Creatures made of straw, dressed as goblins or other dark spirit forces have long been part of America’s agricultural lore. They were designed to scare away intruders like crop-eating birds and animals, as well as thieves who would steal garden produce. In some cases it was believed that as advocates scarecrows encouraged abundance. Throughout history there have been crop protectors who could invite in the divine blessings of the food gods like Priapus the Greek god of farmers. In all cases, whether welcoming or frightening, scarecrows had an important job to do; they took care of the crops when the farmer was away.

Historically, the scarecrow as we know it here in America has strong bonds of kinship with other scarecrow spirits around the world. As a crop protector the scarecrow was the elaborate Slavic “spirits of the field.” The Polish starch (spirit), for example, was reputed to use riddles and difficult questions on suspected thieves, with threats of disease for the trespasser who answered incorrectly.

The Russian field spirit polevoj passed from the forest to the field at midday and punished those he found doing damage to the crops.

Centuries before scarecrows appeared in the fields, however, the task of scaring crows was handled by children. According to “Scarecrows” (Storey Books) by Felder Rushing, Captain John Smith and his crew reported settlers in Virginia noticing “small rounded huts woven of vines and bark perched atop wooden posts. They soon discovered that one of the children’s main summer and fall chores was to hide in those small basket houses until crows and deer came into the fields to eat.”

It was noted that the children would then chase away the intruders, making loud noises and beating drums to keep them away.

Taking their cue from Indians the British colonists took to hanging strips of cloth and animal skins in their fields. In the 17th century these early scarecrows, dressed in discarded clothing, began to take on a more human form.

Thomas Jefferson included mention of three of them in The Farmbook, a farm guide he published in 1826.

By the 19th century the American scarecrow began to be used for decoration as well as for practical purposes. Creative expression became more commonplace and, as modernized farming techniques such as chemicals appeared on the agricultural horizon, these harvest figures evolved to take on a more ornamental and artistic nature including appearances in film.

The most noted is in The Wizard of Oz. There the scarecrow, looking much like the cornfield scarecrows of Kansas that are perched high upon posts so they can be seen above the corn stalks, guides Dorothy who is lost to the Emerald City where she finds a way to return home. But before that classic film came The Scarecrow, a 1920 silent film featuring Buster Keaton as a scarecrow that comes to life and gets in the way of machinery which has forever changed the agricultural landscape.

Today’s scarecrow can be found in numerous Harvest Festivals and school gardens across the country. Realistically dressed in the finest of clothes with hand painted faces and wire sculpted bodies, undeniably scary with sinister red faces and black claws,  or whimsically placed on bicycles or in family settings such as picnics, they create a unique garden landscape – on the front porch as well as in the garden – that is memorable.

Karen Pierce Gonzalez is publisher of folkheart press (http://www.folkheartpress.com) and author of “Family Folktales: What Are Yours?” and the soon to be released “Family Folktales: Write Your Own Family Stories.” Join her Folktale Conversation at http://folkheartpressblog.blogspot.com

A special mention should be made of developments in the United States during the last few decades. The Americans seem to have been speeding up to take the lead in the activities of spreading the knowledge of Buddhism in the West, both public and academic. The publication of books on Buddhism has continued to rise. Research scholars, serious students and ordinary practical people do not fall short of new titles to contribute to their knowledge and understanding of Buddhism. In many American universities there are departments of religion where Buddhism is one of the subjects of study. At the University of Wisconsin a programme of Ph.D. Degree in Buddhist Studies has been established with the aim “to train teachers and scholars to understand Buddhism not only as a datum of social or philosophical history but also as a profound expression of human religious experience, with remifications in art, music, literature and the lives of its followers.”3 At Columbia University study in the special interdepartmental programme in Buddhist studies is carried out in conjunction with work for the Ph.D. Degree. At Harvard University, besides the Ph.D. in Sanskrit and Indian Studies, students can pursue a programme for the Ph.D. in the Study of Religion in’the Special Field of Buddhism. From time to time, workshops on one or another aspect of Buddhism have been held at institutions of higher learning. Speaking of the workshops in Buddhist meditation conducted under his initiative at Oberlin College in January of 2512/1969 and 2513/1970, Dr. Donald K. Swearer says: “The project was a success in more ways than I had anticipated. It fulfilled my expectations on the levels of both personal relevance and insight gained into the nature of Buddhism.”1 “The central message of Buddhism, rather than losing meaning, was enhanced. Its highest goals and ideals were appreciated and understood in some instances, perhaps, even more genuinely than among those who call themselves Buddhist.”2 In big American cities today, and also in London, Paris and some other parts of Europe, no other aspect of Buddhism has a stronger appeal than Buddhist meditation. Meditation is becoming a fashion among younger people and those men and women who have plenty of time to spare. In the United States there are several meditation centres, two of which are particularly well known: one in Rochester, New York, headed by Philip Kapleau, and the other, a Zen centre, under the charge of Suzuki Roshi. So far, among the methods of meditation the most popular one has been that of the Japan’s Zen school of sudden enlightenment. Modern psychoanalysts represented by Erich Fromm have engaged themselves in a study to analyze Zen meditation from a psychoanalytic perspective and showed that meditation taught by a Zen master is the Buddhist equivalent of psychoanalysis in the West. A trend has, however, developed for an increasing interest in Theravada meditation. A Western Buddhist and psychiatrist, Dr. Douglas M. Burns, through his years of experience of Theravada meditation practice in Theravada countries, has examined the medical and psychological aspects of Buddhist meditation and related it to scientific studies. The current political importance of Southeast Asia stimulates the interest in Buddhism even more, though in different aspects and from different perspectives. Centres for Southeast Asian Studies and Southeast Asian Programmes or Departments have been set up in many American universities. Buddhism has been taken up for study not only as religion, but as a foundation of Asian thought and as a great social and cultural tradition. Many American scholars and graduate students have been actively involved in doing research in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Burma. They live and travel among the villagers and tribal people in far provinces, studying among other things Buddhism as part of the common life of the people and as a cultural background of the society.

