Sacred Sunday: Israel’s Immense 5,000-Year-Old Stone Monument

About 8 miles (13 kilometers) northwest of the Sea of Galilee, a newly identified crescent-shaped monument was built about 5,000 years ago. Credit: Image Copyright DigitalGlobe, courtesy Google Earth

A lunar-crescent-shaped stone monument that dates back around 5,000 years was identified in Israel the middle of this month (September 15, 2014)

Located about 8 miles (13 kilometers) northwest of the Sea of Galilee, the structure is massive — its volume is about 14,000 cubic meters (almost 500,000 cubic feet) and it has a length of about 150 meters (492 feet), making it longer than an American football field. Pottery excavated at the structure indicates the monument dates to between 3050 B.C. and 2650 B.C., meaning it is likely older than the pyramids of Egypt. It was also built before much of Stonehenge was constructed.

Credit: Image Copyright DigitalGlobe, courtesy Google Earth

Archaeologists previously thought the structure was part of a city wall, but recent work carried out by Ido Wachtel, a doctoral student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, indicates there is no city beside it and that the structure is a standing monument.

“The proposed interpretation for the site is that it constituted a prominent landmark in its natural landscape, serving to mark possession and to assert authority and rights over natural resources by a local rural or pastoral population,” Wachtel wrote in the summary of a presentation given recently at the International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East.

Photo credit: Ido Wachtel. Use by permission

Photo credit: Ido Wachtel. Use by permission

The structure’s crescent shape stood out in the landscape, Wachtel said in an email. The shape may have had symbolic importance, as the lunar crescent is a symbol of an ancient Mesopotamian moon god named Sin, Wachtel said.

An ancient town called Bet Yerah (which translates to “house of the moon god”) is located only a day’s walk from the crescent-shaped monument Wachtel noted. As such, the monument may have helped mark the town’s borders. While the monument is located within walking range of the city it is too far away to be an effective fortification.

Photo credit: Ido Wachtel. Used by permission

Massive structure

The structure is about 150 meters (492 feet) long and 20 m (66 feet) wide at its base, and is preserved to a height of 7 m (23 feet), Wachtel’s research found.

“The estimation of working days invested in the construction [of] the site is between 35,000 days in the lower estimate [and] 50,000 in the higher,” Wachtel said in the email.

If the lower estimate is correct, it means a team of 200 ancient workers would have needed more than five months to construct the monument, a task that would be difficult for people who depended on crops for their livelihood. “We need to remember that people were [obligated] most of the year to agriculture,” Wachtel said.

Bet Yerah

At the time this monument was built, the site of Bet Yerah was located only 18 miles (29 km) away.

Bet Yerah was a large town with a grid plan and fortification system, according to a study detailed in 2012 in the Journal of Near Eastern Archaeology. Its inhabitants traded with the early kings of Egypt, as seen from several artifacts, including a jug with a hieroglyphic inscription.

The name Bet Yerah indicates that it was associated with the moon god. However, it’s uncertain whether the town actually bore this name 5,000 years ago. In the 2012 journal article, researchers said the name “Bet Yerah” was recorded in 1,500-year-old Jewish rabbinic texts and may date back much earlier.

Photo credit: Ido Wachtel. Used by permission

Megalithic landscape

Other large rock structures have been found not far from the crescent-shaped monument. One structure, called Rujum el-Hiri, isin the Golan Heights (an area to the east of the Sea of Galilee) and has four circles with a cairn at its center. The date of this structure is a matter of debate; recent research by Mike Freikman, an archaeologist with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, suggests it may predate the crescent-shaped structure by several centuries.

Another stone monument, a giant cairn that weighs more than 60,000 tons, was discovered recently beneath the waters of the Sea of Galilee. Its date is unknown, but like the crescent-shaped structure, it is located close to Bet Yerah.

Wachtel’s work at the crescent-shaped monument was conducted as part of his master’s thesis.Today, people living in the area call the monument by its Arabic name, Rujum en-Nabi Shua’ayb, and it is sometimes referred to as the “Jethro Cairn,” a reference to the Druze prophet Jethro, who plays an important role in local folklore.

Crash

Sunday Reader: Everglades National Park

America’s largest subtropical wilderness is like nothing else you’ll ever see, and at more than 1.5 million acres, the Everglades is the largest national park east of the Mississippi, and the third largest in the continental United States – second only to Yellowstone and Death Valley.

Unlike most of the parks in the National Park Service system, Everglades was not set up to preserve a dramatic landscape. Rather, it’s the unparalleled biological diversity – more than 700 plant and over 300 bird species – that occurs here that compelled a generation of conservationists to fight the rapid draining and development of this vast expanse of wetlands – what author and activist Marjory Stoneman Douglas called the River of Grass.

At over 1.5 million acres, the Everglades are the largest national park east of the Mississippi.

After Yellowstone and Death Valley, the Everglades are the third largest national park in the country.

The stunning Everglades landscapes result from the region’s ecologically diverse environment.

Home to the endangered manatee, crocodile and Florida panther, the park has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve and a Wetland of International Importance, and is the only place in the United States, and one of just three in the world, with all three designations. But the park comprises only a third of the fragile Everglades watershed, where development continues apace, diverting the rapidly dwindling water and threatening the integrity of this rare ecosystem.

Outdoor Activities: Regardless of the activity – biking, hiking, boating, fishing, birdwatching – the dry season, from December through April, is the best time to go. Not just because the most voracious of the local wildlife – the mosquito – is at a low point, but also because the weather is perfect and the wildlife is more visible and more diverse, especially the migratory waterfowl.

