Tag: <span>england</span>

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The First World War was a dreadful waste of approximately 9 million young lives. With this loss comes a sadness and inability to understand simply, why? Two young poets of the day, Rupert Brooks and Wilfred Owen became victims of this war, but before they died they used their pens to leave some lasting testament of what went before. This article briefly describes how two gifted writers came from different worlds to ultimately meet the same fate.

On the 11th November 1918, in Shrewsbury England the bells rang out to celebrate the Armistice and end to the first world war, happiness rained throughout the county until a door knock was heard and a telegram passed, the smiles on Mr & Mrs Owen faces sank as they read how their poet son Wilfred Owen had been killed in battle at Sambre Canal. But Wilfred hadn’t even joined the armed forces in the April of 1915 when Rupert Brooke another famous war poet was killed and their worlds of poetry and life couldn’t have been more different before the carnage of “The Great Folly” brought them both into the world of needless death and slaughter.

Rupert, born in Rugby, England was a man of boyish good looks and charm which prompted the Irish poet William Butler Yeats to describe him as “the handsomest man in England”. After winning a scholarship to Kings College in Cambridge Rupert became an active member of many drama groups and writers clubs and soon became a man adored by many, some for his talent and some for his good looks, Virginia Wolfe once boasted to have gone skinny dipping with Rupert and his society was generally much sought after. He was however a man confused by his sexuality and took to travelling throughout parts of the United States and Canada writing travel dairies for the Westminster Gazette. On his way back to England via the long route he settled on a Tahitian Island where he fathered a daughter by to a local woman with whom it was said that he found his most complete emotional relationship, but still his wonder lust had him move on. Back in England he became romantically involved with a number of notable actresses of the time and when his writings turned to war poems he came to the attention of Winston Churchill who commissioned him into the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. At the age of 27 years, Rupert took part in the Royal Navy’s Antwerp expedition in October 1914 to be followed by a voyage with the British Mediterranean Expeditionary Force on 28th February 1915 but was bitten by a mosquito and the resultant sepsis infection resulted in his death on 23rd April 1915. His body was laid to rest in Skyros Greece at a site chosen by his friend and writer William Denis Browne who later wrote of Brooke’s death.

It was in the September of this same year of 1915 that Wilfred Owen, then a teacher in continental Europe took to visiting the wars wounded in a local army hospital and was deeply affected by their tales and condition. He was only 22 years old himself when he decided to enlist in the British Army and in a statement in September 1915 he said “I came out in order to help these boys, directly by leading them as well as an officer can; indirectly, by watching their sufferings that I may speak of them as well as a pleader can. I have done the first.” Owen was sent home injured in March 1917 but returned to the front lines in August 1918 where he was killed soon after. Rupert Brooke and Wilfred Owen both entered the first world war for their own reasons but their writings and poetry live on as a testament to their common dread of what was then thought as modern warfare.

I cannot pretend to be capable of writing anything as emotionally charged as their individual works and so recommend as a true ending to this piece you click on the internet to read the following two poems.

Rupert Brooks – The Soldier.

Wilfred Owen – Dulce et Decorum est ( the old lie ).

Point of note:

In Westminster Abbey, Poets Corner, stands a slate monument which commemorates 16 First World War poets which include Rupert Brooks and Wilfred Owen, whose work is also inscribed as follows:

“My subject is War, and the pity of War, The Poetry is in the pity.”

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Source by Hobson Tarrant

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On April 9, 2005 at 12:30 PM in London, England Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles finally married after 33 years of an on-and-off relationship. Why has the relationship of these two people survived all these years?

During the very public break-up of Charles’ marriage to Princess Diana, Charles and Camilla’s clandestine relationship had became fodder for the scandal- mongering media.

Here is the birth data of the three principle players in this soap opera: Prince Charles was born November 14, 1948 at 9:14 PM, GMT, London, England 51N30, 00W10.

Camilla Parker Bowles was born July 17, 1947 at 7:10 AM, GDWT, London, England, 51N30, 00W10

Princess Diana was born July 1, 1961 at 7:45 PM BST, Sandringham, England. 52N50 00E30

Where does the pattern for a relationship begin? What is the chemistry that attracts a tall beautiful model-like girl to a short bald guy, or a tall handsome man in a Brooks Brothers suit to a not-so-pretty girl in faded Gap jeans? It definitely is not a trine between composite Sun to composite Venus!

Before I go any further, there are a few facts to take into consideration when exploring any chart, much less a relationship, with consideration to age, culture, class and background. A Saturn configuration for a middle-aged couple, the Royal couple, or someone born in a Middle Eastern nation will manifest differently than someone born, say, in the 1960’s in New York City.

A relationship consists of many components, including the family experiences that they bring into the union. The female will pack her relationship (or lack of relationship) with her father and the relationship her parents have with each other, into her purse. He on the other hand will pack his relationship or lack of relationship with his mother and the relationship of his parents into his backpack.

In this respect, the Royals are no different and that is why houses are so important in this system of astrology.

