The Barleycorn Fight (1971, Vietnam)

There are no rules in fighting, although all the guys bigger than I, whom I fought felt I violated some made up rule of theirs.

In Vietnam, I had a fight with a sergeant in our company quarters one evening, we all called him Crusher, after the infamous, wrestler, and madman, "The Crusher," he was per near six foot tall, blond short hair, and muscular, looked like a gorilla, as did the sergeant, they could have been twin brothers, except for the age difference; perhaps of Polish or Irish stock. We both had enough malt produced barleycorn in us, this one evening, both half drunk, thereabouts. He told his friend I used a trick when we fought one another in tearing off my opponents face with my long fingernails, his face.

I had blocked his big burley muscular fists, and forearms, and at each thrust, I had moved quick enough to out maneuver him: I tried blow after blow to his face, and torso, but they bounced off him, like rubber, as if he was a danseur, nor did my elbows into his ribs move him one bit, and a good solid kick to the groin did little to nothing, he had a cast iron, whatever. And so I came to the conclusion, I couldn't beat him any other way, and thus, I was limited to my selection of attacks, I had used them all up, so I warped my body likened to wringing a wet rag dry, to gain momentum, jumped up about five inches into the air, and on my way down like a cat with his talon sticking out of his paws, my thorn like fingernails multitudinously swept across his face, like hard nails scratching through sandpaper, and he yelled bloody murder, and fell back a foot! His face was damaged. And the fight was over, and the fight was a draw.

It was no trick, not really, that was the purpose for the long nails and the jump, and two years of karate practice; and if it was a trick, it was a learned one for just that occasion, because I never had to reuse this so called 'trick'; a strategy I prefer to call it. And I consider that trick as legal as any kick in the groin, or punch to the face or ribs, although sober I might not have used that so called 'trick' I might not have thought of it. And here he was sixty-pounds heavier than me, and three inches to four inches taller than me, which was to his advantage-what did he expect-that was his trick, he thought he could bully?

By Dennis Siluk Dr.h.c. 

Creating Your Sewing Sanctuary

Don't panic! Find a space of your very own. Nothing sparks your creativity as much as having a special place to sew with well organized sewing equipment stored within easy reach. Once you have found a place to sew, sewing will become more enjoyable.

Pick a space with several considerations in mind. Most importantly, your space must be accessible to electrical outlets and adequate lighting. In addition, think about the noise factor. Will the sound of your machine distract others? Will the sounds of others distract you?

To simplify the planning of your sewing area and to stimulate your own originality, here are some necessities for sewing conditions:

1. Both natural and artificial lighting is required. You should have an overhead light for basic lighting and a high intensity lamp for making small detailed work easier.

2. Convenient outlets for all your electrical equipment are obvious necessities. An extension cord must be available when needed.

3. You will require a cutting table. The ideal table should be accessible from all 4 sides, hard surfaced. Some may choose to use the floor or kitchen when cutting. Be sure that the surface is clean and flat.

4. Your sewing machine section must be wide enough to enable free movement of your fabric and room to place your utensils.

5. To provide proper back support during stitching, select a comfortable chair with a straight back.

6. To avoid wasting valuable time in searching for a needed item, organize a storage system of rollout drawers.

7. A box or tote bag to move equipment from one work area to another can be another time-saver.

8. A large storage area will be needed. This way, large pieces of fabric or incomplete projects can lie flat.

9. A pressing area near your machine and storage space is essential.

10. Supply closet space for hanging nearly finished projects and clothes that need repairing.

11. Have a full-length mirror near ample lighting for viewing your garments. The 3-way variety above the mirror is ideal, especially for fittings.

12. For a cheerful atmosphere, choose a soft color with bright accents.

13. To keep your lovely area neat, place a wastebasket under the machine area and near the cutting table.

Try to combine your wishes with the ideas mentioned above to create your very own sewing space. Whether it's just a corner of a room, your originality can make it a warm haven for producing several of fashionable masterpieces. Don't constraint your shopping to the sewing notions counters. Browse in every department to complete your dream of a sewing sanctuary. Anything to which you devote so much of your time deserves to have special considerations.

