1. 80% of students normally quit before they reach level 2 lessons, usually denoted by playing a simple song with both hands simultaneously.

2. Professional pianists practice 8 to 10 hours per day.

3. Most teachers start their students out by having them practice the C major scale.

4. To aid in conveying proper technique to the student, the teacher refers to each finger as a number...1 through 5 starting on each thumb.

5. The average beginner piano lesson lasts one half hour and costs $30.00.

6. The common exercises done to gain and maintain speed and finger independence are the Hanon and Schmidt exercises.

7. It is generally easier for a jazz pianist to switch over to classical music study than vice versa.

8. For beginner's, practicing 15-30 minutes each day between lessons is more beneficial than cramming all practice time into hours on end.

9. The two most popular songs beginner pianists learn before they take formal lessons are Heart and Soul and Fur Elise.

10. Over 95% of piano music does not call for the use of the middle "sostenuto" pedal which only sustains notes already being held with the hands as the pedal is pressed.

Not only can robots play according to a strict set of instructions, they also can be fitted with the ability to hear harmony and correctly play their own solo line over it as an improvisation.

This video shows how robot can faithfully reproduce a transcribed saxophone solo.

It could be that I'm just very partial to owning a hard copy of all my music, that I enjoy looking at the cover art, or skimming the liner notes, but I love my CD's. Even with iTunes and the availability of mp3 downloads, the first CD release is and will always be the artist's second birthday. When you look back at cassettes and vinyl, it's obvious why they didn't stand the test of time. Audio degradation with each play would ruin the music, but CD's can practically last forever if handled properly. There is no physical friction that wears any surfaces down, just a reflecting laser beam. An mp3 file doesn't age. It's case doesn't crack from being opened too many times. It's label doesn't start to peel away and you never feel it in your hands or see it sitting on top of your stereo. Fans will always want to feel connected the to artist by holding the album in their hands. That's real ownership.

I'm really on the hunt for a keytar! I want to bring this awesome instrument back to the forefront of stages throughout the city. For those of you who don't know what it is, it's a small keyboard you throw over your shoulder like you would a guitar strap. What's awesome about it is it let's you share the front of the stage with the lead guitar so you aren't stuck behind a big synthesizer. The audience goes nuts whenever a good keyboardist gets on the keytar, no matter what style of music is being played. You should check out Patrice Rushen's YouTube videos and old Steely Dan clips to get a good sense of how it's done right!

In the jazz world, there have been few innovators like Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock, Charlie Parker, and Wayne Shorter. These guys kept the music fresh, and others still love playing their songs. They'll never die. It's now time for some new artists to step up to the plate and give this next decade, still young, it's signature sounds. It's up to all of you to discover them and give them a chance. There are only 12 tones in our chromatic scale. That's it! What's been done with them over the past few hundred years is breathtaking, and what lies ahead is exciting, uncharted territory! If you can't find musical talent within yourself, find it in others.

In the past year alone, I can't believe the amount of talent and hard work I've seen go into performances all around the Philly and Bucks County areas as well as South Jersey. To The Max, a wonderful dance band that plays every Friday night at Cafe Madison in Riverside, NJ will get you out of your chair in no time! They are a premier wedding/banquet band and deserve major publicity. Steve Lynn @ basssatisfaction.com is an extraordinary bassist who has the talent to bring down the house every single time with a duo or a 30 piece band! My own duo that writes its own original songs and also plays covers is great for cocktail hours, private affairs, and restaurant/tavern brunch and dinner hours. Only Human is a terrific Christian rock band that performs covers and originals pretty steadily at least once or twice a month. No matter what your taste in music, there is something here locally you'll enjoy. Check out the scene, and you'll be coming back for more shows over and over again!

