Digital Factory

Mt. Etna

2010-07-18T11:57:00.000-07:00

v Mt. Etna, also known as Mongibello in Italian, is the most active volcano in Europe.

v It is also the largest volcano in Europe being nearly three times as large as Mt. Vesuvius.

v The base of Mt. Etna is 36 miles by 24 miles.

v Mt. Etna stands at about 3,326m (10,910 ft.) though this varies with summit eruptions.

v Etna has the longest record of historic eruptions.

v The last eruption occurred in November 2007.

v The first recorded eruption was in 1500 B.C.

v Etna has erupted at least 190 times since then.

v The most dramatic eruption was in 1669. Earthquakes began on February 25 and the eruption began March 11 and stopped on July 15.

v Fatalities have only occurred in 7 eruptions.

v On December 14, 1991 Mt. Etna began to erupt and the eruption continued until March 30, 1993. It was the largest eruption at Mt. Etna in the last 300 years.

v Mt. Etna is located in Sicily, Italy.

Pompeii Destruction

2010-07-18T11:50:00.000-07:00

"You could hear women lamenting, children crying, men shouting. There were some so afraid of death that they prayed for death. Many raised their hands to the gods, and even more believed that there were no gods any longer and that this was one unending night for the world." —Pliny the Younger, circa A.D. 97 to 109

Ø Inhabited by about 20,000 people in 79 A.D., Pompeii, on the bay of Naples, survived its share of wars and natural disasters.

Ø On August 24 of 79 A.D. Pompeii was one of many cities that were destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.

Ø The exact date of the eruption has caused some debate among scholars. It is believed that the eruption could have been on August 24, October 30, November 1, or November 23. Some of the bodies found at Pompeii had heavy clothing on which appear inappropriate for a summer month such as August. However, deciduous trees were found at Herculaneum. These trees would have been bare if it was an autumn month which makes some believe that the eruption may have happened later that August 29.

Ø The streets of Pompeii were very narrow and were quickly filled with ash and pumice as the eruption progressed.

Ø Bits of pumice were found 74 miles away.

Ø The pillar of smoke and ash was seen all the way from Rome.

Ø Volcanic activity most likely continued for several days after Pompeii was destroyed.

Ø Volcanologists now know today that there was no lava flowing during the eruption.

Ø It is estimated that the surges could have reached temperatures of 100-400°C (212-750°F). These surges could have also carried toxic gases.

Ø Since 79 A.D. Vesuvius has erupted thirty times before becoming dormant again.

Ø The main source of historical information came from Pliny the elder who watched the eruption from his quarters in Misenum. His desire to study the eruption led to his death. Years later his nephew, Pliny the younger, told his uncle’s story to the historian Tacitus.

Ø Pompeii lay buried for nearly 1,700 years. It wasn't until 1748 that archaeologists began slowly uncovering the ancient city.

Ø Pompeii is now one of the most popular tourists with having nearly 2.5 million tourists a year to visit.

For further readings please see:

Berry, Joanne. The Complete Pompeii. New York, New York: Thames

and Hudson Inc., 2007.

Deem, James M. Bodies From the Ash. Boston: Houghton Mifflin

Company, 2005.

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY and CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

2010-07-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

Brian Freeman

Philosophy of Management

I will promote an atmosphere of respect and tolerance. I aim to not just teach, but to support, to guide, to promote learning, and to develop personal relationships with my students. While I aim to be a strict teacher, I also aim to be a fair teacher. I want my students to know I like them and my intent is for them to succeed but they must respect me.When students identify that I have respect for them and they have respect for me, the classroom will be more manageable. When they understand they have a supportive relationship with me they will learn to respect me and the rules. My classroom environment will be one of motivation and encouragement. I plan to encourage my students by rewarding their positive behavior in a number of ways, special assignments, extra credit assignments, winks, nods, smiles, and encouraging words. I will also punish negative behavior, but only after discussing it with the student. I believe it is extremely important to understand what a student’s life is like outside the classroom. When we understand their real-life experiences, we understand what they bring to the classroom better. In order to better understand this, I intend to create and continue an open dialogue with parents throughout the school year. Students in my classroom will be held responsible for their own behavior. When students misbehave or act inappropriately they will be called on it. There is no room for disrespect in my classroom. My hope is for students to realize that while in my classroom there is no need to act inappropriately to receive attention. My students will always have my full attention when they act in positive ways and contribute productively to the overall learning environment. As a caring teacher, I feel it is important to advise my students of desirable and undesirable behaviors used in the classroom. I also will alert them that if consequences need to be taken, the student will know and understand fully why the problem had to arise to disciplinary actions. As a competent teacher, I feel my goal is to teach the students how to take responsibility for their actions. I also feel that it is my responsibility to teach the students how to be self evaluators of their own actions and not make excuses. Hopefully, this will be a skill that will continue on throughout their life. As a committed teacher, I will assist my students to become effective self- evaluators responsible for their actions.

Room Arrangement

My desk will be placed in front of the projector or chalk board. I have done this because I want students to always see me when I lecture. Students on the first day will seat in assign seats I will make adjustments for students who have bad vision to seat up front. Placing students in assigned seats will allow me to take role quickly and begin my lesson quicker. I will place seats on the both sides of classroom for students who are found to be disruptive and need to separate from friends.

In my classroom there will be no bare walls. The classroom walls will have a number of historic documents and maps including United States, World Map and current event maps. Students will have a number of activities were they must show were certain historical events that have occurred and update the current event map so students know where geographically history is occurring. Classroom room will be clearly posted in the front so all students can view them. Finally on the front of my desk will be the symbol of the United States President “Commander and Chief” because I want students to realize that I am the Commander and Chief of the classroom. On my desk will multiple drop boxes and pick up boxes students when picking up daily activity will turn in homework.

Classroom Rules

Rules will be posted in the classroom in unobstructed location so all students can clearly see the rules.

1.NO CHEATING on daily assignments or test will not be tolerated.

2.DO NOT LET OTHERS CHEAT OFF OF YOU

3.RESPECT OTHERS AND YOURSELF do not talk while Teacher or student is talking.

4.DO YOUR WORK AND DON’T BE LAZY must participate in class discussions and daily activities. Students who participate in class discussions will be tallied during class and this will be taken into consideration for grading.

5.BE COOPERATIVE listen to Teacher, classmate when talking and group members.

6.BEHAVE APPROPRIATELY AT ALL TIMES bad behavior will not be tolerated and consequences will occur.

Positive Consequences if students who follow the rules will be rewarded by dropping their lowest warm-up activity score from their grade average. Students who raise their hand before speaking will be allowed to speak. Students who participate in class discussions will be tallied during class and this will be taken into consideration for grading. When students make especially relevant or insightful statements during group discussion they will come to the front of the classroom to collect a pass which allows them to skip one of the daily activities. The pass is reward in this is not the reward itself, but the recognition a student receives in front of the class, as well.

Negative Consequences will occur when a students who do not raise their hand before speaking will be ignored. If their behavior continues, they will be called into the hall for a one-on-one chat with me and not be allowed to speak.

Students who interrupt other students will not be allowed to speak. Students who do not participate in class discussions will be tallied during class and this will be taken into consideration for grading. Classroom participation counts toward their final grade! Students who do not stay on task will be separated from their group or will have a one-on-one meeting with me in the hall if their behavior is persistent and be forced to sit in the bad behavior section away from other students or recess detention.

At the beginning of each school year or semester, I will go over these rules with students. Students will be required to sign a contract committing to these rules. This complete list of school rules will then be printed and sent home with students to collect parent signatures.

Class Room Procedures:

A Warm-up Activity will always be provided at Beginning of Class (1^st 5 minutes of class) except on test day’s students will then have 5 minutes to study. The student will enter the room and find on the end of my desk the assignment. Students will sit immediately and quietly, without talking, until the bell rings and then throughout the duration of the warm-up activity.

When students are finished with their warm-up activity they will turn their sheet of paper over on the desk and look up. When I instruct the students to stop they will pass their assignments forward. Students will be required to write there first and last name the date and title must be placed on daily activity in order to achieve the full amount of points. Some participation points for the day will be based on whether or not this activity is completed and collected by the teacher. At the end of class the bell will not dismiss the students they will wait because only I can dismiss the students.

