What Compels Someone to Lead Others? - Opinion

In circumstances where a group of people are in danger, thy need a leader to get them through the struggles that they are facing. The leader is the one that s able to maintain control and make decisions under pressure. Normal people are usually the ones that rise to this position. Having the ability to help others get through a certain situation or solve a certain problem are what "compels" someone to lead others. The one or two people that rise to the occasion and get the job done are the ones that are leaders, and many times these people just do their jobs or they want to let others have an opportunity to get through the situation they are facing.

Notes - Greece

Greece

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

12:49 PM

• Greeks had a lot of music
• There is areas like states almost
• In between Athens and Sparta there is
• The Iliad is the best thing to understand very early Greek History
• You need to know the Trojan War o understand early Greece
• Modern day Turkey was Anatolia
• Paris came to Greece from to Try to meet with Greek kings
• They met at a wedding where everyone mortal and gods were invited
• One wasn't and she sent a golden apple that was meant to be the most beautiful
• Paris was chosen to choose which one was to get it
  
• Anatolia - ancient Turkey
• Isthmus Corus - thin strip of land connecting Athens and Sparta

Persian Wars (Quick Version)

• Herodotus - first serious history of the western hemisphere
• Writes mostly about the wars between Greece and Persia
• Persia was the largest empire during the 6th century bc
• Greeks had colonized some areas around the medittereanian
• Persians told these Greeks to join them
• Most refused - Persians killed them and destroyed their towns
• Others give in - Persians gain access to ports
• Decide to invade Greece
• Lead an invasion force by land and sea
• They go north to the baspherous
• They come over land north of Greece
• Sea fleet attacks Greek outposts
• Land comes down from north to eventually punch through and capture Athens - the largest city
• Greeks find out the plan
• Plan to meet them at Thermopylae
• Premiere units were from Sparta - best fighters in Greece (300 is a commercialized depiction of this battle)
• In Sparta children were taken away to train as soldiers
• Lycurgus was the first Spartan that made laws
• By 650 B.C. Sparta is the dominant military power
• Both in Sparta and Athens - Hoplite warfare has developed
• They held off thousands of Persians
• Every soldier that went to that battle died
• Athens was evacuated and the people went into hiding
• Persian fleet comes down to the area around Athens
• Rest of Greek military that was in hiding
• Caught the fleet in a pinscher and won the battle

Classical Period

• 480 B.C. Persian war ends and Greece is the victor
• There is no nation just city states
• Athens becomes the strongest
• Theatre started in honor of the gods
• Pericles - suggested they need a navy
• Built a huge navy

Peloponnesian Wars

• Sparta get jealous of Athens success because they are who made it possible
• Athens and Sparta go to war
• Sparta attacked Athens
• Athens fought them on land, sea and tried to keep their trade routes open
• Athens isn't a port there was a port a 6 miles away from the actual cities
• The long walls protected the route
• Sparta besieged Athens and cut off the entrance of the long walls
• The plague hits and Athenians take great losses

• Greek colonies were on Sicily that were friendly with Sparta
• Athens decides to attack those colonies to get back at Sparta
• Alcibiades come up with the plan to attack Sicily
• On the eve of the ships leaving there is a huge act of violence
• Alcibiades was framed for it and was left behind

Alexander the Great

• Macedonia is very mountainous
• Alexander was born in Macedon in the shadow of Mt. Olympic
• Born to King Phillip of Macedon
• He was a rough old guy been in a lot of wars only had one eye that he lost in a war
• When he was 19 his father was assassinated and Alexander takes the throne
• Alex decides that he is going to take revenge on the Persians
• He wants to invade Persia
• By the end of the journey conquers the entire known war
• First goes to troy
• Wins his first battle
• Lands up in a little village called Gordian
• The Gordian knot was on an ox cart and legend said that if you can untie the knot you will conquer the world
• Alexander goes and looks at it after partying with the locals and cuts it in half with his sword
• He then heads down along the coast not facing any real existence
• Goes down through Israel and goes into Egypt
• Egyptians loved him and hailed him as the king
• He founds Alexandria
• Takes a road trip with his friends out to the desert on camels
• Goes to oasis call Siwa that really far out away from everything
• There's an oracle there and Alexander want to go see it
• They greet him as the son of the god Aomon is the equivalent of Zeus
• Then he heads out of Egypt and is ready for war
• Persepolis was the capital of the Persian Empire
• The Persian empire was the most powerful and biggest in the world
• Heads into Mesopotamia - modern day Iraq
• Here meets Persians on battlefield
• 333 B.C. Battle of Issus Alex meets king of the Persian Empire

