Fact of the Day

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - SHRINES

Shrine to Tin Hau at Repulse Bay, Southern District, Hong Kong.

Did you know... that a shrine is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated. A shrine at which votive offerings are made is called an altar. (Wikipedia)

 

Strange Shrines Around The World
By All That's Interesting  |  Published March 13, 2014

Checked By Savannah Cox  |  Updated February 12, 2018 

 

Boll Weevil Monument

 

At the very heart of Enterprise, Alabama, a tiny town whose fringes are lined with cotton fields, stands a Grecian woman reaching her Victorian-appareled arms up to the sky. On top of that is a beetle of sci-fi proportions. The 13 feet tall Boll Weevil Monument has stood over Enterprise for nearly 100 years as a testament to the transformative powers of creative destruction. While the agricultural pest wreaked havoc on the lives of cotton reapers, the boll weevil’s presence ultimately led to the development of the state’s profitable peanut crop when farmers were forced to diversify. The Italian-made statue of the woman stood for some 30 years before someone came up with the idea of topping it off with the oversize insect, making the sculpture prime real estate for vandals. The original is now protected with a replica standing in its place in the town square.

 

The Ha! Ha! Pyramid

 

It may be the world’s only monument erected in honor of an agricultural pest, but plenty of other shrines and monuments around the world might appear just as arcane and strange to an observer outside of the host culture. The Pyramide des Ha! Ha! certainly seems out of place on the shores of Canada’s Saguenay River: the sleek geometrical design is completely at odds with the rugged natural landscape around it. The artists who constructed the pyramid from 3,000 reflective triangular highway “yield” signs apparently wanted the structure to stand out, and for good reason, too. Ha! Ha! exists so as to properly commemorate the ten lives lost and mass destruction caused by a devastating 1996 flood.

 

 

The Ha! Ha! Pyramid in 2018

 

The shrine’s ostensibly irreverent name might also seem strange for such a solemn creation, but “haha” refers not to laughter, but a French term for an unexpected obstacle. Visitors can climb a staircase inside the pyramid to an area offering views of the “haha” portion of the river, which local residents know to be a powerful force of nature.

 

The Miami Beach Holocaust Memorial

Mass murder memorials are an inevitable result of horrible attacks on humanity. Think of the thousands of names etched in granite at the site of the new Freedom Tower in New York, or the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum that pays tribute to the victims of the 1995 Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing. Still, a Holocaust memorial rising from the sandy soils of Miami Beach might seem a bit out of place until one takes into account the large Jewish population of South Florida. When the Miami Beach memorial was proposed in the mid-1980s, a committee defended the location in South Florida, which had one of the highest populations of Holocaust survivors in the United States.

 

 

 

Architect Kenneth Treister retells some of the historical horrors of the Holocaust in a multi-media presentation that includes images from actual photos etched into the walls. The result is a disturbingly evocative journey for visitors, who are surrounded by stone walls inscribed with the names of numerous Nazi concentration camps. The strains of young Jewish children’s voices raised in song become louder before a final turn reveals a monolithic sculpture of an outstretched arm reaching toward the heavens as ghoulish, emaciated figures cling to it as they climb toward the same sky. The Miami Beach Holocaust Memorial also recalls the immortal words of Anne Frank: “Then, in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”

 

Hunter S. Thompson

Hunter S. Thompson quote at the shrine to the author on Snowmass Mountain.

 

Shrines don’t have to be aesthetically opulent to be important, though. Friends and fans of author Hunter S. Thompson thought it best to glorify the Gonzo journalist with a simple bench in the Snowmass ski area near the writer’s former home in Woody Creek, Colorado. Thompson, best known for his book “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” and well-played articles in the pages of Rolling Stone, committed suicide at age 67 in 2005. A group called Glorious Leaders of the Underground Movement (or GLUM), in true Gonzo fashion, have enshrined Thompson the same way devotees have remembered others—Bob Marley, John Denver, Elvis—in the wooded areas of Aspen and Snowmass. Aside from the bench, several surrounding trees are devoted to Thompson as people post a potpourri of items that followers feel best encapsulates the writer’s life, such as bullet shells, mannequin arms and booze bottles hung from tree branches.

 

Amelia Earhart Memorialized Through Pasture

 

Sometimes it’s the medium that draws the most attention to a shrine. More than 75 years after Amelia Earhart’s courageous attempt to circumnavigate the globe before her plane went missing in the remote waters of the Pacific, the aviatrix remains one of the most famous fliers in American history, male or female. In 1997, artist Stan Herd saw fit to memorialize her with a landscape project in Atchison, Kansas, her hometown. The earthworks project covers 42,000 square feet of hillside overlooking Warnick Lake and is most fittingly viewed from an aerial perch. Made of grasses, plants, earth and stone, the portrait required planting 50 tons of stone and 500 rug junipers, among other preparations, into the earth.

 

Thailand’s Fertility Shrine

 

Shrines and memorials are universal. While Americans tend to build great obelisks and create carved likenesses of their greatest leaders, elsewhere in the world, shrines are used to praise other facets of the human experience. Take what is commonly referred to as the “penis shrine” in Bangkok, which might easily be mistaken for an adult sex store located just behind the city’s Swissotel hotel. Women have been coming to the sacred area known as the Lingam Fertility Shrine, where they leave behind phallic symbols as a way ensuring fertility, conception and a healthy birth. It’s a pilgrimage that can be traced back for centuries. The practice stems from a belief in Chao Mae Tuptim, a tree-dwelling spirit who supposedly blesses all of those who pay her a visit. Hundreds of wooden or stone phalli ranging from life size to 7 feet long pepper the area. Perhaps shocking to Western sensibilities, the “lingams”, as the carved artifacts are called, are also seen as a symbol of good luck.

 

Grenada’s Underwater Sculpture Museum

 

 

 

 

Off the small Caribbean island of Grenada, probably best remembered for a Reagan-era invasion in the 1980s, is a unique composition rated by Travel+Leisure as one of the world’s strangest monuments. Created by sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, the series of human figures has one extremely unusual feature: It can only be viewed by divers or passengers in a glass-bottom boat. What is dubbed as the world’s first underwater sculpture park also serves as an artificial reef and a shrine to conservation efforts to protect the oceans. His site-specific, permanent installations become living works of art as they attract corals, various fish species and other marine life. The installations are also meant to attract tourist and divert them from more fragile natural reefs.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Shrine  |  Facts About Strange Shrines

Edited December 6, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - FICTIONAL LOCATIONS 

1 Knightsbridge, Walton Street, London

Did you know.... that fictional locations are places that exist only in fiction and not in reality, such as the Negaverse or Planet X. Writers may create and describe such places to serve as backdrop for their fictional works. Fictional locations are also created for use as settings in role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. (Wikipedia)

 

Fictional Places We Wish Existed In Real Life or Do They?

From stories to movies, there are so many places we have traveled to only in our minds. 

BY URSULA NIZALOWSKI  |  PUBLISHED DEC 23, 2018

 

Since the first stories were told by nomadic tribes sitting around campfires to either pass the time or teach important moral lessons to the young ones, all kinds of imagined worlds have been created that still resonate with us today in various forms of media including books TV shows and movies. While a majority of these fictional locations have deep mythological roots, a few of them come from the minds of creative geniuses that took aspects of our real world and different mythologies in order to create something that’s relatively original. Some examples include Middle Earth, which borrows heavily from Norse mythology and epic sagas like Beowulf. Yet the way it utilizes these elements is unique, with even a few new creations like Orcs that have appeared in other works since. Though depending on how much this fictional world resonates with us on a personal level, or is remotely believable despite the fantastic elements in it, this can cause some of us to fantasize the notion of actually being in that world. The ones highlighted in this article, for instance, are considerably the most popular places that have resonated with people at different points in their life to the point where they want to be there.

 

Fictional - Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry

For those of us who grew up reading the Harry Potter books and seeing the movies, it has been a collective fantasy of ours to receive a letter by owl with the chance to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Considered to be one of the safest places in the Wizarding World (except for the times when it wasn’t), it’s a place of learning where children learn how to practice magic in several forms including potions and spells. It’s even possible to interact with magical creatures and enchanted plants, as well as have all kinds of magical adventures.

 

Fictional - Gotham City

Now this certainly wouldn’t be a great place to live in, given the rampant amount of crime that’s committed here compared to any other city in the DC Universe of comic-books and other related media, its appeal comes from its association with a certain character. Namely, Batman (or the Dark Knight as he’s sometimes called) who protects this city along with a variety of memorable sidekicks and allies. Plus, many of DC’s greatest villains reside here such as The Joker and anti-heroes like Harley Quinn whose fame has skyrocketed in recent years. So maybe it’s worth going here. (Gotham City)

 

Real - The Flintstones' House

While everyone knows The Flintstones from their cartoons and commercials, their house is just as memorable in terms of design. Made completely out of rocks, it somehow manages to have working electricity and air conditioning like a modern house which the show never really explained but we didn’t really care because it looked cool (at the time). But then a famous television personality named Dick Clark decided to build a house that looks just like the Flintstones’ abode in Malibu, California. Costing “3.5 Million US$ to build,” as stated by Thrillophilia, it’s one of the most popular houses in that area.

 

Fictional - Middle Earth

From The Shire to Rivendell to Minas Tirith, it’s hard to pick one place that would be preferable to go to in the realm of Middle Earth because they’re all so cool with something for everyone. For instance, the Shire would be a great place to go to for a relaxing carefree lifestyle which is practiced by the Hobbits who occupy it. Rivendell is also relaxing too, but in the healing sense as it has given travelers a brief refuge before they embark on a long and perilous journey. Then finally, the amazing architecture of Minas Tirith speaks for itself.

 

Fictional - Pandora

Ever since it appeared onscreen in the blockbuster phenomena known as Avatar, the tropical moon of Pandora which the Na’vi call their home has captured so many people’s imaginations to the point where a literal theme park based on it was built in Disney’s Animal Kingdom not too long ago. Yet no matter what the theme park offers, it could never replace the real thing which may lie somewhere across the galaxy (assuming there really is life on other planets). With floating mountains, bioluminescent plants, and many strange creatures, it’s got a lot of appeal despite its potentially hostile natives.

 

Real - Paradise Falls

From the beloved movie Up, this was the place that Carl and his wife dreamed of settling their house at. But what’s even cooler is that Paradise Falls is based on a real place. Known as Angel Falls, it is located in Venezuela according to Thrillophilia and looks just like its movie counterpart. While there’s probably not an eccentric explorer living at the top of this waterfall with an army of talking dogs, the person whom the falls are named after was a pilot from America who attempted to land his plane there and failed (though he came out unscathed).

 

Fictional - Asgard

Though it may have been lost following the events of Thor: Ragnarok, the splendor of this place is still memorable as it’s one of the most visually creative places in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Home to the Norse Gods, including Thor and Loki, it is only accessible via the rainbow-colored Bifrost Bridge. This, in turn, is constantly watched by the guardian Heimdall, who literally sees everything despite the few times he was blind to an approaching threat. With impressive architecture and a generous (though not always great) ruler in the form of Odin, who wouldn’t want to live here?

 

Fictional - Jurassic Park

Even though the movies go out of their way to demonstrate why this place would never work in real life, what child wouldn’t like to go to a place full of living dinosaurs that can be seen and interacted with? Sure, the science behind the cloning of these things is dubious and the way the dinosaurs are portrayed isn’t always scientifically accurate but it’s a fun concept. With that said, it is hard to ignore the fact that some of the dinosaurs like the T-Rex are incredibly dangerous and can be harmful to humans if they’re not contained properly.

 

Fictional - Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory

No matter the age, sweets are a guilty choice of food that everyone likes to indulge in every once in a while. This is especially true with children, whose addiction to sweet things has caused sickness in the stomach from eating too many or trips to the dentist for damaged teeth. But regardless of the consequences, a place like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, which offers a wide variety of strange and colorful rooms full of different candies, is charismatically appealing to anyone like its owner. Yet one must keep in mind the lack of safety measures and frequently disappearing guests.

 

Real - Tatooine

Though Star Wars may exist in a galaxy far away, some places may be a lot closer in terms of visiting. Tatooine, for instance, which was the home of Luke and his father Anakin before him is actually based on the city of Tataouine in Tunisia. Plus, many scenes of the desert planet were filmed here as well as in some neighboring areas including the partially subterranean Sidi Driss Hotel. This, according to Thrillophilia, served as the exterior for the water farm Luke grew up at with his aunt and uncle. Thus, it has become a popular attraction for tourists.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Fictional Location  |  Facts About Fictional or Real Places

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - THE X-FILES

Did you know... that The X-Files is an American science fiction drama television series created by Chris Carter. The original television series aired from September 10, 1993, to May 19, 2002, on Fox. The program spanned nine seasons, with 202 episodes. A short tenth season consisting of six episodes premiered on January 24, 2016, and concluded on February 22, 2016. Following the ratings success of this revival, The X-Files returned for an eleventh season of ten episodes, which premiered on January 3, 2018, and concluded on March 21, 2018. In addition to the television series, two feature films have been released: The 1998 film The X-Files which took place as part of the TV series continuity, and the stand-alone film The X-Files: I Want to Believe, released in 2008, six years after the original television run had ended. (Wikipedia)

 

Truths About The X-Files
BY JENNIFER M WOOD  |  SEPTEMBER 10, 2018

Is the truth really out there? The X-Files began its original nine-season run on September 10, 1993. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson returned to our televisions in 2016 to reprise their roles as FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully for two new seasons, but both the network and the series' stars have said that there won't be another season. While we sit here and hold out hope that they might change their mind, here are some facts about the iconic series on its 25th anniversary.