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Americans would be surprised and shocked if they knew how the Russians speak among themselves about the USA. Even the online comments of big and respectable newspapers. A shocking hatred can be met, as well as an emotional defence of Americans. A well-known Russian journalist of TV, who has once interviewed also G.W.Bush, in his blog declares that: „The world has been deceived again. The world has gone crazy. Vanga (well-known prophetess) was true when she said that 44th president would be black and the last.” It causes a huge activity, a great amount ofextreme racist comments and it is one of the Top entries in the rating of the Russian Internet for three days.

But on the biggest Russian TV channel prime time commentaries Obama is compared with Gorbatchov and it can be understood that America might have the same destiny as the Soviet Union. About it – further in the blog.

At first I tried to translate some comments which I found in the online version of one of the biggest newspapers in Russia „Argumenty i Fakty”. This newspaper according to Wikipedia …. „1990 it had a print run of 33.5 million and was entered in Guinness World Records.” Current circulation  is about 3 million copies, with about 7 million readers.

Here some quotations are translated but I warn you they can be rather aggressive and unpleasant. For example: „At first America shouldn’t have been provided with the virtual papers. They live at our expense and besides, are rude to us. It’s not enough that they live on our finances earned in hard work, they took Alaska away, made mischief among all countries, made us idiots and faked the medicine for a headache.”

 At the same time you will be able to read emotionally defending comments, some might even know the biggest secret of Obama.

At the article „Medvedevs (the president of Russia): we will return to the question of currency” the following comment of the reader was pointed out.

 - „Who is the president for us? Tell me, please, who is the president in Russia? Obama? Are we a kind of suff to the USA? Every time switching on the popular TV News programme I hear: „President Obama”, „Economics of the USA”, „Obmana said” (Obmana – it’s a play on words, changing Obama to Obmana in Russian it will be – lies), „ Obmana has praised somebody, has tapped somebody on the shoulder”, it could be supposed that all the other salivate when they are talked to….”

- „I completely agree with an ingenious remark about Obama – Obmana. Such a PR (for Obama) as if he would be the next (of Russia) president. P.S. In the news about 85% of information is not connected with a life of a normal Russian citizen.”

In the article „A terrible secret of Obama” the director of the Institute for the USA and Canadian Studies Sergei Rogov brings out to the readers: „The biggest secret which is carefully hidden by Obama – consequences of the increase of state’s expenses that will definitely result in a rapid growth of internal taxes of the USA because the other part of the world won’t provide this country with a flow of capital forever.”

Next to the article „Can we expect an eternal friendship between the USA and Russia?”  such lines can be read:

- „ A relation – a landlord and a servant … if it can be called „friendship”, then – yes … They are rather „a wolf and a sheep”relations. America is looking forward to a lunch. Will gulp down and won’t choke.”

 - „As I understand „king is made by his entourage”. Have you ever analysed the structure of B.H.Obama’s administration? What are your impressions? Let’s look at, for example, Hillary Clinton – she is just like a shark. I have a feeling that transoceanic players of thimbles (a simple cheat game) have decided to pretend to be chess players. Can we (Russians) win them in their territory with their rules?”

