#nines era can very much be summed up with the 'and this was an ancient earth classic' (toxic by brittney spears starts playing)

[lesbiten]

every day i miss nine he is literally the blueprint hes everything hes the specialest girl in the whole wide world he and rose invented love also hes a major bitch and i support #bitchrights

[kandykoded]

10 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Cyprus

This little island has a grand record. Coveted by empires over the ages, Cyprus' enviable position has managed to get prize ownership for those who rose to electric power in the Eastern Mediterranean. Today, people still flock here, but it's now to search out the island's beaches somewhat than to get ability and glory. For travelers considering more than fine sand and sun, you're set for a delicacy, as Cyprus has archaeological sites, fine Byzantine churches, and monasteries and museums galore. It is also a wonderful destination to go walking, with unbelievable prosperity of a unique nature. On top of that, it's so small that you can certainly base yourself in a single town and leave on day journeys from there.

1 Ancient Kourion

There's no lack of early sites in Cyprus but Kourion is the find of the number. Romantically situated across a coastal cliff with tumbling views of the countryside and Mediterranean below, from the magical place. The complete site is huge, but the most well-known section is the theater and the home of Eustolios, which contains a clutch of fine, well-preserved mosaics. For all those with an increase of time up their sleeves, the top Byzantine basilica area is wonderfully picturesque using its tumbled columns and scraps of the mosaic floor.

2 St. Hilarion Castle

Among the Mediterranean's most beautiful castle ruins, St. Hilarion's can be an old Crusader bastion and the house of lots of local legends and myths - the most well-known being a fairy queen, who put in her time wonderful local shepherds, built the castle here. The intensive ramparts and chambers snake the pile and are explorer heaven. For all those that climb to the very best, the views across a good chunk of the island are extraordinary. In the event that you only have the perfect time to see one castle in Cyprus, make it that one.

3 Larnaca

Easygoing Larnaca, on the island's southeast aspect, may be considered a seaside hotel, but it's stored its local heart. This is the most laid-back bottom for holidaymakers here. All of the facilities for sun- and sand-based fun are available, however the old crumbling Turkish Quarter (called Skala) and ornate Agios Lazaros (Chapel of St. Lazarus) supply the town a fascinating historical edge, as the middle itself has maintained the atmosphere of an effective workaday town somewhat than simply a summer resort. Better still, the sodium lake, merely to Larnaca's western, is packed with flocks of green flamingos during planting season, and a lot of hill villages and social tourist attractions rest in the encompassing hinterland.

4 Karpas Peninsula

The most amazing region in Cyprus is the lonesome and solid Karpas Peninsula, which extends out in an extended finger of gold beaches supported by strong hills in the northeast of the island (in North Cyprus). It's Cyprus' least trodden area with sublime walking, quaint villages, and concealed historical sites by the bucket load. This is actually the place you will need to head if you wish to see the undiscovered and undeveloped island life of old. Go out for your day in an automobile (the region has nearly no public travel) and go to the mosaics of Agia Triada at Sipahi community before proceeding further northeast to remote Dipkarpaz community and the tiny ruin of Agios Filon cathedral. Afterward, move to the peninsula's famous Golden Beach, an enormous swath of fine sand that sums in the Karpas' rugged charm.

5 Ancient Salamis

This huge archaeological site houses an abundance of marble ruins and rates up there with Old Kourion as the very best historical site on the island. Wandering across the dirt monitors of Salamis between units of ruins from a muddle of different schedules is a lesson in the huge record of Cyprus. Grand Hellenistic statuary - lacking their heads, that have been lopped off by over-zealous Christians - remain amid the ruins of the fitness center. Two significant ruins of Byzantine churches stand amid domains of crazy fennel and weeds, and a humongous tank area showcases the executive capability and management of what will need to have once been a grand traditional city. Old Salamis is North Cyprus, but it's a fairly easy excursion from Nicosia.

