Kampung Mandala

The Nature of Color

2009-09-16T23:51:00.000+08:00

The ordinary white light to which we are accustomed has been proven to be composed of a series of vibrations of varying wavelengths that affect the retina of the eye. These wavelengths range from red through orange, yellow, green, and blue to purple. The simplest proof of this is seen in the decomposition of a ray of sunlight through a prism, into a colored band called a spectrum in which this scale of colors, seen in nature in the rainbow.

True colors are those that we see in the rainbow which have been approximately described by the terms: Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red. There are, of course, an infinite number of gradations between these principal colors, to which no definite terms or names may be given. The spectral colors are, however, light colors and cannot be used in practice.

Artists use pigment colors produced by chemical processes from a great variety of sources which are used in stains, paints, dyes and other combinations that may be applied to surfaces such as cherry bar rails or bar rail moulding in order to create color effects suitable to different requirements. The true colorist not only has a natural talent for the selection and limitation of color to produce certain results but the language of color must be learned by constant experimenting.

Many attempts have been recently made to reduce color harmony to a formula by means of charts that attempt to select harmonious combinations. These are of little value to the decorator and not only limit the possible number of color schemes that may be used, but also prevent the natural development of the ability to use the eye and reason in color selection. Color charts have been reasonably successful when used to select colors for surfaces of similar texture that are intended to be seen under the same light.

The decorator, however, has a far different problem to meet, inasmuch as the colors in a room are used on frieze boards and pediment that stand at a variety of angles and receive different degrees of light upon them. This may completely alter the effect of the same color combinations when used on different surfaces. Decorators, therefore, must study color harmony from an entirely different standpoint than pictorial or pattern artists.

They must develop an entirely new set of principles that will guide them to create agreeable, harmonious combinations that have a definite message to express. Experience in teaching color selection to students of decoration has shown that color harmony is not as much a matter of selecting particular colors as of selecting the proportions in which colors are to be combined. According to its author, a color chart may indicate that a certain group of three colors will be inharmonious.

The student will suddenly find himself in a room in which these same three colors are used in different superficial areas, with one predominating, and the others subordinated to it. The three colors used are in harmony, but this is what the color chart does not and cannot indicate. All colors are harmonious, provided they are used in proper proportions from the picture frame moulding to the fireplace designs. The same principles of composition and unity may be applied in judging color schemes as in judging composition of forms, lines, and masses.

The warm colors (those toward the red end of the spectrum) affect the human system very differently from the cold colors. Red, being the warmest, is highly stimulating, tending to produce an excited and angry state in very susceptible individuals. Animals, as well as men, are thus affected, showing that this property is fundamental, and not due to any artificial convention. Yellow is cheerful, rather stimulating, but less so than red.

Green is restful, quiet, and soothing. Its good effect on the eyesight is well known. It is the middle color of the spectrum and the predominant color of a great part of nature, being the background of practically all vegetation. It may be either warm or cool depending upon whether yellow or blue predominates. Blue and purple, further along the line, tend to be more depressing than stimulating. Purple is the most dignified of colors. It is the color of royalty and of mourning. Colors also have a different appeal to persons of opposite sex.

Men as a rule prefer colors of dark and strong values while women prefer colors tending toward the pastel shades. As far as general effect is concerned, color creates the atmosphere of a room more than antique picture frames or decorative moulding. As everything in a room must be in some color, from the walls and ceiling to the smallest ornament, it naturally becomes an all-important element in decoration. A room may be cheerful or gloomy, friendly or cold, according to its predominating tones.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=411279&ca=Arts+and+Crafts

Japanese Baths

2009-09-15T00:54:00.001+08:00

The most common Japanese bathtub is called a furo or an ofuro. The first ofuro were made out of wood, but modern baths are created from acrylic glass, tile, or stainless steel. The ofuro inspired the Western bathtub, but the two bathtubs have a couple visual differences. An ofuro is smaller, deeper, and has square, boxy sides. In contrast, a Western bathtub is longer, shallower, and has sloping sides.

In the past, ofuro were heated by a wood burning stove underneath the tub. Nowadays, the modern bathtub has a recirculation system that filters and reheats the water. Some families use the hot water from the finished bath to do their laundry in the washing machine. Japanese hot tubs (http://www.mybath.biz/servlet/the-Hot-Tubs/Categories) or spas are extremely warm, and are commonly heated to a temperature of 100-108 degrees Fahrenheit.