Next to the article „The proud greediness” Russians write about Americans’ greediness and ability to waste the money:

- „At first America shouldn’t have been provided with the virtual papers. They live at our expense and besides, are rude to us. It’s not enough that they live on our finances earned in hard work, they took Alaska away, made mischief among all countries, made us idiots and faked the medicine for a headache.”

- „There is nothing bad about greediness and consumption. Otherwise – go back to your caves, live in tribes or build communism. There will never be a social fairness, I do not want to share something with Chinese who have made my notebook just for pennies. You will see – America will get out of the crisis with minimum loss, we (Russians) have to learn from them.”

- „ Here, in Russia, we love fairy-tales – about the fact that everybody in America only „consumes” and they have used up so much that they do not want it any more. But the fact that most Americans have never been outside their state’s borders – is it a „superconsumtion”? A holiday only 10 days in a year – what can you say about it? Hotels for 400 USD a night ( a little room Avenue B, near the Time Square New York, an omelette from one egg 13USD – I saw by myself!) The crisis started when people couldn’t pay for their mortgage credits – it is a reason, not consequences as AiF writes. Americans live on credits because they can not do it on their salary – they can’t buy a house or a car.”

- „You really love tales, especially the storytellers themselves. The main tale is – when some photos of the homeless are taken (in America) and then it is declared that the country is full of them or eggs for 13 USD are seen somewhere and you think that they cost so much everywhere. Probably you saw not the right eggs in the mirror. Then it is too cheap.”

- „In other words Americans get ready to put out the fire with some petrol. It’s wise. The most important is that our „wisemen” do not follow their example.”

Next to the article „Obama. The first scandal” where Americans publicly had an argument with Iranians in UN meeting  Russian readers express their opinion like:

- „Scrutinize Obama’s behaviour when he takes the floor. He doesn’t see the audience, his look can not be caught, he always speaks with a highly raised head, gesticulates with certainty. I am sure he would behave like that even if the hall was empty. He is like an oracle – betokens. He can’t be convinced, he in his role doesn’t hear anybody and anything. But the goals are the same – expansion, mopping up and state’s terrorism. I feel sick because he just prints and prints the bucks but the whole world gnaws each other’s neck for them. Nevertheless, we have everything – oil, grain and enough intelligent people but without their green money we stand …. in an interesting pose. Is it only blood and war that can wash in those cheats and convicts in the sea? How long are they going to jerk others with them and is there going to be anybody except Chinese and mumba-jumba tribe in the jungle? It’s rather terrible.”

- „We are such attaboys! We had to say long ago – NO!!! to the american imperialism. Disgusting european nation of trash and now Colombian Mafiosi have joined. Iran – attaboys! Everything should be arranged in 2009 so that fascists get……..”

- „It is naive to think that with a new president the USA will change its policy of „poking its nose” into problems of others in the whole world. That all is similar to a product in a new packing with an expired date. Behind the back of this kind and dusky boy there are toothed sharks which have their own interest in everything what’s going on.(…) About location of the bases in other territories … Funnily. Yankees just think that their home is everywhere. So no wonder about this offer!”

- „….Russians are just allowed to criticize and contaminate America …..the headline also is rather venomous – Barak Obama: The first scandal (finally, we got it, what a mercy). You are just expecting the collapse of America but that will be your unfulfilled dream. What will actually collapse – that you will see by yourselves rather soon.”

- „Americans better would remember their sins – 11th September, Guantanamo, Yugoslavia, Iraq, the support of the fascist country Israel……….It’s interesting what  they would say if the official persons of Iran from the UN platform accused them of terrorism?

In the article about GM open letter to Americans a Russian woman living in the USA reproaches her compatriots for the hatred and emotionally defends Americans:

 Anna /17.12.2008 03:48:

-    „I can’t understand why Russia doesn’t love America so much? Has the spoon been knocked out of your mouth by American horseradish (horseradish – a rude Russian play on words)? Or the syndrome of the little brother? No total end for America as well as to Russia. I have never seen any insinuations about Americans’ hatred towards Russians but Russians only want to spit on America. Why? The motor industry of the USA asks for a loan to the government of the USA not just simply expends it. In the letter it is given that the loan could be paid back starting from 2011. Entirely reasonably. If we talk about the quality, then – yes, there were the mistakes. I have got two cars (Chevrolet and Pontiac) and Toyota-off-road. And thus – repairs and service of two American cars are twice as much cheaper than for one Japanese car. Failures might occur not more often than for other cars. It’s interesting what America has done to you? You probably won’t believe that the USA is quite friendly towards Russia and Russians and not because it is afraid but the level of American culture determines that in the world also other cultures, nations that differ from Americans and are equally reasonable with a rich culture can freely exist. Americans do not put themselves higher than others, as you might think, and do not bear ill will to Russia. Perhaps it’s time for you to learn the same attitude to the surrounding world.”

