WALT #DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES CANADA PRESENTS ~ LINCOLN In Theaters November 16th~!!

LINCOLN
DREAMWORKS PICTURES
Release Date: November 9, 2012 (Toronto), November 16, 2012 (Wide)

Genre: Drama
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, David Strathairn, Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Director: Steven Spielberg

"Lincoln" focuses on the last four months of the president's life and the political strategizing he undertook at the close of the Civil War to ensure that slavery would be forever outlawed. “Our movie is really about a working leader who must make tough decisions and get things done in the face of overwhelming opposition,” Spielberg says.

“Lincoln” is a DreamWorks, Twentieth Century Fox, Participant Media production opening in limited release November 9, expanding November 16, 2012.

Knowing Some of the Wonderful Temples of Bangkok

Bangkok's history can be traced back to the early part of the fifteenth century when Ayutthaya was its ruler. At that time, the name was then only applied to a small village located on the river's western side. Due to this very strategic location by the Chao Phraya River's mouth, gradually, this village began to increase in importance. It served as an outpost for customs, and was also the site of a 1688 siege when the French became expelled from the village of Siam.

As the city capital of Thailand, Bangkok plays a critical role in the history of the country. Renowned for its phenomenal Buddhist temples, this once named "Venice of the East" has witnessed a major metamorphosis over the past 50 years.

1.  Wat Arun- The Temple of Dawn



Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, is located on the Thonburi west side of the River Chao Phraya.

King Taksin renovated the temple, and also renamed the temple the Temple of the Dawn or Wat Chaeng. King Taksin ruled during the Thonburi Period, and it was during this time that the chief temple was Wat Chaeng, and this temple was once the home of the enshrined Emerald Buddha, in addition to the Phra Bang, yet another vital Buddha image, and the both of these were taken from Vientiane.

All through the Rattanakosin Period, the temple flourished. Its fine craftsmanship and beautiful architecture bear witness to the temple's status of being a first grade temple as well as one of Thailand's most outstanding temples.

The prang (spire) of the Temple of the Dawn along the Chao Phraya's riverbank is a landmark of world fame for Bangkok. This looming prang is over 229 feet tall (70 meters), and is incredibly decorated with small colored glass pieces in addition to delicately placed Chinese porcelain introduced into these intricate patterns. Even though the temple is referred to as the Temple of the Dawn, it is positively breathtaking at sunset especially when it is lit up during the night.

2.  The Temple of Wat Pho



Wat Pho is found in back of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. This is Bangkok's biggest temple and renowned for the massive and imperial reclining Buddha. The Buddha is covered by gold leaf and measures over an amazing 150 feet (46 meters) long.

To give you an idea of the proportion, the feet of the Buddha measure over 9 feet long (3 meters) and is adorned with illustrations of the Buddha's characteristics (laksanas) in mother of pearl. This temple is also known as the Temple of Reclining Buddha.

At Wat Pho, you can have a traditional Thai massage. This therapeutic massage is more of an invigorating massage instead of being relaxing in nature, as this form of massage incorporates for its stress relief and improved blood circulation a variety of yoga posture styles. The cost for a half hour is about 120 baht, whereas the per hour cost is 200 baht.

There are good English speaking tour guides available at Wat Pho that will also share some interesting information about the temple for approximately 200 - 400 baht. The cost will depend largely on your skill for negotiating as well as the number of people in your group. You can also consult with a few palm readers or astrologers. It may be possible to receive a monk's blessing if you make a small donation. The donated money will go to help maintain the temple (wat), and it will cost you 20 baht to enter.

3.  The Temple of the Golden Buddha (Wat Traimit)



In Chinatown, at the end of Yaowarat Road, near the Railway Station in Hualampong, the Temple of Golden Buddha is the home to the biggest seated Buddha in the world, measuring in at almost 16 feet high (5 meters) and weighing in at 5.5 tons. Artisans in the past, created the Buddhas in gold, and then disguised them by covering them in plaster and stucco to keep them safe from any invading armies.

The Wat Traimit Buddha was discovered accidentally when it was dropped while it was in the process of being moved to reveal under a plaster casing an incredible Sukhothai styled Buddha made of solid gold. There are pieces of the original plaster still on display. This makes Wat Traimit a must watch destination in Bangkok.

Tobias Carlson is a business writer based in Asia. He often visits Bangkok on his trips in connection with his Office Rental in Bangkok business. 

Is Latin Really a Dead Language?

It’s the common protest you’ll hear from children who have to take Latin class but just aren’t interested: “It’s a dead language! Why do I have to learn it if nobody speaks it?” That sounds like an argument that’s logical enough. But why has “dead language” become synonymous with “Latin?” And if Latin really is a dead language, why does anyone bother to teach or learn it at all?

Perhaps scholars and classical literature and history buffs aren’t so foolish after all. It’s true that people don’t speak Latin to converse on an everyday basis anymore, but does that really mean that it’s dead? It doesn’t. When you look more closely, Latin is far from dead, and it’s even coming back to life more than it has in decades. There must be good reasons for this, but what are they?

Historical Significance
Kids learn a lot of things in history class that are no longer relevant or significant, and sometimes they protest against that, too. But history isn’t considered to be dead; instead it’s intended to give important insight into the past so that the present and future can benefit from history’s lessons. Latin has great historical significance. It was the language of the Romans, and it was the language that was used to communicate so many things that matter today – like democracy. It was an important part of the history of modern civilization, so why shouldn’t we learn about it?

Modern Language
Most modern languages, like the romance languages of French, Italian, and Spanish, have their roots in Latin, as does English. We may not speak Latin today, but we wouldn’t be speaking the languages we do know without it. You can find Latin roots in so many words, and so learning Latin can help you better understand your own language. Knowledge of Latin really opens up the English language in a new way, and it can also help improve SAT scores. Latin grammatical concepts help you understand and improve your English grammar, too. People who learn Latin will no doubt improve in their native tongue as well.

