Ok, so at 6am this morning we saw more falling stars from the hot tub than during the peak of the meteor shower. There's nothing like watching the sky from a hot, steamy bath. Some of the meteors put on a good show.
There were a few there were a little different. I don't recall noticing them ever before. Earlier this month and again today, I saw several falling stars that must have been coming more or less directly at me. There was no trail, just a pinpoint of light that suddenly appeared, got bigger and brighter, then dissappeared. As I stated, I can only explain this if it were coming towards us.
I'm curious if anyone else has observed falling stars like this. My conclusion appears solid, but with no trail, you have to bee looking directly at the spot to see it. No, I'm not seeing things that aren't there, but I would like to know if others have "seen the light."
Twist
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
We Do What We Can
I have a good friend that is 17 years my senior. He nearly died from an aortic anurism about 7 years ago, but was miraculously save. He has one paralyzed leg which makes it difficult for him to get around even in his motorized wheelchair. His van has been adapted to drive with his left leg and has a wheelchair lift in the back.
I drove him around a couple of days as he had cataract surgery and follow up visits. His vision increased tremendously after the surgery. We went shopping today and I drove him again. As we got home he thought he felt good enough to go for a drive, which he likes to do often. He walked around the car and got into the drivers seat. I asked him again if he was ok and he said yes. I got into my truck and drove home.
Had I been 60 seconds later driving around the block I'd have seen the results of his paralyzed foot getting caught under the brake pedal and on top of the gas pedal. I would then have seen his van careen across the street, across the neighbor's lawn and into his fence. I would have seen a pole from the fence go through his window, mess up the door and hit his leg.
He called me from the emergency room where the x-rays showed no breaks, but a pretty bad hematoma. He's home now recuperating. He's making plans to repair the door and get going again. Oh, by the way. His inspection sticker is out. His registration is expired. He has no insurance because, with so many collisions, nobody wants to insure him. I wonder how many other people out there are like my friend.
I'll do what I can, but I can't do everything.
Twist
I drove him around a couple of days as he had cataract surgery and follow up visits. His vision increased tremendously after the surgery. We went shopping today and I drove him again. As we got home he thought he felt good enough to go for a drive, which he likes to do often. He walked around the car and got into the drivers seat. I asked him again if he was ok and he said yes. I got into my truck and drove home.
Had I been 60 seconds later driving around the block I'd have seen the results of his paralyzed foot getting caught under the brake pedal and on top of the gas pedal. I would then have seen his van careen across the street, across the neighbor's lawn and into his fence. I would have seen a pole from the fence go through his window, mess up the door and hit his leg.
He called me from the emergency room where the x-rays showed no breaks, but a pretty bad hematoma. He's home now recuperating. He's making plans to repair the door and get going again. Oh, by the way. His inspection sticker is out. His registration is expired. He has no insurance because, with so many collisions, nobody wants to insure him. I wonder how many other people out there are like my friend.
I'll do what I can, but I can't do everything.
Twist
Friday, October 9, 2009
Shoot the Moon
I must be living under a rock lately. I got up at 6am this morning and turned on the news. It seems NASA has a project called the LCROSS mission. The plan is to crash a rocket into the moon, evaluate the impact debris with a satellite disconnected from the rocket prior to impact, then that satellite would then also crash into the moon. The purpose of this madness is to check for ice crystals below the surface of the moon. I'm not sure why they didn't add an explosive charge was not involved, but perhaps it was in something I did not read.
As I write this, the impact has already happened. I'm viewing a tape of what happened. Moon parties have been organized across the country to view the impact. Everyone commenting is saying the same thing. "When is this going to happen? What do you mean it's already happened? I don't see anything."
My daughter's in-laws all got up to watch. They saw even less. It's foggy and overcast here.
Yawn, the view of my backyard from the hot tub is more interesting this morning in the nice cool air.
Twist
As I write this, the impact has already happened. I'm viewing a tape of what happened. Moon parties have been organized across the country to view the impact. Everyone commenting is saying the same thing. "When is this going to happen? What do you mean it's already happened? I don't see anything."
My daughter's in-laws all got up to watch. They saw even less. It's foggy and overcast here.
Yawn, the view of my backyard from the hot tub is more interesting this morning in the nice cool air.
