Jim Gorman
Explorers Club of NY, marine archaeology-history buff, certified marine site technical diver, beer brewer, motorcycle rider, basically a no-account
Location Modica, Sicily, IT - Hutchinson Island, Florida USA
Achievements
Activity
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Facinating stuff
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Jim Gorman made a comment
1. a day late 2. a pound short, 3. late bloomer. Seems appropriate description of me for this one.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
I agree with Plato. Thank you.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
It seems the answers may be as numerous as the people responding and their definitions of intelligence. Of course learning and playing it helps your bain functions in a variety of areas. Are you better at taking IQ tests? Probably not so much. Are you better at things like memory, openess, dexterity, etc? Probably yes. Does it enrich your life and those around...
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Very well done examination of the study music and its effect on brain fuctions. It has corroborated my personal experiences and enhanced my appreciation of the continued importance of music study and life. Thank you all.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
I think there are lots of very smart people in the world. Paul McCartney is smart. He is creative, engaging, musically multi-talented but let's face it no Mozart, but still a genius in his genre, business-wise even better. And, he seems to be a happy soul.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Hi I'm Jim from Maine, USA and Modica, Sicily. I love music especially classical, rock country/folk and more recently Italian Street music and jazz. I play, poorly, the mandolin. Working on that. I am retired and as I work on the mandolin I am feeling that my brain is working better. I saw the course title and was hooked.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Well done, thanks. My only regret is the course is over. I think you could grow this course into six weeks by going to the next level of technical detail and also by including daily or weekly meal recipes as examples.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
I love to cook and eat. I learned new information and appreciate your efforts to simplify somewhat the complicated chemistry involved in ensuring proper nutrition as well as your tying in exercise, rest and social activities to the discussion. It seems to me that I am on the right road to eating and living a healthy life and life style. This course encourages...
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Thanks, sounds so healthy and tasty. Perfect timing, making it tomorrow with the last pumpkin from my garden.
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Recipe please. :)
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Reinforces what, frankly, I know to be true but require a discipline to adhere to. I like the connection made to one's lifestyle, exercise, moderation in eating and the like. It's more than a diet it's a way to live and be healthy.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Ok, so I like wine. In addition I eat 5 to 9+ servings of vegetable and fruit each day. I love to cook, Italian, Middle East and Asian. I eat meat, mostly chicken or turkey and maybe once a week red meat. A few eggs a week. Dark chocolate a couple of ounces a week. And, some wine, or did I mention that.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Hi, I retired 2 years ago after a long career as a developer and analyst of software and information systems used to detect criminal activity and fraud in healthcare billing systems. Now I'm a diver and certified underwater archaeological site surveyor. In addition to marine archaeology I'm interested in Mediterranean area ancient history, art and...
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Hello all, I find the subject very interesting, the work valuable when looking at the present day as well as into past events. I would like to learn a bit more about it and am appreciative of the opportunity.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Well that was sobering.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Got it. Thanks
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Jim Gorman replied to Jude Young
Ha! I agree. It's out there but let's not open a how to do it service.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
A billion plus galaxies with billions of suns many with multiple planet solar systems. Billions times billions. I don't believe we are unique.
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Jim Gorman replied to Jackie Hamilton
Grammatically there is one, but conceptually there may be an infinite number. I think it's awfully presumptuous for science to assume a single instance of anything. Specifically, when has that ever happened? I would assume that all things have a "life" cycle. It's more realistic and more fun to ponder what's next, not a future that is cold dark and lifeless.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Mintaka, also designated Delta Orionis is an easily visible multiple star system some 1,200 light-years from the Sun in the constellation of Orion. Together with Alnitak and Alnilam, the three stars form Orion's Belt, known by many names among ancient cultures. When Orion is near the meridian, Mintaka is the right-most of the Belt's stars when viewed from the...
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Dense cloud cover here in Maine, USA. Maybe tomorrow
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Enjoyed the week, Well done. For example, after all these years of wondering how the stars were used for navigation you've managed to explain it in such a basic, logical way that I finally got it. Looking forward to next week. Thanks.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Growing vegatables and raising animals for food obviously helped to solve the supply side of getting the staples needed to sustain life. They also required some community structure for group work or technical support. On the minus side of things, living in close poximity to animals and trading with different communities elevated the chance of catching...
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There is a very good paper on this topic at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1904&context=tsaconf
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Jim Gorman made a comment
I think I'd make a minor change in the order of which order to do the survey in that a field walk could greatly inform any of the approaches and may be run again at the end.
