The Mystery Of Spring

Easter

It's a beautiful day before Easter here at the Treehouse.

How Did We Get Easter?

The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE.) a Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was named after Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre). She was the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe. Similarly, the "Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility [was] known variously as Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostre, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos." Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring: "eastre."

In The Building "A" Lobby

I love this place where I live. It's Easter-ween, 2009.

Confused?

Actually, many people get confused about which customs accompany holidays, and why.
What do Bunnies, Eggs, and Bouquet's have to do with Jesus?
I will be happy to help clear that up for you;

Sleeping Beauty eggshell carving.

Spring is a time of re-birth. The life within the dormant plants springs forth in beautiful displays of color and shapes to attract pollinators. It's time for lifeforms to make more of themselves, the rites of spring are upon us. Everything is making babies like, well,... Rabbits.

But how does this fit with the Jesus story?

Spring is in the air.

This from Wikipedia;

Pope Gregory the Great ordered his missionaries to use old religious sites and festivals, and absorb them into Christian rituals where possible. The Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Christ was ideally suited to be merged with the Pagan feast of Eostre, and many of the traditions were adopted into the Christian festivities.^[5] There are also good grounds for the association between hares (later termed Easter bunnies) and eggs, through folklore confusion between hares' forms (where they raise their young) and plovers' nests.^[6]

Or;

The ancient Persians painted eggs for Nowrooz, their New Year celebration, which falls on the Spring equinox. The Nawrooz tradition has existed for at least 2,500 years. The decorated eggs are one of the core items to be placed on the Haft Seen, the Persian New Year display. The sculptures on the walls of Persepolis show people carrying eggs for Nowrooz to the king.

What About The Ham?

Coming to an Easter dinner near you.

About.com has this;
In the United States, ham is a traditional Easter food. In the early days, meat was slaughtered in the fall. There was no refrigeration, and the fresh pork that wasn't consumed during the winter months before Lent was cured for spring. The curing process took a long time, and the first hams were ready around the time Easter rolled around. Thus, ham was a natural choice for the celebratory Easter dinner.

Taking A Gander

Also popular to eat during the Christmas season.

I haven't found a long standing Easter goose tradition, except for the giving of goose eggs. I did find a recipe that an Australian used for Easter dinner, but it was a first time event. I will ask Lon, tomorrow when I stop by for Easter goose dinner.

About The Flowers

.
Flowers are abundant here at the Treehouse.

See the bee?

Beautiful flowers everywhere I turned. 4/11/09

There were so many photogenic blooms,
I made a slide show video.

Todays Relatively Appropriate Song;
Life Is What You Make It -Happy Phil

Be Thankful-Blame No One

The Art Of Perception

The Way It Looks To Me
Zen Photography

More light, water, and shadow from 1/21/09

Perceptions Alter Electrons

Sunset 1/24/09

Yesterday, I just happened to look out my balcony window and saw some photogenic clouds, lit by the setting sun. "Wow!", sez I, "More pictures."

I picked up the Sanyo VPC-T1060, and began looking at the sky, within and without the camera. I snapped a couple of shots to the west and south, changed the settings and snapped again a few minutes later. I did this until I felt I had captured all this sunset was going to give me, hooked the camera up to the computer, and began looking through what I had shot.

Sunset 1/24/09

I was thrilled by the different views my camera produced of the same sunset.

Sunset 1/24/09

I realized that the color and composition changed with my perceptions as I took the pictures.

I believe in the power of positive thinking, Zen, Quantum Theory, Affirmative Attitude, Happy Thoughts, or whatever you want to call it. I have seen the manifestations of my mind and spirit captured on film, in my songs, and reflected in the world around me, and here was more evidence of how my state of being affects the behavior of the electrons in my digital camera.

Sunset 1/24/09

I went back outside and took more pictures.

Sunset 1/24/09

This time, I didn't change the settings.
I just pointed and snapped the way I saw it.

Sunset 1/24/09

I know some people who wonder why their pictures don't look as good as they want them to.

It's the electrons.

They react to our state of mind.

Sunset 1/24/09

My mind was relaxed and open to God's magnificent display. The electrons felt the same way, and organized themselves into clear images of the glorious sunset as it unfolded here in Redding. On my patio, January 24, 2009.

Sunset 1/24/09

My lens on life shows more beauty,
if I wipe away preconceived expectations.

Writing by the river.

It seems that the most basic truths have many descriptions.

First there is a mountain.
Then there is no mountain.
Then there is.

