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Whatever be the work profile, there are specific things that remain the same when writing a cover letter. When you're asking for a cover letter, you ought to be sure of what things to write. The cover letter is an official document and therefore follows the format of an official letter. It is basically a preface to your resume and it helps you to attract the attention of an employer to your qualities, abilities, and skills. It is something you send along with your resume, to a recruiter, explaining why you think you're the perfect person to take up the job that the company is offering. Most individuals find writing a cover letter a small challenging, just because they don't understand what things to put in it.


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Ming Tsao: "Pathology of Syntax". Arditti Quartet, Ensemble ascolta, ensemble recherche, Ensemble SurPlus. Mode 268 (2014)
Ming Tsao: "Pathology of Syntax" (Pathology of Syntax. (Un)cover. The Book of Virtual Transcriptions. Not Reconciled. One-Way Street. Canon). Arditti Quartet, Ensemble ascolta, ensemble recherche, Ensemble SurPlus. Mode 268 (2014), barcode 764593026822
1. Pathology of Syntax for string quartet (2006-7). Arditti String Quartet, recorded 19 December 2009 at Stolberger Straβe, Köln
2. (Un)cover for trumpet, trombone, piano, guitar, cello & 2 percussionists (2008). Ensemble ascolta, Jonathan Stockhammer. Recorded 19 October 2008 at the Donaueschinger Musiktage 2008
3. The Book of Virtual Transcriptions for oboe, trumpet, horn, trombone, violin, viola & cello (2004-5). Ensemble SurPlus, James Avery. Recorded 19 November 2009 at Steinhalle, Emmendingen, Germany
4. Not Reconciled for clarinet, trombone, guitar, cello & percussion (2002-3). Ensemble SurPlus, Jonathan Stockhammer. Recorded 16 July 2010 at Stolberger Straβe, Köln
5. One-Way Street for clarinet, oboe, violin, viola, cello & percussion (2006). Ensemble Recherche, recorded 15 April 2010 at Stolberger Straβe, Köln 6. Canon for clarinet and cello (2001). Anthony Burr (clarinet), Charles Curtis (cello). Recorded 3 December 2001 at Warren Music Center Studios, San Diego California
Exploring the threshold
I had never heard of Ming Tsao before chancing on this CD among an eBay seller's other and cheap offers (the ones you look at to benefit from postage rebates on combined shipment). There was the Arditti Quartet among the perforrmers, I listened to the 30" samples on Amazon and the music seemed intriguing, so I decided to give it a try. Turns out he's a "Chinese-American composer active in Europe" (not where I dwell), professor of composition at Göteborg/Gothenburg University (notes don't say, but that's in Sweden), a student of Brian Ferneyhough and Mario Davidovsky, and that he holds a PhD in Music Composition from the University of California at San Diego, an MA in Mathematics from the San Fracisco State University, an MA in Ethnomusicolgy from Columba University and a BM in Music Composition from the Berklee College of Music in Boston – now here did he waste all that time he had on his hands in his early years? He doesn't have a Wikipedia entry.
The music souds often like a mixture of the kind of instrumental minimalism championed by Salvatore Sciarrino (music starting in the pianissimo dynamics, developing from the edge of silence, not going for "melody" or "harmony" in the traditional sense but remaining on the threshold of sound or even noise, with hushed but snarling or screeching harmonics, whispers of bows on strings, glissandos sounding like motorcycle engines or falling shells and duck for cover everybody! and cello drones souding like a B52 at low altitude) and the high complexity of Ferneyhough or Xenakis (violent and explosive outbursts, strong but short dynamic swells, bows or pizzicato "ripping" the strings, complexity of the intertwining instrumental lines). I'm taking my examples from the first piece on the CD, "Pathology of Syntax", a string quartet, but it applies to all of them.
When you hear music like that, out-of-the-beaten-track even of contemporary music styles, you want to know more about it, its aim, its processes. But I find the liner notes often altogether verbose, off-the-point and incomprehensible. Apparently a number of those pieces are elaborations on classical compositions, Beethoven's late quartets in "Pathology of Syntax", his "Sonata opus 111" in (Un)cover, Mozart's oboe quartet K. 370 in "The Book of Virtual Transcriptions". Even when I know it I hear nothing, absolutely nothing of the sources – no criticism implied, I find that "post-modernist" quotations rarely work in contemporary music, usually they simply and embarrassingly jar. Anyway, you'll find more info about Tsao and some of these compositions in the interview posted on the website of UC at San Diego.
One thing I do understand in the liner notes, though, and which confirms my reactions to the music: it is about "Not Reconciled" but it applies to all, really: "Tsao speaks of the 'traces of music: the sound of fingernails brushing against strings, the rattling of snares on a snare drum or the clicking of clarinet keys'. These are all the artifacts of musical production, the debris if you will. And at first glance, like any debris – even that of history… the debris of memory – the assumption of disorganization is misleading: in actuality, its precision is ruthless."
Jump now to the disc's conclusion: Canon for clarinet and cello is again very typical of Tsao's use of acoustic instruments as much (ore even more) to produce "sounds" (mechanical, breath through shaft, wooden part of the bow bouncing off strings, or horsehair softly caressing strings so that the strings do not actually vibrate and produce no pitch) as to produce actual pitches.
And it poses the question: what is "music"? if music is a certain way of organizing sounds and the acoustic vibration of air, if music is a flower that grows and blossoms from mere "sound" or possibly even on "noise", when does noise or sound cease and give rise to "music"? When does a "sound" actually become a "pitch" or when does it cease to be a pitch to become a mere (?)mechanical sound? The question may be addressed to this entertaining and unimportant thing which is music, but it's a deep and heavy question, the same posed by scientists and philosophers and religious thinkers when they examine how "life" might have developed from "matter", and it leads them to interrogate the very definitions of "life" and "matter". Tsao explores the threshold.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


2000 V Variable Frequency AC motor drive cables feature oversized XLPE insulation to provide low capacitance. Dual shielding provides low resistance to ground path to improve common mode current containment. The 85% braid coverage offers EMI low-frequency noise protection, and 100% aluminum/Mylar tape shield offers RFI high frequency noise protection. Also included in the smooth, round cables are full-size, insulated green ground wires with a yellow stripe and drain wires for ease of installation and termination.


