Christmas Wishes

                I remember past Christmas’ in which approximately 20 family members who celebrated together. Now we are so few, two or three at a time. Celebrating two Thanksgivings with four people  and then five people, back to back.  That was this year, but there have been years when it was just the two of us. Nice times but not the large gatherings of the past. What has happened to our family gatherings and our need to spend time together?  Smaller gatherings seem to the trend.  We need to hold onto the special moments.

                Family does not only mean our biological family any more. Often our closest friends are more like our family than our biological family. Stressful and hurried times create stress among families. Too much to do in so little time. The advanced technology has not lighten our burdens, it has seemed to add more on our already full plates. Sometimes we are guilty of placing too much importance on what we need to do such as chores than maintaining and sustaining healthy relationships. We need to take the time to let the people in our lives know how important they are to us. I know I am guilty of placing too much importance on tasks them people at times. We have become more of a task oriented and thing oriented society and we lost touch with the warmth and love we can experience from being close to people. I have a lot of wishes I would like fulfilled in 2016.

                I wish that we can become closer to our loved ones and friends and that we will make it a priority  to build happier and healthier relationships. Hand held devices cannot replace a hug. Seeing a warm smile can provide the heartfelt feeling on a cold winter day, nothing better than warm snuggles from friends and family.  An earlier study revealed that we need so many hugs to get over anything traumatic in our lives. Hugs are very healing.

                I wish that we would all let go of our resentments towards one another and see the beauty and depth that exists with all of us. Forgiveness is done for us and not for the other person who harmed us. Holding resentments is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to become sick. We need to forgive. It doesn’t mean that we have to have that person in our life. It means accepting the harmful situation for what it was and letting go of the harm that situation caused us.

                I wish all of us would reach out and volunteer in our communities. The best way to feel good about ourselves is by helping others. I feel very rewarded when I help others even if those others are animals. A tail wag and purring is very therapeutic. We all have a few hours to spare to help others. There are many ways to do so from volunteering at a soup kitchen, walking dogs at the animal shelter to cleaning a section of road. We need to get out there and see how we can be part of the solution.

                I wish all of us would take care of ourselves physically, spiritually, emotionally and intellectually. We are all important and we need to treat ourselves as such. If one of the above areas is off, we are off. We need to take the time to meditate and pray, to eat right with healthy foods, to exercise on a regular basis and treat our minds like they are gardens needing to be fertilized and nurtured. We are very important.

                I want to leave you with a poem to set the stage for the holidays.

A Special Time

Judy Schwab

Shopping lists,                                                                   Memories shared,

                Kitchen smells,                                                                  a quiet tear,

Children singing,                                                               Some are gone,

                Jingle Bells—                                                                      still wanted here—

Colored lights,                                                                   A time of Peace,

                Falling snow,                                                                      and hope renewed,

Fireplace,                                                                            Our fellow man,

                With amber glow--                                                          with love imbued—

Trees adorned,                                                                 A host of things,

                A holly bough,                                                                   so many more,

Parties, friends,                                                                To answer then,

                Blessings now--                                                                 what’s Christmas for?

Be a Master of Your Time

-----Time-management strategies for entrepreneurs

Self-professed “No B.S.” entrepreneur and author Dan Kennedy takes a hardnosed approach to time management in his book No B.S.: Time Management for Entrepreneurs (Entrepreneur Press, 2044). He says despite your description, no one works an eight-hour workday. Why? “Not a soul on the planet gets in eight productive hours a day.” The culprits are so-called “time vampires,” meetings, interruptions and lack of discipline. Kennedy offers these strategies for increasing your productivity and maintaining your sanity:

1.      If you don’t know what your time is worth, you can’t expect the world to know it either. Just like an attorney, think of your time as billable. For every minute you waste, think of the money you also wasted.

2.      Time vampires will suck as much blood out of you as you permit. A typical time vampire is Mr. “I just have a quick question,” who drops by several times a day. Kennedy says to imagine him like a vampire sucking out a pint or two of blood each time. By he end of the day, you’re drained.

3.      If they can’t find you, they can’t interrupt you. The average business owner is interrupted once every eight minutes. That adds up to a lot of lost minutes. Kennedy suggests setting aside “do not disturb” times at work, with a closed door and a phone- and email-off policy.

4.      Punctuality provides personal power. Kennedy says you cannot reasonably hope to have others treat your time with respect if you show little or no respect for theirs. So, do what you gotta do,  and be on time.

Source: Success ] From Home. Volume 10 – Issue 4, April 2014.

Sidenote: I am a busy women who writes, has published books, is a professor, wife, grandmother and mother and volunteers at a local animal shelter. Managing time has to be a priority. Hopefully, you find this information interesting and helpful.

Sole Survivor

I attended a presentation provided at the Sault Locks Visitors Center. Dennis Hale was the sole survivor of the SS Daniel J. Morrell on a cold blustery stormy night off the thumb of Michigan. Winds exceeded 70 miles per hour with swells of over 25 feet. It started out as a normal trip, nothing out of the ordinary. Dennis almost missed the ship. The second time he had to board the ship at a different port. Making the last run of the season was its sister ship the Edward Y. Townsend. During the early morning the captain of the Townsend decided to pursue safety from the storm in the St. Mary's River heading for the protection of Thunder Bay. The Morrell was left alone in the waters off the north shore of Pointe Aux Barques, Michigan.

At 2:00 a.m. the Morrell started sending out its screams with the banging of metal as the ship was being torn apart by the swells of wind and waves. Many of the men jumped to their deaths in the 34 degree waters of Lake Huron. Dennis was clothed in a pea coat, boxer shorts and a life jacket. His life jacket served as a prop during this presentation. First the attendees of this presentation were shown a video of the ship as it rested at the bottom of the lake. Dennis Hale's cabin was shown along with the rest of the back portion of the ship. The ship was broken in half during its assault on that stormy eve of November 29th, 1966. The ship housed fish who saught its protection.

