Preamble with Words & Original

Hey, do you know about the U.S.A.?
Do you know about the government?
Can you tell me about the Constitution?
Hey, learn about the U.S.A.
In 1787 I'm told
Our founding fathers did agree
To write a list of principles
For keepin' people free.
The U.S.A. was just startin' out.
A whole brand-new country.
And so our people spelled it out
The things that we should be.
And they put those principles down on paper and called it the Constitution, and it's been helping us run our country ever since then. The first part of the Constitution is called the preamble and tells what those founding fathers set out to do.
We the people,
In order to form a more perfect union,
Establish justice, insure domestic tranquility,
Provide for the common defense,
Promote the general welfare and
Secure the blessings of liberty
To ourselves and our posterity
Do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
In 1787 I'm told
Our founding fathers all sat down
And wrote a list of principles
That's known the world around.
The U.S.A. was just starting out
A whole brand-new country.
And so our people spelled it out
They wanted a land of liberty.
And the Preamble goes like this:
We the people,
In order to form a more perfect union,
Establish justice, insure domestic tranquility,
Provide for the common defense,
Promote the general welfare and
Secure the blessings of liberty
To ourselves and our posterity
Do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
For the United States of America...

Note:
The lyrics here have a slightly abridged wording of the Preamble to the United States Constitution. The actual document starts, "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union..."

A Promise of Freedom (12 minutes)

Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Produced by the National Constitution Center

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Village in Italy Builds a Giant Mirror to Light the Hamlet of Viganella

In the far northwest corner of Italy, in a quiet valley dominated by steep hills, is the tiny hamlet of Viganella.  It is about 120 km (74.5 miles) northeast of Turin, Italy. It’s situated at the bottom of a steep-sided Alpine valley, right up against the Swiss border.

It is predicted that in the next fifteen years, the population of Viganella will dwindle from 100 to fewer than 30. For the inhabitants of this village, the empty stone houses point to a very real fear their town is dying and it may soon be a village of ruins.

The mayor of the town, Pierfranco Midali, knows this. So he's going to try and realize an incredible, if crazy, dream - to revive Viganella by building a giant mirror on the mountain behind the village to reflect sunlight into the town square.

From November through to February, the town of Viganella is in permanent gloom. The mountains to the south block the low winter sun and for almost three months, there is no place in Viganella that gets any sunlight. Pierfranco is going to change this.

The Mirror is a documentary about bringing sunlight to a forgotten village and how this extraordinary idea affects the lives of the people in the village and the surrounding valley. Touching and whimsical, its about the light and the dark and the things in between a documentary film about some extraordinary people and their extraordinary dreams of light.

Directed by
David Christensen
Produced by Vivo film (Italy) & Agitprop Films (Canada)

and . . .

 source: http://twistedsifter.com/2012/02/village-builds-giant-mirror-to-combat-darkness/

Ice Skating the Famous Canals of Amsterdam

More pictures at the SOURCE: http://twistedsifter.com/2012/02/ice-skating-famous-canals-of-amsterdam/

As the deep freeze spreads across Europe, one country that is embracing the cooler weather is The Netherlands. With temperatures dropping to around -7 degrees Celsius (19 degrees Fahrenheit) earlier this week, many of Amsterdam’s iconic canals have frozen over, allowing residents and tourists to skate the city’s famed waterways. Popular canals such as Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht and Brouwersgracht have all frozen enough for people to skate on.
While skating on frozen canals is an annual occurrence for cities like Ottawa in Canada (on the Rideau Canal), it is a rarity in places like Amsterdam. So when the temperatures are right, the people flood to the ice.
The Dutch are optimistic that the temperatures may stay cold enough for the famous “Eleven Cities” aka “Elfstedentocht” speed skating race to occur. The last time the weather was cold enough for the race to happen was 15 years ago in 1997!
Elfstedentocht is the world’s largest speed skating competition and leisure skating tour at almost 200 km in length (124-miles). It is held in the province of Friesland, Netherlands and only happens when the entire course is at least 15cm thick. Approximately 15,000 participants took part in the last race. [Source: Wikipedia]

Medieval War Tactics, Weapons and Other Details

Medieval warfare is the warfare of the Middle Ages. In Europe, technological, cultural, and social developments had forced a dramatic transformation in the character of warfare from antiquity, changing military tactics and the role of cavalry and artillery. In terms of fortification, the Middle Ages saw the emergence of the castle in Europe, which then spread to southwestern Asia.

SOURCE (to continue)  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_warfare

South America - Mesoamerican Civilisations History Timeline & Facts

5000-1200 BCThe ancient Ancestors of the people of South America were believed to have been nomadic Asian hunter-gatherers who crossed over the frozen Bering Strait and into North America. From there they travelled to the lands of South America and were the descendents of the great Mesoamerican civilisations and established corn cultivation, pottery and the use of stone tools

The Olmec - 1200 BC- 300 AD
Who were the Olmecs?
The Olmec were the first true civilisation of South America and were the ancestors of the later cultures 

The Maya Empire & Civilisation - 300 - 1500'sWho were the Mayans?
The Mayans empire covered Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. The Maya developed astronomy and hieroglyphic writing

The Toltec Empire & Civilisation - 900's - 1100'sWho were the Toltecs?
The Toltecs ruled Mexico and Guatemala from the 10th to the 12th century 

The Aztec Empire & Civilisation - 1100'S- 1500'SWho were the Aztecs?
The Aztec rose to power in Mexico during the 12th and 13th centuries and remained in control until the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th Century 

The Inca Empire & Civilisation - 1438 - 1535Who were the Incas?
The empire of the Incas covered Peru, Bolivia, northern Argentina, Chile, and Ecuador. The amazing rise of the Incas was achieved in less than one hundred years and covered an area of nearly 400,000 square miles 

The Spanish Conquistadors - 1535
The later civilisations of South America abruptly ended in 1535 when the Spanish conquistadors seized control

South America - Mesoamerican Empires & Civilisations

SOURCE: http://www.facts-about.org.uk/history-and-events-timeline-south-america-mesoamerican-civilisations.htm