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On July 8th, 2019, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) issued British Airways (BA) a $230 million (USD) fine for a data breach in 2018 that affected approximately 500,000 of its customers.
This is the biggest fine that has ever been issued by the ICO to date.
Details of the breach were first announced by British Airways on September 6th last year, which informed the public that the private information of around 380,000 customers was compromised between August 21st to September 5th.
Soon after, the ICO made public that BA's breach was a result of its website being compromised by cyberhackers which allowed them to retrieve private user information by redirecting traffic to a fraudulent site. This stolen information consisted of names, email addresses, phone numbers, and credit card information (including expiry dates and CVVs) of an estimate of 500,000 customers.
Diving deeper into the breach, RiskIQ—a cybersecurity firm investigated the incident and reported its findings in a blog post on September 11th, 2018. In summary, the post explains that the breach was made possible via a "script injection" into BA's website by a cybercriminal group called Magecart. The malicious script was designed to steal information from online payment forms and is similar to the one used in the Ticketmaster breach in June 2018.
GDPR Infringement
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires that companies participate in the safe collection, processing, and storage of consumer data. Because BA failed to enforce the security measures necessary to comply with this law, it faced a to-be-determined violation penalty of up to 4% of its annual revenue. Based on BA's $15.2 billion revenue in 2017, the maximum possible penalty for the airline was roughly $610 million.
Yesterday, the ICO came out with a $230 million fine for British Airways—less than half of the maximum penalty.
British Airways' Response
Since the fine was announced, Alex Cruz, the Chief Executive and Chairman of British Airlines, came out with a statement,
"We are surprised and disappointed in this initial finding from the ICO. British Airways responded quickly to a criminal act to steal customers' data. We have found no evidence of fraud/fraudulent activity on accounts linked to the theft. We apologise to our customers for any inconvenience this event caused."
The International Airline's Group (IAG), which holds a majority stake in British Airways is planning to fight the fine. Willie Walsh, the CEO of International Airlines Group commented,
"British Airways will be making representations to the ICO in relation to the proposed fine. We intend to take all appropriate steps to defend the airline's position vigorously, including making any necessary appeals."
IAG will have 28 days from July 8th, 2019 to makes its case for the initial part of the process.
What we can learn from this
This should be a huge wake-up call for businesses of all sizes to take cybersecurity and other efforts to protect private information more seriously. Elizabeth Denham, Information Commissioner at ICO explains the importance of protecting personal data,
"People's personal data is just that – personal. When an organization fails to protect it from loss, damage or theft it is more than an inconvenience. That's why the law is clear – when you are entrusted with personal data you must look after it."
Let British Airways' case be an example of how serious regulators are when it comes to enforcing privacy laws such as GDPR. Failure to do so can result in huge fines and a tremendous impact on a company's reputation.
Stephen ChenJuly 9, 2019


Photojojo is a pretty sweet site for unique and fun photography gadgets, but they can be a little over priced. Wonderfully enough though, you can often get the exact same products or very similar products off Amazon for cheaper!
PhotoJoJo is still awesome for a lot of products that I couldn't find cheaper alternatives for, so be sure to check them out!


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Author Archive:
Last year it was 'bathroom' bills. Now it's the criminalization of medical care for trans kids.
A slew of anti-transgender state bills has recently appeared across the U.S. seeking to block trans children from receiving gender affirming care.
Liberation News was there in Seattle and Pasco in Washington as well as in Boise, Idaho, providing these eyewitness reports.
Washington, D.C. anti-war coalition hosts rally, teach-in against U.S. war with Iran
Hundreds of people rallied in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Saturday as part of the Global Day of Protest against a U.S. war with I...
Breaking the Chains
47 Years after Roe v Wade: Time to turn back the right-wing assault
Five years after an abortion, the strongest emotion women feel is relief.
Hundreds of protesters for peace come out in Pacific Northwest Jan. 4
Reports from Seattle, Spokane, Kennewick and Boise
Thousands march Washington, D.C. streets against Trump's drive for war with Iran
"When they say 'more war,' we say 'no more!'"
PSL Statement
Cuba: 61 años de victoria socialista
El Partido por el Socialismo y la Liberación saluda a Cuba por su ejemplo estelar de lucha, resistencia y victoria.
Guest statements
Sat. Jan. 4 National Day of Action U.S. Troops Out of Iraq!
Initiators for this call include the ANSWER Coalition, CODEPINK, Popular Resistance, World Beyond War and many other anti-war and peace organizations...
Supreme Court allows Kentucky anti-abortion law to stand
The Kentucky law was among a set of anti-abortion laws that have reached the Supreme Court this term.
El juicio político: El camino a ninguna parte conduce a ninguna parte
El caso del juicio político de los Demócratas contra el despreciable régimen de Trump no tuvo nada que ver con lo que en realidad lo hace desprecia...


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Our news coverage
Deep sea fish remove one million tonnes of CO2 every year from UK and Irish waters
Deep sea fishes remove and store more than one million tonnes of CO2 from UK and Irish surface waters every year, according to a new study led by the University of Southampton.
This natural carbon capture and storage scheme could store carbon equivalent to £10 million per year in carbon credits.
Fish living in deep waters on the continental slope around the UK play an important role carrying carbon from the surface to the seafloor.
It is assumed that deep water fishes all depend on particles that fall from the surface for their energy. These bottom-living deep water fishes never come to the surface and the carbon in their bodies stays at the seafloor. However, at mid-slope depths there is an abundant and diverse ecosystem where a huge volume of animals make daily vertical migrations to feed at the surface during the night. The animals conducting this migration then transport nutrients from the surface back to the deep.
Researchers from the University of Southampton and Marine Institute, Ireland used novel biochemical tracers to piece together the diets of deep-water fish revealing their role in transferring carbon to the ocean depths.
They found that more than half of all the fishes living on the seafloor get their energy from animals that otherwise go back to the surface, and not from settling particles. These bottom-living fishes therefore become a carbon capture and storage facility. Global peaks in abundance and biomass of animals at mid slope depths occur because this is the depth range where the vertically migrating animals are most easily captured by fishes that live at or near the seafloor.
Lead author, Dr Clive Trueman from the University of Southampton,
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Join XSF's Google Summer of Code!
As you might or might not know, the XMPP Standards Foundation has been accepted as a mentoring organization for the 2010 edition of the Google Summer of Code. Amongst others, specific project proposals for the IgniteRealtime community are available. They are being discussed in GSoC 2010 Projects. The deadline for student applications is next Friday (April 9th, 19:00 UTC). If you are interested, head over to the XSF wiki for more information!


Sometimes certain actors get associate with one particular role, and that's true of Marvel superstar Chris Evans. He'll never be separated from his Captain America persona. Not after playing the character in three standalone movies, and three Avengers team-up movies. But most actors, if they're good, are nothing at all like their characters. And Robert Downey Jr. has set out to prove that in the simplest of ways.
RDJ hit his social media accounts this week with a cheeky little post, showing the differences between Chris Evans and Steve Rogers. And he's right on the money. At least from what we've seen and heard from Evans in the press. After seeing this quick assessment of the man separated from his art, Chris Evans had one simple word.
Robert Downey Jr. shows Steve Rogers as the stern, stoic hero who comes to the rescue to save the day from Thanos. Even though the true American icon fails in his quest, even after recruiting Black Panther and the whole Wakanda army to join at his side. RDJ then shows Chris Evans as a smiling goof who looks like he's ready for a wild party. It's quite the battle of the Ids, and there's no mistaking the two now.
Chris Evans has been having a lot of fun on social media lately. This past week, he really went after Trump, to trash the President's grammar skills after he misspelled the word 'counsel'. It didn't end there. The actor continually taunted our Commander in Chief by calling him Biff, in reference to the bully in Back to the Future who steals a sports almanac and takes over Hill Valley. A bit of trivia, the Future Biff we see in Back to the Future 2 is based on 80s era Donald Trump.
Fans were disappointed that Chris Evans got limited screen time as Captain America in Infinity War. The Russo Bros. have already promised that he'll have a heavy presence in Avengers 4. The hero had been separated from the Avengers team ever since Captain America: Civil War. And we don't get to see him reunite with Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man in Infinity War.
That will all change, when these two old friends turned enemies reunite in Avengers 4. It's heavily speculated that both Iron Man and Captain America will die in this next sequel, which will bring Marvel Phase 3 to a close. It's suspected that both Chris Evans and RDJ's Marvel contracts are at an end. And this will be the last time we get to see the two together on screen. But if history serves correct, Chris Evans will probably keep that big goofy grin on his face the entire time he's promoting the movie. You can check out the pair's twitter updates here.