The MC denotes the exact moment of birth, and in Uranian Astrology is considered the most personal point in the horoscope. It is the only point that moves with exact precision, 1 degree every 4 minutes. Twins born 3 minutes apart have a 45-minute arc opening. For this reason we use the Meridian house system at all times. You will notice that the Asc is different from the Meridian 1st house cusp. That is because the Meridian 1st house cusp is your perception of yourself, as your Asc is others’ perception of you. The Asc is the mask you wear to meet and greet others. As Wayne Booher, my friend and mentor put it, “your Asc is your family name as your Meridian 1st house cusp is your first name”. The MC or Meridian is calculated from the local sidereal time whereas the Asc is calculated according to one’s latitude and relates to one’s environment and those one encounters at that location.

The composite Sun is the physical union of the relationship, and the composite Moon is the emotional union of the relationship. The composite Mercury is the communication of the pair, the composite Venus is what they both value and the composite Mars is how they work together as a unit. One cannot look at a composite chart without considering the experiences each individual brings into the relationship in these areas.

To check the personal aspects of the individuals I look to see where each planet of party number one falls in party number two’s houses, of each of the six personal point horoscopes. The six personal points are (beginning with the three inner personal points) the MC ( the I, me), Sun (husband, father), Moon (wife, mother); the next three are the outer personal points: Asc (the environment, the other), North Node (intimate connection, the ties that bind) and the Aries Point (the outer world, the public at large).

In looking at the six personal point horoscopes the arrow on the 360 degree dial that indicates the beginning of 0 Cancer points to the individual’s MC, for the 10th house of the individual’s MC horoscope, the Moon for the 10th house of the Moon horoscope, and 0 Cancer for the 10th house of their Aries or Earth horoscope. The arrow of 0 Capricorn should go on the Sun as the Sun becomes the cusp of the 4th house of the individual’s solar horoscope. The arrow near 0 Libra should be placed on the Ascand the Moon’s North Node in order to show the Asc and Node’s 1st house.

After placing both charts, including Meridian house cusps, around the 360 degree dial, (each chart in its own color), I look to see into which houses each person’s planets fall in the other individual’s six personal point horoscopes, and aspects they make, if any, to the other person’s planets

I then look at each one’s SU/MO midpoint, perception of husband and wife, and VE/MA midpoint, where the love and attraction falls. After I have done that, I am ready to create the composite of the relationship which is the midpoint of their planets. In Uranian Astrology we look at the hard aspects because that is where the chemistry happens.. A VE of one party sextiling the MA of the other party, for instance, causes no sparks. But the VE of one square or semi-square the MA of the other may have them ripping off their clothes as soon as they hit the bedroom!

Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles first met in the fall of 1972, according to”House of Windsor” by Donald Spotto. At that time he would not have been permitted to marry her due to the fact that she was a commoner. She went off and married Andrew Parker Bowles, and he married Diana Spencer.

The marriage between of Prince Charles and Princess Diana enabled Charles to fulfill his duty of producing an heir to the throne who would be accepted by the people of England. Unfortunately, she was in love with him, but not he with her. (While checking to see where Prince Charles was, mentally and emotionally, at the time of his marriage and where he is now I added his pSU to the equation). When he married Diana his pSU was 25 Sag. 34, was transiting his MC 6th house, he was fulfilling his duty and responsibility, especially since his only job was to produce an heir as he waited to ascend the throne. His pSU of 11 degrees Capricorn, went into his MC 7th house the year she died, and we all know that after she died he set up house with Camilla.

Now back to a brief exploration of Prince harles and Princess Di’s relationship, before we move to the present royal couple. Her SU and ME were in his 12th house: he never fully saw or heard Diana, and to reaffirm what I wrote about his job at that time, her SU/MO (husband and wife) was in his MC 10th house, his career, his reputation. Because his SU/MO fell in her MC 1st house, she had to appear as his wife at all times, and present herself in a fashion befitting such a state. Their SU/SU, (the composite SU), fell in her 8th house, giving her money and altering her life forever, and for her love. (the 2nd and 8th houses are not only money but love as well). The 8th house is the love one receives from others, and with the SU/SU in her MC 8th house, she expected love from the union. To affirm that expectation, her VE/MA was exactly square his MC.

The composite SU/SU fell in his MC 3rd house; to him their marriage was more about image. His VE/MA fell in her 4th MC house; I am sure that there were aspects of her that he cared about when they first started their relationship, but after their marriage the fact that his VE/MA was also the midpoint of his MC 3rd house cusp and her Saturn, and his ME = Di’s NE/Charles NO, (definite indications of communication problems), it all fell apart. Another indication of their mismatched relationship was her O/UR=VE and his SU. This combination tells us that she never felt secure about his love for her, and that this combination brought out unstable emotional behavior in her. She had every reason to believe there was a problem with his Saturn 156 ½ (multiples of 22 ½) to their MO/MO, and opposite their ME/ME. I have found that if a couple has good communications their problems can be worked out, but if the communications are bad or non-existent even working with a therapist won’t help the relationship.

I would like to introduce the 90 degree dial and transits and solar arcs, to this topic.

