Old Russian Symbolics on a White and Blue Porcelain
September 22, 2007
Russian porcelain is widely known and is often used as a traditional gift. The art of decorative painting on porcelain is handed down by craftsmen from generation to generation. Few of us, however, have asked ourselves what exactly is depicted on a Gzhel teapot or a Lomonosov porcelain cup. The blue color, glazed cobalt, has a long history.
Majolica made in Gzhel, 60 kilometers from Moscow, has traditionally been decorated with glazed cobalt.
Archeological excavations prove that the craft of pottery has existed in Gzhel since the beginning of the 14th century.
It is possible White and Blue undergalzed cobalt painting tehnology appeared at Gzhel due to invasion of Mongols. Blue and White China was well known product of Chinisean Yuan and Ming dynasties and Mongols could deliver examples of that china to Russia at 13-14th centuries.
In the second half of the 17th century, Afanasy Grebenshchikov, a merchant, built a manufacture where he made various kinds of majolica earthenware. For his ware, he used the famous white clay (Gzhel), as well as the experience of potters from Gzhel. Upon returning to their homes, the craftsmen began establishing their own majolica manufactures.
Does Money Buy Happiness?
September 21, 2007
According to researchers like Martin Seligman, Daniel Kahneman and Ed Deiner, money may be able to buy happiness, but only to a very limited extent. On the other hand, not having money - that is, a family income of less than 30,000 a year - is related to less happiness. But luckily, once your basic needs are being met, the increase in happiness from say, $31,000 to $131,000 a year, is really not that great! Hard to believe, isn’t it? Think of all of the time and energy we spend trying to attain more money, and it really doesn’t make that big of a difference! The United States is a very rich country, but the overall level of happiness there is lower than in many poorer countries. So, the question is, if money can’t buy happiness, what can? Things that are hard to buy.
Here are some tips for improving your feelings of happiness and well-being:
1. Develop a strong social support network.
Call your family members regularly. Make time to call and see your friends. Get involved in your community - coach a team, volunteer for a charity drive. Get to know your neighbors.
The Kabbalah of Love: Part One
September 20, 2007
(This is the first article in a new series on the Kabbalah of Love ? stay tuned for upcoming articles!)
Intimate Love.
What feelings do these words stir up in you? Longing? Excitement? Pleasure? Fear?
Whatever the feeling, if thinking about intimate love makes your heart beat faster, I’m not surprised. This feeling is more powerful than almost any we can experience. That’s because it’s nothing less than the touching of two souls.
Three years ago I suffered the terrible loss of a younger brother. In an attempt to actually experience something beyond the painfully limiting framework of the physical world, I made a couple of visits to a hypnotherapist who practiced past-life regression therapy.
Under hypnosis, I had an experience that I will never forget. I don’t know whether it was a dream, a memory from another life, or my soul expressing itself through images, but this is what happened:
At 60 plus Amitabh Bachchan Rules! - A Vastu Study
September 19, 2007
No words in this universe are enough to describe him, superstar, living legend, and the face of Indian cinema. Amitabh Bachchan today is an icon to reckon with, both nationally and internationally. He has become a household name today on the lips of young and old alike. The very mention of his name spells magic. One must surely appreciate the hardwork and dedication that was shown by him to capture the film world. Success always follows hard work. Has vastu played any role in his success ?. Yes, looking at the juhu residence of Amitabh Bachchan any vastu expert can will answer positive. Vaastu Shastra cannot be directly linked with prosperity. It only suggests ways in which one can live in tune with the laws of nature, so that you can be healthy and peaceful and work efficiently.
1. Entrance: Entrance of Amitabh Bachchan bunglow is located at the North-East Corner of the bunglow. According to vastu North-East is a prime location for the prosperity and success. The treatises like "Vishwakarma Prakash" attribute special importance to the North-East direction (Ishanya Angle) in the selection and architectural map of the plot or construction of the house. This direction is regarded as highly surcharged with divine energies. Person becomes more healthy, wealthy & famous in such houses.
Biblically Speaking of Evil and National Security
September 18, 2007
We have been learning to think Biblically and speak Scripturally about evil in order to teach our children about the dangers present in our fallen world, while setting our affections on things above (Colossians 3:2) and staying Spiritually minded (Romans 8:6). We first noticed that "it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret" (Ephesians 5:12), so we don’t speak of those things.
Righteousness can be encouraged over unrighteousness by noting that God rewards the righteous and curses unrighteous (Deuteronomy 11:26). The rewards of righteousness are many and include: Godly knowledge, wisdom, and understanding (Proverbs 1:7), peace and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17, Galatians 5:22-23), and everlasting life (Romans 6:22).
The curses which follow unrighteousness are the result of God giving the unrighteous person (or group of persons, Luke 17:29) over to: uncleanness, vile affections, a reprobate mind, being filled with unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whispering, backbiting, hating God, despitefulness, pride, boasting, inventing evil, disobedience to parents, a lack of understanding, covenant breaking, unnatural affections, implacability, being unmerciful, adultery, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrathfulness, strife, seditions, heresies, drunkenness, reveling. The unrighteous are said to be worthy of death and will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Romans 1:18-19, Galatians 5:19-21).