There are a number of steps I can take to implement my classroom management plan successfully. One of the most important things I can do is to keep my lesson plans and daily activities on a routine so that I provide my students with consistency. Furthermore, it is important to stay consistent with the implementation of my discipline plan. That way, students can observe that procedures and consequences are enacted fairly. I plan to use the Kounin model for classroom management in combination with the Glasser models for discipline. Kounin model is weak in discipline but provides excellent points for classroom management and will allow me to be effective and efficient in my teaching. The use of the Kounin model will allow me to have classroom awareness to all things occurring and prevent me from having overlapping and poor transitions in my lessons. While using the Kounin model I must keep the group focused and interested and involved in the lesson. The Kounin model also states I must keep the students challenged by setting goals for them and track their progress.

The Glassner model will be used in discipline and allow students to add rules to the rules I have already provided and choose what they feel are important rules to have a successful classroom. This is an example of Glasser’s Choice theory and the basic needs of students. Throughout the year, my students will have ample opportunities to make choices of their own. Through allowing a sense of control and freedom, the students will be more willing to abide by the rules they created. Glasser’s class meeting will also be important part of my classroom discipline plan. The class meeting allows students to confront others about the problems they see in a mature and clam manner. At the end of the meeting the teacher and students should have a plan that is agreed upon.

ReviewUniversity Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology

2010-07-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

Brown University Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology Update, Aug2005, Vol 7 Issue 8,

p8-8. FDA to issue methylphenidate warnings.

According to the Brown University Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology Update the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are planning on adding a warning to all medications that contains methylphenidate. Methylphenidate is used in medications such as Ritalin and Concerta which are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The FDA is conducting a safety review of all ADHD medications prescribed and then the warning will be added to all the medications. The FDA wants to carry out this warning in the early part of 2006. The FDA wants to add this warning due to the fact that some children taking these medications are experiencing hallucinations, aggressive behavior, or suicidal thoughts. This warning is very important for children who might have to take these medications in the future. The FDA has, however, approved Adderall XR as a treatment to children and adolescents ages thirteen to seventeen with ADHD. Adderall has already been approved as a treatment for children ages six to twelve.

What is ADHD?

2010-07-17T21:09:00.000-07:00

I. What is ADHD?

ADHD is a common disorder among children, adolescents, and adults that causes inattentiveness and hyperactivity.

II. Treatments of ADHD

1. Long-acting stimulants- this type of treatment can help treat a child for up to twelve hours at a time. They only have to be taken once daily so this will help cut down on a child being embarrassed in front of other children.

2. Short-acting stimulants- this type of treatment is more successful in treating children and adolescents, but they must be taken two to three times daily.

3. Behavioral therapy- this form of treatment is used on children who are too young to be treated with medication.

4. Combination of stimulant medication and behavioral therapy- this form of treatment is the best type of treatment.

III. Effects of Treatment

1. Adverse side effects

2. Academic failure

3. Nausea

4. Suicidal thoughts

5. Suicide attempts

6. Hallucinations

IV. Controversy of Treatment

1. Children who do not actually suffer from ADHD are being diagnosed and treated.

2. The FDA is planning to add warning to all stimulant medications that are used to treat ADHD.

Vestal Virgins

2010-07-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

By Brian Freeman

The Vestal Virgins of ancient Rome was an unknown cult to me. The keepers of the scared flame of Rome are hardly studied. Many including myself were clueless to the reasonability the Virgins had on Roman history. The article “Vestal Virgins Chaste Keepers of the flame” by Melissa Barden Dowling is an outstanding article that shows the social importance and political power the Virgins had on the Ancient Roman society. To be a Vestal Virgin in ancient times was to be a super powered celebrity. If the virgins existed today they would probably be more popular and more influential than celebrities the likes of Britney Spears, Paris Hiltion and Jennifer Lopez. The origin Numa paid homage to the goddess whose priestess was the unwitting mother of Rome’s founder. The vestal virgin Rhea Silvia gave birth to Romulus after being raped by Mars, the god of war.

Example of Descriptive Essay

2010-07-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

Bedroom

A southern home is always a calm and comfortable place. Walking toward the entrance of the home, one is consumed in a festival of bright flowers that align the concrete walkway. Past the bright flowers, an elegant white door stands as the entrance to the home. One is embraced with all sorts of beautiful antique furniture when entering through the door of the home. Significant objects are aligned neatly all over the beautiful furniture. Immediately, brilliant aromas radiate from the kitchen. Interested noses wonder just what could be cooking. As walking down the long hallway, timeless pictures of the resident’s family surround the walls. At the end of the hallway stands a plain wood door.

At last, entering through the plain wood door one is impressed with what lies inside the bedroom. The carpet, walls, and curtains all have a soft light blue color to them. The carpet is thick but soft. The walls are smooth with no lines of error in the paint. As soon as one enters the room, a small wood desk sits in the corner. The desk is cluttered with all sorts of noteworthy objects. In the middle of the room a huge wooden bed stands tall. The huge bed is masculine in shape with a large wood headboard. In the middle of the large wood headboard lies an oval mirror where one can see the reflection of the whole bed. On top of the bed several blue pillows are neatly stacked. A White blanket filled with goose feathers covers the large bed neatly and is folded and tucked in at ever corner. While lying on the bed, comfort and warmth surrounds one’s body. The room gives off a sense of calm and comfort to make anyone feel as though they are at home.

Overview of "The Quarrell"

2010-07-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

By Brian Freeman

Hersh, a rabbi, survived Auschwitz and his faith was strengthened by his ordeal, while Chaim escaped the Nazis, but had lost his faith long before. The two walk together, reminisce, and argue passionately about themselves, their actions, their lives, their religion, their old quarrel, and their friendship.

PHILOSOPHICAL ISSUES: Philosophy of religion, problem of evil

CHARACTERS: Hersh Rasseyner (orthodox Jew), Chaim Kovler (secular Jew)

OTHER FILMS BY DIRECTOR ELI COHEN: Under the Domim Tree (1994)

SYNOPSIS: “The Quarrell,” like “My Dinner with Andre,” is a dialog-driven movie that consists almost entirely of a conservation between two people. Twenty years earlier, prior to the outbreak of World War II, Hersh Yeshiva Hersh and Chaim were childhood friends in Bialystok, Poland. They were both students in an Orthodox Jewish Yeshivah – an institute of Jewish Talmudic learning. Chaim became dissatisfied with the Yeshivah as his interest in creative writing developed, and he left the institute. Hersh, horrified at Chaim’s rejection of Jewish tradition, intervenes, thereby alienating Chaim from his family. Shortly after, Chaim’s and Hersh’s families were killed by the Nazis along with most of the European Jews. Twenty years later the two accidentally meet in a park in Montreal and drag skeletons out of the closet.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Chaim blames God for the Nazi Holocaust and states “If I knew God I’d put him on trial.” The issue raised here is that, just because God is powerful, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he is good – or at least good in the way that humans understand goodness. Assuming that human and divine notions of goodness are different, should we buckle under and worship God nonetheless, or should we put him on trial as Chaim suggests?

2. Hersh argues that writers like Chaim make people’s flaws exciting, and thus justify those flaws. Instead, Hersh believes, writers should show people what they could be. Are one of these views better than the other?

3. The two argue about whether Hersh was justified in approaching Chaim’s family when Chaim first wanted to leave the Yeshivah. This intervention resulted in a rift between Chaim and his family, which we was never able to mend because of their deaths by the Nazis. Was Hersh’s heavy-handed intervention justified?

4. Discussing Hersh’s over-demanding father, Chaim states, “I used to wonder why the Bible commanded us to love the stranger but only honor the parent.” Why would any ethical text make such a paradoxical recommendation?

