Tracing the Origin of Ancient Sumerians

It is of considerable interest to trace where the ancient Sumerians emerged from because of their primary contribution to human civilization. It was suggested that Sumerians appeared in Southern Mesopotamia around five and half thousand years ago carrying with them the seeds of civilization. It was also suggested that they migrated from the west coast of India. The fact that they were not a local people is suggested by the fact that their language belongs to a completely different and isolated group. There are two further lines of investigation one may adopt to confirm this hypothesis. The first is to explore for other groups in India with a similar language and the second is to carry out a physical examination of the Sumerian skeletons as available at the present time to detect racial similarities.

In western India there are a number of tribal groups that have existed from ancient times. Today many live on the fringes of mainstream communities as exist in India today. The mainstream communities belong to either the Indo-Aryan or Dravidian linguistic groups. Sumerian does not belong to either. As regards the tribal, it is now fruitless to look for any similarities between Sumerian and present tribal languages in India because over thousands of years their original languages have disappeared because of the overwhelming influence of other languages. The western tribal communities of India now speak modified versions or mixtures of the mainstream languages. However, all is not lost because although the tribal in India such as kols and Bheels have been overly influenced, it is not so with some of their branches that migrated further east towards Australia in ancient times, and form a branch of the same human groups. One may then look for similarities between Sumerian and Austric languages. This study has in fact been already done and the consensus is a resounding, yes. The austric languages are indeed similar to ancient Sumerian. The similarities are so numerous and clear that they are beyond doubt or a result of any chance coincidence. (The Austric Origin of the Sumerian Language, Language Form, vol. 22, no.1-2, Jan.-Dec. 1996.)

Therefore now it may be said with confidence that ancient Sumerian is not a linguistic isolate. It belongs to the australoid/ austric group of languages. They belong to this group because the ancient tri bal people of Indian west coast also belonged to the same group of people, and it is from here that they must have migrated to Mesopotamia. Both the Australoid and Austric type are found in India. There are clear reasons to rule out any other location for the Sumerian migration: Western India is geographically close to Southern Mesopotamia as compared to south East Asia and Australia and there are no know instances of civilization east of the Indus valley around five thousand years ago. Such evidence has been found in the Indus valley.

The second study concerns physical examination of Sumerian skulls. Buxton and Rice have fou nd that of 26 Sumerian crania they examined 22 were Australoid or Austrics. Further According to Penniman who studied skulls from other Sumerian sites, the Australoid Eurafrican, Austric and Armenoid were the racial types associated with the Sumerians. Here is Penniman's description of the Austric type found at Sumer:

These people are of medium stature, with complexion and hair like those of the Eurafrican, to which race they are allied with dark eyes, a nd oval faces, broad noses, rather feeble jaws, and slight sinewy bodies.

This description also closely describes the regal person seen on a famous clay tablet from the Indus Valley. This same tribe in an evolved version undoubtedly established the Indus civilization as well as the Sumerian one after the submergence of their coastal cities. In North-western India they would have encountered Neolithic people of Indo-European origin with which manpower they established the Indus cities. An analysis of skeletal remains from Indus valley confirms this mixture. Both the IndoSumerian-austric language must then have persisted side b y side as in Mesopotamia with the official language of the rulers being IndoSumerian-austric. Just as in Mesopotamia, ancient Sumerian was replaced by the language of the majority(Akkadians) in the Indus valley it would have been replaced eventually by an Indo-Aryan language. At what precise moment in history this occurred is not certain but most probably the Sumerian language disappeared from India by 2000 BC. In this latter case there was no question of pres erving it for ritual purposes either. This is because the IndoSumerian-Austric language never developed as a fully written language in India to inscribe full texts. In any case, a better Indo-Aryan language with its own full-fledged script soom emerged probably because of Hittite influences in the Indian sub-continent around that time.

Contribution of Armenians to ancient civilization

In the Indus valley from which the Sumerians emerged there were other tribes that lived in close proximity of the Austric Sumerians. These were prehistoric indo-Aryan tribes of an Armenian origin followers of the God Ara. The indo Aryans were fair skinned and light haired. Hence the reason for the indo-Sumerians to label themselves as dark headed in comparison to the Ara people who were shining. Sumerians also began using the word Ara for fair and bright and eventually they labeled all indo-Aryan people as Ara or Arya. The word Armenian has its origin in AR-MA, i.e. the children of Ara and Ma the fertility Goddess.

Later indo-Aryan migrations of around 1500BC into the Indus regions were apparently of Hittite origin. Apparently, some intermarriage also took place between these indo-Sumerians and Armenians probably leading to a more vigorous community then would have been possible otherwise. A physical marriage also resulted in a marriage of the religious traditions of the Sumerian and Armenian tribes as well as the Sumerian language being influenced by Armenian. Such influences can be found by comparisons between the Armenian (or even Hungaria n that emerged from ancient Armenian) and Sumerian language. Are was the Sun God and the roots of sun worship in the world appear to have an Aryan origin rather than a Sumerian one. Archaeologists refer to Transcaucasus region, including modern Armenia, as the earliest known prehistoric culture in the area, carbon-dated to roughly 6000 - 4000 BC. A recently discovered tomb has been dated to 9000 BC. Another early culture in the Armenian Highland and surrounding areas, the Kura-Araxes culture, is assigned the period of ca. 4000 - 2200 BC. Armenians are one of the oldest Indo-European subgroups. Therefore, it is not surprising that f rom amongst the Aryans it was the Armenians who spread around the ancient world of Mesopatomia and Indus valley first. The Hittite Aryans that became more powerful than the Armenians by 1500 BC were close neighbors and racial cousins of the Armenians, at times clashing with them and at times co-existing, yet probably gaining form the interaction at all times.

Buxton and Rice have found that of 26 Sumerian crania they examined 22 were Australoid or Austrics and four armennoid. Further According to Penniman who studied skulls from other Sumerian sites, the Australoid Eurafrican, Austric and Armenoid were the racial types associ ated with the Sumerians. Certainly it cannot be confirmed without further investigation if the Sumerian-Armenian alliance took place on Sumerian or Indian soil. It is also not certain if it was a forced or voluntary one. The fair skinned Armenian ladies are likely to have regarded the dark broad nosed Sumerians as ugly. Nevertheless, it may be deduced that the earliest Sumerians who introduced civilization in our world were around 85% Austric and 15% Armenian Aryans.

It is surprising that one of the most significant contributions to mankind should come from the Austric/australoid races. Elsewhere their contribution has not been remarkable. However, apparently a small genetic change is all that is necessary for this achievement. Similar races have illustrated that this can happen elsewhere as well. An example of that is Angkor Vat of Cambodia that illustrates technical mastery on an unprecedented scale, noted for its architectural and artistic perfection, not to mention its sheer size, Angkor Vat is the most famous and no doubt the most remarkable of all of ancient temples with ext raordinary architectural and artistic innovations, one of the grandest achievements of mankind.

Dr. Ashok Malhotra has been a Professor of Engineering. Some of his other publications can be viewed at http://lulu.com/am

Author:: Ashok Malhotra
Keywords:: Sumerian,Sumerian tribe
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Lance Rants about Blaming the US for Muslim Hate on Western World

There are some in the Western World who actually believe the Al Jazeera rhetoric claiming that the United States did not win the heArts and minds of the Muslim people but rather furthered the rift and created a larger divide. These folks blame the US for the culture clash and divide. In fact one political and news analyst wrote;

The invasion of Iraq and the underlying aggressive rhetoric against Iran is what helped galvanise the Iranians behind Ahmadinejad against a perceived threat from the US next door and in Afghanistan and with bases in Tadjikistan and other central Asian republics.

Well perhaps it was a point of contention, but the current leadership rigged the elections and used extortion tactics to get elected, further rallied the nut cases to their cause and the real problem is the radical f undamentalism kill all the Jews hate battle cry. It is similar to the hate speech by the liberals against the President of the United States. Just a bunch of dumb humans running around in all their sound and fury, they will act out no matter what we do. He further states;

Considering that the US is already fomenting unrest in Iran by sending in special forces to support opposition groups, it is hardly surprising that the Iranians in turn are supporting the Shias in Iraq and the insurgency.

Irrelevant the Iranians stArted it and you cannot negotiate with Terrorist Regimes, so we must take out the leadership, destroy their military assets, nuclear weapons programs and decimate two-thirds of their army to stabilize the region with equal forces to insure Iraq can move on and that Iran cannot fulfill its p romise to blow Israel off the map or fund international terrorists to hit Western World civilian targets.