Herodotus - writes the histories of the Persian Wars

Thucydides - histories of the Peloponnesian war

Xenophon Anabasis

Plutarch - Lives

Pausanias - Tourist Guide book ( Descriptions of Greece Part 1 and 2)

Did Alexander Really Want to Get Revenge on Persia?

I believe that Alexander the great wanted to do something that would gain trust from the people. The best way to do this was go on a conquest and to avenge Persia. It could have been that it was both sides at the same time, he wanted to conquer the Persian empire and he wanted to get revenge. I think that he knew that people weren't going to have complete faith in him because he was so young when he came to power. Alexander also knew that trust was the most important thing when ruling an empire or kingdom, and he went after that trust and support in the best way he knew.

Image from:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_Issus.jpg

Weekly Article - Does Power Corrupt?

Does Power Corrupt?

Power is something that people have wanted and fought over since the beginnings of humans. Throughout history as people obtain the power that they continuously strive to gain, they strive for more and more power. People who gain only a little bit of power soon want more, which can easily corrupt a person’s motives. People stop doing things because they are right and it’s what they believe in and start doing things just to gain power. History has shown that many people have been corrupted by power, but with control and a balancing system within governments, we can now control how much power a single person is allowed to have.

The word corrupt means lacking in integrity. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/corrupt) Holding a position of power in a government or any position where a person has authority can be enjoyable for many people. This authority allows people to control their fellow countrymen, or any human. As are many enjoyable things, power is addictive. Many leaders that have turned out wrong such as Napoleon and Stalin were corrupted by their enjoyment, or what they thought was necessity, to hold all of the power. People try to gain more and more power so that they can use it for personal purposes. Not all power is corruptive though. Only extreme power, such as when a person has absolute power, corrupts leaders because once people get a small taste of what is possible to have, they try to get that power anyway that is at all possible, which means that it is possible for people to change their beliefs and views on moral things to gain the confidence of the people. (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/200908/how-power-corrupts-leaders)

Ever since people have banded together to form groups during the stone ages, there have been corrupt leaders. Leaders that do things only to protect themselves, their power, and their interests are dangerous to people in modern times. There have been many instances where, because one person had absolute power and they gave no thought to morals, crimes have been committed such as genocide and wars have been started. Power hungry people have tried to gain more power and take over the world, which has resulted in many deaths throughout the past few centuries all over the world.

There is only one way to keep people from gaining absolute power, and that is to not them have the chance. The United States checks and balances system almost eliminates the possibility that someone may completely take over the government. In short, the checks and balances system allows one part of the government to overrule or stop another part from becoming too powerful. The Unites States Declaration of Independence also states that the American people have the power to change the government if necessary or if it becomes harmful, “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles … as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness” ( Original words of the Declaration of Independence from http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html). This allows us to change the government not only if one leader is corrupt but if all are corrupt, making it so that the citizens, and now because of our large involvement of world affairs, the world, are never affected by a corrupt dictatorship.

As mentioned before, there has been much bloodshed because of leaders and dictators looking for personal gains. Dictators and leaders such as Stalin or Hitler used their power to advance themselves personally and force their ideas on people which weren’t always moral. Although many people have been corrupt, and many citizens around the world have been affected by corrupt leaders and governments through acts such as genocide and the oppression of beliefs, there are ways to prevent those things from happening.

Works Cited
"Corrupt | Define Corrupt at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 27 Feb. 2010. .

"Declaration of Independence - Transcript." National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 27 Feb. 2010. .

"How Power Corrupts Leaders | Psychology Today." Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness Find a Therapist. Web. 27 Feb. 2010. .

