Dr Ahearn

Are you the family historian? Maybe you have been working at compiling family trees and genealogy information. Perhaps you have talked to older family members and gathered stories from the past. To me, these are treasures that cannot be replaced. My obsession, I guess you would call it, is to preserve all of this information - the photos, stories, and genealogy facts. I worry what would happen if there was a fire or some other disaster that would destroy things that could never be replaced. This is where some type of publishing comes in. You could put it all into a book. There are several options in different price ranges. But in this article, let's talk about publishing a family website. If you...

Building your family tree is like building a house, brick by brick. The bricks are your ancestors, their names, life events and details. But the mortar that holds the bricks together is absolutely essential, if that house is going to stand up. What is the 'mortar' in your genealogical house of bricks? Proof. Here are a few guidelines on how to prove your family tree, step by step. FIRST STEP: Keep all details written down as you find them. As you find an ancestor, a name, a date, a place, write down all the details on your research worksheet. Write the correct full title of the book or article or Census or other item. If you are online, using cut and paste, add the correct web address (url) and the...

Recently, one of my favorite authors, a very well known one, published a new book. I always buy her books as soon as they come out because they are often a few years apart, and I can't seem to get enough of her wonderful quirky characters and their interesting existences. Precisely because I respect this author so greatly, I will not reveal her name in discussing the literary faux pas she made in her latest novel. The mistake was in regards to the main character's age. The main character is sixty years old. He is divorced with three daughters, the youngest of whom is still a teenager. At one point in the book, he meets another person who is age thirty-eight, which makes him recall that when he was...

When interviewing a relative to gather genealogy information on your ancestry there are several important considerations to keep in mind: Do start close to home. Interviewing your own parents can be one of the most enlightening and enjoyable experiences you will have. If your relationship with your parents is not as close as you would like, that is all the more reason to reach out. Almost everyone loves to talk about themselves and their history and is flattered when someone takes a genuine interest. Consider it a great new bonding opportunity. Do get important dates and places and other specific information on marriages, births, deaths of parents and siblings. Do ask them to relate stories about...

When discovering one's ethnic and genetic make up, once the person has exhausted all sources of genealogical record searching, the last and most likely the very best resort lies in the DNA Test. It helps to be able to confirm whether or not the person is able to include the proper people into his or her family tree. DNA Tests do not determine DNA paternity. These types of tests notify a person about ancestry and genealogy information. The tests have become easy and painless and can be done at home. The actual DNA tests supply precise information to an individual relating to the individual's family background, ethnic heritage, as well as linkups along with their past generations. These types of tests...

Your Family Tree: Eight Great Genealogy Resources To Find Out Who Your Ancestors Were If you want to find exciting discoveries about your ancestors, find out when your ancestors came to the this country and from exactly where, there are great genealogy resources, both online and offline, to help you. The following eight resources are relatively inexpensive, or free, for you to use in building your family tree. 1: Go to your local public Library - Talk with a Librarian. Your best first genealogy resource is inside your library: the librarian. Your library may have Handouts, Worksheets, journals, genealogy books, reference material, access to commercial databases, and more. You need to ask the...

As you build your family tree, you will be amazed at the sheer number and scope of database companies on the Internet. Commercial database companies, volunteer database sites, single-person-hosted databases, free sites, pay-per-view sites, university archive sites, and more. There are many different kinds of databases available for searching for details of your ancestors, and that is exciting - but also overwhelming to most beginners. Most of us are thrilled that "someone" has transcribed or scanned so much material and digitized it for us to search. We recognize that a great deal of work has gone into making a database searchable by name or place, so we are generally happy to pay a fee for...

Land Records such as property tax lists, deeds and deed indexes go back further in time that any other type of genealogical research record. Deeds can help you discover your heritage. Deeds can often provide evidence of family history relationships, names of neighbors, how long an ancestor was living in an area, given name of the female spouse, approximate dates of death and many other useful clues. The Homestead Act of 1862 enabled approximately 800,000 citizens or intended citizen to become landowners. Many states had their own land lotteries starting in the 1700's to bring people to new territory and help establish communities. Why Land Records? Tracing males is easier than females. This is due...

