History of the T-Shirt

Posted by jamiebarton on September 10, 2011 No comment

There are several conflicting versions of the origin of the T-shirt. In one, it is a descendent of the 19th century ‘union suit’, one half of the original one-piece undergarment.  Another story has the shirt originating with Britain’s Royal Navy.  Sleeves were added to their tank top-like work shirts prior to a royal inspection, underarms not being considered an appropriate sight for royalty. 

In any event, the classic pull-on, no button T shirt we know today is said to have made its debut as an item of military apparel, possibly around the time of the Spanish-American War, ultimately becoming standard issue for US Army and Navy personnel.  Inexpensive, easy to fit and easy to clean, T-shirts were comfortable to wear in the heat.  They became practical, popular work wear for miners, farm workers and other labourers.

T shirt printing seems to have begun in the 1940s but only for children’s shirts featuring characters such as Roy Rogers and Davy Crockett.  The T-shirt did not enter mainstream, adult fashion until the 1950s.  It was popularised by returning WWII veterans, with a little help from Hollywood.  Marlon Brando in “A Streetcar Named Desire” and James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause” startled the viewing public by modelling T shirts as casual outer wear rather than underwear.

From the late 60s onwards, improved inks, transfers and print processes have made T-shirts not only a fashion item but also an entirely new medium of expression, with the addition of text and images.  Today’s T-shirt printing technology allows you to cheaply create a single unique garment or order a thousand and you can even do it online, Adlogo is an online printing company who use a wide range of printing methods giving you plenty of choice.

Time to book a holiday again

Posted by jamiebarton on September 8, 2011 No comment

As you know I really like going on holiday, who doesn’t? So I am trying to sort out my winter sun break. Normally I book well in advance however because I couldn’t decide where to go until now I’m booking it a little later than normal.

I was watching keeping up with the Kardashians the other day and the family went to Bora Bora, which was amazing I have never seen water so blue, so I thought here we go, my winter sun holiday destination. Then I looked at the flight times from the UK to Bora Bora; It takes 22 hours from Paris to Tahiti then onto Bora Bora or you can fly from London to Los Angeles which is 11 hours and LA to Tahiti which is 8.5 hours so roughly 20 hours. Now I like flying but even for me that’s quite a distance and no doubt quite an expense so I had to think of somewhere else.

The Caribbean is generally my go to winter sun destination, after October the weather gets better, less chance of Hurricanes and torrential rain and the temp heat up again well a bit more! Last time I went to the Caribbean I went to Mexico, the west side rather than the more popular east side and it was amazing, I loved it and vowed to visit Mexico again, however due to flight restrictions from the UK its easier and cheaper to go to the East coast, plus there are plenty of package holidays for that.

However whilst looking for cheap holidays to the Caribbean I came across some great deals to the Dominican Republic, now I have been there too before but that was at least 4 years ago so I decided to see what I could find. Last time I stayed in the Puerto Plata region which was nice, great hotel although the surrounding area was apparently not that safe which has put me off going back to the resort there. But Punta Cana is meant to be a very good part to visit, so says my travel agent friend anyway. The resort of Bavaro has a great selection of hotels to choose from including a couple of 5* places which is what I seem to have a taste for now so all I have to do now is choose the hotel…….easier said than done.

Diet fad – The caveman diet?

Posted by jamiebarton on September 7, 2011 No comment

Well the latest fad diet out seems a bit farfetched, well on the face of it, it does. The caveman diet is supposed to help our bodies go back to what they can handle and apparently our genetics or nutritional needs have scarcely changed since Palaeolithic times, even though foods available have. So all those processed foods we eat are no good for us and are they are making us fat!

Although I have always thought processed foods weren’t that ‘healthy’ I eating them in small portions can’t be that bad for us however they are! We should be eating more like our hairy ancestors were such as grass-fed pasture raised-meats, fish, vegetables, fruit, roots and nuts which are available still today. However we should avoid grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar and processed oil. Anything that has to be ‘processed’ to be eaten should be avoided because well back in Neanderthal times they wouldn’t have had a Gregg’s sausage roll or the like!

