment,early american workers,pioneer worker,Careers
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Bad Day at Grover's Mill

2013-05-29T14:00:00.005-07:00

In 1938 Orson Welles produced a version of War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (no relation), for an American radio station. His company, Mercury Theater, had already dramatised several books, such as The Count of Monte Christo and Dracula, but now Welles decided on a new approach.

At this time radio was still a new and powerful medium. The big radio networks such as CBS and NBC had only been going for about ten years. These were nervous, jumpy times. Storm clouds were gathering over Europe, as Churchill put it. Britain was less than a year away from the most desperate fight for survival in its long history, and most Americans felt that sooner or later they would be involved, too.

Americans were becoming used to dramatic stories unfolding on the radio. In 1932 came the first live broadcast from an actual war zone, when a reporter brought the sounds of a real battle from Spain into peoples homes. Then there was the mystery of aviator Charles Lindberghs kidnapped bab y son, which dragged on for several months. To this day there are some unanswered question connected to this case. In 1937 there was the fatal crash of the airship Hindenberg, described by Herbert Morrison, of Chicago station WLS, in a recording put out the next day. Oh, the flames, four or five hundred feet in the sky, its a terrible crash, ladies and gentlemen. The smoke and the flames now and the frame is crashing to the ground, not quite the mooring post. Oh, the humanity and all the passengers, he says, before breaking off for a few minutes, overwhelmed by the horror of it.

It was at this edgy time that Orson Welles hit the airwaves of America with his new production. Welles had updated the story from its cosy late-Victorian English setting to contemporary New Jersey, and he presented it as a series of increasingly apocalyptic news reports. Listeners settling down to what they thought was a program of dance music suddenly heard it interrupted by a report of severa l explosions of incandescent gas on the planet Mars, followed, after a few more minutes of music, by an interview with a professor at Princeton Observatory, assuring everyone that there was nothing to worry about.

From here the story gets wilder, as reports start to come in of a Martian invasion in full swing. The Martians had landed, for reasons best known to themselves (and Welles), at the sleepy rural hamlet of Grovers Mill, and were deploying in the direction of New York City, spreading death and destruction as they advanced. The realistic effect was enhanced by the use of genuine place names along the route.

The result was more startling than anyone, including Orson, could have predicted. As it happened, about half the audience tuned in late that night, and so missed the brief introduction, explaining that it was only a radio play that they were listening to. Thousands of people panicked. The roads became blocked with people and cars. Some people hid in cell ars, some wrapped their heads in wet towels to escape the poisonous gas, some grabbed their guns, declaring they were going to help defend Grovers Mill.

The public services were swamped. A man phoned the Bronx Police Headquarters and told the cop on the desk, Theyre bombing New Jersey! How do you know? enquired patrolman Morrison. I heard it on the radio. Then I went to the roof and I could see the smoke from the bombs!

It would be a cheap response to laugh at the unsophisticated reaction of those Americans, nearly seventy years ago, as they confused Science fiction with reality, but in those anxious days, who knew what might be possible? Afterwards, Welles claimed it had not been his intention to cause mass panic, and there is no reason to disbelieve him. All the same, he must have known he w as tapping into a well-established fantasy.

The fascination with off-world activities goes back a long way if you think of the Greek gods as the first space travellers, and Icarus was an early fatality when he flew too close to the sun with his wax and feather wings, after having been warned against it by his father, Daedalus. As we all know, the wax melted and he fell into the sea...

Science fiction in its modern form began with Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. In From the Earth to the Moon, which was written as a kind of travelogue, Verne has his space capsule with its three man crew, fired at the moon from a cannon. This story influenced most of the original space pioneers. Although not as highly educated as H.G wells, he used real engineering analysis to arrive at the design of his cannon and m anned moon projectile, and at the time of the Apollo missions it was recognised that he made a number of correct engineering predictions.

Sci-fi literature really took off in the 50s and 60s. C.S.Lewis wrote his Interplanetary trilogy in 1953; Voyage to Venus, That Hideous Strength and Out of the Silent Planet. These had a strong Christian and moral theme. Lewis, originally from Ireland, moved to England and eventually became an Oxford don, so its understandable that his fiction was a bit shaky on the Science. But he was an exception. Many sci-fi writers of the time were either scientists, engineers or mathematicians, sometimes all three. Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov (I, Robot) and Arthur C. Clarke are just three of many that come to mind. Ray Bradbury is in a class by himself, for his beautifully crafted, poetic images of lost and crumbling civilizations on the Red Planet.

Today there is less distance between Science fiction and Science than there used to be. Arthur C. Clarke is so well respected in scientific circles that he has had several craters named after him on the moon. Many of Clarkes ideas have been used by space engineers. For example, in 1963 he wrote a story called Windjammer, or The Wind from the Sun, in which space vehicles had enormously wide sails, made of extremely thin material. The idea was that they were propelled between the planets by solar winds, or pressure from the sun. The acceleration rate woul d be small, but a craft would eventually attain speeds close to the speed of light, using no fuel at all.

I read some time ago that the Russians had taken up the challenge and were building a space ship based on Clarkes idea. As I write, this vehicle has just failed to launch, due to the failure of the initial rocket stage, not the space wings themselves, but such is the interest in Clarkes concept, that there are programs being prepared in the US, Japan and Europe.

Another of Arthur C. Clarkes ideas was that of a tower stretching into space, as a kind of docking point for space ships. This idea is also receiving serious consideration.

