Heroes on NBC



















March 5, 2007.

Whoa, I was speechless after this episode. I couldn't believe Ando came back. That there is a true friend. He pretty much saved Hiro's butt out of that mess. Now that Hiro has the sword, there's no stopping him.
So anyway, Peter is just about dead now that he has met up with Sylar. It's the ultimate showdown.
I flipped out when Sylar stopped that bullet in mid-air. That spinal tap by the way must have been the most painful thing ever, but Sylar had that one coming. I'm so mad Mohinder was killed though. He was pretty sweet. I've got to give him credit though for trying to save the world.
Heroes last night was the most intense thing ever. I can't believe I have to wait until April 23 for the next episode.
And by the way, Linderman; amazing.

What is going on in 19th century Europe?

During the nineteenth century, the nations of Europe experienced much change in the various aspects of government and lifestyle. Changes such as urbanization and the shifting of powers caused by new influences played a major role in the development of Europe. The disputes between liberal and conservative movements still proved to be prominent along with more radical ideas that were being put into effect. Europe was in a time of constant change which was able to improve politics and economy, along with the lives of the general public.

European politics were altered during the nineteenth century by events that caused important long term effects. The Congress of Vienna, which created new national borders within Europe following the conquests of Napoleon was able to balance the power of Europe again. It is a perfect example of conservatism trying to destroy liberalism. This group of men, each representing different territories and parts of Europe, tried to bring the continent back to what it was like before the revolution, which was a blatant attempt to erase that time from history altogether. From the complete opposite end of the spectrum, the ideas of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels which were spread in the Communist Manifesto brought about the radical ideas of a classless society. Communism was created during the nineteenth century, and was based on equality for all members of a nation. It completely rid a person of property, which was all owned by the government. The government controlled the means of production and combined all industries and systems to serve the purpose of a super-efficient nation. Many new ideas that were being spread during this time was due to the Industrial Revolution. With new inventions and lifestyle improvements, people who had moved from rural areas to cities became more influential in politics. The balance of power within a nation shifted greatly during the nineteenth century as nationalism reached greater heights, and the involvement in one's government became a priority for many more citizens of Europe.

Economically, the nineteenth century brought about a time of prosperity in some parts of Europe, while in others, it was a time of extreme debt and hardships. The inventions of the Industrial Revolution created many job openings and facilitated the mass production of goods. Items that had been scarce before were now plentiful and could be made as well as purchased cheaply. In France, however, the revolution of 1848 led to very low employment as the need for food was greater than the need for manufactured goods. The working class and peasants had revolted for equality in taxes and the involvement in government and society. The poor harvest which was another main cause of the revolution deeply impacted France's economy. The Crimean War also had negative effects on the land it involved. The growing influence of Russia challenged the economic power of competing nations and caused the alliance of France, Great Britain, and the Ottoman Empire to take on Imperial Russia in war. It mostly involved the Crimean Peninsula, which took heavy economic damage during this time. The Irish Potato Famine saw economic ruin as well. While the countless numbers of deaths and Irish fleeing the land left job opportunities, agriculture was still needed, and the disease that destroyed the potato crop left farmers and workers starving. The economy in Europe was in great turmoil in nations such as France and Ireland, but in areas such as Britain, which was experiencing many advancements,the economy was flourishing.

Religion was also going through many changes during the nineteenth century. A very important event that affected religion was the Dreyfus Affair. Dreyfus, a Jew, had been accused of treason against his country of France and many believed that the event had been set up by a group of anti-semites . The trial showed that religion still played a major role in society, and that equality had not truly been reached. The state turned against Dreyfus, while the Jewish people along with the church supported him. The entire event helped to establish many ties that still exist between religions today. Although religion was a main concern in many parts of Europe, other nations that were affected by the Industrial Revolution seemed to stray away from the impact of religion. With more inventions leading to more job openings, people in need of a better income moved to the cities. The impact of religion fell less on people as they turned to the importance of surviving with income and improving existing inventions and lifestyles. Religion definitely contributed to Europe during the nineteenth century with the various events that either impacted people's lives more or diminished the impact of religion.

Socially, Europe's power and influence shifted during the nineteenth century. The Industrial Revolution greatly impacted the balance of power as urbanization led to people of the lower class gaining more influence within a country. Job opportunities and ways to improve inventions allowed people to also climb the social ladder, which had been practically impossible before. Through Romanticism, people also were able to impact Europe. By writing and painting, artists of the era could spread their ideas of the world and mankind and focus on improving one's mind. During the nineteenth century, people became more involved in their country due to the advancements that were made and the freedoms that were now possessed.