5. Because of his World War II experience, Hersh feels that people are fundamentally bad, and, if they followed their reason it would lead to disaster. Reason, he believed, is amoral, and he objects to the Ancient Greek view that we can be moral by following our reason. Rational morality, he argues, reduces to a matter of opinion, and so we need to ground our notions of morality in God instead. He poignantly states, “If there is no master of the universe, then who’s to say that Hitler did anything wrong? If there is no God, then the people who murdered your wife and sons did nothing wrong.” Is Hersh being a bit too hard on reason’s role in morality?

6. Chaim, by contrast, feels that people are fundamentally good, and that goodness comes from a faith that human beings ought to help each other. To illustrate his conviction, Chaim tells the story about an old Lithuanian atheist woman who risked her life to help Jews during the war. She did this because she believes in human beings and loves them. Is this an adequate basis of morality?

7. Hersh speculates that if while in the death camp an angel allowed him to switch places with his Nazi guard, he wouldn’t do it. Chaim responds that if he chooses to be a victim, then he has too much hatred. What besides hatred would be the cause of Hersh’s decision?

8. Hersh relates a story about a train trip he once took. The passenger next to him was a Jewish woman and she said to him in a whisper: “I don’t know who you are mister but I just want you to know how embarrassed I get when I see Jews like you dressed from another century. You make the rest of us look ridiculous. If you have to dress like this, the least you can do is stay at home.” When Hersh said that he was Amish and not Jewish, the woman replied, “I have such respect for you people, the way you keep your traditions.” Why would the woman think it was OK for the Amish to keep their traditions, but not Orthodox Jews?

9. “My Dinner with Andre” is non-stop dialog in a single setting. “The Quarrel” breaks up the dialog with scenery changes and moments in which the two remain silent. Does this help or hurt the movie?

2010-07-17T20:31:00.001-07:00

By Brian Freeman

The Birmingham Museum of Art is one of the South’s most important Museums. The Museum is an 180,000 square feet and has a nationally recognized collection of more than 21,000 works of art dating back from ancient to modern. These include paintings, sculptures, graphic arts, and decorative arts from any diverse cultures. On October 14, 2007 a truly amazing exhibit opened at the Birmingham Museum. The Pompeii: Tales from an Eruption opened with lots of press and praise. Pompeii: Tales from an Eruption tells the stories of the final days of Pompeii and the nearby resort cities of Herculaneum, Oplontis and Terzigno following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

The traveling exhibition, which is on loan from the collections of the National Archaeological Museum in Naples and the Archaeological Superintendent in Pompeii, will only visit three other museums in United States. The exhibit features large-scale frescoes, mosaics, with body casts and skeletons shown in the context in which they were found as the pyroclastic surges’ ash and superheated gases engulfed the people of Pompeii. Excavated from 1780 through present day, many of these artifacts have never toured outside Italy. At 10,000 square feet and with 500 artifacts including room size
frescoes and body casts the exhibit takes about an hour and half to visit. The exhibit is not free but is reasonable price for an exhibit of this stature. The price for admission is $16 for adults; $8 for children under 12 accompanied by adult; $14 for college students (with I.D.) and senior citizens (65 years and over); $8 at the door for active members of the U.S. military (with ID). The price admission also includes the audio device which during the tour of the exhibit can be used to acquire addition information about an object. One major down fall to the exhibit is no camera policy.

As you walk through the exhibit you’re offered a rare glimpse of life in the ancient world. There is a large collection of tools, jewelry, and even a Doctors surgical kit found. The perfect reds, olives, and blues to enhance visitors emotional to the body casts Citizens clutched their most precious possessions, including exquisitely designed jewelry, coins and the tools of their trade.

The Pompeii: Tales from an Eruption is a traveling exhibit and will on January 27, 2008 which makes it a must see attraction. After leaving Birmingham, the exhibition will travel to the Houston Museum of Fine Art. Houston is the venue on its international tour. Once it was spent its time in Houston the exhibit will retire to Naples, Italy. After seeing the exhibit one is left with a lasting impression of how quickly life can tragically be taken away. This exhibit offers an emotional and life changing experience that no one should miss.

TOP 10 APPS FOR THE IPAD

2010-05-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

By Brian Freeman

After having an iPad for a couple of weeks, I've narrowed down the top 10 apps that all iPad owners must have.

1. Netflix - Allows you to get TV shows and movies instantly anytime on the iPad.

Price: Free (however service requires subscription)
Category: Entertainment
Pros: The ability to watch thousands of tv and movies anywhere.
Cons: The service requires a subscription.

2. GoodReader - PDF reader that supports a huge number

Price: .99
Category: Productivity
Pros: Able to read huge PDF files and allows PDF transfer through iTunes which more expensive apps do not allow. Did I mention it's only 99 cents.
Cons: Sometimes runs a little slow on large PDF files but nothing really to bad.

3. Pages - App easily converts all word documents to pages so you can word process on the go.

Price: $9.99
Category: Productivity
Pros: Word process on the go and ability to import or export docs via email.
Cons: Typing on the IPad is terrible. Pages is really a very stripped down version of Microsoft Word. Also users can not send documents straight to the printer which others allow.

4. School Notes Pro (note: possible name change coming soon to Sundry Notes) - A must have app for any student who owns an iPad. Allows users to draw, record, and research notes. Truly one of the best note taking apps for any device. School Note Pro has so many great features and innovative features.

Price: Free
Category: Productivity
Pros: One of the best note taking apps and with the ability to upload notes to facebook, google, Twitter and Amazon Cloud only sweetens the free deal.
Cons: Typing on the IPad is a pain and adjusting text boxes on the fly is tedious but the developer constantly updates so maybe possible changes coming soon.

5. Harbor Master - Okay, this is one of the most addicting games I have ever played. If you bought a iPad I am pretty sure your broke, so this nice free game is just for you. Beware this game is a productivity killer.

Price: Free
Category: Game
Pros: It is pretty much Flight Control HD except without the $4.99 price tag.
Cons: Doesn't contain multiple levels or co-op versus mode but it is free and fun so who cares.

6. ABC Player

Price: Free
Category: Entertainment
Pros: The player loads extremely quick and ads only last 30 seconds.
Cons: It’s not Hulu and only ABC shows.

7. Text Plus - Go ahead and call your cell phone company and tell them you need to reduce your text messaging plan. This completely free app let's you send text messages to any cell phone for free.

Price: Free
Category: Social Networking
Pros: Absolutely free texting to any cell phone.
Cons: The program is ad supported and some cell phones, most notably anyone using AT&T, will have problems sending messages to your iPad.

8. Wikipanion - Wikipedia viewer.

Price: Free
Category: Reference
Pros: Quickest and easiest way to navigate Wikipedia on the Ipad. Also allows you to save articles to read when internet is not available.
Cons: All the arguments about Wikipedia not being a reliable source of information.

9. USA Today

Price: Free
Category: News
Pros: Free instant paper no subscriptions required from one of Americas most trusted papers.
Cons: The app can be a little buggy however the developers have released two updates just this week in order fix some of the problems.

10. Comic Reader Mobi - This comic book reader can read almost any digital format of comic books available and allows custom viewing options.

Price: 14.99
Category: Comics
Pros: Users can sync comics Quick and easy through iTunes or wifi networks.
Cons: Using the app requires the user to customizes viewing options and this takes time and testing. The price is a little high for some users.

**Notable mentions: GodFinger free game kind of like Sims. Dragon Dictation a free talk to text program which will impress your friends. Pandora Radio free app that allows you to stream music from online stations. There a a ton of piano apps on the iPad but Virtuoso Piano HD is a free app and one of best apps that allows you to play the piano on the iPad.

**Worst Apps: Keynote Presentation program has some serious issues that need to be addressed crashes constantly. Flight Control HD $4.99 the price is way to high for this game. IDW Comicbooks great comic book company but the app doesn't compare to Marvel or X-Comics apps.

Knowing We Dream

2010-04-25T09:27:00.001-07:00

I was a little kid I would dream that I had the ability to fly like Superman and my superhero name was "chubby boy". The dream felt so real that when I woke up I thought I would have those abilities.

