Hemming Park in Downtown Jacksonville illuminated for the 1914 UCV Reunion. Photo from Kirby-Smith Camp 1209 website.

I personally have not seen this DVD but I came across this information today while doing research for my book.  The  Kirby-Smith Camp 1209 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans is offering a DVD copy of the 1914 United Confederate Veterans Convention that was held in Jacksonville, FL. This is a silent film that has been transferred from newsreel film. I would imagine the quality is not the highest but its only $13 and all funds go toward the camps historical marker program.

The direct page for information on this DVD is here.

The PBS show American Experience has been broadcasting Death and the Civil War over the last week. The good people there were kind enough to send along a DVD review copy that I have been able to watch. Overall I was quite impressed.

Taking its inspiration from Drew Gilpin Fausts excellent book This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War (Vintage Civil War Library)this is a show that anybody interested in the Civil War should take the two hours needed to watch. While not breaking any new academic ground viewers can see photos of and hear the horror of the war. Despite early hopes this was not to be a quick event. With over 700,000 dead nearly every family in the country was affected.

Narration is broken up several ways. The main narrator is Oliver Platt and his voice lends a solemnity to the show befitting the subject. Letter excerpts are read by several others including Amy Madigan. Every documentary like this will have its share of "talking heads" and this one is no exception. Dr. Faust of course plays a main role. Others, such as George Will, J. David Hacker, and Vincent Brown may or may not be known by viewers. I personally found the contribution by David Blight a highlight. I came to know of him after downloading a course of his from the Apple University site and find him to be an engaging speaker. I have not read any of his books so I can say what I feel about those however. Another surprisingly interesting speaker was Thomas Lynch. Lynch is an undertaker by trade but also an author of note. You can read an interesting, but older, interview with him here.

The video portion of the program is really quite haunting. The photos used are a nice mix of well known and those I have not seen before. The lighting of the whole program is done in such a manner as to constantly remind the viewer of the seriousness of the subject. The background music for the program should be payed attention to. It helps set the mood but at no point is it overwhelming. I was not familiar with the name Brian Keane until searching out the music credits here. He is however quite well known and has scored numerous films and documentaries and has won multiple major awards.

Overall the program is broken into six major subjects including: dying, burying, naming, believing and doubting, accounting, and remembering. A major question that is asked by the program is if its citizens are expected to make the ultimate sacrifice (death) for the government what does the government owe to its citizens who make this sacrifice. At the time of the war neither government was able or ready to answer this. Out of the war however came improved medical care including the formation of an ambulance service, an improved ability and desire to remove soldiers remains from the field and to identify them thus giving families closure, and with the formation of national cemeteries soldiers and their families are able to give a proper burial to their brave men (and now women).

Again, while not breaking any new ground this is a show I can highly recommend. The images and subject are likely to stick with you for quite a while after watching this. Be sure to check your local PBS station for times or watch it online at your convenience.

Sebagaimana yang kita ketahui Tuhan lah sang pencipta Alam, semua benda baik di  Langit maupun di Bumi, Baik itu Benda Mati ataupun Makhluk Hidup semua nya adalah ciptaan Sang Maha Kuasa. Tapi kuasa YME (Yang Maha Kuasa) tidak selalu buruk ataupun selalu baik manfaatnya untuk hamba - hamba-Nya. Berikut saya akan Membahas 10 Kejadian Paling Misterius yang Pernah Ada di Bumi.



Sumber video : Hybrid Librarian

1. THE TOXIC LADY (FEBRUARY 19, 1994)

Januari 1959, Uni Soviet instruktur ski, tiga insinyur dan tujuh siswa memulai untuk ekspedisi ski ke pegunungan otorten, terletak di Ural utara. Tapi tidak lebih banyak terdengar lagi pengalaman masuk akal dari para Ski-Hikers. Tenda mereka ditemukan pada 26 Februari, tampak seperti yang telah meninggal terburu-buru dan mayat-mayat itu ditemukan di sekitar: semua meninggal karena luka brutal dan terkubur dalam salju. Peneliti Soviet hanya menentukan bahwa "kekuatan terpaksa yang tidak diketahui" adalah penyebab kematian mereka dan akses ke daerah kejadian dilarang selama tiga tahun setelah insiden tersebut.

Gil Perez adalah anggota dari guardia Filipina sipil selama abad XVI di manila, filipina. Hari itu, saat tugas menjaga di istana gubernur, Gil Perez memutuskan untuk bersandar di dinding dan istirahat sejenak. apa yang terjadi berikutnya lebih aneh dari fiksi, Gil Perez ditemukan heran, dengan seragam penjaga istananya di manila, ia ditemukan di Meksiko Kota, Plaza Mayor. Lebih dari 13.500 km jauhnya dari tempat ia beberapa menit sebelum dapat ingat bagaimana ia sampai di sana pihak berwenang memutuskan untuk membebaskannya. GilPerez akhirnya kembali ke Filipina di mana ia melanjutkan hidupnya, yang sampai akhir hayatnya.

Selama studi pohon Cedar asal Jepang, yang dapat hidup beberapa ribu tahun, peneliti menyadari bahwa pertumbuhan pohon-cincin menunjukkan jejak ledakan radiasi kekerasan, akibat peristiwa sinar kosmik besar. ternyata bahwa seluruh planet dihantam ledakan ini intens radiasi energi tinggi lebih dari 1.200 tahun yang lalu. meskipun telah menyarankan bahwa ini mungkin merupakan bukti dari Supernova yang belum diakui, ilmuwan masih tidak dapat menentukan sifat ini dampak energi misterius dari luar angkasa.

Semoga Artikel yang saya tulis sendiri ini Bermanfaat :)