The intellectual movements in Europe affected the way people viewed matters in both their nation and their lives. The Congress of Vienna helped to establish the powers of Europe and also demonstrated the impact conservatism still had on people. The nineteenth century was also a time of nationalism. Despite the conflicts between both sides of government, people thought strongly of their country and worked hard to keep it ahead of others in advancements and power. The greater amount of involvement within one's country also helped to spread many ideas. During the Feminist movement, women philosophers shared their need to gain freedoms with the rest of Europe. Women, who had many limitations previous to the movement, gained the right to vote and became much more involved in politics and society. They also gained the right to own property and became an influence in the running of the household and family matters. The intellectual movements of the nineteenth century came from the additional influence one could have on their country and caused everyone within a nation to see both sides of a story, allowing laws and traditions to be enforced when they were what was best for society.

The nineteenth century saw many artistic advancements as well. The impact that various artists could have on Europe helped to spread many of the movements of that time and share views on political events. Besides paintings and poetry, political cartoons gave people an opportunity to voice their opinions in pictures and played a strong role during times of dispute between certain groups, be it political or religious. Art was a strong influence in Europe and many ideas that were used during the nineteenth century are still used today.

The change Europe went through during the nineteenth century was astronomical. Advancements were made to every industry, industries were created, and citizens became more influential to their country than ever before. Political sides were still feuding, a new radical movement was formed, and still nationalism was at an all time high in most countries. Despite the despair present in some countries, Europe as a whole took a giant step forward during the nineteenth century, and laid down the foundation for the advancements that were to follow in the next one hundred years.

This evening, before sitting down to another wholesome dinner, I finished one of the most humorous and inspiring books written since (in my opinion) James Herriot's "All Creatures Great and Small Series." One of the greatest actors that I look up to is John O'Hurley, who recently published the touching book "It's Okay to Miss the Bed on the First Jump And Other Life Lessons I Learned from Dogs." Some of you might quickly recognize this newly found author as J. Peterman from one of the greatest shows of all time, you guessed it, Seinfeld. He currently hosts the game show "Family Feud" and if any of you have seen him, has been hosting NBC's National Dog Show Presented by Purina every Thanksgiving Day for five years now. It has been a solid tradition for me from the beginning to tune in for the two plus hours watching the various breeds of dogs at their finest. I can't resist including this quote from John O'Hurley: "Only one thing remains constant: dogs like being dogs, and they like being the dogs they are." That pretty much sums up every dog I have ever known, and reading this story of how dogs have touched O'Hurley and has shaped who he is as a person, really gave me sense of gratitude for the joy a dog can bring to your life by just being himself. I found that I could easily relate to O'Hurley's book. His childhood growing up and his adolescence was extremely similar to what I have gone through. From his relationships with family members that seemed to slip away from him before he was ready to say goodbye, to standing up for what he believed was right, even when it seemed like he was alone in the world. The only ones who were constantly there to comfort him were his dogs. Like John O'Hurley, I have grown up with dogs my entire life, and constantly found myself going to them to talk to before even considering going to my elders. Spending time with a dog just makes life seem a little simpler and can melt away any emotion or problem you are struggling with. For the past two years a piece of my life has seemed to be missing. Not being able to go outside with a friend who always managed to understand what I was thinking and how I was feeling really tears me up sometimes, but yet something as simple as a book can relieve some of that pain. Someone who understands the power that just a smile, or in a dog's case, a smile and a wag of the tail can bring to another is hard to find in the fast-paced society that we live in today. But thanks to John O'Hurley and the dogs that have crossed anyone's life's path, we can all stop to appreciate one another, and just as important, take the time to be happy with ourselves. I have yet to meet a dog that isn't satisfied with his self image and personality. I don't care if you're a dog lover or not, this book is bound to make you a better person. I believe anyone who reads this book will learn something about themselves that has been under their noses for so long but has always been glanced over too fast to realize. Thank you John O'Hurley for making life a little simpler and for bringing back memories that have been resting in the back of my brain for far too long.

WOW! What a way to end the year. Garrison Keillor rang in the new year the way it should be done. A live broadcast from Nashville, I should have been there. Some hometown music followed by some words from his sponsors in the fashion of old time radio. 2007 began with a brief coundown by Keillor and the traditional "Old Lang Sine" being sung by the entire audience at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. I hope it becomes a tradition for every New Year's.

