Fun In The Workplace: Office Fun

History of Forced Tattoo

The history of forced tattooing is ancient, and it may be almost as old as the history of tattooing itself. Fortunately, forced tattooing has always been and continues to be very rare, except in certain subcultures. For people who have suffered forced tattooing, the experience can be extremely traumatic, but it can also be a starting point for discussions of atrocities and the underworld, and some victims of forced tattoos have spoken out about their experiences and welcome questions and discussion.
The oldest example of forced tattooing is debatable, but it is probably the use of tattooing in tribal initiation ceremonies. Many tribes around the world have a history of tattooing as part of their cultural and religious beliefs, and such tattooing often takes place during initiation into adulthood. In these situations, the initiate cannot actively choose to get tattoos, and he or she may be pressured into it out of fear of rejection or mockery. However, this is not the case with most native tribal tattoos; many people wear their tattoos with pride, and they enjoy being part of the living history of their people.

Another of the most ancient uses of forced tattooing is in the identification of criminals. The Romans, for example, marked repeat offenders with tattoos to make them easy to identify, and this practice was also adopted in some other regions of Europe. In Japan, criminals were tattooed on their foreheads in the 17th century, ensuring that they could never conceal the marks. Most forced tattooing of criminals consisted of a distinctive mark which identified someone as a criminal, but didn't necessarily indicate the crime.
Because of the link between tattoos and criminality in some cultures, criminals in various regions of the world practice forced tattooing on each other to mark themselves. In both Russia and Japan, for example, members of gangs may be tattooed after significant life events, and they may not be offered the freedom of choice. Forced tattooing is also sometimes used in gang initiations, especially in North America, with members of the gang marking initiates very distinctively, ensuring that they will find it difficult to leave the gang life.
European explorers in the South Pacific sometimes returned with stories about being kidnapped and tattooed by the Polynesians, although research suggests that sailors simply told these stories to attract attention, and to explain the body art they returned with. Such stories ensured that sailors would be welcomed into high-class salons and events, with sailors literally paying for their entrance with their stories and by allowing curious people to inspect their tattoos.
One of the most infamous examples in the history of forced tattooing is from the Holocaust, when people were tattooed upon entering concentration camps, work camps, and death camps. These tattoos consisted of identification numbers which were used to track people. Especially for members of the Jewish faith, these tattoos were extremely traumatic, because Jewish law forbids tattoos; fortunately, rabbinical judgments have determined that forced tattoos or tattoos which are needed for medical reasons do not violate Jewish law. After the Holocaust, some survivors attempted to conceal or remove their tattoos, while others have chosen to leave their tattoos visible to remind people of the events of the Holocaust.
Some members of the tattoo community also refer to a concept which they call “rape by tattoo,” a situation in which a tattoo is used like a weapon. This can take the form of a forced tattoo, but it may also involve tattooing someone's name or artwork without consent. While it may seem a bit odd to think of being traumatized by having your name tattooed onto someone else, this can be a very emotionally charged act which can make the victim feel as though he or she has lost a part of the soul.

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Tattoo Coloring Books , Coloring Pages, Clipart, Tattooed Japanese Lady Wall Scrolls

Tattoo fans and coloring artist have a few things in common these days, its interesting to is how things evolve in arts and crafts, when people come up with imaginative ideas to create works of art. The Japanese Tattoo Art Stained Glass Coloring Book is one of the books in my collection of coloring books. I love the beautiful tattoo designs being incorporable into coloring books.

You will find a nice selection of books, poster, and more. Coloring or painting pages is an enjoyable hobby, its relaxing to do. Crafters can use these coloring pages as patterns for many different paper and wood crafts. They are decorative fantasy tattoos for adults.