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The Definitive Gleeden.com Review: Why Gleeden.com Is Flawed for Affairs
There's very little about Gleeden.com that you can't hate. The layout, first of all, is awful, and made our Gleeden rating hell on earth to even come close to completing. The other issue we had with Gleeden.com was that it's just full of fakes. The moment we logged in is the moment that we saw a ton of fake profiles, and that made us very hesitant to keep using it. Gleeden scams make up most of the site, and that's really no fun at all. The Results of Our Thorough Six Month Test of Gleeden.com We ended up spending a total of six months on our Gleeden rating, and during that time, we sent out a total of 300 e-mails to women that we hoped weren't just Gleeden scams. From those 300 e-mails, we only ended up with a grand total of 105 replies. Only 1 woman wanted to meet up with us, but she never ended up showing, so no affairs for us. Breaking Gleeden.com Down: The Fatal Flaws Good luck finding anything but fakes on this site. The moment we signed into this site is the moment we realized that, and there was no turning back. It makes it nigh impossible to find a real date, and that's…


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General William E. DePuy
Preparing the Army for Modern War
Henry G. Gole
4.0 • 1 Rating
This "excellent biography" of one of the US Army's unsung heroes "provides a much-needed re-examination of the early post-Vietnam Army" (Bowling Green Daily News).
By the 1970s, the United States Army was demoralized by the outcome of the Vietnam War and shifting attitudes at home. The institution as a whole needed to be reorganized and reinvigorated—and General William E. DePuy was the man for the job. In 1973, DePuy was appointed commander of the newly established Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). By integrating training, doctrine, combat developments, and management in the US Army, he cultivated a military force prepared to fight and win in modern war.
General William E. DuPuy is the first full-length biography of this key figure in American military history. With extensive interviews with those who knew DePuy, as well as access to his personal papers, Henry G. Gole chronicles and analyzes his unique contributions to the Army and nation. Gole guides the reader from DePuy's boyhood and college days in South Dakota through the major events and achievements of his life.
During World War II, DePuy served in the 357th Infantry Regiment in Europe from the Normandy invasion until 1945, when he was stationed in Czechoslovakia. DePuy was asked by George Patton to serve as his aide; he supervised clandestine operations in China; he was instrumental in establishing Special Forces in Vietnam; and he briefed President Lyndon B. Johnson in the White House. But his finest contribution was fixing a broken Army.
The University Press of Kentucky
OpenRoad Integrated Media, LLC
More Books by Henry G. Gole
Exposing the Third Reich
Soldiering
Generals of the Army
Blood, Guts, and Grease
Forward with Patton
Boy on the Bridge
Architect of Air Power


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New science: a path for protecting chimps and more
Tags: chimpanzee forests freshwater ecosystems Liberia marine protected area (MPA) PADDD
Protecting nature starts with science. Here's a roundup of recent scientific research published by Conservation International experts.
1. Study takes measure of what chimps need to thrive
The global population of humankind's closest relative has declined by more than 80 percent since 1990.
In Liberia, home to one of the largest remaining populations of Western chimpanzees, a new study has found that the single most important factor for protecting the West African country's chimps is simply to give them space — specifically, ensuring that their habitats are surrounded by 1 to 3 kilometers (0.6 to 1.9 miles) of intact forest.
"As Liberia's economy recovers following years of civil war, forests — where chimpanzees make their homes — are starting to fall victim to unsustainable oil palm development, logging and the expansion of farms," said Conservation International scientist Miroslav Honzak, a co-author on the study. "But these forests are crucial for providing habitat to chimpanzees, as well as food, fresh water and jobs for the people of Liberia."
Using wildlife surveys and detailed maps of Liberia's ecosystems that were recently developed by Conservation International and NASA, the researchers determined which areas chimpanzees are most likely to live in and identified the conditions they need to thrive. They found that along with intact forests, chimpanzees prefer to dwell in areas with rugged terrains and higher elevations.
Further reading: New NASA maps will help Liberia chart course for a sustainable future
"Chimpanzees are highly mobile and frequently travel across wide expanses of the forest to forage for food, socialize or mate," Honzak said. "However, roads or oil palm plantations can obstruct their paths. Protecting large chunks of the forest and creating paths to connect fragmented habitats — known as wildlife corridors — are effective ways to keep primate communities thriving."
Protecting chimpanzee habitats has the added benefit of helping Liberia achieve its national goal to conserve 30 percent of its remaining forests, Honzak added.
"It is all about balancing protection and development across a landscape," Honzak said. "These findings and the detailed maps we produced can help decision-makers identify and avoid chimpanzee habitats while planning for sustainable development."
This publication was developed as part of a partnership between Conservation International and Arizona State University. It was financed in part by Betty and Gordon Moore and the National Science Foundation.
2. Legal rollbacks of protections put oceans at risk
Marine protected areas are critical for ocean conservation — and for securing the food and jobs that oceans provide for millions of people around the world.
However, a recent paper found that since 2001, at least six countries have rolled back legal protections on around 1.2 million square kilometers (463,322 square miles) of ocean — an area nearly the size of South Africa.
Tracking the legal changes that reduce, eliminate or scale back restrictions in marine protected areas worldwide, the researchers discovered that in most cases, rollbacks made way for commercial fishing, industrial-scale resource extraction and other development.
"These legal changes can undermine the effectiveness of marine protected areas — something we cannot afford, particularly as climate change accelerates and overfishing continues to take a huge toll on many species," said Conservation International scientist Rachel Golden Kroner, who co-authored the study.
"Establishing areas for ocean conservation is an important first step to protect biodiversity, slow climate breakdown and support livelihoods. But we must also make sure that these areas stay protected."
According to the researchers, improving ocean conservation requires countries to prevent legal rollbacks that increase industrial development in marine protected areas. They added that governments must also improve transparency and participation in policy decisions, and increase funding and enforcement efforts. These steps will also help support the global push to effectively protect 30 percent of the ocean by 2030 — an effort scientists say is necessary to limit the impacts of climate change on our oceans and prevent the widespread extinction of marine species.
3. A blueprint for saving rivers and the species they support
Freshwater ecosystems such as rivers and lakes cover less than 1 percent of the Earth's surface, yet they support more than half its fish species.
Despite their importance, only 17 percent of rivers are free-flowing and located within protected areas, according to new research.
"Freshwater ecosystems are in dire straits: The populations of species that live within them have fallen, on average, by 84 percent since 1970. Meanwhile, nearly 70 percent of wetlands have been lost since 1900," said Ian Harrison, a freshwater scientist at Conservation International who co-edited this research.
"These losses in freshwater ecosystems and the species they support are largely due to dam construction, pollution, water removal and other human activities that drive habitat loss. It's possible to reverse this damage, but only if we act now."
In a collection of 14 studies, the researchers — a group of policy, law and freshwater experts, including Harrison, who co-authored one of the studies — offer a blueprint for protecting the world's rivers and the species that depend on them.
They found that effective approaches to managing rivers sustainably differ depending on political, cultural and geographic factors. For example, in the United States, the national Wild and Scenic Rivers System prohibits dam development on designated stretches of water, ensuring that fish habitats are not disrupted. Meanwhile, in Mexico, a network of environmental water reserves — catchments to maintain the proper flow of water — was created to support the ecology of freshwater systems, while providing fresh water to people.
Additionally, many groups around the world, particularly in parts of South America, are seeking to confer legal rights to rivers in order to protect them — a trend known as the Rights of Rivers movement.
However, rivers often flow beyond regional or national jurisdictions, which can make them particularly difficult to protect, Harrison stressed.
"In many cases, a single protected area isn't going to span the entirety of a long, free-flowing river," Harrison said. "This means that multiple conservation strategies — and in some cases, cooperation between governments — may be necessary to conserve rivers and maintain the many services they provide, from fresh water to food."
Kiley Price is a staff writer at Conservation International. Want to read more stories like this? Sign up for email updates here. Donate to Conservation International here.
Cover image: A chimpanzee at Liberia and Chimpanzee Rescue and Protection, a locally-managed chimpanzee sanctuary and conservation center in Liberia that works to rescue chimpanzees who are victims of the illegal bushmeat and pet trades (© Trond Larsen)


