Diamond is April's BirthstoneWritten by Sam Serio
If you're still young enough to remember your birthday, you probably also remember special birthstone assigned to it. But at your age, we bet you don't really know SIGNIFICANCE of your birthstone and what power ancients felt would be bestowed about you by wearing it. April Birthstone: Diamond Birthstone Properties: Enhances competence, trust and love Alternative Birthstone: Opal Formed deep within earth where there is intense heat and pressure, diamonds are simply crystallized carbon. April's birthstone is perennial first choice for engagement rings, but is it also anniversary gem for 10th and 60th years of marriage when eternity bands and other diamond-detailed rings replace original wedding bands. The ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were splinters of stars fallen to earth. It was even said by some that they were tears of Gods or perhaps crystallized lightning or hardened dew drops. In fact, exact origin of diamonds is still something of a mystery, even to scientists and geologists. India is thought to be first river-bed source of diamond mining. The ancient Hindus called diamond "Vajra," (lightening) because of sparks of light that it emits as well as its invincible strength. Arguably most beautiful gemstones on planet, diamonds are also harder than any other substance on earth and found today in Australia, Botswana, Russia and South Africa. Dr. Diamond Diamonds have long been credited for having certain medicinal properties. During middle ages, these gemstones were thought to heal illness, but only if ailing person took diamond into bed to warm it up first!
| | The Enigma of a Movie PosterWritten by Mark McCallister
Have you ever noticed how movie posters make heads turn, especially when they are not displayed at a movie theater? Do you feel that movie posters somehow connect you to a certain period of your life when that movie was shown in theaters?Movie posters have always had a certain magnetism around them that sparks off memories of movie it portrays and symbolism of movie itself. For example, classical movie poster of Gone with Wind resembles romance and tragedy of its time. Many folks who watched this movie for first time during 60s now are reminded of their youth whenever they catch a glimpse of this poster. They reflect on naivety of that time and how they had imagined themselves as Rhett Butler or Scarlett O’Hara. Perhaps they had watched this movie with their sweethearts and are reminded of good times they had then. If you observe each movie poster with care, you will also notice that they have all been carefully designed and put together with great creativity. Of course, before launch of a movie these posters need to look interesting, attractive or mysterious in order to qualify as publicity material. However, in order to be all that, theme of a design needs to reflect elements of movie, as well as to be authentic and original. Most importantly, it must appeal to mass audience. People should want to say to themselves, “I wonder what this movie is going to be about” when they see a movie poster. If this reaction is successfully created, then movie poster has achieved its objective. People collect movie posters for various reasons. Of course there are teenage collectors who put up movie posters to reflect their individuality. Some swoon over their movie star idols and therefore put their posters up to show everyone and themselves who they love. Whatever reason is, teenagers make up majority of movie poster collectors.
|
