vineri, 17 august 2007
usefull latin sayings...
Do you want to dance? I know the Funky Broadway - Visne saltare? Viam Latam Fungosam scio.May conspirators assassinate you in the mall! - Utinam coniurati te in foro interficiant!
My dog ate it. - Canis meus id comedit.
I don't want a toaster. - Furnulum pani nolo.
I think some people in togas are plotting against me. - Sentio aliquos togatos contra me conspirare.
today in history
* 1717 - George Boone, the grandfather of pioneer Daniel Boone sails to America from Bradninch, England
* 1807 - Robert Fulton's first American steamboat leaves New York City for Albany, New York on the Hudson River, inaugurating the first commercial steamboat service in the world.
* 1862 - Indian Wars: The Lakota (Sioux) Dakota War of 1862 begins in Minnesota as desperate Lakota attack white settlements along the Minnesota River.
* 1863 - American Civil War: In Charleston, South Carolina, Union batteries and ships bombard Confederate-held Fort Sumter.
* 1864 - American Civil War: Battle of Gainesville - Confederate forces defeat Union troops near Gainesville, Florida.
* 1883 - The first public performance of the Dominican Republic's national anthem, Quisqueyanos valientes.
* 1907 - Pike Place Market, the longest continuously-running public farmers market in the US, opened in Seattle.
* 1914 - World War I: Battle of Stalluponen - The German army of General Hermann von François defeats the Russian force commanded by Pavel Rennenkampf near modern-day Nesterov, Russia.
* 1918 - Bolshevik revolutionary leader Moisei Uritsky is assassinated.
* 1942 - U.S. Marines raid the Japanese-held Pacific island of Makin (Butaritari).
* 1943 - World War II: The U.S. Eighth Air Force suffers the loss of 60 bombers on the Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission.
* 1943 - World War II: The U.S. Seventh Army under General George S. Patton arrive in Messina, Italy, followed several hours later by the British 8th Army under Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery, thus completing the Allied conquest of Sicily.
* 1943 - World War II: First Québec Conference of Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and William Lyon Mackenzie King begins.
* 1945 - Indonesian Declaration of Independence.
* 1959 - Quake Lake: Quake Lake was formed by a 7.5 rated earthquake in Montana.
* 1960 - Gabon gains independence from France.
* 1962 - East German border guards kill 18-year-old Peter Fechter as he attempts to cross the Berlin Wall into West Berlin becoming the first victim of the wall.
* 1970 - Venera Program: Venera 7 launched. It will later become the first spacecraft to successfully transmit data from the surface of another planet (Venus).
* 1978 - Double Eagle II becomes first balloon to cross the Atlantic Ocean when it lands in Miserey near Paris, 137 hours after leaving Presque Isle, Maine.
* 1998 - Monica Lewinsky scandal: US President Bill Clinton admits in taped testimony that he had an "improper physical relationship" with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. On the same day he admits before the nation that he "misled people" about his relationship.
* 1999 - A 7.4-magnitude earthquake strikes İzmit, Turkey, killing more than 17,000 and injuring 44,000.
* 2004 - The National Assembly of Serbia unanimously adopts new state symbols for Serbia: Boze Pravde becomes the new anthem and the coat of arms is adopted for the whole country.
1601 - Pierre de Fermat, French mathematician
1893 - Mae West, American actress
1932 - V. S. Naipaul, West Indian writer, Nobel Laureate
1943 - Robert De Niro, American actor
1960 - Sean Penn, American actor and director
* Independence Day – observance in Indonesia.
* Rastafari movement - celebration of the birth of Marcus Garvey, considered a prophet.
* Día del Libertador - observed in Argentina, on the day when José de San Martín died.
* Slovenia: Slovenians in Prekmurje Incorporated into the Mother Nation Day
joi, 16 august 2007
Romania, in a doua dimineata
Împărţirea administrativăComuna, unitatea elementară de organizare administrativă, este formată dintr-unul sau mai multe sate şi este condusă de un consiliu local şi un primar ales. România are 2 685 de comune însumând 13 285 de sate, respectiv cu o medie de cinci sate pe comună.