As I got older, I would dream about how it would feel to get married (I know awwww) or if I would ever get to kiss Topanga from Boy Meets World. For some of my dreams I knew exactly why I dreamed them, as for others, I had no idea why I dreamed of those situations. I knew exactly why I wanted to kiss Topanga or be a superhero. However, I didn't know why I dreamed of getting married or other weird dreams. Some dream of past loves, family members, finding themselves naked in public or being chased by somethig scary.

Where do dreams come from?

Who is to decide what they mean?

One of the most famous theories is Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic perspective in which dreams stem from unconscious thoughts and desires. Meaning, even though you aren't not thinking about a certain situation it is still weighing in your mind. It is like putting something in back of your mind and forgetting about it. If you are interested in Freud's theories on dreams he is also recognized for his famous book, The Interpretation of Dreams.

I could say Freud is right and there are certain things I do think of unconsciously or try to forget. There are many theories that many psychologists can come up with and make you wonder if they're right. Additionally, there are many websites that have many interpretations on what certain objects or situations in your dream mean.

However, out of all the years that I went to college and being a person that thinks things through, I have come to the realization that, "you know why you dream things." I know now why I dream of certain things even though they don't make sense at first. I know why I dream of getting married and wonder where I would be 10 years down the road even though at first I never had a clue.

So, if you ever wonder why you dream of something or what it means…just think really hard. And if you do think really hard but still have no idea what your dream means, there is always those palm readers.

Sent from my iPad

Sites that Help You Save

2010-04-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

By Brian Freeman of Digitalfactory.tk

Everyone in this day and age buys off the internet. Usually we buy off the internet to save because it's cheaper online, but one way to save even more is the use of promo code or promotion code.

Companies pass out thousands of promo codes every year for number purposes. Most often consumers will get free shipping, a percentage off their purchase or, a favorite among consumers, a free gift with purchase.

How do you get a promo codes?

First, you can join the emailing list to get updates. I, personally, hate spam emails, so my personal favorite sites for promo codes are http://www.retailmenot.com/ and http://www.promotioncodes.com/. Both websites have promo codes for everything, including merchant stores, hotels, and even Redboxes.

Retailmenot.com is the better of the two websites, and it has a handy success rate so users can see if the code works.

Next time you buy anything from the Internet, try to find a promo code before checking out because, in this economy, every penny counts.

Pliny the Elder

2010-04-21T22:38:00.000-07:00

By Brian Freeman

Pliny the Elder was a Roman naturalist. He was a fellow soldier and friend of Vespasian. He dedicated his great work and writings to Titus. According to the Columbian Encyclopedia his only surviving work is an encyclopedia of natural science. [1] The Funk and Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia states that Pliny the Elder wrote many scientific works on top of writing many historical works during his lifetime including De Laculatione Equestri, Studiosus, Dubius Sermo, and many others.[2] Pliny the Elder’s best known work is his great encyclopedia the Historia Naturalis which is the only one of his works that has been preserved.[3] E.W. Gudger wrote that Pliny the Elder was one of the most industrious students and one of the most educated men during the time that he lived.[4]

Gaius Plinius Secundus also known as Pliny the Elder was born in A.D. 23. He was born in the town of Como in northern Italy. Little is known about his early life. Jerry Dennis wrote in an article in the Smithsonian that it is likely that his parents were in a high social standing and quite possibly comfortably wealthy.[5] He was first educated in Como, Italy and later in Rome, Italy. According to Jerry Dennis, Pliny the Elder was educated in many different areas such as science, literature, philosophy, art, oratory, and theatre.[6] Dennis also states that Pliny the Elder entered the military at the age of twenty-three and served as an officer in Germany for seven to eight years.[7] He eventually rose in rank to commander of auxiliary cavalry regiment. Dennis goes on to say that after Pliny the Elder’s service in the military he returned to Rome, Italy to study law and pursue a career in writing.[8]

Pliny the Elder’s career is mostly traced back to the letters that his nephew, Pliny the Younger, wrote. Pliny the Younger portrays his uncle as “a man of intense curiosity and ambition, to tireless in his research and so dedicated to a life of letters that he slept only a few hours each day, devoted virtually every waking moment to his work and in the 56 years that he lived, tallied the equivalent of several lifetimes’ worth of accomplishments”.[9] According to Dennis, many wondered how a man like Pliny the Elder was able to compose so many books.[10] Pliny characteristically worked twenty hours out of every twenty-four hour day. John M. Riddle states in The American Journal of Philology that “Pliny was not a renaissance man but a practical, ‘encyclopedic man’ and Roman to the core”.[11]

Pliny the Elder’s best know work is his encyclopedia the Historia Naturalis. This encyclopedia consists of thirty-seven books on nature and art. In his encyclopedia he has 20,000 important facts that were for the Roman Emperor Titus.[12] The Funk and Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia says that first ten books were published in A.D. 77 and the rest were published after Pliny the Elder died.[13] The encyclopedia is concerned with many different areas such as astronomy, anthropology, zoology, botany, medicine and many others. The encyclopedia consists of many medical facts. According to D.E. Eicholz in The Classical Review, Pliny the Elder paid close attention to assure that he used proper medical language.[14] According to Charles G. Nauert, Jr. “Pliny’s Natural History became an influential book of natural science from the moment of its publication. There is evidence for at least some knowledge of it during every medieval century”.[15] Nauert also says that Pliny the Elder’s encyclopedia was never lost but did undergo stages of re-evaluation during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.[16] According to John M. Riddle in an untitled article, Pliny the Elder is lacking in some areas in his encyclopedia.[17] These areas include geography, diet, magic, rationality, and art.[18] According to E.H Gudger, Pliny the Elder’s encyclopedia was not printed until 1469.[19]

Much of Pliny the Elder’s work has been studied by reading the letters of his nephew, Pliny the Younger. Most of what is known about Pliny the Elder has been found through these letters that were wrote by Pliny the Younger. John Henderson discusses Pliny the Younger’s letters in an article called Knowing Someone Through Their Books: Pliny on Uncle Pliny.[20] John Henderson also discusses how these books are the main source of information into Pliny the Elder’s life.[21] Henderson says, “Pliny will for us fade eerily and unsatisfactorily away into oblivion, when his letters give out, and we have no story of his end”.[22] Henderson is meaning that if it were not for these letters then there would be no information about Pliny the Elder’s life or how it tragically ended.[23]

Many of Pliny the Elder’s writings have been lost. One of the most interesting writings that Pliny the Elder might have written was a journal entry that describes the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79. Dennis Jerry writes that Pliny the Younger wrote a letter to Tacitus describing in detail how Pliny the Elder spent his last moments before Mount Vesuvius erupted.[24] According to Dennis Jerry, Pliny the Elder was working as though it was a normal day in a villa on the shore of the Bay of Naples. This is where he had been place in command of a navy fleet.[25] Dennis goes on to say that according to Pliny the Younger’s letter, Pliny the Elder climbed to the top of a hill to view the cloud that was appearing over Mount Vesuvius.[26] Pliny wanted to go for a closer look and boarded a boat and went toward the city of Stabiae which was near the base of the volcano.[27] Pliny the Elder and his crew decided to leave Stabiae as the danger started worsening, but the waves prevented them from launching their boats so they had to wait for the wind to end.[28] Pliny the Elder died from sulfurous gases that suddenly swept down on to the beach which probably obstructed his breathing and blocked his windpipe.[29]

Pliny the Elder was a very influential writer. John M. Riddle wrote in The American Historical Review that classicists ignored Pliny the Elder as a writer.[30] He also says that these classicists would judge Pliny the Elder and view him as “a mere credulous compiler”.[31] Riddle also discussed that Renaissance scholars give Pliny the Elder credit for contributing scientific thought to writing.[32] Many scholars will agree with Riddle when he says that Pliny the Elder’s Historia Naturalis is an, “extremely important work for what it reveals about ancient learning as well as its cultural legacy for posterity”.[33] Pliny the Elder was also a very inspiring historian. He inspired other historian such as Tacitus. Ernst Breisach agrees and states that Tacitus’s approach in politics comes from Pliny the Elder.[34]

Pliny the Elder’s works also had a big influence on natural history. E.W. Gudger wrote that “thus for the fourteen hundred years between Pliny’s death and the appearance of his book in print, no other work contributed so much to keep natural history alive; and as we shall see later, for the three hundred years following the appearance of the first printed edition in 1469, it was still the great authority, read, studied, and quoted by all students of natural history”.[35] Gudger goes on to say that this encyclopedia was the foundation for all other books that would be written about natural history.[36]

Pliny the Elder lived a very interesting life and wrote many amazing works. Pliny the Elder was very dedicated to any project he worked on and would work for numerous hours without sleeping. Although he is most famous for his encyclopedia on natural history called Historia Naturalis, he had many other great works that were not preserved. If it was not for this encyclopedia then little would be known about the lifestyles of ancient Romans. This encyclopedia still remains a valuable source of information. Pliny the Elder was a very influential historian who continues to influence historians to this day.

