Cape Hatteras is a cape on the coast of North Carolina. It is the point that protrudes the farthest to the southeast along the northeast-to-southwest line of the Atlantic coast of North America. Two major Atlantic currents collide just off Cape Hatteras, the southerly-flowing cold water Labrador Current and the northerly-flowing warm water Florida Current (Gulf Stream), creating turbulent waters and a large expanse of shallow sandbars extending up to 14 miles (23 km) offshore. These shoals are known as Diamond Shoals. Because mariners utilize ocean currents to speed their journey, many ships venture close to Cape Hatteras when traveling along the eastern seaboard, risking the perils of sailing close to the shoals amid turbulent water and the frequent storms occurring in the area. So many ships have been lost off Cape Hatteras that the area is known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic".
The cape is actually a bend in Hatteras Island, one of the long thin barrier islands that make up the Outer Banks. The first lighthouse at the cape was built in 1803; it was replaced by the current Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in 1870, which at 198.48 feet (60.50 m) from the ground to the tip of its lightning rod is the tallest lighthouse in the United States and one of the tallest brick lighthouses in the world.
In 1999, as the receding shoreline had come dangerously close to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the 4830-ton lighthouse was lifted and moved inland a distance of 2,900 feet (880 m). Its distance from the seashore is now 1,500 feet (460 m), about the same as when it was originally built.
Somewhat analogous to Point Conception in Southern California, this on-the-edge placement at the confluence of the Labrador and Florida currents leads to unusually diverse biological assemblages. Many species' ranges have either a southern or northern terminus at the cape.
Cape Hatteras is also infamous for being frequently struck by hurricanes that move up the East Coast of the United States. The strike of Hurricane Isabel in 2003 was particularly devastating for the area. Isabel devastated the entire Outer Banks and also split Hatteras Island between the two small towns of Frisco and Hatteras. NC 12, which provides a direct route from Nags Head to Hatteras Island, was washed out when the hurricane created a new inlet. Students had to use a ferry to get to school. The inlet was filled in with sand by the Army Corps of Engineers which took nearly two months to complete. The road, electrical and water lines were quickly rebuilt when the inlet was filled.
The name Hatteras is the sixth oldest surviving English place-name in the U.S. An inlet north of the cape was named "Hatrask" in 1585 by Sir Richard Grenville, the admiral leading the Roanoke Colony expedition sent by Sir Walter Raleigh. It was later applied to the island and cape as well, and modified to "Hatteras".[1]
Gorean Adventure Tour A Gorean's travel log
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Gettysburg / Wikipedia
The Battle of Gettysburg (locally /ˈɡɛtɨsbɜrɡ/ (
listen), with an ss sound), fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War[6] and is often described as the war's turning point.[7] Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac defeated attacks by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, ending Lee's invasion of the North.
After his success at Chancellorsville in Virginia in May 1863, Lee led his army through the Shenandoah Valley to begin his second invasion of the North—the Gettysburg Campaign. He intended to move the focus of the summer campaign from war-ravaged northern Virginia and hoped to influence Northern politicians to give up their prosecution of the war by penetrating as far as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, or even Philadelphia. Prodded by President Abraham Lincoln, Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker moved his army in pursuit, but was relieved just three days before the battle and replaced by Meade.
The two armies began to collide at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863, as Lee urgently concentrated his forces there. Low ridges to the northwest of town were defended initially by a Union cavalry division, which was soon reinforced with two corps of Union infantry. However, two large Confederate corps assaulted them from the northwest and north, collapsing the hastily developed Union lines, sending the defenders retreating through the streets of town to the hills just to the south.
On the second day of battle, most of both armies had assembled. The Union line was laid out in a defensive formation resembling a fishhook. Lee launched a heavy assault on the Union left flank, and fierce fighting raged at Little Round Top, the Wheatfield, Devil's Den, and the Peach Orchard. On the Union right, demonstrations escalated into full-scale assaults on Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill. All across the battlefield, despite significant losses, the Union defenders held their lines.
