I usually put my longer rants at BNN. Here are a few recent ones.
FINEST KIND CLINIC AND FISHMARKET.... Discussing medicine, culture, and the joys of cooking Pansit.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Factoid of the day
I was reading a novel that retells the story of the Odyssey, including parts about the Trojan war, and they mentioned Memnon and the Ethiopians fighting for Priam and the Trojans.
And yes, he is mentioned in the Odyssey because he killed old king Nestor's son (the Iliad doesn't cover the fall of Troy) but I hadn't noticed it.
Like a lot of the heroes, his background and legend is a bit confused, not from racism as much as because there are several oral traditions on all these heroes, and often they linked heroes with the gods or applied the names of heroes to different stories.
Also, the links between the various Bronze age civilizations became legend during the Greek dark ages after the Bronze age collapse. Some theorize that when Homer wrote, they didn't realize that Ethiopia was black, but later contact during the classical period, with the black Nubian pharaohs of Egypt made them change the depiction of him in their art. more HERE.
and HERE.
Modern archeology is trying to rediscover this lost history, including that of the ancient African civilizations.
And you can watch a lecture on his story on YOUTUBE:
---------------------------
Factoid number two, from Wikipedia:
In the prologue to his Prose Edda, the Icelandic scribe Snorri Sturluson states that Memnon (whom he says is also known as Munon) was one of the kings present at Troy, who married Troana, the daughter of king Priam. He further relates that they gave birth to their son Tror, that is, Thor, born with hair "fairer than gold", who later becomes king of Thrace, and ancestor to all the Germanic kings.
heh. Wonder if the Nazis knew about this...
And yes, he is mentioned in the Odyssey because he killed old king Nestor's son (the Iliad doesn't cover the fall of Troy) but I hadn't noticed it.
Like a lot of the heroes, his background and legend is a bit confused, not from racism as much as because there are several oral traditions on all these heroes, and often they linked heroes with the gods or applied the names of heroes to different stories.
Also, the links between the various Bronze age civilizations became legend during the Greek dark ages after the Bronze age collapse. Some theorize that when Homer wrote, they didn't realize that Ethiopia was black, but later contact during the classical period, with the black Nubian pharaohs of Egypt made them change the depiction of him in their art. more HERE.
and HERE.
Modern archeology is trying to rediscover this lost history, including that of the ancient African civilizations.
And you can watch a lecture on his story on YOUTUBE:
---------------------------
Factoid number two, from Wikipedia:
In the prologue to his Prose Edda, the Icelandic scribe Snorri Sturluson states that Memnon (whom he says is also known as Munon) was one of the kings present at Troy, who married Troana, the daughter of king Priam. He further relates that they gave birth to their son Tror, that is, Thor, born with hair "fairer than gold", who later becomes king of Thrace, and ancestor to all the Germanic kings.
heh. Wonder if the Nazis knew about this...
Friday, April 15, 2011
Factoid of the day
C.S. Lewis was born in East Belfast, and his first home was very near to the Belfast shipyards where the Titanic was built.
neat photos of places in Belfast associated with Lewis the writer at the link.
neat photos of places in Belfast associated with Lewis the writer at the link.
Back to basics book of the day
from Librivox:
or if you want light reading, check out their March Mysteries recommendations.
Cottage Economy
by William Cobbett (1763-1835)
How can you tell when your pig is fat enough? Why should you never buy mustard? What's wrong with eating potatoes? Which is better, beer or tea? And what type of straw makes the best bonnets? William Cobbett is the man to ask. Here is his book of practical advice to the rural labouring 'cottager' (first published as a part-work in 1821-22), the precursor in many ways to the handbooks on self-sufficiency that today entice so many city-dwellers.
A champion of the rural working class at a time of huge social and industrial change, a radical politician and a prolific writer, Cobbett is opinionated, passionate and enlightening, making 'Cottage Economy' a fascinating and entertaining window on daily life for the smallholders of his day, and still inspirational, almost 200 years later, to those who seek 'a good living' as the foundation of happiness. (Introduction by Philippa)
Family film of the week
yes, it starts with the worst song known to mankind, but try to watch the end without crying.
Stuff below the fold
Tansy, the flower best known for being an insect repellant, might help treat herpes.
But caution: It can be poisonous.
---------------------------------
Life may exist in black holes.
---------------------------
Dustbury reports: Manchester Cathedral in the UK is in trouble after promoting nudist group.
-----------------------
On the other hand, Bikinis seem to be the way to go in 2000 BC.
