Cyprus: Birthplace of Aphrodite

Cyprus, probably named for its copper, smelted since Neolithic times, is the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite. Two impressive mountain ranges surround a huge fertile plain and lovely beaches circle the coastline. Its climate has long attracted visitors, it is now renowned as a place for retirement – or partying.

Lying close to the Middle East and always strategically important, it was taken by many great powers including Greece. Rome and Egypt. The long reign of the French Lusignan dynasty brought prosperity and Roman Catholicism. In 1570 the Turks took the island.

It became a UK Crown Colony after World War II Independence came in 1960, but intercommunal strife increased and in 1974 an unsuccessful Greek coup prompted a Turkish invasion. The island was divided. It is now possible to cross the border, but violence and negotiation alternate and rules can change overnight.

However, north or south, the islanders are warmly welcoming and Cyprus has many attractions. The southeast with its raucous resorts also has archaeological sites and sunsets from Aphrodite’s ‘birthplace’ at the Rock of Remios. Pafos, though surrounded by development, remains a charming town. To the northwest is the remote Akanas Peninsula, with further isolated regions along the coastal hinterland, the magnificent Troodos region has forested mountains, lost villages, painted churches, unique wildlife and winegrowing.

In the North, small resorts cluster around the beautiful harbour town of Kyrenia. Famagusta is full of ruined Gothic churches inside its golden stone walls; outside lies a haunted, wired-off modern town, The rocky coast and bristling Kyrenia range hold unspoilt beaches and villages, classical sites, monasteries and Crusader castles.

Lefkosia (Nicosia) is the world’s only divided capital, Inside the massive Venetian fortifications, both sides – the cosmopolitan south and the north with its dusty lanes – are fascinating. Both have streets which end in a wall fluttering with defiant flags.

For all your travel needs both international and domestic talk to Flight Centre. We have cheap flights to Sydney, cheap flights to Melbourne and cheap flights to Perth, call or visit today.

The First Examples of Glassware: Ancient Egypt

This glass is more than merely antique; in fact it’s literally ancient. While glass itself may first have been invented and used by the ancient Phoenicians, where Lebanon is today, the earliest known examples of glassware actually come from ancient Egypt.

During the Old Kingdom, glass was mixed with other substances to create decorative beads, amulets, and small figurines. These became more plentiful as the Old and Middle Kingdoms progressed. But genuine glass vessels first made their appearance around the time of Thutmose I, at the end of the 16th century BCE.

Some people believe this new use for glass occurred because Egypt had begun to expand its sphere of influence farther into the Middle East. If that was the case, and glass really was invented by the Phoenicians, the Egyptians could have found it in areas where those people traded, and brought this innovation back to Egypt. They might have brought craftsmen back to their country, whether as slaves or volunteer teachers.

In the beginning of the practice of the glass making craft in Egypt, production was a royal monopoly, and the main beneficiaries were the royal court, priests, and high officials of the land. It’s no coincidence that the glass making workshops that have been discovered have pretty much all been adjacent to royal palaces.

The search for workshops such as these took some time, and archeologists have uncovered them only gradually. Some might think it odd that tomb paintings, which often portray other industries like fishing, building, bread making, shipping, hunting, and so on, do not include glass making among them. That might have helped the search for Egyptian glass making find results much earlier.

But it was not unusual for industries that fell under royal monopoly not to be painted in the tombs. These paintings were done for the purpose of showing what was connected to the tomb owner’s life in particular. So if he had land where people grew grain and prepared bread, that would be painted. If he or his tenants engaged in fishing, that would be there as well. But since none of the aristocracy owned glass making shops, those would not be portrayed in the paintings.

The glass itself was made from a silica-sand, lime, and soda mixture. Egyptian glass vessels were created by first forming a core of clay and sand, and then this core, in the shape of the interior of the future vessel, was dipped into a crucible of molten glass and turned several times to coat it with several layers. Before the end product cooled, that was when lines and other decorations were made in it. Once the whole thing was cool, the core was scraped out. Various colors were produced with different sorts of pigments: tin or lead oxide produced a milky white color, copper oxides produced red or orange, and so on.

The Egyptians produced mostly smaller vessels of glass such as little bottles, bowls, or goblets. The bottles often held perfumes, and most of the glassware was destined for high-born women, to be used for cosmetics and fragrances.