Poseidon

Just click on the title and use the arrow keys!

Poseidon on Prezi

Short Biography on Plato

Socrates:
Socrates, born in 469 BC, was the first of the great Greek philosophers. Before he was a philosopher, he was a soldier and a stone worker. After he retired he went around Athens asking people deep thinking questions and soon had group of followers. Around 399 BC, he was charged with corrupting the youth and committed suicide in his cell. The only records we have are from other people like his student Plato, because Socrates never wrote anything down.

Worshiping Olympic Athletes - Then and Now

Worshiping Olympic Heroes - Then and Now

Ever since the Olympic Games were started in Ancient Greece, around 775 B.C., the winners of events in the Olympic Games have been honored and rewarded. These Olympic “heroes” have been in a standard higher than any other athlete in the world, and have been looked to, too set the athletic goals for everyone else around the world. Many things have changed in the way these champions have been treated from the time of ancient Greeks to modern day; however there still are similarities, in the way that people look to them for guidance and authority.

Ancient Greek myths state that the Olympic Games were started by the Greek gods competing against each other. These myths vary in the way that they tell the story but historians do believe that the very first Olympic Games started as a festival to celebrate Zeus. The games evolved from a festival that was for the sole purpose of honoring Zeus. The competitions at this festival started when the Greeks split up into city states. The athletic events were a way to show off a cities athletic, military, and political power to all the other cities. (http://ow.ly/156BA)

The earliest games were simple and only had a few events. These were centered on military skills that people had to have during that time. The sports that athletes competed in were running, wrestling, boxing, chariot races, and horse races. There was one winner in each event, no silver and bronze medalist, just a single champion that the ancient Greeks thought was chosen by Zeus and the other gods. (http://ow.ly/156BA) There are hundreds of myths and legends about the ancient Olympics. Some of these aren’t completely true but most have a basis in what historians think really happened.

The bases for some of these legends are ancient Greek champions. There were champions from all over the Mediterranean because any free man that spoke Greek and wanted to compete could. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Olympic_Games) Most of the ancient Olympic “Heroes” won more than one Olympics in usually only one event. There were champions from Italy, the Island of Rhodes, and several Greek city states. These athletes might seem superhuman by some people today because of what they did, and although they were extraordinary even by ancient time’s standards, they depended on their strengths to survive. There were runners like Leonidas of Rhodes, who won every running event in the Ancient Olympic Games for four Olympic Games. There was another athlete who won all of the Games in Greece and then went on to have children and grandchildren who were champions of the Olympic Games.

These athletes weren’t the only superb Olympic Athletes in the ancient world. The strongest Olympic champions competed in the wrestling and boxing champions. One athlete, Clomedes, even killed an opponent during a boxing match, although he was disqualified. An ancient Italian wrestler, named Milo of Croton, won the Olympic wrestling seven different times during his life, and was known for being amazingly strong. (http://ow.ly/156BA)
All of these athletes were seen as celebrities in the eyes of their fellow citizens of their home town or country. They were awarded a variety of things that could be anything of value. (http://historylink102.com/greece3/olympics.htm)Every champion was given a wreath of olive branches at the end of the Games to symbolize that they were the champions of that set of games. Because some people thought that the winners were chosen by the gods, they thought that they must be extremely important. In some parts of Greece the winning athletes were treated like gods on earth; they were pampered and praised, almost worshipped, by their fellow citizens. (http://ow.ly/156BA)

In modern times, the Olympics were reinstated as a world event in 1896 in Athens, Greece. Since then the Olympics have grown and expanded in the number of sports that are held, and the impact that it has on the world. They also have expanded to included Winter Olympics, started in 1924, the Paralympics for those with physical disabilities and in starting this year in 2010, youth Olympics. Because of the more advanced and complex games, there have been champions from dozens of different countries and in all 33 different sports. Second and third place awards (Silver and Bronze medals) have also been added to expand the credit given to champions. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Games)

