Polo in Olimpic Games

Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularised by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a long-handled mallet.  Polo is played professionally in 16 countries. It was formerly, but is not currently, an Olympic sport.The origins of Polo goes back to Persia.

If you want to know more,visit this link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polo

Water polo, or Water ball, is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores the most goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water (using a sort of kicking motion known as "eggbeater kick"), players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing the ball into a net defended by a goalie. 'Man-up' (or 'power play') situations occur frequently. Water polo, therefore, has strong similarities to the land-based game of handball.

Additional information can be found here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_polo

Basic skills you need to have to play water polo:

• Swimming: Water polo is a team water sport requiring an ability to swim. Field players must swim end to end of a 30-meter pool non-stop many times during a game without touching the sides or bottom of the pool. 
• Ball handling skills: As all field players are only allowed to touch the ball with one hand at a time, they must develop the ability to catch and throw the ball with either hand and also the ability to catch a ball from any direction, including across the body using the momentum of the incoming ball.
• Treading water: The most common form of water treading is generally referred to as "egg-beater",3 named because the circular movement of the legs resembles the motion of an egg-beater.
• Reflexes and Awareness: At higher levels of the sport the pace of play rapidly increases, so that anticipation and mental preparation is important.

Want to know more?Click on this link:http://www.mahalo.com/water-polo/

Here is an  International Olympic Committee Water Polo Site:http://www.olympic.org/water-polo

J.Q.Adams 1825 - 1829

I have a task to learn about the 6th president of the United States, John Quincy Adams. Well, Wikipedia is unavailable today, so I've started from here:
http://www.answers.com/topic/john-quincy-adams

Besides a piece of general information I've found out some interesting facts.Actually he was a brilliant diplomat and very intelligent person, before he entered Harvard in 1785, he was proficient in Greek, Latin, French, Dutch, and German.

If you want to know his bio you should visit next links:
http://biography.yourdictionary.com/john-quincy-adams
http://www.cooperativeindividualism.org/miller_johnquincyadams.html
The last one consists of extracts from Arguing About Slavery by William Lee Miller.

   This is the photo of  John Quincy Adams, taken from 

http://heininfo.wordpress.com/

Civil War was known as a man's fight. The image women had during the war wasas nurses, spies, or ladies maintaining the home in the absence of their husband. They even took arms and charged into battle, like the men. The women lived in camps, suffered in prisons, and died for their causes.

Using this link you'll be able to find more information about womens' activity during Civil War:

http://www.civilwarwomenblog.com/

While searching some information on topic "Civil War in Rhode Island", I've found a copy of letter which was written by one participants. Here is the piece that impressed me the most:

"But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the brightest day and in the darkest night—amidst your happiest scenes and gloomiest hours—always, always; and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath; or the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by."

This letter was written by Sullivan Ballou (March 28, 1829 – July 28, 1861). He was a lawyer, politician, and major in the United States Army. He is best remembered for the eloquent letter he wrote to his wife a week before he fought and was mortally wounded alongside his Rhode Island Volunteers in the First Battle of Bull Run.

Here you can find some more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sullivan_Ballou
http://www.historynet.com/sullivan-ballou-the-macabre-fate-of-a-american-civil-war-major.htm
Using this link you will find a short information(also some photos are included):
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1800

Karankawa people

Do you know the sense of word "Karankawa"?  It's meaning is not certain. It is believed to mean "dog-lovers" or "dog-raisers." It were also a group of Native American peoples (also Karankawan, Clamcoëhs, and called in their language Auia) , now extinct as a tribal group, who played a pivotal part in early Texas history.
For more information about tribe visit these link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karankawa

The Karankawa Indians lived along the Texas coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Their territory was from the west end of Galveston Island down the coast to where Corpus Christie is today. There were several bands, or maybe even several tribes. We are not sure, because much of the history of the Karankawa is lost. No one bothered to study them in any detail while they were still around to study. Making things worse, the Karankawa were favorite targets of many false myths and made up stories.
To find out the false myths enter the link:
http://www.texasindians.com/karank.htm

If you do not know were to spent your holiday, I can recommend you a nice place.Karankawa Plains is a hunting & nature tourism resort, located on the Texas Gulf Coast. Here you can enjoy birdwatching, wildlife viewing, canoeing, & horseback riding and also experience what it means to be а red man!
http://www.karankawa.com/

If you are really interested in Karankawa's history you should read this book.It was written in 1891 by Gatschet, Albert S.
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29754/

picture from:

http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/coast/peoples/images/Guadalupe-scene-weir.html

Visit Providence at night!