this is a link to a video of the Big Dog robot. The legs are based on a study of human knees and deer and goat legs. It is a pretty literal example of biomimicry, but the results are pretty amazing. The Big Dog was developed for military applications but also has a lot of potential for search and rescue and space exploration. I was interested by how the animal-like motion of the legs inspired sympathy in me when it was slipping on the ice…
By Deon Roberts, Online Editor
Former New Orleans recovery director Ed Blakely will forever been known in New Orleans for his “cranes in the sky” comment.
Today, some news about cranes came out of Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao’s office, although it had to do with the avian form of the word rather than the type of construction equipment used in the erection of buildings.
Cao said he has secured $500,000 in a fiscal 2010 bill for the Endangered Whooping Crane Propagation Facility at the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans. But the bill still needs approval from Congress and then the president’s signature.•
Before I start this article, let me invite you the reader to help me. From my castle in Sydney it is a struggle to obtain information on Trebizond so I have made an executive decision – to make this article interactive. Should you have any information on Trebizond I am happy to go back to what I have written and change it. So let’s make this an interactive article, written by moi and any of the readers out there.
Now a question for the reader
With my plea out of the way, let’s get on with the job of presenting Trebizond. I will pose a question for you, the same one I have been asking my friends. “When and where was the last Greek empire?” The responses have been as follows: Alexander the Great, the guys from 300, Mithradates, Byzantine Empire, the Ptolemies of Egypt, the Mytileneans (it is my home island so I had to mention them somewhere).
Those who mentioned the Byzantine Empire which came to end in 1453 came really close. It was actually a few years later, when the Empire of Trebizond fell to the Ottoman Turks. When I mention this type of trivia to my friends they either usually ignore me or simply think that my tendency to promote all things Greek has actually slipped into the realm of make-believe. It’s true, there really was an Empire of Trebizond.
Trebizond
Trebizond (modern Trabzon in Turkey) is a city that was founded in the eighth century by Greek colonists from Miletus on the Black Sea coast in northern Asia Minor which became known as the Pontus region. Xenephon in his classic fourth century BC book, ‘Anabasis’ describes the joy of his troops as they finally encountered a Greek city after a long and treacherous march from Persia encountering enemy and foreign countries. Trebizond prospered under the rule of Mithridates and the Pontian kings during the first century AD and was an important port for trade during the Byzantine years which commenced around 330AD.
The Empire
In 1204, after many years of civil war and feuding, Constantinople was taken by the Crusaders through deception - aided and abetted by Emperor Isaac II Angelos for personal gain. A number of Greek successor states emerged, the Greeks of Nicaea in Asia Minor, who would win back Constantinople in 1261 (restoring the Byzantine Empire), the Greeks of Epiros who would be absorbed by the Nicaeans and the Empire of Trebizond.
If we backtrack to 1185, the Byzantine Emperor Andonikos I was overthrown and his family escaped to Georgia and the protection of Queen Thamar. In 1204 she provided Alexios I Comnenos (Andronikos’ grandson and her nephew) with troops to capture the Pontian cities in and around Trebizond. Alexios proclaimed himself Megas Komnenos (Grand Comnenos) and the ‘true’ Emperor of Byzantium. He was able to conquer a significant area on the Black Sea, from the borders of Georgia in the east to Sinope in the west. He also captured the Crimean peninsular in what is now in the Ukraine. A number of their descendents live in the Ukraine in and around Marioupolis and speak Greek.
Alexios never effectively controlled more than 100km south of the capital. However this was to his advantage for beyond the high range mountains that Xenephon and his men encountered in the 4th century BC, lay some of the most powerful enemies in the region. They included the Seljuk Turks, followed by the Mongols, a number of Turkish fiefdoms and ultimately the Ottomans. Thus Trebizond was fortunate to be protected by its natural position, the friendship of the Georgians, a series of alliances with Turkish princes, the Mongols, and the restored Byzantine Empire and a strong economy.