The length of the ship was 580 feet, a beam of 58 feet, height of 27 feet and was operated by the Cambria Steamship Company, a Bethlehem Transportation Company Mgrs. subsidiary. The ship was a bulk freighter like the many ships that sail through the Sault Locks. There were 29 crew members, with only one surviving the trip.

The crew was called on board by the load crashes.  By 2:15a.m. the ship was ripped in half. Because things were happening so quickly, an SOS was not sent.  The remaining crew men boarded a raft at that forward section of the vessel.  While they were waiting for that portion of the ship to sink, there were shouts that a ship was spotted off the port bow.  It was soon discovered that the ship they thought they spotted was the aft of the ship they were on.  This portion was barreling towards them under the power of the ship’s engines.  The two section collided, and the back end of the ship kept traveling at a fast pace off into the darkness.  It was reported as looking like a wounded beast with its head shot off.

Dennis reported that it took him 24 years to talk about this incident.  When he finally spoke of what happened that stormy night, he felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders.  He boarded a raft with three other crew members.  While they drifted he was under the impression that the other crew members were off on other rafts behind them in the darkness.  As they clung for their lives battling waves of up to 35 feet, one by one the three crew members lost their lives.  Mostly due to lung problems, and the frozen temperatures.  John Cleary was one of these crew members. 

He asked Dennis to tell his wife he loved her.  Dennis reports being in a lot of pain as he laid against two metal devices that were ridged into his back and hip.  When he was saved he told the medics that he had broken bones because he was in so much pain. 

He began shooting off flairs to no avail.  After hours he welcomed death.  He finally heard the sounds of a helicopter above him.  As far as I understand he was hung up on the shore of Lake Huron.  He has written a book about this experience A Sole Survivor. 

During this approximately 38 hour ordeal, Dennis received messages from what he thought was real.  He was told not to eat the ice from his jacket because it would freeze him from the inside out.  He followed these orders.  Dennis visited a meadow with flowers.  He also suffered from a loss in faith. 

Dennis showed a video of his trip on a ship called the Roger Blough.  He vowed and stuck to this vow for many years that he would never step foot on another ship.  A short time ago some of his friends joined him on this cruise and a song writer joined them and wrote a song about it.  The presentation ended in some humorous things written about that excursion. 

Volunteer with Animals

Volunteering with animals is a rewarding experience. These opportunities range from working at a local shelter to fostering an animal until a permanent home is found for them. Some pets can be trained to be volunteers themselves as is the case with therapy animals. This is a particularly rewarding volunteer opportunity since it often means both the pet owner and the animal do the charitable work together. An individual may find that assisting with the care of shelter animals is one way to make great use of their time. The time spent taking care of those animals by feeding them, walking them, and playing with them is most certainly as beneficial to the volunteer as it is to the animal receiving the attention. Often, shelters are thought of as a sad, final home for an unwanted animal that has no hope of escaping being euthanized. Although, many people find that shelters are the best places to find a new pet.

As a volunteer at a local shelter, an individual can help ensure the animals there get the best care they possibly can as they await the day their new owner comes to claim them. In some cases, a shelter volunteer may find themselves falling in love with a certain special cat or dog. They, themselves, adopt the animal and begin a lifelong friendship with a bond that is truly special. The best way to find opportunities to volunteer at a shelter is to simply visit one or more in a local area. It is easy to inquire as to the availability of volunteer positions. While it may be possible to find part-time paying positions, most all shelters can use all the free help offered to them. If a person has a full schedule between work and family already, or if the shelter has all the help it currently needs, there are still ways to help out the animals at local shelters. Donating canned foods, pet supplies or toys can be a huge help to just about any local animal shelter. So, even if an individual has limited free time to care for animals at a local shelter, there is still a way for that person to easily do as much good as they possibly can even in the smallest gesture. In addition to traditional shelters, there are also animal rescue organizations that often need as much volunteer help as they can possibly get, too.

Emergency Rescue organizations often take animals that are about to be put to sleep in traditional shelters and place them in foster homes led by caring volunteers. These foster homes are usually temporary places for the animal to stay until the emergency rescue organization can find someone to adopt them into a permanent, safe, loving and happy home. As with shelters, it is not necessary to volunteer hours at a time to do a great deal of good for a rescue organization. Rescue organizations thrive on donations in the form of pet food as well as money. It is easy to find these kinds of places by searching online. Sometimes, the next great family pet is a few states away. Or, sometimes volunteering to help comes in the form of helping a rescue with website tasks including sending out routine emails for foster homes or asking for donations for pet vaccinations or expensive medical treatments. For some people, just knowing that they are helping to save an animal’s life is about the most rewarding form of volunteer work they can do. For anyone who wishes to have a hands-on experience caring for shelter or rescue animals, there are plenty of volunteer job openings to be had at any time of the year.

Again, it helps to check with local shelters, and to visit them in person to get an idea of just where the greatest help can be made use of including helping to keep the pet areas clean and filled with love and attention. In the case of rescue organizations, there is the opportunity to become a foster parent and let a home or apartment, if pets are permitted, become a haven for a former shelter pet. A person can do the greatest good knowing they are helping to provide healthy living quarters, food and attention to animals that would otherwise be put down while a permanent family is located for them. Sometimes, the love a foster volunteer gives to an animal makes the difference in that animal’s ability to be as social and loving as possible. This, too, can be a tremendous benefit to the animal, the volunteer, and his or her future, permanent owners.