Oraşul este unitatea administrativă condusă de un consiliu local şi un primar ales. Oraşele mai importante pot fi declarate municipii. România are 263 de oraşe, dintre care 82 sunt municipii.
Judeţul este unitatea administrativă condusa de un consiliu judeţean şi un prefect. Consiliul judeţean este ales pentru a coordona activitatea consiliilor comunale şi orăşeneşti, având ca scop concentrarea interesului asupra serviciilor publice de importanţă la nivel judeţean. Guvernul numeşte un prefect în fiecare judeţ pentru a fi reprezentantul său local. România are 41 de judeţe plus municipiul-capitală Bucureşti, care are un statut similar cu acela de judeţ. Un judeţ are, în medie, o suprafaţă de 5 800 m.p. şi o populaţie de 500 000 de locuitori.
Capitala
Bucureşti este cel mai important şi cel mai populat oraş al României, fiind centrul politic, administrativ, economic, al ţării. Este situat în S-SE României. Oraşul se întinde pe o suprafaţă de 228 kmp şi are 2 016 000 de locuitori (reprezentând 9% din totalul populaţiei ţării şi 15% din populaţia urbană), fiind al treilea oraş ca numar de locuitori din regiune, dupa Atena şi Istanbul. Oraşul Bucureşti a fost prima oară menţionat în 1459, ca cetate de scaun a Ţării Româneşti sub domnia lui Vlad Ţepes, deşi aşezarea datează încă din secolul al XIV-lea. Între secolele XVII-XIX, Bucureşti a fost capitala Ţării Româneşti, iar în 1862 a devenit capitala României.
Oraşe
Din 263 de oraşe, 25 au peste 100 000 de locuitori. Opt dintre ele au mai mult de 300 000 de locuitori, printre care capitala Bucureşti (peste 2 000 000), Iaşi (350 000), Constanţa (327 000), Braşov (316 000) şi Craiova (314 000).
Populaţia: 21.680.974 (1 martie 2003; sursa: Institutul Naţional de Statistică)
Ca populaţie, România este a 43-a ţară în lume şi a 9-a în Europa. 55% din populaţie locuieşte în oraşe şi localităţi şi 45% în zona rurală. Populaţia masculină reprezintă 48.7% şi cea feminină 51.3% din totalul locuitorilor.
Naţionalităţi: români 89,5%, unguri (inclusiv secui) 6,6%, rromi (ţigani) 2,5%, alţii 1,4%
Religia: ortodocşi: 86,8%, romano-catolici 4,7%, reformaţi 3,2%, penticostali 1,5%, alţii 3,8%.
Limba oficială: limba română, limba maternă pentru 91% din populaţia ţării.
Minorităţile etnice sunt libere să-şi utilizeze limba maternă în şcoli, administraţie, sistemul juridic, presă, cultură etc. Limba maghiară este vorbită de cea mai numeroasă minoritate etnică, iar limba germană de minoritatea germană (saşi şi şvabi). Principalele limbi străine care circulă în prezent în România sunt engleza, franceza şi germana.
world wonders - The Temple of Artemis at Epheseus
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
Is it simply a temple? How could it take its place among other unique structures such as the Pyramid, the Hanging Gardens, and the Colossus of Rhodes? For the people who actually visited it, the answer was simple. It was not just a temple... It was the most beautiful structure on earth... It was built in honor of the Greek goddess of hunting and wild nature. That was the Temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus.
Location
The ancient city of Ephesus near the modern town of Selcuk, about 50 km south of Izmir (Smyrna) in Turkey.
History
Although the foundation of the temple dates back to the seventh century BC, the structure that earned a spot in the list of Wonders was built around 550 BC. Referred to as the great marble temple, or temple D, it was sponsored by the Lydian king Croesus and was designed by the Greek architect Chersiphron. It was decorated with bronze statues sculpted by the most skilled artists of their time: Pheidias, Polycleitus, Kresilas, and Phradmon.