Now I am not 100% sure I could manage this diet as it would mean giving up ‘treats’ that I enjoy but don’t overdo such as cakes, ice cream, chocolate, alcohol and sweets however I do like trying to eat as much natural and non-processed meats and vegetables as possible, so may have to up my veg box order!

Advantages and Disadvantages of Forex Trading

Posted by jamiebarton on September 5, 2011 No comment

There are fundamental differences between the forex market and other investment markets.  A good trader should be able to handle any type of market, no matter the difference, but the forex market does have some unique structural differences that, while many traders find them very advantageous, do come with a certain amount of risk.

Unregulated

The forex market is pretty much unregulated because of its global nature.  The interbank market has a truly global reach, so cross-border regulation can be quite challenging.  Some central banks, like the US Federal Reserve and European Central Bank, do oversee some of the market, but there is very little regulation.  This can be both an advantage and disadvantage.

No Exchanges

There is some exchange-based trading in forex via futures but generally speaking there are no exchanges.  This decentralized trading environment is appealing to some day traders.  There is no regulated exchange therefore all traders trade with each other based on credit agreements.  This can lead to great returns as well as great losses.
Instant Execution and Market Transparency

Forex allows for quick order execution, instant confirmation, and quick returns.  In most cases, you will be trading via the internet, though it is possible to trade over the phone as well.  The forex market has great transparency, which is desired in any trading environment.  Because there are no delays, no floor traders, and high volume, forex is an exciting investment vehicle.

24-Hour Trading

The forex market is a 24-hour market, which is open six days a week, which means investors have the opportunity to trade almost every day.  The range of the forex market offers a lot more opportunity for quick returns on investment.

Health hazards – Please that’s just life

Posted by jamiebarton on September 3, 2011 No comment

I do get irked when I read articles on what is a danger to your health and what isn’t (not that there is much that isn’t a danger to our health). A lot of the time it’s just common sense and most women especially know it and most of the time avoid it, if they can.

I did read recently though many things women do are actually quite dangerous such as:

Heavy hand bags: We have all been guilty at some point, but a lot of the time it’s necessary, especially for mother who don’t just need to carry stuff around for themselves but their children also. I have a lot more in my handbag when I go to work than I do normally as do a lot of women I suspect. Also I think with the introduction of re-usable bags you find your handbag filled up with these before a shopping trip and some are not light. Some women’s bags can weigh up to a stone when full and this can be very damaging to your back, neck and posture so the lighter the better, if you can.

Other things like wearing high heels all the time, wrong bra size and even wearing make-up to bed are also bad for women though I’m sure occasionally wearing high heels and wearing make-up to bed won’t do us too much harm. However I am an advocate of women wearing the right bra size it’s not that hard to get properly measure and is worth it.

Weird celebrity diet

Posted by jamiebarton on August 24, 2011 No comment

I was reading an article the other day about Victoria Beckham and her plans to shift her post pregnancy weight. Now I’m not actually sure how much weight she actually gained, reports suggest 1st 7lb but it didn’t look a lot and recent pictures I have seen of her don’t really show her carrying a lot of extra pregnancy weight however it might just have been the camera angles.

Apparently she is doing the new ‘Five-Hands’ diet which means you can only eat just five handfuls of food a day. Strange I know, according to a source close to the star Victoria has been snacking on palm-sized portions of high protein foods such as smoked salmon, prawns with chilli, scrambled eggs and yellow fin tuna sushi, as well as avoiding carbohydrates. She supplements these meals by drinking lots of water and snacking on goji berries and nuts.

I’m not sure how much energy she will get from this diet though, especially with a new baby and her sons to look after she will need a lot.  But then I guess that is what nannies are for! I personally wish she would have a bit more meat on her bones, looking at someone that thin is not nice, bones shouldn’t protrude that much and your legs shouldn’t look like they could snap.