Quite a few interesting results came through over the weekend from the world of cycle racing: Fabio Aru won the Vuelta a Espana. He has probably got nearer than anyone else this year to doing a grand tour double after having finished in second place at the Giro d'Italia in May. Edvald Boasson-Hagen won the Tour of Britain, making him the first person to win the stage race twice in its modern era. La Vuelta became the second of the grand tours to stage a women-only race on the final day of the competition. Yesterday's race held on the windswept roads of Madrid was won by Ale Cipollini rider, Shelley Olds. It was great to see all of these events on TV. Another American made history across the Atlantic, though this piece of history has gone somewhat under the radar though. A new Women's World Hour Record was set over the weekend by the Molly Shaffer Van Houweling at the velodrome in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Ever since Jens Voigt reignited the competition by breaking the hour record almost a year ago to the day, the quest has rolled on in earnest amongst the male gladiators of cycle sport. Things have been a lot quieter on the women's front however, with no one apart from Dame Sarah Storey attempting to break Leontien van Moorsel's 12-year old record. I rember that Saturday afternoon in February in a crowded velodrome at Lee Valley, London, watching in hope as Sarah battled her way around the track only to fall short of the 46.065km hour record by two laps. Meanwhile, in Mexico Van Houweling was beavering away in the background making her bid for perfect-hour glory by breaking the US Women's hour record.
The 42-year old law professor from the University of California, Berkeley, eventually broke the world hour record in July when she clocked 46.088km. However, this record could not stand as she had not been registered onto the biological passport programme for long enough for her time to qualify. But on Saturday night, all the stars were aligned for Molly Shaffer Van Houweling to put her day job behind her, take to the boards again - and clock 46.273km. Boom! Now I think that's worth writing about!
I don't imagine this will get the column inches that Bradley Wiggins had when he broke the record, but I do hope a few more people shout about it. I also hope that more women step forward - maybe Dame Sarah Storey will make another attempt, or maybe world time trial champion Lisa Brennauer will try it or even other home girls like Joanna Rowsell or Katie Archibald. It would be good to see the women's hour record chased with the same zeal as on the men's side.
Very nicely written post, with lots of great detail and thoughts of a set of significant events. Some unique points made too!
Thanks for the comment Kiat. I was just pleased to see another woman go for the hour record - and she's inspirational too.


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Rare Ghost Orchid in bloom at the Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter
Friday 8th May, 2015……One of the world's rarest flowers, the mysterious Ghost Orchid, is in bloom on the Nature Trail at the Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter.
Recent rains have stimulated the rare Cayman Ghost Orchid on the Nature Trail to suddenly blossom. The Ghost Orchid flower can right now be seen suspended over the middle of the Blue Hole sinkhole almost at the end of the Trail. The Ghost Orchid remains in bloom for only a couple of weeks.
Grand Cayman's Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax fawcetti) is a rare, endangered and endemic native plant. The flower is a small to medium, pale cream-coloured blossom, but still subtly beautiful- especially against a leafy background. This particular orchid is often very difficult to cultivate outside of its natural habitat.
The Cayman Turtle Centre has two Ghost Orchids that were donated by the Orchid Society in late 2006. They had been rescued from clearing work going on at the Ironwood Forest in George Town and were re-attached to two trees growing in the Blue Hole at the Cayman Turtle Centre's Blue Hole Nature Trail.
After being dormant for almost two years, the first of the Turtle Centre's Ghost Orchids bloomed in early 2008. Since then, both orchids have bloomed each year in late April or early May.
The Ghost Orchid is a unique flower, as the single pale blossom grows from a strange-looking epiphyte that more resembles a creeping vine or some sort of root system embedded in the bark of a tree, rather than an actual plant (or what most people perceive an orchid plant to look like). It often seems to be suspended in mid-air, hence the name "Ghost Orchid."
"This unique form makes the Ghost Orchid difficult to locate in the wild among the leaves, branches and vines of their arboreal woodland habitat. It is a unique and exciting natural phenomenon to observe on the Blue Hole Nature Trail," said Geddes Hislop, who is the Curator -Terrestrial Exhibits & Education Programmes at the Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter.
The Ghost Orchid's bloom will usually last for about two weeks. It is suspected that the flower is pollinated by a large nocturnal sphinx moth that uses its long proboscis to reach into the deep flower to feed on its nectar. This orchid is a distant relative of the African and Indian Ocean genus Angraecum. Botanists theorise that orchid seeds, blowing like dust, crossed the Atlantic at least once and successfully colonised new habitat.
Guests to the Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter are encouraged to visit the Blue Hole Nature Trail to observe this rare flower while it remains in bloom.
Cayman Islands residents enjoy special admission rates at the Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter of just CI$10 for adults, CI$4 for children ages 5 to 12, and children ages 4 and under are admitted for free.
Opening hours are from 8am to 5pm daily, Monday through Sunday. For more information, call the Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter on 949-3894 or visit www.turtle.ky


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Plumbatae or martiobarbuli were lead-weighted darts carried by infantrymen in Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

History

The first examples seem to have been carried by the Ancient Greeks from about 500 BC onwards, but the best-known users were the late Roman and Eastern Roman armies. The earliest and best written source for these weapons refers to a period around 300 AD, though the document was composed around 390–450 AD.