--------------------------------------
Are the rules of grammar imbedded in our brains, or are they shaped by culture?
in this, I'm with Chomsky...why? because some languages don't have prepositions, and others, like Tagalog, can replace prepositions with verbal changes.
-----------------------------------
Lost your luggage? It might be in Alabama.
------------------------------------------
Peter Jackson is posting videos on the Hobbit at his facebook page.
and a new vodcast of Tolkien related stuff is here...
----------------------------
and tell your little princesses it is not a good idea to kiss a frog.
But caution: It can be poisonous.
---------------------------------
Life may exist in black holes.
Dokuchaev says supermassive black holes at the centre of galaxies could allow particles, and perhaps even planets with life, to orbit the singularity without being destroyed.
---------------------------
Dustbury reports: Manchester Cathedral in the UK is in trouble after promoting nudist group.
-----------------------
On the other hand, Bikinis seem to be the way to go in 2000 BC.
--------------------------------------
Are the rules of grammar imbedded in our brains, or are they shaped by culture?
in this, I'm with Chomsky...why? because some languages don't have prepositions, and others, like Tagalog, can replace prepositions with verbal changes.
-----------------------------------
Lost your luggage? It might be in Alabama.
There have been some surprising discoveries over the years, including moose antlers, a parachute, a medieval suit of armor, even a shrunken head.
------------------------------------------
Peter Jackson is posting videos on the Hobbit at his facebook page.
and a new vodcast of Tolkien related stuff is here...
----------------------------
and tell your little princesses it is not a good idea to kiss a frog.
While most people probably know that touching frogs and toads won't give you warts, frogs can transmit diseases. They can give humans tapeworm cysts and salmonella poisoning...(and) Human hands have natural salts and oils that can irritate a frog's skin, so handling the animals with dry hands can cause severe problems for them, even death
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Insomnia downloads of the day
Having trouble sleeping?
How about listening to Shakespeare's little watched play Troilus and Cressida?
or if you really really are having problems, try Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations, part five.
or if you are a trivia fan, try "Makers of Many Things"
how rags become paper, from goose pills to fountain pens, and everything you wanted to know about silk worms but were afraid to ask.
-----------------
and it's finally spring in Lake Wobegon..
How about listening to Shakespeare's little watched play Troilus and Cressida?
or if you really really are having problems, try Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations, part five.
or if you are a trivia fan, try "Makers of Many Things"
how rags become paper, from goose pills to fountain pens, and everything you wanted to know about silk worms but were afraid to ask.
-----------------
and it's finally spring in Lake Wobegon..
Bataan memorial cross
the bataan memorial cross
ah, but if you look close, there is LapuLapu.
Don't mess with the Pinoys folks
source LINK
;
;
The fall of Bataan
They held a ceremony a couple days ago in Bataan, because the Death march anniversary was actually on April 10 (not in May when the last soldiers surrendered from Corrigador).
Most of those surrendering were local Filipinos. Here the day is called Araw ng Kagitingan,
but the biggest celebration in the US is in White Sands, because the New Mexico National Guard was sent to defend Manila shortly before December 1941. The NG was multiethinic, including "Anglos", "Mexicans" and Indians, including Acoma, Apache, and Navajo.
That is the reason for the Navajo codetalkers having to devise a double code, be sure their code could not be broken: because those captured included a few Navajo. Joe Kieyoomia was tortured to try to get him to translate it...
Here, there is a bit of amnesia about the war. For old folks, the memories are too painful, and for the young, they don't learn about such things.
Photos of the memorial here in the Philippines is HERE.
It says a lot about history that to commemorate the march they hold a marathon in New Mexico and now here in the Philippines.
Most of those surrendering were local Filipinos. Here the day is called Araw ng Kagitingan,
an account of the March through Filipino eyes can be found HERE.
Some 72,000 men of the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) laid down their arms. On the Death March, 20,000 died. Of the 52,000 who survived the march (42,000 Filipinos and 9,200 Americans) and were imprisoned at Camp O’Donnel in Capas, Tarlac, 30,000 more died.
but the biggest celebration in the US is in White Sands, because the New Mexico National Guard was sent to defend Manila shortly before December 1941. The NG was multiethinic, including "Anglos", "Mexicans" and Indians, including Acoma, Apache, and Navajo.
That is the reason for the Navajo codetalkers having to devise a double code, be sure their code could not be broken: because those captured included a few Navajo. Joe Kieyoomia was tortured to try to get him to translate it...
Here, there is a bit of amnesia about the war. For old folks, the memories are too painful, and for the young, they don't learn about such things.
