Why Do Judges Wear Robes?

Most of us in the western world expect judges to wear a robe when they sit behind their bench in a courtroom, and they usually do not disappoint. But we rarely think about how the long, usually black, robe became the standard outfit for the men and women who preside over criminal and civil cases in the courtroom. The tradition began about seven hundred years ago in England.
Robes became the standard uniform for judges in England during the reign of Edward II, who ruled from 1327 until 1377. At this point, they had already been the standard garb for academics for over a century as well as worn in other settings.  For instance, at this point, this type of garb would also have been appropriate for wear for a visit to the royal court, so a judge wearing his robes outside of the courtroom would not have been out of place.
The standard robes for judges at this point came in three colors: violet for the summer, green for the winter, and scarlet for special occasions. Judges often received the material for these robes as part of a grant from the King. The last mention of the green robes occurs in 1534, and new guidelines dictating which robes could be worn at certain times appear in 1635. The new guide suggested judges wear black robes with a fur trim during the winter and violet or scarlet robes that feature pink taffeta for the summer.
Historians believe that the transition to only black robes may have begun in the second half of the 17^th century in England. But it is not known for sure what exactly caused the switch, though a popular theory ties the black robes to the mourning period after the death of a monarch.  Some historians claim that the funeral of Queen Mary in 1694 helped cement the already worn black robes as the typical attire while others point to the death of Charles II in 1685 as the start of that tradition.
Whatever the case, additional guidelines instructing judges to wear black robes appeared in the middle of the 18^th century. At that point, English judges typically wore a scarlet robe with a black scarf and a scarlet hood when presiding over criminal cases. But for civil cases, they often wore black silk robes.
When the judges in the American colonies presided over legal proceedings, whether civil or criminal cases, they carried over the English tradition of wearing robes. This topic produced debate between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams after the colonists won the American Revolution and formed their own government. Jefferson argued that American judges should distance themselves from the traditions set down by the English and wear only a suit in court. Adams, a lawyer, disagreed and wanted judges to continue wearing the robes and wigs of English judges. A compromise ensued, with it being decided that the new American judges should wear the robe and not the wig.
Judges in the United States continue to wear robes in the courtroom, despite the lack of a rule requiring them to be worn. Even in the Supreme Court of the United States, there is no requirement that its justices wear a robe in court. Yet due to the tradition, and perhaps it being something distinguishing from everyone else in the courtroom, a mark of authority, judges continue to wear them. Judges have been wearing robes for over seven hundred years, after all.  Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Sandra Day O’Connor admits that wearing the robe may simply be a matter of tradition, but she likes what it symbolizes. “It shows that all of us judges are engaged in upholding the Constitution and the rule of law… We have a common responsibility.”
That is not to say that judges always wear their robes or stick to the traditional black robe. Judge ShawnDya L. Simpson of Manhattan, New York has admitted to forgoing the robe altogether in favor of a lime green suit on occasion.  Even when she wears her robe, she does not always fasten all the buttons on it. She also occasionally accents her robe by wearing a scarf or a necklace. Justice Bruce Allen of the New York State Supreme Court usually leaves off his robe while sitting at the bench. He generally only wears it when there is a jury present in the courtroom.

How Do They Make White Gold White Given That It’s an Element?

Is white gold really gold? If it is, how do they make it white when it’s an element?