A second source, also from the late 4th century, is an anonymous treatise titled De rebus bellicis, which briefly discusses (so far archaeologically unattested) spiked plumbatae (plumbata tribolata), but which is also the only source that shows an image of what a plumbata looked like. The image shows what looks like a short arrow with a weight attached to the shaft. Although only later copies of the original manuscript exist, this is confirmed by the remains which have so far turned up in the archaeological record.

A third source is the late 6th century Strategicon, written by the Byzantine emperor Maurice, who wrote about the martzobarboulon, a corruption of its Latin name martiobarbulum.

Plumbatae etymologically contain plumbum, or lead, and can be translated "lead-weighted [darts]". Martiobarbuli in this translation is mattiobarbuli in the Latin, which is most likely an assimilation of Martio-barbuli, "little barbs of Mars". The barb implied a barbed head, and Mars was the god of war (among other things).

Archaeology gives a clearer picture of martiobarbuli. The reference listed has an illustration of a find from Wroxeter identified as the head of a plumbata and a reconstruction of the complete weapon: a fletched dart with an iron head weighted with lead. The reconstruction seems entirely consistent with Vegetius' description.

War darts were also used in Europe later in the Middle Ages.

See also

 Roman military personal equipment
 Lawn darts
 Khuru (sport)

Notes

References

Primary sources
 Anonymous, De Rebus Bellicis: On matters of war.
 Maurice, Strategikon: On Strategy.
 Vegetius, Epitome Rei Militari: Epitome of Military science.

Secondary sources
 Barker, P., The plumbatae from Wroxeter, in: Hassall and Ireland 1979, De Rebus Bellicis, BAR Int. Ser., vol. 63 (Oxford), part 1, pp. 97–9.
 Connolly, Peter, Greece and Rome at War, Greenhill Books, 1998,
 Degen, R., Plumbatae: Wurfgeschosse der Spätantike, in: Helvetia Archaeologica 1992, vol. 23, pp. 139–147.
 Ireland, Robert, De Rebus Bellicis (anon.), in: BAR International Series 63 (Oxford), part 2.
 Dennis, George T., Maurice's Strategikon. Handbook of Byzantine military strategy, University of Philadelphia Press 1984, .
Keszi, Tamás: Plumbata, the Roman-Style Darts. A Late Antique Weapon from Annamatia. Hungarian Archaeology 2018. Spring, 21-32. https://www.academia.edu/36798885/Plumbata_the_Roman-Style_Darts._A_Late_Antique_Weapon_from_Annamatia
 Milner, N.P., Vegetius: epitome of military science, Liverpool University Press 1993, .
 Völling, T. (1991): Plumbata - Mattiobarbulus - Martzobarboulon? Bemerkungen zu einem Waffenfund aus Olympia in: Archäologischer Anzeiger, pp. 287–98.

External links

 Image of remains of a plumbata
 Vegetius Book I
 Vegetius in translation
 Modern reproduction of a plumbata
 photo of modern Bhutanese style 'Plumbata'

Ancient Roman legionary equipment
Throwing weapons
Byzantine military equipment

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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15 March 2016	by SuperAdmin Zanzibar Excursions 13119 Views
The history of Zanzibar would be incomplete without the cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and many other spices which are essential ingredient in a Zanzibari's everyday life, it is the island's connection to spices and herbs. Zanzibar and Spice is a romantic entanglement that dates back to the 16th century. Apart from being an important commodity on the trade routes.
They can be seen in the plantations just outside Zanzibar town, this is also a fantastic opportunity to see the countryside and rural areas of Zanzibar and also connect with local people.
We have developed a special Spice Tour with in-depth information not only about spices, but also organically grown herbs and detailed descriptions about their uses in traditional dishes, as cures for ailments and even for dyeing traditional ceremonial outfits for weddings and festivals. We have knowledgeable guides trained by a famous herbalist in Zanzibar Mr. Madawa.
Our guided walking tour passes through villages and spice plantations, a walk through the farms as spice farms workers climbs trees, seek out specific plants and cuts off various barks, letting you see, feel and taste everything.
You will be decorated with palm-leaf accessories such as ties, rings, bracelets and glasses. At the Spice farms you will have an opportunity to taste some of the exotic fruits of Zanzibar.
After the tour we invite you for an opulent traditional Swahili lunch served in a local house, here you will get a really taste of the spices in the food. The tour includes visiting the Kidichi Persian Baths built in 1850 by the first Sultan of Zanzibar as a gift for his Persian wife.
At the Spice farms is the best place to buy fresh spices directly from the source.
The half-day trip includes transport, guide, entrance fees and a superb lunch.
More in this category: « Stone Town Tour	Prison Isles Tour/Boat »