On the 90 degree dial planetary pictures look different than they do on the 360 degree dial. A square or conjunction on the 360 degree dial may not look so on the 90 degree dial, especially if the orb is larger than 1 degree. On the 360 degree dial you can have a planet (the SU, for instance) 45 degrees away from the MO and 135 degrees away from VE-that would be known as an indirect planetary picture. On the 90 degree dial the SU will appear to be opposite both the MO and VE.

When Charles and Diana married, the SU/SU =tKR. Kronos made their relationship royal; in other words they became a Royal Couple. The trouble that was about to strike them can be found in tSA/tMO = SU/SU = Diana’s UR. No one should get married with tMO/tSA=SU/SU, a emotional hindrance in the physical union, for the physical union suffers because of a depressed or insecure wife. Diana bit off more than she could chew, with tSA 22 ½ to her nSA. Yes SA is formal commitment, but reality sets in, and for someone who has a MO/UR=VE, she was forced to grow up too quickly.

Now let us go to the present Royal Couple, Charles and Camilla. If Camilla’s birth time is correct her MC and ASC are almost conjunct Charles’s. We know that his birth time is correct so we can check where her planets fall in his MC houses and we can see where his planets fall in her SU, MO and NO houses, which are the relationship personal points. Her SU and ME fall in his MC 1st house and his ASC 12th house. This means that he sees her and communicates with her, even though others do not, or when they are allowed to, do not “get it.” We all had to be introduced to her by her long-time friend. When their wedding plans were made public many of her dear friends gave long interviews about her, as they tried to give a personality to what the world knew as “the other woman.” Her MO, VE are conjunct his MC 1st house cusp; she truly cared about him and always had a warm spot in her heart for him from the moment they met.

I have to stop a moment to relay another observation: Camilla’s MO, VE was conjunct Diana’s SU. The interlacing of these planets leads me to think that Camilla knew Diana’s weakness and insecurity and was able to weave herself back into Charles’s life when it suited her.

Back to the happy couple: Camilla’s ME is 22 ½ to her PL – she can read between the lines, – and 45 to his SA. If Charles does not listen to her, or does not like what she is talking about, she knows how to assess the situation and work with it, without causing any problem between the two of them. Her NO is 135 degrees from his VE and his NO is 111 ¼ to her SU (on the 90 degree dial her NO looks as if it is opposite his VE and his NO appears to be 11 ¼ from her SU). As I said earlier, it is the hard aspects that create the body heat

Nodes are karmic ties, and combined with PL, either in hard aspect or by midpoint, are karmic relationships. At a workshop on relationships given by Wayne Booher, he said to look at the NO/PL axis to see what karmic bonds are present. It is written that when Camilla met Charles she said that since their great grand-parents were lovers why shouldn’t they become lovers? Well, her NO/PL = his SU, KR, and his NO/PL is 11 ¼ from his SU, KR which means that it is 11 ¼ from her NO/PL. Theirs is definitely a karmic relationship. This tells me that Diana’s goose was cooked before she even met Charles.

At this time I will be referring mostly to their planets on the 90 degree dial and I will be using their whole, half and double solar arcs. At the time of their marriage Camilla’s whole solar arc was 55.32, her half solar arc was 27.46 and double was 111.04. Charles’s solar are was 57.18, half 28.39 and double 114.36

On the day that Charles and Camilla married, her nSU/pSU, (where she was at that time in her life) on the 90 degree dial fell 45 to Charles pMO, which tells me that on that day his heart belonged to her. Their SU/SU = her VE by her double solar arc, and his 3rd and 9th house cusps and his pMO by his solar arc, and his ZE by his ½ solar arc. His natal NE/PL = MO: he is powerless due to his mother, the Queen and at the same time this planetary picture indicates his sensitivity. He does not like being forced into emotional power plays.

Their MO/MO falls right on his SA and brings in her ME, PL: she understands that emotional neediness has no place in his realm.

His SU/her MO = her pMO/tZE; she was excited to finally become his wife. His MO/her SU is 11 ¼ to the composite SU/SU and his VE by her solar arc. Transiting SA was opposite his SA and composite MO/MO – the death of the Pope most likely had cast a slight shadow on their gaiety, and theirs is a more mature marriage than his first was.

They both deemed themselves lucky the day that they got married. Transiting Jupiter was on his MC and her MO/his VE and was 22 ½ to his nSU/pSU, and 22 ½ from his MA and was hitting her JU and her SU by her solar arc. Her SU/JU = his MC, MA, shows that she is lucky that her husband has an occupation that gives her pleasure emotionally and financially.

What does the future hold for our happy couple, or should I say the threesome. Prince Charles is the oldest prince waiting to become king in the history of the English Monarchy. Everyone is wondering if Charles will ever be crowned King? Will the world see Camilla became Queen? Will the Queen turn over the throne to Prince William? When Prince William is crowned King, at his coronation everyone will be looking at him but remembering Princess Diana.

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Source by Arlene Nimark

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The strict Salutary Neglect policy arose from Great Britain’s endeavor to promote prosperity within the Colonies. This act was endorsed by St. Andrews Episcopal, and existed from 1607-1763. It was enacted in an attempt to limit English control over the American Colonies by permitting more freedoms to the pilgrims. This policy imperatively developed American society in legislative assemblies, commerce, and religion.