There are however, some athletes that come to mind when mentioning modern day Olympic Heroes. These people are those that not only have excelled in Olympic Games but are also the best in their sport in, many if not all other worldwide competitions. These athletes are known for their amazing athletic ability and their extraordinary number of Olympic Medals and other awards. American swimmer, Michael Phelps has won sixteen Olympic Medals in the two Olympic Games he has competed in, including fourteen gold and two bronze medals. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Phelps) This number is only second to the eighteen medals, including nine gold, which the former Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynia, won. She is the most decorated Olympian in modern history. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larissa_Latynina) Other names that are now known across the globe because of their performance in the Olympics are the snowboarder Shaun White, who has won only two Olympic gold medals but been a world champion in snowboarding for several years. British sailor Ben Ainslie, has been winning medals in the Olympics since 1996 and hopes to continue into the 2012 Olympics, but these athletes are only among the dozens of heroes there have been in the Olympics from all over the world. (http://www.olympics.org.uk/Beijing2008/AthleteProfile.aspx?id=233)

These modern day Olympic Heroes share the same glory and fame that the ancient Olympians had in Greece. These competitors have been showered with prizes, sponsors, titles, and awards throughout their careers, and have helped along the progression of their sport and of all sports in the world. These athletes are not worshipped like gods, like several ancient Olympians were, but they are admired and looked to, too hold the standard and continue to progress that standard in their sport. Looking to athletes for inspiration and having them as role models have helped people throughout the world for since the Olympics started, almost three thousand years ago.

Works Cited
"Ancient Olympic Games -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 18 Feb. 2010. .
"BBC - History - Ancient History in depth: The Olympics: Ancient versus Modern." Ow.ly - Shorten urls, share files and track visits - Owly. Web. 18 Feb. 2010. .
"Larissa Latynina -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 19 Feb. 2010. .
"Michael Phelps -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 19 Feb. 2010. .
"Olympic Games -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 18 Feb. 2010. .
"The Olympics in Ancient Greece." Untitled Document. Web. 18 Feb. 2010. .
"Team GB Beijing 2008 Athlete profile Ben Ainslie." British Olympics Association | Vancouver 2010. Web. 19 Feb. 2010. .

Feroz and Gaspar - Height of the Persian Empire

Two lowly Persian soldiers, talk by the fire one night discussing the upcoming battle with the Greeks and the other Persian campaigns.

Feroz: I don't understand the point of going through this again. I mean every time we try to take Greece, that I remember, we are slaughtered.
Gaspar: I don't understand how they beat us every time, we have a larger force, a stronger navy, and we should overwhelm them!
Feroz: They are just too good at fighting. They beat us at Marathon, and countless other conflicts. Plus whenever we think we're ready to finally take over, there's a revolt somewhere in the Empire that has to be put down. You know its taken us years to prepare for this!
Gaspar: We need a new strategy. They've been beating us for over fifty years, and each time we think we finally got rid of them they just pop back up and rebuild.
Feroz: Wait, what if we don't do the fighting. What if they destroy themselves.
Gaspar: Divide and conquer. Get them to fight amongst themselves until they are weak enough to beat them.
Feroz: Now that's an idea, but our superiors would never do, they would say its too feeble.
Gasper: Well it was worth the thought, anyway we better get some sleep, if we are going to be marching again all day tomorrow.

"Greco-Persian Wars -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 19 Feb. 2010. .

Theatre in Ancient Athens

In ancient Athens, there were many play writers that formed the basis for modern day theatre. The Greeks introduced things such as tragedies and comedies that are still basics for today's world of acting and drama. These types of plays are another thing in the modern world that we can trace directly back to the Ancient Greeks.

Most of these tragedies and other places were things that the play writers knew about. They usually incorporated influence from the gods, adding religion into the plays. The Greeks truly believed that the gods directly affected what was happening on earth and this is incorporated into the plays. Government is another thing that we usually see in ancient plays. Play writers, like many writers do today, used plays to make a political statement, or in the comedies case, make fun of or criticize the government.

"Theatre of ancient Greece -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 19 Feb. 2010. .

Was Athens Really a Democracy?

