by Dean Bowen‚ America Outloud: We have much to celebrate in this country. America is filled with a rich history of perseverance‚ hope‚ and a desire for liberty and self-governance. On December 21‚ 1620‚ the pilgrims came ashore in Massachusetts‚ and legend has it they set foot on a granite boulder they called Plymouth Rock. […]

Castlevania is certainly a game worth mentioning on Indie Retro News‚ especially with games mentioned such as the Castlevania 30th anniversary NES facelift‚ Intellivision‚ and even the incredible Castlevania Spectral Interlude on the ZX Spectrum. Well today's news is something special indeed‚ as thanks to another heads up from Saberman‚ we've been told that Dante Retro Dev has released a new demo

Judith Love Cohen was an aerospace engineer who worked on projects such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the Apollo Space Program.  In popular culture‚ she’s better known as the mother of musician and actor Jack Black.  Judith Love Cohen in 1959 with The Pioneer Spacecraft. USC School of Engineering From Brooklyn to Los Angeles Judith Love Cohen was born in Brooklyn‚ New York‚ in 1933. Her father was a soda salesman and her mother worked at her family’s dress factory. Cohen was so adept at math from an early age that her classmates paid her to do their math homework. In junior high‚ she was the only girl in her math class. This was a trend that would continue for the rest of her career.  Her high school guidance counselor tried to dissuade her from pursuing math or science‚ telling her that she should go to finishing school instead. Cohen paid her no mind. She received a scholarship to Brooklyn College as a math major‚ but soon switched to engineering.  While she attended college in Brooklyn‚ she also danced ballet in the Metropolitan Opera Ballet company. Aside from a brief pause to have her children‚ Cohen danced for her whole life. In the 1960s she switched from ballet to traditional folk dancing.  Cohen married her first husband when she was a college freshman. Their first child was born when she was twenty years old.  The young family moved to Los Angeles‚ California. Cohen worked full-time for North American Aviation while caring for three young children and attending night classes at the University of Southern California.  Space Technology Laboratories  When Cohen was starting out‚ less than one-half of one percent of all engineers were women. Throughout the years that it took her to earn her Bachelor’s degree and then her Master’s‚ she was the only female engineering student at USC.  After earning her Master’s‚ she served as a board member for USC’s Astronautical Engineering Advisory. Her eldest son describes her as “a vigorous and tireless advocate of better treatment for women in the workplace” who had “a profound impact on equality in the workplace.” Throughout her career of nearly forty years‚ Cohen worked as an engineer specializing in space technologies. She worked on the Relay System Satellite‚ which remained functional for nearly 40 years. She also led the team of engineers that designed the Hubble Space Telescope. Her work on the Abort-Guidance System on the Apollo Lunar Module made it possible for astronauts to return safely after an oxygen tank explosion crippled Apollo 13.  The Apollo Lunar Module  Apollo 13 launched in April of 1970. It was the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo space program. If it had been successful‚ it would have been the third mission of the Apollo space program to land on the moon.  On April 11‚ Apollo 13 took off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Two days later‚ it lost one of its oxygen tanks. The crew no longer had enough oxygen to complete their mission. Debris littered the space around the vessel‚ obscuring their view. Ground crew directed the astronauts to power up the Apollo Lunar Module and use it as a lifeboat to get back to Earth. A return path was charted to get them home‚ where they would splash down in the Indian Ocean four days later.  Apollo 13 on the pad‚ 1970 Back on Earth‚ the mission was a media sensation. Regular television programming was interrupted for frequent updates. Pope Paul VI led 10‚000 people in praying for the astronauts’ safe return. 100‚000 people offered up their prayers during a religious festival in India.  The crew struggled with excess carbon dioxide‚ near-freezing temperatures‚ and lack of water on the journey home. In the end‚ they made it back alive.  Over 70 million people watched the live broadcast of the Apollo crew’s return. Cohen was present when the crew from Apollo 13 visited the engineers in California to thank them for developing the technology that had saved their lives. Cohen later reflected that her work on the Apollo mission was the highlight of her long and successful career.  Jack Black Judith Cohen divorced her first husband in the mid-sixties and married Tom Black. He converted to Judaism in order to marry her. All four of her children were raised in the Jewish faith. The circumstances surrounding the birth of her fourth child are the stuff of legend.  “She actually went to her office on the day that Jack was born‚” Cohen’s eldest son recalled. “When it was time to go to the hospital‚ she took with her a computer printout of the problem she was working on. Later that day‚ she called her boss and told him that she had solved the problem. And . . . oh‚ yes‚ the baby was born‚ too.” Thomas Jacob Black was born in Santa Monica‚ California in 1969. Popularly known as Jack Black‚ he’s starred in scores of successful movies. His group Tenacious D won a Grammy. Retirement Cohen divorced Tom Black in the 1970s and later married David Katz. They remained together until she died 35 years later. She retired from engineering in the 1990s. Never a woman to remain idle‚ Cohen jumped into publishing after retiring from engineering. She was inspired by her husband’s experiences as a substitute teacher. When he asked children what they wanted to be when they grow up‚ the girls’ answers were usually limited to stereotypical positions such as secretarial work.  She wrote a children’s book called You Can Be a Woman Engineer‚ and her husband illustrated it. This sparked a new passion that led to a whole series of books for young girls that sold over 100‚000 copies.  She partnered with other professional women to write many of the books in the series. They highlighted possible fields such as architecture‚ paleontology‚ and marine biology.  In addition to the You Can Be series‚ Cohen and her husband published a Green series aimed at educating young children on responsible environmental practices. They also developed interactive CDs and kits for the books‚ such as a shovel and seed packets to go along with You Can Be a Woman Botanist.  Cohen died in Culver City at the age of 82. She is survived by three children and three grandchildren. The post Judith Love Cohen‚ Aerospace Engineer first appeared on History Defined.