NASAs business-like approach to the exploration of space from the 60s on has taken some of the mystery away from local space travel and has affected the popularity of sci-fi literature. The emphasis has shifted to films. Again Arthur C. Clarke showed the way with the classic 2001. Since then weve had Star Wars, Close Encounte rs, E.T., Alien, Independence Day, and of course, Star Trek. I should also mention Contact, the book and film by Carl Sagan, a scientist and writer who left us way too soon. He was largely responsible for NASAs search program for extra-terrestrial radio signals. And now, just to come full circle, we have a re-make of War of the Worlds...

Seventy years on, its true that we couldnt be fooled by Welles radio play, but technology is moving at such a pace that we are not really sure anymore, what is possible and what is not. Anti-matter, anti-gravity, charm particles, alien abduction, bring it on the truth is out there. Personally, I wont be surprised when they discover a way to travel faster than the speed of light. Warp factor two, Mr. Sulu, and straight on til morning.

James Donaldson Collins

James Donaldson Collins is an artist and writer. He lives in the Highlands of Scotland with his wife, daughter and three dogs. His interests are conservation, histo ry, Science fiction, chess and snooker. He also claims to play guitar like a ringing a bell.

Author:: Donaldson Collins
Keywords:: Science-fiction,Science,orson welles
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Richard Price and the Art of Turning Novels into Films

2013-05-29T14:00:00.003-07:00

Richard Price is one of our premier novelists. Since his publication of his first novel in the mid 1970's entitled The Wanderers, he has given readers masterpieces of the urban genre, inspired by his Bronx upbringing and his commitment to the realities and the eccentricities of the American landscape, its rages, dislocations, furies, and yearnings. His other Novels include Clockers (made into a movie), Freedomland (currently in production and starring Samuel L. Jackson as Lorenzo Council and Julianne Moore as Brenda Martin and directed by Joe Roth).

His most recent novel is Samaritan, another ethical urban masterpiece. An online review may be found at Salon.com. Again, Price does not shurk the responsibilities of an American novelist to deal with the problems, psyche and absurdities of our times.

Richard Price's Screenplays include Clockers, Sea of Love, Ransom, the Color of Money, and Shaft, among others. He is a National Book critics Award nominee and Academy Award Nominee. He has written for the New York Times and Esquire.

Any novelist seeking to write for film should read his Novels. Also read his Films. They are both very teachable for any class in scriptwriting and/or novel writing. His interviews in which he discusses Novels and Films can be found online at Salon.com and at the Randomhouse website devoted to his novel Freedomland.

Turning Novels into Films or Films into Novels? Think Richard Price.

Susan Shaw is a freelance writing of web content, including the subjects of film, business, and science. Susan Shaw manages the following film-oriented website, Film Financing, http://www.filmfinancing.myeweb.com and has an online bookstore.

Author:: Susan Shaw
Keywords:: Richard Price, Novels, Films, Screenplays
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Barbara Willis a Glen Luken's Protege is Rediscovered

2013-05-29T14:00:00.001-07:00

Barbara Willis was born in Bakersfield, California on June 29, 1917. She began her art career by studying with potter Laura Andreson and trained with the master, Glen Lukens at UCLA in the late 1930's. In 1942, Barbara opened her first studio Pottery. With the shortage of domestic products due to World War II, Barbara then went from studio to production potter. Barbara's unique glazing technique, vibrant colors and imitation wood designs were sought after by the large store chains such as Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor of New York, Gump's, & Macy's to name a few....including the White House. The popularity of her work lasted until the mid 1950's when art Pottery interest declined due to the increase in imports after the war. Barbara closed her Pottery and moved on to her next business venture.

In 1994, Barbara Willis found a piece of her vintage Pottery at a flea market. During a conversation with the seller, she passed on her phone number. A few weeks later, an avid c ollector of her vintage works called her to explain that she is a California Art Pottery legend! Barbara was encouraged to begin a new line of Pottery and, this Barbara Willis, Terrene Pottery was reborn! Barbara utilizes a different approach in the making of her contemporary line. She hand presses each piece, using one of three types of clay. Barbara uses a unique one-fire glazing process. Each piece is definitely one of a kind!

What a gracious woman! I had the opportunity to meet Barbara Willis, in person, at the Los Angeles Pottery Show on January 29, 2005. In anticipation of meeting and talking with her, I took along my book Barbara Willis - Classic California Modernism, by Jack Chipman and asked her if she would be kind enough to sign it for me. She signed it To Alice, Warm Regards - Barbara Willis - 1/29/04. I later noticed that she had inadvertently dated it 2004 instead of 2005. Like most of us, we write the previous year's date until we are used to the new yea r. I certainly did not mind the incorrect date. I was overjoyed that I was conversing with her and expressing my admiration for her work directly in person.

I speak of Barbara Willis with much enthusiasm because of many reasons. First and foremost, I love her Pottery - not only her vintage work, but her contemporary work as well. Here's a woman, in her late 80's, who currently has her creative juices in motion, working right out of her home in Malibu Beach letting herself be known again to the Pottery world after a thirty-seven year absence to clay. I, like many others, am very appreciative of her work and share in the joy of her return as she quickly is being recognized as an important American ceramist!

You will find pieces of her vintage and contemporary works in the shopping gallery at AccessoryHut.com as well as some hand made Pottery gift items such as necklaces, paperweights, and ring holders. I am also proud to announce that Barbara Willis is the Featured Artist for the Grand Opening of the gallery.

If you would like to learn more about the life and works of Barbara Willis, the above mentioned book is a great read! The author, Jack Chipman, had the opportunity to interview her for his book and during the process they became good friends and he is now a student of hers. A lucky man!

