Random Thoughts

Hedda Gabler

Kurben, did you see this? I would be interested in your thoughts. 

https://twitter.com/BevVincent/status/1688183008006750208?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

Kurben

Yeah, thats a classic. Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of an united China. Reigned about 221-210 BC. Our main source for him is the historian Sima Qian that wrote his history about 100 years later. A, for its time, very good history. Is rumoured to have been  drinking floating mercury in the mistaken belief that it was healthy. Not big amounts but still. He died rather young, 49 years old of unknown reasons, and if the rumours are true he may have died of mercury poisoning. His grave is an Unesco worth heritage site not because of the grave but because of the big necropolis that surrrounds it. Everything is guarded by the Terracotta army. The reason that it is problematic to excavate the grave is twofold: 1; it is a World Heritage site because of the Terracotta Army and no damage can be done to the sorroundings that they inhibit which surrounds the tomb. 2; Measurements made on the soil show a much higher rate of mercury than there should be. Rumours reported in Sima Qians history tells how the emperor made a map portraying the two rivers (Yang-Tse and the Yellow River) and  all its tributaries inside the grave where floating mercury played the role of water. Historians dont put credence in this but the high amount of mercury means you must take care while excavating. There are also stories of boobytraps, crossbows going off when someone enters and so on. But that does not scare anyone. If these thing existed they would not work 2.200 years later. But it is a very difficult place to excavate from a pure logistical viewpoint. When you cant disturb the surroundings how to transport the soil away and also how to handle the soil if it has a high amount of mercury in it. Not easy questions to answer to the satisfaction of all. But that archaeologists are scared to open it are just crap. They would love to but until they have a safe way of doing so without destroying anything they wont.

GNTLGNT

 I correct autocorrect more than it corrects me. 

FlakeNoir

GNTLGNT said:

 I correct autocorrect more than it corrects me. 

Yes! 😃 

Hedda Gabler

Kurben said:

Yeah, thats a classic. Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of an united China. Reigned about 221-210 BC. Our main source for him is the historian Sima Qian that wrote his history about 100 years later. A, for its time, very good history. Is rumoured to have been  drinking floating mercury in the mistaken belief that it was healthy. Not big amounts but still. He died rather young, 49 years old of unknown reasons, and if the rumours are true he may have died of mercury poisoning. His grave is an Unesco worth heritage site not because of the grave but because of the big necropolis that surrrounds it. Everything is guarded by the Terracotta army. The reason that it is problematic to excavate the grave is twofold: 1; it is a World Heritage site because of the Terracotta Army and no damage can be done to the sorroundings that they inhibit which surrounds the tomb. 2; Measurements made on the soil show a much higher rate of mercury than there should be. Rumours reported in Sima Qians history tells how the emperor made a map portraying the two rivers (Yang-Tse and the Yellow River) and  all its tributaries inside the grave where floating mercury played the role of water. Historians dont put credence in this but the high amount of mercury means you must take care while excavating. There are also stories of boobytraps, crossbows going off when someone enters and so on. But that does not scare anyone. If these thing existed they would not work 2.200 years later. But it is a very difficult place to excavate from a pure logistical viewpoint. When you cant disturb the surroundings how to transport the soil away and also how to handle the soil if it has a high amount of mercury in it. Not easy questions to answer to the satisfaction of all. But that archaeologists are scared to open it are just crap. They would love to but until they have a safe way of doing so without destroying anything they wont.

I had never heard of booby traps at real archeological digs (just movies). And the mercury part, wow!!

GNTLGNT

Mayo is egg jam.

GNTLGNT

For millions of years no one knew that they had a fear of flying.

