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John F. Kennedy and the US
In the life of this great nation, a few of its presidents have emerged from the pack as truly historic and memorable even more than others. Of course, the presidents from the generation of the founding fathers certainly fit that bill including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. And presidents that served the country in times of great crisis also are deeply honored in memory. But in recent memory, there probably no other president that brings up emotions of respect and admiration as much as that of John F. Kennedy.
Kennedy seemed to capture the hearts of the American people in a way that was unique in presidents before or since. Part of it may have been the era in history that the country was in when he became the President of the United States. The historic time between 1950 and 1970 was a time when the largest generation of youth, now known as the “baby boomers”, was coming of age. With them a new youth movement brought a sense of optimism, a “can do” attitude and to some extent a sense of revolution. They were looking for new ways of seeing things, a new vision of the future and new leadership and John F. Kennedy was the perfect man of the hour to provide that leadership.
So much about Kennedy’s presidency has an aura of romance and almost a fairy tale excitement of it. From the naming of his family estates “Camelot” to the love affair that the public had with the strikingly beautiful presidential couple, Jack and Jacqueline Kennedy. That touch of magic extended to everything he did and virtually everybody in his family including his younger brother Robert who was idolized as well and almost certainly would have served as president had he not been tragically assassinated during his early bid for that office.
But this was not to say that Kennedy was not a phenomenal leader. He faced serious challenges. The Cuban Missile Crisis may have been one of the most frightening show downs between a nuclear Russia and a nuclear America that has ever happened in history. When it became clear that Russia was beginning to build bases in Cuba and arm them with those terrible weapons, this was no time for a weak president. Had Russia been able to bully Kennedy or intimidate the young president and put those missiles in Cuba, it seems certain that the outcome of the cold war would have been one of failure rather than success. But Kennedy was not bullied or intimidated and using the power of his office, Kennedy stood his ground and stood ground for all Americans and forced the Russians to remove those missiles.
But this was not the only great accomplishment of Kennedy’s administration. It took a leader who had great vision and ability to inspire a nation as nobody else than John F. Kennedy could to set the sights of the nation on landing on the moon. But Kennedy put that desire and that high calling in the hearts of his people and the nation rallied to finally see that man step out on the moon and declare, “This is one step for man, a giant leap for mankind.” That was one of the proudest days in American history and it was Kennedy who inspired us to that kind of greatness.
As much as the life and leadership of John F. Kennedy perfectly exemplified the optimism and youthful zeal of a generation, his tragic assignation changed the country forever as well. On that sad day of November 22, 1963 when Lee Harvey Oswald gunned down America’s beloved president, the hearts of Americans changed forever.
This was one of those days that almost everybody who was alive at the time, from school children to grandfathers remembered where they were when they heard the news. Since we laid to rest this great leader, the presidency itself has never been the same. While Americans will always respect their presidents, that sense of adoration for the man in the White House disappeared forever. But the thing that did not disappear was the ongoing adoration of the man, John F. Kennedy, who inspired a generation and a nation to look forward to greatness and in the famous words of his inaugural address in 1961…
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Maria V. Marcotte
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George Washington
It is impossible to reflect on the truly great leadership that has been one of the real blessings of this nation without including the name of George Washington in that list. In fact, in almost anyone’s “top ten” list of truly great presidents, Washington would almost certainly top the list. His stature in American history is legendary and the respect Americans have for this their first president borders on adoration of myth.
In fact, there is a lot of myth and some humor about our first president that reflects the love people have for this great leader. From the many quips about his supposed wooden teeth to the thousands of places around the nation that proclaim “George Washington slept here”, to the mythical story of how he threw a silver dollar across the Potomac as a child or his response when he was caught cutting down a cheery tree and responded to the accusation “I cannot tell a lie”, Washington’s myth is strong in the national memory of this great leader.