The Classics
One of the most popular reasons that people learn Latin is so they can read lots of classic literature in its original form. Important authors and philosophers wrote in Latin, like Virgil, Cicero, St. Augustine, and Francis Bacon. When these works are translated into English or other modern languages, a lot is lost. Oftentimes meanings cannot be accurately conveyed, and the beauty of the prose is no longer present, which is one of the best things about them in the first place. 

Life After Death
People who are interested in history and classical literature learn Latin and use it regularly. If it is used so often, how can it be dead? Many more schools are offering Latin classes, and there has been a renewed interest in the language from people who want to challenge themselves and broaden their intellect. People continue to teach, learn, and use Latin, and it has many benefits, so it is far from dead.

Martin Olsson is a swedish-born linguistics expert who is an instructor of accent classes. He likes to discuss the origin of language and how language of the past can help shape current linguistic patterns.

Photo Credit: Txalteredart

The Mystery of Joseph Grimaldi

Joseph Grimaldi ruled the London stage, and the hearts of the London people, from 1806 until 1830.  He it was who first trod the boards in complete white face – giving the world, and especially the nascent circus, its first true clown.  Before then the performers who plied their trade as comedians made themselves up as rustic bumpkins, with reddened cheeks and bulbous nose to denote a lifetime spent outdoors in the brutal elements, constantly nipping on moonshine.

  But Grimaldi did not care for that type of character, thinking it too close to the reality of rural poverty and suffering to be of true universal humor.  So he borrowed from the Italian Commedia dell’arte, the folklore of Till Eulenspiegal, and the French Rabelasians to create a fantastic zany, so far removed from the purlieus of common human existence that his character could get away with blatant lese majesty and many other types of behavior considered licentious because he did not seem to be of this world, and thus could not be blamed for his ignorance of the limits of good taste, or even treason!  Grimaldi’s pantomime burlesques of royalty and his hysterical battles with fishmongers and other minions of the middle class onstage compelled audiences to love him as they nearly choked with laughter.  Charles Dickens wrote “Once you have seen Grimaldi, you have seen all there is to comedy!”

A mystery has always surrounded Grimaldi’s premature retirement at the age of 49, and his death several years later.  The reason given, by his biographer Charles Dickens, is vague; it is stated merely as “ill health due to his strenuous work as a clown on the London stage.”

It is true that so great was the demand for his unparalleled comic talents that he often was engaged at 2 theaters at once, on the same night, and would have to run, in makeup and costume, between the 2 theaters several times each night.

Still, all contemporary reports state that Grimaldi had a robust constitution and never seemed to tire of committing his strenuous lunacy in front of an audience.

Modern theater scholars are beginning to wonder if Grimaldi wasn’t poisoned.

By his own son . . .

Some scholars are beginning to think that the makeup Grimaldi used to whiten his face was an old Italian recipe of bees wax, paraffin, and white lead.  This is a dangerous mixture to keep on one’s face for long periods of time, because of the white lead.  Exposure to white lead can cause lead poisoning.  To counteract this deadly effect, Grimaldi would certainly have used an old Italian remedy, one that Italians, with their ancient knowledge of essential oils, knew all about.  A few drops of bergamot oil mixed in with the white makeup would neutralize the potency of the white lead, making it completely safe to wear.

The suspicion voiced by some theater scholars is that Grimaldi’s son, Joseph Grimaldi Junior, who was known to be anxious to take his father’s place in the pantomimes at Sadler’s Wells, may have replaced Grimaldi Senior’s bergamot oil with lemon oil, which would smell the same, but had no effect on the white lead.  That way his father would slowly decline with the effects of lead poisoning, which include uncontrollable tremors in the limbs, disorientation, and incontinence.  And no one would suspect Junior in the least of the diabolical deed. 

Whatever the case may be, when Grimaldi Senior retired in 1830 his son was quick to take his place, using the same outrageous costume and makeup.  But audiences could tell the difference, and the new Grimaldi was greeted with scanty applause and even some catcalls, until he was forced off the stage and died (some said) of a heart broken by disappointment and remorse a few months later.

Grimaldi Senior lived on, however, and was given several benefit concerts so he would not have to spend his last years in stark poverty.  The London crowd did not forget their old whiteface friend.

The great Grimaldi died in May of 1837.  In his honor circus clowns to this day are still called Joeys, or First of Mays.  His grave is in the courtyard of St James Chapel, in Islington.  Every year, on the first Sunday in February, clowns from all over the world come to pay tribute to this esteemed tweaker of noses at his gravesite.  Paper mache flowers are placed on his tombstone and the clowns put on a free show for the children of Islington.

A very few theater scholars want to dig up the grave to see if there are traces of lead in his bones; a sure sign of lead poisoning.  But most everyone agrees it is better to let the bones of a great clown rest unperturbed until the angels lead Grimaldi forth for his Last Performance.

Tim Torkildson is a former circus clown who now works as a free-lance blogger.  He is currently working on a series of blogs about comedy and clowning, and how they relate to essential oils, for  http://www.essentialoildetails.com/ 

The History Behind Gucci

The History Behind Gucci:
Gucci is an Italian fashion owned by French Company PPR. The Gucci brand was established in 1921 by Guccio Gucci.

Since it's inception Gucci has been one of the worlds’s most accomplished producers of clothing, luxury leather goods and other high fashion items. In 1920 young Guccio Gucci, inspired with the opulent suitcases, set up a shop that sold superior leather goods. Primarily Gucci hired skilled workers who paid special attention to finishing. As the time passed, machine stitching method was implemented which increased the output.

With the help of his three sons, Gucci increased the company by opening a shop in Milan and Rome. His stores characterized finely worked leather handbags, shoes, knitwear and ornamented loafer in a signature pattern.

Guccio Gucci departed in the year 1953. The company was further expanded by his sons Aldo and Rudolfo Gucci. In the same year their father died, they established workplaces in the New York City. That is where Gucci began to gain international influence. The Gucci brand became an icon as famous celebrities wore the products for advertisement in magazines.