By Kashopae Evans

Tips On How To Take Good Care Of Your Acrylic Painting

Acrylic is a transparent material that is used for many purposes. One of the major functions of the material is to display paintings. If you have an acrylic artwork you need to put a number of measures in place to ensure that it retains its elegant look for a long time. Some of the measures that you need to put in place include:

Avoid placing the paintings under direct sunlight. To ensure that the artworks don't fade you should place them under indirect sunlight, halogen lights or under recessed lighting. These lights don't affect the paintings thus the artworks retain their original look for a long time.

You should also avoid displaying the artworks in places of high or too low temperatures. For example, you should not display them in areas that are above 60 °C or below 40 °C.

For ideal results you should ensure that you place paintings in places with relative humidity. You should also ensure that the artworks are in places where the temperature is constant.

You should not allow rigid objects to press against the front or the back surface of the stretched canvas because this results to permanent indentation damage. If you are transporting or storing the painting you should ensure that you place it in a package that is moisture and water resistant.

The package should also be cushioned to absorb shock the may result from bumps. Experts recommend that the package should be wrapped and sealed to ensure that its dent, puncture, and humidity resistant.

If you want to clean the surface of the painting, you should avoid using solvents or other cleaning products. This is because the cleaning products usually embed the dirt into the artwork and cause permanent liquid lines over the surface which gives the painting a very displeasing look.

Instead of using cleaning liquids you should use compressed air in a can to blow away the surface dust. If you don't have access to compressed air you should use a dry, soft brush to lightly brush the surface. You should be careful when brushing and ensure that you don't bump or scratch the painting.

If you clean your artwork for a long time and you notice that the dirt is not coming off you should seek out for professional services. For ideal results you should hire the services of an experienced art conservator who will know the best way of cleaning the painting without causing any damage.

By Duncan Lancer

Current Korea Fashion Trend

Korea is a giant when it comes to fashion. Just like anywhere else in the world, fashion in Korea keeps on changing depending on people's tastes and preferences. At this time of the year one great piece of clothing that is making a re-appearance is the pastel.

Experts believe the reason why this clothing is making a reappearance is because it's palette soothing and easy on the eyes. The piece of clothing is also very flattering regardless of the type of outfit that you are wearing it with.

In addition to Pastels, pullovers, long-sleeve shirts and dresses in pink, salmon, peach, orange and aqua are very common both in the office and on the streets.

Statement stripes are being donned by thousands of people who never get tired of this external trend. There are many types of stripes that are being worn by different people. The different stripes are: candy stripes, nautical lines, geometric prints, tribal streaks, and hairline stripes. The good side is that the clothes are being worn by both men and women.

These pieces of clothing are made from different fabrics such as organic cotton, jersey, and lace. Presence of different fabrics gives a wide range of options to choose from thus you are able to have an easy time when you want to look and feel cool.

As Korea is preparing for summer there has been great changes in the manner of dressing. One great style that is rearing this summer is the sailor look.

People are been seen wearing a number of sailor outfits inspired by the sea, marine life and sailors themselves. The outfits have white and blue color schemes, anchors, double breasted tops, sailor collars, and stripes. Each of these creates a different look which makes the wearer look unique.

Sailor print dress is one of the most common dresses at this time. This dress has a different front and back. The front is simple with a sailor collar print while the back has a flashier look with gold buttons. Since it's a loose fit, the dress gives the wearer a formal look.

There is also the sailor print blouse which is a sailor collar print with lettering embroidery. The shirt has an unbalanced length which gives an elegant look. When it's paired with a skirt, the shirt creates a girlish look; however, when it's paired with pants it creates a boyish look.

This is the current fashion trend in Korea. If you live in Korea and you would like to be part of the trend you need to ensure that you buy your products from reputable stores that stock high quality products.

By Eileen Tan