During the reign of John II (1280-1297), the Empire reconciled itself with Byzantium and ended its pretensions and claims to Constantinople and the entire Greek world. By 1282 the Emperor of Trebizond was known by the title of ‘Faithful Emperor and Autocrat of the whole of the East, the Iberians and the overseas province.’ This title was in agreement with the Byzantine Emperor.
The Mongols played an important role in Greek affairs. Whilst it is fair to say that no Mongol Khan or Greek Emperor enjoyed an ouzo or a souvlaki together, it was the Mongols who probably extended the life of the Byzantine Empire and inadvertently improved the economic strength of Trebizond. The Mongols destroyed Ottoman forces in 1402 at Ancyra, allowing the Byzantines breathing space to survive for another 51 years.
The Mongol threat prevented Turkish forces from mounting serious campaigns against Trebizond. In 1258 Hulagu Khan destroyed Baghdad. This event ensured Trebizond’s status as an important city on the on the Silk Road increasing the wealth and prosperity of the city. In 1295 Marco Polo visited the city on his way back into Europe.
A number of notable Greeks were born in Trebizond during the years of the Empire. This includes Gregory Choniades the astronomer, John VIII the Greek Orthodox Ecumunical Patriach, Basileos Bessarion a bishop and academic who had a great influence on the Renaissance, George of Trebizond who was born in Crete with a background from Trebizond and was a philosopher who influenced the Renaissance and Michael Panerotos the imperial historian. Furthermore, a number of famous politicians and actors were born in the vicinity of Trebizond during the last 250 years highlighting how important this area has been to Greek culture and history.
Women
Its also worth commenting on what is known about the role of women in Trebizond. Whilst I’m not going to paint a picture of women being independent, it is worth noting that several rulers were indeed female. However, many of the royal girls were married to Turkish or Muslim leaders in order to maintain friendly relations. Male rulers generally married Christian women including from the royal houses in Georgia and Constantinople.
Inevitable
Now its time to use the word inevitable. Just like Xenephon and his troops inevitably came across Greeks after their long march, it was inevitable that the Greeks of Trebizond would quarrel in the same ways that had effected the Byzantine Empire over the centuries. In fact being Greek or rather Byzantines, meant that it would be inevitable for Trebizond to experience a series of civil strife and political assassinations from the period of about 1330 until the 1350’s. Inevitably, this precipitated a slow decline for Trebizond, with outlying provinces being taken by the Ottomans. Stability was restored late in the 14th century.
Churches and Public Buildings
The Greeks of Trebizond became known for building numerous churches and public buildings that are evident when one visits the picturesque modern day of Trabzon. A visit to the city with a current population of about 180 000 will reveal the high walls of the old Upper Town which are meant to resemble the walls of medieval Constantinople, the churches of Saint Ann, Saint Constantine, Panayia Chrysokephalos, Saint Andrew, Saint Eugene, Agia Sophia , Aghios Christophoros just to name a few. Most of the churches have either been converted to mosques or had stints over the years as such. A number of fortresses and monastries are also evident in areas that were once included in the Empire of Trebizond. I should point out that churches and other public buildings can be traced back to the ninth century, hence existing when the area was under the direct control of Constantinople.
Resilience
Most historians usually tell us that the Ottomans captured the entire Asia Minor by 1350. However, it is worth keeping in mind that Philadelphia in the south and 100km inland from the city of Smyrna held out for many years. Philadelphia somehow managed to heroically survive until 1390 despite being surrounded by formidable enemies for so many years and of course the other city that remained independent was Trebizond.
When Constantinople finally fell to the Ottomans in 1453 after a heroic fight to the death, the Byzantine Empire effectively came to an end. However, the Greeks of Trebizond who were predominantly Pontian Greeks and held onto their Byzantine heritage essentially inherit the title of the last Greek Empire. The Byzantine province of the Morea (Peloponnese) held out against the Ottomans until 1460.
