Spartan Gold: Porshe Cayenne SUV and more

pg 192

Sam pulled their rented olive green Porsche Cayenne SUV down the lilac-lined driveway...
 

The Porsche Cayenne is a five seat mid-size luxury crossover manufactured by the German manufacturer Porsche since 2002, with North American sales beginning in 2003. Its platform was developed by Porsche and is shared with the Volkswagen Touareg and the Audi Q7. It is the first V8-engined vehicle built by Porsche since 1995, when the Porsche 928 was discontinued. Since 2008, all engines have featured direct injection technology. The Cayenne's chassis type numbers are as follows: Type 955 (2002–2006), Type 957 (2007–2010), and Type 958 (2011+).

The second-generation Cayenne (Type 958) was unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show in March following an online reveal on February 25, 2010.

The Cayenne's frame and doors are sourced from Volkswagen, who uses the frames and doors for the Volkswagen Touareg model. All other aspects of vehicle design, tuning and production are done in-house at Porsche.

...,stopped before a four-story, white stucco, terra-cotted-roofed villa overlooking the waters off Point de la Veille

Seems to be a fictional location.

...an impressive collection of Europe's jet set, from princes to celebritiesto captains of industry

"Jet set" is a journalistic term that was used to describe an international social group of wealthy people, organizing and participating all around the world in social activities that are unreachable to ordinary people. The term, which replaced "café society", came from the lifestyle of traveling from one stylish or exotic place to another via jet aircraft.

The term "jet set" is attributed to Igor Cassini, a reporter for the New York Journal-American who wrote under the pen name "Cholly Knickerbocker".


Although jet passenger service in the 1950s was initially marketed primarily to the rich, its introduction eventually resulted in a substantial democratization of air travel. Today, the term "jet set" no longer has cachet. It may still be valid today if it is understood to mean those who have the independent wealth and time to regularly travel widely, at will, for extended periods, for pleasure. It could also now be taken to mean those who can afford to travel in privately-owned or leased aircraft.

"Captain of industry" was a term originally used in the United Kingdom during the Industrial Revolution describing a business leader whose means of amassing a personal fortune contributes positively to the country in some way.
This may have been through increased productivity, expansion of markets, providing more jobs, or acts of philanthropy. This contrasts with robber baron, a term used to describe a business leader using political means to achieve his ends.
Some nineteenth-century industrialists who were called "captains of industry" overlap with those called "robber barons". These include people such as J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, Andrew W. Mellon, and John D. Rockefeller. The term was coined by Thomas Carlyle in his 1843 book, Past and Present.

Modern Use

In the late 1990s and early 2000s during the dot-com bubble the term began being used again in mainstream media, referring to the founders of successful multimillion dollar Internet companies, who were credited with changing the landscape of the United States through technology much in the same way 19th Century industrialists did through steel, textiles, and railroads. Later in the 2000s, after the burst of the dot-com bubble the term was used to refer to the leaders of the surviving companies. Business Insider profiled these business people in a 2011 report, citing multiple individuals who have recently reached a level of prominence in their technological industries. The eight profiled individuals were:

• Richard Barton, founder of Zillow (for e-commerce)
• Bill Gates, co-founder and chairman of Microsoft (for software)
• Reed Hastings, founder and CEO of Netflix (for media)
• Reid Hoffman, founder of PayPal (for e-commerce)
• Steve Jobs, co-founder and former CEO of Apple (for personal computers)
• Mark Pincus, founder and CEO of Zynga (for social-network computer games)
• Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and CEO of Facebook (for social networking)

All are self-made billionaires.
The title is also regaining popularity in India, whose billionaires have more wealth than any other country in Asia.

Spartan Gold: HMS Bellerophon and More

pg 179

"After his army was routed at Waterloo, Napoleon's surrender was accepted aboard the HMS Bellerophon

Bellerophon is a hero of Greek mythology. He was "the greatest hero and slayer of monsters, alongside Cadmus and Perseus, before the days of Heracles",^[1] and his greatest feat was killing the Chimera, a monster that Homer depicted with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail: "her breath came out in terrible blasts of burning flame."

 HMS Bellerphon’s keel was laid down in 1782, she was launched in 1792 and broken up in 1836. Napoleon surrendered and was taken aboard the Bellerophon after his defeat at Waterloo. Known as "Billy Ruffian" by the crew, the 74 gun warship fought at the Battle of the Nile (1798) and Battle of Trafalgar (1805).

 
Afterward the Bellerophon sailed to Plymouth

Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the south coast of Devon, England, about 190 miles (310 km) south-west of London. It is situated between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound. Since 1967, the City of Plymouth has included the suburbs of Plympton and Plymstock, which are on the east side of the River Plym.
Plymouth's history goes back to the Bronze Age, when its first settlement grew at Mount Batten. This settlement continued to grow as a trading post for the Roman Empire, until the more prosperous village of Sutton, the current Plymouth, surpassed it. In 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers left Plymouth for the New World and established Plymouth Colony – the second English settlement in what is now the United States of America. During the English Civil War the town was held by the Parliamentarians and was besieged between 1642 and 1646.
Throughout the Industrial Revolution, Plymouth grew as a major commercial shipping port, handling imports and passengers from the Americas, while the neighbouring town of Devonport grew as an important Royal Naval shipbuilding and dockyard town. In 1914 the three neighbouring and independent towns, viz., the county borough of Plymouth, the county borough of Devonport, and the urban district of East Stonehouse were merged to form a single County Borough. The new, merged town took the name of Plymouth which, in 1928, achieved city status. The city's naval importance later led to its targeting and partial destruction during World War II, an act known as the Plymouth Blitz. After the war the city centre was completely rebuilt.
Today the city is home to around 250,000 people, making it the 19th most populous city in the United Kingdom. It is governed locally by Plymouth City Council and is represented nationally by three MPs. Plymouth's economy is still strongly influenced by shipbuilding, but has become a more service-based economy since the 1990s. It has the ninth largest university in the United Kingdom by number of students, the University of Plymouth, and the largest operational naval base in Western Europe – HMNB Devonport. The city has ferry links to France and Spain.

