Wondering About My Dogs and a Sign.

I think I will start with the sign.  I really hate to admit this, but a lot of the time that sign is correct.  Did I just say "I really hate to admit this"?  Heck, I will never admit that it is right (grin).

 

Yes, I spotted that sign at the flea market this morning.  After we got home, I was sitting in my rocker/recliner and noticed that the youngest pup (the black and white one) ran into her house and hid something behind her pillow, which she pushed up and tried to hide behind it, too.  The old female, followed by the male, was hot on her trail.  What ever it was, she didn't give it up and the other two backed off and went about their own business of taking naps.



It was rather cool here this morning, in fact it was down right cold at 37 degrees and the wind blowing.  I know, I know, all you who choose to live up north say that if you had 37 degrees in your area it would feel like summer.  My best friend who lives in Pennsylvania says it got way down below zero up his way.  This was a fairly cool winter so far but not very many days when it got much cooler than it was this morning.  It is still chilly outside now at 51 degrees.  Well, where ever you are living and what ever the temperature, just have a great day, you hear?

Wondering About a Few Quotes.

How about a few quotes for today?

Said by Abraham Lincoln:  "Actions speak louder than words"  -  I think that they can both be pretty loud; I wouldn't want to hear them in a shouting match.

An English saying:  "Deeds are fruits; words are leaves"   -   and I would say that both eventually fall to the ground.

By William Shakespeare:  "Do not be like the cat who wanted a fish but was afraid to get his paws wet."  -  That must have been the same cat that wanted someone else to bait his hook for him.

Washington Irving said:  Great minds have purposes, others have wishes.  -  I have had both, so what does that make me?  Schizo?

Chaucer said:  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.  -  Yes, but everything ventured doesn't guarantee that you will not go broke.

 ****************

I am going to list a few more without comments.  The first four I have heard many, many times, but the last three are new to me: 

A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

A good example is the best sermon.

A penny saved is a penny earned.

A stitch in time saves nine.

Advice after mischief is like medicine after death.

Advise no one to go to war or marry.

Avoid a cure that is worse than the disease.

Now, I bet you can remember a lot more, I know I can.  And of course the saying you hear on my blog all the time:  Have a great day, you hear?

Wondering About Löb Strauß

How many of you have heard of Löb Strauß who was born on this date back in 1829?  Now come on, if you said no, you are wrong.  I would be willing to bet my last dollar that every one of you have heard of him.

Ok, Löb Strauß is the German name, but here in the U.S. and most all of the world, he is known by Levi Strauss.  Yes, he was the creator of the first company to make blue jeans in the U.S.  I don't know how we could have ever managed to survive without blue jeans.  And yes, I believe blue jeans should be made out of blue denim and not some other color, because they are named BLUE jeans.

One of Strauss's customers was an inventor, Jacob Davis, who invented the first pair of riveted denim pants back in 1871.  He went into business with Strauss and they began producing blue jeans.  And I guess the way that Paul Harvey ended his shows is appropriate here, too.  "And now you know the rest of the story."   So, put on your blue jeans and have a great day, you hear?

Wondering About What Happened on This Day.

I got wondering about things that happened on this day back in history that are still affecting me today.  You know, there are many, many things.  Almost everything that happened in the past affects the future in some way.  But today I am only going to mention three of them.

This first one, as far as I am concerned, changed the world:

1836  Samuel Colt patents the first revolving cylinder multi-shot firearm. - See more at: http://www.historynet.com/today-in-history#sthash.z4jpS4tu.dpuf

Mr. Colt's invention of the revolving cylinder really did change things. Before that, no one could fire more times than the number of barrels that their firearm had.  So, if someone wanted to fire six fast shots, he needed to lug around a heavy six barreled gun. . . Gee, I wonder if they ever made a six barrel rifle or shotgun?  I do know they made multiple barreled small handguns, but Colt's six-shooter changed everything because it was also much more accurate than many of the multiple barreled ones at the time.

The next one is not as much to my liking, it is an amendment to the Constitution making income tax legal.  Have you done your income taxes yet or are you going to put it off until the last minute like I usually do?  

1913   The 16th Amendment to the constitution is adopted, setting the legal basis for the income tax. - See more at: http://www.historynet.com/today-in-history#sthash.z4jpS4tu.dpuf





Speaking of taxes, Oregon put the first tax on gasoline.  Now it wasn't that bad back then and one cent per gallon, but it sure didn't stay at a low level for long.

