Noble House Custom Tailors

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I have had about a dozen suits and two dozen shirts from Vijay over the years, and these two blasts seem to me beyond credibility.

First, the work is guaranteed with reimbursement for any additional tailoring or alterations necessary which you can have done by your local tailor.  This, even if you have lost or gained a lot of weight since the measurements.

Second, how can the man complain about the fabric when he selected the fabric himself from the thousands of swatches available.  If he didn't examine the swatches (which are categorized by quality, origin, and price) then he assumed the risk of getting something unsatisfactory.  Mr. Wadwanhi would not be lugging 100 pounds of fabric swatches around the world four times a year through airports and hotels every other day if he didn't want customers to carefully consider and approve their own fabric choice.

My suits all have 1-5/8 inch cuffs, pleated trousers, and are otherwise standard timeless Brooks Brothers style.  I have a huge barrel chest, which has been beautifully accommodated in the jackets and shirts.   My shirts have 3-1/2 inch button down collars, two button cuffs, and two breast pockets.   Half of the suits and sport coats contain a magician's topit based on the pattern sold by Michael Ammar.  This works wonderfully and secretly with no effect on the drape of the suit.  The topit is part of my standard patterns at Noble House.

This is a dying art and Vijay will not be around forever.  He has never taken a sick day and is incredibly productive and wise.  If you want to dress well, get with Noble House soon.  You won't regret it.  It is guaranteed.

50 Years Old is a Curio or Relic.

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To be recognized as C&R items, 478.11 specifies that firearms must fall within one of the following categories:

1. Firearms which were manufactured at least 50 years prior to the current date, but not including replicas of such firearms;
2. Firearms which are certified by the curator of a municipal, State, or Federal museum which exhibits firearms to be curios or relics of museum interest; and
3. Any other firearms which derive a substantial part of their monetary value from the fact that they are novel, rare, bizarre, or because of their association with some historical figure, period, or event.

Firearms automatically attain C&R status when they are 50 years old. Any firearm that is at least 50 years old, and in its original configuration, would qualify as a C&R firearm. It is not necessary for such firearms to be listed in ATF’s C&R list. Therefore, ATF does not generally list firearms in the C&R publication by virtue of their age.

poverty soup

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Poverty Soup: Chap. 2

Filed in The Gentrys Pantry by Walter on March 13, 2014 • 0 Comments

Poverty Soup: Chap 2

The immigrants from Southern Italy that came to America in the early years of the XX Century came here fleeing poverty.  Not for them the traditional middle-class midday meal ofprimo, segundo, and a salad.  No, those laborers and small holders were left destitute by the earthquakes of 1905, 1908 and 1915.  They considered themselves lucky if they could manage a bowl of soup and a serving of polenta.  Fortunately for them that bowl of soup was easy to make, very filling and nutritious.  It could keep a man or a woman working hard through the rest of the long day in the field or hunched over a workbench until even the candlelight wasn’t enough to see by.  So, what are the principals?

Poverty Soup 2:  Basics

Most stews and soups in Italy, whether North or South, begin with what is known as asoffritto, the Italian version of the French mirepoix.  Unlike the French version, asoffritto begins with olive oil, poured into a heated pan and allowed to warm until fragrant.  Into this are poured a selections of mixed vegetables that will vary by the desired intent but most often consist of finely minced onion, carrot and celery (or parsley) in the proportions of 4:2:1.  This can be done by volume but weighing the ingredients is more accurate.  I want to emphasize that the ingredients should be very finely minced, not just chopped.  Unless you are a very patient cook doing this in a blender or food processor is the easiest route but of course if you had either a blender or a food processor you couldn’t claim to be in poverty, could you?  There isn’t any order to putting them in the pot.  Just heat the oil and toss in the vegetables.  The secret is in letting them brown to the degree the dish requires. This is only learned by experience and practice.  Once you have the soffritto cooked pour in water.  If you have a stock, it’s even better but we’re assuming a serious state of poverty here and a stock is out of the question.

Poverty Soup 2:  The Heart of the Issue

A Minestrone gets it’s nutritional benefit from the vast array of vegetables put in it, the protein derived from beans (usually white or red) and the Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top.  For centuries Parmesan or Romano cheese provided the bulk the protein intake of Italy’s poor.  And for most of those centuries, that meant the bulk of Italy.  So, what should go in?   What’s in the garden?  Cabbage will be a main ingredient though if you live in a hot climate Swiss Chard is less prone to bolt.  Chopped tomatoes should be a matter of course, at least since they were introduced from the Americas.  Naturally there will be more onions than just the ones in the soffritto.  Being neither in poverty nor a purest, I use canned dried beans.  The original would not have had such a luxury but naturally they would be pre-cooked before going into the soup.  But they should be there.  Yes, I know that others leave them out of the recipe but for nutrition’s sake, the vegetable protein is what makes this version nutritious rather than just filling.  Carrots?  If you’ve got them.  A cup or two of either small pasta likestellini or rice helps fill the family.  My recommendation is to go with the whole grain version or brown rice because I’m a firm believer in a low glycemic index diet but that’s up to you.  Leeks are popular.  Spinach is big in my family.  Root tops like beet or turnip add B complex vitamins and if you shred a turnip and toss it in, it will make a pleasant spiciness many enjoy.  Now turn down the heat and let it simmer–preferably all morning or, better yet, on the simmer plate on the back of the stove over night.  When all the flavors blend together this soup for the poor is a dish for a king.