I'm often asked what contributes most to making a solid musician. The answer is listening to other music, and various types, no matter what your favorite style might be! I say listen to different music because if you like Rock n' Roll, you're always going to gravitate toward it. You naturally won't break free from your comfort zone, and someone has to push you. Discover different rhythms, odd time signatures, play in weird keys like D-sharp minor , never be afraid to write your own melodies, no matter how simple they are. The only thing you really need a music degree for in this world is teaching formally. If you just want to perform, it's better to get out there playing gigs as soon as you're ready. The early experience molds you into a more responsible, dependable, and dedicated musician because you realize there is plenty of work to do before you become truly great at your instrument, and when you play in front people, you never know who may be listening.

All instruments can sound excellent using their built-in sound system in an intimate setting, but the technology is out there to give you that extra boost, extra warmth, and extra rich sound. When looking for a great PA system to amplify your presence in a room or outside, it must have the wattage required to support the loudness coming from your instruments and the fine controls to keep the stereo balance and equalizer just right. A Yamaha StagePas system is my choice for a general, excellent quality system. You can leave the mixer/amplifier board inside the back of the speaker or take it out and mount it remotely for easy access during performances. A sound check before the first song is a must. The balance may sound good from the stage, but a good rule of thumb is to stand about 10 rows back in the audience and make your adjustments based on that point. Stereo speakers must be placed wide enough apart to avoid frequency cancellation and faced inward on a slight angle to give the listener the feeling of being "inside" the sound!

On the bandstand, many things can go haywire at the last minute, and its how you handle the problems that make you a good musician or ultimately meet your fate. An older piano will have a bit of a bite to it, and possibly will not hold a perfect tune even if it was just serviced. That's not a problem for the iPhone! Just play a B-flat and the iPhone tells you just how many cents its varied from the normal pitch. If your Real Book doesn't contain the tune that was just called, you can look it up on the Real Book app and the chord changes and sometimes melody line will appear on your screen. I saw this with the iPhone, but it works much better with an iPad. Did you come up with a cool melody on the way to work? Use voice recorder to capture it! Yet another app, an actual mini keyboard complete with damper pedal option will let you play something into it, and later on, you can listen back and even transfer it to your computer. Though it has nothing to do with music, I think the coolest app is the Zippo lighter with the flame that changes direction depending how you hold the phone!

Today's digital pianos and pro workstations can outperform and outlast an acoustic piano for many reasons. I use mine to loop very high quality drum samples through a sound system on my gigs, while occasionally backing that up with a bass, guitars, strings, and brass sections. Digital pianos sound so authentic because HD samples of the actual instrument are taken at all different volume levels and transferred to the keyboard's internal permanent memory. If you're a keyboardist, you can play almost any instrument imaginable with the keyboard, and when it's recorded, you can't even tell it apart from the real thing without hours of training with someone who tells you what nuances to look out for in the different instruments. Another excellent feature keyboards offer is the ability to multi-track a sequence; therefore, doing all the hard work of playing individual parts before the performance and saving them. When you go on stage, all you have to do press "Play." They can also notate your pitch and rhythm almost instantaneously and be your best friend when you never know what kind of condition the piano will be in at your next club date!

The most advanced system that incorporates a fully functional acoustic grand piano seamlessly mated to a state of the art computer is inside the Yamaha Mark IV Disklavier. It's open architecture design allowed for continued improvements on the design launched in 2003. Not only can this piano play solo pieces and accompany itself with a fully synthesized orchestra or live CD sound, it can record whatever you play on top of your favorite songs and play it back in perfect synchronization. You can connect to the Internet and download new songs right to it's 50 gigabyte hard disk or pay $200 per year for a 24/7 radio service that spans more than 12 channels of music specially made for the Disklavier Mark IV. It is also fully capable of working with a connection to other like pianos that allows each player, now matter where they are in the world, to instantly teach a far away student or jam on demand with the band back home! The piano can even teach you how to play a simple melody by itself by wiggling each key you're to play to keep you up to tempo!