1. desktop survey:
2. Surface artefact mapping - fieldwalking
3. airborne remote sensing:
4. analytical earthwork survey:
5. geophysical survey:
6. field walk again
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Jim Gorman made a comment
The history of the site, what was it used for over time
The geology, what to expect in terms of rocks and what may be introduced by humans from another area for example
The soil, was it a settlement, farm, fort etc, over time? Soil composition, acidity and so on
Bones, human or animal pieces
Ceramics, glass, metals to expect if any -
Jim Gorman made a comment
To me, archaeology offers one an adventure. It can be of the arm chair type, doing research on incidents or theories which may lead down the road to the discovery of something new. Picking up on that, it can then be physical - the field work on land and in waters to uncover the artifacts arising from the assumptions made or ideas gained from research. In the...
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Archaeology is living history, it enables us to put events into context. Although the people are gone the artifacts help to explain the narrative, and sometimes are the only narrative. Understanding history placed in context better enables us to learn from and predict future events. It's fun too as it offers a complicated, fascinating tangible human journey of...
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Very well done by all. Thanks, learned much in such a short period as a result of how the course was presented as well its relevant content and compelling story line. If I were at a point in my life to make a decision as to how to proceed professionally, you would have me hooked.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Great course, thank you.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Well done!
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Hi I'm Jim, I have no practical application for this knowledge, I just thought it sounded interesting. Looking forward to learning something new.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Thank you, enjoyed it and am learning a lot.
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Jim Gorman replied to Terri Kay
What a great idea. On my list of a must do, another great reason to visit Toronto.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
I like opera but sense I under-appreciate much because I don't know a lot about it. Looking forward to learning more.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Not sure how the painting of statues plays into health and well being except color was used to reflect perhaps what was considered the ideal of good health. In that event, I can see how much is added to the intended effect by the reintroduction of color. We know that color was the artistic intent at the time by viewing ancient frescos and mosaics which were...
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Jim Gorman made a comment
It's the same today I think. We still call them quacks, but then make sure to visit them when we are sick.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Holistic medicine practitioners today believe that the whole person is made up of interdependent parts and if one part is not working properly, all the other parts will be affected. In this way, if people have imbalances (physical, emotional, or spiritual) in their lives, it can negatively affect their overall health. Jun 12, 2017
Many Roman doctors came from... -
Jim Gorman made a comment
I think yes, he is a reliable source with respect to documenting the views of the day on the what and how of health and well being. Were the views of the day correct? I think for the most part, yes too. It never ceases to amaze me how many things in the arts and sciences the ancient Greeks had figured out.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
I am avocationally active in the study and field work as a volunteer, in archaeology and the related artifacts and art. In the past few years I have become especially active in marine archaeology as a diver and am certified in underwater archaeological site surveying. The more I do it the more I wonder about where to draw the line to stop the treasure...
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Thank you for a great course and congratulations and good luck with your important work. I'll try to stay in touch with the newsletter and perhaps some day a visit to Portus.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
The richness of life for these people in terms of the interaction of different cultures, languages, food, shipping, travel, utilitarian and luxury buildings, art, mosaics, engineering flood control, fresh water aqueducts and on and on. For hundreds of years and the gold standard for almost two thousand years, leaves me in awe and makes me a bit envious. We...
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Marta è nipote di Anna.
Sara è cugina di Marta.
Franco è lo zio di Marta -
Jim Gorman made a comment
I have a gold crown that popped off when the tooth finally cracked. I don't know what they may think 2,000 years from now about metal teeth, probably that we were quite primitive. I also have a porcelain hand from a very old doll which I dug up in my garden. All but the middle finger is broken off. I think it looks hysterical. I keep it in the same little box...
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Use as a dry dock makes perfect sense to me. Since they were approximately 18 meters tall and open faced I cant think of any other purpose.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Well done, thank you.
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Jim Gorman replied to Kate Kendall
The different colors helped me to finally understand the text descriptions of various reference points and events as well. My thanks to the graphics person.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
My home is an old farmhouse in central Maine. It borders a river and on a bluff overlooking the river is a 9000 year old burial site of what are called here Red Paint people. It was a culture that buried the dead covered in red ochre, a natural pigment containing iron oxide, along with some stone age tools. Because of the acidic soil, all that remains is the...
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Jim Gorman made a comment
I think that ships were likely moored in the basin awaiting their turn to be brought to the dock for loading or unloading. The mooring stones would be unearthed during excavations and their distance from the known surface could then be calculated to determine basin depth.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
I didn't know much about Trajan, likely because Hollywood never made a movie about him. Apparently Richard Burton was otherwise busy. Nevertheless his accomplishments were quite remarkable. All are interesting and two are a wonder to me. The first is that he was able to conquer entire countries in a year or less time without any mechanized transportation or...
