The argument that we have a predestined fate, and that we make our destiny is an age old one, being the object of discussion in many a philosophical conversation. It is also an argument that can never have a proven conclusion, only believers in either, by choice as a result of experience. Birthstone gemstones are closely related to the astral powers that be, according to the believers.
Every sun sign has a birthstone gemstone associated with it, which is supposed to be lucky for the person born during that period. This is the simplest of explanations of birthstones. People use various stones hoping for various affects that the stone will have on their lives. At the same time, people avoid contact with certain stones that will bring them bad luck and misery. Although this may seem like something out of a fairy tale to westernized society, these things are practiced extravagantly in countries like India, where people go to the ‘learned man’ (probably a palm reader), who looks at the palm and foresees an event about to go wrong, and provides the means to avoid that event by wearing one gem stone, removing one, and things like that.
Some may laugh at the idea, while others follow their birthstone gemstones related issues with religious belief. Psychology says if you believe you are doing something to help solve a problem, that is half the battle won, call it psychology, call it faith, but if you wear a gemstone in the belief that it will help you, then it will! If you don’t wear a stone knowing well that you need to, you are probably going to make some mistakes! Anyway this was the original idea behind gemstones and why people wore them.
Today, many women choose birthstone gemstones as ornaments with jewel value, if nothing more. Many people wear their birthstone as a symbol of their identity. Whatever the reason, gemstones are very beautiful objects that ignite a spark in your emotions, and make you stare at them in awe.
Birthstone gemstones have various divisions like mystical stones, ayurvedic (Indian) stones, modern, traditional, astrological, planetary, talismanic and ancient cultural birthstones. Each category has a story and a reasoning behind it, each stone is believed to be special, and is great fun if nothing else, to hear why a stone is special and how it will help your life, and how it is meant specially for the particular individual in question.
In western society, gemstones and birthstones reached heights of popularity during the hippie days, when people began experimenting with eastern philosophies, and today offer a sweet reminder of those times to many a person who lived their youth during that period. Gemstones come in every imaginable color (including black by the way), which provide an opportunity to wear a stone with practically any color theme.
Birthstone gemstones come in a variety of sizes as well, and like any other jewelry, the bigger they are, the more rare , and thereby more expensive they are. As far as the fashion oriented use of gemstones and birthstone goes, smaller ones are used on rings and earrings and somewhat larger on necklaces and pendants. Gemstones vary in price from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars!
Showing posts with label arts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arts. Show all posts
BBC Banned Music: Top Singles Banned By the BBC
Here you can read about some the top singles that were banned by Auntie Beeb.
The British Broadcasting Corporation also known as the BBC is a public broadcasting corporation. Therefore, it allows itself to ban materials that deviate from certain standards of civility. During the years, many singles that were seen as too explicit, distasteful or bear the potential for offending the British public were banned from BBC airplay. Here you can read about some of them.
In 1977, when England was celebrating the Queens Jubilee, the Sex Pistols had released their second single titled God Save the Queen. The single includes controversial lyrics that rhyme the national anthem title with fascist regime. Moreover, the record cover displayed a picture of the Queen with a safety pin stuck in her nose.
The single was found to offensive to be air played by the BBC, but it did not stop it from reaching number two on the BBC official singles chart. According to the myth, God Save the Queen was the top selling single in the UK at the time, but it was held back of number one to avoid controversies.
Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin scandalous duet Je TAime ... Moi Non Plus, translated: I love you... me neither, was the first ever number one hit to be banned by the BBC. Although at the time of its release, in 1969, the sexual revolution was celebrated, the British radio still was not able to cope with such explicit lyrics, not to mention Birkins moans and groans.
The BBC ban and The Vatican denounce, did not stop Je TAime ... Moi Non Plus from being a top selling single in the UK and worldwide. In October 7, 1969, the single reached number one in the BBC official singles chart. At the same time, it had reached number 69 at the US singles chart.
Je TAime ... Moi Non Plus was a major influence on another BBC banned single, Donna Summers disco pioneer from 1976 titled Love to Love You Baby. After counting 23 faked orgasms performed by Summer in Love to Love You Baby, the British Broadcasting Corporation banned the song. However, it did not stop it from becoming a massive hit. Love to Love You Baby reached number four on the UK single charts but peaked to number two on the Billboard pop chart.
Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood is one of the most controversial singles as well as commercially successful singles in history. The BBC did not only ban the song it also did not stop BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read to publicly express his feelings of disgust from the single's explicit lyrics. In 1984, Relax stayed in the UK singles charts for 42 weeks. In five of them, it stayed in number one. By the end of 1984, embarrassed Auntie Beeb removed the ban. Relax is still very popular worldwide and it is one of the most recognized symbols of the era. The arguments on whether it gained such a huge success despite the BBC ban or the BBC ban helped promoting it have not been settled yet.
Paul McCartney and the Wings response to the 1972 Bloody Sunday events titled Give Ireland Back to the Irish, was banned by every media resource in the UK. It was forbidden from being broadcast by the BBC, Radio Luxembourg and the Independent Television Authority. In addition, the song title was not allowed to be pronounced on the air, so when it arrived to the BBC Radio 1 chart show it was presented as a record by the group Wings. However, Give Ireland Back to the Irish hit the top of the Irish singles charts.
The British Broadcasting Corporation also known as the BBC is a public broadcasting corporation. Therefore, it allows itself to ban materials that deviate from certain standards of civility. During the years, many singles that were seen as too explicit, distasteful or bear the potential for offending the British public were banned from BBC airplay. Here you can read about some of them.
In 1977, when England was celebrating the Queens Jubilee, the Sex Pistols had released their second single titled God Save the Queen. The single includes controversial lyrics that rhyme the national anthem title with fascist regime. Moreover, the record cover displayed a picture of the Queen with a safety pin stuck in her nose.
The single was found to offensive to be air played by the BBC, but it did not stop it from reaching number two on the BBC official singles chart. According to the myth, God Save the Queen was the top selling single in the UK at the time, but it was held back of number one to avoid controversies.
Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin scandalous duet Je TAime ... Moi Non Plus, translated: I love you... me neither, was the first ever number one hit to be banned by the BBC. Although at the time of its release, in 1969, the sexual revolution was celebrated, the British radio still was not able to cope with such explicit lyrics, not to mention Birkins moans and groans.
The BBC ban and The Vatican denounce, did not stop Je TAime ... Moi Non Plus from being a top selling single in the UK and worldwide. In October 7, 1969, the single reached number one in the BBC official singles chart. At the same time, it had reached number 69 at the US singles chart.
Je TAime ... Moi Non Plus was a major influence on another BBC banned single, Donna Summers disco pioneer from 1976 titled Love to Love You Baby. After counting 23 faked orgasms performed by Summer in Love to Love You Baby, the British Broadcasting Corporation banned the song. However, it did not stop it from becoming a massive hit. Love to Love You Baby reached number four on the UK single charts but peaked to number two on the Billboard pop chart.
Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood is one of the most controversial singles as well as commercially successful singles in history. The BBC did not only ban the song it also did not stop BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read to publicly express his feelings of disgust from the single's explicit lyrics. In 1984, Relax stayed in the UK singles charts for 42 weeks. In five of them, it stayed in number one. By the end of 1984, embarrassed Auntie Beeb removed the ban. Relax is still very popular worldwide and it is one of the most recognized symbols of the era. The arguments on whether it gained such a huge success despite the BBC ban or the BBC ban helped promoting it have not been settled yet.
Paul McCartney and the Wings response to the 1972 Bloody Sunday events titled Give Ireland Back to the Irish, was banned by every media resource in the UK. It was forbidden from being broadcast by the BBC, Radio Luxembourg and the Independent Television Authority. In addition, the song title was not allowed to be pronounced on the air, so when it arrived to the BBC Radio 1 chart show it was presented as a record by the group Wings. However, Give Ireland Back to the Irish hit the top of the Irish singles charts.
Art Theft: Most Famous Cases in History
Review of the most famous cases of art thefts in history including the stealing of the Mona Lisa and The Scream.
Art theft is an ancient and complicated crime. When you look at the some of the most famous cases of art thefts in history, you see thoroughly planned operations that involve art dealers, art fakers, mobsters, ransoms, and millions of dollars. Here you can read about some of the most famous cases of art theft in the history.
The First Theft:
The first documented case of art theft was in 1473, when two panels of altarpiece of the Last Judgment by the Dutch painter Hans Memling were stolen. While the triptych was being transported by ship from the Netherlands to Florence, the ship was attacked by pirates who took it to the Gdansk cathedral in Poland. Nowadays, the piece is shown at the National Museum in Gdansk where it was recently moved from the Basilica of the Assumption.
The Most Famous Theft:
The most famous story of art theft involves one of the most famous paintings in the world and one of the most famous artists in history as a suspect. In the night of August 21, 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen out of the Louver. Soon after, Pablo Picasso was arrested and questioned by the police, but was released quickly.