Whether you read often or only occasionally, when you go to read a book you first have the problem of choosing a book to read. Even the most avid reader could only read a tiny fraction of all the books that come out. At any given time, a book store probably contains many more books then you could read in your entire lifetime. How do you choose which books to read? Let me suggest a few ways to select a book. Ask Friends - Ask friends, family members, and other people you know for recommendations. Friends work especially well for getting book recommendations, because they usually share the same interests as you. Also, friends know your personality well, so they can better guess what books you...

Have you read Robinson Crusoe? Then you must have felt the pain and misery of a man forsaken on a lonely island. And the odds he faced against the onslaught of the inclement nature and how he won in the end must have stirred your heart. But however fascinating Robinson Crusoe might sound, he was but a fictional character. In fact there really was a man who endured and suffered probably more than the fictional character he inspired. That man was Alexander Selkirk. The son of a Scotsman tanner, Alexander Selkirk is said to have been an unruly youth. His indecent behavior in the local church earned him displeasure of the village elders. He escaped their wrath by running away to sea The Lonely Ordeal As...

Are you into Native American artwork? Are you in need of some information on Native American paintings? Than you should look for the best information on Native American paintings necessary for your needs. Strong. Proud. Resilient. These are the words that come to mind when one views paintings of Native Americans. Native American paintings are currently very popular. They suggest the pride of the human spirit, and a haughty mystique of a people who know who they are, and why they are. There are many such paintings available these days. The reason for their popularity is that they portray a people who have a unique connection to the world around them. It is the spirit of this connection that is lost...

As a testament to the quality of ancient Japanese architecture, the oldest surviving wooden structures in the world are located in Nara, Japan. Of the 41 buildings constructed during the Asuka period (538-710 A.D.) the most well-known are the Kondo (Golden Hall) and Goju-no-to (Five story Pagoda). These were constructed as a private temple for the Prince Shotoku, a regent and politician in the Asuka period. Another well known archaeological site from ancient Japan is the Todaiji in Nara prefecture, Japan. The Todaiji was built to function as the headquarters for regional temples built in surrounding provinces. The Todaiji's main building is the Daibutsuden (Great Buddha Hall) and is the largest...

From 1550-1560 Christian missionaries began arriving in Japan. At first they were welcomed as the ruling Shogunate hoped it would build better trade relations with the west, particularly Spain and Portugal. The shogunate also hoped that Christianity would help reduce the influence of Buddhist sects which had been gaining power. However, the Shogunate was suspicious of colonialism and were aware the Spanish had taken over the Philippines after converting the population. Francis Xavier, a Jesuit missionary, had success converting large numbers of the population and even many Daimyo, regional warlords. In 1587 Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Shogun, banned Christian missionaries to gain more control over...

"> Mainly commissioned by Catholic Church, the Renaissance Paintings were like celebration of the art of painting. Starting from the use of religion themes outside of the premises of churches, the renaissance artists celebrated the invention of using oil colours, too. Well equipped with diverse subjects and variety of themes, these artists used philosophy, poetry, religious beliefs, architectural splendour and scientific development in their paintings. These prolific painters proved many new concepts. They established that the ideas could be depicted with ease and grandeur on canvases and walls of churches and palaces. Period of Renaissance was the era of scientific realism. New inventions in the...

The Surrealists looked to the art of children, the art of the insane and primitive art for inspiration in preference to art produced in a careful and labored way. The untrained and self-taught artists were prized. The two major types of Surrealism that emerged over time were abstract and veristic. Abstract Surrealism, exemplified by Joan Miro (1893-1983) and André Masson, utilized organic scribbles and curvilinear images with biomorphic qualities. Miro's work, such as The Farm (1921-22) was particularly marked by vitality, high color, flat patterns and animal forms. Veristic Surrealism, on the other hand, achieved an other-worldliness through a highly refined technique. Another factor which...

Paul Delaroche was worn in 1797 in Paris. His real name was Hippolyte Delaroche. His father was a wealthy, successful trader and was delighted that Paul showed talent as an artist at an early age. Paul was placed under the tutelage of L E Waterlet (a landscape painter) and later Baron Gros (from 1818), who painted life size historical scenes. He later went on to become a successful teacher himself. He painted a wide range of historical scenes, but was particularly inspired by English history as can be seen form the painting "The death of Queen Elizabeth" in 1828. He also painted religious art, and during his life his work received wide international acclaim, although as with all artists there were...

