I think I like the U.S. better back then....

After reading President Eisenhower's final address I couldn't but think how much to me the United States have changed since then, and not in a good way. In his address I took from it how if nothing else he wanted the people of the U.S. to continue to push forward in all aspects of life and to cling to the values that had gotten the U.S. to become the most powerful and advanced country in the world at that time. Now as I turn the channels on the television at night and run across the various news stations all you ever hear about is all the huge problems our country is facing both internally and externally, especially when it comes to financial problems within our country and also to all the other people that we owe money to. When watching this and after reading this I can only think wow, we have pretty much done exactly opposite especially here lately of what the President wanted us not to do...

Wade Lawson

Hiroshima- FC

The bombing of Hiroshima in Japan was a devastating attack that claimed many Japanese lives. The atom bomb was a new technology developed by the Americans that decided to use it to quickly end WWII against Japan. After the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were dropped, it was less than a week later that Japan dropped out of the race. The Japanese people had no idea what kind of weapon we had unleashed upon them. Many were savagely hurt by houses falling on top of them, and none were prepared. The attack on Japan was in retaliation to their attack on Pearl Harbor, but our attack was much more savage and brutal because it was not just on their military personnel, but on their citizens. Citizens were not involved in the war, and were innocent. Many died from the initial blasts, and the fires initiated from them. And still many more who had survived the attack were taken by the atomic gasses released that lingered and destroyed those areas for years. The community of Hiroshima banned together to save its people, but many were lost under wreckage with broken limbs. Children who didn't know any better were left without parents and guardians. The alert had been sounded that said everything was okay, when really it wasn't. Maybe this was a ploy to lure the Japanese people into thinking things were okay when really, things were about to be the worst for the Japanese people. The bombing of Hiroshima decimated its population and vegetation. The actual bomb only used roughly 10% of its total power, but just that little percent devastated an entire region. It must have been a hard decision to drop the bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, but it saved many American lives in the process of murdering countless Japanese.

Beer (img)

Things Fall Apart FC

I think this book is another example of the idea of change or tradition. For most of the beginning of the book the author focuses on the traditional practices of Umuofia clan. In their society they had to farm. Men had certain stereotypes to follow, and they worshiped certain gods. If they broke a rule of a god they would be punished. That is their idea of tradition. The struggle of the idea of change comes when Mr. Brown tries to convert people in the tribe. He comes with peace so they grant him land for a church but it is in a forbidden forest. The people of the tribe think that this will eventually fail, but it does not. That is when the first converts come and eventually they get more converts, and are successful. The struggle is when clansmen like Okonkwo are completely rejecting it because they believe in tradition not change. This is something that we struggle with today in our country today. Especially when it comes to social issues. For example, Mr. Brown wanted the tribesmen to be educated but tradition did not allow that.

Nicholas Claiborne FC

Locusts FC

Most believe that locust are the sign of plague or death. In the book Things Fall Apart the first swarm of locusts should mean the death of crops and plants. This group of people are farmers and it would seem that it would be devastation to their way of life, but it is not. They look at the coming of locusts as a feast. The first wave of harbingers came and settled and the people were joyous. Then the swarm of locusts came and descended upon the people and they feasted. When the white man first came upon the villages he was said to be a harbinger as well. The locusts would soon follow. But in this case the men did not look upon the coming locusts, white men, as a feast but rather a famine. It is interesting the author would write about both so differently. He could of said a number of things about the coming of the white man but he chose to use the word harbinger and locust again. What was his purpose?

Things Fall Apart- FC

While growing up in Moscow, TX in the middle of Deep East Texas, I rarely thought or was introduced to African culture. The book Things Fall Apart offerred many interesting insights as to how Africans viewed the coming of European colonists into their land. First, the author, who is from Niger, wrote this book in English. This obvioulsy places his purpose of writing this entirely on educated english speakers on what happened to the people of Niger. Second, the way the colonists were described in their dealings with the tribespeople. At first they converted some, non-violently, but then they used deception to capture leadership and control the tribespeople. One could even make a case for the locusts in the book being a symbol for the Europeans coming and the family described as a representative for the African people. The locusts consumed everything in their path and so did the Europeans. The family fell apart tragically and so did the tribes of Africa.

Opium for tea-fc

The author made a good point about smuggling opium in for tea, but he did not mention anything about the trade imbalance. China only had one port open at the time because China believed that the Western World did not have anything to afford the Chinese. So here, Britain is buying something they wanted but not receiving any money in return. Britain seen China as a land full of customers and no way to sell their products. The government looked for something they could use to trade with China in order to balance trade. Opium was used, not just to trade for tea but to help Britain balance the trade between the two countries. Britain acted like the modern day cartel looking for that quick buck to help Britain's pocket book.

Age of Revolutions- FC

During this time many diverse groups were coming to have vastly different political views than their superiors, the Deceleration of the Rights of Man, shows these vast ideas of new political views in a way in which all of society would be reformed and benifit. This came to be the most important document to come out of the French Revolution and later came to be the pre-amble to the constitution of 1791. In this document it is stressed for the need of rightful law and goes on to emphasize the importance of the preservation of unalienable rights, division of powers, freedom of press, civil liberties, and the abolusment of monarchy. These request were put in, because of past experieinces the people of France had to endure under their king. Examples of these are in the form of lettres de cachet, which was the case were the king could throw a person in jail for no reason, the inequallity presented between the three estates and the set of unjust taxes, for example the gabella, in the case that all people over the age of eight had to buy seven pounds of salt per year. All of these issues are taken care of in the decleartion and in the end comes to the conclusion that a liberal government needs to be formed to carry out all of these ideas. In this age of Revolutions people are stepping forward to present new ideas of government and demand a change to occur within society, the Decleration of the Rights of Man does exactly this.

European "Trade" FC

I thought that European trade with Africa was both horrifying and hilarious. I had no idea that it had originally just consisted of raiding parties. Its like a bully taking lunch money and saying that a little boy traded his money for a black eye. And when Africans begin to fight back and the Europeans begin to make less and less profit, well then I suppose the Europeans will open "fair" trade.

To me it seems the Europeans are all about profits, Since it was quicker and cheaper to just raid African settlements of their goods they did that. Then when Europe began to loose a few men (and gold) they opened up trade systems. The when they wanted more gold, faster, and on their time, they conquered. They (the Europeans) seemed to have conquered merely over convenience. How very civilized.

- David Northup

Fountain of youth

In chapter 6 A History of World in 6 Glasses Standage made a great connection in the effects of cross cultural exchange with the subject of wine as used for medical puposes. In this chapter he speaks of Wine as the "water of life" that helps revive the heart and maintain youth when you come to encounter old age. Now in the 21st century doctors are again advertising that people should drink one glass of red wine a night to promote a longer, healthier life. From this we see that this 12th century practice established by the Arabs has spanned continents and survived up until present day. Now people see wine as both a drink of pleasure and as a agent holding mystical powers to the fountain of youth.

Alcohol as medicine -FC

In A History Of the World in 6 Glasses it talked a lot about how people started thinking that distilled wines could be medicine. In Europe they called it aqua vitae which means water of life, this is interesting because people thought that this wine actually would save or prolong life. Now we know that if you drink too much of strong liquors it is not good for you. I could see how they thought it was medicine but all it did was cover up the real aliments. However the fact that Charles the bads physicians actually soaked sheets in it then wrapped him in them thinking that would fix his paralysis was a little far fetched of them. It was also not a good idea to candles so close to him while he was soaked in alcohol. This does however show to us how far we have come in the medical field. Also we gained new drinks from the distillation process that was developed.