I did not realize this until I read the blog but the PC game Civilization has been around for nearly 20 years with its latest installment, Civilization V, being released next week. I have played a couple versions that have come out throughout the years, especially the last version which was released in 2005. As a fan of history these games are fantastic and entertaining. Although geared toward enjoyment you can surprisingly learn a lot about world history and how certain peoples lived and built up their culture.
If you have never played the game you start by selecting a civilization you want to play. It can range from most European countries, the United States, China, India, and many more. As that civilization you start in the year 4000 BC with some great leader and build up towns, supplies, and armies as the years move on. Your civilization will discovery things such as electricity, capitalism, gunpowder. As these elements are discovered you can incorporate them into your peoples everyday living. You battle rival civilizations you invade your land or from a desire to expand your territory. Your goal depends on the type of game you play but usually it involves being the greatest civilizations by the modern era.
I highly recommend clicking on the link below and reading the article on the various versions of Civilizations produced throughout the years. As a fan of history I suggest going out and buying the newest installment, Civilization V. You will have a lot of fun playing this game and learning a little about history along the way. I believe it could be a great tool for students to play and then write a reflection paper on what they learned.
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/09/the-history-of-civilization-20-years-of-wonders.ars/
Friday, September 17, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
What is the History Behind... 12 Major Brand Names
This is something I pulled from another source. Found some of these interesting and some of them obvious but thought I'd re-blog it none-the-less.
1) Rolling Rock - The Mystery of 33: Drinker of this small town bear, have long debated the meaning of the "33" printed on each green bottle of Rolling Rock. a page of the Rolling Rock website is even devoted to the mystery. Some say it signifies the number of steps it took to get from the brewmaster's office down to the brewing floor. Others theorize that it took 33 steps to turn water into Rolling Rock. But the most persistent legend is that it was merely the result of a typo. The story goes that the original pledge of quality sent to the printer contained 33 words and this was noted at the end of the text by writing "33." The printer, not realizing the "33" was a word count, printed it along with the pledge text. The company embraced the 33 and even suggests that citizens should celebrate March 3 (or 3/3) by enjoying a Rolling Rock with friends.
2) KFC's 11 Herbs and Spices: When Colonel Sanders developed his secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices in the 1930s, he couldn't have guessed that one day that same formula would be one of the food industry's most closely-guarded trade secrets. Portions of the spice mix are said to be made at different locations to keep the secret safe and the only complete handwritten copy of the recipe is kept in a corporate vault.
3) Formula 409: As the official Formula 409 website explains, "Formula 409 didn't get its name from the area code where it was developed. It's not the birth date of the creator's daughter. Formula 409 got its name from perseverance." It's true. It took a lot of work. After 408 tries, two Detroit scientists finally got the formula for their cleaner right.
4) WD-40: Luckily for the inventors of WD-40, it didn't take 409 tries to get their formula right! The folks at Rocket Chemical Company perfected their water-displacement mix on the 40th try. Fun fact: Police officers used WD-40 to remove a naked burglar trapped in an air conditioning vent.
5) Dr Pepper's 23 Flavors: A pharmacist named Charles Alderton created Dr Pepper in 1885. And if you've ever wondered why you can't quite put your finger on what flavor the unique soft drink possesses, it's because his patented formula consists of a blend of 23 different flavors (Notice the faint "23" under the Dr Pepper logo). While the actual flavors are kept secret, we do know that prune juice is not one of them. The "prune rumor" dates back to the 1930s, but was debunked on the beverage's official website in 2000. The company stated: Dr Pepper is a unique blend of natural and artificial flavors; it does not contain prune juice.
6) Jack Daniel's Old No. 7: It's one of the most-often-asked questions about the well-known Whiskey: Why did Jack Daniel name his product "Old No. 7"? Unfortunately, no one really knows, and the theories are many. But according to "Whiskey Business: The Many Myths of Jack Daniels", the most reasonable explanation may be the one offered by Jack Daniel biographer Peter Krass. He explains: Jack was originally assigned a district tax assessment number of 7. But the IRS consolidated districts within Tennessee, the arbitrarily assigned him the number 16. Jack didn't want to confuse his loyal consumers and he certainly didn't want to bend to the government, so he began labeling his bottles "Old No. 7."