The uniqueness in the designs made Gucci one of the top sold consumer products in the early 20th century. During 1947 to 1974 Gucci made remarkable patterns and designs. It improved its raw materials and expanded its categories.

The 1970s were the peak times for Gucci Company. In 1983 Adolfo Gucci died and the family was surrounded by difference of opinions. His son Maurizio dethroned his uncle Aldo who served for being convicted of tax evasion and took charge of the company. He demonstrated to be an ineffective president of the company. The company was sold to Investcorp in 1988. The new shareholders gave charge to the family attorney. Domenico De Sole was made the new head of the company in 1995.

To restore the status of the company Dawn Mello was hired as the editor and designer of ready-to-wear creations. Considering the name of the company he hired Tom Ford as the chief designer of ready-made category in 1990. Mello and Ford changed the Gucci headquarters back to Florence where Gucci’s craft custom had originated.

Mello and Ford lifted the Gucci brand to even higher standings than it was before. From 2000 to 2005 they condensed the total number of the Gucci products. They reduced the overall number of Gucci products from twenty thousand to five thousand. Their last spring assortment was a significant commercial accomplishment.

In 2005 the identity of heir to Ford’s position was announced. A group of young skilled designers were to replace him. Ford still provides with matchless designs for Gucci brand.

Today Gucci is a label that is familiar in every part of the world. Their designs are sold everywhere. Many upcoming designers get their inspiration from this brand.

Pick up the latest Gucci Perfumes at Forget Flowers (Germany) or read more about the Gucci label here. What Gucci items do you covent? Add your comments below!

Just What Is A Guitar Anyway?

The guitar as we know it has a long history and there will be many an argument to its true origins and it begs us to ask what is a guitar anyway?

The Basic Design And Origins
The basic design of a guitar goes all the way back to many civilizations.  As far back as ancient Persia and the Indus valley regions there were people who strung a piece of string or animal gut or hair across a hollowed out gourd and made sounds.  As civilizations evolved they played with the basic design of a body with long neck attached with strings of varying materials are strung from the top of the neck down over the body allowing the strings to be plucked producing combinations of sounds.  These sounds produced by the guitar become music.

There literally is no telling who invented the basic guitars but we can trace the modern guitar's roots to various cultures around the world.  It appears that trade and conquest accelerated the design of the guitar to what it is today.  From ancient India to Persia, to African countries such as Egypt and Timbuktu, to Greece, Rome and more, the path of the guitar is clearly seen yet its modern manifestation is something quite to take note of. 

The Renaissance And Antonio de Torres Jurado
Mainly the guitar got its major once over during the years of the Renaissance and then from the area we call Spain.  Actually when all is said and done, it finally turns out the Spanish hold the banner of having developed the guitar to what we use today.  It was a man named  Antonio de Torres Jurado who was born in the 1800s he spent his life developing the guitar to what we know of today which lead to the classical, acoustic, electric guitars.  He is literally the father of guitars.  The added sixth string then enabled for greater range and more manipulation of the guitar.  So now instead of five strings it is six strings and changed the way theory and practical are applied today. 

Noted Maestros
It is funny that from earlier instruments we now have such renown players such as Jimi Hendrix, Slash, Les Paul who revolutionized the electric guitar first developed in the 1930s,  Carlos Santana who has kept the Spanish tradition of masterful performances, are all descendents of the earlier masters of guitar like Agustin Barrios from South America. 

Needless to say, the guitar has a great history and will continue to do so.

Thank you to EasilyPlayGuitar for giving us the information that was used into todays article, without them we would not have been able to write for you today.

School Days of the 1970's

I was having a little misty eyed trip down memory lane the other day, about my old school days in the 70’s. Oh yes, the days of ladybird infestation, yellow Cortinas and the longest, hottest summer ever...the summer of 1976.

Image by Velo Steve

It really did seem as though everything was sunny and hot all the time in my memory – I can barely remember rain or snow featuring anywhere for about 10 years – though of course it must have been there!

Schools are so different these days, what with their school merit stickers and barbed wire fences. We had nothing of the sort!

You were unlikely to get prizes for being a model student in those days – you were expected to be a model student and you would get the back of someone’s hand or the dreaded ruler if you stepped out of line!

What on earth happened?!

Marvellous free milk

My first school memory is of the infants school, and being given a little bottle of milk every day. We could never have the milk first thing in the morning, the teachers always made us wait until first break.

The milk was left in old style red crates near the window, so by the time it came to sink your straw into that lovely foil lid, the milk was always really hot and creamy!


Image by grongar

I don’t think semi-skimmed had been invented then, in 1975, and health and safety was something for higher up in Government, not places like schools.

The most amazing thing was, this was a Government initiative, and the milk was given to all infant school pupils over the whole country – for free!  Wasn’t that nice of them?!

However, my nostalgia tended to gloss over the fact that we were getting the milk as it was a commodity that not many families could afford in those days – watch this old clip and find out about it: http://www.britishpathe.com/video/woolwich-beats-school-milk-ban

Pie and potatoes
School dinners were also a feature in my school days. These were free when I first started school, but were very cheap all the way through to the junior years.

Delicacies that I recall include: mince and onion pie, with a golden crust top; industrial mash potato with a really distinct taste; over cooked cabbage that stank out the whole school dining room; liver and bacon (which I hated) in thick gravy, mushy peas and baby carrots.

We certainly didn’t have exotic things such as pasta, rice, curry or salad! They hadn’t been thought of at this point in time!

This was followed by some very stodgy pudding in various flavours – sticky toffee, spotted dick - and thick lumpy custard – it had to be thick and lumpy, that is how we had it. The other staple was the dreaded semolina – I don’t know what happened to that stuff, but I really don’t ever want to see it again!

How we got nutrition out of this stuff I’m not sure, but it seems to have done us alright as a generation.

Discipline, 1975 style

As for discipline, well, we wouldn’t dare upset the teacher! We were little angels, always standing in queues in pairs, holding hands, and only speaking when we were spoken to...
Well, maybe I am looking back with rose tinted glasses on with that one, but I do know that the head teacher wouldn’t think twice about getting the ruler out and whacking you across the palm with it if necessary.