Alice Krueser is the owner of http://www.AccessoryHut.com, an online art gallery that promotes the arts and its Directory of Artists to the design industry as well as the general public. The gallery's slogan: Home Decor with Yesterday's & Today's Artists in Mind

Author:: Alice Krueser
Keywords:: home decor,decorative art,art history,Pottery,art gallery,interior design,studio Pottery,Decorate
Post by History of t he Computer | Computer safety tips

Spindoctoring

2013-05-28T14:00:00.007-07:00

The keltoi or pre-Hellenic people including the Bards had a well-developed educational system that started with logical learning of things children love to do. In addition we now know that the development of the human brain in childhood makes it easiest to learn languages rather than math and other things this system intuited or knew. So the Minstrels and jesters arts, with their performances and study of Rhetoric made a lot of common sense.

Common Sense is not common in much of the education system which has existed during the times of religious and Empire-oriented structures since the end of the Druidic Universities with the Roman Empire which has grown in influence every time it has supposedly collapsed or fallen. Gibbon wrote eloquently for his Masonic brethren like Hume. He tells us the R oman Empire did not fall when the Goths or Vandals invaded and that it was in 1493 with the fall of the Byzantine Court that the Roman Empire ended. When Julius took control of power from the Senate and made it an Empire that answered to one main Caesar (Kaiser and Czar) this clearly made it possible for fewer people to share in the booty.

But it was the work of Constantine that really accelerated the grab of power by the few. The Equestrian class were no mere farmers as the likes of the De Medici or Bauers (Rothschild Benjaminites) would have us believe. They were the elite power-brokers and they had secret spying ventures and a monopoly on usury. In Rome they rented out state-owned land to farmers who were only allowed to earn a limited amount of money. Constantine never became a Christian but he made Christianity the new overlord. This Holy Roman Empire never had to pass assets to the people and it even took over the institutions of charity. Needless to say the inst itutions of education became increasingly controlled and manipulated as the Dark Ages and Sins and Demons initiatives were developed. Eventually people were told the only thing they should or even could study was the Bible. In other Abrahamic religious lands that developed Islam it was the Koran or other dogma that Caliph Omar, who was involved in the destruction of the Library of Alexandria, said must be studied. So the world has grown and people have become ever more institutionalized.

Semantics and the parsing of words and meaning has achieved heights of ignorance in all the minions who are archetypically inculcated with the power of the words and rituals that they do not grasp the intent of. Spin-doctors and apologists on either side of the Hegelian (Play both ends against the middle) Dialectic owe a lot to Machiavellian techniques and appeals to base human urges. Plato never imagined how far it would go in his top-down hierarchy. Semiotics and the Delphi Technique of the present are aided greatly by other hypnotic tools and mind control but drugs have always been part of the social engineering effort since the elite developed the Cult of Death in Egypt where Peruvian cocaine is forensically found in Egyptian mummies.

Author of many books available at Lulu and World-Mysteries.com

Author:: Robert Baird
Keywords:: Semiotics, Rhetoric, Minstrels, cocaine mummies, religious mind control. the Dark Ages
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Renoir

2013-05-28T14:00:00.006-07:00

Art means the whole world to some people. To me it never meant much, until I got to see several paintings. I didnt know the artists name, but the works fascinated me with their colors. Someone told it was Renoir, and I decided to get some of the reproductions for my house and to make some research about his life and art.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir was an artist during the middle 1800's and early 1900's. I have a few copies of his painting around the house and wanted to look further into his style for this study. His early works helped to push what is called Impressionism. The impressionist style of painting is characterized chiefly by c oncentration on the general impression produced by a scene or object and the use of unmixed primary colors and small strokes to simulate actual reflected light. The why he used a blending of colors to blur exact detail, but yet left enough to let the viewer see what he was painting intrigues me.

In one of the copies of his paintings I have in my house you can tell that there is a women looking out into a body of water at a boat with people in yet, yet you cannot see exact detail of what she looks like. He seems to be able to capture the feelings of happiness and peacefulness of the situation, and not go overboard with fine details in that painting. Renoir paintings seem to come from the heart. He had the ability to bring out great details in his work, without having to get to detailed. When he painted kids, he was able to show the innocence of childhood. In the painting called Girls picking flowers in a meadow, which I viewed at the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum, shows two young girls picking and playing with flowers. He used soft colors and blurred the meadow out. The picture makes me think back to childhood and just how carefree I was. My understanding of the world didn't go beyond trying to have fun with friends. That art piece held my attention for quiet a while. I found a happiness inside me that was brought out by the painting. While walking around the art display, I noticed that I kept going back to paintings done by Renoir. His paintings had a way of making smile and I found myself looking back at events in my life that made me smile.

The type of painting that Renoir used is called Impressionism. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Impressionism was a form of art that was developed in France during the mid-1860's. This art form was an attempt to record visual reality in terms of transient effects of light and color. Renoir was one of the front runners in the impressionism movement. The principal Impressionist painters were Claude Monet, Pierre Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley, Berthe Morisot, Frederic Bazille, and Armand Guillaumin, who worked toget her, influenced each other, and exhibited together independently.

When Renoir was in his early 20's, he attended a Swiss art school in Paris. He began learning about the art style of the old masters. Their style dealt with painting in dark colors. Nobody painted the outdoors at that time and the group of artist I listed above became the first to do so. They first painted pictures of what they saw at a local lake and a nearby forest. The goal of these painting was to catch the impression of the moment. These painters used quick and light brush strokes along with bright contrasting colors to show the effects of light.

Why shouldn't art be pretty? There are enough unpleasant things in the world. This quote was from Renoir when asked why he paints what he does. I have to say that this quote best sums up my take on the impressionism movement of the late 1800's. If not for Renoir and the other painters of this movement, who knows what art would be like today. They brought color and lasting feelings into the world of art. I now understand why the painting of Renoir caught my eye when passing by them in stores. I can see what he was trying to capture with his use of colors and the scenes he chose to paint.

