Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Poseidon Temple


At the southern tip of Greece's Attic peninsula lies the temple of Poseidon at Sounion Head: the first landfall in the classical city-state of Athens when coming from the south, a temple to the god of the ocean.
Walking the tan dust of the path to the temple, you see first massive columns of white marble rearing the temple epistyle into the sky. Then, as you walk forward, past the columns you see the sea.


The headland that holds the temple is surrounded on three sides by water. Ahead, to the south, you see a scattering of islands, the beginning of the Cyclades. But what impresses you most is not these islands, not the striking temple, but their setting. Water. Water on all sides, deep sapphire blue: the wine-dark sea. The smell of salt. Fishing boats pass, occasionally a freighter, though my companions and I saw surprisingly little shipping when we visited last October.

Enfolded in the Sea

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We don't need no stinking barges

Set sail for uncharted hilarity as you help Popeye the Sailor Man rescue Olive from the clutches of that big blowhard Bluto. Brave white-water rapids as this twisting, turning raft ride makes you wish you'd have brought your spinach... and a towel. 


Saturday, May 12, 2012

Popeye


After the theatrical Popeye cartoon series went out of production in 1957, Bluto's name was changed to Brutus because it was (wrongly) believed that Paramount Pictures, distributors of the Fleischer Studios (later Famous Studios) cartoons, owned the rights to the name Bluto.

"Brutus" (often pronounced "Brutusk" by Popeye) appears in the 1960–1962 Popeye television cartoons. (with his physical appearance changed, making him morbidly obese rather than muscular)
Another subtle difference between the characters of Brutus and Bluto is that while Bluto was often portrayed as a fellow sailor who also sought to win the heart of Olive Oyl, Brutus was portrayed as a generic villain, or bank robber, who showed no romantic interest in Olive. Instead, he usually took her hostage, leaving Popeye to rescue her.


Prior to the name change to Brutus, the bearded strongman was known as "The Big Guy That Hates Popeye," "Junior," "Mean Man," and "Sonny Boy" in the comic strip and comic books.

There is considerable inconsistencies with regards to how strong Bluto actually is. In some episodes he is weaker than Popeye, usually resorting to underhanded trickery to win. Other times Popeye stands no chance until he eats his spinach. Other times he and Popeye are evenly matched with Bluto eventually winning, as in the episode, We Aim to Please.



And other times he's a match for Popeye even after he's eaten his spinach, as in the episode Pleased to Meet Cha.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluto

Middle Ages


Friday, May 11, 2012

Thursday, May 10, 2012


ScienceDaily (May 9, 2012) — A detailed description of development of the first practical artificial leaf -- a milestone in the drive for sustainable energy that mimics the process, photosynthesis, that green plants use to convert water and sunlight into energy -- appears in the ACS journal Accounts of Chemical Research. The article notes that unlike earlier devices, which used costly ingredients, the new device is made from inexpensive materials and employs low-cost engineering and manufacturing processes.