The witchcraft trials and executions that took place in Salem, Massachusetts in the early 1690s is well documented in American history and is part of the national lore. And one of the main components associated with its occurrence is the belief that it was a singular occasion and a unique experience. The fact is that the Puritans living in early New England believed in the power of their view of witches and witchcraft an the fear of that was a standard aspect of their lifestyle. And while the major trials and hangings that occurred in Salem were the only example of such an extreme hysteria and devastating response, accusations of witchcraft extended far beyond the limits of Salem.

The events going on in Boston at that time of the Salem trials is often overshadowed by the more sensational and of course tragic events that were occurring north of Boston at the time. Researchers continue to explore the culture and societies of the early colonial settlers and the pre Revolution history of this country. During the seventeenth century Boston had its own issues with witchcraft , which included some trials and even death sentencing of its own. And this is in addition to the individuals from Boston that were indicted in the Salem accusations.

For women were actually tried, convicted and sentenced to death for witchcraft in Boston during the 17th century. In addition to those there were numerous others were accused and sometimes tried for the crime. One of the factors present during the Salem trials was the structure that if you confessed to the crime you would not be hanged, but if you didn’t confess you would die for your crimes. This also led to the further finger pointing and accusations of others as you were expected to disclosure your associates once you confessed. This and other intriguing historic elements of Boston’s colonial culture continue to interest tourists who are staying in one of the luxury hotels Boston USA .

Witchcraft Accusations in Colonial Boston is a post from: LostHawk

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Once when I was in London, I met a college girl who had arrived in the city for the first time.  I suggested we go down to the National Theatre and have some tea and take a look at the river.  We could go by way of the Hungerford Footbridge (this was well before the Millennium Bridge was built), and we could get a look at Parliament and Big Ben.  She said, “Big who?”  I was astonished that she hadn’t heard of the famous bell in Parliament’s clock tower (in fact, it is the bell, not the clock; if she thought it was the clock that would be one thing, but she’d never heard of the name at all).  She also pronounced the Thames with a soft th (Thames as in Things).  I thought even a casual tourist would know these two things.  The same is true of New York City.  If anyone didn’t know about the Empire State Building, Central Park, or the Statue of Liberty, I’d be a little shocked that someone could be so sheltered.  But there are other places in a city that fewer people know about, although perhaps they should.  If you find yourself in New York, one place you’ll want to know more about is the Fraunces Tavern Museum.

One of the older buildings in New York, it was built in 1719 as a merchant’s home.  In 1762, Samuel Fraunces bought the place and turned it into a tavern.  It was here that George Washington made a farewell address to his officers in the  Continental Army (1783), and the tavern itself was a part of the activities leading up to the Revolutionary War.  Most people today think only of Washington D.C. as the nation’s capital; however, New York was the first capital of the United States, and the tavern was used then for a number of different departments: The Department of War, Department of Treasury, and the Department of Foreign Affairs.  At the start of the Twentieth Century, the building was restored to the way it looked in colonial days and became a museum in 1907.  There’s a whole complex of 19th Century buildings added to the 18th Century tavern now.

If you’re looking for some history and a place to eat, the Samuel Fraunces Tavern and restaurant can help you out on both counts.  However, if you’re looking for an inn for the night, then you’d better look here.

Samuel Fraunces Tavern in New York is a post from: LostHawk

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For thousands of years fireplaces have been a major part of human life. They are used for so many things such as heating, cooking and socializing. Fires burned in ancient times were originally placed in the center of the room of a one story home. Having it in the middle of the room was great for getting the most use out of the fire. More people could sit around it and feel its warmth. It also radiated heat more evenly around the room. There was a hole in the ceiling to help create the circulation to get the smoke out of the home. This design was how humans got along for a thousand years. At some point there were homes and buildings built with two stories. That took the fireplace design on a new path. Now you had to put in on one side of the room and it was best to put it on the outside wall. It wasn’t a good idea to build a fire in the center of a room on a wood floor of a second story room. It took a while to get the smoke ventilate in the right direction. The chimney was designed after some failed attempts to get the smoke out horizontally. The chimney gave the natural flow of smoke a chance again to move out of the home.

After years of using the fireplace inventors came along and added their ideas to come up with other indoor heating options. Prince Rupert gave us the grate for the firewood to sit on. Helping the flow of air to fuel the flame. Benjamin Franklin created the cast iron stove called the Franklin Stove. Which gave a more efficient form of heating and cooking. Count Rumsford designed a better chimney so it wouldn’t catch on fire. Before his design the chimneys often caught on fire and were made to be kicked away when it happened.

Now homeowners can buy and indoor luxurious fireplace that runs on electricity, natural gas or wood with no worries of chimney fires. Look into the Napoleon fireplaces, they have many great designs. Which is the another added benefit of the modern fireplace.

Evolution of Contained Fire is a post from: LostHawk

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There are many benefits to having a hot tub in your own backyard.  There is an obvious convenience, where you always have an excellent place to relieve stress and let the hot water and jets melt the stress off of your tired muscles.  You can also throw parties with a fairly spontaneous ease, calling a few friends and taking the cover off – and maybe sparking up the grill.  There are also numerous health benefits.  Increased circulation is just one pleasant side effect to having a portable hot tub .  It also helps the heart, by having physical effects on the body that mirror aerobics.  Of course, there’s just the plain pleasure of water, which has attracted human beings since we began.

