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The fans asked for it … and asked for it … and asked for it some more. So, here ya have it. Hope I don’t get perm banned for this edition. #1 - Top Favorited (Today) - Gaming (Woohoo!) #1 -…

How I did it: I have really come to understand what motivates me, and to work hard to appease my life goals. I have found that the more I work at being a better person, by doing things like being environmentally concience, volunteering, and just trying to be kind and fair, I’ve really become very happy because I’m happy with myself and the progress I continually make. Also, I’ve learned to pay more attention to the things around me, and have rediscovered a sense of wonder at life and people.    
Lessons & tips: If you feel like your life is going nowhere, or you are not accomplishing as much as you’d like: step 1: turn off the TV.  step 2: fill up your 43 things with goals both immediate and long term, and then check it several times a week. stay motivated, and hold yourself responsible. And learn to be humored by things that used to annoy you.
Resources: 43 things. Dave Ramsey (being debt free helps) and Yoga.
www.43things.com

For the fourth consecutive season, the Grammy-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer performs holiday favorites on NBC TVs Today show. In this case, they sing Christmas Time Is Here, the popular song h…

How I did it: I was tired of feeling tired and sad all the time and the medications for depression weren’t working anymore. I decided to change my perspective it really does work. I stopped talking to negative people that were draining to me (making me sad and thus tired) and stopped listening to the radio (which was all sad songs at the time) and listened to happy and inspiring music and started walking and doing exercise tapes. I realized I didn’t want to go to school at that time and stopped to take time out for myself. Within a year I was back to myself and perhaps a little happier.
Lessons & tips: Assess your life and what could be the problem making you sad

And realize you can change something about your life to make it better change your surroundings at the very least, the people you associate with or the music you listen to.

Exercise always helps regardless of your fitness level exercise releases endorphins that will help you feel better
Resources: Dance or bubblegum pop cds (fast beats help)

Exercise Tapes

A journal

Good Friends
www.43things.com

My recent fun vacation to PV was made even more “muy bueno” with a dive trip through the professional and ultra-courteous staff at Pacific Scuba. From the moment I emailed them with questions about trips and costs (their prices are quite reasonable, and includes a deli lunch), information on a combo dive/snorkel trip for myself and my non-diving hubby, to the actual dive, Pacific Scuba provided excellent customer service. Emails were returned quickly and politely by co-owner Armando, whom I had the pleasure of meeting once we arrived at the dive center. The dive center is located at the Vallarta Marina- a little trickly to find off a side street but not far from PV’s main road.

I’m a vacation diver, and don’t have that many dives under my belt, so I also needed to request a refresher. They were more than happy to oblige with a one-on-one pool session the day before my dive, on my schedule. My instructor for the refresher, Nacho, was thorough on all the skills I would need for the dives, and the pool session allowed me enough time to feel comfortable with the gear.

I originally chose them because they only take small groups- I didn’t want a cattle boat experience. On the day of my dive, turns out I was the only diver registered to go. How sweet that was- had my own divemaster, with no waiting around for anyone else to get ready, and no extra charge!

I did a two tank dive at Los Arcos. At the start of the first dive, I had trouble descending because there weren’t enough weights on my belt, which the divemaster quickly resolved, and then he waited to make sure that I could indeed descend. The second one was a drift dive, and even though we moved fairly quickly through the water, I saw plenty of sealife because my divemaster pointed out not only the fish, but the sealife cleverly disguised on the seabed as well. I probably wouldn’t have noticed all the eels, sea cucumbers, stonefish, sea spiders, etc, without his experienced eye.