The temple served as both a marketplace and a religious institution. For years, the sanctuary was visited by merchants, tourists, artisans, and kings who paid homage to the goddess by sharing their profits with her. Recent archeological excavations at the site revealed gifts from pilgrims including statuettes of Artemis made of gold and ivory... earrings, bracelets, and necklaces... artifacts from as far as Persia and India.
On the night of 21 July 356 BC, a man named Herostratus burned the temple to ground in an attempt to immortalize his name. He did indeed. Strangely enough, Alexander the Great was born the same night. The Roman historian Plutarch later wrote that the goddess was "too busy taking care of the birth of Alexander to send help to her threatened temple". Over the next two decades, the temple was restored and is labeled "temple E" by archeologists. And when Alexander the Great conquered Asia Minor, he helped rebuild the destroyed temple.
When St Paul visited Ephesus to preach Christianity in the first century AD, he was confronted by the Artemis' cult who had no plans to abandon their goddess. And when the temple was again destroyed by the Goths in AD 262, the Ephesians vowed to rebuild. By the fourth century AD, most Ephesians had converted to Christianity and the temple lost its religious glamor. The final chapter came when in AD 401 the Temple of Artemis was torn down by St John Chrysostom. Ephesus was later deserted, and only in the late nineteenth century has the site been excavated.
The digging revealed the temple's foundation and the road to the now swampy site. Attempts were recently made to rebuilt the temple, but only a few columns have been re-erected.
first aid lesson: Burns
Burns: First aidTo distinguish a minor burn from a serious burn, the first step is to determine the degree and the extent of damage to body tissues. The three classifications of first-degree burn, second-degree burn and third-degree burn will help you determine emergency care:
First-degree burn
The least serious burns are those in which only the outer layer of skin (epidermis) is burned. The skin is usually red, with swelling and pain sometimes present. The outer layer of skin hasn't been burned through. Treat a first-degree burn as a minor burn unless it involves substantial portions of the hands, feet, face, groin or buttocks, or a major joint.
Second-degree burn
When the first layer of skin has been burned through and the second layer of skin (dermis) also is burned, the injury is termed a second-degree burn. Blisters develop and the skin takes on an intensely reddened, splotchy appearance. Second-degree burns produce severe pain and swelling.
For minor burns, including second-degree burns limited to an area no larger than 2 to 3 inches in diameter, take the following action:
- Cool the burn. Hold the burned area under cold running water for at least 5 minutes, or until the pain subsides. If this is impractical, immerse the burn in cold water or cool it with cold compresses. Cooling the burn reduces swelling by conducting heat away from the skin. Don't put ice on the burn.
- Cover the burn with a sterile gauze bandage. Don't use fluffy cotton, which may irritate the skin. Wrap the gauze loosely to avoid putting pressure on burned skin. Bandaging keeps air off the burned skin, reduces pain and protects blistered skin.
- Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. These include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). Never give aspirin to children or teenagers.
Minor burns usually heal without further treatment. Watch for signs of infection, such as increased pain, redness, fever, swelling or oozing. If infection develops, seek medical help.
Caution
- Don't use ice. Putting ice directly on a burn can cause frostbite, further damaging your skin.
- Don't break blisters. Broken blisters are vulnerable to infection.
Third-degree burn
The most serious burns are painless and involve all layers of the skin. Fat, muscle and even bone may be affected. Areas may be charred black or appear dry and white. Difficulty inhaling and exhaling, carbon monoxide poisoning or other toxic effects may occur if smoke inhalation accompanies the burn.
For major burns, call for emergency medical assistance (112 for Romania). Until an emergency unit arrives, follow these steps:
- Don't remove burnt clothing. However, do make sure the victim is no longer in contact with smoldering materials or exposed to smoke or heat.
- Don't immerse severe large burns in cold water. Doing so could cause shock.
- Check for signs of circulation (breathing, coughing or movement). If there is no breathing or other sign of circulation, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
- Cover the area of the burn. Use a cool, moist, sterile bandage; clean, moist cloth; or moist towels.
it happend today
* 1777 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Bennington - British forces are defeated by American troops.