Kurben

Hedda Gabler said:

Kurben said:

Yeah, thats a classic. Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of an united China. Reigned about 221-210 BC. Our main source for him is the historian Sima Qian that wrote his history about 100 years later. A, for its time, very good history. Is rumoured to have been  drinking floating mercury in the mistaken belief that it was healthy. Not big amounts but still. He died rather young, 49 years old of unknown reasons, and if the rumours are true he may have died of mercury poisoning. His grave is an Unesco worth heritage site not because of the grave but because of the big necropolis that surrrounds it. Everything is guarded by the Terracotta army. The reason that it is problematic to excavate the grave is twofold: 1; it is a World Heritage site because of the Terracotta Army and no damage can be done to the sorroundings that they inhibit which surrounds the tomb. 2; Measurements made on the soil show a much higher rate of mercury than there should be. Rumours reported in Sima Qians history tells how the emperor made a map portraying the two rivers (Yang-Tse and the Yellow River) and  all its tributaries inside the grave where floating mercury played the role of water. Historians dont put credence in this but the high amount of mercury means you must take care while excavating. There are also stories of boobytraps, crossbows going off when someone enters and so on. But that does not scare anyone. If these thing existed they would not work 2.200 years later. But it is a very difficult place to excavate from a pure logistical viewpoint. When you cant disturb the surroundings how to transport the soil away and also how to handle the soil if it has a high amount of mercury in it. Not easy questions to answer to the satisfaction of all. But that archaeologists are scared to open it are just crap. They would love to but until they have a safe way of doing so without destroying anything they wont.

I had never heard of booby traps at real archeological digs (just movies). And the mercury part, wow!!

In all likelihood what Sima Quan reported was the rumours that probably was started by the emperor himself (or his son). He had a very real fear of his grave being plundered be graverobbers so the many 100, perhaps even 1000, not quite sure Terracotta army figures standing on guard served a purpose and so did the rumours. And it worked. His grave has never been disturbed. Many other mighty emperors and kings were.

GNTLGNT

You eat a salad by recreating a mini-salad on your fork

GNTLGNT

An army of ducks is ground army, navy and airforce all combined

GNTLGNT

when you die everything you own actually lasted a lifetime

GNTLGNT

There is as much fruit in Fruity Pebbles cereal as there are pebbles.

GNTLGNT

One of the more subtle losses we've had in the shift from news papers to smart phones, is how we've lost the ability to fluff our news papers sarcastically at one another.

Hedda Gabler

GNTLGNT said:

One of the more subtle losses we've had in the shift from news papers to smart phones, is how we've lost the ability to fluff our news papers sarcastically at one another.

What I find interesting and discouraging about the shift, spelling and punctuation are out the window with online publishing.  

I’m horrible with punctuation so I admire those who do it right or at least know how to run the programs to fix their messes. And the spelling?  It always makes me trust them a little less when they consistently misspell headlines and content. Big name publications. Sure. It happens. But when you see it happening over and over, what happened to editors? 

I would love a tight relationship with an editor. Everyone wants some author to read their stuff.  I want a great editor to read mine. 

GNTLGNT

Horses are the most farted on animal ever

Kurben

Its an odd fact that the animal group most closely related to even toed ungulates (Horses, deer, sheep) are the whales and dolphins. Doesn't exactly look alike.....

FlakeNoir

GNTLGNT said:

Horses are the most farted on animal ever

Oh jesus.. 😄

FlakeNoir

Kurben said:

Its an odd fact that the animal group most closely related to even toed ungulates (Horses, deer, sheep) are the whales and dolphins. Doesn't exactly look alike.....

Wow! Nope, I would never have guessed that. 😃

GNTLGNT

FlakeNoir said:

Kurben said:

Its an odd fact that the animal group most closely related to even toed ungulates (Horses, deer, sheep) are the whales and dolphins. Doesn't exactly look alike.....

Wow! Nope, I would never have guessed that. 😃

...do they get farted on?....asking for a friend.....

FlakeNoir

GNTLGNT said:

FlakeNoir said:

Kurben said:

Its an odd fact that the animal group most closely related to even toed ungulates (Horses, deer, sheep) are the whales and dolphins. Doesn't exactly look alike.....

Wow! Nope, I would never have guessed that. 😃

...do they get farted on?....asking for a friend.....

Tell your "friend" that the bubbles may give "him" away.  🤔😃

GNTLGNT

Turning the music down helps you see better in parking lots

GNTLGNT

You drink cool water, and pee warm/hot water, so technically, humans are teapots

FlakeNoir

GNTLGNT said:

Turning the music down helps you see better in parking lots

It's 100% true! 😃

GNTLGNT

A funeral director is a last responder

GNTLGNT

It doesn’t matter how old you get, buying snacks for a road trip always feels like you are an unsupervised 8 year old who was given money.