Happy Columbus Day!
- Thread starter william24424
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Appeal to reason
There is a certain emotional logic that is employed when questions of culture, national pride and patriotism arise. I don't see how arguments of inevitability or commonality of practice excuse what was done in the name of progress. Columbus was most likely not the superstar that popular legend makes him out to be, nor was he some insignificant stable boy shoveling manure. What happened was important historically, for Europe and the rest of the world too. His life and work floated to the top of events to become a marker in time between two distinct worlds, as it were. Celebrate that. As for the rest, whether you pin it on Columbus or not, aggression is rewarded and applauded in nearly all quarters, appearances to the contrary notwithstanding. Why should this day be any different?
There is a certain emotional logic that is employed when questions of culture, national pride and patriotism arise. I don't see how arguments of inevitability or commonality of practice excuse what was done in the name of progress. Columbus was most likely not the superstar that popular legend makes him out to be, nor was he some insignificant stable boy shoveling manure. What happened was important historically, for Europe and the rest of the world too. His life and work floated to the top of events to become a marker in time between two distinct worlds, as it were. Celebrate that. As for the rest, whether you pin it on Columbus or not, aggression is rewarded and applauded in nearly all quarters, appearances to the contrary notwithstanding. Why should this day be any different?
1492 and 2 HP
For those tech-ies out there, there is an expression that I learned from a retired Mechanical Engineer who worked in the rail road his entire life: "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue - he used 2 Horsepower" It is an easy way to remember conversion from HP to Watts. 1 HP = 746Watts. So, 2 HP is 1492Watts.
For those tech-ies out there, there is an expression that I learned from a retired Mechanical Engineer who worked in the rail road his entire life: "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue - he used 2 Horsepower" It is an easy way to remember conversion from HP to Watts. 1 HP = 746Watts. So, 2 HP is 1492Watts.
It always amazes me
How much sail it takes to emulate 1 hp! I mean, trimmed perfectly, 250 sq ft of sail on my boat is probably equivalent to 20 hp.
How much sail it takes to emulate 1 hp! I mean, trimmed perfectly, 250 sq ft of sail on my boat is probably equivalent to 20 hp.
Columbus was not the first
With all due respect to Columbus and all the other European explorers...they used Chinese charts replicated by cartographers in Europe. Read the book "1421"...it's a real eye opener to who really was out there long before any Europeans "discovered" the world.
With all due respect to Columbus and all the other European explorers...they used Chinese charts replicated by cartographers in Europe. Read the book "1421"...it's a real eye opener to who really was out there long before any Europeans "discovered" the world.
Better Mouse Trap ONLY IF
The saying goes "If you build a better mouse trap the world will beat a path to your door". Reality says, "only if you tell the world what you did". How many people "discovered" gravity before Newton? Who cares? He saw the science. Who knows how many Asians, Europeans, Africans or anyone else came to the Americas before Columbus; they didn't tell the rest of the world - he did. Happy Columbus Day
The saying goes "If you build a better mouse trap the world will beat a path to your door". Reality says, "only if you tell the world what you did". How many people "discovered" gravity before Newton? Who cares? He saw the science. Who knows how many Asians, Europeans, Africans or anyone else came to the Americas before Columbus; they didn't tell the rest of the world - he did. Happy Columbus Day
Some people are born with a gift for self
promotion. The portuguese fisher men were fishing off the grand banks for hundreds of years before Mr C. told the world how great he was. The long term benefit of the explotation of the western world has been food. Corn, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, chill peppers, beans just to name a few. Mr. C was just a greedy person with a lot of good press.
promotion. The portuguese fisher men were fishing off the grand banks for hundreds of years before Mr C. told the world how great he was. The long term benefit of the explotation of the western world has been food. Corn, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, chill peppers, beans just to name a few. Mr. C was just a greedy person with a lot of good press.
Mouse traps!
Welllll at the very least we all learned sumpin here, no, I never go out of me way to act dignified...lol. Had to check as I had written that bit last night by memory with some time on my hands to be stupid, tnree glasses of Wild Turkey & branch water, 'bout as American as a fella kin git, ol Ben would be proud. On checking, I was right...nearly, as ol Michaleangleo was born in 1475 and the Renaissance is generally attributed to he and his partners in crime thar in Florence, not withstanding Mr marco, and be sure that historians do pin the discovery of the new world on mr C. He was a businessman, on his way to establish a trade route (cross the pond he thought was quite small) to India for $$ hey, nothin wrong with that, capitalizim is the best system so far, but he was also a religious zealot spreading and widening Christendem (Catholism) for the crown...bad in my humble opinion, but likely necessary. Randy must have misread what I said, you would have made a good 'average' crewman when I did deliveries, dose guyes were always misreading my 'orders' lol and if they wanted to piss me off called me 'captain' ...;-) Columbus was good, they were all pretty brave in those wooden ships, knew naught about hurricaines, they knew knees, sheer-clamps, strakes and garboard-strakes, NOT navigation. Not true for Captain Cook the best navigator and cartoghrapher of all.
Welllll at the very least we all learned sumpin here, no, I never go out of me way to act dignified...lol. Had to check as I had written that bit last night by memory with some time on my hands to be stupid, tnree glasses of Wild Turkey & branch water, 'bout as American as a fella kin git, ol Ben would be proud. On checking, I was right...nearly, as ol Michaleangleo was born in 1475 and the Renaissance is generally attributed to he and his partners in crime thar in Florence, not withstanding Mr marco, and be sure that historians do pin the discovery of the new world on mr C. He was a businessman, on his way to establish a trade route (cross the pond he thought was quite small) to India for $$ hey, nothin wrong with that, capitalizim is the best system so far, but he was also a religious zealot spreading and widening Christendem (Catholism) for the crown...bad in my humble opinion, but likely necessary. Randy must have misread what I said, you would have made a good 'average' crewman when I did deliveries, dose guyes were always misreading my 'orders' lol and if they wanted to piss me off called me 'captain' ...;-) Columbus was good, they were all pretty brave in those wooden ships, knew naught about hurricaines, they knew knees, sheer-clamps, strakes and garboard-strakes, NOT navigation. Not true for Captain Cook the best navigator and cartoghrapher of all.
Hi Cpt Ron
Nice comments - good writing - except I was refering to foamy's reference to Columbus not being the first. You are absolutely right in that he was a business man, seeking fame, fortune and power. And all on little ships that, according to historians, skipped accross the waves at 60 to 100 miles a day. Isn't that a blazing 4.2 mph? Nope, I didn't misread you there Capt.... uh ..sorry, Mr. Rico (As in Ron Rico). And a good comment about Capt Cook. That is probably where Lt. Bligh learned his skills. He was Cook's Sailing Master at 22.
Nice comments - good writing - except I was refering to foamy's reference to Columbus not being the first. You are absolutely right in that he was a business man, seeking fame, fortune and power. And all on little ships that, according to historians, skipped accross the waves at 60 to 100 miles a day. Isn't that a blazing 4.2 mph? Nope, I didn't misread you there Capt.... uh ..sorry, Mr. Rico (As in Ron Rico). And a good comment about Capt Cook. That is probably where Lt. Bligh learned his skills. He was Cook's Sailing Master at 22.
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