The History of Geisha

First geisha appeared in the early 1600s. After 8 centuries of fighting among the warrior lords, the country was united under a military dictator, or shogun. Tokugawa Ieyasu quelled the internal warfare, unified most of the country, and in 1603 became shogun, establishing his government in Edo (now Tokyo). This Edo-based shogunate lasted some 265 years and is called the Edo period. Under shogun rule, Japan isolated itself entirely from the rest of the world. During that time, prostitution was controlled. Special “pleasure quarters” were set up. The pleasure quarters became the places of sexual freedom. Exclusive prostitutes or courtesans would entertain samurai warriors. It was there where the first geisha appeared. These geisha were men. They also were called jesters (hokan) or drum bearers (taiko-mochi), and they were there to make the guests laugh. In 1751, some customers in a Shimabara brothel were surprised when a female drum bearer came to their party. She was referred to as geiko, the term still used in Kyoto instead of geisha. By 1780 female geisha outnumbered the men; by 1800, a geisha was a woman.
Even after the novelty wore off, female geisha remained in high demand. By the 1750s, the licensed quarters had already been in existence for 150 years, and yujo (the prostitutes) were not as skilled in the arts as they had once been. In fact, the entertainment of the pleasure quarters had probably gone a little stale. The new female geisha took the quarters by storm. They sang popular songs; they were fun to talk to. And although in the official hierarchy of the licensed quarters, geisha stood near the bottom, customers preferred the fresh-faced geisha with her shamisen to a high-ranked yujo.
The geisha in the licensed quarters were forbidden to sleep with the yujo’s customers. In 1779 geisha were recognized as practicing a distinct profession, and a registry office (kenban) was set up to provide and enforce rules of conduct for them. Geisha were not to wear flamboyant kimono, or combs and jeweled pins in their hair. Arthur Golden further explains:A traditional image of a geisha in the West is often confused with what was a prostitute from the 1800s. The look of a prostitute and the geisha is very distinct. Geisha tie their obi tied in the back. A prostitute, on the other hand, wear her obi tied in the front: she is taking her kimono on and off all night; she can’t have a dresser come in, so she ties it in front herself. Also, the image of lots of hair ornaments — it is also of the prostitutes. Geisha wear much simpler ones. (The Secret)
Under these regulations, geisha completely separatedfrom the prostitutes. Geisha prospered. The simplicity of their appearance became highly popular. They spread over the country while Japan continued to shut itself out from the rest of the world.
World War II also had great influence on the image of geisha. Japan proclaimed war against the United States. The Japanese were sure they would win because the emperor’s power was divine. After the United States bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrendered. The country had been devastated. The United States Army headed by Gener al McArthur came to Japan. Already a year and a half before the surrender, the war was having its effect on the geisha districts. The expensive restaurants at which they entertained were required to close at eleven, and geisha to cease entertainment at ten. Sayuri recalls the times of Depression during World War II:
Our okiya had been stripped off the things other families had lost long ago, such as stores of food, undergarments, and so forth. … The neighborhood association began confiscating many of our ceramics and scrolls to sell them on what we called the “gray market,” which was different from the black market. … It was mainly housewives selling off their precious things to raise cash.
The geisha districts were required to close down completely on March 5, 1944. Since the geisha houses were closed, the Americans looked for fun elsewhere:Even as the Meiji government had essayed to provide ladies of pleasure for early foreign visitors and residents, so the Japanese government thought to do it for the Occupation forces. Soon after the surrender there was a poster in Ginza inviting young ladies to join a “recreation and amusement association” for the entertainment of the Americans. It had a few gatherings in the basement of a Ginza department store, but soon became a cabaret for Japanese. The government early indicated a willingness to set aside a generous number of pleasure quarters for the exclusive use of the Occupation.
The American troops found pleasure with the streetgirls. They called them geisha (wrongly pronounced “geesha”). The new “geisha” had neither the accomplishments nor the brains of the real ones. However, Americans used the term geisha because it was easy and convenient. Japan lost the war, and the geisha their reputation.


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How & Why To Write a Book

Book Writing

Book Writing is the art to compile your thoughts and ideas into words, sentences and then convert them into a big piece__ A book. In other words, it is a transformation of intangible to tangible.
Writing a book is no rocket science and everyone with a little interest in what he/she wants to present plus a fair idea of how to present, can write a book.

