Changing Shapes-Ladies fashion trend from late 19th century

    Standards of beauty throughout the world vary enormously. In the west, the fashion for a particular female body shape reflects constantly shifting social climates, which may be seen as focusing popular attention on different erogenous zones.

The “S-bend” corset, worn during early 20^th century before the enfranchisement of women, was a crippling, tight- laced garment which threw the bust forward and made the waist tiny.

Desmond Morris in his book Body watching describes how this style embodied an unspoken “bondage” factor- the fragile flesh of the woman trapped in a rigid, curve defining case.  Paul Poiret claimed to have set women free from this confining corset in 1908; his new dress designs fell loosely over the natural figure.

By the 1920s, it had become fashionable for women to look like young boys. Dresses showed straight silhouettes with low waists and no curves. A softer, more fluid line was introduced in the 1930s. The back was appreciated as an erogenous zone, and many evening gowns had backs cut away almost to the buttocks.

 Like the patriarchal Victorian era, the postwar 1950s saw the hips and breasts (as fertility symbols) emphasized. Tight bodices allowed the breasts high definition above pinched waists and wide crinoline skirts. The virginal “little girl” of the 1960s followed; her short shapeless A line dress erotized legs.

With more women entering the work force in the 1980s, the accent was on a fitter model of femininity. The use of clinging fabrics like Lycra defined the well toned body, and muscle became sexy.

The Art Romanticism

     Romanticism was an intellectual trend expressed in all arts in the western world in the late 18the century and the first half of the 19^th; literature and music were just as involved as the visual arts. I was not so much a style as a set of attitudes toward art and life.  Romantic artists believed above all in self expression – the artist’s duty was to be sincere, spontaneous and original. This outlook stands in contrast to Neoclassicism, in which great importance was placed on respect for the art of the past. Romanticism was to some extent a reaction against Neoclassicism, but the two movements are not incompatible; sometimes a love of the ancient world was tinged with Romantic nostalgia for a lost golden age; this has been called “Romantic Classicism.”

     Romanticism flourished most vigorously in Britain, France and Germany, but it affected most of Europe. Outstanding artists of the time included Turner in Britain, Delacroix in France, Friedrich in Germany and Goya in Spain. Typical themes were wild or mysterious landscapes and dramatic scenes from literature (Shakespeare was a great favorite of many Romantic artists). There was often a strong interest in dreams and nightmares, in the horrific and the macabre and in extremes of feeling sand behavior.

     Sculpture and architecture were also suited to this kind of inspiration, but an aspect of Romanticism- love of the medieval world comes out in Gothic Revival architecture. Imitation of exotic architectural style, such as Egyptian or Indian, was also a part of Romanticism.

The Power of Thought

     When it comes to building self confidence and inner strength, remember one thing; we become what we think. Imagine that your thoughts are drops of water: a single one leaves barely a trace, but many can create a lake and then an ocean. If the water is to be pure, we must filter out our harmful negative thoughts.

If you say yourself ‘ I am stupid and ugly and I will never amount to anything’, your subconscious mind will absorb this message over time. Eventually, you really will feel the way you think about yourself. Therefore, the best advice is to say goodbye to stereotyped negative attitudes.

     Learn to encourage yourself and to look at your life positively. Stand in front of the mirror, and say to yourself;’ I am clever, good looking and successful’. Say it out loud so it will remain imprinted in your unconscious mind. Formulate your wishes clearly and positively. If you observe these rules, you are sure to feel beneficial effects. 

    The power of thoughts is so great that they can trigger physical changes, such as premature ageing. Those who believe that they are already past their prime and good for nothing are certain to age faster than people who refuse to admit defeat. People who become convinced of their own stupidity in childhood will never be among the smart ones in adulthood.

Was there a Robin Hood? Part.III

      Despite the effort historians have spent searching for the first historical Robin Hood, most agree that the legend has evolved so dramatically over the centuries that its original inspiration might very well be unrecognizable, even if discovered. Maid Marian, the story’s love interest, did not appear until the 16^th century, nor did the earliest versions of the tale feature the portly Friar Tuck. In other versions of the story, Robin Hood is actually motivated less by righting injustices than by national pride, fighting for the Saxon people against the conquering Normans. Some scholars have even contended, with much controversy, that Robin Hood and his “merrie men” was actually member of a gay community forced to live outside the city, beyond the reach of the law and the Church.

What is not disputed is that the story of Robin Hood, the archetypal outlaw hero, took on the characteristics and details of many outlaw ballads, becoming a sort of literary stew of local lore and contemporary events. In fact, the story was so susceptible to adaptation and interpolation that in 1773, the lexicographer Samuel Johnson claimed that he could fabricated a Robin Hood legend that readers would swear they had known their entire life. Those who enjoyed the Robin Hood legend with its colorful cast of characters in pursuit of justice for the common man, didn’t mind if it had evolved through the centuries; they expected no less, for so powerful is the love of justice that heroes who champion it necessarily become larger, greater, and more entertaining than anything history could produce.