Well, as you all know, the date is looming near. The time where we all promise ourselves that we will be better people. Yeah, that's right, New Year's. At the end of this week we all say goodbye to each other at school and say "See you next year." Does New Year's resolution ring a bell inside any of your heads? It does for me. Although it seems to be ringing somewhere in the distance, farther away each year. I don't really see the coming of the new year as much of a rite of passage anymore. It's just another holiday, it comes and goes before you can really get a good grip on it. Maybe this year we can all stop for a second in our busy lives and realize what New Year's is going to do for us. Let's all see if we can become better people in 2007. I know I'll try. If you don't see a change in anyone, don't think any less of them. Maybe their New Year's just hasn't come yet, I know mine usually comes pretty late, maybe around March when the weather hasn't gotten much better and all you really have to do is sit around and think about things. We'll see what happens this year. So, seeing as this is probably the last post on my blog for the year, I'll officially say goodbye to 2006 and look forward to 2007. Maybe there really will be changes this coming year, maybe there won't.
We'll just have to sit tight and see what happens.

I had the wonderful opportunity of attending Garrison Keillor's live performance last Saturday in Buffalo. It was an experience I have waited for my entire life. I began listening to "A Prairie Home Companion" with my family whenever we went on long car trips and this happy memory of passing the time listening to radio and watching the scenery fly past my window became the basis of what is now a deep admiration for the PHC crew. Being in the audience of "A Prairie Home Companion" is something i will never forget. Seeing my idol in person was the greatest thing that has happened to me and hearing about our little Buffalo and all its suburbs from Garrison Keillor struck a chord deep within my heart. Knowing that people around the world were tuning in to what I was seeing and hearing first hand was a feeling so powerful that I can't describe it enough to give it due justice. I hope all fans of Garrison Keillor will get the chance to experience such a wonderful event sometime in their lives. I know it greatly changed me in some way, watching as a long dream finally came true.

You can see what I wrote along with other comments from "A Prairie Home Companion" fans at http://www.buffalorising.com/city/archives/2006/12/garrison_keillor_and_prai.php

COMING SOON: MILLARD AND VOSS INTRODUCE THE MOST EXTREME HISTORIC RADIO SHOW EVER!

A.P European History DBQ: The Plague

The Black Death, also known as the bubonic plague, was a devastating pandemic, which affected Europe from as early as the middle fourteenth century to some outbreaks of the disease as late as the eighteenth century. Killing about one third of the western European population, the plague caused substantial change in the world’s economy and society. People throughout Europe and the rest of the world reacted to these drastic changes in different ways, with their own views contrasting and supporting each other, but with the main fear being that of spreading the plague even more.

The economy of Europe suffered extreme devastation during this time. A French author, Nicholas Versoris of the early sixteenth century, wrote about the loss of the working class from the plague. The rich upper class fled, leaving the poor to perish. The working class was practically wiped out with no one able or willing to work and no one left to work for. Count Henrich von Staden, a traveler to Russia later that century, and Daniel Defoe, of the same period, saw first hand the actions people and their governments had taken to prevent the spread of the bubonic plague. Von Staden saw throughout the country, houses boarded up and quarantined and guarded highways and roads. Almost all travel was banned to avoid the spread of the disease. Many people confined to their homes starved to death whether they had the plague or not and had to be buried there immediately. Defoe wrote in a private journal about the virtual halting of trade in Europe. The nations of Europe avoided all those that were afflicted with the plague. Foreign exportation and later the general trade in manufactured goods was slowed almost to a stop. The responses to the plague in Europe resulted in a great economic crash as trade and the movement of people was stopped.

The plague influenced the social aspect of life significantly for many Europeans. A Dutch schoolmaster of the late fifteenth century and Nicholas Versoris of the early sixteenth century, both primary sources, watched as people fled the nations of pestilence. The schoolmaster experienced the loss of twenty boys from the plague and saw as many others were driven away from his school from the fear of catching the disease. The nobles and other upper class Europeans fled from fear as well, which, in addition, left few wage earners and merchants. The balance of social classes shifted leaving mostly peasants in the plague stricken states. Heirs to family fortunes or possessions went to drastic measures to gain wealth during the outbreaks of plague. Johann Weyer, a German physician during the late sixteenth century saw as these people paid others to smear a dangerous ointment on town gates, which would spread the plague and allow heirs to gain their inheritances sooner. Fear of the plague proved to be behind all actions done during the early waves of the Black Death, and greatly changed the social structure of Europe.