In fact, I think I did get on the receiving end of a ruler once, in the huts, I was chatting too much, apparently! It was more mortifying having to march to the front of the room and have the teacher chastise you in front of everyone else, rather than the actual punishment!

Ah yes, those were the days! Anyone else have any memories of the school days of the 70’s – please share them here!

Estelle Page is an interior designer by trade and a mother by nature. She enjoys all things related to home decor, gardening and DIY, but enjoys parenting the most. She blogs regularly for School Stickers.co.uk too.

5 Famous Fires in History

Throughout history, fire has been both a blessing and a curse. It is only through the use and harnessing of fire that man was able to cook food, forge metals, and develop modern structures, but with these advantages comes a risk. Fire is incredibly powerful and can devastate a farm, a home, or even an entire city. This list discusses some of the largest and most destructive fires that have ever taken place. Many of these changed more than just the physical landscape of any area. They have also resulted in the creation of home and property insurance to protect homeowners.

1. Tokyo, Japan
In 1923, the city of Tokyo suffered from a large earthquake. This earthquake took place in the middle of the day when most homes were using fire to cook lunch. Several small fires grew to an uncontrollable size due to strong winds coming off the ocean, and the result was more than 142,000 deaths that day. This fire remains one of the most fatal and devastating natural disasters of all time.

2. Halifax, Nova Scotia
Since this large fire took place during the middle of fighting in World War II, it remains relatively unknown to this day. In 1917, two ships collided with one another in the harbor of Halifax. Unfortunately, one of the ships was full of ammunition, resulting in a massive explosion and fires along the shoreline. The entire harbor town was destroyed and resulted in the deaths of more than 2,000 local residents.

3. Chicago, Illinois
This fire that took place in 1871 is perhaps the best known fire in American history. Many people mistakenly believe that the fire was started by a cow kicking over a lantern, while in fact the fire originated from a small barn in the town. Although it burned down the homes of more than 90,000 people, the slow spread of the fire meant that fewer than 300 people died. While the fire was certainly a disaster for many, it resulted in the creation of a new Chicago that exists today.

4. San Francisco, California
The great fire of San Francisco took place in 1906 as a result of a morning earthquake. Just like in the large Tokyo fire, lamps and stoves were overturned and homes rapidly caught on fire. Since the earthquake damaged the city's water supply, it was nearly impossible to stop the flames and 3,000 people died along with 300,000 buildings that were destroyed.

5. London, England
One of the most influential fires in European history was the 1666 fire in London. Over 13,000 structures were burned over the course of two days. As a result, the city was completely rebuilt using brick instead of wood. Today, most British buildings are still made from bricks.

Each of these fires devastated a particular area, and each also had a significant death toll. With each, however, we have learned valuable lessons like using fire resistant building materials and preparing for natural disasters.

Andrew Jamerson is a freelance writer who blogs about insurance policies that offer protection from fire damage, including contracts that provide cheaper insurance for landlords. Find out how to apply for this insurance today.

Take to the Centenary Trail

Octavia Hill was a co-founder of the National Trust, and in honour of the 100th anniversary of her death, ten miles of centenary trails have been created in her memory, following paths through the landscapes she would have walked in the late 1800s and passing by her resting place in Crockham Hill, Kent.

Octavia Hill was an artist, writer, environmentalist, social reformer, pioneer of affordable housing - and a radical campaigner for open spaces.

She spent the last years of her life living with the views she and her family had acquired for the trust towards the end of the 19th century, land she was determined that others should enjoy long after she would no longer be around to appreciate it.

This natural paradise in the Weald of Kent encompasses Chartwell House, home to Winston Churchill from 1922 until his death in 1965, and centres on Toys Hill, Ide Hill, Crockham Hill and Mariners Hill, to which Octavia’s mother and sisters donated large sums of money which allowed it to be preserved forever.




The Sight of Sky and Things Growing
It is largely thanks to the Hill family that this tract of countryside remains today what Octavia called ‘an open-air sitting room,’ dedicated to those who crave access to nature and beauty - “the need of quiet, the need of air, the need of exercise and the sight of sky and of things growing.”

The 16 kilometre centenary walk can be done in two separate stages, or together as one in the shape of a figure-of-eight.

The six-mile Centenary Trail West is a three-and-a-half hour walk across moderate ground which includes rough pathways through woodland. This pilgrimage to Octavia takes you through Crockham Hill, where she lived, to the churchyard where she is buried under a yew tree near the church porch, and goes on to pass by Churchill’s Chartwell, much of it preserved as it was in his lifetime.

The Centenary Trail East is a gentler, four-mile walk likely to take around two-and-a-half hours, and takes in equally spectacular views over Kent’s famous ‘Garden of England.’
Both walks start and finish at Toys Hill car park, Chart Lane, Brasted, near Westerham, KentTN16 1QG.

• During her lifetime, Octavia Hill helped save London’s Hampstead Heath and Parliament Hill Fields for the nation, was a member of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws, and was one of three founders of the National Trust in 1895 to preserve places of historical interest or natural beauty.

Nicki Williams is an outdoor enthusiast who loves walking and history - and adores combining the two.

She works for Gear-Zone, stockists of all the major outdoor brands including The North Face, Rab, Berghaus, Scarpa, Brasher and Thermarest.

Picture source: Compfight

5 Pioneering Women Who Helped Shape the Modern World

cc licensed flickr photo shared by dbking

There are hundreds of women who, down through history, have shaped our world as it is today. To select only five of them is an awesome task. Most stories include another person who was instrumental in helping and developing the talents latent in each pioneering woman. The following are only five chosen from that great list.

Jane Addams
Born in Cedarville, Illinois, in 1860, Jane became an outstanding example of compassion for the poor, for the black community, for immigrants and for laboring people. Influenced by a settlement house in the depths of London she, with Ellen Starr, founded the Hull House in Chicago to give medical care and other services to needy people.

She supported better working conditions for women and children. She was a charter member of the NAACP, the ACLU and the Women’s Peace Party before her death in 1935.

