Activity: Skydiving is good...

Before I came to uni I really wanted to do something spontaneous before all the hard work started and I came up with doing a skydive. I thought about it for a while and contemplated on whether I should actually do one as looked pretty scary and I wasnt a fan of heights! In the end I though f*ck it, Im doing it and I booked it there and then. My Mum wasnt too happy and refused to go with me or take me incase I died!!

I can happily say I lived...

Doing that skydive on the 25th August 2010 is probably one of the most amazing things I have ever done in my life! Your feel on top of the world and the adreniline you feel is incredible. I feel like I can do anything now!


What is a skydive?

Definition from Dictionary.com: The sport of jumping from an airplane at a moderate or high altitude and free-falling and using one's body to control direction or movements before opening one's parachute.

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Most people consider skydiving a product of the twentieth century, but its history actually goes further back than that. The Chinese attempted parachuting in the 10th century, a thousand years before we did. Of course, there were no airplanes, so the Chinese did what we would today call base diving; that is, they jumped off outcroppings or other formations that would allow them to float from a height to the ground. And then, of course, we have the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci, who illustrated a pyramid shaped parachute on a wood frame.

As an active sport, however, parachuting is much more recent. The first person to attempt to parachute was Frenchman Jacques Garnerin, who jumped from his air balloon at the end of the 18th Century and did tricks on the way down and stupefy the crowds by landing safely on the ground. In the 19th century, an intrepid woman, Kathie Paulus became famous for skydiving in Germany at the end of the 19th Century and is now famous for these feats and her demonstrated skills.

Once the airplane was invented, skydiving took on a whole new form. The airplane made it possible to dive from greater heights at greater speeds, allowing for more range in the movements in the air. A woman named Tiny Broadwick became the first woman to jump from a plane (in 1913) and to dive free fall (in 1914).
Skydiving was not called skydiving until the middle of the 1950s, when Ronald Young coined the phrase. It had been called parachuting prior to this and was primarily used by the military to land troops in inland locations, or for pilots to bail out of their planes when necessary. This was first done successfully in 1922, and has now become a standard for small plane pilots. Once World War I was over, parachuting became a sport, which we now call skydiving.

After World War II, this form became more and more of a hobby and less and less of a military maneuver. Soldiers were now trained in parachuting and enjoyed the thrill so much they continued on for fun. From this, teams and competitions were formed. Skydiving schools started popping up in the late 1950s and now it is a recognized extreme sport enjoyed by many.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/987949

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My skydiving experience:

I was up at 6 to get the train with my friend to a small village about half hour away from Cambridge as we had to be at the airfield for 8! This was because I had to sign a contract saying that if I die its my own fault and I also had some training. The training consisted of me and a group of about 20 people laying on the floor in the free falling position!

This is me in my rather dashing outfit getting ready to jump, I wore a full bodied jump suit, a harness which would attach to my qualified jumper, an aero-dynamic hat (although Im sure this was just to make us look ridiculous!) and a pair of tight glasses. I must say I felt sorry for the lads that wore the hardnesses as they were tight round your bits!

This is me and my instructor boarding the plane, we were first in which meant we were last out, we were harnessed together before the jump. There was about 10 pairs that boarded the plane along with 2 video and camera jumpers.

The plane didnt seem to stop going up, we were way above the clouds and we reached about 13,000ft!! When we reached the correct height people just flew out, this made me a bit nervous although on the way up it all felt so surreal and it wasnt until the point of me hanging out the plane that it hit me what exactly I was doing. Before you get a chance to change your mind your free falling at 120mph through the air!

When you jump you free fall for about a minute, the instructor then pulls the parachute and you seem to fly upwards (this hurts!!) Once the parachutes out you glide through the air, it is probably the most wonderful feeling in the world. Everything is so small!

If your lucky enough to get an instructor like mine, you would have the terrifying experience of having an out of control parachute, which twisted and turned and nearly had you doing a 360 revolve in mid air (he obviously did have control, but thought it would be funny to scare the crap out of me)

You glide through the air for about 5 minutes then come in to land.

In trainging you are taught the landing position, which is basically you lifting your legs right up so you dont stack it when you land.

We very nearly stacked it as I couldnt lift my legs (its a lot harder when your flying), we just managed to land properly. You pretty much land and run so your parachute doesnt land on you.

This is me after ive been unharnessed.

My instructor was such a cool guy so I owed him a hug!