The fertile terrain of the Everglades is home to over 700 species of plants.

The fertile terrain of the Everglades is home to over 700 species of plants.

Everglades National Park makes up just a third of the vast Everglades watershed.

Mangrove trees support the Everglades’ ecosystem, providing a fertile shelter for wildlife.

Mangroves’ tangled roots help protect coastlines and slow down land erosion.

Probably the best way to immerse yourself in this diverse and watery landscape is by boat, whether it’s a trip through some of the Ten Thousand Islands off the Gulf Coast, a foray inland into the wetlands, or a silent glide through a mangrove forest. Sign up for a ranger-led paddling tour, or, if you’re very brave, strike out on your own on one of the park’s many paddling trails – it’s challenging terrain, and you’ll definitely want to do your homework. An online boater education course called Eco-Mariner is available to help you prepare. Do be aware that tides and winds can greatly affect your speed and the amount of energy required to reach your destination.

Biking will give you a different perspective; the 15-mile paved Shark Valley Loop is recommended, or if you’d like something shorter, several of the Flamingo Area trails are open to biking, like the 1.6-mile Snake Bight Trail (Don’t worry! This is a play on words, not a warning – a bight is a bay). The unpaved 14-mile Southern Glades Trail is the best bet for wildlife viewing.

The elusive white-tailed deer are rarely seen in the park, but make the Everglades their home.

The Everglades are a birdwatcher’s paradise, home to species like the red-shouldered hawk.

Roseate spoonbills, striking pink birds with spoon-shaped beaks, also inhabit the Everglades.

The noble bald eagle also makes its home in the Everglades.

From wading birds to birds of prey like the osprey, the park’s warm, shallow rivers are ideal for wildlife.

For an adventurous approach to learning, the park has its own geocaching program, a GPS-guided treasure hunt. The theme: Be a park employee for a day, and try to figure out how to mitigate the impacts of a lightning strike, close encounters with crocodiles or a problematic shorefront development.

If you’re willing to get your feet wet, sign up for a ranger-led slough slog to explore a cypress dome. An ample and lively selection of ranger-led tours and talks offers something from everyone, from a bicycle tour to a wilderness ramble to a starlight walk – especially in the dry season, from December to April.

Naturalist-led boat tours of the Ten Thousand Islands and the mangrove wilderness are available through a local concession.

Staying Around the Park: The ultimate camping adventure has to be taking one of the park’s canoe trails to spend the night on a chickee, a wooden platform in the middle of the swamp. Backcountry campsites are available on the beach, in the forest and in the wetlands; permits are required. These tend to fill up during high season, and you’ll need a reservation, but you can only reserve 24 hours in advance and only in person.

Frontcountry or car campsites are plentiful in Long Pine Key Campground and Flamingo Campground. No reservations are accepted except for a handful of group campsites, but generally there are enough sites to go around.

There is no indoor lodging in the park, but plenty of options in gateway communities such as Homestead, Florida City, Miami, Everglades City, and Chokoloskee. Ivey House in Everglades City is a great choice whether you’re a backpacker on a budget or a couple looking for some privacy; choose from the economical B&B section or the intimate 18-room inn.

Iconic Features of the Park: Shark Valley gets its name from the Shark River, also known as the River of Grass for the waving sawgrass that stretches to the horizon. Biking or walking the Shark Valley Tram Road is an excellent way to immerse yourself in that landscape. Three hours away at the other end of the park, with access through Homestead, the wheelchair-accessible Pahayokee Platform will give you a broader perspective of the same. The largest living mahogany tree can be viewed from the Mahogany Hammock Trail.

A loss of habitat over time has dramatically decreased the park’s bird population.

Wildlife great and small inhabit the Everglades, from bobcats and foxes to river otters.

In the wetlands, alligators build and live in “alligator holes,” small ponds that provide protection.

An average of 24 alligator hatchlings emerge from nests, but less than half will survive past one year.

Native to Southeast Asia, the Burmese python is an invasive species sometimes seen in the Everglades.

Park Wildlife: It’s probably the alligators that get the most attention – or was that a crocodile? The Everglades are the only place in the world where both animals occur together.

Besides these prehistoric reptiles, however, the Everglades are home to an astounding array ofwildlife. The endangered manatee can sometimes be seen near the marina at the Flamingo Visitor Center. Winsome river otters, grey foxes, Everglades mink, Florida panther and bobcat are a few of the other animals found here. White-tailed deer live here as well, but are rarely seen.

The park is paradise for birders; roseate spoonbills, white ibises, black-crowned night herons and other eye-catching wading birds can be frequently observed as well as the snake-necked anhinga along the Anhinga Trail. The magnificent frigate bird, the American white pelican and the brown booby are a few of the many coastal species that live here. Just a tiny remnant of the region’s original bird population remains from a century of environmental assault on all sides; the words penned by naturalist John James Audubon during a visit here in the 1800 causes one to reflect on what has been lost: “We observed great flocks of wading birds flying overhead toward their evening roosts…. They appeared in such numbers to actually block out the light from the sun for some time.”

For every wading bird an observer sees in the everglades today, historically there were nine more; the dramatic decline is attributed to overhunting for plumage that occurred around the turn of the 19th century, and to the loss of habitat that continues today. Still, in modern times, you will not find a better place to observe a huge variety of wildlife.

The Everglades are famous for the park’s large array of wildlife of every kind.

