A COLLECTION OF UNUSUAL HISTORIES and CONCEPTS, plus a QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
1. "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
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> BELLCORE – “Bell Communication Research” was a corporation owned cooperatively by the Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs) that wrote and administered the RBOC’s common software. The sale of Bellcore to SAIS for more than one billion U.S. dollars was the largest software sale in history to that point, but general awareness of the sale has all but vanished.
> CHOCOLATE - A highly complex central element to a wide range of food products. The production of basic chocolate involves wide-ranging child labor. THE SALVATION ARMY attempts to intervene on behalf of the tens of thousands of enslaved child-laborers on the Ivory Coast of Africa, forced to work on chocolate production.
> FIRST OIL WELL - was in Rock City in the Adirondacks of Western New York, producing 7 barrels a day. [entry thanks to Dr. Doug Pisano]
> WEST VIRGINIA - seceded from the Confederate State of Virginia over the issue of Slavery prior to the American Civil War, but did not formally abolish Slavery until 1863.
> SKYLINE CAVERNS - Geologic caves located in Warren County, Virginia, one mile (1.6 km) south of Front Royal - discovered by Walter S. Amos, a retired geologist from Winchester, Virginia, December 17, 1937. Skyline Caverns is open year-round with guided tours through the caverns with views of crystal formations and multi-colored stone.
> AUSTRONESIA - The Austronesian Peoples are an extended ‘Group of Related Groups’ in Southeast Asia, Oceania and East Africa that speak Austronesian Languages. These peoples include Taiwanese Aborigines and the majority of ethnic groups in Madagascar, Maritime Southeast Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. They are also found in Mainland Southeast Asia. Their trans-oceanic explorations, often in large wooden ‘Canoes’ predate by centuries European expansion that used ‘Sailing Vessels’.
> NASSARIOUS BEADS – The oldest examples of ornamentation was made from the shell of the mud snail found in Mount Carmel, Israel (dated as 100,000 BCE) and similar beads from Oued Djebbana, Algeria from 90,000 BCE
> THE YANGTZE RIVER DELTA in China is the most highly populated region of the world with more than 140 million residents, including the Wu Chinese-speaking areas of Shanghai, southern Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang province. The dominant crop is rice. The region includes the two longest bridges in the world.
> ZITHER – A generally flat, strummed or plucked string instrument developed in both Eastern and Western cultures, simultaneously, more than 2,000 BCE with any understanding of a common origination having been lost. Until recent times with a highly ornamented frame. Tone is determined by the length of the string and the position of the strumming fingers, or hand-held implement (e.g. a pick or bow). Precursor to the dulcimore, harpsichord, clavichord, lute, guitar, violin and piano. The name is a German word, referring to a Greek word.
> AN EQUATION - a statement that expresses an equality of two variables. The word equation in languages other than English may have different meanings; e.g. in French an équation can be a statement containing only one variable, whereas in English an equation is a balanced mathematical statement resulting from the application of variables an either ‘side’ of the statement. The word ‘equation’ can also used as a metaphor in English meaning a ‘circumstance’, ‘solution’ or a ‘business or social reality’.
> AIKIDO - A Martial Art and beneficial philosophy centered on both Principles and Techniques - founded in the early twentieth century in Japan by Morihei Ueshiba [entry thanks to Nathan Mishler of Studio Cypher]
> DINERS - A restaurant often resembling the ‘eating car’ in an old railroad; first constructed in the early 19th Century in Massachusetts; designed to be ‘trucked’ into place; generally with a curved metal roof and row of windows on the long side facing a street.
> TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA - UNLUCKY NUMBER 13 - Combining Ancient Greek treiskaídeka, meaning 'thirteen' with phóbos, meaning 'fear' into a fear of the number 13; Results in the fear of FRIDAY the 13th; Reason for elimination of floor 13 in elevators; Strengthened by Apollo 13 near disaster; center of myths for centuries; spawned specialized ‘clubs’.
> THE ZD PRINCIPLE - “All Maps are Immediately Wrong”; Ongoing Shift from former ‘Flat Maps’ to add a hidden ‘Z Coordinate’ to the X/Y Coordinates (x=length / y=width / z=‘hidden’ depth); includes adjustments with symbols for an infinite number of D Factors (The Delta of ‘Changing Information’) > e.g. On-board Maps within vehicles (public and private) with multiple types of geographic / location / ‘road-condition’ / local functions including businesses / law enforcement / financial institution / etc.; Forms a New Cartography; [Thanks to Nathan Mishler for excellent observations]
> JARGON - Core languages (e.g. English, Mandarin, Hindi, French, Spanish and German) are constantly evolving, often spawning variants based in limited geographic areas, as well as targeted activities that can become more pervasive than the originating language, e.g. Jamaican Patois as part of the Creole used throughout the Caribbean [Thanks to Marcel Guevara for suggesting this entry]
> STAR TREK (the Motion Picture) – Produced by Gene Roddenberry / directed by Robert Wise broke ground with animated screens on the Bridge of The Enterprise, and as technical screens throughout the ship, using ‘rear screen’ ‘positive/negative’ ‘motion picture loops’ to simulate futuristic ‘3-D’ displays plus multicolored data tables; produced in Crystal City, Virginia; later used in a Space-ride at Disney World, Orlando.
