Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Jibber Jabber on the Savannah!
It seems that our ancestors favored short range, higher frequency speech than we do today, or our cousins the chimpanzees do now. Unbeknownst to me humans have a high range of frequencies than our good fellows of the jungle do, and this is probably because or and led to our ability to develop language, a huge leap in early man.
It seems that there was a bit of see sawing going on. As earlier human prototypes, like my favorite astralopithecus africanus, could hear in higher frequencies than either chimps or homo sapiens. In short they could hear better.
But could the speak better? Probably not, life on the savannah drove the development of their various forms of communication as the open space's do not carry sound as far. So probably a lot of chittering and chattering between the primates.
Cool read.
Like "CHIT CHI CHI CHU CHA" would mean "Hey Charlie, there's a leopard behind you!!"
Charlie was clearly either not listening or had his ears tuned to the homo sapien speech pattern.
It seems that there was a bit of see sawing going on. As earlier human prototypes, like my favorite astralopithecus africanus, could hear in higher frequencies than either chimps or homo sapiens. In short they could hear better.
But could the speak better? Probably not, life on the savannah drove the development of their various forms of communication as the open space's do not carry sound as far. So probably a lot of chittering and chattering between the primates.
Cool read.
Like "CHIT CHI CHI CHU CHA" would mean "Hey Charlie, there's a leopard behind you!!"
Charlie was clearly either not listening or had his ears tuned to the homo sapien speech pattern.
Good News for Walking Dead Fans
Way back when, when I started watching the Walking Dead (after season 2 was almost over, or season 3 had begun) I got WD hungry and scoured the internet for bits and pieces, stumbling upon the Walking Dead Webisodes on youtube. There were three of them, Cold Storage, the Oath and Torn Apart (this last shows you the origin of the first walker Rick encounters).
They were cool little shorts. Well made.
And at last we have more in the offing. AMC will post one each sunday starting on the 4th. You can see them at AMC or on youtube.
Fear. The Walking Dead Flight 462,
Very cool.
They were cool little shorts. Well made.
And at last we have more in the offing. AMC will post one each sunday starting on the 4th. You can see them at AMC or on youtube.
Fear. The Walking Dead Flight 462,
Very cool.
Summer Glau
We all know Summer Glau from the Firefly series, Serenity of course, and the Sarah Conner Chronicles. All of which she did a fantastic job at, but you may not have known that she was trained as a classical dancer, mastering such complicated dances as the Tango.
That's pretty cool, and showed in the fight scenes she did...of course she spent six month in training for that according to her website, summerglau.net.
All of which is just a preamble to posting this really cool picture of her at a convention somewhere or the other, which kind of shows how cool she actually is...
...unless she's attacking the little girl....
That's pretty cool, and showed in the fight scenes she did...of course she spent six month in training for that according to her website, summerglau.net.
All of which is just a preamble to posting this really cool picture of her at a convention somewhere or the other, which kind of shows how cool she actually is...
...unless she's attacking the little girl....
Action Real
Predator 4 was actually really good. If you haven't seen it, give it a shot, its a lot of fun and action. A little creepy to boot.
Word of the Day -- Manga
Manga are comics created in Japan, or by creators in the Japanese language, conforming to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century. They have a long and complex pre-history in earlier Japanese art.
The term manga is a Japanese word referring both to comics and cartooning. "Manga" as a term used outside Japan refers specifically to comics originally published in Japan.
In Japan, people of all ages read manga. The medium includes works in a broad range of genres: action-adventure, business/commerce, comedy, detective, historical drama, horror, mystery, romance,
Manga stories are typically printed in black-and-white, although some full-color manga exist (e.g., Colorful). In Japan, manga are usually serialized in large manga magazines, often containing many stories, each presented in a single episode to be continued in the next issue. If the series is successful, collected chapters may be republished in tankōbon volumes, frequently but not exclusively, paperback books. A manga artist (mangaka in Japanese) typically works with a few assistants in a small studio and is associated with a creative editor from a commercial publishing company.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Water is Life
The discussion has been going for decades, longer probably, about Mars and the existence of water. Some time ago they came to the realization that there was water in the subsoil, just not oceans of it. Then the polar ice caps were discovered, this meant that the Red Planet definitely has water on it. But the latest findings are something a bit different
Recurring slope lineae pop up during the warm seasons, on the slopes of hills and valleys. The imagery never revealed anything concrete until recently, when it was discovered that the most likely cause of the little rivulet scratchings was water, probably a thick salty brim that slides down the hills when the conditions are just right.