Mary Anne Winslow is a member of Essay Writing Service cou nselling department team and a dissertation writing consultant. Contact her to get free counselling on custom essay writing.

Author:: Mary Anne Winslow
Keywords:: Renoir,works of Renoir
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

The Power of Words

2013-05-28T14:00:00.005-07:00

I freely confess that I have had a life-long love affair with Words. I fell in love with Words by the flickering light of a pine-knot fire. I watched my story-telling father use Words to hold the neighbors captive. I learned how to use them from anybody who could teach me.

Words have been used to support and praise me. They have also been used to attack and wound me. But I have never lost faith in their power or their durability.

Words can reveal thoughts, conceal pain, paint dreams, correct errors, and pass along dearly bought lessons to the latest generation. Words can transport knowledge from the past, interpret the present, and speak to the future. Words can build walls between people, or bridges. Words can tear down or build up, wound or heal, tarnish or cleanse.

The ability to use Words can endear you to your fellows, win them to your side, and enable you to rise to heights you may now only dream of. That happened to my father's son.

Pursuing the mastery of Words is worth all the time, money, and energy that you can muster. And what you invest will be repaid with interest compounded.

Build up your knowledge so that your Words are true. Nurture your spirit so that your Words are kind, strong, and wise.

The world may little note nor long remember what you say here. And yet it may. For Words, once they are released, take on a life of their own, and find lodging in places and hearts you may never know. But after many days, they may return to haunt you, or bless you.

Think carefully before you let them go.

Below is a short piece from the April 2005 issue of The Achievement Digest (TAD):

LINCOLN'S LOG: Effective Communication

Lincoln's law partner William Herndon wrote: He loved the study of grammar, which some think the most arid of subjects.

Actually Lincoln was following the advice of Hugh Blair, whom Lincoln had read, who had written: He that is learning to arrange his sentences with accuracy and order is learning, at the same time, to think with accuracy and order.

Lincoln read aloud to himself in order to get a feel for the sound and logic of his Words, and he wrote out his ideas as a way of arranging his thoughts.

Lincoln was not a good speller, but he took great pains in choosing his Words. In one of his debates with Douglas, Lincoln accused his opponent of being sloppy about this. As Lincoln put it, a horse chestnut is not the same as a chestnut horse.

Here again, Lincoln was following Hugh Blair, who wrote: Hardly in any Language are there two Words that convey precisely the same idea; a person thoroughly conversant in the propriety of Language will always be able to observe something that distinguishes them...The bulk of writers are very apt to confuse them with each other, and to employ them carelessly...Hence a certain mist, and indistinctness, is unwarily thrown over style.

If you are interested in Lincoln's Communication techniques, check out the DVD and CD LINCOLN ON COMMUNICATION. This resource is widely used as a training film for Leadership and Communication programs. www.achievementdigest.com/lincoln%20on%20Communication.html.

Gene Griessman, 1995 www.presidentlincoln.com

Gene Griessman, Ph.D. is editor-in-chief of The Achievement Digest--www.achievementdigest.com--and is an executive coach and a much-sought after public speaker for conventions, conferences, and retreats. He has interviewed some of the most famous people in the world asking the question: What makes people great?

His list inclu des Ronald Reagan, Ray Charles, David Rockefeller, Sandra Day OConnor, Jack Nicklaus, Hank Aaron, Ted Turner, Julie Andrews, Aaron Copland, Jack Lemmon, Billy Joel, and Tennessee Williams and many others.

Griessman often appears on television and radio, and his award-winning programs have aired on WCNN and TBS. For years he was host of Up Close on TBS, the SuperStation founded by Ted Turner.

He has written and co-authored seven books, plus a one-man play on Abraham Lincoln. He has performed twice at historic Fords Theatre and at the Lincoln Memorial. His book Time Tactics of Very Successful People was featured in Readers Digest and is now in its 24th printing. He is also author of The Words Lincoln Lived By and The Inspirational Words of Abraham Lincoln. His latest CD is entitled 99 Ways to Get More Out Of Every Day and his latest DVD is Abraham Lincoln on Communication. He has taught at the College of William and Mary, North Carolina State University, Aub urn University, and Georgia Tech. He has served as a Fulbright professor at the national graduate university of Pakistan and as a visiting researcher at the National Agrarian University of Peru and the University of New South Wales in Australia. Hes a voting member of the Television Academy. For years he has been listed in Whos Who in America and Whos Who in the World.

Other free articles on Lincoln 's Communication and Leadership techniques can be found at http://www.achievementdigest.com. To receive a complimentary subscription, send an email to achieve@achievementdigest and type Subscribe.

Author:: Gene Griessman, Ph.D.
KeyWords:: Words,Writing,Wisdom,Leaders,History,Communication,Language,abraham lincoln,abe lincoln,public speak
Post by H istory of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Leonardo da Vinci A Biography of the Renaissance Man

2013-05-28T14:00:00.003-07:00

Leonardo Da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452, in Vinci, Italy. It is uncertain that Vinci, just west of Florence, was the actual birthplace and it is often debated that perhaps he was born in a farmhouse in Anchiano. Nevertheless, Vinci claims the prestigious title of the birthplace of Leonardo Da Vinci.

Leonardo did not author an autoBiography; therefore, what little is know of his early life has been gathered from tax records and other documents of the period. What is known is that he was the illegitimate son of Ser Piero da Vinci and a woman who is only known by her first name, Catrina. It is speculated that she was possible a slave from the Middle East or perhaps just a lowly servant that worked in the household.

His father, a notary of some stature, did not raise him. It is known that Leonardo (christened Lionardo) lived with his. Later on he went to live with his father or his father's younger brother, Francesco. What became of his mother is unknown.