where after a two-week wait Napoleon was transferred to the HMS Northumberland

HMS Northumberland was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at the yards of Barnard, Deptford and launched on 2 February 1798.
Northumberland participated in the Battle of San Domingo, where she was damaged, and suffered 21 killed and 74 wounded, the highest casualties of any British ship in the battle.^{[citation needed]}
On November 22, 1810, Northumberland, while in the company of HMS Armada, a 74-gun third rate, captured the 14-gun French privateer ketch La Glaneuse.
She received a measure of fame when she transported Napoleon I into captivity on the Island of Saint Helena. Napoleon had surrendered to Captain Frederick Maitland of HMS Bellerophon, on 15 July 1815 and transported him to Plymouth. Napoleon was transferred from the Bellerophon to the Northumberland for his final voyage to St. Helena because concerns were expressed about the suitability of the ageing ship. HMS Northumberland was therefore selected instead.^{[citation needed]}
She was converted to a hulk in February 1827, and returned to Deptford to be broken up in 1850

 She had him (Laurent) laid to rest on Elba

Elba is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the coastal town of Piombino. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park,^[1] and the third largest island in Italy, after Sicily and Sardinia. It is located in the Tyrrhenian Sea, about 50 kilometres (30 mi) east of the French island of Corsica.
The island is divided into eight municipalities, of which Portoferraio is the main one, the others; Campo nell'Elba, Capoliveri, Marciana, Marciana Marina, Porto Azzurro, Rio Marina, and Rio nell'Elba, are part of the province of Livorno, with a total of about 30,000 inhabitants, which increases considerably during the summer.

Laurent has a grandaughter...living in Monaco.

Monaco officially the Principality of Monaco  is a sovereign city state, located on the French Riviera in Western Europe. Bordered by France on three sides, with one side bordering the Mediterranean Sea, its center is about 16 km (9.9 mi) from Italy, and is only 15 km (9.3 mi) north east of Nice, France.^[7] It has an area of 1.98 km² (0.76 sq mi), and a population of 35,986, making Monaco the second smallest and the most densely populated country in the world.^[8] Monaco has a land border of only 4.4 km (2.7 mi), a coastline of 4.1 km (2.5 mi), and a width that varies between 1.7 km (1.1 mi) and 349 metres (382 yards).

The highest point in the country is a narrow pathway named Chemin des Révoires on the slopes of Mont Agel, in the Les Révoires district, which is 161 metres (528 feet) above sea level. Monaco's most populated Quartier is Monte Carlo, and the most populated Ward is Larvotto/Bas Moulins. After a recent expansion of Port Hercules,^[13] Monaco's total area is 2.05 km² (0.79 sq mi), with new plans to extend the district of Fontvieille, with land reclaimed from the Mediterranean Sea.


Monaco is a principality governed under a form of constitutional monarchy, with Prince Albert II as head of state. Even though Prince Albert II is a constitutional monarch, he still has immense political power. The House of Grimaldi have ruled Monaco, with brief interruptions, since 1297. The official language is French, but Monégasque, Italian, and English are widely spoken and understood. The state's sovereignty was officially recognized by the Franco-Monegasque Treaty of 1861, with Monaco becoming a full UN voting member in 1993, after much political debate. Despite Monaco's independence and separate foreign policy, its defence is the responsibility of France. However, Monaco does maintain two small military units, totaling 255 officers and men, the Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers de Monaco, and the Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince.

Economic development was spurred in the late 19th century with a railroad line to France, and the opening of the first casino, Monte Carlo Casino.^] Since then, the principality's mild climate, splendid scenery, and gambling facilities have made Monaco world-famous as a tourist and recreation center for the rich and famous.However, in more recent years Monaco has become a major banking center holding over €100 billion worth of funds,and has successfully sought to diversify its economy into the services and small, high-value-added, nonpolluting industries.The state has no income tax and low business taxes, and is well known for being a tax haven. Monaco boasts the world's highest GDP nominal per capita at $172,676 and GDP PPP per capita at $186,175.^[29][30] Monaco also has the world's highest life expectancy at almost 90 years, and the lowest unemployment rate at 0%, with over 48,000 workers who commute from France and Italy each day.

For the third year in a row, Monaco in 2011 had the world's most expensive real estate market, at $56,300 per square metre.According to the CIA World Factbook, Monaco has the world's lowest poverty rate, and the highest number of millionaires and billionaires per capita in the world.

Spartan Gold: Brienne-le-Chatreau and more

pg 179

...when Napoleon was nine, he was sent to a French military school, Brienne-le-Chateau, near Troyes.

Brienne-le-Château is a commune in the Aube department in north-central France. It is located 1 mile (2 km) from the right bank of the Aube River and 26 m. northeast of Troyes.
Napoleon Bonaparte was a resident of the town from 1779 to 1784 while he was studying at the military school suppressed in 1790. In 1814, it was the site of the Battle of Brienne, when the Sixth Coalition invaded France.