The newspaper „Argumenty i Fakty” is rather infuriated about the openly hostile Internet blog of the popular Russian TV journalist Vladimir Soloviev (has interviewed also G.W.Bush) – „44th president of the USA will be black and last”  The newspaper proclaims that this blog has caused a big stir in the Russian Internet environment and has been even the one of the TOP entries for three days. The newspaper shortly quotes the basic idea of the journalist’s blog. Solovjov has promulgated such an entry:

- „To my mind, the choice of Baraka Obama as the president of the USA – a confirmation for the degradation of America’s political system and a result that was achieved by political correctness of this once so powerful state. In fact we all could observe the opposite process of the racist choice. If once a lynching of negroes (origin. – ??????, negrov)  was supposed to be called a racism, then nowadays racism is choosing between the white and black by voting for the white.

What has he achieved in his life? What has he been able to do yet, what is he famous for? Nothing. What can he do? Nothing. What does he know? Nothing.

The world has been deceived again. The world has gone crazy. Vanga (well-known prophetess) was true when she said that 44th president would be black and the last. I’m sorry for America, a good country was but it fizzled out so fast.”

It all has provoked a big stir with a great amount of hostile racist comments. They are so disgustful that I kept off translating them. The journalist of a newspaper Sergej Roganov tells that he is surprised about the Russian bloggers’ ability to be so malevolent. Also other readers with their comments agree with him and criticize impoliteness and give honour to the USA. The readers write:

- „You have dreamt too much! The USA – a very stable structure and there are plenty of people who have something to lose. Unlike from „sovka”(post soviet inhabitant). Do you know that there are more millionaires of dollars in the USA than the total number of inhabitants in Europe – 12 millions. They do not want to emigrate to New Zealand and won’t give up. There are still the capital cities and the local Establishment, a professional and well-qualified corps of officers and policemen. Millions of car services, bakeries and owners of butcher’s shops! (not supermarkets – such are not built in villages), farmers – owners of the land. Such can be trounced only with a help of hydrogen bomb. But you just say – will collapse and disappear. If you wish – hope for it – in 5-6 years time your hope will have become smaller.”

- „Thanks to Sergei Roganov about „Runet” blog report that is based on common sense and not on hysteric emotions. Hostile comments can be explained by changing „kitchen democracy” into „Internet democracy’. If some time ago we came together in the kitchen and whispered heroically the truth ( it’s a phenomenon of the Soviet Union when you could talk openly only in the kitchen) then now we do the same on the keyboard „Made in Taiwan”. Otherwise, nothing has changed, Americans are the bad ones according to our definition but we have got so many anecdotic heroes that can loudly declare that the president of America is … (there you can use your fancy as much you wish and can). A school (Russia) was ruined after a loud announcement about the readiness for the new school year – Americans must be blamed for that, people died trying a new submarine – Americans must be blamed for it, inflation in Russia

– Americans are guilty, etc. I would like to turn to the haters of the USA: be consistent in your words and deeds – give up the Internet, worked out by Americans, delete Windows, Word, Internet Explorer, knock together a block of Intel Pentium system. If you have dollars burn them. If you have got Ford, Chrysler, Chevrolet, GMC, Pontiac, etc. convey them to the garbage dump. Take a calculator „Elektronika”(archaic, heavy calculator of Soviet times), count how many goods there are at your home with a sign „made in Russia” and type it on a typewriter „Lubava” ( an old Soviet machine). Have a good luck!”

On the whole it seems that Anti-Americanism in Russia is the same range as during the Cold War and the regime of Putins has promoted it greatly.

Every evening the biggest Russian TV channel, controlled by the Kremlin, in the news prime time broadcasts comments of some Mikhail Leontiev. Watching them it seems that a propaganda boss of the Nazi Germany – Goebbels’s smiles in his grave. Recently Leontev has compared Obama with Gorbatchov.

Also Gorbatchov has called people to a „new thinking” but how did it finish … ?! Leontiev hints at the audience that after Gorbatcov the Soviet Union collapsed. He says: „A new thinking – remember how it everything started? Some thought – it was a joke. But how did it finish? A crisis – it is also in America. So to say, we, of course, don’t love Americans. But not so. Humanism is not strange to us at all.”

