A poem on the Statue of Liberty

Today I am going to share a poem I found online, it's called The Statue Of Liberty Poem. I will even share the website name with you, so that you can look at it too. Here is the poem.

The Statue of Liberty Poem

“The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus

Between 1820 and 1920, approximately 34 million persons immigrated to the United States, three-fourths of them staying permanently. For many of these newcomers, their first glimpse of America was the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor.

The statue, sculpted by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, had been conceived of as a gift of friendship from the people of France marking the two nations' commitment to liberty. France provided $400,000 for the 151 ft 1 in. (46.05 m) statue, and a fundraising drive in the United States netted $270,000 for the 89-foot pedestal.

The Jewish American poet Emma Lazarus saw the statue as a beacon to the world. A poem she wrote to help raise money for the pedestal, and which is carved on that pedestal, captured what the statue came to mean to the millions who migrated to the United States seeking freedom, and who have continued to come unto this day.

–The U.S. Department of State

“The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles.
From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!"” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Here is the link to the website, that I found on the poem on. www.factmonster.com/ 

Different Customs and Traditions From Around The World

Today I would like to share with all of you the different customs and traditions from around the world.  I didn't write these, I found them online from a website. Here is the first one. In Russia, Father Frost brings presents for the children on New Year’s Day. Gold and silver coins are placed inside a brides wedding shoes in Sweden. Shoes must always be removed before entering a Japanese home. This also holds true for Indian households too. In many Western cultures, children leave teeth under their pillow for the tooth fairy to collect – usually in return for some money!  The Bahai People of Iran have their own calendar consisting of nineteen months each with nineteen days. In Brazil, New Year’s Day is celebrated with a bowl of lentil soup as the lentil is considered a symbol of wealth
Foot Binding, a beauty ritual for women to keep their feet from growing too large, is a painful Chinese tradition that only stopped in the 1930s. Wedding celebrations can involve five parties in some parts of the Middle East, beginning with the engagement party and ending with the wedding shower, seven days after the marriage. So these are just some different traditions and customs from around the world. I hope you enjoy learning about some of these, just as much as I learned from them and enjoyed reading them. I hope to post again really soon, but until then please enjoy today's post, until next time.

Blog versus having Social Media

Today's topic is about the difference between having a blog and having different social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, Now one thing about Social Media sites, like the ones I mentioned are that you can connect with the world, by liking, commenting, private messaging, re tweeting people, and video call, and do phone calls too, Except, when having a blog it allows you to have time to write whatever you want, just like Facebook does, but you can't tweet, you can't private message, you can't make video calls, or phone calls, you can post some videos and photos, and people can comment on your blog, but what's better? Social Media or having a blog? In my opinion, I like having a blog because it allows me to write and gives people a chance to see and read what I write, when they visit my blog online. I also like social media, because it allows me to talk to my friends, and maybe even play word games. Although stuff like that on social media is fun, having a blog doesn't give you the options to play word games or private message your friends. Which is that really a bad thing? I mean sure texting and social networking sites are great, but blogging just gives you more free time to write whatever you want and you can type as many words as you want with out a limit of how much your allowed to write, Which is nice because people who like to write or feel like they can't type anything else because of the limit, some social media sites have, are okay but  what about those who have blogs? I mean people who have blogs should be able to have their blog to write whatever comes to mind. I feel they are both useful, in different ways, but blogging can be so much better when you don't have a character limit or any limit, on what you feel is important to write about. I want to share a video from a show that used to be on Disney. It's a show called Girl Meets World. This kind of relates to the topic, I am talking about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LjJxCvwLvk This short clip, shows a little bit about how people use social media by what they watch on YouTube, or what they use. I feel that both are great, but I think social media is great when you want to share with people what happened during your day or you just want to do something else. Also having a blog is great, because if there is anything I've learned from the episode Girl Meets Forgiveness Project, from Girl Meets World, is that writing something on a piece of paper has unlimited characters, and the message will last a lot longer. So I've shared my opinion of what I thought about each, but what do you think? I like both, but I think a blog will last a lifetime, because what happens when the next new thing comes along? I mean what do you think Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram will be like in a few years? Do you think they will stay or do you think they will be a thing of the past? Also by that I mean, do you think people will forget about those social media sites, and be on to the next new social media site, that comes along? Finally, what site do you think will come along in a few years, if Facebook and Twitter and Instagram are forgotten? I'm not saying they will be, but if they were what do you think the new social media site will be in a few years from now?

Valentine's Day Education Post

The Celebration of Valentine’s Day

 Valentine’s Day is a festival of romance that celebrates love and relationships. Celebrated on February 14th, it is often marked by giving gifts to and spending time with loved ones. Valentine’s Day traditions include exchanging gifts, such as chocolates or roses, and a romantic night out on the town. School children often exchange Valentines Cards that may contain candy. Decorations typically feature Cupid and his arrows, doves, and hearts. Valentine’s Day also has religious associations, especially with the Anglican and Lutheran church. Religious celebrations may feature church services orfeasts. Cupid became a symbol of Valentine’s Day due to the fact that he is the Roman god associated with the erotic, passionate type of love. His arrows cause his targets to fall in love.