It was revealed in Nature Geosciene.
All very cool. And all the reason we need to get their sooner. Why?
Because we can.
Plus if we're really lucky it will be like this . . .
Recurring slope lineae pop up during the warm seasons, on the slopes of hills and valleys. The imagery never revealed anything concrete until recently, when it was discovered that the most likely cause of the little rivulet scratchings was water, probably a thick salty brim that slides down the hills when the conditions are just right.
It was revealed in Nature Geosciene.
All very cool. And all the reason we need to get their sooner. Why?
Because we can.
Plus if we're really lucky it will be like this . . .
Angry Emperors
When Julius Caesar was told to surrender his legions and return to Rome to face a court for alleged crimes against Rome, he chose not to, for he saw in it the destruction of all the power he had gained. He crossed the Rubicon with his army.
The Senate turned to Pompey the Great to defend Rome and the Republic. Pompey, older now, came out of retirement and off the laurels of a wildly successful military career to stop Caesar.
He failed. In countless battles he was defeated or his legions went over the side of the conquerer. Pompey was driven east to the Kingdom of Egypt, a client state of Rome, there seeking refuge with his allies, where he hoped to rebuild an army.
But Ptolemy would have none of that. Fearing Caesar he invited Pompey off the ship and had him murdered in the surf. His head was separated from his shoulders and made a gift to Caesar.
For his part Casear was unamused with the fate of his colleague and this famed Roman General. He had the assassins put to death and the ashes of Pompey taken to his wife in Rome, there to be interned in the family crypt.
The lesson is, be wary of the conquerer, for his mind is known only to him.
The Senate turned to Pompey the Great to defend Rome and the Republic. Pompey, older now, came out of retirement and off the laurels of a wildly successful military career to stop Caesar.
He failed. In countless battles he was defeated or his legions went over the side of the conquerer. Pompey was driven east to the Kingdom of Egypt, a client state of Rome, there seeking refuge with his allies, where he hoped to rebuild an army.
But Ptolemy would have none of that. Fearing Caesar he invited Pompey off the ship and had him murdered in the surf. His head was separated from his shoulders and made a gift to Caesar.
For his part Casear was unamused with the fate of his colleague and this famed Roman General. He had the assassins put to death and the ashes of Pompey taken to his wife in Rome, there to be interned in the family crypt.
The lesson is, be wary of the conquerer, for his mind is known only to him.
It Sounds Worse Than it Is
Sometimes people talk about the games they play so fast I have no idea what they are talking about. Throw in some words I don't understand, or worse, made up words that are just a combination of things and I'm like an old man a street corner trying to figure out which way to go!
Word of the Day -- Palisade
A palisade—sometimes called a stakewall or a paling—is typically a fence or wall made from wooden stakes or tree trunks and used as a defensive structure or enclosure.
Typical construction consisted of small or mid-sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no free space in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were driven into the ground and
sometimes reinforced with additional construction. The height of a palisade ranged from a few feet to nearly ten feet. As a defensive structure, palisades were often used in conjunction with earthworks.
Palisades were an excellent option for small forts or other hastily constructed fortifications. Since they were made of wood, they could often be quickly and easily built from readily available materials. They proved to be effective protection for short-term conflicts and were an effective deterrent against small forces. However, because they were wooden constructions they were also vulnerable to fire and siege weapons.
Often, a palisade would be constructed around a castle as a temporary wall until a permanent stone wall could be erected. They were frequently used in New France.
Both the Greeks and Romans created palisades to protect their military camps. The Roman historian Livy describes the Greek method as being inferior to that of the Romans during the Second Macedonian War. The Greek stakes were too large to be easily carried and were spaced too far apart. This made it easy for enemies to uproot them and create a large enough gap in which to enter. In contrast, the Romans used smaller and easier to carry stakes which were placed closer together, making them more difficult to uproot.
Typical construction consisted of small or mid-sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no free space in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were driven into the ground and
Palisades were an excellent option for small forts or other hastily constructed fortifications. Since they were made of wood, they could often be quickly and easily built from readily available materials. They proved to be effective protection for short-term conflicts and were an effective deterrent against small forces. However, because they were wooden constructions they were also vulnerable to fire and siege weapons.
Often, a palisade would be constructed around a castle as a temporary wall until a permanent stone wall could be erected. They were frequently used in New France.
Both the Greeks and Romans created palisades to protect their military camps. The Roman historian Livy describes the Greek method as being inferior to that of the Romans during the Second Macedonian War. The Greek stakes were too large to be easily carried and were spaced too far apart. This made it easy for enemies to uproot them and create a large enough gap in which to enter. In contrast, the Romans used smaller and easier to carry stakes which were placed closer together, making them more difficult to uproot.