Sawgrass runs into danger from floods, as oxygen can’t reach its roots in deep water.

The region’s stunning lakes offer many challenging adventures for daring kayakers.

The Everglades’ waterfowl are most visible during the region’s dry season from December to May.

The Everglades’ unique landscape inspired authorMarjory Stoneman Douglas to call the park the “River of Grass.”

The Everglades are the only habitat in the world where alligators and crocodiles co-habitate

Hiking at the Park: Everglades National Park divides its trails by region, each with its own distinct ecosystem: Pine Island Trails, Flamingo Trails, Shark Valley Trails, and the Gulf Coast Trails. Among the Pine Island trails in the eastern part of the park is the half-mile wheelchair accessible Anhinga Trail along Taylor Slough. In the north is the Shark River Slough walkway, where you’ll see wading birds, alligators, fish, and turtles. On the Gumbo Limbo Trail you’ll find tropical hardwood hammock, and the half-mile Mahogany Hammock gives a glimpse of a massive mahogany forest.

Park Drives: Two drives recommended by National Geographic: First, Royal Palm to Flamingo, a 76-mile round-trip along Main Park Road, which passes through prairies, rare pinelands, Mahogany Hammock, and ends at Florida Bay. It’s a good way to spend a day, stopping at the overlooks, hiking some of the trails and observing the wildlife you’ll find along the trails and backcountry waters.

The other is a 49-mile one-way trip across the northern part of the park along the Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) from Shark Valley to Everglades City. This tour will give you excellent views of the Everglades landscape. Along the way you’ll find the Shark Valley visitors center, Miccosukee Cultural Center, and Big Cypress National Preserve.

Crash

Crash Notes: Freaky Friday News

Didn’t See It Coming

(1) German Rolf Buchholz, who owns the Guinness Book world record for most body piercings (453), said he was upset to be denied entrance into United Arab Emirates in August to fulfill a performance of sorts at Dubai’s Fairmont Hotel. Buchholz said officials gave no explanation, although in addition to the piercings (example: at least 50 beads stuck to his lips), he has also implanted horns in his forehead. (2) Caius Veiovis, 33, is similarly concerned about his forehead horns. While preparing for trial in Hamden, Massachusetts, in a gruesome 2011 triple murder, he has decided to freshen up somewhat by removing the spikes from his nostrils, but still needs the judge’s help to warn prospective jurors not to presume guilt from his six horns. [NBC News, 8-17-2014] [The Republican (Springfield, Mass.), 8-18-2014]

The Continuing Crisis

— After several contestants in the 2013 world swimming championships in Barcelona, Spain, remarked that the racers in lanes 5 to 8 seemed to swim faster than those in lanes 1 to 4, two researchers investigated further and concluded, in July, that there was a rogue current on the lane-8 side of the pool. In fact, most of the losers swam in lane 1, and the lane 8 swimmers produced a glut of medals, and, wrote the researchers, a current would be “the only cause that we can propose to explain these findings.” [Wall Street Journal, 7-24-2014]

— The New Normal: In America, TV pundits merely shout at each other, but twice recently in Middle East TV debates, discussants have roughhoused on the air. Journalist Shakir al-Johari was involved both times, on the Jordanian 7 Stars channel in May and on Dubai TV in July. In the first, the studio was wrecked, according to Al-Arabiya news service, and the latter incident was calmed only after al-Johari threw his chair at lawyer Saleh Khrais. [BBC News, 5-7-2014] [emirates247.com, 7-21-2014]

— From the Foreign Press: (1) After police issued a plea for help in July to identify the perpetrators of a porn movie filmed inside an Austrian church and in which actors’ faces were obscured, a serious fan of Austrian porn spoke up, naming the 24-year-old female lead. The nude breasts of the star, he said, were unmistakably those of “Babsi,” a popular actress, and she was subsequently charged with trespassing in the church. (2) Wilfred Mashaya told a magistrate in Harare, Zimbabwe, in June that he wanted to divorce his wife because, when they sleep together, “She would not even make any sexual sound” — which was, to him, unbearable. The magistrate took the case under advisement. [The Local (Vienna), 7-14-2014] [Bulawayo24.com (Harare), 6-29-2014]

Unclear on the Concept

— New Orleans Juvenile Court Judge Yolanda King, already indicted for falsifying her home address in her 2013 campaign for office, was spotted by a Times-Picayune reporter on Aug. 20 filing three registration papers for the Nov. 4 election in which she swore (under oath) to three different addresses — two of which appeared to be clearly erroneous. Her lawyer told the newspaper that the judge, who was suspended by the Louisiana Supreme Court following her indictment, had merely “misinterpreted” the instructions. [Times-Picayune, 8-21-2014]

— As part of a nationwide distribution of surplus military equipment, 10 Texas school districts eagerly acquired a total of 64 M-16 rifles, 18 M-14s, 25 automatic pistols and magazines capable of holding 4,500 rounds of ammunition. District officials referred generally to the need to protect against school attacks such as the notorious incidents in Colorado and Connecticut, but a local Houston area police chief, seeking to reassure a nervous public, promised that the equipment would be used only by tactically trained officers and that, otherwise, would be locked in the department’s armory. A critic of the program told KHOU-TV that statistically, the typical active-shooter school situation lasts 12 minutes, hardly enough time to get to the armory and load up. [KHOU-TV, 9-5-2014]