Poverty Soup:  Serving

In today’s well-fed world our poverty minestrone ceases to be a full meal and becomes theprimo, the first course.  Less fattening and more nutritious than a big plate of pasta, it’s just as traditional.  It’s also better when the weather turns cold.  So put the pot on the table while the roast chicken rests prior to carving and let everyone ladle themselves a big bowl.  But don’t forget the fresh grated Parmesan!  Combining the animal and vegetable proteins with all the various vitamins from the vegetables is what makes this poverty soup a full meal–even if it’s only the first course.  Mangia!

Weaves and Materials Guide

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History of Rug Knotting and Kilim Weaving

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Fred's Lecture on Carpet



History of Rug Knotting and Kilim Weaving

Although no one knows precisely when and where the technique of weaving first started, there is no doubt that the weaving art, in general, started in Central Asia. A population explosion caused the inhabitants of that area to migrate to the western parts of Asia in order to find more prosperous land. These migrating tribes were called Yoruks or nomadic tribes. During their migrations, these nomads, who were exposed to severe weather conditions, learned to use goat hair in the making of their tents. Goat hair is longer and much stiffer than sheep's wool. The flat weave technique was used in the making of nomadic tents.

Just as with a little girl's braided pony-tail where strands of the shorter and stiffer hair stick out, the goat hair sticks out of the woven fabric, gets wet, drops and partially cover the holes in the flat weave, thus making the tent almost waterproof. Later on, these nomadic people felt the need to isolate themselves from the humidity present in the earthen floors of their tents. They then applied the very same techniques of flat weave to the making of floor coverings and called them "Kilims.” Since this was the area of paganism, most flat weave designs reflected stylized depictions of the worshipped symbols.

Over a period of time, the art of weaving improved and many items useful in every day life were woven: for example saddlebags for horses and camels that could be used in the transportation of many types of items. 

The Yoruks also wove kilims with goat hair and used them as warm blankets since the fibers were so long just as in today's Siirt blankets. It's thought that these early blankets were woven in imitation of actual animal pelts. Kilims were also woven as room dividers in the tents, as well as for cradles, with the corners tied to the overhead tent poles so that the cradle could be swung back and forth to rock the babies to sleep. These many types of woven products improved over time with additional uses developed on an evolutionary basis. At first the nomads, who strictly lived in tents, stacked dried leaves and lay them in the corners of their tents and used the soft stacks as beds. Under the weight of the sleepers, the beds rapidly turned into dust and provided little comfort, thus causing frequent replacement. Then in a further inspiration of using animal pelts as a model, the nomads started to add pile to the basic flat weaves. These first pile rugs were very supple; the nomads would simply fold and throw them on a horse's back to be used as a sleeping bag during their long voyages.

As we mentioned before, no one knows exactly when and where the first knotted-pile carpets were knotted; however the oldest "surviving" pile carpet was discovered in the grave of a Scythian prince in the Pazyryk valley of the Altai Mountains; in Siberia by Russian archeologist (Rudenko) in 1947. It's presently displayed in the Hermitage Museum in Leningrad. The carpet was knotted with the Turkish double knot and contains a surprising 347,000 knots per square meter (255 per square inch); it is 3.62 square meters (6 x 6.5 feet) and has been carbon dated to have been from the 5th. Century B.C. It was loaded and subsequently flooded and froze to await discovery by Rudenko. The Pazyryk, or Altai Carpet, is rather sophisticated, thereby showing that it's the product of a long history and tradition of weaving.

Techniques of Rug and Flat weave ConstructionIn flat weaving there are a number of different types of loom and weaving techniques but for purposes herein, the various types can be categorized into two general groups. The first grouping contains the basic flat weave technique, or "kilim weaving.” In a kilim, the pattern is formed by passing a yarn of a particular color over and under the vertical yarns (known as warps) for the duration of the particular color or design motif, then the same horizontal yarns (known as wefts) are turned on the same path (next row) along the edge of the same colored motif. This process is continued until the individual motif is completed. Then the next motif is started where the initial one finishes, but the two yarn colors are not normally joined together in anyway, thus causing a slit to appear between the two respective yarns. Each block of color is then woven successively until the whole kilim is completed. When you hold a kilim woven in this way up to the light, you can easily see the slits where two patterns meet but do not join (thus the slit weave technique). The second grouping contains flat weaves, which employ the technique of wrapping or brocading.

A motif is created by adding a third yarn to the warp and weft yarns, which are wrapped around the warp yarns in several configurations, depend upon whether the intent is to weave: Cicim, Zili, or Sumak (all kilim types). In the Cicim, the motifs are usually scattered or in series, with no organic relationship between any two motifs, and the basic ground weave (warp and weft) shows through so that the Cicim motifs appear to be embroidered. In the Zili, the entire surface of the ground weave is normally covered with the design yarns and vertical lines, somewhat like cords, protrude to give Zili its distinctive appearance. In the Sumak, the entire surface is also normally covered with the design yarns. All three of these techniques may be employed together in one flat weave if desired. Each of the 4 basic types of flat-weave also has a number of sub-groups with variations in technique (23 in all).