Some animal volunteers can do good for others by visiting the elderly or the sick with their furry friend. The animal volunteer may, in the case of a dog, need to undergo a degree of training first. Usually, an owner needs to prove to the volunteer therapy pet program that they are able to give appropriate commands to their animal on cue. Of course, the animal would also need to demonstrate their competence in understanding such commands. For example, if a dog is admitted into a therapy program and visits a convalescent home, his owner may need to tell him to ‘Leave it!’ if they suddenly realize the patient is somewhat shy or timid when it comes to being in contact with their new visitor. Dogs are not the only kinds of animals who can answer the vocational call of therapy animal. Cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and even some kinds of birds can all qualify as long as they meet a program’s requirements. Also, the owner or owners must also usually comply with certain levels of behavioral training since it is imperative they maintain proper control over their pet at all times. There are a wide variety of ways to go about volunteering with animals, so it is possible to easily find a way to do something good for a worthwhile cause.

The First Crusades

Knights, soldiers and common folk embarked on one of the bloodiest excursions in the history of this world. After the crusading message spread throughout Western Europe, a much unpredicted reaction occurred amongst the inhabitants. Many were looking for something to upset the humdrum of their everyday lives. Others were tired of the unilateral rule and were seeking an escape from unyielding oppression. And yet others were looking for a little adventure and seeking an escape from the harsh weather of Europe. The crusaders were pursuing a common goal to obtain total control of Jerusalem which cost many their lives, the Christians, Jewish people and Muslims.

Before the Christians began their triumphant crusades, al-Hakim, referred also as Mad Hakim, decided to develop his own army and work separately from the other Islamic sects. His plans were filled with mayhem and bloodshed. He began his vicious attacks on Christians and Jewish people. Even though the Islamic people had control of the “Promise Land,” pilgrims from other religious sects, Christianity and Judaism were welcomed and treated respectfully before al-Hakim took control of Jerusalem. As a result of Hakim’s tyranny and other acts of Islamic aggression, the Islamic people were considered a formidable, pagan force, which needed to be put in their place or obliterated completely.

            Al-Hakim destroyed the church of the Resurrection, the Holy Sepulcher. Christians were being harassed and punished, under restraints and penalties for practicing their Christian religion. He sought to prove a point that the Islamic religion was by far the religion that required the most honor and respect. The Christians were all ordered to wear heavy wooden crosses so they could be readily identified. The Christians and Jewish people were not permitted to join the Islamic people in any of their ceremonies or public services such as the public baths. They were singled out and ridiculed. They were attacked when they traveled to Jerusalem by the Muslims.  

            The Byzantine emperor, Alexius, felt it was prudent to visit the Holy Land to meet with al-Hakim. A cup bearer was sent to retrieve Alexius who was found seated at the entrance to Jerusalem. Al-Hakim wanted Alexius to believe he had no evil intentions. Alexius read al-Hakim’s intentions loud and clear. The meeting went well between the two rulers. Al-Hakim agreed to lighten up concerning his treatment of Christians in exchange for the emperor’s invitation for him to visit freely the fine city of Constantinople. The two rulers drank into the wee hours of the morning as they laughed heartily about the wealth and power they have both amassed over their years of rule. Alexius left Jerusalem feeling he met his match. He was impressed with the ruler.

             

            Pope Urban II sought and desired to obtain an army of well-trained seasoned soldiers and knights to serve in the crusade. To a large degree what he got was everyman’s army, not only the talented knights and foot soldiers that served under warlords, but also an army equipped with poor and wretched but faithful people who wanted to fight for the cause. The ragged mix of common people, who decided to join forces with the soldiers and knights, were straggling behind. Some were walking and others were riding horses. Some of the wives and children tagged along behind the men. A few of the families had wagons that were pulled by horses. Some of the children were crying because they were hungry, tired and scared.

            There were also rogues and crazed men who were released from the depths of imprisonment to provide service. Some of the men were known robbers and murderers. Those seeking pilgrimage in the crusading efforts were promised salvation. The sewing of the cross on many of the warriors’ clothing served as a testament of their loyalty. They were promised to inherit an everlasting life. Only a few of the crusade leaders met Urban’s high expectations (Foss, 2011).

            The Christian armies were trained in various forms of warfare. The knights were a specialized smaller group who usually fought on horseback. They were dressed in light chain mail from head to toe. The knights fought with a lance, sword, axe, or mace, and they were protected by a large shield. The shields bore the brunt of their opponents’ attacks. Each knight was supported by a company of squires, pages, and grooms. They were also provided assistance by the Frank soldiers. Common folk usually took up the rear.

            The Church referred to the crusaders as military pilgrims. These courageous warriors were required to take vows and they were also rewarded with dispensation of protection for their property at home. Any legal proceedings against them were suspended or dropped entirely. Another incentive was the erasing of sin from their very beings no matter the severity of the infractions. Knights were especially attracted by the Get-Out-Of-Hell-Free cards allowing them to commit any sins throughout the rest of their lives without incurring liability in this or the next world. They were on an honorable mission.

            The Seljuk Turks told another story when it came to warfare abilities. The Turks fought as mounted archers. The older nations of the Mideast such as the Fatimids of Egypt, fought in the same manner as the Europeans. Mounted archers did not have a clear advantage when it came to face-to-face combat. The knights also did not have a clear advantage over the Turks. The knights were so weighted down by their equipment and protective gear that they ended up being slower than the Turks. The longer range of the European cross bows were an advantage for the Christian warriors but they were slower than the shorter bows of the Turks. On the open battlefield the Turks had the advantage. In close quarters, the Christian warriors had the advantage. Either group did not have complete advantage over their opponents.

             In the spring of 1096, after some time of living in a period of draught, the sky opened up rain poured down over the territory of France. The autumn harvest was bountiful due to finally receiving the rain needed for the crops that summer. This bounty served as a sign. Shortly after the Council of Clermont and Pope Urban made a plea for Christian armies to take over the “Promise Land,” there was a shower of meteorites that came down from the night sky. During the month of February of 1096, while the French king and his royal followers met to discuss the upcoming crusade, the moon in eclipse turned blood red.

            In March, an aurora borealis lit the evening sky with a spectacular light show. Many people visited the church in droves out of fear of such a sight. In August of the same year, the moon eclipsed again and later that year the winter moon was blocked to some degree by the blaze of a comet. All these were seen as signs of something bigger coming their way. Many Christians burned the cross on their flesh. They felt the heavens were speaking to them and beckoning them to do their part to save the Holy Land from the clutches of the Muslims (Foss, 2011).

