Today In Space

Dodging Space Garbage

Space shuttle avoids debris when possible.

Impacts occur regularly on shuttle flights. Wired Science obtained the Hypervelocity Impact Database, which revealed that in the 54 missions from STS-50 through STS-114, space junk and meteoroids hit shuttle windows 1,634 times necessitating 92 window replacements. In addition, the shuttle's radiator was hit 317 times, actually causing holes in the radiator's facesheet 53 times.

Where Bankin's Funner!

I had to check this out. It's for real.

Redneck is currently offering a 3.1 percent yield, with no minimum deposit, on balances of up to $35,000 (1.65 percent on balances exceeding that) in its mega money market account. That’s considerably better than two of the biggest online banks' money market offerings, ING Direct’s 1.5 percent APY or HSBC Direct’s 1.65 percent.

River Fun

Follow that goose.

We will land here.

Fearless Phil.

Fearless leader.

Fearless follower.

Great fun on the river today. We went under the Sundial Bridge. People on the bridge took lots of pictures of us. Maybe I will see them, one day.

I kept my camera in the dry bag. Since losing the Olympus camera to a damp trunk, I didn't want to take a chance of getting the Sanyo wet. I will have to get a Kayak camera for the next trip. It was beautiful on the river.

Golden Frog

Panamanian golden frog.

I found these pictures in the "China View"-on line news.

Strange Statue

Santa Fe (Photo Source: CRIENGLISH.com/Xinjo.com)

I don't know what is stranger; The pictures, or that I got Panama and Santa Fe pictures, from China.

Wall-E

In keeping with Dodging Space Garbage, I heartily recommend the DVD, "Wall-E".

Today's Relatively Appropriate Song;
Stardust - Artie Shaw

Heavenly

Getting The Picture

How to Blog?
Making Big Pictures Fit
The Happy Phil Way

Poppies by the doctors parking lot. 4/7/09

Put picture on desktop as png file.

Insert image in Google Docs.

Now you have the picture in the document editor, where it can be moved around, sized, and used to illustrate text.

The Video


I made this video for George Bleich, explaining how I reduce 10 mega pixal pictures from my photo library so they will fit on a blog or web page. His mail server cant handle a 17MB file, so I put it here for all to see. I hope it's helpful.

Good Stuff To Eat

I really enjoy Natures Path cereals.

I am not real big on granolas, but this is different. It's good by itself, or when mixed with another cereal. I feel good about the cereal that I get from Natures Path, especially after I went to their website. I have written about them before. You can find those previous posts with the search blog box. Type "cereal", or "granola", or "Natures Path", and it will find the articles I have written that have that word in them. It's actually much easier than the labels. The labels are getting top heavy. I may change that feature.

Dog In A Teacup

Chihuahua-Jack Russel mix. 1 month old.

I remember when you could buy a dog that fit in a tea cup. Just send $4.95 and the coupon from the back of the comic book. You could also get "Sea Monkeys" for $1.49.

That's A Cute Baby

Infant Francois Langur. Toranga Zoo Wildlife Hospital.

When people show me their babies, "cute", is not the word that comes to my mind. But, this little monkey is the very esscence of cute, in my humble opinion.

Albino Bottlenose Dolfin

Albino dolphin in Louisiana's Lake Calcasieu,(inland estuary).

Meanwhile In Space

Dust lanes backlit by millions of stars in NGC 7049 halo.

The Hubble and ESA telescope images never fail to fascinate me.

Nanotubes Strengthen Plastic

Electron microscopic view of nano composite strength test.

(PhysOrg.com) -- A research group from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel has discovered that adding carbon nanotubes to a widely used commercial plastic can greatly strengthen it. Their work is one example of how incorporating carbon nanotubes into plastics and other materials can yield composites with much improved properties.

Happy Phil Podcaster

Still experimenting with the new microphone. 4/7/09

I have tried the new 1" diaphragm condenser mic, singing a song, and speaking a voice over. It sounds great. Another experiment will be with my friend, Fred, down in Mississippi. He wants to do a radio show/podcast, and is finding the places on the internet where we can do it. It should be fun. Fred and I were in radio, years ago.

Today's Relatively Appropriate Song;
Radio -Van Morrison

It might rain tonight

Trash/treasure, True/false, Good/Bad

Character

This camera has given me thousands of good pictures.

My old Olympus camera won't focus anymore. It was in the trunk of the Buick during our record breaking 4 inches of rain in an hour downpour, and got damp. I wouldn't have known it was malfunctioning, except I dug it out for a photography lesson/field trip. At first the motorized lens wouldn't respond and the lights didn't light. I opened it up and the batteries felt damp, so I left it open to dry out. A couple of days later, the lens would extend and retract, but the motor/relay/circuit that adjusts the focus isn't moving.

I have been hoping that eventually it will start working again, but so far, it still wont focus. I liked some of the qualities it would give to certain kinds of pictures. Even though the lens has a couple of scratches, it had character. Now, it's time to let it go.