I cannot buy into blaming the US for typical and consistent bad behavior or lies coming from the Nation States leadership which sponsors international terrorism as a way to promote their version of the world onto ours. Consider this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

Author:: Lance Winslow
Keywords:: Blaming the US, Muslim Hate, Western World
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Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy is one of he most outstanding English writers who was severely criticized during his life and was recognized as a real genius only later but it makes him, his life and his work, even more attractive for readers than many others. We have to admit that his literary work was very unusual for his time and could hardly be understood and accepted by critics. In my paper, I am going to focus on the biography of this prominent writer and some of his main works and first of all, it is necessary to study the biography of the writer and it would certainly help us realize what kind of person he was and what influenced his literary work because in my opinion there is always more or less strong link between the authors personal life and his work.

So, Thomas Hardy was born in Dorset, England, in 1840, in the family of a stonemason. As for the social position of his family, we may define it as a middle-class family because his father was quite wealthy and respected pers on. As it often happens, Thomas Hardy followed the example of his father and he studied architecture. It is also worthy to say that his personality also began to form in the local pArticular atmosphere. It was a calm, provincial, rural life of conservative Englishmen who remembered well the past of their country and respected old traditions. Naturally, Thomas Hardy also acquired some similar traits of character though his literary works could hardly be named conservative but, on the contrary, I would call them revolutionary. But I would discuss it a bit later, now I would concentrate my attention mainly on his biography.

So, as I have already said he became an architect but he had other inclinations and pArticularly strong was his inclination to literature. But he had to earn his living and at the age of 22 he left his native town and moved to London where he worked as an assistant of a London architect, named Arthur Blomfield. However his professional work was not sufficient for Thomas Hardy, he also studied Greek tragedy, modern philosophy, and finally stArted to write his own literary works and his first attempts were made in poetry though not very successfully. City life was unbearable for Thomas Hardy, who was a country person, and health problems forced him to return to his native town and there he worked as architect combining it with a literary work. Here he wrote his first novel The Poor Man and the Lady that was not even published. His next novel, Desperate Remedies (1871), was published though without great success. But success came soon to this talented writer with his novel Under the Greenwood Tree (1872). Soon after its publication Thomas Hardy became a professional writer and created a lot of other remarkable novels and poems. After the publication of A Pair of Blue Eyes, which were well accepted by both readers and critics, Thomas Hardy had decided to become a professional writer. His most successful works were written in 1870s-1890s that was the period of great achievements in his creative work. Among the most famous novels written by Thomas Hardy we can name The Return of the Native (1878), The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), Tess of the dUbervilles (1891), Jude the Obscure (1896), and many others. Unfortunately, under the influence of the growi ng critics he decided to give up writing novels and the rest of his life worked on poems only and until his death in 1928 he wrote over 800 poems.

Now I would like to dwell upon the most outstanding and most famous novels written by Thomas Hardy. One of the most criticized and at the same time one of the most popular novels written by this author is the novel Tess of the dUbervilles (1891). The novel shows how poor country girl struggles for happiness but finally she fails in this struggle. The Main character, Tess, is a girl from an ancient family who was seduced by Alec dUbervilles and born a child, which died soon. She tried to normalize her life married Angel Clare but when he knew about the child he left Tess. She, in her turn, because of tragic circumstances became a mistress of Alec dUbervilles. On the return of her husband, she killed Alec but was arrested and hanged. The author raises very important problems that were traditionally ignored, he writes about a w oman in a patriarch society where men reigns and how she breaks traditional moral and values for the sake of love and personal happiness. So we may speak about this novel as about the precursor of coming female emancipation and the demand of equal rights for men and women. It also made the readers to evaluate their views on the role of a woman, her personal life and cultural traditions existing in the country. This novel was very original and I would say unusual and to certain extent extraordinary or even extravagant, but it was severely criticized because it didnt correspond to existing moral norms and the story of a girl, which, being pure and noble by nature (not occasionally the subtitle of the novel is A Story of a Pure Woman), was set in the circumstances that ruined her life and who broke traditional not only legal but moral laws as well, was absolutely unacceptable for critics and for the conservative pArt of the society and as a result the novel was called immoral.

However, this label stuck to some other novels written by Thomas Hardy. For instance, Jude the Obscure, which was close by theme to Tess of the dUbervilles was also not accepted by critics. The main character, Jude ended the life by suicide because of ill-fated marriage and again we may say that the author regards at the problem of marriage and the fate of a woman that is often so tragic. In both novels, the main characters died and the cause, or at least its nature was similar, unhappy life in marriage and problems within the family. Close to these two novels are The Return of the Native and The Mayor of Casterbridge. In the former Eustacia Vye, the main character, drowns or commits suicide when she wanted to see her lover, whereas in the latter the main character, Michael Henchard, suffers from rumors all his life because he deserted his family. So, again we see similar problems and themes, unhappy marriage, family life, violation of moral norms and traditional values.

Thus, we see that the author raised problems which were actual but, at the same time, shocking for wide audience and critics which did not accept those of his novels which they considered to be scandalous. The result of such lack of understanding from the pArt of the critics was Thomas Hardys decision to give up writing novels. In my opinion, both readers and critics lost a lot after such decision of the writer but still he used his experience and his talent in the field of poetry maybe not so successfully but still noteworthy.

Anyway, Thomas Hardy made a great contribution in the development of not only English but the world literature as well and his works, being innovative for his time, remain quite actual and up-to-date and that is the main heritage of this great writer that we can study, analyze and simply enjoy.

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Author:: Aaron SchwArtz
Keywords:: Thomas Hardy
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Abandoned Class of Citizens

In the United States of America we all know that there is a serious problem with illegal immigration and that there are over 16 million illegal aliens in our country. Additionally most of us know that these workers are being exploited by greedy businessman, which are breaking the law by hiring the people who have snuck into our country illegally.

No matter how you cut it is a terrible situation and some blame the very low unemployment rate of only 4.9 percent but in reality there can be know what to blame except those who break the law. Now then, consider if you will a worst-case scenario.

We allow the legal aliens come in droves and do nothing about it now and then in ten or 20 years there are 190 million illegal aliens in our country and a civil war erupts because there is such a separation of class. Do you think this scenario cannot happen? Oh, it very well could and let me give you a couple other possibilities.

What if a another eArthquake hit his Mexico City like a one in 1995 which was 8.5 other Richter scale? And all of a sudden we have 20 million illegal aliens leave that city and come to America. Next consider the devastation this would do to middle-class. Now do you see the problem with the economic fallout from such events?

So if this happens, which class of citizens would be the abandoned class? Would it be the legal aliens who are exploited and used as cheap labor or would be the middle-class, which is the lost into economic abyss? Consider this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

Author:: Lance Winslow
Keywords:: Abandoned Class of Citizens
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Tribal Masks

Original Tribal masks are often seen by unknowing eyes as Art objects in themselves. That is not the case, unless of course they are modern copies. A tribal mask has embued power and is alive during the ceremony for which it is used. An African visitor to a London museum stated, This mask is dead. He was seeing the mask out of context, it had lost its power for the people who created it and the the magic had died.

To the collectors eyes the very appearance of the mask and the story behind it leads to the magic. The mysterious Art forms drawing on the imagination and a need to interpret. As a piece of Art it has the power to involve the observer in fathoming meaning to reach an understanding. This can move the viewer into a different frame of reference. Touching a life style that is at once strange and distance, yet it has the feel of something closer to home. A paradox that seems to arise in studying older tribal ways. In a collection this is magic.

It is also important to appreciate that nearly all masks are pArt of a full costume. Often the costume is made from less durable materials and does not survive. Indeed some masks are also made of less durable materials, such as the basketery Yam mask, created by the Abelam in Papua New Guinea. And again some masks are destroyed as pArt of the ceremony for which they are used.

The commonality in masking traditions

Delving back into the earliest recordings, historically, a visit to the caves of Trois Feres in France is enlightening. Picture this painted Paleolithic scene.

A central figure stands wearing the head and antlers of a deer. He stands, shaman like, surround by animals. Animals that are important to the culture he represents. Some of the animals no longer exist in this area. Ibex, reindeer, bison, stag and horses. The shaman, for that is what he seems to be, stands, a human figure amongst the potential food. What magic he is creating or ancestors he is communicating with we do not know. Yet from our knowledge of tribal people studied in times closer to ours it is possible to understand the links. The need to hunt for foo d is essential to survival. The gods link all matters, stay in good standing with the gods and food will be available. Take only what can be used fairly and do not violate the natural laws. Life goes on, following the seasons. There is a balance to life and death. The link between them is maintained by the magician, shaman, wizard, witch doctor, whatever you wish to call him.

