Blue Moon (tonight)!

Tonight will be, the first "Blue Moon" (occurring on a 'New Year's Eve') since 1990, but don't hope to see the moon in shades of "navy", or any other color for that matter. A 'blue moon' is a creation of folklore," because it's simply a chronological, second full moon within a calendar month.

The 'blue moon' myth adds to a host of misconceptions about our lunar neighbor. Among the more interesting things to ponder as you gaze skyward (weather permitting), at the not-blue, 'blue moon'...

There is no "dark side" of the moon. There is, however, a "far side" that we can't see, because as the moon goes around the Earth once, and spins on its axis once (all in the same amount of time), it thus reveals but one surface of (always) the same face - when viewed from the surface of the Earth.

There is no scientific evidence that the full moon affects human behavior. Reliable studies comparing the lunar phases to births, heart attacks, deaths, suicides, violence, psychiatric hospital admissions and epileptic seizures have found little or no connection.

The moon is moving away from Earth. It's drifting out into space by about 1.6 inches (4 centimeters), per year - about 10 feet during an average lifetime!

The moon is never really full. It is illuminated by reflected sunlight. So for the face of the moon to be 100 percent lit from our point of view, Earth would have to be exactly between the sun and the moon. But when that happens, an eclipse occurs as the moon falls behind the shadow of the Earth.

Speaking of eclipses - skywatchers in Europe, Africa, and Asia will have a chance to see a partial lunar eclipse tonight. A distinct but modest scallop of darkness will be visually carved from the moon. A bite of 'blue cheese', perhaps?

And so it is.

INCOMPETENCE: State Government?

Contact the WI DWD (Wisconsin Workforce Development Department) to present a legitimate complaint related to: Discrimination, Wages, or ANY form of ABUSE by an employer. The DWD staff will invest more energy - to do NOTHING - than to take the claim presented seriously.

Try calling the WI OCI (Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance) to present a case related to abuse of Federal Privacy Law. Once your proof has been provided, the administrator will effectivel take NO ACTION and let the perp run free (to commit the same crimes). Their excuse will be carfully explained, no Wisconsin laws were violated.

Care to hear about more such State level examples of INCOMPETENCE?

Just ask.

INCOMPETENCE: Federal Government?

Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano conceded today that airline security failed - when it allowed a Nigerian (on a terror watch list, and allegedly armed with explosives) onto a Detroit-bound flight from Europe.

The concession was a turnaround from her declaration a day day earlier - that "the system worked."

The secretary's comment (on Sunday) was widely criticized, given that suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was foiled because his explosive mixture did not properly detonate and he was stopped in his tracks by vigilant passengers (who were forced to take the law into their own hands)...

My opinion? Janet is incompetent and she should resignm Me Thinks.

Who loves you dearly?

With respect to "betrayals of trust"...

Something I've learned through my many hard knocks (when dealing with the people I have loved, or love):

Trust is rather misunderstood, Me Thinks. We like to believe that we can "trust" others. But trust doesn't necessarily mean that people aren't also human; nor that they don't have their own ongoing "issues" - sometimes they do "things", and they do hurt us.

Trust instead, needs to be focused on ourselves - so that we may trust (remain assured) that we can always be resilient - whenever others reveal their humanity in unexpected (perhaps unwelcome, and sometimes hurtful) ways...

Look in the mirror, my friend - that is where TRUST is the most deserved.

People will always do and say whatever they will.

Isn't life just full of surprises?
(Thoughts shared by cousin, Annie!)

A widdle bit o' Genealogy?

Following much laborious research, an undiclosed collateral lineage has been uncovered. Some may be at a loss for a response whenever others (impolitely) say, "You don't know Jack Schitt."

Some do know. Some don't. Not a relative? Well, maybe.

But now, anyone can handle the situation intellectually. It suffices to be informed. Allow me to explain...

Jack is the son of, Awe Schitt and, O. Schitt. Awe Schitt, was a fertilizer magnate, married to O. Schitt, the owner of Niedeepin Schitt, Inc. They had one son, Jack.

In turn Jack Schitt married Noeh Schitt, the deeply religious couple produced 6 children: Hollie Schitt, Fullagh Schitt, Givah Schitt, Boole Schitt, and the twins: Deepp Schitt and Dipp Schitt. Against her parents' objections, Deepp Schitt married Dumbe Schitt (high school drop-out).

However, after being married 15 years, Jack and Noeh Schitt divorced. Noeh Schitt later remarried Theodore Sherlock and, because her kids were living with them, she wanted to keep her previous name...

She was then known as, Noeh Schitt-Sherlock.

Meanwhile, Dipp Schitt married Loda Schitt and they produced a son of nervous disposition whose name was, Chicanne Schitt. Two other of the 6 children, Fullagh Schitt and Givah Schitt, were inseparable throughout childhood and subsequently married the Happens brothers, at a double-wedding.

