Remember the Alamo

Fall of Alamo - Photo: Wikipedia

America remembers many great battles that represent a turning point in a conflict that helped shaped our history.  We think of D-Day in World War II that turned the tide of victory toward the allies despite horrific losses.  But it is a unique battle that is remembered with pride and patriotism but is also a battle that was lost and almost everybody on our side brutally killed.  But that was the case in the battle for the Alamo in 1863.

The battle for the Alamo was not a conventional battle in the sense of two equally matched armies fighting back and forth to retain the property.  It was, to put it bluntly, a slaughter.  But the brave stand of those few hundred Texans against thousands of Mexican soldiers continues to inspire us today because it was a stand against impossible odds but it was a stand that reflected the American ethic of never giving up or surrendering when there is a principle to be defended.

The siege at the Alamo actually lasted thirteen days.  It began on February 23, 1863, and it was over by March 6th.  It is hard to imagine today, with Mexico to our south a trusted ally of the United States but this was a battle to stop that attempts by Mexico to invade the newly forming country of the United States which was an act of war to be sure.  The brave men who stood against that vast army have become American icons of bravery and the American spirit and the names listed among those killed in that fort included Davy Crocket, Jim Bowie, the commander of the unit Lieutenant Colonel William B. Travis.  It was Travis that inspired his men to fight against insurmountable odds and his courage is what we celebrate whenever we say that famous rallying cry that comes out of this battle which was “Remember the Alamo.”  Travis wrote in a letter how he defied the Mexican attackers on the eve of the final siege.

I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna.  I have sustained a continual Bombardment and cannonade for 24 hours and have not lost a man.  The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise, the garrison is to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken.  I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, and our flag still waves proudly from the walls.  I shall never surrender or retreat.  I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible and die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country.  Victory or Death.

It was this brave stand that actually turned the war against this invading army to the advantage of the Americans.  The outrage from the slaughter of these men inspired that famous rallying cry that we remember even now centuries later when we hear those words “Remember the Alamo”.  Their stand against Santa Anna gave Sam Houston the time to organize a much more potent army which went on to deliver to Santa Anna a stunning defeat at San Jacinto which was the turning point for Texas which went on from there to victory in this war.

The spirit of Texas was never the same and to this day, Texas prides itself as a people of particular courage, boldness, and a unique independence that even sets them apart from the already fiercely independent American spirit.  Moreover, the entire nation looks to this battle as an example of how a few good men helped deliver a victory, even if it was at the cost of their own lives.  That indeed is the true spirit of patriotism.

---

---

The History of Weightlifting

Weightlifting Clean Jerk - Photo: Pixabay

The history of weightlifting depicts that in ancient period of prehistoric tribes has major importance, in that period the testing of manhood was done by weight lifting. They have lifted heavy stones such as Bluestones of old Dailly, Dinnie Stones, and Inver stone to show the power moreover it was the matter of prestige to the tribal kingdom in ancient age, however, it is not possible to find the exact date of the first weightlifting championship.

Perhaps, the testing of human strength is very old may be older than civilization of human being. Lifting heavy object images are shown in ancient Egyptian records, which are in scripted, in Chinese text and Greek carvings.

Weightlifting is a sport in which participant attempt to lift heavy weights mounted weights on steel and barbell. Precisely, the execution of which is a combination of flexibility, power, concentration, willpower, skills, discipline, athleticism, fitness, technique, physical and mental strength. As per the history of weightlifting, weight lifting is informally called as weight training, weightlifting trains the athlete for functional strength, utilizing the body's major muscle groups.

Although Weightlifting plays an important role in the success of many athletes, however, when not done according to the proper method, it can cause many problems concerning with health. The technique is the most important part in lifting the weight, and without proper method, weightlifters will get hurt before they have the opportunity to receive the benefits from weightlifting.

Considering the available facts, the history of weight lifting first began in Europe in the late 1880 and the champion of the competition was crowned in 1891. On those periods, there was no other subdivision and the crown went to the man able to lift the maximum weight. Weightlifting competition was clubbed as a part of athletics in 1896; however, weightlifting was excluded in the 1900 games. Again, the art of weightlifting was a notice in 1904, but the game was not included in Olympics however, in 1920, weight lifting has been accepted as a game and provided with its own right.

In those periods, Olympic introduces some strange weightlifting programs such as one and two-handed lift with no weight division, however, rules were changed in 1932 and five subdivision has been established and form three discipline for the competition viz. snatch, press and clean and jerk. 