There are two principal types of knots that are used in rug weaving (knotting). The first one is called double knot, Turkish knot, or Gordes knot and naturally given a firmer weave yielding to a stronger and more durable carpet. The second one is known as the single knot, Persian knot, or Sennah knot; this type makes for a far tighter carpet. These two-knot types DO NOT distinguish quality; Turkish knot vs. Persian knot are NOT comparable; they are very different techniques.

The Turkish knot is a stand of yarn encircling two warp threads, with the loose ends running tightly between the two warps creating pile. The Persian knot is a strand of yarn that encircles one-warp thread and winds loosely around the other warp. One loose end pulled through the two warps, while the other end goes to the outside of the paired warps.

Rugs and the various flat waves are made from five basic materials; sheep wool, goat hair, cotton, floss silk, and silk.

Materials Used in Rug and Flat Weave Weaving
Sheep Wool: The quality of wool varies according to the climate, the breed of sheep, and the time of year of the shearing. Wool from sheep that live in warm and arid regions is normally dry and brittle, and since it breaks so easily, it ends up being short and feels lifeless. Good quality wool comes from healthy and well-fed sheep found in cold regions or at high elevations with good grazing lands and lots of water. In the colder regions, sheep grow a full fleece to keep warm and their bodies store fat, which then translates to a high lanolin content within the fiber, which reaches lengths of 10 cm. and more. The wool so obtained feels silky smooth and yet springy. Wool from the higher elevations and from the spring shearing is considered to be the highest quality. Wool is hand-spun by using primitive utensils called kirmen (drop spindle) and by spinning wheels. Women usually spin the wool during idle moments. In hand-spun wool, the original length of the fiber stays the same through the spinning process - a fiber that measured 7 cm. before spinning will still measure the same after spinning. Wool can also be industrially spun, but the hard twisting of the fibers by the spinning machines tends to break some of the fibers. Although the broken bits and shorter fibers can be made to adhere together through the use of oils during the spinning process, the fiber will have lost some of its strength, which, in turn, will shorten the life span of the rugs to be woven. (Keep in mind this shorter life means simply a generation, the carpet will still out live YOU!)

Cotton: In rug and kilim weaving, cotton is used mostly for the warp and weft threads, creating the base of the carpet/kilim. Compared to wool, cotton is generally considered to be a more resilient fiber and it's less elastic. So, tighter knots can be tied on cotton warps as opposed to wool. If very tight knots are tied to a wool warp, the fiber will break much more frequently than if the warps were of cotton. Consequently, woolen pile rugs with high knotting density counts will normally have cotton warps, for example, in Hereke, Ladik, and Kayseri Bunyan carpets.

Goat Hair: Goat hair occasionally found in Oriental rugs in the side bindings (selvedge), but is more frequently found in saddlebags, cushions, various types of stacks, etc.  [Goat hair in the selvidge of knotted rugs repels snakes and possibly scorpions from entering the "living area" of the rug.]

Floss Silk: Floss silk, or art silk as it is some times called, is actually mercerized cotton and is used in certain rugs that are woven in Kayseri. Although not identical to silk, a somewhat similar look is obtained by mixing cypress tree fibers with cotton that has been washed in citric acid. Floss silk rugs are woven with natural cotton warp and weft threads.

Pure Silk: The silk used in Turkish carpet comes from silk cocoons in Bursa. It has a very high tensile strength and can be twisted very finely, plus it is quite resilient. The finest silk comes from the first part of the amazingly long single thread with witch a silk worm spins its cocoons. When unrolled, the thread from one silk cocoon can stretch up to 25,000 meters. The best and the finest hand-woven rugs in the world are Turkish Hereke silk rugs. A normal quality silk Hereke should have 1,000,000 knots per square meter. Today with tremendous care, attention and density, some exceptional Hereke silk rugs are woven with 3,240,000 knots per square meter; that is 18 knots vertically on 1 cm. And 18 knots horizontally on 1 cm. This indicates how finely the silk can be twisted and woven, as well as how strong and resilient this pile can be.

Dyes Used For Rug Yarns Their Characteristics and HistoryThe use of vegetables, bark, roots and other natural items to make dyes has been a well-known art for many thousands of years. This ancient practice continued unchanged and untouched until the mid 19th century when synthetic dyes were invented. The findings at a Chinese spring dating from about 3000 B.C. indicate that the science of dyeing was initially developed in the Far East. On the other hand, in Europe, the first dyers were most probably people who lived around Zurich Lake in about 2000 B.C. The dyeing industry was established in the 15th century B.C. We also know that the art of dyeing belongs to old times in India. Marco Polo in the chronicles of his travels tells us how Indigo was cultured before the Portuguese exported it to Europe. Anatolian dyeing processes are a synthesis of dyeing, the knowledge that was handed down from centuries B.C., and the rich traditions of Anatolia itself.

Why are natural dyes so important? Is it because some shades of color cannot be found in various synthetic dyes, or is it because the natural dyes are cheaper or easier to obtain?

Actually, it's neither of these reasons. The synthetic dye catalogues are quite thick and rich in the kinds of dyes and shades of color that are available. But the natural dyes come from Mother Nature's own harmony, and they reflect the preferences of the various peoples through the years and centuries. Plus, the natural dyes (vegetable dyes) will mellow with time, and if left under the sun, they'll shine and radiate the most pleasing shades of color.