[1] Columbia Encyclopedia, “pliny the elder.”

[2] Funk and Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, “pliny the elder.”

[3] Ibid 1

[4] E.W. Gudger, “Pliny’s Historia naturalis. The Most Popular Natural History Ever Published,” Isis, no. 3 (1924), in JSTOR, William Carey University; accessed October 23, 2008.

[5] Jerry Dennis, “Pliny’s world: All the facts—and then some,” Smithsonian 26 no. 8, in Academic Search Premier, William Carey University; accessed October 16, 2008.

[6] Ibid 1

[7] Ibid 1

[8] Jerry Dennis, “Pliny’s world: All the facts—and then some,” Smithsonian 26 no. 8, in Academic Search Premier, William Carey University; accessed October 16, 2008.

[9] Ibid 1

[10] Ibid 1

[11] John M. Riddle, “Untitled,” The American Journal of Philogy 116, no. 4 (Winter 1995), in JSTOR, William Carey University; accessed October 16, 2008.

[12] Funk and Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, “pliny the elder.”

[13] Ibid

[14] D.E. Eichholz, “Review: The Style of the Elder Pliny,” The Classical Review 8, no. 1 (March 1958), in JSTOR, William Carey University; accessed October 15, 2008.

[15] Charles G. Jr. Nauert, “Humanists, Scientists and Pliny: Changing Approaches to a Classical Author,” American Historical Review 84, no. 1 (1979), in JSTOR, William Carey University; accessed October 23, 2008.

[16] Ibid 3

[17] John M. Riddle, “Review: (untitled),” The American Historical Review 93, no. 2 (April 1988), in JSTOR, William Carey University; accessed October 16, 2008.

[18] Ibid 398

[19] E.W. Gudger, “Pliny’s Historia naturalis. The Most Popular Natural History Ever Published,” Isis, no. 3 (1924), in JSTOR, William Carey University; accessed October 23, 2008.

[20] John Henderson, “Knowing Someone through Their Books: Pliny on Uncle Pliny (Epistles3.5),” Classical Philology 97, no. 3 (July 2002), in Academic Search Premier, William Carey University; accessed October 15, 2008.

[21] Ibid 2

[22] John Henderson, “Knowing Someone through Their Books: Pliny on Uncle Pliny (Epistles3.5),” Classical Philology 97, no. 3 (July 2002), in Academic Search Premier, William Carey University; accessed October 15, 2008.

[23] Ibid 2

[24] Jerry Dennis, “Pliny’s world: All the facts—and then some,” Smithsonian 26 no. 8, in Academic Search Premier, William Carey University; accessed October 16, 2008.

[25] Ibid 1

[26] Ibid 1

[27] Ibid 1

[28] Ibid 1

[29] Ibid 1

[30] John M. Riddle, “Review: (untitled),” The American Historical Review 93, no. 2 (April 1988), in JSTOR, William Carey University; accessed October 16, 2008.

[31] Ibid 398

[32] Ibid 398

[33] Ibid 398

[34] Ernst Breisach, Historiography: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1994), 68.

[35] E.W. Gudger, “Pliny’s Historia naturalis. The Most Popular Natural History Ever Published,” Isis, no. 3 (1924), in JSTOR, William Carey University; accessed October 23, 2008.

[36] Ibid 272

Article Review: How to Find a Brothel in Pompeii

2010-04-21T09:28:00.000-07:00

by Brian Freeman

How to Find a Brothel in Pompeii

McGinn, Thomas A. J. “How to Find a Brothel in Pompeii.” Archaeology Odyssey 7/1 (Jan/Feb 2004):18-25, 62.

The article “How to Find a Brothel in Pompeii” is not for the faint of heart. The article describes pictures that once made the bashful Mark Twain write, “no pen could have the hardihood to describe.” To fully understand The Webster dictionary describes a brothel as a building where prostitutes are available and the synonym says to look up whorehouse. The author looks at many different views and explicit detail on what makes a brothel in the archeology terms. The author first focuses on the certain criteria set forth by the researcher Andrew Wallace Hadrill of the British school in Rome and which argues with other researcher views.

Why is a criteria even needed. This is how the article stands out because it discusses the need for research into the matter. In 1994 two separate studies published that year, added up the number of buildings previously identified as brothels and came up with a total number of thirty five or more. The archaeological criteria set by Andrew Wallace helps narrow down the astonishing numbers. The criteria that a brothel must complete to be considered by Andrew Wallace was erotic art, erotic graffiti and raised masonry platforms that would function as beds. Just because a building has erotic art and graffiti does not mean it is a brothel. Graffiti could just represent insults, and nothing more. Many private homes contained erotic sculpture as well as erotic lamps, drinking cups and mirrors. Under the Andrew Wallace criteria the number dwindles to one. The only structure in Pompeii to satisfy the criteria is the popular tourist attraction called Lupanar. Lupanar is the most certain example of an ancient brothel not only in Pompeii but the entire Roman world. Lupanar has great examples of erotic art with various images of men and women depicted in a variety of sexual positions and over 120 pieces of erotic graffiti. The graffiti scratched on the walls tell the names of prostitutes and in some cases the sexual acts the prostitutes could perform with occasional reference to the price. The most notable of all among the evidence is the raised masonry beds.

The Author makes a very good argument and warning against why the Andrew Wallace Hadrill criteria may be flawed. The one great example of how the Hadrill criteria is flawed is the bath house of Terme Sububane. The two story bath house were made so the Pompeian’s could receive baths and exfoliation treatments. The author says “A trip to the Treme Sububane was, of course, invigorating and refreshing. But were other pleasures available there?” On the wall inside the apodyteruim changing room of the Treme Sububane series of erotic paintings exist. Along with images there is literary and legal text that confirms the sale of sex in baths. There is however only one sure example of erotic graffito found in the bath. The author says “ The graffito sets the cost for a prostitutes services at 16 asses, a relatively high price in Pompeii, where the going rate for a prostitute was in most recorded cases two asses, the price of a loaf of bread.” One of the more hilarious arguments made about the baths and probably in the article are the views Luciana Jacobelli. Jacobelli suggest that the erotic paintings of the Terme Sububane may have served as mnemonic devices to help bathers recall where they had stored their clothing.

The article also informs the reader about cellae meretricae, one room strutuces in which a single prostitiue worked sometimes more than one in shifts. About a dozen of these have been identified in Pompeii.

The article How to Find a Brothel in Pompeii is very informative and gives large insight to the problem archeologist have trying to distinguish a brothel.

Ancient Ephesus

2010-04-21T09:16:00.001-07:00

Brian Freeman

Ephesus was once a major trade centre of the ancient world, and a religious centre of the early Christianity.

Ephesus remains a sacred site for Christians due to its association with several biblical figures, including St. Paul, St. John the Evangelist and the Virgin Mary.

Ephesus was also the home of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Sadly only lone surviving column and foundation remain.

Interesting: The "Seven Sleepers" were seven young men who had been walled up in a cave during the persecutions under Decius (c.250A.D.). They fell asleep, miraculously waking up around 435A.D. in the time of Theodosius II.

The Basilica of St. John was a great church in Ephesus constructed by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. It stands over the believed burial site of St. John, who is identified as the apostle, evangelist (author of the Fourth Gospel) and prophet (author of Revelation).