Why Write a Book

Writing a book is not only a personal accomplishment but it expands you knowledge on a certain topic, by making you a kind of mini-expert. So why to let go of a chance on becoming a mini-specialist in your area of interest, especially if you are up to the challenge.

How to Write a Book

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You should start book writing by trying to write a short book, because It is easier to write as compared to a novel or long piece of fiction.

• To write a short book, start by breaking the whole idea into different segments. Each segment will be the chapter of your book
• You can prepare a rough manuscript of your book and then keep on editing and re-editing it as you work through the later chapters
• In case of a short book, you do not have to worry about matching up to some requisite volume. Your short book can even be of fifteen pages or less, if that is the material that you have come up with. However, in case of writing a short book, you have to be very qualitative and thorough with the subject that you are dealing in. Every chapter and paragraph should be worthy and to the point
• You can get your book published in paperback equally well, rather than going for hardback copies

While Writing a Book…

Remember, no ideas are formed in solace. So discuss your idea and theme with friends, colleagues, activity partners on internet to get insights and add-ons.

• Match up your own ideas with examples and real life experiences to make content more captivating and interesting
• Simplicity is the key when it is about presenting your ideas
• In terms of vocabulary, adopt and follow your own style
• Feel free to experiment with words and phrases, since it is YOUR book
• If you are writing a children’s book, then they are your informants. Indulge and converse with them to get ideas and insights.
• Observe objects, things, people and situations related to your book’s theme
• Do not give yourself away to pen and paper. Indulge in reading that has been done on the subject of your book, to keep yourself tuned

What is Creative Writing?

Explaining Creative Writing Story Starters

Creative writing story starters are the jump start sentences that provide an opening for a story, novel or piece of fiction. Like me, most of the people around face trouble in starting of with a creative writing starter. Sometimes it just doesn’t come and you are stuck up bad. At other times, I have experienced to have ideas rolling in my mind but just cannot seem to get them down in words.
Then there are times, when I do manage to write something down finally, but there is this bugging-frustration of it not being WHAT I WANT. Well, that is the explanation of creative writing story starters. So it is more of a task rather than an innocent term.

Creative Writing Story Starters: TIPS

Hmmm, this is one is interesting. There are a few tips that have saved my vexed brain most of the times. For once, I have found that whenever you are confronting a problem and it just doesn’t seem to get fixed __time to take a break. If that doesn’t seem to work then try out the following cheats:

• Tweak up clichés, anecdotes and idioms
• Be weird and all out by jotting down all-what comes-to-mind on a paper or MS Word. Some minutes later, take a look to see, what stands out. This works to get terrific creative writing story starters
• Do not try to put words in the moth of your character. Instead dwindle over his/her persona and let the words come out themselves
• Don’t go crazy if you cannot put down a complete sentence. Jot down words randomly, as they come and then play around with synonyms feature of MS Word

Creative Writing Story Starters: IDEAS

Ideas for creative writing story starters are here, there and everywhere. You only have to align your creative thinking to grab at the wandering straws.
Try out the following…

• Grab a novel or book that is close to your plot and leaf through to hijack inspiration
• Indulge into a prolonged reverie
• Try to get high through music and scents
• Procrastinate
• Watch a movie closer to the theme that is bugging you
• Take a walk
• Explore surroundings
• Procrastinate

Getting Inspiration for Creative Writing Story Starters

In case you do not know what you have to write about, but just want to write something, then the best advice is to get inspired first. Inspiration can always come as a surprise package. You never know what might get you obsessed. So it is best to be open and connected towards the surroundings to absorb natural stimulations.
P.S. Like always, do let me if there is something that you would like to include that get you rolling on creative writing story starters.