Jewish history is the history of the Jewish people, faith and culture. Jewish history encompasses nearly four thousand years and hundreds of different populations. Jewish crafts are great for hands o learning. Jewish jewelry boxes are a treasure to be treasured for generations. They are hand painted and they usually depicting scenery of Jerusalem. These boxes are exquisite and long lasting. These units are desire for every woman. These pieces of arts hold the most precious treasures for any woman. Every little girl grows up with a dream of having her own jewelry box. Every girl remembers her first jewelry box. Jewish jewelry boxes are masterpiece of art and artisanship. Here are few for you to...

Emerging in the fresh crisp air English Daisies remind us that the earth is renewing her self once again, lifting our spirits towards the early spring sun. Humans have been picking, praising in art and poetry about the English Daisies for centuries. Humans have developed beliefs about the innocent true daisy that has stood the test of time. We use the English Daisy to predict aspects of our true loves and as a symbol of life after our beloved deceased and for centuries artists have been depicting the English Daisy in paintings. English Daisies are thought as a 'cure' for hysteria because of how the petals are compacted together. It is believed that placing English Daisy pictures around the house...

Who created the US Flag that we salute at every parade? Robert Heft, a then 17 year-old high school sophomore from Ohio created our current American Flag of 50 stars. When was this flag created? Robert Heft created his 50 star, hand sewn, US flag in 1958 prior to Alaska and Hawaii being admitted to the Union. What drove Robert to create this new flag? It all began as a high school project assigned in 1958 in Lancaster, Ohio, for his teacher, Mr. Stan Pratt. Each student's assignment was to create a project of their own choosing that would be graded for creativity. What prompted Robert to create a flag as his project? Robert was always interested in government and politics and was aware of the...

All crown jewels have a hoary past and their story still fascinates a lot of people. Though some of the dynasties have fallen by the wayside and are part of history, yet the royal jewels continue to fascinate. Some of the important crown jewels are mentioned in succeeding paragraphs.a) The Imperial Crown of Russia. This is one of the more important crown jewels for the simple reason that that the Romanoff's ruled over the largest empire in History. They were removed in a cold blooded way by the communists who executed the entire family in brutal manner and brought about the end of the dynasty. The crown jewels are now displayed in the Kremlin armoury in Moscow and were worn by the rulers of Russia...

The export of certain Inuit sculpture from Canada to other parts of the world including the United States does have some restrictions. In order to reduce harvesting of marine animals such as whales and walruses, the United States Congress passed the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972. It was later modified in 1981 and a special section (101) of the act was developed to exclude Eskimo Inuit and other aboriginals living in the state of Alaska. Section 101 allowed Alaskan Natives to continue their traditions of hunting marine mammals for food and using parts of such animals as raw materials in the making of clothes, crafts and artwork. The act makes it illegal for American citizens to import any...

When Homer wrote the Illiad, his opening words were praises and prayers to the Muses. The Nine Muses of ancient Greece played an important role in the lives of all artists, musicians, authors, actors, philosophers and scientists. The Muses were protectors of specific fields. The ancient Greek believed the Muses gave them the inspiration and the creativity to produce their works. Without the Nine Muses culture and fine arts would not survive. The Nine Muses were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (goddess of memory). The word "memory" is derived from Mnemosyne. Plato, the famous philosopher, had divine respect for the Nine Muses. He was the founder of the Academy, which was a highly respected school...

The medieval sword owes its development to the Roman Spatha which was a long sword, not meant to be affective against armor (since there was little armor then). Medieval swords developed in connection with armor as well as new fighting techniques which involved slashing. Making a sword in the medieval period might involve the labor of several men. It might involve a forger, a person who shaped the blade, a person who finished the blade, a polisher and also a person who made the hilt of the sword. A very talented maker could do all of the jobs himself. Yet a sword maker's product many times varied in quality. The chemistry of metals was not well known or understood. Usually the best, meaning most...

