Paul Fogle, Ph.D., Speech Pathology

Paul Fogle, Ph.D., Speech Pathology Please see my website for a description of my work and contact information: www.PaulFoglePhD.com

08/04/2025

The Great Wall of China holds a dark secret that's hidden beneath its UNESCO World Heritage status. What we call "the Great Wall" is actually multiple walls built by different dynasties over two millennia, and its construction cost more human lives than almost any other project in history.

The earliest walls date to the 7th century BCE, but the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE) built most of what tourists see today. The human cost was staggering: historians estimate that over one million people died during construction—roughly one death per meter of wall. This earned it the grim nickname "the world's longest cemetery."

Workers included soldiers, peasants, and prisoners. They faced extreme weather, inadequate food, disease, and brutal working conditions. When workers died, their bodies were often buried directly in the wall's foundation rather than transported for proper burial. The wall literally contains the bones of its builders.

Recent archaeological surveys using ground-penetrating radar have confirmed human remains within wall sections. Some estimates suggest the wall contains more human remains than any other structure on Earth.

The Great Wall stands as humanity's greatest monument to both engineering achievement and human sacrifice. Every brick represents not just defensive strategy, but immeasurable human suffering in service of empire.

08/04/2025

In Mercer County, West Virginia, April 1921, Sadie Mullins carried a tin spoon tied on a string around her neck—not for eating, but because it caught the light and made her feel she had something precious to hold onto. Her family couldn’t afford lunch, but the spoon was her quiet treasure.

One spring morning, when a classmate fainted from hunger, Sadie didn’t say a word. She simply untied her spoon, dipped it into another child’s beans, and gently fed the girl. That small act sparked something bigger.

From that day forward, Sadie’s classmates began bringing extra food, sharing bites, and passing the spoon from hand to hand. Soon, no child in the class went hungry.

Today, Sadie’s tin spoon rests in the town museum—not just as an object, but as a symbol of compassion, community, and the power of simple kindness to feed more than just empty stomachs.

08/03/2025

In the blood-soaked era of feudal Japan, when clan wars ravaged the land, there lived a samurai named Kazuo Takamura.

He was feared for his skill with the katana—
but even more respected for his unshakable sense of honor.
He never struck from behind.
He never drew his blade without purpose.

One day, his lord was betrayed by a rival clan.
Kazuo was ordered to travel north and execute the traitor.

He crossed forests, villages, and mountains.
Days later, he reached a small, worn-down cabin.

Inside lived the man he was meant to kill.
But Kazuo didn’t find a warrior…
He found a sick old man, caring for a fragile, orphaned grandson.

He raised his blade.
The boy, no more than six, stepped forward.

— “Please… don’t hurt him.
He’s all I have.”

Kazuo froze.
And remembered his master’s words:

“Honor is not always found in obedience.
Sometimes, it’s found in compassion.”

That day, he did not carry out the ex*****on.
Instead, he left food.
And buried his sword in the ground outside the cabin.

Then he returned to his lord.

— “I disobeyed your command…
but I honored my soul.”

He was exiled.
Dishonored in the eyes of men.

Years passed. The war ended.
When leaders gathered to sign the peace, one of them stood and said:

— “There was once a samurai who stayed his blade.
Because of him, my grandson lived.
And today, that child is the one signing this peace.”

It was the orphan Kazuo had spared.
Now a noble young man, shaped by the memory of a warrior who chose mercy over vengeance.

Kazuo never wielded a sword again.
But in the heart of the region’s new temple lies a buried relic:

🌸 A katana resting in the earth…
With words carved in stone:

“He who knows when not to fight…
is the strongest of all.”

08/03/2025

In the 1590s, a Korean admiral unleashed a warship so advanced it looked like a monster and was nearly impossible to board. 🐢

During the Imjin War, Korea was facing a massive invasion from Japan.

To counter the threat on the seas, Admiral Yi Sun-sin perfected and deployed a revolutionary vessel called the Geobukseon, or "turtle ship."

Its most incredible feature was a curved roof covered with sharp iron spikes. This simple but brilliant design made it almost impossible for enemy soldiers to board the ship.

From the front, a large dragon's head figurehead could release thick smoke, creating confusion and fear among enemy fleets.