During my studies of masks this relationship between the magical and the shaman constantly arises. There is a commonality between the ancient cultures of the Pacific West Coast of North America ( now Canada and Alaska ) and the tribal traditions of Africa. Fertility, the hunted animal, ancestors, initiation, circumcision, cannibalism real and symbolic, healing and crossing over into the spirit world for guidance and healing powers or to appease the gods or ancestors. All these occur in different traditions spread around the world.

As you allow yourself to delve into the traditions surroundin g masks in Europe something interesting arises. Here the traditions have been sanitised by the surrounding culture and the church. Yet when you delve back and attempt to understand the masking traditions, now displayed as folk lore, ineresting parallels are revealed. Whilst in Belgium I witnessed a processions depicting witches and and modern giants. Other masquerades also have links to witchcraft and by implication to shaman. One powerful link is the seasonal nature of many traditions. The Green man and the Hobby horse being two examples.

Forgive me. I could continue to wax lyrical about the links in our current traditions seen as folk lore to those of our ancient ancestors. To me there is a tremnedous link which is bound up with the very nature of the people we are and how we have developed. Our formative roots live in our societies now. That is why I find masks so powerfully evocative. Along with other forms of primitive and traditional Art we can trace our own links to earlier times. Even today the shaman / magician exists following ancient magik rules.

Even modern latex masks contain some of the same magic, because they are linked back to the same collective unconcious and traditions of masquerade, disguise and the spirit world. As a school teacher I have come across some quite vociferous reactions by parents to having Halloween in school. Some see its pagan links and reject it. The seam runs deep into the modern psyche. Perhaps the most potent place to view this link is in the Mexican Day of the Dead Celebrations. This festival combines a mix of Christian and Pagan practices. In pArticular Halloween has a juxtaposition between the dead and children. Here children are masked to scare away the evil spirits and look after the dead. By this means a link with the ancestors and children is perpetuated.

Another fascinating link between the masks of many cultures is the fool. The fool has many characteristics, the most noticeable of which is paradox. The fool can be wise and foolish; handsome and ugly; playful and barbaric. He straddles the line between the extremes of the other masks switching from one role to the other. Perhaps the fool simply represents the many dualities and paradoxes in life.

Also the fool plays a full pArt in the staging of the ritual. Noohlmahl in the Kwakwaka'wakw rituals is a grotesque creature covered in hair with snot pouring from his nose. He struts about entertaining the crowd, making jokes and anticipating reponses. Should the reponses become too familiar a violent response could be expected. Of course the responses to the watchers comments could be of another more humourous nature. Surprise and paradox are essential to the nature of all fools. Another of his jobs is to control the children. He treads the line between clowning for them and ensuring that they do not disrupt proceedings. As with the inappropriate comments from adults a violent response can be provoked should the children, literally, over step the line.

To return to my original point masks are a way into the very nature of our being. The mythology of the Palaeolithic times is linked directly to tribal mask and western folk lore masks. For me this is why the mask holds such power and magic. The mask allows us to physically touch and share our past in a way which few objects can do. Tribal Masks carry a universal signature that appeals to our nature.

Ian Bracegirdle 2004 1 Elderberry Close East Morton BD20 5WA UK 01535 692207

http://mask-and-more-masks.com You may use this Article freely on condition that you include this copyright line and URL and that people who subsequently use this Article follow the same conditions. Thank you for accepting these conditions.

Ian Bracegirdle is a teacher, course leader and therapist. He is the creator of the site

http://www.mask-and-more-masks.com a site for all interested in masks. Ian is fascinated by the Ar t form of masks as well as the cultural connotations. He has researched many areas of masks and recognise commonlinks in many ancient traditions. He believes our current masking traditions are linked back to the time of shaman and other forms of magic predating monotheist religions.The earliest masking records are at least 25,000 years old.

Author:: Ian Bracegirdle
Keywords:: Tribal masks,
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We Need More Enlightened World Leadership

Many believe that the World Leadership or those in charge of the largest of nations are not enlightened and too caught up in the greed of power, politics and wealth. Indeed we saw this when the French blocked any additional sanctions on Iraq after they had completely failed to comply with the resolutions.

In fact the French Leadership put out a World Media hit out on the United States and slandering the Bush Administration and the American People. Later we find out that the reason they supported Saddam had nothing do with anything except money. Money owed to the French from the Saddam Regime and dishonest and unethical rolls the French Leadership took in the Oil-For-Food Fraud Scandal.

Currently we see in the United Nation Security Council major nations and their leadership refusing to put sanctions on Iran, which is building nuclear weapons and sponsors international terrorism. But why? Well simple really, you see these same nations are selling high-tech milit ary equipment to Iraq and well they kind of like Iran as a good cash customer.

This is a very linear, unenlightened and short-term way of thinking as once Iran has nuclear warheads and atomic bombs they will give those to the international terrorists and they will kill innocent civilians in major Western World cities or blow Israel off the map as they recently promised to do? Consider this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

Author:: Lance Winslow
Keywords:: Need More, Enlightened World Leadership
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Authenticity of Eskimo Inuit Art & Native Indian Art

Both Inuit Eskimo Art and Native American Art have gained international recognition as valuable Art forms over the past few decades. However, the rising popularity of both Inuit Eskimo Art and Native American Art has resulted in the increased proliferation of imitations and mass-produced reproductions of original Native Arts. Some obvious fakes are made in Asia from molds where the finished pieces are forms of plastic, resin or ceramic.

Other fakes are actually made of cast stone simulating actual Inuit Eskimo Art Carvings and wood for imitation Native American Carvings. These fakes, which are harder to distinguish from authentic Artwork, are often hand carved reproductions of an original piece of Artwork. Workshops have illegally reproduced hundreds of copies without the Artisans permission. The counterfeiting companies would then attach some type of tag that claims the fake pieces were influenced by aboriginal Artisans and even background information on the Native designs used in the Artwork. Some even go as far as adding in Inuit syllabics on the bottom of the fake Inuit Eskimo Art Carvings.

These are very deceptive tactics on their pArt since they give the consumers the impression that the imitations are authentic and income producing for the aboriginal communities.

Fakes and imitations have lowered the image of authentic Inuit Eskimo Art and Native American Art. Sales of genuine aboriginal Artwork have declined which in turn have deprived aboriginal Artisans of income. The argument against these claims is that not every consumer can afford to buy authentic Inuit Eskimo Art or Native American Art so the souvenir level reproductions legitimately meet this pArt of the market. The imitations, which are usually low priced, enable students visiting Canada for example, to bring home a Canadian souvenir without breaking their travel budget. This claim would have more support from Native communities if aboriginal Artisans were paid a fair royalty as income for each imitation and reproduction piece sold. However, this is seldom the case since most of the time, no royalties are paid at all.

The obvious fakes can be spotted quite easily. An imitation of an Inuit Eskimo Art carving spotted at a gift shop was not made of stone as it was not cold to the touch. It was very light in weight unlike a stone which has some mass to it. The detail and the bottom of the piece had the molded look to it. There was even a sticker on the bottom with the company name Wolf Originals. Side by side comparisons of similar pieces in the souvenir store revealed that they were all identical in every detail, which is impossible for original Artwork.

A black totem pole had a very flat uniform back and bottom again giving away the fact that it came from a mold. Other totem poles made from wood or mixed wood with a claim that they were hand painted were among many similar pieces in the store. All of these examples were each priced less than $20 Canadian which was another indicator that they were not original Artwork.

Imitations of Inuit Eskimo Art Sculptures were recently spotted for sale in shops located at major Canadian airports. From a distance, these Inuit Eskimo Art Sculptures of hunters, polar bears and Inuit women with children looked very authentic. However, each piece had several identical copies on the same shelf.

To avoid accidentally buying a fak e or imitation, it is suggested that consumers buy Inuit Eskimo Art and Native American Art from only reputable galleries and dealers rather than from tourist souvenir shops. A piece of original, authentic Inuit Eskimo Art or Native American Art is one of a kind. There should be no other identical pieces on the shelves. In addition, original Inuit Eskimo Art Carvings should come with an Igloo tag (or sticker) which is a Canadian government registered trademark. Inuit Eskimo Art Carvings that are certified by the Canadian government to be handmade by Inuit Artisans, come with Igloo tags.

Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gal lery (http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca), an online gallery specializing in Inuit and Northwest Native American Art including Carvings, Sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous information resource Articles with photos of authentic Inuit and Native Indian Art as well as free eCards.