* 1780 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Camden - The British defeat the Americans near Camden, South Carolina.
* 1792 - Maximilien Robespierre presents the petition of the Commune of Paris to the Legislative Assembly, which demanded the formation of a revolutionary tribunal.
* 1812 - War of 1812: American General William Hull surrenders Fort Detroit without a fight to the British Army.
* 1819 - Eleven people die and 400 are injured by cavalry charges at the Peterloo Massacre at a public meeting at St. Peter's Field, Manchester, England.
* 1858 - U.S. President James Buchanan inaugurates the new transatlantic telegraph cable by exchanging greetings with Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. However, a weak signal will force a shutdown of the service in a few weeks.
* 1865 - Restoration Day in the Dominican Republic: The Dominican Republic regains its independence after 4 years of fighting against the Spanish Annexation.
* 1868 - Arica, Peru (now Chile) is devastated by a tsunami which followed a magnitude 8.5 earthquake in the Peru-Chile Trench off the coast. The earthquake and tsunami killed an estimated 25,000 people in Arica and perhaps 70,000 people in all.
* 1869 - Battle of Acosta Ñu: A Paraguay battalion made up of children is massacred by the Brazilian Army during the War of the Triple Alliance.
* 1870 - Franco-Prussian War: The Battle of Mars-La-Tour is fought, resulting in a Prussian victory.
* 1896 - Skookum Jim Mason, George Carmack and Dawson Charlie discover gold in a tributary of the Klondike River in Canada, setting off the Klondike Gold Rush.
* 1913 - Tōhoku Imperial University of Japan (modern day Tōhoku University) admits its first female students.
* 1914 - World War I: Battle of Cer begins.
* 1915 - World War I: Should victory be achieved over the Central Powers, the Triple Entente promises the Kingdom of Serbia: the Austro-Hungarian territories of Baranja, Srem, Slavonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina; and the eastern ⅔ of Dalmatia (from the river of Krka to the city of Bar).
* 1920 - The congress of the Communist Party of Bukhara opens. The congress would call for armed revolution.
* 1930 - The first color sound cartoon, called Fiddlesticks, is made by Ub Iwerks.
* 1940 - World War II: The Communist Party is banned in German-occupied Norway.
* 1942 - World War II: The two-person crew of the U.S. naval blimp L-8 disappears without a trace on a routine anti-submarine patrol over the Pacific Ocean. The blimp drifts without her crew and crash-lands in Daly City, California.
* 1945 - An assassination attempt was made on Japan's prime minister, Kantaro Suzuki.
* 1946 - The Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, is established, and Ichirō Ishikawa is appointed its representative.
* 1960 - Cyprus gains its independence from the United Kingdom.
* 1960 - Joseph Kittinger parachutes from a balloon over New Mexico at 102,800 feet (31,330 m), setting three records that still stand today: High-altitude jump, free-fall, and fastest speed by a human without an aircraft.
* 1987 - A McDonnell Douglas MD-82 carrying Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes on take-off from Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, Michigan (Detroit), killing 155 passengers and crew. The sole survivor is four-year-old Cecelia Cichan.
* 1992 - In response to an appeal by President Fernando Collor de Mello to wear green and yellow as a way to show support for him, thousands of Brazilians take to the streets dressed in black.
* 1993 - The Debian distribution was first announced by Ian Murdock, then a student at Purdue University. Murdock initially called his system the "Debian Linux Release"
1650 - Vincenzo Coronelli, Italian cartographer and encylopedist
1845 - Gabriel Lippmann, French physicist, Nobel laureate
1904 - Wendell Meredith Stanley, American chemist, Nobel laureate
1913 - Menachem Begin, 6th Prime Minister of Israel, Nobel laureate
1958 - Madonna, American singer and actress
1962 - Steve Carell, American actor and comedian
* Palio dell'Assunta in Siena (on the day after the Assumption of Mary)
* Roman Empire - Portunalia in honor of Portunes.
some ads in newspapers...