In many areas it's common practice to expose naturally dyed rugs to the sun so that the colors fade gradually and gracefully to their ultimate harmony and beauty. But the synthetic dyes don't have this peculiarity. If the dye used is of the chromatic type, the colors are fast to light, as well as moisture, which, in itself, can be considered as an advantage. But if the synthetic dye used is of a lower quality, with time the colors will fade and the various shades will probably be dull and lifeless. We can see with our naked eyes all the differences in dyes, understand the advantages, and disadvantages of each type, and easily discern which ones are more harmonious and eye pleasing.

Fine Turkish Carpets recognized for their value and beauty are made with natural dyes obtained from plants, berries and trees. Chemical dyes are also used but to the trained eye they do not have the beauty or luster of natural dyes. The main natural dyes are listed below.

Dyer's Wood (Civit Otu) Blue: From this plant dark or light blue tones are produced by the length of time, which the plant is boiled. It is found along the edges of fields growing wild in Central and Western Anatolia. Dyer's Wood (also known as Dyer's Woad and Weede) and some other plants are used to yield indigo, which is the oldest and most important blue dye.

Madder Red (Kok Boya): The roots of this plant are known as madder. It grows wild in Central and Western Anatolia. A two-year-old plant will be about one and a half meters high. "Rose madder" was a standard color on the plates of the old masters of the Renaissance and today, many expensive Italian and English neckties are known as madder ties because of the rich deep toned red color.

Ox-Eye Chamomile (daisy) (Sari Papaya), Bright Yellow: During the spring, one finds this plant all over Anatolia. It's large, golden yellow flowers a top long stems last throughout the summer. It grows along roadsides and in dry meadows. The flowers, fresh or dried, used along with a fixing agent, produce a bright yellow.

Walnut Tree (Ceviz), Brown: The beautiful walnut tree can be found in the forested country of Eastern Turkey. It is a profusely branched tree, which has a height of up to 25 meters and bears peanut leaves. The fruit is covered with a thick green rind, which along with the leaves, is often used by villagers for a green or blackish-brown dye. The walnut tree is native in Turkey. Turkey produces 15-20 percent of the world's walnut crop. The effective coloring agent is the brown dye, jug lone, which adheres directly to wool fibers without a fixing agent. In ancient times the walnut pods were used in medicine and for the dyeing of hair.

Pomegranate Tree (knar), Yellow to brownish yellow and brown to black: This tree grows in the mild regions of Western, Southwestern, and Northeastern Anatolia. It's a tall tree with a height of up to 40 meters, with branches that are spiny with very shiny, lance-shaped, dark green leaves. It's easily distinguished by its beautiful pinkish-violet flowers. During autumn, the tree bears a fruit with many seeds, which is the yellow-red skinned pomegranate. The fresh or dried skin of the fruit is used for dyeing. If a fixing agent is used, along with the skin, a yellow brownish shade will result. If an iron-fixing agent is used, a brownish-black shade will result. In Oriental carpets and kilims, the pomegranate is a symbol of fertility and abundance because of its many seeds.

Buckthorn (Cehri), Deep Yellow: This plant grows only in Turkey on slopes with an altitude up to 3000 meters (9843 feet). Before the 20th century, it was mainly cultivated in Central Anatolia (Konya, Kirsehir, Sivas, Ankara and Kayseri). Today only wild shrubs grow along roadsides, in fields and vineyards at Urgup, Corum and Kahramanmaras, which are areas of farmer cultivation. The unripe fruits, fresh or dried are used to create the dyes. When an alum-fixing agent is used, a deep yellow will result. This deep yellow from the dried fruits is mainly used for dyeing silk. This color dye is often used to obtain secondary and tertiary colors.

Spurge (Sulligent), Yellow: This plant grows throughout Turkey. The entire plant contains a milky juice in its narrow, undivided leaves and clusters of blossoms. Some varieties bloom during the late summer and early autumn. All parts of the plant, except the roots are used for creating this yellow dye. This dye is frequently detected in cottage industry carpets of Anatolia mainly in the Daskiri, Maden and Ortakoy carpets.

Baste Hemp (Gence), Brilliant Yellow: This dye is not used as often as other yellow dyes. This plant grows on the mountains of Central and Eastern Anatolia. The brilliant yellow color is common in older flat weaves. The strong color is often mistaken for a chemical dye and for this reason it's not popular in Western Anatolia Workshops where weavers cater to foreign markets. In Eastern Anatolia, Lake Van area, the kilims are produced for local consumers who prefer bright colors and are less concerned about the distinctions between chemical and natural dyes.

Wild Chamomile Daisy (Beyaz Papaya), Yellow: During March, in Western and Southern Anatolia, this chamomile plant will cover entire fields with fresh blossoms. With alum fixing agent, a clear yellow dye will be obtained.

Tree-Leaved Sage (Ada cayi), Yellow: This herb can be found in most Mediterranean regions. It blooms on the dry hillsides from March until August. It's distinctive with its tall flowering spikes of mauve or pinkish two-lipped flowers. The leaves and stems, either fresh or dried, are suitable for dyeing. Plants are just one of many sources from which to obtain natural dyes. To obtain a natural dye the plant is boiled to extract the color. Next, to ensure the absorption of the color in to the wool a second plant or natural salt is mixed with the dye. This second plant or salt is known as the mordant or fixing agent.