On the third day of battle, July 3, fighting resumed on Culp's Hill, and cavalry battles raged to the east and south, but the main event was a dramatic infantry assault by 12,500 Confederates against the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge, known as Pickett's Charge. The charge was repulsed by Union rifle and artillery fire, at great losses to the Confederate army. Lee led his army on a torturous retreat back to Virginia. Between 46,000 and 51,000 Americans were casualties in the three-day battle. That November, President Lincoln used the dedication ceremony for the Gettysburg National Cemetery to honor the fallen and redefine the purpose of the war in his historic Gettysburg Address.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
listen), with an ss sound), fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War[6] and is often described as the war's turning point.[7] Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac defeated attacks by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, ending Lee's invasion of the North.After his success at Chancellorsville in Virginia in May 1863, Lee led his army through the Shenandoah Valley to begin his second invasion of the North—the Gettysburg Campaign. He intended to move the focus of the summer campaign from war-ravaged northern Virginia and hoped to influence Northern politicians to give up their prosecution of the war by penetrating as far as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, or even Philadelphia. Prodded by President Abraham Lincoln, Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker moved his army in pursuit, but was relieved just three days before the battle and replaced by Meade.
The two armies began to collide at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863, as Lee urgently concentrated his forces there. Low ridges to the northwest of town were defended initially by a Union cavalry division, which was soon reinforced with two corps of Union infantry. However, two large Confederate corps assaulted them from the northwest and north, collapsing the hastily developed Union lines, sending the defenders retreating through the streets of town to the hills just to the south.
On the second day of battle, most of both armies had assembled. The Union line was laid out in a defensive formation resembling a fishhook. Lee launched a heavy assault on the Union left flank, and fierce fighting raged at Little Round Top, the Wheatfield, Devil's Den, and the Peach Orchard. On the Union right, demonstrations escalated into full-scale assaults on Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill. All across the battlefield, despite significant losses, the Union defenders held their lines.
On the third day of battle, July 3, fighting resumed on Culp's Hill, and cavalry battles raged to the east and south, but the main event was a dramatic infantry assault by 12,500 Confederates against the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge, known as Pickett's Charge. The charge was repulsed by Union rifle and artillery fire, at great losses to the Confederate army. Lee led his army on a torturous retreat back to Virginia. Between 46,000 and 51,000 Americans were casualties in the three-day battle. That November, President Lincoln used the dedication ceremony for the Gettysburg National Cemetery to honor the fallen and redefine the purpose of the war in his historic Gettysburg Address.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Upcoming dates
for anyone wishing to find out about upcoming dates and places for the tour Talena Ember has a list that I believe has been updated if not will put on up here for any who need it our next show will be in the Gettysburg area then we will be moving on to the Maryland, DC area believe we will be in that area for at least 2 weeks then we are moving on to Virginia Beach as for photos of our tour to date lily is working on getting movies made for the last couple weeks stay tuned for them.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Day 24 Willow Bay
Day 24
I spent the morning sitting on a large rock on the edge of the Allegheny Reservoir watching a little red bobber that did nothing more than move with the gentle motion of the wind blown waves. Lily was sleeping in the front seat of the car back at the camp. We both had hoped that we would wake to sunshine, but although the steady rain of yesterday had finally stopped, a heavy layer of clouds kept the sun from making an appearance. The thing is, it is all ok. If we have done nothing else in the first three and a half weeks of the Great Gorean adventure tour, we have settled into a much more Gorean state of mind. When we remember that the Goreans did not have television sets, radios, computers, or even cell phones (heaven forbid), we realize that they had to find ways to pass the time and entertain themselves much the same way as the generations of humans that came before the technological explosion of the last one hundred years. I was passing time taking an occasional glance at the idle bobber, watching v-shaped flights of geese soar over the far shore, and I was entertaining myself by remembering the events of the last three weeks.
We did well scheduling the Hoosier National Forest first. It was a beautiful campsite. The weather was perfect although, perhaps, a bit warmer than we would have dialed up. Every night, we took a "critter ride" just before sunset. This has now become a tour tradition. It consists of a short drive around the park looking for deer and other wildlife that were just beginning their nightly activities.
We settled nicely into camp routine. I took an 8.8 mile hike one morning and paid for it with a thousand chigger bites on my unprotected ankles. I made up for missing the opening night of the Poplar Bluff Mules High School football game by watching the Forrest Park Rangers beat the Perry Central Commodores, 21-7.