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Caio a tutti, mia chiamo Jim. La mia familia ha cinque persone. Noi viviamo in Maine negli Stati Uniti.
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Trying to visualize the site has been a bit like talking to someone over the phone and imagining what they look like. You get an impression of appearance from a bunch of clues like voice or even a physical description, but it's based on preconceived notions that are almost never correct. So these graphics made things much more real for me.
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You are correct. They apparently were not great at theoretical mathematics but they learned a lot from the Greeks and developed their own proficient system for the practical application of other arithmetic calculations.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
I too think the Roman's impact was indeed what we would call the first globalization of a culture. Globalization understood to mean of the known western world at the time. A world that represented a considerable number of cultures and languages. What is significant to me is that their life and life style, for those who could afford it, was pretty equal to or...
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Egotistical leaders, some things never change it seems. On the other hand who else would try to do such an impossible job.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
The engineering and technology often developed by and certainly leveraged for use by the Romans is astonishing. The results of projects such as this on their world commerce, human knowledge and social interaction makes today's social network wonders the iPhone or Facebook seem comparatively trivial doesn't it?
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Jim Gorman made a comment
I am here because of an interest in marine archaeology and ancient Mediterranean history and this course links to both. While I am trained in scuba diving and underwater archaeological site survey techniques and have worked on both terrestrial and underwater sites, I am also just an an amateur with only basic knowledge and skills. I do very much like the...
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Thanks for a great learning experience. Well done. You really got the crowd engaged.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
I think that forensic science is the application of the scientific method to disprove the hypothesis of the who, what, when, where, why and how with respect to a crime that was committed. It does this using a mixture of of discrete sciences such as chemistry, medicine, physics etc. Depending upon the evidence the results are usually predictable to a measurable...
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Beating the same drum from last week - Who saw the drug dealer's involvement? It does make me more appreciative of the broader use of forensic data. Otherwise, without additional information I remain puzzled. Is it Dougan, Ward or ?
My initial guess was Colonel Mustard and the candlestick. Clearly that was wrong now that we know there was a pistol used and a... -
Jim Gorman made a comment
The whole drug focus was unexpected but added an additional element both to motive and the use of forensic information. All I can say for sure about the case is that it is interesting and you have created an enjoyable learning experience. Thanks.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Who saw the drug dealer's involvement? It does make me more appreciative of the broader use of forensic data. Otherwise, without additional information I remain puzzled. Is it Dougan, Ward or ?
My initial guess was Colonel Mustard and the candlestick. Clearly that was wrong now that we know there was a pistol used and a PhD chemist involved somehow. So my... -
Jim Gorman made a comment
Having served on a jury recently, you can bet any hole in the analysis will be picked apart by the defense attorney and the bad guy will walk away after society endangered law enforcement to stop him and spent a huge amount to prosecute. A test seems a small price to pay if it leads to justice.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Honestly, I couldn't learn, understand and possibly retain all this in the three hours I have allotted for the entire week. But I appreciate the depth of information and will review at some point.
So in my mind, I am now wondering why are we getting all this. Was the shooting at the loch a drug deal gone bad. I hope so, somehow makes it all worthwhile :) -
Jim Gorman made a comment
Ciao a tutti. I need to do this week again, perhaps I'll actually retain a thing or two. Fun to try though. Grazie
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Caio a tutti, Io sono archeologo marino.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Ciao! Mi chiamo Jim, Io sono americano, di Maine e Florida. Io vivo Winslow Maine e lavoro archeologia marina.
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Jim Gorman replied to Liz Phillips
You pick up a few words or phrases from a vacation or checking out apps like duo lingo. No worries, they are only about 15 minutes ahead of you.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Vino per favore. Grazie. Io mi chiamo Jim.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Good course, enjoyed this week's information. Thanks for the case study, makes it fun to learn.
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So Mr. Ward tells the Inspector it's none of his business what he and the wife were doing at the loch. I'm pretty sure he doesn't understand where the investigation of his less than brilliantly executed crime is going.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
The prints appear detailed and likely unique due to the wear and tear. I think they would be a compelling piece of evidence if perhaps not conclusive.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Old shoe sole, olive oil and cocoa powder. Bon appetit!
I'll pass - thanks anyway. -
Jim Gorman made a comment
It reads like there was a struggle for the gun in the car between Mr. and Mrs. Ward while he attempted to and did shoot her.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
In a perfect world it makes sense to gather and retain everyone's DNA to among other things solve crimes, act as a deterrent, identify and make services available to people at genetic risk, etc. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world and the opportunity for injustice and abuse by some who would misuse the information exists and could be very damaging...