This letting go thing is still a complicated and emotional process. We develop attachments to our stuff, some greater than others. Saying goodbye can be as simple as tossing something in the trash, or keeping a broken item for years, thinking that one day there will be a use for it. It might be that it reminds me of some one or place and time, so it would be classified as a memento, a keepsake, an heirloom. It just seems wasteful to throw it away.

I grew up in a time when a camera would be passed on to the next generation. This was the result of 2 things.

1. The cameras were made to last.
2. We didn't have a lot of disposable products, yet.

People in America were still making things in the world when I grew up. Now we just buy stuff made elsewhere.


These Were Prized Possessions

Cameras are recycled at Sims Recycling Solutions.

Coincidentally, I ran across a story on recycling electronics, at the same time I am deciding what to do with my camera. There was a picture of a pile of cameras about to be reduced to their basic substances. It is kind of weird to see them all piled up like that.

The Story

Ham, Avocado & Cheese.

It was a good sandwich.


The Space Station

It looks good with all the solar panels attached.

Plastic Water Bottles

Dangerous? Nope.

You may have seen the email going around that warns of killer plastic water bottles. Not true. It seems that a college student based his masters thesis on an un-reviewed assumption. He thought the PET plastic used in water bottles was chemically changing in his freezer. The email incorrectly states that PET plastic uses diethylhydroxylamine, when it is actually diethylhexyl adipate that is used as a plasticizer in the productuction of water bottles.

Just use common sense when re-using water bottles, wash them before refilling.

My New Boat?

Ahoy there.

I thought I would spend the day shopping for a boat to spend my newly found millions on.

That's right, I got an email from a woman, (who cant spell), and she wants to give me 10 million dollars because she is dying and cant use it. All I have to do is contact her barrister at his "gmail" address and he will make all the arrangements. I can hardly wait.

She must have a lot of money because she wants to give millions to thousands of people with email. Speaking of email. Gmail is a powerful beta program that is free, and used by millions of people. I am one of them. What it is not used for is business. Legitimate businesses do not use Hotmail, Yahoo, or Gmail. (Although I do have a paid Yahoo mail address that could be used for business, if I redirect the mail that is sent to my website.)

Imagine my disappointment when it began to dawn on me that the, "$10 million USD", would not be swelling my bank account. Then I began to wonder what to do with this toxic email. If I delete it the wrong way will it infect my computer or email somehow? What if I accidentally clicked on the link when I tried to get rid of it? How did they get my address? I wonder if it will rain next week? I think I will take a shower and deal with it later.


Easter On The 12Th

The ancient Germanic festival of Ostara (in honor of the goddess also known as Eostra, from whose name the word estrogen was derived) celebrated the cyclical return of light and life with fertility rituals and symbols, some of which still survive in the modern observance of Easter (also derived from "Eostra"), which traditionally falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox.

Here In Redding

Waterfall at Cyprus, Pine, and Market Streets. 4/4/09

What a nice place to wait for the light to change.

Nice little oasis in the three street intersection. 4/4/09

It is a beautiful day here. The weather report suggests rain will possibly begin on Tuesday. We shall see. In the meantime all is well.

Today's Relatively Appropriate Song;
It's Getting Better All The Time
-Beatles

Enjoy

Season Of Enlightenment

It Might As Well Be Spring

Flowers in Dorothy's garden. 3/20/09

That was the scene Friday afternoon.

This evening, (Saturday), the sound of the blowing wind is accented by the occasional rumble of thunder. There is a chance that we may get some rain with these clouds and gusty air. I have some books to read while I am warm and dry in my abode. They are; The Wordy Shipmates-Sara Vowell, Bones-Jonathan Kellerman, and The Brass Verdict-Michael Connelly.

I like to read more than one book at a time, and I picked these three new releases from the library to enhance this rainy weekend, should it actually rain. This is the first book by Sara Vowell, for me, and I am finding a kindred soul in her observations, and the way she bundles time, and related events, into compound sentences in a way that gives the reader room to tie up the loose ends with our own knowledge of history.

Some of you already know that there seems to be something extraordinary about the seemingly random choice of books that I read in groups. This is the case with the Sara Vowell book and a Michael Crichton book I am still reading. They both stress the importance of knowing history and how the present, like an island, is just the tip of the mountain. The Crichton book is, Timeline.


Island Paradise Available Soon

Remodeling underway at island paradise near Tonga.

Sweet Story

« Review of the Day: Sugar Cane ... Good, new, kid's book.

From the tomato sauce on a Pizza Hut pie called “The Natural,” to the just-released soda Pepsi Natural, some of the biggest players in the American food business have started, in the last few months, replacing high-fructose corn syrup with old-fashioned sugar.

You may have read my research on the damage that HFCS is doing to the health and well being of humans who have been consuming products that contain this non-food sweetener, or read for yourself about the epidemic increase in obesity, diabetes, heart disease, allergy's, and other global health issues; and how it can be linked to the introduction and proliferation of HFCS in processed food and drink products. Well, take heart, if yours is not too damaged by this stuff, corporate food companies are switching back to sugar.

Have Your Wedding Here

Juliet's balcony, now available for weddings.

