the Insider Digital Edition in PDF format - Stockholm School of ...

Music:
by Eglë
the New Type
of Addiction
Shower is not the first thing in
the morning. Guess what! It is
turning on the music.
Some says - close your eyes and listen. Yeah sure, it is
magic, but don't ever try that. The rules of this game are to
open your eyes widely, take your walkman and experience
the existence. You are turned on once you press the button
“play”: it drives you crazy, makes you mad. Chill! It eases up.
Just don't turn it down.
Talk the lyrics, Live out what others are singing. They
play with words; you are free to play with meanings. Hear
the beauty, and the gloom.
Some says we live in the synthetic world. Synthesizers
all around and DJs mixing fancy minimal electro sounds. This
is not natural, but do not take it as a junk. Take it easy. Try to
feel the value. Don't mess around, be self-sufficient and
understand what it's all about. It is about inventors of the
music: Marilyn Monroe (I wanna loved by you – just you!
Boop-boop-a-doop!), Mozart and Bach, the Doors. the girl
from Ipanema. Vinnie the Pooh (kuda idiom my spitaciok…)
You can invent it once more. Or you can consume it.
Hear the passions of people; Watch jazzy pianist's fingers;
Breathe in the sound of saxophone. This consumption is
made of tunes, harmonies and beats. Paf paf pa boom! And
it is no how related with consumer price indexes, not at all.
You say – tickets, records, entrances and labels. I say – no.
Music is never sold, it is free and priceless.
Never mind if it's polished and sophisticated or flowing
and ingenuous. It is African beats, Latino bossanova,
American hip-hop, Russian pop, European classical and
world-wide rock.
And what if “you no longer hear the music of the gods
around you”? Well… They say – in the long run we all are
dead. But for now - harmonize your life and make the
groove.
And what if… If all this does not help – establish
another record studio, build new concert hall and then make
a lot of money. I mean, a LOT OF money. Sell it all out!
8|INSIDER Je Joue 2007
The Bathroom
History of Nudity
by Sofija Jurceva
Anthropologists logically presume that
humans originally lived naked, without
clothing, as their natural state. They postulate
the adaptation of animal skins and vegetation
into coverings to protect the wearer from
cold, heat and rain, or alternatively, covering
may have been invented first for other
purposes, such as magic, decoration, cult, or
prestige, and later found to be practical as
well. But what is the story like behind it?
According to one legend, a runner at the
Ancient Olympic Games named Orsippos of
Megara discarded his loincloth and won his
race. Another legend says that the loincloth
accidentally fell off a runner at the Olympics, who tripped on it,
struck his head, and died. So for reasons of either improved
athletic performance or safety, from this date forward Olympic
athletes competed naked. Other sources, however says that the
beauty of body was among the admired aspects of culture, just
as philosophy and art. That was the reason why athletes had to
oil their body during the competitions. Suspectedly, that was
also the reason why women were not allowed neither to
participate neither to be spectators.
In the 1st century AD refusing to wear clothes was
considered a sign of insanity. It was nevertheless usual for
workers such as field hands and fishermen to work unclothed.
1868 is the approximate date of the introduction of the
swimsuit. Most swimming, if not all, was done naked up to this
point because wearing clothing of any sort was extremely
cumbersome and thus dangerous to the swimmer.
During the Victorian era, public nakedness was considered
obscene. In addition to beaches being segregated by gender,
bathing machines were also used to conceal the naked body. In
the early 20th century, exposure of male nipples was considered
indecent at some beaches. Actually, it wasn’t until the late 20’s
when men were allowed to appear topless in public places.
Spring has definitely arrived to our oblivious of snow Riga.
Some people were pretty suspicious of the first tickly sunbeams.
Apparently those who weren’t have been annoying their course
mates by coughing and sneezing throughout the whole April. At
last the “springiest” month of the year is here to chase away
Baltic chilliness, melt some icy hearts and spice up the
everlasting question “how undressed is just enough?”
The issue, however, is not fashion but contemporary art of
attracting and undressing. Short skirts, uncovered shoulders,
see-through shirts, revealing dresses, tight trousers. Apparently
the society’s attitude towards partial nudity has changed greatly
during the last century.
He was sitting with his legs crossed. Wearing tight trousers
and short red socks revealed his ankles. Back in Victorian times
there was nothing more seducing for a man, than to catch a
glimpse of women’s ankles. Are we going back to basics? Are we
changing the gender roles? Should I lose my mind by the sight of
those hairy legs?