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Is There Really a Patristic Critique of Icons? (Part 4 of 5)
May 22, 2013 · G. V. Martini
Editor's Note: Following is the fourth part in a 5-part series by Gabe Martini addressing the claim by Presbyterian pastor Steven Wedgeworth that there is significant patristic testimony against iconography. Keep watching this space for all five parts. The response is necessarily more in-depth than the original post it responds to, because numerous quick claims are made there without much in the way of examination of their context or historic character.
St Gregory the Great
Pr Wedgeworth then quotes St Gregory I (of Rome) in his letter to Serenus, Bishop of Marseilles (AD 590-604):
Furthermore we notify to you that it has come to our ears that your Fraternity, seeing certain adorers of images, broke and threw down these same images in Churches. And we commend you indeed for your zeal against anything made with hands being an object of adoration; but we signify to you that you ought not to have broken these images. For pictorial representation is made use of in Churches for this reason; that such as are ignorant of letters may at least read by looking at the walls what they cannot read in books. Your Fraternity therefore should have both preserved the images and prohibited the people from adoration of them, to the end that both those who are ignorant of letters might have wherewith to gather a knowledge of the history, and that the people might by no means sin by adoration of a pictorial representation.
Register of the Epistles of St Gregory the Great, Book 9 (Originally quoted in translation in The Early Church Fathers and Other Works by Eerdmans)
In this letter, St Gregory is forbidding the destruction of sacred images, as well as their abuse. There is no blanket condemnation of images, as Pr Wedgeworth notes, and St Gregory encourages their presence in church buildings. His statements condemn both the actions of the iconoclasts in the 8th and 9th centuries, and the more extreme destruction of church buildings, relics, icons, frescoes, mosaics, and illuminated manuscripts by violent mobs during the Protestant Reformation (e.g., the Huguenots destroyed both the tomb and relics of St Irenaeus of Lyons in 1562).
Orthodox Christians do not approve of the adoration or "worship" of icons, which should only be given to the Holy Trinity. We do not "worship" icons as idols; rather, we pay them respect, as we would kiss the precious photograph of loved ones, or as an American citizen might salute the American flag. We are not worshiping the paper of the photograph or the fabric of a flag, but are rather paying proper respect and affection ("service" or δουλεία) to their prototype (or to what they re-present to us). In any case, we would affirm the words of St Gregory that any abuse or superstitions related to icons (or relics) should be condemned. In fact, the Church did this very thing during the deliberations of the 7th Ecumenical Council, while affirming an icon's proper veneration. St Gregory's letter is not an opposing, Patristic voice to the proper use of icons; rather, it stands firmly in the same Tradition as the consensus of the Church. Similarly, St Athanasius of Alexandria instructs:
We, who are of the faithful, do not worship images as gods, as the heathens did — God forbid — but we mark our loving desire alone to see the face of the person represented in image. Hence, when it is obliterated, we are wont to throw the image as so much wood into the fire. Jacob, when he was about to die, worshiped on the point of Joseph's staff [Gen. 47:31 LXX], not honoring the staff but its owner. In the same way do we greet images, just as we would embrace our children and parents to signify our affection.
The Hundred Chapters, 38
More significant than any speculations about St Gregory's beliefs regarding icons (as intuited from a single letter), Ouspensky notes: "In 540, St Gregory I (590-604) carried the venerable icon of the Mother of God, 'which is said to be the work of St Luke' (quam dicunt a sancto Luca factam), to the basilica of St Peter in a solemn procession and with the singing of litanies" (Theology of the Icon, Vol. 1, p. 64). Further, Pope Hadrian I, at the 7th Ecumenical Council, "quoted a series of texts by Greek and Roman Fathers who, in his opinion, were in favor of icons, especially the one by Pope St Gregory I" (ibid., p. 132). The Greek bishops of the council, following on the citation of St Gregory, added: "through the intermediary of images, those who gaze upon them ascend to faith, and to the recollection of salvation through the Incarnation of our Lord, Jesus Christ" (Ibid., p. 133). It is a shame that modern art in the Western Church has not always followed upon the heritage and beliefs of one of their greatest Popes — a bishop with both feet firmly planted on the "royal pathway" of the Fathers.
St Gregory's belief that the sight of icons could not only instruct the illiterate, but also lead men of all ages (and educations) to a contemplation and encounter of the Divine, was a belief shared among many eminent Fathers of the Church. For example, St John of Damascus once said that "we are led by perceptible icons to the contemplation of the divine and spiritual" (PG, 94:1261a), St Gregory of Nyssa remarked that he could not see an icon of Abraham attempting to sacrifice Isaac "without tears" (PG, 46:572), and of this, the 7th Ecumenical Council comments: "If to such a Doctor the picture was helpful and drew forth tears, how much more in the case of the ignorant and simple will it bring compunction and benefit?" (NPNF2, Vol. 14, p. 539)
St Epiphanius of Salamis
Next, Pr Wedgeworth offers forth a passage from Letter 51 of Epiphanius of Salamis, written to John of Jerusalem (as quoted in The Principle Works of St Jerome, NPNF2):
Moreover, I have heard that certain persons have this grievance against me: When I accompanied you to the holy place called Bethel, there to join you in celebrating the Collect, after the use of the Church, I came to a villa called Anablatha and, as I was passing, saw a lamp burning there. Asking what place it was, and learning it to be a church, I went in to pray, and found there a curtain hanging on the doors of the said church, dyed and embroidered. It bore an image either of Christ or of one of the saints; I do not rightly remember whose the image was. Seeing this, and being loth that an image of a man should be hung up in Christ's church contrary to the teaching of the Scriptures, I tore it asunder and advised the custodians of the place to use it as a winding sheet for some poor person. They, however, murmured, and said that if I made up my mind to tear it, it was only fair that I should give them another curtain in its place. As soon as I heard this, I promised that I would give one, and said that I would send it at once. Since then there has been some little delay, due to the fact that I have been seeking a curtain of the best quality to give to them instead of the former one, and thought it right to send to Cyprus for one. I have now sent the best that I could find, and I beg that you will order the presbyter of the place to take the curtain which I have sent from the hands of the Reader, and that you will afterwards give directions that curtains of the other sort—opposed as they are to our religion—shall not be hung up in any church of Christ. A man of your uprightness should be careful to remove an occasion of offence unworthy alike of the Church of Christ and of those Christians who are committed to your charge.
Epiphanius of Cyprus (310-403) is numbered among the saints in the Orthodox-Catholic Church, being commemorated on May 12. His greatest written work was the Panarion ("medicine chest"), written between 374 and 377 as an enumeration and "anti-dote" to every major heresy in the history of the Church. The postscript above was presumably part of a letter being written to John II, Bishop of Jerusalem from 387 to 417. However, according to a number of Church Fathers (as well as modern scholars), this postscript was a fabrication, being falsely ascribed to St Epiphanius in order to aid in the iconoclasts' arguments of the 8th and 9th centuries.
The controversy over the authenticity of this letter is discussed in the writings of St John of Damascus, the 7th Ecumenical Council, St Theodore the Studite, and — most extensively — by St Nicephorus of Constantinople. All of these sources argue that the postscript was not by the hand of St Epiphanius. Assuming that it actually was, a single voice among millions is not sufficient cause to reject the long-standing Tradition of the Church.
For example, in On the Holy Icons by St Theodore the Studite, the following dialogue is found (under the heading, "Patristic Authority for Iconoclasm"):
Orthodox: We know that Epiphanius is a saint and a great wonder-worker. Sabinus, his disciple and a member of his household, erected a church in his honor after his death, and had it decorated with pictures of all the Gospel stories. He would not have done this if he had not been following the doctrine of his own teacher. Leonitus also, the interpreter of the divine Epiphanius' writings, who was himself bishop of the church in Neapolis in Cyprus, teaches very clearly in his discourse on Epiphanius how steadfast he was in regard to the holy icons, and reports nothing derogatory concerning him. So the composition against the icons is spurious and not at all the work of the divine Epiphanius.
St Theodore even entertains the (unlikely) possibility that Epiphanius (or any other beloved person) had done such a thing against an icon, first referencing the words of the apostle Paul in Gal. 1:8-9, and then concluding:
Raise your eyes, look around, and see everywhere under heaven, throughout the sacred edifices and the holy monuments in them, these images depicted and necessarily venerated in the places where they are depicted. Even if there were no dogmatic reason nor voices of inspired fathers to uphold both the erection and the veneration of icons, the prevailing ancient tradition would be sufficient for confirmation of the truth. Who can presume to oppose this tradition? By his opposition he falls away far from God and the sheepfold of Christ, because he thinks like the Manicheans and the Valentinians, who babbled heretically that God had dwelt among those on earth only in appearance and fantasy.
When Emperor Leo III enacted policies against icons in 730, Cypriot Christians defied his pronouncements. It is important to note that, at this point in history, Cyprus was under neither the Caliphate nor the Empire (despite paying taxes to both). They were "practically independent," free of any external military or political influence. With regards to the iconoclast debates under Leo III (and after), Charles Anthony Stewart further notes:
A central dogma in the debate centered on the teachings of St. Epiphanius. Iconoclasts argued from a dubious text that the venerable saint stated his rejection of icons … In response, the iconodule John of Damascus (676-749) apparently visited the multiple-domed basilica of Salamis-Constantia in the eighth century, recording that "The proof that he [St. Epiphanius] did not object to images, is to be found in his own church, which is adorned with images to this day."
Domes of Heaven: The Domed Basilicas of Cyprus, p. 87
When the iconoclastic synod of 754 was assembled at Hieria, the Cypriot bishops refused to participate. Their approval of icons came not from the force of an emperor (for they were free from both imperial influence and threat), but rather from their inheritance of the apostolic tradition; a tradition that was previously preserved by St Epiphanius on that same, isolated island. The robber's synod of 754 condemned the Archbishop of Salamis-Constantia by name (George), along with St John of Damascus and St Germanos of Constantinople. "Nevertheless," Stewart notes, "the Cypriot Church maintained their resolve against the Empire's iconoclasm" (ibid.). During this time, men such as St Stephen the Younger advised iconodules to flee to the island of St Epiphanius for shelter from the iconoclasts. The Emperor even had rebellious, iconodule monastics and clergy exiled to Cyprus, which he now considered a sort of penal colony, due to their defiance on the icon issue.
In 780, a presbyter from Salamis-Constantia was appointed as Patriarch of Constantinople (Paul IV). He tried (unsuccessfully) to restore icons and their veneration to the empire. However, his successor (Tarasius) would do what he could not, and helped to assemble the 7th Ecumenical Council in 787. Five Cypriot bishops were in attendance, including Archbishop Constantine of Cyprus. The Cypriot delegation was given the highest of honors at this assembly, being seen as champions of the iconodule cause, even in the face of imperial persecution. At this council, the Empress Irene's deacon noted: "If he [Epiphanius] had despised the sight of icons, why did his disciples even paint an icon of him?" Stewart continues, "To confirm this argument, Archbishop Constantine testified to the Council that indeed paintings were on display in Salamis-Constantia" (ibid., p. 88).
If one of the greatest saints in the history of the island was an iconoclast, how is it that his successors were so relentlessly in favor of the veneration of icons? Even to the point of being eminent among the iconodules? It certainly wasn't political, and it makes no sense to claim that they were simply going against the traditions of St Epiphanius. That would be akin to blasphemy, given how Christians felt about apostolic tradition. Does it not make far more sense to conclude that his iconoclastic feelings were a later fabrication, as all the evidence cited would seem to indicate?
A full study of the alleged iconoclastic writings of Epiphanius can be found in a 2008 work by Fr Steven Bigham, Epiphanius of Salamis, Doctor of Iconoclasm?: Deconstruction of a Myth. Fr Steven gives an extensive treatment of every major argument both in favor and against the authenticity of the aforementioned letter that is attributed to St Epiphanius, among other writings falsely ascribed to him. He also discusses the debate on this very issue between Karl Holl (1866-1926) and George Ostrogorsky (1902-1976), concluding that the evidence points to what the Fathers have already argued over a millennium before us: an iconoclastic Epiphanius is an iconoclastic fantasy.
In the fifth and final post, I will summarize the evidence that has been offered so far, as well as respond to the concluding remarks from Pr Wedgeworth.
Also Available: Parts 1, 2, and 3
About G. V. Martini
G. V. Martini works as a senior product manager for a software company and is a subdeacon in the Orthodox Church. He and his family attends St. Innocent Antiochian Orthodox Church in Everson, Washington.
EcclesiologyEcumenical CouncilsInter-ChristianProtestantismReformedWorshipanti-ecclesiologyAthanasiusCalvinismcatholicitydoctrineecclesiologyEpiphanius of SalamisGregory the GreathistoriographyHoly TraditioniconographyReformedReformed CatholicitySteven WedgeworthTheodore the StuditevenerationWorship
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stewardman says:
Just a note to say I appreciate the back-stories like this…especially behind so-called "proof-quotes" that end up being bogus. Seems there is another popular letter from a Bishop or Pope against Icons that has been shown to be fraud? I wonder, given the influence of the Muslims' hostility to Icons, if this is not more prominent than a history-novice might realize? Was not the influence of Islam on the Iconoclasts pretty significant? Will there be room to point this out in #5, as something more than just incidental? Just wondering. Taken all together, this all does seems to indicate that a superficial dabbling into history is not enough, but can lead one into a false confidence in their error? This assumes, of course, the student really does want the Truth, egh?
Gabe Martini says:
There's a lot of conflicting evidence and speculation around the Muslim angle. I think it's a little naive to assume the politics involved didn't at least take that into consideration, but there's also decent arguments against it. St John of Damascus had a relatively successful career in Palestine as an outspoken iconodule, for example.
Ricardo Nery says:
Where can I find this work "The Hundred Chapters" by Athanasius?
Patrologiae Cursus Completus: Series Graeca, and it is cited by Saint John of Damascus in On Holy Images (p. 120 of the 1898 Thomas Baker edition) as:
St Athanasius, from the Hundred Chapters addressed to Antiochus, the Prefect, according to Question and Answer.–Chap. xxxviii.
The remainder of the quote reads:
Thus the Jew, too, worshipped the tablets of the law, and the two golden cherubim in carved work, not because he honoured the gold or stone for itself, but the Lord who had ordered them to be made.
"Worship" here is of course in the older English usage, such as the BCP's use of "worship" between the husband and wife in its wedding rite.
Orthodox Ruminations says:
Reblogged this on Orthodox Ruminations and commented:
Gabe Martini's 4th response, of 5, to Calvinist pastor Steven Wedgeworth, whose premise is that there is Patristic evidence for his being an iconoclast. Gabe completely dismantles these claims one-by-one. Give this a read if you're interested in why Orthodox Christians have icons and their place in the Church and Her worship of God.
"Orthodox Christians do not approve of the adoration or "worship" of icons, which should only be given to the Holy Trinity. We do not "worship" icons as idols; rather, we pay them respect, as we would kiss the precious photograph of loved ones, or as an American citizen might salute the American flag. We are not worshiping the paper of the photograph or the fabric of a flag, but are rather paying proper respect and affection ("service" or δουλεία) to their prototype (or to what they re-present to us). In any case, we would affirm the words of St Gregory that any abuse or superstitions related to icons (or relics) should be condemned. In fact, the Church did this very thing during the deliberations of the 7th Ecumenical Council, while affirming an icon's proper veneration. St Gregory's letter is not an opposing, Patristic voice to the proper use of icons; rather, it stands firmly in the same Tradition as the consensus of the Church."
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The Council of Elvira, ca. 306
http://faculty.cua.edu/pennington/Canon%20Law/ElviraCanons.htm
36. Pictures are not to be placed in churches, so that they do not become objects of worship and adoration.
Justin Martyr, (Иустин Философ) c. A.D. 150
We have strayed from the Immortal's ways
And worship with a dull and senseless mind
Idols, the workmanship of our own hands,
And images and figures of dead men. (Hortatory Address to the Greeks 16, citing the Sybil, a collection of Greek prophecies)
Hippolytus (Ипполит Римский) 170-236:
And they make counterfeit images of Christ, alleging that these were in existence at the time (during which our Lord was on earth, and that they were fashioned) by Pilate.
Irenaeus, A.D. 183 – 186