Production of glass stopped for a while after the New Kingdom ended, perhaps around 1077 BCE, and didn’t arise again until the Graeco-Roman period a few hundred years later. But despite some of the fits and starts that Egyptian production went through, it’s clear that the use of glassware goes back a long way, and glass vessels have been important to human beings, both for their beauty and their utility, for almost as far back as you can go.

 

About the Author: Bob Hayes is the webmaster of dozens of websites. One of his newest sites, getsamedaypaydayloans.net offers tips on getting same day payday loans fast when you need cash fast.

Rising euro will stop even more Brits travelling to Europe

The tourism sector has never been as bad hit what with oil prices on the up, bird and swine flu outbreaks and the worst recession in living memory. The pound has fallen to a record low against the euro and dollar and the majority financers believe the Bank of England is more than happy to see this come to fruition, as GB Limited becomes more competitive.

The falling pound is an excellent aspect to aid UK exporters by making their products cheaper to foreign importers and encourage tourists to visit the UK which in turn helps the domestic economy and finally by persuading people in the UK to holiday in the UK because the outlay of vacating outside the Uk is now so much more expensive..

Historically, as a percentage of population no other country sees so many travellers taking a foreign holiday and this is already evident in reduced income more often than not seen in such countries as Italy, Spain, Turkey, America, Sweden, Romania, Holland, Ireland, Egypt. Indeed it has been forcast that for 2009 more than a million less Brits will visit Spain and given Spain’s high reliance on tourist income this will be a major blow to their finances at all levels, causing businesses to shut down and increase unemployment.

The falling pound on top of all the other factors has already had a bad effect on income for Travel industry firms serving the Brits travelling abroad. Airport firms, travel agents and hotels close to UK airports are all announcing reduced figures for the current year and the recent significant fall in the pound can only make 2010 even worse. All these companies will have to take clarity of these factors and you will be right in expecting to see cheaper East Midlands airport parking and East Midlands hotel parking prices.

Another problem for people involved is how to second guess the exchange rates, for example a hotel abroad might have to list their prices now, without knowing which way the rates are going to go, but if the price is set in pounds and the pound continues to fall they could be in big trouble. Or conversely the travel agent agrees the price in euros they could also be in danger.

Job Hunting Tips

What do you buy for the man who has it all? Jewelry is not just for women to wear and men to buy. The Bangkok Gems and Jewelery show takes place twice a year and remains one of the most important and sophisticated wholesale silver jewelry trade shows in the world with many truly first class manufacturers exhibiting their latest designs. However, even this hazard can work positively and can be used as a step-ahead as soon as you learn where to look. The search results will typically contain companies such as online free jewelry making catalog buyers, pawn shops and jewelry stores. The main advantage of owning a diamond necklace or pendant, pair of diamond earrings, and diamond bracelet that matches together perfectly is the fact that you will not have to question what to wear with what.

It is no surprise many people are experiencing difficult times in this economy. For this reason, it is essential that job seekers know basic e-mail etiquette. Never psyched you self out and always find ways to give out positive vibes about yourself. Those who work for companies you want to work for and who know people who may be looking to hire employees at the best job hunting websites with your skills. It’s during the first three years of college that students lay the groundwork for a successful senior year job search.

The cultures which we regard as the foundations of our civilization including Rome, medieval China and Japan, India, Greece, and even ancient Egypt, all practiced forms of massage. Massage therapy relaxes the muscles while easing and soothing your aches and pains. The price tag for this particular HoMedics product is under $250; a very reasonable price considering a massage or chiropractic visit will add up to this in 2 or 3 visits. Massage therapy is no exception. A variety of massage therapy benefits and materials are used in the process of massage, from tables to blankets to towels to oils. In this article we’ll discuss key concepts to incorporate into your massage therapy business plan to ensure growing success and profitability in your massage therapy practice.

A Complete Guide To Bathroom Mirrors

Introduction

Central to the mythology of mirrors is Narcissus a Boeotian hero, who disliked those who loved him for his own natural beauty. He famously gazed into a pool of water and was so fascinated with the reflection, that he was unable to bring himself to leave the image. Not realising that the image he could see was of his own natural beauty, he couldn’t bring himself to leave the image, and he perished.