In the snatch, the weightlifter lift the weight above the head in one fast-uninterrupted movement, however, in the second movement the weight is brought to the shoulders and after that weight is jerked out above the head. Although, in the second movement the weights are lifted in two stages makes it easier and the lifted weights. Later in 1972, press division was abolished and only snatch and clean jerk where accepted as the sports to Olympic discipline.

As a revolution in 2000, women also put their feet in this powerful event in Sydney. Hence, the history of weightlifting shows the journey of the powerful game attain a high level of place in the world Olympic.

---

---

Santa Fe Railroad

ATSFa Railroad - Photo: Wikipedia

One of the most popular railways in history was known as Santa Fe even though its official name was Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. From 1859 until 1996 this railway provided numerous services for hauling materials and maintaining miles of railroad tracks. It became one of the largest and most profitable railway companies during its prime.

The Santa Fe Railroad took a very entrepreneurial approach to their services. They purchased large areas of land from the government and then built their railroad tracks through them. They took the remaining land and sold it to businesses and individuals looking for a place to build a home or to operate a farm. They knew that by bringing people to these areas they would soon need supplies to be brought to them via the railway.

In addition, they implemented the concepts of adding buses and ferries to their passenger railway services. Since they couldn’t always reach the passengers by train they had locations set up where people could use the ferry or the bus to reach the train as part of the price of the train ride. This idea was an immediate hit and increased the number of people that began using the Santa Fe railroad for their transportation needs. 

In 1872 the Santa Fe railroad took advantage of the cattle industries in both Colorado and Kansas. They were able to ship live cows on their trains as well as to transport meat from the processing and ship it to other areas. Some businesses felt this concept was a double dip for the railway while others felt it was the genius idea that offered them plenty of profit without having to build more train tracks to reach it.

Yet the real money for the Santa Fe Railroad came with the discovery of gold in the mountains of Colorado around what is today Leadville and Cripple Creek. The railroad was able to bring supplies to the area for those looking to strike it rich. They also hauled the gold for the various companies mining it and charged a hefty price for doing so.

With the earnings that the Santa Fe railroad was making from the gold rush, they decided to expand their railway tracks into new territory. They faced many challenges getting them built along Raton Pass into New Mexico. There were simply too many hills and mountains to make this an easy job. 

Between 1965 and 1945 Santa Fe had become the most profitable railway in the country. They started out with only 62 miles of track and had grown to more than 13,000 miles. As the years went by Santa Fe continued to be a very profitable company, yet they had many competitors to contend with as well. This bit into their profits and they decided in 1983 to merge with Southern Pacific. 

The merger was never completed though as it was denied by the Interstate Commerce Commission. They felt that this merger would result in too many duplicate routes being in place by the railways. Many people were surprised when Santa Fe merged with one of its biggest competitors in 1996. Burlington Northern has always been well known for acquiring other railway companies. With this acquisition through their name took a change as well and became known as Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF). 

Yet both of these individual companies found that they were offering the same services, had similar goals, and wanted to offer the best possible training for their employees. They found they both had some strengths and some weaknesses but by joining forces they could emerge as the very best railway company in the world. 

Today BNSF is the most profitable railway in the business as they are able to offer competitive rates and they have thousands of miles of train tracks to incorporate various routes. They work hard to educate the public about safety issues and concerns. They also offer competitive wages and require all of their employees to engage in regular training. 

---

---

Did Colorado Kill Doc Holliday

Doc Holliday - Photo: Wikimedia

John Henry “Doc” Holliday’s final words, spoken as he lay dying in the Hotel Glenwood in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, were “this is funny”. We’ll never know, of course, exactly what the Wild West legend meant by this. Perhaps he found it ironic that after a life spent tempting death in the gambling dens of the American frontier, it was, at last, his 15-year long battle with tuberculosis that had killed him. But while it is certainly true that TB was the ultimate cause of his death, it may have had an accomplice…the state of Colorado itself. 

Doc was born in Georgia in 1851. His mother died of tuberculosis when he was only 15, and it is likely that he contracted the disease from her. It lay dormant long enough for him to complete his classical education and graduate from Dentistry school before symptoms began to appear. After his diagnosis he was told he had a few months, perhaps a year, to live. He was 20 years old. 

Climate was the only treatment anyone could recommend for tuberculosis in the middle of the 19th century. Seeking drier, hotter weather, Doc went west. Dying or not, he still had to make a living. Good dental hygiene, however, was not a priority for most cowboys, so Doc decided to try his hand at gambling.

Some historians have suggested that Doc deliberately put himself in harms way over the course of his life out of a desire to die a quick, if bloody, death rather than waste away as the result of his disease. Whether or not this is true, he certainly seemed to have the Devil’s luck (good or bad) protecting him. Though he was sickly, scrawny, famously quarrelsome and habitually in a state if of mortal danger, he always managed to survive.