6 Kolossi Castle

If castles experienced cuteness contests, Kolossi would surely appear trumps. This small but flawlessly created castle just beyond Limassol can be an old Crusader stronghold and a reminder of Cyprus' importance for the Europeans through the Holy Land Crusades. First presented by the Knights of St. John, the castle was used as a commander for the region, with an outstanding location searching over the seacoast collection. Today, the castle's charm is mostly right down to its dollhouse proportions and its own tranquil position amid snoozy Kolossi community.

7 Cape Greco

Even along Cyprus' buzzing south coast, there are locations where you can get away the crowds. Cape Greco can be an impossibly very coastal national recreation area with a number of walking trails that start just east of the holiday resort of Agia Napa. There's a wonderful variety of local flora here, especially a lot of Cyprus' endemic untamed orchids that bloom in planting season however the real spotlight is the absolutely stunning coastal landscape with azure blue sea beyond. The trails expand completely to Cape Greco point which is the most easterly point in the south of Cyprus.

8 Troodos Villages

The Troodos Massif (Troodos Mountains), in the hill region of the southwest, is loaded filled with very villages packed with stone-cut traditional homes and cobblestone alleys. They're also home for some of Cyprus' most amazing churches and monasteries that maintain lively frescoes and wall structure paintings that time from the middle ages time. The Troodos churches are so important historically that nine of these have been given UNESCO World Traditions status. Hire an automobile for your day and tick all of them off, but if you merely have time to see one, make sure it is the Chapel of Archangelos Michail in the dinky town of Pedoulas.

9 House of Dionysus

The big-hitter site in the vacation resort of Paphos is the home of Dionysus, home to an unbelievable assortment of mosaic surfaces that are feted for his or her excellent preservation and lively coloring. Area of the much larger Paphos Archaeological Site, with lots of Graeco-Roman ruins, the home of Dionysus is an excellent exemplary case of the complicated artistry of the time. It's named following the god Dionysus who plants up in lots of the mosaics at home, which largely depict displays of Greek mythology.

10 Cyprus Museum

With so many archaeological sites, Cyprus is crammed packed with museums, however, the Cyprus Museum in the administrative center Nicosia is where you go to take together all the island's background. Extremely well-curated, the museum needs visitors over a trip from the Neolithic era right up to the Ottoman time using beautiful artifacts showing the complex artistry of every period. The standout displays will be the huge assortment of terracotta votive statues that time frame from the 7th century BC. Even if you are predicated on the coast, you should make a half-day visit to the capital merely to view the museums 

Also check out: Villas for rent in Cyprus (Ayia Napa and Protaras) have just been inspected by our professional team at http://www.rentvillacyprus.net and are expecting you and your family to join in the fun!  360 days a year of Cyprus sunshine!! 

[20thcentutygeek]

The Fox Sci-Fi Universe - Julian Darius

Fox owns several venerable sci-fi franchises, most of which have struggled to one extent or another. Fox’s attempt to combine Predator and Aliens produced a couple lackluster movies, which were then contradicted by Ridley Scott’s Alien prequels. In sum, these properties are mostly languishing (to one degree or another), while Fox had problems managing continuity within franchises, let alone in its one attempt to combine two franchises.

The “Fox Sci-Fi Universe”, listed below, is an attempt to combine these Fox franchises anew, along with other Fox material. Fox has an extensive catalogue of classic films and series which would fit well, many of which haven’t gotten the attention they deserve. I think ,erging them into a single continuity would reinvigorate each film or property, making it part of a tapestry that encourages fans to draw connections and to explore material they otherwise might not.

In addition, Disney’s acquisition of Fox would permit Disney to merge some of its own sci-fi films, including franchises that have struggled on their own. Tron might not be successful on its own, but it could now be an interesting segment of a larger universe, with its world and technology available to characters from other stories.

Key to this strategy is to merge as much compatible material as possible, with special attention to quality material and material produced from the 1980s onward (which looks modern enough). Some quality movies are incompatible, for one reason or another. We can reject any movie we want, and the below list is subject to change. But in general, we don’t want to be purists, only incorporating the very best. We want to incorporate the best works, but we also want to be as all-encompassing as possible, so as to produce a grand tapestry spanning centuries of history.

