I am proud to be an American

Today is a special day for me – the celebration of a ragtag group of Americans, under the rule of King George III, who took it upon themselves (the arrogance of them) to say “We wish to make the following declarations”. If you really look at the Declaration of Independence, beyond the preamble, you will find that it is a basic statement of complaints. We find that the king did this, or that England did that – 27 of the 32 paragraphs deal with complaints. But what were we really trying to say. Basically = we are old enough to be on our own. Scary thought given the climate of the late 1700’s. But they were willing to sacrifice everything they had = to obtain the simple concept that when decisions are made then everyone should have representation in that decision. The Revolution came on the heels of the Enlightenment period in Europe and, believe me I teach how terrified each of the monarchs was because of what was going on in “those Colonies”.
Think about it – those 13 colonies flatly said to one of the most powerful nations in the world at that time “we don’t need no stinking king”. Granted the English did not take it all that well, I mean after all they did send ships, and soldiers to “put us in our place”. But sometimes you can destroy the strongest ship by simply removing the smallest pieces.

I have taught American Government for the past 18 years. The past few years I have had the pleasure of teaching Advanced Placement United States Government which allows me the ability to really spend time on “What is America”. But for each class my daily statement is “Popular Sovereignty”. What is it and why is it important in your life?

There are 2 things that people in the United States do not always remember.

First Popular Sovereignty: means that the power of the government lies in the hands of the people. The Government literally can not do anything without the people’s permission. Let’s say that Congress writes a law requiring all of us to shave our heads on Tuesdays. WE THE PEOPLE contact our president and have him veto the bill. But lets say he doesn’t – WE THE PEOPLE still have another option – take the bill to the Supreme Court and say it violates our basic principles of freedom of choice to shave or not. Or lets say we want something – all we have to do is contact our representatives and, with a little pressure, we can usually get it done. If not; we always have the power of the vote………… ah…. The power of the vote.

Second – VOTE!!!!! America you do not realize how powerful that simple act of punching a button, pulling a cord, or yes Florida even punching a hole, has on the life we live today. I preach and preach to my students how important voting it. It is the act of choosing your representative on the local, state and federal level. It is also the ONLY TRUE RIGHT TO PRIVACY you have as Americans. The government can find out 99.9% of what you do with your life, and they can control about 75% of your life through federal regulations BUT…….. they can not regulate, or find out how you voted! Think about the last time you went to vote – you sign it (but it doesn’t say how you voted), you get a ballot (but there is no record of which ballot is yours), and you go into a secluded voting both or slot to mark your ballot. I have never understood people who then walk out and tell the news media how they voted. Why would you discount your one true right to privacy??? No where in the Constitution does it say you have a right to privacy, but you have to believe in your heart that the ACT of VOTING is the one right to privacy that the founding fathers gave you without having to tie it down with regulation and bylaws, and all the government double speak. It is a simple, pure right. VOTE!!!!!

Lord, we have a number of problems in our nation today. Left, right, straight, gay, 1st amendment advocate, anti everything, civil rights civil liberties, the rights of the one outweighing the rights of the many. I think we have lost who and what we are. It’s like we need a NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBERING who, what and why we are. What was it that made us great, that keeps us great, that offers the next generation hope. There are days when I want to go into class and say “Students I can not find one thing I like about our country today”……but then I remember – It was because of men like Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Richard Henry Lee with 52 other brave men that I HAVE a classroom to teach in – THAT I HAVE the right to wake up and say “I Love the United States, but today I may not like it”. THAT I HAVE the right to redress my government without the fear that someone will break down my door and throw me in prison.

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA~~~~~

May GOD and the people of this nation

take a moment to look around and smile……

to say – thank you forefathers – ya done good.

Here’s to the neighborhood parade, hamburgers,

hot dogs, potato salad and watermelon.

GOD BLESS and Keep the Faith America!!!!!

Remember to take time to pray for our men and women overseas. May they stay safe and return to us soon.

Florence Part I

Today’s blog is Florence (the first of two). You can go back to 2007 and see my writings on previous trips to Florence. I was thinking about what I could put in new that would make Florence more interesting but decided that after 4 trips to Florence it still comes down to the two famous churches in the town and two specific statues that just blow me away.


When you arrive in Florence the first thing that catches your eye is the beauty and calm of the Arno River. But don’t let that fool you – it has on occasion flooded Florence, the last being 1966. There are several bridges or Ponte that cross the river. The most famous is the Ponte Vecchio (old bridge) which was the one remaining bridge that the Germans did not destroy during WWII. The outside of the buildings on the bridge are reminiscent of the Middle Ages but in reality the inside of those building are used for storage from the many shops you find on either side of the river.