There he met a boy named Arnaud Laurent [fictional name] and they became friends-all through Ecole Royal e Militaire

The École Militaire (French pronunciation: [ekɔl militɛʁ], Military School) is a vast complex of buildings housing various military training facilities located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, southeast of the Champ de Mars.
It was founded by Louis XV in 1750 on the basis of a proposal of the financier Joseph Paris Duverney with the support of Madame de Pompadour, with the aim of creating an academic college for cadet officers from poor families. It was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, and construction began in 1752 on the grounds of the farm of Grenelle, but the school did not open until 1760. The Comte de Saint-Germain reorganised it in 1777 under the name of the École des Cadets-gentilshommes (School of Young Gentlemen), which accepted the young Napoleon Bonaparte in 1784. He graduated from this school in only one year instead of two.
It now hosts:

• The Collège interarmées de défense (Joint Defence College), and
• The Institut des hautes études de défense nationale (IHEDN) (Institute of High Studies of National Defence)

According to the author, up until the mid-1790s, just before the First Italian Campaign...

The Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars (1792–1802) were a series of conflicts fought principally in Northern Italy between the French Revolutionary Army and a Coalition of Austria, Russia, Piedmont-Sardinia, and a number of other Italian states.

First Coalition (1792–1797)

In autumn 1792, several European powers formed the First Coalition against France. The first major operation, the annexation of Nice by some 30,000 French troops, was reversed when the Republican forces were withdrawn to deal with a revolt in Lyon, triggering a Piedmontese invasion of Savoy in mid-1793. With the suppression of the revolt in Lyon, General Kellermann managed to push back the Piedmontese with just 12,000 troops, winning engagements at Argentines and St Maurice in September and October of the same year.
The conflict soon escalated with Austrian and Neapolitan forces being mobilised for an invasion of southern France to recover Nice and strike into Provence. The Allied forces were reinforced by some 45,000 Austrians, Piedmontese, and Neapolitans supported by the Royal Navy. Before the Allies could launch this assault the new commander of the French Army of Italy launched the Saorgio Offensive, which was planned by the army's artillery commander, General Napoleon Bonaparte. This two-pronged French offensive drove back the Allied force, despite their strong positions and firmly captured the mountain passes that led into Piedmont. A new offensive, again devised by General Bonaparte, was similarly successful despite its more complicated nature, calling for the co-ordination of the Army of Italy and the Army of the Alps.
Further assaults on the Allied positions were called off under orders from war minister Carnot who was concerned about supply lines being cut by rebels behind the front. The commanders on the front were unhappy about this decision, but appeals were interrupted by the overthrow of the Committee of Public Safety and its leader, Maximilien de Robespierre (28 July 1794). During the chaos that ensued in the French army the Allies launched an assault on Savona. Ignoring Carnot's orders, the command of the Army of Italy launched a counter-offensive and secured supply routes to Genoa following victory at the First Battle of Dego. Following this the French consolidated the front and awaited further opportunity.
The main focus of the war then shifted north to the Rhine, until 29 June 1795, when the Austrians launched an attack against the depleted and poorly supplied Army of Italy. Nominally 107,000-strong, the Army of Italy could only manage to field an effective force of about 30,000. Kellermann, who had resumed command, appealed to Carnot for reinforcements. Instead, General Bonaparte was appointed to the general staff where he devised a third plan for an attack towards Vado and Ceva. Kellermann was replaced by General Schérer soon after and he carried out the attacks, gaining victory at Loano.

Bonaparte's war

Further information: French Revolutionary Wars: Campaigns of 1796 and French Revolutionary Wars: Campaigns of 1797

Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jacques-Louis David.

