Silphium

Silphium (also known as silphion, laserwort, or laser) was a plant that was used in classical antiquity as a seasoning and as a medicine. It was the essential item of trade from the ancient North African city of Cyrene, and was so critical to the Cyrenian economy that most of their coins bore a picture of the plant. The valuable product was the plant's resin (laser, laserpicium, or lasarpicium).

Silphium was an important species in prehistory, as evidenced by the Egyptians and Knossos Minoans developing a specific glyph to represent the silphium plant. It was used widely by most ancient Mediterranean cultures; the Romans considered it "worth its weight in denarii" (silver coins). Legend said that it was a gift from the god Apollo.

The exact identity of silphium is unclear. It is commonly believed to be a now-extinct plant of the genus Ferula, perhaps a variety of "giant fennel". The still-extant plant Ferula tingitana has been suggested as another possibility. Another plant, asafoetida, was used as a cheaper substitute for silphium, and had similar enough qualities that Romans, including the geographer Strabo, used the same word to describe both.

Laser (dinghy)

The International Laser Class sailboat, also called Laser Standard and the Laser One is a popular one-design class of small sailing dinghy. According to the Laser Class Rules the boat may be sailed by either one or two people, though it is rarely sailed by two. The design, by Bruce Kirby, emphasizes simplicity and performance. The dinghy is manufactured by independent companies in different parts of the world, including LaserPerformance Europe (Americas and Europe), Performance Sailcraft Australia (Oceania) and Performance Sailcraft Japan.

The Laser is one of the most popular single-handed dinghies in the world. As of 2012, there are more than 200,000 boats worldwide. A commonly cited reason for its popularity is that it is robust and simple to rig and sail in addition to its durability. The Laser also provides very competitive racing due to the very tight class association controls which eliminate differences in hull, sails and equipment.

The term "Laser" is often used to refer to the Laser Standard (the largest of the sail plan rigs available for the Laser hull). However there are two other sail plan rigs available for the Laser Standard hull and a series of other "Laser"-branded boats which are of completely different hull designs. Examples include the Laser 2 and Laser Pico. The Laser Standard, Laser Radial and Laser 4.7 are three types of 'Laser' administered by the International Laser Class Association.

Laser (disambiguation)

A laser is a device which generates a coherent beam of light.

Laser may also refer to:

Transportation

Computing

Other uses

See also

Choice

Choice involves mentally making a decision: judging the merits of multiple options and selecting one or more of them. One can make a choice between imagined options ("what would I do if ...?") or between real options followed by the corresponding action. For example, a traveller might choose a route for a journey based on the preference of arriving at a given destination as soon as possible. The preferred (and therefore chosen) route can then follow from information such as the length of each of the possible routes, traffic conditions, etc. If the arrival at a choice includes more complex motivators, cognition, instinct and feeling can become more intertwined.

Simple choices might include what to eat for dinner or what to wear on a Saturday morning - choices that have relatively low-impact on the chooser's life overall. More complex choices might involve (for example) what candidate to vote for in an election, what profession to pursue, a life partner, etc. - choices based on multiple influences and having larger ramifications.

Choices (The Hoosiers song)

"Choices" is the lead single from the English indie pop band The Hoosiers, taken from their second studio album, The Illusion of Safety, and was released in the UK on 1 August 2010. The single was the band's fifth released single overall.

The music video of "Choices" was by the directing duo Diamond Dogs, who also directed the Hoosiers in "Worried about Ray", "Goodbye Mr A" and "Cops and Robbers".

Critical reception

Nick Levine of Digital Spy gave the song a positive review stating:

However, those critics might just owe them a rethink, because musically-speaking the Anglo-Swedish trio have managed to suppress their more irksome tendencies. In fact, 'Choices' finds them adopting an oh-so contemporary electropop complete with big rubbery synths that Calvin Harris wouldn't cock a snook at. Crucially, in the process they haven't lost their ability to pen a proper pop chorus or, for that matter, a middle 8 that swells like an Olympic gold medallist's chest. Odd-pop? Nope, this is just top pop. (For the record, we tend to plump for both, but on the side.) .

Choices (film)

Choices is a 1986 television film directed by David Lowell Rich.

Plot

The film focuses on a 62-year-old judge who rethinks his opposition to abortion when he finds out both his 19-year-old daughter and 38-year-old wife are pregnant. When his daughter contemplates an abortion without informing her boyfriend, the judge immediately expresses his disapproval. He changes his mind when he finds out his wife is pregnant as well. The three are all forced to make important choices.

Cast

References

External links