     Many other rebels, outlaws, and miscellaneous out casts have been suggested as the historical Robin Hood. Among them are Sir Robert Thwing, who lead a movement where he and devotees raided monasteries, stealing rain and distributing it to the poor; and Robert Fitzhooth, Claimant to earlof Huntington, who was born about 1160 and died in 1247. Fitzhooth is a more likely candidate, as some historical documents actually cite these particular dates for Robin Hood’s birth and death. But critics point out that more recent records do not mention a defiant nobleman bearing the Fitzhooth name.

Was there a Robin Hood? Part.II

     One of the greatest difficulties in dating the hero is the contradictory historical references within the legends; various suggestions within the ballads place him in the reign of four separate English Kings, from Richard the Lion heart to Edward II. The monarch with the strongest link to Robin Hood is Richard, who ruled in the late 12^th century and was opposed by his brother and eventual successor King John. But Robin has also been linked to a 1265 revolt against King Henry III, led by his brother-in- law Simon de Montfort. According to the early historian Walter Bower, after the rebellion against Henry, “the famous robber Robin Hood…rose to prominence among those who had been disinherited and banished on account of the revolt.”   However, modern historians have pointed out that the longbow, which features so prominently in many of the Robin Hood legends, was not in general use at the time of King Henry III, casting doubt on Bower’s claim.

      The candidate with the most plausible claim to Robin’s identity is a tenant of Wakefield, Yorkshire, in the early 14^th century, who was probably involved in an uprising against the Earl if Lancaster in 1322. The 1320 Manor Rolls of the town list a Robert Hood who had been charged with breaking “forest laws,” resisting the lord of the manor, and negligence in fighting against the Scots. There is also some indication that Hood’s home was confiscated because of this dereliction of duty, which might account for his move to the forest. The Wakefield Robin would place the story in the reign of King Edward Ii, and indeed, there is a record of the king taking into his service one “Robert Hood” as a court valet.

Was there a Robin Hood? Part.I

     Robert Hood was actually a quiet common one at the time, making the census evidence inconclusive. “Robyn was a proud out law” sang balladeers of the intrepid woodsman. But did Robin Hood even exist? And why has hid legend persisted? It seems almost an injustice to question the Robin Hood legend; such is our innate appreciation for the celebrated champion of the underdog and the common man. Scholars who seek to debunk parts of the legend are practically accomplices to the evil Sheriff of Nottingham; and yet it is the historian’s duty to examine the past, however entertaining the legend handed down to us. In the 19^th century, scholars who had grown up with the beloved chivalric tales of Sir Walter Scott reexamined the Robin Hood stories and found them wanting him historical foundations. In his 1882 English and Scottish popular ballads, scholar Francis James child declared Robin Hood a fiction, “absolutely a creation of the ballad genre” but in the later years, more research has suggested there may be some truth to the legend.-

     The first known, extended version of the Robin Hood story is the 15^th century ballad collection Lyttle Geste of Robyn Hode. It contains the familiar cast of characters: the sheriff of Nottingham, Robin, little john, and the rest of his “merry men” who steal from the rich and give to the poor in their forest lair. In many of the early versions of the tale, the sylvan locale is Barnesdale forest, in Yorkshire. But  references to robin hood appear in stories and ballads from as early as the mid 14^th century, so historian speculate that if there was a historical “ Prince of thieves,” he lived some time before then. In the manorial rolls and similar local records from 1228 and 1230, the name Robert Hood appears, and he is described as a fugitive from justice, who stole “for the benefit of the many.” But the name Robert Hood was actually a quite common one at the time, making the census evidence inconclusive.

How will the Earth End? Part.II

A potential possible danger comes from space debris –comets and asteroids- which may present the most tangible threat to earth as we know it. It was most likely the impact of an asteroid that lead to the extinction of dinosaurs 65 million years ago; another asteroid or comet striking the earth could lead to a similar climatic shift that changes the face of the Planet. On May 19, 1996, an asteroid that measured one third of a mile wide came within 275, 000 miles of earth, just a hair in astronomical distances.

Astronomers have said that it would require an asteroid larger than on kilometer wide to create a global disaster. An estimated 2,000 asteroids larger than one kilometer intersect earth’s orbit; one may strike its surface before 405 billion years, but the question is how long we can continue to play dodge ball. It should be cheering to know that studies are in the offing that might allow us to use nuclear technology to deflect a comet or asteroid.

 So is man’s hope for survival, as depicted by the cold lens of science, fairly bleak?  Maybe.  For all of our best scientific guesses, there are just as many works, including the Bible’s   book of Revelation and Nostradamus's writings, which offer cryptic predictions of what is to come. Trying to match biblical or prophetic forecasts with, modern correlatives has proven tricky, however. For centuries, cult after dooms day cult has predicted a time for Armageddon, only to be disillusioned.

Despite our curiosity and our best educated guesser, only those humans who are alive at the time will know the story of our planet’s endgame; the true story of what happens may catch even them by surprise. At this point, the question of whether the earth will end with a bang or in a whimper stays unanswered.