The concept of how the mirror works is quite simple. It stems simply from the reflective surface of still water and therefore nature plays its part. When you look down into a puddle or a dark pool of water, the smooth water reflects the light straight back into your eyes.

Mirrors work in a similar way, in that a mirror is made up of a coated glass surface which when a polished metal surface or metal film is applied behind the glass, light cannot shine through and so reflects the image back. Young children particularly, are always fascinated when they look into a mirror for the first time and see their own reflection staring back at them. Anyone who has young children will remember the vision of their young daughter kissing their image on a mirror.My eight year old daughter loves sitting in front of her mirror doing her hair nearly as much as my fifteen year old daughter!

Where would we be today without mirrors? Mirrors are generally used for personal grooming or interior decoration and have developed from a luxury item into a necessity. There is an enormous variety of mirror shapes and sizes and over the years, mirrors have gradually evolved to meet many different requirements. Today there is a large selection of mirrors to suit every requirement, ranging from small mirrors to large mirrors, framed, unframed and includes bathroom mirrors, decorative mirrors, illuminated mirrors, LED mirrors, shaving mirrors, compact mirrors and demister mirrors.

Away from personal use, mirrors are also used in industry as part of scientific apparatus such as cameras, lasers, telescopes and periscopes, to reflect light and used as tools in dentistry and medical care.Not to mention the beauty and hair salon industries.

History of Mirrors

The history of mirrors as far as we can see dates back over 8,000 years. The earliest known mirrors were made from pieces of polished stone such as obsidian, a naturally occurring glass from cooled volcanic lava flows. In Anatolia in Turkey, examples of obsidian mirrors dated at around 6000 BC have been found. In south and central America, polished stone mirrors from around 2000 BC on wards have also been found. From around 3000 BC mirrors of polished copper are known to have been crafted in ancient Egypt.

The first metal coated glass mirrors are thought to have been made in the first century AD, in Sidon, known today as Lebanon. The Roman author Pliny makes reference to glass mirrors backed with gold leaf in his Naturalis Historia, one of the largest reference books to have survived from the Roman Empire, which focused on natural and man-made objects and was written in around 77 AD.

In the 10th Century Arabian Physicists, considered different types of mirrors, reflecting mirrors and parabolic mirrors and another discussed concave and convex mirrors in both cylindrical and spherical geometries. In undertaking various experiments with mirrors, finding the point on a convex mirror at which a ray of light coming from one point is reflected to another point was solved.

During the period of the 14th to 17th Centuries, across Europe a method of coating glass with a tin-mercury amalgam was perfected by manufacturers. Venice was recognised for its glass making expertise and soon became a centre of mirror production using this new technique. Glass mirrors from this period were extremely expensive luxuries.

The particular process of silvering to produce the first silvered-glass mirror is credited to German chemist Justus von Liebig in 1835. He developed a process to apply a thin layer of metallic silver onto glass through the chemical reduction of silver nitrate. The process was adapted for mass production and led to the greater availability of affordable mirrors.

The evolution of the mirror over the years is quite interesting, if like me you love mirrors! It has evolved from a luxury item to an item which is now taken for granted in daily use. Today, walk into any wholesaler to look at mirrors and the selection is vast, with many technology features now finding there way into mirrors, to give added simplicity, luxury and decoration. 

The unique range of eye catching bathroom mirrors means there is a style to suit all bathrooms.

How are Mirrors Made?

The manufacture of mirrors includes the application to a suitable material of a reflective coating. Glass is the most commonly used material, due to its ability to take a smooth finish and its rigidity. Glass is also more scratch resistant than many other materials. 

Early mirrors were made of solid metal, bronze or silver and they were far too expensive for many. Metal is also prone to corrosion and because of polished metal’s low emissivity, antique mirrors were less suitable for indoor use. With indoor lighting at the time supplied by candles or lanterns, the metal mirrors reflected a much darker picture. 

In modern times ‘float glass’ is used in the manufacture of mirrors, which is a flat ribbon of glass which is run out of a furnace and along the surface of a bath of molten tin. The temperature of both the glass and molten tin is controlled to enable both surfaces to be made perfectly flat. There are now three common types of mirrors: plain – which has a flat surface, and the two spherical types of mirrors: the convex and the concave. The concave and convex mirrors can be used in an entertaining way, when used at fairgrounds or amusement parks to distort peoples figures reflected in them through bloating, stretching and shrinking, the person or object in front of them. I challenge even the most dour faced individual to stand in front of a mirror in a hall of mirrors without laughing at their reflection!