1919   Oregon introduces the first state tax on gasoline at one cent per gallon, to be used for road construction. - See more at: http://www.historynet.com/today-in-history#sthash.z4jpS4tu.dpuf

      The following are the current highest and lowest rates in the US    U.S. Gas Taxes (cents per gallon)
State	Gas Taxes/Fees (cpg)	Diesel Taxes/Fees (cpg)

(The first two are the highest rates)

New York      Gas - 69.6 cents/gal     Diesel - 75.1 cents/gal

 California       Gas - 69.0 cents/gal      Diesel - 79.5 cents/gal
 

 

(These last two are the lowest rates)

 

Alaska

Gas - 26.4

cents/gal       Diesel - 32.4 cents/gal

South Carolina  Gas -

35.2

cents/gal      Diesel - 41.2 cents/gal

 OK, now I am wondering if all that collect tax actually goes into road repair and new roads?  When you consider how many vehicles are on the roads and how many miles they travel and how much fuel they use, our roads ought to be paved with gold, don't you think?  Now have a great day, you hear?

 

Wondering About Some Facts.

 I think I will fortify and stimulate (or bore) you with a lot of useless facts.  So, if you are brave enough and have nothing better to do, read on:

"Every second, Americans collectively eat one hundred pounds of chocolate"


If I would quit eating chocolate, the pounds of chocolate eaten would be drastically reduced!!

In 32 years. there are about 1 billion seconds!

People use the world billion with ease about all sorts of things without regard of how large that number is.  The government talks about spending billions and billions and even trillions without much thought of just how much that is.  So, if they paid that much back at a rate of a dollar a second, it would take hundreds of years.  Just think about that for a minute the next time you see the figures for the national debt.  BTW, as of right now (2/24/15 - 10:59 am) the debt is $18,136,189,300,825.

Men are 6 times more likely to be struck by lightning than women!

Gee, I wonder why that is?  Maybe it is because men are taller?? Nah.  Or maybe it plays out like this.  A storm is coming on fast and the wife tells her husband to hurry up and go out and take down the flag from the tall, metal, grounded, flag pole. .

The sun is 330,330 times larger than the earth!

That is a lot bigger for sure, but numbers don't really paint that good of a picture, so how about one of those pictures that is worth a thousand words:

 

The above picture shows the sun in comparison to all the planets.  Bet you had no idea that there was that big a difference in sizes, or did you?  So, let the sun shine on you and have a very great day, you hear?

Wondering About My Name.

I got to wondering about my name and why I have this name.  No, I don't mean my last name, I mean my first and middle names.  Well, I guess the place to start is the beginning so my first name is Richard and I was given that name shortly after I was born, if not before. You see, my dad's name was Richard.  My middle name is Milton, and that came from my Mother's brother.  So, I am Richard Milton.  But it didn't stop there.

My Dad (Richard) used his nickname, Dick, so I use that, too.  Now my uncle Milton went by the nickname of Bub.  When I was a small boy (and in my Mother's eyes I always was her boy) I was called Dicky.  (Yes, I know it is supposed to be spelled "Dickie" but we didn't do it that way.)  So my named sort of morphed into "Dicky Bub".  When I was in my 30's, I moved down south, and guess what, my nickname fit right in for a change along with Bubba, Billy Bob, Jimmy Joe, etc.

My Dad's name was Richard J. and when he went into the Army back in the early 40's, they gave him a hard time wanting to know what the "J" stood for.  It didn't stand for anything.  His parents never gave him a full middle name.  That was the way it was on his birth certificate.

Now, you may ask, how did I get the name Dizzy Dick.  I believe I told you how before but will also tell it again now.  My amateur radio call is WB3DZY and because of the "DZY" part, all the other Hams started to call me "Dizzy" and the name fit, so I kept it.  Now you know the rest of the story (grin).  Have a great day, you hear?

Wondering About Alaska.

I got wondering about Alaska today.  Maybe that is because on this day in 1825, Russia and Britain established the Alaska/Canada boundary.  I have never been to Alaska and probably will never get there.  I have two uncles and some cousins who have been there and they sure have plenty of stories.

Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million U.S. dollars.  That was quite a huge sum back then.  Compared to today's dollar, it would have been worth about 5000 percent more.  Here is a picture of the check:

I found the following on the Internet :

* Alaska is as big as England, France, Italy and Spain combined * Only one city in Alaska has a larger population than the town of Framingham, Mass. (which has less than 70,000 people) * If New York City had the same population density as Alaska, only 16 people would be living in Manhattan * Alaska's largest city, Anchorage, covers 1,955 square miles (including the entire political municipal district). The state of Rhode Island covers 1,045 square miles while Delaware also covers 1,955. * More than half the world's active glaciers are in Alaska. * About 5 percent of Alaska is covered by glaciers. * There are more than 3,000 rivers and 3 million lakes in Alaska. * Alaska is one-fifth the size of the "Lower 48," larger than the next three biggest states combined, more than twice the size of Texas and 488 times larger than Rhode Island.

OK, one last thing, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so:

I am glad that it finally wound up in the U.S.'s possession, but I think I will not move there from the second largest state. . . it is warmer down here in Texas.  Now, you all have a great day, you hear?

Not Well on Such a Nice Day.

I have been fighting this virus since just after Christmas.  Remember this post: http://dizzydick.blogspot.com/2015/01/wondering-about-nagging-cough.html 
Back then I went to the doctor's and got some pills.  I got feeling better and didn't take the pills.  Then I came down with it again.  This time I am taking the pills and as of this morning after taking one, I only have enough for today and tomorrow.  I think what is troubling me the most is my ears.  I can't hear very well.  I can sure hear myself talk and other bodily noises, but not much from the exterior.  I don't think my wife has been telling me much today, if so, I didn't hear her (grin).  Hey, now that I got a good excuse, why not use it???

Thought maybe a walk through the flea market would make me feel better.  Trouble was, everyone was whispering . . . oh wait a minute, they were not whispering, I just couldn't hear them.  I did buy a couple of books.  Took only one picture and it was of a paper sign glued onto a block which read:

 

 

I was going to buy it but it seemed like too much exercise to me.  It is simply beautiful here again today, in the mid to upper 70's.  Can't complain about the winter weather the last few days but that is a fix'n to change when a cold front comes sweeping in here tomorrow.  Now, you all have a great day, you hear?

Just Six Funny Pictures, etc.

 Today I am just going to post a few funny things I found on the Internet today.  This first one caught my attention. 

Does that mean that the roulette wheel and gambling is the work of the Devil?  Isn't the number 666 the sign of the beast (the Devil, Satan).  Anyway, I found the correlation quite fitting, not that I am against gambling, because I love to play poker, etc.

Ok, this next one almost makes sense:

Wow, I would like to get insured by the company on the plate below.  I also love the slogan, what do you think?

In this next picture, those steps might make some people dizzy.  It would be a fun ride coming down them in a wheel chair. . .

You know, I have wondered that all my life:

Such a peaceful scene, that relaxed couple. . .

Until that harvester ruined their day. . . Yuck, Yuck!!!!

OK, it took too long finding those pictures, but it didn't take long to write this blog.  Now, be real careful where you relax because I want you to have a great day and come back tomorrow, you hear?

My Wfe Was Given a Bouquet

Our daughter-in-law stopped by the other day with a gift for my wife.  She brought a beautiful bouquet, actually it was a plant.  .  Remember my post back a few days ago:

http://dizzydick.blogspot.com/2015/01/wondering-about-beautiful-flower.html

 

In fact, it is still quite beautiful even after this long of a time.  Although a couple of blooms faded and dried up, others took their place.  Take a look at them sitting on the dining table:

There was no flash in that previous picture, just light from overhead light.  Then I took them outside and took their picture out there.  The sun was behind a cloud so this would have to be the closest to their natural color:

 

 Just for your information, I took a picture of the label:

And to make it easier to read, I cropped the picture leaving only the

 

 

Both my wife and I have been enjoying this plant.  It was a perfect gift from our daughter-in-law and we thank her for it.  Hope you enjoyed seeing it again and now, you all have a great day, you hear?

Animals Know How to Relax.

All animals know how to relax, not just us humans.  Of course it is safer and easier for the hunters to relax than the hunted.  The hunted have to always be on guard.  Now doesn't that polar bear in the foreground of the following picture look really relaxed:

 

But domesticated animals that live inside a home with their human friends can relax almost anytime without being on guard, like this kitten:

 

 Dogs are really good at relaxing, too:

 

My pups are no exception.  The two oldest ones prefer to be up on the furniture.  When my wife is in her recliner, the white male is always by her side in that chair.  When my wife is somewhere else, he can be found next to the oldest female: 

 The matriarch is either on the couch or in my rocker/recliner.  Here they are this morning together on the couch:

 And I guess they have such a hard life that they have to take lots of naps.  Now, talk about relaxed, you could learn something from my dogs.

