The History of Body Piercings - Ancient and Fascinating Around the World

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 you'll 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... Read More

How to Make Your Civil War Uniform Shirt

Your own shirt designed and made by you for your own Civil War Uniform Impression is easy and economical. Follow these simple directions, and your Civil War uniform shirt will be exactly how you want it.Take all of your girth measurements.Using a tape measure, measure your chest, stomach and note the bigger of the two measurements. Write it all down in inches. Do not suck your stomach or chest in. Be sure you are in a comfortable position, so your shirt will fit properly.Next, measure from top of shoulder to mid-thigh, so you can tell how long you want the shirt to be. Next, measure then from shoulder tip to wrist with arm bent at a 90 degree angle, so the sleeve will have enough room in it for you to move freely and comfortably.Measure your bicep and wrist.Measure your neck.Start looking for material but don't buy anything until measurements are completedLook at original photographs and decide which type of shirt you like... Read More

Top 10 Questions about Body Piercing

Body piercing has grown so much in popularity in recent years that it has become almost mainstream, with more and more people sporting navel rings and multiple ear rings. Facial piercings, surface piercings and lots of others to choose from can make things confusing. If you don't know what to expect when you decide to get a piercing, it can be even more intimidating. Here are some of the top questions people have about body piercing. 1. I want to get a body piercing. How much will it cost? The cost of a body piercing varies depending on several factors, including where you're located, how close to a major city you are, and what kind of piercing you're having done. Generally the more difficult the piercing, the higher the cost. Keep in mind that you get what you pay for as well, so don't depend entirely upon cost to choose your piercer. If a piercer is charging significantly under the market... Read More

How I lost A million Dollars In A Bank Robbery

The Million dollars was my life-savings earmarked for prime the pump money for my biotech start-up. I am the Gerald Armstrong the owner of Gen Cells Cures?Gen Cells Cures is focused on private medical research for the individual. Searching for cures for incurable diseases and aging. Of course, with the best scientific technologies on the planet! With President Bush trying to ride the middle of the road on stem cell research and his rejection of therapeutic cloning. I packed my bags and went offshore. A great place to go, but leave your money at home. I transferred the money to a carribean island and the local banker stole every last penny.The local government gave me back the money, but in their currency then devalued the currency almost 100% and I walked away almost flat broke. The banker also robbed 2.2 billion dollars of the local folks money. He bought himself out of the scandel and is enjoying my million along with the other... Read More

The Crisis of Human Survival

Environmental Pollution1. Damage to The Ozone Layer Causes Radiation PollutionThe hole in the ozone layer above the North Pole is becoming larger, allowing large volumes of ultraviolet radiation to fall directly on the Earth's surface, causing destruction and harm to humanity, and resulting in skin cancer and other bodily ailments. At the same time, it reduces the rate at which green plants photosynthesise, thereby reducing oxygen content in the atmosphere.This has extreme negative effects on the Earth. Health organisations all over the world are continuously researching on ways of reducing such harmful effects on humanity. In a direct attempt to address the issue, many are actively looking into the effects of radiation, and taking measures to rectify the situation, such as through modifying the coolant compartments in automobiles and refrigerators, and setting up new guidelines for certain products.2.Acid RainThe emission of pollutants and toxic gases into the atmosphere has resulted in chemical reactions, which cause acid rain. Acid rain damages the environment by,... Read More

African Masks

The following is a general over view of African Masks.There are still places in Africa where genuine old masks can be bought, generally through dealers. Also watch out for fakes as they do abound. Remember buy things you like as investment can go up as well as down. If you like that carving or mask then the value is not as important.The African masks of this area are well documented by Ladislas Segy in Masks of Black Africa. Much of the following section on African Masks is influenced by his work.The African masking traditions of this part of the World are extremely fertile and varied. The traditions supporting the masks are generally associated with the spirits of ancestors, rites of passage, fertility and initiation ceremonies. Dance is generally involved in the use of the masks. Segy lists the following types of ritual:-Rituals of cosmology, myth and mythological heroes or animalsFertility ritesRituals for increaseAgricultural festivalsRituals for rites of passageAncestor cultsInitiations including secret societiesRelated CeremoniesMasks... Read More

