Shakuhachi

The shakuhachi (尺八、しゃくはち, pronounced [ɕakɯhatɕi]) is a Japanese end-blown flute.

It was originally introduced from China into Japan in the 8th century and underwent a resurgence in the early Edo Period. The shakuhachi is traditionally made of bamboo, but versions now exist in ABS and hardwoods. It was used by the monks of the Fuke school of Zen Buddhism in the practice of suizen (吹禅, blowing meditation).

The instrument is tuned to the minor pentatonic scale.

Overview

The name shakuhachi means "1.8 shaku", referring to its size. It is a compound of two words:

Thus, "shaku-hachi" means "one shaku eight sun" (almost 55 centimeters), the standard length of a shakuhachi. Other shakuhachi vary in length from about 1.3 shaku up to 3.3 shaku. Although the sizes differ, all are still referred to generically as "shakuhachi".

Meri (political party)

Meri (Hebrew: מר"י‎, lit. Rebellion, also an acronym for Mehaney Radikali Yisraeli (Hebrew: מחנה רדיקלי ישראלי), lit. Israeli Radical Camp) was a small radical left-wing political party in Israel. It was founded in the 1960s as HaOlam HaZeh – Koah Hadash by Uri Avnery, editor of HaOlam HaZeh.

History

The party was founded by Uri Avnery, editor and owner of the anti-establishment HaOlam HaZeh news magazine, and was the first major radical party in Israel. It surprisingly passed the electoral threshold in the 1965 election, gaining 1.2% of the vote and one seat, taken by Avnery.

The 1969 election saw the party pick up two seats, with fellow HaOlam HaZeh journalist and owner Shalom Cohen taking the second seat. However, disagreements between Avnery and Cohen led to the party breaking up on 4 January 1972. Cohen served the remainder of the Knesset session as an independent MK, whilst on 3 July 1973 Avnery renamed the party Meri.

The party included members of Aki and former members of Siah on its list for the 1973 elections, but it failed to cross the electoral threshold and Avnery lost his seat. Prior to the 1977 elections, the party merged with Moked, the Independent Socialist Faction and some members of the Black Panthers to form the Left Camp of Israel. The new party won two seats, which were rotated between five party members, including Avnery. However, they failed to win any seats in the 1981 elections and did not reappear in the Knesset.

Meri (mythology)

In the mythology of the Bororo people of Brazil, Meri is a folk hero and sun-god.

A crater on Saturn's moon Hyperion has been named after him.

References

Har

Har or HAR may refer to:

Hár (crater)

Hár is a crater on Jupiter's moon Callisto. Its name is one of the many names of Odin, the supreme god in Norse mythology. This is an example of a central dome impact crater.

References

Paul Auguste Hariot

Paul Auguste Hariot (1854 - 5 July 1917), the son of Louis Hariot (also a pharmacist), was a French pharmacist and noted phycologist, best known for his 1900 publication Atlas Colorié des Plantes Médicinales Indigènes.

Hariot took up the position of botanical assistant at the École Supérieure de Pharmacie in the late 1870s during his training in pharmacy in Paris. On qualifying in 1882, his rather quiet and studious life was changed by an invitation to accompany the botanist Émile Bescherelle (1828-1903) on an expedition to Cape Horn aboard the ship La Romanche, a trip during which he amassed a fine collection of algae. On returning to France he studied natural sciences and was awarded a degree in 1888 whereupon he joined the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, working in the cryptogamic herbarium under Professor van Tieghem. Here he worked on classifying specimens that had been gathered by Sébastien Vaillant (1669-1722), and those of the brothers Edmond and Charles Tulasne. He revised when necessary the taxonomy and systematics of the species described, and his name appears frequently as a second author for many species of algae. In 1890 he was awarded the Prix Montagne by the Academy of Sciences for his monograph on terrestrial algae of the genus Trentepohlia. He was awarded the Prix Desmazières for 1913 for his work on marine flora.

Nazar

Nazar may refer to:

Persons

Places

Film and television

Literature

Music

Others