Washington never set out to become the greatest president of all time or even to be in a position of leadership in the new country he helped to start. He was the one who originated the concept of a “citizen president” and he believed so strongly in that concept that he refused to run for a third term because his time as citizen leader was over. This tradition was sustained with little exception until it was codified into part of our constitution in the form of the 22nd amendment.
But before Washington was a great political leader, he showed his tremendous leadership skills on the field of battle. He learned the art of warfare serving honorably in the French and Indian war and his influence and the respect he had earned during that conflict netted him the title of commander and chief of the American Army when the continental congress created that role in 1775. Small wonder when he ascended to the presidency some years later, he carried the responsibility of commander and chief with him to the presidency where it continues to reside today even though few of our modern presidents have the military credentials of Washington.
When commanding the troops during the revolutionary war, a famous incident that has been captured beautifully by artists was his decision to cross the Delaware in New Jersey to stage a surprise attack and win the battle against the British. It was yet another brilliant maneuver that showed his firm grasp of military strategy and only served to add to his fame and reputation as an outstanding leader of men.
After the war, Washington again was interested in retiring from public life but he was never one to turn away when his nation needed him. And needed him it did as he presided over the Continental Congress to assure the successful drafting of the US Constitution. Of the many great accomplishments of his life, his ability to provide leadership and inspiration to that assembly to produce this masterpiece of American political ligature would certainly be ranked as perhaps his finest hour.
George Washington was rewarded for his superior leadership skills when he was given the awesome responsibility of serving as the nations first President of the United States. His wisdom and insight into what the nation needed at east stage of its early development made him the man of the hour for a struggling republic. Few recognize that one of his greatest contributions to the presidency was recognizing that the nation was torn and weary of war. So using his considerable influence and negotiating skills, Washington signed a number of important treaties that resulted in years of peace that were needed to turn the country from thoughts of war to thoughts of building a great nation.
Washington never tired of providing leadership for two terms as the first American president and it was he who decided not to serve a third term and returned once again to private life. But his impact on the nation and the world was profound and long lasting. It was the kind of nation shaping influence that truly earned him the title associated to him to this day of “father of the nation.” Maria V. Marcotte
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Benjamin Franklin
Sometimes when a country is just getting organized, its citizens are considered to be uneducated, out of touch or primitive. But exactly opposite was the truth when the great American experiment began to take shape. The world did not see America as provincial or simple and that is due to a large part to the work of the man many that many have called “The First American”. That man was Benjamin Franklin.
Benjamin Franklin stands out amongst those we would call “The Founding Fathers” because he was neither a military man nor a politician. He was one of the few we think of a one of our nation’s fathers that never served as president. But that does not mean that his contributions to the start of this great country were not profound and far reaching.
Benjamin Franklin could easily be described as what was popularly known in his day as a “renaissance man”. He was truly proficient in many fields of discipline and he had a mind that was fascinated with all areas of study and knowledge. As such he brought to the discussions with his fellow founding fathers a knowledge of political theory, an awareness of history and an ability to speculate on the perfect union that was crucial to the laying the conceptual foundation of what America would come to be when it blossomed into reality.
For many, we remember Benjamin Franklin as a great scientist and inventor. And to be sure he qualified in that realm as well. Every school boy or girl has that image of him flying that kite to capture electricity to test his theories that is so popular in our mythology of his accomplishments. But these images are no myth for Franklin was truly a great inventor contributing to the world such important innovations as the lightning rod, swim fins, the catheter, the harmonica and bifocals. In that way, Benjamin Franklin had as much in common with Michelangelo as he did with Thomas Jefferson and indeed he was in good company if listed with either.
But it was a political theorist and a philosopher that Franklin made huge contributions to the development of the American experiment in its early formations. It was he who was able to envision the concept of a new American nation. But his talents did not end at his ability to use his powerful mind to envision the future so well. He was also a talented communicator, writer and teacher so he was able to use his eloquence and magnetic personality to promote the idea of an American nation both within the colonies and internationally.