Like many other aboriginal cultures around the world, the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic have made use of drums in some of their traditional music for centuries. Inuit drum dancing played a part in many special occasions such as births, marriages, an Inuit boy's first hunt, changing of seasons, greetings for visitors or to honor someone who had passed away. News of these special events was spread by word of mouth and many Inuit traveled great distances to attend. The Inuit drum called a qilaut was traditionally made from caribou skin with seal or walrus skin around the handle. Before, Inuit drum dancing was most commonly done by men but eventually both men and women performed it. There were various...

In 1950, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, became Tibet's spiritual leader, shortly after China invaded Eastern Tibet and captured Chamdo, the headquarters of the Governor of Eastern Tibet. The Dalai Lama assumed power to help Tibetans resist a Chinese takeover. * Free Tibet demonstration In 1959, a huge revolt forced His Holiness to flee the country. He managed an escape to India and to receive protection. He continues to live there and work for world freedom and peace. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his extraordinary lifeworks of compassion and teachings. Over fifty years after Communist China invaded, its occupation, hostility, and anti-Buddhist reform underlies the...

Here in the United States, though, we have many traditional fruits. Of course, perhaps the most popular and most traditional fruit that we grow is the apple. In fact, apples are such traditional fruits that they have become ingrained in our culture. Take a look at some of the ways in which apples have moved off the tree and into our language, games, and stories: It is a very common in our culture for someone to say, "That is like comparing apples and oranges," Meaning that you are trying to compare two things that are incomparable. Apples have even made it into our folklore: most kids know the story of Johnny Appleseed, the boy who traveled across the United States with an upside down pot on his...

When you think of Queen Victoria the picture that comes to your mind is of a grand lady reigning over perhaps the greatest empire in the modern history. The British Empire stretched so far and wide that there was no part of the globe where the empire did not have its presence. This is the reason why it is often said that the sun never set on this empire. The influence of Britain had been growing all over the world well before the time of Victoria. But it was in her time that India came under the British fold. This was a great moment for Britain. It had become the Great British Empire. Victoria had become an empress in the real sense of the word. Now she was the Queen Empress of India. It was perhaps...

Sunrise in one's life depicts the heralding of a new beginning. May it be the clock striking midnight to mark one's birthday or the day of a special occasion, like an anniversary or a wedding. Sunrise brings hope and as a very popular Indian saying goes, "Every night is followed by sunrise", which means that every period of darkness and trouble is followed by a sunrise, which will bring a solution and a time to celebrate. Sunrise and the Sun Gods have played important roles for centuries through the mythologies of various cultures. The Greek, Chinese, Indians, Egyptians and many more have given the Sun much importance, so let's look at the impact the Sun has had on mankind for centuries depicting...

Psychology is the subject that analyzes human behavior. Sociology describes in the same why the behavior of social groups. Anthropology or cultural science analyses behavior of specific groups. With the risk of oversimplifying, one could argue that with psychology one studies human behavior, culture is about studying group-behavior. Could we than make the same comparison to introduce the concept of a healthy culture, referring to the mind of the organization? Psychology is about understanding the psyche of a person and how this affects his or hers action. We are all different and one of these differences is rooted in out mind. A healthy culture can than be paralleled as having a healthy psyche as...

The triskele is an interesting and often seen Celtic symbol. It is one of the better known and more used symbols throughout the Celtic areas and can be found on such things as tattoos, shields, stationary, clothing, pottery and glassware. In looks it resembles 3 spirals interconnected with no open ends and so it is a continuous line. It is sometimes referred to as the triple spiral by those who are not familiar with the Celtic term Triskele. You may also see it termed as the Tri-spiral. The spirals are all fluidly spiraling in the same direction. In Celtic symbolism it is related to the triquetra in looks and meaning. The triple spiral symbol is common in modern Celtic art as well as ancient art...

The Massai warriors are one of the most prominent and respected ethnic groups in Kenya. The warriors are so greatly feared, it is told that lions and cheetahs will run away or stop their pursuits of game animals if a Massai warrior is anywhere close by. As soon as a Massai warrior is initiated their spear and shield are decorated with red paint, which is symbolic of their status in society. The central unit of the Massai society is the age-set. Although young boys are sent out with the calves and lambs as soon as they can toddle, childhood for boys is mostly playtime. Girls are responsible for chores such as cooking and milking. Every 15 years or so, a new and individually named generation of...