Create a Balanced Lifestyle and Begin Living a Happier, Healthier and Enriched Life
September 17, 2007
Are you living a balanced life?
Many people are not. Their lives are horribly out of balance and their quality of life is being severely compromised as a result. Some people do not even know what a balanced life looks like or how having one will improve their sense of well-being and inner happiness. They have become so stuck within their imbalanced lifestyle that they are not aware of how grave their situation is until a major crisis occurs and they are forced to take a good look at the choices they have been making.
What is balance?
Having a balanced lifestyle means that you are putting enough time and attention into the different areas of your life in order to feel a sense of satisfaction, happiness and fulfillment. Major areas of your life include:
- Career
- Family & Friends
- Significant Other/Romance
- Health
- Money
- Personal/Spiritual Growth
- Physical Environment
A good way to determine the level of balance in your life is to rate your satisfaction and happiness in each of these areas on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 being low and 10 being high). A person with a happy and balanced lifestyle will rate each area somewhere between an 8 and 10.
Theology, Hollywood Style
September 17, 2007
After years of watching TV shows and movies, I think I have finally gotten a grasp on Hollywood’s theology and it’s not a pretty picture (pun intended). It should come as no surprise to anyone that Hollywood’s theology is vastly different from that of the average American. After all, Hollywood’s morals and values are not representative of Middle America, so why should its theology be any different? Hollywood’s theology is comprised of three basic tenets.
First, it is quite obvious that Hollywood has adopted some elements of new age and eastern philosophies, i.e., it believes God could be just about whomever or whatever anyone wants Him/Her/It to be. Hollywood’s God could be some kind of benevolent spirit, floating around throughout the universe. If someone thinks God is just a man or woman, that’s also valid according to Hollywood’s theology. If someone thinks God is a bird, a tree, or a cloud, that’s fine with Hollywood. If someone thinks a little bit of God is in everything living thing, that’s great too.
What Sets Chinese Painting Apart From Western Painting
September 16, 2007
Because of different instruments, materials and cultural background, Chinese paintings have their own image and content in comparison to other types of paintings. Unique appearance of Chinese Painting owes much to the use of the Chinese writing brush and the Chinese paper (rice and silk). There are four essential elements used in the creation of Chinese Painting, the brush, ink, paper, and the ink stone. Lacking any of them the job cannot be done.
The most important factors for Chinese Painting are the special pedagogy, the close relationship with the painter’s personality and the unique Chinese philosophy. They are trained not only to convey the objects but also express the mood and the spirit of the subject. The Chinese also believe that the painting is the expression of the painter’s knowledge and temperament. In this way, Chinese Painting becomes something much more than art.
The most essential philosophy of China is the unity of Heaven, Earth and Human Beings. What the Chinese Painters are trying to express is not what meets the eye, but their attitude to the Great Nature. The Chinese painter has a profound love and admiration for nature. It is part of their culture, religious practices and their need to depend on nature to survive.
What Is True Egalitarianism?
September 15, 2007
Why did the founding fathers of the United States consider egalitarianism to be such a necessary value? True egalitarianism is based on tolerance for differences. It is a principle of integrity much more than a rule of law. The antithesis of egalitarianism is judgment. Judging others does not define them. It defines you.
My friend’s grandmother went to the same university in which Albert Einstein taught. Einstein had a friend who was a psychology teacher. This teacher made his judgmental and racists students do a very embarrassing exercise as a class assignment. They had to go up to student on campus that they disliked and say, "What about you don’t I like about myself?"
People often mistake judgment for prudence. Choosing not to hang out at bars with chronic alcoholics when you’re an abstainer is prudent. Condemning people for being alcoholics is judgment.
Of course, choosing not to judge does not mean associating with people with whom you don’t have much in common. You have a right to choose your companions. Poets and wrestlers need not be friends. They choose different ways of expressing themselves about the values of life. This does not mean that either group has the right to condemn the other.
Uncover Emotional Secrets and Live a Happier Life
September 14, 2007
Can you remember a time when you became a little irritated with someone and made a sharp comment that may have hurt, one which you later regretted? Have you ever writhed in the pain of emotional agony over some loss or missed opportunity? Do you recall a time when you felt so overwhelmed by emotion that you withdrew from everything and everyone? In any of these cases to a lesser or greater degree the emotional part of your brain has produced a questionable response or perhaps a response that you may have regretted later.
Researchers generally agree that there is an appropriate ‘alarm’ system in the brain. This system effectively overrides the thinking part of your brain in emergencies and causes an action or reaction that can be life saving.
The same system causes you problems when it creates inappropriate and unreasonable responses in your daily life in non-life threatening situations. Maybe your loved ones see your anger and it hurts them or your relationship to them. Perhaps you experience other consequences that would have been averted had you greater control over your emotional brain.