7) Heinz 57 Varieties: Simply put by the Heinz.com site: While riding a train in New York City in 1896, Henry Heinz saw a sign advertising 21 styles of shoes, which he thought was clever. Although Heinz was manufacturing more than 60 products at the time, Henry thought 57 was a lucky number. So, he began using the slogan "57 Varieties" in all his advertising. Today the company has more than 5,700 products around the globe, but still uses the magic number "57."
8) 7-Eleven: In an age where 24-hour grocery and convenience stores are now the norm, it's interesting to remember that 7-Eleven stores were so named to highlight their "extensive" hours. In 1946, the stores were open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. Today, many would find those convenience store hours to be limited and well, inconvenient.
9) Baskin-Robbins' 31 Flavors: If you look at their logo, you'll notice how the pink portion of the "BR" creates the number "31." This is a nod to Baskin-Robbins long standing identity as the home of 31 flavors --one for every day of the month.
10) A.1. Steak Sauce: According to wikipedia, the original steak sauce upon which A.1. is based was created in 1824 by Henderson William Brand, one of the chefs to King George IV of the United Kingdom. Legend has it that the king declared it "A1" and the name was born.
11) 84 Lumber: The original 84 Lumber opened in 1956. It was a "cash and carry" lumber yard located in a rural town 20 miles south of Pittsburgh. That town was named Eighty Four, PA, and where they got their name is interesting as well. It was originally called Smithville, but due to postal confusion with another town of the same name, its name was changed to "Eight Four" on July 28, 1884.
12) MGD 64: If you're watching your calories, but still want to indulge in a nice cold one, you might want to consider a bottle of MGD 64. The "64" stands for the 64 calories. By contrast, a regular bottle of Miller Genuine Draft has 143 calories.
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/09/14/the-hidden-and-not-so-hidden-meanings-of-12-brands-favorite-n/
1) Rolling Rock - The Mystery of 33: Drinker of this small town bear, have long debated the meaning of the "33" printed on each green bottle of Rolling Rock. a page of the Rolling Rock website is even devoted to the mystery. Some say it signifies the number of steps it took to get from the brewmaster's office down to the brewing floor. Others theorize that it took 33 steps to turn water into Rolling Rock. But the most persistent legend is that it was merely the result of a typo. The story goes that the original pledge of quality sent to the printer contained 33 words and this was noted at the end of the text by writing "33." The printer, not realizing the "33" was a word count, printed it along with the pledge text. The company embraced the 33 and even suggests that citizens should celebrate March 3 (or 3/3) by enjoying a Rolling Rock with friends.
2) KFC's 11 Herbs and Spices: When Colonel Sanders developed his secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices in the 1930s, he couldn't have guessed that one day that same formula would be one of the food industry's most closely-guarded trade secrets. Portions of the spice mix are said to be made at different locations to keep the secret safe and the only complete handwritten copy of the recipe is kept in a corporate vault.
3) Formula 409: As the official Formula 409 website explains, "Formula 409 didn't get its name from the area code where it was developed. It's not the birth date of the creator's daughter. Formula 409 got its name from perseverance." It's true. It took a lot of work. After 408 tries, two Detroit scientists finally got the formula for their cleaner right.
4) WD-40: Luckily for the inventors of WD-40, it didn't take 409 tries to get their formula right! The folks at Rocket Chemical Company perfected their water-displacement mix on the 40th try. Fun fact: Police officers used WD-40 to remove a naked burglar trapped in an air conditioning vent.
