Chefchaouen, Blue City of Morocco (IMAGES)

 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chefchaouen

 It is the chief town of the province of the same name, and is noted for its buildings in shades of blue. Chefchaouen is situated in the Rif Mountains, just inland from Tangier and Tetouan. The city was founded in 1471, as a small fortress which still exists to this day, by Moulay Ali Ben Moussa Ben Rached El Alami (a descendant of Ibn Machich and Idris I, and through them, of the prophet Muhammad) to fight the Portuguese invasions of northern Morocco. Along with the Ghomara tribes of the region, many Moriscos and Jewssettled here after the Spanish Reconquista in medieval times. In 1920, the Spanish seized Chefchaouen to form part of Spanish Morocco. Spanish troops imprisoned Abd el-Krim in the kasbah from 1916 to 1917, after he talked with the German consul Dr. Walter Zechlin (1879–1962). (After defeating him with the help of the French force Abd el-Krim was deported to Réunion in 1926). Spain returned the city after the independence of Morocco in 1956.

Color And Its Effects On Your Mood

By: Jade Small

Source: http://www.the-open-mind.com/color-and-its-effects-on-your-mood/

THE EFFECTS OF COLOUR IN OUR DAILY LIVES

RED

The color red grabs your attention, and increases your blood pressure, pulse and breathing, according to the Paint Quality Institute’s website. Red is the color most often associated with passion and love. Red also can stimulate your appetite, which makes it a good color choice for your dining room. Red clothing can be energizing, and will earn you second looks. Mix red with white, and it transforms into a romantic and relaxing color–pink.

ORANGE

Orange conveys excitement and energy. In ancient cultures, orange was used to heal the lungs and increase energy levels. While orange is attention-grabbing, it also is bright, friendly and reminiscent of beautiful fall colors. Use orange–and its more muted cousin, rust–to create a welcoming room.

YELLOW

Yellow represents sunshine, cheer, optimism and clarity. Yellow enhances concentration, according to InfoPlease.com. Although it usually is considered a cheerful color, yellow can have negative effects. Of all the colors, yellow is hardest on the eyes, and it may stimulate your frustration and anger.

BLUE

Blue, the color of sky and water, represents calmness and serenity. Fashion consultants often recommend wearing blue for a job interview, since it conveys loyalty, reliability and productivity, says David Johnson in the article “Color Psychology” published by InfoPlease.com. You may wish to use this color in your bedroom for its soothing effects. An overabundance of blue, however, can feel cold and depressing.

GREEN

Green, the color of nature, is refreshing and relaxing. Hospitals and doctors’ offices often use green because it’s considered a healing color. Schools and businesses frequently employ this color in their decor for its stress-relieving effects. Green is an easy color to live with in any room of your home.

PURPLE

In its deepest shades, purple conveys richness, majesty and drama. Its connection to royalty dates to ancient times when purple dye was so expensive only by the wealthy could afford it, according to the Institute for Interactive Technology. Choose lighter shades of purple for a creative, feminine and sophisticated room.

BLACK AND WHITE

While black and white may be considered neutral, each has powerful associations of its own. Black can represent power and elegance. You may love wearing black for its sophisticated, slimming effect. In decorating, black can give a room depth. White connotes cleanliness and purity, and, as a wall color, it provides a clean background for other colors.

Subhana’llah: Blue Orchids (IMAGES)

 Blue orchids are rare, beautiful and deep meaningful flowers. They bring satisfaction and happiness even to people who do not appreciate flowers very much, as their beauty is astonishing. Even if they are about to be extinct, they are popular flowers and very hard to get, as well.

Heard of Blue Flames? Here’s Blue Lava (IMAGES)

 Photographer Olivier Grunewald lost two lenses and a camera in pursuit of these otherworldly images of an Indonesian sulfur mine called Kawah Ijen, but that hardship is nothing compared to the job of the miners, who hike to the top of the peak, descend 660 feet into its crater, then pick up chunks of raw sulfur and slog them back up to the rim in a pair of baskets that hold 100 to 200 pounds.

Sulfur becomes molten at temps just over the boiling point of water and turns into the spectral blue lava you see here. Conditions in the crater aren’t actually hot enough for the sulfur to self-combust — it turns molten when miners drop their torches.

If you’ve ever been around a hot spring, you can only imagine the smell. Grunewald wore a gas mask for his shots (and threw away his clothes afterward), while few of the miners had any such protection. And should you ever find yourself there, careful where you step — that lake is sulfuric acid.

An underwater tornado

50 Shades of Blue (IMAGE)

 

 The color blue is a color of trust, peace, order and loyalty.
More about Color Symbolism…

Color Symbolism and Culture

Color Symbolism Chart
	Red: Excitement, energy, passion, love, desire, speed, strength, power, heat, aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence, all things intense and passionate, sincerity, happiness (Only in Japan)
	Pink symbolizes love and romance, caring, tenderness, acceptance and calm.
	Beige and ivory symbolize unification. Ivory symbolizes quiet and pleasantness. Beige symbolizes calm and simplicity.
	Yellow signifies joy, happiness, betrayal, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard and friendship.
	Blue: Peace, tranquility, cold, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, sky, water, technology, depression, appetite suppressant.
	Turquoise symbolizes calm. Teal symbolizes sophistication. Aquamarine symbolizes water. Lighter turquoise has a feminine appeal.
	Purple: Royalty, nobility, spirituality, ceremony, mysterious, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, honor, arrogance, mourning, temperance.
	Lavender symbolizes femininity, grace and elegance.
	Orange: Energy, balance, enthusiasm, warmth, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant, demanding of attention.
	Green: Nature, environment, healthy, good luck, renewal, youth, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, inexperience, envy, misfortune, vigor.
	Brown: Earth, stability, hearth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance, simplicity, and comfort.
	Gray: Security, reliability, intelligence, staid, modesty, dignity, maturity, solid, conservative, practical, old age, sadness, boring. Silver symbolizes calm.
	White: Reverence, purity, birth, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage (Western cultures), death (Eastern cultures), cold, clinical.
	Black: Power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, evil, unhappiness, depth, style, sadness, remorse, anger, anonymity, underground, good technical color, mourning, death (Western cultures), austerity, detachment.

Beautiful beach glows at night, Maldives (IMAGE)

BLUE MOON

Blue moon does not mean that the moon is blue. It is a term used for the second full moon within a month. This phenomenon occurs once every three years on average. The last blue moon was on August 20-21, 2013.