Christopher Columbus - Explorer - Part Thr

Christopher Columbus - Explorer - Part Three 0 Conversations Christopher Columbus - Explorer - Part ThreePart One in this series of entries covered Columbus from his early life to his first voyage. Part Two covered Columbus's second and third voyage. This entry will cover the period from his fourth voyage until his death - in essence, the twilight of the life of the great navigator.Fourth VoyageColumbus's instructions for his fourth voyage were:You will make a direct voyage, if the weather does not prevent you, for discovering the islands and the mainland of the Indies in that part which belongs to us��which meant that he wouldn't stay at Hispaniola, but try to find a water route to Asia. He brought three caravels with him and another small vessel on this voyage with a crew of 140 men. It was a relatively small group for this voyage, but Columbus was no longer a governor, and the King and Queen didn't trust him as much. He wasn't young at that time either, being in his later years.The squadron left the port of Cadiz on 11 May, 1502. It went to a port in Africa, then to the Canaries. From there, he had a very short voyage, lasting a mere 17 days, to an island in the Indies which is probably either St Lucia or Martinique today.ExplorationColumbus had to stop at Hispaniola because he could easily see that a bad storm was coming. He asked to be given shelter for his ships, but the colony's governor, Ovando, turned him away. the north face jackets He had to find shelter for his four ships elsewhere on the island. When the storm (probably a hurricane) hit, 20 of the colony's ships were sunk, one of which held two of Columbus's enemies, Bobadilla and Roldan, but all of Columbus's ships remained intact, though with some damage.With Columbus's squadron repaired, they continued on around the south of Jamaica, to Cuba and then west to what is today Honduras, in late July. Along the coast of Honduras, Columbus encountered a long Mesoamerican1 ship, which was the first encounter between Europeans and a Mesoamerican civilisation. He kept going southeast along the coast of central America for a few months until they found what moncler is today Panama. Of course, Panama is now known to have the most thin strip of land between the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean, but at the time had no strait of water to pass through the land and into the Pacific2. Columbus obviously did not know there was no natural strait, but found out from the natives that another ocean was only a few days walk to the west. This encouraged Columbus to search for a passage to the west. He named the area Veragua.He also discovered from the natives that there was gold nearby, which the Europeans traded for. Columbus was encouraged by this as well, and went along Veragua trading for gold. He stopped for about a week at a harbour he called Puerto Bello, which is still known as that today. He continued along the coast, but eventually abandoned his search for a westward passage, because he was confident that another exploration with more time could find it. He continued on his other priority of finding gold and did it teh north face jackets successfully for a while.SettlementAt one point, Columbus encountered a strong tropical storm and a water spout, which he had to fight. The crew shouted passages from the Bible, but the ships were tossed around and weren't safely along the coast for some time. Unfortunately for him, this storm led him away from the area rich with gold, and set him down where the Rio Belen river meets the Caribbean on 9 January, 1503.Natives led Columbus and his men to a mine near the Rio Belen, where they mined a great deal of gold. The Europeans settled here for a period of time. Spain was satisfied with the results of this, and he earned some favour among the King and Queen as well as the citizens. However, the natives of the area grew organised and annoyed at the Europeans. They had forced them to work in the gold mines for their own profit. When Columbus was certain that the colony was secure, he set up a small fort led by Bartholomew, leaving one ship behind there. He then set out for Spain. Yet again, though, Columbus encountered bad weather and sent back one boat with a message to the small colony. However, this ship was captured by the natives, and a messenger had to swim to the settlement. He found out that it was besieged by the natives, and delivered the news to Columbus.Columbus chose to go back to the settlement and bring his brother and the new settlers on their ships. The ship that Columbus had left at the settlement had to be abandoned, because it wasn't in water. All of the artillery and people had to be crowded into the three vessels. They then headed back to Spain... or they tried to.StrandedColumbus and his ships were in poor condition and eager to go back to Spain, but they encountered some problems. The ships had the teredo worms in them that made many holes. He had to leave a ship at Puerto Bello. On 20 June, Columbus and his two remaining ships arrived at a harbour in Jamaica. His ships were now worthless, littered with holes and leaks. On Jamaica, he met a tribe of savage natives, and traded with them for a canoe. With this, they sent a message to the colony at Hispaniola and a message for the King and Queen. However, this canoe was captured. One man, named Diego Mendez (the only European on the canoe - the rest were natives that were basically loaned to Columbus) managed to make it back to Jamaica. Another mission was sent to communicate with the colony on Hispaniola, but Columbus did not hear from Mendez for many canada goose months.Of course, living in a tropical paradise now frequented by fun-seeking tourists can only lead to disorder in the ranks. Columbus's authority was challenged by the Porras brothers, Francesco and Adelantado. They spread lies that Columbus was exiled from Spain and turned the crew against the Columbus brothers. At one point, the crew became a serious threat to Columbus's life, but they did not kill him. Instead, 48 men left him behind and decided to set out for Hispaniola with several natives to assist them.In ten canoes, the mutinous bunch stole food and left the island. While the men had pleasant weather in the early part of the journey, they met huge waves and tried to lighten their canoes. They tossed out food and supplies, and even tried to get the natives to jump out. The natives of course refused, but the Europeans stabbed them and cut them, killing 18 of them. Since they weren't very far away from land when the waves hit, they were tossed back to Jamaica. They could have tried again to brave the tough waves or go back to Columbus, but they opted to wait and try again to get to Hispaniola. It was as bad as before, and they decided to return to Columbus.Columbus and his men began to starve on the island, becoming sicker from the native food and hungrier from the lack of European food. Though Columbus and the island's natives had maintained a fairly amicable relationship, it broke down and they stopped louis vuitton sac supplying the Europeans with food. Columbus had to convince the natives to feed them now.Columbus tried to use his knowledge of astronomy to impress the natives and make them think that God was angry at the natives. He called together the tribe and told them that God was angry with them. He told them that if this were true, then the moon would borse gucci darken and change colour, or as we know it, eclipse. The natives saw that it did, and were scared incredibly. They ran to Columbus with food and water, begging him to take it. He refused to at first, but when he knew that a full moon would form, he took the food and told the natives that he had convinced God not to be angry at them, and so the darkness would be lifted. It was, of course.After this, Columbus and his men spaccio moncler lived an easy life, being showered with gifts and foods, so that God wouldn't be angry at them. Columbus had tricked them cleverly. However, even though Columbus had the natives fooled and on his side, mutiny broke out again. Just as they were about to make another attempt to get to Hispaniola, a small ship appeared on the horizon after over about a year of being stranded on the island.RescueThe vessel was far too small to accommodate the Spaniards who were once occupying four ships. Ovando, the governor of Hispaniola, promised in a letter that he would bring a more suitable ship though, and that this one was for bringing Columbus supplies. The ship soon departed, leaving the Europeans in essentially the same situation they were in earlier. Columbus said that he trusted the word of Ovando, however, and waited for the next vessel to show that he trusted Ovando. Secretly, he was not sure of this.Meanwhile, the rebels