But it should be understood that Anti-Americanism is not characteristic only for Russia. It can be met widely in the whole world. Also in Europe. It seems that Americans do not completely realize how strong are its fundamentals. It’s naive to think that it appeared only during G.W.Bush time. Its fundamentals have been consistently built for at least hundred years. Most active – during the last fifty years. It is a fight where Americans regularly lose, it taints its reputation, economics and stability. It was exactly Anti-Americanism that gave a strong impulse for the terrorist organization of Bin Laden. More about the reasons of Anti-Americanism and its history will be in the next blog that will follow soon. It’s time for Americans to understand it and start doing something real.

Have a nice Day and be careful,

Paul Lasaro

Incredible mix of sex, politic and history. Be careful! www.paullasaro.com

There are a lot of controversies as regards to the history of the Twelve-string guitar. The first theory says that it has been developed by Italian luthiers laboring in the guitar workshops in companies like Oscar Schmidt, Harmony and Regal in New York and Chicago. It is substantiated by the fact that one of the famous twelve-string guitars has a strong Italian connection. As per the other theory states that it arrived in the U.S from Mexico as Latin America has a long history of double-course variants of the standard six-string guitars.

Regardless of who invented the twelve-string guitar, it is considered as one of the novelty instrument invented. Other than the occasional custom ordered 12-string guitars, the more prestigious makers like Martin and Gibson consider making of these 12-string guitar to the low-end builders. This is clearly an indication that their buyers were from the poorer end of the social level.

The popularity of the twelve-string guitar can be traced out from the early recordings, where the blues musicians in Georgia and Mexican tejano musicians in Texas used them. It appears that the first musicians to take up the 12-srting guitars were street performers. The extra volume that the double strings added increased the popularity of these guitars. It is said that the volume is so intense that a busker could work without any other musicians and still assure full and rich sound.

The twelve-string guitar gained immense popularity when it was first exploited by one of the best early players, the Atlanta guitarist Blind Willie McTell. McTell was a well-known and accomplished guitarist of his time. Atlanta being the center for the Piedmont blues, a ragtime-based guitar style where complex finger picking and driving bass is needed to invest in its kind of music. And this is how the use of the 12-string guitar gained its momentum.

The 12-string guitar also became popular after the “Leadbelly”. Hudy William Ledbetter was an American folk and blues musician. He was known as the king of the twelve-string guitar, famous for his clear and forceful singing and his virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar. He is best known as Leadbelly or Lead Belly. The topic of Leadbelly covers a wide range of subjects, including gospel songs, blues songs about women, liquor and racism. It also includes songs about cowboys, prison, workers, sailors, and many more. This is how the 12-string guitar came into popularity in a big way.

After Leadbelly, even the use of the twelve-string guitar was reduced drastically. It was like musicians express the mourning by refraining from playing the instrument. A few guitarists like Dick Rosmini, Fred Gerlach, and Pete Seeger, kept the twelve-string tradition alive.

And soon the use of the banjo has outnumbered the use of the 12-string guitar, but in 1963 a record came out that knocked the banjo off its place. It was a record by Pete Seeger called “We shall overcome” and the musician used the power of 12-string and novelty to draw the attention of the people as he was selling songs of justice and freedom. The extra volume and full sound of the twelve-string guitar made it perfect for leading and they were the important part of the civil rights movement.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, and synthesizers. You can find the best marketplace for guitars, drums, and synthesizers at these 3 sites: guitars, twelve-string guitars, drums, drum sets, and synthesizers, keyboards.

Credit cards that we use today have been all around for over half a century. The first credit card appeared in the year 1951 when some of the loan customers of the Franklin National Bank of New York were screened for credit and those who were approved were given a card to make credit purchases. The merchants who participated copied the customer information from the card to the sales slip and then the bank credited the merchant account for the loan.

Later, in the year 1958, The American Express Company began to issue a charge card for travel and entertainment charges which was accepted at the restaurants, hotels and online merchants who participated.

People who had plastic charge cards enjoyed the convenience as well as the line of credit being offered by the new bank credit cards. Merchants found that credit card customers usually spend more than when it came to pay with cash. To accept bank issued card was much safer for the merchant dealing with cash and also less expensive as compared to creating and maintaining merchant-specific credit program.

In the year 1959, Bank of America started to issue the BankAmericard within the state of California and was the first universal credit card with wide spread merchant acceptance. In 1966, Bank Card Associations began and it was the time when Bank of America formed licensing agreements with other banks. This made it possible for them to issue credit cards on a widespread basis and also to settle transactions among the participating banks.