Saffron Yellow: Another major source of dye in older carpets.

A mordant or fixing agent prevents bleeding or running of colors thus it fixes the color. If a chemical salt is used as mordant the dye is still called natural. When alum is used as mordant alone with madder a pale red is obtained because alum is a natural light salt. But if iron is used as a mordant a deep red or burgundy is produced. The choice of mordant determines the color of dye. Today, some people believe that there are no natural dyes because of certain chemicals, which are used as mordants. Mordants are formed from natural chemicals of the earth not synthetically produced, so when they are added to natural dyes they act as a fixing agent and produced the color desired by the weaver.

Cleaning and Daily Care of Rugs and Kilims
Cleanliness is the first and major step towards the preservation of a hand-made carpet and it's the best to prevent damage. There are no hard or fast rules to stipulate when and how often to clean a carpet since every hand-made carpet is different and every household exposes a carpet to different amounts of wear and dirt. There are many professional books on the care and cleaning of carpets that one may consult if one is interested in doing a professional cleaning. However, the following advice and information are basic general instructions that the average homeowner may exercise in the care and cleaning of a carpet or kilim. The best recommendation is regular brushing with an old-fashioned straw broom with natural bristles or the use of an electric carpet sweeper. Always sweep the face of a carpet with the pile NEVER against it. Remember that it is just as important to brush the underlay of the carpet and floor beneath. One caution, the regular use of a vacuum cleaner beater bar will eventually start to loosen the knots and pull the fibers out of the pile; also NEVER use the revolving brush attachment on a carpet for it will actually pull the fibers apart. The upholstery attachment is the very best and may be used once a month.

Hand Cleaning at Home
Prepare a mixture of the following proportions; half a cup of carpet shampoo to four and a half cups of warm water and add one tablespoon of white vinegar to prevent the color from running. Lay the carpet with the pile up on a hard flat surface. Dip a brush in the liquid and apply it in gentle even vertical strokes with the pile never against. Vigorous brushing or scrubbing will not clean thoroughly and is likely to damage the carpet in its wet vulnerable state. The amount of shampoo applied and the pressure of the brush should be as constant as possible over the entire carpet surface. Once the carpet is brushed vertically (lengthwise) then brush horizontally or from side to side across the pile, with the same gentle strokes. The pile should be thoroughly cleaned by now. Finally, brush gently in the direction of the pile as the carpet dries, so that the pile is lying in the right direction. The carpet pile should never be forced against its will.

Drying
Preferably use a room where there is a warm air current heating system. Do not drape the carpet, it must be allowed to dry flat, and don't walk, or place anything on it until it is completely dry. A concrete patio is great. The warp, weft and pile of a completely dried carpet should feel soft and pliable. 

Remember, pile is nothing more than ‘hair' sheep or goat or silkworm. Remove the dried dirt and shampoo powder by gently brushing with a soft dry brush, again in the direction of the pile.

Things to Avoid
Washing machines and spin dryers should NEVER be used for any delicate hand-made item. With carpets the vibration, water temperature and harsh detergents will cause irreparable damage; possible color-run from the hot water and the detergents and a cement-like wool once dry. It may even reduce the carpet to shreds. Again, dry cleaners sometimes advertise themselves as carpet cleaners; be very careful, check them out before you give them a thousand dollar prize. Their services may be useful for machine-made carpets, but a treasured hand-made masterpiece should never be subjected to the strong chemicals that these firms use. The damage may become apparent only after several months and the damage is irreparable.

Moth Damage
Wool carpets and kilims are subject to moth damage. The dark areas of the carpet should be inspected for signs of moth damage, which will result in a weakened foundation or in the knots eventually pulling out where the nap has been eaten away. New carpet and kilims are treated with insecticides before exportations and ounces in a dealer's shop they are frequently moved about to avoid this problem.

Carpet Sizes
In the Manufacture of carpets some words express certain sizes. These were first used in Kayseri and then spread all over Anatolia. Although these expressions are also used in other regions, the dimensions given here may differ from 10 to 20 cm.

Yastık 60 x 90 cm
Ceyrek 90 x 135 cm.
Kisa Yolluk 70 x 200 cm.
Seccade 120 x 180 cm
Saf 110 x 230 cm.
Karyola 150 x 230 cm.
Kelle 300 x 200 cm.
Taban 6 m2 and over

The information in this document is taken from numerous web sites on the Internet. This is strictly a handout, not intended to be a professional education tool of any kind. The material covered here is completely accurate but very superficial; it takes far more than a simple reading of a few paragraphs of information to make one a carpet expert or buyer.

The simple key to buying carpets or kilims is this: Love the carpet/kilim; love the price! Nothing else is all that important for the casual buyer; anything you will purchase here will outlast you and probably your children baring a catastrophic event. Happy hunting!

*: this material comes from a multitude of written sources – it can be found on the internet as well. I have over fifty carpet books and this is simply a broad overview/synopsis.

Government programs...

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Clickbait!

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Fourth Estate

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Conspiracy at the Washington Post

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard has been accused of "conspiracy theorism" over the death of the White House aide, Vincent Foster. Keeping silent, he says, is even worse.

