We bring to this day, the Winter Solstice, thoughts of peace. On this distinct day of rest, even the illustrious Sun stands momentarily still in the sky.
The Winter Solstice gives us time to rest, and it gives us a time to celebrate . In fact, there are more ceremonies and "rituals associated with the winter solstice than any other time of year."
Because ancient cultures were not aware of the changes in the Earth's position, they were fearful the sunlight would never return. To ensure its definite return, these cultures performed many ceremonies and celebrations.
In present day, many of these ceremonies & celebrations are still observed. With the fear for the loss of sunlight no longer a focal point, we can better steer our energy toward deeper meanings. Sometimes the meanings get lost in all the hustle and bustle of this modern age. So let me suggest a primitive retort: Take a walk outside on a chilled winters' night, take a deep breath and gaze upon the stars, and feel the peace. The day may be the darkest of the year, but it can certainly bring us an illuminated sense of peace.

Afraid to Come Out of the Water!

What's the Bikini have that those two piece swimsuits don't? Naval What?
The bikini made its debut appearance at a Paris Fashion show on July 25th in 1946. In the 1940s as Kelly Killoren Bensimon illuminates in The Bikini Book, attractive women were known as "bombshells," and anything fiercer was "atomic." So, when two Frenchmen designed skimpy alternatives to the two-piece in the summer of 1946, both suits got nuclear nicknames. The first designer, Jacques Heim, created a tiny suit called the atome. The second, Louis Reard, introduced his design on July 5, four days after the United States had begun atomic testing in the Bikini Atoll. In a rather gutsy marketing ploy, Reard named his creation le bikini, implying it was as momentous an invention as the new bomb.
The two-piece swimsuit which consisted of a structured halter top and modest bottom that covered the bellybutton, hips, and derriÃre arrived with much less criticism than the bikini. By the early '40s, film stars including Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, and Lana Turner were all wearing the two-piece, and it was seen frequently on American beaches.
It wasn't until the 60's we actually saw the bikini gracing the pages of magazines, like Sports Illustrated. Fspicyicey 007 films to hot Miami style, we have watched the bikini metamorphose through the decades.

No matter how hard I try though, whenever I hear the word Bikini, I instantly think of the 1960 Brian Hyland song Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini. It never fails.

Galileo's Birthday

The great Italian physicist & astronomer Galileo Galilei was born today in 1564. He contributed ideas beyond anyone's wildest imagination, and gave us answers to the mysterious world this planet exists in.

"The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do."


So simple. It makes one want to relax.