Over time, the actions of people change. This proved to be true during the plague as Europeans’ fear began to dwindle. Father Dragoni of the early seventeenth century and Sir John Reresby, an English traveler of the middle seventeenth century, both illustrated the change of people’s actions in their writings. Father Dragoni showed that faith proved to be stronger than fear in his compassion towards those afflicted with the plague. He cared for, and hired guards and gravediggers to tend to the living and the dead with money from the church. He proclaimed that God had showed him to do good during these times. Reresby also wrote of bravery to do what he felt was right. Reresby, along with other travelers set out to go to Rome and to see the beauty of the city even though the plague was violent there. While fear did still exist during the later periods of the Black Death, change was occurring. People’s determination and faith empowered them to break the tradition that had become so widely accepted and began to travel to areas with the plague.

The Black Death brought about many changes in the lives of the Europeans. Trade and the balance of social classes faltered while people died horrible deaths. Fear of the plague remained severely strong until the seventeenth century, when Europe began to show signs of change. The plague proved to play a major role in the history of Europe and the rest of the world.

North Korea Current Event

The recent nuclear tests conducted by North Korea have sparked concern among the international community and renewed call for sanctions by the United Nations. America has issued a thirteen-point draft resolution including the inspection of cargo and the halting of trade on many goods to and from North Korea. Russia and China though, are hesitant to follow these recommendations due to trade relations with North Korea. North Korea’s ambassador, Pak Gil Yon, believes the Security Council should be congratulating the man behind the project instead of “issuing useless resolutions.” South Korea like many other nearby nations fear the repercussions caused by this event. The president, Roh Moo-hyun expressed his feelings that the move could “spark a nuclear arms build-up in other countries,” while North Korean media described the test as a “historic event that brought happiness to our military and people… a great leap forward in the building of a great, prosperous, powerful socialist nation.” I personally believe whoever said this is nuts. There, I did it, I am a bias reporter, but I think whoever is reading this right now is probably an American like me. I believe nuclear proliferation is not a good thing. This North Korean nuclear testing isn’t about to cause an Armageddon any time soon (or at least I hope it doesn’t), but I do agree with the president of South Korea. Worst-case scenario; this could cause another Cold War. I admit I am speaking with little or no credentials, the size of the bomb isn’t even known yet. It could have been from 550 tons to as much as 15 kilotons of destructive power. The Hiroshima bomb of World War II was 12.5-15 kilotons. I am just writing this with as much information that is known to the public at the moment and telling it as it is.

Current Event #2:




Notes:

A: The author seems to be unbiased. Senior editor of MR very credible

C: Author is testing a product for public. Purpose for helping other train enthusiasts find out about product. Facts are proven by data provided. Author does comment on detailing of locomotive. Author leaves you to decide whether it is a good product or not. Accurate info

T: Current, new product. Primary source, conducted experiment. Supports facts with data

T: Author states mostly facts, compares to previous products.


Article:
Broadway Limited HO F7s are powerful performers with sound
Reviewed in the November 2006 issue
Carl Swanson, senior editor


Response:

I found this article to be very helpful to any model railroader. The author, Carl Swanson, presented not only useful facts about a new product, but also showed how far model railroading is progressing in both detail and technology. Being the senior editor of Model Railroader magazine, I found him to be a very credible source. I was impressed at how unbiased his thoughts were on the new F7s. Swanson managed to test a product for the public, while backing up all of his facts with data from his experiment. When he felt that one locomotive was emitting too much sound, he wasn’t fast to jump to conclusions and assume all were on the loud side. He re-conducted the experiment with another engine and found that it was a much quieter product than assumed. I think it was a smart move on Swanson’s part to leave the reader to decide whether or not this is a good product. I personally am quite impressed by the incredible detailing of this model and the fact that it can haul a proto-type length train is always good to know if you have a large enough layout. I was also glad to see that Swanson compared this engine to previous products. It tells the reader if he or she really would be making a good investment if he or she already had a previous product from this company. All in all I think Swanson is a very helpful source when searching for the best new locomotive. I have been impressed with his past product reviews and they continue to be very valuable resources for all fans of “The World’s Greatest Hobby.”

from modelrailroader.com (sorry if you can't get to the full publication, it's only available to subscribers of the magazine)