were growing more and more annoyed. Their leader convinced them, though, that this new ship was only a lie made by Columbus. He marched them to attack Columbus and try to take him prisoner. However, Columbus saw this attack and prepared a 50 man force of his own. A small battle took place, in which several of the rebels were killed, and Francesco de Porras was taken prisoner. None of Columbus's men clearly won, and only two were wounded. The rebels fled once Porras was captured.When the natives saw men that they thought were immortal lying dead, they must have been curious and confused.Soon after the battle, two ships arrived in the harbour to bring Columbus back to Hispaniola, which took about six weeks. He was well received at the island, both because the men had heard of his sufferings, and that Ovando was a poor governor. He ruled the natives just as hard, if not harder. Columbus spent a month at the colony to try to make his beloved island more orderly, but he was more interested in going home. On September 12, 1504, Columbus went back to Spain.He had a bad trip home, especially as he was very old, almost 70 years old (depending on which date of his birth you believe), and there were some bad storms. But he made it to Spain safely on 7 November, 1504 after about two and a half years away from Europe.Later YearsI have not a roof over my head in Castile. I have no place to eat nor to sleep excepting a tavern, and there I am often too poor to pay my scot.When he returned to Spain, Columbus had a goal to remove his name from the shame that came with failing to find a passage to the East and failing to bring much gold home. He went back to Seville to meet with the King and Queen. He fought in court to make sure that all of the men who came with him were properly paid, even for the time they spent stranded at Jamaica. Though many people think that Columbus was poor during his last few years. This is not true, because he brought in a large amount of money from his 10% of the revenue from the Indies.Queen Isabella died less than a month after Columbus returned to Spain, and Ferdinand was preoccupied with other things after this. He couldn't be bothered with the requests of Columbus, who wanted the governorship of the Indies restored to him canada goose and wanted pay for him and his men for the fourth voyage. These requests weren't fulfilled, but Columbus kept fighting for his money and his power. When a court date was made, Columbus was too ill to go to court though, and spent his last years in humiliation and frustrated.In manus tuas, Pater, commendo spiritum meum3-The Last Words of ColumbusHe executed his will on 19 May, 1506, and died three days later. He was probably buried at the convent of San Francisco at Valladolid.LegacyToday, Columbus is honoured for discovering America, although many were before him in this journey. It is now named after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci, who probably wasn't the first to discover America, but more or less by accident, North and South America were named after him. Other explorers, louis vuitton borse such as Leif Eir��ksson, St Brendan the Navigator etc could have seen the continents before him, but his discovery was symbolic.Columbus is remembered by the general public for opening European exploration Doudoune canada goose of America, and not as a mean leader. He is well honoured, especially in America. For instance, he has a bank holiday in the United States called Columbus Day, falling on the second Monday of October. He also lends his name to a large city in Ohio, the capital district of the United States, as well as the entire country of Colombia in South America.1An ancient culture region near central Mexico inhabited by some of the earliest native civilisations in the Americas.2Now, there is the Panama Canal.3Translated from Latin, this means 'Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit'.

Dahab, Egypt_10

Dahab, Egypt 1 Conversation Dahab, EgyptDahab1 is a small town on the eastern side of the Sinai peninsula in Egypt, Africa. It sits on the shores of the Gulf of Aqaba, in the Red Sea, looking across to Saudi Arabia. Being to the east of the outlet gucci Gulf of Suez means that it is technically part of Asia, although some travel insurers will class Egypt as Europe, their definition being 'it's on the Med'. ClimateThe weather in Egypt is reliably hot: it lies entirely within the Sahara, and so has a desert climate. gucci borse Summer temperatures can reach as high as 50��C, and even in the winter the thermometer rarely dips into single figures. Snow is not unheard of on Mount Sinai (2,400m high), but it is an unusual occurrence. Dahab is more comfortable than many inland locations, as the sea breeze keeps it fresher and cooler, but even here the December average daytime temperature is 23��C. The almost-guaranteed cloudless sky and the lack of light pollution make for some very good stargazing night skies. FeelDahab found fame in the 1960s as a hippie haven, as it was a popular stopover on the backpacking trail across Egypt and Israel. It still retains that relaxed, 'chilled'2 atmosphere today, although more modern hotels and facilities have recently sprung up. The shops that line the sea-front promenade are full of tie-dye baggy pants, beaded jewellery and flip-flops (as well as the obligatory souvenir T-shirts, stuffed camels and pyramid shaped paper weights). The shop-keepers themselves are charming salesmen, and very adept at parting you from your Egyptian pounds.Things To Do The main reason visitors come to Dahab is for the diving, largely due to its proximity to the infamous Blue Hole, which still claims 3 or 4 victims per year, as they try to make the deep descent. The main diving resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh, which is also the nearest airport, is about an hour's bumpy ride away, and many divers from there come on day trips to Dahab. Other spectacular dive-sites accessible from Dahab are Moray Gardens, Eel Gardens and Canyon.Snorkelling at any of these sites is another great way to see the fantastic variety of fish and coral that live in these waters. Lucky observers may even catch a glimpse of a turtle or a dolphin.The stiff breeze on the water makes this a popular wind-surfing location as well.Out of the water, camel safaris are a popular trip, usually to a nearby oasis, and sometimes involving a night stop. Mount Sinai is well worth a visit, especially at either sunrise or sunset, when the colours bring the sandy mountains to life. Mount Sinai lies in the St Katherine's protectorate, gucci outlet a World Heritage site, and the monastery there houses what is claimed to be the remains of the burning bush whereby God spoke to Moses, so it has enormous religious significance. Longer trips of around three to four days are possible to the red rocks of Petra, in neighbouring Jordan.Food and DrinkBeing a seaside resort, the quality and variety of the seafood is vast, and restaurant staff will gleefully drag you to look at the stunning array of red snapper, calamari and prawns that they have to offer you. The promenade is full of brightly coloured restaurants, gaily lit by fairy lights at night, which make a magical setting for a meal. Along with the freshly-cooked fish, visitors can expect accompanying salads, hummous, tahini3, and flat bread. Alcohol is not available to buy in restaurants or shops, although it is not forbidden to consume it if you have brought your own supply. There are a couple of bars where alcohol is available, usually attached to the new hotels. Local drinks worth trying include lassi (made from yoghurt), freshly squeezed4 lemon, and cold rosehip tea, all of which are very refreshing.Local CustomsEgyptian plumbing is a special treat - no paper products can be flushed down the loo, so instead must be placed in a handy bin. Understandably, these bins can get rather smelly.Driving in Egypt is viewed as a competitive sport, and it can sometimes be difficult to determine on which side of the road the vehicles are supposed to be. Should I Visit It?A series of fatal bomb attacks in April, 2006 have understandably affected the numbers of tourists to this amazing place. It was included borse gucci in the BBC series and book Unforgettable Things To Do Before You Die, and regularly features on various Top Ten lists of Must-See places in the world. The seemingly unstoppable tide of modern hotels and holiday apartment developments will certainly change its character over time, so visitors wishing to experience a touch of laidback hippydom, combined with unsurpassed diving opportunities, should not delay their travel plans for too long.1The name comes from the Arabic for 'gold', after the sandy beaches.2As in vibe, not as in temperature.3A thin paste made from sesame seeds.4And diluted.

