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Thursday 15 August 2013

Thursday; Bookshelf;


A beautifully written book, highly recommended for people with an interest in plants and history. These sort of books are my favourites and a must have in my library.

The Knot by Jane Borodale;



 The story about a remarkable man, Henry Lyte; 


This is a story about dreams, about the fragility of human achievements and the restorative and destructive powers of nature.
Anno 1565. Across Europe.a new era of natural science is dawning. In a remote corner of Somerset, a pioneer is working to change the course of English Botany. Passionate, private, meticulous, Henry Lyte has begun to neglect his other responsibilities in the pursuit of knowledge. This has happened before with disastrous results.


The good and vertuous Physition, whose purpose is rather the health of many, than the wealthe of himselfe, will not, I hope mislike this my enterprise, which to this purpose specially tendeth, that even the meanest of my countrymen (whose skill is not so profound, that they can fetch this knowledge out of strange tongues, nor their abilitie so wealthy, as to entrtaine a learned Physition) may yet in time of their necessitie have some helps in their owne, or their neighbors fields and gardens at home.

Henry Lyte, a Niewe Herball 1578



Tuesday 13 August 2013

Tuesday; complete or finished;



No English dictionary has been able to adequately explain the difference between these two words: complete and finished.
In a recently linguistic competition held in London, England, and attended by the best in the world, Samsundar Balgobin, a Guyanese man from Bachelors Adventure, was the clear winner with a standing ovation which lasted over 5 minutes.
The final question was: How do you explain the difference between COMPLETE and FINISHED in a way that is easy  to understand.  
 Some people say there is no difference between COMPLETE and FINISHED.
Here is his astute answer .... when you marry the right woman, you are COMPLETE. When you marry the wrong woman, you are FINISHED.   And when the right one catches you with the wrong one, you are COMPLETELY FINISHED!



Monday 12 August 2013

Monday; phoshene;



Phosphene
The lights you see when you close your eyes and rub them;


 Physiology .
a luminous image produced by mechanical stimulation of the retina, as by pressure applied to the eyeball by the finger when the lid is closed.

Origin:
1870–75;  < French phosphène,  irregular < Greek phôs  light (contraction of pháos ) + phaínein  to show, shine

A phosphene is a phenomenon characterized by the experience of seeing light without light actually entering the eye
Phosphenes are flashes of light, often associated with optic neuritis, induced by movement or sound.


Courtesy Wikipedia