They are first-rate, and if I dive in PV in the future, they will definitely be my dive center of choice

DIVE SITES & DIVING AMBERGRIS CAYE BELIZE.
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Diving Ambergris Caye can be an exhilarating experience when you Dive the islands best dive sites.
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This small article will educate you on what dives you will want to be sure to Dive when you Dive Belize, I will list some of the very best dives and some of my own personal favorites that you should include when you visit and dive the island of Ambergris Caye.
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No matter where you stay on the island (see my other articles) you should be able to dive all the dive sites I list here.
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HAPPY HOURS REEF North Ambergris Caye
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Located North of San Pedro Because this site is a little out of the way of most dive operators it gets dived very seldom, which means lots of fish life and no signs of damage caused by divers. We particularly like this site as it has a lot of barrel sponges and is wonderful for macro photography due to the abundant small critters found at this site. Another observation we made at this site is at a certain time of the year we have noticed the coral spawning. This site is currently being studied by Professors from Texas AM University and is part of ongoing studied for the year of the reef..
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Experience required: intermediate
Depth: 60-80ft
Location: North Ambergris Caye
Type of Dive: Boat
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LOVE TUNNELS North Ambergris Caye
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This site is located north of San Pedro and the site got its name as a couple got married in the mouth of this huge tunnel. At a depth of 60ft we swim through the tunnel that comes out on the edge of the drop off at approx. 90ft, due to the unseen approach we have spotted many large pelagic cruising the drop-off, as we exit the tunnel.
As we swim along the drop off you see many varieties of hard and soft corals and the usual juveniles and groupers that are abundant in these waters.
At all times you can see the surface as we swim through the caverns and it is quite safe for all levels of experience, as we near the end of our dive we enter another small cavern that takes us to our exit point, a real exciting dive that ’s a favorite with our visitors.
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Experience required: intermediate
Depth: 60-80ft
Location: North Ambergris Caye
Type of Dive: Boat
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M&M CAVERNS North Ambergris Caye
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Located north of San Pedro town lies M & M Caverns one of Ambergris Caye’s best cavern dives. The underwater topography is deep spur and groove formations formed by the wave action over thousands of years. It is literally riddled with swim through and tunnels.
As you descend down to 90ft you see a small entrance going up through the reef as you enter you see a small light at the end of the tunnel about 40ft away, it is an awesome feeling as you swim literally through the reef to come out at 60ft then enter another, a totally different dive that’s always a hit with our visiting divers.
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Experience required: advanced
Depth: 90-120ft
Location: North Ambergris Caye
Type of Dive: Boat
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CYPRUS GARDENS South Ambergris Caye
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This is an excellent site for all types of coral species, such as huge Pillar Corals, Elkhorn, Staghorn corals and very abundant with small reef fish and critters. Located in 50ft of water, this has long been one of my favorite sites for the sheer quality of the coral formations and the superb Macro photo opportunities. This site focuses on smaller marine life associated with coral reef and is sure to be a hit with visiting divers not to be missed.
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Experience required: novice
Depth: 50-70ft
Location: South Ambergris Caye
Type of Dive: Boat
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HOL CHAN MARINE RESERVE PILLAR CORALS South Ambergris
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Hol-Chan Marine Reserve 5 square miles of protected habitat, makes for some great diving. One of our favorites is Pillar Coral, a 60ft dive with some wonderful Pillar coral formations, great for photography as during this dive there are resident grouper and Snappers that will follow you throughout the dive. It’s easy to position them around the Pillar corals giving the opportunity for some great pictures.
The site is protected and nothing dead or alive may be removed, gloves are not allowed to be worn in the marine reserve and there is entrance fee to the park which is used to maintain the buoys and fund the ongoing research conducted at Hol-Chan marine reserve.
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Experience required: novice
Depth: 60-70ft
Location: South Ambergris Caye
Type of Dive: Boat
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HOL CHAN MARINE RESERVE THE CUT South Ambergris
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Another great site, this is a cut that allows passage through the Belize barrier reef to the open sea. Starting at 8ft and sloping down to a maximum of 25ft, this is an underwater wonderland with literally thousands of fish, including huge groupers and the biggest snappers you have ever seen.