Compelling Explanations

— Not Our Fault: In July, two of the four fertilizer manufacturers operating in the vicinity of the April 2013 massive explosion and fire in West, Texas, filed motions contesting the city’s lawsuit against them. According to the companies, it was actually the city’s ill-trained first responders and volunteer firefighters who caused many of the injuries. [Waco Tribune, 7-26-2014]

— A Matter of Scale: (1) Police in Cologne, Germany, wrote a bicycle-equipment infraction against Bogdan Ionescu in April because his bike had no right-side handlebar brake. But since Ionescu has no right arm, he fought the ticket, and in July received a police apology. (2) David Rainsford, 44, is contesting the fee charged for a routine eye exam by Specsavers in Cramlington, England. He wants a discount because he has no right eye. (However, Specsavers says Rainsford’s glass eye can pose risks for the good eye and that the area surrounding both eyes must be checked, as well.) [Agence France-Presse via Daily Telegraph (London), 7-1-2014] [The Chronicle (Newcastle upon Tyne), 7-21- 2014]

Leading Economic Indicators

— Despite all that has transpired in Ukraine this year, the country’s defense industry manufacturers continue to sell military gear to Russia (including “key parts for ship engines, advanced targeting technology for tanks and upkeep for Russia’s heaviest nuclear missiles,” according to an August Washington Post dispatch). The Ukrainian government may be hostile to Russia, but workers at companies such as Motor Sich fear loss of jobs in an already deep recession. Said a Motor Sich spokesman, “We have our own (political) party, the party of Motor Sich.” [Washington Post, 8-15-2014]

— Dilemmas of the 1 Percent: In July, New York City approved construction of a 33-story condominium/apartment tower housing both luxury units (219, facing the Hudson River) and “affordable” units (55, facing the street) — with separate entrances so the beautiful people could avoid the more downscale. (The developer, Extell, said it deserves credit for carving out the “affordable” units because the luxury units are more profitable.) [New York Post, 7-20-2014]

— Considering the height restrictions zoned into London’s super-prime real estate, the only practical way for some owners to expand is to go underground (as deep as five stories’ worth of “basement”), which requires heavy digging machines. However, by the time the excavation is finished, the machines are mired at the bottom of a huge pit with no easy way to bring the behemoths up. Consequently, on some jobs, reported the New Statesman in June, property owners have elected merely to leave the machines buried under what would be their sub-basement. [New Statesman, 6-5-2014]

— The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species recently estimated that nearly 50,000 African elephants were killed for their tusks in the last two years, continuing the century-long drastic decline in wild pachyderms. The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has thus proposed new rules to curb ivory imports into the United States, to discourage American buying. However, in July, the National Rifle Association warned that the FWS rules would be “disastrous” for America’s collectors of antique pearl-handled guns and urged members to fight the regulations (even though, as NRA advocates acknowledged, few gun owners would be affected). [The Hill (Washington, D.C.), 7-12-2014]

Ironies

In August, a criminology professor at Rome’s La Sapienza University arranged a two-hour guest lecture on “emergency practices” by an “experienced” hand — Francesco Schettino, the captain currently on trial in Italy for his role in the sinking of the cruise ship Costa Concordia in 2012, when 32 people died. Said the captain: “I was called to speak because I am an expert. … I know what to do in these sorts of situations.” (Schettino will have to refute alleged evidence that “what to do” included running straight for the nearest lifeboat.) [Associated Press via News.com.au (Sydney), 8-7-2014]

Least Competent Criminals

Bright Ideas: (1) Bradley Hardison, 24, on the lam in the Elizabeth City, North Carolina, area from two break-in charges, nonetheless decided to enter a newsworthy contest in August — a public “doughnut-eating” competition, in which police officers and firefighters were his competitors. Hardison managed to win, downing eight doughnuts in two minutes, thus attracting even more attention. After one officer recognized him, he fled but was easily caught. (2) Recurring Theme: Raymond Betson became the most recent perp (in July in Swanley, England) to intend to break into a store (this time, a money-lending store) by ramming the wall with a digger — but broke through the wrong wall (and then another wrong wall after that). Police were summoned by the commotion and arrested him. (3) Clearwater, Florida, police pulled over a “suspicious” car on July 24 and ultimately arrested the driver and his passenger. The back seat was loaded with potted plants — in fact, potted pot plants (i.e., marijuana), so crowded that the leaves and branches of some plants were sticking out of the car’s windows. (4) Daniel Warn, 28, was arrested in July in Costa Mesa, California, and charged with the burglary of an El Pollo Loco restaurant — a caper that was captured on surveillance video. Police were notified later that day when Warn — wearing the same distinctive hat and bright green shirt worn by the burglar — came to the restaurant to order a meal. [WTSP-TV (St. Petersburg), 8-6-2014] [KCBS-TV (Los Angeles), 7-18-2014][Reuters, 8-8-2014] [ThisIsLocalLondon.co.uk, 7-21-2014]

Miscellaneous Freakiness

(1) The tornado that ripped through Kingsport, Tennessee, on July 27 damaged Jerrod Christian’s house, leaving furniture and tools strewn about his lawn. Unfortunately, according to police who filed four charges against him the next day, some of the items (an air compressor, a welder, a ratchet, an air hose, a weed trimmer) belonged to his neighbors, who had long suspected (without proof) that Christian had burglarized their homes. (2) Russian researchers launched several critters into space on July 19, including a male and four female geckos (to follow their mating capabilities), but by July 25 reported that they had lost contact with the satellite, drawing comical concern (most notably, from TV’s Stephen Colbert). Although the communication link was restored several days later, with the geckos reportedly still copulating, ultimately only the mission’s fruit flies survived the satellite’s return to Earth.