Susan B. Anthony
Born in 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts, Susan dedicated her life to obtaining voting rights for women. Her Quaker upbringing was responsible for early training in equality for women. She and her friend, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, were successful in organizing the National Woman’s Suffrage Association in 1869.

She authored the 19th Amendment that gave women the right to vote. She was active in founding the International Council of Women and the International Woman Suffrage Council. After her death, in 1906, she was commemorated by a U.S. coin.

Mary Ann Todd Lincoln
Mary was born in December, 1818, in Lexington, Kentucky. Many families during that period were not interested in educating their female children, but Mary’s parents strongly believed in a good education for Mary. She met Abraham Lincoln and, by November of 1842, married him.

Mary’s influence in Abraham Lincoln’s political career and her faith in him was instrumental in getting him elected to the presidency of the U.S. in 1860. During the Civil War, the south saw Mary as a traitor and the north as a spy. When Abraham was assassinated in 1865, after being re-elected to the presidency, Mary’s health began to deteriorate and she never fully recovered. She died in July of 1882.

Marie Curie
Marie was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1867, an era when women in science were rare. Through a succession of positions, Marie joined a laboratory in Paris where she met Pierre Curie. Together they discovered the element Polonium and later Radium. In 1903, she became the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. The first woman to head a laboratory at the Sorbonne University in Paris, she also became the first person to be awarded a second Nobel Prize, this one in Chemistry. After dying in July of 1934, she was commemorated by a movie, stamps, coins and her ashes buried in the Pantheon in Paris.

Helen Keller
Helen’s story cannot be told without including Joanna Macy, nee Sullivan. Helen was born in June of 1880 in Alabama. At the age of 19 months, she had a fever that left her deaf and blind. At five, her behavior led to the hiring of Joanna (Anne) Sullivan as a tutor. Her family could not know what an influence Anne would make on Helen’s life. Herself blind from an illness when she was young, she helped Helen learn and obtain an extensive education. Helen eventually graduated from Radcliffe College and wrote “The Story of My Life” that is her own autobiography.

Her influence did not end with her death in 1968. The Helen Keller International, an organization for blind, was organized in her honor.

Milly Crawford is an ER nurse and guest author at www.top-nursing-programs.com, a site with guides and information to assist potential nursing students.

Straight Razor Shaving ~ The History Behind The Art

The straight razor has come a long way to the distilled disposable versions of it that we use today.  A straight razor is simply a razor with a blade that can fit inside its handle.  They require a certain skill in order to wield one properly to shave and barbers have made their livings off of this particular shaving technique for hundreds of years.

During the late 1500's and early 1600's, blacksmiths created crude instruments that were meant to remove a man's beard and resembled small hatchets.  During the 1700's straight razors took on a wedge~shaped design with a straight edge.  Typical handles were made of horn, wood and bone, though tortoiseshell and ivory were sometimes used also.  Razors made from 1740 ~ 1830 were sometimes marked with words such as "warranted" or "cast steel" to show that they metal was made by Robert Huntsman of Sheffield, who invented the technique in 1740.  They were crude designs but they were the cutting edge of their time.

During the early 1800's, silver was added to the blades when Michael Faraday discovered the process but it still required another 60 years to bring that process to its final stage of development.  Very large, wedge~bladed razors were fashionable during this time and and they were sometimes marked, "For Barbers Use" or "improved silver steel".  Blade designs began to take on impressive decor as the makers of razors strove for better patterning scales which were etched into the blades, given an edge to competitive markets.

During the late 1800's to early 1900's, factory made blades began making their introduction into society.  A celluloid process was introduced making it easier for manufacturers to sculpt and mould the designs for mass markets.  In 1914, the company, J. A. Henckels offered no less than sixteen different straight razor blades to choose from.

Straight razors remained popular right up into the 1950's, until Gillette, which introduced its razor in the markets in 1901, gained a reputation for being the easier of the two shaves and while straight razor shaving is still in practice today, many men opt for the convenient method of shaving. 

In order to use a straight razor properly one must first prepare your beard by either taking a hot shower or by pressing a hot, steaming cloth to the area to be shaved.  After prepping your beard, run the hot water, fill your mug/bowl and place your brush into the hot water.  

You will want to really wet your face up before you lather.  Use the brush to apply the lather and apply it to your face, swirling until the lather has formed stiff peaks.  Then apply the lather in a paintbrush motion using the badger brush.  Remember to remove any excess with a hot towel/cloth to remove oil from the follicles so that moisture can penetrate.

After you have finished lathering, let it sit on your face for about 5 minutes, longer if your beard hair is coarser/thicker.  If your soap dries out while you wait, re~lather those areas.  The important thing is to have a nice thick lather so that the blade glides the area more smoothly.

Using the blade, hold it at a 20° angle to your skin.  Remember to stretch your skin as you shave, and shave the area whence it is tight.  You are not slicing into your skin, but holding the blade at an angle so that you can glide the blade across your skin's surface while removing the offensive hair that remains.  

You will make three passes for optimal smoothness when shaving in this method.  The first pass you will shave with the grain or in the direction of your hairs growth.  Lather yourself up again and on your second pass shave sideways to the grain.  On the third and final pass, make it against the grain, if you have a coarser beard you may have to change your razor before the third pass.  

Rinse the lather off of your face with cold water so that it will aid in the closing of your pores.  Clean up your area and enjoy your newly shaved face~!!

  **  This is a sponsored post for The Art of Shaving, however, all the points and views are my own~!!  **

Maybe the King Can Read This

As President of the Continental Congress, he signed his name to the Declaration of Independence in letters so large that his name has become synonymous with “signature.” At a time when many people were trying to hide their allegiance to the cause of freedom, he boldly declared his own commitment.

The history books remember him as a wealthy merchant. Few mention that John Hancock was an orphan, brought up by his deceased father’s brother. It was that combination of tragedy and blessing that enabled John to become heir to his uncle’s booming import/export business between the colonies and the Mother Land.

