Thursday, September 22, 2011
Brunelleschi's Dome
Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, also known as Duomo is the largest stone dome ever built. It was built by Filippo Brunelleschi, a genius in architecture during the renaissance. He accomplished what many thought was impossible.
In 1296, The Florentines began to build a cathedral, designing it with space for a huge dome but they later realized that no one could create a dome this size because it was practically impossible.
As Brunelleschi began work on the dome people often considered him as crazy or insane because people believed that his bold ideas would either kill all of his workers in the process or the dome would just collapse. They began construction in the 12th century, and main construction ended in the early 14th century.
Brunelleschi's solutions for the dome were original, groundbreaking and costly. But even today Brunelleschi's Dome is the tallest building in Florence, over 600 years after it was built.
I chose this work of art because I’m just amazed at how brilliant Filippo was. His ideas inspired future architects and were complete new concepts for the renaissance; some say that the dome marked the beginning of the renaissance era. I personally admire him for his unique style and intelligence. Because of his amazing ideas, he constructed something impossible for that time and thus marked a new beginning of architecture.
• To get to the top you have to go up 463 steps
Sources:
"How Many Steps Are There in Florence’s Duomo?" TuscanyArts TuscanyArts." Turismo E Vacanze in Toscana: Sito Ufficiale Della Regione Toscana. Web. 22 Sept. 2011. http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/allthingstuscany/tuscanyarts/how-many-steps-florence-brunelleschi-duomo/
Florence Cathedral - Brunelleschi's Dome. Web. 22 Sept. 2011.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Villager.
I still remember that day, the day when all of our lives changed forever. Even now with my life draning out of me I can clearly recall sitting on the porch of the house that I had just built with my own hands, my own house.That winter day was surprisingly warm and sunny. The village children were all happily playing outside. When suddenly I heard people screaming.--“Oh god! They are here” was what everyone was saying. “The legends were true” panic was rising upon the village. I was really confused. What is happening? What is all this fuss about? I tried to stop a few people and ask what’s wrong but I was ignored, they were all rushing somewhere.
I decided to follow and see what the huge crowd ahead of me was looking at. I tried to get through, to at least take a peak when I saw them….
I felt sick to my stomach, I looked down again, a huge army with a complete ensemble of a helmets, shields, chainmail shirts, swords, and axes was approaching the mountain where our village sad atop. They weren’t the normal soldiers that sometimes wandered into our vast woods which are isolated from the rest of Spain. They were huge men who looked ruthless, but in a more barbaric way.
People started running in terror, trying to get away. But it was useless there was only one way out from our village and that’s right towards these barbarians.
Everything else was a blur; I tried to get to my family, while all around me people were being slaughtered. I was climbing a rock when suddenly my hand slipped and everything went black.
I woke up in a cave, tried to get out but a huge rock that fell along with me blocked the way out.
I have been sitting here ever since, for 6 days without any food and just a flagon of water. I feel like a fool, instead of dying an honorable death defending my family, I’m stuck in this ridiculous situation. By now I have no hope that anyone in the village is alive. I’ve heard the screams, the pain and the tortures. It was devastating to listen to it all without being able to help.
My family, my wife who I loved more than life itself and my daughter were probably all brutally murdered.
I decided to write it all down, to leave something behind because I don’t think I’ll make it any further.
People have to know what happened.
I don’t want to be forgotten
Monday, September 12, 2011
9/11
How can certain people be so cruel and cold-hearted that they would kill thousands of innocent people? People that just woke up on a normal day and went to work. Doctors, teachers, businessmen, children, wives. No one was spared on the bright and sunny morning of September 11, 2001.
19 terrorists took over four airplanes. Two of the planes loaded passengers were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York. The buildings burst into flame and then collapsed, killing thousands. The third plane smashed into the Pentagon. The fourth airplane was apparently supposed to hit another target in the Washington D.C, but passengers on the plane realized what was happening and fought back. This airplane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
This devastating event which killed three thousand people had both a positive and a negative effect. It certainly was a horrific and tragic incident, and the lives that were taken away will never return but it also changed the way the world organized their airlines and security in general. These security procedures have actually prevented other terroristic attempts and therefore saved many more lives around the globe.
Have the Muslim-Christian relationships improved in these 10 years? I would say yes, they had gradually improved. Some of the Muslim leaders spoke out against terrorism and they have been making efforts to get along.
What I find even more horrific is that right after 9/11 America attacks Iraq and Afghanistan and with that killing 6 thousand American troops and many more local civilians! That’s double the amount of people who died during the 9/11. Instead of trying to recover and rebuilt the country they spent 1.2 trillion dollars on the attacks. “These are unforgivable wastes of lives and money.”
For some 9/11 was a life changing experience, they realized how precious life is and that we should cherish every moment. For others it was the time of grief for the lost lives. And some decided that what they needed is revenge…..
No matter what happens though 9/11 will never be forgotten, and the people who tragically died will always be in our hearts.
A survivor said: “When my kids asked me to go to an activity, I usually said no, because I had to work, even in the evenings and on weekends,” he said. “Now, I’m wherever my kids need me to be. That’s what’s important. God sent me a message that day. It was time to be less concerned with materialism and take time to study, learn, and perform mitzvas. There is darkness in the world, but if you add a little light, the darkness will run away. And I realize nothing was a coincidence on 9/11. It was the hand of God.”
Reference : http://njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/070308/moSurvivorOf911.html
Encyclopedia Encarta
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2011-09-08/Column-911-lessons-learned-and-still-not-learned/50327092/1
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Do you agree that the Middle Ages should be referred to as the Dark Ages?
I strongly agree that The Middle Ages should be referred to
as dark ages because these thousand years were the most brutal and barbaric
times in history of mankind. Science, Arts and technology weren’t developing.
People were too afraid for their lives, their only concern was to stay alive
and have enough food to feed their families and not develop new things and
ideas. They were not properly educated, they were all ignorant. The church controlled
everything and everyone. “The Middle Ages were the golden age of torture
techniques and devices that inflicted horrible pain.” People were falsely
accused of various crimes, but were made to commit to them due to the different
torture methods that were invented during these times. Diseases were also
common, millions of people died from them. If it weren’t for the Dark ages
humankind would have been more advanced and developed in terms of technology
and science.
Quote used : http://www.oddee.com/item_96596.aspx