— Jonathan Thomas, 50, was charged with DUI and disorderly conduct in Washington Township, Indiana, in August after driving through two backyards one Friday evening and getting his vehicle stuck in the second. Police reported that Thomas “show(ed) his teeth to officers” and later “growled” at hospital security staff. Thomas’ day job is director of the Porter County Animal Shelter. [Times of Northwest Indiana (Valparaiso), 8-4-2014] [ABC News, 7-30-2014] [New York Times, 9-2-2014]

— Just Like the Script: (1) In August, a Bradenton, Florida, deputy sheriff was forced to duplicate a classic scene from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” when he was advanced upon by a menacing-looking, samurai-sword-swinging, 31-year-old man. The deputy, perhaps as nonplussed as Indiana Jones was, shot him dead. (2) Rule No. 9: The 15-year-old granddaughter of Cliven Bundy (the Nevada rancher whose dispute with the federal government caused a notorious standoff in March) told Las Vegas’ KSNV-TV that her dad (Bundy’s son) was withdrawing her from her high school because officials would not allow her to carry a knife on campus. She said her dad has taught his kids (just like “NCIS’s” Leroy Jethro Gibbs) to “always” carry a knife. That’s Gibbs’ Rule #9 and Crash’s Rule #12, by the way. [Bay News 9 (St. Petersburg), 8-28-2014] [KSNV-TV, 8-28-2014]

Have a GREAT weekend!

Crash

#WarriorWednesday: 23 Sep 1779 – John Paul Jones, Bonhomme Richard vs HMS Serapis

Captain John Paul Jones hailing HMS Serapis during the action from the deck of the frigate Bonhomme Richard, 23 September 1779. Artwork by Paul Moran. During the action, all firing ceased and for several moments Captain Pearson of the Serapis called out, “Have you struck your colors?” “I have not yet begun to fight,” replied Captain Jones, were upon the firing resumed. Serapis later struck her colors.

“I Have Not Yet Begun to Fight,” John Paul Jones, making his legendary battle cry from the deck of Bonhomme Richard, during her action with HMS Serapis, Sept., 23 1779.

On Sept. 23, 1779, the frigate, Bonhomme Richard, commanded by John Paul Jones, engages HMS Serapis, commanded by Capt. Richard Pearson off Flamborough Head, England. With Bonhomme Richard being nearly destroyed by enemy fire, Pearson calls for surrender, which Jones replies, “I have not yet begun to fight!” Emerging victorious, Jones captures and takes over Serapis, while Bonhomme Richard sinks into the sea.

Bonhomme Richard vs HMS Serapis, 23 September 1779. Artwork of Anton O. Fischer.

USS Bonhomme Richard engages HMS Serapis off Flamborough Head, England, 23 September 1779. Bookplate from a painting by Charles R. Patterson, 1929.

“I Have Not Yet Begun to Fight.” Detail of a shadow box exhibit at the U.S. Naval Academy showing John Paul Jones making his legendary battle cry from the deck of Bonhomme Richard, during her action with HMS Serapis, 23 September 1779. The diorama was photographed in December 1953 by Taggart.

Captain John Paul Jones after an A.L. Stephens engraving of his boarding HMS Serapis.

Captain Richard Pearson, Royal Navy. Captain Pearson commanded HMS Serapis when she was captured by John Paul Jones in 1779. Engraving by W. R. Cook, published in the “Naval Chronicle,” Vol. 24, London, November 1810. NHHC Photograph Collection, NH 68672.
For his spirited battle against John Paul Jones, Pearson was considered a hero. He was knighted, received presents from the merchants and the freedoms of several towns.

Bonhomme Richard vs Serapis, 23 September 1779. Engraved view of the action probably from the 19th century. US Marine Corps photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives:

Bonhomme Richard vs HMS Serapis, 23 September 1779. Watercolor by Edward Tufnall. Courtesy of Mrs. Leslie R. Groves.

Bonhomme Richard vs HMS Serapis, 23 September 1779. Artwork by Warren. Courtesy of the Mariner’s Museum. Bailey Collection #232.

Frigate Bonhomme Richard vs. HMS Serapis, engraving of the action off Flamborough Head, published by John Harris, London, 1 December 1871. It is after the painting by Robert Dodd, and is dedicated by the pubisher to the “Merchants Trading to Russia.” Courtesy of the Beverly R. Robinson Collection at the U.S. Naval Institute.

Captain John Paul Jones capturing HMS Serapis. This battle occurred off Flamborough Head, England. An original line engraving after a painting by Chappel, published in “Battles of the U.S. by Sea and Land,” by Henry B. Watson, 1859. NHHC Photograph Collection, NH 56483.

Frigate Bonhomme Richard vs. HMS Serapis, action off Flamborough Head, England, 23 September 1779. Artwork by Carlton T. Champan. Courtesy of the Navy Art Collection

Continental Frigate Bonhomme Richard engaging HMS Serapis, off Flamborough Head, on 23 September 1779. Engraving by R. Collier after Hamilton. Published circa 1780. NHHC Photograph Collection, NH 58940.
Note: Just what does “Bonhomme Richard” mean?
Bonhomme Richard — A French translation of Benjamin Franklin’s nom de plume, “Poor Richard.” When John Paul Jones received the Duc de Duras from the King of France, Louis XVI, he renamed the former French East Indiaman Bonhomme Richard to honor Franklin, the American Commissioner at Paris whose famous almanacs had been published in France under the title Les Maximes du Bonhomme Richard.