In 1966, a group of 14 US banks formed interlink a new bankcard processing association with the ability to exchange information on credit card transactions. In the year 1967, four California banks formed the western states Bankcard Association and also introduced the Master Charge program to compete with the BankAmericard which was later renamed as Visa in the year 1976.

Visa and MasterCard are organizations both of which issue credit cards through member banks and also set and maintain the rules for processing.

With the passing time, as the bank card industry grew, banks were interested in issuing cards also became members of the Visa Card Association or the MasterCard Association.

Olivia Andrews, writing for Credit Card Debt Consolidation Guide is a freelance journalist and has written many reviews on subjects such as finance, education, health, entertainment, music, gifts, crafts, travel, apparels and mobile phones.

Using credit cards has become a part of everyday life in the 21st century. People no longer have to bring cash with them when they go shopping, regardless of what they’re buying. Some people do it for the convenience of not carrying cash; others use it to purchase items they cannot afford at present.

Though the concept of credit has been around for over thousands of years, the credit card itself is a relatively new invention, created at the middle of the 20th century by businessman Frank X McNamara. Head of the Hamilton Credit Corporation, in 1949 he went for a meal with Ralph Sneider, his attorney and Alfred Bloomingdale, a close friend and grandson to the founder of the Bloomingdale’s store. The topic of conversation at the dinner was a problem customer of the Hamilton Credit Corporation.

The customer in question had gotten into trouble when he had lent a number of his charge cards from individual gas stations and department stores to his poor neighbours who needed items in an emergency. In return, the man required his neighbours to pay him back the cost of the original purchase plus some additional money. Unfortunately for him, many of his neighbours were unable to pay him back quickly enough, which led him to borrow money from the Hamilton Credit Corporation.

At the end of the meal with his two friends, McNamara reached into his pocket for his wallet to pay up, but was embarrassed to realise he had forgotten to bring his wallet. He then called his wife at home and had her bring him the required amount of money. Annoyed at the idea that someone with enough funds would have to pay on the spot for a purchase, McNamara vowed never to let this happen again.

Merging the two concepts from that dinner, McNamara came up with a new idea – a credit card that could be used at multiple locations, with a middleman between companies and their customers.

At the time, stores would make money with their own charge cards for use only in their stores, thus advocating customer loyalty and maintaining a high level of sales. However, the new card, called the Diner’s Club, needed a different way to make money since they weren’t actually selling anything. To make a profit without charging interest, which became a much later concept, the companies that accepted the Diner’s Club credit card were charged 7% for each transaction while customers were charged a $3 annual fee. The newly founded company initially focused on salesmen as customers, since they would often need to dine at multiple restaurants to entertain clients, giving the company its name.

In the beginning, progress was difficult – merchants didn’t want to pay the 7% fee and didn’t want competition for their own store cards; while customers didn’t want to sign up unless there were a large number of merchants that accepted the card. However, the concept of the card grew and in 1950 the total number of Diner’s Club users grew from 200 to 20,000 people.

The demand for credit cards quickly led to other companies, such as American Express and the Bank Americacard – later known as VISA – entering the market. Today credit cards are a multibillion pound industry and potential consumers are spoilt for choice, having to compare credit cards before filling in applications, making it all the more remarkable that it all started from a chance dinner and dinner topic.

Andrew Regan is an online, freelance author from Scotland. He is a keen rugby player and enjoys travelling.

Jewellery is a clear cut term that delineates a decorative adornment on the body. It includes rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, tiaras and many other adornments. Jewellery has been used in each civilization passim history and in bigeminal dissimilar ways. Today, in our culture, jewellery serves mostly as an artistic intention. Jewellery is used to interpret sociable or official grade, rank, marital status, age and tribal kinship. In early ages, jewellery was also served as religious, political and societal affiliation. The first use of jewellery was to show and express religious affiliation.

The following are the prominent cultures and civilizations that began the use of jewellery as pious and Religious jewellery.

In Ancient Egypt, Egyptian Religious Jewellery was much emblematic a symbolic. Lotus, serpent, falcon, scarab (beetle) and the eye are some common symbols in Ancient Egyptian Religious jewellery. The Eye of the Horus is symbol of healing while scarab is a symbol for Christ=s resurrection and good luck. Ankh is also called the common symbol of the time which means to represent and express everlasting life. Religious jewellery was excessive because it consist of gold and semi-precious gemstones while men and women were worn similar type of jewellery. In the Roman period, cheaper materials were used to make Egyptian religious jewellery and Christian symbols were commonly used.

