Have you ever used words that can't be found in the dictionary? I sure have!! Bet you have, too. Some times we shorten words or combine them or just plain make them up to suit the situation. Heck, I use them all the time. No, I don't usually use them when I am writing but just when I am talking.
Let me explain what I am talking about. Didja know that there are words like "didja"? Just in case some of you don't know, "didja" means "did you". I will make all these words I am talking about today in red so right off you will know which ones they are. Wow, wadda you going to think of these words? Yep, "wadda" is another one which means "what are", like in wadda you doing tonight.
Are you getting bored with this posting yet. Well hang in there, I will only do a couple more. Sorta shorten it up a bit. And "sorta" means "sort of" or something like that. OK, I promise, just lemme do one more. I guess I would say that "lemme" means "let me". Not sure if I am correct on all the above. Please feel free to correct me or add some of your own. So lemme wish you a happy Saturday, you hear?
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Friday, September 6, 2013
Wondering about exoplanets.
I wonder about almost anything but our universe is near the top of my list if not at the top. There are so many unimaginable things going on out there. Today, I am going to touch on exoplanets. The definition of an exoplnet is one that is not in our solar system. And guess what, there are a lot of them!! So far, astronomers have found nearly 1,000 of them. It seems that most stars out there have some kind of stuff around them. It could be just dust that is not thick enough to coalesce or hasn't had the time needed to do so. It is rare in deed to find a star without something orbiting around it.
Want to see some exoplanets? If any are visible they would be very small dots and the glare of their sun would make it as hard to see as "a firefly next to a search light". Most have been detected from the wobble they give to their parent star as they orbit it. So, the next best thing is artists renditions of what the planet would look like. So here are a couple of examples. This first one is of Kepler 35 which is a binary star system with planets.
Yes, there are systems that have multiple stars and in some, the planet or planets orbit around both stars and in some rare cases the planet may orbit around just one of them.
But the most common are systems similar to our own. Some have multiple planets and some seem to have only one. The picture below is another artist's rendition of what a typical exoplanet system would look like.
Out of millions and billions and. . . a lot of star systems out there, there has to be some planets just like earth. Astronomers have found a lot of possible places where life as we know it could exist, but the huge question is, "does it?". I hope I have given you all something to wonder about today. It is Friday, you know, so have a great TGIF day, you hear?
Want to see some exoplanets? If any are visible they would be very small dots and the glare of their sun would make it as hard to see as "a firefly next to a search light". Most have been detected from the wobble they give to their parent star as they orbit it. So, the next best thing is artists renditions of what the planet would look like. So here are a couple of examples. This first one is of Kepler 35 which is a binary star system with planets.
Yes, there are systems that have multiple stars and in some, the planet or planets orbit around both stars and in some rare cases the planet may orbit around just one of them.
But the most common are systems similar to our own. Some have multiple planets and some seem to have only one. The picture below is another artist's rendition of what a typical exoplanet system would look like.
Out of millions and billions and. . . a lot of star systems out there, there has to be some planets just like earth. Astronomers have found a lot of possible places where life as we know it could exist, but the huge question is, "does it?". I hope I have given you all something to wonder about today. It is Friday, you know, so have a great TGIF day, you hear?
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Wondering what you where doing on Oct. 30, 1938.
What where you doing on October 30th of 1938? Well, I for one, had not been born yet. Therefore, I can only imagine what I would have been doing. On that date in the United States, there was mass hysteria!! A lot of people thought that the end had come. Many hugged their loved ones and grabbed their guns. Some prayed, some cried, some hid under their beds, and some just grinned and enjoyed the show.
What show am I talking about? It was Orson Well's "War of the Worlds". I believe that they gave a disclaimer before the show stating that it was fiction but many must not have heard it or ignored it or just got carried away with the great way it was presented and the talent of Orson. He made it sound real!!