Following a short respite in hostilities Schérer resigned and Bonaparte was appointed commander-in-chief on 2 March 1796. The motives for Bonaparte's appointment were most likely political. On 9 March, Bonaparte married Josephine, who had shared her imprisonment under Robespierre with the woman who had become wife to Tallien, one of the then Directors of the French Republic. It was "universally believed" that Josephine had been introduced by her friend to the First Director, Barras, and become his lover.^[1] Josephine's letters claim Barras had promised the command to Bonaparte, before she'd consented to marry him.^[2] Barras is cited by his colleagues as saying of Bonaparte, "Advance this man or he will advance himself without you."^[2] Bonaparte had shown himself to be highly ambitious and had made quite a name for himself following 13 Vendémiaire in 1795.^[3] By placing him in command of the Army of Italy, Bonaparte was being relegated to obscurity. Of the Republic's thirteen principal field armies, the Italian force was the most neglected and was in terrible condition when Bonaparte arrived.
Bonaparte launched attacks almost immediately after he arrived on the front on 27 March. His 37,000 men and 60 guns were facing more than 50,000 Allied troops in the theatre. His only chance of support came from Kellermann's Army of the Alps, which was occupied by a further 20,000 Allied troops. Bonaparte had no chance of gaining reinforcements as the Republican war effort was being concentrated on the massive offensives planned on the Rhine.
At the Battle of Montenotte Bonaparte defeated the Austrians and fought a second engagement around Dego soon after. Following these battles he launched an all-out invasion of Piedmont and won a further victory at Mondovì. The Armistice of Cherasco between France and the Piedmont was concluded on 28 April. In all it had taken Bonaparte two weeks to defeat Piedmont, which had been at war for over three years. In total during the lightning campaign French losses were 6,000 compared with more than 25,000 for the Allies.
Bonaparte reorganised his newly enthused army following the short let-up in operations that followed Piedmont's defeat. Following this he manoeuvred his army into more opportune positions along the Po River. A small French victory at Codogno led to a retreat by Coalition forces across the Adda River. At the river, the Austrian army of General Beaulieu was defeated in the Battle of Lodi on 10 May.
The Army of Italy was now reinforced to almost 50,000 and Bonaparte continued the offensive, striking at Austrian forces mobilising in the vicinity of the fortress of Mantua. A series of minor Coalition defeats resulted in the garrison at Mantua being reinforced to 12,000. Placing Mantua under siege, Bonaparte then led a French division south to invade and occupy Tuscany and the Papal States, defeating Papal forces at Fort Urban. Next he turned north and with 20,000 men defeated some 50,000 Austrians under Field Marshal Wurmser at the battles of Lonato and Castiglione. The Austrian commander was forced back into the Alps.
Wurmser was reinforced once again to compensate for some 20,000 losses sustained in the past two months and made an attempt to relieve the siege of Mantua. Some 45,000 Austrian troops were left behind to guard against any new French offensive whilst the main body of the Austrian army moved on Mantua. At Rovereto Bonaparte devastated the Austrians on 4 September and was then well-placed to strike at the rear of Wurmser's army. Reacting slowly to this new threat the Austrian was defeated soundly at the Battle of Bassano where his army was reduced to just 12,000. These he rapidly marched towards Mantua, but became trapped there by General Masséna's advance party.
Additional Austrian forces arrived whilst Bonaparte's army was weakened by disease and his supply lines threatened by rebellion. Government political commissars, especially Cristoforo Saliceti, brutally put down the uprisings, but the French position was weakened. To stabilise the situation Bonaparte created the Transpadane Republic and the Cispadane Republic.
Following this a new Austrian commander, Joseph Alvinczy, arrived and attempted yet another relief of Mantua. Bonaparte drove back Alvinczy, but his counter-offensive was seriously hampered by the defeat of one of his subordinates. Alvinczy held off a French attack at Caldiero on 12 November and Bonaparte was forced to withdraw. What followed was the famous three-day Battle of Arcole in which Bonaparte won an important and surprising victory against Alvinczy.
Next both forces were reinforced before Alvinczy launched another attack in January. In an even more impressive victory, Bonaparte defeated this renewed assault at the Battle of Rivoli, inflicting some 14,000 casualties. Then he surrounded and captured a second Austrian relief column near Mantua. Soon after, Mantua finally fell to the French, making it possible for the French to continue their advance eastwards towards Austria. After a brief campaign during which the Austrian army was commanded by the Emperor's brother, the Archduke Charles, the French advanced to within 100 miles of Vienna, and the Austrians asked for a suspension of hostilities. Bonaparte's campaign, therefore, was undoubtedly the most important in bringing an end to the War of the First Coalition.

Second Coalition (1799–1800)

Main article: Suvorov's Italian and Swiss expedition

The second phase of the war in Italy began in 1799 as part of the War of the Second Coalition and was different from the first in that Russian forces participated in the campaign. However, at the beginning of the conflict the Russians were yet to arrive. Bonaparte, meanwhile, was away from the continent, as from May, 1798 to September, 1799 he was leading the Egyptian Campaign.
Some 60,000 French troops under Schérer faced off against an equal number of Austrians. An additional 50,000 Russians were expected to arrive shortly. The French were occupied with the pacification of Naples and this halved their effective strength to face the Austrians. In order to avoid a completely untenable situation arising, Schérer attacked as soon as possible in an attempt to preempt Austrian attacks.

Russian troops under Generalissimo Suvorov crossing the Alps in 1799.

Austrian commander Pál Kray defeated the French at Verona and Magnano in late March and early April. Schérer retreated back and left a small detachment of 8,000 in several forts. The Austrian commander, Michael von Melas, was slow to pursue the retreating French and was soon replaced as overall Coalition commander in the theatre by the brilliant Field Marshal Alexander Suvorov.
Schérer too was soon replaced by General Moreau, a man of greater fame and prestige. The French defeat at the Battle of Cassano on 26 April was followed by withdrawal from Lombardy and an overall unfavourable situation for the French. General Macdonald's army returned from Naples to support Moreau.
An initial Allied attack across the Po failed on 11 May. Moreau's army was in tatters with just 9,000 men remaining. An attempted counter-attack was beaten back by Russian General Petr Bagration. Suvorov soon occupied Turin and proclaimed the restoration of Piedmont to its king.
The Army of the Alps engaged the Austro-Russian forces in a series of minor skirmishes, but did not come to the rescue of the Army of Italy. Suvorov overran a number of French garrisons and continued his relentless advance. Macdonald engaged Suvorov in the Battle of the Trebbia and was crushed. Macdonald retreated with the remnant of his army to Genoa whilst Suvorov reached Novi. The Austrian high command, the Aulic Council, ordered a halt to Allied offensives whilst the French garrisons of Mantua and Alessandria were overrun (see siege of Mantua and siege of Alessandria). Soon after this Moreau was dispatched to the Rhine and Joubert was sent to command the Army of Italy.
Suvorov, acting under orders from the Coalition high command, paused to gather his strength for an offensive in Autumn. On 9 August, the French launched offensive of 38,000 men called the Battle of Novi. The offensive was thoroughly defeated by Suvorov, and resulted in the death of Joubert. Moreau, who had yet to depart for the Rhine, seized the initiative and led the survivors back to Genoa and began preparing a defence of the city.