Holliday has passed into legend as one of America’s most fearsome, steely-eyed gunslingers. But though he is credited with the killing of many men, these stories have no historical evidence. In truth, the one and only documented case of Doc killing anybody was at the infamous Gunfight at the OK Corral, when he shot Tom McLaury with a double-barrel shotgun at close range…hardly a feat the required a sharpshooter. Of his numerous escapades with a pistol, he displayed abysmal aim, probably as a result of the constant flow of whiskey he consumed to control his cough. He is said to have stabbed several men to death, but this seems unlikely given his frail health and wasted physique; he supposedly carried only about 120 pounds on his 5’10” frame when he died. 

More than a decade of gambling, smoking, drinking and fighting with some of the most dangerous men in America didn’t kill Doc Holliday, but it didn’t slow the progression of his disease, either. As he deteriorated he once again sought out “better” climate. In Victorian times (and for a long time after) consumptives were encouraged to seek high altitudes. This led Doc to the state of Colorado, the place that eventually killed him.

High altitude sickness is caused when the “thinner” air, where there is less oxygen in the atmosphere, causes the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream to decrease, causing headaches, nausea and a host of other symptoms. For someone like Holliday, who suffered from a severe and advanced lung disease that already interfered with his ability to breathe, Colorado’s high altitude was torturous. With his health worsening daily he decided to seek treatment in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, a town famous for the “healing” waters of its natural hot-springs and vaporous caves.

Visiting the hot-springs was the worst possible course of action for the tubercular Holliday. Sulfur emissions from the mineral springs and geothermal steam baths at Glenwood Springs stripped the few shreds of healthy tissue from his already ravaged lungs. After a bitter lifetime of gambling with death at the point of a blade or the barrel of a pistol, his diseased body got the better of him. After 2 racking, bedridden months in the winter of 1887 Doc Holliday’s lungs gave out and he died. Tuberculosis had been the loaded gun at his temple for almost half his life, but Colorado had finally pulled the trigger.

---

---

Choosing the Right Gloves for Goalkeeping in Soccer Training

Goalkeeper Gloves - Photo: Pixabay

If you play the position of goalkeeper in the game of soccer, it is important to know how to choose the right gloves for the task. During soccer training, it is important to have these available for use. As a goalkeeper, you are required to come in contact with the soccer ball and maintain control of it through the use of your hands. Having the right pair of gloves for goalkeeping in soccer can mean the difference between a game won and a game lost. Here, I will express some of the key components of the gloves that will allow you to decide what type is right for you during soccer training.

When choosing the right gloves for goalkeeping in soccer training, it is essential to understand that price has a lot to do with the overall quality of gloves that you are trying to obtain. The goalkeeper's gloves will help that individual maintain a grip on the soccer ball. You should never bypass a pair of gloves that have a really good quality to them simply because of the price. Paying higher for goalkeeper gloves that have excellent quality is much better than losing a game because you bought the cheapest pair that you could find.

The next thing that you should consider when selecting the right pair of goalkeeper's gloves for soccer training is the cut of the glove. This is the part of the glove that sits on the palm area. Normally, you can select from any of the following cuts in a goalkeeper's glove:

• Surround Cut
• Negative
• Rolled Finger
• Flat
• Rolled Index

You can find these cuts in rubber, hard latex, soft latex, and other textures. It is important to select a texture that you are comfortable with. The texture that you choose for your goalkeeping gloves should be comfortable enough that you can maintain a tight grip on the soccer ball during soccer training. If you find that you are unable to maintain a good grip during soccer training, you should experiment with an assortment of gloves until you find a pair that works for you.

When selecting the right pair of goalkeeper's gloves for soccer training, it is important to ensure that they are a right fit for you. If the gloves are too tight, it will make for an unbearable soccer training session. If you purchase gloves that are too large, the grip that you have will suffer. You should purchase a pair of gloves that allows you a little room to move, but are not too loose.

As you can see, choosing the right pair of goalkeeper's gloves for soccer training can be a tedious task. However, by using the basic knowledge of the position of goalkeeper, knowing a different kind of materials that are used to create the gloves, exploring the different cuts of gloves, and selecting the right size, it can be relatively simple. If you are still unsure of what kinds of gloves are best for soccer training, you should consider asking a coach or a more experienced person to assist you in selecting the right ones.

---

---

Relaxation New York City Style

New York - Photo: Maxpixel

New York City is perhaps the busiest city in the world. The people here are always running to and fro from work to home to meeting to school functions for their children to dinner you name it and most people in this city are constantly on the move. New Yorkers work hard and they play hard and for the most part, you will not find a city full of couch potatoes. 