Men were disallowed to wear gold jewellery after arriving Islam in Egypt and silver jewellery gained much popularity in religious jewellery. These days, pious jewellery is still broadly wear in Egypt, but does not have the same lavishness as the Ancient Egyptian religious jewellery. Religious Jewellery also gained much popularity in Roman Empire. When St. Constantine ruled the Roman Empire, architecture and art flourished and various popular symbols were invented that are still commonly used in Christian jewellery. The cross, Christian fish charm and the rosary are the common symbols. The cross is a symbol of Christ=s suffering. Rosary beads are symbolized as prayer beads which officially adopted in 1520 by catholic roman churches. In Islam and Buddhism rosary beads are also used. The Christian fish charm is also popular but not more than other symbols. This symbol gained less popularity in persecuted Christians.

Religious jewellery is considered as a symbol of nature in Native Americans and played very important role in religious ceremonies as well as represented status. Natural materials like feathers, turquoise, minerals and silver were used in their jewellery. The people wore specific types of religious jewellery that were the right color and materials, and representing the right and accurate symbol according to the event during harvest rituals and healing ceremonies. Native American religious jewellery was usually offered to woman after her first menses and to newly married couple. Religious jewellery played a substantial role in Native American community.

Today jewellery is considered as an adornment of decoration we even absolutely forget the roots and purposes of jewellery. If we throw light in some major and prominent cultures, we shall come to know its right purpose. It has actually a deeper and inner faithful spiritual meaning.

Please visit our site for full information about Jewellery and its different types and designs. You will get valuable information about all popular Jewellery types and Jewellery Designs.

Musical instruments with keyboards have been evolving since 220 B.C. when a Greek engineer named Ctebius created the “Hydraulis” to demonstrate, of all things, the principle of hydraulics.

The Hydraulis led to the organ and a technical evolution of that instrument that has spanned centuries.

Meanwhile came more instruments based on the concept of multiple strings, hammers and keyboards. First was the dulcimer, a multi-stringed instrument played with hand-held hammers. It has been claimed that the dulcimer was invented in the 9th Century A.D. by Persian Abu Nasre Farabi, who called it a Santur. The dulcimer has even been called “the first piano,” but wait. The invention of the piano is most widely credited to the Italian Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731) in the early 1700s.

By then, several more stringed keyboard instruments including the clavichord and harpsichord had come into play. The harpsichord couldn’t control the sound volume and the clavichord couldn’t produce the tone needed by the artist to perform in large halls. Cristofori had the solution.

Cristofori replaced the string-plucking mechanism with leather padded hammers. Now he had a keyboard instrument that played “piano” (meaning “soft”), and “forte” (meaning “loud”). This first piano was called “pianoforte.”

While Johann Sebastian Bach and others failed to embrace the pianoforte, Lodovico Biustini published “Sonate da Cimbalo di Piano e Forte,” the first work specifically for piano, in 1732. Yet nearly half a century passed before the next composer was to write specifically for the piano. It was Muzio Clementi, whose “3 Sonatas, Opus 2″ in 1770 triggered the emergence of the new playing techniques and styles of expression needed to master the piano.

The piano’s pivotal turning point arrived in the late 1770s when Johann Christian Bach redesigned it and more composers came forward with more music for the piano. Soon there were solo piano performances to packed concert halls in Europe and from there, the piano found its way to Great Britain and America.

Here the piano evolved from a fashionable status symbol in the mansions of the rare few to the mass assembly lines of Jonas Chickering and Heinrich Steinweg. Thanks to their industry, the public came to regard the piano as a necessary part of every American household in the late 1800s. Knowing how to play it was considered the best way to win admiration, love and respect, especially if you were a woman.

By now the piano had been through all manner of transformation: square, vertical upright, grand and variations of same, with all the accompanying technical changes. Piano design and manufacturing thrived in Germany, Austria, France, Great Britain and America. But at the turn of the century, just when the piano had achieved prominence as the primary source of home entertainment, oops, here came the movies and the phonograph. Not to mention the player piano, which “automated” what many piano owners couldn’t do. Then the gramophone and the radio took over where the player piano left off.

Renewed public interest didn’t hit until the 1930s when piano makers introduced the miniature upright. From there the piano has reached unprecedented standards of quality through significant technical and cosmetic change brought on by new materials, processes, techniques and innovative genius. Today this amazing 5,000-piece invention is not the household staple that it used to be, but it remains a solid investment and the treasure of those who find fulfillment in the piano as a means of creative expression.

