27 February 2006
Heraclitus
I just finished reading a book about Heraclitus (c. 500bc). Quite interesting. His theory was that, as he says, "Good and bad are the same". This means that without one thing, you cannot have another. You have to experience the bad to know you have the good. Another fragment of his work I like is "It makes more sense to throw out a corpse than manure." I feel this means that you shouldn't hold on to the past or the broken; but keep things that are functional and will help you, just like manure helped the ancient Greeks sow their fields. Also, "The sun is new each day". This isn't very hard to understand because there are many sayings that echoes its meaning today, but the fact that you should take every day as a new adventure is a great way to live life.
21 February 2006
Radio Frequency Identification
Here's a scary thought: Everywhere you go, everything you do, is being tracked. It could happen. RFID technology, otherwise known as Radio Frequency Identification, can be used to transmit data to "Big Brother." Of course, it can also be used for postive things. In fact, it is already being used. For example, computer chips in your skin that enable doctors to quickly find your medical records.
Whenever I read something about computer chips being implanted in people, I always think of the Left Behind books I read five years ago. In one of the books, the "satanists" decide to put "the mark of the devil" on people in the form of RFID technology. Although I doubt very much that's the case here, it's not unbelievable to think that the government could potentially do harm with this, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. ~*Ashley*~
Whenever I read something about computer chips being implanted in people, I always think of the Left Behind books I read five years ago. In one of the books, the "satanists" decide to put "the mark of the devil" on people in the form of RFID technology. Although I doubt very much that's the case here, it's not unbelievable to think that the government could potentially do harm with this, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. ~*Ashley*~
13 February 2006
Check out this blog!
Take a look at Bipodial Dog's blog, http://bipodialdog.blogspot.com/ It's beautiful. ~Ashley
Talk About a Tyrant!
I was reading a book about the Celts (I can't remember the title) and came across this little tidbit:
In 143 BC, the Romans attacked the Celtic city of Numantia, which is near Madrid. The Celts held out until 134 BC when Rome sent over Scipio Africanus. His 60,000 men fought against the Celts, only 8000. When 400 young Celts decided to ride for help, Scipio cut of all their hands. But the hardy Celts still didn't surrender. Many committed suicide when faced with the prospect of being made into slaves.
In 143 BC, the Romans attacked the Celtic city of Numantia, which is near Madrid. The Celts held out until 134 BC when Rome sent over Scipio Africanus. His 60,000 men fought against the Celts, only 8000. When 400 young Celts decided to ride for help, Scipio cut of all their hands. But the hardy Celts still didn't surrender. Many committed suicide when faced with the prospect of being made into slaves.
Michelle Kwan
I'm very sorry that Michelle Kwan isn't going to have the chance to win the Olympics, since she very much deserves it after all her hard work. But I don't think it's necessary to smother the news with it. My brother and I are watching the Today Show, and all they're talking about is Michelle Kwan and the Olympics. Yes, it only happens once ever four years (or if you're like me, once every two, I really couldn't care less if it's summer or winter), but there are other things going on in the world that is more important.
10 February 2006
I Love Sweden!
Published on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 by the Guardian / UK
Sweden Plans to Be World's First Oil-Free Economy· 15-year limit set for switch to renewable energy· Biofuels favoured over further nuclear power
by John Vidal
Sweden is to take the biggest energy step of any advanced western economy by trying to wean itself off oil completely within 15 years - without building a new generation of nuclear power stations.
Sweden...gets almost all its electricity from nuclear and hydroelectric power, and relies on fossil fuels mainly for transport. Almost all its heating has been converted in the past decade to schemes which distribute steam or hot water generated by geothermal energy or waste heat.
The attempt by the country of 9 million people to become the world's first practically oil-free economy is being planned by a committee of industrialists, academics, farmers, car makers, civil servants and others, who will report to parliament in several months.
The intention, the Swedish government said yesterday, is to replace all fossil fuels with renewables before climate change destroys economies and growing oil scarcity leads to huge new price rises.
"Our dependency on oil should be broken by 2020," said Mona Sahlin, minister of sustainable development. "There shall always be better alternatives to oil, which means no house should need oil for heating, and no driver should need to turn solely to gasoline."
According to the energy committee of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, there is growing concern that global oil supplies are peaking and will shortly dwindle, and that a global economic recession could result from high oil prices.
Ms Sahlin has described oil dependency as one of the greatest problems facing the world. "A Sweden free of fossil fuels would give us enormous advantages, not least by reducing the impact from fluctuations in oil prices," she said. "The price of oil has tripled since 1996."