The purest form of gold is, of course, golden and is referred to as 24 karat gold. Pure gold is much too soft for use in jewelry and can even be dented by simply pressing your fingernail hard against it. Needless to say, daily wear, particularly for things like rings and bracelets, would see such jewelry bent and deformed quite quickly. So the gold must be made more durable by mixing it with another kind of metal or metals, creating a gold alloy.
As far as terminology goes, the 24 karats that make up pure gold translate to all twenty-four parts being gold. So an 18 karat gold ring is constructed of 18 parts pure gold and 6 parts something else, adding up to a total of 24 (75% gold, 25% other). The same formula can be applied to any karat of gold jewelry, such as a 14 karat gold pendant- made up of 14 parts gold and 10 parts other metals.
So what are these other metals? If the desired result for a particular piece of jewelry is still a golden color, common metals mixed with gold include copper and zinc.
With white gold, the jeweler typically uses metals like silver, palladium, manganese, and nickel, with nickel for a time being the main bleaching agent due to its cheapness. However, nickel has fallen out of favor in some jewelry circles because it more commonly causes allergic reactions.
All that said, while the resulting piece in these cases will be bleached to more of a silvery color, it doesn’t typically produce the vibrant silver hue commonly associated with white gold today. (Although, there are methods to achieve this that have been very recently developed.) But for the vast majority of white gold out there, the vibrant silver color is created by coating the white gold alloy with a thin layer of rhodium, a metal in the platinum family.
The choice of rhodium comes from its bright white color along with its extreme durability. Eventually, though, it will wear down, at which point it will reveal the yellow tint of the white gold beneath. Depending on the exact makeup of the white gold, this may be barely noticeable to extremely apparent.  With unscrupulous jewelers, they may even simply use regular yellow gold alloys plated with rhodium in their “white gold” as a way to save a little money in production. The buyers would have no idea until the rhodium wore off, which takes a while.
Whatever the case, if you notice a yellow tint after a while, simply having the white gold cleaned then having a jeweler apply a new coating of rhodium returns the metal to its previous silvery shine, and usually is relatively inexpensive to have done. In some cases, jewelers even offer this service free if you originally purchased the item in question from them.

How to reduce computer Eye strain?

Eyestrain – If you spend hours a day in front of a computer screen (like me), and have experienced anything along the lines of: eyes burning, neck aching, vision blurring, or head throbbing, you might have a common problem known as Eyestrain.

In medical terms it’s called Computer Vision Syndrome, and it comes from a combination of your monitor’s bright back light, glare and staring at a screen for extended periods of time.

Eyestrain may include one or a combination of the Conditions;

• Pain and tension around the eyes and/or temples (which can spread to the head, neck and back)
• Eye dryness and/or redness
• Fatigue
• Sensitivity to light
• Headache
• Difficulty performing visual tasks
• Blurred vision
• Double vision

How Do I Relieve Eyestrain?

Step 1 :Blink

Most of them forget to do this simple exercise while working sincerely. As per the research every person should blink atleast 10-15 times in 20 seconds to reduce the eye strain.

Step 2: Adjust your monitor’s position 

A simple tweak to your monitor setup can go a long way in solving your eyestrain. For optimal comfort, your monitor should be 20-30 inches away from your eyes. Additionally, the top of your monitor should be at eye level, as you should be looking down at your work, not up.

Step 3 :Observe the 20-20-20 Rule 

Looking into the distance to let your eyes relax is called the 20-20-20 rule, and is an easy trick to remember to reduce eyestrain. To help you deal with this problem, the 20-20-20 rule suggest that after every 20 minutes, you (the computer user) should take a break for at least 20 seconds and look at objects that are 20 feet away from you.

Use the Above Mentioned app which help you remember to get up and move around,Protect Your vision. It will remind you periodically to move around or at least look out and focus somewhere else for every 20 minutes.

Step 4: Take Frequent Breaks

While most of us can’t afford to get up from the computer every half hour while we work, it is important to find time to stop for a few minutes and do something that doesn’t involve looking at the screen. Go get a glass of water, or just do a lap around your cubicle, or talk to that person you were planning to send an email. Your eyes will thank you.

Step 5: Take an Eye exam

Having a routine comprehensive eye exam is the most important thing you can do to prevent or treat computer vision problems. During your exam, be sure to tell your eye doctor how often you use a computer at work and at home. Measure how far your eyes are from your screen when you sit at your computer, and bring this measurement to your exam so your eye doctor can test your eyes at that specific working distance.

Remember friends, your eyes weren’t designed for nonstop computer use. If you work on your computer for long hours, eyestrain is bound to occur. Don’t let eyestrain sneak up on you. Make healthy adjustments as soon as you can.