Benjamin Franklin was truly a citizen of the world as he was as comfortable in the courtyards of France as he was in the pubs of Boston. In fact, he was so popular on both sides of the Atlantic that he served as America’s first ambassador to France and therein lies one of his greatest contributions to the independence of the new country. He was able to use his vast popularity and his trained powers of persuasion to cause the French to enter the battle on the side of the colonies against the British which was a major contributor to the success of the revolution to free America from English control and launch the independent American nation.
Franklin’s writings have become treasured documents among the archives of this important time in American history. But just as much as his written work, his influence as a thinker, an intellectual and an international diplomat set the standard for others to follow after him and truly established America as a member of the international community of nations. Maria V. Marcotte
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American Inventions
The history of how America emerged as the premier superpower in the world is about more than just a great military or a homeland so rich in natural resources that we were able to become the breadbasket of the world. There are many forces that combined in the American experiment that has made this country so great. One of those great forces is the phenomenal inventive minds that have graced America virtually since its inception. Starting with the powerful mind of Benjamin Franklin, the history of inventions that started in America and transformed the world is lengthy indeed.
The computer has become so much a part of our lives that we forget that it was once invented. The history of the development of this “futuristic” device is long and filled with genius. The actual first prototypes of the computer were developed by the Defense Department, which is oddly the source of a lot of the great innovations in American history. But it was the early PC developers including Steve Wozniac, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates that took the computer to the level of familiarity we know it to be now and made computers a part of our everyday lives.
Most world changing inventions have a profoundly positive influence on mankind’s quality of life. But an invention that did not improve life but destroyed it is also an American invention that changed the world. That invention, of course, is the Atomic Bomb. Developed by the fabled “Manhattan Project”, this bomb changed everything about war, diplomacy and the way nations relate to one another. And to find a positive amongst all the death the bombings in Japan brought about, that bomb may be one of the key elements that brought an end to a horrific war, World War II. And in the long run, that is a conflict that the world breathed a sigh of relief when it came to an end.
There is a joke that makes its rounds frequently during political jesting that “Al Gore invented the internet.” If he had invented it, he would be a world changing inventor for sure. But it is not out of line to declare that America invented the internet. Again, the original primitive retypes for what became our modern internet was the work of the American Defense Department as a measure to insure that America’s computer security was guarded by decentralizing the network. From this simple goal, the vast World Wild Web has emerged that has transformed everything about how we look at communication, information and knowledge. We have American ingenuity to thank for that.
But of the thousands of American inventions that have done so much in the fields of medicine, technology, research and communications, none can compare to an invention by a brilliant thinker by the name of Henry Ford. That invention, obviously, is the automobile. Just like with some of the other inventions we have talked about, we can hardly imagine a time where there was no such thing as an automobile.
Mr. Ford’s amazing invention literally transformed society not just in America but around the world. From it came the freeway system and an overhaul to how cities and towns are organized and linked together. And while there are downsides to the widespread use of automobiles, it has been a huge leap forward for America and civilization as a whole. And Mr. Ford, like any of the inventors we have talked about and thousands we have not, would see the betterment of mankind as their greatest calling. America has hosted this great calling for centuries and will continue to produce brilliant inventors such as these for a long time to come. Maria V. Marcotte
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America Conquers the Air
If you ask any student even in elementary school why the town of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina is significant to American history, they will know the answer immediately. They will know that this was the place that Orville and Wilber Wright made the first working airplane and discovered that man could fly.
Today, with thousands of airplanes taking to the sky at any given moment and the experience of flying high above the earth as common as riding a bicycle, it seems that a world where men did not fly is as far away as the ancient Romans. But we have to travel in time back to the days before the Wright brothers made their phenomenal discovery and the invention of the first aircraft when there was a time when it was firmly believed that man would never fly like a bird and indeed, man was meant to never fly but always be a terrestrial being. We can be grateful that the Wright brothers did not hold to that belief.