Travel to Verona and get married at the house of Juliet, (13Th century home of the Cappello family). The house of the Capulet's, in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

What could be more romantic than the balcony that played a part in the tragic suicide of a couple of teenagers. I don't think it bodes well for a long and happy life together.

I love This Stuff

Photo by Jimmy Sakuma, using his iPhone. 3/18/09

March 23rd begins with a crisp clear spring morning, here in Redding.

Mount Shasta awakes in a shroud of cloud, while a mantle of mist lies upon the southern flank of Lassen.

Ever changing,
the morning reveals more more majestic perspectives.

Now a cotton candy coating in the sunlight, glowing on Shasta leads me back home to a cup of organic coffee and soon, this being Monday, breakfast, just the way I like it, prepared by Sandi.

I am blessed. God makes everyday beautiful. My eyes are open. I am happy.

Today's Relatively Appropriate Song;
It Might As Well Be Spring

Grateful

Reality In Different Media

Collection

Thanks to Jo and Brandi for sending this in an e-mail.

If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

I have been wonderfully busy with many different projects to fill me with joy, wonder, and a sense of accomplishment. I am even completing some of the projects I begin.

An interesting combination of mediums is a video I am making for a little contest. Entries are supposed to explain nano science. To do mine, I have written and recorded a song called, "Fullerenes", to use as the soundtrack. This is one of 4 songs that are giving me, "hands on", experience with the new iLife '09, GarageBand. The on screen interface looks like this...

Song production with GarageBand,(Life Is What You...).

Next, visuals.

Chimney Sweep Mouse

I figure to use this little mouse to carry the storyline. He will sweep industrial smokestacks, collect CO2, and separate the carbon from the oxygen. From the carbon, he will extract Fullerenes, and Nano Tubes, by the ton. He will then give them to scientists and engineers to use in the construction of bridges, elevated trains, super conductive cable, nano circuits, and thousands of other applications. In the end the air is cleaner, America is the world leader in manufacturing, and the skies are not cloudy all day.

Well now, how the heck am I going to animate the mouse? I could hand draw a couple of thousand pictures, photograph them, string the photos together into a motion picture, and have my video ready sometime next year. I could just put a cutout on a stick and move it around. Or, I can figure out how to use the animation program I got today, and make it that way.

I think I will sleep on it.



Dorothy O'Neil's Garden Awakes

From Dorothy's backyard garden....3/10/09

I found this poking up out there too.

This was growing from a dropped bulb on the path.

What a nice surprise. I looked out behind building, "A", this afternoon and saw that flowers are beginning to adorn Dorothy's garden. I took some pictures and there may be another greeting card or two in the bunch.

Dreams
I had some very interesting dreams last night.

In one, I got to play some blues guitar for my Dad. He was my dad, only he looked like Ernie Kovacs. There was a great cast of characters and it took place on a dusty hillside. I played a red Gibson, double cutaway, solid body guitar, like I had for awhile in 1966, when I played in Houston.

In another dream, I was walking from banquet room to banquet room, to find the party for the disabled people, that someone had told me about. Finally, after twisting and turning through the back passageways, I came to a poorly lit room where there was a party with cake and ice cream. I looked past the people, to the other side of the room and saw Chrissy looking to catch my attention. I could see the light of love in her eyes. She had her wheelchair, and we made our way out of the building, where we came to a canal, or flooded street. (New Orleans?).

As she would often do, when she was alive, she drove her wheelchair right into the water to get to the other side. It was deeper than we thought, but she plowed on until the only thing above water was her head, moving along through the dark water, as her wheelchair kept on going. It was fun to see.

I wonder if there will be more to the story tonight?

Tonight's Relatively Appropriate Song;
Because

Sweet Dreams

The Large and The Small

March Ahead

Moon and Venus

The Moon and Venus as seen from my balcony. 2/27/09

It was splendid to see. The crescent Moon also showed the rest of itself, lit by light reflecting from Earth. My thanks to Toms Astronomy Blog or I would have forgotton to go out on my balcony and look.

Speaking of the balcony, the tree trimmers came, and gave the trees, a GI haircut.

Just A Trim, Please

It's a year of cutbacks.

What A View

The trimmed tree sure opens up the sky.

I was trying to describe my new setup with the Macbook and HDTV monitor, and thought; "Maybe a couple of pictures will help".


Editing A Movie

Phil the editor after tooth extraction. 2/28/09

Nice workspace.

Note that this angle is instrumental to give the scale.

Editing with iMovie '09

The mic is for voice-overs.

Muddy River

The rains wash, nutrient rich, soil into the river.

I went out to the store for food last night, while the moon and Venus were so wonderfully prominent in the western sky.

At the register, I was talking about the Moon and Venus display to the nice lady who was checking me out, when a woman came up and said;"What?, Did You say, Venus?, My name is Venus, and we have been driving I-5, for hours, using the moon and that star as our guiding light."

I said; "That is Venus."

The check out lady said, to the woman traveler; "You see, you were your own guiding light."

Today's Relatively Appropriate Song;
The Nano Song
-Nanomonster1

The Nanotation Web Site

Balance