Despite all the hype that describes people that "have no money" and are "waiting for the tide to turn" to start spending again, the affluent are not waiting much longer on those large purchases...and Steinway pianos are no exception! The motivation behind the purchase lies somewhere between the romance of owning the world's most recognizable brand and in knowing the piano's value will increase steadily year after year. Still, in between the romance and investment reasoning, these pianos are still handcrafted in New York, and are built to a standard, not a price. The prices reflect an incredible value to the consumer when considering all the preparation and logistics, workmanship, and pure sweat equity that goes into making one of these fine pianos. Each of them have a slightly different feel and sound, some more noticeable in difference than others. For example, I was playing a Steinway B 7' Concert Grand a couple weeks ago, and no other piano to date has sounded that good to me. If you are a serious pianist, you owe it to yourself to test drive a Steinway!

in the video it show how a robot might change the game of baseball.


http://www.popsci.com/category/tags/future-sports

The link below is an article that describes the predictions of how the future of the fashion industry will be changing by the use of the internet. It thoroughly depicts how the computers and Internet using are going to be even more strongly based for the fashion industry. It then shows and explains the virtual world and technology's advancements!

The Future of Fashion Shopping over the Internet:
http://www.fashionme.iao.fraunhofer.de/Fashionme.pdf

Here are some interesting facts about the fashion industry and how the industry will be growing in the future!

- The fashion industry employs about 4.7 million people: 3.6 million in retail sales, 470,000 in textile production and 573,000 in apparel production.

-The entire retail industry itself is responsible for 11.6% of all U.S. employment with almost 16 million gainfully employed

- Unemployment is currently at 5.4% and the 10 year employment outlook for the entire retail industry is projected to increase at lease 11% from its current standing

- New York features over 5,000 fashion showrooms and eight dedicated fashion schools

- Apparel is about a 180 billion dollar retail market nationwide

- The retail industry is the second largest industry in the United States

- The U.S. retail industry generates around 3.8 trillion dollars in retail sales, which is approximately $11,993 per capita according to the U.S. Census Bureau

- The jobs of fashion designers are expected to rise over the next six years as much as 12%

website link: www.stylecareer.com/fashion

Here is a very interesting article that discusses how a designer started out, and how she had progressed over the years. This designer in particular discusses how the internet has changed the fashion industry and how the future of technology will be sculpting the fashion industry in a different way in which society is used to.

Article link:
http://jscms.jrn.columbia.edu/cns/2009-02-17/vaidyanathan-smartfashion.html

CBS3 News developed a video about futuristic fashion. Check it out:

"From spray-on shirts to wearable computers"

The Future of Fashion Website Link:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5419164n

In the midst of the 1950's bop era, Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks, and Annie Ross, all jazz vocalists, formed a vocalese trio . In vocalese, very accomplished singers fit lyrics to a jazz instrumental song, and might even memorize and sing notable solos from popular recordings. Their first album, Sing a Song for Basie, covered some of Count Basie's music based strongly upon the Kansas City jazz style. This was in 1957, and they continued to record until 1962. In 1966, Dave Lambert was killed in a car accident, and two years before, Annie Ross left the band. Some of their best known works are "Cloudburst" and "Shiny Stockings." Jon Hendricks undoubtedly became the most popular out of the three singers. After serving in World War II, Hendricks moved from Toledo, where he sang with Art Tatum as a teenager, to New York City and worked with Charlie Parker. After he married and had a family, he moved to London so his kids could get a better education. Al Jarreau has called him "pound for pound, the best jazz vocalist...ever." In 1985, he was best known for his part in The Manhattan Transfer release "Vocalese" and continues touring and writing to this day at age 88.

Four isn't always better than two...speakers, that is. Through the 1960's, music saw an unprecedented advancement in sound recording technology and broadcasting in FM stereo became an FCC standard. When the 1970's came around, the 8-track tape and it's associated quadraphonic sound reproduction hit the store shelves. In "quad" sound, 4 speakers will reproduce four different audio channels. Each speaker should be located in each corner of a square listening area, firing toward the center. This creates the optimum "sweet spot" for the listener. Although this sounded excellent when working correctly, technical problems smeared the reputation of this system. By the time the bugs were worked out, stereo systems sounded better than quadaphonic systems, and home theater packages won over the hearts of those who demanded the latest technology in their living room. Adding even more chaos to the quad system's failure to launch was that a standard in quad sound format came too late. You might buy a record that claims to play quadraphonically to find that it was incompatible with your system. We've come a long way from this horrible flop in audio technology!