            Large brigades of crusaders assembled and went their separate ways as they traveled to Constantinople. The first battalion to arrive in December of 1096 was from Lorraine, northern France and Germany, led by Godfrey de Bouillon. The second to  arrive  was  a   group of  Normans

from southern Italy, led by Duke Bohemond of Otranto and Count Tancred. A third group arrived from southern France under count Raymond of Toulouse. Another battalion included Frenchmen, Normans and Englishmen. They were under the leadership of the Duke Hugh de Vermandois, Robert Curthose of Normandy and Stephen of Blois. The last group arrived in May of 1097. Additional groups joined forces at various times.

Alexius I, the emperor of the Byzantine empire, permitted the Christian soldiers as they crossed the Bosphorus to enter his empire. The emperor pressed the Christians to release lands to him that were formerly part of the Byzantine Empire. The crusaders were not happy about the emperor’s request and felt uneasy about Alexius’ motives to join the crusade efforts. The Byzantine emperor hurried them across the straits to Asia before they could cause any trouble in his region. The crusaders had a reputation of being rowdy, careless and blood thirsty (Castleton, 2008).

            Emich, another commander, was a feudal lord and he had under his command knights of his own kind and he was joined in Germany by several companies of French, Burgundian, Flemish and English soldiers. His company was properly armed. Emich was extremely evil and desired immensely to spill the blood of as many as possible, being a ruthless killing machine and fulfilling the goal of Lucifer wanting to rid the planet of as many humans as possible. He was a Nephilim descendent who disguised himself as a handsome, tall and strong man. Women fell at his feet. He was known for his tyrannical way of life. He took whatever he wanted without consideration of others.

Emich claimed he was going to turn the other cheek and become more righteous. He referred to this change as his awakening and likened himself to Saul in the Bible. He managed to bring under his command almost twelve thousand Christian followers. He preached to his followers that killing a Jew will bring pardon for all their sins. Emich convinced many of this belief. When they reached the Holy Land, he would convince them that killing Muslims would ensure their entrance into heaven. Emich knew Pope Urban already set the stage for erasing all their sins by parti-cipating in the crusade.

            A trail did not actually exist across the better part of France. The terrain was rocky and consisted of a lot of hills and valleys. It was not easy going.

            The large formidable group of warriors led by Emich stopped at one of the Jewish communities in the Rhineland area. It was time to let loose and kill as many Jewish people as possible. A thousand Jewish people were killed or driven to take their own lives. In Worms, a massacre of Jewish people occurred again without remorse. It was a virtual blood bath, 800 Jewish people lost their lives at that location. The trail of blood continued in Speir, Cologne, and Prague as the crusaders continued their way to the Holy Land. The hatred of Jewish people ran rampant amongst the Christian people (Asbridge, 2010).

            Even with the direction of some capable and manipulating men, there was a lack of coordination, discipline, planning, collaborated commands and a mutual purpose. What occurred was a muddled and often riotous campaigns which amounted to a mixed matched group of Christian trouble makers for the most part. The mob of armed miss-matched soldiers and civilians crossed Europe. Along the way they pilfered supplies from the communities they invaded on the path to their final destination. They were sure that God held them in favor for carrying out their holy duties. Others had a different opinion on what they were doing and how they were carrying out what they thought was their divine purpose. Fights broke out between the travelers.

            They pushed further and further towards their goal, the “Promise Land.” Soon the crusaders surrounded Nicaea, a Greek city that fell prey to the Turks recently. Things looked bleak. The Turkish sultan did not want to lose his reign of such a valuable conquest. He sent his forces out to break up the siege. They approached with caution after learning about the stories of the multiple massacres. Both armies engaged in full warfare. It was not much of a fight because the inexperienced and incompetent group of Franks could not stand up to the fierceness of the Turks. Thousands were left for dead on the field and tens of thousands of the Franks were delivered to the slave markets.

            The second wave of crusaders was in route and soon arrived at Nicaea. These crusaders were more prepared. They sharpened their swords and made plans for the takeover. They were more level headed and competent than the first group of crusaders. The Turks shrugged when they saw the second group. Because they did not see the Christians as much of a threat, the Turks were completely taken off guard. They were surprised the second group arrived so quickly after the first group was annihilated. The Turks were tired and running out of arrows. Once the third group of crusaders arrived behind them to provide back up, the Turks were slaughtered and the ones who survived ran off confused and bewildered. The sultan ran for the hills leaving behind his servants, treasury and baggage train (Asbridge, 2010). 

            As a result of eliminating the enemy in Nicea, the Franks were able to march across Asia Minor. They reclaimed the lost territory of the Byzantines and traveled towards Syria. The group of knights, Frank soldiers and civilians were ecstatic about their new conquest. They felt God was really on their side and felt a new sense of enthusiasm. Things were really looking up for the group of miss-matched troops.

            The weather was cooperating and the terrain was becoming a little less difficult to travel. The temperatures were rising as they traveled south. The crusaders traveled along the Mediterranean Sea. The waves were lapping against the shore. They decided to put up camp near the sea. They fell asleep while listening to the sound of the sea. The Common Cuckoo’s, Black-Throated Divers, and Flamingoes were calling out to one another as they swam and flew across the weary travelers.

            A calm breeze cooled off the travelers as they were swept into a heavy slumber. Heavy breathing and light snores could be heard from the travelers. The sky was dark and was lit by many stars. Even the two men who were supposed to be watching over the settlement to protect them from possible intruders were enjoying a deep slumber. The entire group was able to sleep through the night and catch up on some needed slumber without being disturbed.           