The memorable engagement of Captain Pearson of the Serapis with Paul Jones of the Bonhomme Richard and his squadron, 23 September 1779. Artwork by Thomas Buttersworth. Painting is in the U.S. Naval Academy Museum. Courtesy of the Navy Art Collection

The Action between HMS Serapis, Captain Pearson, the Countess of Scarborough, and John Paul Jones’ squaderon, 23 September 1779. Artwork by Richard Paton. Painting is in the collection of the U.S. Naval Academy Museum. Courtesy of the Navy Art Collection

The action between HMS Serapis, commanded by Captain Pearson and the Continental frigate Bonhomme Richard, commanded by Captain John Paul Jones. Artwork by Lieutenant William Elliott, Royal Navy, signed and dated by artist, 1789. Painting is in the U.S. Naval Academy Museum. Courtesy of the Navy Art Collection

USS Bonhomme Richard vs. HMS Serapis, 23 September 1779. This action occurred off Flamborough Head, England. Courtesy of the Navy Art Collection

John Paul Jones bidding goodbye to his victorious ship. Artwork by Percy Moran. Courtesy of the Navy Art Collection

USS Bon Homme Richard (CV-31). Slides down the building ways, as she is launched at the New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York, on 29 April 1944. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives, 80-G-K-3888(Color).
Notes: USS Yorktown (CV-10) was originally intended to be named Bonhomme Richard, but after USS Yorktown (CV-5) was sunk during the Battle of Midway, the new carrier gained Yorktown’s name.
Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) is considered the second ship of the name despite the difference in spelling, an error which may have crept in as early as the 1860s when the name was assigned to the steam frigate that was never built and which later was compounded, no doubt, by the haste with which an enormous number of ships had to be named during World War II.

USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) returns to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, after participating in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises July 31, 2010. RIMPAC is a biennial, multinational exercise to strengthen regional partnerships and improve multinational interoperability.

On the Web: 

Read more about John Paul Jones

Read and see more about USS Bon Homme Richard (CV-31)

The Naval History and Heritage Command Underwater Archeology Team has just returned for the search of Bonhomme Richard, please click here for their blog on the expedition.

Read more about the Continental frigate Bonhomme Richard

Read John Paul Jones chronology of service

Read more about Captain Richard Pearson via the British National Maritime Museum

National Park Service website about John Paul Jones

Crash

Messerschmitt Bf110D

amateur airplanes

The Bf110 is finally complete. I should have finished days ago but once again, life will not pause. Fujimi put out another great build. I would have liked to see more detail in the cockpit and maybe some better decal options. Regardless, this was a fun build. Great fitting parts and overall detail highlight this kit. I am already searching for another one.
Painting this build proved to be a challenge. Both fuselage colors weren’t the best quality. I had used them on my last German build and they started to go bad on me. The only option for acquiring German colors is to order them. Luckily, I didn’t have to go this route. I will have to get them ordered before my next German build, but this time it worked. It was a chore to get the consistency correct with limited resources.
The finished Bf110 has been parked next…

View original post 25 more words

Wednesday funny

5 minutes more please

Saw this on Facebook today and made me think of Dexter, my beautiful goofy dog who has no sense of obedience at all, he marches to the beat of his own drum, and whom we are all missing terribly while we are on vacation in NSW

.

View original post

US Air Force 67th Birthday

Pacific Paratrooper

Thunderbird pilots w/ their planes

The official birthday for the US Air Force is 18 September 1947 as enacted under the National Security Act of 1947.

See the video for the US Air Force 67th Birthday right  Here!

HIGH FLIGHT

by: John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth

and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I’ve climbed

and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds – and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of – 

Wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence.

Hovering there,

I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flug

My eager craft through footless halls of air.

Up, up the long, delicious burning blue

I’ve topped the windswept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or even eagle flew.

And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod

The high untresspassed sanctity of space,

Put…

View original post 146 more words

Germany: Auschwitz SS Guard Charged with Accessory to 300,000 Murders

Oskar Groening, who was a guard at Auschwitz, has been charged with 300,000 counts of accessory to murder. Photo: Crash MacDuff

Prosecutors say Oskar Groening, now 93, dealt with belongings and counted money of Hungarian Jews sent to their deaths.

Prosecutors in Germany have charged a 93-year-old man with 300,000 counts of accessory to murder for serving as an SS guard at the Nazis’ Auschwitz death camp.

Groening is accused of helping operate the death camp in occupied Poland between May and June 1944, when 425,000 Jews from Hungary were brought there and at least 300,000 almost immediately gassed to death.

In his job dealing with the belongings stolen from camp victims, prosecutors said among other things he was charged with helping collect and tally money that was found.

“He helped the Nazi regime benefit economically, and supported the systematic killings,” state prosecutors in the city of Hannover said in a statement.

Groening’s attorney, Hans Holtermann, declined to comment on the charges.

Groening has openly talked about his time as a guard and said while he witnessed horrific atrocities, he didn’t commit any crimes himself.

In 2005 he told Der Spiegel magazine he recalled one incident on “ramp duty” when he heard a baby crying. “I saw another SS soldier grab the baby by the legs,” he said. “He smashed the baby’s head against the iron side of a truck until it was silent.”

Groening, who lives in the Hannover area, is one of about 30 former Auschwitz guards who federal investigators last year said state prosecutors should pursue under a new precedent in German law.