There was an interesting event at that game, by the way. I started the night sitting on the Forrest Park side of the field. They were the visitors and so more seats were available on that side. When the team came out and finished their warm-ups, they began to jump up and down in one of those wild tribal rituals that football teams do to get psyched up for the opening kickoff. As I watched, I found myself thinking that one of the players, #28, a smallish guy on the outside of the circle, had a really nice looking ass. No sooner had the thought flashed through my mind that I uttered a groan and blushed. I tried not to look and turned my attention to the cheerleaders trying to reassure my suddenly threatened manhood that a mere three days of camping had not caused major changes in my orientation. However, I kept feeling a pull to sneak another peak. You know how those tight football pants are? My god, that was one fine looking rear end! Then, as the players moved to the sideline and took off their helmets to wave them at the kickoff team in another of those pre-game psych rituals, I saw a long mane of blond hair fall out of the helmet of #28. She was, it turns out, a back-up kicker, and a cute little thing as well. My instincts were still intact!!
When the Rangers scored the final touchdown to open up a two touchdown lead late in the game, they sent her in to attempt the point after touchdown kick. She made it, just barely clearing the crossbar, and the stands, her teammates, and even the coaches broke out into a wild celebration that made it seem they had just won the Super Bowl. I was guessing it was either her first attempt, or the first one she made, but the story behind this, I was unable to learn. I did get a picture of her with her helmet off and it is posted on one of the tour photo albums.
The Hoosier National Forest had everything you would expect on a five day camping trip. Good fishing, interesting attractions, a swim in a cool water lake, hiking trails, friendly deer that seemed anxious to be seen, late night campfires, and perfect weather. But, it wasn't any of this that really made this the ideal start of the tour. It was the way the de-stressing process that had begun on the road continued to cleanse my mind of years of the accumulated mental baggage of living too quickly and without proper appreciation of what was flowing like a fast moving stream. Little snags no longer induced frustration and anger. I was growing stronger and more confident. More Gorean. Each morning became an adventure. The passing of each day was a victory of sorts if lily and I ended it, snuggled in the tent, thinking that it had been a good day. We found ways to entertain ourselves. We did have a computer, and we watched a couple of movies. (The Unforgiven and The Shawshank Redemption) I checked the news and kept up with my fantasy baseball team. Yet, these things were just the spice on the frosting of the day and not the substance or purpose of it.
I spent the morning sitting on a large rock on the edge of the Allegheny Reservoir watching a little red bobber that did nothing more than move with the gentle motion of the wind blown waves. Lily was sleeping in the front seat of the car back at the camp. We both had hoped that we would wake to sunshine, but although the steady rain of yesterday had finally stopped, a heavy layer of clouds kept the sun from making an appearance. The thing is, it is all ok. If we have done nothing else in the first three and a half weeks of the Great Gorean adventure tour, we have settled into a much more Gorean state of mind. When we remember that the Goreans did not have television sets, radios, computers, or even cell phones (heaven forbid), we realize that they had to find ways to pass the time and entertain themselves much the same way as the generations of humans that came before the technological explosion of the last one hundred years. I was passing time taking an occasional glance at the idle bobber, watching v-shaped flights of geese soar over the far shore, and I was entertaining myself by remembering the events of the last three weeks.
We did well scheduling the Hoosier National Forest first. It was a beautiful campsite. The weather was perfect although, perhaps, a bit warmer than we would have dialed up. Every night, we took a "critter ride" just before sunset. This has now become a tour tradition. It consists of a short drive around the park looking for deer and other wildlife that were just beginning their nightly activities.
We settled nicely into camp routine. I took an 8.8 mile hike one morning and paid for it with a thousand chigger bites on my unprotected ankles. I made up for missing the opening night of the Poplar Bluff Mules High School football game by watching the Forrest Park Rangers beat the Perry Central Commodores, 21-7.
