Wondering About Hydrogen.

What do you all think of first when someone mentions the word "hydrogen"?  A lot of you will first think about the hydrogen bomb:

Others, like me, think of the gas, H2.  It is the simplest molecule in the universe and I believe the most abundant.  It consists of just two hydrogen atoms.  Yes it is the simplest and lightest molecule that I know of, that is why when put in balloons, they rise up to the sky.  So what happens when you burn hydrogen?  You get water, nothing more, no bad byproducts, just water.  Burning is the fast way to oxidize something.  Oxidation is the addition of oxygen to another element or compound.  Burning is fast and rusting is slow.  Because burning hydrogen produces water, if the rate of burning can be controlled, it is the cleanest source of energy from combustion.  This makes it a great fuel for internal combustion motors, like what is in you car or truck.

In fact, on this day back in 2002, Toyota delivered two hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles that were ready to be sold to the public.  The problem is that our country has no provisions for refueling hydrogen powered vehicles. (Toyota calls them FCHVs, or Fuel-Cell Hydrogen Vehicles.)  These cars do not burn hydrogen in their engines, they have electric engines that run off batteries that are recharged by hydrogen fuel cells.

I am an old guy who prefers the old ways and thus I still buy gasoline and diesel for my vehicles and lawn mowers and tractors.  As long as the petroleum lasts, I will use it.  So, what do you think?  Never mind, just relax and have a great day, you hear?

Wondering About Big Leaves on the Deck

Back quite a few blogs ago when I was camping at Huntsville State Park, I found some unusually large leaves.  I posted pictures of them compared to my foot.  (Here is a link to that post: http://dizzydick.blogspot.com/2014/02/wondering-who-that-tree-looks-like.html )  I had never seen those type of leaves before nor since, until yesterday.  I was sweeping the leaves off the deck when I found these two yesterday.  Dang, they are almost as big:

On another note.  Was wanting to get my RV inspected, but had dead engine batteries and low tires.  My son came up yesterday with his big Ford diesel truck and jump started my Caterpillar Engine in the RV.  I let it run for a an hour or so, hoping that the batteries would take a charge.  They were so low that even pushing the switch that boosts the two engine batteries with the four house batteries didn't help.  I even held it down quite a long time.  OK, I hope it will start again because I sure wouldn't want to have to try to change those batteries.  There is such little room to work and I would suppose that it may take some special long reach tools.  Don't know for sure.  They are on a pull-out slide but it doesn't pull out far enough to clear the compartment door when opened.  That door will only open up to horizontal so it will not interfere with the slide-out above it.

There is always something that goes wrong.  So far, everything has been fixable, except maybe for my health and I am working on that, too.  Now, you all have a great day, you hear?

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy

Thanksgiving

I tried to post a bunch of neat Thanksgiving pictures, but after trying for the last couple of hours, I gave up.  I have no idea why blogger will not let me add pictures today.  But, I am thankful that at least I can still wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving, you hear?



No Blog Today.

I am not going to post much of blog today.  In fact, I may take a break for awhile.  When I have something positive to say, I will post another blog.  Until then, you all have a great time doing what ever you enjoy doing.

Wondering About a Stealthy Night Visitor.

Just before I went to bed last night, I took the dogs out.  I don't have to go out with them, since they have a fenced in yard, but it was a beautiful, clear night and I was looking at the stars.  The Pleiades (Seven Sisters) constellation was directly over head and, of course, I was looking at it.  As I was standing out there looking up, a huge, silent object came out of the intense dark area under the trees to my right, went just a couple of feet over my head, and glided up into a tall tree to my left.  What impressed me the most was just how silent it was.  A huge flying object like that surely would have to make some noise.

This is what I first thought it was:

But it turned out to be a Barred Owl.

They are an impressive sight, especially when they are that close!!

Of course, most of us see them in the daytime just sitting in a tree resting up for the upcoming night's hunt.



There are quite a few of them around here and I just love to hear their calls.  The have quite a repertoire.  The following is a link to a YouTube video that will let you hear their vocalizations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5zc-NHIipw

I love these birds and love to listen to their calls and conversations.  Now, you all have a great day and a great night to night, you hear?

Wondering About Gravity

Sometimes when I don't take time to think about something, the conclusion is usually faulty.  I know that I am not alone on this.  I was wondering where I would weigh the most if I used the same spring scale but got weighed in different locations.  So, don't take time to think about this but tell me, where do you think you would weigh less, in Death Valley or on top of Mount Everest?

My quick answer without thinking was Death Valley because I would be closer to the center of the Earth, as if the center of the Earth is where gravity comes from.  Well, after thinking about it, I changed my mind and now think it would be on top of Mount Everest.  Why, because there is more mass below me up on the mountain than there would be down in Death Valley.  Mass is (or particles are) what posses the attracting force we call gravity, so anywhere there is more mass under you, you would weigh more on a spring scale.

The same is true for the moon.  In my latest copy of Discover, there was an article in it that told about two moon orbiters that have sent back information about gravity on the moon.  The warmer colors, like reds, are the highest and the darker the lowest.  Well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I am going to post a picture to keep my hands from getting too tired trying to type a thousands more words:

OK, I think I made it large enough to read what it says, if not, click on the picture to download it or enlarge the blog page.  Now you all have a great out of this world day, you hear?

Wondering About a Guy We Love to Hate.

There are a lot of people, especially the characters that we see on TV and the movies, that we just love to hate.  Not the actor or actress, but the character that they play.  One of these is the actor Larry Hagman who fulfilled both the lovable and the despicable characters.  I remember him well in both shows and I bet you do, too.

The first show I remember was "I Dream of Jeannie", with Barbara Eden as the Jeannie that appeared out of the lamp or bottle or whatever they appear out of.  Here are two pictures from that show.

Did you notice how young Mr. Hagman was in that show and it was in black and white?

When the TV show, Dallas, came on in 1978 and ran till 1991, Larry played J.R. Ewing in that show.  He was sort of the black sheep of the family and did a lot of wheeling/dealing that may or may not have been above board.    

Larry Hagman had a long career and he was still playing J.R. up until his death two years ago today in the newest version of the Dallas show.  Most viewers loved him in his first show and loved/hated him in the last one.  How about you?  Did you have a love/hate thing going on for Larry?  Now, have a great day, you hear?