Others of them employ outward marks … They style themselves Gnostics. They also possess images, some of them painted and others formed from different kinds of material. They maintain that a likeness of Christ was made by Pilate at that time when Jesus lived among them. They crown these images, and set them up along with the images of the philosophers of the world, such as Pythagoras, Plato, and Aristotle, and the rest. They have also other modes of honoring these images just like the Gentiles. (Against Heresies I:25:6)
"These men [heretics], moreover, practise magic; and use images, incantations, invocations, and every other kind of curious art." (Against Heresies, 1:24:5)
Clement of Alexandria, (Климент Александрийский) c. A.D. 190
For, in truth, an image is only dead matter shaped by the craftsman's hand. But we have no sensible image of sensible matter, but an image that is perceived by the mind alone: God, who alone is truly God. (Exhortation to the Heathen 4)
But it is with a different kind of spell that art deludes you … it leads you to pay religious honor and worship to images and pictures. (Exhortation to the Heathen 5)
The law itself exhibits justice and teaches wisdom by abstinence from sensible images and by calling out to the Maker and Father of the universe. (Miscellanies II:18)
And again, "Don't wear a ring, nor engrave on it the images of the gods," enjoins Pythagoras. This is as Moses ages before enacted expressly, that neither a graven, molten, molded, nor painted likeness should be made, so that we may not cleave to tangible things, but instead move on to intellectual objects. For familiarity with the sight disparages the reverence of what is divine. And to worship that which is not material with matter is to dishonor it by sensation. Therefore the wisest of the Egyptian priests decided that the temple of Athene should be hypaethral [open air, roofless], just as the Hebrews constructed the temple without an image. (MiscellaniesV:6)
But images, being motionless, inert, and senseless, are bound, nailed, glued,—are melted, filed, sawed, polished, carved. The senseless earth is dishonored by the makers of images, who change it by their art from its proper nature, and induce men to worship it; and the makers of gods worship not gods and demons, but in my view earth and art, which go to make up images. For, in sooth, the image is only dead matter shaped by the craftsman's hand. But we have no sensible image of sensible matter, but an image that is perceived by the mind alone,—God, who alone is truly God.… For we are expressly prohibited from exercising a deceptive art: "For you shall not make," says the prophet, "the likeness of anything which is in heaven above or in the earth beneath." (Exhortation to the Heathen IV)
Tertullian, (Тертуллиан) c. A.D. 200
Even at this day [idolatry] can be practised outside a temple and without an idol. But when the devil introduced into the world craftsmen of statues, of images, and of every kind of likenesses, that former rude business of human disaster attained from idols both a name and a development. From then on every art which in any way produces an idol instantly became a fount of idolatry. For it makes no difference whether a molder cast, a carver grave, or an embroiderer weave the idol; … since even without an idol idolatry is committed, when the idol is there it makes no difference of what kind it be, of what material, or what shape; lest any should think that only that which is consecrated in human shape should be called an idol. (On Idolatry 3)
So we would now make a remark about the arts of the theater … We know that the names of the dead are nothing, as are their images; but we know well enough, too, who, when images are set up, none other than spirits accursed, than devils, under these names carry on their wicked work, exult in the homage rendered to them, and pretend to be divine. We see, therefore, that the arts also are consecrated to the service of the beings who dwell in the names of their founders and that things cannot be held free from the taint of idolatry whose inventors have got a place among the gods for their discoveries. (The Shows 10)
"For how could he [Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration] have known Moses and Elias, except by being in the Spirit? People could not have had their images, or statues, or likenesses; for that the law forbade." (Against Marcion, 4:22)
[Hermogenes] despises God's law in his painting, maintains repeated marriages, alleges the law of God in defense of lust, and yet despises it in respect of his art. (Against Hermogenes 1)
Origen, (Ориген) c. A.D. 225
If the Persians cannot bear the sight of temples, altars, and images, it does not follow that because we cannot bear them any more than they that the grounds on which we object to them are the same as theirs. … The Scythians, the Nomadic Libyans, the godless Seres, and the Persians agree in this with the Christians and Jews, but they are actuated by very different principles. For none of these former abhor altars and images on the ground that they are afraid of degrading the worship of God and reducing it to the worship of material things made by the hands of men. Nor do they object to them from a belief that the demons choose certain forms and places … where they may pursue their criminal pleasures, in partaking of the smoke of sacrificial victims. But Christians and Jews have regard to this command, "You shall fear the Lord your God, and serve him alone." And this other, "You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make any graven image for yourself, nor any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them, nor serve them." And again, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve." It is in consideration of these and many other such commands that they not only avoid temples, altars, and images, but are ready to suffer death when it is necessary, rather than debase by any such impiety the conception which they have of the Most High God. (Against Celsus VII:64)
[I]f one will examine their polity from its first beginning, and the arrangement of their laws, he will find that they were men who represented upon earth the shadow of a heavenly life, and that among them God is recognized as nothing else, save He who is over all things, and that among them no maker of images was permitted to enjoy the rights of citizenship. For neither painter nor image-maker existed in their state, the law expelling all such from it; that there might be no pretext for the construction of images,—an art which attracts the attention of foolish men, and which drags down the eyes of the soul from God to earth. There was, accordingly, among them a law to the following effect: "Do not transgress the law, and make to yourselves a graven image, any likeness of male or female; either a likeness of any one of the creatures that are upon the earth, or a likeness of any winged fowl that flies under the heaven, or a likeness of any creeping thing that creeps upon the earth, or a likeness of any of the fishes which are in the waters under the earth." The law, indeed, wished them to have regard to the truth of each individual thing, and not to form representations of things contrary to reality, feigning the appearance merely of what was really male or really female, or the nature of animals, or of birds, or of creeping things, or of fishes. Venerable, too, and grand was this prohibition of theirs: "Do not lift up your eyes unto heaven, lest, when you see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and all the host of heaven, you should be led astray to worship them, and serve them." (Against Celsus IV.31)
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick says:
Did you read this post or the other four in the series?
Here are links to the other four:
https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/orthodoxyandheterodoxy/2013/05/16/is-there-really-a-patristic-critique-of-icons-part-1-of-5/
It is in consideration of these and many other such commands, that they not only avoid temples, altars, and images, but are ready to suffer death when it is necessary, rather than debase by any such impiety the conception which they have of the Most High God….it is not possible at the same time to know God and to address prayers to images." – Origen (Against Celsus, 7:64-65)
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text:
Q: EM- waves in anisotropic medium When ElectroMagnetic waves from vacuum enter the anisotropic medium. If the $\epsilon$(permittivity) matrix is diagonal (with not all diagonal entries being equal). There'll be two waves in the anisotropic medium. How do we find the direction of two waves? Can you at least describe it for normal incidence?

A: To kick things off, this

If the $\epsilon$ (permittivity) matrix is diagonal (with not all diagonal entries being equal)

is not an invariant statement: this is to say, that property (having unequal diagonal entries but no off-diagonal elements) will only hold in certain specific frames of reference.
Moving on, this

How do we find the direction of two waves?

is unclear.

*

*Do you mean the direction of polarization? If so, then the special directions of polarization of those 'two waves' are precisely the directions of the axes of the special frames of reference in which the permittivity tensor is diagonal.

*Do you mean the direction of propagation? Then any direction orthogonal to the direction of polarization will work (though things do get a bit more complicated if you attempt to propagate a beam at nontrivial angles within its plane of polarization).

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