Creative Writing Tips and Techniques

• 5 Ways to Improve Clear and Creative Thinking
• Creative Writing Process: Making Use of Mental Connectors
• Mental Makeover 1 : Thinking Like Cats and Writing Like Dogs

Creative Writing Ideas

• Creative Writing Ideas
• Delicious Preps of a Writing Project

Creative Writing Exercises

• 8 Creative Writing Exercises to Fire-Up Your Creative Fuels

Creative Writing Prompts

• Inspirational Tips for Creative Writing Story Starters

Writer’s Block

Creative Writing for Kids

Poetry

Short Stories

Novel Writing Software

What are Novel Writing Soft wares?

All the creative writers here would agree that they usually come at a point in the process of novel writing that their minds are bubbling with creative twists, characters and plots but the ability to express in words seems to have kicked the bucket—now the question arises: how should such a situation be treated? Well, in this case it is highly recommended by professional writers and novelists that you take assistance from the novel writing soft wares which have been specially designed to prevent writer’s block.
A number of novel writing soft wares are available on the Internet which can either be downloaded for free or purchased at a reasonable price. Below you will find a brief description of the best novel soft wares.

Writer’s Cafe

If you are into writing fiction novels, then writer’s cafe is just the right software which will help you build writing flow. Whether you are a rookie or a pro writer, you will naturally experience writer’s block—writer’s cafe is made of tools which provide you sample plots and storylines for speeding up the process of novel structuring and creation.
As the software is especially designed for writers who make use of mighty ingredient called ‘Imagination’ to create their master pieces; so to ensure that writer do not run out of his only solid ingredient, the creator Harriet Smart has designed the software in the form of a colorful playground where the writer can play with words, characters and plot to cook the best piece of fiction. Writer’s cafe is compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux. It can be purchased for an amount of US$45 and for students it comes with a concession of US$11. A guide in the form of e book comes with the purchase which contains tips, writing ideas and writing exercises to rev up the writing experience.

Storybook

Storybook is yet an another amazing software which allows the writers to produce novels while maintaining a complete overview of similar plot lines that may be present in various other novels and books. Storybook serves to structure the novel in a readable manner. The features on the interface are meant for designing and organizing characters, plot, scenes and chapters.
All these features are user friendly—the best part of Storybook is that it can be downloaded from the Internet free of cost. It keeps track of all the chapters you write with respect to date and the sequence of the story and make sure that a scene once written is not repeated again. The windows of the software toggle like a dynamic brain map.

PageFour

PageFour is a software popular among the tribe of creative writers. The purpose of PageFour is not only to assist writers in making their writing better—in fact, it has been created to make the job of writers easy while they arrange the write out. PageFour is so far the only software which comes with easy to use features, 1001 in numbers—majority are those which sound quite unfamiliar to the writers but once they start using those features, they realize that they have already wasted a lot of time in managing and arranging what they write.
The software is not heavy at all and is compatible with MS Word. You can create as many files and folders you want in the PageFour interface; in this one application, you can store in as many creative writing pieces as you want without having to worry about the data loss. Like Storybook, it is also available for download on the Internet for free.

Marshall Plan Novel Writing Software

Once you purchase Marshall Plan Novel Writing Software, you will realize that art of novel writing is not as tough as is thought to be. Once you have a rough idea in your mind, you need to input the idea into the software, you will see that a number of templates and suggestions will appear right in front of you which are meant to give a serious direction to your concept.
There are special templates for characters, plot, scenes, dialogues and climax which are really helpful in letting you know how to go about creating your manuscript. I recommend the Marshall Plan Novel Writing Software for those who are new into the line of creative writing.

yWriter

yWriter is a software created by an expert programmer Simon Haynes. What separates yWriter from other writing software available is its feature which allows writers to go on with novel writing scene by scene and not chapter wise.
The job is simplified for the creative writers because this way they will be able to concentrate on a small writing portion and eventually do creation at their best. yWriter can also be downloaded free by Windows and Mac users. It is regarded as one of the most versatile and user friendly novel writing soft wares.