It took about two years until the mystery was solved by the Parisian police. It turned out that the 30×21 inch painting was taken by one of the museum employees by the name of Vincenzo Peruggia, who simply carried it hidden under his coat. Nevertheless, Peruggia did not work alone. The crime was carefully conducted by a notorious con man, Eduardo de Valfierno, who was sent by an art faker who intended to make copies and sell them as if they were the original painting.
While Yves Chaudron, the art faker, was busy creating copies for the famous masterpiece, Mona Lisa was still hidden at Peruggias apartment. After two years in which Peruggia did not hear from Chaudron, he tried to make the best out of his stolen good. Eventually, Peruggia was caught by the police while trying to sell the painting to an art dealer from Florence, Italy. The Mona Lisa was returned to the Louver in 1913.
The Biggest Theft in the USA:
The biggest art theft in United States took place at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. On the night of March 18, 1990, a group of thieves wearing police uniforms broke into the museum and took thirteen paintings whose collective value was estimated at around 300 million dollars. The thieves took two paintings and one print by Rembrandt, and works of Vermeer, Manet, Degas, Govaert Flinck, as well as a French and a Chinese artifact.
As of yet, none of the paintings have been found and the case is still unsolved. According to recent rumors, the FBI are investigating the possibility that the Boston Mob along with French art dealers are connected to the crime.
The Scream:
The painting by Edvard Munchs, The Scream, is probably the most sought after painting by art thieves in history. It has been stolen twice and was only recently recovered. In 1994, during the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, The Scream was stolen from an Oslo gallery by two thieves who broke through an open window, set off the alarm and left a note saying: thanks for the poor security.
Three months later, the holders of the painting approached the Norwegian Government with an offer: 1 million dollars ransom for Edvard Munchs The Scream. The Government turned down the offer, but the Norwegian police collaborated with the British Police and the Getty Museum to organize a sting operation that brought back the painting to where it belongs.
Ten years later, The Scream was stolen again from the Munch Museum. This time, the robbers used a gun and took another of Munchs painting with them. While Museum officials waiting for the thieves to request ransom money, rumors claimed that both paintings were burned to conceal evidence. Eventually, the Norwegian police discovered the two paintings on August 31, 2006 but the facts on how they were recovered are not known yet.
Art theft is an ancient and complicated crime. When you look at the some of the most famous cases of art thefts in history, you see thoroughly planned operations that involve art dealers, art fakers, mobsters, ransoms, and millions of dollars. Here you can read about some of the most famous cases of art theft in the history.
The First Theft:
The first documented case of art theft was in 1473, when two panels of altarpiece of the Last Judgment by the Dutch painter Hans Memling were stolen. While the triptych was being transported by ship from the Netherlands to Florence, the ship was attacked by pirates who took it to the Gdansk cathedral in Poland. Nowadays, the piece is shown at the National Museum in Gdansk where it was recently moved from the Basilica of the Assumption.
The Most Famous Theft:
The most famous story of art theft involves one of the most famous paintings in the world and one of the most famous artists in history as a suspect. In the night of August 21, 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen out of the Louver. Soon after, Pablo Picasso was arrested and questioned by the police, but was released quickly.
It took about two years until the mystery was solved by the Parisian police. It turned out that the 30×21 inch painting was taken by one of the museum employees by the name of Vincenzo Peruggia, who simply carried it hidden under his coat. Nevertheless, Peruggia did not work alone. The crime was carefully conducted by a notorious con man, Eduardo de Valfierno, who was sent by an art faker who intended to make copies and sell them as if they were the original painting.
While Yves Chaudron, the art faker, was busy creating copies for the famous masterpiece, Mona Lisa was still hidden at Peruggias apartment. After two years in which Peruggia did not hear from Chaudron, he tried to make the best out of his stolen good. Eventually, Peruggia was caught by the police while trying to sell the painting to an art dealer from Florence, Italy. The Mona Lisa was returned to the Louver in 1913.
The Biggest Theft in the USA:
The biggest art theft in United States took place at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. On the night of March 18, 1990, a group of thieves wearing police uniforms broke into the museum and took thirteen paintings whose collective value was estimated at around 300 million dollars. The thieves took two paintings and one print by Rembrandt, and works of Vermeer, Manet, Degas, Govaert Flinck, as well as a French and a Chinese artifact.
As of yet, none of the paintings have been found and the case is still unsolved. According to recent rumors, the FBI are investigating the possibility that the Boston Mob along with French art dealers are connected to the crime.