            The next morning many of the Frank soldiers and knights were stirring. They started planning their next move as they traveled closer to their final destination, Jerusalem. Their next stop was going to be Antioch. Their plans involved the take over this location from the Islamic troops. They were having doubts about their capability of overpowering the Muslims.  They proved to be a cunning adversary.

            “I believe our army is not as strong as it needs to be,” said Sir Harold, one of the knights.

            “I think you are right,” replied Paul, one of the Frank army’s commanders.

            “We need to keep going,” said Sir Taylor, another knight. Sir Taylor and Sir Harold were talking earlier about how they survived the battles and are happy to still be fighting together. They were looking forward to their next adventure with bated anticipation.

            “The fortress at Antioch is probably going to be heavily guarded. Word has probably gotten out about the other defeats and they are waiting for us fully armed and manned. Our group took some heavy hits and we are not as fully equipped for battle as I would like,” said Sir Harold.

            “I believe with tenacity and planning we can take over Antioch, also,” replied Sir Taylor, another knight.

            Sir Harold sighed and gave into the others’ request and addressed the crowd to relay what their plans were as they proceeded closer to their final destination.

            “Listen everyone. We are soon going to enter enemy territory again. I say it’s their territory rather loosely, be-cause the territory we are about to enter belongs to the Christians. Our plan is to travel to Antioch. We plan on camping outside the gates of this fortress and study and learn about what type of force we are up against. It is in our best interest to not rush in without knowing what is behind the fortress walls. Our plan is to send in spies. The couple of Arab followers we managed to get to join our side are going to infiltrate the settlement and report back to us about how heavily armed our enemies are and where the weak areas are. There are always areas of a compound that are not as heavily guarded as others. We can attack where we feel we have more of a fighting chance. Does everybody agree with me that we need to play this out very discreetly and be ready for anything?”

            All the people listening to Sir Howard nodded their heads.

            “We need to do some hunting and gathering to prepare for our provisions before taking off on this next journey. Who is going to join me?” asked Sir Harold.

            Most of the men in attendance nodded in agree-ment.

            Wild game was not as readily available as they had hoped so they fished the waters of the Mediterranean. They speared Garfish, Red Gurnard and Blue Whiting. They didn’t know what the fish were called. The fish were different from the ones they were familiar with, but they were still delicious when cooked. They ate heartily to prepare for the journey. The leftover fish was stored in woven baskets covered with blankets. The women also picked pomegranates, cactus pears and persimmons and stored these in baskets.

            The plan was to continue to fish and pick fruit along the way to furnish themselves with the food they needed. They were going to travel alongside the Mediterranean Sea. They heard there were mountains and other treacherous terrain further north. 

            They discovered when they arrived at Antioch that there were not enough crusaders to completely surround the city of Antioch. As planned earlier, they camped outside the walls of the fortified city while they tried to figure out what their next course of action was going to be. One of the scouts reported the Muslims were sending an Islamic relief army to stop the crusaders’ siege. The commanders and knights knew they had to operate quickly. They were in luck. The scouts that were stationed inside the walls of the city paid off. That evening the Christian army sent a strike force to scale over the walls and get into the city fortress by a food storage building. That area was not being guarded. They were assisted by a Christian Armenian inhabitant of the city of Antioch. The Islamic guards were killed by the front gates and the gates to the city were opened to the waiting Christian army.

            The Turkish relief force arrived and discovered the crusaders were inside the city. They surrounded the city to conduct their own siege. The crusaders were about to give up hope when they discovered what they thought was the actual spearhead that was used to stab Jesus’ side at Calvary. It was hidden under the floor of one of the old churches. They looked at their discovery as a sign they needed to take over the city of Antioch for the Christians. They decided to fight the Turks with all their might.

            The crusaders lost a lot of their horses on the long march from the French territory to Antioch so they had to do most of their fighting on foot. The loss of their horses worked towards the Christian crusaders’ advantage. The European knights were trained to fight on horses and on foot. They were well prepared to take on the Turks while on foot which was unlike what the Muslims were trained to do. The Turks have never met such heavily armored foot soldiers. Without big warhorses to hit with arrows, the Turkish arrows did not make an impact on the heavily covered knights with their strong, durable armor. The crusaders had the Turks cornered and with the limited number of Islamic warriors, they were butchered in no time.

            The crusaders were under command of some very good leaders. Prince Bohemond of Taranto was one of them. He served as a practical commander for the weary team of warriors. Often with so many varied groups, the soldiers may or may not follow the commands of the leaders. The insubordination would cause some confusion, delays and loss of men. Prince Bohemond was able to get the attention of most of the crusaders and more often than not they would follow his commands. He was intelligent, authoritative and fair when it came to most circumstances. Because of his leadership Prince Bohemond was requested to stay at Antioch to rule the city.

            Count Raymond of Toulouse and Godfrey of Bouillon continued on with the most of the remaining crusaders. Some stayed behind to assist Prince Bohemond with the running of Antioch. The crusaders were led toward Jerusalem by Raymond and Godfrey.

            During the month of December in 1098 the crusaders took over the town of Ma’arra which finally occurred after a month long siege. They massacred approximately 20,000 Islamic captives. It was a virtual blood bath. After two years of marching and fighting, the crusaders were worn out and hungry. Most of the horses were lost. The countryside was bleak concerning food. Some of the hungriest did the unthinkable. They cooked some of the dead Muslims and feasted on their flesh. Cannibalism was a practice that occurred either during desperate times or sometimes it served as a symbolism of victory.

            Finally, they reached Jerusalem and it was taken over in July of 1099.  Approximately 70,000 people were killed in the streets, mostly the Islamic people. A lot of Christian people and Jewish people were murdered, also. A large number of Jewish people were barricaded in a synagogue. The building was set on fire and the Jewish people were burned inside. Their screams could be heard for miles. The crusaders walked through large pools of blood as they cruised the streets looking for more victims to slaughter.