The Theater is built into the northern base of

Panayirdag (Mt. Pion).

This Great Theater is where Paul preached to the pagans.

Paul delivered a sermon condemning pagan worship in this theater, and according to the Acts of the Apostles (19:23-41), the theater was the site of the "riot of the silversmiths" in which those who made silver figures of Artemis rioted because Paul's preaching was bad for business:

Troy

2010-04-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

Brian Freeman

“This war will never be forgotten, nor will the heroes who fight in it.” Odysseus

ª The Troy is home to one of the most legendary stories of warfare of all time the Trojan War.

ª The Trojan War was the epic battle between the Greeks lead by Agamemnon and Troy for nine years.

ª The epic tale first written by the blind poet Homer in his work the Iliad.

ª Homer’s Iliad has fascinated and inspired Western Literature writers for centuries. (See Homer left)

¨ The Roman poet Virgil’s who lived much later after Homer created the Trojan Horse story which is told in his work the Aeneid.

¨ The Trojans accepted the horse as a gift and brought it inside the walls of the Troy. When night fell and the Trojans were vulnerable, some of Greek warriors emerged from the wooden horse and opened the gates of Troy for the other Greek soldiers. The Greeks slaughtered the Trojans and burnt down the entire city. Artist depication of Virgil’s tale left.

The city of Troy was lost for centuries until 1871 when a young German businessman and adventurer Heinrich Schliemann began excavating the Hisarlik hill in Turkey.

Heinrich Schliemann, using Homer’s book The Iliad as a guide book, claimed the discovery of Troy.

¨ Eventual archeology digs at Hisarlik hill in Turkey uncovered multiple layers of a vast ancient city which had re-built on top of itself. The most intriguing of the, nine major archaeological layers discovered at Troy is the layer known as Troy VII and VIIA which has been most closely identified with Homer’s Troy.

¨ Troy I (3000-2500) was a small fortification, probably believed to be occupied by a community that made its living from fishing. Destroyed by conflagration.

¨ Troy II(2500-2200) Schliemann discovery of the treasure of Priam comes from this period. Troy II was destroyed by fire, assumed as the result of an attack by Indo-European invaders.

Sources

Brandau, Birgit . “Homer & Troy: Can Archaeology Discover Homer’s Troy?” Archaeology Odyssey 1:01, Winter (1998): Biblical Archaeology Society. [http://www.basarchive.org/bswbBrowse.asp?PubID=BSAO&Volume=1&Issue=1&ArticleID=5&UserID=2322]; accessed November 30, 2008.

McDonagh, Bernard. Blue Guide Turkey The Aegean and Mediterranean Coasts. New York:Penguin Books, 1989.

Schuchhardt, Carl. Schliemann's Discoveries of the Ancient World. New York: Avenel Books, 1979.

Missionary language problems in old India

2010-04-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

By Derek Armstrong

The map entitled A Map of India Exhibiting the extent to which its Various Languages are Spoken according to the best information Compiled for the seventh Memoir of Translations conducted by the Serampore Missionaries displays the various languages of India and the regions wherein they are spoken. Drawn and engraved by J. Walker and published in 1822, this map depicts the 47 languages known to be spoken in India at the time.

This map shows the degree of difficulty that Carey and his colleagues faced when it came to translating the Bible, or portions thereof, into native tongues. Carey undoubtedly had a passion, and ability, for languages and many of the languages listed on the map would eventually have, at the least, portions of the Bible translated into them.

The efforts of Carey and his colleagues were well documents, though sometimes too well and included exaggerations of the work actually accomplished. Several articles from the Boston Recorder and various Baptist magazines chronicle, with detail, the work being done by the Serampore missionaries. By mid-summer of 1816 Carey believes most of the languages of India to have portions of the Bible available to them.[1]

Unfortunately the missionaries did not find themselves without difficulty and were as hindered by political forces within their own supporters from time to time.[2] This did not, however, impede the missionaries from completing their work and putting the Bible, or portions thereof, into as many Indian languages as possible and thereby the hands of as many native Indians as possible.

The map contains the depiction of the whole of India and a viewer is able to then realize the enormous task of the missionaries, not just in terms of the volume of languages, but also in terms of plain geographical area. The translation of the Bible into various languages was only one part of the goal of conversion, another part would require providing the native peoples with the translated Bible and to do such would require someone to travel across India. India is no small country and the time it would take for someone to reach Serampore from a remote locale could be great. This, perhaps, evidences the greatness of the desire to put the Gospel into the hands of native Indians.

[1] Bible Translations. http://www.wmcarey.edu/carey/bibles/translation.htm. Accessed on January 7, 2009.

[2] Ibid.

Impact of William Ward on William Carey

2010-04-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

By Derek Armstrong

William Ward’s A View of the History, Literature and Mythology of the Hindoos: Including a Minute Description of Their Manners and Customs, and Translations from Their Principle Works is his crowning achievement in describing the Hindu culture in the early 19^th century. Initially Ward published, in Serampore, the second volume of this work in 1815 and followed with the first volume in 1818.

Certainly a reason Ward would have for writing such a lengthy work would be to help with understanding of the Hindu religion, which the Serampore missionaries fought against on a daily basis. Much of the traditional practices opposed by the missionaries are covered, from suttee and infanticide to the festival of Juggernaut. Ward even goes to the lengths of telling an estimation of how many lives are lost annually to these acts.¹

Part of what the missionaries aimed to achieve was an end to the needless killing, and often murder, of innocent Hindus. Ward’s work could help those back in England or America, if not those working in India, to understand the great need for the work the missionaries were doing, as well as support for it.

Ward went on a fundraising tour of the United States and parts of Europe shortly after the second edition was fully published in 1819 in order to help support the newly founded Serampore College. This work would undoubtedly have been helpful in such a venture. While on the tour Ward was able to raise $26,000 and returned to India in 1821. Unfortunately Ward’s health had not been good for some time, and though he improved while away, he died in 1823.²

Certainly Ward’s impact on Carey was tremendous. Without the Master Printer Ward, Carey would have had much difficulty in printing his Bengali Bible, let alone any of the other works he completed. Ward’s work would have reflected the people that Carey was working with, teaching and preaching to and would have garnered understanding among those who read it to a deeper appreciation of the work being done at Serampore.

Ward’s work was published in later editions and in more volumes, a set of his four volume work is also housed at the Center for the Study of the Life and Work of William Carey, D.D., which could show the success Ward had with the work.

¹ http://www.wmcarey.edu/carey/ward2/religion.htm. Accessed on January 8, 2009.

² Ibid.

Penny Test

2010-04-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

By Brian Freeman

Tires on a car are one of the most important components for overall car safety, and unfortunately, are also one of the often most forsaken items by drivers.

Car tires provide grip in all weather conditions and most importantly the ability to break. Excessive tire wear can greatly reduce these abilities.

The best way to measure if your tires have had to much wear is to use a common penny.

Grab a penny and stick Lincoln’s head first into the grooves of the tire if the top of Lincoln’s head can be seen it’s time for new tires. A penny is a great tool for this measurement because the distance from Lincoln’s head to the top of a penny is 2/32 of a inch, which, according to most states' laws, tires are legally worn out when they have worn down to 2/32 of remaining tread depth.

If your tires have reached this level use common sense and buy new tires because in some States you are breaking the law and your tires ability to resistance hydroplaning in the rain at highway speeds has been significantly reduced, and traction in snow has been virtually eliminated.

A more expensive test (24 cents more) which requires a quarter and using the same process as the Lincoln test. Stick Washington head first into the groove if his head can be seen then you 4/32 of inch tire thread left. If you live where rain and wet roads are common, you should consider replacing your tires when they reach approximately 4/32" of remaining tread depth.

Your tires will have problems compressing the water. You need enough tread depth to allow rain to escape through the tire's grooves. If the water can't escape fast enough, your vehicle's tires will be forced to hydroplane (float) on top of the water, losing traction.

Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War

2010-03-24T11:37:00.001-07:00

By Brian Freeman

Bowden, Mark. Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War. New York: Penguin Group, 2000.