The ship was built for durability and firepower, a floating fortress that could get in close to the enemy and withstand their attacks.

In the Battle of Sacheon in 1592, the first turtle ship led the charge, helping to destroy an entire Japanese fleet of 13 ships without a single Korean loss.

Admiral Yi Sun-sin and his turtle ships became legendary, a symbol of Korean ingenuity and resolve against overwhelming odds. 🚢

08/03/2025

Centuries before Columbus, a Viking woman named Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir crossed the Atlantic and gave birth to the first known European child in North America.

Born in Iceland around 985 AD, her name meant “God’s peace,” but her life was one of incredible adventure that earned her the nickname Gudrid the Far-Traveled.

Her story begins with a journey to Greenland, where she married the son of Leif Erikson. After he passed away, she married a wealthy merchant named Thorfinn Karlsefni.

Together, Gudrid and Thorfinn led an ambitious expedition to settle in Vinland, the land the Vikings had discovered in what is now Canada.

During their three years in North America, Gudrid gave birth to a son, Snorri Thorfinnsson, who is widely considered the first person of European descent born in the Americas.

After facing conflicts with the native peoples, the Vikings abandoned their settlement and returned to Greenland, and later Iceland.

But Gudrid’s travels were far from over. In her later years, she made a pilgrimage on foot all the way to Rome, a journey that few from her homeland would ever dare to attempt.

After returning from Rome, she became a nun and lived out the rest of her life as a hermit, having seen more of the known world than almost any other person of her time. 🗺️🧭

Sources: The Saga of Erik the Red, The Saga of the Greenlanders, Smithsonian Magazine, Atlas Obscura

08/02/2025

In 1274, Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, sent one of the largest naval forces the world had ever seen to conquer Japan.

His fleet consisted of up to 900 ships and nearly 40,000 soldiers. After overwhelming the defenders on the islands of Tsushima and Iki, they landed at Hakata Bay.

The Japanese samurai fought back fiercely, but they were heavily outnumbered and outgunned by the Mongols' superior numbers and crossbows.

Just as the situation seemed hopeless for Japan, a sudden and powerful typhoon struck the fleet overnight. The storm sank around a third of the Mongol ships and took an estimated 13,000 men with them, forcing the invaders to retreat.

Undeterred, Kublai Khan returned in 1281 with an even more massive force: a combined fleet of 4,400 ships and 140,000 soldiers and sailors. It was one of the largest invasion attempts in history.

This time, the Japanese were more prepared. They had built defensive walls along the coast, and for months, they held the Mongol forces at a stalemate.

Then, on August 15, 1281, history repeated itself. A second, even greater typhoon descended upon the Mongol fleet, completely devastating it. 🌬️⚔️

Most of the ships were destroyed, and historians believe at least half of the Mongol warriors were lost at sea. The Japanese came to call these storms "kamikaze," or "divine winds," believing they were a sign of divine protection.

The failed invasions ensured Japan's sovereignty and ingrained the legend of the divine winds deep into the nation's culture and identity.

08/02/2025

Let me tell you about the time when Mozart, at just 14 years old, was locked in a room for hours in Bologna. It was 1770, and young Wolfgang had to face the toughest exam of his life: admission to the Accademia Filarmonica of Bologna, one of the most prestigious musical institutions in Europe.

Just imagine it: a boy only 14 years old, shut away alone in a room, under the immense pressure of having to prove his talent in front of the most demanding masters of the time. The exam required him to compose a complex contrapuntal piece, and he had only a few hours to do it.

But Mozart wasn’t just any boy. Not only did he pass the test brilliantly, but he also became the youngest composer ever admitted in the history of the Accademia—a record that still gives people chills today.

Picture it: while his peers were playing in the streets, he was busy writing the history of music. Forget calling it merely precocious talent—this is the stuff of legends. Some people are truly born special, and Mozart is living proof of that.

08/02/2025

From Mall Madness to Garden Gladness: How Abandoned Malls Are Becoming Urban Farms

08/02/2025

This man is showing his skills at 80 . 😍

Address

7817 Del Webb Boulevard
Sacramento, CA
95757

Telephone

+19165099254

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Paul Fogle, Ph.D., Speech Pathology posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Paul Fogle, Ph.D., Speech Pathology:

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category