Everyone putting away their parachutes before we left the landing field.

Me and my instructor and the plane behind us as we head our way inside, this is my favourite picture from the day, if I ever feel like I cant do something I just look at this and say.. yeah I can do anything! :)

Me and my certificate, proud moment!

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It would only be fair for me to show some statistics about fatalities through skydiving:

Total incidents between 5/8/1995 and 1/2/2009: 833

http://www.skydivingfatalities.info/

- Fatality is 1 out of 116,666 skydives
- According to the National Safety Council, the odds of a fatality due to a motor vehicle are 1 out of 6,212. This shows that skydiving is 1,878% safer than driving/riding in a vehicle.

http://www.studentorg.umd.edu/cpsc/FAQ.html

- About 350,000 people complete more than 3 million jumps in a typical year.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_people_skydive_a_year#ixzz1V3CcmzUN

The different types of skydives:  Tandem skydive: Tandem skydiving or tandem parachuting refers to a type of skydiving where a student skydiver is connected via a harness to a tandem instructor. The instructor guides the student through the whole jump from exit freefall, piloting the canopy, and landing. The student needs only know the minimal instruction before making a tandem jump. This is one of the three commonly used training methods used for beginning skydivers.

Static Line skydives: In parachuting, a static line is a cord attached at one end to the aircraft and at the other end to the top of the pilot chute inside the jumpers backpack. The parachutists fall from the aircraft causes the static line to become taut, then it pulls the pilot chute free of the backpack. The inflation of the small pilot chute in turn causes the main canopy to be pulled out of the backpack. The continued fall of the jumper causes the main parachute lines to extend and become taut, at which point the binding that joins the static line to the pilot chute comes apart from the shock of the jumpers weight, freeing the parachute and its passenger to continue descending freely, no longer connected to the aircraft. The main parachute then inflates, braking the fall. This static line mechanism opens the parachute automatically with no action required from the passenger.

Accelerated Freefall skydives: Accelerated freefall (AFF) is a method of skydiving training. This method of skydiving training is called "accelerated" because the progression is the fastest way to experience solo freefall, normally from 10,000 to 15,000 feet "Above Ground Level" (AGL). In static line progression, many more jumps are required to experience solo freefall, but the jumps are less expensive for the student as one instructor can dispatch multiple students per load, whereas under accelerated freefall, one or sometimes two instructors are dedicated just to one student.

The most popular skydive for beginners is a tandem skydive.

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There are various different reasons why people take part in skydives, from things like raising money for charity to just doing it for the thrill. When I did my skydive I got talking to a few people who were also doing them. One ladys family had bought her a skydive for her birthday and so she raised some money too for charit, another lad had been bought one for his birthday from his girlfriend. Another couple had come back as the last time that the lad came he had passed out on the way down and missed the whole experience, so he had come back with his girlfriend so they could do it together. Once we had all landed we shared our experiences and had a hug.

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 Stories of skydiving:

A 92-year-old World War II veteran has become the oldest person to sky-dive at a Cumbrian airfield.

John Hitchmough, from Halewood in Merseyside jumped out of a plane from Cark Airfield near Grange-over-Sands on Saturday, 19 March 2011. It was his first parachute jump - 71 years after he joined the RAF. John was raising money for the RAF Association (RAFA), which looks after RAF welfare.
Speaking after the 14,000 ft jump John told BBC Radio Cumbria's Mike Parr Breakfast Show: "it was a great thrill." He said: "you're free-falling for 8,000 ft at a speed of 121 mph and then after that the shoot opens and everything is calm and serene."

Blowing off the cobwebs
"It really blows off the cobwebs and gives you a tremendous feeling of well-being," he added.
John also had another reason for taking on the challenge - as well for the thrill and excitement, he was raising money for a good cause. All his sponsorship money will go to the RAF Association, which supports former and serving RAF personnel and their families. The cause is close to John's heart - he joined the RAF in 1939 and spent time serving in Sierra Leone and Cape Town.