The date of that first successful flight was December 17, 1903. It was on that fateful day that Orville and Wilber successfully flew the first controlled, powered, heavier than air airplane. This break through ranks as one of the greatest inventions of American history and in truth, one of the great inventions of all time as man had been dreaming of being able to fly as far back as we have primitive drawings illustrating that dream.
The Wright brothers were well suited to go through the tedious research to finally create a machine that could accomplish this feat. We all know that great inventions are often the results of hundreds or thousands of failures and tests by which the inventor refines his ideas and makes new discoveries that take him step by step toward that final break through. That was certainly true of the Wright brothers.
Our reference to flight becoming as common as riding a bicycle is well chosen because it was the Wright brothers vocation as mechanics repairing printing presses, motors and bicycles that gave them the knowledge of the inner workings of such machines that was needed to create a machine that could sustain flight. Their work to perfect the design of the common bicycle lead them to believe that conquering flight was not a question of providing sufficient power to the aircraft as it was providing mechanisms of control and balance to properly keep the aircraft steady with sufficient consistency that it could take to the air.
Long before that first successful flight, the Wright brothers conducted their research. Using their bicycle shop as a makeshift laboratory, they first experimented with gliders and unmanned aircraft to refine their theories and their designs. But finally on December 17, 1903, they achieved their dream of manned flight, even if only for a short time. Orville Wright’s account of that first flight is scientific and understated.
“Wilbur started the fourth and last flight at just about 12 o’clock. The first few hundred feet were up and down, as before, but by the time three hundred feet had been covered, the machine was under much better control. The course for the next four or five hundred feet had but little undulation. However, when out about eight hundred feet the machine began pitching again, and, in one of its darts downward, struck the ground. The distance over the ground was measured to be 852 feet; the time of the flight was 59 seconds.”
Little did the Wright brothers know that an entire new industry would be built around these simple experiments. Moreover, they had achieved a dream man had dreamed for centuries, to actually be able to fly above the ground and come back safely. It is truly one of the great accomplishments of American history. Maria V. Marcotte
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Contact LensesVersus Glasses
As you probably already know, there are quite a few differences between contact lenses and eye glasses. Glasses have been around a lot longerthan contacts, although most people prefer to wearcontacts instead of glasses. Contacts have become popular over the years, proving to be the best alternative to wearing bulky glasses.
When you compare contacts against glasses, there are several things that stick out like a sore thumb. The first difference in the two is the field of vision. Glasses offer good front vision, although their peripheral vision is quite poor. Contact lenses on the other hand offer you a great field of vision, including peripheral. You won’t be hindered to just looking straight ahead, as contact lenses allow you to look anywhere you want without any problems.
Another major difference is the weight. Glasses are uncomfortable weight on both your ears and your face. They also need to be tightened on a frequent basis, along with adjusting. Contacts on the other hand don’t weigh anything at all. When you wear contacts you don’t need to worry about tightening them or worry about them constantly sliding your face – which can be very annoying.
Glasses are also known to fog up frequently, and they are very distracting during any kind of sports you play. Contacts however, don’t fog up. You can carry out any activity you choose without having to worry about them all. They won’t fall off or slide down your nose when you run, nor will they limit what you can do when you play sports.
Another bad thing about glasses is the fact they need to match what you wear. If you have casual frames, they may not suit your evening attire. The colors may also clash, which is a bad thing for those who crave style. Unlike glasses, contact lenses will compliment everything you wear, for the simple fact that they don’t stick out.
Although there are quite a few differences between the two, they do have a few things in common as well. Both glasses and contacts require cleaning and careful handling. You’ll need to spray your glasses and wipe them off a few times each day. Contacts need to be cleaned as well, before you put them in and soaked in solution when you aren’t using them. You may also need to use eye drops as well throughout the day when wearing contacts, especially if your eyes start to dry out.
Glasses and contact lenses can both correct astigmatism as well. If you have astigmatism, you can wear either glasses or contacts. Astigmatism is an odd cornea shape that impairs vision, common with older people. Although most people think that only glasses will correct this problem, contacts can fix the problem as well.