When my parents were growing up in the 1960's, the pop music on the radio then seems so far removed in comparison to the recordings made today. Point being, the style of pop music is constantly changing. Lets take a look at what pop music was from 1900 up to present day. In the very early 20th century, ragtime piano music prevailed as a dominant sound through the 1920s. In the 1930s and 1940s swing bands and big bands stole the spotlight. During the late 1940s into the 1950s, bebop started to help phase out the popularity of a big band and favored the freedom of small group interaction. Along with more electrified instruments coming on board, the onslaught of rock music became apparent. Power chords, extremely low and loud amplified bass notes, and the electric organ and synthesizer came about to change music forever. By the time the 1960s and 1970s came around, it was hard to find someone who didn't play the guitar. To this day, guitars outsell every other instrument year after year. Pop music evolved into disco and R&B through the 70s into the 80s and got refined into a smooth jazz format. This became very popular from the late 1980s through the end of the 1990s along with a resurgence in heavy rock and electronica music. In the current decade, we've seen a return to acoustic bands now amplified with technology 20 times better than years ago. Country music also took a large share of the music industry with it as people were looking for a comfortable change to a more melodious, emotional sound.

Imagine sitting on your porch relaxing after a hard day's work on the farm. It's 3 p.m. and the blistering heat from a typical Texas summer day took its toll already. Then, a strange car arrives on your property and a well-dressed gentleman from the Library of Congress gets out and greets you. He's there because he was assigned a task to record guitar styles from all across the nation. You politely oblige and happen to know a few songs, some of which you might have written with one too many beers. He records your performance with a portable contraption set up in the trunk of the car. Your sound recording gets stored on a shellac disc and registered in Washington D.C. The United States did this to get a feel for the type of music being written in all parts of the country and preserve it for generations to come. Archiving is something uniquely human, and it applies to all forms of creativity. Before modern digital devices and communications equipment, this was the kind of town-to-town legwork that had to be done in order to assure musical record for posterity.

Although very obvious to me, you may not realize all music must occur in time. Like the steady second hand on your wristwatch that sets the pace for your daily schedule, there is a steady pulse behind most music. Take that pulse away, and dancing would almost be impossible. There would be no more bobbing your head or tapping your foot to the beat. But did you ever stop and think about which of these beats get you feeling groovy while other ones tend to lengthen or shorten time, even making it seem "uneven"? Without getting too detailed, the meter, denoted by a time signature on sheet music, is one of the most fundamental tools in composition. A simple rock song is in 4. Normally, we either count in 2, 3, or 4 when listening to familiar music. A military march would be counted in 2 and a waltz in 3. Odd meters, like 5 or 7 are used to create a more ambiguous sense of time. Typical applications of these meters include scores for Broadway musicals and movie scores, where certain scenes seem to take place in a dimension all their own. Dave Brubeck experimented with odd meter heavily, and is mostly known for his piano piece Blue Rondo a la Turk and as Paul Desmond's pianist on Take Five.

Our culture can offer the world many unique things, but the one most recognizable to anyone, anywhere in the world is American jazz. If you thought it sounds weird saying American jazz and think it should just be "jazz", you're right! It is so widely recognizable across the world. In the early times before it was respected as a formal study in music, jazz was the music of the brothels, speakeasies, and gained the reputation of accompanying anything and everything improper or illicit. The elements that gave birth to the art form, such as African polyrhythms and slave field hollers, are the known foundations for this music. Ironically, jazz worked its way up into high society gatherings rather quickly! We have come to expect live jazz to be performed everywhere from a hotel lobby by a solo pianist to an entire concert hall by artisits who have achieved cult status. From its humble beginnings, jazz has become a force to be reckoned with, gains millions of new fans every year, and will be around until life as we know it ceases to exist.