Salutary Neglect led to the formation of legislative assemblies within the colonies due to the lack of governing influence in North America. Citizens exercised their newfound freedom and formed legislative assemblies leading to the establishment of their own government. The movement towards a governmental system by legislative assemblies was provoked by the unjust rule of the British monarchy. The English colonists’ strived to achieve a Democratic government of choice, distinctly separate and essentially improved upon from the heredity of a malicious monarchy. These diligent efforts led to the formation of the House of Burgesses in 1619, the leading sovereign government; additionally they led to the creation of the Mayflower Compact, which would later form the American Constitution.

Salutary Neglect’s influence on the colonies was crucial to the development of many aspects within the American society; of course commerce was no exception. The newly established freedoms in legislature were responsible for managing colonial commerce, which relied profoundly upon the Triangular Trade, foreign trade, and colonial trade. Though the British tried to control colonial trade with the Navigation Acts in 1650, procrastinated enforcement of these policies disrupted foreign trade, and severely angered colonists. The necessities so bountifully relied upon, along with the trade relations amongst fellow countries had been severed by the ravenous ways of England.

The effect of Great Britain’s Salutary Neglect policy on American society had a devastating impact on religion within the colonies. Primarily, colonists experienced extraordinary religious tolerance and freedom. Elated by their divergence from the Church of England new spiritual liberties led Puritan colonists to desirably center the importance of open creed. With this perception focused in the minds of the colonists The Great Awakening commenced, spreading renown amongst the colonies, people flocked to the churches seeking salvation without persecution. In the early 1730’s, this revelation toward the protestant religion, which had been taxed and unfairly elevated within England for the past decades, was finally concluded. Colonists could devout their beings into the divine sanctity of the “Holy Spirit”, and achieve salvation in their own manner. The freedom of worship revitalized the colonists who had been chronically oppressed by the fallaciously greedy ideas of the Church of England were abolished to the new world.

Religious persecution toward the pilgrims forced them to migrate from the inadequate religious foundation and vicious tariffs of England. The colonist had to break free from England’s distant dictatorship and excel on a pure set of freedoms, which still divide the world in major differences; defending and fighting for these arguable entities create our individuality. Developing the liberation of Democratic government has made the colonies unique, and for that uniqueness the colonists fought. From Plymouth Rock, to the first representative government of the new world, House of Burgees, to all those that died of dysentery and smallpox colonist fought, colonist fought to impede the formation of the United States of England.

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Source by Brad Todd

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Cricket, the ‘wonder sport’, is one of the fastest evolving games in the world today. It’s custodians, namely the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), set the laws for this ever evolving sport which has the support of close to 3 billion fans all over the world. Today, it is played in various formats ranging from Test format, One Day International (ODI), Twenty20 (T20), Inter or domestic, Indoor format, and the Kwik format.

Of these, Test format is the longest form of the game played between Test playing teams. The ICC has conferred the ‘Test Status’ upon a cricket playing country or a group of playing countries. The teams not conferred with the test status are allowed to play only a shortened version of this sport.

Today, there are 10 Test playing teams of which a majority is individual nation. The 10 Test playing teams eligible to play test cricket are:

· England: This team comprises of players from England and the Wales.
· South Africa.
· Australia.
· New Zealand.
· India: Before India’s partition of 1947, the Indian team comprised of players also from the now Pakistan and Bangladesh.
· West Indies: This team comprises of players from the Caribbean nations and its dependencies.
· Pakistan: Prior to Bangladesh’s independence in 1971, the Pakistan team consisted of some Bangladesh players too.
· Zimbabwe: This team was suspended from playing Test cricket between the 10th of June 2004 and the 6th of January 2005 and has been currently suspended since 18th January 2006.
· Srilanka.
· Bangladesh.

Kenya, a probable candidate for Test status in 2003, has the likelihood of being replaced by Ireland in the near future.

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Source by Maira Sarfraz

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My Brother Sam is Dead is a historical fiction novel told in the first person, through the eyes of ten year old Timothy Meeker. It recounts the hardships endured by Tim and his family during the Revolutionary War. When Tim’s older brother Sam joins the rebel forces, it impacts the rest of his family who wish to remain neutral and/or avoid war with England. Tim’s family is Anglican and thus loyal to the Church of England so a split with England would greatly affect them.

Through Tim Meeker we learn of the issues, the concerns and the conflicts of the rebellion on a personal level. Each chapter touches on a number of topics and issues that provide readers with a better understanding of the affects the American Revolution had on individuals, their families, their churches, their towns, their neighbors… in short, it allows readers to see the war from the position of those that lived through it. This is one of the greatest strengths of the novel; it quietly weaves all of the topics and issues of the early years of the American Revolution into a tragic story of a ten year old boy’s role in a war he doesn’t understand.

The novel highlights many of the problems and events that impacted towns like Redding, Connecticut and its inhabitants at this point in the war. Below are the topics that have been woven into this novel that I find the most intriguing.