5) Dr Pepper's 23 Flavors: A pharmacist named Charles Alderton created Dr Pepper in 1885. And if you've ever wondered why you can't quite put your finger on what flavor the unique soft drink possesses, it's because his patented formula consists of a blend of 23 different flavors (Notice the faint "23" under the Dr Pepper logo). While the actual flavors are kept secret, we do know that prune juice is not one of them. The "prune rumor" dates back to the 1930s, but was debunked on the beverage's official website in 2000. The company stated: Dr Pepper is a unique blend of natural and artificial flavors; it does not contain prune juice.
6) Jack Daniel's Old No. 7: It's one of the most-often-asked questions about the well-known Whiskey: Why did Jack Daniel name his product "Old No. 7"? Unfortunately, no one really knows, and the theories are many. But according to "Whiskey Business: The Many Myths of Jack Daniels", the most reasonable explanation may be the one offered by Jack Daniel biographer Peter Krass. He explains: Jack was originally assigned a district tax assessment number of 7. But the IRS consolidated districts within Tennessee, the arbitrarily assigned him the number 16. Jack didn't want to confuse his loyal consumers and he certainly didn't want to bend to the government, so he began labeling his bottles "Old No. 7."
7) Heinz 57 Varieties: Simply put by the Heinz.com site: While riding a train in New York City in 1896, Henry Heinz saw a sign advertising 21 styles of shoes, which he thought was clever. Although Heinz was manufacturing more than 60 products at the time, Henry thought 57 was a lucky number. So, he began using the slogan "57 Varieties" in all his advertising. Today the company has more than 5,700 products around the globe, but still uses the magic number "57."
8) 7-Eleven: In an age where 24-hour grocery and convenience stores are now the norm, it's interesting to remember that 7-Eleven stores were so named to highlight their "extensive" hours. In 1946, the stores were open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. Today, many would find those convenience store hours to be limited and well, inconvenient.
9) Baskin-Robbins' 31 Flavors: If you look at their logo, you'll notice how the pink portion of the "BR" creates the number "31." This is a nod to Baskin-Robbins long standing identity as the home of 31 flavors --one for every day of the month.
10) A.1. Steak Sauce: According to wikipedia, the original steak sauce upon which A.1. is based was created in 1824 by Henderson William Brand, one of the chefs to King George IV of the United Kingdom. Legend has it that the king declared it "A1" and the name was born.
11) 84 Lumber: The original 84 Lumber opened in 1956. It was a "cash and carry" lumber yard located in a rural town 20 miles south of Pittsburgh. That town was named Eighty Four, PA, and where they got their name is interesting as well. It was originally called Smithville, but due to postal confusion with another town of the same name, its name was changed to "Eight Four" on July 28, 1884.
12) MGD 64: If you're watching your calories, but still want to indulge in a nice cold one, you might want to consider a bottle of MGD 64. The "64" stands for the 64 calories. By contrast, a regular bottle of Miller Genuine Draft has 143 calories.
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/09/14/the-hidden-and-not-so-hidden-meanings-of-12-brands-favorite-n/
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Remember September 11th
It has been 9 years since that graphic day where nearly 3,000 people lost their lives to hate and destruction from Islamic terrorists who hijacked commercial planes and used them as weapons against us. Being one of the most significant events of our generation I want to always blog on this day so we can remember what happened. This year I found a link which happen to be the live broadcasts from multiple networks starting just before first tower was hit.
http://www.archive.org/details/sept_11_tv_archive
http://www.archive.org/details/sept_11_tv_archive
Friday, September 10, 2010
History in Film: John Adams (HBO Miniseries, 2008)
The one thing that I asked for last Christmas over and over again was the DVD set of "John Adams." The HBO miniseries about the life of the second President of the United States for me is one of the best miniseries I have ever seen (up there with Band of Brothers). I had previously read the book by David McCullough and before I even finished the book, John Adams became my favorite President. Understandably he had his flaws and it is difficult for me to defend some of his actions however looking back at his marriage, his politics, and his life he truly was a great man and a vital cog in the engine which drove us towards independence.
