Our Popular Culture

You are browsing the archives of 2009 March.

Ever since I was a little kid, I have always loved public libraries. It is really easy to understand why. The public library is such a welcoming place for children. Of course there is the taboo against noise, never easy for hyperactive young ones like myself, but after a while, even a kid realizes the advantages of silence. Amidst endless rows of fascinating books lies a fertile ground for the imagination of youth.

Vintage sewing machines are more than decorative, they work! Antique collecting is a popular hobby in America. There’s something about antiques that’s so appealing. Perhaps because home furnishings were for the most part, handmade with great attention to detail and perfectly fitting joints, we can all feel some nostalgia when these furnishings are compared to their modern, machine made counterparts. Detailing on table legs, chairs and even the household sewing machine, were elaborate and ornate.

Classy, sophisticated smokers find cigarette cases a required fashion accessory! There cannot be a smoker on the planet whose physician hasn’t chided them on every visit regarding this practice. Nonetheless, we continue. Many smokers still remember the 1940s movies, when virtually every glamorous woman and manly man did smoke. Any smoker worth his or her salt also had a cigarette case, which served as a recherche fashion accessory in which the cigarettes reposed when not in use.

When I was a child, I ran around outside all of the time. I did not watch a lot of television, but that was always my own choice. When it was rainy outside, or when I was with my cousins for the day, we made time to play board games. Some of them were loud and drove the adults nuts, but they kept us busy and happy. I still love to play board games, and I play them with my daughter. I like to help her learn to play strategy board games, as they can help her learn more than just how to play a game.

Anyone who has watched the original series with David Hasselhoff remembers the Knight Rider car Kitt. That original car was a Firebird, and quite a beauty at that. Perhaps its most distinctive quality, apart from the pedantic and fussy talking computer, was the strip of red lights across the front. They would all flash in sequence and make different sounds whenever the camera did a close-up of it.

These are photo-illustration designs on throw pillows, trinket boxes, tiles, framed tiles, apparel, and other gift items that can be found at Lines By Design Boutique. The descriptions that follow outline the inspiration for each of these designs.

I never really understood the saying “the clothes make the man” until I tried wearing medieval costumes. You see, I have always been a pretty conventional dresser and a pretty conventional person in most respects. I keep a steady schedule, don’t take big risks, have moderate political views— you know the type. Nonetheless, I went to a Medieval Renaissance Faire on a whim with a friend during the summer and found the experience life-changing. There were people everywhere wearing medieval costumes, dressing up as knights, princesses, kings and queens, Jesters, and other characters out of history and fantasy. There were even a few wizards there.

I’m a huge American history buff, and my favorite period of all is the Civil War. I love reading analyses of the conflict, as well as biographies of the major players of the time, including Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, William Sherman, and of course, Abraham Lincoln. I also love to decorate my home with Civil War reproductions and collectibles that I purchase from various retailers.

One of the most memorable showmen ever to step onto a stage was Queen frontman, Freddie Mercury. Interest in his professional and personal life has produced several versions of a Freddie Mercury biography. He achieved legendary status following his tragic death in 1991 and is still missed today by his millions of fans. He was an unlikely candidate for international pop stardom when he entered the world in Zanzibar in 1946 as Farrokh Bulsara, the son of Indian Parsi parents. He grew up in India, moved to England, forming Queen and changing his name, and the rest is history.

Anything associated with The Beatles is bound to be in demand. For musicians, the chance to own Beatles sheet music is inspiring. Unfortunately, the originals are beyond most people’s budgets! However, there are plenty of books containing reproductions, helping to recreate all the hits for the budding guitarist at a party or the more serious aspirations of a tribute band.