Suvorov monument in the Swiss Alps

However at that time the Allied high command in Vienna ordered Suvorov to move out of Italy and concentrate on breaking through the Swiss front. The respite this gave the reeling Army of Italy led to a turning point in the war. Melas, who resumed command of Coalition forces in Italy, now almost exclusively Austrian, paused the offensive and consolidated his forces, now that the Russians had been removed from Italy.
By the spring of 1800 Russia had withdrawn entirely from the Coalition. The situation in Italy, however, was still very much on the side of the Coalition. Melas had some 100,000 men under his command, opposed by just 50,000 French troops who were thoroughly dispersed. The Allies prepared for a thrust into southern France and across the Rhine, much further north. Melas moved forward slowly, laying siege to Genoa and halted his advance elsewhere.
It was at this time that the First Consul of France, Napoleon Bonaparte (who had seized French power in the Brumaire Coup of 9 November 1799) led his Reserve Army through the Great St Bernard pass with the aim of relieving Masséna in the Siege of Genoa, who was threatened by severe food shortages resulting from the combination of encirclement on land and naval blockade by the British.
Genoa fell before the First Consul could reach it. He concentrated his army and struck at the Austrians in an attempt to beat them before they too concentrated their forces again. The Reserve Army fought a battle at Montebello on 9 June before the main confrontation at Marengo. The consul was almost defeated here until General Desaix made a timely arrival with reinforcements and drove back Melas, thus turning a French rout into a French victory. In this counter-attack Desaix was killed, but Bonaparte later honoured him with monuments commemorating his bravery and his name has the place of honour on the face of the Arc de Triomphe, which was erected to celebrate Napoleon's victories.
Marengo was the last major engagement on the Italian front during the Revolutionary Wars. Following it the massive Battle of Hohenlinden brought the Austrians to the negotiating table and the war ended shortly after.

Iceberg: Sea broad on the bow and more

pg 13 "We'll take them in with the wind and sea broad on the bow."

Idioms 21. broad on the beam, Nautical . bearing 90° to the heading of a vessel.
22. broad on the bow, Nautical . bearing 45° to the heading of a vessel.
23. broad on the quarter, Nautical . bearing 135° to the heading of a vessel.

He was long and lean and walked with a gait that could only spell Texas.

The cliche is that all Texans ride horses from dawn to dusk, and are thus bowlegged.

"By any chance the same Pitt who broke up that underwater smuggling business in Greece last year?"

The speaker is referencing the Mediterranean Caper - the first Dirk Pitt published (but not the first written. That was Pacific Vortex. In Mediterranean Caper, published in 1073: Dirk Pitt is up against an international drug smuggling ring and the evil Bruno Von Till, a German pilot who survived both World Wars to become one of the most ruthless smugglers in history. The novel is set in the Aegean Sea, where Dirk Pitt has been sent with Al Giordino to assist Rudi Gunn, with an expedition being conducted by NUMA.

"No more than all the Navy men who have gone to the moon."

5 May 1961. America's first man in space. Launch of Freedom 7 (Mercury 3) piloted by CDR Alan B. Shepard, Jr., USN. Flight of 15 min. & 28 sec. at altitude of 116.5 statute miles with a velocity of 5,134 mph. Recovery was by HUS1 helicopter of HMR(L)-262 from USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39).

20 Feb. 1962. First American to make an orbital flight. Launch of Friendship 7 (Mercury 6) piloted by LTC John H. Glenn, Jr., USMC. His flight consisted of 3 orbits in 88 minutes at a velocity of 17,544 mph with the highest altitude of 162.2 statute miles. Recovery was by USS Noa (DD-841).

24 May 1962. Launch of Aurora 7 (Mercury 7), piloted by LCDR Malcolm Scott Carpenter, USN. He completed 3 orbits in 4 hrs., 56 min. at an altitude up to 166.8 statute miles at 17,549 mph., and was picked up by HSS-2 helicopters from USS Intrepid (CVS-11). The capsule was recovered by USS John R. Pierce (DD-753).

3 Oct. 1962. Launch of Sigma 7 (Mercury 8) piloted by CDR Walter M. Schirra, Jr., USN. In a mission lasting 9 hours and 13 minutes he made 6 orbits at an altitude up to 175.8 statute miles at 17,558 mph. Recovery was by USS Kearsarge (CVS-33).

23 Mar. 1965. LCDR John W. Young, USN, Pilot of Gemini 3 completed 3 orbits in 4 hrs., 53 min. at an altitude of 224 km. Recovery was by helicopters from USS Intrepid (CVS-11).

21 Aug. 1965. Launch of Gemini 5, piloted by LCDR Charles Conrad Jr., USN. He completed 120 orbits in almost 8 days at an altitude of 349.8 km. Recovery was by helicopter from USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39).

4 Dec. 1965. Launch of Gemini 7 piloted by CDR James A. Lovell, Jr., USN. His flight consisted of 206 orbits at an altitude of 327 km and lasted 13 days & 18 hours. Recovery by HS-11 helicopters from USS Wasp (CVS-18).

15 Dec. 1965 Launch of Gemini 6. CAPT Walter M. Schirra, Jr., USN, served as Command Pilot. The mission included 16 orbits in 25 hours and 51 minutes. Recovery was by HS-11 helicopters from USS Wasp (CVS-18).

