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Subdeacon Joe

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Everything posted by Subdeacon Joe

  1. A DAILY DOSE OF HISTORY: The founder of the Persian Empire, Cyrus II (best known to history as Cyrus the Great) was admired by such diverse figures as Alexander the Great and Thomas Jefferson, and is the only gentile described in the Bible as “anointed” by God. During Cyrus’s reign his empire ultimately stretched from the Indus River to the Aegean Sea—an empire that would culturally and militarily dominate much of the ancient world for over two centuries, and whose influence would continue to be felt long afterwards. When Cyrus ascended to the throne upon the death of his father in 559 BC, Persia (Persis) was a vassal state of the Median kingdom. But in the so-called “Persian Revolt,” Cyrus led the Persians in an overthrow of Median authority, resulting in the Persian conquest of Media in 550 BC. Persian armies led by Cyrus then conquered Lydia and Asia Minor. With the conquest of Babylon in 539 BC Cyrus’s Persian Empire became the largest empire in world history to that point. Cyrus is remembered as one of history’s most successful conquerors, but also as one of history’s most benevolent. Cyrus he did not try to impose foreign religion or culture on his newly acquired subjects, instead leaving them free to worship and live largely as they pleased. Further, he allowed (and encouraged) deported people living in the territories he conquered to return to their ancestral homelands, requiring no compensation or tribute from them. It was his liberation of the exiled Hebrews in Babylon that earned him so much praise in the Bible. The book of Ezra quotes Cyrus as urging the Jews released from Babylonian captivity to return to Jerusalem and build a temple and as saying “The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth.” In the book of Isaiah God refers to Cyrus as his “anointed,” “whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him.” In around 370 BC the Greek historian Xenophon published Cyropaedia, a biography of Cyrus describing both his heroism in battle and his wisdom in employing tolerance in the governing of his diverse empire. It was principally this example of religious and cultural toleration in government that made Cyropeadia appealing to Thomas Jefferson and other figures of the Enlightenment. In fact, Jefferson owned, and treasured, two copies of Cyropaedia, and he recommended it as the primary text for any student learning Greek. In 1879 in what is now modern-day Iraq, British archeologists discovered a clay cylinder dating to the time of Cyrus (now called the “Cyrus Cylinder”) that offered more historical support for the accounts of Cyrus found in the Cyropaedia and the Hebrew Bible. On the cylinder were inscriptions encouraging religious freedom in the Persian Empire and allowing deported people to return to their homelands. It is believed the Cyrus the Great died in December of 530 BC, but conflicting accounts of his death make it impossible to know exactly when and how he died. In the Cyropaedia Xenophon says Cyrus died peacefully in his capital, but according to other accounts he died in battle. In the best-known account (the subject of numerous paintings), Cyrus was killed in battle against the Scythians, who afterwards decapitated him and presented his head to their empress Tomyris. However Cyrus may have met his fate, he is believed to be entombed in modern-day Pasargadae, Iran. The Tomb of Cyrus located there is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The illustration is “Cyrus, King of the Persians,” by the Flemish master Gerard de Jode from around 1585. It is now in the British Museum in London, as is the Cyrus Cylinder.
  2. View of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Midway (CVB-41), mid-1946. She used the propeller thrust of 32 of the embarked Vought F4U-4 Corsairs to swing the carrier. This was first used by USS Randolph (CV-15) off Guam in June 1945 when the proximity of dangerous shoals and heavy harbor traffic made it impossible for the carrier to turn around under her own power. Randolph's commanding officer, Captain Felix L. Baker, ordered that 5 aircraft each be placed on the port bow and the starboard quarter, facing inward. As the props of the starboard planes turned at cruising speed, the carrier's bow turned to the left so that the carrier's port bow caught the trade wind. Since then this method was occasionally used in the U.S. Navy as an emergency procedure (and named "Operation Pinwheel"). US Navy All Hands Magazine - June 1946