< p>Because of the circumstances of his birth, Leonardos early training was probably conducted by his step-mother, Donna Albiera, although he was mainly self-tought. Later on in life his illegitimacy would also influence his prospects for obtaining a higher education and the means to earn a living. When his father noted his Artistic talent, he was sent to Florence as apprentice to Andrea del Verrocchio at around the age of 16 or 17.

Under Verrocchio, Leonardo studied Painting and sculpture. He probably learned geometry during his apprenticeship and worked with other students and Artists of the time such as Sandro Botticelli, Cosimo Rosselil and Lorenzo di Credi. It was during this time that he was assigned his first task of Painting the angel in Baptism of Christ (c.1472-75). After seeing Leonardo's angel it is said that Verrocchio swore never to pick up a paintbrush again.

During his first Florentine period (1478-1483) Leonardo received some of his first commissions. He became known for his Artistic talents with his work on Madonna and Child (c. 1478), Small Annunciation (1480-1481), and Adoration of the Magi (c. 1481-82).

Leonardo was revered by friends and colleagues as being handsome and charismatic. He was kind and generous and probably one of the world's first animal rights activists. He was also a practicing vegetarian (almost unknown in the fifteenth century.) However, he was not so well liked that he was immune to gossip and in 1476 he was arrested on the charge of sodomy. After about two months of incarceration he was released due to a lack of evidence. The question of his s exuality still remains a mystery.

After his release in 1478, Leonardo left Florence for the first time and traveled to Milan. There he joined a new patron, Ludovico Sforza. Initially he was to have been a military engineer, but instead became the court Artist. He designed several machines such as catapults and armored cars but none were ever built. During this time he also painted one of his most famous frescos, The Last Supper - not actually a fresco in the true sense of the word but still paramount in establishing him as a portraitist and Artist.

In 1499, Leonardo returned to Florence where he accepted a commission for an altar Painting for the friars of the Order of the Servites at Santissima Annunziata. It was for this Painting that Leonardo created one of his unfinished masterpieces, The Burlington House CArtoon (c.1499-1500). He also stArted two of his most famous works, The Battle of Anghiari, and The Mona Lisa (1503). The Battle of Anghiari was never finished and The Mona Lisa was never delivered to the client, Francesco del Giocondo.

In 1506 he headed back to Milan, remaining there for six years to continue his anatomy studies. Then in 1511, he moved to Rome where he continued his experiments with flight and optical puzzles as well as botany and the scientific mixing of oil paints and varnishes.

In 1516 Leonardo joined the King of France, Francois I, in the Loire Valley. The aging Artist was ill and suffering from a stroke. Unable to paint, he undertook several projects including a walking mechanical lion. Instead of a heArt, the lion's chest opened to reveal a fleur-d e-lis. He also designed a palace at Romorantin, reorganized his notebooks, and several other smaller projects.

On May 2, 1519, Leonardo died and was buried in Saint-Forentine in Amboise. But even in death, his travels were not over. During the Wars of Religion Leonardo's remains were moved several times. Eventually he was buried in the Chapel of St. Hubert in the castle of Amboise.

Leonardo da Vinci was an Artist, musician, philosopher, engineer, botanist, anatanomist, mathematician and a humanitarian. He did not believe in life after death and he did not agree with the teachings of the church. He was generous but suspicious. He questioned everything around him and excelled at everything he undertook. He spent 30 years keeping meticulous records and journals documenting his experiments and designs. Vassari observes with reference to Leonardo's writings, he wrote backwards in rude characters, and with the left hand, so that anyone who is not practiced in reading t hem, cannot understand them. He did not number the five thousand pages he documented but ensured that each observation or experiment documented be completed on one page. Leonardo took great pains to finish his notebooks. Yet, in contrast to his scientific studies, this Artist who epitomizes the Renaissance left much of his Artistic endeavors unfinished.

Much of Leonardo's life is a mystery in spite of his writings. Little is known of the man inside the body because he did not reveal much to the world. His accomplishments throughout his 67 years on eArth did much to revolutionize the Artistic community and, had his machines been built, would have revolutionized society centuries in advance. Leonardo was truly a man before his time.

To learn more about Leonardo da Vinci and find Bianca Tavares other biographical writing at Renaissance Art.

Author:: Bianca Tavares
Keywords:: Biography,leonardo da vinci,Renaissance man,Renaissance,Art,Painting
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

The Galant Villain

2013-05-28T14:00:00.001-07:00

An anti Hero, a perfectly clear defined Villain is created to build a contrast with the main positive Character. But sometimes the Villain is depicted to be more graceful than the true Hero of the story .

In Beowulf, both Grendel and Unferth occupy similar roles as anti-Heroes, heightening the qualities of and giving purpose to Beowulf. The monster is an outside torment representing the faults within Anglo-Saxon culture, and the man is the embodiment of defects within Danish society. Grendel, of course, is a foe which Beowulf can battle to earn glory, riches, and allies. Unferth, a brave, noble man like Beowulf, but who los t his standing as a Heroic man by killing his brother, serves as a contrast making the latter appear more valiant. Had Unferth successfully rid the Danes of their tormenter, there would have been no need of help from the Geats. He also provides Beowulf with an opportunity to boast prior to his battle with Grendel, heartening the men for their dangerous night ahead.

Apart from this, many Characteristics of Grendel and Unferth mirror each other. Most obviously, they are tarnished by acts of fratricide which make them social outcasts. Unferth is never given the opportunity to explain his action, and Grendel himself did not physically commit Cain's crime, yet both are punished. Beowulf tells that It harrowed him to hear the din of the loud banquet every day in the hall, until Grendel came to Heorot for the purpose of joining the crowd.