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As you enter the cut there are a variety of small caves which hide huge Moray Eels over 6ft in length. Because this park is in a protected area the animal life is abundant. At the buoy, which marks the maximum you may enter into the channel, there is a small swim through cave which usually has a giant Dog Snapper lurking in the back part of the swim, though he casually watches as you swim through. A very scary looking fellow showing his big teeth, but the slightest movement toward him and he’s off.
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This site is used as a primary night dive spot. At night it is totally different: lobsters, giant spider crabs, Stingrays, and on many occasions the odd lemon Shark has passed through. All in all this is one of the best sites for marine life found anywhere in the Caribbean.
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Experience required: Intermediate due to strong current
Depth: 30ft
Location: South Ambergris Caye
Type of Dive: Boat
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EAGLE RAY CANYONS HOL CHAN
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This site although not new has recently become known for regular sightings of spotted Eagle Rays. I recently dove this spot with some friends from Rodale,s Magazine. Steve, one of the dive masters, was guiding the dive and during his briefing guaranteed that we were going to see Eagle Rays, and was quite adamant about it. I asked him if he was sure because we now had some excited divers aboard who were expecting to see Eagle Rays and they would be disappointed if they didn’t. Steve assured me and down we went, sure enough after 15 minutes we saw our first 3 Eagle Rays, 5 minutes later we saw an additional 5 a lot closer this time. In addition to the Eagle Rays, lots of coral formations, spur and groove formation and the usual congregation of juveniles.
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This is a Marine Reserve so nothing may be touched or taken, we ask that you are careful with your fins and avoid accidentally touching the reef. If you feel you would like to improve your buoyancy, we will be happy to assist you.
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Experience required: Novice/Intermediate
Depth: 60-80ft
Location: South Ambergris Caye
Type of Dive: Boat
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AMIGOS BARGE HOL CHAN
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One of my favorite sites, and fantastic for photography, is the wreck of an old barge located in 70ft of water in front of Shark Alley. It was sunk by Amigo’s Del Mar, a local dive operator and is named after them.
As you descend, you are literally surrounded by big groupers, lots and lots of Snappers and GUARANTEED Nurse Sharks. Unlike Shark Ray Alley, where it is only 8ft deep, at the wreck you will be able to get a shark silhouette shot and some great close-ups guaranteed, plus some amazing eye to eye encounters with some big groupers. Its amazing that this wreck has abundant marine life and is covered with coral growth.
This is definitely one of Ambergris Cayes best dives. The Wreck is now located in the marine reserve we ask that you conform to the marine reserve guidelines on all dives conducted in the waters of Belize to preserve and protect our resources for future visitor
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Experience required: Novice/Intermediate
Depth: 60-80ft
Location: South Ambergris Caye
Type of Dive: Boat
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SHARK RAY ALLEY HOL CHAN
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This is not a Dive Site but I thought I would include it as it is unique and usually included as a surface interval stop so you can snorkel with the sharks and rays.
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This is an unbelievable snorkel site similar to Caymans Stingray City except we have in addition to the resident Stingrays, 15 to 20 Nurse Sharks which means double the action. Located south of Hol-Chan Marine reserve, in only 8ft of water, this spectacular site is the only site in the world where you can interact with both Stingrays and Nurse Sharks.
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So unique is this site it attracted the attention of Jean Michel Cousteau and Skindiver magazine, who have featured it on the cover page of Skindiver in 2 issues. Jean Michel told me that they are all female juveniles and it is most likely a nursing ground and kept in the area from years of fishermen cleaning their catch and discarding the scraps to the sharks.
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Most dive operators offer a complimentary stop at Shark Alley during surface interval the opportunity for photography is endless.
The Nurse Sharks and Stingrays steal the show but the coral formations and other fish life is worth a mention. I visited Shark Ray Alley many times before I discovered the superb coral formations and dense fish populations. Remember to check them out when you visit Shark Ray Alley.
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I hope this short article will give you an idea of some of the excellent dives on offer when you dive Ambergris Caye. Be sure to visit my website for additional articles on Diving Belize and Travel Tips and dive packages to Belize.