Author:: Clint Leung
Keywords:: Inuit, Art, Eskimo, Indian, Native, Northwest, Carvings, Sculpture, American, Canadian
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Native American Art Thunderbird

The Thunderbird has been one of the most dominant icons in Native American Art and legends. In fact, the concept of the Thunderbird has been so popular that it has been used in the non-Native world to name a classic automobile, liquor, a 1960's children's adventure television show (and subsequent recent movie), a US Air Force squadron and is referenced in pop music (remember the word 'T-bird' in 1950's rock and roll?). The Thunderbird is one of the few cross-cultural characters in Native American mythology since it is found in legends of Pacific Northwest, Plains, and Northeastern tribes.

The Native Indians of the Pacific Nor thwest Coast always lived along the shores and never ventured inland to the mountains. Legend has it that the Thunderbird, a mighty God in the form of a giant, supernatural bird lives in the mountains. The Quileute tribe of Washington state considered a cave on Mount Olympus as the home of the Thunderbird while the Coast Salish believed it is located on the Black Tusk peak in British Columbia. It is thought that the Thunderbird never wants anyone to come near its home. If Native hunters get too close, the Thunderbird will smell them and make a thunder sound by flapping its wings. It would also roll ice out of its cave and down the mountain with chunks breaking up into many smaller pieces.

Some tribes such as the Kwakwaka'wakw believe that their people once made a deal with the Thunderbird for its help during a food crisis and in return, the tribe agreed to honor the Thunderbird for all time by making its image prominent in their Northwest Native American Art. This is why West Coast Art totem poles are often carved with Thunderbirds with outstretched wings at the top.

The wingspan of the Thunderbird was described to be twice as long as a Native Indian war canoe. Underneath its wings are lightning snakes which the Thunderbird uses as weapons. Lightning is created when the Thunderbird throws these lighting snakes or when he blinks his eyes that glow like fire. Sometimes these lightning snakes are depicted in Native American Art as having wolf or dog-like heads with serpent tongues. They are occasionally referred to as the Thunderbird's dogs. Native American Art portrays the Thunderbird with a huge curving beak and prominent ears or horns.

The Thunderbird is large and strong enough to hunt its favorite food which is the killer whale. The lightning snakes of the Thunderbird are used during hunts out at sea for the killer whale. After capture, the Thunderbird carries the killer whale back to the mountain to eat. According to legend, the Thunderbird and killer whale once battled so hard that entire trees were uprooted. This was the explanation why there are treeless prairie regions near the Pacific Northwest Coast mountains. The Thunderbird and killer whale are often depicted together in Northwest Native American Art. A large example is at one by reknowned Northwest Native American Art carver Richard Hunt at one of the Northwest Native American Art exhibits at the Vancouver International Airport.

The Squamish Nation in British Columbia, Canada has a Thunderbird as their symbol. Their Thunderbird is portrayed as one of the special messengers of the Creator. The Squamish Thunderbird is a symbol for strength as well as change with the three tail feathers representing the past, present and future. In the talons of this Thunderbird is a face of a lizard which represents spiritual protection for the people of the Squamish Nation.

For many people, Natives and non-Natives alike, the Thunderbird has become a symbol of power, strength and nobility. Even the classic automobile of the same name was reintroduced as a contemporary version.

Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca, an online gallery specializing in Inuit Eskimo and Northwest Native American Art including carvings, sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous information resource Articles with photos of authentic Inuit and Native Indian Art as well as free eCards.

Author:: Clint Leung
Keywords:: Native, American , Art, Indian, Thunderbird, T-bird, Northwest
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T. S. Eliot An Introduction

Thomas Stearns Eliot (1888-1965) and Ezra Pound (1885-1872) were two Americans who lived in Europe and altered the manner and form of English poetry. Pound urged a conscious modernization of verse, and, in Eliot he believed he found a poet who had modernized himself already; though Pound still made revisions to Eliots work and cut almost half the lines of 'The Waste Land', Eliots most famous poem.

Pound might have grumbled that Eliot had got all the breaks. T. S. Eliot was born into a wealthy patrician family in St. Louis, Missouri, and had all the educational chances that money can pay for. He attended Harvard and the Sorbonne and admired the French Symbolist poets, especially Jules Laforgue who influenced his early flippant style of writing. He came into contact with Rimbaud, Corbire and Laforgue through Ar thur Symons Symbolist Movement in Literature (1899).

Listening to the many recordings he made of his own verse, there is little of the trans-Atlantic in Eliots dry voice - wry, with a rasp of humour, and very English. He arrived in London in 1914 and decided to stay. Through Pound he met a vivacious and unstable ballet dancer whom he married possibly, as a recent commentator has suggested, to disguise his homosexuality.

Eliot began work on his best known early poem 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' in 1910. He was a graduate student at Harvard, immersed in Sanskrit and Buddhism at the time, and wrote a number of light verses in a similar voice. Ezra Pound helped him finish the poem in London and it was published in Chicago in 1915. Prufrock is not a person but a style of living. Eliot was a deeply serious and scholarly man who was afraid of sounding so and hid behind facetiousness and his facility with words. Later he was to be taken very seri ously indeed. To contemporary readers, Prufrock did not look like a poem at all: in 1915 poetry was what Rupert Brooke had written before he died.

The United States entered the war in 1917 and Eliot was liable for military service. He was found to be medically unfit but refused to appear idle or disdainful of ordinary working life so took a clerking job with Lloyds Bank that he held for the next eight years apArt from a period of convalescence following a nervous collapse in 1919. During World War II he was to serve as an air raid warden and firewatcher in London while completing the Four QuArtets.

'The Waste Land' and James Joyces Uly sses both appeared in 1922. Leonard and Virginia Woolf hand-printed the early work of Eliot at the HogArth Press and also accepted Ulysses for publication; however, the latter appeared in Paris because English printers refused to set it. 'The Waste Land' did not meet with any moral objections: it was simply regarded as weird. It was published originally in Eliots own journal The Criterion; but what was not known at the time was that Ezra Pound, who had moved to Paris, cut 400 lines from the work with Eliots agreement.

The poem has received much critical and scholarly attention. It was erudite. It drew on references to European and Indian culture with odd juxtapositions of the classical and colloquial. Eliot appeared to be exploring the possibilities of regeneration after the collapse of a culture that had lost its certainties and values. The Quest for the Holy Grail is a motif along with figures from Sir James Frazers anthropological work The Golden Bough (191115) that examined the role of myths in the progress of cultures. To embrace myth and readmit primitive behaviour was not, for C. G. Jung, to flee modernity but to face up to it: and Eliot agreed with Jung rather than Frazer for whom myth was superstition. The Great War had shown Europe to be more primitive than the great and the good cared to admit. 'The Waste Land' is a poem of moods in which the past foreshadows the present and the future waits in hope of grace descending. It even came with its own set of notes.

Eliot rekindled interest in the Metaphysical poets, especially John Donne (1572-1631) and George Herbert (1593-1633). He also attempted to recreate modern verse drama, with less success; the most memorable example being Murder in the Cathedral (1935) which concerns the assassination of Archbis hop Thomas Becket on 29 December 1170 in Canterbury Cathedral. It recalled the original foundation of the English church by Augustine at Canterbury and the mArtyr whose tomb was an object of pilgrimage for four centuries until the Reformation the goal of Chaucers pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales.

To Eliot it was an affirmation of his adopted Englishness: an affirmation that found an enduring place in the English literary consciousness through 'Four QuArtets' 'Burnt Norton', which appeared in Collected Poems (1936), 'East Coker' (1940), 'The Dry Salvages' (1941), and 'Little Gidding' (1942) published together in 1943. The last three poems we re composed during the Blitz when Eliot nightly observed the blacked-out city of London in fireflash silhouettes of searchlights and anti-aircraft fire and incendiary bombs falling about the dome of St Paul's; and 'Little Gidding' contains the aftermath of an air raid and a strange meeting with the shade of William Butler Yeats and Stphane Mallarm before the All Clear sounds.

Read the full version of this essay at: http://www.literature-study-online.com/essays/TS-Eliot.html

Stephen Colbourn has published many Articles about literature on Literature-study-online at http://www.literature-study-online.com. He is a freelance writer. He has written widely on English Language Teaching and has published Articles on literature, linguistics, and computers in various journals together with many Readers for Heinemann and Macmillan Education. He has contributed Articles on literature to The Essentials of Literature in English post-1914, published by Hodder Arnold in 2005.

Author:: Stephen Colbourn
Keywords:: T. S. Eliot,The Waste Land,English Literature,The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,Four QuArtets
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English Literature William Shakespeare Coriolanus

Who is to blame for Coriolanus's banishment?