The nuptual announcement in the newspaper outlined the Schitt-Happens wedding. Soon there were three Schitt-Happens children: Dawg, Byrd, and Hoarce.

Boole Schitt, the prodigal son, left home to tour the world. He recently returned from Italy with his new Italian bride, Pisa Schitt.

So now ...when someone says, "you don't know Jack Schitt," you will be postured to make suitable corrections.

"God, help me to be wiser, with respect to what I accept as truth."

A collateral relative? Unlikely. No Schitt.

Healthcare for Everyone (equal risk = equal cost)

No self-focused entity should (ever again) be allowed to "wish away" this GREAT EMERGENCY!

Not by pretending that it does not exist, nor by placing profits over an equal shot at wellness - for every man, woman, and child.

Everyone (also) needs to take care of themselves by living and eating healthy.

Me Thinks

ONE PAGE - Credit Card Contracts

To all CREDIT CARD companies, a WARNING:

Produce fair, common sense, ONE PAGE Credit Card Contracts ... else, we your life-blood, the consumers and citizens of this great land (and the world) ...

We PROMISE to double-up every rule and law (imposed to keep you honest) through expanded REGULATION, by adding peeks, pokes, and (over-your-shoulder) monitoring of your EVERY MOVE (and profit). That will be done so that all financial businesses will be REQUIRED to be "up front" - forced to eliminate ALL deceptive, in-fine-print, gobblty-gook (even the scams that you concoct, in your dreams).

Companies who don't comply will pay HUGE fines ...or be "nationalized" !

We PROMISE.

Infinitely LARGE.

A googolplex is a VERY large number... but (tiny) when compared to INFINITY.

It has been estimated that ALL of the "fundamenal particles" that are the makeup of the "known" Universe equate to about 2.5 to the power 10 ...followed by 89 zeros! Much SMALLER than a googolplex.

Me Thinks it, an interesting fact never-the-less, that (Mathematically) a "googolplex" is PRECISELY as far (or conversely, as close) from (to) INFINITY, as is the number 1.

i.e.
1 Googolplex + or - Infinity = Infinity
1 One (1) + or - Infinity = Infinity

Think about it ...THAT concept is assuredly the KEY to understanding something very, very, very IMPORTANT.

Me Thinks

P.S. A "Googolplex" is not to be confused with, "GOOGLEplex", which is a neurotic disorder which evolves subsequent to the overuse of GOOGLE (whenever one doesn't know the details related to things as important as the topic of this BLOG entry). Are you now, Giggle plexed...?

Infinitely SMALL.

While mankind has acquired a grand understanding of the Universe, there are still mysteries regarding its expansion ...and related to huge mass, and enormous energy. At the same time, there are underlying shortfalls with respect to the tiniest things in our world, such as: quarks and photons...

Mathematically, the INFINITELY SMALL occupies no space. It has no mass nor motion and thus, no inertia. No energy. No emission and no absorption. It exists everywhere, without time, and perhaps ...without even, creation?

We humans see ourselves as much closer to the smaller end of things, rather than the larger. At the smallest end, the spectrum becomes finite, and our grasp of the concept makes SMALL seem somewhat closer - while the notion of INFINITY and small, takes an extra stretch of the imagination. Is it possible that matter can continually be broken-down into smaller and smaller bits? Might it be possible that finite particles could in fact ...exist INFINITELY within themselves... and be capable of being subdivided, forever?

The idea of a "Babushka" doll-styled, "embedded universe" creates the basis of fairy-tales. I suppose that most people have philosophized about the idea (at one time or another)... However, as we know (what we, at least today consider) fundamental particles behave completely "different" (i.e. "quantum-mechanically" speaking) when compared to "macroscopic" objects such as: galaxies. Hence, the model is not realistic.

Me Thinks

I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars." -Walt Whitman

What the F'what?

Ah rural, farm life...

The fresh smell of manure wafted from the inside of our barn... It was milking time. The heffers were waiting to be hooked-up to the milking machines - having been out in the pastures grazing all-day. Naturally, some of the cows needed to relieve themselves. Soon enough, a huge pile had plopped out onto the floor, right behind one of the cows. That aromatic poo caught the nose of a very hungry horse-fly. Within a few moments, the fly had flown through the barn’s open door and seated himself atop the steamy pie. He began eating.

The cow-pie was especially tasty. The fly kept eating and eating until he was just about to burst. Now FULL, the fly decided that it was time to leave.