An impressive body of work containing multiple beloved series and characters, the Fox Sci-Fi Universe contains material directed by Steven Spielberg, Joss Whedon, Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Cronenberg, Guillermo del Toro, and David Fincher.

One key franchise here might not be obvious: The X-Files, which retains a certain cache and which is perfect for such an expansive sci-fi universe because of its expansive scope. If you think about it, there’s no reason why Mulder and Scully couldn’t have investigated the VR world of Tron, the teleportation technology of The Fly, or reports of the murderous alien from Predator.

Chronologically prior to The X-Files, the Indiana Jones franchise fits well. Like The X-Files, it’s episodic and less concerned with a single, coherent version of the supernatural or of extraterrestrials than creating an exciting, all-encompassing world in which fantastic stories can be set.

Moving chronologically into the future, the dominant franchise is Aliens, which has the benefit of rarely depicting Earth, permitting us more freedom in terms of a consistent depiction humanity’s future. Beyond Aliens lies Firefly, which is also largely vague about Earth.

Moving forward, material set in the Fox Sci-Fi Universe can incorporate characters and ideas from other properties. Companies should be connected to one another; for example, Bartok Science Industries (from The Fly) could be purchased by Weyland Corporation (from Aliens), and we could learn that the Bartok teleportation technology was an important predecessors to Weyland’s own technology. Similarly, various government agents can be retroactively seen as predecessors or successors to the X-Files program.

The following is a timeline of the Fox Si-Fi Universe. As previously stated, it’s subject to change; movies can be added or removed relatively freely, at least until new installments explicitly place them in continuity. To help set them apart, TV series appear in red.

Era 1: Indiana Jones (1908-1962)

This era essentially contains all material set in the past, relative to its actual date of production.

1908-1920: The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (28 episodes across 2 seasons, 1992-1993)

1935: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

1936: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

1938: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

1938: The Rocketeer (1991) – assuming Disney owns the film rights in perpetuity

1957: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

1962: The Shape of Water (2017)

Era 2: The X-Files (1982-2018)

This era contains all material set in the present, relative to its actual date of production.

1982: Tron (1982)

1986: The Fly (1986) – features Bartok Science Industries, which funds Brundle’s research

1987: The Fly II (1989) – set about nine months after the first film, we might want to eliminate this film in favor of an alternate sequel (such as one directed by Cronenberg, which has been discussed over the years and which could now reference other material from this shared universe)

1987: Predator (1987)

1989: The Abyss (1989)

1993-1994: The X-Files, season 1 (24 episodes, 1993-1994)

1994-1995: The X-Files, season 2 (25 episodes, 1994-1995)

1995-1996: The X-Files, season 3 (24 episodes, 1995-1996)

1996-1997: The X-Files, season 4 (24 episodes, 1996-1997) and Millennium, season 1 (22 episodes, 1996-1997)

1997-1998: The X-Files, season 5 (20 episodes, 1997-1998) and Millennium, season 2 (23 episodes, 1997-1998)

1998: The X-Files: Fight the Future (1998) – the first X-Files movie (sometimes simply called The X-Files), set between seasons 5 and 6

1998-1999: The X-Files, season 6 (22 episodes, 1998-1999) and Millennium, season 3 (22 episodes, 1998-1999)

1999-2000: The X-Files, season 7 (22 episodes, 1999-2000) – includes “Millennium,” wrapping up Millennium

2000-2001: The X-Files, season 8 (21 episodes, 2000-2001) and The Lone Gunmen (13 episodes, 2001)

2001-2002: The X-Files, season 9 (20 episodes, 2001-2002) – includes “Jump the Shark,” wrapping up The Lone Gunmen

Uncertain: Tron: Uprising (19 half-hour animated episodes, 2012-2013) – set before Tron: Legacy

2008: The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008)

2010: Predators (2010) – features a group of humans on a Predator hunting planet and ends with them still stuck there; connected material also includes two 2010 short films, “Moments of Extraction” and “Crucified”

2010: Tron: Legacy (2010)

2016: The X-Files, season 10 (6 episodes, 2016)

2018: The X-Files, season 11 (10 episodes, 2016)

2018: The Predator (2018) – features a battle with Predators in American suburbia

Era 3: Aliens (2023-2381)

This era takes place in the future, from the late 21st century to the 24th century.

