Berlin Wall

     

   
      Berlin Wall was a physical division constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany), between West Berlin and East Germany. It was also the symbolic boundary between democracy and Communism during the Cold war. The Berlin Wall construction began in the morning of Sunday, August 13, 1961, and for 28 years kept East Germans from fleeing to the West. At the end of World War II, the Allied powers divided conquered Germany into four zones, each occupied by either the United States, Great Britain, France, or the Soviet Union. The same was done with Germany's capital city, Berlin.
      In 1949, the new organization of Germany became official when the three zones occupied by the United States, Great Britain, and France combined to form West Germany (the Federal Republic of Germany). The zone occupied by the Soviet Union quickly followed by forming East Germany (the German Democratic Republic). Within a short period of time after the war, living conditions in West Germany and East Germany became distinctly different. With the help and support of its occupying powers, West Germany set up a capitalist society and experienced such a rapid growth of their economy that it became known as "economic miracle." With hard work, individuals living in the West Germany were able to live well, buy gadgets and appliances, and to travel as they wished.
      Nearly the opposite was true in East Germany. Since, the Soviet Union had viewed their zone as a spoil of war, the Soviets pilfered factory equipment and other valuable assets from their zone and shipped them back to the Soviet Union. In East Germany, the economy dragged and individual freedoms were severely restricted. By the late 1950s, many people living in East Germany wanted out. Many of those who escaped were were young, trained professionals. By the early 1960s, East Germany was rapidly losing both its labor force and its population. Having already lost 2.5 million people by 1961, East Germany desperately needed to stop this mass exodus, and decided to build a wall to prevent them from crossing the border.
      The version of the "Wall" that started life in 1961, was in fact not a wall but a 96 miles barbed wire fence. However, after this incarnation proved too easy to scale, work started in 1962 on a second fence, parallel to the first but up to 100 yards further in. The area in between the two fences was demolished to create an empty space, which became widely known as "death strip" as it was here that many would-be escapers met their doom. The strip was covered with raked gravel, making it easy to spot footprints. It offered no cover, was mined and booby-trapped with tripwires and, most importantly, it offered a clear field of fire to the armed guards - who were instructed to shoot on sight.
      Despite the various security measures enforced, escape attempts were commonplace, especially in the years immediately following the erection of the wall, when there was still a fighting chance of making it across alive. Climbing was the obvious way to go, and some 5,000 were said to have reached the other side. However, in the thirty-year history, 100 people were shot dead, most famously the eighteen-year old Peter Fetcher, who after he was hit in the hip was left to bleed to death in no-man's land, as the world's media watched on.
      On the 9th of November, 1989, the border separating Western from Eastern Germany was effectively opened. The fall of the Berlin Wall, which is now used as a symbol for the end of the Cold War made the West available in the middle of the East, resulting in widespread chaos.

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Chicken Tikka masala curry recipie

Ingredients

Marinade:

• 1 cup plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
• 3 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows (or 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger and 3 cloves garlic put through a garlic press or finely minced)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, poked with a fork, and cut into large bite-sized chunks
• Sauce:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows (or 6 cloves garlic and 2-inch thumb ginger minced)
• 2 serrano peppers, minced (seeds removed if you don't want it spicy)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (indian spice)
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 8 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 to 2 cups water
• Oil, for grilling
• 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Minced fresh cilantro, for garnish
• Cooked rice, naan, or crusty piece of bread, for serving

Directions

For the marinade: In a large bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator up to overnight.

For the sauce: When you're ready to make the curry, place a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add the Ginger-Garlic Paste and serrano peppers. Saute until lightly browned around the edges. Add the tomato paste and cook until the tomato has darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Add the garam masala and the paprika and saute for about 1 minute to draw out their flavors.

Add the tomatoes, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. You may need more water depending on how much liquid the tomatoes give off.

Meanwhile, fire up your grill. When it is nice and hot, lightly brush it with oil. Place the chicken on the grill, shaking off some of the excess marinade. Cook until it's charred, about 2 minutes on each side. (Don't worry that the chicken will still be a little uncooked, it finishes cooking in the sauce).

Pour the sauce into a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender, and process until smooth. Pour back into the skillet and bring back up to a boil. Add the chicken and fenugreek leaves, if using. Take the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the cream and stir through. Garnish with minced fresh cilantro, and serve over rice, with naan, or a crusty piece of bread!

You can also watch this video which shows how to make Chicken Tikka masala curry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYdHy4DTVaU&feature=related

Niccolo Machiavelli

   
   Niccolo Machiavelli was born on May 3, 1469, in Florence, Italy. He was an Italian historian, philosopher, humanist, and writer during the renaissance. A founder of modern political science, he was a diplomat, political philosopher, playwright, and a civil servant of the Florentine republic. Machiavelli's life was very interesting. He lived a nondescript childhood in Florence. He entered the Florentine government as a secretary to the second chancery of the Republic of Florence from 1498 to 1512, when the Medici were out of power. After the Medici had recovered power, Machiavelli was dismissed from the office, and he no longer held a position of responsibility in Florence. The lack of job forced him to switch to writing about politics instead of being active. His diplomatic missions were his last official government positions.

   When Machiavelli lost his office, he desperately wanted to return to politics. He tried to gain favor of the Medici by writing a book of what he thought were the Medici's goals, and dedicating it to them. And so, "The Prince" was written for that purpose. Unfortunately, the Medici did not agree with what the book said, so he was out of job. But when the public saw the book, they were outraged. The people wondered how cruel a man could be to think evil thoughts like the ones in "The Prince", and this would come back to haunt him when he was alive and dead. However, if the people wanted to know what Machiavelli really stood for, they should have read his "Discourses on Livy", which explain his full political philosophy. But not enough people had and have, and so the legacy of The Prince continues to define Machiavelli to the general public.

   A few years later the Medici were kicked out of Florence. The republic was re-established, and Machiavelli ran to retake the office he had left so many years ago. But the reputation that "The Prince" had established made people think his philosophy was like the Medici, so he was not elected. And here the sharp downhill of his life began. His health began to fail him, and he died months later, in 1527.

   Machiavelli had been unfairly attacked all of his life because of a bad reputation. But it only got worse after he died. He was continually blasted for his "support" of corrupt ruling. In fact, Machiavellian now means corrupt government. Only recently has his true personality come to light. The world must change its vision of the cold, uncaring Machiavelli to the correct view of a patriot and a political genius.