Hancock graduated from Harvard University in 1754, then immersed himself in learning the family business. He spent a year in England to enlarge his circle of influence. While there, he attended the coronation of King George III (who would later want to arrest him). And upon his return to America, he took the helm of The House of Hancock.

From merchant to political leader
John entered politics in 1765 (the year the British Parliament passed the infamous Stamp Act), and progressed from Boston Selectman to president of the Provincial Congress. Hancock was senior major general of the Massachusetts Militia during the Revolutionary War and governor of the state for two separate terms afterwards. But it was his service as President of the Continental Congress—and his oversized signature on the document so dear to Americans—that has drawn the most attention from popular historians.

He used his wealth for the good of his nation
John Hancock’s deep involvement in the effort for independence earned him an unquestionable seat at the table of those called “Founding Fathers,” but little was written about him. Many of his peers considered him vain and arrogant—he rode in a highly decorated carriage, accompanied by servants and attendants. He was a man of status, and he did not try to hide the success he had achieved.

Despite what some saw as vainglory, however, John Hancock was also a philanthropist. As one familiar with suffering and loss, he supported orphans and widows, and he sought to provide opportunity to the common man.

How quickly we forget
Elbert Hubbard’s brief biography of John Hancock, one of the few insights we have into the particulars of the life of a man who seemed to exhibit both humility and pride in ample proportion, puts it like this:

They neither preserved the data of his life, nor over his grave placed a headstone. The monument that now marks his resting-place was recently erected by the State of Massachusetts. He was buried in the Old Granary Burying-Ground, on Tremont Street, and only a step from his grave sleeps his friend Samuel Adams.

Wealthy on the outside, down-to-earth on the inside and a sacrificial supporter of freedom for all … he was a Founding Father of the United States of America: John Hancock.

(Thank you to the U.S. Library of Congress for preserving and making available the signature of John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence.)

Author Lane Goodberry focuses on entrepreneurship and the free enterprise system. Lane knows the value of individual effort and the blessings of Freedom. 

A History Of Communication ~ From Pictographs to Cloud Phones ~ How Did We Do That?

Ever wonder what Virtual PBX Phone System was??  Or how we came to be using such an advanced, technological wonder??  From our earliest times, communication has been a viable way of living.  Over the years, humanity has learned how to communicate, how to express ourselves and how to share those expressions with others.  It is from our earliest days that we have developed into the society we are today.

http://grasshopper.com/cloud-phone-system

Some time during 3500 ~ 2900 BC a communication explosion began as people, in the then known world, began to develop written forms of language.  The Phoenicians have been accredited for developing the alphabet, the Egyptians for Hieroglyphics and the Sumerians were developing cuneiform during this time, opening doorways of expression never heard of before.

From there print books developed, making way for faster, more accessible forms of communication.  The Chinese created, not only paper, but moveable type and wooden printing presses.  Their first seeds of mass communication became the forebears to the ideologies of such people like Claude Chappe, who, in 1793 invented a long~distance telegraph line  which opened the doors for Samuel Morse, who took those ideas and added his own touches, giving us the first electrical telegraph line and Morse Code, the earliest form of electronic texting dating from 1843.

During the late 1800's another explosion of communication wizardry begins with the likes of Alexander Graham Bell bringing us the telephone and  Gugliemo Marconi who perfects the wireless communication, fine~tuning the technology needed to continue with its growth.  Almon Strowger adds his own flavor to the stew with his addition of the first patented direct dial telephone and Lee Deforest in the early 1900's defines the signalling being amplified via his electronic amplifying tubes and in 1951, computers began being sold commercially.

The Japanese took communication to a whole new level, when in 1979, the first cellular phone network was created for what would become, not only a trend, but a main staple in many peoples lives.  In 1983, this network was introduced to the United States and hasn't slowed down since its inception.  

Today with such networks that offer Cloud Phone systems, communication has never been easier, as tasks and data are now stored on the Internet, rather than on individual devices, providing an on~demand access to your information.  

Cloud is a metaphor for the Internet, based on the cloud drawings used in the past to represent telephone networks.  The concept behind cloud computing dates back to John McCarthy, when in the 1960's, he purported that "computation may someday be organised as a public utility."  Herb Grosch, author of Grosch's Law, once stated that the entire world would be able to operate on "dumb terminals" powered by 15 large data centers.  Now, with many small businesses opting for cloud communication to help handle their business needs, they are now better afforded to compete with companies of a Fortune 500 standard.

  ** This is a sponsored post for Grasshopper, however, all the points and views are my own. **

Shipping Masts To Fashion ~ History's Look At Denim Jeans

Jeans, or denim, was first used as material in ship's sails in Genoa, Italy, as it was sturdy and could stand up to the strong gales that blew in the middle of the oceans.  Peasants soon found that the cloth was more resistant to stress than other fabrics and many favoured it over any other cloth.  

The words "Jeans" comes from the Italian word, "genuense", meaning "of Genoa" and the word "jean" was what the locals called corduroy; which it closely resembled at the time.  The first pair of jeans is now on display at the Museo Centrale del Risorgimento and were ones that were worn by Giuseppe Garibaldi in May, 1860.

After jeans were exported throughout Europe, the procedure was copied by weavers in the French city of Nimes.  After much painstaking experiments that often failed, a twill fabric was developed that became quickly known as denim, or "de Nimes".  It wasn't until the end of the 18th century that jeans arrived in North America.

In the 1850's, dry goods merchant, 24 year old Levi Strauss left New York for San Fransisco where he began selling his Levi's jeans to the mining communities of California during the peak of the Gold Rush.  When asked by one of the prospectors what he was selling, Strauss replied tents and wagon covers and the prospector retorted, "You should've brought pants!", Strauss put his business savvy to work and created the first pair of denim trouser overalls.

One of his regular customers, Jacob Davies, a tailor who often bought bolts of cloth from Strauss' wholesale house, invented the copper rivet to help reinforce the stress points that his customers were often complaining about.  Davis, a man of meager means, approached Strauss and asked if he would like to go into business together and the two patented the idea on May 20, 1873.