Before the radio and TV were widely popularized, it was hard to imagine an early 20th century American middle-class home without a piano. During these times, a family would gather 'round the living room, sing familiar songs, and move to the ragtime music popular from the late 1890's to late 1920's. Tin Pan Alley composers such as Cole Porter stamped out new tunes for piano rolls, used to trigger the modern player pianos of the day. In stark contrast to the current market, where only 38,000 grand pianos were sold to Americans in 2009, it wasn't uncommon to see over 100,000 pianos sold in a given year circa 1920. Then, over 300 piano manufacturers called the United States their home, but only a handful remain in business today. Since the 1970's, the major decline in piano sales is due to more used pianos flooding the market and a lost interest in the art form when the electric guitar took over the stage in rock 'n roll settings. Pianos are still sold brand new today, but for much more money and many times, less quality, than more cheaply priced, better built pianos of the early 20th century. Later, we'll investigate what certain companies have done to increase their sales volume in an increasingly tougher market.

It's easy to forget that eyebrows have trend cycles of their own. Eyebrow trends move much more slowly than other beauty, hair and fashion trends. The natural, full and maintained style of eyebrows have been on-trend for quite some time. The current, fashionable shape certainly hasn't referred back to pencil thin eyebrows, and that's not about to change! A natural style and shape remains the style in which women want to have. What is changing is the color. Looking more closely,we will see that the bleached eyebrows are presently a beauty trend. Stylists are strongly advising that no one should go to the extreme of shaving them off and having no eyebrows at all. Bleached blond eyebrows are now amongst the growing list of 2010 fashion trends.

Website link: www.fashionising.com/trends/b--Fashion-Trends-2010

If there's a 2010 hairstyle that screams attitude in 2010 it's slicked hair. It seems to be geared toward the younger population. There are two popular slicked hairstyles that are being worn in 2010.
The Slicked Back
Using your fingers or a wide toothed comb can texture hair that it slicked back with gel. 2010's slicked back hairstyles, is a mix between slicked back hair across the top of the head with textured length. This style commonly seen with dry hair, but now it is worn with more of a wet look. This style is shown with being heavily brushed by adding texture for length.
The Slicked Side
The strongest of the three slicked hairstyle trends for 2010, is this side slick. This effect used to be worn by a half-shaved head hairstyle. Now women can get the same effect, without shaving their head! It results in a basic overall wet tousled look with a side part.
These slicked hairstyles are intended to carry the same look as a braided hair look would have, with a wide braid and sides swept edgy look for greatest effect. Many women find this style great because the side-slicked hairstyles can be worn with short or long haircuts.


Website link: www.fashionising.com/trends

It is said that if there was a time to hit the gym, it's this Spring. Hemlines have crept up to shorter than short. Hot pants and boy shorts are variations on this shorter-than-short style, which in many cases reveal more than just one's legs. Many recent fashion trends have pointed to it, and given popularity of the likes of lingerie. Hemlines can be predominately measured in negative figures. Once upon a time hot pants were considered more suited to a gymnasium than the streets. In late 2007, the "leotard" came back into fashion. While it didn't speak on the streets until 2009, and was often worn under skirts, shorts or long furs, its popularity guaranteed that hot pants would eventually be worn in the future. They then appeared on the spring 2010 catwalks and always seemed to be worn by those who have a confident personality and a great figure. Those are the two key parts to this fashion trend. Those who are confident about their figure dominantly wear them.

Website link: www.polyvore.com/2010_fashion_trend_hot_pants

Here is a link to the 2010 Chanel fashion for this upcoming fall. This collection consists of mainly fur pieces with a variety of different styles, boots and accessories. It is a unique fashion show that was set up with ice sculptures surrounding the runway models. There are also designer's and stylist's commentaries included in this fall fashion show clip.