Today's Relatively Appropriate Song;
First There Is A Mountain -Donovan

Feed The Good Wolf

May We All Enjoy The Gift Of Life

Prayer

Clouds as seen from my balcony-1/14/09

I am thinking a prayer is like voting; I wish a person well, it's my vote.
I hope God counts my votes.

Prayer;

• the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving); "the priest sank to his knees in ...
• reverent petition to a deity
• entreaty: earnest or urgent request; "an entreaty to stop the fighting"; "an appeal for help"; "an appeal to the public to keep calm"
• a fixed text used in praying
• someone who prays to God
  wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

• Prayer is the act of attempting to communicate with a deity or spirit. Purposes for this may include worshiping, requesting guidance, requesting assistance, confessing sins, as an act of reparation or to express one's thoughts and emotions. ...
  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer
• A practice of communicating with one's God; The act of praying; The specific words or methods used for praying; A meeting held for the express ...
  en.wiktionary.org/wiki/prayer
• pray - address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer; "pray to the Lord"
• pray - beg: call upon in supplication; entreat; "I beg you to stop!"
  wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

First, I have to believe that God is listening to me.
Why would God listen to me?
Prayer seems pretentious and egoistic.
"I will pray for those who are suffering." Doesn't God already know who is suffering? Does God need me to tell him who needs his help? Since when does God, who created everything, not know who needs help?

Assuming that God listens to, and cares about me, do I have to give him directions?
"Dear God, please make the sun rise on California, tomorrow."

More clouds as seen from my balcony-1/14/09

I know that God created the universe, and our solar system is designed to function automatically for a few more years, so praying that the sun will rise is a wasted petition. But do it in public wearing a costume, and the natives are impressed; "I pray each day that the sun will rise, or we will be doomed to eternal darkness." The next thing you know, I could really put on a show. I could stylize the phrasing and get down on my knees and grovel so that the audience will be impressed by my sincerity. It sounds stupid, but people have been falling for that one a long time, and throwing virgins into the volcano to seal the deal.

Wishing Well

"May the flowers bloom and the air smell sweet at Marian's house for her birthday."
Is this a prayer, or just a nice thought?

If I say, "Amen", does that make it an official prayer?

• The act of speaking to God
  www.portsmouthcatholiccathedral.org.uk/terminology.html
• Prayer in various forms is encouraged. Prayer can be silent or "aloud." Prayer can be spellwork, the sending of healing energy or good ...
  www.tvwiki.tv/wiki/Uniterranism
• Muslims pray five times at special times of the day. [2]
  simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim

Quantum Theory

Our thoughts and attitude impact the universe in a physical way.

Clouds behind trees as seen from my balcony-1/14/09

Happy thoughts about the flowers in Marian's yard will affect their performance and help them to bloom joyously. Angry, or negative thoughts will stunt their growth and cause them to wither prematurely, quantum theory asserts.

Superstition

If I forget to say my prayers each night, will I die?
"Now I lay me down to sleep...", scared me. When I was 4 years old, I would stay awake wondering if I would wake up the next day. "If I die before I wake..." What? Die in my sleep? I am just becoming aware of being alive and every night I am re-enforcing the possibility that I won't wake up. I stopped that immediately after I figured out it was a stupid and scary thing to say.

Do I believe in God?

Absolutely. God's wonders fill my life with joy and happiness.
I am a child of God, living in God's universe.


Do I pray?

George Bleich painting as seen in my apartment.

I humbly thank God for his help and love, with every breath I take.
I thank God for pulling me out of the quicksand of helpless depression.
I thank God that I can let God help me enjoy the potential of this life He has given me.

But, do I, "Pray"?
I listen to God speaking through the earth, wind, water, fire, plants, animals, weather, music, art, literature, the cosmos, and in my mind. Sometimes I ask God for help. I find the answers are there if I just listen.

I guess it depends on what my definition of prayer is.

What about religion
and structured prayer?

I think that there is nothing wrong with religion as long as it remains harmless.
I think praying for soldiers to kill the "bad guys", is scary and weird, because the "bad guys", are praying too.

When someone asks me, "Do you believe Jesus is your lord and savior?", I have learned to tell them, "Sure."
When a little kid asks me, "Do you believe in Santa Claus?", I have learned to tell them, "Sure."

Which came first, the bunny or the egg?

I think the Easter Bunny is harmless.
I haven't heard of any wars being waged in the name of the Easter Bunny.
The next time someone asks me,"Do you believe in the Easter Bunny?", I will tell them, "Sure."