In ancient Greece, the city of Athens had the most advanced political system, that is closest to modern standards, of its time. Athens was governed by an early form of democracy. It is an early form because the system wasn't as fair, complex, or well thought out and as run governed as modern democracies, like the USA's government. In Athens, only a select people could vote and have a say in the government. These people were pure Athenian men, that held a "share" in the government. These people weren't represented by politicians, they were just regular people voting on how the city was going to be run.

There are some similarities to modern day democracies however. They had a system that prevented civil war and one person taking control of the government. This was more harsh than our modern day rule that someone can't serve more than a specific amount of time. In ancient Athens, the politicians were exiled for years at a time. The Athenians also started the process of the citizens running the government. No matter how many differences there are between modern day and ancient forms of democracies, this system was started by the Athenians, and we should be grateful for that.

"BBC - History - Ancient History in depth: The Democratic Experiment." BBC - Homepage. Web. 18 Feb. 2010. .

The Olympics - Ancient and Modern

When the Olympic Games started in 776 B.C. there was only one event, running. Over the next few decades and even centuries, other events were added but all of them revolved around speed and strength and other traits that were important in war. Not only were the first Olympics a celebration of Zeus, they were a show of a cities, military and man power.

Many people believe that ancient athletes competed naked. This may be true but there are many different opinions on the subject. Another myth about the Olympics were that women weren't allowed in the festival. This is both true and not true. Some women, mostly unmarried women, were let in to help run the festivals and cook, etc. Some were also there to search for a husband. What historians don't disagree on is that the games started and were competed for religious purposes. The games were a way for the people to show off for the gods, and for them to get together to worship and sacrifice animals and make offering to the gods, Zeus especially.

Today, the games have advanced in unbelievable ways, from the ancient Greeks.Sports have become more complex and there have been totally new sports added to the Olympics. We also have winter Olympics, with sports like snowboarding and skiing, the the ancient Greeks never dreamed of. The complexity and technology that have been added to the Olympics, have come with the advancement of humans, but the same basic principles still exist. The modern Olympics, just like the ancient Olympics, are a way for different countries to show off their strength and skill.

"BBC - History - Ancient History in depth: The Olympics: Ancient versus Modern." Ow.ly - Shorten urls, share files and track visits - Owly. Web. 18 Feb. 2010. .


"File:Eli Bremer in 2008 Summer Olympics modern pentathlon running event.jpg -." Wikimedia Commons. Web. 17 Feb. 2010.

"File:Olympia-mosaic.jpg -." Wikimedia Commons. Web. 18 Feb. 2010. .

Notes - Egypt

Egypt and Megaliths

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

11:45 AM

4500bc predynamic peroid

Egypt slit in two by the nile - Upper egypt and lower egypt

Northern side of egpyt known as lower egypt

Southern egypt is upper egypt

There are wars betweeen upper and lower egypt

Narmur unites upper and lower Egypt

The leader ins ancient Egypt had ultimate power and kept power by fear

Old kingdom - first dynasty

All carvings were made out of very hard stone

In the Egyptian statues if you can't see any real space in between the legs

A Greek sculpture has space between the legs

Old dynasty - 2149 -2150 BC pyramids of Giza

Pyramids - pharaoh considered the most important person leader and personified God

Greek historians thought there were slaves building the pyramids

1990s archeologists found working quarters

Mortuary cities- where works stayed - a small economy based around this

Have two books in hieroglyphs one on how to get to heaven and the Polyp pony

Both have immense importance on death

Death is the most important thing in Egypt

Hieroglyphs not pictures but an alphabet

We do know that Egypt had slaves and people in conscription
Slaves had a part but they didn't entirely build the pyramids

What Is Important?

What is Important?

The word “important” means having value or taking a large part. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/important) Someone can be important to history. An object can be important to a person, or knowledge can be important to the advancement in technology or science or another field of academics. Even things that are not solid, like thoughts or values, can be important. Everything in the universe is important to someone or something else. There are many things that can be important to a human. Other people, beliefs, religion, an object that has sentimental value, or a favorite thing are all important to people all over the world. Each person holds value in something and each person has value as a human being.