Check it out:www.style.com/fashionshows/video/F2010RTW-CHANEL

Gold ranges from expensive looking honeyed camel and caramel tones through sunshine yellow to true mustard gold to the deepest amber tones. Gold hasn't been so popular since James Bond and Gold finger hit the cinema screens 40 years ago! Gold color and shimmering metallic gold has been featured in every autumn fashion collection. The simplest way to add gold color to your wardrobe in with golden jewelry or with a metallic gold tone fashion accessory. Gold shimmery bags or wearing golden ballerina flat shoes are a popular way to ass an accent to an outfit. A small garment like a simple yellow wrap cardigan may be an alternative answer to a simple gold accessory. Evening glamour has touch of shimmer that looks like molten liquid gold. Fabrics like gold satin and metallic sequins easily achieve this effect. They take on a fresh new look when worn with dark tights.

Website link:
http://www.stylelist.com/

Red signifies danger, love, high energy, anger, passion and desire. If you shop on the high street this autumn you will find plenty of red dresses to get you in the mood to be a "Lady in Red". We are seeing powerful color trends consisting of red, along with gold, purple and grey.
Red is a stimulating and emotionally intense color. You are sure to get noticed when you wear red clothes. It should be worn on days when you feel strong and can face the world. As a color, red may psychologically give you the edge on days when you need extra confidence and want to see more dynamic than you feel.
A red dress can give your skin a lift. It reflects back its warm color to your skin rather than drain your complexion as some greys near the face can. You can also layer red into your look with plenty of black or white. You can mix in red, with red shoes or a red handbag.

Website link:
www.fashion-era.com/trends

In this video it show how Nascar was back in the 50's. watch this video and you see how much nascar has changed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecRZq8wdyYk

The first ice skates are Dated back to about 3000 B.C. witch were founded in the bottom of a lake in Switzerland. The skates were made from the leg bones of large animals. Holes were then made at each end and leather straps were used to tie them on. In the fourteenth century the Dutch started using wooden platforms with flat iron bottom runners. Poles were use to propel them around. In the 1500 hundreds the dutch invented a narrow double edge blade making poles useless. The double edge makes it so one could push and glide with his feet. In 1884 the first all steel clamps were founded in Philadelphia, PA. The toe pick was invented in the 1870's for figure skating. In 1914 the first closed toed blade made from steel was invented. This made skates lighter and stronger.

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bliceskates.htm

In the mid eighteen hundreds the baseball bat was new and went through a lot of different experimentation with the shape and the size. The first baseball bats were flat like a cricket bat. In the next five years they founded that bats were best when rounded. most of the bats were made by local wood shops. With all the changes going one their had to be a rule. The rule was that the diameter of the bat couldn't be any wider than 2 1/2 diameters, though the length didn't matter. After ten years the length of the bat couldn't be longer than 42 inches. In 1884 the Louisville slugger was born. Their were many changes in the early nineteen hundreds with added a half inch on the diameter and better construction. Not until 1997 the maple bat made its way to the MLB. Players still use ash and oak bats but many are switching to maple bats.

http://www.baseball-bats.info/baseballbatshistory.php

In the 1900's large name shoe designers like Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo and Italian brands by Prada, Gucci and others became more of an important asset to an outfit as fashion itself became cleaner and more minimal and pared down. Prada shoes began almost 100 years ago. In addition to shoes, luggage and handbags were later designed. Mario Prada started his own line in 1913 basing his designs on practical leather pieces centered around comfort.

During the early 90's, many foreign national footwear chain shops were forced to close because of poor trading conditions in the market. The shoe trading market regained itself by the end of the decade, which in turn, allowed mass made footwear companies have guaranteed superior quality up until about 30 years ago. Including all of the fashion changes in designer's styles like Birkenstock and Clarks, England began to encounter large sales amounts resulting from the comfort factor in their everyday footwear.


Here is an interesting website about the history of shoe making:
http://shoes.about.com/od/footwear/News_History_ShoeMaking.htm


Website link:
http://shoes.lovetoknow.com/Prada_Shoes

In the late 1980's and early 90's, stockings that had lace tops which held itself up was suddenly noticed to be more erotic than wearing just a pair of tights. Leggings were also common in the early 90's and continued to be worn in the privacy of their homes well past their sell by date. By the early 1990's, the only tights that were worn with the short skirt of the time were black and opaque. By the late 90's, the bare nude look and natural toned tights were acceptable again.
Many younger women eventually abandoned tights altogether. They preferred to show their completely natural legs. At the same time many variations of tights came into the clothing shops. These ranged from soft and sheer to shiny, support or bare effects. From the public's prospective, wearing tights still remains correct for business wear and it's best to avoid bare legs for any occasion unless the legs are silky smooth!