1. What individuals were experiencing at the onset of the Revolution.

   The novel begins in April 1775 and ends in February 1779… a very volatile period of the American Revolution as it was not clear which side would win the war. Many were either still confused about the issues or unwilling to solidify a position on the issues. As the story unfolds the consequences of the war prove devastating to the Meeker family as the rebelliousness of Tim’s brother, Sam, and the pacifist position taken by Tim’s father, Life, result in the ironic deaths of both, symbolizing the atrocities and unfairness of war.

2. Trying to stay neutral and/or ignore the Rebellion.

   Life Meeker is a moderately successful business man and Anglican Church member who feels a rebellious split from England will put both his livelihood and his religion at risk. He does not want Rebellion; he simply wants things to remain as they are. Life’s decision to ignore the war and go about his business as he always has, proves to be fatal.

3. The currency issues that arose because of the rebellion and the way it was funded.

   The Meeker’s own a tavern/store, and keeping it running is hard work. Even prior to the Revolution, to make money, each year Tim’s Father and brother Sam would travel to New York State to sell cattle they received from people who owed them money. During the war it becomes even more difficult as paper money and commissary notes alter the values of existing currencies and negatively impact local economies and businesses.

4. Sacrifices that families and individuals were forced to make during the American Revolution.

   Since Sam has sided with the rebels and wasn’t there, Tim’s responsibilities have increased ten-fold. Jobs Tim and Sam used to share all now fall on Tim’s shoulders. Father (Life) takes Tim on his yearly cattle run to New York. They even have to travel without a Brown Bess (musket/gun used for protection), which Sam had recently stolen. Because Life is captured on their return trip from Verplanck, Tim has to take care of his mother and himself for the rest of the novel. He’s forced to grow up over night seeing he is now the man of the house, with his father in prison and Sam fighting with the patriots.

5. Groups that formed during the war for both good and bad reasons.

   Committees of Safety- These committees were formed early in the war to disarm people who could potentially give aid to the British. Life is an Anglican and thus seen as a Loyalist/Tory, by the local Committee of Safety which comes to the Meeker Tavern to disarm him. As the war progressed these groups worked to keep order in rural areas and assist those in need.

   Cowboys and Skinners- Cowboys and Skinners were groups of raiders who harassed and plundered the rural districts of the boundary between American and British forces in Westchester County, New York. Westchester County, was the so-called “Neutral Ground” seeing the British were in the Bronx and the Americans in Peekskill, New York. Life is captured by Cowboys on their way back to Redding on their cattle run. cowboys.

6. War time raids and brutal acts that are made during war.

   In Chapter 10, the British march though Redding and capture several Patriots on their way to Danbury, CT to destroy the rebels/Patriot’s provisions of war which were being stored there. As the British leave town a local slave is accosted and brutally murdered as Tim watches in horror. The point the authors were making here is that war is cruel and people died.

7. Winter Encampments and the issues within them during the early stages of the Revolutionary War- Theft of local livestock; spies and desertion; troop discipline.

   General Israel Putnam’s division of the Continental Army is encamped at Redding in the winter of 1778-1779 and Sam Meeker is a soldier in one of Putnam’s camps. One evening, Sam slips away from camp and returns home to spend time with his family. While they discuss the war and related topics, Sam hears commotion outside… Patriot soldiers are attempting to steal their cattle! When Sam intervenes he is out numbered and beaten. Back at camp he is falsely accused of and court-martialed for deserting camp and stealing cattle. General Putnam having long dealt with ill-equipped troops, deserters and traitors, feels he needs to set an example in order to maintain discipline amongst his army. Sam, unfortunately, becomes one of the two examples that winter, and is executed.

8. The Hardships of War.

   Throughout the novel we are provided examples of the hardships that local communities endured during the Revolution and long after. Economically, socially, and emotionally the War of the Revolution was devastating on the individuals that lived through it and the narrative provided by Tim bring these feelings to life.

I believe the best way to use this novel in the classroom is to explore the issues I have listed above. Each chapter is geared toward giving us a better understanding of the hardships caused by the American Revolution and the effect it had on individuals, their families, their churches, their towns, their neighbors, etc… and thus the novel can be a very powerful learning tool if you are willing to look beyond the storyline.

My Brother Sam is Dead was written by Christopher and James Lincoln Collier and can be found in most book stores and public libraries.

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Source by Brent Colley

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Rumored to be inspired by the trials of Monty Panesar, the first Sikh to make it to the English cricket team, Patiala House finally gives you an Akshay Kumar film where you won’t be waiting for it to get over.

Parghat Singh Kahlon or Gattu (Akshay Kumar) is a promising fast bowler who gets a call to play for his country and what could be more prestigious for an Indian than to don white fennels? But his father Gurtej Kahlon (Rishi Kapoor) denies him the chance for Gattu’s country happens to be England. Gurtej becomes a different man the day his family members are killed in a racial attack and vehemently fights the whites one every instance. Gurtej might be living in England but for all practical purposes he still considers himself an Indian and won’t let his British citizen of a son play for the ‘enemy. From the moment Gattu gives in everyone in Gurtej’s extended family, is expected to do what the patriarch deems fit. Seventeen years later Gattu gets a second shot when a desperate English cricket board looks up to him to transform England’s sagging fortunes on the field. Once again Gattu refuses but thanks to lady love Simran (Anushka Sharma) and the inmates of Patiala House, who see this as an opportunity to break away from disciplinarian Gurtej, Gattu for the first time decides to live his life.

