Faustus

Blue? Black? Faustus

Salve Klingan, Your second question first: I downloaded this back in Nov 07, and have searched for it since. My "history" function for that time has expired, but still I search. . . To your second question: doing this should give you much greater resolution and size; You should have a "set-point" for "System Restore" with your current display of shortcuts, etc. If not set or find one in the recent past. (?System Restore? see note at bottom) then delete all your icons on your screen except keep some around the edges locate where you downloaded your current screen back-ground so that you can put up again later then right click on the image in the post "Constructing Rome's . . ." finally (left) click on "set as background" in the "dialogue box" and minimize everything that is up on your screen at that time. You should then have a full screen high resolution image of the arch. To get all your icons set again as they originally were on your screen just manually put them back up or do an

Thanks much Silentium; and for providing the link to the Baths of Capo di Bove thread. I remember that from before, when you put it up the first time. I had wandered across your posting and that aerial view of the baths during one of my late night searches for postings that had gotten four or less replies. At the time I saw it in September, and I put it up as background on my monitor screen (I keep a pretty clear screen). It was amazing to look at in that way. If any one does do that, (and I recommend it) notice the fracture line that enters from the middle left and traverses the floor passing through the path of least resistance until it exits the structure top right. The view was worth spending some time poring over. At the time I spent some time searching for it

Exactly right, attempted. The lawmakers should've known that by limiting deductibility of salaries to corporations, the corporations would design ways of circumventing those limits by other methods. What it has to do with those things is, the money was channeled through other routes to obtain not only deductibility but tax free status to the recipient. Does it make me angry? In a way it does. But I feel as much anger for the corruption these politicians engendered as I do against the corporates. (We can do something about the corporates, but we can

Very ambitious. It is; especially considering our use of modern Mortar. Though it (modern cement/mortar) is proclaimed to be

Gaius, Do we need to be reminded here the reasons Stock Options were introduced in the first place? Wasn't that because politicians attempted to limit income levels to CEO's by limiting deductibility? Then the problem of CEO income rose to an entirely new level to side step the new limits imposed. It seems to almost be a contest. In this country the top career paths are Politics and Corporate Business. They will continue to out do each other while we stand by getting clobbered.Before the "Options" were introduced there was a lot more "transparency" We could punish those corporations by selling their stock and buying those we more approved of.Quidnunc?Faustus

Actually NN the entire structure is of poured concrete. Ah well - in my view poured concrete is fine as long as the ultimate result is desireable. I gather that the craftsmen at the real parthenon are using traditional materials, then? As a matter of interest, what are the splendid collection of neo - classical monuments at Washington built from? That's ok NN. After posting I went to the the N.P. site and made sure, being vulnerable to error. But the concrete is hard to distinguish from stone. I looked up close at the structure's surface, and there was a faux joinery which serves as stress relief. Very authentic looking. Remember it is only a full scale copy. Actual stone work would've been prohibitive, perhaps. Our own national "neo-classical monuments" are made from marble, granite, and limestone some of which is fabricated right here in our Counties Monroe and Owen (Bedford and Bloomington. ~ I built a home for the owner of the largest stone carving company in the region, and he used a lot of carved stone anywhere he could on that house. I might put some pictures in an album for interested parties.) The Washington Monument, however, is (working from memory here) granite and marble, and work was stopped during the Civil war. When work re-started the availability of stone had changed and a different stone was used, which is obvious when standing before the monument. The Jefferson Memorial (monument) included marble from Vermont for the exterior walls and columns, Tennessee pink marble for the interior floor, Georgian white marble for the interior wall panels, and Missouri gray marble for the pedestal. Indiana limestone was used in the construction of the ceiling panels. These stone surfaces followed the Roman innovation, of using

Very well taken, GaiusI found this while scrolling, scrolling. . . .searching"When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend. "-U.S.Marine CorpsThat was all good stuff. The kind I look for.Faustus

It would've seemed to be accurate to the degree that, for instance, Byzantium as a society/culture/civilization of ancient history was taken entirely separately from Rome as recently as 40 years ago. In 1966 with my subscription of Great Ages Of Man series (Time-Life)

