|
Written by Yva Lauten
|
|
Thursday, 12 October 2006 |
|
“What to wear?” – is every woman’s problem. This often happens because your wardrobe resembles the last day of sales at a clothes shop, it’s a complete mess! Here are a few pieces of advice on how to manage your clothes closet.
|
|
Last Updated ( Monday, 27 November 2006 )
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Written by Yva Lauten
|
|
Wednesday, 27 September 2006 |
|
Flax – is an inseparable part of the Lithuanian culture. It was broadly praised in the ancient folk songs. In the folklore it is called a holly plant or the sun’s sward. Flax has been grown in Lithuania since ancient times. These are annual or perennial grasses; the stem is steep and reaches up to 150 cm, covered with fine leaves, the blossom is blue, pink or whitish, the fruit is a round box. Peculiarities of the Lithuanian soil and mild climatic conditions are favourable for the growing of flax. Flax is grown only in several countries of the world, like Poland or Byelorussia.
|
|
Last Updated ( Saturday, 28 October 2006 )
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Written by Yva Lauten
|
|
Wednesday, 27 September 2006 |
|
The sea and a pine tree. A pine tree and the sea... Strange union of nature that gave birth to the wonderful natural stone amber. If asked to tell precisely where and when amber was discovered for the first time, no one could do that.
|
|
Last Updated ( Saturday, 28 October 2006 )
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Written by Yva Lauten
|
|
Tuesday, 26 September 2006 |
Few garments have become a cultural icon to the extent that the famous, or perhaps infamous, straight jacket has. The straight jacket is shirt like device that uses straps and other contrivances to restrain an individual that poses a threat to him or her self or another individual. Many stage magicians, most notably Harry Houdini, have made a career based largely in part on their ability to escape from a secured straight jacket.
The straight jacket is only used today to restrain those who could otherwise do great harm to themselves or others. This was not always the case--in the nineteenth century, the straight jacket was commonly used in mental institutions as a means of control and punishment. Patients would be forced to remain for hours in a straight jacket, unable to move their arms or perform even the most basic of functions.
We often see the straight jacket portrayed as a device meant to control so called "crazy" people. The straight jacket is a popular motif associated with mental illness. Cartoons, movies, and television shows make use of the straight jacket as a main prop to demonstrate the depravity of the patient.
The rather draconian uses of the straight jacket made the public consider the device to be nearly impossible to escape from. While most of us would be stuck if we were to be placed in a modern straight jacket, straight jackets from the past were of a much simpler design and many could simply be peeled off if the wearer possessed sufficient flexibility in his or her joints. Harry Houdini, who perfected the art of the straight jacket escape, was able to dislocate both of his shoulders in order to gain the clearance necessary to remove the straight jacket.
One reason why the straight jacket is not used to the extent as it was during the Victorian era is because medical science has become more aware of the damage, both physical and emotional, that can be caused by spending time in a straight jacket. There are now gentler means of restraint that can be used and the straight jacket is only used as a final resort. Wearing a straight jacket for long periods of time can cause the blood to pool in the elbows and the hands. This can cause painful and sometime serious injuries, particularly if the straight jacket is used in such a way as to compromise circulation to part of the arms or hands.
The straight jacket has become something of a cultural icon. Its use in modern medical science is actually quite rare; nevertheless, many have been so influenced with the images that they have encountered of the straight jacket over the years that they become convinced that mental health treatment always requires a straight jacket. This is clearly untrue, of course. Only those patients who present an immediate and real threat are required to wear a straight jacket for any period of time.
|
|
Last Updated ( Friday, 03 November 2006 )
|
|
|
Written by Yva Lauten
|
|
Monday, 25 September 2006 |
Amber is a form of fossilized resin that is often used in the creation of jewelry and ornamentation. While not a stone in any sense of the word, amber, due to its translucent optical properties and its workability, is often considered to be a gemstone regardless of its chemical composition. While amber is a popular substance for ornamentation, it is also useful in the field of natural science. Plants and insects can become trapped in tree resin before it fossilizes and, when this occurs, may remain intact for millions of years.
|
|
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 29 November 2006 )
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Written by Yva Lauten
|
|
Monday, 09 August 2004 |
In the past few years amber jewelry has enjoy a rather aggressive increase in popularity. You can now buy amber jewelry in a vast array of different types of stores, from chain jewelry and trinket shops to local mom and pop general goods stores, and anything in between. Amber comes in a variety of colors--the most sought after color in the East is the light yellow colored amber. Amber was made 30-90 million years ago from the fossilized remains of a sticky resin produced by trees. The resin then hardened; trapping debris such has leaves, seeds, insects and feathers which have since served as an impressive looking glass into a world long gone. Although amber is found along the shores of the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, a large amount of amber is found in Sambia, a region once inhabited by various Baltic tribes which is now apart of Russia. Some amber is torn in pieces from the sea floor and is washed ashore by the waves. The pieces of amber are then collected on the shore and are sometimes even dredged up from the bottom on the sea floor. Amber can also be mined and is called pit amber when extracted in this manner.
Amber is used for many things including cigar-holders and the mouth-pieces of pipes. One of the most popular uses of amber is jewelry. Amber jewelry comes in all different styles from modern to abstract. Some pieces of amber jewelry can very light straw color, a rich deep orange or a dark green with flecks of gold. Some pieces of amber jewelry can have feathers, seeds or bugs fossilized in them adding to the allure of wearing something ancient. Amber jewelry is most commonly set in silver, white gold or platinum. Amber is commonly made into beads or used as center stones in pendants, earrings, necklaces and amber is even used in hair clips. The most common type of amber used in amber jewelry is Baltic amber. Amber is usually inexpensive compared to diamonds, but for a large clear piece with unusual debris it can be very expensive. Amber jewelry ranges in price from about $25 for a small pair of earrings to several thousand for some of the more unique styles of amber jewelry featuring several different shades of amber in one piece to extremely large pieces of Dominican red amber jewelry.
Amber jewelry is unique amongst other jewelers' materials in that Amber is not actually a gemstone. Gemstones have well defined atomic structures which give them planes of cleavage, which are responsible for the shimmer and luster of well cut diamonds and other gemstones. As a fossilized organic resin, amber does not contain such long range structure. Nevertheless, the superficial stony appearance of amber, as well as its optical qualities and workability, have led many to consider amber to be gemstone regardless of atomic structure.
sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber
|
|
Last Updated ( Saturday, 28 October 2006 )
|
|
|
Blog 
