Starship Asterisk*

[b] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Magellan [/b] wrote:<<On March 16, 1521, Magellan reached the island of Homonhon in the Philippines, with 150 crew left, and became the first European to reach the Philippines. They traded gifts with Rajah Siaiu of Mazaua who guided them to Cebu on April 7. Rajah Humabon of Cebu was friendly towards Magellan, and Humabon convinced Magellan to kill their enemy, Rajah Lapu-Lapu, on Mactan. "Recognizing [Magellan], so many turned upon him that they knocked his helmet off his head twice... A native hurled a bamboo spear into the captain's face, but the latter immediately killed him with his lance, which he left in the native's body. Then, trying to lay hand on sword, he could draw it out but halfway, because he had been wounded in the arm with a bamboo spear. When the natives saw that, they all hurled themselves upon him. One of them wounded him on the left leg with a large cutlass, which resembles a scimitar, only being larger. That caused the captain to fall face downward, when immediately they rushed upon him with iron and bamboo spears and with their cutlasses, until they killed our mirror, our light, our comfort, and our true guide. When they wounded him, he turned back many times to see whether we were all in the boats. Thereupon, beholding him dead [on April 27, 1521], we, wounded, retreated, as best we could, to the boats, which were already pulling off.">>

orin stepanek wrote:I love this picture. The silhouetted piers add to the beauty of the setting sun. 8)
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090128.html

[b]JAMES JOYCE'S ULYSSES EPISODE 2--NESTOR[/b] wrote:
All laughed. Mirthless high malicious laughter. Armstrong looked round
at his classmates, silly glee in profile. In a moment they will laugh
more loudly, aware of my lack of rule and of the fees their papas pay.

-- Tell me now, Stephen said, poking the boy's shoulder with the book,
what is a PIER.

-- A PIER, sir, Armstrong said. A thing out in the waves. A kind of
bridge. Kingstown PIER, sir.

Some laughed again: mirthless but with meaning.
Two in the back bench whispered. Yes.

They knew: had never learned nor ever been innocent. All.
With envy he watched their faces.

Edith, Ethel, Gerty, Lily. Their likes: their breaths, too,
sweetened with tea and jam, their bracelets tittering in the struggle.

-- Kingstown PIER, Stephen said. Yes, a disappointed bridge.