I have not blogged in two weeks. No particular reason except that I have been too busy. Ever since I wrote my last notes about Canadian geese, I realized there was a BIG ERROR in the blog. This came to me about an hour after I wrote it. No one noticed or no one reads this, I guess.
As I looked north, I said the migrating geese were flying towards me. Wait a minute. Shouldn't they have been flying NORTH? I got a little more anal about my compass directions, and realized they were not flying north - that much is correct. They were flying southeast.
That night I watched the weather report and saw from the radar there was a pretty good snowstorm heading north and east. The geese were roughly flying towards the Montezuma bird sanctuary, and likely bedding down until the storm passed. They are smarter than I am because I decided it would be a good night to drive to the mall.
There! I am glad that is settled. Next time I promise I will report on something that matters. Also remember I do not always tell the truth, but I always admit when I am lying. That is truth.
I sometimes tell a lie to embellish a story or make a point, but I try very hard not to lie to hurt anyone. That is truth.
Spring arrived today and it is just barely above freezing and snowing. That is truth.
I am so glad it is gray, damp, and wet outside. That is a lie. Most of my lies will be harder to find! *-)
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
Sometimes it is good to be late.
You know how some days you just seem to be running late but you do not really care. I am talking about “commuting” late; five minutes off schedule and now traffic will be a bottle neck. Some days this really stresses me out and other days it does not.
Today I was running late, but there was no stress. I just said “It’s Friday, I do not care!”
As I walked to my car, the air was crisp cold and the sky was gray, but there was no wind and it was a very light gray so it was kind of pleasant.
The air smelled like Spring.
I could hear Canadian geese coming towards me. We called them “honkers” when I was a kid. This “V” shaped wedge of geese, close to twenty in all, flew directly towards me and passed right over my head.
I paused to wonder about why the Leader of the wedge was the Leader. Is it instinct? Do they have a committee meeting? Do they do rock, paper, scissors? Is it a male or a female? If it is a male will he stop for directions, or go east for an hour or so just to tick off the ladies?
I decided that if they were Italian geese, it was a woman.
Then there are always the stragglers who are a couple places behind at the end of the wedge. Sometimes they make the V lop-sided.
Are they tired, or sick, or just kids who have to stop and pee?
Are they like the 40 year old cousin who still lives with Mom?
Do they all make it south or do some just get tired and die?
As they passed by, I turned and looked north again – there were two more V’s coming towards me. Now I understood why I was running late today. I needed to see those “honkers” doing what nature has told them to do, and remind myself that there is a purpose in nature for me too.
Running five minutes late really does not matter sometimes, does it?
Spring Forward! (Sunday March 9th at 2AM)
Scientists have determined that the V-shaped formation that geese use when migrating serves two important purposes:
First, it conserves their energy. Each bird flies slightly above the bird in front of him, resulting in a reduction of wind resistance. The birds take turns being in the front, falling back when they get tired. In this way, the geese can fly for a long time before they must stop for rest.
The second benefit to the V formation is that it is easy to keep track of every bird in the group.
Ref: http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/geese.html
Today I was running late, but there was no stress. I just said “It’s Friday, I do not care!”
As I walked to my car, the air was crisp cold and the sky was gray, but there was no wind and it was a very light gray so it was kind of pleasant.
The air smelled like Spring.
I could hear Canadian geese coming towards me. We called them “honkers” when I was a kid. This “V” shaped wedge of geese, close to twenty in all, flew directly towards me and passed right over my head.
I paused to wonder about why the Leader of the wedge was the Leader. Is it instinct? Do they have a committee meeting? Do they do rock, paper, scissors? Is it a male or a female? If it is a male will he stop for directions, or go east for an hour or so just to tick off the ladies?
I decided that if they were Italian geese, it was a woman.
Then there are always the stragglers who are a couple places behind at the end of the wedge. Sometimes they make the V lop-sided.
Are they tired, or sick, or just kids who have to stop and pee?
Are they like the 40 year old cousin who still lives with Mom?
Do they all make it south or do some just get tired and die?
As they passed by, I turned and looked north again – there were two more V’s coming towards me. Now I understood why I was running late today. I needed to see those “honkers” doing what nature has told them to do, and remind myself that there is a purpose in nature for me too.