 

THE IDEA FOR THE SHOW ORIGINATED WITH A PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY.
Chris Carter’s interest in the paranormal was piqued when he read Pulitzer Prize-winning writer/psychiatrist/Harvard Medical School professor John E. Mack’s analysis of a 1991 Roper Poll survey, which stated that at least 3.7 million Americans may have been abducted by aliens. “Everybody wants to hear that story,” Carter told Entertainment Weekly. “[Abduction] is tantamount to a religious experience.”

 

DANA SCULLY WAS PARTLY MODELED ON CLARICE STARLING.

Carter has been vocal about his admiration for Jonathan Demme’s Oscar-winning film The Silence of the Lambs and the influence it had on The X-Files. “It's not a mistake that Dana Scully has red hair like Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs,” Carter told Smithsonian magazine.

 

DAVID DUCHOVNY PUSHED FOR JENNIFER BEALS TO PLAY SCULLY.
David Duchovny and the Flashdance star became acquainted when the two attended Yale. “I used to see David on the street—he tried to pick me up on several occasions,” Beals recalled. “And I said, ‘Um, I’m living with somebody.' And then I ended up taking this acting class in New York and who walks in the door but David Duchovny. And he’s like, ‘I swear I am not stalking you!’ And we became really good friends. He’s a real sweetheart … When he was doing The X-Files he had talked to me about doing that, but I think Gillian was much better suited for that part than me.”

 

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY PRONOUNCED THE SERIES D.O.A.

In a preview of the 1993 fall television lineup, Entertainment Weekly declared that “This show is a goner,” citing its genre and Friday night time slot as two indicators that the series wouldn’t last. Today, it’s one of the longest-running sci-fi series in television history.

 

IN REAL LIFE, SCULLY IS THE BELIEVER.
In a 1994 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Gillian Anderson admitted that Duchovny was a skeptic and she was the believer. “Psychokinesis appeals to me,” she said. “ESP, telling the future, I love that stuff.”

 

ANDERSON AND DUCHOVNY DID NOT GET ALONG.

Though Anderson and Duchovny are tight nowadays, that friendship—while based on the work they did together—didn’t really come about until after The X-Files ended. “The crucible of doing that show made monsters out of both of us,” Duchovny told Variety, saying that it wasn’t until filming the 2008 movie The X-Files: I Want to Believe that the two really clicked. “Once we got to step back, it was like, ‘Oh, wow, we really like each other. I didn’t know that was going to happen.’ The way we work together has changed. Whatever rapport we have as actors, we earned. It’s nice to be able to play that without ever even feeling like you’re playing it.” “Our relationship has definitely become a proper friendship over the last few years,” Anderson added. “I think we’re more on each other’s side. We’re more aware of the other’s needs, wants, concerns, and mindful to take those into consideration—and just sharing more about our experiences in the moment, under the sudden realization that we’re both in this together, and wouldn’t it be nice if it were a collaboration?”

 

THE CIGARETTE SMOKING MAN WAS ORIGINALLY CAST AS AN EXTRA.

When actor William B. Davis first appeared on The X-Files, it was as a background actor with no dialogue. At that time neither Davis nor the producers knew that he would end up becoming the show’s main antagonist. “There was a time when I wasn’t in any episodes, then all of a sudden I had a line or two and I thought, 'That was interesting,’” Davis told the Palm Beach Post in 1996. “And that just gradually increased. Then, finally I had a big scene where Mulder comes after me with a gun. That was the turning point where the producers decided this character is really interesting and I guess they felt I was OK to handle it.” “The character is very simply written and William is called upon to carry a lot of the weight of the character,” added writer/executive producer Frank Spotnitz. “He is utterly convincing. Even before he had words, he had looks where you could see his mind processing what he was watching and you could see there was intelligence behind his eyes.”

 

THE SHOW EMPLOYED A NUMBER OF SCIENTISTS.
In an effort to make sure the series got its science right, the producers hired a number of scientists as consultants, including University of Maryland microbiologist Anne Simon, who was hired at the end of the first season, and came back aboard for the tenth season reboot. “You’re not there to tell the writer, ‘Chris, you can’t have a Flukeman that’s half-man, half-worm,’” she explained of her role in the production. “But you want to come up with something reasonable.” (Simon is also the author of The Real Science Behind the X-Files: Microbes, Meteorites, and Mutants.) In addition, Carter has looked to his brother for help. “He’s a professor at MIT, and so I went to him for a lot of technical stuff,” he told WIRED. “A lot of the things that are in the pilot came directly from him. I had written something about time and space, and he corrected me on my terminology.”

 

IT LED TO A SHORT-LIVED SPINOFF.

The Lone Gunmen, a trio of conspiracy theorists who ran their own magazine, proved popular enough with audiences that they were given their own series in 2001. Just 13 episodes aired before the show was cancelled, though they were given the unusual opportunity to address the series finale’s cliffhanger in the ninth season of The X-Files.

 

LUCY LAWLESS WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A RECURRING ROLE.
In 2001, shortly after Xena: Warrior Princess came to an end, news broke that Lucy Lawless had signed on for The X-Files. Though the plan was that her character, Super Soldier Shannon McMahon, would be a recurring one, a high-risk pregnancy forced her to bow out after appearing in just two episodes. On May 7, 2002, Lawless gave birth to a healthy baby boy (but did not return to the series).

 

Source: Wikipedia - The X-Files  |  Facts About The X-Files

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - TREASURE PLANET

Did you know.... that Treasure Planet is a 2002 American animated science fantasy action-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on November 27, 2002. The 43rd Disney animated feature film, it is a science fiction adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 adventure novel Treasure Island and was the first film to be released simultaneously in regular and IMAX theaters. It is at least the second retelling of the story in an outer space setting, following the 1987 Italian miniseries Treasure Island in Outer Space. It employs a novel technique of hand-drawn 2D traditional animation set atop 3D computer animation. With a budget of $140 million, it is currently the most expensive traditionally animated film ever made. (Wikipedia)

 

Things You Didn't Know About Treasure Planet
Treasure Planet is one of Disney's most costly flops, and like with most expensive flops, there is a lot of interesting history behind its production.

BY KIKI EVANS  |  PUBLISHED MAR 29, 2021

Disney's Treasure Planet is mostly known for its commercial failure even though it was actually successful critically and is still beloved by many viewers. In fact, many Disney fans would probably consider it an an underrated classic despite its obvious flaws such as the outdated look of the CGI it uses. Interestingly, the story behind Treasure Planet's creation is just as fantastical as the story presented in the movie. It's amazing just how many stars had to align for the movie to actually be approved by the studio and to enter the official development stage, let alone production itself.

 

It Is The Most Expensive Traditionally-Animated Movie Ever Made

Anyone who has watched Treasure Planet knows that the movie isn't entirely traditionally-animated. In fact, its uniqueness comes from the way it combines 2D traditional animation with 3D computer animation. That being said, this aspect doesn't prevent it from being the most expensive traditionally animated movie ever made with a budget of $140 million.

It Had A Team Of Talented People Involved

Co-directors Ron Clements and John Musker are known for working together and had previously directed such Disney classics as The Great Mouse Detective, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Hercules. They later directed The Princess and the Frog and Moana. The story was also developed by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio who are also known for working as a duo. The two had co-written many Disney and non-Disney movies including Aladdin, The Road to El Dorado, Shrek, and the first four Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

It Has A Cast With Some Well-Known Actors

The lead character of Jim Hawkins is voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt while Emma Thompson voices Captain Amelia. Though these are the two most recognizable names in the movie's cast, there were some other notable people involved. For example, David Hyde previously voiced a character in Pixar's A Bug's Life while Martin Short voice acted in such movies as The Prince of Egypt, Madagascar 3, Frankenweenie, and The Wind Rises. Other cast members include Laurie Metcalf, Michael Wincott, Peter Cullen, and Tony Jay.

It Is Disney's Third Adaptation Of Treasure Island

Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island has been adapted numerous times for the screen. Even just during the era of silent films, the novel was adapted twice. For Disney, Treasure Planet wasn't the first adaptation of the novel. In 1950, the studio released Treasure Island which was the first fully live-action movie for Disney as well as the first adaptation of the book in color. The next adaptation done by the studio was 1996's Muppet Treasure Island. which is the fifth installment in The Muppets movie franchise.

The Idea For The Movie Was Pitched Back In 1985

In 1985, co-directors Ron Clements and John Musker pitched the idea of The Little Mermaid. At the same time, Clements pitched Treasure Planet to Michael Eisner. Back then, the movie was called Treasure Island in Space. Interestingly, at the time of Treasure Planet's release, it was no longer an original idea to set the classic story in space. There already existed a 1987 Italian adaptation in the form of a miniseries called Treasure Island in Outer Space.

 

The Movie Was Pitched & Rejected Multiple Times

Considering that the idea for Treasure Planet was pitched way back in 1985, it is not hard to imagine just how troubled its development and production were. In fact, the idea was pitched and rejected multiple times before finally being accepted by the studio. After the pitch was rejected in 1985, Clements and Musker approached the studio with the idea again in 1989 (after the release of The Little Mermaid), but it was rejected again. The two pitched it yet again after the release of Aladdin but Jeffrey Katzenberg, the chief of the studio at the time, wasn't interested. Instead of waiting for another time to pitch, Clements and Musker approached chairman Roy E. Disney about it, who finally approved the idea.

The Filmmakers Were Inspired By Steven Spielberg & James Cameron

One of the reasons why Treasure Planet is beloved is its action. Such visuals wouldn't be achieved with the technology available in the 1980s or early 1990s, so the delay the filmmakers encountered actually allowed them to work with better technology later on. Moreover, it is said that Clements and Musker wanted to move the camera in a similar way to how Steven Spielberg and James Cameron shoot their movies. This made the animation more dynamic and entertaining to watch.

There Was A Lot Of Attention Put Into The Look & Design Of The Movie

Allegedly, Clements came up with an idea that the crew called the "70/30 law." This meant that 70% of the movie's artwork had to look traditional while the other 30% was sci-fi. The filmmakers took the illustrations of the Brandywine School of Illustration which usually featured a warm color palette and looked like classic storybook illustrations. The design of the characters themselves was also influenced by their respective voice actors. The actors' physical appearance and mannerisms were used throughout the animation process.

Tarzan's Deep Canvas Was Used For Animation

A special technology called Deep Canvas was previously developed for 1999's Tarzan. This software was used on Tarzan mostly to create three-dimensional backgrounds, but it was also applied to Treasure Planet. Deep Canvas allowed the filmmakers to design complete 360 degree sets and then stage the scenes they wanted to make. Traditionally-animated characters would then be placed in this environment.

It Remains One Of Disney's Most Expensive Flops

Treasure Planet was Disney's first feature to be released both in regular and in IMAX theaters simultaneously, but this didn't really help it at the box office where it only earned $109.6 million against its budget of $140 million. In fact, Treasure Planet is often considered to be one of the most expensive flops of all time. Nevertheless, the movie received mostly positive reviews from critics and audiences, particularly praising its visuals and action scenes among other things. Treasure Planet even got nominated for the Best Animated Feature Academy Award as well as numerous Annie Awards.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Treasure Planet  |  Facts About Treasure Planet

Edited December 9, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - SEASONS

Tropical wet season/monsoon in Maharashtra, India
 

Did you know.... that a season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of Earth's orbit around the Sun and Earth's axial tilt relative to the ecliptic plane. In temperate and polar regions, the seasons are marked by changes in the intensity of sunlight that reaches the Earth's surface, variations of which may cause animals to undergo hibernation or to migrate, and plants to be dormant. Various cultures define the number and nature of seasons based on regional variations, and as such there are a number of both modern and historical cultures whose number of seasons vary. (Wikipedia)

 

The Four Seasons: Change Marks the Passing of a Year
By Nola Taylor Redd  |  published March 21, 2016

 

The passing of a year can bring a marked change in the weather and the surrounding environment. The four seasons — winter, spring, summer, autumn — can vary significantly in characteristics, and can prompt changes in the world around them. Let's take an overview of these four separate periods.

 

The annual cycle

Attributes of the seasons may vary by location, but there are still broad definitions that cross most of the boundaries. In the spring, seeds take root and vegetation begins to grow. The weather is warmer, and often wetter. Animals wake or return from warmer climates, often with newborns. Melting snow from the previous season, along with increased rainfall, can cause flooding along waterways, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 

 

In the summer, temperatures may increase to their hottest of the year. If they spike too high, heat waves or droughts may cause trouble for people, animals, and plants. For example, in the summer of 2003, the high temperatures claimed more than 30,000 lives, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Rainfall may increase in some areas, as well. Others may receive less water, and forest fires may become more frequent. 