Could something like that happen today? Yes it could!! It happens all the time. No, I don't mean world envasion by aliens, but what I guess you could call mini-mania. How many of you remember the toilet paper shortage scare of December 19th, 1973? It all started from a Johnny Carson joke. Here is what he said: "You know what's disappearing from the supermaket shelves? Toilet paper. There's an acute shortage of toilet paper in the United States." The next day there was a rush to the stores and it did disappear form the shelves. Dang, we almost had to go back to corn cobs (grin). I am sure you can think of other things that have caused mini-manias and if so, tell us. But for now, hide from the aliens but also try to have a great day, you hear?
What show am I talking about? It was Orson Well's "War of the Worlds". I believe that they gave a disclaimer before the show stating that it was fiction but many must not have heard it or ignored it or just got carried away with the great way it was presented and the talent of Orson. He made it sound real!!
Could something like that happen today? Yes it could!! It happens all the time. No, I don't mean world envasion by aliens, but what I guess you could call mini-mania. How many of you remember the toilet paper shortage scare of December 19th, 1973? It all started from a Johnny Carson joke. Here is what he said: "You know what's disappearing from the supermaket shelves? Toilet paper. There's an acute shortage of toilet paper in the United States." The next day there was a rush to the stores and it did disappear form the shelves. Dang, we almost had to go back to corn cobs (grin). I am sure you can think of other things that have caused mini-manias and if so, tell us. But for now, hide from the aliens but also try to have a great day, you hear?
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Wondering about a friendly ghost.
Ghosts are suppose to be scary but what about Casper, the friendly ghost? I am sure you all have all heard about Casper. Not only is he friendly but but he is also cute:
Now who could be afraid of Casper? Now, I wonder who he was before he died? The sad part of the story is that he was probably a young boy having fun and maybe chased a ball out on a busy street and . . . .
Who knows, the writers of the original story (Seymour V. Reit and Joe Oriole) never said. Most of us thought that this billowy puff of friendliness originated in comic books but that isn't the case. Way back in 1945, only two years after I was born, Casper first appeared in a short cartoon but he didn't have a name at that time.
The first cartoon didn't make much of splash but the second one entitled "There's Good Boos Tonight" released in 1948 started the Casper phenomena. I am glad it did. I always enjoyed those cartoons and still do. Yes, no matter how old a man gets, there is a small part of him that is still a boy. Please don't become a ghost anytime soon but have a great day today, you hear?
Now who could be afraid of Casper? Now, I wonder who he was before he died? The sad part of the story is that he was probably a young boy having fun and maybe chased a ball out on a busy street and . . . .
Who knows, the writers of the original story (Seymour V. Reit and Joe Oriole) never said. Most of us thought that this billowy puff of friendliness originated in comic books but that isn't the case. Way back in 1945, only two years after I was born, Casper first appeared in a short cartoon but he didn't have a name at that time.
The first cartoon didn't make much of splash but the second one entitled "There's Good Boos Tonight" released in 1948 started the Casper phenomena. I am glad it did. I always enjoyed those cartoons and still do. Yes, no matter how old a man gets, there is a small part of him that is still a boy. Please don't become a ghost anytime soon but have a great day today, you hear?
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Wondering about ear lobes.
Have you ever wondered why we have earlobes. Now don't tell me that we have them so that there is a good place to hang earrings!! I have earlobes but they have never had ear rings hanging from them. Doesn't most all the parts of the body have some particular use? Over time the body parts that have no use anymore seem to disappear. So why do we have earlobes? They must be important or genetics would have changed them or removed them. They are not the part of the ear that collects and funnels the sound waves into the ear canal. So, what are they for? I have no idea. I sure would like to hear from you all on what you think their purpose is.
I don't believe anyone knows. Some speculation is that maybe we used to run around on all fours and they would hang down over the ear canal protecting it. Now that doesn't make much sense to me. They would have to walk upside down on their hands for that to work. All those great minds can't say they don't know, they just have to come up with some reason no matter how far fetched it is. Now that starts me to wondering; what is the origin of the term "far fetched"? Now, you all have a great day and walk upright but let your ear lobes hang down. In other words, just be your natural self and have a very great day, you hear?
