Archive for Life - page 31

How to read this here blog thingy

How to read this here blog thingy

I write about anything that happens to be of interest to me, and the subject matter is varied.  If you like what I write about some subjects but don’t care for others, look on the sidebar to the right.  You will see “categories”.  All my posts fit into one or more of these categories.  Click on the category you are most intersted in, and you will see only posts in that category.  Simple.  Within my posts I often link to additional information and/or another blog or article that inspired the post.  When you see a word in red text, that is a link to additional information.  Click on it and the link will open in a new tab.  Any pictures within a post can usually be viewed in a larger version by simply clicking on the picture.

click on the picture to see it larger

click on the picture to see it larger

 

Please comment! To the left of the title you will see a box with the date and below it a box that says comments.  Click there and a dialogue box will open where you will be able to write comments on the article. This is how I know you’re reading and I welcome all feedback on my writing. You will be asked for your name and e-mail adress but don’t worry!  You can use an alias if you don’t want to disclose your name and your e-mail adress will not be displayed, nor will I spam you.  I moderate all the comments so I will see your comment.

Thanks! and Enjoy!

An Interesting Little History Quiz…

An Interesting Little History Quiz…

At The Volokh Conspiracy:  The question is asked “What do Jamestown (Virginia), San Diego and New York have in common?”

If you wish, you may follow the link and scroll through the comments to find the answer.  OR… read through to the end of this post and I will provide the answer.  The question caught my eye as I am a bit of a history buff and have been to all three places.  They are quite different from each other.

Jamestown isn’t really a city at all, rather it’s more of a historical archaeology site.  It is the site of the first permanent English settlement in America, dating back to 1607.

Jamestown map

New York is ,well, New York.  It’s a helluva town;  The Bronx is up and the Battery’s down.  The area was first visited by Europeans in 1524 (Spain) but not settled until 1624 by Dutch fur traders.

times-square-1024x768

San Diego is regarded as the birthplace of California and is it’s second largest city.  It is spectacularly situated on the Pacific coast and has a beautiful climate.  It was first visited by Europeans (Spain) in 1542, but not permanently settled by Europeans until 1769.

san-diego-skyline-958-x-639

So, what do they have in common?  They all were named after a “James”.  Jamestown, obviously named after a James, that is King James I of England.  New York, not so obviously was named after The Duke Of York (later King James II).  Finally, San Diego was named after Sebastian Vizcaino’s flagship San Diego, which is in English Saint James.

Keep Your Eyes and Your Mind Open…

Keep Your Eyes and Your Mind Open…

As improbable as it may seem…

Credit: tragedyseries.tumblr.com

Credit: tragedyseries.tumblr.com

 

…Perhaps the answer is looking for you.

Concupiscence

Concupiscence

Yea, that’s right, you heard me.  Concupiscence.  Merriam-Webster defines it as strong desire (especially, though not exclusively sexual desire).  For my purposes here, let us define it as the orientation, inclination or innate tendency of human beings to long for things they don’t (or can’t or shouldn’t) have.  Fleshy or otherwise.

You there – trying to sneak out the back!  I’m talking about you!  I’m talking about all of you.  Or rather – all of us.

It is a rare (and probably imaginary) person that doesn’t always want something they don’t have.  If you have money, you want more money.  If you have a house, you want a bigger house.  If you have a car, you want a better car.  And so on and so on…Why did I bring this up?  Only in an effort to understand why we are the way we are.  This is one of those things that is so universally true that I believe it is part of what we are if not who we are.

quote-Blaise-Pascal-concupiscence-and-force-are-the-source-of-1952

At first glance it seems that a trait like concupiscence must be a good thing.  People always wanting to better themselves – what’s so bad about that? It’s the source of all our voluntary actions – Pascal says so!  Except that it is almost always viewed in a negative light, especially in theology.  There’s even a commandment against it (or two, depending on your religion), the one against coveting your neighbor’s house, goods, or wife.  And people being people they usually end up trying to take what they want from other people that have what they want.  Or just hating them for having it.  That’s not good.  Oh wait…I see that Pascal makes no judgement as to the quality of our voluntary actions.

So then it must be an imperfection, a flaw.  Something to be resisted, constrained.  But without it would we ever taken any action at all?  That would make it an indispensable survival mechanism.  Truth be told (see what I did there?), it’s what keeps us going day after day.  Conversely, we have to watch it or it’ll get us in trouble.  But at least it gets us up off the couch.

Why do drummers have such bad luck?

Why do drummers have such bad luck?

Everyone knows the story of Pete Best, the “5th Beatle” and how he was bounced from the band just before they hit it big.  Turns out there was also a “5th Who”..err.. earlier drummer for “The Who” who (that?) was dismissed from the band just before their big break.