> TYRANNOSAURUS REX - Known as T-Rex; The largest land predator; An apex predator and/or scavenger; from the Jurassic Period; 200 million years BCE; two-legged; standing upright on massive hind legs; two clawed arms
> Kelvin–Helmholtz instability (after Lord Kelvin and Hermann von Helmholtz) can occur when there is a velocity difference across the interface between two fluids. An example is wind blowing over water: The instability is displayed as waves on the water surface, or can be a connected band of hooked clouds close to the surface of the water. Other Examples: Saturn's Bands, Jupiter's Red Spot, and the Sun's Corona created by this instability.
> PANDEMIC - Epidemic across large regions for a limited time; ranging from a section of a State to the Globe; Can be associated with fear-driven misconceptions / blaming. e.g. The Black Death or renaming Hanta Virus to Navajo Fever; As opposed to seasonal infections e.g. flu; Some fully eliminated. e.g. Smallpox.;
> MARS HOAX - 2002 e-mail chain claiming Mars will appear as large as the Full Moon on 8/27/03; Hoax recurs whenever Mars and Earth are approx. 55 million kilometers apart; started in 1957
> Patriot's Day - originally celebrated in Massachusetts and Maine (since Maine was part of Mass. until 1820); Now celebrated the 3rd Monday in April to commemorate Paul Revere's ride from Boston to Concord; Resolved when Maine and Missouri entered the Union simultaneously to keep balance re: Free vs. Slave States [Entry Thanks to John Stifler - MPC friend / Amherst ‘68 alumnus].
> SABRINA ISLAND > Volcanic islands in more than one location: one is a set of rocky points south of Australia; one was off the Azores that appeared in an undersea eruption, was claimed by the captain of the British Gunship Sabrina, but then sank back into the water within a year. [Entry resulted from a humorous inquiry in an Amherst colleagues’ message chain.]
> ROUSH MUSTANG - Ford manufactured the Roush Mustang for collectors with performance upgrades and unique cosmetic treatment. Also built Special Service Package (or SSP) for law enforcement. [By coincidence: ‘Roush’ name corresponds with MPC friend (GR) AND a mint condition Roush Mustang is owned by MPC friend MAP]
> JARGON – All Core languages (e.g. English, Mandarin, and German) are constantly evolving, with variants in geographic areas e.g. Jamaican Patois as part of Creole throughout the Caribbean; also slang words for targeted activities (e.g. bouncer); The top 4 Languages are Mandarin Chinese, English, Hindi, Spanish.
> HUMAN FOOT BONES - one quarter of human skeleton bones are in the feet; 52 out of 206 / each foot has 33 joints + over 100 muscles, ligaments, tendons [Thanks to: Thom Cates - Management Advisor]
> BIRDS – Avian dinosaurs. In phylogenetic taxonomy birds are considered in the group Dinosauria. Birds in a wide array of forms continued to exist despite the Asteroid Impact event that led to the extinction of the Great Reptilian Dinosaurs.
> GLASS BRIDGE – Zhangjiajie Glass skywalk bridge > Wulingyuan area, Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, China; Glass-bottomed / transparent. Opened 8/20/2016 as longest / tallest glass bottomed bridge worldwide. 1410 ft. long/ 980 ft. above canyon floor. Can carry 800 visitors. designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan. Highest bungee jump in world (935ft.)
> AMERICAN CHESTNUT TREES – Almost obliterated by virus in the early 1900’s. (The exception is one ‘stand’ in Wisconsin planted by Martin Hicks in 1800’s) The ‘Chestnut Blight’ has led to numerous activities and organizations, but there is no restorative treatment and the final ‘stand’ in Wisconsin is now dying.
> RED TAPE – From 1757 for 150 years, court documents were stacked and tied with red ribbon to indicate key files. Cutting the ribbon to access files led to “Cutting through the Red Tape” [Thanks to: Warren Grossman, Esq.]
> A DERECHO – A widespread, long-lived wind storm, associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. A typical derecho consists of numerous micro-bursts, down-bursts, and down-burst clusters. An event may be classified as a derecho, if the wind damage swath runs for more than 240 miles (about 400 kilometers) and includes wind gusts of at least 58 mph (93 km/h) along most of the path.
> THE BOOK OF ENOCH – Ancient writings ascribed to ENOCH - the great-grandfather of NOAH. The book, hand-written on parchment, contains extensive references to Angelic and Demonic Entities. The book is divided into 5 Parts. Elements found in the DEAD SEA SCROLLS. Used as a both a basis of belief, but is also either ignored or debunked, dependent on the group. [entry thanks to MAP]
> ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) – Data-related intelligence demonstrated by machines, as opposed to natural intelligence displayed by animals. The term "artificial intelligence" describes machines that mimic "human" cognitive skills, but stops short of including rational adjustments to intentions, based on individual decisions, resulting from the totality of experiences of cause and effect.
> LUDDITES – An oath-based society opposed to both technology and computerization, used to replace human roles. Founded by Ned Ludd in 1797 in Ansty, England. Luddites exist in secret societies with activities, size and direct influence carefully masked.
> BUNGEE JUMPING – Also spelled bungy jumping / involves a person jumping from great height connected to a large elastic cord from a launching pad erected on a tall structure such as a building or crane or bridge across a deep ravine, or on a natural geographic feature such as a cliff.
> THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON: This Named Year is part of the cycle of named years in the Chinese Culture characterized by a flying Dragon who brings prosperity. [Thanks to Ella Cheong, Director: www.ellacheong.asia]
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