Lost: small apricot poodle. Reward. Neutered. Like one of the family.A superb and inexpensive restaurant. Fine food expertly served by waitresses in appetizing forms.
Dinner Special -- Turkey $2.35; Chicken or Beef $2.25; Children $2.00.
For sale: an antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers.
Four-poster bed, 101 years old. Perfect for antique lover.
Now is your chance to have your ears pierced and get an extra pair to take home, too.
Wanted: 50 girls for stripping machine operators in factory.
Wanted: Unmarried girls to pick fresh fruit and produce at night.
We do not tear your clothing with machinery. We do it carefully by hand.
miercuri, 15 august 2007
history for today's history
========::Events::========* 927 - The Saracens are conquered and destroyed Taranto.
* 1040 - King Duncan I is killed in battle against his first cousin and rival Macbeth. The latter succeeds him as Scottish Monarch.
* 1057 - King Mac Bethad is killed in the Battle of Lumphanan by the forces of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada.
* 1185 - The cave city of Vardzia is consecrated by Queen Tamar of Georgia.
* 1248 - The foundation stone of the Cologne Cathedral, built to house the relics of the Three Wise Men, was laid. Construction eventually completed in 1880.
* 1261 - Michael VIII Palaeologus is crowned Byzantine emperor in Constantinople.
* 1309 - The city of Rhodes surrenders to the forces of the Knights of St. John, completing their conquest of Rhodes. The knights establish their headquarters on the island, and rename themselves as the Knights of Rhodes.
* 1461 - The Empire of Trebizond surrenders to the forces of Sultan Mehmet II. This is the real end of the Byzantine Empire. Emperor David is exiled and later murdered.
* 1517 - Seven Portuguese armed vessels led by Fernão Pires de Andrade meet Chinese officials at the Pearl River estuary.
* 1519 - Panama City, Panama, is founded.
* 1534 - Saint Ignatius of Loyola and six classmates took initial vows that would lead to the creation of the Society of Jesus in September of 1540.
* 1537 - Asunción, Paraguay, is founded.
* 1540 - Arequipa, Peru, is founded.
* 1549 - Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier comes ashore at Kagoshima (Traditional Japanese date: July 22, 1549).
* 1599 - Nine Years War: Battle of Curlew Pass - Irish forces led by Hugh Roe O'Donnell successfully ambush English forces, led by Sir Conyers Clifford, were sent to relieve Collooney Castle.
* 1636 - The Covenant of the Town of Dedham, Massachusetts was first signed.
* 1760 - Seven Years' War: Battle of Liegnitz - Frederick the Great's victory over the Austrians under Ernst von Laudon.
* 1824 - Freed American slaves form Liberia.
* 1843 - The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu, Hawaii is dedicated. Now the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, it is the oldest Roman Catholic cathedral in continuous use in the United States.
* 1843 - Tivoli Gardens, one of the oldest still intact amusement parks in the world, opens in Copenhagen, Denmark.
* 1863 - The Anglo-Satsuma War begins between the Satsuma Domain of Japan and the United Kingdom (Traditional Japanese date: July 2, 1863).
* 1915 - The Panama Canal opens to traffic with the transit of the cargo ship Ancon.
* 1920 - Polish-Soviet War: Battle of Warsaw - Poles defeat the Red Army.
* 1942 - World War II: Operation Pedestal - The SS Ohio reaches the island of Malta barely afloat carrying vital fuel supplies for the island defenses.
* 1944 - World War II: Operation Dragoon - Allied forces land in southern France.
* 1945 - World War II: Victory over Japan Day - Japan surrenders.
* 1945 - World War II: Korean Liberation Day.
* 1947 - India gains independence from the United Kingdom and becomes an independent nation within the Commonwealth , Jawaharlal Nehru addresses the nation with the Indian Declaration of Independence and takes office as the first Prime Minister of India.
* 1947 - Founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah is sworn in as first Governor General of Pakistan at Karachi.
* 1948 - The Republic of Korea is established south of the 38th parallel north.