Today's Relatively Appropriate Song;
My Prayer -The Platters

For Goodness Sake

Where Would We Be Without Love?

Snow Woman

122 foot tall snow woman in Bethel, Maine.
They call her, "Olympia", after the governor of Maine. They have had a record snow fall this year, and what do you do with all that snow? Build a snow man/woman. The arms are 26 foot trees. My thanks to Jo Anna for sending me this in an e-mail today.

Those eyelashes are ski's!

Depression

From my dictionary widget

For the past few days I have been dissatisfied with some things. I kept having the feeling I could have done better, or been more sensitive to the world in which I live, and the people in it. I keep feeling like I forgot something or left something uncompleted. I have found myself being critical and condescending of others. Mildly irritated, like having a toothache. (Hmmm, I do have a toothache!)

I have heard many people talking about the holidays and depression, and I agree that this time of year can be very hard on some people. We even have meetings 24 hours a day at the club to provide a place of safety and comfort for those who need support.

This time of year puts a lot of pressure on some people.

This is from the same widget.

I woke up this morning with the idea that I may be experiencing depression.
How can that be?
I am happy, relatively healthy, and I have practically everything I need.
Why would I feel uncomfortable?
Maybe the answer will be revealed if I write about it.

What is it?

For me, when it used to be obvious, it was like a gray veil of fear and emptiness, inside of which I lived. When it had a hold on me, the world was a colorless place, dull and uninspiring. Knowing, that in a day or two, it would pass, did nothing to alleviate it.

I asked some of the people around me. Many of them were taking pills of some kind for depression. I wasn't particularly encouraged by their results. They seemed to have made the treatment of their mental state into a second career or lifestyle.

Drinking and drugs could provide a temporary diversion, but in the end only compounded my problem with depression.

The times of emptiness and disillusionment reinforced my pessimistic view of the world.

I think what saved me from complete madness were the two greatest things on earth; Music and Love.

I put them in that order because I found them in that order. From the very beginning, music put me in touch with God, (as I have come to know and understand God). Some musicians know what I am talking about. There are times when singing and playing, I touch God.

A woman I know, who experiences the same thing, described it to me as being covered in warm honey and filled with the bright light of divine existence. It doesn't always happen, but it echos through all performances until the next time it happens.

For me it's like I am plugged into everything that is, was, and will be anywhere in every way, all at once. The energy that comes through me feels, looks, and sounds like all the souls, in all the universes, alive in every note. I am humbled and enriched every time I am given that hand up to Gods place while I am playing and singing here on earth. Talk about awesome!

It doesn't happen all the time, but the feeling lingers until another glorious moment of contact.

The other thing that saved me from complete insanity is Love.

I never felt love for another human being until my second wife. Emotion and affection were discouraged in the Seymour household. I managed to exist without feeling, other than my own mental and physical pain, until I was 25.

With Kathy, nature stepped in and flipped my switch for biological love. Wow! The sun would shine, birds would sing, flowers would bloom and people could see and feel the love radiating from the two of us. Love songs poured out of me. I was filled with endorphins and happiness. "So this is what all the fuss is about", I said to myself. "This is it!" No more blues songs for me.

The scientific study on, "biological love", would not be published for another 20 years, so I was not prepared for the inevitable day when the bloom was off the rose. It seems that when we meet with an ideal mate in natures view, we fall head over heels in joyous, blissful lust for 4 years. If after four years this pairing has not produced offspring, nature turns off the joy and encourages us to move on to other unions. I wish I had known. I thought Kathy just wanted to tear out my heart and run over it with our car. I wrote a lot of blues songs.

For the next few years I was a little restrained when love would come my way, but Vicky was irresistible and love was sparking off of us like bolts of lightning. Living inside that electric field was reason enough to abandon my reticence, wind chimes chimed and the world entertained us with displays of beauty and wonder. I was writing love songs again. "This is it!" This is why I was put on this earth, nothing can stop this wonderful coupling. (The scientific study had not yet been completed.)

You would think by now I would be prepared for divorce. I wrote some more blues songs.

What I learned in this 20 year course on love, was how to love and be loved. How to laugh and cry. How to be moved by another human being and to feel their joy and pain. How to give and receive comfort. How to open my heart. It was now, July 1989. (to be continued)

After I wrote away my depression. 9:30 PM 12/27/08

I guess just the thought of Music and Love is enough to fill my heart with happiness.