Photos of the memorial here in the Philippines is HERE.
It says a lot about history that to commemorate the march they hold a marathon in New Mexico and now here in the Philippines.
Miscellaneous links
Professor Bob brings up what happened to Christ's nails and the true cross. part2
apparantly that Israeli guy selling a film isn't the only one with fake nails.
It's part of ProfessorBob's "souvenirs of history" theme. Coming soon: The sacred lance.
he also discusses Otzi the iceman, and the battle of the Spotsylvania court house.
----------------------------------
headline of the day:
----------------------------
Factoid of the day: Father Albert Braun was quite a character...he inspired the Apaches to build the local church that I attended in New Mexico, and was a survivor of Corrigador and the Death march...
well, someone has now made him a "facebook" page, where I learned:
----------------------------
Some of my patients attended the ceremony when they put up a statue for him in Phoenix, and to place one of three memorial stones but when he died, he was buried with the Mescalero...more information here.
what brought this all to mind is TeaAtTrianon discussing a new film about the persecution of Catholics in Mexico during the 1920's, one of the lost stories of history...
Father Braun also was involved in smuggling help during that conflict.
The PC histories usually glorify secular revolutions who won, and don't count the killing of Catholics in Japan, France, Spain or Mexico who fought mainly for the freedom to practice their religion as evidence that atheism kills, but never mind.
apparantly that Israeli guy selling a film isn't the only one with fake nails.
It's part of ProfessorBob's "souvenirs of history" theme. Coming soon: The sacred lance.
he also discusses Otzi the iceman, and the battle of the Spotsylvania court house.
----------------------------------
headline of the day:
MYSTERY of huge Canadian chicken-shed EXPLOSION
NO CHICKENS were present, Mounties rule out fowl play----------------------------
Factoid of the day: Father Albert Braun was quite a character...he inspired the Apaches to build the local church that I attended in New Mexico, and was a survivor of Corrigador and the Death march...
well, someone has now made him a "facebook" page, where I learned:
Braun was on hand as General MacArthur was evacuated from Corregidor, he gave the invocation for the inauguration of Philippine President Manuel Quezon on January 1, 1942 in Corregidor, and was present when General Jonathan Wainwright finally surrendered to the Japanese on May 7, 1942. It was Braun who despite the threat of personal harm gained permission from the Japanese officers to bury and cremate the dead and who supervised the work of removing the badly decayed bodies out of the caves of Corregidor for proper disposal.
----------------------------
Some of my patients attended the ceremony when they put up a statue for him in Phoenix, and to place one of three memorial stones but when he died, he was buried with the Mescalero...more information here.
what brought this all to mind is TeaAtTrianon discussing a new film about the persecution of Catholics in Mexico during the 1920's, one of the lost stories of history...
Father Braun also was involved in smuggling help during that conflict.
The PC histories usually glorify secular revolutions who won, and don't count the killing of Catholics in Japan, France, Spain or Mexico who fought mainly for the freedom to practice their religion as evidence that atheism kills, but never mind.
Stuff below the fold
Obama will cut the deficit by criticizing the Republicans plan to kill the middle class and elderly and get tax cuts for the "millionaires and billionaires".
Well, that should improve bipartisanship and uplift civil discourse in Washington.
-----------------------
The speech was so exciting that Joe Biden fell asleep.
(headdup Drudge)
Actually, I like Biden, who is more in touch with the average American than pampered suits like Obama. I explain why HERE.
------------------------------
The Japanese NGO "Peaceboat" lets you cruise the world and "help" locals by giving them bicycles and helping them in "sustainability" projects while making the tourists feel good...
well, and it's no worse than all those church groups that send kids for a few weeks into rural South America to build protestant churches in Catholic villages and try to convert the heathen papists. It doesn't help the locals as much as hiring them and paying them a decent salary would do, but it does show the rich how the rest of us live.
But the Philippines turned the tables on them, and asked them to deliver our donations for the tsunami/earthquake victims in Japan.
Did you know that some shipping companies are reluctant to visit Japan, and others demand extra to deliver to Japan?
---------------------------------------
Claims that one of PNoy's uncles (a friend of Marcos: everyone here in the gov't are friends or related to each other) took Coco levy funds and diverted them to buy shares in the San Mig corporation was thrown out by the Supreme court as unproven.
PNoy has no comment.
Well, maybe the money, like Marcos' millions, was his share of Yamashita's gold...
----------------------------
Of course, cronies protecting their own is not limited to the Philippines.
The pious Father Z lambasts such croniesm and corruption in both the Vatican and among US politicians. LINK2.