Also, a significant component of each of their downfalls was pride. Grendel, greedily lusting for human blood, was too proud for caut ion in his last deadly fight. Unferth, too, became the target of Grendel's malice in Gardner's novel through his self-righteous pride. Desirous of a glorious death in defense of his country, Unferth assumed his opponent to be very primitive. He was instead rewarded with public humiliation and the disgrace of being continually spared from harm.

Both were required to set great stakes on each fight or encounter because of the reputations they had to fulfill. Although neither was accepted by society, they were nevertheless part of it, and without maintaining their roles very precisely, they might lose their place - a great fear for beings hanging on the cusp of the populace already. Grendel, once forced into the role, must remain the Destroyer, killing sometimes reluctantly so wouldn't be misunderstood. Every human creature has a basic need for purpose and activity. As the dragon points out, Grendel is not only defined by his role to the Danes, but he helps define them a s well. Men are constantly being defined by something, and if Grendel refuses to be man's condition, then he will be replaced.

Unferth tells Grendel that all a Hero asks for is a chance. For this reason as well, Grendel comes across as the anti-Hero because he had chances to achieve his goal of befriending men and failed. Whilst stuck in the tree, they initially planned to feed him, but ended up hurling an axe towards him. When he approached the men with his offering of friendship, it was not accepted and his life was again threatened. He has either run out of chances or given up trying. Unferth, on the other hand, is taking his chance to redeem himself from his murderous deeds. Nor does he cease taking these chances, and his determination through increasingly bad odds marks him as Heroic when compared to Grendel's defeatist behavior.

Thus, a Character primarily created as a foil for a Hero can, when compared to a more Villainous anti-Hero, be seen as honorable and worthy. Although Unferth's act of fratricide justly marks him as a detestable person, the cold, spiteful destruction of Grendel creates a side of Unferth that people relate to. People, like Grendel, want to make the best of others. Therefore, a scoundrel such as Unferth can be made Heroic when contrasted to a true anti-Hero.

The article was produced by the member of masterpapers.com. Sharon White is a senior writer and writers consultant at term papers. Get some useful tips for thesis and term paper writing .

Author:: Sharon White
Keywords:: Character, Hero, Villain
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Pirate Ship

2013-05-27T14:00:00.007-07:00

The ship sails billowing in the distance spread panic across the seas. The skull-and-crossbones flags were enough to strike terror in the bravest of heArts. As the ships drew nearer, so did images of flashing swords, plunder and bloodshed.

The ships that pirates used were stolen or obtained in a mutiny. Some were even acquired from privateers as these ships were fast and specially designed for the purpose of pursuit. A pirate could command several ships, the most famous multi-ship pirate being BArtholomew Roberts, who owned six ships through his colorful career.

A pirate ship was an interesting place to be in. It was a place where they l ived, and it was always battle-ready! Though the crew lived together, there were special cabins for the captain and the quArtermaster. The ship also had a storeroom where the booty was kept. It carried plenty of weapons and it was oh, so fast! Though some pirates used large ships, many preferred the faster sloops, brigantines and schooners.

Schooners were two-masted ships with narrow hulls and large spread of sail that made them fast, sometimes going over 11 knots.

The brigantine had a foremast, usually with square-rigged sails. The main masts with a fore-and-aft and square-rigged topsail could move in any wind condition. It was about 80 feet long, 150 tons and could carry up to 100 men and 12 guns.

The sloops were small, single-masted craft with an enormous sail spread which made them fast and agile. In the Caribbean, sloops were popular for their speed and ability to enter shallow waters, where larger battleships could not chase them. These vessels were also easy to remove barnacles from and were easy to keep in fighting fit shape. Warships, battleships and frigates became popular because of their weapon-carrying ability.

Pirates provides detailed information on Pirate, Pirate Costumers, Pirate Ship, Pirate Flags and more. Pirates is affiliated with School Playground Equipment.

Author:: Alison Cole
Keywords:: Pirate Ship
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A Satirical Critique of "As You Like It"

2013-05-27T14:00:00.006-07:00

Masked in a portrayal of Orlando T.Jain

It is easier to recognize Billy Shakespeare as a genius than a perfectionist, and still easier to recognize him as a perfectionist than a sensible man. As you like it is a play burdened with more mental incongruities than a clothes salesman at a nudist resort. It is a violent pornography of harmless affection, of kinky pastoral rites pleasuring the aristocratic impotency with orgasmic wit and a sunny, erotic humor. Orlando, the ostensible protagonist, is a bastard of Shakespeares hypocrisy; the whole idea of pastoral literature was somewhat analogous to your monthly edition of Hustler but with a polite, referential index of village life. Shakespeares choice of a protagonist is seemingly phallic, by phallic I mean penal, by penal I mean the male reproductive organ. I allude to the fact that the choosing of a protagonist finds itself a bias more inclined to respective testosterone levels than any literary convention. It is impos sible to draw a cutthroat comparison or even discover an inflexible comparative degree between Oliver, Touchstone, William, Silvius, Duke Senior, Duke Frederick, Charles, Jaques, Amiens, Adam, Dennis, Corin, and the big-shot, Orlando. It is a latent war of manhoods, and Shakespeare seems to acknowledge character according to necessary allocation and immediate proportion. Orlando either supercedes or overshadows other characters by the virtue of his genitals.