2023: “The Peter Weyland Files: TED Conference, 2023” (2012) – a 7-minute short film in which a young Peter Weyland gives a TED Talk

2079: “The Peter Weyland Files: Happy Birthday, David” (2012) – a 3-minute short film in which David explains what he thinks about and what makes him sad

2089: portions of Prometheus (2012) are set here; specifically, after the opening sequence (in which the Engineers seed life on Earth), archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw and Charlie Holloway discover a star map in Scotland that matches others from several unconnected ancient cultures, which they interpret as an invitation from humanity's forerunners, the "Engineers"; Peter Weyland, the elderly CEO of Weyland Corporation, funds an expedition, aboard the scientific vessel Prometheus, to follow the map to the distant moon LV-223

2089: “The Peter Weyland Files: Quiet Eye, Elizabeth Shaw” (2012) – a 3-minute short film consisting of a video call from Shaw to Weyland, introducing herself and her findings

2091: “The Peter Weyland Files: 'Prometheus' Transmission” (2012) – a 7-minute short collection of pre-mission interviews with the Prometheus crew

Dec 2093: most of Prometheus (2012) takes place here, when the ship arrives at its destination

2094: “Alien: Covenant – Prologue: The Crossing” (2017) – a 3-minute short film in which Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (after the events of  Prometheus) repairs David on the abandoned Engineer vessel, as she searches for humanity’s creators

Uncertain: “Alien: Covenant – Meet Walter” (2017) – an in-universe advertisement for Walter, the android from Covenent (and the successor to David from Prometheus); although its place in continuity isn’t clear, it makes sense as an introduction to Walter, and thus should go here

2103: “Alien: Covenant – Phobos” (2017) – a 9-minute short film in which a computer program tests the feelings and reactions of the Covenant crew

2104: “Alien: Covenant – Prologue: Last Supper” (2017) – a 5-minute short film in which the Covenant crew and its android Walter enjoys a final meal before cryosleep on the way to their destination

2104: Alien: Covenant (2017) – sequel to Prometheus

2104: “Alien: Covenant – Advent” (2017) – a 7-minute short film in which David, after the events of Covenant, sends a transmission from the Covenant to Weyland-Yutani on Earth, elaborating upon the genetic experimentation he has been conducting on Planet 4.

Uncertain: “David’s Lab: Last Signs of Life” (2019) – a 12-minute short film, produced for Alien’s 40th anniversary, and set sometime after Alien: Covenant, in which an astronaut examines David’s lab and is attacked by a facehugger

2122: Alien (1979) – the main Alien sequence begins

Unknown: “Alien: Alone” (2019) – a 12-minute short film, produced for Alien’s 40th anniversary

Unknown: “Alien: Containment” (2019) – a 10-minute short film, produced for Alien’s 40th anniversary

Unknown: “Alien: Harvest” (2019) – a 9-minute short film, produced for Alien’s 40th anniversary

Unknown: “Alien: Night Shift” (2019) – a 9-minute short film, produced for Alien’s 40th anniversary

Unknown: “Alien: Ore” (2019) – an 11-minute short film, produced for Alien’s 40th anniversary

Unknown: “Alien: Specimen” (2019) – a 10-minute short film, produced for Alien’s 40th anniversary

2137: Alien: Isolation (7 episodes, 2019) – a mini-series, set 15 years after Alien, starring Ripley’s daughter Amanda and based on the video game of the same name; episodes were 8-14 minutes long

2179: Aliens (1986) – Ripley is revived after 57 years in status on one of the Nostromo’s escape shuttles

2179: Alien 3 (1992) – begins shortly after Aliens and ends with Ripley’s death

Unclear: Black Hole (1979) – this classic Disney film features no date and is difficult to fit into our timeline, since it features a space station monitoring a black hole, something arguably too advanced for the Alien franchise, yet also features robots less advanced than those in the Alien franchise

2381: Alien Resurrection (1997) – stars a clone of Ellen Ripley, more than 200 years after her death; ends with the clone arriving at Earth

Era 4: Firefly (2517)

This era takes place further in the future – specifically, in the 26th century.