In traditional bathing, the entire family uses the same bathwater. The oldest male or the guest of the house goes first and the rest of the family follows in order of seniority. However, many young women in modern times refuse to bathe after their fathers. In families with larger tubs, it is not uncommon for families to bathe together in the same tub. Many parents bring babies and toddlers to the bath with them.

Ofuro are meant more for relaxing than they are for becoming clean. Because the entire family uses the same bathwater, it is considered extremely rude to go into the bath without becoming completely clean beforehand. The bathroom fixtures (http://www.mybath.biz/) usually include a small faucet or shower along with the ofuro. The bather sits on a small stool where they scrub their skin and wash their hair before entering the bath. Many bathrooms are much smaller than Western bathrooms set up in a similar way to walk-in showers.

While several modern homes and hotels have private bathtubs, many people still use public bath houses or sentō instead of private baths. Males and females are almost always segregated, excluding the extremely rural areas of Japan. Almost all baths do not allow swimsuits or towels to be worn in the bath, everyone is completely naked.

Sometimes bathers use a small hand towel to cover their genitals as they move out of the water. Many hotels offer these hot baths to their customers. Sometimes they are outdoors or on the roof. It is especially crucial to be completely washed and rinsed before entering a public bath. Bathers who contaminate the communal bathwater with outside filth are considered to be extraordinarily rude.

Onsen are baths and bath houses that use water from natural hot springs. They are usually located around the hot springs in question, and many of them are outdoors. Outdoor baths can be made out of granite, Japanese cypress, or marble.

Though the dry sauna and the regular sauna (http://blog.mybath.biz/the_my_bath_blog/2008/11/7-benefits-of-c.html) is of Finnish origin, saunas can be found in many Japanese sports centers and public bath houses. Like the baths themselves, these saunas are separated by gender and nudity is required.

Bath houses in Japan used to be extremely common, especially after World War II. However, there are less bath houses in modern times because of fewer customers. More and more people are able to afford houses that already have bathtubs, so they do not feel as inclined to use the public bath.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=358275&ca=Culture

Buying a Computer Online

2009-09-15T00:33:00.000+08:00

Buying a computer can be a tricky prospect because there are so many things to consider before making the final purchase. You have to take into account how quickly technology changes and decide what you’ll need to satisfy your computer needs for a few years. There are also some computers that are easier to upgrade than others which could factor into your overall decision. On top of the already confusing decisions, there are a lot of technical terms that explain how a computer works and if you don’t know what they mean you could have no idea what you are buying. Shopping online for your new computer can help make things a lot simpler.

Most computer manufacturers have set up websites that make searching through their products easier than ever. You can decide whether you want a desktop or laptop and even choose from a list of possible things you will be using your computer for to narrow down your search. The options are usually casual computer use, work, and gaming and selecting from those choices will give you a list of computers that will already have the right components in them to do what you want to do. As an example, a gaming computer will have a better than average graphics card and more RAM, both of which are needed to play games.

Shopping for a computer online also gives you more personalized customization. You can choose the color of your computer, although some websites will give you more options than others. You can also upgrade the components yourself so that you get exactly what you want. Most manufacturers will have steps through the possible upgrades directing you to the part of the computer that can be upgraded and what options they have for it. You may even be able to get software pre-installed on your computer from programs like Photoshop to the latest Call of Duty game.

Customer support is also an added benefit of buying a computer online. Unlike going to a store where you may have to compete to get the attention of one of the employees, websites have multiple people online and ready to help you with any questions you might have about your new computer purchase. Often the customer support will be available as a chat window that you can look at while going to different sections of the website, making it possible for you to discuss specific things about what you are looking at.

Every website that sells computers has specials going on all the time and you can take advantage of the ones that work for you. Usually they are discounts or free items such as a printer when you buy a certain model computer. Since most of the models are upgradeable then you will be sure to get a good deal. Once you’ve got everything you need in your cart you can pay online with your credit card through a secure area and have your computer shipped right to your door in as little as a few days.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=410366&ca=Computers+and+Technology

The 5 Coolest Gadgets of 2010

2009-09-15T00:29:00.000+08:00

There are some cool products out there. There are cool promotional items and cool innovations. But gadgets are the epitome of cool. So cool that many would sell their own mothers to get what they've been waiting for. Almost everyday a new gadget comes along, and the one you have is then kind of old already, even if you bought it a couple of weeks ago. However, truly cool gadgets, those that you would really die for (like, say, the iPhone) are rarer. 2010 will be a great year for technology. Once the crisis is -we hope- somewhat over, tech companies will strive to get new customers, and will compete like never before with cutting edge design and technology. So get ready: here's the top 5 list of cool gadgets for 2010:

1. XBox: Ever heard of Project Natal? If you spend more than half an hour on the Web a day, you probably have. Otherwise, please first check out this YouTube video. Impressed? Well, after Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft had to do something about its own console. And since the Wii was such a big hit, this one has to be bigger. Project Natal will definitely score some big points for the Redmond company.