Patiala House is one of the best things that could have happened to Akshay Kumar in years. With this film he manages to remind you that there is a little more to him than the inanity he had been indulging in for sometime now. Kumar has the ability to play the smooth operator and the poker faced loser with equal ease and this is a film where he seems to be having great fun as an actor. There are many things in Patiala House that seem far fetched- Simran and the bunch managing to keep the identity of Kaali, the pseudonym for Gattu as his dons the English colors but still the film ends up working on some level. One of the things conspicuously missing from the drama is the simple fact that no one questions Gurtej’s apparent hypocrisy. He has no qualms availing all facilities in England but when it comes to his English citizen son playing for England than he changes ‘his’ country in the blink of an eye. Nikhil Advani and Anvita Dutt Guptan’s screenplay had a few places where such a conflict could have made it more interesting than the basic fare it happily chooses to be.

Patiala House has a host of characters that can’t be differentiated from each other and they all end up looking the same. Advani and Guptan make no effort to add something new to the supporting cast and after a while you really don’t care who’s who or doing what. Akshay Kumar underplays Gattu almost to the level of boredom and that’s something which makes him look better than his recent films. Anushka Sharma yet again plays the Punjabi kudi and Dimple Kapadia gets rewarded for her endearing presence with a big rona-dhona talkie scene in the end.

The thing that really shines in Patiala House is Rish Kapoor’s Gurtej Singh Kahlon. One of the most successful leading men of Hindi cinema, Kapoor is perhaps the only one who managed to hold his own for two decades alongside a juggernaut called Amitabh Bachchan. Much like Bachchan, Kapoor found it extremely difficult to make the transition from a leading man to a supporting actor but while Bachchan took embarrassingly long with abysmal efforts like Laal Badshah, Kapoor’s transition has been better. With Hum Tum, Namastey London, Love Aaj Kal and now Patiala House we finally have an option for Amitabh Bachchan!

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Source by Gautam Chintamani

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The words hat stand and coat rack are used interchangeably and historically they are pretty much the same thing, but technically there are differences.  The traditional hat stand or coat rack is a free standing base with a pole that resembles a tree with multiple limbs protruding from the pole.  Made popular in Victorian England, coat stands could be found in the foyer of prosperous homes throughout England at the time.  Having a piece of furniture that was just to hang your hat or coat on was considered a luxury during those depressed times and it grew in popularity in Europe and the United States through to the 1950’s.  After experiencing a bit of a decline in popularity and making some design transitions, the hat rack and/or coat stand has been making a comeback.

Hat stands and coat racks are made from a variety of materials, but traditionally and still the most popular material is wood.  Wood is strong and beautiful and can be used in a variety of design choices from traditional to modern.  The stand will typically stand about 5 feet tall and the base must be sturdy and heavy to support the weight of the items to be placed on it.  The difference between the two types may be small, but there is a difference.  A hat stand will have multiple short limbs stemming off the center pole.  These limbs will normally be arrayed from the top to the bottom of the stand.  A coat rack on the other hand will usually have longer limbs stemming from the center pole and they will be fewer than a hat stand and be arranged toward the top of the pole.  A coat stand will need to have a heavier base in order to support heavy coats.  Of course, most coat stands will also double as a hat stand and have a few shorter limbs at the very top to accommodate hats.

Regardless of your choice, you will need to have the room for one of these stands.  While they do not take up much space themselves, the items placed upon them will usually quadruple their bulk so you do need the space to accommodate one.  If you do not have the space, fear not, there are alternatives.  Many people go with a wall mounted coat rack or coat hooks.  These take up far less space and attach right to your wall so everyone has space for these type of racks.

Design choice is important and hat and coat stands come in many different styles to match any home decor.  From traditional to ultra modern, you can find a stand to fit your design needs and add some extra flair to your decor.  Prices can vary greatly depending on material used and quality, but finding a reasonably priced hat rack or coat stand is doable with a little research.

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Source by Lei White

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Playing cards have long been a source of entertainment for the young and old alike. Card games have become a part of our lives so much that even in the age of the Internet; we still have digitalized versions of those games in our computers.

The usual appearance of cards has remained unchanged throughout the years. The symbols for each suit are the same as they were when they were introduced to England in the fifteenth or sixteenth century. The jack, queen, and king of today’s pack appear much as they did in that day; their costumes are similar to those of the royal court of England in the renaissance. Decks of cards were divided into four suits in China and this practice was continued in Europe. The French divided the deck into four suits supposedly representing the four main divisions of mankind: the nobility, represented by a sword (pique); the clergy, represented by a heart (cœur); the merchants and the tradesmen, represented by a diamond (carreau); and the peasantry, represented by a club (trèfle). These four suits were adopted by the English and are known today as spades (from the Spanish espada, which means sword), hearts, diamonds, and clubs. The highest cards in each suit, the royal, court, or picture cards, are of obvious derivation. The intricate patterns on each picture card are said to have specific meanings, as do the type and position of the symbols on the card. After the revolutions in the United States, France, and Russia, efforts were made in those countries to eliminate the references to royalty in playing cards, but the symbols had become so thoroughly accepted by card players that the attempts to change them were abandoned. Other efforts to alter the traditional appearance of playing cards have met with little success. Four colors instead of two have been used for the four suits, different arrangements of the pips on the cards have been attempted, and cards with black backgrounds have been introduced. In 1937 an extra suit was added, called Eagles in the United States and Crowns in England, and a five-suit bridge game was introduced. It met with limited success.