Here is a website that describes the do's and dont's fashion tips for leggings:
http:erickeaton.wordpres.com/2007/01/13/the-dos-and-nos-for-leggings/

Pencil skirts were worn with sweaters or even back to front cardigans that had been pressed super flat. Before the days of tumble driers, many women would lay their washed, rung out knitwear in paper tissue and then wrap it with brown paper. They put it to dry under a carpet for two days. When it was removed from the tissue, the footsteps that had pounded over the knit, gave it a flat dry cleaned look with a new appearance. Laundering of delicates could still be a problem, but everything changed when the mass produced synthetic garmets arrived...

Website Links:

http://images.google.com/images

http://www.experiencefestival.com/laundry_-_history_of_laundry

Hubert Givenchy designed a Paris collection dress in 1957 called the sack. It started the trend for a straighter waist with less of a shift in the dress. First it developed into the fitted darted sheath dress and later into the loose, straight, short shift dress. By 1958 the style really began to catch on. The design was picked by Mary Quant who motified it to her own personal taste. Various refinements on this early sack dress picked up by Courreges, led Mary Quant to go one step further and design the mini shift dress that was to dominate the 1960's decade. the fore runner of the mini dress. The shapes that Mary Quant designed were simple, neat, clean cut and young. They were also mostly made from adventurous material that not many designers would traditionally use. The fashion trend took off so well because it was so different and to wear it you had to be youthful to get away with an outfit that was so controversial among adults in particular.

A Mary Quant fashion show video featuring her latest designs in the mid-late 1900's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v/=MGAc3u3T3iU

The leather football helmet was first worn at an army vs navy game in 1893. The leather helmet was created by a shoemaker. In 1896 a college player who feared of getting cauliflower had a special headgear made witch mas made with three leather straps. Helmets were not mandatory until the 1930's. Helmets were so flimsily that they were mistaken as aviator caps. Year by year more padding was added between 1920 to 1940. Schools didn't start putting logos on them until 1948 but in 1950 the leather helmet had faded.

http://www.pasttimesports.biz/history.html

snowboards got invented because of a surfer wanted to ride in the snow. the first snowboard was two skis bolted together. in 1977 the first company came. the first boards didn't have any bindings but it Had a leash like a surfboard. they were not allowed on public slopes. first boarders would go when the slopes were closed and had to walk up the mountain. snowboards also had fins on the bottom like a surf board but more and more rides started to take them off. later, bindings found its way onto a snowboard and it was a great change with snowboarding becoming so big still only 7% of resorts had snowboarding permits.

http://www.bulgariaski.com/snowboarding.shtml

The long, lean and athletic silhouette of the 1890's persisted. Men's hair was generally worn short while their beards were less pointed than before and mustaches were often curled. Three-piece suits consisting of a sack coat with matching waistcoat and trousers were worn. Men always matched their coat and waistcoat with contrasting trousers or had a matching coat and trousers with a contrasting waistcoat.
Men's trousers were shorter than what they had worn several years back. They often had cuffs and were creased on the front and back using the new trouser press. This press was designed to smooth wrinkles and to form a crease in men's wear. The presses were mainly used by hotels and businessmen. Once this press was publically used, it had change society's way of wearing clothing. Men wanted to look clean-cut, precise and stylish. Since men's fashion was closely identical to each other than women's styles, this press impacted a dramatic change. It spread rapidly through the high-class businessmen and eventually into the homes of the middle-class.