There was an interesting event at that game, by the way. I started the night sitting on the Forrest Park side of the field. They were the visitors and so more seats were available on that side. When the team came out and finished their warm-ups, they began to jump up and down in one of those wild tribal rituals that football teams do to get psyched up for the opening kickoff. As I watched, I found myself thinking that one of the players, #28, a smallish guy on the outside of the circle, had a really nice looking ass. No sooner had the thought flashed through my mind that I uttered a groan and blushed. I tried not to look and turned my attention to the cheerleaders trying to reassure my suddenly threatened manhood that a mere three days of camping had not caused major changes in my orientation. However, I kept feeling a pull to sneak another peak. You know how those tight football pants are? My god, that was one fine looking rear end! Then, as the players moved to the sideline and took off their helmets to wave them at the kickoff team in another of those pre-game psych rituals, I saw a long mane of blond hair fall out of the helmet of #28. She was, it turns out, a back-up kicker, and a cute little thing as well. My instincts were still intact!!
When the Rangers scored the final touchdown to open up a two touchdown lead late in the game, they sent her in to attempt the point after touchdown kick. She made it, just barely clearing the crossbar, and the stands, her teammates, and even the coaches broke out into a wild celebration that made it seem they had just won the Super Bowl. I was guessing it was either her first attempt, or the first one she made, but the story behind this, I was unable to learn. I did get a picture of her with her helmet off and it is posted on one of the tour photo albums.
The Hoosier National Forest had everything you would expect on a five day camping trip. Good fishing, interesting attractions, a swim in a cool water lake, hiking trails, friendly deer that seemed anxious to be seen, late night campfires, and perfect weather. But, it wasn't any of this that really made this the ideal start of the tour. It was the way the de-stressing process that had begun on the road continued to cleanse my mind of years of the accumulated mental baggage of living too quickly and without proper appreciation of what was flowing like a fast moving stream. Little snags no longer induced frustration and anger. I was growing stronger and more confident. More Gorean. Each morning became an adventure. The passing of each day was a victory of sorts if lily and I ended it, snuggled in the tent, thinking that it had been a good day. We found ways to entertain ourselves. We did have a computer, and we watched a couple of movies. (The Unforgiven and The Shawshank Redemption) I checked the news and kept up with my fantasy baseball team. Yet, these things were just the spice on the frosting of the day and not the substance or purpose of it.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Show from Pittsburg PA
Pittsburgh (pronounced /ˈpɪtsbərɡ/) is the second-largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia[7] and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it anchors the 22nd largest urban area in the United States.[8]
The 2009 estimated population of the city was 311,647,[9] while the seven-county metropolitan area was estimated at 2,354,957.[10]Downtown Pittsburgh retains substantial economic influence, ranking at 25th in the nation for jobs within the urban core and 6th in job density.[11]
The characteristic shape of Pittsburgh's central business district is a triangular tract carved by the confluence of the Allegheny andMonongahela rivers, where the Ohio River forms. The city features 151 high-rise buildings,[12] 446 bridges,[13] two inclined railways, and a pre-revolutionary fortification. Pittsburgh is known colloquially as "The City of Bridges" and "The Steel City" for its many bridges and former steel manufacturing base.
While the city is historically known for its steel industry, today its economy is largely based on healthcare, education, technology, robotics, and financial services. The region is also becoming a hub for oil and natural gas companies' Marcellus Shale production.[14][15]The city has redeveloped abandoned industrial sites with new housing, shopping and offices, such as The Waterfront and the SouthSide Works. While Pittsburgh faced an economic crisis in the 1980s as the regional steel industry waned,[16] modern Pittsburgh is economically strong.[17] The housing market is relatively stable despite a national subprime mortgage crisis, and Pittsburgh added jobs in 2008 even as the national economy entered a significant jobs recession.[18] This positive economic trend is in contrast to the 1980s, when Pittsburgh lost its manufacturing base in steel and electronics, and corporate jobs in the oil (Gulf Oil), electronics (Westinghouse), chemical (Koppers) and defense (Rockwell International) industries. The city is also headquarters to major global financial institutionsPNC Financial Services (the nation's fifth largest bank), Federated Investors and the regional headquarters of BNY Mellon, descended from Mellon Financial and the Mellon family.
Major publications often note Pittsburgh's high livability compared to other American cities. Most recently, in 2010, Forbes and Yahoo!both listed Pittsburgh as the most livable city in the United States.[19][20]
information taken from Wikipedia
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