Constellations- Hydrus 'the Water Snake'_6

Constellations: Hydrus 'the Water Snake' 1 Conversation Constellations: Hydrus 'the Water Snake'Constellations: Overview | Andromeda | Antlia | Apus | Aquarius | Aquila | Ara | Aries | Auriga | Bo?tes | CaelumCamelopardalis | Cancer | Canes Venatici | Canis Major | Canis Minor | Capricornus | Carina | Cassiopeia | CentaurusCepheus | Cetus | Cham?leon | Circinus | Columba | Coma Berenices | Corona Australis | Corona Borealis | CorvusCrater | Crux | Cygnus | Delphinus | Dorado | Draco | Equuleus | Eridanus | Fornax | Gemini | Grus | Hercules | HorologiumHydra | Hydrus | Indus | Lacerta | Leo | Leo Minor | Lepus | Libra | Lupus | Lynx | Lyra | Mensa | Microscopium | MonocerosMusca | Norma | Octans | Ophiuchus | Orion | Pavo | Pegasus | Perseus | Phoenix | Pictor | Pisces | Piscis AustrinusPuppis | Pyxis | Reticulum | Sagitta | Sagittarius | Scorpius | Sculptor | Scutum | Serpens | Sextans | TaurusTelescopium | Triangulum | Triangulum Australe | Tucana | Ursa Major | Ursa Minor | Vela | Virgo | Volans | VulpeculaName:HydrusGenitive:HydriShort form:HyiRepresents:'Water Snake' or 'Male Hydra'Area:243 sq degCo-ordinates1:Right Ascension 02h, Declination ?70��Origin:ModernHydrus is a southern constellation of modern origin. Though small in total area, it is slim and long so it shares its borders with several others: Eridanus; Tucana; Octans; Mensa; Dorado; Reticulum and Horologium. Octans 'the Octant' is the constellation furthest south and includes the south polar axis. The southernmost tip of Hydrus adjoins it within ten degrees of the polar axis. The most northerly border of Hydrus was drawn just below the brilliant 1st magnitude Achernar, (alpha Eridani), so if you can identify that, the triangular-shaped asterism below marks Hydrus' main stars. Hydrus contains some interesting stars, two of which have planets in attendance. It also boasts some superb NGC objects: a drop-dead gorgeous star cluster and a triple set of post-merger galaxies far, far away. HistoryThe water snake is one of a dozen constellations delineated by Dutch astronomers Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman during their voyage to the southern seas between 1595 and 1597 on board the Hollandia. It first appeared in Johann Bayer's Uranometria (star catalogue) of 1603. The French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille (1713 - 62) decided it should be known as l'Hydre Male (the male Hydra) in his 1756 catalogue Coelum Australe Stelliferum.In 1922 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) redrew the borders of all the constellations and some were scrapped. Hydrus survived and remains one of the 88 internationally recognised constellations that we know today.Julius SchillerGerman cartographer and astronomer Julius Schiller (1580 - 1627) spent his adult life reworking the constellations, which he believed were Pagan in origin, creating new ones to honour Biblical figures. He used the stars in Hydrus and neighbouring Tucana (the Toucan) to represent the healing Archangel Raphael. Schiller's star atlas Coelum Stellatum Christianum was published in 1627, just before he died, but the new Christian-based star formations never caught on. StarsThe scientific star names are Greek letters combined with the genitive name of the constellation. This is known as the 'Bayer designation' after the man who devised the system. Some stars have proper names as well - for example, alpha Centauri is Rigil Kentaurus - but there are no named stars in Hydrus. Other stars, like Gliese 3021, are known by their catalogue number. Recently discovered variable stars, like VW Hydri, are given upper case English letters.Stars of HydrusPi Hydri (you could also call it 'Pi Hyi') is a double star, a non-interacting pair of 6th magnitude giants: Pi1 is red and Pi2 is orange.Eta Hydri is a double star comprising a blue-white dwarf, eta1, and a yellow giant, eta2, which has a confirmed planet in orbit.Lambda Hydri is an orange giant straddling the border with Tucana. From our vantage point it looks like it is part of the Small Magellanic Cloud2 (SMC), an irregular dwarf galaxy which orbits the Milky Way. In reality lambda Hydri is much closer to us at only 200 light years3 distant. The SMC is about 210,000 light years away. VW Hydri is an SU Ursae Majoris-type dwarf which underwent a super outburst in October 1984. Another outburst on 23 September, 1998, was recorded by X-ray observations in multiwavelength, including ultraviolet. VW Hydri is a binary system comprising a cataclysmic variable star (CV) and a 'normal' star, and the companion's perigee (closest orbital proximity) is causing the outbursts.Unusually for such a small area, there is another cataclysmic variable white dwarf in Hydrus called WX Hydri. It underwent its most recent outburst on 28 August, 2008. CVs are sometimes discovered accidentally when stargazers are looking for other targets. They are easily monitored by amateurs with modest optical equipment and a whole community of watchers can be found at the website called CVnet.Star TableStarDesignationName or catalogue numberBrightness (m)Distance (light years)Spectral classificationand/or comments��beta HydriHD 2151+2.824Yellow sub-giant��alpha HydriHD 12311+2.971Yellow-white dwarf��gamma HydriHD 24512+3.2200Red giant��delta HydriHD 15008+4.1130White dwarf��epsilon HydriHD 16978+4.2150Blue-white giant��2eta2 HydriHD 11977+4.7217Yellow giant/planetary system��lambda HydriHD 4815+5.1200Orange giant��1pi1 HydriHD 14141+5.5700Red giant��2pi2 louis vuitton outlet HydriHD 14287+5.6460Orange giantGliese 3021GJ 3021HD 1237+6.6 var57Yellow dwarf/planetary system��1eta1 HydriHD 11733+6.7400Blue-white dwarfVWVW HydriVW HydriCV212Dwarf nova/cataclysmic variableWXWX HydriWX HydriCV350Dwarf nova/cataclysmic variableThe Ben Ben AsterismThe stars alpha, gamma and beta Hydri form a triangular asterism when connected in the imagination. This was viewed as auspicious by cultures such as the ancient Egyptians, who designed and built pyramids from that basic geometric shape. They knew the triangle shape as a Ben Ben. The corresponding star alignment in the night sky earned the asterism the name 'Ben Ben'. It was believed that this was the resting place of the Bennu (phoenix) before it burst into flames and rose to its own place in the heavens. The constellation Phoenix touches a corner with Hydrus, but they do not share a border; they are separated by Tucana and the extreme