The portrayal of Arden as a place of chancy serendipity and the peremptory gender reversals insinuate of the pervert in Shakespeare. Stationing Orlando as a sexual predator blathering in hot, zesty verses for Rosalind perhaps reveal a more wanton facet of the character. By the importunate eulogizing and mushrooming of one Orlando, we witness the terminal, painful castration of other male characters. Most of Shakespeares plays are governed by a code of soft encryption, and when we rupture this code, the play seems fickle, inadequate and almost as irritating as a homosexual. The code in As you like it is of idealism, i.e., to develop an ideal protagonist and rape or molest a yarn around him. So observe a few decoded techniques -

In a comic play that derives the comedy from essential pastoral life, Orlando is not a shepherd, i.e., not a source of humor. Secondly, Orlando defeats a likely undefeatable Charles with an intriguing alacrity, thus demeaning Charles and instigating a process of elevation that is cogently earmarked throughout the play. Thirdly, Adam has little to render to the play than to continually deposit Orlando as a great man in dire circumstances. Fourthly, Jaques, though poses as a bright, resplendent character, and when comes decently close to superceding Orlando as a man of a superior intellec t, Shakespeare puts the scissors to his crotch and Jaques is imposed upon with a persistent eccentricity that cannot match up to the more perfect airs of Orlando. While Duke Frederick is rendered the malign sector of the play and Duke Senior is too uncomfortably idyllic, other masculine characters like Touchstone, Corin, William, Silvius, Dennis arent even adequately potent to match up to Orlando. So, through a covert technique, Shakespeare establishes a personality that lugs the encumbrance of a play that not only lacks action, but obediently subsumes and endorses the aristocratic interpretation of a conventional Pastoral comedy.

Shoot any related questions of course and likewise at - mosaics12@rediffmail.com

Author:: Tushar Jain
Keywords:: As you like it, Shakespeare, William,
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Ritual Suicide

2013-05-27T14:00:00.005-07:00

Seppuku (Sape-puu-kuu), the Japanese formal language term for ritual suicide (Hara-kiri (Har-rah-kee-ree) is the common language term), was an intregal aspect of feudal Japan (1192-1868). It developed as an intregal part of the code of bushido and the discipline of the samurai warrior class.

Hara-kiri, which literally means stomach cutting is a particularly painful method of self-destruction, and prior to the emergence of the samurai as a professional warrior class, was totally foreign to the Japanese.

The early history of Japan reveals quite clearly that the Japanese were far more interested in living the good life than in dying a painful death. It was not until well after the introduction of Buddhism, with its theme of the transitory nature of life and the glory of death, that such a development became possible.

To the samurai, seppuku--whether ordered as punishment or chosen in preference to a dishonorable death at the hands of an enemy--was unquestionable demonstration of their honor, courage, loyalty, and moral character.

When samurai were on the battlefield, they often carried out acts of hara-kiri rapidly and with very little formal preparation. But on the other occasions, particularly when it was ordered by a feudal lord, or the shogun (as was directed of Lord Asano in the Tale of the 47 Ronin), seppuku or hara-kiri was a very formal ceremony, requiring certain etiquette, witnesses and considerab le preparation.

Not all Japanese samurai or lords believed in, even though many of them followed the custom. The great Ieyasu Tokugawa, who founded Japan's last great Shogunate dynasty in 1603, eventually issued an edict forbidding hara-kiri to both secondary and primary retainers.

The custom was so deeply entrenched, however, that it continued, and in 1663, at the urging of Lord Nobutsuna Matsudaira of Izu, the shogunate government issued another, stronger edict, prohibiting ritual suicide. This was followed up by very stern punishment for any lord who allowed any of his followers to commit harakiri or seppuku. Still the practice continued throughout the long Tokugawa reign, but it declined considerably as time went by.

Honor for the samurai was dearer than life and in many cases, sel f destruction was regarded not simply as right, but as the only right course. Disgrace and defeat were atoned by committing hara-kiri or seppuku. Upon the death of a daimyo loyal followers might show their grief and affection for their master by it. Other reasons a samurai committed seppuku were: to show contempt for an enemy; to protest against injustice, as a means to get their lord to reconsider an unwise or unworthy action and as a means to save others.

The ritual for disenbowlment was to be performed calmly and without flinching. If condemned to death, it was held to be a privilege to execute the sentence on one's own body rather than to be a disgrace and die at the hands of the public headsman.

The location of an officially ordered seppuku ceremony was very important. Often the ritual was performed at temple (but not Shinto shrines), in the garden or villas, and inside homes. The size of the area available was also important, as it was prescribed precisely for samurai of high rank.

All the matters relating to the act was carefully prescribed and carried out in the most meticulous manner. The most conspicuous participant, other than the victim, was the kaishaku (kie-shah-kuu), or assistant, who was responsible for cutting off the victim's head after he had sliced his abdomen open. The was generally a close friend or associate of the condemned.

Although suicide is deplored in Japan today, it does not have the sinful overtones that are common in the west. People still kill themselves for failed businesses, involvement in love triangles, or even failing school examinations, death is still consider by many as better than dishonor.

Fahmi Samir is a student in japan and taking mechanical engineering. To know more about japan or japan language, visit his website http://koiyee.blogspot.com

Author:: Fahmi Samir
Keywords:: hara kiri,ritual suicide,Japanese
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The Complex Simplicity of Henri Rousseau's Art

2013-05-27T14:00:00.003-07:00

A few basic, descriptive words can define a persons reputation in a mere brush stroke. Nave, childlike, primitive - words like these have lived on long after the renowned French painter Henri Rousseau has left this world. Yet time and time again they are the tidbits of vocabulary, or the glaring labels that people give to Rousseau.

One has only to stare intently at his works with their bright shades, seemingly simple forms and fantasy like scenarios to see that they do have an unmistakable childlike aura about them, yet surely they show us more upon second glance.