* 1960 - Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville) declares its independence from France.
* 1961 - Keiyo Road is specified to be the first driveway in Japan.
* 1969 - The Woodstock Music and Art Festival opens.
* 1971 - Bahrain Independence Day.
* 1973 - Vietnam War: The United States bombing of Cambodia ends.
* 1974 - Seoul Subway Line 1 opened, between Seoul Station and Cheongnyangni Station
* 1974 - Turkish invasion of Cyprus continues, and the 37% of the island is now under Turkish control.
* 1977 - The Big Ear, a radio telescope operated by The Ohio State University as part of the SETI project, receives a radio signal from deep space; the event is named the "Wow! signal" for notation made by a volunteer on the project.
* 1993 - Junko Asari wins the women's marathon in the World Athletics Championships in Stuttgart, Japan's first major women's athletics victory.
* 1995 - In South Carolina, Shannon Faulkner becomes the first female cadet matriculated at The Citadel, but drops out in less than a week.
* 1998 - Omagh bomb in Northern Ireland, becoming the worst terrorist incident of The Troubles
* 1999 - Beni Ounif massacre in Algeria; some 29 people killed at a false roadblock near the Moroccan border, leading to temporary tensions with Morocco.
===========::Birthdays::===========
1195 - Anthony of Padua, Portuguese saint
1769 - Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French
1771 - Sir Walter Scott, Scottish novelist and poet (d. 1832)
1785 - Thomas De Quincey, English author
1863 - Alexei Krylov, Russian engineer and mathematician
1892 - Louis, 7th duc de Broglie, French physicist, Nobel Prize Laureate
1893 - Leslie Comrie, New Zealand astronomer and computing pioneer
1896 - Gerty Cori, Austrian-born biochemist, Nobel Prize Laureate
1972 - Ben Affleck, American actor
Romania - Adormirea Maicii Domnului
India – Independence Day (from the United Kingdom, 1947).
Acadie – National Day.
Austria - Maria Himmelfahrt day.
Bangladesh – National Mourning Day
Belgium, Assumption (of Blessed Virgin Mary) day.
Egypt – Flooding of the Nile Day.
France, Assumption Day.
Greece, Dormition ('Falling Asleep' of Virgin Mary.)
Hawaii – Toro Nagashi (Floating Lanterns Ceremony) to commemorate the end of the second world war.
Hindu – Krishna Janmaashtami, also on August 16.
Italy – " Assumption Day. And Ferragosto", remembrance of an ancient Roman holiday in honor of Augustus (Feriae Augusti).
Japan – Day of End of the War / The day which mourns for war dead, and prays for peace "National War-Dead Memorial Ceremony" is performed on that day every year after 1963.
Japan – Dutch Tray
Korea – Gwangbokjeol(Liberation Day).
Ancient Latvia – Māras.
Liechtenstein – Liechtenstein Day.
Poland – Polish Armed Forces Day.
Tuva – Tuva Republic Day, Naadym.
Portugal– Our Lady of Angels Feast, Azores.
Spain- Assumption Day.
Costa Rica– Mother's Day.
ia inclinati-va toti pe stanga !
♣ A brown dwarf is a very small, dark object, with a mass less than 1/10 that of the Sun. They are 'failed stars', globules of gas that have shrunk under gravity, but failed to ignite and shine as stars.♣ The hardness of ice is similar to that of concrete.
♣ A full moon always rises at sunset.
♣ If the world were tilted one degree more either way, the planet would not be habitable because the area around the equator would be too hot and the poles would be too cold.
♣ In 1980, Namco released PAC-MAN, the most popular video game (or arcade game) of all time. The original name was going to be PUCK MAN, but executives saw the potential for vandals to scratch out part of the P in the games marquee and labeling.
world wonders - The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Fruits and flowers... Waterfalls... Gardens hanging from the palace terraces... Exotic animals... This is the picture of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in most people's minds. It may be surprising to know that they might have never existed except in Greek poets and historians imagination!Location
On the east bank of the River Euphrates, about 50 km south of Baghdad, Iraq.