southerly portion of Eridanus.New General Catalogue (NGC)The NGC was compiled by John Louis Emil Dreyer (the director of the Armagh Observatory from 1882 to 1916). Technological advances have enabled astronomers to enhance the original finds of the pioneers like Herschel and in some cases correct their data. One object, NGC 1511, was discovered in Hydrus and listed as a galaxy. The revised NGC/IC data informs us that this 'object' is actually a triple set of galaxies whose co-ordinates are so similar that they practically appear as one from our vantage point. Their closeness to each other means that they are interacting, although this isn't yet a cosmic trainwreck4. They will eventually form one huge galaxy when they've finished their intergalactic dance. NGC 1511 has already gobbled up an ancient galaxy which strayed too close, according to the Royal Astronomical Society of Australia. They state that 'the peculiar optical ridge to the east of NGC 1511 is probably the stellar remnant of a galaxy completely disrupted by interactions with NGC 1511'.NGC 602 is a young (in galactic terms) star cluster just five million years old. This stellar nursery is estimated to be 200,000 light years from us and yet in the Hubble Space Telescope image it's possible to see galaxies which could be several hundred million light years distant. This link at the HubbleSite gives you an option to zoom in on distant galaxies for closer inspection.NGC TableCatalogueNameTypeBrightness (m)RemarksNGC 1511ESO 55-4Galaxy+11SaNGC 1511AESO 55-5Galaxy+13.4SBaNGC 1511BESO 55-6Galaxy+14.5SBcdNGC 602N90Nebulous cluster+7.5Discovered in 1826 by James DunlopExtrasolar Planets in HydrusThere have been three extrasolar planetary systems found in Hydrus up to 2010. Figures given in the table below are the length of the planet's orbital period around its parent star, which we know of as a year. The mass of the extrasolar planet is compared to that of Jupiter, our Solar System's largest planet, known by astronomers as the 'Jovian scale'.Gliese 3021 b (sometimes catalogued as GJ 3021 b) is a gas giant orbiting a yellow dwarf, a star similar in make-up to our own Sun. Astronomers have labelled this planet a 'Sulfurous Cloud Jovian' - in other words the atmosphere is poisonous.Eta2 Hydri b (aka HD 11977 b) is a 'blue and cloudless' gas giant orbiting yellow giant star eta2 Hydri. Very few planets have been found orbiting giant stars.HD 10180, a yellow dwarf star like our own Sun, had five planets detected by the HARPS (High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher) programme at the European Southern Observatory. The announcement was made on 24 August, 2010. Two further planets were discovered in the system towards the end of 2010, making it the most-populated planetary system to date.Extrasolar Planets TableStar name or catalogue numberPlanet catalogue numberPlanet mass (Jovian scale)Orbital period (Earth days)Year of discoveryCommentsGliese 3021 (GJ 3021)Gliese 3021 b (GJ 3021 b)3.31342000Gas giant Eccentric orbitEta2 Hydri (HD 11977)Eta2 Hydri b (HD 11977 b)6.57112005Gas giantThe HD 10180 Planetary SystemPlanet catalogue numberPlanet mass (Jovian scale)ComparativeEarth massOrbital period (Earth days)AUYear of discoveryPosition from starCommentsHD 10180 b0.00421.31.170.022010#1Rocky; tidally-lockedHD 10180 c0.0413.15.760.062010#2Hot gas giantHD 10180 d0.03711.7516.360.132010#3Hot gas giantHD 10180 e0.0792549.750.272010#4Hot gas giantHD 10180 f0.075241220.492010#5Hot gas giantHD 10180 g0.06721.46011.422010#6Gas giantHD 10180 h0.202642,2223.42010#7Gas giantThe Mystery of IC 1717IC 1717 is referenced as belonging to Hydrus. John Louis Emil Dreyer's original description is 'eF, eS, mE 25��, stell N' which means: eF (excessively faint), eS (excessively small), mE (much extended) 25�� (possibly the extension louis vuitton borse angle), stell N (stellar nucleus). Definitely, something was there when Dreyer observed and catalogued it, but there's nothing there now. Its spacial co-ordinates are given as Right Ascension: 01h:32m:30s Declination: 67�� 32' 12", making it a close neighbour of yellow giant star eta2 Hydri, which just happens to have a planetary system, as discussed above. We don't know for sure what IC 1717 was, all we know is Dreyer thought it worthy of recording for posterity. We can discount things like faulty observation because he was so famously meticulous, nor would it have been a supernova because that would certainly have obliterated the nearby planet, and comets and asteroids have their own designations. If IC 1717 was the remains of a planet (we'll nickname it 'Icy-double-seventeen' for the sake of discussion) then it's possible what Dreyer saw was the ghostly trail of louis vuitton it the final orbit of the doomed planet. Were there inhabitants who warred with their fellows and ended up destroying their world? Maybe the global catastrophe came about due to scientists tinkering with nature. There are many legitimate questions with as many or more guesses and hypotheses, and the only answers lie in borse louis vuitton sifting through what it isn't (or wasn't). What is left remains a possibility, but we'll never know for sure, unless the inhabitants of Planet Icy-double-seventeen launched a rocket containing records of their history and culture (and what led to their ultimate destruction) into the black void for another civilisation to discover, study and (hopefully) learn from their misfortune.Hydrus in Science FictionIn the 1980 book Serpent's Reach written by sci-fi author CJ Cherryh, alpha Hydri is the star at the centre of a solar system which contains a planet called Cerdin. This is the home world of the Majat, an insectoid alien race living in the Alliance-Union universe of the near-future.The yellow sub-giant beta Hydri features prominently in the literary world of science fiction:Time For The Stars - Robert HeinleinA Canticle For Leibowitz - Walter Miller JrUller Uprising - H Beam PiperDaughters Of Earth - Judith Merrill and beta Hydri is a heavily-populated planet, according to the computer game Frontier. 1Current IAU guidelines use a plus sign (+) for northern constellations and a minus sign (?) for southern ones.2Some SMC objects have their own catalogue with N numbers, as well as regular designations.3A light year is the distance light travels in one year, roughly 5.88 trillion miles or 9.46 trillion km.4A 'cosmic trainwreck' of two (or more) colliding galaxies can take around a billion years.

