The Four Gospels

A gospel (from Old English, gōd spell "good news") is a writing that describes the life of Jesus. The word is primarily used to refer to the four canonical gospels: the Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Luke and Gospel of John, probably written between AD 65 and 80. They appear to have been originally untitled; they were quoted anonymously in the first half of the second century (i.e. 100 - 150) but the names by which they are currently known appear suddenly around the year 180. The first canonical gospel written is thought by most scholars to be Mark (c 65-70). (Wikipedia, the online free encyclopedia) 

Dolphins can stay constantly alert for more than two weeks

Dolphin (aquatic mammal), fast-swimming mammal belonging to the order Cetacea, which also includes whales and porpoises. Sleek and powerful swimmers, dolphins are found in seas throughout the world; some inhabit freshwater rivers and lakes. Characteristic features of most dolphins are long snouts with rows of sharp teeth, and rounded foreheads with a nostril on top, known as the blowhole.

There are at least 40 species of dolphins. Dolphins resemble fish in many ways, but they exhibit a number of true mammalian characteristics: They are warm-blooded, breathe air, and nurse their young on milk. Dolphins and porpoises have a similar appearance, but dolphins can be distinguished from porpoises by their more prominent snouts and conical teeth. Porpoises have blunt snouts, chisel-shaped teeth, and a stouter body than dolphins.

Sailors have long considered the presence of dolphins cruising alongside the bows of ships as a good omen and a promise of fair weather. Dolphins also figure prominently in folklore, often appearing in works of art, on coins and currency, and on stamps. Ancient Greek coins depicted the son of Poseidon seated on a dolphin, and the ancient Roman author Pliny the Elder wrote a story of a dolphin that carried a poor man's son to school each day. Many classical writers described how dolphins harnessed to chariots helped maidens in distress. A dolphin was on the coat of arms of the dauphin, the title given the eldest son and heir of the king of France.

Some interesting tidbits about various States of the United States

• Alabama: Was the first state to have 9-1-1, started 1968.
• Alaska: One out of every 64 people has a pilot's license. 
• Arizona: Is the only state in the continental U.S. that does not follow Daylight Savings Time. 
• Arkansas: Has the only active diamond mine in the U.S. 
• California: Its economy is so large that if it were a country, it would rank seventh in the entire world. 
• Colorado: In 1976 it became the only state to turn down the Olympics. 
• Connecticut: The Frisbee was invented here at Yale University 
• Delaware: Has more scientists and engineers than any other state. 
• Florida: At 874.3 square miles, Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. 
• Georgia: It was here, in 1886, that pharmacist John Pemberton made the first vat of Coca-Cola....interesting! 
• Hawaii: Hawaiians live, on average, five years longer than residents of any other state. 
• Idaho: TV was invented in Rigby, Idaho, in 1922. 
• Illinois: Has a Governor in jail, one pending jail, and is the most corrupt state in the union! 

Early Music -- during ancient Greek and Roman empires (500 B.C. to 300 A.D.)

The first European music is that of the ancient Greeks and Romans, dating from roughly 500 B.C. to A.D. 3OO. Fewer than a dozen examples of Greek music from this period, written in an alphabetical notation, survive. Ancient Greek philosophers believed that music originated from the god Apollo, as well as from the mythological musician Orpheus and other divinities. They also believed that music reflected in microcosm the laws of harmony that rule the universe, and that music influenced human thought and actions.

The Greek philosopher Pythagoras (ca. 580 B.C.-ca. 500 B.C.) discovered the mathematical relationships between specific frequencies and musical inrervals, using a single-string instrument (called a monochord) to produce the various intervals. For example, two notes whose frequencies form a ratio of 2:1 sound one octave apart; a ratio of 3:2 forms an interval of a fifth, and a ratio of 4:3 forms a fourth. These basic intervals combine to create the modes and scales on which all Western melodies and harmony are based.