Test review....

So today I learned that I desperately need to study.... Just kidding, no but really... Well basically I need to brush up on china, because I mix up everything. I always mess up dynasties and emperors. I'm pretty solid on religion, especially Islam.... Hmmmmmm... I wonder why.... But I also know Buddhism very well. The major things I mess up on are political structures, and all the different systems the rulers put out during their reign. I also need to brush up on everything to do with Rome. Well maybe not everything, but mostly everything. Other than that I think I'm good...

The Benedict's Rule, Monastaries, and more fun stuff!

Monasteries that kept Benedict's Rule could be useful in many way. Firstof all, people were very obedient in those monasteries. They kept strict, acetic lifestyles, and basically deprived of fun. One of the rules clearly state that laughing is frowned upon. So although all these people are basically lifeless, they have a sense of fear that keeps them from rebelling,or going against the Christ. Obedience is a major rule of the monastaries. They have to obey the will of god, and they also have to obey their elders. Having this feeling of being lower than someone makes you scared of them, which again, in turn makes you follow them, and not rebel. The Rule tells us that people back then were really afraid of going to he'll. People were so much more religious. Theybhad faith in God, but the ultimately believed that they were bad people. Theynfelt the need to repent, and live aceiticly in order to please god. Rule number 12 states not to seek after delicate living.this pretty much justbsays to have a plain, simple life, and god will love you. People were not very joyous at that time. They were encouraged to talk. At a minimal level, and laughing was basically forbidden.

Hindi poems

I actually enjoyed these poems. I liked the structure of each poem, and I feel like they flowed really well. I like the topics of each poem. I really liked the last one where they compared everything to God, symbolizing that God is everywhere. I think these poems represent India quite well. These contents of each poem, such as the curds, the Gods, and the plums. All these different things are very prevalent in India.

Poetry of the Tang and Song Dynasties

I'm a huge fan of poetry and I actually sort of liked the poems. At first I thought the poems would be so obscure that I wouldn't underhand anything. But, the common themes of the poems were alchohol and love. They pretty easy to follow, and the topics were quite universal. The poems of the Tang dynasty were much more formal, and followed a much stricter format. The poems of the Song dynasty, on the other hand, flowed much better,and they had a certain rhythm to them. I don't think the poems reflect the dynasties well. First off, they wrote about love and alcohol, and even though liquer was common to all societies, it wasn't the most importan aspect. They never wrote about agriculture of war, or anything like that. They focused on what other people would find interesting, not what they're society was for. But, I do think poetry can reflect a society. It is very possible for poets to write about their surroundings, and their daily life. They are fully able to write about war and even agriculture.

The expansion of Islam

Here's my link!

http://www.showme.com/sh/?i=92118

Watch it, it's great!

Vladimir and Constantines conversion to Christianity

Prince Vladimir was a drunk. He had over eight hundred concubines, and he was also a pagan. You can say that it was a huge shock when he converted to Christianity. With his conversion, came the conversion of his people. That was the power he had. Many Russians followed his lead and converted. In this way, Constantine was similar. But the way he found Christianity was different. It was said that he saw a flaming cross in the night sky, and that made him convert. Others say that his, shall we say aggressive, wife forced him into converting. Whatever the case was, he made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire, and it spread very quickly. Those who were forced to practice in secret were allowed to be open with their spirituality.

Byzintine architecture

A common theme among the different photographs I saw were, arcs, domes, and pointed tops. Most of the monasteries contained all three or two of the three. These were used mainly for decoration, because they made the buildings looks much better. These different shapes added dimensions and angles to the buildings, making them more interesting. I also saw a lot of large rectanguar buildings, and I think those affected Americans the most. Most sky scrapers are just large rectangular boxes, because they are the simplest and allow the most room. They are very apparent in big cities, where room is limited, and they need to fit a lot. So you cam say that these shapes are used primarily for function instead of design.

So much gold!!

If these documents had anything in common, it would be the mention of gold, and a lot of it at that. Documents one, two and three all talk of the magnificence of Constantinople and how it was such a wealthy city. Document two, written by Robert of Clari, states that it had two thirds of the wealth of the world. I doubt that Constantinople was that rich, but I do believe it was wealthy. It had to have enough to make a huge impact on all these people. The first three documents also talk of the games of Constantinople. Document one, written by Benjamin of Tudela, goes into detail. He talks of the different animals how they go into combat with one another. Again, I agree that the games were probably very lage, but I do not think that the animals were as grand as they say they were or fought in the manner that was stated. I do not thi that document four was very credible. It was a map of Constantinople. It showed water flowing in between the cities, and in vast amounts. It also showed buildings going straight up. It was very unrealistic and was probably drawn to catch the eyes of outsiders. On the other hand, I believe document five was very credible. It was a picture of the interior of Saint Sophia. I was sort of confused, because it showed pillars, and had a very Arabic style to it. There were also signs that said Muhammad and Allah in Arabic hanging on the walls. I thought it was a mosque. Document six is written by George Acropolites. He narrates the arrival of the emperor and talsk of how grand and magnificent it was. He tells of golden gates. He recalls how people shouted out prayers. I think this is pretty reliable, because people would make a huge deal if an emperor came home. They would give him a very warm welcome and give him the best. The last document was about the extraordinary privileges of the venetian. It describes their wealth and power. I would think that this would be accurate, because the venetians probably were very wealthy.