BBC News 21 March 2011, BBC.co.uk

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Some opinions about their skydives (from the same centre that I did mine):

"I would recommend this experience to anyone! Everyone made sure me and my two friends were kept completly at ease and knew what we were doing before the jump started. Everyone was extremely kind and helpful and there is defiantly a friendly atmosphere amongest the team. I can't stop telling people about how amazing it is to jump and fall through the air and how nervous I was before! The instructor I had with me (and the camera lady!) was very reassuring as I was very nervous and put me completely at ease. He answered any questions I had and made me feel really comfortable about what was about to happen! I also know that my two friends I had with me throughly enjoyed the day too and I think anyone else thinking of booking a sky dive with these guys, DO IT! Also I did my sky dive on the 15th June 2011 and my dvd of my jump has already arrived and it is the 17 June 2011! The DVD is amazing. Thank-you to everyone there for making that day an unforgettable experience. " Jess 17/6/11

"Fantastic! What a Rush! What an experience!, Thanks to all you guys at Chatteris for such an exhilarating adventure!" Debbie.

"Hi Guys, I did a tandem first jump with you yesterday. I just wanted to say it was absolutely fantastic, Gary looked after me really well and the whole experience was amazing. I am sat in work at this moment just looking over the photos again and again and re-remembering the whole experience. The whole thing was better than I would have ever imagined but very difficult to describe other than feeling very happy! You guys are obviously a super professional outfit, so thanks again." John 9/3/7

"Was an amazing experience thank you so much, we loved it!...x.x" Melanie 3/10/6

"I did my first ever tandem skydive with yourselves yesterday, and it definitely won't be my last! I haven't been able to stop telling everyone how amazing it was since the moment we landed and wanted to thank everyone (especially my instructor Tom!) for making the experience so special. It was a perfect day, one I'll never forget and can't wait to show everyone the dvd! You've definitely got me hooked and certainly hope to be back soon." Ravina 6/4/9

"Oh my goodness, you have got to try this. I had the most amazing experience doing my first tandem jump with you guys. This has to be one of the best things I have ever done and I have recommended it to all my friends. You were all so friendly and so safety conscious which calmed my nerves. I have got to do it again some day. Thank you Steve and Russell (think that's right) for a fantastic time" Catherine 19/9/6

http://www.ukskydiving.com/ 

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The physics of skydiving:

Absolute mental case jumping with no parachute after drinking redbull:

Object: Swatch Watches are good...

After starting my new job for the summer I became very concious of time and when I would finish my shift but I didnt have a watch. So I hunted through Ebay in the search of a nice watch. I tried to think of different brands which would be cheaper online and I thought of Swatch. Typed it into Ebay and the most amazing watches came up! I wanted nearly every single one, I found a really cool one from 1991 called Gulp, and this is why I am researching Swatch watches!

                                                      

  

The history of Swatch:

Swatch is a Swiss wrist watch brand company that was introduced in March 1983. The first collection of 12 watches was released in Zurich in 1983 they were priced around 39.90 to 49.90. the Swatch watch was so popular and a lot cheaper to make than a standard watch as it was fully automated in its assembly and had 51 components rather than the 91 that made most other watches. In their first year of sales Swatch made one million and the second was 2.5 million.

Swatch became very popular in the 80's and they set a trend with their youthful and playful designs. Some watches were often used as hair accessories to hold in a pony tail. Swatch at this time also worked with artists to create new models.

The Swatch family has become so diverse over the years and there is now about 5 different familys within the Swatch brand. They began to create designs for all seasons and all ages which made them all the more appealing. They soon set a fashion trend and became a must have accessory for all.

The 5 familys of Swatch (taken from Wikipedia):

Swatch Originals: The Originals are plastic cased watches. They are available in various sizes, shapes and designs. The originals have sub-families as well.

Swatch Irony: The Irony family contains all the metal cased watches produced by swatch. They too come in different sizes and shapes.

Swatch Skin: The Skin family contains two sub families: Original Skin and Skin Chronograph. The original skin was introduced on October 6, 1997 as a thinner version of the original swatch watch. It is ultra thin, standing at 3.9 mm, hence the name Swatch Skin. The swatch skin later went on to enter the Guinness World Book of Records as the world's thinnest plastic watch. The Swatch Chronograph is just the swatch skin with a chronograph function. It has two additional buttons on the side of the watch.

Swatch Beat: The Beat family launched in 1998 and incorporated beat watches across the three existing family but adding twists. Swatch Beat is the digital line and integrate Internet Time.

Swatch Bijoux: The Bijoux line is the jewelry line that Swatch released in the new millennium. It partnered with Swarovski to encrust their Bijoux line and watches.

After becoming such a huge fashion must have, Swatch in the mid-80's designed watches with interchangable faces and straps, they came in an array of colours and the faces were made of vinyl. This new era came from the emerging Hip Hop scene. The Swatch group is now the worlds largest watch company and they also own other labels such as Tiffany & co and Calvin Klein.