History
The Babylonian kingdom flourished under the rule of the famous King, Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC). It was not until the reign of Naboplashar (625-605 BC) of the Neo-Babylonian dynasty that the Mesopotamian civilization reached its ultimate glory. His son, Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 BC) is credited for building the legendary Hanging Gardens. It is said that the Gardens were built by Nebuchadnezzar to please his wife or concubine who had been "brought up in Media and had a passion for mountain surroundings".While the most descriptive accounts of the Gardens come from Greek historians such as Berossus and Diodorus Siculus, Babylonian records stay silent on the matter. Tablets from the time of Nebuchadnezzar do not have a single reference to the Hanging Gardens, although descriptions of his palace, the city of Babylon, and the walls are found. Even the historians who give detailed descriptions of the Hanging Gardens never saw them. Modern historians argue that when Alexander's soldiers reached the fertile land of Mesopotamia and saw Babylon, they were impressed. When they later returned to their rugged homeland, they had stories to tell about the amazing gardens and palm trees at Mesopotamia.. About the palace of Nebuchadnezzar.. About the Tower of Babel and the ziggurats. And it was the imagination of poets and ancient historians that blended all these elements together to produce one of the World Wonders.
It wasn't until the twentieth century that some of the mysteries surrounding the Hanging Gardens were revealed. Archaeologists are still struggling to gather enough evidence before reaching the final conclusions about the location of the Gardens, their irrigation system, and their true appearance.
astrolesson
So just what are these constellations you keep hearing about?People have used constellations for many different reasons. And these reasons have changed throughout history.
Astronomy is the oldest science. This is because even the earliest cavemen would look up at the sky and wonder about what makes it run. People saw that the motions of the stars were regular and predictable.
The first use for Constellations was probably religious. People thought that the Gods lived in the heavens and that they created them. Many cultures believed that the positions of the stars were their God's way of telling stories. So it seemed natural to recognize patterns in the sky, give them names, and tell stories about them. We inherited the names for our constellations from the Greeks. And they named the constellations after their mythological heroes and legends. So behind every constellation there is a story. For example, to the ancient Greeks, Orion was a great hunter. He was the son of Neptune (god of the sea). But the same stars were considered to depict Osiris by the Egyptians. Each different culture developed their own interpretation.
A more practical use for constellations was agriculture. Before there were proper calendars people had no way of determining when to sow, or harvest except by the stars. Constellations made the patterns of the stars easy to remember. The ancient peoples knew for example that when the constellation Orion started to be fully visible winter was coming soon. Or they could look at the Summer Triangle to know when Summer or Spring were coming as well. The stars allowed farmers to plan ahead and form agriculture, and constellations made it easier to recognize and interpret the patterns in the sky.
The constellations also helped with navigation. It is fairly easy to spot Polaris (The North Star) once you've found Ursa Minor (Little Dipper constellation). One can figure out his/her latitude (North/South) just by looking at how high Polaris appears in the night sky. This allowed for ships to travel across the globe. It allowed for the discovery of America, the spread of European culture, and civilization as we know it today.
Romania intr-o dimineata
ROMANIA - DATE GENERALEDenumire: România
Acest nume a fost adoptat in 1862, după fondarea statului-naţiune prin unirea celor două principate româneşti, Valahia şi Moldova, în 1859.
Abrevierea internaţională ROU.
Situarea: în sud-estul Europei Centrale, în nordul Peninsulei Balcanice, pe Dunărea inferioară.
Granitele
Hotarele României însumează în total 3.149,9 km. Două treimi din acestea (2.064,4 km) sunt determinate de Dunăre şi de râurile Prut şi Tisa sau urmează linia ţărmului Mării Negre, în timp ce o treime (1.085,5 km) reprezintă graniţa terestră. Apele teritoriale române se întind până la 12 mile marine în largul Mării Negre.Vecinătăţi
România se învecinează cu cinci state, cel de-al şaselea vecin fiind Marea Neagră. La NE şi E are graniţă cu Republica Moldova (681,3 km), la N şi E cu Ucraina (649,4 km), la SE cu Marea Neagră (193,5 km), la S cu Bulgaria (631,3 km), la SV cu Serbia (546,4 km) şi la V cu Ungaria (448,0 km).
