Why and Which Way Do Planets Spin?

Let me limit this question to our Solar System, in which we are the third planet from our star, the Sun.  I am also going to exclude Pluto because it is not considered a major planet.  See my older blog about it:  http://dizzydick.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-trip-to-pluto.html

OK, what is left are the major planets and guess what, they all spin in the same direction.  Does that seem logical to you in a universe that is quite diverse and everything seems to go its own way?  If you think about it awhile, it does make sense.  Let me explain as best I can with my limited knowledge of the wonders of this universe.

Way back in time, yep, even back more years than I am old and that is lot!!, the solar system was nothing but a dust cloud.  I guess that is what happens when the Angels sweep off the streets of Heaven.  This huge cloud of dust was hit by a huge shock wave, probably from a nearby supernova.  This shock wave caused the cloud of dust to collapse.  The collapsing caused its own gravitational forces to pull it into a flat, spinning disk.  Everything that was forming in this spinning disk took on the same angular momentum and thus all spun in the same direction.

OK, for all you who are astronomy students, you will say "hold on a minute, all the planets do not spin in the same direction".  Yep, they would be correct.  The two exceptions are Venus and Uranus.  The most popular theory is that they were probably hit hard with many collisions with asteroids.  Dang, maybe they should have done what I did the last time I had asteroids, I used Preparation H (grin).

You may also ask why they haven't stopped spinning?  Well, there have been no external forces applied to them to stop it and in space, there is nothing there to cause friction.  It would take another huge collision to change or stop the rotation, and anything that huge, we would not passing by our Earth.  Sometimes these huge space rocks are not choosy what they hit.  Yes, this universe is a violent and strange place, for sure.  Now, don't worry, the chance of this happening are not very big.  Just relax and have a great day and a great Monday, you hear?

Four Disgusting Pictures

Have you ever seen pictures that you thought were really disgusting?  Yep, there are a lot of them and through the benefits of the internet, I am going to post four of them for you now.  You just can't take disgusting in big doses, it just ain't good for you to get too much at one time.  So here are the four that I picked for today.

OK, before you get too upset about this first picture, I should tell you that they are not human.  Nope, they are melted remnants from a fire at a wax museum in London.  It still isn't a pretty sight, is it?

This next one was a real person.  She was all dressed up, even had on white gloves, for her last big step.  She either jumped or was pushed out of an upper window or off of the roof of a tall building landing on the roof of a car parked below.  Suicides are a real unnecessary waste of human life.  There is always other options, but of course my old Dad always told me that "nothing is so bad that it can't get worse".

If the two pictures above were not enough to disgust you than maybe a great big bat will do the trick:

Have you ever see a bat that big?  Now, I want you all to think about that huge bat when you lay down in your bed to go to sleep tonight.  Better keep your windows closed (grin).

Don't have room in your garage for both your new Ferrari and your old pick-up truck?  Problem solved.  Just park the truck on top of the Ferrari:

Now I sure hope I didn't make you too disgusted, but would rather you make sure you have a great day, you hear?

Tree Trimming Today.

My wife suggested that I go out to the front lot and trim the pine trees that were intruding over the fence into the neighbor's yard.  I did the cutting and the wife drug the cut limbs over to a pile away from the fence.  Went fairly well except that I had just eaten a huge lunch and was very, very full and the sun was very, very hot.  This caused me to heat up a little more than I like and was really glad to get that job done and get back into the house and grab a big glass of water.  And yes, the air-conditioning really felt good.  It took me a little while but started to feel good again.

I am either getting spoiled or getting old or both.  Just can't seem to do the things I used to, especially in the heat of the day.  I can get the work done, but have to pace myself.  Now don't any of you over do it in the heat of the day but have a great day, you hear?

Waiting on New Batteries

My two engine batteries in my RV have died.  The service man showed up yesterday and checked them out.  He got the information off of them and checked and there were two in stock back at the store.  So, he said he would be here this morning around 08:00 to replace the old ones with new ones.  Also, it seems that the latch that locks the battery slide tray in place is broken.  Not sure how that can be fixed or if the the batteries can be replaced.

He said that they were five years old and that is about the expected life time for them.  Really?  It seems to me that back in the good old days batteries lasted a lot longer than that.  Since my Jeep is ten years old and on its second battery, I guess it is time for a new one for it, too.

There is a lot of rain around the area.  I hope it holds off until after the battery man gets here, so he can complete the battery switch.  Nothing seems to be simple anymore!!  Hope you all have a great day, you hear?

Wondering About 1913 Buffalo Nickles

I got wondering about buffalo nickles.  Did you know that in 1913 there were two different designs coined and released into circulation?  That seemed odd to me and of course I had to check a little further and discovered the reason.  Can you guess what it was?

The first picture is of an early 1913 stamping of the nickle:

This next picture is also of a 1913 nickle but a later stamping.  Can you see the difference?

The difference was on the back of the coin.  The coin on the left was the early stamping and the one on the right was the later stamping.  

The buffalo in the first stamping was shown standing on a raised mound.  The later stamping shows a little bit of the mound but has a raised line underneath just above where it says "FIVE CENTS". That raised line was put in to help protect the inscription of "FIVE CENTS" from wear and thus to help keep it readable for a longer time.

Isn't it amazing what one learns just by browsing the internet.  Yep, I found the above information at:
  http://buffalonickel.org/1913-buffalo-nickel-type-1-and-type-2/

Go to that site if you want to read more about the two types of 1913 Buffalo Nickles.  Now, you all have a great day, you hear?

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I just noticed that John Wells posted about the buffalo nickel, also.  Great minds think alike, (grin).  Now you wouldn't believe that I stole his idea, do you???

Son Made the Trip to New Job.

 It was a long trip from his home here in Texas to the North Shore of Alaska, but he made it.  He posted some pictures on Facebook and I am re-posting them here on my blog.

This first picture is looking down on some very rugged mountains.  Wow!!  I sure would like to explore down there, but now I am too old for an adventure like that.

The last leg of his journey was in a propeller driven plane and the weather was not too clear.  In fact, they went back out over the arctic ocean and circled and did figure eights and circled and. . . (you get the picture) until the clouds parted enough to be able to make a landing.  The airport up there is only operated under VFR (Visual Flight Rules), since there is no tower.  In fact, there isn't much of anything there.

This next picture shows a shadow on the clouds of the plane he was in.

He made it safe and sound and he took this picture from the window in his room:

The only thing missing in this picture is a big moose or a muskox.  Her is a picture of Alaskan muskoxen in their defensive formation.  This picture was taken in the 1930's.

They have been re-introduced into Alaska 

So, as you can see from this map of where the Muskox ranges are located, and that there should be some of them along the Alaskan North Slope.  Of course there are both Polar Bears and Grizzly Bears in that area, too.  It is an interesting area, for sure.  Now, think about all that crisp, cool air up there and try to stay cool.  It is going to be a week of upper 90's here in East Texas, but try and have a great day, you hear?

Son Called Last Night.

Yep, got a call from our son last night and my wife talked to him for quite awhile.  He has a layover in Anchorage and that gave him a chance to buy some odds and ends that he will need when he gets to the North Shore.

He posted some pictures he took out the window of the plane as it took off.  He took some good pictures and one was of Lake Conroe.  Of course he was fairly high by then but not as high as he would be cruising most of the way.  He said the sky was really blue at 40,000 feet.

Oh yes, and here are his insulated work boots:

Last night he said the weather was great at Anchorage.  If I remember correctly, he said it was 50 degrees and very comfortable.  You want to bet it doesn't stay that nice do you?  Shucks, we miss him already!!  Now, you all have a great day, you hear?