FROM: The Electronic Telegraph [TM] Mon. 10 July 1995

MY STRAITJACKET is buckled tight. The foam is wiped off my mouth. A bottle of sedatives sits at hand. I am cool, calm and ready to answer on behalf of all "conspiracy theorists". And I say to the powers of the Washington Post: "J'accuse."
Last week the Washington Post attacked the Sunday Telegraph in a front-page article on the "Foster conspiracy theorists". It was an unflattering piece on the tiny band of critics who have raised questions about what is increasingly looking like the cover-up of the 1993 death of Vincent Foster.
In normal circumstances it would be inappropriate to dispute this, but weighty matters are in the balance here and the Washington Post has quasi-monopoly power - a duopoly, perhaps, shared with the New York Times - in setting the political agenda for the entire American media. Foster, the deputy White House counsel, was the highest-ranking official to die in violent circumstances since President Kennedy. He was also the intimate friend of both Bill and Hillary Clinton and looked after their personal finances at the White House. The decision by theWashington Post to run such a piece at this late stage - in the face of overwhelming suspicions of foul play - comes perilously close to complicity in a cover-up.
The argument has nothing to do with ideology. The Washington Post ceased to be a newspaper of liberal activism a long time ago, if it ever really was. "Its anti-establishment image is one of the most absurd myths in journalism today," said Jeff Cohen, from Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting in New York, a liberal group that monitors the Post closely and accuses it of an incestuous relationship with the governing elite. "It has been an instrument of state power for many years."

The question is whether the Washington Post is sitting on the stories that really matter.

The team that led the fight against the Nixon Administration and turned the Post into the most fashionable newspaper in the world is mostly gone. Kay Graham, the Queen Bee, retired in 1991 after 28 years in charge of the family heirloom. Ben Bradlee, immortalised in All The President's Men as the swashbuckling and incorruptible captain of Watergate, is now a semi-detached editor at large. Both, incidentally, have regrets about their role in the great regicide. Neither want to see the same thing happen again in their lifetime. There is talent, still. The coverage of the US occupation of Haiti, by Douglas Farah, has been outstanding. The editorial pages have the finest mix in the business. The Style section is beautifully written. But the question is whether the Washington Post is sitting on the stories that really matter, just as the Mexican daily, El Excelsior, a vibrant and authentic newspaper to the untutored eye, serves - wittingly or unwittingly - as a mouthpiece and a subtle tool of disinformation for the ruling regime.
Allegations of drug use, sexual shenanigans and misuse of state resources were there for the plucking during Bill Clinton's presidential campaign in 1992. Yet the Post's inquiries only skimmed the surface of the charges. Admittedly, it is hard to get people to talk about these things in Arkansas. But not that hard. The Post has subsequently refused to make amends. Instead, it has insisted on ever-higher standards of "proof" or, alternatively, down-played the importance of the accusations.
Take the case of Paula Jones, who accused Clinton of sexual harassment when he was Governor of Arkansas. In early 1994 the Washington Post was given exclusive access to Jones and to other witnesses who could corroborate parts of her story. The newspaper went through her background with a toothcomb. Weeks went by. The lead reporter, Mike Isikoff, found her claims to be credible and wanted to run the story. The editors refused. In the end there was a shouting match in the newsroom between Isikoff and the national editor, Fred Barbash. Isikoff was suspended for two weeks and later left the newspaper. The Post never ran the original story. I emphasise this point because the paper is now trying to claim that it was just waiting for the appropriate moment. The Post was overtaken by events. Paula and Steve Jones were so disgusted by the failure of the paper to publish that they decided to file a sexual harassment suit against the President, forcing the issue into the news pages.

Failure to report the news is one thing. Active disinformation is another.

It is worth noting too that the Washington Post ignored the series of well-researched pieces by the American Spectator alleging that Bill Clinton used Arkansas state troopers to solicit women on a routine basis, and then played rough to silence leaks. One might choose to treat that as unimportant. A private matter. Beneath the Post. But what about the story of gun-running and drug-smuggling through the Mena airport in Arkansas in the 1980s? As reported by The Sunday Telegraph in January, the managing editor, Robert Kaiser, intervened at the last moment to spike a story by Sally Denton and Roger Morris that was backed by an archive of 2,000 documents. The story had been cleared by the lawyers. It was typeset and ready to go to the printers. Since then there have been fresh developments in this story. Sworn testimony taken from a court case in Arkansas has linked Bill Clinton directly to this cloak-and-dagger operation, which has possible ties to US intelligence. Not a word about these depositions has been written in the Washington Post.
But failure to report the news is one thing. Active disinformation is another. Last week's article in the Post insinuated that The Telegraph had fabricated a story about clandestine trips to Switzerland by Vince Foster. The author, Susan Schmidt, who is the Post's full-time reporter on Whitewater, said that sources "with access to Foster's American Express receipts say they show no purchase of airline tickets to Switzerland". But when confronted, she admitted that her sources did not in fact have access to information - that The Telegraph did have - about the two flights Foster made to Geneva in 1991 and 1992. Furthermore, she had no credit card numbers and she did not know which of Foster's American Express cards may have been involved. Nor did she have any records from the airlines. "These records are closely guarded," she said, by way of explanation. You bet they are, and Ms Schmidt failed to get them. The only information she had, it turns out, referred to a single purchase in July 1993 conducted through the White House travel office. We would surmise that her "sources" (plural) are in the Clinton White House. We rest our case.