One of my many favorite stops is the Loggia Della Signoria – built around the end of the 13th century. It houses many famous statues. The first statue is that of Perseus holding the head of Medusa. It served many purposes – to warn enemies of Florence of what they were capable of doing, and it also served as a symbolic recognition by the Medici family as to their desire to split with the other Italian Republics.

The second statue has a little history to it – Neptune Il Biancone (wasted Marble). Often times the Florentines refer to this statue as the “ugly white thing”. It was built by Bartolomeo Ammannati and the people would say……..
“Ammannato, Ammannato,
quanto marmohai sciupato!
(you've ruined so much of marble!)”
It has suffered much humiliation – being used as a washbasin to being damaged during war. It was restored in 2007 after vandals destroyed part of the arm in 2005.

As a tribute to the Medici family, wealthy patrons of artists, a bronze statue was made of Cosimo De Medici. Cosimo ruled Florence from 1537 (age 17) to 1574. He was crowned the first Grand Duke of Tuscany. He had 14 legitimate children and 3 illegitimate. He was a very strong and powerful ruler.


The fourth statue has a little more history to it. The story was written by Livy and then adapted to sculpture. It is called the Rape of the Sabine Women. But it is important for you to understand that the word Rape back during this time period really meant -the Abduction or kidnapping- of the women. History according to Livy stated that the Roman men needed wives. They asked the Sabine fathers for their daughters. When the fathers refused they arranged a dinner for the Sabine to celebrate the festival of Neptune. Once there the Romans stole or kidnapped the women and forced them into marriage. These women were given rights and were treated very well. As the Sabine fathers decided to go to war with the new Roman husbands it was up to the women to run to the battle field and bring peace between father and son-in-law.
What makes this statue so unique is that it is made of ONE piece of marble. You have to look at it several times to understand the complexity of sculpting marble to make it appear that there are several different people before you. The designer went through 5 different mock ups before he felt comfortable enough to start with the actual marble. I find myself standing in awe at the way he chiseled the marble to make the pieces seem apart and yet bonded by history.

The remaining statues are of famous people in Italian history. This works well in my classroom as the students get to have that “visual” where they can see what the person looks like. We have the traditional people Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and DaVince, Donatello but my favorite Francesco Petrarch.

Francesco was one of the founders of Humanism –a new way of thought during the Renaissance. He has a famous quote that goes something like this: “Nothing weighs less than a pen, and nothing gives as much pleasure”. I require my students to think about the power of the pen, or these days, the power of the keyboard. We can write I hate you and have a horrible effect on people, or in the same matter we can write I love you and have the most profound effect on people. Think about the quote – what is your interpretation????


(Petrarch was found dead July 1374 in his library, his head resting on an open book, his pen fallen from his hand.)

The Island of Capri

Ahh....... the Island of Capri

From Sorrento we traveled to Naples where we caught a ferry ship to Capri. Once in Capri we got on a very small power boat for our cruise around the island. There are spectacular views of the cliffs surrounding Capri as well as the water. If nothing else it was worth it just to see the beautiful clear and I mean clear waters. I hope that you will take the time to click on the pictures so you can get a greater view of the water. As we were traveling the guide pointed out some interesting facts about Capri and the surrounding areas. But I admit I was more taken with the water than anything she was saying so this blog will be short on history… The water is so clear you can see the floresant coral under water.




(for my love affair with water see my blog from last year “Are we of water or land”)

One of the unique views was of a rock formation that the people of Capri have deemed the Virgin Mary. They believe that the rock formations have taken on the image of the Holy Mother and her followers after Christ’s death.


The rock formations here are called the Faragilione – or the Sea Stacks. These are natural formations that have been weathered over millions of years. The one closest to the mainland is called Stella, the next Mezzo, and the most unique of all is called Scopoto. It is impossible to capture the magnitude of these rocks in picture. You have to be there to truly appreciate the beauty and significance of them.
Once our boat ride was over – one moment – I forgot to tell you that there are so many boats out there making waves that during one eventful period I was drenched by a wake from another boat. So much for looking nice in Capri= I had to suffer with “wet butt” syndrome. Thank goodness it was sunny and hot and I dried quickly.
Ok – so we were on our way to Capri – you have to take a tram up the cliffs to Capri. Once there you walk to the most expensive sections of Capri only to end in one of the most beautiful garden areas I have seen in Italy. These are called the gardens of Emperor Augustus. After taking pictures we were led over to the side of the cliff where you could take pictures of the Marina Piccola below.

Again breathe taking views.

Capri is a beautiful island and I hope that someday you will have an opportunity to see the clear blue waters and the fantastic natural rock formations.

Sorrento, Italy

What a beautiful place to get refreshed.........
On our way to Capri we stopped off and spent the night in Sorrento. The City overlooks the Bay of Naples, Mt. Vesuvius, and Capri. There is a very very scarry drive to get to Sorrento. It is called Amalfi Drive. As you can see from the pictures Sorrento is beautiful, and what a wonderful way for the kids to relax, swim in the Tyrrhenian Sea (part of the Mediterranean Sea) and catch our breathes before heading off to Capri the next day.