 

In the autumn, or fall, temperatures cool again. Plants may begin to grow dormant. Animals might prepare themselves for the upcoming cold weather, storing food or traveling to warmer regions. Various cultures have celebrated bountiful harvests with annual festivals. Thanksgiving is a good example. "Thanksgiving in the United States is a historical commemoration but it has a spiritual dimension strongly associated with homecoming and giving praise for what has been bestowed upon us," Cristina De Rossi, an anthropologist at Barnet and Southgate College in London, told Live Science.  

 

Winter often brings a chill. Some areas may experience snow or ice, while others see only cold rain. Animals find ways to warm themselves, and may have changed their appearance to adapt. "In a similar way to the Autumnal theme, Winter festivals celebrate the return of the light during a time of deepest physical darkness," said De Rossi. The Indian festival of Diwali, for example, which takes place between October and November, celebrates the triumph of righteousness, and of light over darkness.

 

 

 

Location, location, location
The timing and characteristics of the seasons depends upon the location on Earth. Regions near the equator experience fairly constant temperatures throughout the year, with balmy winters barely discernible from warm summers. This is because it gets fairly constant light from the sun, due to its position on the outer curve of the Earth, according to the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program. For areas to the north and south, the seasons can change more significantly. People closer to the poles might experience icier, more frigid winters, while those closer to the equator might suffer hotter summers. Other factors can also affect the weather and temperature over the seasons; some areas experience dry summers as temperatures spike, while others might call summer their "wet season." A wet season is when the average precipitation of an area is 2.4 inches (60 millimeters) or more, according to the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). Mountainous regions might experience more snowfall than plains within the same latitude, while oceanfront property could see an increase in violent tropical storms as the weather shifts. The time of year a region experiences a season depends on whether it is in the northern or southern hemisphere. The Southern Hemisphere experiences winter while its northern neighbors chart summer; the north sees the slow blossom of spring while the south brings in the autumn harvest. 

 

Earth and the sun

The cycle of seasons is caused by Earth's tilt toward the sun. The planet rotates around an (invisible) axis. At different times during the year, the northern or southern axis is closer to the sun. During these times, the hemisphere tipped toward the star experiences summer, while the hemisphere tilted away from the sun experiences winter, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). At other locations in Earth's annual journey, the axis is not tilted toward or away from the sun. During these times of the year, the hemispheres experience spring and autumn. The astronomical definition of the seasons relates to specific points in Earth's trip around the sun. The summer and winter solstice, the longest and shortest day of the year, occur when Earth's axis is either closest or farthest from the sun. The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere occurs around June 21, the same day as the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, according to NOAA. The south's summer solstice occurs around December 21, the winter solstice for the north. In both hemispheres, the summer solstice marks the first day of astronomical summer, while the winter solstice is considered the first day of astronomical winter.

 

Equinoxes are another significant day during Earth's journey around the Sun. On these days, the planet's axis is pointed parallel to the Sun, rather than toward or away from it. Day and night during the equinoxes are supposed to be close to equal. The spring, or vernal equinox, for the northern hemisphere takes place around March 20, the same day as the south's autumnal equinox. The vernal equinox in the southern hemisphere occurs around September 20, when people in the north celebrate the autumnal equinox. The vernal equinox marks the first day of astronomical spring for a hemisphere, while the autumnal equinox ushers in the first day of fall. [Infographic: Earth's Solstices & Equinoxes Explained]

 

 

But changes in the weather often precede these significant points. The meteorological seasons focus on these changes, fitting the seasons to the three months that best usher them in. December to February marks meteorological winter in the Northern Hemisphere and meteorological summer in the southern. March, April, and May are lauded as spring or autumn, depending on the location, while June through August are the months of summer for the north and winter for the south. September, October, and November conclude the cycle, ushering in fall in northern regions and spring in southern, according to NOAA.  The seasons can bring a wide variety to the year for those locations that experience them in full. The weather in each one may allow people to engage in activities that they cannot perform in others — skiing in the winter, swimming in the summer. Each season brings with it its own potential dangers, but also its own particular brand of beauty.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Season  |  Facts About the Four Seasons

Edited December 10, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - SEAHORSES

Short-snouted seahorse on knotted wrack

Did you know.... that a seahorse is any of 46 species of small marine fish in the genus Hippocampus. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek hippókampos, itself from híppos meaning "horse" and kámpos meaning "sea monster". Having a head and neck suggestive of a horse, seahorses also feature segmented bony armour, an upright posture and a curled prehensile tail. Along with the pipefishes and seadragons (Phycodurus and Phyllopteryx) they form the family Syngnathidae. (Wikipedia)

 

Wild Facts You May Not Know About Seahorses
These extraordinary facts may change the way you look at seahorses forever
by Katie Hogge  |  DECEMBER 10, 2018

 

Found in both tropical and temperate waters all across the globe, seahorses are arguably one of the most distinctive and charismatic marine wildlife species in existence. Ranging in length from more than a foot to under one inch, there are more than 40 known species of these ‘horses of the sea’ recorded by scientists to date. From odd dieting tendencies to adorably romantic relationship rituals, there’s much more to seahorses’ majestic intrigue than their trademark elongated mouths and curly tails. Here are just a few wildly fun facts you may not have known about this charming species.

 

They may not look like it, but they’re technically fish

 

Due to their unique anatomical shape and lack of scales, many people may not consider seahorses ‘fish’ at first, but they are indeed! Possessing swim bladders to remain buoyant in the water and utilizing gills to breathe, these fish also thrive in a strong suit of sturdy armor-like plates. Their tough, bony makeup makes them pretty tough for other fish to digest, illustrating the reason for their lack of many natural predators. Other than crustaceans like crabs who can pluck them up with their sharp pincers, humans are likely one of the more significant threats to the species, historically harvesting the animals faster than they’re able to reproduce. Luckily, we’ve made some progress against such population depletion, but there’s still much work to be done to protect this species as we learn more about their still largely mysterious global distribution patterns.

 

Romance is real in the seahorse world

 

Seahorse couples are essentially serial monogamists, sticking with one partner for long periods of time. Remaining committed to a single partner enables seahorses to pass through multiple reproduction cycles during each mating season, heightening the likelihood of successful, continuous procreation over time. Every morning, seahorse couples engage in ritualistic dances to greet each other, moving through intricate, rhythmic sequences of twists and twirls for minutes to hours on end. While we humans may schedule dates with romantic prospects to analyze our compatibility and get to know each other better, seahorses prove we’re not the only species that ‘date!’ They engage in their daily dances to strengthen their romantic bond, ensure their reproductive cycles are properly synced and to verify each day that their partner is both still fervently committed and, frankly, alive (hey, that’s kind of important).

 

Males take the lead when it comes to the labor of childbirth

 

 

Seahorse ladies need not fret when it comes to gestation and childbirth. Perhaps one of their most distinctive traits, the Syngnathidae family (which includes both seahorses and their cousins, pipefishes and seadragons) stands remarkably unique in that it’s the males that carry the burden of pregnancy, not the females. After their complex courting dance during a reproductive cycle, female seahorses will place their eggs into an oviduct in the male’s body, which is housed in what’s known as a brood pouch. Once the placement is complete, males settle into an area to rest throughout gestation, which can last up to a number of weeks. When it’s finally time for the babies to be born, the father’s body experiences strong contractions that expel the young out of his pouch. As little as five to as many as 1,000 juvenile seahorses, often called ‘frys’ in the fish world, can be born to the world in a single birthing session. Estimates suggest that only about 0.5% of the offspring will survive to become reproducing adults, so the babies are independent immediately upon birth, pushing as hard as they can right away to become thriving, strong and growing seahorse lads and lasses.

 

Seahorses are infamously awful swimmers

 

Seahorses aren’t just different from other fish in their external appearance, either: they’re also ridiculously poor swimmers. They are the slowest-moving of all fish species because of an impeccably tiny fin in the middle of their backs being the only way to propel themselves. This one little fin can beat back and forth up to 50 times a second, but the size of the fin keeps it from making much progress when it comes down to distance traveled. Even with small pectoral fins that assist in steering, seahorses are sadly known to be so delicate that they can become fatally exhausted when waters get rough during storms. However, while they aren’t all that durable, seahorses are quite unique in that they can not only move forward, but also up, down and backward. The shape of their heads also helps them move through the water almost silently; when you combine that with their ability to camouflage into their surroundings thanks to helpful chromatophores within their skin cells, it’s clear that seahorses make apt hunters, proven by a predatory kill rate of around 90%. Hey, if you’re going to have a hard time swimming, might as well be super stealthy and efficient to make up for it!

 

Seahorses are crazy dexterous

 

While they do struggle when it comes to speed, that doesn’t mean this species isn’t athletic! Their tails are quite flexible for a reason, enabling them to anchor themselves to coral or seaweed when they’re in need of a rest. At times, they’ve even been known to wrap their tails around their mates so they don’t lose each other (sound the cuteness alarm). Additionally, this aspect of their anatomy also makes them skilled hitchhikers. They may not be able to travel long distances quickly alone, but linking themselves onto floating vegetation (or, sadly, marine debris) can ameliorate that issue and take them to all new destinations.

 

Seahorses follow a strict diet, and the goal is to eat—constantly

 

Since they don’t have teeth or even a stomach at all like other marine species do, the structure of a seahorse digestive system is also markedly unique. This makeup results in a digestive process that functions with extraordinary rapidity, requiring the animals to feast constantly on a carnivorous diet of tiny fish and planktonic copepods. Don’t let their small size fool you: seahorses can consume up to 3,000 crustaceans like brine shrimp in a single day, sucking them up through their trumpet-like snouts from as much as three centimeters away. Now that’s a high metabolism if we ever did see one!

 

Seahorses need our help

 

While these points make seahorses all the more fascinating as a species, there’s one more fact about them that’s critical for us all to remember: they’re depending on us to make sure the ecosystems they call home are healthy and protected from pressing threats like ocean trash. As our global marine debris problem grows more and more urgent every day, heartbreaking visual representations of the problem much like that depicted in the photo above are becoming continuously common. Justin Hofman, the photographer of this impactful photo taken in Indonesia, was noted in USA Today to have said that he wishes the picture ‘didn’t exist.’

 

“I took the photo in Indonesia, but this is happening everywhere in the world…when the tide came in, the debris came in with it, and the seahorse hopped from the seaweed to a little piece of plastic and then a Q-tip,” he explained. In his viral Instagram post, he expanded on the photo’s impactful message: “This photo serves as an allegory for the current and future state of our oceans. What sort of future are we creating?” This point couldn’t be more salient in the core point that it illuminates about human impact on wildlife and nature today.

 

There is hope, however, and it comes in the form of our own actions and determined resolve to change the future of marine wildlife all over the globe. If we commit to embodying a force of good to combat marine debris, we can stem the tide of ocean trash and give animals like the seahorse a renewed chance at a future of clean, trash-free environments. But it all depends on us. We must take action, and start today. Here at Ocean Conservancy, we’re taking bold steps toward actionable, practical and science-driven solutions to stop ocean trash at its source. Join us in this important work and learn more about our Trash Free Seas® program, and we can all work together to fight for a brighter, healthier future that we all know our ocean’s wildlife truly deserve.

 

 

Click HERE to find out what makes the seahorse above Father of the Year!

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Seahorse  |  Seahorse Facts You May Not Know

Edited December 11, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - WEATHER VANES

Wind vanes are found on small horizontal axis wind turbines

 

Did you know... that a weather vane, wind vane, or weathercock is an instrument used for showing the direction of the wind. It is typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building. The word vane comes from the Old English word fana, meaning "flag". Although partly functional, weather vanes are generally decorative, often featuring the traditional cockerel design with letters indicating the points of the compass. Other common motifs include ships, arrows, and horses. Not all weather vanes have pointers. When the wind is sufficiently strong, the head of the arrow or cockerel (or equivalent depending on the chosen design) will indicate the direction from which the wind is blowing. Weather vanes are also found on small wind turbines to keep the wind turbine pointing into the wind. The weather vane was independently invented in ancient China and Greece around the same time during the 2nd century BCE. The earliest written reference to a weather vane appears in the Huainanzi, and a weather vane was fitted on top of the Tower of the Winds in Athens. (Wikipedia)

 

A Brief History of Weather Vanes

By Rachelle Oblack  |  Updated on February 20, 2019

Weather vane on a building against a cloudy sky at sunset.

 

A weather vane is also called a wind vane or weathercock. This is a device used to show the direction from which the wind blows. Traditionally, weather vanes are mounted on taller structures, including houses and barns. The reason weather vanes are posted in high locations is to prevent interference and to catch the purest breezes.

 

1. The Pointer

 

The key piece of a weather vane is the central pivoting arrow or pointer. The pointer is usually tapered at one end to provide balance and to catch even light winds. The larger end of the pointer acts as a sort of scoop that catches the wind. Once the pointer turns, the larger end will find a balance and line up with the source of the winds.