Groening is the fourth case investigated by Hannover: two have been shelved because the suspects have been deemed unfit for trial and one was closed when the suspect died.

Thomas Walther, who represents 20 Auschwitz victims and their families as co-plaintiffs in the case against Groening as allowed under German law, said it was their last chance “to participate in bringing justice to one of the SS men who had a part in the murder of their closest relatives”.

“Many of the co-plaintiffs are among the last survivors of Auschwitz,” he told the Associated Press.

Photo: Crash MacDuff

The case against Oskar Gröning highlights Germany judiciary’s Holocaust problem. With only 50 out of 6,500 SS guards at Auschwitz convicted, critics say German law has been too slow to seek justice.

He was once called “the accountant of Auschwitz,” but he is also one of the few former Nazi death camp guards to speak out against Holocaust deniers. Now, at the age of 93, he is to face trial in Germany, and his case has highlighted what some historians see as the failure of the German judiciary to bring Holocaust perpetrators to justice.

From 1942 to 1944, Oskar Gröning counted money taken from the luggage of murdered Jews and sent it back to SS headquarters in Berlin. He also stood guard as the transports of human beings entered the camp.

That much has long been known, not least because he himself described his experiences to the media, but it has taken a new investigation, carried out by Germany’s central office for the investigation of Nazi crimes in Ludwigsburg, for charges to be brought against him. In February this year, the office searched the homes of several former members of the SS across Germany. Of these, Gröning is the only one to have been pronounced fit enough to stand trial.

For what state prosecutors called “legal and evidence reasons”, Gröning’s formal charges relate only to two months of his time at the camp – 16 May to 11 July 1944, the time of the so-called Hungary Operation, when “around 425,000 people from Hungary arrived at the camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau”, of whom “at least 300,000 found their deaths in the gas chambers”. Gröning has therefore been charged with 300,000 counts of accessory to murder.

Gröning caught public attention in 2005 when he appeared in the BBC documentary Auschwitz: The Nazis and the ‘Final Solution’, in which he described how being confronted by Holocaust deniers had led to him to speak out. “I see it as my task now, at my age, to face up to these things that I experienced, and to oppose the Holocaust deniers who claim that Auschwitz never happened,” he said. “I saw the crematoria, I saw the burning pits.”

But Gröning also denied his culpability, telling Der Spiegel magazine in the same year: “Accomplice would almost be too much for me. I would describe my role as a small cog in the gears. If you can describe that as guilt, then I am guilty, but not voluntarily. Legally speaking, I am innocent.”

Auschwitz-Birkenau survivors when the camp was liberated by Russian troops in 1945. Photo courtesy of Simon Wiesenthal Center. Used by permission.

State prosecutors disagree – but only now. Despite high-profile trials in Nuremberg just after the war, and Frankfurt in 1964, the German judiciary has been notoriously sluggish about punishing those directly involved in the Holocaust. A previous case against Gröning himself was dropped for lack of evidence by Frankfurt prosecutors in 1985. The historian Andreas Eichmüller once calculated that of the 6,500 SS members who worked at Auschwitz and survived the war, only 49 had ever been convicted.

Jörg Friedrich, a historian and author of Acquittal for Nazi Justice: The Sentencing of National Socialist Judges since 1948, challenges the view that the German judiciary dragged its heels. “There were hundreds of thousands of investigations, kilometres of investigation documents,” he told the Guardian. “I don’t know of any state that did the same … A compromise had to be drawn between assimilation and prosecution, and I think Germany was a success in both cases.” The legal difficulty is in defining individual guilt; attempts to convict other SS members have failed in the past because they could not be linked to specific murders. Ingo Müller, law professor and author of Terrible Lawyers: the Past Our Judiciary Has Not Overcome, thinks this is a historical failure. “Just participating in the Holocaust doesn’t count.”

On the Web: Official site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau (German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp) Memorial and State Museum.

Crash

Crash Course on Politics: Zerobama, Killary, ISIS and Chick-Fil-A

Hillary “Killary” the Killdabeast Clinton was in Iowa Sunday for the first time in nearly seven years. Naturally the media was orgasmic.

One reporter tweeted: “So much press at Harkin Steak Fry that they ran out of press passes.” Fortunately a few real reporters still exist in this country, Sharyl Attkisson being one of them.

Her article today is titled: “Benghazi Bombshell: Clinton State Department Official Reveals Details of Alleged Document Review” And bombshell it is, as Attkisson writes that Raymond Maxwell, a former State Dept. official, is alleging that State Dept. employees were ordered to remove any damaging Benghazi related documents before handing the papers over to the Accountability Review Board.

Overseeing the process were “close confidantes” of Clinton. But all this matters little to the fawning reporters who were in in Iowa. Some took “fun photos” of Hillary proudly grilling a steak. Actually pretending to grill a steak, it was pre-cooked and provided to her beforehand.

Clinton to the “Harkin Steak Fry” attendees: “I’m back!” Yes you are Hillary … like herpes.

Meanwhile, the following is directed ONLY to the pond scum who just beheaded their third Westerner: “Dear Young Men of ISIS: Let’s face it, not much manhood on display when you’re beheading unarmed victims with their hands tied behind their backs. May we suggest athletics? You know where there is actual competition.

Your part of the world could certainly use your help, at the 2004 Olympics the 57 Muslim countries took home only 13 gold medals. Heck, Australia won more (17) with about 1% of the population. Or ISIS you may wish to show everyone your remarkable abilities in science & technology.