The best thing about both contacts and glasses is the fact that they are both affordable. You can get contacts and glasses at very affordable prices. Considering the fact that you will probably be wearing them for the rest of your life, they will be the best purchase that you’ll ever make. Over the years, you’ll get your money back and then some for each day you wear either of them.
No matter which one of the two you decide to go with, you are sure to get the vision you need. If you aren’t lucky enough to have perfect vision, contact lenses and glasses are the perfect way to correct your vision. If you’ve been living with not so great vision, contacts and glasses are the ideal way to do the things you love – with perfect vision. Maria V. Marcotte
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Baby Gift Basket Ideas
Planning to host a baby shower? Or a friend of yours recently gave birth to a healthy bouncing baby? How else could you express that you care for that friend of yours and her baby? A baby gift basket could be the best present that would express your concern.
A baby gift basket is one of those themed gift baskets that are presented containing items that are of value to the recipient. Oftentimes these baby gift baskets contain the following items that will surely give delight to the new parents and to the new addition. You could make use of this information to create or stuff your own baby gift basket that will rid you of those more expensive commercialized kinds.
Nursery room items. These include colorful mobiles to keep the baby busy, lullaby music to soothe the infant, and nursery rhymes CD’s. Bigger items like layettes, changing mats for tables and cribs, and other furniture for the baby may be found in de luxe baby gift baskets. Educational toys are also good to make the baby gift basket more beneficial in stimulating the baby’s mental development.
Toys R Us. The following toys are also nice to place inside your baby gift basket. Rattles, pacifiers, teethers, feeding bottles, infant cups, bibs and spoons are also useful add-ons in your baby gift basket.
Bath Bath Baby. Bath products for babies are also commonly found in baby gift baskets. These include baby shampoo, baby powder, baby towels, wipes, bubble bath, brush set and tub toys that the baby will surely enjoy in the near future. Baby clothing’s could also be considered as one of the best baby gift basket goodies that one could ever give. Just be sure that the clothes you’ll give suit the gender of the baby.
If you are to a baby gift basket to someone with a toddler or a young kid, the items should also suit the baby’s age. Soft toys, board books, board games, piggy banks will certainly win the jump with delight of a toddler. Clothes for toddlers are also nice to include in your baby gift basket.
If one is intending to give the baby gift basket as a baby shower present, it will be nice if baby cookies, baby cakes, jelly beans and other baby foods will be found there. Announcement and invitation cards may also bring some added surprise to the recipient of the basket. Small picture frames and albums could also add more fun to your baby gift basket. Surely, this sweet gesture will be appreciated.
Gourmet food, wines and other fine food may also be placed inside a baby gift basket for the parent’s celebration.
Oftentimes, bows and ruffles adorn the baby gift basket. But one could still be more creative by doing a decoupage of baby pictures or baby items. Other handmade crafts may add personal touch to your basket. They could be in the form of papier mache’, origami, sculpture, small painting, woven or knitted items, etc.
If the one giving the baby gift basket intends to give it during a christening celebration or baptism, a small bible, silver cups and any symbolic item that adheres to the theme of the celebration and that the recipient’s religion appreciates may also be placed in the basket.
A small gesture like giving out a well-thought of baby basket can surely go a long way. The recipient’s smile is enough to mean a sincere thanks. Maria V. Marcotte
Colored contact lenses are a great way to sharpen and enhance the look of your eyes. Unlike traditional contacts, colored lenses are a great way to show off your contacts, with colors that are completely fun. You can have a lot of fun with colored lenses – especially when you show them off to friends and family – who don’t know you have them.
All around the world, thousands and thousands of people wear colored lenses. Contact lenses themselves all the best alternative to glasses, with colors being the next best thing. Colors add flair and personality to contact lenses, giving people the chance to be different. When you add color to your lenses – you are telling the world that you are different.
No matter what color you are interested in, you can find colored lenses that match your preference. There are hundreds of different styles available, from kids to adults. You’ll also have several different manufacturers to choose from as well, which makes it easier than ever to get a pair of colored lenses that you can depend on.