Jeremy Scott designed for Swatch:

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The above images are just a small selection of the huge designs Swatch have created since the 1980's, each one has its own personality and there really is a Swatch watch for everyone!

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Swatch Advertising:

Swatch advertising over the years has always reflected well on the individual personalities of each watch they create, they're advertising is bold, eye catching, colourful and fun, something that appeals to a wide audience and helps boost sales tremendously.

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Swatch

Swatch enjoys a reputation for reliability, style, cost effectiveness and flair. Since debuting its first line back in 1983, Swatch has unveiled hundreds of different permutations of watches - much to the delight of the world. Although the most popular time for Swatch occurred during the 1980's, when it seemed like everyone had a Swatch watch on their wrist, the company now enters the new millennium with a bang, creating exciting and innovative watches and manages to stay fresh and relevant year after year.

A New Concept for Watches

When Swatch - which means "Swiss-made watch" - was first launched during the early 1980s, the watchmaker had a definite idea about what it wanted to create: Fun, casual accessories that were affordable for just about everyone. Their idea took off immediately; the resulting watches were colourful, peppy and stylish. In no time flat, Swatch watches became must-have accessories, adorning the wrists of people around the world. Today, Swatch's innovation and overriding principles persist with gusto.

Inspiring Style

Swatch watches have always been synonymous with innovation and fashion. In fact, they have prompted several trends through the years; most memorably, it was once quite popular to wear two or more Swatches on one wrist. Celebrities and other luminaries regularly sport the trendy timepieces, even to this day. Anyone who's looking for a fun watch that won't break the bank would do well to consider a Swatch.

Competitive Prices

Many truly fashionable watches come with one unpleasant characteristic: a high price tag. Happily, Swatch watches have always been competitively priced so that people with all sorts of budgets can slip them on with ease - and without breaking the bank. Considering their flair and their appeal, these watches are amazingly affordable.

A Bounty of Styles to Choose From

Few watchmakers offer the vast array of different styles that Swatch does. Its Scuba line, which boasts top-notch diving watches, is perfect for outdoors enthusiasts; its Skin line, with its flat, thin designs, appeals to minimalists and to those who just prefer lightweight accessories.

Glitter and Shine with Swatch Watches

As further evidence that Swatch is the watchmaker for everybody, they produce the glamorous Swatch Bijou line for those who really want to make an impression. Swatch Bijou is a line of bona fide jewellery watches that boast elegant Swarovski crystals and other fine features. As is par for the course with Swatch products, the Bijou line is very affordable.

Get the Look You Crave

When you buy a Swatch watch, it's easy to find a look that meshes perfectly with your existing style. Whether you're a sporty outdoors type or a chic socialite, you'll find something that you'll absolutely love among the more than 12 different main types of Swatch watches. High quality, visual appeal, delightful fun and a healthy dose of flair all converge in every single Swatch watch; find a piece you love today!

http://www.watchshop.com/watch-guide/Swatch_Watches.html

Concept: Polka dots are good...

I decided to research the concept of polka dots for what I believe is good. Polka dots are something that I have become to love and I may have become slightly obsessed with them. I would like to know the history of the polka dot and how it has been used throughout history and in what contexts.

Wikipedia sourced definition of POLKA DOTS:

Polka dot is a pattern consisting of an array of filled circles, generall equally sized and spaced relatively closely in relation to their diameters. Polka dots are most commonly seen on childrens clothing, toys and furniture, but they appear in a wide array of contexts. The pattern rarely appears in formal contexts, however, and is generally confined to more playful attire such as bathing suits and lingerie. Occasionally, white-on-black small dots appear on more formal clothing.

A slide show essay by Stuart Judde 2010:

Stewart, Judde (2010). "Seeing spots: From lepers to paranoia, the twisted history of the polka dot"

http://www.slate.com/id/2266177/slideshow/2266195/

Some of the main points that Judde talks about are as follows:

- Polka dots in the modern day are seen as a cheerful pattern, fashion has began to use patterns such as the sailor stripes and polka dots to bring back an era into fashion.

- In the 1950's Polka dots were seen as optimistic, prosperous and very energetic. They also suggested simplicity, childhood and great fun!

- The true history of the Polka dot was a lot more thought about, they could be related to things such as animal pelts, warriors, and disease, and at other times throughout history they hinted at sexuality, superhuman powers, torture and paranoia.