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Kind of a low comment rate on this one, go figure. I did look at the picture Christy posted, close enough for me.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
What - blood drops and splatter
Where - in the car interior, clothes, body, ground.
How - two gun shot wounds
When - Aug. 4 around 3:30 PM
Why - alleged robbery
Continue to collect and analyze background information, physical evidence, and locate the first person on the scene who has since disappeared. -
Jim Gorman made a comment
Right! Well, going back to our case study I learned that I completely forgot to check whose blood was where in a multiple victim shooting incident. Nevertheless, I am sure I will soon find many other things I overlooked. It is pretty amazing though, to learn - in such a concise manner - how much information these tests provide to the investigator.
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Very interesting and you make a good analogy of the predictability of the perpetrator's behavior being as useful as the hard science. Obviously you must be very good at what you do. I am into archaeology and the hunt for historical artifacts to study to better understand and advance human knowledge. Forensic science seems to me to be much the same as that but...
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Those are horrible stories. Our system in the USA is far from perfect too. Justice for the offender and the victim is everyone's goal but sometimes our systems fail us. I hope forensic science can help to correct some of those problems.
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Hopefully, time and pressure will change that policy.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Good course, good format, it all works well, thanks.
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To establish the who, what and why check fingerprints on the shell casing, door handles door panel - windows- inside and out, the ring, steering wheel, any surface really. All to determine who was there, and what they did or did not do, where they were located and why - if it was a robbery. There should be fingermarks somewhere if there was third party...
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Apparently I had little idea of the varied surfaces which fingerprints could adhere to. Got to love science. If you are considering a career in crime make sure your tool-kit includes rubber gloves which you must wear at all times.
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Jim Gorman replied to Makarita Suiqa
I am sure there is a percentage of crimes which are never solved due to a lack of evidence to identify or convict a perpetrator. I suppose forensic science reduces the percentage but luck and planning will always enable the bad guy to get away sometimes. Is there any way to measure the success rate of forensics in convictions?
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Jim Gorman made a comment
I can understand how one could get hooked on it. It seems to me that criminologists have developed an approach to data collection and analysis requiring a broad knowledge of the natural sciences and then they integrate findings with the softer discipline of human behavioral science. All to catch bad guys and keep us safe. Cool.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Impressive University, faculty and history. Looking forward to learning a bit.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Who moved the car?
Whose blood is on the armrest/facia?
Where is the other bullet casing? -
Jim Gorman made a comment
Until we learn more, I'm sticking with Colonel Mustard in the study by a candlestick.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
I think forensic science is using the scientific method and techniques to help solve a crime. However, I am somewhat confused by the word forensic itself. For example, this is forensic science, I also hear of forensic competition debating and in finance - forensic accounting. So I assume forensic coupled with another word means some type of structured,...
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Jim Gorman replied to Janie Smith
I am into marine archaeology a hoping too that I may learn related research and on-site considerations and techniques. In addition and perhaps equally enticing, learning more about this field of science just sounds like fun.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
Great job, congratulations and thanks to you all.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
I gave myself a score of 16. No reflection on the material, more of my ability to concentrate, sometimes spotty. Except for the food and wine section, in which I received a perfect score. Go figure. Great course thanks, I learned much and enjoyed it all.
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Jim Gorman replied to Huw Jones
Thanks for that background, you are correct to put it in context and I missed it. Eager, I suppose to negate disparaging remarks about civility and history. I also agree that the 2 gallons of wine per day is mind-boggling, in more ways than one. However, that behavior may have made Medieval England and all its blood lust more tolerable. It would have for me...
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Pope Gregory may have been stretching his connection with the divinity on this one. I am pretty sure God, assuming he was involved in the decision, knows that rabbits, in what ever stage of development , are not fish. However, here on earth the Pope's logic is at least interesting, if not tongue in cheek. Or would that be fish too.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
I am now hungry and am stopping any more reading to eat my dinner. Immediate gratification - Great chapter.
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Jim Gorman made a comment
I'm in it for the food - and wine of course. Hoping to find a recipe or two this week.
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Jim Gorman replied to Huw Jones
I get what you are saying, here is how I view it. Since the course is named England in the time of Richard III, I expected that he would be the key element to study to better understand this period. Any person's remains should be treated with respect, in this case we have his and not others. The "new tomb" provides the respect due to a king while offering an...
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Jim Gorman replied to Jim Gorman
As I understand it, life expectancy is measured at birth and then from your age forward. I am not an expert by any measure, there is a good explanation with relevant charts at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy . They peg the at birth life expectancy for Medieval English peerage at 30. In 2010 they calculate the world rate at 67.