Cynicism_868

Cynicism 2 Conversations CynicismA cynic, now considered to the 'a piumini moncler man who knows the price of everything, but the value of nothing1', was originally something rather different. Cynicism was a school of ancient Greek?philosophy begun by Antisthenes, marked by a belief that humans should live according to their instincts rather than artificial social values. Their goal was to expose the meaninglessness of civilised life by action as well as by word - they lived in a state of poverty and eschewed material possessions. The philosophical definition of the word is always capitalised to avoid confusion.The word 'cynic' is thought to derive from cyno, the Greek word for dog. The Cynics, like dogs, had little concept of manners or social sensibilities. The dog was a common Greek symbol for shamelessness, as they had no qualms about things like defecating or copulating in public. Fairly early on in the movement's development the dog was chosen as its symbol, but there is an alternative origin for the term. There was a building in Athens called Cynosarges, a public gymnasium that was the first home of Cynicism. AntisthenesWhat we know of Antisthenes comes mostly from the writings of Xenophon and Diogenes Laertius. He was born in Athens, probably in 446 or 445BC. His father (also named Antisthenes) was an Athenian but his mother was from Thrace2, which meant he was considered a nothos: a child born illegitimately (this could be being born to a slave, foreigner or prostitute or from an unmarried couple), and therefore not an Athenian citizen.He first studied rhetoric under a man named Gorgias, but later met the great Greek philosopher Socrates. It was under Socrates that Antisthenes found his true calling in the form of philosophy, and he became a member of his close inner circle of disciples. After his death Antisthenes was considered his most important follower and successor for a time, though now we tend to see Plato as his greatest disciple. The most important of Antisthenes' beliefs were: Virtue could be taught.Virtue is tied into actions, not words. A great deal of education is unnecessary.Eros (the Greek notion of physical love or lust) is important and not something to be covered up as somehow 'wrong'.These beliefs are very closely linked with those of Socrates. The phrase 'Know thyself', inscribed at the lintel of the entrance to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, is attributed to him, and this phrase is a key part of the Cynic philosophy. To achieve self-sufficiency and freedom (the two goals through which virtue can be achieved), one must understand human nature. Cynicism is all about living in accordance with a rational understanding of one's own nature and achieving a kind of state of enlightenment through this. Socrates also advocated the individual taking responsibility for his own happiness, and that social status, race or gender were irrelevant. Antisthenes saw physical pleasure and pain as largely irrelevant because the soul was far more important. He took Socratic ideas to the extreme, neglecting all the conventions of society (everything from money and marriage to regular bathing), because such things did not contribute to his virtue. He spent a lot of time in the Cynosarges preaching his philosophy, and also practised what he preached, living in abject poverty. His philosophy was marked by a sense of wit and humour, which is surprising because it was a very serious subject. Cynicism denied sac louis vuitton bowling montaigne the existence of any guiding force in the universe, good or bad - life had no meaning.Anthisthenes was a prolific writer, and his favourite topic was the ethics of living. The great Greek hero Heracles was his idea of the best of men, in many ways. Heracles was noble and heroic and put great stock in personal virtue, and so was a prototype Cynic in many ways.He also wrote on the nature of divinity and divine beings themselves. He distinguished between the multitude of gods worshipped by man and the single god of nature. This was later to rile the Roman writer Cicero, who claimed it 'deprived divinity of all meaning and substance'. It was a common hobby among Greek writers (notably Xenophon) to analyse the Greek myths (including those of people like Homer) and interpret them as allegorical fables, but Antisthenes was only women concerned with the ethical questions the myths raised. Anthisthenes was a quiet and subtly witty critic of contemporary Athenian society, and he probably died in 336BC with a little knowing smile on his face. His main successor just found the whole thing hilarious. Diogenes: Socrates Gone MadI am called a dog because I fawn on those who give me anything, I yelp at those who refuse, and I set my teeth in rascals.Diogenes was born in the Greek colony of Sinope3 in around 412BC (although some sources say 399BC), but did not stay there for long. He was exiled from the city for 'adulterating the coinage'. He later made a point of adulterating the 'coinage of custom' when he settled chaussures louis vuitton in Athens. He argued that custom and social convention prevented people from being moral and virtuous, because they were too concerned with what was socially taboo, rather than what was inherently evil according to nature4. Records of his life are peppered with characteristically witty remarks, showing the Cynic's talent for retaining remarkable good humour no matter what happens.So even before he had met Antisthenes he had many of the qualities of a Cynic. For example, when Manes, his servant, abandoned him shortly after the move to Athens, he said: 'If Manes can live without Diogenes, why not Diogenes without Manes?'. He understood how terrible it was to be overly dependent on another and adopted the characteristic Cynic principle of retaining his independence (in all parts of life) as much as possible. He took many of the ideas of Socrates to absolute extremes, hence Plato's description of him as 'Socrates gone mad', and did the same with Antisthenes' teachings. There are many examples of classic Diogenes, but here is one of the best5. Diogenes was once asked how to 'avoid temptation to lust of the flesh'. In answer to this he began masturbating. The questioner must have been shocked and expressed his distaste to Diogenes, who replied 'If only I could soothe my hunger by rubbing my belly.' Another story says he used to spend a lot of time wandering the Agora in full daylight with a torch in his hand. When asked what he was doing he would reply that he was looking for an honest man, and that he had never found one.One Man And His TubDiogenes' days in Athens (and his days studying under Antisthenes) are supposed to have ended when he was captured by pirates on a voyage to Aegina, just off the coast of Attica6. He was taken to Crete where he was sold as a slave to a man named Xeniades. Xeniades asked him his trade, to which he replied that he knew no trade except that of governing men. So Xeniades took him to his home in Corinth where he installed him as tutor to his two sons. Even then he continued the practice of spending most of his time installed in a tub. In Athens he had borrowed a big wooden tub from the temple of Cybele and spent a lot of time sitting in it naked, to harden himself against the weather. He is said to have followed the example of the humble mouse in his way of life. The mouse is capable of adapting to any circumstance. He apparently rather liked his tub because he is said to have preached his doctrine of virtuous self-control from inside it.Every two years Corinth hosted the Isthmian Games, and during the festival Diogenes spent most of his time preaching to the visiting crowds