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  Giving gifts is a long-standing tradition that is closely associated with the Christmas period‚ one that goes far beyond the widespread commercialism and clever marketing campaigns associated with Santa Claus. While Christmas gifts are most closely associated with the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ‚ mirroring the gifts given to Jesus by the Three Wise Men‚ (as depicted traditional nativity scenes and plays across the world) the traditions of Christmas gift-giving today are also a blend of cultural developments from various point in history‚ including Roman‚ early Christian‚ and Victorian times. Indeed‚ for many gift-giving is as much about performing middle class societal expectations as it is about helping those most in need during the darkest months of the year. Read on to learn more about this entrenched practice that punctuates the festive season.   The Saturnalia Holiday in Ancient Rome Saturnalia by Antoine-François Callet‚ 1783. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Even before the advent of the Christian narrative surrounding Christmas‚ gift-giving was adopted by the ancient Romans around the time of the winter solstice‚ marking the end of the calendar year. The Saturnalia holiday took place from the 17th to the 23rd of December‚ in honor of Saturn‚ the Roman god of agriculture. Along with feasts and parties‚ Romans exchanged small gifts on the 19th of December‚ a day known as Sigillaria‚ such as figurines made from wax and pottery‚ candles‚ combs and dice cups.   Gifts were often intended to amuse or terrify the recipient‚ acting as a form of entertainment. Meanwhile‚ when the new year turned‚ Romans would exchange laurel twigs‚ nuts and gold coins to honor Strenia‚ the goddess of health and well-being.   The Three Wise Men The Nativity‚ di Giorgio‚ 1495. Source: Art in Tuscany   It was during the 4th century that the Christian narrative of the Magi‚ or Three Wise Men‚ first emerged‚ as pagan rituals gradually made way for the onset of widespread Christianity. According to Biblical scripture‚ the Magi gave the newborn infant Jesus Christ the gifts of gold‚ frankincense and myrrh on the 6th of January‚ a day now known in Christian practice as The Epiphany.   It wasn’t for many centuries that the actual birth date of Christ on the 25th of December became the day for exchanging and unwrapping gifts amongst friends and family. The nativity has been popular as a young children’s Christmas performance for several centuries‚ which many come to associate with the act of giving presents at Christmas.   Saint Nicholas Santa Claus and His Works by Thomas Nast‚ Harper’s Weekly‚ December 25‚ 1866. Source: The Collection of Macculloch Hall Historical Museum‚ Morristown‚ NJ   Another key influence on gift-giving from Christian history is the narrative surrounding the 4th century Christian bishop Saint Nicholas‚ who later evolved into the popular children’s character of Santa Claus or Father Christmas. St Nicholas became known for performing miracles‚ acts of kindness‚ and bestowing anonymous gifts upon those most in need. Following on his benevolent example‚ gift-giving became common practice during winter time for Christians‚ particularly on Christmas Day.   Over time‚ Saint Nicholas evolved into various secular characters‚ including the Dutch Sinterklass‚ whose festival became about aiding the poor and destitute. These traditions were carried over to the United States by former Dutch colonists‚ paving the way for Santa Claus.    Medieval Gifts Portrait of Henry VIII of England by Hans Holbein the Younger‚ 1537. Source: Walker Art Gallery‚ Liverpool   Giving gifts during winter time was common practice in Europe during the Medieval era. King Henry VIII in particular was fond of receiving gifts from his subjects‚ such as domestic ornaments or food. Throughout the 16th century‚ gift-giving during the Christmas period became a popular practice across wide sections of European society. Such gift-giving practices were predominantly focused on children‚ and the working classes who were often given life-sustaining food and drink from wealthier members of society during the notoriously difficult winter months.    Creating the Magic of Christmas Day Source: Eyewitness News   By the 19th century‚ the focus on exchanging presents on Christmas Day‚ along with feasting and merriment‚ had become common practice across much of the Western‚ Christian world. Stories such as Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and Clement Clarke Moore’s The Night Before Christmas captured the anticipation for Christmas Day so prevalent during Victorian times‚ and these still remain popular classics today.    Over the following centuries as capitalism boomed‚ gift-giving has become a period of mass consumption and aggressive marketing campaigns‚ making it easy to forget where the practice first began. As society has become increasingly secular‚ the act of gift-giving has for many lost the spiritual significance it once had – instead many tend to lean towards a ‘give-to-receive’ mentality. But it is worth remembering that the custom of gift-giving has deeper roots than commercialism‚ ones that tie in with pagan rituals‚ Christianity‚ and‚ perhaps most significantly‚ the concept of giving to those most in need during one of the most challenging times of the year.