 

2. Early Weather Vanes

 

Weather vanes have been used as early as the first century B.C. in ancient Greece. The earliest weather vane on record was a bronze sculpture built by Andronicus in Athens. The instrument was mounted at the top of the Tower of the Winds and looked like the Greek God Triton, ruler of the sea. Triton was believed to have the body of a fish and the head and torso of a human. A pointed wand in Triton's hand showed the direction from which the wind was blowing. The Ancient Romans also used weather vanes. In the ninth century A.D., the Pope decreed that the cock, or rooster, be used as a weather vane on church domes or steeples, perhaps as a symbol of Christianity, referring to Jesus' prophecy that Peter will deny him three times before the rooster crows the morning after the Last Supper. Roosters were commonly used as weather vanes on churches in both Europe and America for hundreds of years.  Roosters are useful as wind vanes because their tail is the perfect shape to catch the wind. Symbolically, the rooster is the first to see the rising sun and announce the day. It represents the victory of light over darkness while warding off evil. 

 

3. George Washington's Weather Vane

 

 

George Washington was an observer and recorder of weather. He made many notes in his journals, though many would argue that his work was erratic at best. His information on daily weather patterns was not recorded in a scientific and organized manner, making the data hard to follow. In addition, many of his observations were subjective and not taken with instrumentation, which was readily available by this time. Yet his legend continues, as tales of the harsh winter in Valley Forge have become a part of the living history of George Washington. George Washington's weather vane, located at the cupola on Mount Vernon, was one of his favorite instruments. He specifically asked the architect of Mount Vernon, Joseph Rakestraw, to design a  unique weather vane instead of the traditional rooster vane. The weather vane was made of copper in the shape of a dove of peace, complete with olive branches in its mouth. The vane still sits at Mount Vernon. It's been covered in gold leaf to protect it from the elements.

 

4. Weather Vanes in America

 

Weather vanes appeared during Colonial times and became an American tradition. Thomas Jefferson had a weather vane at his Monticello house. It was designed with a pointer that extended to a compass rose on the ceiling in the room below so that he could see the wind direction from inside his house. Weather vanes were common on churches and town halls, and on barns and houses in more rural areas. As their popularity grew, people began to be more creative with the designs. People in coastal communities had weather vanes in the shape of ships, fish, whales, or mermaids, while farmers had weather vanes in the shape of racing horses, roosters, pigs, bulls, and sheep. There is even a grasshopper weather vane on top of Faneuil Hall in Boston, MA.  In the 1800s, weather vanes became even more widespread and patriotic, with the Goddess of Liberty and Federal Eagle designs particularly favored. Weather vanes became fancier and more elaborate during the Victorian Era. They returned to simpler forms after 1900. Modern weather vanes are made in a huge variety of different shapes and designs.

 

Weather Vane Facts

• The large weather vane installed at the airports is known as the ‘wind tee’. At the airports, wind direction may also be shown by a cone-shaped bag known as the wind cone, wind sock, wind sleeve.
• Some of the popular ornaments on wind vanes include galloping horses, roosters, fish, mermaids, angels, and ships.
• Meteorologists use a device known as an aerovane that shows the direction of the wind and can also measure the wind speed.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Weather Vane  |  Brief Facts About Weather Vanes

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - WEATHER

Thunderstorm near Garajau, Madeira

Did you know... that weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. On Earth, most weather phenomena occur in the lowest layer of the planet's atmosphere, the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers to day-to-day temperature, precipitation, and other atmospheric conditions, whereas climate is the term for the averaging of atmospheric conditions over longer periods of time.[4] When used without qualification, "weather" is generally understood to mean the weather of Earth. (Wikipedia)

 

Weird and Wonderful Weather

by Karlina Valeiko  |  November 6, 2021

The world is a curious place and so is the weather. A hot topic of conversation wherever you are, our climate never ceases to surprise, delight and upset us. From unbelievable records to animals that can tell the temperature, these are the mind-blowing facts about the world's weather you probably didn't know.

 

The United States has the most tornadoes

According to US Tornadoes, the United States experiences around 75% of the world's known tornadoes – that's an average of 1,253 tornadoes per year. Although tornadoes have been recorded in every US state, you're most likely to see one in Texas. With typically 146.7 tornadoes a year, the state has also experienced some of the worst in recorded history. Take a look at the full ranking of the US states where you're most and least likely to see a tornado.

 

Wind is silent

If you imagine a windy day outside, you're probably thinking of whistling and swooshing sounds that increase with the speed of wind. In reality, wind is silent until it passes through or comes into contact with an object. It can be either friction, rolling or rubbing that causes these sounds, but it's always the objects reacting to the wind that produce sounds rather than the wind itself.

 

It almost never snows in Antarctica

You might be very surprised to hear this, but it almost never rains or snows in Antarctica. It's actually a desert and a particularly dry one at that. For precipitation to happen there needs to be humidity and there's no humidity without heat – conditions that don't occur on the world's southernmost continent. When it does snow, the snow doesn't melt and is accumulated over thousands of years until it compresses and turns into ice. 

 

There are 760 thunderstorms on Earth every hour

There have been many attempts to calculate the number of thunderstorms happening on Earth, however, the data has always been inaccurate due to the complicated nature of gathering it. The number was finally calculated in 2011 thanks to more than 40 weather stations around the world that were equipped with machines able to detect electromagnetic pulses produced by strong lightning bolts. Curiously, the peak time for storms around the world is around noon GMT. 

 

Raindrops are really fast...

Although an estimation, most physicists agree that an average raindrop falls with a speed between nine and 10 meters per second, which is an equivalent to 22mph (35.4km/h). These calculations are based on a large raindrop (about 3/16in/5mm in diameter) and explains why rain, especially heavy rain, can erode soil so easily. 

 

... they don't look like you think...

Even though we're used to seeing drawings and images of tear-shaped raindrops, that's not how raindrops appear in real life. With many factors, including gravity, air resistance and surface tension having an impact on the structure of each individual drop, they actually vary in shape. Smaller droplets are spherical, while larger drops have a more domed shape – almost like the top bun on a burger.

 

... and here's why they aren't bigger

When each individual droplet gets heavy enough in the cloud to fall, it accumulates other droplets it bumps into en route to the ground. But despite this, you won't find raindrops the size of basketballs falling from the sky. That's because of a number of factors, including the speed at which it falls. The bigger the raindrop, the faster it falls and the higher air pressure it has to withstand until eventually the air pressure overcomes the surface tension, splitting the drop into two. 

 

The Mississippi River once froze over its entire length

Setting temperature records that still stand to this day, many American cities experienced the coldest-ever temperatures in 1899, when four consecutive days of extremely harsh winter conditions swept across North America. Known by many names, including The Great Cold Wave and The Great Arctic Outbreak, February of that year was so cold the Mississippi River froze over its entire length. A similar event was recorded in the UK during the Great Frost of 1683–84, when severe weather meant the River Thames was completely frozen for two months. 

 

The wettest place on Earth is in India

Disputed by several places in Colombia, the current official record holder, as recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records, is Mawsynram (pictured) in East Khasi Hills in eastern India. With a long monsoon season and a short dry season, the average annual rainfall here is 467.4 inches (1,187cm) which is equal to a three-story house in height. The neighboring hamlet of Cherrapunji has also staked its claim for the record.

Source: Wikipedia - Weather  |  Exploring the Weather

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - GALILEO GALILEI

Galileo (1636)

Did you know.... that Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei, commonly referred to as Galileo, was an astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a polymath, from Pisa, in modern-day Italy. Galileo has been called the "father" of observational astronomy, modern physics, the scientific method, and modern science. (Wikipedia)

 

Things You May Not Know About Galileo
Get the facts on the iconic Italian astronomer and physicist.
by ELIZABETH NIX  |  ORIGINAL:OCT 26, 2015  |  UPDATED:AUG 31, 2018

 

1. He was a college dropout.
Galileo, whose father was a lute player and music theorist, was born in Pisa, Italy. Although his father was from a noble family, they weren’t wealthy. As a preteen, Galileo began studying at a monastery near Florence and considered becoming a monk; however, his father wasn’t in favor of his son pursuing a religious life and eventually removed him from the school. When he was 16, Galileo enrolled at the University of Pisa to study medicine, at his father’s urging. Instead, though, he became interested in mathematics and shifted his focus to that subject. Galileo left the school in 1585 without earning a degree. He continued his mathematics studies on his own and earned money by giving private lessons before returning to the University of Pisa in 1589 to teach math.

 

2. He didn’t invent the telescope.

 

Galileo didn’t invent the telescope—Dutch eyeglass maker Hans Lippershey is generally credited with its creation—but he was the first person to use the optical instrument to systematically study the heavens. Lippershey’s patent application for the device in 1608 is the earliest on record; however, because the Dutch government decided the telescope was too easy to copy and because another Dutch instrument-maker had tried to patent the device a short time after Lippershey, no patent was granted. In 1609, Galileo learned about the device and developed one of his own, significantly improving its design. That fall, he pointed it at the moon and discovered it had craters and mountains, debunking the common belief that the moon’s surface was smooth.

Galileo soon went on to make other findings with his telescope, including that there were four moons orbiting Jupiter and that Venus went through a complete set of phases (indicating the planet traveled around the sun). Galileo’s discoveries brought him acclaim and in 1610 he was named the chief mathematician and philosopher to the grand duke of Tuscany as well as chief mathematician at the University of Pisa. More significantly, Galileo’s observations would lead him to support the theory, laid out in 1543 by Polish mathematician and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, that the sun is the center of the universe and the Earth and other planets revolve around it.

 

3. His daughters were nuns.

Galileo’s eldest daughter, Virginia, or Sister Maria Celeste.

Galileo had three children with a woman named Marina Gamba, who he never married. In 1613, he placed his two daughters, Virginia, born in 1600, and Livia, born in 1601, in a convent near Florence, where they remained for the rest of their lives, despite their father’s eventual troubles with the Catholic Church. Galileo maintained close ties with his older daughter, who became known as Sister Maria Celeste. From inside the convent, she baked and sewed for him, among other tasks. He in turn gave food and supplies to the impoverished convent. Galileo’s son, Vincenzo, born in 1606, studied medicine at the University of Pisa, married well and resided in Florence as an adult.
 

4. Galileo was sentenced to life in prison by the Roman Inquisition.
Copernicus’ heliocentric theory about the way the universe works challenged the widely accepted belief, espoused by the astronomer Ptolemy in the second century, that put the Earth at the center of the solar system. In 1616, the Catholic Church declared Copernican theory heretical because it was viewed as contradicting certain Bible verses. Galileo received permission from the Church to continue investigating Copernicus’ ideas, as long as he didn’t hold or defend them. In 1632, he published “Dialogue of the Two Principal Systems of the World,” and although it was presented as a discussion between friends about the ideas of Ptolemy and Copernicus, the book was seen as supporting the Copernican model of the universe. As a result, the following year Galileo was ordered to stand trial before the Inquisition in Rome. After being found guilty of heresy, Galileo was forced to publicly repent and sentenced to life in prison.

 

5. He spent his final years under house arrest.

Although Galileo was given life behind bars, his sentence soon was changed to house arrest. He lived out his final years at Villa Il Gioiello (“the Jewel”), his home in the town of Arcetri, near Florence. Barred from seeing friends or publishing books, he nonetheless received visitors from around Europe, including philosopher Thomas Hobbes and poet John Milton. Additionally, he managed to smuggle out the manuscript for a new work, “Discourses and Mathematical Demonstrations Concerning Two New Sciences,” about physics and mechanics. The book, Galileo’s last, was published in Holland in 1638. That same year, Galileo went totally blind. He died on January 8, 1642, at age 77.

 

6. His middle finger is on display in a museum.

Middle finger of Galileo's right hand

 

After Galileo died, he was buried in a side chapel at the church of Santa Croce in Florence. Nearly a century later, in 1737, as the scientist’s remains were being transferred to a burial place of honor in the Santa Croce basilica three of his fingers, along with a vertebra and a tooth, were removed from his corpse. Two of Galileo’s fingers, along with his tooth, were kept by one of his admirers and handed down through generations of his relatives. The items were thought to be lost sometime in the early 1900s. However, in 2009, the two fingers and tooth appeared at an auction and were snapped up by a private collector; using historical documentation, experts later concluded the items were Galileo’s. Meanwhile, the third finger taken from Galileo’s remains—the middle finger of his right hand—has been housed at various museums in Italy since at least the first half of the 1800s. The purloined vertebra ended up at the University of Padua, where Galileo taught from 1592 to 1610.

 

7. NASA named a spacecraft for him.
In 1989, NASA and a team from Germany launched a spacecraft bearing Galileo’s name from the cargo bay of space shuttle Atlantis. After arriving at Jupiter in 1995, the Galileo spacecraft became the first to study the planet and its moons for an extended time. The spacecraft found evidence of saltwater below the surface of three of Jupiter’s moons, Europa, Callisto and Ganymede, and provided information about volcanic activity on another one of the planet’s moons, Io. (The four moons were discovered by the real-life Galileo in 1610 with a telescope.) In 2003, the mission came to an end when NASA intentionally crashed the spacecraft into Jupiter (the solar system’s largest planet) in order to eliminate the risk of Galileo colliding with Europa and contaminating any potential life there.