 Well, the dinner bell is going off, the pups are up and already eating, so I better go get my lunch before it gets cold.  Now, you all have a very relaxing day, you hear?

Wondering How Things Got Their Names?

Now that is way to large a subject for one blog, it would take a series of blogs to answer that question.  So, I am going to narrow it down to things pertaining to astronomy. . . bet you would never have guessed astronomy (grin).  First question is: How did the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn get their names?  Do you know?  I didn't know the correct answer, but figured it has to do with the constellations with those names.  Well, I figured correctly but why were they named that?

From a little reading from my newest edition of Astronomy, I found out that way, way back several thousand years ago, the sun was in front of those two constellations.  I bet you guessed that the sun was in front of Cancer at the summer solstice and in front of Capricorn at the winter solstice.  Over time our sun and solar system moved through space and the perspective, and thus positions of other objects changed also.  Not only does the Earth travel around the sun, the solar system travels around tucked in an arm of the Milky Way spiral galaxy, and the galaxy travels through our universe and I am sure our universe travels through something greater and larger.  Everything is in motion.  Not only the extremely large, but also the extremely small.  I just try to sit still and watch everything go by, but no, I actually rock most of the time in my recliner/rocker.

OK, I lied to you at the start.  I said "first question is", but I didn't post a second or third question.  Maybe I will do that later on down the road.  Now, you all have a great day as we wait for the summer solstice, you hear?

Wondering About the Speed of Things

I got thinking what is the fastest speed obtained by things, including living creatures, here, in the sea, and out in space.  I bet you all know what the fastest land animal is, right?  No, it isn't the hare or the tortoise, it is the Cheetah.  Not only does it hold the title for the fastest top speed, it is also not a slouch in the acceleration department.  Its top speed is 75 mph and it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds.  Yep, I don't think you could outrun a Cheetah.

So, what about in the water?  That would be the sailfish and 68 mph.  In the air?  That would be the Peregrine Falcon at over 200 mph.

Then there is things that mankind has ridden on or in.  We have come a long way from horseback to the fastest street legal car, the Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 which can reach 268 mph.  Wouldn't do much good here during the Houston rush hours.

In the air, it would be the North American X-15 at 4520 mph.  Heck at that speed I could fly to either the West Coast or the East Coast for my lunch hour and not be late getting back.  Just think about how really fast that is!!

Back a few years ago the military was experimenting with rocket sleds.  Do you know that they managed to reach mach 8.5, of course there were no humans riding on those.

I am sure you have heard the term "escape velocity".  A rocket has to reach at least the minimum speed that is required to break free of Earth's gravity and this speed is called the escape velocity. Well did you know that our galaxy also has an escape velocity?  Yep, in order for anything to exit our galaxy, it has to reach a minimum speed of 1,230,000 mph.  Now let's see your Bugatti do that?  Now, slow down a bit and have a great day, you hear?






Galaxy's escape velocity - 1,230,000 mph

My Wife Was Given a Rose.

A lady vendor at the Flea Market gave my wife a beautiful rose.  She said that she received a huge bouquet of those roses for Valentine's Day and wanted my wife to have one.  All roses are beautiful, but an unexpected rose is special.  So, of course I wanted to take a picture of it to share with you all.

My wife had it in a vase with water and I just picked the rose and vase up and took them out on the deck.  I thought the color would show up better in natural light.  It has clouded up and is spitting a few drops of rain, so it was not too bright outside.  Here are a couple of pictures that I took:

I believe that the above two pictures tell the rest of story, you all know that a picture is worth a thousand words and since I posted two pictures, it just saved me two thousand words.  I think that is enough said, now you all have rosy day, you hear? 

Wondering About Making a Garden and a Friend.

 The other day when we were in Wal*Mart, my wife checked out the garden center.  She purchased both flowers and vegetables.  We got plants and seeds.  We always try to get non-GMO seeds but they are getting a lot harder to find.

Remember those raised beds that our son made for us:

I guess she already has made plans for them.  What do you think?

Went to the Flea Market this morning and had a good time chatting with my acquaintances there.  One of those vendors is Ed.  You know by his grin that he is a jolly fellow full of jokes and funny stories.  I always enjoy stopping at Ed's tables for a chat.