Our hotel is at the base of the cliff on the left side.
First stop after dinner - the water...........
This is the view from several of the hotel rooms.

Sunset - my favorite time. A time to relax, a time to reflect, a time to become one with life.
We move 900 miles a hour through life, there is so much to see, so much to do, and yet we rarely can find the time needed to slow down and ask ourselves - What did I just do, or What did I just see???



Sunsets.............my time to be

Today's Lesson St. Francis of Assisi

Today’s lesson is over St. Francis – oops I forgot this is not my on-line class… but I believe that every time we have a chance we should Teach as well as opine.
So……… St. Francis founder of the Franciscan Order. He started questioning faith, and eternity after having been captured and tortured for a year during war. After a night of heavy prayer and confusion he heard a voice call him to:
“Go Francis, and repair my house which you see is falling into ruin”.
At first Francis thought that to mean the physical church but later understood it to be the spiritual church that was facing so much corruption and lack of spiritual leadership.
His father did not accept Francis’s desire to give to the poor and had him taken bound and beaten and placed in a closet - where he was later freed by his mother.
“Having therefore been taken before the biship, Francis stripped himself of the very clothes he wore, and gave them to his father, saying:

"Hitherto I have called you my father on earth; henceforth I desire to say only "Oour Father who art in Heaven"

" Then and there, were solemnized the Gospel of the day told how the disciples of Christ were to possess neither gold nor silver, nor scrip for their journey, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor a staff, and that they were to exhort sinners to repentance and announce the Kingdom of God. Francis took these words as if spoken directly to him, and so soon as Mass was over threw away the poor fragment left him of the world's goods, his shoes, cloak, pilgrim staff, and empty wallet. At last he had found his vocation. Having obtained a coarse woolen tunic of "beast colour", the dress then worn by the poorest Umbrian peasants, and tied it round him with a knotted rope, Francis went forth at once exhorting the people of the country-side to penance, brotherly love, and peace."

This was an 11th century church that we were told was closed, but later when Stephen and Adriane went up they found it open and snuck in to take some beautiful pictures.

During the Lent of 1212, Clare, a young heiress of Assisi, sought him out, and begged to be allowed to embrace the new manner of life he had founded. Clare at age eighteen, secretly left her father's house and went to the Porziuncola, where the Friars met her in procession. Then Francis, having cut off her hair, clothed her in the Minorite habit and thus received her to a life of poverty penance and seclusion. Clare stayed provisionally with some Benedictine nuns near Assisi . There is still today a small convent that works out of the Chapel of Sta. Clare – they remain sequestered from the outside world and serve in prayer and devotion.

When you walk into Assisi there are several archways each indicating a century. The first is the 11th century. All the houses and buildings in that section are the same way they were in the 11th century. You can do anything you want to the inside – internet, plasma TV – but the outside must never be changed.

This is the view from our Hotel room window...... absolutely breath taking views. It was truly spiritual even for those of us that are not Catholic.

(Quotes for today's lesson came from the Catholic Encyclopedia)

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Leaning tower of Pisa, fact or fiction???
Well of course the tower is leaning – it’s either that or we are all daft in the head. But how much is it leaning and will it ever drop?? Well those are the questions we leave to the experts -which by the way say at the current rate it will not really drop until 2110 or something like that – so for today it was a safe trip to take.
As you know from my other blog I was concerned that Italy might be to boring for me after so many trips, and I was searching for something more – well I found it in several unlikely places – the first being Pisa, which I will write about today, Assisi which comes tomorrow, and Sorrento which will round out the week.
Pisa was an “optional” tour which is a kind way of saying it cost extra – and there was a time when I really debated on whether or not I wanted to spend extra money to see a leaning tower. WELL……… was I ever glad that I went. You see Pisa is a lot more than just a leaning tower. There is the baptistery, the cathedral and the amazing love the people have for their town and their special place they believe has been blessed. Our guide could not be more passionate about “his” town and the beauty and history it places in the world. After all it has been written and discussed that it was Here that Galileo made his discovery that objects fall at the same speed

When you go to Pisa the first place you have to go to is the Baptistery. It was the belief that you could not enter the church until you were “Cleansed or baptized” so they built the Baptistery- you were baptized then went into the cathedral. The Baptistery is an eight-sided shape building. The most unique thing about the building, and the one thing that absolutely caused the hair on my arm to stand up, was when this young man came in and made a single note sound, as it traveled around the room he then added another vocal note an octave higher then another and the echo was so defined that within seconds he was harmonizing with himself. It was absolutely amazing. Something I could have sat and listened to for hours.