The man Picasso would one day go on to befriend after seeing one of Rousseaus canvases being sold for reuse, was born in Laval France on the 21st of May, 1844. Never a rich man by any means, Rousseau entered the army as a youngster and later became a toll clerk in Paris. At the somewhat early age of forty nine Henri Rousseau retired from his life in the civil service so he could devote night and day t o his dearest passion, Painting.

Rousseau belonged to an elite class of Artists, though many of his peers and critics were not so quick to see Henris career as such. Rousseau was a self-taught Artist through and through. Though he obtained the needed permit to sketch inside of the national French museums in 1884, Henri never so much as took a formal Art class or apprenticed under any master of the day. Like so many with great loves, he simply had a burning passion for Painting embedd ed in his soul.

The Art world was alive in new and fantastic ways in the late nineteenth century; thousands of would-be Artists clambered either in the shadows or in the limelight for recognition. This was the era that would produce such legends as Paul Gauguin, Edgar Degas and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec to name but three. So in this time of Artistic explosion Rousseau worked whether intentionally or not in a style and manner that was delightfully unique and captivating. Though ofte n grouped under the heading post-impressionism, Henris work somehow stands out from the crowd.

It is innovative and subtly provocative, surrealist and dreamy. He favoured animals, real life subject matter (including Paintings of many of the people closest to him) and vivid, well-saturated colours. His passion for Painting jungle scenery and wild beasts is thought to come from time spent in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, a lush botanical garden that housed a well stocked zoo of exotic creatures.

In his work we do see a sense of childlike innocence, but it may be because that is what Rousseau was attempting to do, rather than a by-product of his creativity. In an epoch of so many social, political, religious and technological not to mention Artistic changes, living a lower class life (Henri and his wife Clmence had nine children to support on his meagre salary), and without formal training to sway him towards other more traditional or in vogue forms of Art, perhaps Henri was trying to carve out the sort of life he secretly wished for through his work.

And so, like a child who daydreams incessantly in the face of reality, Henri Rousseau painted the world in a way that showed both its colourful simplicity and its mysterious secrets; a place of ambiguity, a fascinating jungle of fantasy amidst the harsh backdrop of late nineteenth century Paris.

Born is Vancouver, BC Jessica Cander is a professional freelance writer who currently calls the Southern tip of Ireland home. She intensely enjoys writing on all aspects of culture and the Arts, and is a fan of Henri Rousseaus Painting.

Author:: Jessica Cander
Keywords:: Henri Rousseau,Henry Rousseau,Painting,Art,post impressionism
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Hello I Must Be Going: The Vanishing Twin

2013-05-27T14:00:00.001-07:00

They walk among us. By the mid nineties, science had only smoked out a few dozen of them worldwide but there are undoubtedly many more. You may well know some of them. You may even be one yourself. Perhaps you're sometimes haunted by the sense that there is someone lurking very near, invisible and silent but sharing that odd thought, impression, or fear from time to time. A more solid clue might be found in the skin on your back. Sometimes you can see this plainly though they say it's usually only discernable under UV light.

I'm talking about what might be looked upon as the most extreme form of Siamese or Conjoined twinning, one in which both bodies have merged completely into a single individual. Scientists call the perplexing result a Chimera, after the mythological beast described by Homer and others that sported the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the rear of a dragon or snake. What happens is that you have two fertilized egg cells that converge very earl y in the gestation process. If the cells were Identical Twins there would probably be no way to identify such two-in-one individuals and the world may well be full of them. But if they're Fraternal, things can get more interesting.

If the two are of opposite sex you can end up with a true hermaphrodite, though this seems to be exceedingly rare. In January of 1998 doctors in Scotland reported the birth of a child, originally conceived through in vitro fertilization, who ultimately tested out to present both female (XX) and male (XY) chromosomes and corresponding equal-opportunity genitalia. Most of the time the consequences are much more subtle. In 1953 an English woman named Patricia McDonnell underwent some routine tests when she became pregnant and discovered she carried both Type O and Type A blood in a ratio of about 13 to 1. After considerable study her doctors concluded that the minority Type A was her own and the Type O was what was left of her twin brother.

Sometimes a Chimera will have a left and right eye of different colors (like Jane Seymour and Joe Pesci... hmm, do ya think?), while others as alluded to in the first paragraph may display marbling or streaking patterns on their backs, called Blaschko's lines, which suggest an imperfect blend of two differing complexions. Researchers call the latter individuals mosaics. They're intrigued with the phenomenon because they suspect certain afflictions may arise from it such as cancer, Alzheimer's, and autism. (Indeed, Susan Folstein of Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston reports that about one in ten autistics show Blaschko's lines. The inference is that there is an antagonistic mingling of chimeric brain cells that have trouble communicating with each other.)

Beyond all of this, surg eons and researchers can and do intentionally create interspecific Chimeras, where they combine tissues from different animal species. Considering that about five hundred prospective transplant patients die in the U.S. every month waiting for human donors, this can obviously be a very good thing. Pig and cow heart valve transplants are already quite common.

Here are two links at least tangentially related to Chimeras. This one deals with a rather eerie, way-out aspect in a book by Bill Chalker; while this one explores purported interspecific Hybrids involving domestic cats.

This article comes from the Curious Thing of the Week section of my site Sui Generis at http://www.CuriousNotions.com where you'll find only the world's rarest, best, oddest and most legendary. If you crave the exotic and march to your own drummer, please stop by!

Author:: Peter Blinn
Keywords:: Chimera, Siamese, Conjoined, Twins, DNA, Curiosity, Hybrid, vanished twin, Fraternal, < a href='http://www.amazon.com/rss/tag/Identical/new?tag=day2soft-20'title= 'Identical: Newly tagged products at Amazon.com' target='_blank' style='font-size: large'>Identical
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