As Xenephon can testify, all good things come to end. He was alive when the Spartan hegemony of Greece came to end against Thebes in 371BC and of course he was overwhelmed when his troops (the 10 000) finally ended their land journey when they reached Trebizond. The last empire of the Greeks came to a sudden end when the Ottoman Sultan decided to end the reign of King David (ruled from 1459-1461). After a month long siege, Trebizond finally fell on the sacred day of August 15, 1461.
Like all Byzantine cities, the impact of this Greek civilisation can still be felt. As mentioned above there are numerous churches and other buildings that are scattered across the modern city. There are approximately 250 000 Muslims in the area once occupied by the Empire of Trebizond who speak a dialect of Greek (Cappodician). Most of these people live outside Trebizond in about 50 villages and towns.
The end of Pontian history in Trebizond
During the final years of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century, Pontians as well as other Christians were killed or starved to death. There was discussion by the Allied Powers in Europe to create a Pontian state based on the provincial boundaries of the old Empire of Trebizond. Like so may Allied promises over the years, this never eventuated and by 1923 the sad population exchange between Greece and Turkey resulted in 1.5 million Greeks (including from the Pontus area) being sent to Greece. Also, hundreds of thousands of Pontians and other nationalities were forced to migrate to Russia and neighbouring countries. This extinguished the Greek presence in Trebizond, over 460 years after the end of the Empire of Trebizond.
I’m not sure what Xenephon would make of Trebizond today. One thing that is certain he would be surprised that the Hellenes are no longer there to greet him and his weary troops.
Can everyone say, “We are NOT oppressed?”
Fundamentalist Fun
This one’s called Sexy Burqa Girls. NOT.
Breast-Feeding a Man in Islam in order to be in the same room with him legally.
Is it acceptable in Islam for a woman to breast-feed a man then stay with him legally in one room?
Muslim women frequently work with men in the same offices, with the inevitable possibility that a woman may find herself sitting alone in the same room with one or more of her male colleagues, which, in Islam, is a grave sin. Some of these women are deeply religious, but they need to work. Both the state and the society are forcing these women to sin without doing anything about i
The issue of breast-feeding men is currently a hot topic in Egypt and has been the focus of the media in many Middle Eastern countries. It all started when Dr. Izzat Attya who is the head of the department of Hadith in Al-Azhar, which is the world’s most prestigious Islamic University, issued a fatwa, or religious opinion. The fatwa declared that, it is legitimate for a working Muslim woman to breast-feed her male colleague to avoid the sin of ‘khulwa’ (staying with a stranger in one room). Similar fatwas had been issued in the past by many sheikhs in many Middle-Eastern countries, but this is the first time it comes from a high level academic of Al-Azhar. ISLAM-WATCH.ORG
“My sister and I sometimes ask my mom, ‘Why didn’t you breast-feed our boy cousins, too?’ ” Shaden continued.
She was referring to a practice called milk kinship that predates Islam and is still common in the Persian Gulf countries. A woman does not have to veil herself in front of a man she nursed as an infant, and neither do her biological children. The woman’s biological children and the children she has nursed are considered “milk siblings” and are prohibited from marrying.
“If my mom had breast-fed my cousins, we could sit with them, and it would all be much easier,.” NY TIMES
Photo courtesy of Cubby-Blue.com
From the Houston Chronicle:
Daniels says what makes his $249 lock special is its strength, its built-in panic-button feature and its looks.The lock, which fits across the entire door frame, can withstand 4,000 pounds of pressure, he said.
And according to a video he uses to promote the lock, a SWAT team using a 30-pound battering ram could not break through a door fitted with the Ultimate Lock.
Once pressed, the lock’s panic button alerts the police that there is a problem at the residence. Daniels said the button is designed to be wired with existing or new home alert systems and homeowners will need to work with their security companies to set up the optional feature.
