HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy new year to all!

I am going to make this quick, so here we go. I have two great New Year's resolution plans for you. Wanna hear 'em? Good, I thought you would; here they are:

1. Quit sinning and give your life to Jesus.

2. Don't try a weight plan. Why? Simply because you do it every year and you quit after the first week! j/k lol

Happy New Year to all!

Until then,
Jon

"All gave some, Some gave All."

-"All gave some, and Some gave all."-

I am sure that you read the above line. I want you to read it once again, but this time out loud. Now I want you to stop reading; just repeat those words and then think about them for awhile.

So many of use take things for granted, never thinking that some one else had to die to give us these privileges.

I was in a store a number of days ago and saw a young boy, (maybe 10), walking with the help of these wheeled, cane things. I looked at him, (no I was not gawking), and thought to myself how lucky, blessed, gifted, honored, privileged, and thankful to God to have a good working pair of legs. Think about it, we take our arms, legs, eyes, hair, and even muscle control for granted.

-Who Gives All-

Countless men have died in the wars our country has fought. From the Revolution, to the bloody battles of the Civil War, to the vast terrains of WWII, to the jungles of Vietnam; and even to, (the most recent), barren land of Iraq. Men have fought and died, and will continue to do so.

History never changes. Only men and dates change. We still fight on the same battlefields as our ancestors and it's still over the same things. Are weapons have changed, but our motives have not. But during all this carnage we find single acts of bravery that surpass all understanding. Men like: SGT. Alvin York, CPL Desmond Doss, PVT Herbert F. Christian, Col. Mitchell Paige, Maj. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. (the 26th President's son), and last but not least, Maj. Audie L. Murphy.

But we often think of those who give all are just in the military. But don't some mothers give all as well? I mean think about it, they give birth to you and risk their own life. Or how about some fathers? Some of them give all as well. One dad might heap on himself 2-3 different jobs to support his family. That takes a toll mentally and physically.

Again I repeat, "All gave some, Some gave all."

-"No Greater Love"-

As I sit here writing this, my eyes are drawn to my Bible that is next to me. I am reminded of the verse, which say's:

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

Love can't go any farther than that. Death is the ultimate sacrifice that anyone can make.

Think about it, we, (the united States of America), award the Medal of Honor, the nations highest honor for "...[conspicuous] gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against any enemy of the United States;..."
Some men are living and awarded this great Honor, but the vast majority are killed in action (KIA). They never even get to wear it. They are posthumously awarded this medal.

3,348 men have been awarded the Medal of Honor. Only 99 are alive today. These 99 are WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam veterans. The four that received the Medal of Honor since our arrival in Iraq were awarded posthumously, (meaning they died, they "gave all").
You should do a little research and read some of the testimonies of these brave men. It takes a great deal of love for others to throw one-self on a grenade, or to over look the blood that is pouring out of your own body and helps others, true?

Again I echo, "All gave some, and Some gave all."

-"Human Sacrifice"-

There is one "Man" I think of who's sacrifice would change History.

This "Man" saw the sad state in which we lived. All the disgusting acts which mankind has done. The murders, stealing, adultery, and on and on the list goes. The "Man" had an idea of how he could save mankind from a horrible death. The "Man" thought of how he could do this, and it come to him: he would give His life. This "Man" was willing to sacrifice his life, FREELY, with NO hesitation. This "Man" once said:

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

So this "Man" lay down his life freely because he knew what would happen if he didn't. Mankind would awake after death and find themselves in a living Hell. He could not sit by and let this happen.

(Who was this "Man"? He was none other then God himself. That's right, I mean Jesus.)

In the past few thousand years one thing has not changed and that is the free gift of God. God's word say's:

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

It was His blood that would wash away ALL the wicked things that men has done under the sun, IF, they would except His gift. In order for them to except this gift they would have to give up their wickedness: their sin.

1 John 1:7 tells us, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

Moral of the story: Jesus was beaten with no mercy, crucified, (if you have any long, 4"-9", nails laying around, I want you to take them and push the point just a little bit against your hand or wrist. Not a comfortable feeling is it?), died a horrible death, and then three days later rose from the grave; defeated death and now sits on the right hand of the Father.

We often see the sign, "wise men still seek him", how true that is. Only a moron would ignore facts. As John Adams said, "Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." No one can fight facts.

-A Thought-

This Christmas maybe instead of saying, "I need," or "I want." perhaps we should think about what we have already been given. Thousands have died so you could be here today and one died so that you might live in eternity with Him. You have much to be thankful for this Christmas.

-Conclusion-

Jesus Said:

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24:35)

His words have stood the test of time.

I will leave you with this final picture and the words:

"All gave some, and Some gave all."

Until later,
Jon

Upcoming Post

I will post a new article this week. I have dropped my original idea, so this means it will not be about the Samurai.

Also, be on the look out for the new, "ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH!" This is going to be WAY harder than last time. So get ready!

Until then,
Jon

Yes, I am still alive.

Forgive me. I said that I would post somethings two weeks ago, and I have failed to do so. We have had family come and go; I became sick with the "flu", and than after all this, we go and visit my sister in Virginia to celebrate her B-day! What a month!

So, to make amends, I will have a post out this week. And yes you guessed it, another "ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH". If you scored low in the push-ups you may not want to attempt this next exercise!

Until then,
Jon

ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH! Challenge 1: The Two Minute Test

Yes, I know, I am late with this post. But think about it like this, I have given you all more time to prepare! True?

I have known a lot of young and older men in the past few years and it seems alot of them have ONE thing in common. Do you know what that was? Yup, you guessed it, they were weak.

Walking made them tired, carrying light things wore them out. That is why I am putting this challenge out there. Are you "TOUGH ENOUGH"? Look up Ezekiel 22:14.

Here is your first challenge: the push-up. Yes, you read that correctly, the thing your gym teacher made you do and you just were not "TOUGH ENOUGH" to do them. So, here is your chance for redemption.

Your goal: try and do fifty push-ups in two (2) minutes. My current record is eighty-eight (88) in two minutes. For myself, this did not happen overnight, it took me weeks of conditioning to achieve that.

This exercise is for men only, as men's bodies are better suited for this type of work.

(DISCLAIMER: THE BELOW IS MY SCORE CHART BELOW, NO ONE ELSE'S!)

(DO NOT DO THEM ON YOUR KNEE'S.)

Now, here is the score teller for men:

Ten push-ups and under=Sissy

Eleven to twenty push-ups=Girly-man

Twenty-one to thirty-Little-boy

Thirty-one to forty=Young-man

Forty-one to fifty=MAN!

Fifty-one and over=Your a Bruce Lee, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rambo, etc.

Now Ladies, your job in this is to root your husband or brother along. Look at it this way. if he scores real low you get to tease him!

Let me know if you were "TOUGH ENOUGH"!

Until Later,
Jon

Well, I did it....

Seeing that we moved from the country to the city, I decided to sell my drum kit. Yes, you read that correctly, I sold my huge drum kit that I did enjoy playing on, especially outdoors in the country!
I did purchase something to replace my old friend. I will post pictures of them when they arrive, (no, I did not order any animals); or perhaps a video of me and my new friend's
on here, so you all can hear and see them.

Ok, starting next week I am going to have a physical fitness challenge called: ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH! So, to any and all couch patatoes out there, its time to get up and get ready(no, I do not mean start working out with Richard Simmons)!

Make sure you read my next post about one of my favorite subjects.
Can you guess what I will call it? Here is your clue: "武士の世界". See if you can translate it.

Until then,
Jon

Haste Not to Hasting

-Last weeks hint, for this weeks post-

Well, this past week I gave you all a hint to my new post (1066). When I said 1066, I was referring to the date of 1066. For it was on this day, (October 14, 1066), that the face of Britain would forever be changed. So, here is what you have been waiting for.....

-The Battle of Hastings-

-A New King-

It all began on January 5, 1066, when Edward the Confessor, the King of England, lay dead. His throne would be passed on, but to whom should this position be given to? Here is where things began to become a mess.

A man by the name of Harold Godwin claimed that the late King granted this most honorable position to him. So, due to the fact that he was a Noble and that he knew the King (Edward married the daughter of Harold) the crown passed to him. But there was another person who claimed the throne; his voice would be heard.......

-"See, I have taken England with both my hands."-

The above words were supposedly spoken by William of Normandy, (a.k.a William, Duke of Normandy) or as he is more famously known, William the Conqueror. All men have their beginnings and for William his started in Normandy.

Will, (pictured), was the illegitimate son of Robert the Magnificent, who was the Duke of Normandy, and Herleva, who was a commoner. Now, a Duke was a high ranking Noble that was right below the Sovereign on the totem pole. A commoner is as it applies: common. Herleva's father was a tanner (highly debated), so she was not high up the feudal totem pole.

Through-out the course of young William's life there was constant attempts of assassinations. With the constant run here; hide there type of life, he probably had a great childhood. ;-)

Eventually, Robert the Magnificent died leaving the title of Duke up for grabs. With much fighting and bloodshed, William succeeded his father and became the Duke of Normandy.




-"No, that's my crown." "No, mine!-

Ah, rivalry, the one thing that sets us apart from animals....I think. Well, anyway, as the above implies, William was not very happy that, Harold Godwin, was now King of England. Why? Because Will claimed that the late King imparted his kingdom to him, (and him alone), upon his death. William had no other option, (and I am sure he wanted no other option), but to invade England; kill Harold and take what he saw as his.


And to make matters worse, Harold had a major problem: King Harald Hardraada of Norway. Hardraada had invaded northern England. King Harold needed to defend his kingdom, but first he needed a bigger army. Now Harold already had some soldiers, his elite Housscarles, (pictured here with their favorite weapon: the ax), were his personal bodyguard and the best trained and equipped he had. But he needed more numbers in strength (that never hurts). So he used the Frydmen. Now, Frydmen were not men who had been fried, but rather, they were the local militia. They were there for the same reason we have our militia's: defend the country. Isn't that simple?


-Battle of Stamford Bridge-

King Harold mustered his army as quick as he could to do battle at Yorkshire. He and his men marched 180 miles in 4 days, and when they reached Stamford Bridge, although tired, put up a solid defense of their homeland.

King Hardraada was not expecting his enemy so soon; therefore, the King and his men's armor were still aboard their ship's, yet to be unpacked!

Now I am going to add more confusion to what has already taken place. Everyone, meet Tostig, King Harold's brother. Tostig was not very happy that his older brother had been crowned King. Yes, you guessed it: more rivalry! Well to teach his brother a lesson in brotherly love, Tostig joined up with his new Norse friend, King Hardraada.

As the battle started, the Norsemen, (or Vikings, as they are also called), began to wish they had never had left their armor aboard their ships. But wait, they had one weapon up their sleeves: a tall, strong Viking with an axe. Luck soon ran out, when an Englishmen, armed with a spear, slipped under the bridge in a wooden tub. Using his spear he then thrust the "giant" through the gaps in the floor. This single man, had held the bridge long enough for the rest of his comrades to form a line. The Vikings attacked the English while using their shield's to make a wall, just like Roman infantry did. But, alas, the wall of Norse shields faltered, and in came the English. Well, you could probably guess what happens next. King Hardraada is shot through the throat by an archer, (pictured); Tostig was also killed.

With the Battle of Stamford Bridge at it's end, King Harold had someone else to deal with.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you..........


-The Battle of Hastings-

Just as Waterloo was not fought in Waterloo, neither Hastings fought in Hastings, but rather near it. This is what made William the Conqueror famous.

Yes, of course, Harold and his diminished army once again had to march to meet their enemy. Upon arriving at Hastings Harold made his defense on a hill, putting, as a hill would imply, William at its base. Harold arranged his men in an arch type shape. Arch=(

King Harold had an advantage: his defense was on top of the hill. But the King had a set back: no calvary. Had he had some good calvary he would have been better off.

William also had advantages, (I think they were better): a lot of archers and (my favorite) a lot of Norman Knights. Now, Knights were the mounted Noblemen, who could afford better weapons, armor and of couse, where would a Knight be without his Noble Steed, (a.k.a. a horse).

So, William sent forth his archers first, who, sent a few volleys of arrows into the English ranks. This did not do very much to the English though.

Then William sent forth a different soldier. Wanna guess? Here is your clue: what kind of soldier is guaranteed to be on the field of battle, both day and night; suffer the most and is paid the least? Yup, you got it! The Infantrymen. This soldier bears most of the burden when it comes to fighting. William's Infantry could not break the line though, so were pushed back down. When some of the English began to pursue, it natural broke the line. Don't worry, William's Knights, (pictured), were fast to notice this, (that the English were chasing Norman infantry), and quickly "cleaned up" some English frydmen.

And finale, Will sent his Knights. Although they too tried to break the English, they too were driven back.

Thru out all this confusion, some one shouted that William had been K.I.A., (K.I.A.= Killed In Action), this thru Will's army into confusion, and it only cleared when William took of his helmet and rode up and down the lines shouting he was alive.

So, with King Harold on his hill still, William had a new tactical plan. He would draw the enemy off the hill by making an advance at the enemy and then quickly making a false retreat, (to have an uderstanding of this look in the Bible at Joshua 8). This, of course drew the enemy far enough down the hill to deal with them.

When it was all over, King Harold was no longer King. He was dead. He had been shot through the throat, as this picture shows. All of his elite Housecarls fought to the last man.






-An Ending Point For One, A Beginning point for others-

William would be crowned King on 25 December, 1066. His rule would end on 9 september, 1087. History would forever remember his name. Upon his death bed, William divided his kingdom to his son's; which of course lead to more rivalry. England passed on to Will's son, William II, who ruled for thirteen years and then died.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed the Norman Conquest, although we could dig deeper into this vast subject, (it is after all one of my favorite battles in history), I, pesonally content am with what I know. But if you wish to see some art work from that time, look up the Bayeux Tapestry, which is fill with the entire Battle and then some.


Good night and good bye!
Or as the French say it:
Bonne Nuit Et Au Revoir!

(William on his Steed)

Drum Off Update

Just thought I would leave you all an update about the Drum Off; no, I did not win first place, but hey, it sure was fun.

Ok, to start with, I had been making my solo up for forty days and lo and behold half way through the drum off I forgot my solo. What did I do? What I always do, I had to make up whatever I could there: on the spot, in front of a camera and about forty people. I was told (by family and others) that I did good, but man, forty-five days of practice and I forget what I made up. Now that is a blonde moment. HAHAHAHAA

If I get the video I will post it on my blog, but if I don't I will make a new one and put it on here.

I have switched the dates on my new post for the forteenth of October. Want a clue? Here it is: 1066.

October 15th

-ATTENTION-

You have probably been wondering if I have been alive. Well, I have been. But I have been busy as a bee. We are in the process of moving and at the same time I am preparing for "The Drum Off", America's biggest drum competition (I play on the 30th of this month). So, I will be posting my new post on the October 15.


-Jon

Use It Or Lose It: The Brain

-The Brain-


In your head there is a brain (now we know its there, but the question is, do you use it). In your brain there are 100 billion neurons (pictured left), plus 10,000 connections working to control the body. You see, when you stand on your legs you think, "My legs are making me stand", but it is actually your brain that is making you stand. The brain sends a message to your legs that says, "Hey, Jon is going to stand-up now, get your muscles ready.", and the legs respond. Think about it, it is the main thing that makes you stand. It is just one of God's great things he made for you.

Consider this, every thing from your body temperature, heart rate and breathing are all taken care of. When I say taken care of I mean this: you do not even have to think about doing it. Your brain acts on its own for those things.

It takes in all sorts of information. What you say, see, do and hear will affect your brain and therefore will affect your thinking. Lets look at the seven (7) different parts of the human brain:

1.First we have the Cerebrum. This big chunk of useful "meat" makes up for 85% of the brain and is responsible for the thinking, memory, voluntary actions, etc..

2.The Thalamus is there to send info. to you Cerebrum.

3.Your Hypothalamus is the one who tells you what you need, and sometimes what you should not have. It tells you that you should eat or drink. It also controls the heart and intestines to name a few.

4.And your the Pituitary Glands control all the other glands in the endocrine system.

5.Cerebellum means "little Cerebrum" and is located on the back of the brain. Is controls the bodies movements and balance.

6.Pons is not a chess piece in your brain. Although game geek's would love for you to think that. It is however, the piece that links the fore-brain with the Cerebrum and the medulla olongata with the Cerebrum.

7.Last, but not least, the Medulla olongata is the thing that keeps your heart beat going. It is also the place were all other messages must pass though before going anywhere in your body.

Without your "little thinker" you could not possibly think, move, talk, breath, walk, stand or even be alive.

Now the main thing I am getting at is this. What you think about in your brain makes and shapes you into what you already are and/or going to be.

In Psalm 101:3, (in today's society we think of "101" as having to do with instruction, so lets view it as that also), it says this, "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me."
Think about it, why would David be concerned with setting wicked things before his eye's? Why? He knew that by setting those things before him it would ruin his thought's; by ruining his thought's, he would ruin his actions.

To prove this look at what he later did in life. When David saw Bathsheba, wickedness went into his brain that sent an adultery type message to his heart. His thoughts were ruined and his actions proved it. David later repented of this great sin; God did forgive him.

Let us conclude with these verses from Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."

A quick short history of ancient Egypt.

HAVE YOU SEEN MY MUMMY!

(Let us hope that is not her.)

Ancient Egypt, to the modern tourist, a land of mummies and pyramids. To the modern thinker, a land of vast science and history. Founded around 3150 B.C. Egypt would become one of the greatest ancient powers to rule on this earth. Although the Egyptians would be conquered in 31 B.C. by the Roman Empire, they would bring many new ideas to a starving world.

"How do you reed this compass" says the Egyptian

All things have a beginning and for Egypt that started in (or around) 3150 B.C.. Egypt was divided into two location at this time. Location one: Upper Egypt. Location two: Lower Egypt. Now this may sound backwards, and it is, but Upper Egypt was not in the North and Lower Egypt was not in the South. Lower Egypt was located in the North, while Upper Egypt was located in the South. Hope this makes some sense because, I know that it is weird. I guess that is what happens when you do not know how to work a compass correctly. ;o) Well in 3100 B.C. King Menes united these two opposites; that would official make them lose their titles of Upper and Lower.

"?-TOK-"

Can you guess what the above writing, "?-TOK-?" stands for? Give up? Good I did not feel like sitting here waiting for a reply. Since I have the answer I will tell you what it is. It stands for...The Old Kingdom. The question marks are only there to make it look like Hieroglyphs.

As with most nations, Egypt would have many things change about it after it's unity. They would usher in such new thing's like a better justice system, architecture, art and technology. During this time Great Pharaohs would rise to power like Djoser and Khufu. Both of these men had one huge thing in common. Can anyone guess? That's right, you guessed it, a pyramid.

The Pyramid of Djoser and The Pyramid of Khufu (AKA Pyramid of Giza):
The Pyramid of Khufu would be the biggest man-made structure for around 3,800 years. Amazing! These things would help to form the Egypt we see in history books and museums today. As with everything, it does not last. Egypt was plagued with many draughts and a bad economic problem lead Egypt into some hard times. Recovery was slow, but Egypt managed to climb out of the mud she fell into.

First (and not the last) Intermediate Period

During this period of Egyptian history, the Hierakonpolis ruled Lower Egypt; while the family of Intef, ruled Upper Egypt. So Egypt was divided into two parts once again; Upper and Lower. The Intef grew mighty and wealthy, so a clash was bound to happen. The Hierakonpolis and the Intef met in Battle around 2055 B.C.. The Hierakonpolis were under the rule of their leader's; the Intef were under the Leadership of Nebhotepre Mentuhotep II (later Pharaoh of all Egypt).


-The Monkey in the "Middle Kingdom"-
(Kind of like the game, monkey in the middle.)

This was a period of forward movement for all of Egypt. We see a rise of art, building projects and literature. The Pharaoh's would rule their kingdom from Thebes for eleven dynasty's, but when Amenemhet I came to power he shifted the capital to Itjtawy located in Faiyum. During this time the Military also regained parts of Nubia. The "Wall's of the Ruler's" was built to protect Egypt's eastern flank.

Egypt was flourishing in arts, wealth, agricultural due in part to their military and political ties. In the Old Kingdom it was believed that only kings, Queens and others of a noble birth would be allowed an after life after death. Now in the Middle Kingdom, it was believed that everyone had an after life. Their view's on life seem to have changed quite often. God word say's in Roman 10:13 that "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.". The Egyptians had it wrong. They thought they could get to Heaven by their good works or by their birth. This is what God say's will get you to Hell.

Amenemhat III (we will call him Amen.III for short) is considered the last great ruler of this period. Amen.III allowed Asian settlers to settle on the Delta region. Amen.III had it in mind to work these people. And so he did. Later these same settlers would become the Hyksos, who would rule Egypt for some time.


-The Rule Of The Hyksos /The Second Intermediate Period-

Around 1650 B.C. the Hyksos came into power. These were the same people that settled in the Delta region when Amenemhat III was Pharaoh. Amenemhat III had a simple plan for these people: work. Pretty simple huh? The Hyksos were of Asian decent, with their name meaning, "rulers of foreign lands".

Eventually the these Asian settlers would rule those who worked them. The name Hyksos means "rulers of foreign lands". Well let me tell you, they would not be foreign lands for long. Around 1650 B.C. the Hyksos kicked the government out of Thebes.Now Pharaoh was forced to pay tribute to these "foreign" rulers. The Hyksos copied a lot of Egyptian ideas for use in basic culture to advanced government. And if you already have not guessed it, they made themselves Pharaohs.

Now the Pharaoh and his government were trapped at Thebes. To the north were the Hyksos; to the south the Kushites who were the allies of the Hyksos. It would take many years along with many Pharaohs to expel the Hyksos out of Egypt.

-Enter The New Kingdom-

At this era in Egyptian history, we find the one thing we all link to Egypt: magnificent buildings. Yes in this period we find such things as obelisks and other things that would shape Egypt into how we see her today.

Also, we find many famous Pharaohs (say "Famous Pharaohs" 5 times as fast as you can) such as:

Thutmose the I, who supposedly, is one of the first kings to be buried in the "Valley of the Kings".

Hatshepsut, who is considered one of the greater female pharaoh. She was Thutmose the III's aunt/step mother. She placed him as commander of her armies during her reign.

Probably the best would have to be (drum roll please).....Thutmose the III (pictured). He ruled Egypt for close to fifty-four years. Although the first twenty-two were spent as the co-regent to Hatshepsut, his aunt/step mother. He would go on to conquer more land than any Pharaoh before him. Truly a great Egyptian king.

Now this man is the one people think is the Pharaoh mentioned in the Bible, Ramesses the II (aka Ramesses the Great). He was know as a builder Pharaoh because he liked to build; well actually he did not like to build at all, he just like to have others build stuff for him. Now if this is the Pharaoh that the Bible speaks of in the book of Exodus, we can conclude that he was not a builder at all, just a chief taskmaster. A tyrant.

-The Third (and final) Intermediate Period-

This is the period of decline for the Egyptian People. With Smendes taking control of northern Egypt and the Priest taking control of the rest. Now you might be wondering, "Who is Smendes?", well, he was supposedly a Governor in Lower Egypt during the reign of Ramesses the XI (11th). During his time on the thrown the Libyans would come.

Libyans took control of the Delta around 945 B.C.. So Egypt eventually came under Libyan control. They set-up a kingdom that almost lasted two-hundred years. They would lose control when the Kushites, Leontopolis and another rival began to challenge them for this power.

The rest of this period is filled with the constant attacks from the Assyrians. The bottom line: the Kushites were pushed back to were they belonged, the temples at Thebes were looted and Memphis was under Assyrian control.

- It's Too "Late Period"-

In this period we see that the Assyrians did not want to conque Egypt, but rather gave it over to vassals. The first up and the only one I will talk about here is Psamtik I. He would knock the Assyrians back to Assyria (not really back to Assyria, but hey, it sounded good) with the help of some mercenaries from Greece. The Greek culture at this time was slowly walking into Egypt. Which is good because the next to conquer this ancient land is the famous....

-Alexander the Great-

If you ask anybody to name one of the greatest military minds to every grace the earth, they would more and likely say "Alexander the Great.". Now, I am not going to go into detail about him now, (yes you guessed it, future blog post) but he is still considered one of the better Generals to ever live. History will never forget that name.

The Greek conquest of Egypt was not too difficult. They were pretty much welcomed into the country. The only resistance was from the Persian military, but they were nothing for Alexander and his armies of trained veterans.

One of the significant things the Greeks did was build the city of Alexandria. Of course, you guessed it, Alexandria is named after Alexander the Great.

After Alexander the Great's death, Egyptian culture stayed the same; with only a little bit of Greek added to it. Pyramids and other Egyptian building's were still constructed in the same manner.

With the people un-happy with the leaders who were left for them, after Alexander the Great's death, and with more rebellions rising the Greeks were put to the test. One which they could not pass.

With this said, we now enter.....

-The Rise Of the Romans. The Fall Of The Egyptians. And Another Turning Page In History.-

The Romans were one of the ancient worlds greatest Empiers. Now what do great Empires need? Correct. You guessed it. FOOD. All people need it and eat it. The Romans had long been getting a good amount of grain from the Egyptians through the years, but then it dawned on, "Why pay for this grain when we could just conquer this people and take as we please?". So that is what they did. In 30 B.C. Egypt became one of the many provinces of Rome following the Battle of Actium.

Although I could talk for days about the Romans, I best not, for I do not wish to bore you with too long of a blog post. I know what you are thinking right now, you already think my post is too long, don't you? Well don't worry I won't write anymore about Egypt. Why? Because I do not wish to write a book, just a "small" post. So for now I bid you a fond farewell.

VINI, VIDI, VICI!

"VINI, VIDI, VICI!"

The above words were spoken by Gaius Julius Caesar after his victory at the Battle of Zela in 47 B.C.. "Vini, Vidi, Vici" is one of the most well known sayings in the modern world. It translates as "I came, I saw, I conquered". Without a doubt we can say today that Caesar was one of the greatest Generals that ever lived.

A Genius Is Born

Julius was born on July 13, 100 B.C. to a patrician (or elite) family. His ancestors are said to be Lulus, son of the famous Prince Aeneas who was a survivor of the Trojan War. Julius grew up in a country of political unrest, a time of political wars, each party wanting power and control. His family had no strong political ties except for having three consuls and his father being a Praetor and governor of Asia. At the age of sixteen his father would die, there were no apparent causes. At the young age of sixteen he become the head of his house. The following year he would become a high priest to jupiter (a Roman "god") known as a flamen dialis. Caesar would have to become married if he wanted to be a priest. So he married Cinna daughter of Cornelia in 83 B.C. when she was 13 and he was 18 years old. This title would be held by him until his entry into the Roman Army.

Caesar The Soldier

Caesar, Sun Tzu, Napoleon Boneparte, Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Genghis Khan, Miyamoto Musashi and Erwin Rommel are seen today as some of the greatest military strategist and tacticians to ever live. Napoleon, while writing on the Great Captains, said this about Caesar, "Caesar's principals were the same as Alexander and Hannibal: keep the forces concentrated, do not be vulnerable at any point, move swiftly against the important points, taking into account psychological conditions, the reputation of one's arms and the fear that they inspire, and also taking the political means to keep allies loyal and conquered peoples obedient, to give every possible chance to assure victory on the battlefield and to concentrate all of one's troops there. He was at one and the same time a man of great genius and great audacity."

Caesar would make his name known by winning the Civic Crown. Their crown was made out of common oak leaves woven in the shape of a crown. This was the second highest military decoration a citizen soldier could earn. It meant that the wearer had saved comrades during a battle and that he had held the ground so that the enemy could not advance. Caesar was a military genius.

The Dictatorship and Death of Caesar

The people loved Caesar, he brought victory and honor to Rome, but they worried about electing him as Dictator because they thought he might strip powers away from the people as did Sulla in 82 B.C.. When Caesar was made lifetime Dictator or Dictator Perpetuus, he made great reforms in the Roman society and government. Roman Dictator's are different than today's. The Consuls would nominate a few people and then the Senate would choose who would serve. The man chosen would then serve for a six month span. They could rule by decree if they so chose to. They did not have to answer to the Senate as the Consuls did.

All men's day's here on earth are numbered, and for Julius the clock stopped on March 15, 44 B.C.. Caesar was murdered by the Senate, the very men who helped to bring him to power. It is often those who put men in power that later kill the men they install there. A few years after his death, the Senate would elevate the now dead Caesar, and make Him a Roman "god". Just as God's word says in Proverbs 8:36 "But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death."

The rise and fall of Imperialism

Today's post is about the Sino-Japanese War. This is the forerunner of Japan and China's entry into the Second World War.

Every Country has it's enemies. For Japan, it's always been China. Just like England and France have been at each others throats for the past few hundred years. To better understand the Japanese desire to occupy China, we must go back into history.

Now most don't know that Japan tried to conqueror China when under the rule of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (b.1536/37-d.1598) in 1591-93. Hideyoshi originally ask the Koreans to allow his armies to pass through their land's. As history tells us, Korea refused. Japan laid their plans on August 1591 for the conquest of not only China, but now Korea as well. Unfortunately for the Japanese, all attempts failed when China and Korea took up arms together.

A truce followed; the Japanese armies withdrew back to Japan. So in 1931, the Japanese officially started the second Sino-Japanese War with the kick-off event, the invasion of Manchuria (and later occupation of) or the Mukden Incident. Shown below are the Commanding Generals of both sides at the time of the invasion.


General Shigeru Honjo was one of the two Japanese commanding Generals in the invasion. Shigeru came from a farming family.






The other was General Jiro Minami. His father was an ex-Samurai (the Samurai were abolished in 1876 when Emperor Meiji outlawed the wearing of the Daisho).


The Chinese Commanding Generals:

Zhang Xueliang: His father was a warlord in China. At the age of 21 he was already a Major-General.







Ma Zhanshan was born into a poor family. He started his career as a bodyguard and rose to the rank of General.

Feng Zhanhai, (I am sorry to say, but I could not find a picture of him), was a Colonel at the time of the invasion.

This led into the long (1931-1945) war between Japan and China. Japan wanted all of Asia so much they signed some of their swords with the slogan "Koa Isshin" which roughly translates as "Asia one heart". A picture of a "Koa Isshin" sword can be viewed here: Japanese Swords Arms & Armor Home

One of the other atrocity's the Axis powers created during WWII was the infamous, Unit 731. It was based in Manchuria under the crazy, yet genius scientist, Lieutenant-General Shiro Ishii (1892-1959). He was the Hitler of Japan. Just like Hitler is now known for his infamous acts towards the Jewish people, so is Shiro Ishii is known for his acts against the Chinese people to this day. A simple search will prove this.


This building apart of Unit 731, today it is a museum.



One of the many test that were conducted at Unit 731 was the distribution of chocolate covered smallpox and/or anthrax candies that were given out to little Chinese children.

They also tested grenades on the people that they illegally detained. The people would simply be strapped to tall wooden boards and placed either five to (about) fifty feet away from the grenade. The grenade would explode and if it did not kill the innocent victim, it left their bodies riddled with shrapnel.


Japanese scientists would then take the remains, where they lay, of both the dead and living, and preform on the spot autopsies, bringing the living to their death.

After the war General Shiro Ishii and his men at Unit 731 were not prosecuted as war crimanals. They were all over looked. Why? Because a trade was made with these murderers. Ishii gave the u.S. authoritys some of the test papers that showed what would happen if put anthrax, smallpox, etc, were placed into someone's body.

At the time, America was, by law, not allowed to test chemical/weapons on humans, so this was a chance of a lifetime.

General Tomoyuki Yamashita, was one of the falsely accused. He did nothing during the war to desevere death. Yet, to make the people of the Philippines happy, this man was hung. In Yamashita's own words he said he was dying for, "The defeat of Japan".

Shiro Ishii (left) died of throat cancer at 67, having never being brought to justice.

To sum it all up, Japan lost. Although the Japanese had the spirit to keep on fighting, as in the countless suicide charges of Japanese officers with drawn swords against machine gun nest. Or the feared Kami-Kaze, who took their name from the massive-typhoon that stopped the Mongol invasion of 1281. Japan did not have enough raw materials needed to keep the war going. After their surrender aboard the u.S.S Missouri, Japan was occupied by u.S. forces from 1945-1952.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

On this day, 232 years ago, our Founding Fathers put forth this declaration as a act against the British King, George the III, as the below will clearly show the faults and errors which he put on the people of America at that time. Many of us have heard of, and/or read the Declaration of Independence, but have you ever thought about what went into this Declaration?

Today we celebrate this day, July 4th, as our day of Independence from Britain, but true Independence was not achieved until October 18, 1781 with the surrender of Lord Cornwallis and his army after the Battle of Yorktown. Thousands died to put that Declaration into action; now only few care to even read it.

America's history clearly shows it was founded with the Bible as the foundation, be it in the family, school or the government. This Declaration goes to show that this Nation was in fact founded with godly principles. Consider one of the most used sayings, "All men are created equal."
Acts 17:26-28 says, "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.". Perhaps this is what the Founders based these famous words on, "All men are created equal."

Also consider that in the Declaration of Independence it says, "...that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...", The Bible says in Matthew 5:45 "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." We also find in the Bible that we are to enjoy this life, that we should abide in God's law's.

Consider what Robert Winthrop said: "All societies must be governed in some way or other. The less they may have of stringent state government, the more they must have of individual self-government. The less they rely on public law or physical force, the more they must rely on private moral restraint. People, in a word, must necessarily be controlled, either by a power within them or by a power without them; either by the Word of God or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible or by the bayonet. It may do for other countries and other governments to talk about the state supporting religion. Here, under our free institutions, it is religion which must support the state".

And this comment from Founder, Noah Webster, author of Webster's Dictionary , who believed the rejection of a Christian world view was at the root of all evil: “All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.”

As I have stated above, it has been 232 years since the Declaration of Independence was made. What would men like George Washington, Noah Webster, John Adams, James Monroe and John Hancock think of us, their heirs? What would they think our modern government? Or think how angry they would have been to hear that prayer was just simply taken out of schools. Ask yourself, if the Founding Fathers were here today, would they start a new Revolution?

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --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 and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.

The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offencesFor abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighboring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

The 56 signatures on the Declaration appear in the positions indicated:
Column 1Georgia: Button Gwinnett Lyman Hall George Walton
Column 2North Carolina: William Hooper Joseph Hewes John PennSouth Carolina: Edward Rutledge Thomas Heyward, Jr. Thomas Lynch, Jr. Arthur Middleton
Column 3Massachusetts:John HancockMaryland:Samuel ChaseWilliam PacaThomas StoneCharles Carroll of CarrolltonVirginia:George WytheRichard Henry LeeThomas JeffersonBenjamin HarrisonThomas Nelson, Jr.Francis Lightfoot LeeCarter Braxton
Column 4Pennsylvania: Robert Morris Benjamin Rush Benjamin Franklin John Morton George Clymer James Smith George Taylor James Wilson George RossDelaware: Caesar Rodney George Read Thomas McKean
Column 5New York: William Floyd Philip Livingston Francis Lewis Lewis MorrisNew Jersey: Richard Stockton John Witherspoon Francis Hopkinson John Hart Abraham Clark
Column 6New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett William WhippleMassachusetts: Samuel Adams John Adams Robert Treat Paine Elbridge GerryRhode Island: Stephen Hopkins William ElleryConnecticut: Roger Sherman Samuel Huntington William Williams Oliver WolcottNew Hampshire: Matthew Thornton