- In medieval Europe wearing dotted fabric was a taboo and could often conote disease such as leprosy, smallpox, bubonic plague and measles. This was mainly when the dots would be irregularly spaced, unlike todays graphic, machine made Polka dots.

- In the middle ages Polka dotted patterns often marked social outcasts, dots often conoted disease whilst stripes often showed who had been barred from somewhere.

- In non-western cultures, dots conveyed magic and male potency. Bushman rock-art in Southern Africa buzzes with all kind of dotted markings such as finger dots, micro dots and finger flecs. Young tribal males are covered in small dots to show respect to the leopard which frightens goats and small animals but does not phase the young hunter.

- Between the 1590's and the 1750's the dot began to take on a new role, it was a new fashion called patching. It was where woman would stick a small patch of black clothe to their faces to cover small spots or blemishes, they began to represent true beauty until in London when the plague broke out and patching then became associated with disease.

- In the mid 18th century the Polka dot became a more refined pattern and was introduced within fashion as being clean, fresh and modern.

- The English term Polka dots came from the love of Polka music and dancing that swept east to west Europe between 1840's to 1860's.

- The Polka dot soon became a huge trend and marketers would theme almost everything in Polka dot to sell to consumers. Things such as polka curtains, polka shoes, polka hats, polka sauce and polka vests.

- The Polka dot was soon dubbed and the polka craze fizzled out, but the term polka dot stuck to the pattern that emerged from the craze.



Seeing spots:

http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewArticle.asp?id=45498

(The information below was taken from the above article @ authorsden.com)

Polka Dots Are Back! (in the spotlight!)

                                          

Though ancient, the world definitely went “dotty” back in the 50s and 60s for polka dots. Now they are back really big (or small). Have you ever wondered where the name for these dramatic dots came from? It is believed that it came from the Polish polka dance. There were polka hats, jackets and even gauze at the time of the dance craze. Dots were a big hit and a common pattern on clothing in mid to late 19^th century, at the same time polka music and the dance were invented. Dots and the dance became all the rage and, consequently, we have the name, Polka, coming from the Polish word “pulka,” meaning half-step, as in the dance. Perhaps the delightful dance that takes one around in circles was its inspiration, but no matter, the dots have made an indelible smash on all kinds of fashion and ware.

Defined as a pattern consisting of dots of any arrangement or design, they appeared on clothes, dinnerware, accessories, curtains, toys, pop art, and just about anything in the 50s and 60s.

I believe though that the most famous polka dots came in the form of a song by Brian Hyland in 1960: the famous “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.” That girl may have been afraid to step out in public, but the pattern has not!

The 50s and 60s people, and designers, took these wonderful dots to heart. Who can forget the I Love Lucy type polka dot dresses? One of the most popular and expensive forms of polka dots came on Bakelite jewelry. Some of the most coveted and popular polka dot items are Bakelite bangles. These can vary in price up to $400+. “There are 4 dot, 6 dotand 8 dot bracelets. Once in a while you get a 5 dot one. Compared to the number of other bangles, there are not as many dots as plain ones. I guess this is one of the reasons that people like them. Good domed ones are the ones you want to collect.They seem to be worth more than the bangles that are flat,” says Susannah of her Ebay bangles. This makes them a design favorite of many probably because fewer were made and the pattern is so loved.

Kitchenware in dots was also very popular, and several companies heeded to the people’s demands. Pyrex was one of the companies that made bowl sets in dots. People have loved the Fire King dotted bowls for years. You can still find them at shows or on auction sites like Ebay. They are a bit taller than your normal bowls, and also, are nested (different sizes from large to small). The cost might be into the $80+ range for the set, but they are definitely worth it. American Bisque cookie jars immortalized the dots beautifully and with fun. They made a series of jars called the polka dot pig, polka dot cat, bear and other whimsical characters.

A famous, and sometimes rare, English ware is the TG Green Domino items. The Domino ware consists of dots and comes in many different pieces, including a toast rack,

round butter dish and a rectangular butter/cheese dish.

Particularly whimsical were the cat’s eye sunglasses/glasses in all colors of dots, and

accessories such as compacts, purses, earrings and more.

Today we can also see them on dinnerware. Both Noritake and Isaac Mizrahi have designed dinnerware with dots; in fact, Mizrahi’s is called Polka Dot. One can even see dog’s dresses in all colors of dots, if you so desire to dress your pooch. Of course, people’s clothing and accessories are also popular in this beloved pattern. So many things seem to be going retro now. If you are a pack rat like many people who collect, then get out all of your polka dot items, because you will be all the rage in the 21^st century.