Now I’m not a jealous fatty before you all start saying so, I just wish people would understand what effects their extreme dieting has on other people especially young girls.

Surprise 30th Birthday Party

Posted by jamiebarton on August 20, 2011 No comment

One of my friends are throwing a surprise 30th birthday party for her husband, and she is making us all wear t-shirts she sent us that she has had printed up with pictures of her hubby when he was little. She used a t shirt printing to make them after finding the perfect picture that was not too rude, (older family members and children will be there) and not too embarrassing (hubby would never forgive her).

At least being provided with a t-shirt to wear means I don’t have to worry about what I’m wearing, all I need to worry about is whether to bring a coat or not, seeing as the weather of recent has been quite hit and miss. I hope it stays dry this weekend, as my friend has organised a full spread for the 30th party including BBQ, so fingers crossed.

I hope everything goes well and her hubby appreciates the effort she has gone too, and I also hope he likes the t-shirts we will be wearing! At least bulk buying printed t-shirts from Adlogo didn’t cost her too much, they give discounts for bulk orders and with over 30 people coming it could have ended up being quite costly.

Solving problems away from home

Posted by jamiebarton on August 18, 2011 No comment

I am visiting a relative in Edinburgh this weekend and am planning on getting her a gift for the weekend. Although I have been to Edinburgh before I’m still not sure where the best shops are. I want to get a nice potted plat display so will need a florist. Luckily I can use City Visitor to find florists in Edinburgh that can easily find.

There is nothing worse than running all around a city I’m not sure how to really get around, but luckily I can set my sat nav to the address park nearby and easily get my flowers, (which I have also pre-ordered on their website. Perfect.

Exercise key to quitting smoking?

Posted by jamiebarton on August 14, 2011 No comment

According to a new study from the Miriam Hospital in Rhode Island, the key to quitting smoking could be pumping iron and their study found that this form of exercise made men and women attempting to quit smoke TWICE as successful!

With a couple of friends who smoke and struggle to quit, as well as having weight issues, this could be the perfect weight for them to kill two birds with one stone!

The researchers at the Miriam Hospital recruited 25 male and female smokers who were between the ages of 18 and 65, who were all also smoking at least 5 cigarettes a day, to take part in the study. They were placed at random into two groups: One group took part in two 60-minute training sessions per week for 12 weeks, while the other group only watched a brief health and wellness video twice a week. Out of this group 16% who were in the resistance training group not only found they quit smoking at the end of the 12 week period, but they also decreased their body weight and body fat as well. Out of those who watched the video only, 8% of them quit smoking and saw an INCREASE in their weight and fat.

It does show that exercise has a lot of health benefits, those who did exercise, probably skipped smoking, so they could have more energy and could probably breath better after stopping.

At the moment there needs to be more research into this link, plus much longer term research, currently 15% of those in the resistance training group had managed not to lapse either in the last three months, which is a good sign.

The Psychology of Forex Trading

Posted by jamiebarton on August 12, 2011 No comment

It has been demonstrated how important the concept of discipline is for the Forex trader.  Without this sort of control of the emotions, the currency market can be a dangerous place to venture into.  Reason needs to dominate the trader’s psyche as far as possible and coupled with the detailed understanding of the way the forex trading system operates; it should be possible to trade consistently at a profit.

Often the danger to this is that after a period of successful small wins, which naturally encourage confidence, a trader may be tempted into looking for a big position and a much higher profit.  Just because there is a potential for a significant gain does not necessarily mean it is the right trade to make.  It is here that the discipline needs to be exercised to ensure that the trade fits well with the agreed strategy.  There is no intrinsic harm in being a little more ambitious when the conditions seem to be appropriate, as that is sometimes where the big money lies.  Yet an emotional or irrational trade can undo much of the hard work that has gone before.

The greed factor affects people in different ways, and if a trader consistently falls prey to it in the belief that a big win will sort any other problems out then it is quite possible to fail.  As with any possibility of making or losing a large amount of capital, it is best to think carefully before making a decision.