--------------------------
Japanese earthquake has resulted in shutdowns in our local Ford and Toyota plants, due to the shortage of parts.
-----------------------------
A Gov't linked movie predicting the Messiah is making waves.
Of course, the writer of the expose is pushing a book, and links to a short film on youtube. If the film is a nutty as those posting in the comments section, we are in trouble.
------------------------
The problem with the Happiness police:
ve order you to be happy...
Well, that should improve bipartisanship and uplift civil discourse in Washington.
-----------------------
The speech was so exciting that Joe Biden fell asleep.
(headdup Drudge)
Actually, I like Biden, who is more in touch with the average American than pampered suits like Obama. I explain why HERE.
------------------------------
The Japanese NGO "Peaceboat" lets you cruise the world and "help" locals by giving them bicycles and helping them in "sustainability" projects while making the tourists feel good...
well, and it's no worse than all those church groups that send kids for a few weeks into rural South America to build protestant churches in Catholic villages and try to convert the heathen papists. It doesn't help the locals as much as hiring them and paying them a decent salary would do, but it does show the rich how the rest of us live.
But the Philippines turned the tables on them, and asked them to deliver our donations for the tsunami/earthquake victims in Japan.
Did you know that some shipping companies are reluctant to visit Japan, and others demand extra to deliver to Japan?
---------------------------------------
Claims that one of PNoy's uncles (a friend of Marcos: everyone here in the gov't are friends or related to each other) took Coco levy funds and diverted them to buy shares in the San Mig corporation was thrown out by the Supreme court as unproven.
PNoy has no comment.
Well, maybe the money, like Marcos' millions, was his share of Yamashita's gold...
----------------------------
Of course, cronies protecting their own is not limited to the Philippines.
The pious Father Z lambasts such croniesm and corruption in both the Vatican and among US politicians. LINK2.
--------------------------
Japanese earthquake has resulted in shutdowns in our local Ford and Toyota plants, due to the shortage of parts.
-----------------------------
A Gov't linked movie predicting the Messiah is making waves.
Of course, the writer of the expose is pushing a book, and links to a short film on youtube. If the film is a nutty as those posting in the comments section, we are in trouble.
------------------------
The problem with the Happiness police:
ve order you to be happy...
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Factoid of the day
A couple days ago I posted about the Russian dog sent into space.
But did you know a cat named Felix was sent into space by France?
According to Fur N purr:
In 1963 the French government had numerous cats undergoing intensive training for possible space flight, with fairly arduous tasks involving a compression chamber and a centrifuge. But they don't seem to have suffered too much; ten of the would-be astronauts were 'decommissioned' for eating too much!
1992 postage stamp issued by the Comoro Islands, from a set depicting space animals, including Felicette (probably) shown here Félix was one of those retained, and the one chosen to undertake the first mission. He was apparently a Paris street cat, although one report says he was bought by the French government from a dealer. However, it seems that Félix managed to escape, and was replaced at the last minute by a female cat, Félicette, so it was she who, on the prescribed date of 18 October 1963, was blasted off in a special capsule on top of a French Véronique AG1 rocket, from the Colomb Bacar rocket base at Hammaguir in the Algerian Sahara desert.
and then there is this:
Happy Yuri's night
Actually it was april 12th...but you can still enjoy these cookies:
see more Must Have Cute
instructions how to make them HERE. more HERE.
see more Must Have Cute
instructions how to make them HERE. more HERE.
Tom Shippey lectures
Molyneux's question solved
it's one of philosophy's old questions: If a blind person who never saw anything suddenly got his or her sight, would they be able to identify objects that they had only felt before?
and the answer is no.
and the answer is no.
For the critical test, however, in which the children first felt an object and then tried to distinguish visually between that same object and a similar one, the results were barely better than if they had guessed.
"They couldn't form the connection," said Yuri Ostrovsky, also a researcher at MIT and a co-author of the study.
"The conclusion is that there does not seem to be any cross-modal" - that is, from one sense to the other - "representation available to perform the task," he said.
Stuff that makes you go WTF
Japan admits a major radiation leak, the US is going broke, and Obama is on Oprah again. So it's silly season in the headlines.
-----------------
Love conquers all story of the day:
Several of the medical personnel arrested during the raid are suing Gloria for their detention, but now one of the five "defectors", who admits her guilt, has married a soldier from the detention camp.
... no information if she plans to sell the movie rights...