8. The Vatican didn’t admit Galileo was right until 1992.
In 1979, Pope John Paul II initiated an investigation into the Catholic Church’s condemnation of Galileo. Thirteen years later, and 359 years after Galileo was tried by the Inquisition, the pope officially closed the investigation and issued a formal apology in the case, acknowledging that errors were made by the judges during the trial.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Galileo Galilei  |  Facts About Galileo

Edited December 14, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - FORTY-SEVEN RONIN

Did you know.... that the revenge of the forty-seven rōnin, also known as the Akō incident or Akō vendetta, is a historical 18th-century event in Japan in which a band of rōnin (leaderless samurai) avenged the death of their master. The incident has since become legendary. The incident has since become legendary. It is one of the three major adauchi vendetta incidents in Japan, alongside the Revenge of the Soga Brothers and the Igagoe vendetta.  (Wikipedia)

 

 

The Forty-Seven Rōnin: The True Story Behind Japan’s National Legend

by Lily Johnson  |  19 Jan 2021 

 

The story of the forty-seven rōnin is one of the most famous and well-told tales in Japan, and is considered by many as ‘Japan’s National Legend’. While many believe it to be mere invention, owed in part to its many fictionalized retellings in the form of Chūshingura, the bloody events of the tale hold historical truth. Also referred to as the Akō vendetta, the story of the forty-seven rōnin surrounds an 18th-century feud between a young lord named Asano Naganori and Kira Yoshinaka, a shōgunate official, that had tragic results.

Initial dispute
In 1701, Kira was assigned the task of tutoring Lord Asano Naganori and another young lord in matters of court etiquette and protocol, to prepare them for a visit from state officials. During this tutelage, Kira was said to have grown bitter towards the two young men, with a number of theories as to why. Some suggest that Kira did not receive acceptable gifts from the young men, befitting the compensation his work called for, while other accounts retain that they would not offer him the bribes he sought.

 

Lord Asano Naganori by Unknown

 

It may have also been that Asano was unaware of the protocols of the shogunate court – he was, after all receiving tutelage in this – and failed to afford Kira the reverence he expected. Whatever the reason for Kira’s displeasure, he soon took a dislike for the young men and began to treat them with disrespect and severity.

 

Lucky escape
Despite popular opinion, Lord Asano was not the initial of the two students to take offence to this treatment. His peer and fellow feudal lord Kamei Korechika was furious, even preparing himself to kill Kira over his disrespectful conduct. He dodged the fate that would befall Asano however, when his pragmatic counsellors slipped Kira a large bribe. Appeased by this, Kira began treating Lord Kamei with dignity, and a crisis was averted.

 

Attack in the ‘Great Corridor of Pines’
If Lord Kamei’s bribe placed him back in Kira’s good books however, it only served to further tarnish the court officer’s opinion of Lord Asano. He continued to treat him severely, until openly insulting him when calling him a country boor with no manners. Asano’s temper soon reached a pitch, and on 14 March he attacked Kira with a dagger in the Matsu no Ōrōka – or ‘Great Corridor of Pines’ – at Edo Castle. The attack was unsuccessful; rather than inflict a severe blow, Asano merely managed to wound Kira in the face before the pair were separated by guards. While the wound was hardly critical, the implications of Asano’s actions were deadly.

 

Woodblock print depicting the assault by Asano Naganori on Kira Yoshinaka at Edo Castle.

 

Any form of violence was forbidden at Edo Castle, and the mere act of removing a dagger from its sheath within its walls carried capital punishment, and worse so when aimed at a shōgunate official.

 

Punishment
Upon hearing of the assault, Shōgun Tsunayoshi ordered Lord Asano to commit seppuku (ritual suicide), while Kira received no punishment at all. On the same day of his impulsive assault, Lord Asano killed himself aged 26.

Just before his suicide, he wrote a melancholic death poem:

‘More than the cherry blossoms,

Inviting a wind to blow them away,

I am wondering what to do,

With the remaining springtime.’

His goods and lands were confiscated, and his family left in disgrace.

The ‘rōnin’
Now that Lord Asano was dead, his group of samurai retainers were left without a leader, becoming what is called ‘rōnin’ (leaderless). According to the Code of the Samurai, ‘rōnin’ were supposed to immediately commit ritual suicide upon the death of their master – and if they did not, they were looked upon with great shame. A group of these rōnin however, had other ideas.

Vengeance
Despite revenge against Kira strictly prohibited, a group of forty-seven of the rōnin lived on with one mission – avenge Asano’s death by killing Kira. Swearing a secret oath, the forty-seven set about meticulously planning their attack, with their leader Ōishi at the helm. Suspecting such an attack, Kira and his home in Edo were guarded heavily. With heavy suspicion surrounding the the rōnin’s next move, they disbanded, taking up jobs as various tradesmen, merchants and even monks. Ōishi himself, knowing that Kira would send spies after him, embroiled himself in a life of debauchery, frequenting drinking houses and brothels to give the impression that he was no longer an honourable samurai. Kira needed to believe him cowardly and uninterested in avenging his master for their plan to work.

 

The storming of Kira’s mansion
After hearing such reports from his spies, Kira indeed saw himself safe from attack, and let down his guard. The rōnin then secretly gathered in Edo. In their undercover roles as workmen and merchants, they had been able to gain access to Kira’s house, making note of its layout and those who worked and lived there. They held a final dinner, confirming their carefully designed attack plan and emphasized that they would spare any women, children, and other vulnerable people they may encounter on their mission. On 15 December, 1702 they stormed Kira’s mansion, eventually forcing their way into his chambers, but mysteriously found no sign of him. They knew he couldn’t have been far however, as his bed was still warm.

 

The rōnin attack the principal gate of Kira’s mansion by Katsushika Hokusai 

 

After an extensive search, the rōnin discovered the entrance to a secret courtyard hidden behind a large scroll, and inside found the man they were looking for – confirmed by an ugly scar across his face, inflicted by Lord Asano the previous year. They declared that they had come for revenge, and offered to let him die via the more honourable seppuku. After he made no response, they killed him, cutting off his head and taking it to Lord Asano’s tomb in his honour. The rōnin then turned themselves in and themselves committed seppuku. Only one of the rōnin escaped this fate, after being pardoned by the Shōgun. They were buried in front of their master’s tomb, having fulfilled their duty by him.

 

Grave of Lord Asano Naganori at Sengaku-ji temple, Tokyo 

 

In this act the rōnin restored honour to Lord Asano’s family, allowing his younger brother to re-establish their name and affording their fellow rōnin uninvolved in the revenge plan to find employment out of disgrace.
 

Significance to the Japanese people
Over the years, the tale of the forty-seven rōnin has come to symbolize loyalty, sacrifice, persistence, and honour in Japanese culture. From as early as two weeks after the event, various dramatized depictions of the story arose, such as in traditional kabuki and bunraku performance arts. Since then, countless numbers of books, plays, and films on the topic have been released across Japan and indeed the world, taking on various forms and artistic focuses. Whatever varying angles or messages these decide to portray however, the original tale of bravery will forever be grounded in truth. A testament to this arrives every year on 14 December at the graves of the rōnin and their master, in which a festival is observed to celebrate the devout loyalty and honour of the real people who lived it.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Forty-seven Rōnin  |  Facts About the 47 Rōnin

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - THE WRIGHT FLYER

The first powered, controlled, sustained airplane flight in history.

 

Did you know.... that the Wright Flyer made the first sustained flight by a manned heavier-than-air powered and controlled aircraft—an airplane. Invented by the Wright brothers, it was flown by them four times on December 17, 1903, near Kill Devil Hills, about 4 miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Today, the airplane is exhibited in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. Its flights marked the beginning of the "pioneer era" of aviation. (Wikipedia)

 

The First Flight: Wright Flyer
By Jeremy Hsu  |  June 17, 2019

 

The Wright Flyer, which made its first flight in 1903, was the first crewed, powered, heavier-than-air and (to some degree) controlled flying machine. It was hard to imagine back then that a few wobbly flights would lead to an international aviation industry, not to mention the first human spaceflight just 58 years later, in 1961. 

 

Wilbur and Orville Wright played with a toy rubber-powered flyer as children and flew kites, spurring their inspiration for flight early in life. Their eventual first flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, relied upon innovations in flight control and self-propulsion — both necessary for the aircraft to stay aloft without crashing during its first successful flight tests, on Dec. 17, 1903.

 

 

 

The Wright Flyer design
The birth of the Wright brothers' serious interest in flight began with the death of glider pioneer Otto Lilienthal in 1896, according to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Like Lilienthal, the brothers experimented with kite and glider designs to build up to the first aircraft. 

Past glider pilots had steered their gliders by shifting around their body weight. But the Wright brothers came up with a more elegant solution; they twisted or warped the aircraft's wingtips in opposite directions to affect the airflow over the wings. That twist created different amounts of lift on each wing so that the aircraft would tilt toward one side. The pilot controlled the warping of the Wright Flyer's wing tips using wires connected to a hip cradle. That meant the pilot could steer by sliding his hips from side to side.

 

Wind-tunnel tests in the fall of 1901 and hundreds of gliding tests in 1902 led to an aircraft design with better lift, a forward elevator to pitch its nose up or down, and a vertical tail rudder for more effective flight control. Such improvements set the stage for the flying machine that would achieve sustained flight in 1903.

 

Making a flying machine that could do more than glide required the Wright brothers to invent the first working aircraft propellers. They envisioned the propeller as an aircraft wing placed on its side and spun around to create the air flow for horizontal "lift," the force needed to move an aircraft forward.

 

 

The Wright brothers built a 12-horsepower engine to power two propellers mounted behind the wings of their 1903 Flyer. A chain-and-sprocket transmission system connected the engine to the propellers so that it could turn them.

 

Muslin fabric covered the spruce and ash wood that formed the framework of the 1903 Wright Flyer. The aircraft had a wingspan of 40 feet, 4 inches (12.3 meters); a length of 21 feet (6.4 m); a height of 9 feet, 3 inches (2.8 m); and a weight of 605 lbs. (274 kilograms) without a pilot.

 

A diagram showing the evolution of the Wright Brothers' airplane design, culminating in the vehicle that achieved humanity's first powered flight in 1903.

 

The sky's the limit
The Wright Flyer made its historic, 12-second flight on Dec. 17, before flying again three more times and covering a distance of 852 feet (255.6 m) in 59 seconds on the fourth and final flight. The age of powered flight had begun.

 

The milestones of flight since 1903 are too numerous to list in a short article, but some of the major ones (according to Air & Space Smithsonian) include the first carrier ship landing, in 1911; the first aerial refueling, in 1923; the first transatlantic plane crossing by a team, in 1919 (Charles Lindbergh did the first solo one, in 1927); the first instrument-only flight, in 1929; and the first flight to break the sound barrier, in 1947. Since then, airplanes have (in general) become safer, quieter and more fuel-efficient, and today, advanced drones fly dangerous warfare missions or during natural disasters.

 

The Space Age began in 1957, with the launch of Sputnik, followed by the 1961 mission that made Yuri Gagarin the first human in space. Spaceflight today is by no means as routine as airplane flights, but that's not to say this won't someday happen. Over just a matter of decades, astronauts have accumulated experience in performing complex spacewalks, doing science aboard the International Space Station, and living in space for a year or more at a time. 

 

Yuri Gagarin

 

Additional resources:

Read more about the Wright Flyer, from the National Park Service. 
Check out the Wright Brothers Collection at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.
Watch this video about the 1903 Wright Flyer replica at the EAA AirVenture Museum.  

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Wright Flyer  |  Fact About the Wright Flyer

 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - NAPS

Did you know.... that a nap is a short period of sleep, typically taken during daytime hours as an adjunct to the usual nocturnal sleep period. Naps are most often taken as a response to drowsiness during waking hours. A nap is a form of biphasic or polyphasic sleep, where the latter terms also include longer periods of sleep in addition to one single period. For years, scientists have been investigating the benefits of napping, including the 30-minute nap as well as sleep durations of 1–2 hours. Performance across a wide range of cognitive processes has been tested.  (Wikipedia)

 

Must Know Facts About Naps
BY TOMORROW TEAM  |  MARCH 3, 2018 

Studies show that short daytime dozes are beneficial for both the mind and body. Here are some fun facts we’ve uncovered about napping from around the world.

 

There Are Three Types Of Nappers

 

• Habitual Nappers: People who nap at the same time every day
• Planned Nappers: Folks who plan to take a snooze before they get tired
• Emergency Nappers: People who wait until they are so tired that they have to stop what they’re doing to take a nap

 

What’s Better, A Cup Of Coffee Or A Nap?

 

Coffee might be the easier option when it comes to getting a midday boost, but it isn’t necessarily the best one. Although caffeine makes you feel more alert (and you can’t add cream and sugar to a nap), the energy effects of coffee eventually wear off. This “crash” can leave you feeling more tired than before, making napping a better option for long-term relief.

 

NASA Says Naps Work

 

NASA conducted a study on fatigued astronauts and military pilots. It found that a 40-minute doze improved the pilot’s performances by 34% and alertness by 100%, (this is longer than the average recommended nap time, discover more below). If you want to snooze like an astronaut try the zero gravity position on Tomorrow’s Adjustable Base.

 

Are Naps as Important as Exercise?