Usually four suits are maintained in every culture but they are not necessarily the same. The German suit used hearts, bells, acorns, & leaves or grass. The Swiss-German suit used roses, bells, acorns, & shields. The Spanish & Italian (north) suit had cups, coins, clubs, & swords. India has badam, charkat, kilawar, & ispik.

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Source by Greg Pierce

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The origins of squash

The history of squash began many centuries ago in France (around the year 1150) with a game called “le Pauem” (the palm of the hand), which developed into tennis in the late fifteenth century. At this time people played similar games just for entertainment, simply in narrow streets.

The next big step came in the early 19th century in Fleet Prison in England. The prisoners played it inside their cells, just hitting the ball with their hands (and rackets later) and bouncing it off the walls. This game became known as “Rackets”.

These games were very popular in schools and that gave the birth to the squash itself. The first four courts were built in Harrow school in England in 1864 and the game was officially founded (the word “squash” comes from a noise the ball makes when bouncing of the front wall of the court).

Standardisation

The sport still lacked any kind of standardisation and that led to two branches of squash – one played with soft ball in England and the second with a hard ball and slightly narrower court in North America.

The first squash court in North America was built in 1884 in New Hampshire at St. Paul`s School and in 1907 the first national association was founded – the United States Squash Rackets Association (USSRA). The Canadian Squash Rackets Association followed in 1911 and in Great Britain the game was regulated by a sub committee of Tennis and Rackets Association – the Squash Rackets Association was formed finally in 1928.

The first professional world championship came in 1920 in England and later the sport began spreading around the globe. In 1960s and 1980s it was mainly because of the effort by two of the best players at that time – Jonah Barington from Ireland and Geoff Hunt from Australia – who brought the game to the masses of people and started a great boom in this sport.

Modern age

The International Squash Rackets Association (ISRF) was founded in 1966 in London by representatives from Great Britain, USA, Canada, Australia, Inida, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Arab Republic. In 1992 the ISRF was renamed to World Squash Federation (WSF), finally recognizing the name of the game as “Squash”, not “Squash Rackets”.

The WSF controls the rules, specifications of courts, rackets and other gear, referees and also training and education. It supports the coordination of squash events and organises the World Championships. And lately it closely cooperates with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to incorporate squash into the Olympic program.

There are more than 120 national squash associations under WSF now. The game is now played in over 150 countries on more than 49.000 courts, over 17 million players are registered.

Best players

One of the first great players in the history of squash was F. D. Amr Bey from Egypt who won five British Open Championship in 1930s. The next famous Egyptian came 15 years later – M. A. Karim won the title four times between 1947 and 1950.

We have already mentioned Geoff Hunt from Australia – during the 1960s and 1970s he won the British Open eight times.

And we can`t forget the legendary Pakistan players – Jahangir Khan winning the British Open a record of ten times (1982-1992), Jansher Khan (eight times), Hashim Khan (seven times) and his dynasty.

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Source by Stepan Hrouda

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Early records of strength training date back to 3600 BC when Chinese emperors made their subjects exercise daily (Webster 1976). During the Chou Dynasty subjects were required to pass weight- lifting tests before entering the military. There is large amount of evidence that indicates weight training was part of life in ancient Greece and India. In fact, the Greeks built numerous sculptures of people lifting stone weights.

Numerous systems of training have been proposed over the years. The accumulation of experience and different philosophies has led us to the current training methods utilized today. Keep in mind; many authorities have varied greatly from the original purpose of strength and conditioning. Hard work and dedication formed the foundation of earlier training methods. Today the opposite has occurred in numerous settings as easy work and quick fixes form the foundation of most people’s regimens.

During the 16th century in Europe books on weight training began to surface. Sir Thomas Elyot’s book on the topic was published in England in 1531. Joachim Camerius, a lecturer at Leipzig University, wrote several books in 1544 recommending that weight training should be a key activity offered in the model school. John Paugh published a book in 1728 titled A Physiological, Theoretic and Practical Treatise on the Utility of Muscular Exercise for Restoring the Power to the limbs, which pointed out the benefits offered by weight training for rehab purposes. In the 1860’s, Archibald Maclaren, devised the first formal system of physical training with dumbbells and barbells for the British Army.

The showmen and strongman entertainers of the 19th Century heavily contributed to methods used today in the fitness and Sports Conditioning industry. From extensive research iron game historian David Webster credits Italian circus and fairground performer, Felice Napoli as the one who popularized strongman performances on an international scale. Disciples of Napoli include Professor Attila (Louis Durlacher) and Eugen Sandow (Frederick Muller). Attila became well known and he attracted some of the world’s most well known physical culturists and many rulers of Europe. His list of students included King George of Greece, King Edward of England, Crown Prince Frederick who became King Haakon of Norway, the six children of King Christian of Denmark, the Queen Mother Alexandra of England, Princess Dagmar (Empress of Russia and mother of Tsar Nicholas), and the Duchess of Cumberland.

