Archive for June, 2009
French Revolution Gender Roles
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French Revolution Gender Roles

Question: Are we forced to conform to artificial gender roles?
Did the sexual revolution of the 20th Century really liberate us or simply force us to conform to another model of sexuality?
What are the main gender roles for both sexes? How are these harmful or beneficial?
How has the increased acceptance of homosexuality in the 20th Century changed gender roles?These questions are simply to get you thinking, you don’t need to answer all or any of them as long as your answer is pertinent to the main one.
p.s. I’m not writing an essay on gender roles; I’m doing French Studies at university, not Gender Studies. I just want your opinions!
Answer: This sounds like homework too....but I'm bored, so...
While granting a few more sexual freedoms, the sexual revolution of the 20th C also placed a heavier weight on the "importance" of conformity in the eyes of those with strict gender-based boundaries. In the eyes of the public, new and strange sexualities were emerging from the woodwork that, in reality, had been there all along. This placed a strain on those with traditional views, who in turn, pushed back. A movement was started, small and quiet, for nontraditional sexualities to gain acceptance in the public mind. The rift between the old school of thought and the new one brought to light uncomfortable tensions between the two that had been growing for years.
Gay, lesbian, transsexual, trans gender, asexual, pan sexual, even things such as robo sexual or non-sexual. These things, as they gained media coverage, slowly became the topic of many would-be-concerned evangelist and politicians; and quickly afterward, became taboo among those with reputations or seats of power that could become shaken by the battle being fought. Civil rights groups began to campaign for equality, while others began fighting to discredit or quieten those blowing whistles. Court battle such as those in Massachusetts and California began to spread. Slowly, a couple states held that marriage was between two people and not just a man and woman.
Women, began to gain more cultural freedoms and men, while still heavily influenced by decades old beliefs, were allowed more room for expression and sexually exploration. Groups and mind-frames such a "emo" and "metrosexual" became mainstream and quickly accepted. Gradually, men were allowed more freedom to be sensitive and women could become more aggressive.
I would continue, but I lost track of time. I've been typing for about 20 minutes....
Square Louis Xvi Paris
Square Louis Xvi Paris

After several months of reconstruction the Catacombs of Paris are opened again. From the 29th of February tourists can visit one of the most terrible sights of the city. A pile of bones, covering the area of 11 000 square meters, consists of more than 6 million human bodies. However, a part not much longer than 1.5 kilometers is opened for tourists. About 160 thousand people visit the Catacombs of Paris annually. This scary labyrinth is situated in the very center of the capital of France. The entrance to the underground is called “Gates of the Hell”, but the narrow winding stairs lead deep in the ground. 90 footsteps cut off in the stone lead to the tunnels. Paris was built of this kind of stone too.
In the XIII century the city began to develop quickly and new materials were needed for the building of houses, palaces and churches. This is why the quarries, which cut off a part of the city, appeared. Because of the population upsurge in Paris in the middle of the century the need in graves increased too. During very cold winters and epidemics, lack of places on cemeteries was especially problematic. In order to find an unoccupied place for burring new dead bodies, the remains of the deceased initially were put in special “skeleton houses”. A terrible smell from there was spreading over the city until the day when Louis XVI ordered to bring all the remains to the undergrounds of Paris and to write on their door, leading to the tunnels, the inscription “Stop! It is a Kingdom of the Deceased”.
When in Paris in XVIII old cemeteries were liquidated, it was decided to bring all the remains from there to the catacombs which during the ancient times were dug in the district of Montparnass. During the XVIII-XIX centuries the remains from the closed cemeteries were brought to the underground. The galleries in the catacombs were intentionally appointed for a big amount of skeletons, some of which even made formations of skulls. A part of the underground cemetery was equipped for excursions and has become the most terrible museum in the world. The catacombs are opened for visitors from Tuesday till Sunday, from 9:30 till 17:00. A ticket for adults costs 5 euro.
There are also other unusual museums in the world that have funny, horrible or unusual expositions.
Iuri Tarabanov writes about interesting travel experiences. His travel advice site is http://www.tripspirit.com
Part 9 of 10 Bolshoi Ballet Flames of Paris Osipova Vasiliev Goryacheva Lopatin Antonicheva
French Revolution Impact On Britain
French Revolution Impact On Britain