Silk road map project

One thing that went with me and sam was equally dividing the work. We worked perfectly well together and split the work evenly. Secondly, finding the information was pretty easy. Most of the info was in the book so it wasn't that hard to find. Lastly, we collaborated our work very efficiently. One thing that didn't go well with me and sam was time management. We didn't get much work done in class, and because of the power outage we weren't able to work on it over the weekend. Secondly, our map shape was really bad. I can't draw, and neither can Sam, so it came out elongated. Lastly, our lines are a little messy on our map. The most difficult part of the project was actually drawing the map. The information part wasn't hard, the drawing part was so difficult though. Collaboration with Sam was great. We work perfectly together and no one does more work than the other. If I could do it again, I would redraw the map, because it looks really bad.

The morals of leaders

Most of the leaders stress the concept of good and bad, but is most prominent in Zarastrianism. Zorothustra believed that there was a certain right and wrong, and based on that you would either be punished or rewarded. He believed everything derived from opposites, and they all led back to good and evil. Jesus was similar in his beliefs, but on a less extreme side. He didn't believe in hating your enemies, rather forgiving them, and treating them well. He beleived that if you did that then you would be rewarded. Good and bad are also seen with Confucius and Socrates. Daoism and Buddhism are more involved with equality and moderation. There shouldn't be excess of anything, or the opposite. Hinduism is similar, but it focuses mainly on knowing your place in life, and doing everything you can to fulfill that goal without having emotional attachments. An after life is apparent in some of these religions, so in order to reach heaven, one must be good, and faithful. The leaders who beleived this include Jesus and Zarathustra. Buddhism, Hinduism and Socrates believed in reincarnation.

Why an empire??

I think that empires form to create balance in government. For example, china was in war for many years, and it was Qin dynasty that brought them together. Empires also form to expand. In India, the Maurya dynasty expanded to include all of India from the Himalayas to the Deccan plateu. This brought unityy to all those areas. Unity is important, because it gains power for the leader, and creates a stronger nation. With a stronger nation, an empire is able to conquer other people to expand their kingdom.

Wikipedia vs. Text book

Overall, I prefer the textbook to wikipedia. Although Wikipedia has more information, sometimes that information is not relevant and sometimes it's not even correct. The book has the most important information, split into categories that are easy to follow. In wikiperdia, there is just so much that it is difficult to pick out the information that is necessary. In the book, there are specific headings that will allow you to be certain where to look. I would prefer using the book in class than Wikipedia. I just think it would make learning so much easier and quicker.

Indian, Chinese, and Persian religious views

The Bhagavad Gita stresses the mans place. Each man from different castes should know their place and their duties. It also says that man should not seek worldly pleasure. It states that people should fulfill their goal in life so that they can reach heaven. Zoroastrianism beliefs are quite the opposite. Zarathustra considered the world a blessing and encouraged his believers to engage in pleasurable acts. This was tolerated if the people acted honestly to their peers. This was sort of similar to Confucian ideals. Confucianism believed in ren, which was being courteous and respectful. But Confucianism also had balance. So basically, the Bhagavad Gita was the strictest of three, with Zoroastrianism being the most lenient.

What makes a good blog post?

A well written blog post consists of many things. Grammar is important, but not a huge factor. Minor spelling and grammatical errors shouldn't detracts points, but if a sentence makes no sense, then you can't grade it properly. A blog post should be graded on quality not quantity. It shouldn't matter how long it is, just as long as the point is made and supported with enough detail. A student should only receive a zero if he or she did not do the homework. The blog post should be graded as follows; a three should be well done. All the information is relevant and there. The point is clear and easy to follow. A two should be average. There is information, but not an enough. The point is there, but may not be supported, or easy to follow. Lastly a one should be below average. The point isn't clear at all, there is little to no support, and the blog rambles on and on about nothing. A student shouldn't always have to respond to another blog post, it should be optional. If they agree with someone else's idea or completely disagrees with it. They can share their ideas hat way as well.

It's not my fault they don't trust me...

Book I. 22          The Master said, “I do not see how a man can be acceptable who is untrustworthy in word?  When a pin is missing in the yoke bar of a large cart or the collar bar of a small cart, how can the cart be expected to go?”

         I honestly believe that trust is a huge issue in American politics. When a political leader does something wrong, for example, a sex scandal, the American people loose faith in them. People in politics are supposed to set an example, and we are supposed to look up to them, but if we don't trust them, then how do they expect us to follow them? We elect a leader because we trust them to take care of us, and enforce our rights. Without trust , that is not possible. The second part of the quote explains that if a small part is missing, than how can the whole thing function. This small part is trust, and if that is missing, than that person is not fit to be a leader.

Alexander the Great

Alexander was without a doubt a great leader. He was charismatic, and led his troops to defeating the Persians. But, he was also a drunk. Him being drunk was what led to his death. Alexander seemed to be sort of self-centered, he named about 70 cities Alexandria, after himself. He was obsessed with expanding his empire, and it would have been bigger, had he not died at a young age. His kingdom reached all the way out to India, and the only reason it didn't go farther was because his troops refused. They were tired and wanted to go home, but Alexander didn't care. He was also pretty cruel. He burnt down the city of Persepolis for no apparent reason. He though it would be revenge and teach the Persians a lesson. Because of that, hundreds of lives were lost. So, in terms of leadership, yeah Alexander was good.But when it came to morals and character, he was greatly lacking.