16 Mar. 1966. Launch of Gemini 8. Former naval aviator Neil A. Armstrong flew on this mission which completed 7 orbits in 10 hours and 41 minutes at an altitude of 161.3 nautical miles. Recovery was by USS Leonard F. Mason (DD-852).

3 Jun. 1966. Launch of Gemini 9, piloted by LCDR Eugene A. Cernan, USN. The mission included 45 orbits over 3 days. Recovery was by USS Wasp (CVS-18).

18 Jul. 1966. Launch of Gemini 10, LCDR John W. Young, USN, was the Command Pilot. Mission involved 43 orbits at an altitude of 412.2 nautical miles and lasted 2 days, 22 hours, and 46 minutes. Recovery was by HS-3 helicopter from USS Guadalcanal (LPH-7).

12 Sep. 1966 Launch of Gemini 11, piloted by CDR Charles Conrad Jr., USN, and LCDR Richard F. Gordon, Jr., USN. The mission lasted 2 days and 23 hours and included 44 orbits at an altitude of 1368.9 km. Recovery was by HS-3 helicopter from USS Guam (LPH-9).

11 Nov. 1966. Launch of Gemini 12, CDR James A. Lovell, Jr., USN, was the Command Pilot. The mission lasted 3 days, 22 hours and 34 minutes and included 59 orbits at an altitude of 162.7 nautical miles. Recovery was by HS-11 helicopter from USS Wasp (CVS-18).

27 Jan. 1967. Fire in Command Module at Cape Kennedy during simulation countdown. Lunar Module Pilot LCDR Roger B. Chaffee and two other crew members died.

11 Oct. 1968. Launch of Apollo 7, the first US 3-man space mission, commanded by CAPT Walter M. Schirra, Jr., USN. MAJ Ronnie Walter Cunningham (USMCR), served as Lunar Module Pilot. The mission lasted 10 days and 20 hours. Recovery was by HS-5 helicopters from USS Essex (CVS-9).

21 Dec. 1968. Launch of Apollo 8. CAPT James A. Lovell, Jr., USN, was Command Module Pilot. During the mission, Lovell was one of the first 2 humans to see the far side of the moon. The mission lasted 6 days and 3 hours and included 10 moon orbits. Recovery was by HS-4 helicopters from USS Yorktown (CVS-10).

18 May 1969. Launch of Apollo 10, dress rehearsal for first lunar landing mission. CDR John W. Young, USN, was the Command Module Pilot and CDR Eugene A. Cernan, USN, was the Lunar Module Pilot. During the 8 day mission, the craft made 31 lunar orbits in 61.6 hours. Recovery was by HS-4 helicopter from USS Princeton (LPH-5).

20 Jul. 1969. Former naval aviator Neil A. Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon saying: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Armstrong was Commander of Apollo 11 which during its 8 day mission landed on the moon's Sea of Tranquility. Recovery was by HS-4 helicopters from USS Hornet (CVS-12).

19 Nov. 1969. CDR Charles Conrad Jr. and CDR Alan L. Bean, USN, walked on the moon in the Ocean of Storms during the Apollo 12 mission. CDR Richard F. Gordon, Jr., USN, Command Module Pilot, remained in lunar orbit. During the mission lasting 10 days, 4 hours, and 36 minutes, the astronauts recovered 243 lbs. of lunar material. Recovery by HS-4 helicopters from USS Hornet (CVS-12).

11 Apr. 1970. Launch of Apollo 13, commanded by CAPT James A. Lovell, Jr., USN. Former naval aviator Fred W. Haise, Jr. was the Lunar Module Pilot. While 200,000 miles from Earth there was an explosion on board which forced Apollo 13 to circle the moon without landing. Mission duration was 5 days, 22 hours, and 54 minutes. Recovery was by HS-4 helicopters from USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2).

5 Feb. 1971. Moonwalk by CAPT Alan B. Shepard, Jr., USN, Commander of Apollo 14 and CDR Edgar D. Mitchell, USN, Lunar Module Pilot. During the 9 day mission, 94 lbs. of lunar material was collected, and Shepard became the first person to hit a golf ball on the moon. Recovery was by helicopter from USS New Orleans (LPH-11).

21 Apr. 1972. Moonwalk in the Descartes Highlands by CAPT John W. Young, USN, Commander of Apollo 16. He was the ninth man to walk on moon. LCDR Thomas K. Mattingly II, USN, was Command Module Pilot. During the 11 day, 1 hour and 51 minute mission, 213 lbs. of lunar material was collected. Recovery was by HC-1 helicopters from USS Ticonderoga (CVS-14).

12 Dec. 1972. Moonwalk by CAPT. Eugene A. Cernan, USN, Commander of Apollo 17. CDR Ronald E. Evans, USN, was Command Module Pilot. The mission lasted 12 days, 13 hours and 52 minutes. Recovery was by HC-1 helicopters from USS Ticonderoga (CVS-14).

25 May 1973. Launch of Skylab 2 mission commanded by CAPT Charles Conrad Jr., USN,. CDR Joseph P. Kerwin, USN, and CDR Paul J. Weitz, USN, made up the remainder of the all-Navy crew. During the 28 day mission of 404 orbits, the craft rendezvoused with Skylab to make repairs and conduct science experiments. This was the first U.S. manned orbiting space station. Recovery by USS Ticonderoga (CVS-14)..