Dr. James B. Maas, a psychologist and sleep researcher believes that like exercise, napping is essential to good health and should be prioritized as such. The benefits of napping include:

• Increased alertness
• Increased reaction time
• Improved mood
• Improved performance
• Reduced fatigue

 

Humans and Animals Don’t Nap the Same Way

 

The overwhelming majority of mammals are polyphasic sleepers. That is, they sleep for short periods throughout the day. Humans are unusual because we have two distinct periods of the day: wakefulness and sleep. Naps are the exception. We are also the only mammals who willingly put off sleep and make plans to nap.

 

You Can Prevent Post-Nap Grogginess

 

Naps longer than 20 minutes have the potential to make you feel groggy and can affect the quality of your night-time sleep. Instead, try taking a 15 – 20 minute power nap for a quick, midday boost.

 

New Parents Should Take A Cue From Their Babies

 

Dr Michael Thorpy and Dr. Shelby Freedman Harris of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center recommend that parents try to sleep at the same time as their babies. For example, napping at the same time as your baby is sleeping is a great way to counteract sleep deprivation.

 

Sex Puts You To Sleep

 

According to an “Ask Men” survey, the majority of men like to get intimate (snacking came in second) before taking a nap. This is most likely due to oxytocin, the “feel-good” hormone that is released by both men and women during sex, making it easier to relax and fall asleep afterward. When oxytocin, prolactin and melatonin all come together, you have the trifecta for a fantastic snooze.

 

Napping Around The World

 

The Japanese respect workplace naps so much that they even have a name for them, “inemuri.” The word translates to, “to be asleep while present.” It is believed that workers are sacrificing nightly sleep to work harder and longer, making falling asleep at the office socially acceptable. In Japan, people have been known to fake napping to look committed to their jobs. Many European cultures also favor the midday snooze, with “siestas” originating in Spain thousands of years ago. Some American businesses are beginning to realize the benefits of napping. Google headquarters has “nap pods” that block out both sound and light.

 

There Is An Ideal Time For Napping

 

Researchers at the University of California-Berkeley determined that the best time for napping is in the middle of your wake-cycle. So, the next time you schedule a nap aim for eight hours after waking and eight hours before bedtime.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Nap  |  Facts About Naps

Edited December 17, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - OLD QUEBEC

Most of the buildings in Upper Town date

to the early 19th century.
 

Did you know.... that Old Quebec (French: Vieux-Québec) is a historic neighbourhood of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Comprising the Upper Town (French: Haute-Ville) and Lower Town (French: Basse-Ville), the area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Administratively, Old Quebec is part of the Vieux-Québec–Cap-Blanc–colline Parlementaire district in the borough of La Cité-Limoilou. The area is commonly referred to as "the Old City" or "Quebec's Old City" in English. It is sometimes referred to as the Latin Quarter (French: Quartier latin) as well, although this title refers more to area around the Séminaire de Québec, the original site of Laval University. (Wikipedia)

 

Delightful Things to Do in Old Quebec City, Canada

by TravelBlissNow  |  July 29, 2020

Église Notre-Dame-des-Victoires

 

There are so many wonderful things to do in old Quebec City, it’s impossible not to be utterly enchanted.  It’s an area that oozes European cachet, romance, and fine cuisine, you’ll be so charmed, you’ll want to date it. This makes Quebec City a great option for a trip if you’re looking for the old European feel, without having to travel all the way across the Atlantic (and without fighting the summer tourist crowds!) No matter what time of year you visit, Quebec City (especially old Quebec City) offers lots to do.

 

OLD QUEBEC

Old Quebec City sits on a bluff overlooking the St. Lawrence River in the Province of Quebec, Canada. The historic district is an UNESCO World Heritage Site, as the birthplace of French civilization in North America.  It’s where, 400 years ago, the French colonists first founded “New France” and started what grew into modern Quebec City.  The old part of the city is a compact area that was contained within fortified walls, much of which exist today.

 

1. Visit the Château Frontenac – the most photographed hotel in the world

Probably the most iconic iconic landmark in Quebec City, the Château Frontenac was built over 100 years ago as a luxury stopover for railway passengers – – it was never actually a real castle! A resting place for the rich and royal, the guest list has included King George and Queen Elizabeth, Monaco’s Princess Grace,  and Alfred Hitchcock. You can learn more by booking an exclusive guided tour of the hotel. It’s still a hotel today (which makes this a perfect first stop if you plan to stay here – I did once!)  The hotel exudes old world elegance, with its wood-paneled ceilings in the lobby and a soaring hallway chandelier. You can stop in at the 1608 Bar to savour some wine and local cheese while enjoying the views of the St. Lawrence River or enjoy a lavish meal at the Champlain restaurant. The hotel also does a wonderful afternoon tea. Location: 1 Rue des Carrières (You can’t miss it!)

 

2.  Stroll Dufferin Terrace

 

A walk along this 671-metre long boardwalk beside the Château Frontenac is de rigueur.  I imagine hotels guests took this same stroll 100 years ago to show off their finery. The Dufferin Terrace is a 200 year old wooden promenade connecting to the historic Citadelle, a huge star-shaped fort, and runs alongside the Château Frontenac. While the winds here can be brisk, you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views from the gazebos that line the terrace, as well as interesting historic sights like the cannons that the British captured from the Russians during the Crimean War and your first glimpse of the original fortifications of the city. This is a lively spot year-round.  In the summer, street performers are out in full force.  In the winter, riding the toboggan slide on Dufferin Terrace is quite a thrill – – they fly downhill at speeds of up to 70 kilometres an hour.

 

3. Wander the streets of Quartier Petit-Champlain

 

Quartier Petit-Champlain, nestled in the Lower Town area of the city is widely regarded at the most beautiful neighbourhood in Quebec City for its bewitching mix of culture and history.  The street, rue du Petit-Champlain was actually voted Canada’s most beautiful street in 2014. Lined with bistros, shops and art galleries, you’ll love walking along the cobblestone streets, soaking up the heritage of the old buildings with their gabled roofs.   It feels like stepping back in time and into France

 

4.  Take the Funiculaire

 

From Lower Town, you can climb the “Breakneck Stairs” up to Dufferin Terrace and Upper Town.  Or you can take the funicular (funiculaire in French). The funicular links the Quartier Petit-Champlain to the Château Frontenac.  In operation since 1879, it offers a wonderful view of the neighbourhood and the St. Lawrence River, as you ascend to Dufferin Terrace. There are multiple stairs (not just the Breakneck Stairs) connecting Lower Town and Upper Town, but the funicular is a fun option and will save you from losing your breath. Location:  16 Rue du Petit Champlain

 

5.  Take the Ferry across the St. Lawrence River

 

Another way to get spectacular views of the city is to take the ferry from Quebec City across the St. Lawrence River to the neighbouring city of Levis. It’s a perfect way to watch the sun set and the city light up at night.  For only $7 for the round trip,  it’s an ideal way to relax for a couple of hours out of the city.  Ferry Terminal Location: 10 Rue des Traversiers  (You can get tickets on site).

 

6. Take a Tour in a Horse-Drawn Carriage

 

How many cities do you know that still have hitching posts along the road?  Look for the posts, and that’s where you’ll find a horse-drawn carriage for a tour of the old city (usually across the street from the Château Frontenac).  Locally, it’s known as a calèche.  While the tours can be pricey, they cover the key city highlights, with narration by the driver.  This is the best finishing touch to that Old World feel you can only get in Old Quebec City.

 

7.  Admire the Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral

 

The Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral, a national historic monument of Canada, is the oldest Catholic parish in North America. The Basilica dates back to 1647 and has had a tumultuous history of bombardment and reconstruction.  Many of the art works remain from the time of the French regime, and it is the final resting place for four governors of New France. If you’re a lover of old, beautiful architecture, this is a must-see stop. Location:  Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, 16, rue De Buade

 

8. Drop in at the Maison de la littérature

 

The Maison de la littérature combines a public library with a centre to promote the local literary scene.  There’s even a comic strip studio and a literary bistro. Even if you don’t read French, this place is worth a look for its stunning design.  It’s located in a former church that was built in 1848.  The renovated building still features soaring church windows and a unique spiral staircase, a perfect venue for that Instagram shot. Location:  40 Rue Saint-Stanislas
 

9.  Visit the Morrin Centre

 

The Morrin Centre was built over 200 years ago as Quebec City’s first prison. Now, this national historic site houses a beautiful English-language library.  Its collection has 26,000 literary gems, some dating back to the 16th century. You can tour the haunting prison cells, and then enjoy a Victorian tea in the Library. Tours last from 45 to 50 minutes and are available in English and in French.  The tea is available on Sunday afternoons during the summer. Location:  44 Chaussée des Écossais

 

10.  Discover the dark side of old Quebec City on a ghostly walking tour

 

Take a 90-minute walking tour through the darker history of New France.  The guide for this tour dresses as one of the city’s notorious characters and shares stories of terrible crimes and misdemeanors that happened here centuries ago. It’s a ghoulish, but entertaining walk through the old city after the sun goes down. Book the Ghosts and Crimes of New France Walking Tour here.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Old Quebec  |  Facts About the Old World Charm of Quebec City

Edited December 18, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - OUTLAWS

 

Did you know..... that an outlaw is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so that anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them. Outlawry was thus one of the harshest penalties in the legal system. The majority of outlaws in the Old West preyed on banks, trains, and stagecoaches. Some crimes were carried out by Mexicans and Native Americans against white citizens who were targets of opportunity along the U.S.–Mexico border, particularly in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. For example, Pancho Villa was a bandit from Durango, Mexico who also conducted cross-border raids into New Mexico and Texas. Some individuals, like Jesse James, became outlaws after serving in the Civil War. Some were simply men who took advantage of the wildness and lawlessness of the frontier to enrich themselves at the expense of others. Some outlaws migrated to the frontier to escape prosecution for crimes elsewhere. (Wikipedia) (Old West Gunslingers)

 

 

Gunslingin’ Facts about Outlaws
“An outlaw can be defined as somebody who lives outside the law, beyond the law, and not necessarily against it.” – Hunter S. Thompson

Here are some a few facts about outlaws that you might not have known.

by Matthew Burke  |  May 2017

 

What’s Up, Doc?
John Henry “Doc” Holliday was an outlaw gambler, gunfighter, and dentist in the 19th century. He was a known associate of Wyatt Earp and was involved in the famous shootout at the OK Corral, perhaps the most famous shootout in the American wild west. Doc was actually a lawman at the time of the shootout but later went on to get in many more confrontation leading to murder and assault charges being laid. He eventually died of tuberculosis at the age of 36.

 

OK Corral Reenactment

 

A Complicated Webb

John Joshua Webb was a famous lawman who decided to pursue a life of crime, using his connections to his advantage. After an unsuccessful jail break, he was convicted of murder. This led him to flee to Texas and change his name to Samuel King. He eventually died of smallpox in 1882.

 

 

What Happens in Vegas…

Hoodoo Brown, real name Hyman G. Neil, was the leader of the Dodge City Gang that terrorized Las Vegas, New Mexico from 1879 to 1880. He was a high ranking politician who used his position to cover up his crimes. Eventually, the citizens of Las Vegas got sick of his corruption, hired vigilantes, and overthrew him.

 

 

Brotherly Love
Cherokee Bill, real name Crawford Goldsby was a quick-triggered outlaw who terrorized Indian Territory for two years before he was caught and hanged at the tender age of 20. His crime spree began after he shot a man for beating up his younger brother. So at least he was a good sibling.

 

 

The Family Business
Zip Wyatt, also known by aliases Wild Charlie and Dick Yeager, came from a family of criminals. His father was known as “Old Six-Shooter Bill,” while his older brother Nim, was a professional gambler known as “Six Shooter Jack.” Given his role models, it wasn’t surprising that Zip ended up in a life of crime.

 

 

Once You Go Black…
Thomas Edward Ketchum, also known as “Black Jack,” was a notorious outlaw who robbed trains and banks with the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. He was hanged in 1901 after a failed robbery.

 

Bank robbery reenactment.

 

You Go Postal
Isaac “Ike” Black was an outlaw in Kansas and Oklahoma who got his start stealing cattle. He gained more notoriety after teaming up with outlaw fugitive Zip Wyatt in the early 1890s, forming a gang, and robbing a well-known post office in Arapaho.

 

 

Two Sides of the Coin
John Selman headed up a group of vigilantes known as “Selman’s Scouts” who reportedly committed quite a bit of looting. However, because of the conflicts and lawlessness of the time, he was seen both as a hero and a villain. He ended up being shot in a gunfight over a card game.

 

 

The Family that Robs Together…
Thomas Coleman Younger was a member of the James-Younger gang along with his siblings Jim, John, and Bob and Jesse and Frank James. They robbed stagecoaches, banks, and trains. His criminal career ended after a botched bank robbery in 1876 to which he pleaded guilty to avoid the death sentence. He was later paroled, which is better than how most of these stories turn out.

 

Cole Younger

 

Miller the Killer
James Miller, also known as Deacon Jim, was a seemingly upstanding citizen who regularly attended Methodist church and didn’t smoke or drink. He also happened to be a paid assassin with a going rate of $1,500 – $2,000 per job. He was eventually lynched by an angry mob for killing a former Deputy US Marshal. We guess he skipped the part in church where they said “thou shalt not kill.”