In William Shakespeare's Coriolanus, Coriolanus's banishment is the climax of a series of events in which several forces Play a part, all pushing him towards his inevitable downfall. As is usual in Shakespearean Tragedy, the hero, at the peak of his achievements, falls, due to a fatal flaw in his character. Coriolanus 's flaw is his arrogant pride and lack of temperance, and his fall is great, from national hero to outcast.

A particular feature of this Play is that Shakespeare has shown us how the hero's character came to be flawed. We see that the flaw has its roots in the family and society which moulded his personality. This insight does not enable us to excuse Coriolanus for his behaviour, but it does prevent us from presenting a simple black and white case on the question of who is to blame for his downfall.

In Coriolanus's Rome the citizens fall roughly into two categories, the patricians and the plebe ians. The two factions are seen to coexist in a state of more or less mutual antagonism, with stability being maintained by a willingness to compromise on both sides.

Coriolanus does not fit in with his society. His valour places him above the plebeians, and his lack of politic sense places him outside to the circle of patricians. He cannot understand the concepts of expediency and respect necessary for the maintenance of a stable society by its authorities. He naively sees society in simplistic terms of good patricians, and bad plebeians.

In soothing them, we nourish 'gainst our senate The cockle of rebellion, insolence, sedition, Which we ourselves have plough'd for, sow'd, and scattered. (111.1.68)

Coriolanus's flaw is his pride, his insistence on voicing his opinions regardless of the consequences, and the narrow-mindedness which makes him immune to change. He firmly believes that the duty of every Roman male is to achieve valour, and valour is the o nly virtue he recognises. It is his single-minded determination that has led to his success, but it also leads him to hate and despise all those who, in his view, fail to live up to their duty:

The idea of 'countrymen' means little or nothing to him. Though he seems to be fighting for Rome, it is as a personal ideal, or symbol, and he holds his fellow Romans in utter contempt. They are an insignificant rabble to him, and he makes little distinction between them and the enemy.

It is not the fact that he holds these opinions, however, that seals his doom, it is the fact that he cannot refrain from voicing them vehemently in public on every possible occasion. He insists on acting in this way, against the good advice, to dissemble, from Menenius and his mother, even when his life is at stake.

From the point of view of Roman society there is no one to blame but Coriolanus himself. As illustrated by Menenius's story of the body and its parts (1.1.95 - ), the mot if of the Play, the harmonious operation of the community is the criterion by which the actions of its individuals must be judged. By this criterion, although the military service Coriolanus has done for Rome is undeniably great, it is also undeniable that he is likely to do a great deal of harm to the living fabric of the society. On this point, Sicinius and Menenius, representatives of the two factions of society, cannot help but agree:

Sicinius: He's a disease that must be cut away.

Menenius: Oh, he's a limb that has but a disease. (111.1.292)

In terms of the action of the Play, therefore, we must appoint blame primarily to Coriolanus himself for his arrogance and open disPlay of hatred, and secondarily to the spiteful jealousy of the tribunes, and the indecision and gullibility of the plebeians.

The Play gives us, however, evidence of the causes behind human character. Through the character of Coriolanus's mother, and the nature of Roman society itself, we can see why Coriolanus is the way he is. We can note the influence of Roman society itself in its upholding valour as a high virtue. This is seen in the eagerness of the patricians to praise him for his supreme soldiership.

If I should tell thee o'er this thy day's work,

Thou't not believe thy deeds: but I'll report it,

Where senators shall mingle tears with smiles

. . . ladies shall be frighted . . . the dull tribunes

That with the fusty plebeians hate thine honours,

Shall say against their hearts, 'We thank the gods

Our Rome hath such a soldier'. (1.1X.1)

But this social influence will be common to all Roman families and sons, and cannot be responsible for the extreme nature of Coriolanus's character. Far more important an influence has been his mother. Volumina has brought him up of with only one aim in mind; to make him a great soldier:

When yet he was but tender bodied . . . when for a day of Kings' entre aties, a mother should not sell him an hour from her beholding . . . To a cruel war I sent him, from whence he returned, his brows bound with oak. I tell thee daughter, I sprang of not more in joy at first hearing he was a man-child, than now in first seeing he had proved himself a man.

Virgilia: But had he died in the business, madam, how then?

Volumina: Then his good report should have been my son. (1.111.5)

We have a further insight into the way Coriolanus's character has been formed from an early age through Valeria's report of young Martius, Coriolanus's son, over whom, no doubt, Volumina has had huge influence.

Valeria: I saw him run after a gilded butterfly, and when he caught it, he let it go again, and after it again, and over and over he comes, and up again, catched it again . . . he did so set his teeth and tear it. Oh, I warrant how he mammocked it! (1.111.60)

We can feel sympathy for Coriolanus when he says:

I muse my mother< /p>

Does not approve me further, who was wont

To call them woollen vassals, things created

To buy and sell with the groats, . . .

Why did you wish me milder? Would you have me

False to my nature? Rather say I Play

The man I am. (111.11.7)

This insight makes the question of who is to blame much less clear-cut, and perhaps even meaningless.

The problem for Rome is essentially a practical one, of how to ensure self-preservation, and all the insight and understanding in the world would not lessen the necessity of taking steps against Coriolanus.

Copyright Ian Mackean. Read the full version of this essay at: http://www.literature-study-online.com/essays/Coriolanus.html

Ian Mackean runs the sites http://www.literature-study-online.com, which features a substantial collection of Resources and Essays, (and where his site on Short Story Writing can also be found,) and http://www.Booksmadeintomovies.com. He is the editor of Th e Essentials of Literature in English post-1914, ISBN 0340882689, which was published by Hodder Arnold in 2005. When not writing about literature or short story writing he is a keen amateur photographer, and has made a site of his photography at http://www.photo-zen.com

Author:: Ian Mackean
Keywords:: English literature,William Shakespeare,Coriolanus,Play,Tragedy,Drama
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Opinion Value & Taste in Art (5) Distinguishing between Value and Valuation (kinkade)

PArt 5. Distinguishing between Value and Valuation or How Some Things Never Change

Leaving aside my personal preferences for a moment, the most alarming element here is the way popular opinion can be manipulated and mobilised. It reminded me and not for the first time of the seminal book by Charles Mackay, entitled Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds. Written in 1841, it is, by common consent, a classic of its kind, examining how various mania develop. Although it is nominally about stock market investments, it is really a study of human behaviour. What provokes people to blindly follow each other? Is there some collective wisdom here that Im missing? Perhaps, ultimately, the herd instinct holds sway. Another fine example that can be applied to the Art market was expertly elu cidated by Malcolm Gladwell in his book The Tipping Point. Gladwell identified a range of circumstances that caused a trend to become self perpetuating. The opinion of the cognoscenti becomes subsumed by the phenomenon of reflexivity whereby perceptions of that opinion by the populace stArt to affect the fundamentals and then create a bubble mentality. Religious hysteria, Tulipmania, alchemy, Kinkade limited edition prints, theyre all peas out of the same pod. Stripped down to the bare fundamentals, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the works of Thomas Kinkade except that they are the Artistic equivalent of lift music inoffensive, undemanding and easy on the eye. And all the passion of a wet blanket.

If you think Im a little harsh on Kinkade, reflect for a moment on the disparity in value between his work and that of a true craftsman. It is important to distinguish here between value and valuation. One should not necessarily judge the merit of a given picture or Artefact in financial terms. The price of goods, whether commoditised or not, is a simple function of supply and demand. That ascribes a valuation what someone considers a fair price to pay but not a value which is as much a reflection of how much an item is appreciated or enjoyed. The valuation will fluctuate according to prevailing fashion and we do see today some savage swings in sentiment, governed both by influencers and the newness of ideas. The ephemeral and somewhat transient nature of modern society is both a blessing and a curse.

Howard Lewis,
Chairman, Invaluable group of companies
http://www.invaluable.com

Only Invaluable gives you unrivalled access to pre-sale and post-sale information for auction houses and salerooms across the globe.

Find Art, Antiques and collectables. Try our Keyword search, register at http://www.invaluable.com for a free 14 day trial.

Author:: Howard Lewis
Keywords:: Thomas Kinkade,Kinkade,Goya,Bo tticelli,Art,Antiques,Renaissance,Gladwell,Museum,Rockwell,Arts,Mackay
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World Poverty and First World Nation Economic Enslavement

Many people see poverty in third world nations as a blemish on the human race. As proof that although our efforts are well intentioned in many regards they are severely lacking. Recently at a coffee shop we all got into a deep intellectual discussion on a topic of Africa and poverty. Then we discussed Haiti, Indonesia and other third world countries, the very bottom of the third world, where things might be getting better, but you could hardly tell unless someone had pointed out exactly where they were better and you would hate to think how they were ever any worse.