Suprafaţa
Este de 238.391 kmp, comparabilă cu cea a Marii Britanii, ceea ce situează România pe locul 80 în lume şi pe locul 13 în Europa ca mărime.România are o formă ovală, întinzându-se pe 735 km de la vest la est şi pe 530 km de la nord la sud.
Distribuţia suprafeţei: teritoriu arabil (39,2%), păduri (28%), pajişti şi fâneţe (20,5%), vii şi livezi (2,3%), clădiri, drumuri şi şosele (4,5%), ape şi iazuri (3,7%), alte zone (1,8%).
marți, 14 august 2007
today's history
======Events====== * 1183 - Taira no Munemori and the Taira clan take the young Emperor Antoku and the three sacred treasures and flee to western Japan to escape pursuit by the Minamoto clan. (Traditional Japanese date: Twenty-fifth Day of the Seventh Month of the Second Year of Juei).
* 1385 - Portuguese Crisis of 1383–1385: Battle of Aljubarrota - Portuguese forces commanded by King João I and his general Nuno Álvares Pereira defeat the Castilian army of King Juan I.
* 1598 - Nine Years War: Battle of the Yellow Ford - Irish forces under Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, defeat an English expeditionary force under Henry Bagenal.
* 1791 - Ceremony at Bois Caiman, Haiti; Haitian Revolution begins.
* 1842 - Indian Wars: Second Seminole War ends, with the Seminoles forced from Florida to Oklahoma.
* 1846 - The Cape Girardeau meteorite, a 2.3 kg chondrite-type meteorite strikes near the town of Cape Girardeau in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri..
* 1880 - Cologne Cathedral, the most famous landmark in Cologne, Germany, completed.
* 1885 - Japan's first patent is issued to the inventor of a rust-proof paint.
* 1893 - France introduces motor vehicle registration.
* 1897 - The town of Anosimena is captured by French troops from Menabe defenders in Madagascar.
* 1901 - The first claimed powered flight, by Gustave Whitehead in his Number 21.
* 1908 - First beauty contest held in Folkestone, England.
* 1912 - United States Marines invade Nicaragua to support the U.S.-backed government installed there after José Santos Zelaya resigned three years earlier.
* 1921 - Tannu Tuva, later Tuvinian People's Republic is established as a completely independent country (which is supported by Russia).
* 1936 - Rainey Bethea is hanged in Owensboro, Kentucky in the last public execution in the United States. * 1941 - World War II - Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt sign the Atlantic Charter of war stating postwar aims.
* 1945 - Japan accepts the Allied terms of surrender in World War II and the Emperor records the Imperial Rescript on Surrender (August 15 in Japan standard time).
* 1947 - Pakistan gains Independence from the British Indian Empire under the administration of United Kingdom and joins the British Commonwealth.
* 1969 - United Kingdom troops deploy in Northern Ireland.
* 1980 - Lech Wałęsa leads strikes at Gdańsk, Poland shipyards.
* 1994 - Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, the terrorist known as "Carlos the Jackal", is captured.
* 2003 - Widescale power blackout in the northeast United States and Canada.
============Birthdays============
1740 - Pope Pius VII
1867 - John Galsworthy, Nobel Prize Laureate
1933 - Richard R. Ernst, Swiss chemist and Nobel Prize Laureate
1945 - Steve Martin, American comedian
1959 - Magic Johnson, American basketball player
1960 - Sarah Brightman, English soprano
1966 - Halle Berry, American actress
============ Holidays============
* Morocco - Allegiance of Oued Eddahab or Río de Oro.
* Pakistan - Independence Day (From the Indian Empire and from the British colonialist and imperialists under the foreign control of the United Kingdom, 1947).
* Paraguay - Flag Day.
* United States - National Creamsicles Day.