“No man can serve two masters.” (Matthew 6:24, KJV)
Congressman Ron Paul of Texas never made it to the US Constitution
Hall of Shame. However, Congressman Paul is of interest to the
Citizen Wells blog for several reasons. Late in December of 2008,
I was informed that Ron Paul had been notified of the eligibility
issues surrounding Obama and that Mr. Paul was uncertain about
the natural born citizen clause pertaining to the presidency. I
was asked to research the natural born citizen clause. I did so
and found what anyone searching the internet can find. It is clear
what the intent of the founding fathers was. And yes, Vattel’s
“The Law of Nation’s” obviously influenced the Founding Fathers.
Citizen Wells report on Natural Born Citizen
Natural born citizen explained in video
There are several reasons why Obama is not eligible to be president.
However, most if not all congressmen were aware of numerous lawsuits
challenging Obama’s eligibility beginning with Philip Berg’s on
August 21, 2008. Many mistakenly stated that the lawsuits were
dismissed for lack of merit. That is patently false. However, since
the congressmen were aware of the lawsuits, they were also aware
that obama had employed an army of attorneys and spent enormous
amounts of resources to avoid proving that he was eligible.
That is the real smoking gun.
This is the reason that minimally, Congress should have demanded that
Obama prove that he was qualified. A single congressman could have
initiated this query before or when Congress convened to certify the
Electoral votes.
Not a single congressman stepped forward.
Congressman Ron Paul knew that there were serious issues surrounding
Obama’s eligibility. Congressman Ron Paul, who speaks of upholding
the US Constitution.
Late in December of 2008, Congressman Paul was asked if he would
challenge the Electoral votes in Congress. Here is his response:
“If I did that, I would be laughed out of Congress.”
I believe Congressman Paul’s response is typical of the position
of the entire Congress. However, Mr. Paul, we expected more from
you.
Consider the following
From Congressman Pauls’s link on the House of
Representives website
“Dr. Paul is the leading spokesman in Washington for limited
constitutional government,”
“Dr. Paul never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure
is expressly authorized by the Constitution”
“Dr. Paul consistently voted to lower or abolish federal taxes,
spending, and regulation, and used his House seat to actively
promote the return of government to its proper constitutional levels.”
“He continues to advocate a dramatic reduction in the size of the
federal government and a return to constitutional principles.”
Read more here:
http://www.house.gov/paul/bio.shtml
“For Rep. Paul, each piece of legislation must be examined for its
constitutionality; that is, on the basis of whether or not the US
Constitution allows the Congress or the Federal Government to engage
in the actions described by the proposed legislation. If the
Constitution does not allow it, then it must be opposed.”
Read more here:
http://www.house.gov/paul/legis.shtml
From Ron Paul’s website:
“Congressman Paul’s consistent voting record prompted one of his
congressional colleagues to say, “Ron Paul personifies the Founding
Fathers’ ideal of the citizen-statesman. He makes it clear that his
principles will never be compromised, and they never are.” Another
colleague observed, “There are few people in public life who, through
thick and thin, rain or shine, stick to their principles. Ron Paul
is one of those few.””
Read more here:
http://www.ronpaul.org/
Near the end of the following video, Congressman Paul is
quoted as saying:
“The true patriot is motivated by a sense of responsibility
and out of self interest for himself, his family, and the
future of his country to resist government abuse of power.
He rejects the notion that patriotism means obedience to
the state.”
Congressman Ron Paul, I believe that you are a well meaning, decent
man. However, we deserve to know why you believed that Barack Obama
was eligible and why you did not at any time challenge Obama’s
eligibility. Is this the reason?
“If I did that, I would be laughed out of Congress.”
If so, remember:
“No man can serve two masters.” (Matthew 6:24, KJV)
Congressman Ron Paul, you have a second chance. A chance to stand
for what you speak of. Contact us for dialogue.
Footnote:
Ron Paul will attend the first-ever Campaign for Liberty Regional
Conference On March 27-29.