 

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Outlaw  |  Facts About Outlaws

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - JAMES BOND

Did you know...... that the James Bond series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have written authorized Bond novels or novelisations: Kingsley Amis, Christopher Wood, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, Sebastian Faulks, Jeffery Deaver, William Boyd, and Anthony Horowitz. The latest novel is Forever and a Day by Anthony Horowitz, published in May 2018. Additionally Charlie Higson wrote a series on a young James Bond, and Kate Westbrook wrote three novels based on the diaries of a recurring series character, Moneypenny. The character—also known by the code number 007 (pronounced "double-O-seven")—has also been adapted for television, radio, comic strip, video games and film. The films are one of the longest continually running film series and have grossed over US$7.04 billion in total, making it the sixth-highest-grossing film series to date, which started in 1962 with Dr. No, starring Sean Connery as Bond. As of 2021, there have been twenty-five films in the Eon Productions series. The most recent Bond film, No Time to Die (2021), stars Daniel Craig in his fifth portrayal of Bond; he is the sixth actor to play Bond in the Eon series. There have also been two independent productions of Bond films: Casino Royale (a 1967 spoof starring David Niven) and Never Say Never Again (a 1983 remake of an earlier Eon-produced film, 1965's Thunderball, both starring Connery). In 2015 the series was estimated to be worth $19.9 billion,[1] making James Bond one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time. The Bond films are renowned for a number of features, including the musical accompaniment, with the theme songs having received Academy Award nominations on several occasions, and two wins. Other important elements which run through most of the films include Bond's cars, his guns, and the gadgets with which he is supplied by Q Branch. The films are also noted for Bond's relationships with various women, who are popularly referred to as "Bond girls".

 

Lesser Known Facts Every James Bond Fan Should Know

by Anuj Tiwari  |  Updated on Oct 01, 2021

Daniel Craig

 

1. Inspirations For James Bond

These included the spy's name, which Fleming took from the American ornithologist James Bond, and the code number - 007- which referred to the breaking of a World War I German diplomatic code. Some aspects of Bond's character and tastes replicate those of Fleming himself.

 

2. Goldfinger Was Once Banned In Israel

 

Goldfinger is one of the most famous James Bond films. Yet, it was banned in Israel for many years. The reason was not because of any content in the film but rather remarks made by Gert Fröbe, who portrayed the main villain. He had made remarks about being a Nazi during the Third Reich but later clarified that he had actually been sympathetic to the persecuted Jews and had helped hide a mother and daughter.

 

3. The James Bond Franchise Holds Multiple Stunt Records
One thing that James Bond is known for is the spectacular stunts that take place in practically every movie. The crew and stunt actors are so experienced that they have even managed to pull off shots that no one else has been capable of. For example, the number of flips that the Aston Martin DB5 did in Casino Royale is a Guinness World Record.

 

4. The Very First James Bond

 

Sean Connery was the first actor to portray Bond in film in Dr. No (1962). A Scottish amateur bodybuilder, he had come to the attention of the Bond film producers after several appearances in British films from the late 1950s.

 

5. Shortest Bond film
At 106 minutes, Quantum of Solace (2008) is the shortest James Bond movie to date.

 

6. Longest Bond film
"No Time to Die," Daniel Craig's long-awaited movie swan song as 007, is going to be a long goodbye as it is reportedly the longest Bond movie ever. Per IndieWire, Craig's fifth and final go-around as Bond clocks in at a whopping 163 minutes.

 

7. Longest-Serving James Bond Actor

Roger Moore

 

Actor Roger Moore is considered the longest-serving James Bond, appearing in seven films from 1973 to 1985. The films include: Live and Let Die (1973), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983), A View to a Kill (1985).

 

8. James Bond was Originally a Novel
You may consider the Bond saga as one of the most popular movie franchises of all time, but in fact, these iconic films are based on books. The character was created by journalist and author Ian Fleming, with his first novel, Casino Royale being released in 1953.

 

9. Sean Connery wore a Toupee

Sean Connery

 

Sean Connery started balding at the age of 21 which meant he had to wear a toupée when playing the role of Bond. After performing stunts and maneuvers, we’re surprised it didn’t fly off! In fact, while filming Diamonds Are Forever, actor Joe Robinson accidentally pulled it off during a fight scene. Now that would have hurt Bond’s ego!

 

10. Most Successful Bond Movie
According to Forbes, Thunderball is the most successful James Bond movie – in terms of domestic revenue after inflation. As of 2020, it has garnered $590 million. Following that is Goldfinger with $514.7 million and then Skyfall with $358.3 million.

 

 

 

In terms of global revenue (without inflation) however, Skyfall is ranked as the biggest money-making Bond film and falls at 28th place in the list of most successful movies in the world.

 

11. Many Notable Actors Said No to Bond
There are a few famous actors who turned down the Bond role. They included David Niven, Cary Grant, Patrick McGoohan, Christopher Lee, Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, Adam West, Tom Jones, Liam Neeson, Mel Gibson, Sam Neill, Hugh Grant, Gerard Butler, Sean Bean, and Will Smith.

 

Source: Wikipedia - James Bond  |  Facts About James Bond

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - CHAMOIS

Did you know..... that the chamois is a species of goat-antelope native to mountains in Europe, from west to east, including the Cantabrian Mountains, the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Apennines, the Dinarides, the Tatra and the Carpathian Mountains, the Balkan Mountains, the Rila–Rhodope massif, Pindus, the northeastern mountains of Turkey, and the Caucasus. The chamois has also been introduced to the South Island of New Zealand. Some subspecies of chamois are strictly protected in the EU under the European Habitats Directive. (Wikipedia)

 

CHAMOIS FACTS

by  Todd Sain Sr.  |  Year Unknown

 

 

• First of all, the relatively simple term of Chamois serves as the common name for a truly remarkable variety of mammal. That’s fortunate, because the fascinating animal has a small burden to bear.
• Quite regrettably, the animal sadly has a somewhat confusing scientific name. In point of fact, this consists of Rupicapra rupicapra. But, by either name one uses, it represents a highly interesting species.
• Furthermore, several subspecies of the Chamois also exist, and are themselves quite interesting creatures. Fortunately, at least some of these subspecies currently enjoy legal protection in the areas in which they appear.
• This animal does have other names in other languages. But the term most often used for it by scientists comes from the French, chamois. Its population numbers do appear to be beginning to diminish. Yet, for the moment, these appear to be sufficient.
• Therefore, the IUCN lists the Chamois as Least Concern. Nonetheless, it must be considered to be facing several threats to its existence. The greatest of these, much like other species around the world, include habitat loss and climate change.

 

 

 

CHAMOIS PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

• Perhaps most notably, the remarkable Chamois impresses with many qualities. Size, however, does not rank as one of them. To the great surprise of many people, the remarkable animal actually ranks as a very small variety of bovid. But, though it’s not as large as most related species, it does share another trait. That’s because of the fact that, like the great majority of bovids, this fascinating animal displays a moderate degree of the physiological trait of sexual dimorphism.
• Mature adults of both genders attain an average height at the shoulder of roughly 28 – 31 in (70 – 80 cm). In addition, an average body length for both equals about 42 – 54 in (107-137 cm). The tail remains unseen except during mating. However, the first of two slight differences appear in terms of weight. That’s because males typically grow slightly heavier. Firstly, mature males can reach 132 lb (60 kg) in weight. Meanwhile, the smaller females of the Chamois rarely exceed 99 lb (45 kg).
• The second manner in which the Chamois distinguishes the sexes appears with the horns. In the case of this species, both genders develop these. Further, they grow short but straight. But those of the male usually have a thicker form. In addition, the fur of both sexes shows a deep brown in the summer. However, this turns to a pale gray color in the winter. White marks on the side of the head and black stripes under the eyes complete the remarkable markings.

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Artiodactyla
• Family: Bovidae
• Genus: Rupicapra
• Species: R. rupicapra

 

 

 

CHAMOIS DISTRIBUTION, HABITAT, and ECOLOGY

• The magnificent Chamois boasts another impressive statistic. The animal actually inhabits a comparatively broad section of the world. In fact, this zone of habitation spreads across two separate continents. That’s because of the fact that it lives in both Europe and Asia. More precisely, this supremely gorgeous mammal lives in the countries of Turkey and the Caucasus in Asia. It also lives in the Pyrenees, in portions of Europe. Given this natural range, the type of habitat it inhabits seems predetermined.
• That’s due to the fact that the incredible mammal evolved as endemic to moderately high altitudes. Furthermore, it thrives in highly rocky and rugged terrain. Individuals appear at heights between 11,800 ft (3,600 m) in summer, and 2,600 ft (800 m) in the winter.
• Much like its many related species, the marvelous Chamois evolved as what one might expect. This holds true since it lives as an entirely herbivorous creature. In its case, it primarily consumes a variety of locally varying vegetation. However, its diet remains quite seasonal. The great majority of this includes herbs and grasses during summer. But, then it feeds on various tree needles and bark in the winter. It also evolved has a mainly diurnal behavioral pattern.
• Mature males most commonly live a solitary life. The lone exception to this appears to be during mating season. Meanwhile, females and the young live almost exclusively in herds. Further, these generally number between 15 – 30 individuals. Currently, human hunters continue to form its main predator, even today. Its leading natural predators, though, include several powerful creatures. These consist of such species as Persian leopards, gray wolves, and Eurasian Lynxes.

 

 

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Chamois  |  Chamois a Remarkable Bovid Variety
 

Edited December 21, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - BRANDENBURG GATE

Did you know... that The Brandenburg Gate is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after the temporary restoration of order during the Batavian Revolution. One of the best-known landmarks of Germany, it was built on the site of a former city gate that marked the start of the road from Berlin to the town of Brandenburg an der Havel, which used to be the capital of the Margraviate of Brandenburg. It is located in the western part of the city centre of Berlin within Mitte, at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. One block to the north stands the Reichstag building, which houses the German parliament (Bundestag). The gate is the monumental entry to Unter den Linden, a boulevard of linden trees which led directly to the royal City Palace of the Prussian monarchs. Throughout its existence, the Brandenburg Gate was often a site for major historical events and is today considered not only as a symbol of the tumultuous histories of Germany and Europe, but also of European unity and peace. (Wikipedia) 

 

Top Facts about the Brandenburg Gate
by Lilian  |  November 16, 2020

 

If you have been Berlin, then you must have been to the Brandenburg Gate. Here is are some facts about this magnificent landmark. 

 

1. It was commissioned by Friedrich Wilhelm II in 1791

King Friedrich Wilhelm II ordered the construction of this gate which was officially opened in August 6th 1791. It was built to mark the end of the boulevard Unter den linden and not for political reasons as is commonly believed. Before the construction of this gate, Berlin was a small walled town with several gates. But after the reign of King Friedrich Wilhelm II, he built this gate in the place of guardhouses at the gate. It was known as the peace gate. The gate was designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans, the Court Superintendent of Buildings. It is made up of twelve Doric columns, six to each side, forming five passageways.

 

2. The Brandenburg Gate is one of the eighteen original gates of the Berliner Zoll und Akzisemauer
This Gate is one of the eighteen original gates of the Berlin customs and excise wall. It used to surround Berlin and is the only gate standing tall. Berlin was a small walled city in the 18th century and it was within a star fort with several named gates. The gates were: Spandauer Tor, St. Georgen Tor, Stralower Tor, Cöpenicker Tor, Neues Tor, and Leipziger Tor. These gates were of no defense function but served as routes for imposing a levy of taxes on imported and exported goods.

 

3. The gate also acted as a party symbol

Although the initial purpose of this gate was not political, it changed in the 20th century. This happened when the Nazis ascended to power, they used the gate as a party symbol. The gate was almost destroyed during World War II. It is one of the damaged structures that is still standing in the Pariser Platz ruins. There were holes in the columns from bullets and nearby explosions. Only one horse’s head from the original quadriga survived. The horse’s head is kept in the collection of the Märkisches Museum. At the end of the war, the governments of East Berlin and West Berlin restored it in a joint effort.

 

4. Vehicles no longer go through the gate
Just after the construction of the gate, both vehicles and pedestrians were allowed to travel freely through the gate until the day after construction when the Berlin Wall was fenced with barbed wire. At that time, only the royal family was allowed to pass through the central archway, as well as members of the Pfuel family. This honour was granted to the Pfuel family in gratitude to Ernst von Pfuel, who had overseen the return of the Quadriga to the top of the gate. Ambassador coaches were also allowed to use the central archway on the single occasion of their presenting the letters of credence to the council.

 

5. The Brandenburg gate symbolizes a united Berlin

This gate was opened several weeks later after the wall of Berlin fell in 1986. After World War II, a Soviet flag was placed on top of the gate but was removed in 1957 and replaced with an East German flag. That flag was removed after the reunification of Germany in 1990 and the pole removed.   It was opened by East German Premier Hans Modrow and West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. More than 100,000 people attended the opening celebration.

 

6. Several celebrations have been held at Brandenburg Gate
Brandenburg Gate was the main venue for the 20th-anniversary celebrations of the fall of the Berlin Wall otherwise known as Festival of Freedom in 2009. The peak of the celebration was when 1000 colourfully designed domino tiles were lined along the former wall through the city centre. For the best experience at the Brandenburg Gate, visiting during the New Year’s event is exciting. There is live music, fireworks, and merry-making. The gate is, however, open all year round.

