what does the statue of liberty stand for

one thing that i found that i thought was interesting was the placement. it didn't click till now that the statue of liberty was placed in the opening to Elis Island. this is where the imagrents came through to reach the land of the free i thought that was kinda cool. and i guess in a way that would display a symbol of freedom and power.


http://library.thinkquest.org/20619/Stsym.html

Suffering: It's Not Always Bad

All over the world there is suffering. There always has been and no matter how hard the world tries to prevent it, there always will be. Some believe it is an act of God and that he is punishing people for their sin. Others believe that suffering occurs because there is no God and that if there was there would be no suffering.

Here is my take on the subject. I believe that the world is cruel and that good people are always getting the short end of the stick. This is only because that these good people care and whether they know it or now, they know it or not they want some kind of reward for their efforts, the whole thought of Karma. To me they are actually getting a reward but it seems like they are getting punished. The greatest thing, I believe that people need to suffer in order to grow as a person. That you cannot truly feel what is good in life without feeling the bad.

Here is a link that tells of a book that dives into this subject a little more.
http://www.psypress.com/the-importance-of-suffering-9780415667807

I'd like to get some of your guys opinions on this subject so feel free to respond :D

The Torch

The torch of the statue of liberty has been closed for viewing since the Black Tom explosion July 30, 1916. The explosion caused $100,000 worth of damage to the statue and only staff of the Statue are permitted to go up to the torch for maintenance. The Black Tom explosion was the largest attack of sabotage on our nation at that time. The statue is 305 ft and 1 inch tall at the tip of the torch.

Some FAQs about the statue.

http://www.nps.gov/stli/planyourvisit/get-the-facts.htm

Information about the Black Tom explosion.

http://www.njcu.edu/programs/jchistory/pages/b_pages/black_tom_explosion.htm

Folk Doctors

I was interested in learning more about folk doctors like Tommy Bass. I was specifically interested in how people use specific herbs for various symptoms. The resource that I found not only told of some herbs, it told of other ways these doctors use to diagnose people. They really use all aspects of nature when diagnosing and curing people. The source is also a blog, but it also works like a website with different links to click on. I learned so much just by reading the post/article that is the main page. Even though the source is about another countries folk doctors, I did read about some things that were in the profile for Tommie Bass. The second source I found brings up the debate on if people should really use these alternative medicines like these folk doctors use.

http://curupkami.blogspot.com/2009/10/info-herbal-therapy-of-rejang-folk.html

http://www.ehow.com/about_5076669_homeopathy-vs-allopathy.html

One of the stories I found to be interesting was that of Happy Davis the Pullman Porter. The thing I wanted to learn about more about was the union created by the African American porters and maids. The union was called the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. This was very important thing to happen for African Americans at the time because this job was considered to be one of the best jobs an African American could find at the time. The leader to create the union was a man named A. Phillip Randolph who was fighting for civil rights for African Americans. The union was created in 1925 and with a law being passed this union was the first to get backed by the American Federation of Labor or the AFL. With this backing the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters became very strong and was the leader in stopping segregation in the AFL. This union also helped in the movement of civil rights which at the time was a big movement going on. The other reason this was so big is because this movement started in the big city of Chicago where the Pullman Company was out of and during this time there were many African Americans who lived there and this is what also helped with the push. So in the esence the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters opened the door for union and for civil rights for African Americans. As the company died the Brotherhood would then unite with other brotherhood unions. The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters started in 1925 and ended in 1978. If you want to learn more here is the two websites I found to be very helpful:

http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/174.html

http://www.blackpast.org/?q=aah/brotherhood-sleeping-car-porters-1925-1978

"Steam Train" Maury Grahm and hoboes

The first profile, and the one that stuck with me most was the profile of "Steam Train" Maury Grahm, the hobo from Logansport, Indiana. I thought he was an interesting person and the hobo culture was interesting and I would like to learn more about it, such as the ways they used to communicate in the book. I found a interview with him on PBS but I haven't watched it yet since we're in class, but I will when I get home since it seems interesting. I also included another link that is an article that talks a lot about the hobo jungles and how the original hobo doesn't really exist anymore but a new secondary generation hobos who often have some sort of steady employment but still seek the adventure and experience they feel the original hoboes had.

PBS interview of Steam Train Maury

- Article on hoboes

Charlie DeLeo-Statue of Liberty

I wanted to figure out if Charlie DeLeo was really the only person to stand in the torch of the Statue of Liberty. Charlie DeLeo took pride in his work and loved his work which I think is remarkable. Many people these days take work their work for granted thinking that they are irreplaceable. However, I really do think Charlie DeLeo is irreplaceable. He had a passion for the Statue of Liberty since he was in fourth grade and took a trip with his class to Ellis Island. I found out that the torch has been shut down since 1960, but Charlie is a regular. He, like many others in the book, felt like he was born to do his job. He learned basically every inch of Lady Liberty. I also wanted to know a deeper meaning behind the Statue of Liberty. I know it stands for freedom and as long as the torch is lit we are free, but I was just wondering if there was a deeper meaning behind it. I found this link that tells the meaning behing the spikes on the crown and everything.

http://www.statueoflibertynow.com/Statue-of-Liberty-Tiara.html



This link talks about Charlie DeLeo and how he viewed that Statue of Liberty. I found it interesting.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/08/02/earlyshow/main633557.shtml