At the time training the wealthy was a much respected occupation. We have what we call personal trainers today. The current protocols used by the majority of today’s trainers are a far cry from the original teachings and benefits provided by trainers. The fame and notoriety of trainers of those days was a result of the public displays of extraordinary physical feats. These events were often attended by royalty and were highly acclaimed for their promotion of physical well-being.

Eugen Sandow, born in Koningsberg in East Russia in 1867, was recruited for his teachings by presidents and rulers from around the world. Nine kings and queens and many princes of Europe, as well as US presidents William Taft and Woodrow Wilson endorsed Sandow’s book Life is Movement. Sandow was a successful strongman as well as a promoter of formal fitness and health management. He emphasized that physical education and sport should be an integral part of the school system. He also toured the world lecturing and promoting physical culture as a means of improving the quality of life.

Most authorities recognize Sandow, as one of the most important figures in the history of fitness, with the history of his work revealing that the modern phenomenon of science based fitness training is not a novel invention. Sandow promoted the importance of strength and skill as being the cornerstone of fitness. A half a century later Dr Kenneth Cooper proposed that being fit was primarily dependent on aerobic conditioning. Approximately 25 years later the important role of strength training has once again been recognized by the academia.

In Russia during the same period Vladislav Krayevsky founded the St Petersburg Amateur Weightlifting Society (1885). Many respected scientists, athletes; artists became his students, including famous strongman George Hackenschmidt, who credited Krayevsky for teaching him all he knew. Hackenschmidt mentioned in his book The Way To Live that some of the world’s strongest men of the era, including Sandow were trained using Krayevsky’s system.

Krayevsky’s work and the popularity of his students had a major effect on weightlifting in Russia. Not only was he a renowned teacher, but he also achieved significant numbers in barbell lifts himself. He was the president of the jury at the first world championships in Vienna in 1898.

Krayevsky wrote two of his fundamental works during the period of 1896-1899. The writings were titled The Catechism of Health-Rules for Athletes and The Development of Physical Strength with Kettlebells and without Kettlebells. The Catechism of Health-Rules for Athletes was sent to press December 9th 1899, but was never published and is now preserved in manuscript form. His other book was published in 1900 and reprinted three times (1902, 1909, 1916) after his death (1901).

Krayevsky was well studied on the history of physical culture and all forms of gymnastics. He was knowledgeable about Swedish gymnastics and noted its therapeutic benefits, but his concern with the lack of scientific data of the Swedish system led him to recruit experimentalists to research it.

Many of Krayevsky’s recommendations are still used today. His recommendations include medical control of an athlete’s health, consistent training and varying load patterns, full spectrum physical development, psychological development and avoidance of smoking and alcohol.

The early strength pioneers developed numerous devices in regards to strength training including cable machines, kettlebells, barbells, dumbbells, odd-shaped bars, thick grip bars, weighted boots, isolation machines and various throwing devices. Yet 50 years later there are numerous people who claim to have invented this machinery. In today’s industry there are many systems and people promoting their new systems, which are not really new at all.

The development of different scientific and educational cultures split the West and East as their promotion of physical activity was vaguely different. During the years following the World Wars Russia and Europe still continued to promote various elements of physical strength, power and skill while the West primarily promoted aerobics. Kenneth Cooper’s book Aerobics was popular at the time as well as Swedish endurance exercise research. According to Cooper and the Swedish researchers cardiac and general health depended primarily on prolonged endurance work. Supporters of the endurance doctrine heavily protested strength training. Cooper told the world strength training promoted a beautiful body but did nothing for health.

During the same period that the aerobics craze was running wild in the West Russians and Eastern Europeans accumulated extensive international information on strength and sports training while developing comprehensive educational programs to promote their findings. Most schools offered weightlifting and within a few decades there were approximately 1 million weightlifters in the USSR. Strength training became a key element in all sports training programs in the USSR while the attitude in the West was that weight training would slow athletes down and limit their range of motion. Consequently Russia dominated the Olympic Games, especially in Olympic Weightlifting, at the same time the aerobic doctrine became gospel in the West.

The Russian dominance has often been attributed to the use of anabolic-androgenic drugs, but the sporting use of these drugs was actually introduced in by the West first. It is probably more accurate to say that the Eastern nations dominated due to their special strength science and understanding of comprehensive sports conditioning. On the topic of drug usage no one uses more drugs than Pro bodybuilders, which are predominantly Americans.

In the West today the majority of gyms, trainers, academia and coaches are still ill informed when it comes to fitness and Sports Conditioning. The aerobic endurance crazes still dominates in most cases, yet this makes up a minor portion of fitness. All one needs to do is study the science and abundant evidence that supports the numerous health and fitness benefits of a proper strength-training program to realize its importance.

References

Siff, M.C (2000) Supertraining. Mel Siff.

Copyright 2005 Jamie Hale

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Source by Jamie Hale