In some applications, a mirror isn’t a mirror at all. For example, when used in public conveniences, particularly in public or factory toilets, where for reasons of cost and the need for greater durability, a single polished metal sheet is often installed as a form of mirror.

Different Types of Mirror

Throughout the ages, mirrors have been employed as symbols of truth, deception and vanity. Mention a mirror and you instantly know that if you look into one, you will see your own reflection staring back at you. The image you see will resemble your own appearance. In optical principles, the reflections in mirrors do not totally match the objects in front of them. When looking into the mirror, trace the contour of the reflection of your head in a mirror. The reflection may correspond in proportion, but will generally be half in actual size.
With such a variety and huge range of mirrors now available, much has been made of the amount of money spent in purchasing mirrors especially by women, although in this day and age with an increase in men purchasing cosmetics, some men will also be vain enough to carry a mirror. I wonder if in another decade or two, me calling men vain for carrying a mirror will be thought of as ridiculous!

The vain Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs famously asked her special mirror, “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” Mirrors are synonymous with truth.
Mirrors are frequently used in interior decoration to create an illusion of space, and to decorate and amplify the apparent size of a room. They will be used around the home, the office, a pub, club or restaurant to good effect. They work particularly well in night clubs, reflecting the many images of light in the club or room to create a feeling of a much bigger space.

Infinity Mirrors provide an effect of never reaching an end, known as ‘infinity breaking’ and are particularly effective when used in a dark environment. I remember experiencing this phenomenon for the first time as a child in a large department store lift, where mirrors where on all sides of the elevator car. For those who are not good in lifts I should think this effect probably does nothing to calm them, perhaps that’s why you don’t see lifts like this anymore Or is it just because I’m getting old and that was a particular style popular in the 70′s!

My next favourite kind of mirror after the infinity mirror is the heated mirror, these mirrors have a heating element or what is called a demister pad mounted on the back. The reason a mirror steams up when you have a shower is because the surface temperature of the mirror is colder than the air temperature and causes the water vapour in the air to condense on the mirror. Some bright spark realised long ago that it if you heated the mirror this would avoid it steaming up, brilliant!

For many years heated mirrors have only featured in very expensive bathrooms usually costing thousands, and quality hotels have used heated mirrors as a neat differentiator from the increasingly popular budget hotels and motels. Of course it is not until you step out of the hotel shower and see yourself in the mirror that you realise it is there! Whilst at the back of your mind you realise this is one of the reasons why this room is more expensive than the other hotel across the street.

Last week I heard the BBC Radio 2 DJ Ken Bruce state that the best shave you ever had will have been in a hotel, to which he attributed the benefit of the heated bathroom mirror as the main reason. I have to agree, and every time I stay in (nice) hotel I always have a really good look at the bathroom with a view to reproducing the best of its features in my own home.

You may think that demister mirrors are expensive, really large ones can be, but did you know you can buy the demister pad separately for only £20 and install it behind your current mirror?

In 1980, ska group The Beat had a UK top ten hit with ‘Mirror in the Bathroom’ and the bathroom is probably the location where we tend to study ourselves the most in mirrors. Many will say that it is not wise to look at yourself in the mirror first thing in the morning, but the bathroom is often the first port of call in the morning. Many bathrooms feature a main bathroom mirror positioned on a wall and a bathroom cabinet with mirror doors. Other than the “oh my god” do I really look like that expression, the uses of a mirror or mirrors in a bathroom will generally be to aid the application of make up, hair styling or shaving.

One of the major problems with bathroom mirrors is that after showering or bathing, the mirror is misted over. A recent addition in the manufacture of heated mirrors is the inclusion of a demister pad which clears the mirror for use in mere seconds. Just think never having to again wait for the steam of the bathroom to disappear from the mirror, or having to open the window, before using the mirror to shave or apply make up. The bathroom mirror demister or steam free bathroom mirror is a great invention. Some manufacturers refer to these products as fog free bathroom mirrors and there is now a huge range available, again some with back lights, LED lighting and built in shaver sockets.