Tribal Masks

Original Tribal masks are often seen by unknowing eyes as art objects in themselves. That is not the case, unless of course they are modern copies. A tribal mask has embued power and is alive during the ceremony for which it is used. An African visitor to a London museum stated, "This mask is dead." He was seeing the mask out of context, it had lost its power for the people who created it and the the magic had died.To the collectors eyes the very appearance of the mask and the story behind it leads to the magic. The mysterious art forms drawing on the imagination and a need to interpret. As a piece of art it has the power to involve the observer in fathoming meaning to reach an understanding. This can move the viewer into a different frame of reference. Touching a life style that is at once strange and distance, yet it has the feel of something closer to home.... Read More

The Masked Fool

The FoolMy first direct experience of the fool in masking was watching Morris Dancing here at home in Yorkshire, England. The Morris dancers were dressed up in their usual dancing shoes with bells and baggy pants. To be absolutely honest I have always found Morris men a bit funny! Perhaps I should explain about Cecil Sharp, no I'll leave that to a footnote.The Boars Head Morris Men were dancing in a pub car park. ( Pub short for Public House a place for drinking beer etc. in the UK.) They were doing the usual dances that are related to fertility, good crops and harvests etc. But of course they really don't quite have the pagan beliefs off pat. Mind you when you see them drink ale in the quantities that they did then you would realise that they had perhaps fully understood the pagan ways of having a good time. ( Not to say all people who follow the pagan ways drink lots... Read More

The Contingencies of Despair: How Existentialists Survive

~ Dread is dizziness unto freedom-freedom that gazes down into its own possibility. In this dizziness freedom succumbs. ~An individual awakes as he usually does, uses the bathroom and brushes his teeth as he usually does, and goes to the kitchen for his usual bowl of Slurpy O's cereal. But his new housekeeper has shopped for him the day before and unable to find Slurpy O's has brought to his cupboard four different brands of oats and rices, hoping one will satisfy him until she can find his usual. When he reaches to open the cabinet and see the options of ?.., he stops, stuck for thought, stuck for making a decision. He absolutely cannot wrap his brain around this early morning choice and so he eats nothing. [1] This is, in small part, what existentialism is.A few doors down, a person deals with another conundrum. Six months ago he had succumbed to an offer made by a leading ISP to sign up... Read More

Violence

Flashes of memory stream into my consciousness. They take me back thirty years plus. I was a boy then, a newcomer to a poor and tough neighborhood. My parents, of moderate means and daring to a fault, had decided to move there after my father had accepted an editing job in the federal government. They had taken a lease on a low-rent brick house, which was also run-down, covered in filth, and littered with trash. I do not mince my words: Previous tenants had been pigs that got along with bugs and rats."The house has potential," my mother had said to reassure me, seeing that I was aghast at its sordid aspects. Its one redeeming feature, besides its solid construction, was a large woody front yard, neglected, allowed to become a large dumping ground, as weedy as it was woody, but potentially attractive and pleasant, to be sure.My mother was a hard worker with a great deal of stamina, creativity, and tastefulness. She... Read More

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Opal Jewelry -- Your Own Personal Piece of Rainbow

Opal is a magnificent gemstone whose shades encompass virtually every hue in the color spectrum. The play of color is different on every stone, and its shimmering hues gave rise to the word... Read More

Celtic Jewelry: Ancient Symbolism in Popular Fashion

The mysterious and the mystical have always had the power to hold human beings in thrall throughout the millennia. Celtic jewelry is no exception to this, since they are an extension and a... Read More

Christopher Columbus

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS: - It seems a mystery to most academics why the governments who are based on Manifest Destiny and the 'colon'-ization of the world by Christophe Colon (this is the name he... Read More

The Trafalgar Way - Devon Remembers the Battle of Trafalgar

During the third week of August 2005 the Trafalgar Way was officially inaugurated in Devon to commemorate the bi-centenary of the Battle of Trafalgar.The Lorna Doone, an original North Devon stagecoach visited inns... Read More

Elvis Presley, Lifting Off

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... Read More

Yes Tarot Readings Are For You!