28 Jul. 1973. Launch of Skylab 3, the second manned mission to the first US-manned space station, piloted by MAJ Jack R. Lousma, with CAPT Alan L. Bean, USN, as Commander of the mission, and former Navy electronics officer Owen K. Garriott as Science Pilot. The mission lasted 59 days and 11 hours and included 858 Earth orbits. Recovery by USS New Orleans (LPH-11).

16 Nov. 1973. Launch of Skylab 4 commanded by LTC Gerald P. Carr, USMC. The mission lasted 84 days and included 1,214 Earth orbits. Recovery by USS New Orleans (LPH-11).

Iceberg: corncob pipe ans more

pg 10

Lt. Commander Lee Koski clamped his teeth a notch tighter on the stem of his corncob pipe.

"corncob" pipes made from corn cobs are cheap and effective, even if some regard them as inelegant. The cobs are first dried for two years. Then they are hollowed out to make a bowl shape. The bowls are dipped in a plaster-based mixture and varnished or lacquered on the outside. Shanks made from pine wood are then inserted into the bowls. The first and largest manufacturer of corncob pipes is Missouri Meerschaum, located in Washington, Missouri in the USA.^[1] Missouri Meerschaum has produced the pipes since 1869. General Douglas MacArthur, Mark Twain, and Norman Rockwell were perhaps the most famous smokers of this type of pipe, along with the cartoon characters Popeye and Frosty the Snowman.
Corncob pipes remain popular today because they are inexpensive and require no "break-in" period like briar pipes. For these two reasons, corncob pipes are often recommended as a "Beginners pipe." But, their enjoyment is by no means limited to beginners. Corncob pipes are equally valued by both learners and experienced smokers who simply desire a cool, clean smoke. Pipesmokers who wish to sample a wide variety of different tobaccos and blends also might keep a stock of corncobs on hand to permit them to try new flavors without "carryover" from an already-used pipe, or to keep a potentially bad-tasting tobacco from adding its flavor to a more expensive or favored pipe.

 It sent the men who were above deck scurrying for their oilskins.

Oilskin can mean:

• A type of fabric: canvas with a skin of oil applied to it as waterproofing, often linseed oil. Old types of oilskin included:-
  • Heavy cotton cloth waterproofed with linseed oil.
  • Sailcloth waterproofed with a thin layer of tar.
• Oilskins, a garment made of oilskin, or of other heavy waterproof material (but excluding gabardine and similar). Such garments include:
  • Sailor's waterproofs
  • Some other wet-weather clothes
  • Coats, vests and chaps for use on the stations of Australia.

---

These days, oilskins or oilies means the foul-weather gear worn by sailors, made of modern synthetic and often quite advanced fabrics. (At sea, wet can come from sea spray as well as from rain.)

Design

Oilskin trousers are very high-cut for a large overlap with the jacket and prevent water entering through the join. Often in moderate weather, however, only the trousers are worn (as in the right of the photo) and their high cut then keeps wind and water off the lower part of the torso. It has shoulder straps to hold the trousers up. Straps around the bottom of the trouser legs let them be tightened around seaboots, providing a semi-watertight join. This does not let them be used like fishing waders, but a wave sweeping briefly across the deck will generally not penetrate. All but the cheapest oilskin trousers will be reinforced across the seat and the knees
Oilskin jackets are similar in many ways to waterproofs used for walking. The most visible difference is that they usually have a much higher collar to keep out spray, and in many cases to warm the ears or the whole head. A fold-away hood will be provided, almost always in a high-visibility colour since the head will be the only part showing above the water if the sailor is lost overboard. It often has retroreflective patches on the shoulders for the same reason. Its tails are very long to keep water off the legs.
The cuffs of better oilskin jackets include an inner seal, something like that on a scuba diver's drysuit, to stop water getting in if a wave is forced up the sleeve. This is less important in walking jackets since in walking on land the arms usually point down away from the rain; but this nuisance can happen in motorcycling where the arms holding the handlebars point forwards into a wet headwind.
Pockets on trousers and jackets are often lined with a synthetic fleece material designed to be quick-drying and warm even when soaked. Most sailing consists of bursts of hard work between periods of relative inactivity; hunched up with hands in pockets is a common pose in bad weather during the inactive parts, and soft linings help keep the hands warm. A recent innovation is removable soft linings, enabling them to be washed.
Some oilskin jackets include built-in harnesses; typically just a strap around the chest which a lifeline can be clipped to during very bad weather. This avoids the need to wear a separate harness, but may be less safe than a modern separate harness which includes a lifejacket. More expensive oilskin jackets may also act as a lifejacket. A few jackets contain equipment like lights, flares, and an emergency radio beacon.

"I signaled the pilot right after he left St. Johns."

 St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America.^[3] It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland.^[4] With a population of 196,966 as of 2011, the St. John's Metropolitan Area is the second largest Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) in Atlantic Canada after Halifax and the 20th largest metropolitan area in Canada. Its name has been attributed to the feast day of John the Baptist, when John Cabot was believed to have sailed into the harbour in 1497, and also to a Basque fishing town with the same name.

Newfoundland was claimed as an English colony in the name of Elizabeth I in 1583, temporarily captured by the Dutch in 1665, and attacked three times by the French who captured and destroyed its settlements in 1689 and 1707. St John's was retaken each time and re-fortified. British forces used St. John's fortifications during the Seven Years' War in North America, the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. St. John's served Allied needs in World War ll by providing an air base for the US Army Air Corps and a harbour for antisubmarine warfare ships.