www.DiveBelize.com

Three of us headed down to Cozumel from Montana to do some warm water diving. This was my second trip and I can’t even begin to tell you how great it was. The diving was outstanding, marine life and reef life was out of this world. Visibility was eaily 100 - 150 feel. We saw numberous eagle rays, so many nurse sharks and turtle that we got tired of pointing them out. I even found four sea horses. Must do dives are the Devils Throat, all the Palancar Reefs and Columbia dives. The one with the most abundent marine life was Columbia Shallows. The CS is only a 32 feet dive so you can stay down there forever. It is a must dive for everyone. Don’t miss it. I Highly recommend Papa Hogs, I have used various of their DM and found Donny to be the funnest of all. The also provide 120 aluminum tanks for heavy breathers like my dive buddy. Heck on one dive my buddy was running low on air and Donny, our DM, sharred his air allowing us to stay down at least another 5 - 7 minutes.

For those on a low budget, you can stay at Marias B&B. Cost $350 for three for one week. Nice grounds, high concrete walls and locked gate for privacy. Located about 10 blocks from the waterfront. Dinning was almost as good as the diving. We went out of our way to find out where the locals ate and that saved us a ton of money.

If you prefer an all inclusive operator on the beach, Scuba Club Cozumel is the shop for you. Jaizer is my dive master of choice at SCC.

The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, commonly referred to as the Articles of Confederation, was the first constitution of the thirteen United States of America. The Second Continental Congress appointed a committee to draft the ‘Articles’ in June 1776 and proposed the draft to the States for ratification in November 1777. The ratification process was completed in March 1781, legally federating the sovereign and independent states, allied under the Articles of Association, into a new federation styled the “United States of America”. Under the Articles the states retained sovereignty over all governmental functions not specifically relinquished to the central government.

On June 12, 1776, a day after appointing a committee to prepare a draft declaration of independence, the Second Continental Congress resolved to appoint a committee of thirteen to prepare a draft of a constitution for a confederate type of union. The last draft of the Articles was written in the summer of 1777 and the Second Continental Congress approved them for ratification by the States on November 15, 1777 in York, Pennsylvania after a year of debate. In practice the final draft of the Articles served as the de facto system of government used by the Congress (”the United States in Congress assembled”) until it became de jure by final ratification on March 1, 1781; at which point Congress became the Congress of the Confederation. The Articles set the rules for operations of the “United States” confederation. The confederation was capable of making war, negotiating diplomatic agreements, and resolving issues regarding the western territories. An important element of the Articles was that Article XIII stipulated that “their provisions shall be inviolably observed by every state” and “the Union shall be perpetual”.

The Articles were created by the chosen representatives of the states in the Second Continental Congress out of a perceived need to have “a plan of confederacy for securing the freedom, sovereignty, and independence of the United States.” Although serving a crucial role in the victory in the American Revolutionary War, a group of reformers,[1] known as “federalists”, felt that the Articles lacked the necessary provisions for a sufficiently effective government. Fundamentally, a federation was sought to replace the confederation. The key criticism by those who favored a more powerful central state (i.e. the federalists)[citation needed] was that the government (i.e. the Congress of the Confederation) lacked taxing authority; it had to request funds from the states. Also various federalist factions wanted[citation needed] a government that could impose uniform tariffs, give land grants, and assume responsibility for unpaid state war debts (”assumption”.) Those opposed to the Constitution, known as “anti-federalists,” considered these limits on government power to be necessary and good.[dubious – discuss][2] Another criticism of the Articles was that they did not strike the right balance between large and small states in the legislative decision making process.[dubious – discuss] Due to its one-state, one-vote plank, the larger states were expected to contribute more but had only one vote
Background
The political push for the colonies to increase cooperation began in the French and Indian Wars in the mid 1750s. The American Revolution in response to lack of elected representation in the British government and a rejection of the resulting law and regulaton, followed by the beginning of the American Revolutionary War in 1775 and a proclamation by the monarchy that Congress were traitors in rebellion, induced the various states to cooperate in seceding from the British Empire. Starting 1775, the Second Continental Congress acted as the provisional national government that ran the war. Congress presented the Articles for enactment by the states in 1777, while prosecuting the American Revolutionary War.
 Ratification
Congress began to move for ratification of the Articles in 1777:

“Permit us, then, earnestly to recommend these articles to the immediate and dispassionate attention of the legislatures of the respective states. Let them be candidly reviewed under a sense of the difficulty of combining in one general system the various sentiments and interests of a continent divided into so many sovereign and independent communities, under a conviction of the absolute necessity of uniting all our councils and all our strength, to maintain and defend our common liberties…[3]

The document could not become officially effective until it was ratified by all of the thirteen colonies. The first state to ratify was Virginia on December 16, 1777.[4] The process dragged on for several years, stalled by the refusal of some states to rescind their claims to land in the West. Maryland was the last holdout; it refused to go along until Virginia and New York agreed to cede their claims in the Ohio River valley. A little over three years passed before Maryland’s ratification on March 1, 1781.
] Article summaries
Even though the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution were established by many of the same people, the two documents were very different. The original five-paged Articles contained thirteen articles, a conclusion, and a signatory section. The following list contains short summaries of each of the thirteen articles.