Even though colored lenses are popular, there are several people who feel as if they will damage the eyes. Colored lenses work exactly the same as traditional contacts, and won’t damage your eyes as long as you clean them and take care of them. If you clean them like you should and soak them in solution for a few hours when you take them out, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
Each and every colored contact has the color or design coded on the contact itself. When you wear a pair of these lenses, it is actually the color that has been coded into the contact that projects the colored image everyone sees when they look in your eyes. The color of the contact shines through, making it appear that your eyes are indeed the exact same color as your contacts.
Colored contacts work the same as other types of contacts. You simply use your prescription for contacts and select the color you want. If you are ordering them online, you’ll find hundreds and hundreds of different colors and images. There are more colors and selections available online – making it the best way to invest in your contact lenses.
If you’ve been thinking about adding some flair to your contacts, you should look into getting a pair of colored lenses. They will give you the vision you need, along with different colored “eyes” that can really mess with someone’s head. Kids love them as well, as they give them the chance to express themselves. From kids to adults – colored contact lenses are the ideal way to be different – and improve your vision at the same time. Maria Marcotte
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When choosing the sunglasses that best fit you, three factors should be considered. First and foremost, sunglasses are used to protect your eyes. A pair of sunglasses that offer no protection can actually be more harm than good. Secondly, your sunglasses should feel comfortable. Finally, you want to look good in your shades, so pick a pair with some consideration of style.
Sunglasses can be made of many different varieties of materials. These materials also carry with them different levels of protection. As you sift through the masses, remember that protection is the reason you are wearing sunglasses. Find out about the level of UV ray protection they offer and avoid those that cannot provide 99-100% protection from UVA and UVB radiation.
Dark sunglasses do less for your eyes than you think. A darker tint makes it more comfortable for you to see in the bright sun. However, if those dark glasses fail in offering the protection you need from harmful rays, they may be causing more harm than good. Dark shaded sunglasses make it easier for you to open your eyes, allowing UVA and UVB rays greater access to your eyes to cause more damage. If forced to choose, you are better off with a pair of sunglasses with UVA protection and a light gray tint than in dark lenses with no UVA protection.
There are also additional measures you can take with your sunglasses to help protect your baby blues (Or your greens, browns and grays. They’re all equally important!) Many sunglasses have a wrap-around design that widens around the temples and appears to wrap around your head. This design blocks the sun from the sides of your face, offering greater protection than smaller framed glasses. If your precious eyesight is not enough to convince you to be choosey about your sunglasses, consider one more thing. When you squint your eyes, you are causing your forehead and sides of your face to wrinkle. No one wants crow’s feat before their time.
After protection, comfort is the next most important part of picking out your eyewear. Consider the tint of the lens. For very bright settings where the sun has surfaces to reflect off of, polarized lenses may be helpful. Polarized sunglasses reduce the glare caused by the sun hitting the water, snow or other surface. Even though you may be blocking out the harmful UVA and UVB rays, you’re not going to care much if you can’t see anything.
When you try on sunglasses, pay attention to how they feel on your face. Does the nosepiece rest firmly on the bridge of your nose without sliding? Is the frame a good fit for your face and rests gently over your ears? This is a helpful checklist when sunglass shopping. If the sunglasses are going to cause you discomfort, you’ll be more likely to take them off. If that’s the case, why have them in the first place?
Although it should never be your number one consideration, fashion should be a factor in the selection of your sunglasses. It is not absolutely necessary that you wear the designs you see celebrities sporting at all times. Those shades may be easier to find than others, but they’re not the only ones out there. Pick frames that flatter the shape of your face and complement your style.
A good rule of thumb is to choose a frame shape that is the opposite of your facial shape. A round face goes well with a pair of oval or square sunglasses. The worst shape for the round face is a pair of round frames. Likewise, an thinner or longer face looks great with a pair of round frame sunglasses, but not so much with a square set of frames. Oval shaped faces have their pick of shapes, they are the most versatile. “Lucky!”