As a result of the constant movement and often constant stress of keeping pace in the city that never sleeps there is a huge demand for spas, massages, and a service industry that is devoted to helping these overworked, overplayed, and overstressed people learn to relax. Of course, there are other industries in New York City that are equally dedicated to keeping them awake and alert. 

If relaxation is the order of the day you will be glad to know that there is a spa on almost every corner in New York City and if your vacation is one in which you wish to have a relaxing time of things then you may want to select a hotel with a spa on the premises and never walk outside. I can't imagine being in New York City and staying in my hotel the entire time but for some getting away is the only way they'll be able to leave work and responsibilities behind in order to truly relax and receive the full benefits of a spa treatment. 

In addition to the many spas that are available there are also gyms and sports complexes that will allow you to work out your frustrations or aggressions through physical exertion in addition to the many parks scattered throughout the city that offer places to walk, run, jog, ride bikes, roller blade, and participate in dozens of other physical activities as well. 

If the physical activity and the spa treatment don't help you reach your relaxation goals, then perhaps an evening out is in order. You will find all kinds of ways to spend your evenings in New York City. There are bars, lounges, comedy clubs, dance clubs, and simple hotel bars where you can have a nice drink or two to lighten your mood and then head back up to your room without the worry of how you're going to get back to your room. 

Of course, many believe that laughter without a doubt is the best medicine for whatever might ail you so the many comedy clubs around New York might be the best place to look for a night of fun and relaxation. Chances are if you're standing in New York City, pretty much anywhere you are kind of near a comedy club. If there's doubt I can almost guarantee that a bellhop or concierge might be able to help you find one close by and rather quickly.

Then, of course, there's the last resort. Well for some, for me it's the first thought that comes to mind for relaxation: hot tub and massage. Not necessarily in that order but either or both is a great way to spend the evening. If you are fortunate enough to have a loved one along with you it is a great idea to share both the hot tub and the massage. While giving massages to each other is nice, there is something deliciously sinful about lying beside each other while receiving the royal treatment. You know you will be heading back to reality soon so enjoy this while you can.

---

---

Camping and Picnics: The Perfect Combination

Camping - Photo: Pixabay

Are you looking for a fun and exciting way to spend time with your family, with your friends, or with your romantic partner?  If you are, have you taken the time to examine camping?  Camping is nice as it is occasionally referred to as a recreational activity that is affordable.  As nice as camping is, did you know that you can do much more, like have a picnic?  In fact, when you think about it, camping and picnics really are the perfect combination.

One of the many reasons why camping and picnics are the perfect combinations is because it seems as if they are designed for each other.  For instance, if you were to go camping, there is a good chance that you would choose to do so at a state park or a public campground park.  When examining these popular camping destinations, you will find that many of them have picnic areas, many of which may be right on or near your campsite.  It is common to find parks and campgrounds that already have picnic tables installed or you can choose to bring your own picnic blankets to use.

Another one of the many ways that camping and picnics make for the perfect combination can be seen when you examine popular picnic locations. What is nice about having picnics is that you can have them in your own backyard and at local parks. While some of the local parks that you may be interested in having a picnic at may be “traditional,” in nature, it is possible to find parks that also have onsite camping available.  Often times, you may find that camping is included in the cost of your admission. If the cost of camping is not included, you may be surprised with just how affordable the extra cost it.

When having a picnic, many families, friends, and couples, do much more than just eat.  That is one of the many reasons why camping and picnics tend to go hand in hand.  Many popular picnic activities, depending on the location of your picnic, tend to include boating, swimming, fishing, and hiking. These are many of the same activities that are associated with camping.  In fact, you will find that many state parks and public campground parks have swimming pools, lakes, or other bodies of water, as well as great hiking trails.

As much as camping and picnics make the perfect combination, many individuals do not make this association.  One of the reasons for that is because of many individuals associate picnics with a few hours worth of fun. Although picnics can last a few hours, there is no need to rush. Many families and couples have their picnics last hours upon hours.  If you are interested in doing the same and if you would like to picnic in a public location, like a state park, you may want to consider adding camping to your fun list of activities. Even if you aren’t familiar with camping, it is something that you should enjoy and many of the needed supplies are easy to come by, as well as affordable.

As outlined above, camping and picnics really make for the perfect combination.  If you have a little bit of free time in your future or if you are looking to take an affordable vacation, you may want to examining combining a picnic with a camping adventure, as you can have an unlimited amount of fun when doing so.

---

---