 St. John's, and the province as a whole, was gravely affected in the 1990s by the collapse of the Northern cod fishery, which had been the driving force of the provincial economy for hundreds of years.^[8] After a decade of high unemployment rates and depopulation, the city's proximity to the Hibernia, Terra Nova and White Rose oil fields has led to an economic boom that has spurred population growth and commercial development. As a result, the St. John's area now accounts for about half of the province's economic output

Spartan Gold: chaos theory and more

pg 168

"Beyond that, it's all math and chaos theory."

Chaos theory is a field of study in mathematics, with applications in several disciplines including physics, engineering, economics, biology, and philosophy. Chaos theory studies the behavior of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions, an effect which is popularly referred to as the butterfly effect. Small differences in initial conditions (such as those due to rounding errors in numerical computation) yield widely diverging outcomes for chaotic systems, rendering long-term prediction impossible in general.

This happens even though these systems are deterministic, meaning that their future behavior is fully determined by their initial conditions, with no random elements involved. In other words, the deterministic nature of these systems does not make them predictable. This behavior is known as deterministic chaos, or simply chaos.

Chaotic behavior can be observed in many natural systems, such as weather. Explanation of such behavior may be sought through analysis of a chaotic mathematical model, or through analytical techniques such as recurrence plots and Poincaré maps.

"We'll get you a Swedish massage when we get back to the Four Seasons."

Massage is the manipulating of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue using various techniques, to enhance function, aid in the healing process, and promote relaxation and well-being. The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading", or from Arabic massa meaning "to touch, feel or handle" or from Latin massa meaning "mass, dough". In distinction the ancient Greek word for massage was anatripsis, and the Latin was frictio.

Massage involves working and acting on the body with pressure – structured, unstructured, stationary, or moving – tension, motion, or vibration, done manually or with mechanical aids. Target tissues may include muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, skin, joints, or other connective tissue, as well as lymphatic vessels, or organs of the gastrointestinal system. Massage can be applied with the hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearm, and feet. There are over eighty different recognized massage modalities.

In professional settings massage involves the client being treated while lying on a massage table, sitting in a massage chair, or lying on a mat on the floor. The massage subject may be fully clothed or unclothed. In the case of the latter, the parts of the body that are not being massaged are usually covered with towels or sheets, but this can depend on the preference of the therapists and the type of work being performed. Almost all states in the US have licensing requirements for massage therapists.

Swedish massage uses five styles of long, flowing strokes to massage. The five basic strokes are effleurage (sliding or gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (rhythmic tapping), friction (cross fiber) and vibration/shaking. Swedish massage has shown to be helpful in reducing pain, joint stiffness, and improving function in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee over a period of eight weeks. It has also been shown to be helpful in individuals with poor circulation.

The development of Swedish massage is often inaccurately credited to Per Henrik Ling, though the Dutch practitioner Johan Georg Mezger adopted the French names to denote the basic strokes. The term "Swedish" massage is actually only recognized in English, Québécois or Dutch speaking countries. Elsewhere the style is referred to as "classic massage".

"What else beside the spitting beetle, is found only in the Tuscan archipelago?"

The Tuscan Archipelago is a chain of islands between the Ligurian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea, west of Tuscany, Italy.

The archipelago contains the islands of Gorgona, Capraia, Elba (the largest island of the group), Pianosa, Montecristo, Giglio, and Giannutri; all of which are protected as part of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park.

The islands' proximity to several major cities has made them a favourite tourist location. History and literature has ensured that most people are familiar with the islands of Elba and Montecristo.

Spartan Gold: limbo and more

pg 163

"Oh, you mean down the river that killed one of Kholkov's men and sucked him into limbo?"

In the theology of the Catholic Church, Limbo (Latin limbus, edge or boundary, referring to the "edge" of Hell) is a speculative idea about the afterlife condition of those who die in Original Sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. Limbo is not an official doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church or any other Christian denomination. Medieval theologians, in western Europe, described the underworld ("hell", "hades", "infernum") as divided into four distinct parts: Hell of the Damned (which some call Gehenna), Purgatory, Limbo of the Fathers or Patriarchs, and Limbo of the Infants.

...and a dozen stubby votivelike candles.

A votive candle or prayer candle is a small candle, typically white or beeswax yellow, intended to be burnt as a votive offering in a religious ceremony. It now also refers to a standard size of candle two inches high by one and a half inches diameter, of any color or scent.

A votive deposit or votive offering is one or more objects displayed or deposited, without the intention of recovery or use, in a sacred place for broadly religious purposes. Such items are a feature of modern and ancient societies and are generally made in order to gain favor with supernatural forces. Some offerings have apparently been made in anticipation of the achievement of a particular wish, but in Western cultures from which documentary evidence survives it has been more typical to wait until the wish has been fulfilled before making the offering, for which the more specific term ex-voto may be used. Votive offerings have been described in historical Roman era and Greek sources, although similar acts continue into the present day, for example in traditional Catholic culture and, arguably, in the modern day practice of tossing coins into a wishing well or fountain. The modern construction practice called topping out can be considered as an example of a votive practice that has very ancient roots.

your Gerber Nautilus multitool
Gerber is a company (apparently not the baby food one!) that makes tools of all kinds.
http://www.gerber-tools.com/Gerber-Nautilus-22-49471.htm