2517: Firefly (14 episodes, 2002)

2517: Serenity (2005) – a continuation of Firefly

Stuff that Doesn’t Fit

The two Alien Vs. Predator movies (2004 and 2007) aren’t very good and are incompatible with the Alien prequel movies.

Predator 2 (1990) has been excluded for a few reasons. First, it is set in 1997 and guesses at future technology in a way that’s incompatible with the real world. Second, it features a Predator in Los Angeles and doesn’t limit those who are aware of its alien origins. Third, it briefly features an Alien skull on board a Predator ship, which is incompatible with the origin of the Alien species in the Alien prequel movies. Finally, Predator 2 isn’t great and is widely regarded as a weak film.

Material depicting public encounters with extraterrestrials in the (then) present must be excluded as incompatible with the rest of our material. This excludes material such as The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) and Independence Day (1996). Although a closer call, Flight of the Navigator (1986) has been excluded for the same reason.

Other material is excluded because it presents a future that is incompatible with that of Alien. For example, Planet of the Apes could not be included for this reason (even if that franchise did not include copious incompatible material set in the present day). Post-apocalyptic material such as Zardoz (1974) must similarly be excluded (even if we were inclined to ignore that film’s tonal inconsistencies).

Other material is excluded because it’s incompatible with the rest of the material’s depiction of Earth’s state of technology. This is a subjective criterion, because The X-Files has plenty of technology and knowledge that isn’t referenced later, and this can be used to justify the inclusion of material such as Tron (1982) or The Fly (1986). However, it would be hard to reconcile the miniaturization technology in Fantastic Voyage (1966) with the rest of our timeline. Similarly, Tomorrowland (2015) features advanced androids that are incompatible with later development of androids as depicted in the Alien prequels.

Other material is excluded due to incompatible tone, another admittedly subjective criterion. It’s one thing to include The X-Files in the same universe as Alien, but it’s another to include Buckaroo Banzai (1984) or Idiocracy (2006). While Indiana Jones and The X-Files contain supernatural elements, the tone of Buffy the Vampire Slayer makes it incompatible, in my view. Similarly, the Kingsman franchise feels incompatible with the tone of The X-Files. The exclusion of some older films, such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) or the original The Fly (1958), may also be attributed to their tone.

Some material isn’t included but might be. For example, I’m not sure if James Cameron’s company doesn’t co-own Avatar (2009), and its sequels (in production) might contradict our timeline. Were Avatar to be cleared for inclusion, it would be set between Alien and Aliens. Similarly, because The Martian (2015) is an adaptation of a novel, it’s not clear that Fox retains all rights in perpetuity.

[itsfinancethings]

October 18, 2019 at 06:00AM

In Sailing True North: Lessons of Character from Ten Admirals I examine the lives of ten admirals whose careers stretch across 2,500 years of history and try to illuminate the most essential qualities of character so that each of us can chart a course toward becoming the best we can possibly be within our own lives.

In this post-modern era that we are witnessing the slow death of character. Driven by a popular culture globally that has turned increasingly away from classic values – honesty, commitment, resilience, accountability, moderation – to a world that moves at breakneck speed and refuses to slow down and consider what is right and just. One abiding characteristic of most of the ten admirals in my book is that they were thoughtful, intellectually grounded individuals. Perhaps the long periods at sea that almost all of them experienced have something to do with that. These admirals teach us that finding sufficient time to think and reflect is a crucial part of building character.

It is said that character is what you do when you think no one is looking – but in today’s world, someone is always looking. We have lost the ability to hone our character in private, and our lives are “on display” seemingly from the moment we are born. We “over share” publicly and under reflect privately on what our individual voyages mean.