Website link:
http://www.costumes.org/history/100pages/mensfashhist.html

In the beginning of the 1900's, women's fashion continued the long, elegant lines of the late 1800's. The hourglass shape became popular again and the necklines of women's tops were supported by very high boned collars. Women's skirts were long enough to brush the floor. They often had a train on evening and day dresses. A new, columnar silhouette introduced by the designers in Paris late in the decade signaled the approaching abandonment of the corset as an indespensible gramet of fashionable women.

In a more social perspective, desginers sent fashion models to the Longchamp races wearing the latest styles. The women would show off the newest designs, hoping to develop some business out in the public. The new styles featured form-fitting gowns with high or undefined waists. Ankle-length skirts and long tunic-like jackets were worn which required a different "straight line" corset.
Huge, broadbrimmed hate were worn in mid-decade to accessorize their attire.They were trimmed with mases of feathers and occasionally complete stuffed birds or decorated with ribbons and artificial flowers. Masses of wavy hair were fashionable.

Website link:

http://fashion.about.com/od/historycostumes/Fashion_History.htm

Starting back from the mid 1800's, fashion began evolving in four different ways that would potentially change the future of fashion trends. The sewing machine was first invented, followed by the designs of women's dress that were starting to be made with specific design patterns. There were also dyes that were made which then allowed the colors of the fabric to be more dramatic and intense. Lastly, there was a crinoline domed skirt silhouette that was designed with a flattened front and showed a larger back which gave it a very unique look. A woman in the 1800's only wore dresses and long evening gowns everyday!

Some of the mid 1800's styles that were worn then, have been carried through many different changes in fashion trends over the years, yet still having the same basic look! For example, there were skirts and tops that were called aprons and they draped over the women making them look like a beautiful piece of upholstery. Rounder waistlines were in style and they gradually became higher. Some of the dresses had slim fitting sleeves with a larger, dramatized bottom to the dress. There were also evening dressing worn that were form fitting and lightly draped with fabric and elongated with a train.



Website link:
http://www.fashion-era.com/mid-late_victorian_fashion.htm

About a hundred years ago ice hockey sticks were made by players with their own wood. The first sticks were one piece made from hornbeam tree. Later, ash, hickory and yellow birch trees became popular. The first sticks were heavy and durable with rounded blades and short handles. They were like a field hockey stick. As the sport became bigger companys started to make sticks and the technology of the sticks started to advance. First blades became longer and squarer for more control. A couple years later they increased the length of the shaft so players are not hunched over. In 1928 the two piece stick was invented so it was easy to replace a cracked blade. In the 1940 laminated sticks were invented. Laminated sticks were layers of wood were glued together and sandwiched to create a more flexible and durable design. In 1970 the curve of the blade was invented . The curve gives the player more lift and control of the puck which is the biggest change that ever happened to a hockey stick.

http://www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Hockey-Stick.html

Law in ancient Egypt is very interesting. I read an article that described how law was used in ancient times and the ways in which they determined judgments against criminals. Some highlights of the article include: Families being punished for one's own personal criminal offenses; the King was the living god and the supreme judge and lawmaker; divine oracles rather than human officials were often used in determining the right judgment in a case; most contracts and deeds were oral contracts before the Demotic script was developed; and parties in a lawsuit would present their own case rather than hiring lawyers. I've included the link to the article below.



http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/law.htm

Patients, children, adults, animals, etc. need their temperatures taken regularly when sick to determine fever and illness. Glass mercury thermometers, developed in 1714, were once the most popular way of reading body temperatures. They may still be considered the most accurate thermometer because they are glass and do contain mercury; however, they have now been found to have a dangerous risk. Glass thermometers have a risk of being broken and causing external and internal injuries of the mouth, rectum, etc. It also exposes the person to mercury which can be poisonous and fatal. Many people do not understand the dangers of glass thermometers because they were once the only thing used to take temperatures in the past. Glass mercury thermometers are no longer sold in stores because of the new, safer ones that are now used.
An article of glass thermometers about being a safety hazard is posted below...

http://www.smartbrief.com/news/aaaa/industryPR-detail.jsp?id=F19BE2E1-ADC9-46A7-83F9-DA35F6AF9FA7