The Peace Sign

For years I've known people who would refuse to wear the peace sign because they said it was an upside down or satanic cross in a circle with broken arms. I've always felt they were complete idiot's, no matter how much I loved the person...then I just came across this article about it...which proves to me that they really are idiots.

Where did the peace sign come from?

By Melissa Breyer
More from Care2 Green Living blog

It is instantly recognizable as a sign of peace, but what is the symbolism behind the peace sign?

The olive branch came from ancient Greece, the dove from the Bible … but where did that circle with the chicken-footprint come from?

Rewind back to 1958 when London textile designer, Gerald Holtom, wanted to create a symbol for marchers to carry on banners and signs at a "Ban the Bomb" march planned by the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War (DAC). The event was Britain’s first major demonstration against nuclear weapons -- a 52-mile march from London to the town of Aldermaston, home to an A-bomb research center.

Members of the DAC came to the march emblazoned with Holtom’s circle-with-lines symbol; but to bystanders, its meaning was a mystery.

Nowadays we all know what the symbol stands for, but what is the meaning behind the design? Holtom created the symbol by combining flag semaphore signals, an alphabet signalling system where flags are waved in a particular pattern to symbolize different letters. The system was used in the maritime world in the 1800s to convey information at a distance.

Holtom used the signals for the letters "N" for nuclear and "D" for disarmament and put them in a circle. The symbol is essentially a logo for the concept of nuclear disarmament! Such graphic elegance.

Later the symbol was adopted by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). In 1960, the peace sign was imported to the United States via a peace sign button brought from the U.K. to the U.S. by Philip Altbach, a freshman at the University of Chicago.

The symbol had shown up here and there in the U.S. prior to that, but when Altbach convinced the Student Peace Union to adopt the sign as its symbol, the popularity of the peace sign grew immensely. By the late 1960s, the peace sign had become an international symbol adopted by anti-war protesters, and it doesn't seem to be losing steam any time soon.

See, for those of you who think the peace sign is a satanic cross with broken arms...you are really f'd up in your heads. :)

Cuteness. :)

Ripped off by Office Depot

K, so I needed some papers scanned and saved into a single PDF file. Thing is, they were fragile carbon copy papers, rather than regular typing paper.

I had 9 of them and she told me that because she had to take the extra half a second per page to set them "on the glass" that it cost $2.99 per page to scan it.

If they were regular typing paper and able to be sucked in by the machine, they would cost $2.99 for the first and $.25 for each additional.

So to scan 9 pieces of paper it cost me $27.00 when it should have cost me, $4.99. THAT IS THE BIGGEST BIT OF BULL SHIT that I have come across in a long time.

It took her literally 45 seconds to scan them, and it cost me $27.00 because she had to "lay them on the glass." You would think in this economy they would pull their heads out of their asses and charge a fair price. It should be the same $.25 no matter if it is sucking or on the glass.

She had a really bad attitude about it too, and my number one pregnancy symptom so far? Pure bitchiness...I was not near as bad as I could have been though. My mom called, so I had to turn it down.

I am feeling super bitchy though, I want to take it out on someone and I try not to take it out on Chris. It's not his "fault"...well it is, but it's not. LOL. I have a hard time controlling it though, it just comes out that way. This little incident with a worthless place, that I am no longer going to shop at...just made me steamy.

Can you imagine?

This is a portrait of Elizabeth the First, the Virgin Queen. Can you imagine dressing like this every day? Or even just for state occasions?

Soda-Coke Recap

Well, for months and months I didn't have any and my cravings were gone. Then I went to Olive Garden with Chris and he insisted that I have a Coke. I can now drink Coke without relapsing. I drink other soda's too, but the main thing I crave is water. :)

Yay me!

Gus

Well, we got a new dog. A chihuahua. I've been bugging Chris since we got married to get me a chihuahua, they are all over the place down here, you would think it was California...and now I have one.

One of Chris' friends friends is being deployed and she had an 11 year old male named Gus that needed a place to go. She talked me into it, not hard, and I got Chris to let me have him. He is HUGE, about the size of a cocker spaniel. Chris said that if he was as big as a normal chihuahua...or I should say as small as one, that he wouldn't let me have him. It also helps that he is "on his way out".

He growled and snapped at the other dog Sonny the first night, but now they are ok with eachother unless Sonny goes by his food. He still growls at Luna though. If he hurts her ever he is out the door, but his old mom assures me that he will not.

So now that is another dog to include in the Christmas card...and to take with us when we travel. He is cute though. Long haired. I love having a little dog in the house. I like little animals much more than I like big ones. Though I do love my Sonny.

Christmas Cards

Yes it is a tad early for a Christmas post, but my friend Kristin has been after me to put something on here and the only thing that I can think of is Christmas.

Normally I would just get the box of cards from Walgreen's and then pick one for each person based on the picture on the front. My mom thought that was cool, that I wouldn't just pick random ones for everyone, that each person would get a "special" one.

Last year was mine and Chris' first Christmas together as a couple and I drew our card. (See below.) The only thing about it is I was working at the time and I am at my most creative when I am supposed to be working. So I am having a very hard time thinking of what to draw for this years card. I also have to include the dog this year cause he is living with us. Last year only Luna (the cat) was with us. Also...if I am pregnant by Christmastime, I want to include a "baby on the way".

So, I'm at a loss, no idea what to draw for our card this year. Seems rather pointless to get a job I don't want just so I get creative. :)

Also, Chris thinks it's stupid to include the animals at all, cause they are just animals, but I have to. I also don't know how we are going to take a family picture cause the dumb dog is scared of camera's and takes off each time you try to get a picture.

Oh well, for my two lovely readers if you have any ideas, send them my way.