Is the newspaper that broke Watergate now, intentionally or not, aiding and abetting a cover-up a generation later?

Ms Schmidt called me before she wrote her piece and asked what I thought about some of the wild allegations being made that Vince Foster had ties to Israeli intelligence and was under investigation by the CIA for espionage.
I told her that it sounded pretty far-fetched and was not consistent with what I knew about Foster. She ignored this. In her article she implied that The Telegraph was advancing such claims. But this, broadly, is the method that has been deployed by the Washington Post to muddy the waters and discredit anybody who has been asking legitimate questions about the death of Foster. Is the newspaper that broke Watergate now, intentionally or not, aiding and abetting a cover-up a generation later? As for key developments in the Foster case over the past few months, the Post has been silent. It failed to report that Miquel Rodriguez, the lead prosecutor looking into the death, had resigned in March because the highly politicised investigation was being obstructed. It does not seem to be aware of enhanced photographs showing that the gun found in Foster's hand was moved around after his death, and that Foster had a wound on his neck that the authorities had tried to cover up. Ms Schmidt, however, says that the Post is doing a terrific job. "The Washington Post has broken every story about Whitewater," she said. "At least every story that's been true."

Electronic Telegraph is a Registered Service Mark of The Telegraph plc

Psychological Operations

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PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES

"Propaganda Techniques" is based upon "Appendix I: PSYOP Techniques" from "Psychological Operations Field Manual No.33-1" published by Headquarters; Department of the Army, in Washington DC, on 31 August 1979. Appendix by Jon Roland, July, 1998.

Excerpt:
Lying and distortion. Lying is stating as truth that which is contrary to fact. For example, assertions may be lies. This technique will not be used by US personnel. It is presented for use of the analyst of enemy propaganda.
Simplification. This is a technique in which the many facts of a situation are reduced so the right or wrong, good or evil, of an act or decision is obvious to all. This technique (simplification) provides simple solutions for complex problems. By suggesting apparently simple solutions for complex problems, this technique offers simplified interpretations of events, ideas, concepts, or personalities. Statements are positive and firm; qualifying words are never used.
Simplification may be used to sway uneducated and educated audiences. This is true because many persons are well educated or highly skilled, trained specialists in a specific field, but the limitations of time and energy often force them to turn to and accept simplifications to understand, relate, and react to other areas of interest.
Simplification has the following characteristics:

• It thinks for others: Some people accept information which they cannot verify personally as long as the source is acceptable to them or the authority is considered expert. Others absorb whatever they read, see, or hear with little or no discrimination. Some people are too lazy or unconcerned to think problems through. Others are uneducated and willingly accept convenient simplifications.
• It is concise: Simplification gives the impression of going to the heart of the matter in a few words. The average member of the target audience will not even consider that there may be another answer to the problem.
• It builds ego: Some people are reluctant to believe that any field of endeavor, except their own, is difficult to understand. For example, a layman is pleased to hear that '"law is just common sense dressed up in fancy language," or "modern art is really a hodgepodge of aimless experiment or nonsense." Such statements reinforce the ego of the lay audience. It is what they would like to believe, because they are afraid that law and modern art may actually be beyond their understanding. Simple explanations are given for complex subjects and problems.

Stereotyping is a form of simplification used to fit persons, groups, nations, or events into readymade categories that tend to produce a desired image of good or bad. Stereotyping puts the subject (people, nations, etc.) or event into a simplistic pattern without any distinguishing individual characteristics.

Red States v. Blue States...

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In reply to a comment on a British board where the commenter did not understand why the US describes "red states" for conservative majority states.
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Somerset,  Red was assigned to Republican states in the annual election night maps used by the TV networks.  I'm not sure who selected the colors, but I think it was Roone Arledge at ABC. In those days, we had only three national networks who always ran the same stories in the same order every night, placed their commercials, sports and weather in at exactly the same point in the program.

The Democrats were assigned blue.  All the other two networks accepted those colors.  I maintain that the color experts at Madison Avenue (which runs TV) well knew the emotional effects of color on the audience.  The network execs and news department were and continue to be 94% Democrat voters.

While blue is traditionally the color of police, law and order, blue skies, prosperity, highborn people, blue ribbon champions, blue chip stocks, little boys, melancholia, sensitivity, heavenly ideas, original American jazz and torch songs, the TV manipulators knew it was a soothing, peaceful, optimistic environment.  They put their anchors in front of blue backgrounds behind blue desks in blue suits sponsored by mostly blue product packaging.

Red, on the other hand is the color or drama, rage, charging bulls, penalty flags in football, warning of overhangs on a truck, traffic lights demanding an immediate full stop, blood, tragedy, death, rednecks, redskins, Red Communists, red menace, red-line extreme limits, red tape, bad school marks, business losses, in the red, crooks caught red-handed, red herring, condition red for most threatening danger, and fire, explosions, emergency vehicles, bad news generally.  Red excites you, alarms you, increases your blood pressure, elevates adrenaline in preparation of fight or flight, and reveals much drink and drug abuse.   You can't tolerate it for long or comfortably and will seek to relieve the psychological pressure as as possible.