Twist
Monday, October 5, 2009
Many Voices
I have been bombarded by voices as of late. Yes, they are all real, not just in my head. These voices are not bad, either. I welcome all the dialogues I have received.
Twice a day, if I want, I can participate in a MARS, Military Affiliate Radio System, radio net. This is a practice/training net, or radio chat, to prepare for emergency communications in times of hurricanes, disasters or terrorism. There are usually about 30 participants in this net that come together from across the state. With our long range radios we can chat with others hundreds of miles away.
During this same net our local group also chats on different radios on a local frequency. This allows us to talk about the main topic for discussion with more latitude and candor.
Multiple opportunites also arise during the week to particpate in regular ham radio nets, usually all local radio operators, though, with the long range radios, I can join an endless list of nets around the country.
On Sunday nights, and throughout the week, I have the opportunity to chat online with my family. Technically, I guess these are not voices, but texts, but as I read each line of chat sent I hear in my head the voice of the person sending it. I picture them sitting at their computer smiling, typing and laughing. The worldwide web shrinks the thousands of miles around the globe that separate us, and yet cannot divide us because of the ease of contact. We laugh we discuss our parents, our families, our interests and our lives in general. You have to read fast to keep up with the up to 7 conversations that occur simultaneously at the speed of our local ISP connections.
I currently live in the same city as my children and grandchildren. We get together often and in volume. A friend of my oldest daughter came to visit one day. This friend is an only child. After a while she asked my daughter, "Is it always this noisy at your house?" I'm afraid so and happy to say it.
This weekend, I viewed the general conference of our Church. This world wide conference was broadcast over cable, tv, internet and radio. Millions of people around the world viewed the broadcast either live, on a delayed basis or on demand from the internet. They can purchase DVDs in about a month that will have the full spectrum of discourses to peruse at their leisure or read the printed word in about a month in a magazine.
All of these voices are welcome. They are informative, comforting, educational and interesting. As much as anything else, these are the voices of my life that give me perspectives on so many things. These voices mirror who I am. My lone voice in the sea of billions of other voices is still distinct, individual and personal. Though I am similar in nature to the masses, I am unique.
The voices are calling me now and I am happy,
Twist
Twice a day, if I want, I can participate in a MARS, Military Affiliate Radio System, radio net. This is a practice/training net, or radio chat, to prepare for emergency communications in times of hurricanes, disasters or terrorism. There are usually about 30 participants in this net that come together from across the state. With our long range radios we can chat with others hundreds of miles away.
During this same net our local group also chats on different radios on a local frequency. This allows us to talk about the main topic for discussion with more latitude and candor.
Multiple opportunites also arise during the week to particpate in regular ham radio nets, usually all local radio operators, though, with the long range radios, I can join an endless list of nets around the country.
On Sunday nights, and throughout the week, I have the opportunity to chat online with my family. Technically, I guess these are not voices, but texts, but as I read each line of chat sent I hear in my head the voice of the person sending it. I picture them sitting at their computer smiling, typing and laughing. The worldwide web shrinks the thousands of miles around the globe that separate us, and yet cannot divide us because of the ease of contact. We laugh we discuss our parents, our families, our interests and our lives in general. You have to read fast to keep up with the up to 7 conversations that occur simultaneously at the speed of our local ISP connections.
I currently live in the same city as my children and grandchildren. We get together often and in volume. A friend of my oldest daughter came to visit one day. This friend is an only child. After a while she asked my daughter, "Is it always this noisy at your house?" I'm afraid so and happy to say it.
This weekend, I viewed the general conference of our Church. This world wide conference was broadcast over cable, tv, internet and radio. Millions of people around the world viewed the broadcast either live, on a delayed basis or on demand from the internet. They can purchase DVDs in about a month that will have the full spectrum of discourses to peruse at their leisure or read the printed word in about a month in a magazine.
All of these voices are welcome. They are informative, comforting, educational and interesting. As much as anything else, these are the voices of my life that give me perspectives on so many things. These voices mirror who I am. My lone voice in the sea of billions of other voices is still distinct, individual and personal. Though I am similar in nature to the masses, I am unique.
The voices are calling me now and I am happy,
Twist
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