After years of fierce battles between competing warlords, Somalia’s government is overthrown and the country is in complete chaos. These warlords destroy the agriculture of Somalia and use starvation as weapon. An estimated 300,000 Somalians died of starvation and another 1.5 million people suffering from malnutrition and diseases.

With hundreds of thousands dead and millions starving in the early 1990s, the United Nations voted to intervene militarily in Somalia to feed the starving people and begin the process of rebuilding the nation. United Nations, led by United States forces, met powerful resistance from the most powerful clan leader Mohammed Farrah Aidid. Several bloody incidents led the UN and former President Bill Clinton to conclude that Aidid was an obstacle and must be removed. Mark Bowden's Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War is a minute-by-minute reconstruction of one of the most paramount battles in the short, ill-fated American military campaign to capture and disrupt Mohammed Farrah Aidid in Mogadishu.

Originally former President George Bush Sr. ordered to send an overwhelming deployment of American military forces to help lead the United Nations operation to open relief supply routes against the depredations of Somali militias whose power struggles had caused the famine. The United Nations operation at first is extremely successful. However in late 1992 the most powerful clan Islamic Habr Gidr, headed by warlord Mohammed Farrah Aidid, attacked both UN and U.S. forces. President Bill Clinton changed the peacekeeping mission to an assault on Aidid and Habr Gidr. Clinton gives Special Forces Unit Task Force Ranger and Delta Force the job of capturing Aidid.

By this time, Aidid and his clan considered themselves at war with the United States. The planned raid launched on October 3, 1993, and was later called Black Hawk Down. Originally, the plan was to focus on the capture and meeting of two Aidid's senior advisors, reported to be in the most dangerous part of Mogadishu. The goal of the raid was to destabilize Mohammed Farrah Aidid’s clan politically after they failed to capture Aidid. This was the sixth raid of its kind consisting of Army Rangers and Delta Force who were so confident from previous quick victory missions that they neglected to properly equip themselves with night-vision devices, water, and body armor panels.

The mission was led by elite Delta Force soldiers that would go in by helicopter to kidnap the two top Lieutenants of Aidid's clan. The Rangers were given the job of securing the perimeter and escorting convoy that contains the captured Lieutenants of Aidid's clan out of the city. The convoy consisted with 160 men, 19 aircraft, 9 hummers, and 3 five-ton trucks. The operation from the start was marred with problems and would turn disastrous when two Blackhawk helicopters were shot down. After 27 hours of fierce fighting, 18 U.S soldiers are dead and over 70 injured. The Somalian death count was much higher with over 1000 injured and 500 dead.

The planned assault was only supposed to take an hour and was launched into the most dangerous part of Mogadishu. The entire mission changed from capture and extract to search and rescue when the first of five Blackhawks crashes inside the city. Originally commanders thought it was highly unlikely that Somalis could shoot down helicopters with rocket propelled grenades. By the end day the U.S. Military saw five shot down, with two crashing in the city and three limped back to base before crash-landing.

Several Ranger and Delta elements of the attack force fought their way to the crashed chopper and attempted to secure the area. Not only are members of the militia attempting to prevent the Special Forces from securing the area, but the citizens of Mogadishu, who were sick of U.S interference in their country, also take arms. Gunfire is coming from all sides when the second Blackhawk is shot down. The Special Forces unit trying to contain the perimeter around the first crash site were then ordered to spilt up and set up a perimeter around the second crash. While the main convoy containing the captured Lieutenants attempts from the target location to the crash site. The Somalia militia set up road blocks making the convoy disoriented in the city streets. They drove around in circles through heavy fire looking for the crash sites. As the convoy losses mounted and with the two Lieutenants killed in the action, they were forced to return to base, leaving about 100 Americans surrounded by fierce militia at the crash site.

One of the most memorable moments of the book is when snipers Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart volunteer to secure the second crash site until help can arrive, although it arrived far too late. The two snipers along with the help Mike Durant commit a patriotic Alamo last stand and fight to the bitter end. The two snipers fall in combat and Durant is taken hostage, but because of the snipers bravery, they both win Medals of Honor.

The American soldiers are forced to fight through the night with ammo running out and no water. U.S. forces send air support and helicopters continue strafing runs support but this only buys time. The U.S. soldiers around the crash site needed to be evacuated. It is well past midnight before an armored column, which should have been sent originally, could be brought together. The armor units, supported by elements of the 10th Mountain Division, began the rescue, starting with the trapped Americans. Operating in heavy fire, the column finally extracted the pinned-down forces and their captives.

When images of American corpses being dragged through the streets of Somilia and Michael Durant looking bloodied and battered surface, all of Washington is asking what went wrong. A lot of blame was directed about having American troops under United Nations command, but the majority of the blame focused on the Secretary of Defense Les Aspin, which ultimately caused him to lose his job. Les Aspin repeatedly refused to send armor personal carriers and tanks into region.

The lost of American military life forced President Bill Clinton to terminate the hunt for Aidid and pull Task Force Ranger out quickly. A few months later, all US forces withdrew completely from Somalia and UN nation-building effort collapsed. Mark Bowden makes it clear that the failed mission in Somalia had a “profound cautionary influence” on American military policy for years to come. The United States would refuse to send ground troops and conduct. Mark Bowden has taken his award winning series of newspaper articles written for the Philadelphia Inquirer and made it a truly great book about the spirit, professionalism, valor, skill, and nobility of the American fighting forces involved in this conflict. Bowden’s research of first hand source material, documentation of his sources, and reliance on first hand interviews is first rate and qualifies this book as an excellent work of history, not merely a piece of investigative journalism.

Will Healthcare Reform Work?

2010-03-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

By Brian Freeman for mydisfunkshion.onsugar.com

The majority of America voted for a man who promised change, and as the leader of our country, he has brought change which we all should embrace.

I am optimistic about the Healthcare Reform bill. However, I have a lot of concern, which all Americans should feel, because I have yet to see a government program where spending did not exceed estimates.

As I understand it, taxes begin now and benefits are not implemented until four years down the road--a gimmick to decrease the projected 10 year costs. I don't think four years worth of taxes will be put into an account to be applied to costs of benefits down the road.

Additionally, the back room deals caused by Republicans (which is a party I no longer love) have created a convoluted and mangled mess of rules and regulations that will take time to sort out in addition to an ever increasing bureaucracy that will add costs which I am sure were not included in the CBO cost projections.

I'm concerned that the government that has never been constrained by fiscal responsibility will be able to pull this one off. However, Americans are good at messing things up and learning.

This will be a long struggle with many changes and there will be downfalls, but ultimately we should all realize for the betterment of society that this is the right thing to do.

We are one of most advanced nations in the world, and yet, so many our citizens fall through the crack and suffer from our current broken healthcare system.

We should remember our history and realize this is the same government whose army lost every major battle in the American Revolution except Yorktown. We were ripped apart in WWII North Africa by Rommel; lost miserably at Bull Run; and pushed to brink of annihilation at Pusan. Washington D.C. was sacked in the war of 1812. Yet we survivied and learned from our mistakes to come back.

American history is filled with struggle, but it is who we are. We screw up, learn, and come back for more. As it was said about American troops in WWII, who made a number of huge mistakes, “We only make them once!”

The Health care bill will be no different.

To be honest, after having my father (a veteran) pass away, I had the pleasure of dealing with the best run healthcare program in the United States Veterans Affair. I sincerely hope the U.S. can bring the efficient healthcare services it offers to the military to the civilian population as well.

Sardis

2010-03-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

By Brian Freeman

"And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead .Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. " (Revelation 3:1-4). KJV

Known biblically as the home of the church that received the fifth of letters to the seven churches in Revelation, Sardis was the capital of the Lydian empire and one of the greatest cities of the ancient world.

The last Lydian king, Croesus (560-546 BC), famous for his extraordinary wealth, is said to have panned gold from the nearby river Pactolus.

In 17 AD Sardis experienced a devastating earthquake, after which Emperor Tiberius rebuilt the city.