These media mogul advertising persuader professionals knew that red is the color of British Labour, of communism, of the Post Office, the Sovereign, and the busses but that mattered none.  It was the subliminal influence and hypnotic effect they wanted to favor the Democrats and harm the Republicans.

That's it.  It was and is a propaganda/advertising fraud on the people by the TV media in New York City that goes against all common sense and intuition. The advertising ploy of denial:  "new and improved" means same and unchanged, "Light" or "lite" means we used different colors, "new packaging" with less stuff in it, "family size" for a two-person family, "soft and fluffy" is packed with injected air and less food, "extra-strength" is like taking two, "foolproof" means we fooled you.
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Color Talks! Learn How Colors Influence Behavior

What it says about you may not always be what you had in mind. Colors not only enhance the appearance — they also influence our behavior. It’s to your advantage to consider the responses to color, both physiological and psychological.

In London, when the Blackfriars Bridge, made of black ironwork, was repainted a green color, suicides declined more than 30%.

Notice how many fast food restaurants use red, orange, and yellow. This is to attract the customer to the establishment and to make the food look better. Red also has a positive affect on your appetite!

The colors of some restaurants are also bright  inside, pleasing enough for a time, but designed to encourage you not to linger and move on, to make room for other customers and higher profits. To keep the customers the interior of the restaurant should be bathed in blue or green.

Color can affect the sense of temperature, size of  a room, and how food appears. But restaurants and all places of employment need to understand the affects of color since yellow places of work cause grumpy,  tense employees

The color pink is calming, that’s why you’ll see it  in jails (no personal experience!) and Department of Motor Vehicle offices and hopefully soon in Post Offices. Some teams have even painted the Locker room of  the visiting team pink for a tranquilizing effect

Ever think about what the color of your tie, or car or walls of your bedroom is really saying!! Color is important since it gets an emotional response from people and can really effect how you look.

SHOW YOUR TRUE COLORS!!

Here’s a list of emotional responses.

Because we are men and for the most part don’t care about color and all that,  this list is useful. First, it tells you what your clothes are saying, at least  in some crazy, subtle way.

Second, for the women in your life who think you’re  not in touch with your feelings, this list provides emotions you can wear on your sleeve, literally. Or on your car, the walls of your home, the cover of Your next presentation, etc.

So reach deep down inside and pick a feeling. We’ll  tell you how to express yourself in living color:

RED – Dominance, power, attention, sexual  energy, health, determination, passion, persistence, excitement, strength

“I love red so much; I almost want to paint
everything red.”
– Alexander Calder

PINK — Upbeat, good health, calming,  friendly, compassionate, faithful, femininity, calm

ORANGE –Happy, courageous, successful,  enthusiasm, bold, adventuresome, friendliness, warmth, informality, welcoming,movement, energy

“Orange is the happiest color”
– Frank Sinatra

BROWN – Informal, reliable, approachable, relaxed, stability, earthy

YELLOW – Anxiety, alert, optimistic,  confident, stimulating, enthusiastic, playful, cheerful, communicative,
expressive, intelligent

“Yellow is capable of charming
God.”
–Vincent Van
Gogh

GREEN – Relaxing, compassion, prosperity,  prestige, growth, abundance, money, vitality, harmony, efficiency

AQUA –motivated, active, dynamic

TURQUOISE –Refreshing, cool, imaginative,  innovative, youthful

BLUE — Loved, high regard, knowledge,  authority, trust, serious, responsibility, peace, social status, caring, good
health, tranquil, intuitive, happiness, calm, honest, loyalty, integrity

LIGHT BLUE — Peaceful, sincere, affectionate

INDIGO — Knowledge, power, integrity

PURPLE — Spiritual, passionate, visionary,  regal, powerful, respected, dignified, luxurious

“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color
purple  in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.”
– Alice Walker, The Color Purple
(Simon & Schuster 1982)

LAVENDER — Romantic, imaginative, fantasy

MAGENTA — Outrageous, imaginative,  innovative

GOLD – Illumination, wisdom, prestige,  expensive

SILVER –Prestige, cold, scientific

BLACK – Elegance, authority, dignity,  sophistication, seductive, mystery

“I’ve been 40 years discovering that the queenof all colors is black.”
– Pierre-Auguste Renoir

GRAY – Brainy, class, efficiency,  sophisticated, confidence

WHITE – Virtue, fertility, clean, status,  prosperity

A History of the Color Blue

Blue was a color that has  signified power and beauty since Egyptian times.

Pastel blue was popular with Germanic  tribes who derive a dye from the herb woad during the First Century BC through 5th Century AD .  The Roman consider the color blue barbaric.

New processes made blue dye colorfast  which gave it a prominent place in painting, heraldry and clothing during the 11th and 12th Centuries.  Marco Polo reported seeing the color blue in Baghdad in the 1300’s.

During the 15th and 16th  Centuries, Protestant reformers think that bright colors (especially red) are  carnal!  But growing trade with the rest of the world exposed Europe to the  indigo plant, which produced a deeper blue.  Indigo is one of the oldest dyes and made from fermented leaves of Indigofera plants, which are native to China andIndia.  By the early 19^th century Britain was the main supplier of  the blue dye from its plantations in India.

In 1860  Indigo dye was first used for denim.  The dye is why they’re called “blue jeans”! German chemist Adolph von Baeyer was the first to create a synthetic  indigo dye that Sir William Perkin improved in 1856.