Of all the larger than life personalities in Rock’n Roll few are larger than Keith Moon, drummer for The Who.  Today I find out from UltimateClassicRock.com that he was not their original drummer, that honor belongs to a bloke named Doug Sandom.  The short story: in 1962 London there was a group called the Detours.  They were detoured by another group called The Detours and so they changed their name to The Who.  Who?  Yes, that’s right.  No, not Yes.  The Who.  Their drummer was named Doug Sandom.  There were also three other guys, Roger, John and Pete.  The group got an audition for Fontana Records which they failed.  In the fallout, Doug Sandom was fired and eventually Keith Moon was hired.  The rest is history (said in the voice of Howard Cosell).  For a better written and more detailed account, see the article at UltimateClassicRock.com.  If that’s enough info for you then watch this:

And another for good measure:

We’re still studying the Black Plague 650+ years after the fact…

We’re still studying the Black Plague 650+ years after the fact…

The Black Plague began it’s march across Europe in London in the Autumn of 1348.  Within a short time, 60 percent of London’s population had succumbed to disease and within a decade approximately 25 million Europeans were dead in what is often regarded as the worst human catastrophe in history.  Recently a London construction project unearthed a mass grave of 25 skeletons that were plague victims from which we are learing more about life in the middle ages, the disease and how it spread.

mass grave of plague victims

a mass grave of plague victims

 

Two things stand out, one is that the general state of Londoners’ health at that time was poor.  The other is that the disease may have been more “pneumonic” than “bubonic”, in other words it may not have been spread exclusively by the bites of fleas from infected rats, but  also by the coughing and sneezing of infected persons.  Evidence suggests that the disease could not have spread so quickly simply by flea bites and that another mode of transmission was likely.  Why does this matter?  Because to better understand the past is to better understand the present.  To know one’s history is to know oneself.  Read more here if you wish:

Via The Volokh Conspracy (WaPo):  “Isn’t it bubonic…don’t you think?”

Via The Guardian (UK): “Black death skeletons reveal pitiful life of 14th-century  Londoners”

We Regret To In form You…

We Regret To In form You…

…that in order to uphold our policy of inclusivity, we must exclude you.  This is the short version of what passes for politically correct logic today.   In the name of inclusivity, diversity and tolerance, one must adhere stricly to groupthink or risk exclusion.  Heresy will not be tolerated!

Censorship6

Mozilla: “We Believe In Openness & That No One Should Be Persecuted For The Beliefs They Hold, No Matter What They Are.”

This was the reasoning behind Mr. Eich’s “forced resignation”.  No irony intended, apparently.  Once upon a time people could disagree with one another, and then go about living and working together.  A person was entitled to their opinion, this being a free country and all.  Today if one disagrees with progressive ideas or policy, then that person is condemned as a bigot, hatemonger or worse; and that person must be punished – threatened with physical harm and/or have their livelihood taken away, branded as a pariah.  In a society that values free expression and freedom of speech there should exist a marketplace of ideas, where competing opinions are compared, argued and debated using evidence such as facts, logic and history among other things.  Today it is more and more evident that the marketplace of ideas has become for the Left a battlefield of ideas where the objective is not to change an opponent’s mind but to silence and destroy them.  This is a dangerous place to be regardless of the opinions you hold because what is in fashion today may be out of fashion tomorrow.

Beware those who preach tolerance and divesity, yet practice neither.

Nice Day For A Sunday Drive

Nice Day For A Sunday Drive

Here is a short little video that will make you smile.  It is a story of two classics: one is an automobile and the other is a human being.  Enjoy!

This will make your dog smile…

This will make your dog smile…

18 Dogs With Very Important Jobs

Very Nice.  I’ve been telling my dog to get a job for years.  Too late now, she’s reached retirement age.

Chronically Unemployed

Chronically Unemployed

 

 

Finally…a guide to efficient drinking

Finally…a guide to efficient drinking

Via The Washington Post Wonkblog: The Wonkblog Guide to Efficient Drinking

The article has lots of analysis, wines vs. beers vs. liquor.  Also – graphs!  It’s a must read if calories are your concern, but I have to admit that when I think of drinking efficiency, calories are not my primary concern.  Nor secondary or tertiary.  I mean, you can always eat less, right?

High Efficiency Delivery System

High Efficiency Delivery System

 

I find a Manhattan very efficient if followed by a second or third in fairly rapid succession.  Three things, though.  Well chilled glass, shaken (for God’s sake) and spill a little of the cherry juice in, too. Mmmmm…efficient!

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