Sardis was dominated by Persia from 546 BC, when King Croesus and Sardis fell to Cyrus. The ancient historian Herodotus records the shock of the Lydian defeat, as they considered the city impregnable. Sardis was captured by Antiochus the Great at the end of the 3rd century BC.

A great colonnaded marble road of 4600 feet in length divided the Roman city, whose population was estimated as large as 120,000 in the time of the Apostle John.

Interesting ancient custom of Sardis- Herodotus mentions the curious practice which permitted their women to chose their own husbands.

Ancient Sardis had a very large and prosperous Jewish community, which produced the largest ancient synagogue outside of Palestine. It is found in the center of the urban center, instead of on the periphery as synagogues typically were. This attests to the strength and wealth of the Jewish community in the city. This synagogue came into use in the 3rd c. A.D.

The ruins of the synagogue include splendid mosaic floors, some walls and columns, and over 80 Greek and seven Hebrew inscriptions.

Construction on the Temple of Artemis began in about 334 BC by the ancient Greeks, the temple was renovated by the Romans in the 2nd century AD. During the Roman period it served also as a temple of the imperial cult.

Temple of Artemis was the main goddess of the city and the temple dedicated to her in Sardis was one of the seven largest Greek temples (more than double the size of the Parthenon).

Most of what remains today dates from the Roman rebuild in the 2nd century. Only two complete columns and a few partial ones still stand.

Sources

McDonagh, Bernard. Blue Guide Turkey The Aegean and Mediterranean Coasts. New York: Penguin Books, 1989.

Mcray, John. Archaeology and the New Testament. Michigan: Baker Book House, 1991.

Craftsman the Guaranteed Brand

2010-03-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

By Brian Freeman

Every man loves tools, whether its the kind for doing your nails or getting the nails dirty—which I prefer. If you're looking for a gift for the man who enjoys using tools, then this is the article for you.

In order to fix anything you must have the proper tools, and in the world of tools, Craftsman is the most trusted brand.

Consider Craftsman tools the Gucci of the tool world for one good reason—the Craftsman hand tools are guaranteed forever. According to Craftsman website, “If any Craftsman hand tool ever fails to give complete satisfaction, return it to Sears for free repair or replacement.” This warranty for the consumer gives specific rights to return any hand tool for any reason, which means they have an unlimited lifetime warranty.

This lifetime warranty program was instituted by Sears when they began selling the Craftsman line in 1927 and requires no receipt or dated proof of purchase. If the owner takes the item into a local retail store, it may be replaced or repaired free of charge—no questions asked.

This guarantee is the most coveted among tool-aholics, and it's one of the reasons why Craftsman tools are the most purchased tools in the United States. Craftsman tools are very expensive new, but the trick is find them used at pawn shops, flea markets, or buy them from somebody who has no clue about the warranty.

Personally, I travel to flea markets to buy used Craftsman tools. The tools often look broken or rusted, but it does not matter because it is all covered by the warranty. Just to give an example, I bought large ratchet from a flea market which only cost four dollars. I returned the ratchet to the Sears store and got brand new 25 dollar ratchet.

Buyer beware this only applies to handtools (i.e. cutters, ratchets, wrenches, sockets, etc.). Electrical tools have a limited warranty that is usually still very good, but I am wary to purchase them.

Check online to view the warranties on electrical tools before buying.

The Life and Work of William Carey Personal Artifact Dictionary

2010-02-11T11:42:00.000-08:00

by Derek Armstrong

William Carey’s childhood spelling dictionary was written during a time that could be considered a dictionary boom which started in 1596 with Edmund Coote’s The English Schoolmaster. Nathaniel Bailey’s Dictionarium Britannicum was written in 1730, Samuel Johnson’s Plan of a Dictionary of the English Language was written in 1747 and his A Dictionary of the English Language in 1755.[1] These works show that the interest in proper and correct writing and spelling was still on the rise, even as Carey was born and growing up. The actual title of the dictionary Carey used as a child is, The New Spelling Dictionary, Teaching To Write and Pronounce the English Tongue with Ease and Propriety; In which Each Word is accented according to its just and natural Pronunciation; the Part of Speech is properly distinguished, and The Various Senses are Ranged in one Line; with A List of Proper Names of Men and Women.

The spelling dictionary that Carey used was given to him by his father, and his father’s name is written on the inside of the first page. This item is arguably one of the most important within the Carey collection as it could be argued that without this dictionary, none of the rest of the collection would be there It was this dictionary that helped Carey learn the English language with the mastery that he did. Without his skills in his native tongue, he certainly would not have been able to translate any of the other works he did into any of the languages into which he translated them.

Carey’s The New Spelling Dictionary was donated to the Center for the Study of the Life and Work of William Carey, D.D. (1761-1834) by Calvin and Tillie Remmert, of Houston, Texas, in November of 2004.[2]

The impact of a spelling dictionary like The New Spelling Dictionary was undoubtedly related to the response of the public from which a drive to create it was found. With the interest ever increasing in correct spelling and correct pronunciation, a dictionary such as this one would have had widespread ramifications. The search to make the English language uniform, along with the interest to make the world uniformly British, could very well have fit hand-in-hand.

So the significance of this work, outside of the specific significance it holds for William Carey and the Carey Center, would be more likened to a drop in the larger pool of the advancement of the English language. Certainly it played its part in helping to standardize the language in a way similar to that of the other dictionaries and pronunciation books of the time.

Again, the importance of this particular book to Carey, and perhaps to the wider world at large, is inestimable. Along the path of Carey’s education and career, his copy of The New Spelling Dictionary was a very important stepping stone. Very directly the manner in which Carey learned to spell and how to spell, along with the particular definitions and ways he came to interpret words would affect him later on in life when translating the Bible, along with other works, into the various languages of India and beyond.

[1] No Lawful Standard…: The Evolution of English Dictionaries. http://wiz.cath.vt.edu/hel/helmod/dicty.html. Accessed on January 6, 2009.

[2] http://www.wmcarey.edu/carey/new/newnov2004.htm. Accessed on January 6, 2009.

Author Derek Armstrong can be contacted at derekmarmstrong@gmail.com

Hagia Sophia

2010-02-09T19:52:00.000-08:00

Brian Freeman

Νενίκηκά σε Σολομών "Solomon, I have outdone thee!" Justinian I

¨ Located in Istanbul Turkey, Hagia Sophia is a former Byzantine church and former Ottoman mosque and now is a museum.

¨ Hagia Sophia is sometimes called Church of the Holy Wisdom, or Ayasofya in Turkish.

¨ Unfortunately nothing remains of the original Hagia Sophia called Magna Ecclesia, which was built on site in the fourth century by Constantine the Great which was destroyed in a riot.

¨ Following the destruction of Constantine's church, a second church was built by his son Constantius and the emperor Theodosius the Great. This second church was burned down during another set of public disturbance called the Nika riots of 532, though fragments of it have been excavated and can be seen today.

¨ Hagia Sophia was rebuilt in her present form between 532 and 537 under the personal supervision of Emperor Justinian I.

¨ It is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture and is universally acknowledged as one of the great buildings in world.

¨ The architects of the church were Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles.

¨ Their work was a technical triumph, even though the structure was severely damaged several times by earthquakes. The original dome collapsed after an earthquake in 558 and its replacement fell in 563.

¨ For over 900 years the Hagia Sophia was the seat of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople and a principal setting for church councils and imperial ceremonies.

¨ Hagia Sophia remained a functioning church until May 29, 1453, when Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror entered triumphantly into the city of Constantinople. He was amazed at the beauty of the Hagia Sophia and immediately converted it into his imperial mosque.

¨ The main ground plan of the building is a rectangle, 230 feet (70 m) in width and 246 feet (75) m in length.

¨ The area is covered by acentral dome with a diameter of 31 meters (102 feet), which is just slightly smaller than that of the Pantheon in Rome.

¨ 9th-century mosaic of the Virgin and Child, the oldest of the surviving mosaics in Hagia Sophia.

Krautheimer, Richard. Early Christian and Byzantine Architecture. Peguin Books:1986.

“Hagia Sophia, Istanbul” No pages. 7 March 2009.http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/istanbul-hagia-sophia.htm