However, is there not a wonderful replica of the Parthenon, at Nashville, shown in Faustus' excellent gallery pics? This appears to be a life size reconstruction, and seems to me to be as good as theoriginal would have been. Built as it was in about 1890, I assume there is no concrete in the structure. Actually NN the entire structure is of poured concrete. A stucco like surface was applied with an aggregate finish. The columns are also poured concrete, and the stucco finish resembles terrazzo. It was originally built in 1897 for the World's Fair of wood, but it was rebuilt on the same foundation during the 1920s. I looked at it up close and I found the accuracy and the quality of the work amazing. For instance this view below I like to think I have a builder's eye for alignment, and of course I immediately started looking critically at "deformations" like this, thinking there might have been ways it wasn't done correctly. I wasn't well informed when I arrived there, so I didn't know to expect this. But the way the lower part of the foundation ran in perfectly parallel horizontal lines told me right away this was part of the design being faithfully duplicated. My next question was "how would this curvature be translated to the eaves of the roof. That was indeed flat so it had all been taken into account and accomodated for in the height of the columns. edit ~ The steps seen are about 16" high each. The main stairs at each end subdivide these in half so they are about 8" in height. (CLICK) for Klingan's post with an explanation of the "steps" visible. Faustus

Once upon a time there was a bank named 'State Bank of Albany'. It paid a 2% stock dividend each year, and an increasing cash dividend each year. That was my kind of investment. Alas, it was sold off to Fleet which in turn was taken over by the alleged Bank of America. Need I say more? Here's something we can agree on Moonlapse. In 1971 my "better half" worked at GE and put about $15.00/week in a payroll savings account for about 24 weeks, amounting to $360, leaving to become a self-employed realtor. We allowed those dividends to be reinvested, and they all were, until the U.S. Governmentt interrupted a part of that re-investment growth with so called "back up witholding" in about 1990. The "BUW" wasn't much but neither was the dividend. At the present time we would have about 800 shares and still growing, if we hadn't sold 200 shares last year when it was at $37.50 knocking the shares down to about 600. When the stock is down (like right now) our dividends buy more shares. When the stock price is up we should sell but haven't. Seven years back the price was about $60 per share. Right now it's at $36. When I sold some in (200 shares) April 15 of 07, the price was at a high ($37.50) and you can probably guess why I sold in April. Funny thing: my definitely "better half" said - "Sell now!" when the stock was at $60 (about Jan 01) I said no, no, we have no basis, and there's going to be a change in capital gains law, . I was too smart by half (we had to wait 2 years for that 'cut', by which time. . .well, you know the rest). Look at how many times government policy has interfered in our good fortune. Today I would only look at buying a stock that paid dividends. That was one of the main positive parts of the President's (you know: Boosh?) tax cutting (CLICK) plan of 2003. Still, look at that amazing growth of a tiny investment. Three hundred bucks was about two weeks earnings for 'this investor

Primus Pilus If not interested I can quickly move on. If it's really interesting, and has received no comments, and is from a sound source I'll C&P it to a word-doc and work on a response over time. After all it's no longer active, so I can work and do research at my liesure. Ursus I try to look at them all to some degree, the less they arouse my attention, the less time I spend. If its thought provoking or interesting, I

THROUGH TOPICS THAT Got the least number of replies. This is like mining for gold. In doing this a 'surfer' can spend the least amount of time and get the maximum amount of results. When posts get only a reply or two the question has been quickly dealt with, and there is no big complicated debate going on, so that I assume the information has been tacitly agreed on by pretty much the full forum. A question is asked and answered. BINGO! Optimazation has been realized. FAUSTUS

Salve, GUYS - Here

That's an interesting comment Moonlapse. Where are you going with that?