One gentleman in the group started explaining what he had seen while working in a large NGO overseas and some of the horrors seemed to really have moved him. His shocking comments on the problems with the human sex trade and the near slavery he witnessed was pretty alarming. After he spoke I said;

Indeed, Well you sure do not waste any time to getting to the meat of things do you? You have brought u p a point that many never wish to address. Indeed poverty is a severe problem and I concur with what Bill Gates had said at Davos Conference and the Head of the World Bank as well. When you have billions of humans living on less than one dollar a day, well you have a problem. Indeed I too have often watched how economic enslavement is put into place by those who attempt to control the masses and in that regard which came first; the evil humans who caused the poverty or inept leaders who allowed it in the first place or the evil which ensued after supplies or units of trade became scarce?

You know if we as a nation can assist with our energies, monies and know how to build sewer treatment plants, schools, roads and Water filtration, while Ill just bet we can make some headway and reach some milestones by 2012. If we all do a little, it would sure say a lot, as action speaks much louder than words. Think on this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

Author:: Lance Winslow
Keywords:: World Poverty, First World Nation, Economic Enslavement, sewer treatment plants, Water
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Who Created the First US Flag of 50 Stars?

Who created the US Flag that we salute at every parade?

Robert Heft, a then 17 year-old high school sophomore from Ohio created our current American Flag of 50 stars.

When was this flag created?

Robert Heft created his 50 star, hand sewn, US flag in 1958 prior to Alaska and Hawaii being admitted to the Union.

What drove Robert to create this new flag?

It all began as a high school project assigned in 1958 in Lancaster, Ohio, for his teacher, Mr. Stan Pratt. Each students assignment was to create a project of their own choosing that would be graded for creativity.

What prompted Robert to create a flag as his project?

Robert was always interested in government and politics and was aware of the possibility of Alaska and Hawaii becoming the next new states. While other kids at his high school struggled with ideas on what to create for their projects, Robert knew right away that he wanted to create the first 50 star flag.

How did Robert go about designing this one-of-a-kind flag?

Being an astute student of history, Robert knew that the design of the US Flag had not changed in since 1912. He wanted to change the design of the flag so carefully that it would be almost unnoticeable.

How did Robert go about creating this one-of-a-kind flag?

Unbeknownst to his family, Robert took his parents 48 star US Flag and began cutting the flag apArt and rearranging the stars and adding 2 stars so that there would be 50 stars in total. His design featured five rows of 6 stars (30 stars) alternating with four rows of 5 stars (20 stars). Robert spent over 12 hours one weekend arranging and sewing this new combination of stars.

Was his teacher, Mr. Pratt amazed and impressed by Roberts newly created 50 star US Flag?

No, Mr. Pra tt told Robert that his project lacked creativity and told him, anybody can make a flag. Mr. Pratt gave Robert a B minus for his project but told him that he would raise his grade if Robert could get Congress to adopt this new American Flag design.

Was Robert discouraged by this challenge from his teacher?

No, Robert accepted this challenge and took his flag to his congressman, Rep. Walter Moeller, who worked to get the new 50 star design accepted after Alaska and Hawaii were admitted to the Union.

Was this original, hand sewn, 50 star US Flag ever used or was it just used as a model?

Yes, it was first flown on July 4, 1960 at the US Capitol dome with President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Congressman Moeller and Robert Heft in attendance. It has flown over every US state capital building and has flown over the White House under five administrations.

Where is Roberts original US Flag of 50 stars?

Robert Heft still owns this original first flag of 50 stars and has turned down offers of up to $350,000 to sell it.

Is that the end of Robert Hefts story?

No, shortly after he completed his 50 star high school project, he went on to create a 51 star US Flag in the event that Puerto Rico ever joined the Union. The 51 star flag has six rows of stars, stArting with a row of nine and alternated by rows of eight to total 51 stars.

What is the moral of this story?

If your child comes to you with a wacky, seemingly crazy, creative idea let them run with it. It may turn out to launch their life long career, as it did for Robert Heft.

Beth Gabriel is a successful Webmaster and publisher of FlagWave.com. She provides more US Flag History and US Flag reviews that you can read on her website from the comfort of your home at 2:00 am!

Author:: Beth Gabriel
Keywords:: US Flag, American Flag, 50 star flag, 48 star flag
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Violence

Flashes of memory stream into my consciousness. They take me back thirty years plus. I was a boy then, a newcomer to a poor and tough neighborhood. My parents, of moderate means and daring to a fault, had decided to move there after my father had accepted an editing job in the federal government. They had taken a lease on a low-rent brick house, which was also run-down, covered in filth, and littered with trash. I do not mince my words: Previous tenants had been pigs that got along with bugs and rats.

The house has potential, my mother had said to reassure me, seeing that I was aghast at its sordid aspects. Its one redeeming feature, besides its solid construction, was a large woody front yard, neglected, allowed to become a large dumping ground, as weedy as it was woody, but potentially attractive and pleasant, to be sure.

My mother was a hard worker with a great deal of stamina, creativity, and tastefulness. She mastered the art of doing wonders with little m oney. After three months of intense labor which for the first week involved a carpenter and two garbage collectors plus two dump trucks the house was transfigured, quite presentable, even nice, much to my amazement. It now contrasted sharply, cuttingly, with the slums at the rear of the house and on the left of it. On the right was a school and at the front, across the street, was a nunnery on a large piece of land. My parents had conveniently focused their attention on these establishments, as if the good education and good disposition of their teachers and sisters could shield us from the evils of the slums.

Needless to say, they did not. Violence was rampant in this neck of the woods and I was elected punchbag with only one dissenting vote: mine! At the root of this Violence was malevolence, which grows from resentment, after one has been subjected to mistreatment. As much as my family projected an image of distinction, the neighborhood boys were malevolent and vi olent toward me. To them this image of distinction was an act of humiliation; their feelings were hurt and it was natural for them to hurt me. Of course it is a lot worthier to elevate oneself than to abase someone else. It is also a lot harder, and nature spontaneously levels everything the easy way. Moral excellence relates to culture, is an acquired trait, by virtue of which a human is courageous and just, worthy of praise.

One winter evening, I was crossing the field next to the rink where I had played hockey, when a gang of hoodlums encircled me like a pack of wolves. There were six of them, one of whom a weakling who always relied on others to feel powerful lived three doors down, east of my house, across the back street. The leader stepped forward and turned around with a snicker. Hey shithead, come and kiss my ass. I was tempted to kick it, not kiss it. No thanks. Please let me go; I dont care for trouble. As I was finishing my sentence, one of the boys lunge d toward me from behind and shoved me forward. I dropped my hockey equipment and braced myself to fight and suffer. I was big for my age, but big is small when outnumbered by six to one.

Again the leader took the initiative; the fight was on. With several thrusts, punches, and kicks, I repelled my assailants momentarily, until I was knocked and wrestled to the ground. Fists and feet hit me everywhere, nonstop, from all directions. Suddenly I heard a menacing shout and everyone slipped in a last blow before fleeing. A brave and kind man had caught sight of their misdeed and chosen to intervene, armed with a hockey stick. I was hurt but saved.

A few days later, still aching all over, I saw the weakling, alone by his house his hovel to be exact, which was covered with old imitation brick, torn in places, and infested with cockroaches, rats, and woodworms. His face was bruised and wet from weeping, as he screamed with rage, Fucking bastard, fucking bitch, fucking li fe, fuck, fuck, fuck! My anger was now tempered with compassion. I unclenched my fists, prompted by a desire to spare him. I could not demean myself to add pain to his pain, already so excessive that it overflowed in streams of tears and curses.

His father was an illiterate and idle drunkard who collected welfare and spent considerable time and money at the tavern. At home, slouching in an armchair, he forever watched TV and drank beer or liquor. When grossly intoxicated, he sometimes vomited before reaching the bathroom and, without cleaning up his mess, fell unconscious on his bed, the armchair, the floor, or wherever. He was also vulgar and brutal. He often battered his son and his wife, and heaped insults on them.

His wife was an abusive and sluggish woman who had grown obese from attempting to fill her inner void with chips, cookies, and pop. Day after day she wore the same tattered nightgown and constantly found reasons for bawling out her son and swiping h im. She drove him insane, then used this insanity as another reason for persecuting him.

These two loathsome and pitiful parents rendered his life at home unbearable. He usually roamed the streets with fellow-sufferers from similar miserable and violent backgrounds. Together they ganged up and took their resentment out on other kids such as me. My Aggressors, first, were Victims.

My insight into the origin of Violence came to me at that time and has never left me. I saw then and still see a Victim in every Aggressor. Some say there is such a thing as gratuitous Violence, committed by individuals whose youth was favorable to all appearances. Violence for the sake of Violence, an exercise in Brutality at the expense of others, without provocation, past or present? I beg to differ.

Appearances are not a valid means of assessing someones youth, whose favorableness or unfavorableness is a subjective, not objective, matter. Circumstances have no value in themse lves, but in relation to people who consider them favorably or not. Attitude is here the only relevant concept. Also, Brutality cannot be exercised at the expense of others unless these others are viewed heartlessly as expendable. This heartlessness is greatly suspicious, unlikely to belong to someone who regards humans with favor, thanks to a feeling of solidarity, of mutual benefit.

In my opinion, aggressiveness is triggered by hostility, without which it is dormant: a mere potentiality incapable of harm. It may include an abnormal sensitivity or intellect that intensifies or alters someones perception of the environment. The fact remains hostility, as perceived by someone who feels painfully antagonized and proportionally Victimized, is always a factor. Therefore, Aggression cannot be dissociated from Victimization, not only that of the Victims but also that of the Aggressors. These Aggressors are Victims of their sick minds or of the ill treatment they have endured . They deserve compassion, besides indignation.

They are liable to a punishment that ought to be effective and exemplary, not vengeful. Vengeance and Violence are one and the same thing. Both are resentful and harmful. Both are reprehensible. The harm inflicted does not remedy the harm suffered; it simply compounds one harm with another, and invites yet another harm. It lengthens the chain of savagery from x (a frightening number of savage links) to x+1, potentially +2, +3, +4, etc., instead of breaking it and helping to free humanity from it. There is no worse slavery than savagery. The best course is to make every effort to get over a wrong and forgive it, while bringing the wrongdoer to Justice.

In sum, Justice should not serve to avenge people. It should serve to prevent crime and protect the public, by intimidating or incarcerating those who are a menace to others except under threat or behind bars. It should never push the severity of this mandate to the point of cruelty, in which case it would be a perversion of Justice, an ominous sign of barbarity. On the contrary, it should be a jewel in the crown of civilization and foreshadow the coming of a better humanity, more consistent with its true nature and purpose in a word, more humane.

The difference between severity and cruelty is radical yet subtle; it must be emphasized. Cruel law enforcers delight in the punishments they inflict and readily overstep the mar k. They are vicious and blameworthy, like the criminals they punish. Law enforcers who are severe, but not cruel, administer punishments reluctantly or regard them as a necessary evil they would gladly forgo if they could. They deplore the criminal element in society and strive to neutralize it through intimidation, or incarceration as a last resort, and preferably through reformation, a fundamental change of the criminal mind for the better. Their ideal, as unattainable as it is elevated, is the supremacy of Justice without the institution of Justice: no threats, no prisons, only people who deeply understand and freely exercise the pr inciple of Justice.

Impossible as this supremacy is, it is usefully pursued. The institution of Justice can become less and less necessary for the manifestation of Justice, which can become more and more customary. This progress depends on the wisdom and willpower of its proponents who make it their duty to educate, assist, and encourage potential followers. It also presupposes that these potential followers take an active part in this endeavor. They cannot be actual followers unless they welcome this education, assistance, and encouragement, and display intelligence and determination of their own.

How much can we collectively be civilized that is, mutually respectful and helpful, in the knowledge that this high goal can unite our wills toward a common good of colossal proportions? In other words, what is the ceiling of our possible civilization, which implies responsibility and solidarity, an elevation of life to love? Nobody knows the limit, so none should be set but the sky!

Generally, in a loving environment, human beings show humanity as naturally as fruit trees give fruit in the summer. Love is to these beings as sunshine is to these trees. It helps them grow into what they are meant to grow into (unless their nature is flawed from the start, which is an exception to the rule): beautiful and bountiful creations, as opposed to ugly and puny aberrations. Yet, beware of love; it can be possessive and manipulative, selfish and devilish! Yes, some angels have horns, unnoticeable at first sight under their pretty hair; their paradise is hell.

True love is in the image of God* (by God I simply mean the fundamental cause of everything. It brings us into existence and, within the limits of its might, supports us in our quest for fulfillment). It is a desire to nurture, not to capture. Under its divine rule, one always has the others best interests at heart. No one, however, should be supportive to the point of being an accomplice in someones oppressive or destructive acts of egocentricity, folly, or inJustice. These evils should not be loved and served; they should be hated and combated.

Hate is legitimate toward them, whereas the people who embody them are worthy of love because they exceed them by their ab ility to do good. They are indeed greater than the sum of their evil ways; they include the power to improve them. Therefore hate is directed at these ways, and love at this power: It promotes the peoples ability to do good. What if a person who is oppressively or destructively egocentric, foolish, or unjust never responds to this love? In that case it is lost and the life of this person shamefully amounts to a waste of soul.

By a stroke of luck, my parents were bright and warm people who helped me blossom into a joyful and respectful individual. Their love was true and so was the love of many others who took part in my life. I was also lucky enough to be a good seed. I was a strong and healthy boy, extremely lively and moderately clever, cheery and gentle-natured, though impatient and self-assertive. In my eyes, until my family moved to the poor and tough neighborhood, civility was the norm among the members of society; it made sense. Barbarity, on the other hand, was a stupefying rarity. The Abused weakling gave me an understanding of barbarity which was common in this neighborhood and replaced my stupefaction with commiseration.

* God, in the Genesis, is first and foremost the creative and ruling force of the universe. As such, it is unspecific and uncontroversial. People of different philosophical or religious persuasions recognize with one accord that the universe is as it is because it has the power to be so. This power can be called God, in the unspecific sense of the word. It provides a legitimate answer to the ultimate question, which is twofold: Why is there a universe instead of nothing, on the one hand, and why is there order in it instead of chaos, on the other hand? Essentially, it is a cause that accounts for the existence and the nature of everything, while its presence remains totally unaccountable. There is no point in trying to elucidate this mystery since, to this end, one would need to postulate another cause that would itself be unaccountable, and so on ad infinitum. Consequently, the cause that gives the universe the power to exist and evolve, according to laws, is best described as a prime and timeless cause that can be ascertained through its manifestation in the form of changing things and beings, but never explained.

Laurent Greniers writing career spans over twenty years. During this time he has broadened and deepened his worldview, by dint of much reflection and study, and in the end has crafted A Reason for Living, his best work to date.

Official web site: http://laurentgrenier.com/ARFL.html

Author:: Laurent Grenier
Keywords:: Violence, Abuse, Victim, Aggressor, Aggression, Victimization, Vengeance, Brutality, Justice
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Rosa Parks Took A Seat... And Gave Dignity To Everyone

When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the Bus over 50 years ago, she gave America - black, red, yellow and white Americans - it's dignity back after years of undignified social stubborness and what God freely gives to everyone. Her quiet rebellion inspired others around the world - like a gentle breeze stirs up leaves planting seeds everywhere they land. Mrs. Parks ignited a blazing path of freedoms brighter than any other march, protest, speech or piece of legislation. Because of her contribution to my life as an African American and the catalyst of change that has made December 5, 1955 more than an ordinary day in my life - I humbly submit a list of only 7 ways Rosa Parks has affected my life.

1. Gave me and many others an ounce of dignity the size of a mustard seed.

2. Made the constitution more than just an old document, and more than anything that it applies to me and other minorities.

3. Became an example of what the right choices in life c an do for not only yourself, but for the live of those around you.

4. Allowed me to see American society quietly change to the point where African Americans no longer have to live in fear/anger of being blatantly oppressed or killed like sheep.

5. Opened the doors of restaurants, stores, theatres, pharmacies, and other buildings that had what we needed but could not get because of our color.

6. Freed transportation not only on Buses, but planes, trains and automobiles so that African Americans today don't have to get on in the back and sit in the back.

7. I can get on a Bus or train, sit in an office, speak before a group of people and hope to exhibit an ounce of the strength Rosa Parks showed throughout her life.

