It's playoff time in the NFL. This morning the NY Giants take on the Atlanta Falcons. I have a few bucks on the Giants -3.0. Yesterday I lost both games...Lions couldn't cover the spread with 10.5 extra points; same for the Bengals + 3.5. In today's late game I have the Steelers over the Broncos. Steelers are laying 8.5 points. I get a big kick out of Tebow (Broncos) but not today. Denver has no running game. Willis McGahee has been underperforming, and the other runners are banged up. Pittsburgh is also banged up, but Pittsburgh has some depth. Tim Tebow meets Troy Polamalu. I think Troy comes out on top.
It's nice to be able to bet a few bucks on a game without breaking the law. Even if I lose. I may lose today, but there's always tomorrow.
I began this post intending to write about The Cambridge Modern History. But the Giants/ Falcons game is on...I'll get back to it later.
The game is boring. I'm back.
Albuquerque. I just recently escaped a snow storm in Albuquerque. Never gave the word Albuquerque a second thought except for wondering how to spell it. Next thing you know, I'm reading in The Cambridge Modern History (hereinafter referred to as CMH) about a guy named Albuquerque doing all sorts of bad things in or around 1495. Albuquerque was this adventurer/explorer/slave-trader out of Portugal. Sailed up and down the African coast looking for gold/slaves...whatever. I have no idea whether or not the city of Albuquerque in New Mexico is named after this guy or if Albuquerque has another meaning in another language or what.
Anyway, the idea of some guy raiding African villages along the coast and bringing slaves back to Europe sort of sideswiped me. Why was this going on? The CMH mentions something about there having been a need for slaves to repair the damages done by the Moors during their occupation of the Iberian peninsula and even the western parts of France before they were kicked out; but it doesn't go into detail. Our Moorish brothers damaged the Iberian peninsula? I thought they just came over to Europe, built the Alhambra (to show us how it was done) and left town.
How large was this trade in slaves? What was the nature of the slavery? The CMH raises more questions than it answers, but I guess the answers come later...The section I'm reading is mostly an introduction to the world as it was around 1500 A.D., before getting into specifics.
Then I learn that Columbus was sending slaves back to Spain from the Caribbean islands. Who knew? These Carribean Island slaves didn't work out, however, and the Spaniards told Columbus, "No mas! No mas!" The explanation given is that the slaves from the Caribbean were intractable. In other words, they wouldn't or couldn't do any useful work. So, what happened to them? Were they sent back to Hayti? (I love the old spellings of towns etc...) Were they killed? Did they apply for Aid to Dependent Cubans? Did they become priests? I don't know the answer. I'm looking forward to finding out.
And speaking of words, I love coming upon new (old) words or unfamiliar meanings of known words. For instance, I learned that careening means beaching your boat and turning it on its side to scrape off the carbuncles etc. My son is captain of his own fishing boat. I'll have to check this out with Stephen. Another word popped up. I can't remember what the word is, but it means 'a sheltered bay.' I'll have to find the word and check that out with Stephen also.
Well, listen guys, I have to get back to football. If my computer connection is still working tomorrow I'll get back to you. Till then...
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