            The war was finally won for the Christians, all in the name of God. Jerusalem finally fell under the leadership of the Christians. The atrocity of the crusades has left a dark stain on the Christians. The bloodthirsty Christian soldiers closed the gates to Jerusalem and murdered every person who was not a crusader in the city; Christians, Muslims and Jewish people. Every man, woman and child was killed mercilessly under the rationale that the blood of the infidels would cleanse the Holy City (Asbridge, 2010).

The Great Divide: The Sunni's and Shi ites

The origin of the Sunni and Shi’ite split was laced with violence. The Shi’ites and Sunni’s were steadfast about their beliefs. Ali, a man who was married to Fatimid, Muhammad’s daughter, was supposed to be Muhammad’s successor according to the Shi’ites. The Sunni’s had someone else in mind concerning who was suitable to fill the role of leader of the Muslim empire. Even though both groups believed Muhammad was their prophet, his bloodline did not guarantee sound leadership according to the Sunnis. The Sunni leadership was fraught with corruption and greed which angered the Shi’ites even more. The original split between the two prominent Muslim Orders occurred shortly after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, in the year 632.

The Shi’ites held steadfast that Ali was considered the imam, a term introduced by the Shi’ites to indicate leadership and signifies the blood bond in connection to the Prophet Muhammad. Ali’s descendants took over the leadership of the Shi’ite community. Each imam chose their successor. The general population did not have a say which differed from the Sunni’s. The imam passed down a form of spiritual wisdom to the next leader. Imams served as spiritual and political leaders.

War was a common occurrence between the two caliphs. When Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law, was the caliph he was killed fighting in the year 661. The campaign occurred near the town of Kufa, which is present-day Iraq. The violence and war caused a seemingly permanent split.

Hussein, Ali’s son, went to war against the Sunni’s because he refused to accept the rule of the caliph at the time. Hussein bravely fought against the Sunnis’ large army. He and 72 members of his family and comrades were up against a large Arab army of the caliph. They were completely annihilated. Hussein’s head was chopped off and held in triumph of the Sunni win in Damascus. Hussein’s death carries special meaning for the Shi’ites .         

            Hussein was considered a martyr by the Shi’ite people and the memory of him was held in high regard. An event was held annually in Karbala called the “Ashoura” to pay homage to the fallen hero who tried to fight for their rights and protect them. The ceremony was held also to teach valuable lessons. It was held on the tenth day of the Islamic month of the Muharram (Shuster, 2007).

            Even though the Shi’ites and Sunni’s were worlds apart when it came to decisions regarding leadership of the Muslim empire, they shared a lot of common traditions, beliefs, and doctrines. All Muslims believed Mohammad was the messenger and prophet assigned by Allah. All believe they must adhere to the revelations provided to them by the Prophet Mohammad. Allah’s messages were recorded in the Koran. The concepts of devoutness, striving for goodness, and social justice were fundamental to the Islamic people. All Muslims were expected to live in agreement with the five pillars of Islam: recital of the creed; five obligatory prayers each day; giving alms to the poor; fasting from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan; and making a pilgrimage to Mecca once during a lifetime if one is physically and financially able. Both groups practiced the same theological beliefs.

            The Koran provided conflicting information about killing. Love and respect and living in a peaceful manner was described fully but on the other hand the Koran portrayed that Islamic theology required the Islamic people to eliminate anyone who did not support their beliefs, the opposite of living a peaceful life.

            The Shi’ites continued to lose political battles against the Sunni Muslim leaders. They continued to maintain their beliefs in the face of massive adversity. The Shi’ites decided to give up their fight to take over various territories. Outwardly, they gave the appearance they were a beaten people. Secretly, they worked with various groups such as the nomadic Muslim people to join them. Spies were placed in various places to find out some of the weak areas of the Sunni’s.

            The Sunni’s felt their opponents were fighting a losing battle. They felt their enemies had something up their sleeves. They were right regarding their mistrust.

            One of the Shi’ite leaders summoned a demon and agreed to give up his soul in five years and in exchange the demon inflicted the plague on the unsuspecting people. The demon was a fallen angel who was more than happy to help the human in exchange for his soul. Since their numbers were so few, they had to come up with sneaky ways to attack the Sunni’s.   

            “I am willing to give up my soul to you Armill if you help us, the Shi’ites defeat our mortal enemies,” said Ahmad.

            “What do you have in mind, my friend,” said Armill. He smiled wickedly at Ahmad.

            “I would like to take some of the Sunni monsters out when they least expect it. I want to use things like sand storms, poisons and diseases.”

            One day some of the Shi’ite Muslims put arsenic in some of the wine bottles in a synagogue in Syria, one of the Sunni holy meeting places. Many of the attendees at a prayer service fell dead shortly after drinking the wine from the poisoned bottles. The bottles that were tampered with were disposed of by one of the Shi’ite spies. The Shi’ites were not blamed for the deaths. They thought the one with the evil eye placed a curse of them.

            A Sunni preacher met with the Shi’ite preacher and they discussed the sharing of one of the holy meeting places in Baghdad. Many of the people in attendance at a Sunni prayer ceremony came down with a plague. The people had ugly boils all over their faces and bodies. They died an ugly death after vomiting blood profusely.

            The same fallen angel that was providing assistance to Ahmad was helping the Sunni’s in their effort of getting rid of the Shi’ite regime. Fallen angels, known also as demons, would play humans against one another. The demons would grant small portions of what was requested to make the one who gave up their soul believe they were getting their way. In the end, they would end up losing more than they gained from their exchange with a demon.

             Throughout history, the Muslims fought valiantly amongst one another and against the Christians to uphold their theological beliefs and maintain their land holdings. They have proven to be a force to be reckoned with, a formidable steadfast Islamic nation. Throughout history the Muslim empire has conquered many of the Europeans, Greeks and Romans who resided in prominent and prosperous areas such as Constantinople. Unnecessary sacrifices over a dispute about leadership have led to many deaths. The Islamic nation, laced with varying opinions about theological theories and leadership, believe they need to be upheld at any cost.