The Scream:
The painting by Edvard Munchs, The Scream, is probably the most sought after painting by art thieves in history. It has been stolen twice and was only recently recovered. In 1994, during the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, The Scream was stolen from an Oslo gallery by two thieves who broke through an open window, set off the alarm and left a note saying: thanks for the poor security.
Three months later, the holders of the painting approached the Norwegian Government with an offer: 1 million dollars ransom for Edvard Munchs The Scream. The Government turned down the offer, but the Norwegian police collaborated with the British Police and the Getty Museum to organize a sting operation that brought back the painting to where it belongs.
Ten years later, The Scream was stolen again from the Munch Museum. This time, the robbers used a gun and took another of Munchs painting with them. While Museum officials waiting for the thieves to request ransom money, rumors claimed that both paintings were burned to conceal evidence. Eventually, the Norwegian police discovered the two paintings on August 31, 2006 but the facts on how they were recovered are not known yet.
Are Soy Candles Better Than Your Average Candle?
Everyone loves candles and they are a great way to add warmth and comfort to your home. You even have a few choices of candles such as regular wax candles and soy candles. Candles are affordable and they can last for a very long time. The best part about candles is that they look good both lit and unlit. Oddly enough most people, me included, own candles that they never intend to light for fear of ruining their beauty.
Candles are both practical and gorgeous and of all the candles on the market soy candles are the most sought after these days. Everyone is wanting to get themselves some fantastic soy candles. Only soy candles are healthier.
Did you know that candles can be dangerous to your health, the health of your children and even your pets? Some candles have been known to kill pet birds! Paraffin is not good for people to be inhaling and some candles are even made with lead wicks in them. Can you image how much harm could be done with a lead wick?
If you were to purchase soy candles you would not have these types of worries. These soy candles were created to combat the growing problem of inferior cheap candles. Now you can have all the glory of good candles and candle light without the dangerous components. You can even get wonderfully scented soy candles.
There are so many reasons for you to choose soy candles over regular run of the mill candles. For instance, did you know that soy candles can last twice as long as other candles? They are so affordable when you look at them this way. You will be able to get twice as much use out of your candles when they are soy candles. And since they burn slower and longer the smell will be even better.
Have you ever noticed that some scented candles get overpowering in their smells? That is because the candles burn so hot and fast. When you are using soy candles this is not a problem. Since the candle is burning at a lower temperature the scent will be dispersed at a much better rate, one that will keep your home smelling fresh and clean all day long.
The biggest complaint that most people have about regular candles is the soot factor. How many times have you had to try and scrub off soot after lighting a candle? Well, the good news is that you will never have to do this again when you switch over to soy candles. Soy candles have no soot production and they will never stain anything at all.
Soy is also a renewable resource. It grows in the USA with ease and there is a plentiful amount to it. You will never have to worry about hurting the environment when you are using soy candles. You will be giving people new and better jobs and helping the world at the same time. Soy candles are really the best way to go and if you have not checked them out yet, what are you waiting for?
Candles are both practical and gorgeous and of all the candles on the market soy candles are the most sought after these days. Everyone is wanting to get themselves some fantastic soy candles. Only soy candles are healthier.
Did you know that candles can be dangerous to your health, the health of your children and even your pets? Some candles have been known to kill pet birds! Paraffin is not good for people to be inhaling and some candles are even made with lead wicks in them. Can you image how much harm could be done with a lead wick?
If you were to purchase soy candles you would not have these types of worries. These soy candles were created to combat the growing problem of inferior cheap candles. Now you can have all the glory of good candles and candle light without the dangerous components. You can even get wonderfully scented soy candles.
There are so many reasons for you to choose soy candles over regular run of the mill candles. For instance, did you know that soy candles can last twice as long as other candles? They are so affordable when you look at them this way. You will be able to get twice as much use out of your candles when they are soy candles. And since they burn slower and longer the smell will be even better.
Have you ever noticed that some scented candles get overpowering in their smells? That is because the candles burn so hot and fast. When you are using soy candles this is not a problem. Since the candle is burning at a lower temperature the scent will be dispersed at a much better rate, one that will keep your home smelling fresh and clean all day long.
The biggest complaint that most people have about regular candles is the soot factor. How many times have you had to try and scrub off soot after lighting a candle? Well, the good news is that you will never have to do this again when you switch over to soy candles. Soy candles have no soot production and they will never stain anything at all.
Soy is also a renewable resource. It grows in the USA with ease and there is a plentiful amount to it. You will never have to worry about hurting the environment when you are using soy candles. You will be giving people new and better jobs and helping the world at the same time. Soy candles are really the best way to go and if you have not checked them out yet, what are you waiting for?
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