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Bombalurina: Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, 1990

"Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" is a novelty song telling the story of a shy girl wearing a revealing polka dot bikini at the beach, who in the first verse is too afraid to leave the locker where she has changed into her bikini; in the second, she has made it to the beach but sits on the sand wrapped in a blanket; and in the closing verse, she has finally gone into the ocean, but is too afraid to come out, and stays immersed in the water – despite the fact that she's "turning blue", to quote the song's lyrics – to hide herself from view. It was written by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss and first released in June 1960 by Brian Hyland with orchestra conducted by John Dixon as "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polkadot Bikini." Hyland's version hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 8, 1960 and also made the top 10 in other countries, including #8 on the UK Singles Chart. Trudy Packer recited the phrases "One, two, three, four/Tell the people what she wore", heard at the end of each verse before the chorus; and "Stick around, we'll tell you more", heard after the first chorus and before the start of the second verse.

The Lyrics:

She was afraid to come out of the locker
She was as nervous as she could be
She was afraid to come out of the locker
She was afraid that somebody would see
One, two, three, four, tell the people what she wore

It was an itsy, bitsy, teenie, weenie, yellow polka-dot bikini
That she wore for the first time today
An itsy, bitsy, teentie, weenie, yellow polka-dot bikini
So in the locker she wanted to stay
Two, three, four, stick around we'll tell you more

She was afraid to come out in the open
And so a blanket around she wore
She was afraid to come out in the open
And so she sat bundled up on the shore
Two, three, four, tell the people what she wore

It was an itsy, bitsy, teenie, weenie, yellow polka-dot bikini
That she wore for the first time today
An itsy, bitsy, teentie, weenie, yellow polka-dot bikini
So in the blanket she wanted to stay
Two, three, four, stick around we'll tell you more

Now she is afraid to come out of the water
And I wonder what she's gonna do
Now she is afraid to come out of the water
And the poor little girl's turning blue
Two, three, four, tell the people what she wore

It was an itsy, bitsy, teenie, weenie, yellow polka-dot bikini
That she wore for the first time today

An itsy, bitsy, teentie, weenie, yellow polka-dot bikini
So in the water she wanted to stay
(From the locker to the blanket)
(From the blanket to the shore)
(From the shore to the water)
Yes, there isn't any more

(Taken from OldieLyrics.com)

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Polka Dot and nature:

- Spotted Eagle Ray

- Lady Birds

- Spotted Quoll

- Axis Deer

- Yellow Dotted Black Mole Salamander

- Dalmation

- Spotted Dolphin

- Spotted Butterfly

- Western Spotted Frog

- Spotted Cucumber Beetle

- Spotted Puffer fish

- Spotted Eel

- Goldfinch

- Guinea Fowl

- Polka Dot Plant

- Toad Lily

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Polka Dot Door, childrens programme:

The theme for the "Polka Dot Door," a five-day-a-week children's series, explained the main concept of the show "songs, stories and so much more!" Two human hosts a man and a woman led simple games, stories and songs inside a giant playhouse that had (egad!) a polka-dotted front door. Each show had a specific theme, with the stuffed toy inhabitants (including a doll and a teddy bear) made part of the action. During each show, the Polkaroo a mischievous polka-dotted kangaroo visited the two human hosts, while other guests dropped by on occassion.

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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Polka Dot Dancing:

The polka is a lively Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia. It is supposed that its characteristic sounds and beats were taken from easily audible noises naturally occurring in a peasant farm. Polka is still a popular genre of folk music in many European countries. You can hear it performed by folk artists in Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Croatia, Slovenia, Germany, Hungary, Austria, Italy, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and Slovakia. Local varieties of this dance are also found in the Nordic countries, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Latin America (especially Mexico), and in the United States. (Wikipedia)

Polka dancing in the film 'Back to the future'

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Polka Dot in the Arts:

Roy Litchenstein

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 Georges Seurat

Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an image. Georges Seurat developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism. The term Pointillism was first coined by art critics in the late 1880s to ridicule the works of these artists, and is now used without its earlier mocking connotation

The technique relies on the ability of the eye and mind of the viewer to blend the color spots into a fuller range of tones. It is related to Divisionism, a more technical variant of the method. Divisionism is concerned with color theory, whereas pointillism is more focused on the specific style of brushwork used to apply the paint.It is a technique with few serious practitioners today, and is notably seen in the works of Seurat, Signac and Cross. However, see also Andy Warhol's early works, and pop art.