Sunrise Friday. 12/26/08

Today's Relatively Appropriate Song;
Good Day Sunshine

-Beatles

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. -Helen Keller

"What? Christmas Already?

"Tis The Season"


Bavarian chapel from e-mail my sister Sue sent

Sydney Summer Santas

Speedboat Santa's in Sydney's Summer Season

$1,800,000.00 Piggy Back Ride

Shuttle rides on 747 across the Mohave dessert

Santa Baby

Find the song and story below ↓

The song and story Santa Baby

'Star Trek' Scanner
Made From Cell Phone

Blood analyzer made from cell phone

Scientists Hack Cellphone

to Analyze Blood, Detect Disease,

Help Developing Nations

It's like the scanners that the, "away team", would use on Star Trek.
Great stuff.
Good news for third world countries like Somalia and Kentucky.

Using only an LED, plastic light filter and some wires, scientists at UCLA have molded a cellphone into a portable blood tester capable of detecting HIV, malaria and other illnesses.

We could use this in our own country.
How long did you have to wait for your last blood test?
How much did it cost?
Read the whole story, HERE .

Shoe Throw Success Story
Dozens of Video Games
Millions of People
Throw Shoes At Bush, CLICK HERE

One of the many shoe throwing games on the internet.

The Adventures of Bat Girl

Bat Girl and Maya at the Sundial Bridge 12/20/08

Bat Girl and Maya stopped by Redding on their journey to discover America. I had a chance to show them the top attractions here in Redding. I took them to the Sundial Bridge and explained that, in the daytime, it's actually a sundial. The Harvest Natural foods store was a must see, and, the icing on the cake...the 99¢ store. I love this town.

View from the rivers edge, (photo by Maya). 12/20/08

Our Mister Sun

Is there nothing new under the sun?

Scientists previously believed that when sun's magnetic field was aligned with Earth's, the planet was safely cocooned within its protective bubble. Not so, report researchers at this week's American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco.
It is expected that the next peak solar storm will cause extensive satellite communication disruptions and overloads in the electrical power grids. The electromagnetic field that normally protects us, will instead, provide openings through which the charged plasma will freely pass.
The sun has an 11-year cycle, which is next expected to peak in 2011 or 2012.

It seems amusing, or mildly curious, that, "scientists", now are discovering what scientists have been saying for the last 40 years. In addition to the start of a new Mayan calendar on 12/21/2012, intense solar storms have been expected to occur around this time as the sun begins a new 11 year cycle.

I am beginning to realize that it's not just the un-enlightened masses that ignore historical records, but the graduates of our institutions of higher learning don't seem to take the time to find out if the wheel has already been invented, before they announce, to the world, their astounding new discoveries.

The 2012 enthusiasts, have been announcing all manner of wonderous events that will take place on, or around, 12/21/2012 for decades.

These events include a giant asteroid, the new world order, the age of Aquarius, naked people floating up to Jesus, alien visitors, and all sorts of fun and mayhem. I hope I am still around to see this, it sounds very entertaining.

For lot's of stuff about 2012, just Google, 2012 and you will find hundreds of thousands of websites promoting every crackpot theory ever imagined. (There are even a few actual compilations of historical records and scolarly examinations of ancient artifacts that relate to 2012.)

If you type 2012 in this blogs search field, you will find some posts where I discuss this in depth, with links, pictures and some of my own speculation.

"The world is getting to be such a dangerous place,
a man is lucky to get out of it alive."

Today's Relatively Appropriate Song;
It Aint Necessarily So -Sammy Davis, Jr.

Happy Wassailing

Cad, Card, Cosmos, and Blue eyed wonder

In My Opinion
Our presence in Iraq and Afganistan is helping no one but the terrorists.
The sooner we get out, the less damage we will have caused.

Bush ducks thrown shoe. 12/14/08

In a sign of lingering anger over the war that will define the Republican president's foreign policy legacy, an Iraqi journalist shouted in Arabic "this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog," and hurled his shoes at Bush.

Throwing shoes at somebody is a supreme insult in the Middle East.

"It's like going to a political rally and have people yell at you. It's a way for people to draw attention," Bush said. "I don't know what the guy's cause was. I didn't feel the least bit threatened by it."

If He Only Had A Brain

8 years of willful ignorance and stupidity have left the world in shambles, but George Bush feels secure. Of course, he is oblivious to the real world.

Rumsfeld, Ashcroft and Cheney have been playing war with real weapons that are still getting real people killed in Iraq, and George Bush publicly states; "I don't know what the guy's cause was."