I don't believe anyone knows. Some speculation is that maybe we used to run around on all fours and they would hang down over the ear canal protecting it. Now that doesn't make much sense to me. They would have to walk upside down on their hands for that to work. All those great minds can't say they don't know, they just have to come up with some reason no matter how far fetched it is. Now that starts me to wondering; what is the origin of the term "far fetched"? Now, you all have a great day and walk upright but let your ear lobes hang down. In other words, just be your natural self and have a very great day, you hear?
Monday, September 2, 2013
Wondering about Labor Day
First, I want to wish all of you a very happy Labor Day and a safe one. What ever you do on this holiday, whether out on the roads, boating, visiting friends and relatives, or just staying home, be safe and enjoy it. Holidays haven't meant a lot to me for a long time except maybe they were good days to stay at home and off the roads. For many years I worked for myself and if I was working on a job or project, I would work on it every day whether it was a holiday or a weekend until it was finished. Now, for me, every day is a holiday, if I want it to be.
Now, I started wondering how long has this holiday been in existence. People have been doing labor for as long as there has been people. Of course, I am sure there were many lazy people that never did work of any kind. I actually have known some of them. From what I can find out, the first Labor Day was celebrated back in September of 1882 in New York City. I believe the Central Labor Union planned this first labor day with a parade and all.
Enjoy the holiday, be safe, and let us know what you will be doing to celebrate this year's Labor Day, you hear?
Now, I started wondering how long has this holiday been in existence. People have been doing labor for as long as there has been people. Of course, I am sure there were many lazy people that never did work of any kind. I actually have known some of them. From what I can find out, the first Labor Day was celebrated back in September of 1882 in New York City. I believe the Central Labor Union planned this first labor day with a parade and all.
Enjoy the holiday, be safe, and let us know what you will be doing to celebrate this year's Labor Day, you hear?
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Wondering about using numbers.
We all use numbers. Numbers are an important part of every one's life. What would we do without numbers? Well, I suppose we could use the alphabet. The letter "C" could represent 3 and "D" could be 4. Then "CC" would be 29 and "DD" would be 30 and "CCC" would be 55 and "DDD" would be 56. For some reason, I don't think this method of counting would work out very well. I know I would have a big problem if some one asked me to pay DDJ dollars for something I wanted to buy. Gee, and I bet you thought that Roman Numerals were complicated. I think, for the most part, I will stick with the good old Arabic way of counting and numbering things.
Even Arabic numbers get out of hand and beyond comprehension; well beyond my comprehension, anyway. I pretty much under stand the number of miles from my place to town or the post office or even to Arizona or Pennsylvania. I can even grasp the distance to the moon and sun. You know, like the old joke goes: "It is closer to the moon than it is to Arizona 'cause I can see the moon from here but I can't see Arizona from here". The distance to the outer planets gets a little harder to grasp as is the distance to the nearest star. After that, it just becomes numbers, numbers without actual understanding of the distance. If you think that is far, think again. Light from the furthest edge of the expanding universe will never reach us unless the universe stops expanding and implodes. That my friends, is a scary thought. Well, as far as numbers go, I have taken up enough of your time. But, before you go, may I suggest that any of you with children or grandchildren in school read http://orangejeepdad.blogspot.com/ . Now, you all have a great day today, you hear?
Even Arabic numbers get out of hand and beyond comprehension; well beyond my comprehension, anyway. I pretty much under stand the number of miles from my place to town or the post office or even to Arizona or Pennsylvania. I can even grasp the distance to the moon and sun. You know, like the old joke goes: "It is closer to the moon than it is to Arizona 'cause I can see the moon from here but I can't see Arizona from here". The distance to the outer planets gets a little harder to grasp as is the distance to the nearest star. After that, it just becomes numbers, numbers without actual understanding of the distance. If you think that is far, think again. Light from the furthest edge of the expanding universe will never reach us unless the universe stops expanding and implodes. That my friends, is a scary thought. Well, as far as numbers go, I have taken up enough of your time. But, before you go, may I suggest that any of you with children or grandchildren in school read http://orangejeepdad.blogspot.com/ . Now, you all have a great day today, you hear?
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