“Campaign for Liberty members will gather at St. Louis’ Millennium
Hotel to network, learn, and build their local organizations as our
grassroots Revolution to reclaim our Republic and restore our
Constitution continues.”
Campaign for Liberty
Statement of Principles
“Americans inherit from our ancestors a glorious tradition of freedom
and resistance to oppression. Our country has long been admired by
the rest of the world for her great example of liberty and prosperity—a
light shining in the darkness of tyranny.
But many Americans today are frustrated. The political choices they
are offered give them no real choice at all. For all their talk of
“change,” neither major political party as presently constituted
challenges the status quo in any serious way. Neither treats the
Constitution with anything but contempt. Neither offers any kind of
change in monetary policy. Neither wants to make the reductions in
government that our crushing debt burden demands. Neither talks about
bringing American troops home not just from Iraq but from around the
world. Our country is going bankrupt, and none of these sensible
proposals are even on the table.
This destructive bipartisan consensus has suffocated American political
life for many years. Anyone who tries to ask fundamental questions
instead of cosmetic ones is ridiculed or ignored.
That is why the Campaign for Liberty was established: to highlight the
neglected but common-sense principles we champion and reinsert them
into the American political conversation.
The U.S. Constitution is at the heart of what the Campaign for Liberty
stands for, since the very least we can demand of our government is
fidelity to its own governing document. Claims that our Constitution
was meant to be a “living document” that judges may interpret as they
please are fraudulent, incompatible with republican government, and
without foundation in the constitutional text or the thinking of the
Framers. Thomas Jefferson spoke of binding our rulers down from
mischief by the chains of the Constitution, and we are proud to follow
in his distinguished lineage.”
Read more here:
By Matt Curry, WSOE Sports
Courtesy of: ladiesdotdotdot.files.wordpress.com
With the bailout bill going down in flames today, I am sure many Americans are not really sure what to think or what to support. I certainly don’t know if the this bailout bill would have helped anything, especially in the long term, but my initial reaction is to be glad that it did not pass.
I don’t think that an erratically pulled-together bill is what we need to solve a problem that apparently is larger than any financial problem we have faced in this country, second only to the Great Depression.
On the other hand, is it possible that we have been unnecessarily led to believe that a crisis is imminent?
This is part of what this post is about. There is a great piece at American Thinker that I believe should be read by as many citizens as possible.
As you read my post and, hopefully, the full text of the article at the American Thinker, keep our current economic crisis, Obama’s policies, and his “change” mantra in the back of your mind.
The Thinker piece outlines a long held strategy by Socialists and Leftists in this country called the Cloward-Piven Strategy. This piece also shows clear ties between Obama, the Cloward-Piven Strategy, and Obama’s associations with Bill Ayers and ACORN.
From the American Thinker piece, here is the definition of the strategy:
The strategy of forcing political change through orchestrated crisis. The “Cloward-Piven Strategy” seeks to hasten the fall of capitalism by overloading the government bureaucracy with a flood of impossible demands, thus pushing society into crisis and economic collapse.
Any of that sound familiar? The last several days I have been grasping at trying to understand the full impact of this economic problem while also worrying daily that we may well see a President Obama for the next 4 years at least. It is definitely something to be very concerned about. It appears we may very well elect as the next President a person who seeks to destroy the America we know. With the economic issues at hand, and the Socialist bailouts proposed, an Obama presidency would have a great start at that “change” he so seeks.
On the topic of the American Thinker piece, the persons of Cloward and Piven were followers of the radical organizer, Saul Alinsky. Obama is a follower of Alinsky’s principles and Hillary Clinton called Alinsky her “mentor”.
Further thoughts on the motives of Cloward and Piven:
Their strategy to create political, financial, and social chaos that would result in revolution blended Alinsky concepts with their more aggressive efforts at bringing about a change in U.S. government. To achieve their revolutionary change, Cloward and Piven sought to use a cadre of aggressive organizers assisted by friendly news media to force a re-distribution of the nation’s wealth.