Establishes the name of the confederation as “The United States of America.”
Asserts the equality of the separate states with the confederation government, i.e. “Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated.”
Establishes the United States as a new nation, a sovereign union of sovereign states, united “. . . for their common defense, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist each other, against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them . . . ,” while declaring that the union is “perpetual,” and can only be altered by approval of Congress with ratification by all the state legislatures.
Establishes freedom of movement–anyone can pass freely between states, excluding “paupers, vagabonds, and fugitives from justice.” All people are entitled to the rights established by the state into which he travels. If a crime is committed in one state and the perpetrator flees to another state, he will be extradited to and tried in the state in which the crime was committed.
Allocates one vote in the Congress of the Confederation (United States in Congress Assembled) to each state, which was entitled to a delegation of between two and seven members. Members of Congress were appointed by state legislatures; individuals could not serve more than three out of any six years.
Only the central government is allowed to conduct foreign relations and to declare war. No states may have navies or standing armies, or engage in war, without permission of Congress (although the state militias are encouraged).
When an army is raised for common defense, colonels and military ranks below colonel will be named by the state legislatures.
Expenditures by the United States will be paid by funds raised by state legislatures, and apportioned to the states based on the real property values of each.
Defines the powers of the central government: to declare war, to set weights and measures (including coins), and for Congress to serve as a final court for disputes between states.
Defines a Committee of the States to be a government when Congress is not in session.
Requires nine states to approve the admission of a new state into the confederacy; pre-approves Canada, if it applies for membership.
Reaffirms that the Confederation accepts war debt incurred by Congress before the Articles.
Still at war with the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Framers were divided between those seeking a powerful, centralized national government, and those seeking a loosely-structured one. Jealously guarding their new independence, members of the Continental Congress arrived at a compromise solution dividing sovereignty between the states and the federal government, with a unicameral legislature that protected the liberty of the individual states. While calling on Congress to regulate military and monetary affairs, for example, the Articles of Confederation provided no mechanism to force the states to comply with requests for troops or revenue. At times, this left the military in a precarious position, as George Washington wrote in a 1781 letter to the governor of Massachusetts, John Hancock.
 The end of the war
The Treaty of Paris (1783), which ended hostilities with Great Britain, languished in Congress for months because state representatives failed to attend sessions of the national legislature. Yet Congress had no power to enforce attendance. Writing to George Clinton in September 1783, George Washington complained:

Congress have come to no determination yet respecting the Peace Establishment nor am I able to say when they will. I have lately had a conference with a Committee on this subject, and have reiterated my former opinions, but it appears to me that there is not a sufficient representation to discuss Great National points.[5]
 Function
 Military
The Articles supported the Congressional direction of the Continental Army, and allowed the 13 states to present a unified front when dealing with the European powers. As a tool to build a centralized war-making government, they were largely a failure: Historian Bruce Chadwick wrote:

George Washington had been one of the very first proponents of a strong federal government. The army had nearly disbanded on several occasions during the winters of the war because of the weaknesses of the Continental Congress. … The delegates could not draft soldiers and had to send requests for regular troops and militia to the states. Congress had the right to order the production and purchase of provisions for the soldiers, but could not force anyone to actually supply them, and the army nearly starved in several winters of war.[6]

The Continental Congress, before the Articles were approved, had promised soldiers a pension of half pay for life. However Congress had no power to compel the states to fund this obligation, and as the war wound down after the victory at Yorktown the sense of urgency to support the military was no longer a factor. No progress was made in Congress during the winter of 1783-1784. General Henry Knox, who would become the first Secretary of War under the Constitution, blamed the weaknesses of the Articles of the inability of the government to fund the military. The army had long been supportive of a strong union.[7] Knox wrote:

The army generally have always reprobated the idea of being thirteen armies. Their ardent desires have been to be one continental body looking up to one sovereign. … It is a favorite toast in the army, “A hoop to the barrel” or “Cement to the Union.”[8]

As Congress failed to act on the petitions, Knox wrote to Gouverneur Morris, four years before the Philadelphia Convention was convened, “As the present Constitution is so defective, why do not you great men call the people together and tell them so; that is, to have a convention of the States to form a better Constitution.”[9]

Once the war was won, the Continental Army was largely disbanded. A very small national force was maintained to man frontier forts and protect against Native American attacks. Meanwhile, each of the states had an army (or militia), and 11 of them had navies. The wartime promises of bounties and land grants to be paid for service were not being met. In 1783, Washington defused the Newburgh conspiracy, but riots by unpaid Pennsylvania veterans forced the Congress to leave Philadelphia temporarily.[10]

 Foreign policy
Even after peace was achieved, the weakness of the government frustrated the abilty of the government to conduct foreign policy. In 1786 Thomas Jefferson, concerned over the failure to fund a naval expedition against the Barbary pirates, wrote to James Monroe, “It will be said there is no money in the treasury. There never will be money in the treasury till the confederacy shows its teeth. The states must see the rod.” [11]

 Taxation and commerce
 Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page.

Under the articles, Congress could make decisions, but had no power to enforce them. There was a requirement for unanimous approval before any modifications could be made to the Articles. Because the majority of lawmaking rested with the states, the central government was also kept limited.

Congress was denied the power of taxation: it could only request money from the states. The states did not generally comply with the requests in full, leaving the Confederation Congress and the Continental Army chronically short of funds. As more money was printed, continental dollars depreciated. Washington in 1779 wrote to John Jay, serving as President of the Continental Congress, “that a wagon load of money will scarcely purchase a wagon load of provisions.”[12] Jay and the Congress responded in May by requesting $45 million from the states. In an appeal to the states to comply Jay wrote that the taxes were “the price of liberty, the peace and the safety of yourselves and posterity.”[13] He argued that Americans should avoid having it said “that America had no sooner become independent than she became insolvent” or that “her infant glories and growing fame were obscured and tarnished by broken contracts and violated faith.”[14] The states did not respond with the money requested.

Congress was also denied the power to regulate commerce, and as a result, the states maintained control over their own trade policy as well. The states and the national congress had both incurred debts during the war, and how to pay the debts became a major issue after the war. Some states paid off their debts; however, the centralizers favored federal assumption of states’ debts.

 Accomplishments
Nevertheless, the Congress of the Confederation did take two actions with lasting impact. The Land Ordinance of 1785 established the general land survey and ownership provisions used throughout later American expansion. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 noted the agreement of the original states to give up western land claims and cleared the way for the entry of new states.

 Signatures
The Second Continental Congress approved the Articles for distribution to the states on November 15, 1777. A copy was made for each state and one was kept by the Congress. The copies sent to the states for ratification were unsigned, and a cover letter had only the signatures of Henry Laurens and Charles Thomson, who were the President and Secretary to the Congress.

But, the Articles at that time were unsigned, and the date was blank. Congress began the signing process by examining their copy of the Articles on June 27, 1778. They ordered a final copy prepared (the one in the National Archives), and that delegates should inform the secretary of their authority for ratification.

On July 9, 1778, the prepared copy was ready. They dated it, and began to sign. They also requested each of the remaining states to notify its delegation when ratification was completed. On that date, delegates present from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and South Carolina signed the Articles to indicate that their states had ratified. New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland could not, since their states had not ratified. North Carolina and Georgia also didn’t sign that day, since their delegations were absent.

After the first signing, some delegates signed at the next meeting they attended. For example, John Wentworth of New Hampshire added his name on August 8. John Penn was the first of North Carolina’s delegates to arrive (on July 10), and the delegation signed the Articles on July 21, 1778.