Jeans were first used in North America by workers, as trousers were simple and sturdy, especially those who worked in the factories during World War II.  Until the 1960's, Levi Strauss dominated the market with his "waist overalls" rather than "jeans.:  

In 1955, James Dean, set the pace for jeans as we know them today, when he wore the first pair in the movie, "Rebel Without A Cause."  This trend began to plant the seeds of teenage angst and rebellion.  During the 1950's, jeans were banned from being worn in theaters, restaurants and schools.  During the 1960's, jeans became more acceptable as the hippie movement continued to express themselves through the rebellious process of wearing what they considered an act of freedom of choice and by the 1970's, they were the general fashion choice for casual wear clothing.

Nowadays, you can find jeans in almost every colour, style and size, for men, women and children.  In 2005, American's alone,spent over $15 billion dollars in jean fashion sales.  From supporting ships to supporting fashion, denim has proven to be a remarkable invention indeed.

  **  Written by me...just because I wanted to~!!  **

Clive Palmer wants to build the second Titanic

Clive Palmer is one of Australia's richest men. Having made his billions from mining he now wants to build a modern-day version of the Titanic. Naturally this will be called Titanic II. Mr. Palmer told waiting media representatives that his plans involve starting work on the ship around November 2013. Building work on the ship is expected to take around three years and it will set sail at some stage in the latter half of 2016.

Mr. Palmer wants the vessel to be as identical as possible to the original White Star Belfast-built original. The 58-year-old oligarch also owned Gold Coast United Football Club and his wealth is said to be around $600m Australian dollars. Building work will be complex but the Australian-born multi-millionaire has held talks with a ship building company, CSC Jinling Shipping with a view for them to build the ship.

Mr. Palmer says Titanic II will have every thing on board the original Titanic enjoyed with one major improvement. His Titanic will be fitted with all the latest technology and on-board computers. Its design and installation are said to be state-of-the-art and all the very latest up-to-date technologies and GPS systems are to be fitted. All rooms and cabins are likely to have Wi-Fi access and the major building project will come just a month or so after the 110-year commemoration of the original Titanic which sank in the North Atlantic in April 1912.

Titanic | Image CC Attribution Generic Commercial - Elsie esq

The maiden voyage was due to sail from Southampton, in the English Channel to New York. The vessel was the worlds biggest at the time and Mr. Palmer was asked by Australian media if his maritime building concept would sink like the last one. He angrily told media it would if someone "put a hole in it".

If all goes to plan then Mr. Palmer will launch his building project to end all building projects in 2016 when he will see it launch from London to New York. Mr. Palmer has been tight-lipped on the cost of construction and building of the second Titanic. The mining magnate is closely linked in the building and mining industries with the Chinese government.

Mr. Palmer already owns a luxury holiday resort on the Sunshine Coast and says he wants to build more ships in time. It is believed a series of luxury cruise liners are in the plans being drafted by Mr. Palmer's team.

Queensland Home Improvements is a builder in Brisbane, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Gladstone and Townsville. QHI office is at 320 Adelaide St, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

The Bikini Origin: From Greek Goddess to the Atom Bomb

The oncoming of the summer season not only brings sunshine and beach holidays, but also the bikini sensation. Girl’s love them (and definitely boys too) and the media can’t get enough of them either. Since the bikini origin, headlines of top fashion publications have read ‘get that bikini body’ alongside images of gorgeous celebrities strutting their bronzed bodies and two-pieces. The bikini in its modern form has only existed for the past fifty years or so, but evidence shows that the origin of the bikini swimsuit dates back thousands of years. This article outlines the origin of the bikini, one of the most recognisable and loved fashion item of all time.

Early Bikini Origins
Contrary to popular belief, the bikini is not a product of the modern world and has actually existed as far back as third century AD during the Greco-roman world. A mosaic discovered in Villa Romana del Casale, Sicili clearly depicts a group of women frolicking on the beach in bikinis. This is not the only account of the bikini’s origins. In Pompeii a group of archaeologists found several statues of the goddess Venues dressed in a bikini.

The Groundwork for the Modern Bikini
After the introduction of women into Olympic swimming in 1913, Carl Jantzen designed a tight fitting two-piece swimsuit, but is covered the midriff and had shorts and sleeves. Nevertheless it laid the groundwork for the origin of the modern bikini bathing suit. Over a period of fifteen years necklines plunged, and sleeves and sides were eliminated. Hollywood adopted the new fashion swimwear as did stars such Ava Gardner and Esther Williams, which led to its widespread adoption.

The 1946 Bikini Explosion
The year of 1946 marked the origin of the modern bikini that we are familiar with today; the bikini exploded into the world with much force. It was invented almost simultaneously by French swimsuit designer Jacques Heim and car engineer Louis Reard. The former created his tiny two-piece for sale in his shop in Cannes. He named his creation the ‘Atome’, a name inspired by the minute size of the atom, the smallest particle known to man at the time. Quite appropriately, he marketed his Atome as the world’s smallest bathing suit. Unfortnatly, he could not be credited with the origin of the bikini. At the same time, Reard also developed his version of the scandalous two-piece. He named his creation the bikini after the nuclear tests being conducted in the South Pacific Island of Bikini. His reasoning for the name was that people would be as shocked by the revealing swimsuit as they were by the nuclear tests. Reard was right and the term bikini was readily adopted for the two-piece invention. In fact, the joke of the day was that the bikini split the atom, a reference to Heim’s trumped Atome two-piece. To this day, the origin of the word bikini is from the island Bikini, were the nuclear tests were tested and for this reason Reard is commonly credited with the bikini origin.

Penny Munroe is an avid writer in fashion related news and tips. Articles include the origin of the high heel to selecting the best linen shirts for the ocassion.

Rickenbacker Guitars: The Sound Of The 60s

Rickenbacker began its life in 1931. It was formed in Los Angeles by Adolph Rickenbacker and George D. Beauchamp, and started life as the snappily named Electro String Instrument Corporation. The purpose was clear; the brand would focus on making high quality stringed instruments with the latest in electric components.