But, the fly was SO full, that when he flapped his wings [loud buzzing], he went nowhere. Frustrated, he tried again [louder buzzing]. Even MORE frustrated, the fly looked around the barn, trying to figure out how he’d be able to get to a sunny place to sleep-off his full belly. The fly spotted a pitchfork standing up against a wall, right by a sunlit window. He mused, "I'll just amble over there, then climb to the top of that pitchfork." ...thinking, "I'll use the handle as my launch-pad, and then -- I'll surely be able to fly-off, to sun myself."

Overburdened, it was an arduous walk, but the fly managed to remove himself from the dung-pile. The fly got across the floor to the pitchfork, then slowly made his way to the top. He flapped his wings [more loud buzzing], then he pushed-off and into the air! But alas, he was still too heavy ...and FELL straight-down, to the floor...

All of the heffers flinched, upon hearing the [loud] SPLAT !!!

The horse-fly was dead (squashed, his fly-body spread across the floor, in poo)...

The Moral of the Story? (click-on & read "comments")...

Hillbilly (farm) "PlayStation"
(Grab the fly-swatter!)

Sinning Obliges...

Wall Street and the Big Banks will NEVER "self-regulate".

They're in it for the "G-R-E-E-D". Are we being taken for fools? Let's impose rigid rules (LAWS); mandatory (public) AUDITS; huge FINES to "compensate" misbehavior; JAIL-TIME for CEO's whose "wages" violate the rudiments of "common sense". How about adding the DEATH PENALTY for those who've "made off" with BILLION$ that had been "entrusted" to them?

While we're at it, let's cut the CRAP (much of which is muddling-up the topic of Healthcare) and let's FORCE the "pharma" companies to speak the TRUTH. Come now, does anyone really need to, "Ask/talk to your doctor..." every time a blue pill gets popped? Let's get real - it's about "legaleeze" and "money". Your family physician would be the one sued (while those Pharma companies avoid stepping-up to the plate - whenever their "better living through Chemistry" goes haywire)!

Cute, but seriously, this is serious B.S.

Next, just ask yourself ...how many "subscriptions" have been shoved "up yours" (e.g. Internet, Cable, Satellite, Cellphone, Telephone, Home Security, etc.)? How many of those companies are now "plugged-in" to your bank account (usually, for a period of YEARS without a fair-play "opt-out")?

Has your Credit Card provider RAISED their interest rate to something EXHORBITANT of late? Or were they asleep at the wheel (while exploiting tax-payer dollars and "sense" to benefit themselves)?

Have YOU been CHASE'd yet?

Care to "switch" to a different auto insurance company? EVERY offer "claims" to save money for anyone dumb enough to have "switched" (on average) ...meaningless statistics.

What about "in-store rebates"? Three foot-long receipts and fine print that will cause your eyes to ache ... i.e. your money into their pockets 'now', your money back in your pocket 'later' (if ever). Like it, or lump it?

Scams, scams, and more scams!

When a "service" isn't; when a so-called "savings" isn't; when a great "offer" isn't; when a "product" isn't - then what is it?

Demand TRUTH in ADVERTISING!

The people who impose all of this nonsense are cheaters and liars. Worse, the legal profession helped to make it so. Can anyone (honestly) disagree? Take note of just how many of the law-makers, are lawyers? Honest, straight-talkers - trustworthy folks?

This feeding-frenzy began a long time ago - "pork" anyone?

Has EVERY facet of "money-making" been transformed into a scam? Is it not "high-time" to roll-out the guillotines (see next entry)?
Me Thinks

Don't lose your head (take the 5th)!

Ever notice? How certain people (you know the ones)... "go silent" because they're well-aware of their GUILT! Moreover, those same individuals (usually) don't give a rat's ass about anything (nor anyone), but themselves.

Me thinks that France had it RIGHT all those years ago. Let's roll-out a "guillotine" for use at public executions...

" Vive le pays de Napoléon Bonaparte !!! "

SCIENCE

Science: it's what one must do - to know the Truth.

Revolutionary Roads?

Not all who wander, are lost.

Freedom comes to she and/or he who, rethink(s) the thunk...
Me Thinks

Into a BLACK HOLE (the value of the US Dollar)?

Friday, the 30-stock Dow Jones industrial average finished higher by 78.07 points, or 0.80%, at 9,864.94 - the highest closing level in a year...

The broad Standard & Poor's 500-stock index was up 6.01 points, or 0.56%, at 1,071.49. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index gained 15.35 points, or 0.72%, to 2,139.28. On the New York Stock Exchange, 18 stocks were higher in price for every 11 that declined. Breadth on the Nasdaq was 18-8 positive. Market players were looking to next week's earnings reports and retail sales and industrial production data - to see if a recovery will be picking up steam - to justify strong gains since March. The stock market will be open on the Columbus Day holiday while the bond market will be closed. Treasuries plunged Friday as Bernanke acknowledged that the Fed will eventually have to hike rates. The battered dollar index was higher on Bernanke's comments. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that the biggest story in the world economy is the continuing fall of the U.S. dollar (or at least it is - everywhere outside of Washington, D.C.)...