A government official said: "We want to be both mentally and technically prepared for a world without oil. The plan is a response to global climate change, rising petroleum prices and warnings by some experts that the world may soon be running out of oil."
Sweden, which was badly hit by the oil price rises in the 1970s, now gets almost all its electricity from nuclear and hydroelectric power, and relies on fossil fuels mainly for transport. Almost all its heating has been converted in the past decade to schemes which distribute steam or hot water generated by geothermal energy or waste heat. A 1980 referendum decided that nuclear power should be phased out, but this has still not been finalised.
The decision to abandon oil puts Sweden at the top of the world green league table. Iceland hopes by 2050 to power all its cars and boats with hydrogen made from electricity drawn from renewable resources, and Brazil intends to power 80% of its transport fleet with ethanol derived mainly from sugar cane within five years.
Last week George Bush surprised analysts by saying that the US was addicted to oil and should greatly reduce imports from the Middle East. The US now plans a large increase in nuclear power.
The British government, which is committed to generating 10% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2012, last month launched an energy review which has a specific remit to consider a large increase in nuclear power. But a report by accountants Ernst & Young yesterday said that the UK was falling behind in its attempt to meet its renewables target.
"The UK has Europe's best wind, wave and tidal resources yet it continues to miss out on its economic potential," said Jonathan Johns, head of renewable energy at Ernst & Young.
Energy ministry officials in Sweden said they expected the oil committee to recommend further development of biofuels derived from its massive forests, and by expanding other renewable energies such as wind and wave power.
Sweden has a head start over most countries. In 2003, 26% of all the energy consumed came from renewable sources - the EU average is 6%. Only 32% of the energy came from oil - down from 77% in 1970.
The Swedish government is working with carmakers Saab and Volvo to develop cars and lorries that burn ethanol and other biofuels. Last year the Swedish energy agency said it planned to get the public sector to move out of oil. Its health and library services are being given grants to convert from oil use and homeowners are being encouraged with green taxes. The paper and pulp industries use bark to produce energy, and sawmills burn wood chips and sawdust to generate power.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
Sweden Plans to Be World's First Oil-Free Economy· 15-year limit set for switch to renewable energy· Biofuels favoured over further nuclear power
by John Vidal
Sweden is to take the biggest energy step of any advanced western economy by trying to wean itself off oil completely within 15 years - without building a new generation of nuclear power stations.
Sweden...gets almost all its electricity from nuclear and hydroelectric power, and relies on fossil fuels mainly for transport. Almost all its heating has been converted in the past decade to schemes which distribute steam or hot water generated by geothermal energy or waste heat.
The attempt by the country of 9 million people to become the world's first practically oil-free economy is being planned by a committee of industrialists, academics, farmers, car makers, civil servants and others, who will report to parliament in several months.
The intention, the Swedish government said yesterday, is to replace all fossil fuels with renewables before climate change destroys economies and growing oil scarcity leads to huge new price rises.
"Our dependency on oil should be broken by 2020," said Mona Sahlin, minister of sustainable development. "There shall always be better alternatives to oil, which means no house should need oil for heating, and no driver should need to turn solely to gasoline."
According to the energy committee of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, there is growing concern that global oil supplies are peaking and will shortly dwindle, and that a global economic recession could result from high oil prices.
Ms Sahlin has described oil dependency as one of the greatest problems facing the world. "A Sweden free of fossil fuels would give us enormous advantages, not least by reducing the impact from fluctuations in oil prices," she said. "The price of oil has tripled since 1996."
A government official said: "We want to be both mentally and technically prepared for a world without oil. The plan is a response to global climate change, rising petroleum prices and warnings by some experts that the world may soon be running out of oil."
Sweden, which was badly hit by the oil price rises in the 1970s, now gets almost all its electricity from nuclear and hydroelectric power, and relies on fossil fuels mainly for transport. Almost all its heating has been converted in the past decade to schemes which distribute steam or hot water generated by geothermal energy or waste heat. A 1980 referendum decided that nuclear power should be phased out, but this has still not been finalised.
The decision to abandon oil puts Sweden at the top of the world green league table. Iceland hopes by 2050 to power all its cars and boats with hydrogen made from electricity drawn from renewable resources, and Brazil intends to power 80% of its transport fleet with ethanol derived mainly from sugar cane within five years.
Last week George Bush surprised analysts by saying that the US was addicted to oil and should greatly reduce imports from the Middle East. The US now plans a large increase in nuclear power.
The British government, which is committed to generating 10% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2012, last month launched an energy review which has a specific remit to consider a large increase in nuclear power. But a report by accountants Ernst & Young yesterday said that the UK was falling behind in its attempt to meet its renewables target.