-----------------------------
The fake archeologist who invented Jesus' tomb has a new scam: He is claiming Caiphas turned Christian, buried Jesus in his own tomb, and has the nails from the tomb to prove it.
to make it sillier, the nails found in the tomb "disappeared" from the archeology site, so he can't prove the ones he is showing are the same ones found in the tomb: and if they are, they are a bit too short to use in a crucifixion; but never mind, he has a film to sell...
In real archeology news, Tut's trumpet and other "stolen" artifacts are now back in the Cairo Museum.
--------------------------------------
Democracy? We don't need no stinkin Democracy posts of the day:
Fifty years after the fight to eliminate literacy tests used to stop blacks from voting, a CNN editorial says bring back literacy tests for voting.
and Nancy Pelosi gave a speech saying that if "real" republicans won, it wouldn't matter who you voted for because they would have "shared" values with the real folks.
----------------------------------------
The Brits are unhappy, so there is now an "Action for happiness" campaign to make them happier.
and no, their plan doesn't include selling drugs.
-----------------------------
Let's tax fat people, says the LA Times,
------------------------------------------------------
Archimedes mirror redux: US ship zaps another with a laser.
-----------------
Love conquers all story of the day:
Several of the medical personnel arrested during the raid are suing Gloria for their detention, but now one of the five "defectors", who admits her guilt, has married a soldier from the detention camp.
... no information if she plans to sell the movie rights...
-----------------------------
The fake archeologist who invented Jesus' tomb has a new scam: He is claiming Caiphas turned Christian, buried Jesus in his own tomb, and has the nails from the tomb to prove it.
to make it sillier, the nails found in the tomb "disappeared" from the archeology site, so he can't prove the ones he is showing are the same ones found in the tomb: and if they are, they are a bit too short to use in a crucifixion; but never mind, he has a film to sell...
In real archeology news, Tut's trumpet and other "stolen" artifacts are now back in the Cairo Museum.
--------------------------------------
Democracy? We don't need no stinkin Democracy posts of the day:
Fifty years after the fight to eliminate literacy tests used to stop blacks from voting, a CNN editorial says bring back literacy tests for voting.
and Nancy Pelosi gave a speech saying that if "real" republicans won, it wouldn't matter who you voted for because they would have "shared" values with the real folks.
----------------------------------------
The Brits are unhappy, so there is now an "Action for happiness" campaign to make them happier.
and no, their plan doesn't include selling drugs.
-----------------------------
Let's tax fat people, says the LA Times,
once our choices affect others, there's a natural conflict between individual freedom and social responsibility. In a nation where rising healthcare costs and diminished access to medical care are issues of grave concern, personal decisions are no longer strictly private.uh, fellahs, better watch it: that was the argument against gay bath houses, they were closed because they encouraged the spread of disease...
------------------------------------------------------
Archimedes mirror redux: US ship zaps another with a laser.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Stuff below the fold
Creeping nanny state alert: eating cafeteria food is mandatory in some Chicago schools: because the principal insists on only healthy foods.
But some students don't like it:
---------------------------------------
another Koran burned.....in Iran.
-----------------------------------
Ghadaffy accepts African union's peace plan.
Sure why not: He has bribed most of them already to support him, so he's not worried about their bias.
----------------------------------------
The real battle, however, is not in Libya but in Syria, as formerspook explains.
---------------------------------------------
With the increase in oil prices, prices for jeepneys and tricycles and propane for cooking is going up, but the real worry is the increase in rice prices.
But don't worry: The environmentalists are working to keep Mindanao poor by blocking a coal plant to produce electricity that is greatly needed in this poor area.
But some students don't like it:
Fernando Dominguez cut the figure of a young revolutionary leader during a recent lunch period at his elementary school.
"Who thinks the lunch is not good enough?" the seventh-grader shouted to his lunch mates in Spanish and English.
Dozens of hands flew in the air and fellow students shouted along: "We should bring our own lunch! We should bring our own lunch! We should bring our own lunch!"
Fernando waved his hand over the crowd and asked a visiting reporter: "Do you see the situation?"
---------------------------------------
another Koran burned.....in Iran.
-----------------------------------
Ghadaffy accepts African union's peace plan.
Sure why not: He has bribed most of them already to support him, so he's not worried about their bias.
----------------------------------------
The real battle, however, is not in Libya but in Syria, as formerspook explains.
---------------------------------------------
With the increase in oil prices, prices for jeepneys and tricycles and propane for cooking is going up, but the real worry is the increase in rice prices.
But don't worry: The environmentalists are working to keep Mindanao poor by blocking a coal plant to produce electricity that is greatly needed in this poor area.
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