Personally, many things are important to me. I work hard to achieve what I do in school and in sports. The things that are most important to me have to deal with my values and beliefs. If you have a strong set of values, they can help you with everything you do. I have been told throughout my life that anything can and have been achieved with values like hard work, patience, and determination. Family and also comes to mind when I think o things that are important to me. Your family and friends are a support system that can help you throughout your life and can guide you through difficult situations.

Religion and beliefs has been a base of culture and civilization ever since there were humans. People worshiped spirits of different aspects of nature to help them survive and to guide them through their life. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prehistoric_religion) Today, religion and beliefs are centered on that same idea, although religions themselves have grown and changed. There are five man worldwide religions; Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. They have all evolved and are now have formal practices that have been performed in the same way for hundreds of years. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion). Many people rely on religion and find it extremely important in their life. Many people find strength and reassurance in believing in a higher power that protects them and cares for them.

Many things that are important to people throughout the world are part of culture. Art, for instances has allowed people to express themselves. Art has evolved from cave paintings that try to explain how ancient cultures lived and what they did and discovered, to a wide variety of sculptures, paintings, and in recent history photography, that are designed purely for the enjoyment of the audience and artist and the expression of certain thoughts, feelings, and imagination. (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/630806/art)

Government and laws have protected people, controlled civilizations, and have helped make people living together more equal. No longer is the fastest, strongest, and smartest person the only ones that get to eat or have power. Without government, we would be no different than our ancient ancestors, except possibly more dangerous. We would still be fighting to survive and killing each other for food on a regular basis. When there are places without any government, like war torn countries, there is no order and everything is worth killing or fighting for. Government has allowed us to advance and become civilized and when you suddenly take that structure away, people revert back to their instincts of survival. Government is important for our protection and the continuation of our way of life.

While money has been the source of many problems, we would not be able to live a civilized life without it. Money and economy allows us to get what we need to survive and in the past has allowed people to specialize in one skill. In history instead of using money, people traded. They would offer something they had for something another person had. If there was no money or economy, people would have to rely on themselves to get what they needed, including food, water, etc. In today’s world a many people don’t have the skills needed to find food on their own or survive by using food that they grew or hunted. Eventually, as civilizations became more complex so did trading and the system of buying things. Ever since early civilizations, like the ancient Greeks, there have been money systems, usually coins, in place to buy things. Without this technology our world today would be unimaginably different. (http://www.the-privateer.com/gold-b.html)

Possibly the most important thing that has come about during human history is agriculture. Agriculture has allowed people to support themselves, while staying in one place and has allowed for the domestication of animals. Without the domestication of animals and crops such as wheat and barley, there would be no culture. Agriculture has allowed a small portion of a population to support many more people that can then focus on developing new technology and culture such as art, laws, government etc.

In today’s world and in recent history, agriculture plays an important role in keeping order in a country. If you cannot support a population, and have to rely on neighboring countries or societies to support it for you, you have no control over what happens in your own country. A country that relies on others to support it, is a t the mercy of those other people. If you cannot support your people at all, there will be change and people will take action to get the food they need. Government will be changed, and the new leaders will find a way to support the people. (http://www.pbs.org/gunsgermssteel/variables/index.html)

The word important is used to describe something that has value. Most things of value to people throughout history, usually have to do with the basis of civilization and culture. Agriculture, a good economy, government, art, and religion are all things that have been important to people since their invention. Almost everything, whether it be manmade, naturally made, or a set of beliefs, and every person has value and something to offer to the world. Without things that first became important or valuable, hundred or maybe thousands of years ago, the world today would not be anything like it is now. Without agriculture, government, or religion there would be no society because it would never have been invented, and there would be no order. Without these things that became important early in our history, we would not have advanced at all and would still be hunting and gathering to survive.

Works Cited

"Art -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 06 Feb. 2010. .

"Guns Germs & Steel: Variables. The Story of... |." PBS. Web. 06 Feb. 2010. .

"Important | Definition of Important at Dictionary.com:." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 05 Feb. 2010. .

"Money - What is it and why is it important?" Stocks, bonds, currencies, precious metals - Our Analysis Begins Where Your Information Ends. Web. 06 Feb. 2010. .