Monday, September 28, 2015
Stealing a Move on Dennis
Back in 2006, at a city park in Monterey California a band of thieves...or one thief, no one really knows...made away with a 3 and a half foot tall statue of Dennis the Menace. He just vanished. No clues. No witnesses came forward. No CSI hair follicles on the ground. Only the conspicuous absence of Dennis from the park.
That was 11 years ago.
This past weekend someone found Dennis in a scrap yard, headed for the smelling bin. He was going to be remade...probably not into something better.
The spotter plucked the weighty statue from the yard and certain doom, returning him to the city of his home.
Turns out another statue of Dennis was taken in Florida...they aren't sure which one was recently rescued.
What the sam heck do people have against Dennis?
That was 11 years ago.
This past weekend someone found Dennis in a scrap yard, headed for the smelling bin. He was going to be remade...probably not into something better.
The spotter plucked the weighty statue from the yard and certain doom, returning him to the city of his home.
Turns out another statue of Dennis was taken in Florida...they aren't sure which one was recently rescued.
What the sam heck do people have against Dennis?
Princess Leia
Here's a shot from the scene just before she encounters the giant sand worm. Those people in the background were mercenaries running away.
Really....
Really....
The Forentz ~ The Gnomes of Aihrde
They are called the Anatul Koatz, the wooden faced people, by the dwarves. The elves call them the Sheil, men call them gnomes, for they are like to dwarves, but are smaller and more elusive. But they call themselves the Forentz, those who walk first.
Few know their tale, and fewer still their origins. They were the first of the peoples of the All Father to leave God's Forge and venture into the world. They are accounted brave and strong, but lost, for they wandered the wilds even as the giants in the long ago Days before Days. But their minds were not set nor did they hear what the All Father spoke upon the mountain and thus the knowledge of things was never given to them. But in the wilds, as with so many other creatures, they found Mordius and she saw that they were a stout people, but without a purpose or home, and she took them in for a time and set them upon a road few others enjoyed.
The forentz were made upon God's Forge and as such are of the Faul Erde, the children Erde. The All Father set them aside for they seemed too small, and their faces did not hold the lust for life that is necessary in all things. When the Breath of Life washed over them, they awoke and stood silent for a great while. But the All Father did not hold any interest for them and they turned their backs on the forge and wandering into the wilderness.
Few know their tale, and fewer still their origins. They were the first of the peoples of the All Father to leave God's Forge and venture into the world. They are accounted brave and strong, but lost, for they wandered the wilds even as the giants in the long ago Days before Days. But their minds were not set nor did they hear what the All Father spoke upon the mountain and thus the knowledge of things was never given to them. But in the wilds, as with so many other creatures, they found Mordius and she saw that they were a stout people, but without a purpose or home, and she took them in for a time and set them upon a road few others enjoyed.
The forentz were made upon God's Forge and as such are of the Faul Erde, the children Erde. The All Father set them aside for they seemed too small, and their faces did not hold the lust for life that is necessary in all things. When the Breath of Life washed over them, they awoke and stood silent for a great while. But the All Father did not hold any interest for them and they turned their backs on the forge and wandering into the wilderness.
~ Players Guide to Aihrde
UFO Files
A South Carolina witness reported looking out the living room window and spotted a disc-shaped object on the ground not far form the window. Not sure what it was they walked out to take a closer look, when the got with 100 feet of the object it took off and flew away.
Though no video footage was taken, a quick shot was snapped, presumably with a camera phone.
It rose quickly and vanished so thereafter. Seven pictures were taken. You can see those over at Open Minds. What the object is I can't say, but the after burner looks a little like the Melanian Falcon as it flies off.
I wonder what size it was.
It seems a I rumble a little about why people never take video footage of these things, particularly with the advent of the camera phone, but seeing gas how I've lost my phone about 4 times today alone, perhaps I should not mention it anymore.
Though no video footage was taken, a quick shot was snapped, presumably with a camera phone.
It rose quickly and vanished so thereafter. Seven pictures were taken. You can see those over at Open Minds. What the object is I can't say, but the after burner looks a little like the Melanian Falcon as it flies off.
I wonder what size it was.
It seems a I rumble a little about why people never take video footage of these things, particularly with the advent of the camera phone, but seeing gas how I've lost my phone about 4 times today alone, perhaps I should not mention it anymore.