Haunted Holidays

Holidays were established based on mysterious beliefs throughout history. In order to schedule various holiday activities, a calendar had to be created. The first calendar was developed 10,000 years ago in Scotland, first to be used as an agricultural tool when many of the people transitioned from being hunters and gatherers to farmers. The discovery of the calendar was made possible by the discovery of the equal parts of days and nights four times a year which was determined by the equinox. They needed to know when to plant and harvest. If our ancestors did everything right according to the calendar and they did not have a successful crop yield, they thought the gods must be angry. Weather, the shorter and longer days and phases of the moon led to many of the holiday beliefs. Legends fostered many holiday practices. We still want to abide by some of the beliefs to stay in good graces with our divine forces. We went from celebrating holidays, religious and not religious, to celebrating birthdays, death anniversaries, historic events such as 911 and the day JFK was shot. A little cave in Ireland was where the first inkling of a Halloween holiday was born.
            In town called Rosecommon in Ireland there was a cave referred to as the Rafcrocan cave. A rabbit hole served as the first small veil in which spirits could get through the veil. The holiday was referred to as Samhain. The veil was referred to as the Borwigan and it was very thin. Food offerings were provided for the dead. If they were a begger or spirit, still had to feed them. The Celtic cut up turnips as a symbol of this holiday and in the U.S. pumpkins were used because they were more plentiful. The spirits could not go to heaven or hell so the lighting of a jack-o-lantern would help the spirits to cross over. The veil is the thinnest on the evening of October 31^st and the day of November 1^st. All souls night is November 1st. Things were getting destroyed so trick or treat was developed to prevent the destruction. Our ancestors thought it was better to teach children by using things they feared.

            On a cheerier note, a holiday referred to as “Saturnalia” was created in Rome which was held from December 21-2. All people were considered equal no matter what economic class or position they held. The holiday was celebrated by holding feasts, gift giving and orgies. All the people in Rome were permitted to attend.

            “Dia de Los Muertos” was a Mexican day of the dead. All dead citizens would be honored on this day. Today, it is believed there are more spirits than there were in the past and this is because we are finally looking for them more. This holiday Christianized and changed to honor all former souls. The honoring of the dead made it collectively sacred.

            The fertility goddess “Eustre” was associated with the creation of the first Easter. Christianity introduced Jesus’ resurrection. The belief in the fertility goddess was where our ancestors bought into the belief of associating Easter eggs and candy with the Easter holiday.

            Yuletide celebrations were created for various reasons. The Norse people used candles to keep the darkness away and evergreen leaves were placed over doors to keep bad spirits away. In Scandanavia, everyone was supposed to drank from the same cup. The evergreen was known for its strength to survive harsh winter weather so it was believed to portray special gifts. The upper, middle and lower worlds or realms were honored by specific rituals. When a Yule log was burned the one from last year had to be used to ignite the current year’s log. Different trees were burned such as the pine willow and holly and stood for different beliefs. The nativity was created to honor when Jesus was born. The actual date of Jesus’ birth appeared to be not important. Constantine used Christianity to unify Roman empire in 336 A.D. Soltice was on the 23^rd, Christmas Eve was the 24^th, and Christmas on the 25^th, this gave the Romans more days to party.

            Saint Nicolas was a bishop in Myra, Turkey in 278 A.D.. He came from a wealthy family. Nicolas gave all his wealth away. He decided to help out people with special needs. He decided to celebrate Christmas by giving and sharing. He was honored as a patron saint. The Dutch created Cinder Claus and the U.S. called him Santa Claus. In Germany during the earlier years there was a character named Krampus. December 5^th was the day he appeared. He would snatch bad children and eat them. Krumpus had hooves and horns. In Iceland during the Yuletide season, Gryla wanted to eat children, so she would bring the children to the mountain he lived on and put them in her stew. The story “Twas the Night Before Christmas” was written in 1823. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The Coco Cola company a while ago decided to promote a fat santa with a beard. We must not forget the Grinch. Christmas is celebrated in many different ways all over the world.

            The creation of specific holidays and the celebration of harvests and other special events were made possible by the creation of the calendar. We learned about the solstice and equinox from our ancestors. We know when to plant seeds at optimal times. Our Halloween beliefs were fostered from a small opening in a cave in Ireland to the Norsemen and their superstitions. When you prepare to pass out candy at your door on Halloween, think about why this practice started.

           

           

           

The Anunnaki

Aliens have been tormenting humans for many years. These strange beings have abducted, conducted experiments involving humans and have studied humans. Humans, who were taken by force in spaceships, have been probed and examined. Families lost loved ones forever and some of these unfortunate humans returned to their homes dazed and confused, feeling violated. Some had their memories erased of the abduction. Portals to other dimensions, invisible to the naked eye, serve as doorways for the strange alien beings. Some of these beings want to infiltrate the human population and live among them. They do so by taking over a human’s body by a possession process and devouring the human souls. Humans have never been alone on this vast planet.

Aliens traveled from Nibiru to Earth. Nibiru passes by Earth approximately every 3,600 Earth years and some of the beings from this planet hop to Earth via worm holes as a result of their planet’s orbit which brought their planet close to Planet Earth. They came to Planet Earth to seek gold to patch the atmosphere of their planet. These alien beings were referred to as the Anunnaki. They numbered approximately two million when they first arrived on Earth.

These alien beings were mischievous, creative, highly scientific and intelligent. They made a major impact on Earth and its inhabitants for thousands of years. The beings from Nibiru, supposedly a warring planet, brought the idea of war to the earthlings? They were half god, half human with serpent characteristics.  Some have appeared to have snake like eyes and forked tongues to human sensitives, people who can see the real identity of strange beings. They possessed many godlike abilities and appeared to be rather large humans with strange features. Their heads were oval and they had pointy chins. The back of their heads was long and oblong. Their eyes were large and their skin was a rather ashy color. Powerful muscles lined their torsos and arms. The Anunnaki’s advanced scientific knowledge, physical strength and size led the human inhabitants to believe they were gods sent down from the heavens to provide humans with various advancements such as the building of elaborate structures such as aqueducts and pyramids. Humans were taught how to work with metals to alter the shape by the use of metallurgy. Earth was a rather young planet compared to others in the universe. Because of their size and abilities, the Anunnaki were feared and highly respected by many of Earth’s inhabitants.