  3. That was her breaking from the program and thanking him.
  4. It was her 4th encore. Maybe he needed to use the head.
  5. 25 Holiday Artifacts in 25 Days -- Christmas Greetings Ornament, USS New York 1918 Day 4: This Christmas Greetings was sent by Desire “Dee” Schollaert to his family stateside during World War I. Schollaert enlisted in the Marine Corps on 17 July 1917 and served aboard several Navy ships that included the USS New Jersey, USS New Mexico, USS Nevada and the USS New York. While aboard the USS New York, he would see action with the British Grand Fleet of Scapa Flow and escort numerous convoys with the ship, being credited for having rammed and sinking a German submarine. Schollaert served aboard this vessel until the war’s end when the ship ferried U.S. servicemen back from France.
  6. Hauling freight and passengers through the great snow slide and snow tunnel on the Ouray & Silverton wagon road, Colorado. 1888.
  7. Civil War veteran Isador Banor, who lived to the age of 102 in Port Clinton, Ohio. He was born in 1811 when Napoleon ruled most of Europe. He died in 1913 -- ten years after the Wright Brothers flew the first airplane, and a year before the First World War began. =================== The changes he saw in his life!
  8. https://www.scribd.com/document/272913056/Usmc-Ribbon-Chart Or maybe
  9. I'm not a big fan of opera in general, but I was quite taken with the change of facial expression from confusion to unadulterated and utter joy when the guy in the audience started singing. Simply beautiful. And the dropping all hint of professionalism, cupping her hands above her eyes so she could peer into the audience! They made each others day.
  10. She had a check up this morning....her blood work was so good THE DOCTOR TOOK HER OFF OF INSULIN AND BYDUREON! No more needles! She's also officially down 50 pounds. Oddly, her bought of COVID is partially responsible, or so we think. It did something to her system so she is no longer depressed, and when it interfered with her taste buds for about a year and a half her eating habits changed.
  11. It's almost harder than loosing a human family member. My condolences.
  12. But that would make it work rather than a hobby! I haven't used a machine in about 10 years, with the price of fabric it's less expensive to buy off the rack, and I'm not doing any sort of reenacting anymore, so I don't need to make things for myself or my wife. Back when I was doing a lot of sewing I could go to one of the mill ends stores and buy stuff that had minor flaws or was a large remnant for a buck a yard. I think my mom taught me because she was tired of patching things - I'm the youngest of 4 boys, and there is 7 years between me and my youngest brother, and 12 between me and the eldest. So I learned household skills early on. Sewing, ironing, cooking. With my brothers so much older, by the time I was in 4th grade they all had jobs after school, and both parents were working. I'd get home, do my homework, get a pot of coffee started so it was ready when my folks got home, and often I'd start dinner, or at least do some of the prep work for mom. All in all, it's stood me in good stead because some of the concepts can be applied to other things.
  13. The exacting geometry and timing of them rivals any internal combustion engine, it might be even more exacting. At the air filter company I worked for I would have to adjust the timing on them sometimes. Frustrating. I leaned to sew, or at least use my Mom's Singer, much like the one in the THG video, but with the motor mounted on the table behind the machine, when I was about 6 or 7, and she taught me how to wind the bobbins a few years before that. It was fun watching the spool spin around and the bobbin fill up, and having to just barely touch both so they didn't overspin and cause a snarl. Started off doing things like hemming a frayed handkerchief, or maybe a pair of cutoffs. From there to patching the knees of jeans. I think I was 9 or 10 before I actually made something from a pattern. A simple pull over shirt. Attaching the collar gave me fits. 50 years or more and I still remember that! Most complicated things I made were square dance dresses for my ex. And Tudor shirts for myself.
  14. You really need to lay off the pickled egg, sauerkraut, and anchovy pizza.
  15. I don’t mean to be a Grinch, however.... to those of you who are placing Christmas lights/decorations in your yards, would you please avoid anything that has Red or Blue flashing lights together!! Every time I come around the corner, I think it's the police and I have a panic attack. I have to brake hard, toss my margarita out the window, fasten my seat belt, throw my phone on the floor, turn my radio down, and push the gun under the seat. All while trying to drive. It's just too much drama, even for Christmas. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
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