from the whole of Greece. It is said that Alexander the Great met him at one of these festivals. The King of Macedon was delighted to meet such a famous and distinguished philosopher and Alexander asked Diogenes whether there was any favour he could do for him. Diogenes, sitting in his tub, asked him to stand out of the sunlight so that he could be warm. Alexander is reputed to have walked away from the encounter saying 'If I were not Alexander, then I should wish to be Diogenes'.Diogenes thought of himself as very much the equal of Alexander. They both had power: Alexander's lay in kingship and military might; Diogenes' lay in the fact that he was untouchable. He had nothing and therefore could not be coerced. Alexander, surprised at the philosopher's lack of deference, is said to have boasted 'I am the great King,' to which Diogenes replied 'I am the dog.' He clearly believed he led a far better life and was consequently a better person than the King of Macedon.Diogenes very much enjoyed ridiculing things. Although he considered it his day job to make fun of the folly, pretence, vanity, social climbing, self-deception, and artificiality of human conduct, he also branched out into other topics - hobbies, if you will. Plato had been much praised for his use of Socrates' definition of a man: 'a featherless biped'. So Diogenes found a cockerel, plucked it and brought it to Plato's Academy, proclaiming 'this is Plato's man'. Plato hastily added 'with broad flat nails' to his definition.By all north face pants accounts Diogenes is supposed to have lived to a ripe old age (some suggest ninety). Anecdotal stories surround his death as much as his life. He is said to have killed himself by holding his breath, became ill after eating raw octopus, or to have had an infected dog bite. It is most likely he simply died of old age.CosmopolitanIn the Greek world it was common when meeting a stranger to ask where he was from. The Greek city-states were fiercely independent and each had particular stereotypes, so the question was in effect 'Who are you?'. When Diogenes was asked this question he said 'I am a citizen of the world' (or cosmos). Here is the origin of the world 'cosmopolitan'. He completely rejected the idea of the city-state, and by giving this answer he was saying he would not allow himself to be identified by his home city. Though the Cynics did not care for politics, this actually made them a political force. They were essentially anarchists, and tried to bring about the change from the state to the state of being a Cynic.The DogIt may well have been Diogenes who started the association with dogs. He was rather proud of the name Diogenes the Dog, but whether he made it up himself or the name was chosen for him we do not know. Once, at a banquet people threw him bones as they would a dog. He responded by urinating on those who offended him.A Few ParadoxesOf course, Diogenes' philosophy was not perfect. For example, though he advocated complete independence, he also encouraged begging. Since this was the only way for a man with nothing to survive, begging can be seen a practical activity if nothing else, but then the man is not truly independent. Then there is the fact that the Cynics needed their sworn enemy, the polis (city). In early Cynicism especially there was a definite need for an audience. It was very much a theatrical philosophy, which spread its ideas through preaching to the crowds. And they obviously needed the people of the city to provide them with food and the like.Crates Of ThebesCrates was a pupil of Diogenes. As with most of the Cynics, exact details about his life are few and far between. He was born somewhere between 368 and 365BC and died around 287BC. He was born in Thebes (now there's a surprise) into a fairly wealthy family. However, he entrusted his fortune to his banker when he became a follower of Diogenes. He told the banker to give the money to his sons if they should prove fools, but to the poor if they were to prove philosophers.Crates married a wealthy Thracian heiress Hipparchia, with whom he lived in the 'state of nature' so important to the Cynics for the rest of their lives. Crates was the most famous Cynic of his time but he never matched the 'celebrity' status Diogenes achieved. However, he provided the link between Cynicism and Stoicism7; his pupil was Zeno of Citum, the founder of the Stoic movement.There is a story which illustrates the evolution of Stoicism from Cynicism. One day Zeno was walking the streets when he came upon Crates and Hipparchia having sex in public. Zeno was so offended by this that he took off his cloak (thereby making himself naked) to cover up the two lovers. Although this story is fiction (Zeno, as an early Stoic, would not have found the Cynic practice of doing anything in public offensive) it does neatly show a fundamental difference between the two philosophies.Cynic MarriageThe marriage between Crates and Hipparchia is one of the most important paradoxes in Cynicism. After all, a marriage is a social construct, artificially created by us humans. Diogenes rejected marriage totally, saying 'the man who persuades should go with the woman who suades (consents)'. For the time this was a revolutionary view and surprising because of the way it empowers women. It is rather like the notion of 'free love' which developed two millennia after. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say Crates and Hipparchia 'mated for life', as this describes them in the same terms as one would use to describe an animal - and this is what the Cynics essentially wanted.The Roman EraThe Romans were heavily influenced by Greek culture (especially in the early years of the city's development), but they made some modifications to Cynicism, arguably making it less 'pure' and effective as a philosophy.Cynicism appealed greatly to Romans in many ways. It was considered extremely compatible with the Roman way of life, with its emphasis on teaching by example and physical austerity and toughness. They also liked the Cynic tradition of satire and the importance of eloquent speeches in teaching the philosophy. The famous Roman satirist Horace was heavily influenced by Cynicism. Finally, they were attracted to the notable lack of theoretical grounding. The Romans were a practical people who had little time for high-minded metaphysics and logic, and so Cynicism, which concentrated on the down-to-earth subject of ethics, was ideal. But the Romans were also more modest than the Greeks, and during the Roman era the habit of public exhibitionism died out and there is even evidence of Roman Cynic philosophers become more verbally restrained.DemetriusDemetrius was the most important of the Roman Cynics. He highlighted the aspects of Greek Cynicism which worked in Roman society and glossed over the more nefarious parts. He essentially tried to make Diogenes - Socrates gone mad - go sane again. This led to a gradual convergence of Cynicism with Stoicism, although the two never quite met. The Cynics provided the Stoics with an ideal extreme. They performed the gucci prezzi borse same function as the Biblical prophets: they showed what was possible but these extremes were not required of ordinary men.He was also a rather tamer creature than the Greek that preceded him. He still showed signs of the extreme behaviour of earlier Cynics, but he was heavily influenced by the Roman Stoic Seneca, who is reputed to have told him what to say in his speeches.EpictetusAs a Greek in a Roman world Epictetus adapted and continued the changes set in motion by Demetrius. Under him Cynicism became a lot cleaner and there was less emphasis on the absolute shamelessness which originally