I think that Obama's first actions as president, on January 20th, should be to pull the plug on the war, apologize to the world on behalf of America, for having let an imbecile be in charge for the last 8 years, and arrest those crooks who took advantage of Bushes stupidity to, "legitimize", their criminal actions.

Christmas is Just Around the Corner

Santa card, 2008

I drew up a Christmas card to mail this year. Thank you Sue, for reminding me that I can draw cards, too. I have a few printed up, waiting for me to write something clever on Santa's sign before I mail them. In the event that I fail to come up with just the right quips in time to mail them before Christmas, I have posted the image above, so you can write your own.

Plasma in Solar Wind

Plasma being deflected by Earth's magnetosphere.
For sometime, scientists have thought that our magnetic field protects us from solar superstorms.

As plasma from a superstorm interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere, it can trigger spectacular displays of the Northern Lights, called auroras, interfere with communications between satellites and airplanes traveling near the North Pole, and interrupt global positioning systems and our power grid.

We Have a Plasma Shield

Hard to read graphic from Science Digest 12/14/08
The inner region of Earth’s magnetosphere contains a low-density mixture of hot and cold plasmas, which include the ring current, the plasmasphere, and the radiation belt.

The plasmasphere is a donut-shaped region of the inner magnetosphere. During space storms, the plasmasphere is squashed and pressurized by the solar wind, forming a long tail called the plasmaspheric plume. The plume particles are picked up and further energized by the solar wind. When they re-enter the magnetosphere, they supply the majority of energetic protons that affect the magnetosphere’s main phase pressure during a superstorm event.

So the next time you are viewing the northern lights, you can tell your friends that it is caused by the plasmaspheric plume, energized by the solar wind, and recaptured by the Van Allen belt.

Blue Eyes A Recent Development

Here's looking at you, kid.

Acording to a recent study of blue eyed people from Denmark, Turkey, and Jordan, scientists have determined that blue eyes were introduced in Europe, about 10,000 years ago. DNA markers unique to blue eyed people lead back to one prolific individual with the iris mutation, who introduced it to the brown eyed European population.

Today's Relatively Appropriate Song;
Hard Day On The Planet
Ball Of Confusion
What The World Needs Now

All You Need Is Love ♥

Pirates, Produce, Politics, Planets, Protection, Propulsion. Pekingese, and Pickers.

Pirate Town

Toy pirates
Eyl has become a town tailor-made for pirates - and their hostages.
Special restaurants have even been set up to prepare food for the crews of the hijacked ships.
As the pirates want ransom payments, they try to look after their hostages.
The coastal region of Puntland is booming.
Fancy houses are being built, expensive cars are being bought - all of this in a country that has not had a functioning central government for nearly 20 years.
Observers say pirates made about $30m from ransom payments last year - far more than the annual budget of Puntland, which is about $20m.

Yo Ho Ho

Somali pirate

The Somali pirates who hijacked a Ukrainian freighter loaded with tanks, artillery, grenade launchers and ammunition said in an interview Tuesday that they had no idea the ship was carrying arms when they seized it on the high seas.

“We don’t consider ourselves sea bandits,” he said. “We consider sea bandits those who illegally fish in our seas and dump waste in our seas and carry weapons in our seas. We are simply patrolling our seas. Think of us like a coast guard.”

Seed Storage Vault

With global warming looming, Mother Nature could sure use a backup plan—a secure place to store copies of her crops and other plants. Now, thanks to the government of Norway, she has one. Dug into a permafrost mountain, the massive Svalbard Global Seed Vault began collecting seeds in February. So far it has 268,000 unique samples, with a capacity for 4.3 million more.

The future of food deep inside Norwegian island

Although about 1,400 seed banks exist worldwide, this one, in Norway’s Svalbard islands, dwarfs them all and aims to safeguard duplicates of the seeds. Stored seeds are frequently lost because of natural disasters, war and warm temperatures, so Svalbard was built to withstand these challenges. The facility is remote, located 1,000 kilometers beyond mainland Norway’s northernmost tip.

Svalbard wasn’t built because the end is nigh but to enhance the earth’s sustainability. “We’re scientists,” says Fowler, an American. “We’ve really just had it up to here with losing crop diversity.”

The 700 Billion dollar flim flam

(This letter was sent to Congress on Wed Sept 24 2008 regarding the Treasury plan.)

