What We Loved This Week Jan. 17 – 23
The harsh beauty of Greenland, Alaska, and Antarctica (where they’ve built an entire base on skis), plus epic vintage beards and hilariously hideous 1970s menswear.The beard has had limited historical popularity in Western culture, mostly only appearing in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, then again in the mid-Victorian period. Image Source: Vintage Everyday
The Giant, Epic Beards Of Times PastIn the early 18th century, beards were often a sign of radical political views, such as socialism. Image Source: Vintage Everyday
Say the word beard these days and most people will picture a furry-faced hipster showing off a year’s worth of untamed bristle. But back in the Victorian age, there existed a very real “beard movement.” A slew of articles celebrated the beard, including artist James Ward’s “Essay In Defense Of The Beard,” and T.S. Gowing’s “The Philosophy Of Beards.”
It wasn’t just a fashion statement, though: Believe it or not, doctors, who were starting to see the link between air quality and health, alsoencouraged patients to grow beards, claiming the hair would filter the smog-choked air of 18th century Britain. Modern doctors, however, disagree: Beards are actually a breeding ground for disease-carrying ectoparasites. See the spectacularly bearded men who lacked this knowledge at Vintage EverydayYesterday, actress Stacey Dash put herself in hot water again when she declared on Fox News’ Fox & Friendsthat Black History Month–as well as the BET Network and any awards shows geared toward African-Americans–should be completely eliminated..
The Surprising History Of Death In America
Where did our current funeral rituals come from, and as they fall out of fashion, what will we replace them with?
What You Need To Know About The Zika Virus
The rapidly spreading mosquito-borne virus has been linked to brain damage and birth defects in babies. Here’s what you need to know about it.
What You Need To Know About The Zika Virus
The rapidly spreading mosquito-borne virus has been linked to brain damage and birth defects in babies. Here’s what you need to know about it.L.A.-based mortician and author Caitlin Doughty thinks we’ve got a lot wrong about death. Image Source: Wikipedia
Humankind has always been fascinated with death. Where faith helps answer the question of where our spirits go when we die, the funeral helps solve the problem of where ourbodies go upon death. In the United States, we have a fairly strict and chaste relationship with death — specifically with regard to the funeral — though there are a few key voices calling for reform. One of those voices, both online and off, is Los Angeles mortician and author Caitlin Doughty,who weighed in with ATI on the history of burial practices in America and the problems it faces today.
If you’re hoping to catch a break from dreary winter weather, you should be cautious about your travel choices, according to a recent missive from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
On Jan. 15, the CDC released a travel advisory warning pregnant women or those who hope to be pregnant to avoid visiting the 14 countries (primarily in Latin America and the Caribbean) where there have been confirmed outbreaks of the Zika virus — a mosquito-borne illness which medical experts think may be linked to serious birth defects such as microcephaly, where the newborn has brain damage and a small head.
The Bizarre And Painful History of Breast Implants
Before the days of saline and silicone, doctors would try inserting pretty much anything. As this horrifying history of breast implants shows, that didn’t always work out.Wikimedia/Linda Bartlett Image Source: commons.wikimedia.org
Experts estimate that breast enlargement is currently the second-most popular cosmetic surgery operation around the world, with approximately four percent of women in America endowed with breast implants. There are a couple ofcaveats in that figure, but when you can get a “temporary” breast enhancement injection that lasts for 24 hours, it really makes one wonder just how we got to this point. Who was the first person to suggest surgically altering the female breast? For that matter, who volunteered first, and why?
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Acclaimed surgeon Vincenz Czerny was behind the first documented breast augmentation surgery, which took place in Germany in 1895. Czerny operated on a 41-year-old singer who had just had a tumor removed from her left breast. The patient was concerned with her breasts’ lopsided appearance, so Czerny concluded that he could find a way to help her. He found another apple-sized fatty tumor in the lumbar region of her back, removed it, and re-inserted the tumor into her breast to fill the unwanted space. Crazy as it seems to replace a tumor with another tumor, Czerny’s use of actual body tissue was actually quite sophisticated—at least in comparison to those who tried to imitate his landmark work.