2. Ford's MyKey: If you give your car to your kids frequently, you might find that it sometimes gets hard to sleep well when they're out, as you’re worried about what could happen to them. That's why next year Ford's releasing MyKey, which uses a chip in the car's ignition key so that the driver cannot exceed 80 mph. It can also be programmed to limit the car's audio levels and to sound loud alerts if the driver's not wearing a seatbelt.

3. Dual Touch Screen Laptop: We've already witnessed top-notch laptops with touch screens. But what about dual touch screens? Apparently, the Italian firm V12 Designs will launch its new version of Canova, a dual LCD laptop. This time, both will be touch screens.

4. 4G Phones. The real download speed of most 3G phones is not more than 384 Kbps, and sometimes a lot less. That's because it might have a 3 Mbps announced download speed, but the real one is a lot less. The 4G phones promise data transfers of 100 Mbps, and could reach up to 1 gigabit per second when static. That could mean downloading a full length DVD movie in about a minute.

5. Hydrogen Rulz! Hydrogen powered phones might be the next big thing. French researchers will probably announce by next year that a hydrogen fuel could be used as backup power source for mobile communications, letting users have some independence from electricity supplies to charge up their phones.

Technology tends to surprise us, so probably next year we’ll see a gadget we haven’t ever heard about. But these certainly make any tech-savvy person very much intrigued and anxious about what next year will bring. Don't you feel the same?

If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to post it to your site or blog and forward this link to to your friends. Have a great day!

Don’t forget to visit our blog.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=411060&ca=Computers+and+Technology

All About Hay Fever

2009-09-15T00:27:00.000+08:00

The medical term for hay fever is allergic rhinitis. It is very similar to asthma except for one important difference. If you have asthma, airborne particles cause an allergic reaction in your chest and lungs. If you have hay fever you experience this reaction in your eyes, nose, and throat.

The airborne irritant is called an allergen. When you are exposed to the allergen your body releases a chemical called histamine. This results in an inflammation in your sinuses, the fragile lining of your nasal passages, your eyelids and the surface layer of your eyes. Common allergens that trigger hay fever are dust mites, pollen, animal skin and hair, and feathers.

There are two types of hay fever, seasonal and perennial. If pollen is the only allergen that triggers your hay fever, you have seasonal allergic rhinitis, as pollen is not present in the air all year long. Your symptoms will only appear when you are in an area where plants produce pollen at the time of year when this happens. However if your hay fever is triggered by dust mites, animal hair or feathers, it would be perennial as these airborne particles are present year round. It is also possible to have both perennial and seasonal allergic rhinitis if more than one allergen triggers your symptoms. People with allergic rhinitis will start to sneeze, develop a runny nose and red watery eyes whenever they are exposed to the allergen that triggers their attacks. The eyes also itch and rubbing them makes it worse. Sometimes the skin itches and the throat becomes dry. Wheezing also occurs. An allergy attack will be most severe for fifteen to thirty minutes. Most people are aware when they are allergic to pollen. However, they may not know what other allergens they react to. If this is a problem, physicians can perform skin tests to identify the allergens that trigger the attacks.

Once you know the substances you are allergic to, try to minimize your exposure to these irritants or avoid them altogether. There are many over the counter preparations designed to help hay fever sufferers. The most common are antihistamines. These can both prevent and stop an attack however they may need to be used for several days. Antihistamines have certain side effects such as dryness in the nose and throat and drowsiness. A person taking antihistamines should exercise caution about driving or operating machinery until they know how the medicine affects them. If over the counter medications are not effective, there are prescription medications available from a physician. Antihistamines only relieve the symptoms of hay fever. They do not cure it. However, if you have had a skin test and your doctor has identified the substance that triggers your attacks, it is possible to cure the underlying cause. The doctor can administer a series of desensitizing injections. These actually contain the allergen and are given in increasingly stronger doses to stop reactions. While they have been successful with some patients, they do not work for everyone.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=412278&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet