Sir Winston Churchill - 45 years since he died

Full name: Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874-1965)
born 30th of November, 1874, Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, England
died  24th of  January, 1965, London

Tomorrow it is the 45th year since Sir Winston Churchill passed.

Son of Lord Randolph Churchill, a prominent Tory politician, and the American Jennie Jerome, Winston Churchill was born on 30 November 1874 at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. He had an unhappy childhood and was an unpromising student who attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, before embarking on an army career. After joining the 4th Hussars in 1895, he saw service as both a soldier and a journalist, and his dispatches from India and South Africa attracted wide attention. While working as a journalist during the Boer War he was captured and made a prisoner-of-war before escaping.
Fame as a military hero helped him win election to the House of Commons in 1900 and become a Member of  Parliament (MP) for Oldham. But he became disaffected with his party and in 1904 joined the Liberal Party. When the Liberals won the 1905 election, Churchill was appointed undersecretary at the Colonial Office. In 1908 he entered the Cabinet as president of the Board of Trade, becoming home secretary in 1910. The following year he became first lord of the Admiralty (1911-1915). He held this post in the first months of World War One but after the disastrous Dardanelles expedition, for which he was blamed, he resigned. He joined the army, serving for a time on the Western Front. In 1917, he was back in government as minister of munitions. From 1919 to 1921 he was secretary of state for war and air, and from 1924-1929 was chancellor of the exchequer.
In the years before World War II, his warnings of the threat posed by Adolf Hitler’s Germany were repeatedly ignored. When war broke out, he was appointed to his old post as head of the Admiralty. After Neville Chamberlain resigned, Churchill headed a coalition government as prime minister (1940–45). He committed himself and the nation to an all-out war until victory was achieved, and his great eloquence, energy, and indomitable fortitude made him an inspiration to his countrymen, especially in the Battle of Britain. With Franklin Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin, he shaped Allied strategy through the Atlantic Charter and at the Cairo, Casablanca, and Tehran conferences. Though he was the architect of victory, his government was defeated in the 1945 elections. After the war he alerted the West to the expansionist threat of the Soviet Union. He led the Conservative Party back into power in 1951 and remained prime minister until 1955, when ill health forced his resignation.
For his many writings, including The Second World War (6 vol., 1948–53) he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953; his later works include his History of the English-Speaking Peoples (4 vol., 1956–58). He was knighted in 1953; he later refused the offer of a peerage. He was made an honorary U.S. citizen in 1963. Among other majors contributions to the history of the mankind it is worth mentioning that he came up with the term “Iron Curtain”. In his late years he attained heroic status as one of the titans of the 20th century.
Sit Winston Churchill died on 24 January 1965 and was given a state funeral.

The secret of the eternal youth

Brooke Greenberg, 16, is a daughter of Melanie and Howard Greenberg. The couple has three other children, aged 13, 19 and 22 – all of them females. The other Greenberg girls are growing like all other kids. Brooke, who already turned 16, seems to be stuck in her infancy. Her appearance has not been changing for 15 years already.

Brooke weighs about 7 kilos, she is 80 centimeters tall. The girl has a baby’s body and face. There is no other human being like her anywhere in the world. Scientists say that the parts of the girl’s body live independently from one another. For example, Brooke has infant’s teeth and brain, but the structure of her bones corresponds to those of a ten-year-old child.
Modern medicine knows many incidents of premature aging. There are about 20 children living in the world today, who suffer from an extremely rare disease known as progeria. All of them look
like elderly people, although they are only ten years of age. The disease develops as a result of genetic mutation.
Scientists originally believed that Brooke Greenberg had an opposite of progeria. A closer insight showed, though, that the girl was not suffering from any known genetic diseases. Since the phenomenon is obvious – the girl is not ageing – scientists believe that she gives the world an opportunity to find out why it happens. They hope that they will find the gene or a group of genes, which make people change with years and eventually die.

The little girl does not speak. She can not eat alone either – her parents have to use special tubes to feed the child. Nevertheless, the secret of everlasting youth is hidden somewhere inside the poor child.

The King is Dead! Long Live MICHAEL JACKSON!

The King of Pop has passed away. Michael Jackson, 50, died on Thursday at local time 2:26 in Bel Air, Los Angeles, California.
It seems that a heart attack was fatal to him as he had already had major health problems. His career was extremely prolific. In 1982 he sold more than 57 million copies of his album Thriller. The exact cause of his death is still unknown, but Jacko might have died from a pain killer over dose (Demerol).
In recent years his fortune and wealth went down. He intended to go on a tour of 50 concerts in the UK this summer, starting from July 13.
Michael Jackson has greatly influenced the history of music in general. His name will be always associated with success and talent.
May God rest him in peace!

Romania - Transylvania (Ardeal)

Transylvania, or Ardeal as it is also called, is an old Romanian province inhabited by the Romanians starting with the first centuries of our era. During the Middle Ages the Romanian majority population fought for national identity and at the same time different ethnic communities joined them. Nowadays the mixture of peoples is of an outstanding variety. Many important events for the modern Romania took place here. I want to mention Michael the Brave’s success in uniting the three Romanian principalities in 1599 and the Great Union. Today according to the 2002 census 7.2 million people live here and the local economy is the most developed in the country.
After a general introduction about Ardeal I considered to be of interest a presentation of three towns – Sibiu, Sighişoara and Alba Iulia - that can give the reader an idea about how this region really is. I have to mention here the contribution to the development of Transylvania of the German and Hungarian settlers who came here centuries ago.
Sibiu is situated near the geographical center of Romania. The city was founded in 1190 by German settlers, near an ancient Roman settlement. The museums such as Astra or Brukenthal Museum and the wonderfully preserved medieval fortifications and churches recommend it as a tourist destination for those who enjoy discovering the past. In 2007 it proudly welcomes visitors and artists from all over the world as the European Capital of Culture.
Sighişoara is the oldest inhabited citadel in Europe. Its German founders took great care of this fortress that was situated on important commercial routes and transformed it into a marvel of military defense. The medieval festival held here each year in July comes as a natural continuation of its historic past. The Clock Tower and the Museum of History hosted here or the house where Vlad the Impaler (Vlad Tepes) was born attract visitors who have a first hand experience in a medieval town.
Alba Iulia is considered by many to be the spiritual capital of Romania. On the 1st of December 1918 the representatives of all the Romanians gathered here and decided to bring together in a single state the historic principalities of Transylvania, Moldavia and Walachia. Not only then it proved its importance but also in 1599 when Michael the Brave made it his capital. Built on Roman ruins, in the Middle Ages it played an important role in the history of Transylvania, being the capital of the region between 1541-1690. The churches and the historic places make Alba Iulia an enjoyable tourist attraction.
I am sure my paper can provide the reader with a clear view about Transylvania and its past and present. A region of the present day Romania, full of the marks of the past, it fully proves its European vocation as part of a proud nation and country.

Mothers-in-law. Behaviour and characteristics.

Mothers-in-law, also called “her mother”, are a unique and distinct human species. Unfortunately they do not disappear, this is the problem most married men encounter. They do not live either as normal and natural humans. They simply interfere with honest men’s life, they bother young honourable gentlemen and husbands who want to have some fun late at night in a pub or refuse to take their newly born baby out for a walk.
A typical mother-in-law is 40 or 50 years old, retired or on her way to retirement, a good looking, or on the contrary, a one in a thousand ugly woman, who has no other concern than to take care of her beloved child. The fact is most mothers-in-law totally forget that their babies are frown-ups, young responsible persons who want to enjoy at least a moment of peace and quiet. A mother-in-law leaves you no break: she is a pain in that part of the body- If you got a training session to become a SWAT, you would have more free time for yourself and your wife. But your mother-in-law might be even tougher and more challenging.
How does she behave?
On a typical day she phones you to ask if you have fed the baby and if you have bought flowers for aunt Mary’s birthday. (Who’s this aunt Mary after all?!) You did not? Oh my God!!! YOU PIG! You should go and buy some at once! She will be at your place at 12 p.m. Unlucky you, this was supposed to be your free day. The guys were coming to see a football match on TV. At 12 p.m. sharp, she knocks at the door. Your place is a mess – in her opinion – the baby cries and you stink. Your wife told you to do this and that, but you did not, she knows that and nothing can make her believe something else. Yet, the day is saved once more by your mother-in-law. She actually drives anyone crazy – and brings what she calls “order” to other people’s lives.
She starts doing the housework and claims you should do the same. Whatever, helping her is just a stage in your life. But the fact is nothing is well done. Eventually leaving home is a decision to be made. At 7 p.m., when you are back, your life is ruined. The wife knows you are lazy, drunkard and ignore the child.
And above all mum wanted to help but got no support from anybody in the house. Is it any use to get angry with her? No, there is not. She is just another pain there-
At least she makes good food, which is not the case with her daughter.

Romania and its beauty

It's been quite a while, if not a whole life now, I heard and I kept hearing how beautiful is Romania.
Yes, indeed. It is beautiful, rich and the people here ale welcoming, but is this enough?
Foreign tourists coming here need roads, good guides, good hotels and last but not least safety. Nobody will ever come back again unless you convince, if you do not sell your product.
Watching this might get a tourist interested in coming to Romania and spending his or her holiday?



Romania - The Land Of Choice
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Roman Britain

In the summer of the Roman year 699, now described as the year 55BC, the Proconsul of Gaul, Gaius Julius Caesar, turned his gaze upon Britain. He knew it was inhabited by the same type of tribesmen who confronted the Roman army in Germany, Gaul and Spain.
On 26 August, 55 BC the great Roman general invaded Britain for the first time. This was to be the first military conquest of the British Isles. His army set sail from Gaul and landed somewhere near Dover. The highly efficient Roman troops had little difficulty in routing the local Celtic chieftains. Caesar decided to return the following year considering this first expedition as a preliminary to the conquest. On 6 July 54 BC, legionaries and cavalry set sail to Britain in 800 boats. Caesar conquered the south-eastern part – the most accessible and the richest - of the island but the coming of winter forced him to return to Rome. He had now the knowledge that Britain was far from being the primitive island of brutal tribesmen which Romans had previously imagined it to be.
In 43AD, emperor Claudius decides to incorporate Britain into the Roman Empire. So began what was called the “ Roman occupation “ which was to last for 360 years.
The superior Roman civilization imposed its values over the Celtic society. This material culture was strongest in the towns. The ruins of the Roman cities and villas which we can still visit today are remarkable. Having imposed a uniform set of principles in architecture all over the Empire, whether we talk about Africa, the Middle East or Europe, the new comers brought their sense for order and symmetry. Towns were planned in chessboard squares for communities dwelling under orderly government. The building rose in accordance with the pattern standardized throughout the Roman Empire. The urban areas had their forum, temples, and courts of justice, baths, markets and main drains. During the first century of occupation the builders took in consideration an increasing population. Nowadays the experts dispute the population of Roman Britain, and rivals estimates vary between 500,000 and 1.5 million. It seems certain that the army, the civil administration, the townsfolk, the high class and their dependants amounted to 300.000 or 400,000 people.
London, the Roman Londinium, had become the center of the road system and an export market for corn and cloth. An extensive and well-planned city with mighty walls took the place of the wooden trading settlement of 61AD. At the end of the 3rd century money was coined in the London mint, and the city was the headquarters of the financial administration. In the later days of the Roman occupation it seems to have been the center of civil government, as York was of the military, although it never received the status of municipium. From the objects dug up in all the south-eastern part of Britain it has been possible to reconstruct the pleasant life then enjoyed by the well-to-do under the protection of the Roman rule. Togas, shoes and sandals of leather seem to have been worn in the Roman fashion. In cold weather, rooms were kept warm by heated flues beneath mosaic-patterned floors.
Christianity seems not to have had an important role in Roman Britain, given the fact that they worshiped many different deities. The proto-martyr St. Alban, who is said to have suffered for the faith under Diocletian, is spoken of with some uncertainty. In 313 AD emperor Constantine the Great offered the possibility to practice the Christian belief. In 314 the first British bishops are present at Arles. By the year 391, when Emperor Theodosius ordered the closure of the pagan temples, the British Church was highly organized, sending its bishops and delegates to the great councils held on the continent. The British – actually Romano-Briton - Church was still not strong enough to be an influential institution in the political game. The Anglo-Saxon later gave it a status of high importance but the Normans took it to the highest point of development in the early Middle Ages, reshaping it as an efficient instrument of submission of the natives
For over 300 years Britain remained a relatively untroubled outpost of the Roman Empire, the barbarians, from beyond the frontiers being kept at bay by forts and legions along coasts and in the north by Hadrian’s Wall. Stretching 73 miles from the Tyne to Solway, it remains the most impressive surviving Roman landmark in the country.
Roman soldiers looked very different from the Celts they defeated. They wore metal helmets and articulated plate armour and carried shields with a sword suspended and dagger suspended from a belt. A high degree of fitness was demanded so that a legionary could leap fully armed on a horse or swim with all his equipment across a river. The legions were dotted across Britain and were established in forts sited to achieve maximum strategic defence. In some instances the pattern of fort-building will be followed by the Normans who also took great advantage of the old Roman roads, sometimes still in use.
There was law, order and peace and a long established custom of life during the Roman occupation. The population was free from barbarism without being sunk in sloth or luxury. The culture was just a pale reflection of the metropolis. Latin was the official language and it seems that some Latin words entered the common use of Celtic population. French, imposed as an official language by the Normans, influenced much more the existing Old English idioms. Later, historians of art and architecture have attempted to describe the Romano-Celtic culture but have generally concluded with a note of the fortunate blend that was achieved in late 7th and early 8th century. Latin had an interesting fate as it became the language of culture and of scholars in monasteries during the Middle Ages especially in Ireland, from where some monks reintroduced it in Europe. As A Maurois2 said, the language spoken in England was little influenced by the Roman rule. The Latin words in English were borrowed later from French, mainly through the Normans, or were used out of scientific needs. Among the words directly inherited from Latin we can mention: street (strata via – Stratford ), mile ( Lat. mila ), wall ( Lat. vallum ), or –chester ( Lat. castra )
By the year 400 AD, at latest, the Wall seems to have been abandoned. By now the Empire itself was beginning to crumble into ruins, and in Britain one legion after another was recalled to fight Rome’s wars on the Continent. In 407 AD the last two remaining legions were withdrew on the orders of Emperor Honorius, not to return. Until by the middle of the 5th century Rome’s protection was at an end. The islanders were left to fend for themselves.
What was the important effect of the Roman occupation on the later kingdom of England? Besides the city of London and a few ruins, the Romans left no direct significant traces on culture, arts or social life. The Romanic elements in language and in the material civilization were brought back to the island by with the coming of the Normans. The irony of history lies in the fact that the descendants of the very people who contributed to the fall of the Emperial Rome and to the withdrawal from Britain, would bring back – after more than six centuries – the seeds of the new Romanic spirit which emerged in Europe.

Romanian modern family

It has been a couple of days since I came across a very interesting statistics on the most valued elements of the modern Romanian society. Not surprisingly, the family qualified in top 5 when it came to choosing between various institutions which were considered in this poll. The Church and the army are the first two most appreciated establishments by those who expressed their opinions.
Traditionally the Romanian family consists of husband and wife and one to three children, but this number may depend on region and local traditions. Yet no matter the region where they live, the couple first goes to the town hall to register their marriage and after that both of them with relatives and friends go together to the church to symbolically unify their destiny in front of God and the community. This being done the wedding party can begin.
The links and connections between relatives and the members of the family are very strong in Romania. The grandparents play a vital role in raising the children, the aunts, uncles, cousins and some other distant relatives usually help each other in order to achieve the common goal of prosperity and happiness. For example in case of a close relative’s death most members of a family – both elders and youngsters - come together and prepare everything and support each other. This is an unfortunate occasion, however life is easier when there is somebody there to listen to you and offer a little help when you need it.
Of course besides milk and honey there are also some clouds that might bring sorrow to the Promised Land of the Romanian family. Some of the guys who get married are not quite ready to consider their new responsibility as fathers, loving husbands and all in all “pater familias”. Some of them start drinking and cannot stop anymore. Their wives and children fall victim to their frustration and low self esteem. In this case the state must help and protect. That is the case of abused women who can get any necessary assistance from specialized state organizations and personnel, NGO’s and the Church.
All in all family is still the most reliable institution in Romania. As a matter of fact most of those who went abroad to work or study come back home after a longer or shorter period they spent working in a foreign country. Some of them actually have left just to save some money and return home to buy a house and get married.

The Sultanate of Oman

The Sultanate of Oman occupies the south eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula - 300,000 sq. km boasting some 1,700 km of coastline stretching along the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Gulf. It is the second largest country in Arabia, and has the most diverse landscape including fjord-like rugged mountains in the far north, magnificent tracts of desert and a lush south.
Oman's history can be traced back to 12,000 BC. The country is strategically located on the crossroads of several trade routes that linked the ancient world. It became a centre of power in the 17th century with Omani rule extending from Zanzibar in East Africa to parts of Persia and Pakistan.
Evidence of a glorious ancient past is spread all over the country which boasts more than 500 forts, castles, and towers. Their diversity and numbers reflect the high standards achieved by Omanis in architecture.
Oman enjoys many unique features including an unspoiled culture and lifestyle traditional in almost every aspect. The people are friendly and offer incomparable hospitality. A rich variety of flora and fauna abound, together with panoramic beauty witnessed in its mountain ranges, deserts and sand dunes.
Today, His Majesty Said Bin Sultan Qaboos rules the country and Oman is considered a safe and secure destination with many modern amenities and facilities

Climate: The hottest months are June through August when temperatures are in the 40’s. However, modern AC and sea breezes make this more than bearable. The most pleasant months to visit Oman are mid October through March when daytime temperatures fall into the lower 30s and below.

Dress: The dress code is fairly liberal in Muscat, although decency is still expected. Women should wear, for example, tops with sleeves, and long skirts or trousers. Men are required to wear trousers and shirts with sleeves. Swimwear should be restricted to the beach or pools.

Language: Arabic, English and Swahili are widely spoken.

Time Zone Difference: Oman is GMT+4

Currency: The unit of currency is the Rial Omani (RO) consisting of 1,000 baizas. ($1USD = 0.384 OMR 22.5.06)

Animal Testing

I believe that animal testing is necessary nowadays. Some animals may suffer for the benefit of humans. If you prevent animal testing, should you stop people from eating meat? Many scientists say that they can't cure deadly diseases without using animals.
I believe that animal testing is extremely necessary because it is unethical to make people sick on purpose. Most experiments can only be done on animals. As a result of animal testing we have discovered diseases and cures for most of them.
If you prevent animals from being tested, should you stop people from eating meat?
Killing an animal for food isn't that different from killing an animal while testing a new product or medicine. Animal testing could be considered more necessary than killing an animal for food. People enjoy the animal "products" that they consume daily.
Many scientists say that humans can't cure deadly diseases without using animals. Without animal testing scientists believe that it may take longer to find cures for diseases like AIDS, cancer and Alzheimer's. Causing unnecessary suffering is wrong, but conducting experiments on animals is necessary for human health. The testing that scientists perform on animals can save human lives.
Animal rights activists' claim that test tube experiments, computer simulations and other methods are alternatives to testing medicines and other products on animals. Many of these techniques are valuable, and are used by scientists on a regular basis. The problems are that they don't tell us everything we need to know. Mixing human cells with a new drug in a test tube doesn't show how the drug will affect an entire human body. Animals are far too complicated for computers to simulate perfectly. Animal testing is a very important step in improving human health.

The Invention of Google

Google is the most popular Internet search engine in the world. It was invented by two students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. They met in 1995, when they were both studying computer science at Stanford University, USA. They were also both fans of the SF TV programme Star Trek, and they loved spaceship computer. They dreamed of producing something that could also answer any question in seconds.
Internet search engines at the time were slow and gave many websites that weren’t useful. In January 1996, Page and Brin decided to make a better and faster search engine. They thought the results should be based on the popularity of each website – the most popular ones have the highest number of ‘weblinks’ (links to other websites).
Nobody would give them money for their project so they used their credit cards and bought as much computer memory as possible. They also borrowed money from family and friends. Then, in 1998, they were given a cheque for $100,000, and they started their own company. Their first office was in a friend’s garage! The company name Google comes form mathematics. A ‘googol’ is a very high number -1 followed by a hundred zeros.
Nowdays Google is one of the most succesful and reliable American company, with incomes of hundreds of millions each year. Google has besides its search engine department many other sites that are concerned with online advertising, evaluating sites or ranking webpages.

Yuri Gagarin. The First Man in Space.

His early years
Yuri was born on a farm in USSR and his family was very poor. As a teenager in World War II, he saw his first plane – a Russian fighter jet. At that moment, he knew that he wanted to be a pilot. He studied hard so that he could join a flying club. His teachers thought he was a natural pilot and told him to join the Sovietic Air Force.

What he did
He became an excellent pilot. And he was now a husband and father. But when the first Russian satellite went into space, he wanted to become an astronaut. After two years of secret training, the doctors chose Yuri because he was the best in all the tests. On 12 April 1961, when he was 27, he finally went into space. It was very dangerous, because the doctors didn’t know if Yuri could survive the journey. When he came back to Earth he was famous, and he travelled around the world to talk about his experience.

His last flight
He wanted to go into space again, so in 1967 he began training for the next space flight. He was also a test pilot for the new Air Force aeroplanes. But he next year he died when his fighter jet crashed on a test flight. He was only 34 years old.

Canada Day - 1st of July

Background

On June 20, 1868, a proclamation signed by the Governor General, Lord Monck, called upon all Her Majesty's (queen Victoria) loving subjects throughout Canada to join in the celebration of the anniversary of the formation of the union of the British North America provinces in a federation under the name of Canada on July 1^st.

The July 1 holiday was established by statute in 1879, under the name Dominion Day.

There is no record of organized ceremonies after this first anniversary, except for the 50^th anniversary of Confederation in 1917, at which time the new Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings, under construction, was dedicated as a memorial to the Fathers of Confederation and to the valour of Canadians fighting in the First World War in Europe.

The next celebration was held in 1927 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Confederation. It was highlighted by the laying of the cornerstone by the Governor General of the Confederation Building on Wellington Street and the inauguration of the Carillon in the Peace Tower.

Since 1958, the government has arranged for an annual observance of Canada's national day with the Secretary of State of Canada in charge of the coordination. The format provided for a Trooping the Colours ceremony on the lawn of Parliament Hill in the afternoon, a sunset ceremony in the evening followed by a mass band concert and fireworks display.

Another highlight was Canada's Centennial in 1967 when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II attended the celebrations with Parliament Hill again being the backdrop for a large scale official ceremony.

The format changed in 1968 with the addition of multicultural and professional concerts held on Parliament Hill including a nationally televised show. Up until 1975, the focus of the celebrations, under the name "Festival Canada", was held in the National Capital Region during the whole month of July and involved numerous cultural, artistic and sport activities, as well as municipalities and voluntary organizations. The celebration was cancelled in 1976 but was reactivated in 1977.

A new formula was developed in 1980 whereby the National Committee (the federal government organization charged with planning Canada's Birthday celebrations) stressed and sponsored the development of local celebrations all across Canada. "Seed money" was distributed to promote popular and amateur activities organized by volunteer groups in hundreds of local communities. The same approach was also followed for the 1981 celebrations with the addition of fireworks displays in 15 major cities across the nation.

On October 27, 1982, July 1^st which was known as "Dominion Day" became "Canada Day".

Since 1985, Canada Day Committees are established in each province and territory to plan, organize and coordinate the Canada Day celebrations locally. Grants are provided by the Department to those committees.

(source here)

The Norman Conquest - 1066. General Considerations.

Generally speaking the history of the British Isles is up to a certain moment the story of repeated waves of migrations and invasions, the story of successive waves of invaders and immigrants from the mainland Europe which gloriously closed with the Norman Conquest in 1066. The most significant aspect for the understanding of Britain’s evolution throughout time is the fact that it is an island. The south-eastern part of the archipelago situated in North Atlantic was the most suitable way of access and at the same time the guarantee of security and a favourable land for civilization. Here lay the inviting routes for invasions which, many times over, seem to have run much the same predestined course. Those who came to Britain would conquer or drive before them the previous occupants of the land, imposing each time something new on them. The Normans were to be the last of the conquerors and at the same time the most influential.
However much dispute there may be concerning the detail of the Norman impact on England, there can be no doubt whatever concerning the general importance of the coming of the Normans. Long centuries of different changes and influences made nothing more than to prepare the country for the most spectacular revolution in its history. Until 1066 England has undergone civil war, invasion and change of dynasty, but never before a change like that wrought by the Normans. Yet it is utterly misleading to ascribe to the Normans all the credit for the fine flowering of the civilization in the post-Conquest centuries or to neglect the contribution of the natives to the whole process and the fact that they were deeply rooted in the Western world. As a consequence many of the most striking achievements after 1066 were e rather cosmopolitan in character.
Till the 11^th century all invaders seem to have followed much the same objective. They were seeking to get away from the forests; they wanted room, land, dry gazing and good water. The late 11^th century would give to the act of conquering and invading a new dimension: the extortion of the resources of the country for the benefit of a hand of new foreign rulers.
The natural resources and the mild climate attracted many different people who came here as immigrants or as conquerors. We might say that British history until the Norman Conquest in 1066, was determined by two important migrations – the Celts (800 BC) and the Anglo-Saxons (410 AD) - and by one major conquest – the Romans (55 B.C.). The interposition of these historical phenomena of invasion and of conquest gives to the British history a chess board like aspect.
The insularity offered to the different pretenders an opportunity and at the same time it raised many problems concerning the efficient rule of these islands. Only twice has it ever been conquered, once in 55 BC, by the Romans and again in 1066 by the Normans. A fact which we should mention here is that the conquerors always had to have a dialogue with the pre-existing inhabitants, producing sooner or later a mixed society with elements from both.

Business Ethics.

Being honest, being correct and having integrity are ethical terms. They represent a principle for the people who are convinced they are right. These concepts represent in fact our moral standards. They can vary from an individual to individual because the values they are based on are different. Ethical issues represent real dilemmas for the managing staff because they stand for conflicts between the economical performance of the company (income-costs-profit) and the social evolution (expressed in terms of personal duties within the organization as well as outside). The origin of these duties can be open to some interpretation, but most of us agree that they include to a certain extent elements related to protecting the loyalty of the employees, to maintaining market competitiveness, providing useful and safe products and services. Fortunately the management dilemma relates to the costs of these obligations both for the company – assessed through financial standards – and for the managers – expressed through financial reports and audits. It is highly desirable for most of the managing staff in various companies to bring in people who have a clear vision of what means ‘honest’, “correct” and “integrity”. Thus any employee can be required not to act against the interest of the firm, not to offend other people and not to disclose any negative aspects about that particular company.

London Icons. Things to Do and Visit.

London is a city located in the south-eastern part of the UK. The old city has a lot of interesting things to offer the interested tourists. Here there are only a few of them.

Tower Bridge

It's a spectacular bridge built in the late Victorian era. Tower Bridge is truly magnificent! It's great to see the bridge open to let ships through, which happens more often than you'd think; around 900 times a year. Walking across the bridge, you see the amazing views of London, although it can get quite windy. It really gives you a sense of old London – for me it's the ultimate London icon.

The British Airways London Eye

I love the big wheel at a fair ground, so I think The BA London Eye is a fantastic way of getting a bird's-eye view of the city. On a good day you can see for miles and miles – at the peak the whole of London is laid out for you, almost like a game of Monopoly. A friend hired a private capsule for her birthday, so we were up there with all of our mates, oohing and ahhing. It was fantastic!"

Covent Garden

It's a bit of continental Europe right in the middle of London, with tables from restaurants and eateries spilling out onto the piazza. Covent Garden is also where you'll find London's best street performers, from singers belting out arias to mime artists performing crowd-pleasing stunts. Whenever my family comes to London, this is where I take them.

Piccadilly Circus

There's always a real buzz in Piccadilly Circus – the buildings are lit up with dazzling electric signs, and there are always people standing by the Statue of Eros, waiting for friends. Piccadilly Circus leads you into Soho, Chinatown and Leicester Square, areas where you'll find restaurants, pubs, clubs, theatres and cinemas. It's where I spend my Friday nights!"

St Paul's Cathedral

I was only 10 when I watched Prince Charles and Lady Diana's wedding on the television. I remember the 25-foot-long (7.6m) dress train trailing behind her as she walked up the aisle in St. Paul's – it looked so dramatic! I've been a fan of the cathedral ever since. You can walk around the whole of the ground floor, visit the crypt, and climb all 530 steps to the top of the dome.

Westminster Abbey

For me, Westminster Abbey is more of a historic site than a religious one. It's where every King and Queen has been crowned since 1066, and it's also the final resting place for many sovereigns, politicians and artists. I also love the choral concerts they hold here. Last Christmas Eve I went Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve – it was amazing.

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament

The Houses of Parliament stand on the site of the old Palace of Westminster, the main London residence of Kings and Queens. It's a really stunning riverside building. The clock tower is the main timepiece of the nation and home to Big Ben (the bell). I took my son on a tour around Parliament during the summer opening and he loved it! We even managed to climb all the stairs to the top of Big Ben.

Australia and the Orthodox Christians

It's been a real surprise for me to find on Elisabeth and Craig's blog these pictures - I hope they don't mind me taking these pictures from their post on their trip in Australia.
This church is situated in Cobber Pedy

"Coober Pedy

846km North of Adelaide. Coober Pedy - the opal capital of the world is Australia's unique "underground town". Half its 3,500 people from over 45 different nationalities live underground to escape the summer heat.

The cosmopolitan capital of Australia's opal mining towns has numerous interesting features including historic mines, dugout homes, shops, churches, the colourful Stuart Range and - of course - OPAL! It has been described as looking much like the surface of the moon."

(from here)

At Cobber Pedy there is also a Catholic church built underground - in an old copper mine.
More details here.
In Australia there are a few orthodox denominations that are organized either as bishoprics or as parishes under the jurisdiction of dioceses.
The Greek Orthodox Archidiocese of Australia - jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch
The Russian Orthodox Diocese for Australia and New Zealand
The Coptic Orthodox Church of Australia
The Romanian Orthodox Church in Australia - as far as I understand there is also a Romanian Vicariate in Australia
Other links to other Orthodox churches and denominations in Australia.

St. Valentine and the Orthodox Church

The Orthodox calendar mentions Saint Valentine, actually more than one Valentine. It depends on the country and on the decisions of the Patriarch and the synod (council).
For example the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrates a St. Valentine on April 24. This saint lived in Moesia in Durostorum. He was martyred because he was a Christian and refused to worship the pagan gods.
In the Romanian Orthodox calendar there is a Saint Valentine celebrated on February the 16. (Sfantul Valentin 16 februarie). This Saint Valens lived in Caesarea Palestine (or Caesarea Maritima). Valens was martyred during the persecution begun by Diocletian in 303. Another Saint Martyr executed on the same day is Saint Pamphilus - Christian scholar whose most important disciple was Eusebius of Caesarea - for further reading go to GOARCH.
A full list of the saints celebrated on February 16 is available on OrthodoxWIKI.
Martyrs Pamphilus the presbyter, Valens the deacon, Paul, Seleucus, Porphyrius, Julian, Theodulus, Elias, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Samuel and Daniel, at Caesaria in Palestine; Saint Maruthas, Bishop of Martyropolis in Mesopotamia, and the Persians martyred with him; Martyr Romanus of Mount Athos; New-Martyrs Priest Elias and Priest Peter Lagov; Saint Flavian the hermit; Saint Flavian, Archbishop of Antioch; Saint Flavian the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople; Saint Romanos the Younger; Virgin-Martyr Juliana of Naples. Other events: repose of Metropolitan Macarius of Moscow, Apostle to the Altai.

The Roman Catholic Church celebrates on February 14th Saint Valentine. There are three saints - all martyred - named Valentine, Valens or Valentinus in the Catholic calendar. It is said that he was a priest who lived during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius II - 3rd century AD. The Emperor outlawed the marriage of young men because he wanted them to join the army and not no be concerned with the daily life of a family. Valentinus continued to perform marriages and defied the decree. The Emperor found put and ordered the execution of Valentine.
It seems that in fact the Catholic Church tried to adapt and adopt the pagan rituals which were still very popular in the early years of Christianity.
It is said that St Valentine is the patron saint of lovers and love. People give presents to the loved ones on this day. "Will you be mt Valentine?" and the handwritten love notes are very popular especially in the western countries and the are becoming increasingly popular with lovers all over the world.
A very interesting article about St. Valentine and the modern celebration of this saint may be found here.
I dare to quote: "And St. Valentine demonstrated this love when he died for his friends, and for his faith in Christ. This is the kind of love that Valentine's Day is really all about. And this is what his Feast Day of Feb. 14 should bring to our minds. May God help us to have that same kind of love for others, and that same kind of commitment and faithfulness to Christ, even in the face of death, until the Lord calls us home."

Feast of the Three Holy Fathers, Great Hierarchs and Ecumenical Teachers, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom

Today January 30th the Orthodox Church celebrates The Three Great Hierarchs and Holy Fathers: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom.

Introduction

During the reign of the Emperor Alexius Comnenus (1081-1118), a controversy arose in Constantinople (today Istanbul in Turkey) among men learned in Faith and zealous for virtue about the three holy Hierarchs and Fathers of the Church, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom. Some argued for Saint Basil above the other two because he was able, as none other, to explain the mysteries of the Faith, and rose to angelic rank by his virtues. Organizer of monastic life, leader of the entire Church in the struggle with heresy, austere and demanding shepherd as to Christian morals, in him there was nothing base or of the earth. Hence, said they, he was superior to Saint Chrysostom who was by nature more easily inclined to absolve sinners.

The partisans of Saint Chrysostom retorted that the illustrious Archbishop of Constantinople had been no less zealous than Saint Basil in combating vices, in bringing sinners to repentance and in raising up the whole people to the perfection of the Gospel. The golden-mouthed shepherd of matchless eloquence has watered the Church with a stream of homilies in which he interprets the divine word and shows its application in daily life with more accomplished mastery than the two other holy Doctors.

According to a third group, Saint Gregory the Theologian was to be preferred to the others by reason of the majesty, purity and profundity of his language. Possessing a sovereign mastery of all the wisdom and eloquence of ancient Greece, he had attained, they said to such a pitch in the contemplation of God that no one had been able to express the dogma of the Holy Trinity as perfectly as he.

With each faction setting up one of the Fathers against the other two in this way, the whole Christian people were soon caught up in the dispute, which far from promoting devotion to the Saints in the City, resulted in nothing but ill-feeling and endless argument. Then one night the three holy Hierarchs appeared in a dream to Saint John Mauropus, the Metropolitan of Euchaïta (5 Oct.), separately at first, then together and, speaking with a single voice, they said: “As you see, the three of us are with God and no discord or rivalry divides us. Each of us, according to the circumstances and according to the inspiration that he received from the Holy Spirit, wrote and taught what befits the salvation of mankind. There is not among us a first, a second or a third, and if you invoke one of us the other two are immediately present with him. Therefore, tell those who are quarrelling not to create divisions in the Church because of us, for when we were on earth we spared no effort to re-establish unity and concord in the world. You can conjoin our three commemorations in one feast and compose a service for it, inserting the hymns dedicated to each of us according to the skill and knowledge that God has given you. Then transmit it to the Christians with the command to celebrate it each year. If they honor us thus as being with and in God, we give them our word that we will intercede for their salvation in our common prayer.” At these words, the Saints were taken up into heaven in a boundless light while conversing with one another by name.

Saint John immediately assembled the people and informed them of this revelation. As he was respected by all for his virtue and admired for his powerful eloquence, the three parties made peace and every one urged him to lose no time in composing the service of the joint feast. With fine discernment, he selected 30 January as appropriate to the celebration, for it would set the seal to the month in which each of the three Hierarchs already had a separate commemoration (Saint Basil – January 1; Saint Gregory – January 25; Saint John (translation of relics) – January 27).

The three Hierarchs—an earthly trinity as they are called in some of the wonderful troparia of their service—have taught us in their writings and equally by their lives, to worship and to glorify the Holy Trinity, the One God in three Persons. These three luminaries of the Church have shed the light of the true Faith all over the world, scorning dangers and persecutions, and they have left us, their descendants, this sacred inheritance by which we too can attain to utmost blessedness and everlasting life in the presence of God and of all the Saints.

With the feast of the three Hierarchs at the end of January—the month in which we keep the memory of so many glorious bishops, confessors and ascetics—the Church in a way recapitulates the memory of all the Saints who have witnessed to the Orthodox faith by their writings and by their lives. In this feast we honor the whole ministry of teaching of the holy Church, namely, the illumination of the hearts and minds of the faithful through the commemoration of all the Fathers of the Church, those models of evangelic perfection which the Holy Spirit has raised up from age to age and from place to place to be new Prophets and new Apostles, guides of souls heavenward, comforters of the people and fiery pillars of prayer, supporting the Church and confirming her in the truth.

(source Greek Orthodox Archiodiocese of Amercica - GOARCH)
Troparion
Let us who love their words gather together
And honor with hymns the three great torch-bearers of the triune Godhead:
Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom.
These men have enlightened the world with the rays of their divine doctrines.
They are sweetly-flowing rivers of wisdom filling all creation with springs of heavenly knowledge.
Ceaselessly they intercede for us before the Holy Trinity!

Kontakion
O Lord, You have taken up to eternal rest
And to the enjoyment of Your blessings the divinely-inspired heralds,
The greatest of Your teachers,
For You have accepted their labors and deaths as a sweet-smelling sacrifice,
For You alone are glorified in Your saints!

Further reading
OCA
Orthodox Wiki

Great Expectations

Great Expectations is merely timeless. It is about all the things that life is about: how relatives can be loving, or abusive, how people can choose their own families; how a woman might be driven to destroy her child, or give her child away; how people may be corrupt, may be redeemed; how your upbringing defines your character, and how you may rise above or embrace that definition; and how, finally, love is a choice.

Great Expectations, written by Charles Dickens, is a moral book, without any clear moral directives. Its language is beautiful, its plot compelling, its characters complex and complete. People, Dickens tells us, are not always what they seem. Not simply because they've disguised or hidden or renamed themselves, like Magwitch; not only because those who seem most beautiful may be, in fact, most terrible, like Estella. People are not always what they seem because people are never only one thing. The wretched Mrs. Joe becomes nearly lovable after her injury; Mrs. Havisham melts (before she burns); Magwitch in trouble terrorizes Pip, but in prosperity is his benefactor; Wemmick's character is dependent on his location; there is a hint that even Estella, at last, is not as brightly cold as her name and nature suggests; and, of course, Pip is at first good, and then snobbish and profligate, and then, finally, good. Money changes everything except human nature. Human beings change: not for the better, and not for the worse, and not permanently. People change, then change back. Their changes do not necessarily make them happy. That is the human condition.

"That was a memorable day for me," says Pip, after first visiting Satis House, "for it made great changes in me. But it is the same with any life. Imagine one selected day struck out of it, and think how different its course would have been. Pause, you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day."

"Great Expectations" is no less instructive for not being morally definite. That first link will change you, as the circumstances of your childhood will. It is your own duty (I believe Dickens says) to change yourself inwardly as you are changed outwardly.

God, the pleasure of reading "Great Expectations" -- pleasure being, I think, sometimes an underrated part of reading serious fiction. Everything is so right and so surprising, from plot to language to the details of character -- Pip calling himself a "connubial missile," Drummle being described as so sulky that "he even took up a book as if its writer had done him an injury." (Dickens is so often seen as a model of plot and character that it's easy to forget what a beautiful stylist he is.) Still, and of course, his characters, major and minor, are unforgettable: Joe, the Aged P., Mr. Wopsle the enthusiastic amateur, pale Herbert Pocket, even Mrs. Joe as she asks Biddy to place her arms around Joe's neck as she dies.

Still, the character who lives most in my head is Miss Havisham. She is brought into the book as a woman defined by the things she owns: her dark house, her tattered clothing, her money, her beautiful ward. If she were left at that, a splendid invention, she'd still be forever memorable. And yet she -- who has not even changed her clothing or the time on her clocks for decades -- memorably changes, is changed. It isn't that Dickens gives her a second chance; instead, he takes from her chances that she (and the reader) doesn't even realize she has. This improves and then kills her. Throughout the book there is the opportunity for heartbreak -- why is it that Pip can be destroyed by Estella, whom he barely knows, but Joe lives with Mrs. Joe and ever speaks of her with (cautious) love?

Lasting romantic love is always cautious in "Great Expectations"; every couple who marries has known each other for quite some time. It's friendship that's passionate, requited, transforming. Be careful, Dickens seems to say, of who you allow to break your heart. Mrs. Havisham is, of course, forever a symbol of heartbreak -- of heartdeath, really -- but what makes her magnificent is her passion at the end of her life. There she is, wrapped in cotton wool, on her table, kissed, but insensible to kisses. She has forgotten how someone else once broke her heart. She repents only how she has broken her own. It is the same with any life.

source 123helpme