Honour Pakistan's Children -- Huge Response!

A band of men walked into a school in Pakistan and massacred over 100 kids. These Taliban extremists see education as a threat and the best way to respond to their heinous crime is to meet their attack with a global call to get every child in school

>> Sign The Petition! <<

[ Confirmed! UN Special Envoy on Education will deliver our call to the Pakistan Prime Minister within days. Click to join the campaign now before they speak -- let's make this the biggest call for education for all ever! ]

Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future: How Christmas Has Changed Over the Years

Contrary to what you might think when listening to older relatives recount stories of past Christmases - you know the ones, where they tell you about the good old days and explain that things are not quite like what they used to be - the festive season has indeed changed. Things are not the way they used to be, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, wouldn't it be terrible if things always stayed the same?

Celtic Advent Blends Cultures

Celtic Advent in the pre Nicene church, early Christianity that pre-dates the Nicene Creed, the roadmap of what Christians, Catholic and Protestants believe. was very different than what we celebrate in the modern time. First Celtic Christianity participated and flourished in this period right up though the middle ages and had its own unique way of celebrating the season of Celtic Advent.

The Celtic Church was given this name to describe the period before the missionaries arrived. St. Patrick a famous saint arose out of the Celtic Christianity era for Ireland Wales and Scotland. He was a British missionary, maybe the most famous of all the Saints to rise out of this time approximately the 5th century. Although, from a historical perspective ironic, Ireland was evangelized and converted by the British Missionaries of which St. Patrick was a participant.

Where Did It All Start And Why Do We Do Christmas Gifts?

Christmas is, for many people, their favourite time of the year. Taking away the fact it is a time of rampant Christmas gift giving and stress, it is also the time of year when families most often come together and see each other. For others, it is the joyous occasion of celebrating Christ's birth, and as Christmas has been overtaken by the commercial side of the season, this religious basis for the celebration is often overlooked. However, many people wonder about the origins of Christmas, and especially how the tradition of Christmas gift giving came about in particular!

Exclusive! The A-Listers of Christmas - Baby Jesus, Santa, Rudolf, Frosty - Reveal Their Stories

When it comes to the biggest characters of the Christmas season, you might initially think of all of your television favourites. After all, what Christmas would be complete without at least the possibility of sitting down in front of the TV - post-lunch - and enjoying a repeat of ET, James Bond, Indiana Jones or - shock horror - perhaps even Mary Poppins? There's Rambo too, but not until after the kids have gone to bed. Or perhaps the Queen comes to mind when one thinks of the most important faces of Christmas. After all, who hasn't tuned into to Her Majesty's afternoon slot, and - filled with a sense of pride - listened to what the Queen considers to be the most important highlights of the year that is now drawing to a close? There really are few Christmas Gifts more magical than that.

But, Christmas would not be complete without a few more heavy-hitters; the real A-List celebrities of the festive season. And the Big Daddy of them all is little Baby Jesus. Also known as Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus Christ, Baby Jesus is a central figure of Christianity and a prophet of Islam.

Advent Tradition Circles Around a Wreath

If you ask any Catholic, they will tell you the season of Advent is a period of penance and preparing their heart for the coming of the Baby Jesus. But although not part of the Holy See’s opinion on Advent, the advent wreath, advent season and the family activities helps families stay focused on the real meaning of the season, Jesus, and not the commercialism Christmas has become. 

Wassily Kandinsky

To gain a historical perspective of abstract art it is necessary to first look at the painters that have had a profound effect on the medium. Artist Wassily Kandinsky is one that has to be included in any discussion on the history of Abstract art.

History of Automobiles: 1828-1910

At the same time steam powered vehicles were being developed, other inventors were hard at work developing a horseless carriage run by means of electricity. A Hungarian by the name of Anyos Jedlik built a small model car powered by an electric motor as early as 1828. Similar efforts were produced in the United States in 1834, and the Netherlands in 1835. Scottish inventors made the first full sized electric carriage soon afterward. This led to the rise of electricity-based transport in the US and Europe, at a time when Steam locomotion was also becoming fashionable as a new alternative to old fashioned literal horse power.

Early Years of Automobile History: 1672-1875

 

Although the first modern car running on gasoline was developed by German inventor Karl Benz in 1885, there were a number of precursors that ran on steam. The earliest known design of a steam powered vehicle was invented by a Jesuit missionary to China from Flanders, Belgium, by the name of Ferdinand Verbiest, in around the year 1672. From his recorded description, it appears that this was just a tiny model or toy that was designed for the Chinese Emperor Kangxi. In fact, there is no proof that his design was ever actually built. 

Wolf Paintings

Wolf paintings are among some of the more popular of wildlife art. It may be a portrait of a single wolf or of the pack or a mother with her pups. The most popular of the aforementioned are lone wolf paintings.

There is something mystical about this animal that seems to summon different feelings from people that no other type of art does. That may be because these creatures have been feared for so long and not understood.

Nuremberg, Germany

Nuremberg, Germany is probably most well-known for the ill-fated “Nuremberg Trials” where Nazi generals were sentenced to death in light of the country’s defeat in World War Two and the massacres of the Holocaust. This red mark has, sadly, overshadowed the remarkable and generally non-genocidal history of Nuremberg. During the German Renaissance in the 1400s, for instance, Nuremberg was the cultural epicenter of Germany and it was the first city in the country to recognize the Protestant movement in the 1500s. Nuremberg is also one of the most important cities as far as astronomy is concerned. One of the first observatories in history was erected in Nuremberg and Alfred Durer of Nuremberg brought the stars to the masses when he created the first printed star charts.

The Best Dogs For Families With Children

Submitted by: Kelly Marshall

There is much speculation about which dog breeds are the best for families with young children. There is no definitive answer to this question. Almost any type of dog has the potential to do well will kids. Each dog has its own unique personality and you never know exactly how they will turn out. Many factors go into determining a dog's ability to mesh well with children. 

Here are some things to keep in mind when searching for a family dog.