CSS Georgia
The CSS Georgia went down in the Savannah GA harbor back in 1864. The giant ironclad was put to the torch as Sherman's army approached form the west and just before he seized the city. The Confederates didn't want the ship to fall into Union hands.
At the moment they are slowly pulling the large ship up from the harbor in order to widen the harbor to allow larger ships to come through.
Interestingly, the CSS Georgia is considered and enemy vessel and therefor the property of the U.S. Navy. Does that mean they've recognized Georgia as an enemy they were at war with and therefor is that tacit recognition of Georgia a state?
I think there's a lawyer somewhere who could take advantage of this somehow!
At the moment they are slowly pulling the large ship up from the harbor in order to widen the harbor to allow larger ships to come through.
Interestingly, the CSS Georgia is considered and enemy vessel and therefor the property of the U.S. Navy. Does that mean they've recognized Georgia as an enemy they were at war with and therefor is that tacit recognition of Georgia a state?
I think there's a lawyer somewhere who could take advantage of this somehow!
Word of the Day -- Massif
In mountaineering and climbing literature, a massif is frequently used to denote the main mass of an individual mountain. The massif is a smaller structural unit of the crust than a tectonic plate and is considered the fourth largest driving force in geomorphology.
The word is taken from French (in which the word also means "massive"), where it is used to refer to a large mountain mass or compact group of connected mountains forming an independent portion of a range. One of the most notable European examples of a massif is the Massif Central of the Auvergne region of France.
The Face on Mars is an example of an extraterrestrial massif. Massifs may also form underwater such as with the Atlantis Massif.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Of the Dwarven Realms
These are the Kingdoms of the Dwarves of Old as they have been recorded in the Mammoth Scrolls. In the Days before Days the folk of Agrind Darkeye built Gorthurag. Others followed his example so that Five Great Realms of Dwarves came to be. In time these colonized other lands until Fourteen Dwarven Realms stood astride the world. Though none of the branches were ever as great as the roots, and none of the First were ever as great as First Home.
Below is a list of the realms and the date they were founded. The Root realm is listed before the Branches and are associated with the Root. The year listed is the dwarf calander.
Date Name
1 Gorthurag, First Home, God’s Forge On Mount Austrien (destroyed) (Arnhul Mts.)
3956 Alanti (destroyed in Wasting War) (Alanti Isles)
4609 Grundlich-Hohle (Gondlim by the elves) (Grundliche Mts.)
4376 Amvile-Cris (wasted away) (Damenfauk)
727 Grausumhart, Grimdraw (destroyed in Stone Wars) (Crusp Mts.)
3805 Bogda-Rawd (abandoned in Stone Wars, sealed in all its glory) (Holgrad Mts.)
4444 Grulding-Hohle (destroyed third goblin dwarf war) (Muenberg Mts.)
4012 Londrok-In (destroyed in Kinship Disputes) (Muenberg Mts.)
5134 Krag-ot-Thune (destroyed in Wasting War) (Dohen Mts.)
1481 Norgorad-Kam (Bergrucken Mts.)
3705 Magdul-Hohle (destroyed in Wasting War) (Rhodope Mts.)
1631 Nogdrick Hohle (destroyed by dragon) (Turmberg Mts.)
1911 Roheisen-Hohle (Holmgald Mts.)
Below is a list of the realms and the date they were founded. The Root realm is listed before the Branches and are associated with the Root. The year listed is the dwarf calander.
Date Name
1 Gorthurag, First Home, God’s Forge On Mount Austrien (destroyed) (Arnhul Mts.)
3956 Alanti (destroyed in Wasting War) (Alanti Isles)
4609 Grundlich-Hohle (Gondlim by the elves) (Grundliche Mts.)
4376 Amvile-Cris (wasted away) (Damenfauk)
727 Grausumhart, Grimdraw (destroyed in Stone Wars) (Crusp Mts.)
3805 Bogda-Rawd (abandoned in Stone Wars, sealed in all its glory) (Holgrad Mts.)
4444 Grulding-Hohle (destroyed third goblin dwarf war) (Muenberg Mts.)
4012 Londrok-In (destroyed in Kinship Disputes) (Muenberg Mts.)
5134 Krag-ot-Thune (destroyed in Wasting War) (Dohen Mts.)
1481 Norgorad-Kam (Bergrucken Mts.)
3705 Magdul-Hohle (destroyed in Wasting War) (Rhodope Mts.)
1631 Nogdrick Hohle (destroyed by dragon) (Turmberg Mts.)
1911 Roheisen-Hohle (Holmgald Mts.)
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