Just be smart when shopping for sunglasses. Remember what you’re buying them for, and pick styles that complement you. When you choose sunglasses based on these three factors your eyes will thank you. They’ll be protected, stylish, happy, and you will be too. Maria V. Marcotte
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We know by simply looking around that sunglasses are a pop culture phenomenon. Have you ever stopped to wonder how they became this way? Humans seem to have an obsession with sunglasses as more than protection for their eyes. Sunglasses make a statement about the face they’re sitting on, and can add much needed style to an ensemble. One has to wonder how sunglasses came to be what they are today.
Sunglasses have been worn and made infamous throughout the years by a variety of icons and legends. Some of these iconic names have even been given to their chosen signature style. Former First Lady and American Royalty Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis had a particular favorite style of sunglasses. This oversized look was coined as “Onassis Glasses” or “The Jackie O” and will probably never be known by any other name.
Sir Elton John has paraded his courageous fashions on stage for the past four decades. Known for his amazing way with Ivory keys, and his crazy fashion statements, Elton John has inspired stylistic insanity with his share of peculiar eyewear. He has been seen on stage wearing some of the most imaginative and artistic sunglasses the world has ever known.
However wacky the designs have been, Sir Elton John’s trademark is not necessarily in the frames of the sunglasses he wore. Lenses of all different shades have been this icon’s signature style. Whether yellow, blue or purple, Sir Elton seems to like the way the world looks through these colorful shades.
James Dean helped make one particular style of sunglasses popular. The 1950′s movie star could often be seen wearing the style known as the Wayfarer. This simple design of sunglasses made famous by the “Rebel Without a Cause” is proof that even the most uncomplicated ideas can take off with a little bit of fame behind them.
Later, James Belushi and Dan Aykroyd put their own spin on the retro sunglasses. The Blue Brothers movie of 1980 saw the two sporting the Wayfarer style in a more modern, sleek, black look. The glasses came back in style briefly and made other appearances on the screen, such as Risky Business. No girl can forget a young Tom Cruise in underwear, a dress shirt and his Wayfarers doing a sideways sock-slide to “Old Time Rock and Roll”.
Musicians are known for setting style trends, including sunglasses. In reality, the reason so many musicians began wearing sunglasses while they performed is that the stage lights can be blinding. Additionally, during the 1960′s and 1970′s, musicians like John Lennon, Ozzy Osbourne and Janice Joplin were said to have worn the sunglasses all the time as a way of disguising mysteriously bloodshot eyes. This theory has not been proven, so we can all assume they wore them because they looked cool.
John Lennon and Ozzy Osbourne helped bring the Teashades into popular culture. Other musicians such as Mick Jagger and Janice Joplin favored this style. This style of sunglasses is still mostly associated with former Beatle John Lennon. This is perhaps because not only were they his preferred shape for sunglasses, but his corrective lenses were this shape as well.
Movie and rock stars are not the only ones that have made sunglasses what they are today. The United States Military has had a hand in coining what is possibly the most famous sunglasses style in history. In the 1930′s, Ray Ban designed sunglasses that were sold to the U.S. Military to be issued to pilots. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Aviators are born. This is quite possibly the strangest fashion trend setter yet: the United States Government!
Another example of the average Joe popularizing a fashion trend is in the case of the “cop shades” or Mirror Shades. Police officers favored this design and it quickly made its place in pop culture trivia books everywhere. A popular theory for this preference is that police officers like the intimidating vibe they gave off. It is somewhat unnerving to look into a one-way mirrored pair of sunglasses and not know the expression of the person looking back.
Many people have played a part in making sunglasses the pop culture icon they are today. You don’t have to be a movie star, musician, or government official to start a fashion trend. Pick up a pair of sunglasses that looks good on you, even if they have been out of style since the Reagan Administration. Wear them with pride; you never know when it might catch on!
Maria V. Marcotte