Have you ever thought?What is the best way out of this situation or which job do I take which decision do I make and offcourse which path is best! Choices, choices, choices, life... Read More

Murder Solved From The Grave

I am very interested in reading about ghostly stories and spirits etc. A couple of years ago I heard about a story which is apparently true, about a murder which was solved from... Read More

Amaterasu The Goddess of the Sun

Amaterasu is a shining example of how adversity can help us to 'blossom and bloom' more at times. She helps us look for the lesson to be learned when the adverse times come... Read More

The Original Nobility: Patricians and Knights

By "nobility" I refer to that class in society which once had hereditary political, financial and social privileges guaranteed by law. By "original nobility" I follow the German (and now internationally accepted) definition... Read More

Mythology and Parables in Modern Communication - Part 3

Our Self is the true center of our being and the place from which our individual truth emanates. It's where we can come to know our passions, our place in the world, our... Read More

Gymnastics Olympic Champions From 1988-2004

Here are the men's and women's all-around champions from the last five Olympic Games -- these are just brief biographies, but they surely give you an idea of your gymnast's potential.2004 Paul Hamm,... Read More

Precious Stones -The Big Five: Part 1, The Emerald

The emerald is probably the most rare of all precious stones and is considered by some to be even more valuable than the diamond. Compared with other precious stones the emerald in its... Read More

Feng Shui Horoscopes

A great tool to help you find out more about yourself.Chinese feng shui horoscope is based on twelve animals which represent you depending on the year you were born. Feng shui horoscope is... Read More

I, Ego, and Power

I: - A vowel that didn't appear in sacerdotal alphabets for which there is little, or should I say not one IOTA of, reason to hold up for personal glorification. The ego is... Read More

A Look at the Heart of American Beauty

Sam Mendes' darkly comic portrayal of suburbia in his first movie, American Beauty (1999) takes a hard look at what happens when you've accomplished the American Dream only to realize that it isn't... Read More

Native American Life After Prophetstown

My name is Luksi Humma, I am Choctaw or, Chahta, our name in reality. I am a builder of people and log cabins. Although, I live in our present time, I talk to... Read More

A Short Biography on Some of Europes Most Loved and Hated Monarchs - Pt 3 King Ludwig II

King Ludwig II of Bavaria, named after his grandfather, was born in Nymphenburg Castle outside Munich on August 25, 1845 and was the eldest son of King Maximillian II and Queen Marie. As... Read More

Birthstone Jewelry Beliefs and Celebrity Birthdays

Wearing birthstone jewelry is very popular today. Not only is it fashionable; somehow, it also makes the item feel more personal and part of the wearer's personality. Almost all gems are believed to... Read More

A Short Biography on Some of Europes Most Loved and Hated Monarchs - Pt 5 Charles II

Born in 1630, Charles II was the second eldest son of Charles I, who spent most of his teenage years fighting parliaments Roundheads until the execution of his father in 1649, and after... Read More

Egyptian Handmade Perfume Bottles

Blown glass, a very ancient technique, is the oldest among the handicrafts. It is said by some, that ancient Egyptians were the original inventors of glass making techniques. Production of metallurgy and faience... Read More

The New Age Movement

New Age - A Paradigm Shift to Divine Consciousness & a Universal PhilosophyThe New Age Movement (NAM) is a revival of spiritual and divine values and can be called as a Divine Regeneration... Read More

Bureaucracy in Peru!

This article is from the pen of a New Zealander currently living in Lima, Peru.I have never experienced anything like this!This is not the first developing country I have ever lived in, The... Read More

The History of Thai Currency ? from Ancient Beads to Modern Baht

The history of Thailand currency traces the evolution of the medium of exchange used in Thailand prior to the 1st century. This dates from the days of barter trade, ancient beads and money... Read More

History of the Royal Barges - a Timeless Tradition

The history of the royal barges dates back to the Sukhothai era in the 13th century when the first royal barges were reportedly seen. The barges were originally troop carriers at a time... Read More

Bits of Heritage, Whose Heritage

Change is the only inevitably constant aspect of life in this world we all live in. Our cultures have been dynamic. In some places we experience a rapidly vanishing heritage. While others keep... Read More

How to Create a Multi-Artistic Piece (Article 1 of 2)

In the late 19th century the music world was graced by an artist who would push the boundaries of music and art. Richard Wagner laid the foundation for performance art. Wagner combined several... Read More

Last Chance to See: Grove Mill, Mitcham

Grove Mill, Mitcham; where in 1934 many of the iron wheels from Surrey Iron Railway waggons were still visible in the tail-race, is being given the Ravensbury treatment. All but the central building... Read More

Moissanite Earrings, The Modern Brazilian Beetle

The history of earrings is a varied history indeed. And the latest in the long line of female body adornments known as earrings are Moissanite earrings. Moissanite is taking the jewelry world by... Read More

Berenguer Sauniere - This Place is Terrible

INSPIRATIONAL COMMENTS:"Let me issue and control a nation's money and I care not who writes the laws." ? Mayer Amschel Rothschild.Bucky Fuller said these most important words in 1981:'The U.S.A. is not run... Read More