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With no apparent idea of where to start (and no concern whatsoever for the patient’s comfort), the first half of the 20th century saw Czerny-mimicking doctors injecting or inserting everything from paraffin, glass balls, and ivory to wool, sponges, and ox cartilage into women’s breasts. Side effects from these botched surgeries were horrific, and ranged from infections and severe scarring to skin necrosis, pulmonary embolisms, granulomas, liver problems, comas, and even the ultimate side effect: death.
Bombshells and breast implantsBy now, you’ve surely heard that, last night, Sarah Palin endorsed Donald Trump’s candidacy for president, sparking rumors of a possible new role as his running mate. But could you actually bring yourself to watch it? Well, so you don’t have to, we watched the full 21-minute speech. We did this because the situation alone (politician/reality TV star Sarah Palin endorses reality TV star/politician Donald Trump), as absurd as it is, belies the dark depths within. The true absurdity is in the details, so here they are—the unbelievable highlights (lowlights?) from some of the strangest, most disturbing political theater we’ve ever seen:Actress Jayne Mansfield. Image Source: Wikimedia
Behind all of this painful experimentation was desire. In the 1940s and 50s, the buxom bombshell was the ultimate symbol of sex and beauty: many woman wanted to resemble icons like Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield, and stuffed bras didn’t always cut it. “The busty look of Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell…really emphasized this curvy silhouette,” beauty historian Teresa Riordan told the BBC. “[It] got women thinking about augmenting their breasts.”
At this time, medical science had yet to perfect the breast augmentation process, but that didn’t stop doctors from performing the operations. Some surgeons tried inserting different kinds of sponge implants into women’s breasts, but these dried up and hardened in a matter of weeks, causing inflammation, more infections, and a cancer scare. During the WWII years, Japanese women even injected non-medical grade silicone into their chests in order to secure the patronage of the American servicemen stationed there, as they assumed American soldiers were only attracted to large-breasted women. This would often result in the horrendous “silicone rot,” in which gangrene would set into the breast injection area.
Then And Now: Vintage Washington Square Park Photo Shows An NYC Without Skyscrapers
The land that now makes up the 10 acres of Washington Square Park in New York City has gone through as many transitions as the city itself. The park has been used as a post-Revolutionary War burial ground–one in which remains are still being foundto this day–a military parade ground, and a bohemian gathering center. When the above photo was taken, in 1935, New York City had 6.9 million people, but the skyscraper boom hadn’t reached full swing yet, allowing an empty skyline to be visible from the ground.
Now compare that with the Washington Square Park of today. It is still a gathering point, but to get a clear view over the towering buildings, you first have to be in a towering building yourself.
Photo Of The Day: Stone Mountain Park, The Mount Rushmore Of The South, Sparks Controversy
Georgia’s Stone Mountain Park was once the site of the founding of the second Ku Klux Klan (in 1915) and is now home to the controversial rock relief depicting three Confederate leaders: Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. The massive Mount Rushmore-style tribute is known to have attracted white supremacists across the nation, while sparking rage among many who believe the park should be a memorial to the Civil War, not just the Confederacy.
Meet The Virginia Farmer Who Became The King Of North Sudan
Jeremiah Heaton has declared himself King of “North Sudan.” We sat down with him to learn more.Jeremiah Heaton plants a flag in Africa. Image courtesy of Jeremiah Heaton.
In 2013, Jeremiah Heaton’s youngest daughter asked him if she would ever be a princess. He said yes — and meant it.
A few months later, Heaton embarked on a flight to Egypt, where he would drive to the territory of Bir Tawil, a no-man’s land of approximately 2,000 square meters (0.8 miles) unclaimed by its neighbors, Sudan and Egypt. There, he planted a flag designed by his children and proclaimed himself King of North Sudan. With that, his youngest daughter Emily became a “real-life princess” — at least in his mind.
All That Is Interesting spoke exclusively with the Virginia farmer about his “country,” which joinsLiberland as one of the youngest states in the world.
Note: This interview has been edited for clarity.
Police Officer Informs Drivers How To Run Over Black Lives Matter Marchers And Get Away With It
Those critics of the Black Lives Matter movement who claim minorities receive fair and equal treatment from the police might want to rethink their stance. A St. Paul, Minn., police officer is on administrative leave after laying out how to legally run over BLM marchers on Martin Luther King Day in a Facebook post.
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