What does your list look like of how someone has affected your life in a positive way? When are you going to write it down? They deserve the thanks. Thank you, Mrs. Rosa Parks

Daviyd Peterson: 10-year consultant, instructor, trai ner Helps African American and minority SMBs bridge the digital divide by becoming wireless Small Office Digital Offices (SODO). Free articles on Computer Technology, Home Wireless Internet Security and other related articles Bridging the Digital Divide

Author:: Daviyd Peterson
Keywords:: Rosa Parks,african american,home school,History,Bus ride,civil rights,Bus, Boycott
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Science in Gulliver's Travels Part Two

While in Lagado, Gulliver investigates the grand Academy of Projectors and describes many of their current investigations, which seem pointless and useless for the benefit of mankind.

The first project in Swift's satire is that of extracting Sun-beams out of Cucumbers which had been worked on for eight years at the Academy (Swift 171). The scientist working on this project stated the purpose of it as being to supply the Governors Gardens with Sun-shine at a reasonable Rate (Swift 171). Here Swift describes scientific studies that are undertaken to improve on something that has no necessity of being improved. In this case, it is ridiculous to try to improvise sunshine because the sun is readily available to all. This satire may have been based on the recent investigations of John Hales into the action of sunlight in promoting the respiration of plants (Turner 334).

Next Gulliver encounters a projector who had been working on the same study since he had come to t he Academy many years ago. His experiment was:

an Operation to reduce human Excrement to its original Food, by separating the several PArts, removing the Tincture which it receives from the Gall, making the Odour exhale, and scumming off the Saliva (Swift 172).

This project shows the futility of scientific experiments that will have no useful benefit for mankind, because no matter what he does to restore the excrement to its original form no one is going to want to consume it. This project satirizes scientists' tendencies to expend large amounts of time, money, and energy on investigations which are useless and even largely ridiculous.

The physical description of the two aforementioned scientists satirizes how scientists are neglectful of their appearance and personal hygiene. The first projecto r is a man of meagre aspect with sooty hands and face (Swift 171). His hair and beard are worn long and are ragged and singed in several places (Swift 171). The second scientist is described as the:

most ancient Student of the Academy. His Face and Beard were of a pale yellow; his Hands and Clothes dawbed over with Filth (Swift 171-72).

Swift attempts to show that scientists, being so immersed in their studies, neglect their outward appearance, which makes them an object of ridicule in polite society.

Swift also satirizes scientists for undertaking projects that they claim will improve upon current practices when there is nothing wrong with the present system. One of these projects described is that of an architect who asserts humans should follow the practices of bees and spiders in building houses by beginning at the Roof and working downwards to the Foundation (Swift 172). While this works well for bees and spiders, it is plainly ridiculous for humans to do so.

Other projects that Gulliver encounters include using hogs to plow and fertilize farmland, instead of the traditional method of cattle and man made plows. This new method of plowing does not make the system any better, but rather the Charge and Trouble was found to be very great (Swift 172). Furthermore, this method produced little or no Crop (Swift 172). Nonetheless, the scientists refuse to give up their project as fruitless, and continue working on the invention.

Another projector counsels Gulliver that using spiders' webs for thread instead of silkworms is infinitely much better. He maintains that by feeding the spiders with flies of different colors their webs would be of many different colors, which would save people from having to dye the silk. This is another instance of trying to replace a current way of doing things in which there is nothing wrong with the present system. Swift's attitudes concerning science and scientists become explicit in hi s descriptions of the experiments of the universal Artist (Swift 175).

The Artist himself was at that Time busy upon two great designs:

The first, to sow Land with Chaff, wherein he affirmed the true seminal Virtue to be contained, as he demonstrated by several Experiments which I was not skilful enough to comprehend. The other was, by a certain Composition of Gums, Minerals, and Vegetables outwardly applied, to prevent the Growth of Wool upon two young Lambs; and he hoped in a reasonable Time to propagate the Breed of naked Sheep all over the Kingdom (Swift 175).

Sowing land with chaff is the traditional images for wasted labor (Tur ner 336). This reveals Swift's belief that most of the work of scientists is only so much wasted labor. The experiments of trying to breed naked sheep delineate Swift's belief that studying animals is useless for mankind; how would sheep with no wool benefit people?

After Gulliver visits the scientists working on utilitarian projects, he goes to see some of the inventions classified under speculative sciences. The first invention he investigates is a Frame that is designed to improve speculative knowledge by practical and mechanical Operations (Swift 175). This Frame consists of all the words in the English language written on pieces of paper which were then pasted onto bits of wood. By turning a handle, the words shifted around as the bits of wood were moved. By using this Frame, the scientist claimed that the most ignorant person could write Books in Philosophy, Poetry, Politicks, Law, Mathematicks and Theology, without the least Assistance from Genius or Study (Swif t 176). In this passage, Swift is satirizing people's desire to gain knowledge through Artificial means instead of reading and studying for the attainment of knowledge.

Another instance of attaining knowledge by Artificial means is seen in the project of teaching mathematics to students by writing the information on a thin Wafer with Ink composed of a Cephalick Tincture (Swift 178). The students were required to swallow these wafers upon a fasting stomach and for three Days following eat nothing but Bread and Water (Swift 178). This was supposed to work by as the wafer would be digested, the Tincture mounted to his brain carrying the information with it (Swift 178). This project was unsuccessful due to the perverseness of the students who refused to adhere to the scientist's instructions regarding fasting.

In the School of Languages, Gulliver finds projectors who are endeavoring to make the English language more efficient. The methods proposed are: (1) to shorten discourse by cutting Polysyllables into one, and leaving out Verbs and PArticiples; and (2) to abolish all words altogether. In this last method, people would communicate with physical objects which they would carry about with them to express the pArticular Business they are to discourse on (Swift 177).

This proposal was not very successful with the women and the Vulgar and Illiterate who demanded to be able to speak with their Tongues, after the Manner of their Forefathers (Swift 177). Nonetheless, many of the Learned and Wise accepted the use of this method of communication. Swift shows the ludicrousness of this method by describing the inconveniences of it:

I have often beheld two of those Sages almost sinking under the Weight of their Packs, like Pedlars among us; who when they met in the Streets would lay down their Loads, open their Sacks, and hold Conversation for an Hour together; then put up their Implements, help each other to resume their Burthens, and take their Leave (Swift 178).

This passage demonstrates how some projects are not only useless to mankind, but detrimental also. Such a scenario as this would cause unnecessary physical strain, which would lead to many serious health problems.

In the School of political projectors, Swift has Gulliver denounce what Swift himself is in favor of; namely that monarchs choose people to fill posts based upon their Wisdom, Capacity, and Virtue (Swift 179). The projectors also propose that Ministers consult the publick Good and that people should be rewarded based upon Merit, great Abilities, and eminent Services (Swift 179). Gulliver takes the opposite side and calls these scientists unhappy people who are wholly out of their Senses (Swift 179). While this practice of choosing people for employment and favors based upon merit would be useful for mankind, Swift shows (through Gulliver's deprecation of it) how most people would not appreciate this being put into practice since most do not achieve their posts due to their merit.

Perhaps the most useless project described in Gulliver's Travels is that of discovering Plots and Conspiracies against the Government (Swift 182). The projector claims that by examining the excrement of a person minutely, one would be able to form a Judgment of t heir Thoughts and Designs (Swift 182).

Gulliver informs the projector of his own country's manner of discovering plots, which are equally ludicrous:

It is first agreed and settled among them, what suspected Persons Shall be accused of a Plot: Then effectual Care is taken to secure All their Letters and other Papers, and put the Owners in Chains. These Papers are delivered to a Set of Artists very dextrous [sic in Finding out the mysterious Meanings of Words, Syllables, and Letters. For instance, they can decypher a Close-stool to signify A Privy-Council; a Flock of Geese, a Senate; a lame Dog, an Invader; The Plague, a standing Army, a Buzard...(Swift 183).

In this passage, Swift satirizes people's ability to twist words and phrases into meaning whatever they wish them to mean, disregarding the obvious meaning of the words and phrases contained in the letters and other papers of suspected insurgents.

Thus in the voyage to Laputa, Swift gives his view of science and scientists. He satirizes their absentmindedness, their detachment from humanity, their disregard for studying mankind, and their lack of social graces. Swift views much of scientific studies as a waste of time, money, and energy in that it does little to benefit mankind. This view of Swift's is expressed through his satires of scientific projects.

Bibliography

Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travels. Ed. Paul Turner. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Turner, Paul. Introduction and Footnotes. Gulliver's Travels. By Jonathan Swift. Ed. Paul Turner. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. ix-xxvi, 289-371.

Mary Arnold is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers.

Her writing portfolio may be viewed at http://www.Writing.com/authors/ja77521

Author:: Mary Arnold
Keywords:: Gulliver's Travels, Jonathon Swift
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