Valentine’s Day Love Quotes

There are many popular quotes that are used during Valentine’s Day. During this day many partners display their appreciation and love for one another by buying roses along with a card that typically has a love quote. Over many years some Valentine’s Day Quotes have gained popularity, while the classic Valentine’s Day love quotes have and will remain for many years. If you are looking for some popular Valentine’s Day quotes we have gathered a few. “If you have only one smile in you give it to the people you love.” -Quote by Maya Angelou

“Love will find a way through paths where wolves fear to prey.” -Quote by Lord Byron

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” -Quote by Charles M. Schulz

 “It is better to have loved and lost than never to have lost at all.” -Quote by Samuel Butler

 “Each time you love, love as deeply as if it were forever.” -Quote by Audre Lorde

 Valentine’s Day – The history behind the holiday

Valentine’s Day actually started as a religious celebration. The holiday commemorated the line of Christian saints under the name Valentinus. The most significant St. Valentine was beheaded by the Roman emperor Claudius. The emperor had banned marriage in order to help his soldiers focus, but St. Valentine continued to marry couples in secret, as marriage was an important ritual for Christians. When St. Valentine refused to embrace paganism, Claudius had him executed around 269 AD. It is said that while he was in prison, St. Valentine developed feelings for his jailer’s blind daughter. Legend says that his love for her was so great that he healed her sight. This is the origin of the phrase, “From your Valentine,” as St. Valentine signed a letter to her this way before his execution. The holiday was further developed when Pope Gelasius attempted to rid of a pagan festival celebrated in February. Previously, young Roman men celebrated the spring festival of fertility by drawing a name of a female from the box, who would be their partner for the following year. The pope decided that this was not in accordance with Christian values, and changed the ritual to where the young Roman men would draw the name of a Saint, who they were supposed to aspire to be like for the rest of the year. The pope replaced the pagan god associated with the festival, Lupercus, with St. Valentine. As the change in practice was not very popular with the young Romans, the men used St. Valentine’s romantic themes to write letters to young women, often invoking the name of St. Valentine to communicate affection. These letters became the norm for Valentine’s Day sweethearts as the practice of courting developed during the Middle Ages. The practice of giving other gifts arrived in 18th century England. In contemporary times, these have almost completely been replaced by commercial greeting cards. Geoffrey Chaucer was instrumental in developing the holiday of Valentine’s Day. His poem, Parlement of Foules, from 1382, commemorated the engagement of Richard II and Anne of Bohemia with romantic themes and mention of Valentine’s Day. Although it is believed that Chaucer was actually referring to a different St. Valentine than the one associated with Valentine’s Day, its interpretation led to the romantic tradition of celebrating the holiday. This also started a tradition of birds as a Valentine’s symbol and this this is recurrent throughout romantic poetry, including that by Edmund Spenser and John Donne. Another source of the holiday’s development can be found in the “High Court of Love,” which was established in 1400 Paris by Isabel of Bavaria to make decisions regarding abuse, promises, contracts, and other issues surrounding females in romantic relationships. It is believed that women selected the court judges through a poetry reading competition. It is believed that the oldest remaining Valentine is from the Duke of Orleans, written to his wife while imprisoned in the Tower of London sometime during this same period.

Valentine’s Day in other countries

While most countries celebrate with traditional gift giving and time with Valentines, people all over the world celebrate in other ways as well. Valentine’s Day was first concentrated in Anglican countries, but now the holiday is celebrated all over the world. Jack Valentine is a folk character in Norfolk who leaves presents on doorsteps for children. In Slovenia, the holiday is also associated with agriculture, as it is considered the beginning of spring. This may have something to do with the connection between agriculture and love in terms of fertility, which were connected hundreds of years ago with the pagan festival. It is often the first day that workers head back to the fields, and many proposals occur in these fields. Latin America also refers to the day as “Día del Amor y la Amistad,” or the Day of Love and Friendship. It is distinct in the way that the holiday honors friends as well as lovers. However, the holiday in Latin America is typically celebrated in June due to the February 14th date’s proximity to Mardi Gras related celebrations. Finland also celebrates a similar “Friend’s Day” on Valentine’s Day. In other Scandinavian countries, the holiday is largely an American and commercial influence, mostly promoted by the flower and candy industry in order to stimulate sales. In China, men typically give sweethearts flowers and chocolates, but due to its proximity to the Lunar New Year, it is celebrated later in the year.  South Korean tradition has women giving men chocolate on February 14 and men giving women a different type of candy on March 14. Black Day, on April 14th, has those who did not receive anything celebrate their loneliness by eating black noodles. Valentine’s Day in Japan centers solely on giving chocolate due to advertisement by chocolate companies. These companies make much of their profit during this time of year. In many Middle-Eastern Islamic countries, the celebration of Valentine’s Day or the sale of Valentine’s Day-related merchandise is banned, believing that the holiday encourages behavior that is not in line with Islamic beliefs. However, the practice of exchanging flowers is gaining popularity in Pakistan despite discouragement from political and religious leaders.  Even though Valentine's Day isn't until February 14th, I thought I would do a little fun educational post, about it. These facts, I didn't come up with, they came from a website, I found on Google. I hope everyone has a great evening, and I can't wait to share something different with you later on. Well until then, I just want to say thank you for letting me share these fun little Valentine's Day Facts with all of you. Have a great rest of the day everyone.