 

7. The gate was closed for almost 3 decades

The Brandenburg Gate was closed for almost 30 years. This was after the Berlin Wall that divided East Berlin and West Berlin was completed in 1961. The gate was re-opened in 1989 and later renovated from the year 2000 to 2002, with private funds amounting to 6 million euros. During previous renovation works, the quadriga was removed from the gate as part of renovation work carried out by the East German authorities. It was once again opened on 3 October 2002 following an extensive renovation, to celebrate the 12th anniversary of German reunification.

 

8. Napoleon was the first to use the Brandenburg Gate for a triumphal procession
This Gate has played different political roles in German’s history. After the 1806 Prussian defeat at the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt, Napoleon became the first to use the Brandenburg Gate for a triumphal procession. He took its Quadriga to Paris. It was later returned after he was defeated in 1814. The Quadriga was then redesigned by Karl Friedrich Schinkel as a Prussian triumphal arch. This statue depicts the goddess of victory on a chariot pulled by four horses.

 

9. The gate symbolized freedom

After the Revolutions of 1989, the Berlin wall was demolished. The gate then symbolized freedom and the desire to unify the city of Berlin. Several people gathered at the wall to celebrate its fall in 1989. Later in December that same year, the Brandenburg Gate border crossing was reopened.

 

10. Two American presidents have been to Brandenburg

The most recent visit by an American president to the gate was on 19 June 2013, when President Barack Obama gave a speech at the Gate about nuclear arms reduction. Almost 26 years earlier on 12 June 1987, the then U.S. President Ronald Reagan spoke to the West Berlin populace at the Brandenburg Gate. He demanded that the wall should be razed down. During his visit, the wall was covered in a red flag to prevent him from seeing the Eastern side.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Brandenburg Gate  |  Facts About the Brandenburg Gate

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS SONG

Did you know.... that the Christmas song "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" is a powerful reminder of that truth, with words by Henry Longfellow, and music by John Calkin. The lyrics were first penned in the midst of the horrors of our Civil War. (Jocelyn Green)

 

How the Civil War Inspired 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day'
BY STACY CONRADT  |  DECEMBER 7, 2017

 

It may not be as popular as "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," but “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” is a holiday classic. In case you need a refresher, here’s Bing Crosby’s rendition:

 

 

 

Nearly 10 years before it was a song, the composition was a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem called “Christmas Bells.” It had been a tough couple of years for Longfellow. In 1861, his wife suffered a terrible death right in front of his eyes. Fanny Longfellow had been trimming their 7-year-old daughter’s hair and decided to preserve some of the curls in sealing wax. Something went wrong during the process—some say a gust of wind blew the hot wax onto her dress, while others blame a self-lighting match—and Fanny's dress went up in flames. She ran into her husband’s study for help; he burned himself badly trying to put her out. But his efforts were for naught; she died the next morning and he was too injured to attend her funeral.

 

In 1863, their 17-year-old son, Charles Appleton Longfellow, ran away to enlist in the Union Army. He left his father a note, explaining, "You know for how a long time I have been wanting to go to war I have tried hard to resist the temptation of going without your leave but I cannot any longer, I feel it to be my first duty to do what I can for my country and I would willingly lay down my life for it if it would be of any good God Bless you all."

 

The commanding officer knew the family and contacted the elder Longfellow, who gave his consent despite being very much against it. Charley hadn’t been in the service long when he contracted malaria and typhoid fever and had to come home to recover. Though he was gravely ill, the diseases turned out to be a blessing in disguise: While he was at home getting well, Charley missed the Battle of Gettysburg, which killed or wounded more than 51,000 soldiers. Charley returned to his post in August, and on December 1, his father received devastating news: His young son had been shot during the Battle of Mine Run on November 27, with a bullet clipping his spine. Surgeons warned the family that Charles may never walk again.

 

Amazingly, Charley made a full recovery. But when Longfellow put pen to paper to write “Christmas Bells,” he definitely had the horrors of the Civil War on his mind. Composer John Baptiste Calkin put the words to music in 1872, but when you hear the song performed these days, the two verses that obviously refer to the War Between the States are usually left out:

 

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

 

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

 

Source: Inspiring faith and Courage  |  Brief Facts of How the Civil War Inspired a Christmas Song

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - CHRISTMAS TREE

Did you know.... that It's the most important tree of the year. Whether real evergreens or faux, plastic stand-ins, the Christmas tree has come to symbolize the biggest holiday for Christians around the world. Considered a must-have decoration for those who celebrate and open gifts with loved ones every Dec. 25, the Christmas tree’s interesting history dates back at least two millennia. (AccuWeather - Christmas Tree)

 

You Never Even Knew About Christmas Trees

By Ayn Monique Klahre

 

Once December rolls around, Christmas trees pop up in living rooms and public spaces nationwide. Though their twinkling lights, dazzling ornaments, and elegant garlands are synonymous with the holidays, many Americans don’t know the origin of the festive tradition. Before you decorate your evergreen this season, check out these interesting facts about Christmas trees.

 

Pagan Roots

 

Though today they're associated with Christmas, decorated evergreens actually have pagan roots. Ancient Romans and Egyptians adorned their home with the trees for winter, and the practice continued throughout Europe as a ritual for the winter solstice. Finally, in the 16th century, believers in Germanic countries began making the evergreens part of their Christmas celebrations.

 

Christmas Tree Lots

After hearing that city folk would venture to the country for Christmas trees, entrepreneurial logger Mark Carr came up with a brilliant plan. In 1851, he traveled with his sons from the Catskills to New York City with a few dozen evergreens in tow. The haul sold out within a day, and Christmas tree lots were born.

 

 

Growing Conditions

 

Christmas trees can be grown in all 50 states, including Arizona and Hawaii. The top American producers of Christmas trees are Oregon, North Carolina, and Michigan. Together, these three states harvested more than 12 million Christmas trees in 2012.

 

 

The National Christmas Tree

 

In November 1923, the first National Christmas Tree was erected in Washington, D.C., at the request of the District of Columbia Public Schools. President Calvin Coolidge lit that tree, a balsam fir. In 1954, smaller trees representing all the U.S. states and territories were added to the surrounding “Pathway of Peace”—a tradition that lives on today.

 

The Rockefeller Center Tree

 

Rockefeller Center in New York City first displayed a Christmas tree in 1931. The complex was under construction, and workers pooled their money to buy and decorate a 20-foot fir. The tradition continues today, and the Rockefeller tree is perhaps the most famous in the world (although during the Second World War, the annual Rockefeller Christmas tree stood unlit due to blackout regulations).

 

The Tallest Tree

 

The tallest natural Christmas tree on record was a 221-foot-tall Douglas fir, which decorated the Northgate Mall in Seattle, Washington, in December 1950.

 

The Average Price

 

In 2016, consumers spent an average of $74.50 on their evergreen; that’s more than double the average Christmas tree cost in 2008. The National Christmas Tree Association attributes the price increase to the recent recession. Fewer people bought trees, which led to an oversupply in the market and a decrease in the number of new seedlings planted.

 

Recycling Methods

 

Christmas trees may be too big for your compost pile, but many communities collect trees curbside or at a drop-off location. The trees are either turned into mulch for parks and playgrounds, or used for erosion prevention and weed abatement. Learn more about recycling your tree at realchristmastrees.org or earth911.com, or by contacting your local sanitation or parks department.
 

 

Source: Facts About Christmas Trees  |  Christmas Tree Facts

Edited December 24, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - WASHINGTON'S CROSSING

Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, MMA-NYC, 1851

Did you know..... that George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River, which occurred on the night of December 25–26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, was the first move in a surprise attack organized by George Washington against Hessian forces (German auxiliaries in the service of the British) in Trenton, New Jersey, on the morning of December 26. Planned in partial secrecy, Washington led a column of Continental Army troops across the icy Delaware River in a logistically challenging and dangerous operation. Other planned crossings in support of the operation were either called off or ineffective, but this did not prevent Washington from surprising and defeating the troops of Johann Rall quartered in Trenton. Following the battle in Trenton, the army crossed the river again back to Pennsylvania, this time laden with prisoners and military stores taken as a result of the battle. Washington's army then crossed the river a third time at the end of the year, under conditions made more difficult by the uncertain thickness of the ice on the river. They defeated British reinforcements under Lord Cornwallis at Trenton on January 2, 1777, and defeated his rear guard at Princeton on January 3, before retreating to winter quarters in Morristown, New Jersey. The unincorporated communities of Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, and Washington Crossing, New Jersey, are named in honor of this event. (Wikipedia)

 

Facts about Washington's Crossing of the Delaware River

by Richard Gunderman  |  December 2019

 

For most people today, Christmas is a time of food, family and festivities, when attention turns from work and woes to fellowship and celebration. Yet it has not always been so. In fact, Christmas of 1776 marked one of the most harrowing days in American history – when the fate of the fledgling republic itself hung in the balance. Often remembered as Washington’s crossing of the Delaware, it pitted the ragtag Continental Army against perhaps the most feared fighting force on Earth, the German Hessians, whose services had been paid for by Britain. Yet the outcome would ultimately hinge as much on cold, ice and disease as on fighting prowess.

 

America’s waning prospects
Washington’s forces needed some good news. After they ran the British out of Boston in March of 1776, things began going from bad to worse. The British chased Washington out of New York, then across New Jersey. By year’s end, Washington’s army was shrinking, and morale was low. The British troops were ensconced in New York, well-fed and warm. They left German troops in charge of Trenton, New Jersey. Washington was expecting the forces of Generals Horatio Gates and Charles Lee to join him, but they were delayed by winter weather and lack of confidence.

 

A statue of Thomas Paine in Thetford, Norfolk, United Kingdom, the town in which he was born. 
 

The tide begins to turn

The first hint of reprieve arrived in the form of Thomas Paine’s “The American Crisis,” published on Dec. 19, with its famous lines, “These are the times that try men’s souls… . Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered… but the harder the conflict, the great the triumph.” Washington ordered it read to the men. Finally, the troops of Gates and Lee arrived, followed by militiamen from Philadelphia, providing Washington with a total force of about 6,000, many whose enlistments would expire at year’s end. On Christmas Eve, provisions arrived, further enhancing morale.

 

Crossing the Delaware

Washington’s plan was to make multiple crossings of the Delaware River in boats. On Christmas morning, he ordered the troops three days’ food and fresh arms. The crossing would begin as soon as darkness fell. However, the weather deteriorated over the course of the evening, as drizzle changed into freezing rain and snow. Henry Knox, Washington’s chief of artillery, had organized the crossing, which would be imperiled by floating ice. Men who got wet faced grave risks of frostbite and freezing to death. Because of the ice and bad weather, the crossing, which was to be complete at midnight, was not finished until early the next morning.

 

The Battle of Trenton

The commander of the German troops in Trenton had received warning that an attack was coming, but he dismissed it, in part because lone farmers had been harrying the Germans for days, alternately drawing them out with gunshot and then retreating. Against all odds, the Dec. 26 surprise attack succeeded, throwing the Germans into confusion. When they tried to organize a counterattack, the Americans fired on them with muskets, killing their commander and sowing further discord. As a result of the battle, the Americans captured about 900 Germans and a large cache of supplies. Against orders, many American troops began enjoying captured rum, with the result that some fell into the water as they returned across the river.

 

Further crossings

While the attack and another foray a few days later did little to imperil the British forces in New York, they did restore the morale of the American troops. Many whose terms of service were ending elected, thanks in part to a congressional bounty, to remain. After a third successful crossing, Washington and his men made their way to Princeton, where another successful attack forced the enemy back to New Brunswick. Thereafter the Continental Army established its winter encampment in Morristown in early January.

 

The real killers

Yet the seasonal cessation of hostilities did not bring an end to suffering and death. Throughout the Revolutionary War, far more troops died of disease than in battle. Common scourges included smallpox, typhus, dysentery and malaria. Of course, enemy troops were subject to the same diseases. Factors such as poor sanitation and crowded living conditions created a favorable environment for the transmission of infectious disease, while poor hygiene and malnutrition lowered host resistance to infection. In this respect, the war reprised a perennial theme of history – disease took more lives than combat. In his seminal book, “Plagues and Peoples,” historian William McNeill demonstrates the decisive historical role of diseases such as smallpox in Mexico, bubonic plague in China and typhoid fever in Europe. Disease also deviled the American troops the following winter at Valley Forge, again multiplied by poor living conditions. The winters of 1779 and 1780 in Morristown were still worse, due to supply shortages and yet harsher weather. Several regiments even mutinied – a fate Washington had previously managed to avoid.

 

A reenactment of Washington crossing the Delaware, albeit under sunnier conditions. The surprise attack was such an important event in the war that it is often reenacted. George Sheldon/Shutterstock.com
 

Victory in perseverance
Against great odds, Washington managed to keep the army together, and eventually the Americans triumphed, as much through dodging decisive defeats and refusing to surrender as through any military prowess. As such chapters in the War of Independence illustrate, America has known many bleak Christmases, and when it comes to negotiating difficult times, the stubborn spirit of its people has often proved its redemption.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River  |  Facts About Washington's Crossing