This dedication made an indelible impression on popular music, starting with jazz musicians of the the 30s, then on into the 60s, and the birth of pop music. Rickenbacker guitars are still highly regarded, and played by major bands and artists today. There is, however, something about the Swinging Sixties that seems to be inextricably linked to these guitars, and their sound could almost be the voice for the era's young generation.

The 1960s was, of course,saw the beginnings of a pop movement that began with the birth of the teenager in the previous decade. It was now stronger, more vibrant, and took rock'n'roll into a brand new direction. Arguably, it was The Beatles that brought about the surge in this new pop sound, although there were many other bands who reinforced the relevance of British music across the globe.

You can hear Rickenbacker guitars from Liverpool to LA
Taking the influences from US rock'n'roll, blues and folk, the British Invasion had a very definite sound. Band such as The Beatles and The Who were powered by Rickenbacker, with guitars that had a signature 'jangly' tone. Around the same time, American bands were also discovering this unique sound, employing it in their own unique ways. The Byrds found the Rickenbacker guitar sound ideal for their own folk pop tunes, and The Beach Boys surf sound really benefited from the unmistakable twang of these instruments.

As music changed with the years, and the harder rock sounds of the 70s began to take shape, the Rickenbacker could be heard less and less in popular music. Saying that, it wasn't all together ignored. With the right effects and distortion, Rickenbackers to certainly fight in their own corner for crunch, but it wasn't until the 80s that the instrument found favour again, from two very different places.

Although there are many bands to this day that are influenced by the 60s sound, but it was the 80s and 90s that seemed to really absorb the memorable styles of the era. In the eighties, bands such as REM and The Bangles were clearly influenced by the breezy jangle of The Byrds. In the nineties, the Britpop scene captured much of the musical style of the music coming from the UK from years before. Notable for employing Rickenbackers to achieve this replication of sixties pop were The Stone Roses and Oasis.

Rickenbacker guitars are just as popular today, as more bands have found ways to achieve incredible sounds from these remarkable instruments, carrying on the legacy of sixties.

Citations:

• By DeLerkim (Flickr: 330 Bigsby) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Peterborough Music lets guitarists create their own 60s sounds with the Rickenbacker guitars.

Top 5 - Famous Movie Shoes

Over the years there have been a great number of films that feature some pretty memorable footwear! Whether these shoes were an integral part of the plot, or not, we will be having a quick look over some of the most famous big screen soles!

Wizard of Oz
There's no place like home! The red Ruby slippers featured in the 1939 classic 'The Wizard of Oz' are perhaps the most famous pair of movie-shoes out there. In the film the slippers, given to Dorothy by 'Glinda' the Good Witch of the North, have magical powers. It's not until the end of the film however that it is revealed to Dorothy that by clicking her heels three times and chanting "there's no place like home", that she can in fact travel back to Kansas.

It's perhaps interesting to know that in the original novel the slippers were in fact silver. Due to the recent advances in cinema technology the film was being filmed with the new process available known as 'Technicolor'. As a result the creators of The Wizard of Oz decided to make the slippers a brilliant Ruby colour so as to take full advantage of all that Technicolor had to offer.

Cinderella
Cinderella has a long and varied history, being first published in a recognisable form to the modern version in 1697. I'll quickly skip the main bulk of the story and get to the slipper. Having attended the ball, Cinderella meets the Prince and as expected they hit it off. As midnight approaches, Cinderella realises that the spell cast upon her by the Fairy Godmother will soon run out. In her haste to leave before the prince sees her in her true form, Cinderella loses one of her glass slippers.

The Prince was obviously a little confused as to why Cinderella had just took off and left! So after finding the slipper she lost, he starts a mission to find her. The prince searches all over his Kingdom to find the owner of the slipper. Upon arriving at Cinderella's house, her ugly step sisters try very hard to fit the slipper, attempting to win the Prince over. Of course Cinderella fits the slipper perfectly, she then marries the Prince, and they all lived happily ever after.

Saturday Night Fever
Although this one isn't strictly about specific shoes, I can't help but stare at the high heeled platforms in Saturday Night Fever. These iconic shoes certainly deserve to be in the list of famous movie footwear. John Travolta's style rounds up '70s disco fashion perfectly, with bell-bottom jumpsuits, large collars, and high heeled platforms. Even with all this gear he still manages to gracefully dance around the stage with clockwork precision. Apparently the only scene that doesn't actually feature John Travolta's feet and his iconic footwear is one where he is comparing his shoe, to a shoe in a shop window.

Back to the Future
A famous shoe from Back to the Future 2 is the 'Nike Air Mag'. Worn by Marty McFly when he arrives in 2015, the shoe incorporates power laces, laces which automatically tighten when the wearer puts their foot in. In addition to this feature the shoe also has light up elements to its design. Whilst wearing the shoes in 2015 Marty McFly has a run in with Biff and his gang, another famous accessory of this scene is the Mattel branded hover-board which McFly uses to escape.

As part of a drive to raise money for Parkinson's disease research and treatment, Nike released a limited run of the trainer, called the Air Max 2015. This didn't feature an auto-lacing feature but did contain the light up elements of the shoe. Owning one a pair of these trainers would truly be a great addition to any Back to the Future fan's memorabilia collection.

Austin Powers - International Man of Mystery
This is only a brief appearance of a shoe admittedly, but a funny one so it had to be included! Right at the end of the first Austin Powers film, the 'International Man of Mystery', a deadly assassin enters the room. In a scene parodying the appearance of 'OddJob' in James Bond Goldfinger, the assassin takes a shoe (instead of a hat!) and throws it at Austin, doing very little damage. This action only makes Austin a little disgruntled! It's an excellent parody and scene, and for that reason deserves to be included in the top 5 movie shoes.

Citations:

• Photograph of Dorothy's Slippers by dbking

With '70s fashion making a return, high heeled platforms are back!  Head over to Peppermint for a fabulous selection of high heeled platforms.