The other states had to wait until they ratified the Articles and notified their Congressional delegation. Georgia signed on July 24, New Jersey on November 26, and Delaware on February 12, 1779. Maryland refused to ratify the Articles until every state had ceded its western land claims.

 
The Act of the Maryland legislature to ratify the Articles of Confederation on February 2, 1781On February 2, 1781, the much-awaited decision was taken by the Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis.[15] As the last piece of business during the afternoon Session, “among engrossed Bills” was “signed and sealed by Governor Thomas Sim Lee in the Senate Chamber, in the presence of the members of both Houses… an Act to empower the delegates of this state in Congress to subscribe and ratify the articles of confederation” and perpetual union among the states. The Senate then adjourned “to the first Monday in August next.” The decision of Maryland to ratify the Articles was reported to the Continental Congress on February 12. The formal signing of the Articles by the Maryland delegates took place in Philadelphia at noon time on March 1, 1781 and was celebrated in the afternoon. With these events, the Articles entered into force and the United States came into being as a united, sovereign and national state.

Congress had debated the Articles for over a year and a half, and the ratification process had taken nearly three and a half years. Many participants in the original debates were no longer delegates, and some of the signers had only recently arrived. The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union were signed by a group of men who were never present in the Congress at the same time.

The signers and the states they represented were:

New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett and John Wentworth Jr.
Massachusetts Bay: John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Elbridge Gerry, Francis Dana, James Lovell, and Samuel Holten
Rhode Island and Providence Plantations: William Ellery, Henry Marchant, and John Collins
Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, Oliver Wolcott, Titus Hosmer, and Andrew Adams
New York: James Duane, Francis Lewis, William Duer, and Gouverneur Morris
New Jersey: John Witherspoon and Nathaniel Scudder
Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Daniel Roberdeau, Jonathan Bayard Smith, William Clingan, and Joseph Reed
Delaware: Thomas McKean, John Dickinson, and Nicholas Van Dyke
Maryland: John Hanson and Daniel Carroll
Virginia: Richard Henry Lee, John Banister, Thomas Adams, John Harvie, and Francis Lightfoot Lee
North Carolina: John Penn, Cornelius Harnett, and John Williams
South Carolina: Henry Laurens, William Henry Drayton, John Mathews, Richard Hutson, and Thomas Heyward Jr.
Georgia: John Walton, Edward Telfair, and Edward Langworthy
Roger Sherman (Connecticut) was the only person to sign all four great state papers of the United States: the Articles of Association, the United States Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution.

Robert Morris (Pennsylvania) was the only person besides Sherman to sign three of the great state papers of the United States: the United States Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution.

John Dickinson (Delaware) and Daniel Carroll (Maryland), along with Sherman and Morris, were the only four people to sign both the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution.
[edit] Presidents of the Congress
The following list is of those who led the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation as the Presidents of the United States in Congress Assembled. Under the Articles, the president was the presiding officer of Congress, chaired the Cabinet (the Committee of the States) when Congress was in recess, and performed other administrative functions. He was not, however, a chief executive in the way the successor President of the United States is a chief executive, but all of the functions he executed were under the auspices and in service of the Congress.

Samuel Huntington (March 1, 1781– July 9, 1781)
Thomas McKean (July 10, 1781–November 4, 1781)
John Hanson (November 5, 1781– November 3, 1782)
Elias Boudinot (November 4, 1782– November 2, 1783)
Thomas Mifflin (November 3, 1783– October 31, 1784)
Richard Henry Lee (November 30, 1784– November 6, 1785)
John Hancock (November 23, 1785– May 29, 1786)
Nathaniel Gorham (June 6, 1786– November 5, 1786)
Arthur St. Clair (February 2, 1787– November 4, 1787)
Cyrus Griffin (January 22, 1788– November 2, 1788)
For a full list of Presidents of the Congress Assembled and Presidents under the two Continental Congresses before the Articles, see President of the Continental Congress.

Description:

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES ON EARTH. THIS IS A VERY BRIEF TOUR OF SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES IN PAKISTAN, THOUGH OUR RICH PEOPLE GO ABROAD FOR SPENDING THEIR MONEY.THE PEOPLES OF THESE REGION…