gave the movement its name8. However, he did write one of the largest books on Cynicism we have today, and so is an important source. He analysed the significance of the Cynic and saw him as a kind of semi-divine being who, by going to the edge of humanity and living so sparely, shows the common people that there is nothing to be afraid of in life, and that humans can cope.It is curious that Cynicism found a lot of support among the upper classes of Roman society. There are stories of rich Senators concentrating on politics and high society in the week and donning threadbare robes at the weekend. These casual weekend Cynics were suprisingly common during one period. Of course, there may well have been a political reason behind these aristocrats' interest. Some of them used it to show that the Roman Empire was not a virtuous state and that a republic was a better method of government. But then they would say that because in the Republican era (which preceded the Imperial era) all the power lay with the Senators instead of the Emperor. The Senators wanted their old power back; they persisted in trying to re-form the Republic throughout Rome's history. Early ChristianityThere has been some speculation about whether Jesus was heavily influenced by Cynicism. Indeed, there is a fair amount of evidence for this idea. It is generally agreed that the historical Jesus could speak Greek, and knew something about Greek culture, which would allow him easy access to Cynic teachings. The town of Goddarah, around 20 miles away from Nazareth, was a major settlement and probably home to an itinerant Cynic or two. And there is of course the parallel between the ascetic life of the Cynic preacher and the life of Jesus and his disciples, giving up their money and possessions in favour of a life of poverty. There is also the idea of the 'brotherhood of man' which comes through strongly in both. Jesus taught canada goose sale that the whole of humanity was your family, and this is very similar to the Cynic ideas of family. This idea would be quite shocking to a Jewish society because Judaism places very heavy influence on ties of blood. He challenged Judaism's social materialism and concentrated instead on spirituality - you get the picture by now. When you look at it, there are a huge amount of parallels between the teachings of Jesus and the Cynics (though not perhaps the early period's 'tub philosophy').During the time of Jesus, the Roman Empire was home to a surprisingly large number of travelling Cynic preachers, so that even if there were none resident in the area it is quite probably he had some contact with them. But note the phrase quite probably; there is no actual evidence of an interface between the two at the time of Jesus.Peregrinus And Christian-Cynic DialogueThis chap is very interesting because he was a Christian who converted to Cynicism in the 2nd Century. He lived in Palestine, which is evidence the philosophy had taken root there only a couple of centuries after the time of Jesus. Although this is not proof, it adds to the considerable weight of evidence in favour of some kind of communication between Jesus and the Cynics. St. Paul's writings sometimes sound rather like Cynic diatribes, and in these writings he refers to Cynic texts, so at least one major Christian figure was well read in the philosophy.Jesus was certainly not the first person to preach and encourage people to give up all their wealth and family and follow him. Now we see this as a purely Christian notion, but back then there were many different philosophies with this idea forming at least some part of their theory. So it might have been that he appeared quite differently to people more familiar with Cynicism. Nowadays such a link may seem more absurd but in general people have louis vuitton prezzi borse little knowledge of Cynicism, although they probably know something about its teachings via the world's most popular religion.Renaissance to Modern DayIn his book Utopia Thomas More set out what he saw as the ideal state, as seen through the eyes of traveller. In many ways this guide resembles a Cynic; he is described as sunburnt, ascetic, wearing a cloak and holding a staff. This Utopia has influenced political theory right up to the modern day, and Karl Marx's ideal state is very similar in many ways. And some of the book sounds distinctly like Cynic ideas. For example, although marriage still exists in its (roughly) traditional form, it is a requirement that the couple must see each other naked before the marriage.During the French Enlightenment the great French author Diderot wrote a treatise on Cynicism, exploring its pros and cons as a philosophy. He noted that although Cynicism claimed to strip away all prejudices for a life of clarity and honesty this resulted in a loss of innocence that could potentially be detrimental to a person's happiness. Perhaps it is because 'virtue' was much more than simple happiness, but in the modern age it is easy to see that such lack of ignorance would lead to a lack of bliss. This was probably the first time Cynicism began to pick up its negative connotations.In 19th Century Germany the distinction was made between Cynicism and cynicism, and after this knowledge of the positive philosophical side has faded, while misanthropic cynicism has come to the forefront. Modern cynics don't accept the values of society, but sees no hope for them. Ancient Cynicism aimed to improve through its teachings, and was ultimately positive and constructive.Philosophy Or Way Of Life?Although most philosophies (especially of the Classical Greek period) claim to be ways of life, not all ways of life are philosophies. Philosophies tend to have a theoretical grounding to their ideas about how life should be lived, and this sparks the debate about whether Cynicism is a philosophy at all. It does have theory, but not an awful lot of it. It has a broad 'Golden Age'-type myth, similar to the Garden of Eden in Genesis, but older. Believed to originate from the Middle East, it painted a picture of man living as an animal among animals.That is about as far as Cynic theory goes, because of their belief that formal philosophy can only get you so far, and that Cynicism was something that could be accessible to everyone, not a select few who were high-minded philosophers. For the Cynics, the most important thing in life was for man to live in his natural state, as this was the most moral and virtuous way of life. Only a small amount of Cynic literature survives today, but because they were so good at practising what they preached we don't really need their texts. 1Oscar Wilde.2A tribal people inhabiting what is now northern Greece, Bulgaria and Romania. The Thracians would rise to fame in the future fighting as light infantry and cavalry in the army of Alexander the Great.3Now Sinop, Turkey.4Whether anything is 'evil' in natural law is another debate - one Diogenes never touched upon.5It is worth saying that many of these tales are passed down in the writings of Diogenes Laertius, a biographer north face north face jackets for who lived several hundred years after his subject's time. Whether these things happened as they are described is unknown.6Athens' territory.7Stoicism was basically a slightly softened approach to Cynicism. For example, they did not advocate the complete supression of the passions, as this is really impossible. Cynicism called anything other than vice and virtue 'indifferent'. But the Stoics recognised that some indifferent things were important, and divided them up into those to be preferred, those to be avoided, and those which are absolutely indifferent.8In fact, some say he is more Stoic than Cynic.