Salve Gaius To answer your question directly:No I do not. Only the most cynical and untrusting individual would think so because, they would have to believe in conspiracies. No offence is intended to anyone who might visit here and disagree.You can expand all you want on that subject which would be worthwhile, and I'm sure it's interesting to the "initiated", but sometimes we are too deep in suspicions (my answer above). Of course that makes the subject more interesting; it's a form of "passion". I share the passion but as a long time player competing in the economy, and someone who struggled through some years that without doubt were affected by the selection of a Fed Chief, I'm slightly more sanguine. I've been alert to the Fed since my early days. I remember all the fed chiefs. My first when I was in business was Wm McChesney Martin, followed by Arthur Burns. I remember the awful years under G. William Miller (to my point above), and then our hero Paul Volker. I used to follow the Fed chiefs closer than Roman emperors, and I know the Roman emperors better than I know US presidents. My big concern in the late 60's, when I came "awake" to what you like to call "Fiat" money was that I thought too much money was creating inflation. I thought it was a trade off, for having enough money to do what I wanted to do.I'm not sure I even think I know what should be done right now. I've recently thought they are cutting rates too fast. The psychological effect here in my location is that people are standing by for lower rates on mortgages, which aren't directly in tandem with fed rates. So if the first cut was needed then all this needs to be over with as soon as possible. They could get too low, and then what? How does one

I take exception to the reference "too Italian. I resemble that!

Some personal comments and some questions - opinions asked: My own reference with accents came when I left my rural yet cosmopolitan environment of a Midwest university town and went north to the Chicago area to attend school where I felt self-conscious about how I sounded. (I couldn

SF - find some A.E. Van Vogt: Universe Maker, World of Null-A, Players of Null-A, Slan (CLICK) (first chapters of some) (Null-A; Non Aristotelian Awareness; every page moves the story forward) Van Vogt was always interested in the idea of all-encompassing systems of knowledge (akin to modern meta-systems), the characters in his very first story used a system called 'Nexialism' to analyze the alien's behaviour. Van Vogt operated a storefront for Dianetics, the secular precursor to Hubbard's Church of Scientology, in the Los Angeles area for a time. Writer and critic Damon Knight wrote in 1945 that "van Vogt is not a giant as often maintained. He's only a pygmy using a giant typewriter". Faustus

Post Script: You asked about the Kennedy endorsement. It has its interest to be played out, but of immediate impact is Giuliani

Salve CS I'll give you a few of my views on the subject: The importance of the Kennedy endorsement is the slap it takes at the Clintons. The sub heading or subliminal message is "enough". The most important part of the endorsement comes from JFK daughter Caroline(sp). She is the daughter of a fallen Hero President, and her endorsement seems to pass the flag, baton, torch to the new-comer. It's a way of saying, "you more than anyone else reflect the values that were seen in JFK, my father" and she has credibility because she has stayed out of politics (up to now). The Clintons expected (hoped and pined for) that endorsement. The Clintons represent the worst of party politics, and the Kennedys perceive the country may want to go another way. Does Obama have ideas? On that score I suggest you listen to what he says. Does he mouth only platitudes? Does he have any real ideas or just repeat clich

Just recently I dropped by for a visit to America's Parthenon which might interest. It's not the original but it sure is impressive just the same. Klingan also had some comments on that: link to Klingan's post Faustus ---------------

The first best place for the stimulus money (the greatest potential) would be to channel that money to those who would immediately employ others either by adding to their employee base, or, indirectly, by spending it on new equipment. That would be small business. They already provide 80% of the employment base in this country so this would add onto the largest base of employment already existing. They will not likely apply that money to pay off debt they've already accepted the terms of. The mechanics could be as simple as suspending their payment of FICA FOR A QUARTER, Which they'd be required to catch up on at the end of the year. That would entail no so called "tax expenditures." The Rate of with-holding for most small businesses is a whopping 15%+ To the small business man, the first thing he thinks of when he gets a cash windfall, is how can he grow his business. If he can

You're finally getting into it. I like it! It does something for me. . . (namely, makes me laugh!) I see you're in the company of the Rogue Captain But let's be careful, or we'll be taking a trip to Tartarus Faustus ---------------

Thank you very much, Malvadius and I intend to do that, on both sides of the question. Thanks again for your work