Saturday 27 June 2009

Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922)

Shackleton was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer, best known for leading the Endurance expedition of 1914-16.

Ernest Henry Shackleton was born on 15 February 1874 in County Kildare, Ireland. His father was a doctor. The family moved to London where Shackleton was educated. Rejecting his father's wish that he become a doctor, he joined the merchant navy when he was 16 and qualified as a master mariner in 1898. He travelled widely but was keen to explore the poles.

In 1901 Shackleton was chosen to go on the Antarctic expedition led by British naval officer Robert Falcon Scott on the ship Discovery (pictured). With Scott and one other, Shackleton trekked towards the South Pole in extremely difficult conditions, getting closer to the pole than anyone had come before. Shackleton became seriously ill and had to return home but had gained valuable experience.

Back in Britain, Shackleton spent some time as a journalist and was then elected secretary of the Scottish Royal Geographical Society. In 1906, he unsuccessfully stood for Parliament in Dundee. In 1908, he returned to the Antarctic as the leader of his own expedition, on the ship Nimrod. During the expedition, his team climbed Mount Erebus, made many important scientific discoveries and set a record for coming even closer to the South Pole than before. He was knighted on his return to Britain.
In 1911, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole, followed by Scott who died on the return journey. In 1914,Shackleton made his third trip to the Antarctic with the ship Endurance, planning to cross Antarctica via the South Pole. Early in 1915, Endurance became trapped in the ice, and ten months later sank. Shackleton's crew had already abandoned the ship to live on the floating ice. In April 1916, they set off in three small boats, eventually reaching Elephant Island. Taking five crew members, Shackleton went to find help. In a small boat the six men spent 16 days crossing 1,300 km of ocean to reach South Georgia and then trekked across the island to a whaling station. The remaining men from the Endurance were rescued in August 1916. Not one member of the expedition died. 'South', Shackleton's account of the Endurance expedition, was published in 1919.
Shackleton's fourth expedition aimed to circumnavigate the Antarctic continent but on 5 January 1922, Shackleton died of a heart attack off South Georgia. He was buried on the island.




When Nature Seals Your Fate

Whilst nature is a wonderful thing, it can also be very cruel. Click on the video link below and see what I mean.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3xmqbNsRSk

(Watch in full screen mode).

Church Signs


Zen Wisdom


ANOTHER ZEN TEN
(PEARLS OF WISDOM)
01 If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.
02 Some days you are the bug; some days you are the screen.
03 Don't worry; it only seems kinky the first time.
04 Good judgement comes from bad experience, and most of that comes from bad judgement.
05 A closed mouth gathers no foot.
06 There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.
07 Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.
08 Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
09 We are born naked, wet and hungry, and get slapped on our arse.....then things just get worse.
10 Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

Cat Nap

IF THIS WAS MY CAT, I'D CALL HIM GINGER.
CAN'T THINK WHY THEY CALLED HIM LUCKY!

(NO! YOU CAN'T CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE)

Thought For Today


When the power of love, overtakes the love of power, then we shall have peace.
Author Unknown

Quiz Show Howlers

GWR FM (BRISTOL)
Presenter: What happened in Dallas on November 22, 1963?
Contestant: I don't know. I wasn't watching it then.

RTE RADIO 2FM (IRELAND)
Presenter: What is the name of the long-running TV comedy show about pensioners: Last Of The .....?
Contestant: Mohicans

PHIL WOOD SHOW (BBC RADIO MANCHESTER)
Phil: What is 11 squared?
Contestant: I don't know.
Phil: I'll give you a clue. It's two one's with a two in the middle.
Contestant: Is it five?

RICHARD & JUDY
Q: Which American actor is married to Nicole Kidman?
A: Forrest Gump.

RICHARD & JUDY
Leslie: On which street did Sherlock Holmes live?
Contestant: Er.......
Leslie: He makes bread.
Contestant: Er.......
Leslie: He makes cakes.
Contestant: Kipling Street?