Copyright MBPCO 2006 and beyond. Elizabeth Miller is a professional freelance copywriter and a general partner in Miller Bridges Partners. For more information about pianos click here

When a student applies for a credit card, oftentimes it is parents that object. Worries about being hit with a huge amount of debt is a valid point, but unfounded. Quite frankly, few credit card providers will extend a huge credit line to your student, unless of course you co-sign the card! Then again, you can ask them to cap their credit line to give to you the protection that you and your adult child will need. One area that a student credit card can impact is credit history. Read on and we’ll explore the reasons why getting a student credit card now can help your student later on.

Most parents worry that their children will buy a whole bunch of nonessential stuff with their credit cards. Well, if they get the card in their name, then that can happen. Just don’t bail them out of their troubles as they need to learn to stand on their own two feet.

On the other hand, a student credit card can pay for tuition, books, clothing, dorm room essentials, and many of life’s little and big emergencies. The peace of mind that plastic can give should outweigh any fears that you have of not being able to afford a student credit card.

Moreover, a student credit card can provide one huge benefit: it can positively impact your child’s credit history and credit score. It is a fact: at some point your student will be applying for credit on his own: for a new car, to rent an apartment, to take a trip, etc. If your child managed a Visa, Discover, American Express, or MasterCard properly while in college, then that good news will become part of his or her credit report.

Think about this: a responsible credit history means that your child will get a better deal on loans and have an easier time of obtaining a loan in the first place. Their interest rate will be lower, resulting in big savings over the course of the loan.

You don’t want your student to have too much credit but a student credit card along with student loans is sufficient. Your child won’t have to pay back their student loan until at least 6 months after graduation, but the credit card will come into play right away. Show responsibility with the credit card and creditors will reward your son or daughter with a fantastic credit score: something that every consumer desires!

You can find more information on Secured Loans as well as more information on everything to do with being Loans at our website. Visit us today and see what we have in store for you.

What is Advanced Merchant Services

Advanced Merchant Services is a provider of merchant services for both MasterCard and Visa. It provides companies with the facility of accepting credit cards as payment. Aside from accepting MasterCard and Visa, Advanced Merchant Services (AMS) also has the ability to set up with other credit cards such as Diners Club, Discover and American Express as well as certain gift cards. In addition to this, AMS also provides a risk-free acceptance of checks with the Check Guarantee Service. AMS can provide all of these services and more at the most affordable rates. Advanced Merchant Services has trained professionals, with whom a company can meet personally although sometimes it’s also necessary to transact business through email, phone and fax.

What AMS does

Advanced Merchant Services helps companies in their growth by providing various payment solutions ranging from POS equipment to a merchant account. AMS is among the top companies in the merchant and credit card processing services industry, working with various processors and offering a variety of merchants with various products and services.

Advanced Merchant Services knows that it is not alone in this business. The success of AMS depends primarily on the efforts of its partners in the business. AMS would not be able to provide world-class credit card processing services if not for the collaboration and hard work of its partners from Financial Institutions, franchisors, internet companies as well as software developers. Thus, AMS works with industry leaders to give its clients and merchants the best value of their services.

AMS features

Aside from internet and wireless credit card processing services, Advanced Merchant Services also provides a wide range of features and

services to its clients.

Check Services

Advanced Merchant Services offers solutions when it comes to

accepting checks. Now, companies can avoid the risk of Bad Checks and Closed Accounts. With the check services of Advanced Merchant Services, no company will ever have to fear the risk of accepting checks that are not working.

Gift Cards

Allow your company to accept gift and loyalty cards as well. Get your own loyalty card program as a reward for your most precious clients. This type of card replaces the paper gift certificates and will also include your company name and logo.

This payment system is an effective option for any business of any size. With effortless maintenance and simple implementation, the Electronic Gift Card Program of AMS removes the need to manually track the payments done with a loyalty or gift card. Furthermore, it also provides detailed reports of the cards that were redeemed and issued.

Merchant Account Cash Advance

Any company that accepts credit card sales through the help of Advanced Merchant Services can make small business loans against all future sales done with credit card, whether it’s Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express. These business loans are typically available within a week or less.

To be qualified for small business loans with Advanced Merchant Services, the company needs to be processing a certain amount at least in credit cards for a period of time.

24/7 Toll Free Customer Service

We offer free of charge customer support 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Our customer support services include technical and terminal support, security issues and merchant account support.

No Contracts

Advanced Merchant Services is confident with its credit card

processing services and rates that it doesn’t need to get into a contract with its clients to keep them. Once a customer chooses AMS, the company does its best to keep the client. If there is something that a client is unhappy about, he may just have to let AMS know and they will do whatever it takes to keep the customer satisfied.