"Prehistoric religion -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 06 Feb. 2010. .

"Religion -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 06 Feb. 2010. .

Picture from:

"File:Scythe user.png -." Wikimedia Commons. Web. 05 Feb. 2010. .

Is Change a Good Thing or A Bad Thing? Revised Edition

Is Change A Good or Bad Thing?

Change happens constantly throughout the world as it has done since the first day of the universe. Everything in our world is constantly changing and advancing in technology. As we learn more about ourselves as humans and advance in technology, we change. Change is a very difficult thing to take a side on. There are changes for the good and changes for the worse. All change contributes somewhat to advancing us and even change that is bad in the immediate can help us in the long run. The changing technology and culture can help many people in the end and can help us live together peacefully.

Before there were cultures and civilizations developed, people were nomads. They followed food and hunted and gathered to survive. The best of the best were the ones that got to eat and the weakest had to do without. This unfair hierarchy didn’t allow for a lot of people to survive, because there was a limited amount of food and those that weren’t as good at hunting or gathering or were weak, didn’t get what they needed to survive. As people changed their ways and began to domesticate things like crops and some animals, society became fairer. People could get seeds and domesticate crops and animals, which provided food that they couldn’t get otherwise. This also allowed for the advancement for society with the formation of laws, writing, and government. This changed early civilizations and people for the better because there were feuds and wars and killings over food and land.

That kind of change starts for the better and ends up benefitting everyone in the end. There is another kind of change that can end up good for people in the long run. This kind of change starts out bad or dangerous. When the Nazis came to power, they started World War Two and killed millions of people because they thought they could. They changed society in Germany and Europe for the worse. The Nazi government took away freedoms and persecuted people because they could. However, once the Nazis fell from power and Germany was defeated in World War Two, we saw what they were really doing. People became aware of the crimes that the Nazis committed, and wanted to do something about it. This lead to the formation of international laws and warned us of the things that could happen in the future if we are not careful. The change that at one point killed millions of people helped us advance our laws and society and helped us understand how to prevent things like this from happening again. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocide)

As we grow and change there are also terrible things that change with us. Warfare has gone from two countries fighting on a battlefield to terrorism and attacks on civilians. As we fight these new battles we have to change our strategy in the fight. As weapons of war have change the tactics have changed. Two hundred years ago men were still standing in line or charging positions and devastating each other. Now warfare has become more elite. It takes less soldiers to perform a task and some missions that would usually put a soldier in very high danger can now been done by a robot or a UAV, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. This however doesn’t eliminate the danger, but it decreases the amount of soldiers and servicemen in danger. (http://thecurrentaffairs.com/robot-drones-change-deadly-face-of-warfare.html)
The change in technology has helped people with many problems. New technology has let us produce solutions to problems like water scarcity. Millions of people don’t have clean water to drink, but a change in technology could help this. There is an invention, called the Life Straw, which allows people to drink directly from usually bad water sources. The straw has a filter inside and removes over 99% of bacteria and 98% of water borne viruses. This allows people to get clean drinking water, which helps the overall community. Life Straws are relatively cheap and can be donated to areas with very high levels of sickness from water borne diseases. (http://www.vestergaard-frandsen.com/lifestraw.htm)

Change can also be good on a personal level. When someone gets addicted to drugs or starts smoking cigarettes, the best thing for them to do is to change their ways and get rid of their habits. There are many methods and places that are set up and designed specifically to help people change from their drug life to a clean life. Therapy and rehabilitation makes it easier for people to quit using drugs and some people come out and help other people that have the same problems. This type of lifestyle change helps not only these people but it makes the community a safer and healthier place. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_rehabilitation)

Sometimes these changes that can help us in great ways don’t happen very fast. It takes years to develop things like LifeStraws and UAVs that could possibly prevent the deaths of many people, and changing your life after using drugs is never an easy process. It takes time, sometimes a very long time, to find something that works better than what was before. It took thousands of years for cavemen to figure out that you could domesticate plants and animals, which eventually helped us form the basis of our advancement today. Change is made when we take time to experiment and discover new things that can positively benefit humankind, not when we decide this is what needs to change so let’s change it. Changing and forming governments and laws takes time to figure out what works best and suits everyone fairly. The United States government didn’t just appear from nowhere on Jul 4, 1776, and it continues to try and find what works best for the world and the country in today’s world.