And the further goals of Cloward and Piven:
By crisis, we mean a publicly visible disruption in some institutional sphere. Crisis can occur spontaneously (e.g., riots) or as the intended result of tactics of demonstration and protest which either generate institutional disruption or bring unrecognized disruption to public attention.
Does that “bringing about change” part ring any bells? Isn’t that mantra of Barack Obama? Well there is good reason to see the connection. You see, Barack Obama has long associated himself with many radicals.
From American Thinker, an excerpt summary of Obama’s efforts to help ACORN, which has a very long history with Cloward-Piven believers:
As a community activist for ACORN; as a leadership trainer for ACORN; as a lead organizer for ACORN’s Project Vote; as an attorney representing ACORN’s successful efforts to impose Motor Voter regulations in Illinois; as ACORN’s representative in lobbying for the expansion of high risk housing loans through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that led to the current crisis; as a recipient of their assistance in his political campaigns — both with money and campaign workers; it is doubtful that he (Obama) was unaware of ACORN’s true goals. It is doubtful he was unaware of the Cloward-Piven Strategy.
And finally, fast forward to the current financial problems….what most people don’t know and won’t here from the MSM is that Obama’s fingerprints are ALL over this problem:
In his few years as a U.S. senator, Obama has received campaign contributions of $126,349, from Fannie and Freddie, second only to the $165,400 received by Senator Chris Dodd, who has been getting donations from them since 1988. What makes Obama so special?
His closest advisers are a dirty laundry list of individuals at the heart of the financial crisis: former Fannie Mae CEO Jim Johnson; Former Fannie Mae CEO and former Clinton Budget Director Frank Raines and billionaire failed Superior Bank of Chicago Board Chair Penny Pritzker
Johnson had to step down as adviser on Obama’s V.P. search after this gem came out:An Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) reportfrom September 2004 found that, during Johnson’s tenure as CEO, Fannie Mae had improperly deferred $200 million in expenses. This enabled top executives, including Johnson and his successor, Franklin Raines, to receive substantial bonuses in 1998.A 2006 OFHEO report found that Fannie Mae had substantially under-reported Johnson’s compensation. Originally reported as $6-7 million, Johnson actually received approximately $21 million.
Obama denies ties to Raines but the Washington Post calls him a member of “Obama’s political circle.
Most significantly, Penny Pritzker, the current Finance Chairperson of Obama’s presidential campaign helped develop the complicated investment bundling of subprime securities at the heart of the meltdown. She did so in her position as shareholder and board chair of Superior Bank. The Bank failed in 2001, one of the largest in recent history, wiping out $50 million in uninsured life savings of approximately 1,400 customers. She was named in a RICO class action law suit but doesn’t seem to have come out of it too badly.
As a young attorney in the 1990s, Barack Obama represented ACORN in Washington in their successful efforts to expand Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) authority. In addition to making it easier for ACORN groups to force banks into making risky loans, this also paved the way for banks like Superior to package mortgages as investments, and for the Government Sponsored Enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to underwrite them. These changes created the conditions that ultimately lead to the current financial crisis.
Obama’s Vision:
Barack Obama, the Cloward-Piven candidate, no matter how he describes himself, has been a radical activist for most of his political career. That activism has been in support of organizations and initiatives that at their heart seek to tear the pillars of this nation asunder in order to replace them with their demented socialist vision. Their influence has spread so far and so wide that despite their blatant culpability in the current financial crisis, they are able to manipulate Capital Hill politicians to cut them into $140 billion of the bailout pie!
God grant those few responsible yet remaining in Washington, DC the strength to prevent this massive fraud from occurring. God grant them the courage to stand up in the face of this Marxist tidal wave.
You see I think that is what might possibly happened in the House of Representatives today — a bit of courage standing up to the dangerous Marxist tidal wave and thwarting a bill that would have set a huge Socialist precedent for our country.
We really need God’s blessing now like never before!