Pisa is a beautiful little town with only three credits to its fame. A place to be baptized, a place to worship, and a bell tower that is leaning. But to the people of Pisa it is their gift to, and from, God. It is a special blessing that thanks to the people of Pisa we get to share.......

ROME AT NIGHT

This year marks my 4th trip to Europe with students and parents. It is also my 4th trip to Rome and while many of you dream of someday going to Rome, I was concerned that something so beautiful and historic might simply become “just another ruin”. So I prayed that I might find something “new” something that would peak my interest and believe me I found it. ROME AT NIGHT………… We live in a world that although we see in dimensions, is often so routine that we forget to really look at life in a different perspective. As I said I have seen Rome from really just one perspective, the daylight when all the imperfections, age, and rush of the city can be seen. So to see it at night, with the lights flooding the area to enhance the shadows, the beauty of the architects design was a great find. Our tour guide Arnaldo decided on the tour as a last minute event. We had to get permission from the bus company, had to authorize our driver to get overtime, (and to use the extra fuel) and each of us had to put in 15 Euros (about $25.00) and agree to a very late 3 hour trip. But when would we ever get another chance to see Rome at night.
Our driver Dino was fantastic. He risked life and limb (ok – bus and tickets) to drive as slowly as he could around all the landmarks – the occasional honk from an irate Italian would spur us to move on – but there were a few times when I felt the bus “pause” long enough for us to try to take some pictures. We also saw places that were not on the regular tour – like the Presidents residence etc. I have included in this blog the two views of several of the sights I hope that you will take some time and look at the “Day and Night” views. More blogs about our trip are coming so stay tuned.
IF YOU CLICK ON A PICTURE IT GOES FULL SCREEN SO YOU CAN SEE IT BETTER.







St. Peter's Basilica

T

Trevi Fountain

The Colosseum

Dads,
DNA, and
Baseball


Christmas, Anniversary and birthday all rolled into one - you guessed it - it is TIME FOR BASEBALL~~~~~~~
Am I in hog heaven or what. For the past few weeks baseball has been more like freezeball. Never has my face been so cold or my rear end so frozen, but today...........ah today........ the sun was out, the heat was on (87 degrees), and there I sat with my sunflower seeds and water..
(If you are not quite understanding why my zeal for baseball, click on the right hand side under archives for 2007, then go to July 31, 2007 to see the love of baseball.)

I have often wondered if maybe the scientists stopped to early when they discovered the DNA module, and now the markers on those DNA strands because I believe that they just might have missed the most important stand of all - those particular loves that come from your parents. After all why would I be obsessed with crossword puzzles, or love sports, or love baseball. My love of words comes from my mother, my love of sports comes from my father. Baseball has become my therapy.

My father was the typical great dad; he loved baseball, he even was that Little League coach that when all the other fathers were to busy, my dad stepped up and coached for many years. I think that is why my brother has carried the torch and coaches for his sons, and maybe (again I believe it is in the DNA) his sons -or his daughter- will carry on the torch and coach the next generations.

I have to tell you a funny story about my mom, as many of you know she recently passed away from Alzheimer's, but her humor never left. Even as it was getting worse, she would call and say how she loved baseball because she could forget she was watching it, sleep and when she woke up it would still be on TV and the score would be just about the same....... ha ha ha

Baseball has a fluidity - a flow - I know I mention water a lot and the peace that comes from a still lake or pond - the almost glassy look of perfect quiet. Sometimes when a pitcher throws the ball there is that moment of stillness when the body is in perfect form and flow. The silence of the ball as it leaves the hand, the motion of the spin, the sound as it hits the catchers glove and the roar of the umpire "s t r i k e 3"........

Baseball is suppose to be slow, it was designed as a summer afternoon event that you brought your family to watch as you sat out on the lawn and had a picnic. It was never intended to be a billion dollar business where players take enhancing drugs and get paid mega millions. As I watch so much of the dirty muck that goes on day after day about who is dirty and who is clean I find myself wanting to slap them silly and say "enough" no more salary, no outrageous ticket costs, lay a blanket down, eat fried chicken and bring on the the guys that play because they LOVE the game.

I wonder if what I am really saying is "bring back the family"...........

This season my "happiness cup" runeth over........... I have two teams that I am watching with particular enjoyment. I have 2 families. My natural family - Nephew Josh playing for Creighton Prep in Omaha,

and my school players: Denton, Bobby, Byron, Sean, Josh, and Logan.

Each of these young men bring that innocence to baseball, that fun element, as baseball should be. they are the excitement of what the future of baseball can and should be.

So here's to both teams - may they win their state championships, may they NEVER loose the love for the game, and may they always remember:

" We flow like water, there may be twigs to block our flow,

but it is what is under the top ripple of water that

defines the strength and direction of the river."