The practice of Pointillism is in sharp contrast to the traditional methods of blending pigments on a palette. Pointillism is analogous to the four-color CMYK printing process used by some color printers and large presses that place dots of Cyan (blue), Magenta (red), Yellow, and Key (black). Televisions and computer monitors use a similar technique to represent image colors using Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) colors.
Neuroplasticity is a key element of observing any pointillistic image. While two individuals would observe the same photons reflecting from a photo-realistic image, someone whose mind has been primed with the theory of pointillism will perceive the image differently as it is interpreted in the visual cortex.

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Polka Dots in Fashion:

Polka Dots in Fashion History

Polka dots have long been appearing on runway and are used for countless goods from bikinis to bags, from bold to pastel, and from large to small size. Despite its loving admiration among fashion designers and fashion fanatics, little is known about the origin of polka dots. Though the design’s origin is still a mystery, there are three possible traces that are proposed.

It is said that when Eastern European immigrants arrived America, they brought along with them ethnic old time music and the bouncing sound that made the Americans wanted to dance. Polka performers namely as Viola Turpeinen and Frankie Yankovic trapped the people with their upbeat music and polka garments and that was where the first story of the mysterious polka dot’s origin claimed.

The second possible origin occurred when a fashion designer named Michael Kors. Frustrated and bored of the old style of simple color one-piece bathing suit, Kors, with help of a felt-tipped black marker, created a stylish yellowed tow-piece bathing suit with black dots on the sheets. And the so-called itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny polka dot was born.

Apart from the polka performers and the yellow two-piece, the origin of polka dot in fashion history also lies in the attire of Walt Disney’s character, Minnie Mouse! Faced with a challenge in designing, Disney consulted with numerous fashion catalogues and restless meetings with his personal tailor. Eventually, he decided to innovate it himself with stripes, plaids, and check. However, when all was about to finish, an ink blot fell from his pen onto Minnie’s skirt and the problem was solved right away. Since then, Minnie Mouse got her red polka dot skirt with white dots on it.

Whether polka dot was originated by the European performers, Mr Kors, or Mr Disney, the fashion style will always continue being a favorite style among designers and fans and get reinvented as time goes by.

http://www.dotsfashiononline.com/polka-dots-in-fashion-history/#more-26

Polka dots have always been popular in fashion, especially during the 1950's, womens dolly dresses, bikini's and many accessories would be bound with a polka pattern. It was also a fashionable pattern for men and would be seen on shirts. As current designers look for new inspirations and ideas to set a trend they often look back at what was in fashion all those years ago and draw ideas from past eras. This is what has happened most recently with the polka dot, it is everywhere! But its not just vintage dresses and bikinis that the polka dot is hanging on to. I went into the shoe shop Schuh and found a pair of Nike high tops with polka dot detail!! The fashion world is modernising the polka dot so that another generation can enjoy them.

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One particular fashion designer that uses the polka dot within her fashion designs is British designer Cath Kidston, she is renound for her beautiful floral designs on home furnishings, clothes and accessories. Cath Kidston has used the polka dot in collabertion with her own floral designs, the complexity of her floral patterns agains the simplicity of the polka dots really works, her designs seem to have a very 1950's summer feel about them.

http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/

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Qualitative research:

As part of my polka dot research I have taken photographs of polka dot items that I own, I have then used a 10x10cm card window to count how many dots there are in this space on each item. I then measured the width of the dot and the space between each dot.

Duvet cover:

- 9 dots

- Each dot 2cm wide

- 2cm gap between each polka dot

White top:

- 50 dots

- Each dot 0.5cm in width

- 2cm gap between each dot

Jacket:

- 59 dots

- Each dot 0.5cm in width

- 2cm gap between each dot

Dress:

- 12 small dots, 0.5cm in width

- 15 medium dots, 1cm in width

- 5 big dots, 1.5cm in width

- 32 dots in total

- Random gap size

Dress 2:

- 25 dots

- Each 1cm in width

- 2cm gap between each dot

Basket:

- 15 dots

- Each dot 1cm in width

- 2cm gap between each dot

Pink polka dot bra:

- 69 dots

- Each dot 0.5cm in width

- 1cm gap between each dot