Your ancestors achieved great things within these fields … 1000 years ago! So instead of focusing on cutting off heads & sterilizing women, with study & hard work ISIS you could double the number of Nobel Science Prizes ever awarded to people of your faith. Shouldn’t be too difficult with the current total at TWO.

Finally, please clear something up … is it ISIS or ISIL? Doesn’t really matter, to the civilized world you filthy animals are known only as LOSERS.”

The principal at Ventura (California) High School banned a booster club from selling donated Chick-fil-A meals at a fundraiser. She doesn’t like the Cathy family’s support of traditional marriage.

One student said the mere exposure to these meals would make some schoolmates feel “kind of weird.”

Yet the Ventura school district has gladly accepted $21K from the local Chick-fil-A in the past, so it’s cash YES, chicken sandwiches NO. Franchise owner Robert Shaffer: “Chick-fil-A doesn’t have a stance on gay marriage. We treat everyone who walks through our doors, regardless of their religion or sexual orientation, with honor, dignity and respect.”

But School Supt. Trudy Arriaga agreed with the ban: “We value inclusivity and diversity on our campus and all of our events and activities are going to adhere to our mission.” Sure you do sweetie pie so if Starbucks, a supporter of gay marriage, offered free coffee you’d turn that down too, right?

After all some students might feel “kind of weird.” How’s that lib motto go?

Oh right, “Tolerance for me … but none for thee!”

I am willing to bet that you thought the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1941 was an act of war.

Nope, for John Kerry & Susan Rice this was simply Japan engaging in a little “counter-terrorism operation.”

Like both say Zerobama’s now doing with ISIS.

This is great news for Repubs … no more “War on Women,” from now on it’s called “counter-terrorism.” Ironically though, the WA Post reported yesterday that their new poll shows it’s O who’s tanking with the fairer sex (as well as young people & Latinos).

Karlene Richardson: “Honestly, I just feel that what I bought into is not what I’m getting. I’m starting to wonder whether the world takes us seriously.” Well Karlene, it’s Obots like you who fell for it TWICE who shouldn’t be “taken seriously.” We all know Karlene (and millions like her) will still enthusiastically vote for Hillary … after all old Hil’s got all the “right parts.” For America’s survival what we really need is a “War on Low Info Voters!”

Oops … make that a “Counter-terrorism campaign.” Sorry Karlene.

Last week, Katie Pavlich at Townhall writes that although “ISIL and ISIS literally stands for Islamic State,”  despite the fact that Zerobama in his recently broadcast prime time speech (and even before that) insisted: “ISIL is not Islamic.”

Pavlich: “If we aren’t willing to see our enemy for what they are, radical Islamic terrorists, we can’t defeat them. Using political correctness to define ISIS helps no one, including millions of peaceful Muslims all around the world.”

Katie is spot on, O must believe that al-Qaeda, al-Nusra, al-Shabaab, Boco Haram & the Taliban are “not Islamic” as well. And what about events like what happened 13 years ago today, or 2 years ago today, or the WTC in 1993, or Khobar Towers in 1996, or Kenya & Tanzania in 1998, or the USS Cole in 2000, or Indonesia in 2003 & 2004, or Madrid in 2004, or London in 2005, or Mumbai in 2008, or Boston in 2013 or this year with the hundreds of kidnapped schoolgirls?

According to the “smartest president ever” all “not Islamic.” Someone please wake up King Putt and tell him that none of these acts were committed by “radical Christians” or “radical Buddhists.”

In review – per my September 10th tweet regarding at that timethe latest NBC/WSJ poll that shows only 1 in 3 now support President Obama’s handling of foreign policy – (32% approve, 62% disapprove)…

In light of this not-so-amazing btg of polling info, what Zerobama should have said during his BIG SPEECH on ISIS last week was: “Fellow Americans, I’m truly sorry. Sorry for: a) The Russia “reset button” b) My Latin America apology tour c) My Cairo speech d) Ignoring the Iranian freedom movement e) Scrapping the Eastern European missile defense system f) Banning the words “radical Islam” & labeling the Hasan murders as “workplace violence” g) Rejecting the advice of my military advisors by pulling ALL troops from Iraq) h) Supporting the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood i) Libya/Benghazi j) My promise to Russia to be “more flexible” after my re-election k) My empty Syrian “red line” threat l) Ignoring the CIA warnings about ISIS for more than a year, instead calling ISIS the JV & m) The border So to future presidents wishing foreign policy success: Piece of cake! Just study all that I’ve ever done … and do exactly the opposite.”

But then again, it was a lot to HOPE for that this lousy administration would ever CHANGE.

Crash

Wrong Number Call at Night Leads to Life-Saving Act of Kindness

Kindness Blog

Wrong Number Call Leads to Life-Saving Act of Kindness

In a discussion on Reddit recently, Redditors were asked, “What is the Strangest “Wrong Number” Call You’ve Gotten?”

‘JayBerryLe’ shared his story…

“A few years ago, my wife and I were awakened by a call in the middle of the night. I answered, and on the other end of the line came a loud eerie screeching. I was about to hang up, thinking it was a prank, when it became apparent that it was someone in severe pain.

The voice was crying and impossible to understand, so I spent a good amount of time trying to calm them down. The longer I listened and spoke gently to the caller, I picked up on her calling me George. I told her that I wasn’t George, but she should give me his number and I would call him for her. It took numerous…

View original post 238 more words