Our own bodily composition, being made of mostly water, is drawn to the water.  It has a magnetic effect on us, and rewards us with an increased sense of relaxation and general wellness.   There is a lot of evidence to support the notion that the human species has been drawn to the social pleasures of public baths for some time.  It goes back for centuries, and even had a place in the center of culture in the Middle Ages.  In the popular imagination, the Medieval times are not characterized by the cleanliness of the people, but usually its opposite.  However, in the Middle Ages, public bath houses were actually quite common.

There is a good deal written, in fact, about the social rituals of the bath houses.  Writers from the Middle Ages, such as Heinrich von Veldecke, wrote poetry devoted to courtly love with many mentions of the bath.  In some of the more amusing texts, there are narratives about how people would gather for hours in the bath, where men would wear their finest wigs, and women wore new hats!  It may not be something you’ll want to try in your hot tub, but it’s really rather thrilling to be enjoying the luxury of the spa, realizing you’re part of a long history of soaking in hot water and enjoying the company of good friends.

A Medieval Portable Hot Tub? is a post from: LostHawk

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I want to get involved in backyard astronomy. I want to look through some large telescope and see the greatest show from earth. What started me on this quest was one night, almost a decade ago, I was entertaining a few friends out in my backyard and was just about to rinse off some BBQ utensils that were soaking in my outdoor sink when one of my friends pointed up into the evening sky and spotted the comet called Hale-Bopp with his naked eye. I was completely taken aback when I too looked up and could see this marvellous site. I had no idea about this comet.

My friend proceed to tell me that this comet, Hale-Bopp was name after the two individual men who discovered it at the same time but from different locations. Hale and Bopp were known as backyard astronomers, which needless to say, the real astronomer were somewhat dismayed. He also noted that on the very next day Hale and Bopp discovered the comet a 9 year old boy in China reported discovering the comet, but before the news was released about Hale and Bopp’s discovery.

Unfortunately, it’s the original discoverers which get their names listed in the history books; discovering it one day afterwards doesn’t count. However, this didn’t stop the young boy from China to continue with his love of discovery. Today, his is 21 years old and has a graduate degree from China’s Sun Yat-sen University in Astrophysics. During his studies he was observing images from a star field taken at Lulin Observatory when he noticed one of the stars had a greenish cometary object and this time he was the first to discover what is now know as the Comet Lulin, named after the observatory where the photo-image had been taken. Comet Lulin has now rounded our sun and has been predicted to reach the closest point to Earth on February 24.

After hearing my friend give details about how comets are discovered, not only by astronomers at an observatory, but by simple backyard astronomer and that a new Comet is paying a visit to Earth, it’s time to get my some high powered binoculars or really go all out and buy a telescope. Should make for some good backyards stories for sure.

Backyard Astronomy is a post from: LostHawk

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Originally known as Bombay, the city of Mumbai is known as the financial capital of India. itis also the capital of Maharashtra and is part of the fifth most populous metropolitan area in the world. Long known as the entertainment and commercial capital of India, Mumbai has a strong cultural heritage that is reflected in the people and even the name of hs exotic yet modern city.

The city’s previous name was born in te 16th century. The original Portuguese settlers called the city by a number of names until settling on Bombaim. The spelling was changed to Bombay when the British took possession of much of India in the 17th century. The Bombaim spelling is still in use n Portuguese.

Even during its life as Bombay, the city was known as Mumbai or Mambai to Gujarati and Marathi speakers. Hindi and Urd referred to the city as Bambai. Mumbai derives from Mumba or Maha-Ama. It honors the Hindu goddess Mumbadvi and Aai or “mother” from the Marathi language.

The name of the city was officially changed to Mumbai in 1996, though it took over a decade for those outside India to begin using the name.

Mumbai is enjoying a bit of global celebrity due to the international popularity of the film “Slumdog Millionaire.” This is a welcome respite after last fall’s terrorist attacks on several landmarks and 5 star Mumbai hotels. The city has recovered from numerous wars, occupations, and terrorist attacks over the years. There is no doubt it will reclaim its former glory fairly quickly.

The Meanings of Mumbai is a post from: LostHawk

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One of the star attractions in Hyderabad is the Golconda or Golkonda Fort. The name translates to “Shepherd’s Hill.” Every year, visitors to Hyderabad tour the Fort and enjoy the light and sound show held in the evenings. There are five star hotels in Hyderabad located near the fort. Tourists can also enjoy fine restaurants, shopping, and other historic and cultural sites throughout the city.

The Golconda fortress is actually four separate forts surrounded by an outer wall that is ten kilometers long. This outer wall includes eight gateway, four drawbridges, and 87 bastions. Some of them still have mounted canons. Golconda houses royal apartments and halls, a mosque, temples, an armory, stables, and a parade ground. One of the strongest forts in the world, it is arguably the greatest and most famous one in India.

Built by the fourth Qutb King, the Golconda Fort served as the first capital for that Dynasty. It was a defense against invasion from the north by the Mughals. One of the unique features of the fort is its amazing acoustics. A single hand clap at the main gates can be heard across the fort at the top of the citadel which sat on a hill almost a kilometer away. The capital remained at the Fort until 1590 when it was moved to Hyderabad proper.

The Victory Gate or Fateh Darwaza commemorates the victory of Aurangzeb. It is studded with giantic iron spikes. At the time it was built, elephants were often used as battering rams to breech gates. The spikes prevented this from happening. The other gates as well as many of the structures within the fort represent a blending of Hindu architecture with Islamic styles.

Many believe that there is a secret tunnel running under the Fort that was to serve as an escape route for royalty in times of attack. The exact location of the tunnel has never been verified.

Golconda Fort in Hyderabad is a post from: LostHawk

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