Me Thinks

Easy as Apple Pie, let's eat within Euclidean space!

When the diameter of a CIRCLE equals one, its circumference is "Pi", i.e.
Binary 11.00100100001111110110…
Decimal 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288…
Hexadecimal 3.243F6A8885A308D31319…

Did you know that Aristarchus was the FIRST to recognize that the Earth rotates around the Sun? No, it wasn't Copernicus (his reference to Aristarchus was suppressed in his final work on the subject). The plagerism of heliocentric cosmology ? Yes, indeed.

And THAT too, is perfectly "irrational".
Me Thinks

Living ONE HUNDRED years...

Today, mother began her 100th year of life (her 99th birthday), thus 99 years of living are behind her...

So, what are the odds of living to 100?

Mankind has come a long way. In the recent past, the odds of becoming a centenarian were about 1-in-20 million, but today those odds can be as great as: 1-in-50. A world fact: in developed countries - girls, who were the first born, to caucasian mothers, aged to 25 years (or younger) are the most likely to live to 100...

Here's an approximate summary of the progression of global (historical) Average Life Expectancy:

Stone Age = 20 years
Bronze Age = 18
Early Rome = 28
Medieval Times = 33
End of 19th Century = 37
Early 20th Century = 50
1940's = 65
Present (circa 2009) = 77-81 years.

Quite naturally, the major factor in determining life expectancy is always, Genetics.

But other factors well within a person's control will also have an influence. It has a lot to do with Common Sense and the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle - by keeping fit; good diet; conscientious hygiene; the preservation of balanced mental health; and stress management. It's a complex matrix and difficult to quantify just how much each of those play a part. What is certain, is that substance abuse shortens one's life dramatically (smoking, for example has a very significant negative impact because of the inreased risk of both heart failure and cancer).

A truism?

By the time an individual arrives at 90, he or she has gotten past a lot of the things that have already killed most of their contemporaries. It's an irony, but those statistics may become rather irrelevant in the next 20-30 years - as medical technologies advance (including genetic engineering, stem-cell therapy, bionics, nanotechnology, and rejuvenation therapy). Indeed, the human lifespan could be pushed out to 150, 200, 300 or more years (assuming you can afford the price tag).

I for one, would love to live to 100!

What an achievement to have lived for an entire century! And to have witnessed so many varied world events, and seen so many innovations come to be, or pass into obsolesence.

Yes, I would love to live to 100 (provided that I don't become a burden for my loved ones), and provided that I still have "all my marbles". I think that living to 100 would be marvellous!

By the way, my (Me Thinks) calculated life expectancy is 98!

Mother has always said, "I shall grow old, gracefully." To that, I would add, "A great life is not to be counted as the number of years we survive, rather - it's all about HOW we live them." I cannot recall ever seeing her angry, nor hearing her pronounce a foul word, or saying anything unpleasant about another person... She knows inner calm. She is also the most "other-centered" and genuinely "giving" and loving person I've even known.

May EVERYONE "love to 100" and live to set an example for others ...as my mother has done for almost a CENTURY.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

P.S. Our "record holder", was one of mother's STREMMEL relatives - a gal who lived to the ripe old age of, 105. Another, reached 103. Two of her sisters made it to 94 and 92. Mom was her mother's 5th-born child - when Mary was 37.

Grandparents' Day 2009

"Any attempt at alienating a child from the other parent (or from a child's Grandparents) should be seen as a direct and willful violation of one of the prime duties of parenthood..." -Florida Bar Association

Ask your legislative representative(s) to enact provisions that will GUARANTEE a Grandparent's access to their grandchildren! In most U.S. States, there are no laws to ensure that children have unfettered access to those whom they love, and who love them...

U.S. Census Bureau Report: "The Bush Years"

Read the US Census Bureau Report. The "Bush Years" did not leave behind a legacy of "greatness" (far from it). In fact, on every major measurement, the Census Bureau report shows that the country lost ground during Bush's two terms. While G.W. was in office, some poignant examples:

- Median household income, declined.
- Poverty, increased.
- Childhood poverty increased, (even more).
- Number of Americans without health insurance, spiked.

By contrast, the country's condition improved on each of those Census Bureau measures during the two terms while (Democrat) Bill Clinton was in the White House (often substantially). What an irony, that many of those who voted Republican during the last election (or for Bush during the preceeding two) are absolutely enraged by the possibility of any change...

Your thoughts?

H-u-m-i-l-i-t-y

Humility makes one great, and honorable twice (it directs our best thoughts to favor others, in lieu of one's self).