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The Truth About Oil Lanterns
Mention the word adventure and the image of pirates amidst the high seas comes to mind. It is not often that an oil lantern conjures up images of fun, excitement and adventure. Yet, this seemingly dull, antiquated article actually has a distinct and vivid history that is just as marked by intrigue and excitement. Oil lanterns are more than just objects that emit light, they also offer invaluable insight into distinct cultures and cultural practices. Historians can usually instantly tell what year and culture a specific oil lantern stems from by studying the shape and design. Historians and archaeologists can then go on to discover a whole slew of important information about the cultures and their rites and rituals.
Getting To The Heart Of Oil Lanterns,
It is not uncommon to find Indian oil lamps that are shaped like the female reproductive system as the oil lantern plays a key role in fertility ceremonies. Usually oil lanterns are fashioned from clay or pottery and they are usually filled with oil containing one single wick. The wick burns via the oil in the lamp thus providing light and warmth for a long period of time. Contrary to popular belief, the thickness of the wick does not affect the strength of the flame. The most common oils used in oil lanterns were olive oil and kerosene as these have been tracked in various different cultures.
A Detailed Guide To Oil Lanterns,
Eastern religions as well as monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam all mention the use of oil lanterns in their texts and ceremonies. In fact, the Jewish holiday Hanukah, or the festival of lights, is a celebration of the miracle that the oil lantern in the temple burned for eight straight nights. It is traditional on this day to eat foods that are fried in olive oil in order to remember the miracle of the light that lasted for eight days in the temple rather than just one. In India, oil lanterns are an intrinsic part of the ritual associated with an offering to a deity. To this day it plays an important role in wedding ceremonies.
How I Use Oil Lanterns In My Backyard,
Providing valuable insight into various different traditions and cultures, the oil lantern is a critical component of various different international practices. After the industrialized revolution and the harnessing of electricity, oil lanterns were pretty much phased out as a lighting source but they are still very much a vibrant piece of tradition and culture; they can be a fascinating look at the ways in which distinct cultures glorified their respective gods.
The oil lantern is a fascinating object that is rooted in history and tradition and provides valuable insight into different cultures around the world. Their sleek shape and beautiful design make oil lanterns a beautiful gift or a stunning piece of decorative art for your home or office. Putting an oil lantern in your home is a wonderful way to add a bit of subtle history to your decor and will be enthusiastically received by all those who have the pleasure of viewing it. Oil lanterns are not just a novelty, they are chic accents to a room and are laden with history and cultural significance that you can bring into your home or office.
Getting Enchanted By A Nautical Compass
No other invention has redefined navigation so well as the compass. A must-have on any journey, a compass was the mainstay of travelers on foot and on sea. With an elegant, compact design, compasses nowadays are eclipsed by GPS, but still remain decorative and functional.
Dozens of abilities inherent to the nautical compass can be used in a multitude of ways. A nautical compass can calculate heading, calculate longitude, and with the use of a sextant, can be used to provide latitude. A nautical compass is not only built to last with salt and rust resistant metal, but is highly functional.
I Have A Nautical Compass On My Desk
The compass was invented, but not widely used, in ancient China around 240 B.C. A water base was the compass' original form, but slowly evolved to a dry compass, and later the modern day liquid magnetic compass. This technology was adapted for sea voyages, and was spread through the use of the Silk Road. However, further discoveries suggest the Olmec culture of South America used magnetic lodestones as a makeshift compass. A land based compass retains half of the endurance and longevity a nautical compass has.
How To Survive With A Nautical Compass
While on journeys as distantly westward as to the African coast, nautical compasses were used, but were frequently thrown off or broken. Chinese compasses of this make employed magnetic lodestone needles suspended in water. The nautical compass was no different from other sea instruments in that it would only see a significant boost of popularity starting in the 1300's. A sure fire way to discover if a nautical compass is genuine is to look for names engraved on the inside shell or on the back, as navigators would have these carved in to remind them of home on a long voyage.
Bronze was the metal most often used in making old world nautical compasses, but today stainless steel is the common standard. Contrary to the cold gleam of steel, bronze or bronze-plated compasses retain a rustic allure. The standard captain's compass before the modern liquid compass was perfected was a dry compass suspended in a glass ball by gimbal. A dry compass outstrips both its water and liquid cousins in the aesthetics department- being both elegant and shapely. The aesthetic beauty of a dry compass can also be complimented by the stand one chooses for it.
It's A Nautical Compass, Believe It Or Not
Nautical compasses of today are usually set by the helm for easy accessibility. These are mostly decorative, but if the GPS systems ever fail, compasses are a must have. Many people underestimate the power of the compass itself, but when used alongside a sextant, the compass' capabilities truly shine. A compass' abilities are only compromised during a magnetic anomaly, which is rare, and as such are hardly ever faulty. Dependability is paramount and expected in each nautical compass, as they were built to withstand the hardships of the sea.
Very little cleaning or oiling is required of a nautical compass, and they maintain themselves well. To highlight the compass' beauty, dusting and polishing is recommended. Annual buffing of a silver plated or silver compass is required, and monthly buffing is recommended.
Fashioning Truly Incredible Speed Boat Models
Waves splash up from the sides of a sleek speed boat as it shoots across the water with impressive speed and force. Speed boats are one of the most common vessels and one of the cheapest to rent, and for this reason many people have been on them at some point in their life. Speed boats serve the quick and well suited purpose of bringing passengers around small stretches of water in record time, or by transporting them from a large ship to land without requiring the ship to dock. In countries were water travel is inevitable, such as between islands, speed boats serve as crucial vehicles to get to and fro. A tropic climate and its usual stretches of sea on all sides provide a great environment in which to use speed boats. Speed boats are not limited by their size - they are more than capable of ferrying large amounts of weight between different distant points.
With the exception of a very miniscule dinghy, speed boat models are some of the smallest of all the model boats on the market. Some collectors highly prefer the light weight of speed boat models, as they are easy to carry and transport. Shelves on the very top would do well to house these speed boat models, as they are so light that they will not cause strain to the shelves themselves. When dismantled, speed boat models are even lighter, and can be put away for travel and moving with extreme ease.
Some speed boat models are crafted from unique materials, and as such are heavier than their normally wooden counterparts. All speed boat models share a common trait - an extremely streamlined shape that allows for great speed and aerodynamic surfaces. In case of a shortage of fuel, a backup sail and mast are kept onboard any speed boat, speed boat models included. Speed boats with sails do not operate at their maximum capacity and speed.
White is the usual color for speed boat models, and the image of stripes on a white canvas is quite breathtaking. Inside the speed boat models, various polished woods, paints, and metals are present, and display a wonderful variety of colors. Speed boat models that are more intricate than others may include small, beautifully crafted features such as a working helm or maneuverable levers. Taking into consideration the speed boat model's small size, these tiny embellishments are even more awe inspiring. These colors and fine details are just a couple of examples of why these are excelent wooden ships examples.
The glass panes of a speed boat's windshield are also specially made and hard to come by. Many collectors like to differentiate between remote control speed boat models and regular speed boat models, as both are very different items that require very different care. When you buy a speed boat model, research these differences and make sure you are buying the speed boat model you desire most. Speed boat models are excellent in that they require very little maintenance by hand. Wiping the dust from your speed boat model is the most one needs to do for proper maintenance.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Hi everyone! I'm just getting started on Xanga... Drop me a comment if you've got some ideas on what to do first - or just to say, "Hi!" 
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