Question: What impact did the French and Indian War have on the relationship between Britain and the colonies?
1763 (the end of the war) until the beginning of the American Revolution (1775)
Answer: hello
Ironically, the overwhelming victory of the British played a role in eventual loss of their American colonies.Without the threat of French invasion, the American colonies saw little need for British military protection and resented British limits on the colonization of the new French territories as stated in the Proclamation of 1763. These pressures contributed to the American Revolutionary War.
- The Proclamation in essence forbade colonists of the thirteen colonies from settling or buying land west of the Appalachian Mountains. This led to considerable outrage in the colonies, as many colonists had already acquired land in that region. Additionally, the Proclamation gave the Crown a monopoly in land bought from Native Americans
Making Room for Conscience
Marie Antoinette Fashion Plates
Marie Antoinette Fashion Plates

Looking for some original Halloween costume ideas you can use to break away from the typical costumes you see? Then you’ve come to the right place as we’ve compiled a list of our top ten favorite Halloween costume ideas for you to choose from. Use one of the ideas you find here, and you’re sure to be a hit at your big holiday bash!
Cereal Killer
This Halloween costume idea is easy to create. A few miniature cereal boxes from your local grocer (with the cereal removed) are glued to an old t-shirt or sweatshirt. Use fake blood to make it look as though each box is “bleeding”, and stick a plastic knife through the centre of each box with more fake blood for effect.
Driver’s License
A large piece of white poster board and some markers are all you’ll need for this Halloween costume idea. Using your own driver’s license as a template, recreate the face of your license leaving a blank box where your face should go. Once your “license” looks right, cut an oval-shaped hole in the blank area you left so that you can easily fit your face through. Et voila! Instant Driver’s License Halloween costume!
Costumes For Expecting Women
Why should pregnant women get left out of the festivities? We’ve seen quite a few creative Halloween costume ideas for expecting women over the years, and following are our two favourites:
- Cat In The Hat - Straight out of the Dr. Seuss tales, Cat In The Hat costumes are available from most costume stores. The trick to this Halloween costume idea is to cut and hem a hole right in the centre of the belly of the costume, just large enough for your expecting tummy to protrude. Once your costume has been modified, use non-toxic face paints or tempera paints to create the fish bowl from the story on your tummy.
- Black Cat With Jack-o’-Lantern – In much the same fashion as the last, a simple black cat costume is modified to accommodate your growing stomach. But instead of a fishbowl, use your paints to paint a jack-o’-lantern on your tummy.
Whichever of the above Halloween costume ideas you decide to use, be sure to get lots of pictures as they are a part of your baby’s life you’ll treasure forever!
Money Tree
This Halloween costume idea is really simple to create. Dress in a pair of brown corduroy slacks, with a dark green sweat shirt. Pin fake dollar bills all over the shirt, including the sleeves and back. You can also find a green stocking hat to pin fake dollars on to complete the effect.
Historical & Mythical Costumes
Historical and mythical Halloween costume ideas are great as well, especially for couples looking to be something other than a pair of bats or vampires. Some of the most creative costumes we’ve seen include:
- Marie Antoinette
- Elvis & Marilyn Monroe
- Marc Anthony & Cleopatra
- Peter an & Wendy
Dinner Table
This is one of our favourite Halloween costume ideas. All you need can be gotten from your favourite craft store for just a few dollars. A cardboard box large enough to fit over your head and shoulders, a plain white tablecloth you don’t mind cutting a hole in, some tin foil and wax fruits and foods are all you need. Cut a hole in the bottom of the box large enough for your head to fit through comfortably, then draping the tablecloth over the box repeat the procedure. Some spray adhesive will keep the tablecloth attached to the box.
Using the tin foil, create a “dinner plate” that will fit around the hole, and glue your wax foods onto the plate. If you like, you can also glue several paper plates, plastic cups and plastic tableware around the perimeter of the box to look like it’s been set for company.
Find more great Halloween costume ideas at http://www.CutestCostumes.com
To Catch A Thief – Original Trailer 1955
French Revolution Riots
French Revolution Riots

Question: What could I write with these notes about the economy in the French Revolution?
I need just a five sentence paragraph, maybe more on economy in the French rev. Here are the notes- Bastille, women storm Versailles-Bread riot. bread $ up-distress. National assembly-economic freedom-(monopolies…. abolished)=economic liberty. New paper currency(assignats) . Thanks
Answer: Supplement those notes with information from this website on the French Revolution:
http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/
French Revolution II Begins in Paris 3-19-09