Demister mirrors and steam free bathroom mirrors are not the only recent developments on mirrors. As suggested above another reasonably new product is the back lit bathroom mirror. Illuminated mirrors maintain the features of a simple mirror, but will enhance any environment in which they are used with the addition of lighting. As with all mirrors, the range of illuminated mirrors is extensive, with a variety of sizes and shapes available. An Illuminated mirror with shaving socket can also be purchased. Illuminated bathroom cabinets with or without shaver sockets are also available.

Mirrors with illuminated LED lights will enhance any bathroom or environment in which they are installed. Being of low energy consumption LED, or light emitting diode, are more environmentally friendly than traditional bulbs. They are designed to withstand the moisture of the bathroom environment. So steam mist will not cause a problem. As a real luxury mirror, illuminated bathroom mirrors and bathroom mirrors with LED lighting can also include a demister, to demist the mirror in just a few seconds and an on/off sensor to activate the lights as soon as motion is detected in front of the mirror. Now bathroom cabinets are also available with inbuilt back lights, and LED lighting for that special something different in your bathroom.

As a bathroom accessory the mirror should come high on the list, in fact can you really have a finished bathroom without a mirror? The enormous selection of styles, types, shapes and sizes means that there must be a mirror to match anyone’s budget. Although some of the latest technological versions such as illuminated, back lit and LED mirrors could be considered to be luxury items, some are not as expensive as you may have thought.

An LED mirror with demister is a great feature for any man who likes to shave before they go in shower, but is rarely the first to use the bathroom of a day!

Mirrors, Superstition and Auspicious Energy Flow

I have always loved mirrors, probably why I have ended up in the mirrors business! When I was at school I did a project on them, this was before the internet was invented mind so I trawled through piles and piles of reference books in both the school and local library for months. These days of course it would only take an hour on Google, kids these days don’t know how easy they’ve got it!

Once you get immersed in mirrors as I did all those years ago, or ‘mirros’ as I frequently misspelled it, and start researching them, you find that they play a major part in all aspects of life. Mirrors also feature in superstitions. One of the most commonly known superstitions is that someone who breaks a mirror will receive seven years bad luck. A popular belief for this superstition is that mirrors are a reflection of the soul and if a mirror is broken, then part of the soul is broken. Added to this, some believe that the soul regenerates every seven years in an unbroken condition, hence the seven years of bad luck. I bet you’ve always wondered why that was so I’m glad to share that with you! Mirrors were often used in traditional witchcraft too as tools for performing spells from the belief that mirrors are said to be a reflection of the soul.

It is also said that the mirror does not lie. A mirror can show only the truth. It is a very bad omen indeed to see something in a mirror which should not be there, a technique regularly used in scary movies! Some cultures also have a custom that a newborn child should not look into a mirror until its first birthday because its soul is still forming.

In the southern United States, it used to be customary to cover the mirrors in a house where the wake of a deceased person was being held. If a mirror was left uncovered or exposed, people believed that the deceased person’s soul would become trapped in any uncovered mirror.

Another superstition claims it is bad luck to have two mirrors facing each other. In the ancient art of Feng Shui mirror placement is considered very important. There is a lot of information available about this, and it is a subject that can’t be covered in a mere paragraph or two here. But Chi energy flow can be influenced by mirrors so where the energy needs to be diverted, mirrors can be used for this to great effect. Personally I don’t really conform to these rules, although my mum has mirrors strategically placed all over her house to redirect in-auspicious energy! One of the principles I do follow though is to make sure I don’t have any mirrors facing my bed, or the kids beds, as this is said to reflect your dreams back onto you whilst you are sleeping, which is not a good thing if it’s a nightmare!

Conclusion

A mirror is defined as a coated glass surface for reflecting images. There is a huge range of mirrors for commercial use, and available in many shapes and sizes. The most commonly seen uses of mirrors are for personal grooming and interior decoration. As a race we are thoroughly addicted to mirrors. Who can honestly say that they can walk past a mirror without taking a look at themselves?

Over time, mirrors have evolved from a luxury item to an item of necessity and many especially women will always carry a mirror in their hand bags. However, today with technological advancements, some mirrors will be seen as a luxury, particularly those which include illumination, LED or demisting devices. As individuals we spend many hours of our life in a bathroom, so why not treat yourself to one of life’s little luxuries and indulge in a stylish bathroom mirror? After all, let’s be honest, who can really live without a mirror?