I set out to tell a different set of stories than those that we see repeated again and again on cable news. Because I am a sailor myself, I turned to ten illustrious, interesting, and highly varied naval leaders. Each of them led across decades and in different centuries and locales; their stories are different, and their characters were shaped in dramatically varied circumstances. Therefore, the lessons to be drawn of their character – are richly distributed. And not all are entirely heroic.

Character is not leadership. It is about internal effect and the ability to influence one’s self. John Wooden, the famous UCLA basketball coach and a fine leader, summed it up well: “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”

Sailors often have a unique opportunity to chart a course toward a good character. The sea is an unforgiving environment which daily poses hard challenges that depend on deep reserves of character to overcome. Sailing is hard and dangerous work, and the sea itself poses a constant threat, to say nothing of additional man-made dangers from pirates, enemy aircraft, or lurking submarines. It is also a contemplative world, where any sailor can walk out on a rolling deck at night and stare at the distant point where the sky meets the sea and recognize that we are merely the smallest part of a huge and diverse universe that stretches forever unto the mind of God, and which will last far beyond the age of human beings. This combination of attributes – the constant physical and moral challenge in daily life and the endless vision of eternity dangling before our eyes – creates a deepening of character in the best of sailors. And my thesis is that by learning about the lives of these ten admirals, each of us – sailor or not – can improve and deepen our own characters.

We begin our voyage over 2,500 years ago with the Admiral Themistocles, an ancient Greek facing an existential threat to his city-state, Athens; and conclude our long sail across history in the late 20th century with a woman admiral, Grace Hopper, who helps bring the Navy into the cyber age. Along the way, I look at resilience and briefly meet two living and recently retired Admirals, Michelle Howard and Bill McRaven. All are different sailors, but the inner voyage of character that each sailed offers lessons we can study and apply As with all ten of these admirals, the basic rocks and shoals of their voyages are roughly similar: the need for truth, justice, empathy, creativity, humility, humor, resilience and balance; these are contrasted with avoiding arrogance; anger, pettiness; cruelty; desire; betrayal; jealousy; and hatred. None of these Admirals were perfect – indeed, far from it in several cases. But we can sometimes learn as much from failures of character as we can from triumphs, and the nature of any human is not how they do when the choices are easy, and the metaphorical sun is shining, but rather what they do when the options are morally ambiguous, and the seas are rough.

As an exercise, I went through my old logbooks recently and totaled up all the days I spent on the deep ocean, out of sight of land. The total is over nine and a half years, day-for-day. Plenty of time spent out there in busy pursuits from gunnery to missile shoots, to simply standing the long watches steaming across the trackless oceans. But there was also a lot of time to read, reflect, and record internally my thoughts on what makes a life of character worth living. Leadership was an omnipresent demand for a young officer growing up in an ancient profession, rising from a very green ensign to, quite improbably, becoming a four- star admiral. Every day was an exercise in leading others. But the challenges I wrestled with most frequently were inside, as I sought to set my own compass to true north, seeking to live up to the standards I set for myself. I failed not infrequently. But voyage of character is long indeed, and in my case, still underway – although not often at sea these days, something I miss more than I like to admit.

In a sense, we each have three lives: a public one, defined clearly by the open statements we make from conversations at work to our posts on social media; a private one, the face that we share only with our very closest family and a few chosen friends; and a deeply personal one, known only to ourselves, where we struggle – often desperately – to make the right choices.

One should never forget that the scale by which you will measure your life is one you make yourself, forging it a bit at a time throughout the years of your life. Here in that truly personal zone, measured on the scale we construct ourselves, are the sea buoys of the channel that we should follow if our voyage is to end at the port of inner satisfaction. And as with any voyage at sea, there are dangers ahead – obstacles imposed by the world and those we create ourselves. And we cannot simply avoid the hard choices by not embarking on the voyage. Oliver Wendell Holmes correctly said “to reach a port we must sail, sometimes with the wind, and sometimes against it. But we must not drift or lie at anchor.” My hope is that my book, with its small flotilla of sea stories, can provide some navigational advice, a few well-marked buoys, and even a sturdy lighthouse or two for all who are sailing on the sea of character.

Excerpted with permission from Sailing True North, published this week by Penguin Press.