It only took one episode for me to see how amazing this series was going to be. I have never watched a movie, documentary, or TV program that depicted the characters and events of 18th century American better than this miniseries. Paul Giamatti truly deserved the Emmy he one for his portrayal of John Adams. He brought all sides to this man's personality, depicting a man with high moral character and a passion for the law and the rights of man. Giamatti also showed a man of impatience, pride, ingratitude, and most importantly love toward his beloved wife. His 'dearest friend' as Adams always indicated in his letters to to her. Unlike many of our other founding fathers John Adams would not and admitted he could not be as successful as he was without the love and support of his wife, Abagail.
The historical moments in Adams life are shown from the Boston Massacre to his death in 1826. After studying the Founding Fathers and the events before and after the American Revolution fairly extensively I can honestly say there is a great accuracy in how they showed what life was like in that period and the events which occurred. The biggest surprise for me is scenes involving the Continental Congress. After having visited Philadelphia and seeing the room in Independence Hall I realized how small and intimate the setting was for debate amongst the colonial delegates. The scenes in "John Adams" shows that tight space they had, the long hours they debated, and the massive divide between colonies along with the compromises that brought them to independence. No production I have ever seen shows this better than this miniseries.
From beginning to end this miniseries draws you in and opens yours eyes to a world you only want to learn more about. This era in our history is becoming continually distorted and muddied by the myth and unknown facts that get taught to students from a very early age. I challenge everyone to watch this miniseries at the first chance they get and then read more about our founding fathers, the events of the American Revolution, and the politics that got us to the Constitution which we live under today.
Entertainment Rating - 4 out of 5
Historical Value - 4.5 out of 5
It only took one episode for me to see how amazing this series was going to be. I have never watched a movie, documentary, or TV program that depicted the characters and events of 18th century American better than this miniseries. Paul Giamatti truly deserved the Emmy he one for his portrayal of John Adams. He brought all sides to this man's personality, depicting a man with high moral character and a passion for the law and the rights of man. Giamatti also showed a man of impatience, pride, ingratitude, and most importantly love toward his beloved wife. His 'dearest friend' as Adams always indicated in his letters to to her. Unlike many of our other founding fathers John Adams would not and admitted he could not be as successful as he was without the love and support of his wife, Abagail.
The historical moments in Adams life are shown from the Boston Massacre to his death in 1826. After studying the Founding Fathers and the events before and after the American Revolution fairly extensively I can honestly say there is a great accuracy in how they showed what life was like in that period and the events which occurred. The biggest surprise for me is scenes involving the Continental Congress. After having visited Philadelphia and seeing the room in Independence Hall I realized how small and intimate the setting was for debate amongst the colonial delegates. The scenes in "John Adams" shows that tight space they had, the long hours they debated, and the massive divide between colonies along with the compromises that brought them to independence. No production I have ever seen shows this better than this miniseries.
From beginning to end this miniseries draws you in and opens yours eyes to a world you only want to learn more about. This era in our history is becoming continually distorted and muddied by the myth and unknown facts that get taught to students from a very early age. I challenge everyone to watch this miniseries at the first chance they get and then read more about our founding fathers, the events of the American Revolution, and the politics that got us to the Constitution which we live under today.
Entertainment Rating - 4 out of 5
Historical Value - 4.5 out of 5
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
3000-Year-Old Temple Discovered in Jordan
Little information is being revealed at this time and pictures are not being released however according to the Jordanian antiquities department they have unearthed a 3000-year-old temple, which places it in the Iron Age. The main room of the sanctuary is said to be 97 feet by 43 feet, along with a couple additional rooms and a courtyard. The temple looks to be apart of the Moabite Kingdom spoke of in the Old Testament of the Bible (I Kings 11:7). The area is becoming known as "Little Petra" because of its close proximity (only 3 miles) from the city of Petra itself. In addition to the temple itself, numerous artifacts were found such as 300 pots, figurines of deities, and items used in their worship practices. It will be interesting to see how this discovery will shed light on an ancient culture and its religious practices.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Jordan-unearths-3000-year-old-Iron-Age-temple/articleshow/6474816.cms
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Jordan-unearths-3000-year-old-Iron-Age-temple/articleshow/6474816.cms
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