BEST: Madonna

Madonna represents everything that was right with the 80′s. In her legendary cone bra, she revolutionized pop music, and showed the world what it took to stay on top of the music industry as a whole. She never stayed with one image for very long, and as a result, she has become an 80′s pop culture icon for the ages.

WORST: Leg Warmers

Here’s one thing from the 80′s pop culture vault that is, rather unfortunately, making a resurgence. The fashion statement became popular after the movies Fame and Flashdance hit the scene, but these woolen monstrosities were not preventing dancers’ legs from cramping. Instead, they were creating embarrassing photos for their patrons to scowl at years down the road.

BEST: Oregon Trail

Load up the wagons, and head out west! One of the first accessible computer games, this 80′s pop culture phenomenon involved blazing the Oregon trail in the face of horrors like rattlesnakes, famine and dysentery. Careful crossing that river, you might lose an ox!

WORST: Mullets

Another fashion faux pas from days gone by, the mullet is by far one of the most frightening components of 80′s pop culture. It was business in the front, and a party in the back, but ridiculous looking all around. Worn by men, women, and Billy Ray Cyrus, this hairstyle should stay buried in the past.

BEST: Star Wars

Ok, so maybe the first movie came out in 1977, but The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi solidified Star Wars as an 80′s pop culture phenomenon. You either wanted Princess Leia, or wanted to be her, and the force was strong in you. Yoda was the ultimate source of wisdom, and you could not wait for the next installment to come out. You probably had the action figures, too, didn’t you?

WORST: John Lennon’s Assassination

Sure, the Beatles were already over. However, John Lennon was a legendary artist who was still making contributions to the world of music. His death shook 80′s pop culture to its core, and the void he left behind was filled with bands like Air Supply and Wham!, which is a travesty in and of itself. So long, John. You will be missed.

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The book offers up a wealth of tips on solving problems that range from body odor, to seducing the opposite sex. One of the chapters provides an extensive coverage on the changes in the natural state of men and women that must be observed and taken into consideration. Any man, or woman, who fall into any of these states is considered under the power of her bodily desires and bound by her carnal needs.

The first state is the state of Dhyasa. This condition sees the individual at a loss to do anything. There is but one burning desire and that is to see the beloved, to see a particular man. The second state is when the mind of the individual begins to suffer as well. Meaning, one is unable to think of anything. She finds her mind always wandering, always going back to thoughts of the beloved. She feels that she is near to losing her mind.

The third stage describes the individual trying to woo and win a man in question. The fourth stage is when the individual loses sleep over thoughts of the beloved. The fifth is when the individual looks haggard, with her body emaciated. She cannot think, eat or sleep because thoughts of the beloved consume her. The sixth stage that indicates a person is already suffering from unsatisfied carnal or sexual needs is that she feels herself growing shameless, forgetting all sense of decorum and decency. The seventh stage is when the individual no longer cares for her riches and lets these things go. The eighth state is when the mental intoxication of the individual borders on madness. The ninth state is when tainting fits come on and the last state, when the body’s needs are at its utmost and greatest, the individual finds herself at death’s door.

Produced by sexual passion, examples of these states may also be found in Indian history, particularly in the case of King Puruva. He was such a devout man that Indra, the Lord of the Lower Heaven feared that Puruva may even succeed in dethroning him in the end. Thus, the god sent down from Svarga—his own heaven—Urvashi. Urvashi is the most lovely of all Indra’s nymphs and Puruva fell in love with her as soon as he laid eyes on her.

Day and night he thought of nothing but her, and when he possessed her, both passed the time in carnal enjoyment. When the god took Urvashi back, no sooner had she departed than Puruva fell into a deep depression. He started to lose his control. His mind began to wander, he was no longer capable of focusing on anything, on his wealth or worship until he found himself languishing, already at the door of death.

The states follow a logical order and many still find them true up to today. For most, the similarities are worth taking note of. It means that no matter how many how years pass, humans rarely change. To learn Indian sexual norms such as these from Hindu love manuals is one of the reasons why people still read old texts books on the erotic.

But another one could be, a more visceral reason could be, that these books mirror us, these books remind us, that —despite prevailing conservative sexual norms—they can stay true to the spirit of pleasure, and freedom and sex even when we no longer can.

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This characteristic of man towards philosophy has brought him ahead of all that is surrounding. It has clearly brought him beyond the limits of time and nature. Civilizations and communities have thrived because of guiding principles and practices. Let’s take a look at one of the oldest surviving groups in the world’s history and learn how Indian philosophy have given its lands and people quite a promising journey.

The earliest thinkers within the Indian circles regarded philosophy in high terms as they seem to see it as one of the practical needs so as to reach a better understanding on how the different aspects of life can be best manipulated and navigated. Philosophical works of budding ancient Indian writers focused their works on explaining at how these works can benefit in man’s struggle and survival. Philosophy at that time was simply believed to be within the realms of an underlying order which is encompassing and omnipresent.

The Rig Veda was the first one that contained such form of order which was described in the image of the Brahman. The Brahman was recognized as overlooking being that is beyond the capacities of normal men. It was basically an indescribable and inexplicable existence that this world’s emotions and comprehension cannot reach.

Indian philosophy can be categorized through the use of the existence of two schools. The first one is the astika or the six orthodox schools all of which are founded under the Vedic authority. The six member schools are Nyaya or the school of logic, Vaisheshika or the atomist school, Samkhya or the enumeration school, Yoga or the school of Patanjali from which the metaphysics of Samkhya springs forth, Purva Mimamsa or the tradition of Vedic exegesis and rituals, and finally Vedanta or Uttara Mimamsa which gives much emphasis on Vedic philosophy.

The mentioned schools are usually paired up for reasons regarding concepts and histories. Pairings include Mimamsa-Vedanta, Nyaya-Vaisheshika, and Samkhya-Yoga. The school of Vedanta then branches on to more sub-schools such as Dvaita, Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita, Advaita, and Achintya Bheda Abheda.

The Brahmins then identified schools that did not acknowledge the power of the Vedas as heterodox or unorthodox. These schools were mainly built on the nastika system. The Jain, Buddhist, and Carvaka philosophies are the ones that fuel the beliefs of such schools.

The Jain principle is that one should be wary of the consequences that may arise from his physical and mental behavior. It gives much emphasis on having full awareness about the well-being of all the things around since most being that are part of the world possess a soul. Furthermore there should be equality in the advocacy and treatment of all walks of life. Buddhism is built on the concept of karma which clearly states that there is a major connection between events that have taken place and events that will take place in the near future. Carvaka is a school of thought that is based on ideas of materialism and atheism.

Indian philosophy is a great medium that can be used to learn how these people come up with their words and actions in certain time and places.

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