My review on what I am reading so far

Right now I am reading a book written by Shakespeare and it has the original text and the modern text in English, so that you can read it side by side. The first side has it the way he wrote the play, and the other side gives you an English translation, so that you can understand the book. The book is about Julius Cesar. I enjoy reading it, because I read it when I was in high school. I read it with my English class. I think rereading stuff like that, gives us some help in understanding what the story is really about. Shakespeare's stories are literature, and should be read. I got the book at Barnes and Noble. I got it there, because I didn't think they had books on plays with what I have already mentioned in the beginning. I think that it's a great way to learn what these books are about, because you get to read the original text, and then you get to read what it actually means, in a way where we as the readers will understand it a little bit better. So far I am only on act one, of the book and almost to act two, but I'm enjoying every minute of it. Yes it maybe long, but that's not going to stop me from reading it. I think it is also helping me, because I have not read it in a long time, and I think that as I read it and continue to read more of the book, I'll remember exactly what the story is about. I know I haven't written in a long time, but I'm writing again. I don't have a lot more that I would like to say right now, so I am just going to leave it at what I wrote today. When I write again, you will know because I will have posted something new. So that's all I have to write for now, until next time.

A little inspirational videos sung by Matthew West and a inspirational post

I hope everyone's week is going good so far. I have a story that I finished on my computer and it's a story that I had been working on, not this November but last. Which means it's been a long time. The story is three hundred and some pages long, but I think it's a great story. It's different and different is good. No one wants to read the same story starters over and over. I am working on another right now. I hope the one I finished, from awhile back already, well I hope I can publish it. It's been a dream of mine to become an author. I don't want to really share the story right now, on this post because well then it might take you some time to read it, and then this post would be really long. No, I rather wait till it would be published for people to read it, because I don't want to give away anything in the story. Look, all I will tell you about it, is that it's about two twin sisters who go to this hotel, and I will tell you that as you continue to read it, whenever it may be published, that there will be some twists and turns, but I gave it a happy ending, that you wouldn't expect to happen. That's all I'm saying. Now what I will tell you about the one I'm working on, is that these two sisters in the beginning have to kind of figure out why their third sister was taken away, and I will tell you that the beginning is like a mystery because the parents in the story don't want to explain to their two daughters why their sister wasn't with them that morning they woke up. Anyway, that's all I'm going to tell you about those two stories for now. I don't want to tell you about the whole second story because then it might give away most of the story, and besides it's not finished yet. I know it may seem like I haven't written in awhile but I am writing again and I am happy that I can just write and be able to know that people are and have been enjoying what I write lately, because it makes me happy. It makes me happy because I know that people are liking what I write, and when they like something that I write, then it makes me feel good about myself and it makes me want to continue to keep writing, so that I become better at, each day. Tonight, just for fun I would like to share two different videos. I don't know if you or any of you have ever heard the song, Do Something by Matthew West, but if you haven't then I would like to share that with you at this time. So here is the link to the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_RjndG0IX8 I like this song because it is good, and because I also like him as an artist and I like his music. Now the second video I would like to share, is also by him and it's called Hello My Name is, now before I share the link with you, I want you to know that this was the song I sang with him at one of his concerts during the Q&A which was cool. Here is the link to the song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuJWQzjfU3o enjoy the videos. Also enjoy tonight's post as well, and until next time. I'm not sure when I'll write again, but when you do, then you'll know because I will have posted something here and you'll be able to read it. Have a great rest of the night and evening as well. Also I'm glad I could share the videos with you.

Thank you and Inspirational video

Hi everyone, it's been awhile since I wrote. The last time I wrote anything for my blog was over Christmas break. Now that Christmas is over and New Years Eve and Day are over, I just want to start off by saying thank you for those who read my blog all over the world and I hope you're enjoying it. I also want to say thank you to anyone who has enjoyed reading my posts from my blog. Today, I figured  I would share a video by a band that you may know called Anthem Lights. They did a cover of Chris Tomlin's song Good Good Father. Here is the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NhHzTq5wQQ this is the link to the video so that you may watch it, I hope that as you watch today's video that inspires you in some way. I like the video cover they did for this song. Anyway I hope you enjoy today's post and I hope to post again sometime soon or later on. Whenever I decide to post again, I hope you'll enjoy reading whatever I write next. Hope everyone has a great week and a great weekend and I can't wait to share something different next time.