Change can benefit all people if we allow it to happen. When we discover something new, we need to accept that change because it may advance us or help us in ways nothing else could. Forming the first laws, writing systems and governments was the first step and from there the changed we have made has been endless. We have changed our ways and laws based on crimes that were committed against humanity and we changed the way that we protect and defend ourselves using new machines. All good change is centered toward the goal of living safely and peacefully together.



"Robot drones change deadly face of warfare." Pakistan News | News, Videos, Articles, Current Affairs, Politics, Entertainment | Geo TV | Dawn | The News | Ten Sports | Geo Super | India News. Web. 05 Feb. 2010. .

"Vestergaard Frandsen : LifeStraw." Vestergaard Frandsen :: Home. Web. 05 Feb. 2010. .

"Drug rehabilitation -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 05 Feb. 2010. .

"Genocide -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 05 Feb. 2010. .

War: Technology or Not?

I believe that war in it's most basic form is not a technology but has developed and changed to allow for technology to be used during war. It is human and animal nature to be protective and competitive. This causes fights and eventually warfare.

Warfare has however developed into a complex thing that encompasses technology and technology is something that just "enhances" warfare. Weapons both ancient and modern were specifically designed for warfare. Whether it be warfare between humans, between animals, or between humans and animals, warfare is the same. Hunting can even be linked to warfare. Two forces are fighting to survive and one must lose, whether this is the animal when it is killed or whether the humans are killed by the animal or they must go home empty handed and defeated.

In modern times, warfare has become so complex and confusing with bombs, guns, and unique and advanced weapons like military planes and helicopters. We continue to advance our technology and strategies after years of fighting each other, but war is still the same in basic form. Two forces compete to the death for something, whether it be for territory, food, or a set of beliefs.

The Wheel

The oldest and most important artifact that I use everyday is the wheel. Without the wheel, I would not be able to go to school where I do and my life would be very short ranged. There would be little or no travel and I wouldn't be able to do most of the things I like, because the resources aren't close enough to walk to.

The wheel is thought to be invented between 8000 B.C. and 3500 B.C. in Asia. The oldest wheel to be found however was found in the Middle east and was 5,500 years old. It first started when people used logs to roll things like heavy stone blocks on. The logs then started to develop into a wheel and axis as people experimented and learned. (http://library.thinkquest.org/C004203/science/science02.htm)

Eventually the wheel was started to be used for human transportation and has evolved over thousands of years into the object that it is today. With new inventions like tires added the wheel still has the same basic shape and purpose that it had when it was first invented.

"Ancient Civilizations : Science : Invention of the Wheel." Oracle ThinkQuest Library. Web. 04 Feb. 2010. .

"Wheel -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 05 Feb. 2010. .

The Pyramids

The pyramids were built during the peak of Egypt's power and culture. They were meant to protect and respect the Pharaoh after he died so that he could do his job as the sun god.

The pyramids were first built like other pyramids from around the world in a step design. They also weren't built by slaves, contrary to popular belief.The pyramids were actually built by hired or conscripted, meaning they were forced to work, workers that lived in towns built around the pyramids. The towns were like any other and had stores and other places where people could go.

The first pyramid was built by Djoser in 2611 B.C. was a step pyramid like those in South America. The first pharaoh to attempt to build a flat sided pyramid, however, was Snefru, but it is uneven looking because there were design plans change in the middle of building.

The Great Pyramid is the largest and most famous pyramid. It was also the first built at Giza, and was built by Snefru's son, Khufu. It is the largest pyramid in the world and has three different and elaborate burial chambers, along with many other chambers, inside.

After the Great Pyramid was built at the height of Egypt's power, pyramids became smaller and less elaborate. The last pyramid built was built by Pepi II and was extremely small compared to the Great Pyramid. Pepi II's pyramid was finished almost 60 years before he died but there were no changes or additions made to the pyramid.

Pyramids!