"The UK has Europe's best wind, wave and tidal resources yet it continues to miss out on its economic potential," said Jonathan Johns, head of renewable energy at Ernst & Young.
Energy ministry officials in Sweden said they expected the oil committee to recommend further development of biofuels derived from its massive forests, and by expanding other renewable energies such as wind and wave power.
Sweden has a head start over most countries. In 2003, 26% of all the energy consumed came from renewable sources - the EU average is 6%. Only 32% of the energy came from oil - down from 77% in 1970.
The Swedish government is working with carmakers Saab and Volvo to develop cars and lorries that burn ethanol and other biofuels. Last year the Swedish energy agency said it planned to get the public sector to move out of oil. Its health and library services are being given grants to convert from oil use and homeowners are being encouraged with green taxes. The paper and pulp industries use bark to produce energy, and sawmills burn wood chips and sawdust to generate power.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
07 February 2006
Weapons
What's my favorite weapon of all time? I love greek fire.It wasn't invented until the 7th century. It could have been invented by Callinicus, an egyptian architect. It was especially effective against ships at sea because it ignited spontaneously, and couldn't be extinguished by water. Instead, water made the flames larger. In 673 greek fire was used by the Byzantine empire to repel an arab fleet attacking Constantinople. Unfortunately, we do not know what it was. It could have been mixture of flammable materials like sulfur and pitch in a petroleum base, but it's uncertain right now.
The most evil weapon of all time is, without question, the Atomic bomb. The degree of destruction is almost unknowable. Even though it's been 61 years since Hiroshima, Japan is still feeling the effects of the radiation. I actually believe that the end of the world is very likely going to be nuclear holocaust.
The most evil weapon of all time is, without question, the Atomic bomb. The degree of destruction is almost unknowable. Even though it's been 61 years since Hiroshima, Japan is still feeling the effects of the radiation. I actually believe that the end of the world is very likely going to be nuclear holocaust.
My Favorite Era
I've always been a fan of medieval times. It's hardly correct to call them the "Dark Ages"! So much happened. Personally, I'm obsessed with the plague and the great fire of london in 1666. I've never been a fan of more recent (in terms of all of history) stuff; I like 'pre-gun' history. Probably why I've never been that interested in American history. Or it could be that I grew up listening to American propoganda and am now so used to it that I hardly find it interesting now. Anything about Eurasia is fascinating!
The 7 Wonders of the World
7 Wonders of the World
Pyramids of Egypt: Only one still standing. In Cairo, Egypt.
40-ft tall Statue of Zeus from 435 bc. Stood in Olympia. Made of Gold and ivory.
Mausoleum of Halicarnassus: 353 BC. Huge marble tomb built for King Mausolus of Caria in Asia Minor.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar II, the Chaldean king, probably built the gardens in about 600BC as a consolation to his Median wife who missed the natural surroundings of her homeland.
Pharos of Alexandria: Stood on island in harbor of Alexandria and was over 440ft tall.
Colossus of Rhodes: 280BC. 100ft high, built to guard entrance to the harbor at Rhodes.
Temple of Artemis: Built in Ephesus in Asia Minor in 356BC. destroyed by the Goths in AD. 262
The Origin of "Plantagenet" and "Big Ben"
This is really interesting (at least to me): Plantagenet (a royal line including Richard III) comes from planta (sprig) and genista (broom plant) in reference to the sprig that Geoffrey IV (1113-1151) of Anjou always wore in his cap.
Big Ben: named after Sir Benjamin Hall (commisioner of works). 13.5 ton bell first rang out in 1859.
Big Ben: named after Sir Benjamin Hall (commisioner of works). 13.5 ton bell first rang out in 1859.
06 February 2006
Quote
"All life is transitory. Even your children are not immortal, my sister. The time will come when they will be defeated. The time will come when no one will want gods and goddesses to nurture them, when they will be driven into the darkness, like my children have been this day.
"The time approaches when the summers of Inisfail will be flowerless, when the cows shall be without milk, and the men will be weak and the women shall be shameless; the seas will be without fish, the trees without fruit and old men will give false judgements; the judges will make unjust laws and honour will count for little and warriors will betray each other and resort to thievery. There will come a time when there will be no more virtue left in this world."~Domnu, Celtic Myths and Legends, Peter Berresford Ellis
"The time approaches when the summers of Inisfail will be flowerless, when the cows shall be without milk, and the men will be weak and the women shall be shameless; the seas will be without fish, the trees without fruit and old men will give false judgements; the judges will make unjust laws and honour will count for little and warriors will betray each other and resort to thievery. There will come a time when there will be no more virtue left in this world."~Domnu, Celtic Myths and Legends, Peter Berresford Ellis
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