While I was preparing to take Ed's picture, I accidentally pressed the shutter button and the camera, all on its own, took this following picture.  Ed deals in old money, both coins and paper money, for which he will trade for other old money or in some cases, new money.  Well, it is for sell and most people only carry around with them modern money, so I guess he deals in both old and new.  He prefers old U.S. and Confederate money, mostly old U.S. stuff.  Just to be well rounded, he also sells oddities and other stuff he picks up during the week.

Even though I can't seem to shake this cough and sniffles, I really did enjoy my visit to the Flea Market and my visit with all my friends there.  Now, I hope you all have a great day, you hear?

Wondering About Charles Shultz and Peanuts.

Everybody loves the comic strip, Peanuts.  Do you know that the last original Peanuts comic strip was published this day back in the year 2000?  That was one day after the author of that strip passed away.  It had already been submitted to run before the author, Charles Shultz, died and it did get published.  Here is a picture of Charles Shultz back about the time he started the Peanuts comic strip, that would be in the early '60s:

 And a later picture after he got older:





 

Every one's favorite character from that comic strip was the dog, Snoopy.  Snoopy aged over the years, but still had the that big grin on his face and about the same personality.  Here is a picture showing Snoopy's changes through the years:

 

 

Snoopy had quite an imagination and pretended he was a WWI pilot and his dog house was his Sopwith Camel fighter plane:





Aaaah, ain't life beautiful?  The both of them look relaxed and happy:

I am sure you all remember Charles Shultz.  He entertained us for quite a while.  BTW, how many of you know that his nickname was Sparky?  I didn't.  Now, I hope you all are grinning at the memories of Peanuts and Charlie Brown and Snoopy and. . . well, just have a great day, you hear?

 

Wondering About Drinking Pictures

I don't drink alcohol and haven't for quite a few years, but I used to and I liked it.  I heard that just beer can cause up to 26 different kinds of cancer.  Alcohol can and does affect the liver and when it wears it out it starts working on the spleen.  But, that doesn't stop most people.  This blog is about drinking, and I tried to find the funny side of it.  Like this sign for example:

 

 

Now that is a bargain, right???  I guess that is OK but some just will not stop at two drinks and some can't seem to wait for the bartender to refill their glasses, so the man in the picture below solved that problem of refilling his glass:

 

Of course there is all sorts of fancy concoctions that imbibers can order and I sure don't know the names of them.  Way back when, when I drank some, I stuck to a shot and a beer chaser or just bourbon on the rocks, not these fancy, dandy cocktails:

 

 

Now, if you imbibe, have one on me, but only one, I want to make sure you get home safe and sound and have a great day, you hear?

Dogs at the Groomer's

Dang, I hate coming home to an empty house, no barking to greet me, no jumping up in my lap, just a house so quiet I can hear the refrigerator running.  Quick, turn on the dang TV!!  OK, that is better, now open up the laptop, turn it on, and read some blogs. . . OK, I am going to make it now.  We dropped the pups off at 09:00 and they usually get done around lunch time until after 13:00, depending on how busy they are.  If we eat lunch before picking up the pups, I will miss them under the table, begging for just one more bite.  Now, do you get the impression that I love our dogs?  Well, if you do, you are so correct.

I am still trying to get rid of this cough and cold that has been lingering on and on and on.  Maybe I should take the medicine that the doctor prescribed for me.  I hate taking prescription drugs, but sometimes they are a necessary evil.  Now, you all have a great day, you hear?

And you thought you were old

As of the beginning of this month, there are still five people living who where alive in the 1800's and I am sure you have probably guessed, they are all women.  Now we all know that women live longer than men but these five women are sure pushing the limits.  I bet these ladies would have a lot of stories to tell and believe me, I would sit and listen intently to them.  Would you like to meet them?  I sure would, but since we all can't do that, I will do the next best thing.  I will post their pictures.

How about I start with the youngest one.  This young lady, Emma Morano, is only 115 years old:

Susannah Mushatt Jones is a few months older than Emma.

Jaralean Talley is also 115 but a little older than the two above.

This next picture is the America's oldest living person.  She was born on the 4th of July, 1898.  Yep, she is 116 years old.

Now, this next one is last and by far, not the least.  She is the oldest coming in also at 116 but was born on March 5th, 1898 which makes her the oldest.  Her name is Misao Okawa.

Ain't she beautiful!!  Love that smile.  Heck, and I thought Billy Bob and me were old.  We got a ways to go. . . I hope.  Now  live long and healthy and have a great day, you hear?