They developed a complex astronomical/astrological system which served as the manner by which life on Earth was ordered, as it contained information crucial to the life force of the planet, such as the movements and interrelationship of the sun and moon. Their calculations were based on the number six. Because of this elaborate system many were able to become sea-faring individuals and they were also able to plant and harvest using the rotations of the moon as a guide. Their original domain when they arrived on this planet for the first time was Sumer. Cuneiform tablets tell the history in great detail of these advanced beings.     

 “When the King of Heaven, Anu, came to Earth with his second and legal heir Enlil,

Enki was assigned the command of Africa and of the new gold mining center in South Africa. As for Enlil, he became the Lord of the Command in Sumer and established his capital and temple abode in Nippur – the first Mission Control Center for their space travels… They had human bodies and exuberant sexuality, although they seem to have been ‘giants’ compared to the earthlings.

            Enki roamed the wilderness and study the life-forms, and he realized that the Seed of Life (the types of DNA) on this planet was very similar to the beings on Nibiru. There had been an original collision of a moon of Nibiru (at that time a nomad planet) with the ancient huge planet called Tiamat that partly exploded, thus creating an asteroid belt, ‘the Hammered Bracelet,’ and the larger part being thrust in a new orbit nearer the sun, thus becoming our Earth. As for Nibiru, the planet was then captured by the gravitational field of our sun and started to orbit it. Enki realized why Earth life-forms and their DNA resembled that of Nibiru: life on Earth had been seeded by the original collision with Nibiru’s moon,” (Hardy, 2014).

            Enlil was different from his brother Enki. The story of Enlil and Enki resembled that of the Cain and Abel story in the Bible. One was evil and the other good. Enlil was the most extreme of Nibirian characters. He was violent, prone to anger, indignant, jealous, and very self-centered. Like many rulers on planet Earth, he fit the bill for filling the role of a tyrannical king.

            Enki, on the other hand, had a powerful mind and astonishing reflective abilities. He grasped the idea of anticipation and had a strong purpose. He believed the humans needed to be more knowledgeable so they could understand their tasks.  What added to Enki’s decision to create smarter humans from the apelike humanoids were the complaints from the Anunnaki who were working in the mines, mining gold. They complained that it was difficult and exhausting work. They would like the humans to take over the work.

            Gold, highly sought after throughout the history of this planet, lasts forever. It is a durable mineral which conducts heat and energy efficiently. The gold jewelry from the ancient Egyptian time still holds its luster.

Enki was the first god, son of King Anu, to travel to Earth according to the Cuneiform tablets. Enki had a vast amount of knowledge about astronomy, physics, and engineering. He did not possess the knowledge about biology, medicine and genetics. Ninmah’s expertise in these areas afforded the perfection of the Earth-human race derived from the DNA of their alien race.

“Clay tablets unearthed in Mesopotamia, and dating as far back as 3,500 BCE, state that for an immense time Ninmah was dedicated to the Great Work with her half-bother and consort Enki, and she had brought to life successive generations of a ‘mixed creature’ by the blending of their own DNA, that of Anunnaki Gods – that ones who had come down from Heaven to Earth – with their DNA of an evolved ape woman” (Hardy, 2014).

          They made primitive workers out of human species. They took the essence from a young male Anunnaki and added it to an egg taken from an ape woman. The fertilized egg was implanted into an Anunnaki woman’s womb to create a more intelligent human, as part of a genetic engineering project. They needed humans intelligent enough to follow their orders. According to Zecharia Sitchin, the first implants occurred approximately 300,000 years ago.

          Ninmah served as the head scientist for the life sciences. She arrived on Earth with a group of women scientists to supervise the medical and health matters for the Anunnaki and the seeding and growing of medicinal and health enhancing plants for the Anunnaki and humans. Ninmah had domesticated animals transported to earth and assisted with their adaptation of earth’s land and air. It was her way of introducing agriculture and farming, a method of providing a healthier diet for the Anunnaki and humans. 

The Anunnaki used the word “lulu” which was referred to the ignorant human slaves.

Enki was associated with procreation with the human species while Enlil wanted to wipe out the human race. Adam and Eve or Adamu according to the cuneiform tablets, were visited by a snake. People were led to believe the snake was evil. However, there were complications concerning this belief.  The snake told the truth and the god did not. Adam and Eve did not die according to the Bible. Some theorists believe that Enlil was the god and Enki was the snake according to the cuneiform tablets. He wanted the humans to have knowledge and Enlil did not.

Nowhere in the Bible did it state the snake was Satan or the devil. Assumptions were made. Vast similarities exist between the writings in the Bible to those in the cuneiform tablets. Temptation was introduced while the first couple were tending the garden. Their time after not following orders of the first god was cursed, especially the female’s. The awareness of their sexual organs was how the human seed was compared with that of animals. It was evident that woman was the first person to take a leap into self-awareness and consciousness. The ability to reflect represented the capability of making moral distinctions. Sex represents the survival of any species and it was considered immoral on many occasions by various people in power.

It’s difficult to say what came first, the chicken or the egg. People of some form or

another from Neanderthals to homo sapiens have existed on this planet for millions of years according to a multitude of credible sources.

Where the first humans came into play has been in question? The Anunnaki arrived on the Planet Earth originally to find gold to patch the atmosphere of their planet. The Anunnaki used their own DNA to enhance the humans’ intelligence to make them able to follow orders more efficiently. How much of the technology and scientific breakthroughs can be attributed to the Anunnaki?