Microbes - Good or Bad-_327

Microbes - Good or Bad? 0 Conversations Microbes - Good or Bad?If micro-organisms were to be put on trial, what would the verdict be? On the one hand, you have these benign, helpful little neighbours who protect you from harm and who sacrifice their franklin and marshall lives so that you can have the luxury of Brie and Cabernet chanel outlet store Sauvignon; on the other hand, mad mutant microbes are on the rampage, inflicting pain and claiming the lives of thousands. Does the good outweigh the bad, or vice versa? Are microbes really at fault for causing misery? Stanley Falkow from the Stanford University School of Medicine believes that we have brought it upon ourselves:The actual large-scale domestication of animals has slowed and has been replaced by the encroachment of human populations into the domain of animal species all over the globe. It is little wonder that our deliberate destruction of predators and the outgrowth of human populations into abercrombie and fitch virgin land with its attendant destruction of habitat led to the emergence of new diseases.Man has done much cheap gucci handbags meddling ever since he discovered fire and started making weapons. Now, the effects of this mischief have started to rebound.The abuse of antibiotics in the farming industry and their indiscriminate, improper or overzealous use in trying to eliminate all disease-causing bacteria1 has led to the selection of hardy microbes coach outlet online\ that can withstand killing by these chemical agents.Intrusion of humans into the habitats of animals has led to the spread of Lyme disease.The misting machine fad and improperly maintained air-conditioning systems have provided the legionnaires' disease prada outlet bacillus with a vehicle of transmission.Not bothering to cook your food properly, despite the warnings of scientists, is a good way of getting food poisoning in the worst way.Overcrowding and breakdown of healthcare lead to sanitation problems, which are favourable for the spread of micro-organisms.If we are to try to pin the blame on micro-organisms, we should at least try to be introspective first and see the role we ourselves play in their spread.Richard Dawkins2 once pointed out that Nature is neither fair nor unfair, neither good or bad. It just is. It is only proper that micro-organisms be viewed in the same light. They have no conscious awareness of our existence, just as most of us are not aware of the cosmos. Where there is food, they eat and breed. Where there is space, they colonise so that their descendants will have someplace to live. Where conditions demand it, they evolve to adapt to their environment. Microbes are not bad or immoral, they are amoral - not possessed of the awareness of good or bad. If, in the course of their lives or proliferation they happen to cause harm to others, it is franklin and marshall not intentional. Unlike most humans, they are not driven by revenge or passion or spite. It just happens to be something that happens. We were never blamed for having come down from the trees and developing opposable thumbs. What gives us the right to blame micro-organisms for being what they are? Micro-organisms may have louis vuitton outlet caused us a great deal of trouble and pain, but they have also enriched our lives and shaped our world. Despite our having repeatedly called them primitive, they are capable of performing some of the most amazing things on earth3. And like it or not, they have been here for a great deal longer than we have. Good or bad, they deserve a great deal more respect than we have previously dealt out to them. Further ReadingFalkow, S 1998 Who Speaks for the Microbes??Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vol 4 (3)1Did you know that you can now get anti-bacterial paint? Why would households need anti-bacterial paint, especially when you can find micro-organisms everywhere else?2Geneticist, author and Professor of Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University.3Such as the 'quorum-sensing phenomenon', which is all about bacteria communicating with one another. Those of us who are not too anthropocentric will realise that there is more to communication than just talking.

American and Indian Cafe, Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA

3 Conversations cheap gucci handbags American and Indian Cafe, prada outlet Harrisonburg, Virginia, USAThe acoach outlet online American and Indian Cafe is located in downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA. It is truly the most abercrombie and fitch likely place any soul could hope to find authentic Indian cuisine anywhere in the mountains of Virginia. Bear in mind that, while restaurants in the US are known for offering a wide variety of mediocre foods from around the world, the town of Harrisonburg has managed to remain neatly isolated from most things originating from outside its valley home... Good food, especially.A surprisingly good non-alcoholic drink is available at the restaurant. It's called a luscy. It comes in a glass that is far too small, and has been described as tasting roughly like the milk leftover after finishing a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch1.An interesting tidbit about this place is that dishes containing meat are available. This is interesting only because the owner/proprietor of the cafe happens to be a practising Hindu vegetarian, an honest to goodness immigrant from Nepal. However, it is perfectly acceptable by him for the rest of us to louis vuitton outlet eat cow, pig, or chicken. Your meal will be spiced to your liking. The end result of all this is that you will suddenly find yourself totally without sinus congestion and will chanel outlet store be tearing profusely. This may be due franklin and franklin and marshall marshall to the fact that all mucus membranes are instantly melted away by either the intense pain caused by the abundant hot spices or the constantly streaming tears.Painful... but in a good way - this experience is, of course, considered quite enjoyable and is highly recommended.1A sugary breakfast cereal.