To the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate:

As economists, we want to express to Congress our great concern for the plan proposed by Treasury Secretary Paulson to deal with the financial crisis. We are well aware of the difficulty of the current financial situation and we agree with the need for bold action to ensure that the financial system continues to function. We see three fatal pitfalls in the currently proposed plan:

1) Its fairness. The plan is a subsidy to investors at taxpayers' expense. Investors who took risks to earn profits must also bear the losses. Not every business failure carries systemic risk. The government can ensure a well-functioning financial industry, able to make new loans to creditworthy borrowers, without bailing out particular investors and institutions whose choices proved unwise.

2) Its ambiguity. Neither the mission of the new agency nor its oversight are clear. If taxpayers are to buy illiquid and opaque assets from troubled sellers, the terms, occasions, and methods of such purchases must be crystal clear ahead of time and carefully monitored afterwards.

3) Its long-term effects. If the plan is enacted, its effects will be with us for a generation. For all their recent troubles, America's dynamic and innovative private capital markets have brought the nation unparalleled prosperity. Fundamentally weakening those markets in order to calm short-run disruptions is desperately short-sighted.

For these reasons we ask Congress not to rush, to hold appropriate hearings, and to carefully consider the right course of action, and to wisely determine the future of the financial industry and the U.S. economy for years to come.

The letter was signed by 100 credited economists.

Remember when the republicans laughed at Obama for suggesting we check our tire pressure to save on oil?

Proper pressure can save billions of gallons.

Studies show that the majority of drivers rarely if ever check to see if their tires are properly inflated and usually only add air when a tire is visibly low or beginning to go flat. A recent study by the European division of tire maker Bridgestone found that 93.5 percent of cars in Europe have under-inflated tires, wasting some 2.14 billion gallons of high-priced, polluting fuel every year. Analysts believe that a similar percentage of North Americans are driving around on under-inflated tires as well.

"Don't atheists need a God to not believe in?"
Happy Phil

Happy Phil in research and read it mode.

On September 19, 2008, the McCain campaign released an ad critical of Obama which attempted to link him to Fannie Mae. My research shows this to be untrue.

I would think that the McCain campaign wouldn't want people to be reminded that he, McCain, was one of the Keating 5. (Senators that were investigated as part of the Enron debacle.) But with this fraudulent attack on Obama, it is sure to surface.

Hunters Moon this Month


Oct. 14, 4:02 p.m. EDT — Full Hunters' Moon.

With the leaves falling and the deer fattened, it is time to hunt.

The harvested fields are the perfect place to hunt up a main course for
a fall banquet. As the animals come out to glean, they are easy to see.

One of my favorite constellations is visible from now until next summer,
Orion, the hunter. Orion appears to travel across the night sky
from east to west. Things are looking up when you see Orion.

Orion

When Planets Collide

Dr. George Rieke says our moon is unique -- formed by a massive collision in space. "There was another planet about the size of Mars that was on a disastrous orbit across the Earth's orbit and so the Earth and this other planet ran into each other," he says.

It happened 30 to 50 million years after the formation of the sun. "It was a huge collision that threw dust and debris out into space and some of that material somehow reassembled and orbited around the Earth and eventually built up a moon," Dr. Rieke explained.

Windows Users Beware

WARNING: YOUR COMPUTER IS VULNERABLE! CLICK HERE TO PROTECT YOURSELF!

Many of my friends have windows on their computer. It's bad enough having such a clunky, buggy operating system, but users are under constant attack from malware.

One of the latest is a pop up warning about a security problem. Do Not Click On It! Don't click on any close buttons you see in the window.

Even the red X to close could start the malware download! Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware and other malicious and unwanted software.(Wikipedia)

The simple and safest thing to do is press control/alt/delete. This will give you a list of programs to close. Close the one you are in and move on.

Human Powered Car

Row-row-row your car, "Yabba Dabba Doo".

When powered by four people rowing, the car will go about as fast as the 'drivers' would on bicycles, on average.

For hillier locales or higher speeds, there's electric assist motors and regenerative brakes.

I can see the headlines now...

Carjackers Exhausted After Half Mile low Speed Chase.

Hitch hiker Sues Car Owner for Making Him Row.

The Adventures of Bat Girl

"Stopped into a church, I passed along the way."

Bat meets 4 pound Imperial Pekingese

"Stay tuned for my next exciting installment."

Today's Relatively Appropriate Song;
Chet Atkins, Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Mark O'Connor, and Rob Wasserman
The Birth of The Blues

Smiling Is Contagious