Running five minutes late really does not matter sometimes, does it?
Spring Forward! (Sunday March 9th at 2AM)
Scientists have determined that the V-shaped formation that geese use when migrating serves two important purposes:
First, it conserves their energy. Each bird flies slightly above the bird in front of him, resulting in a reduction of wind resistance. The birds take turns being in the front, falling back when they get tired. In this way, the geese can fly for a long time before they must stop for rest.
The second benefit to the V formation is that it is easy to keep track of every bird in the group.
Ref: http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/geese.html
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Candy you ate as a kid
They say one picture is worth 1,000 words. I really cannot argue with that. One thing I DO miss is penny candy!
In the 60's I could go to "Dewey's" at Silver Lake with a quarter and buy enough candy, soda pop, and ice cream to make a feast! You just had to be careful not to mix orange "pop" with chocolate, fire balls, and those wax syrup bottles or you might get sick. LOL!
http://www.oldtimecandy.com/CandyList.htm
Monday, March 3, 2008
Happy Birthday Alexander Graham Bell
March 3, 1847.
It is rumored Bell did not actually have a telephone because he did not like the interruptions. I wonder if the had any concept what his simple device would grow into!
It is also said that when he died, no telephones rang in the U.S. for 60 seconds, in his honor. True or not, I think he would have liked that. Now, where did I leave my cell phone?
As comedian Lily Tomlin said, as Ernestine - a telephone operator:
We handle eighty-four billion calls a year. Serving everyone from presidents and kings to the scum of the earth. We realize that every so often you can't get an operator, for no apparent reason your phone goes out of order, or perhaps you get charged for a call you didn't make.
We don't care.
Watch this.. [ she hits buttons maniacally ] ..just lost Peoria.
You see, this phone system consists of a multibillion-dollar matrix of space age technology that is so sophisticated, even we can't handle it. But that's your problem, isn't it?
Next time you complain about your phone service, why don't you try using two Dixie cups with a string?
We don't care.
We don't have to.
We're the Phone Company.
It is rumored Bell did not actually have a telephone because he did not like the interruptions. I wonder if the had any concept what his simple device would grow into!
It is also said that when he died, no telephones rang in the U.S. for 60 seconds, in his honor. True or not, I think he would have liked that. Now, where did I leave my cell phone?
As comedian Lily Tomlin said, as Ernestine - a telephone operator:
We handle eighty-four billion calls a year. Serving everyone from presidents and kings to the scum of the earth. We realize that every so often you can't get an operator, for no apparent reason your phone goes out of order, or perhaps you get charged for a call you didn't make.
We don't care.
Watch this.. [ she hits buttons maniacally ] ..just lost Peoria.
You see, this phone system consists of a multibillion-dollar matrix of space age technology that is so sophisticated, even we can't handle it. But that's your problem, isn't it?
Next time you complain about your phone service, why don't you try using two Dixie cups with a string?
We don't care.
We don't have to.
We're the Phone Company.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Happy Leap Day!
According to Wikipedia:
"February 29 is a date that occurs only every four years, and is called leap day. This day is added to the calendar in leap years as a corrective measure, because the earth does not orbit around the sun in precisely 365.000 days."
This is based on the Julian calendar, which was a correction of the Roman calendar, implemented in 45 BC, after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria who discovered that a year was 365.25 days long, so every four years we need another day, or by 2008 it would be snowing in July.
I always wondered why of ALL the months, they would add a day to FEBRUARY. Come on, it was six degrees out yesterday - put the extra day in July when we NEED it.
Sosigenes This!
Actually it is cold but the sun is shining, so all you folks with Seasonal Affectation Disorder (heck we called it cabin fever) go outside and catch some rays!
The appropriate musical trivia link for today would be this:
A New Day Yesterday by Jetro Tull
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBujaAumqPU
I actually saw this band in concert twice around 1970-1972. There is no person named Jethro Tull in the band. Ian Anderson is the guy who sings, plays flute and harmonica, and takes center stage, and is often mistaken for Tull.
Also, do not complain. On the Hebrew calendar, they have Leap MONTH because they were way off!
February could be 58 days long. Heh.
"February 29 is a date that occurs only every four years, and is called leap day. This day is added to the calendar in leap years as a corrective measure, because the earth does not orbit around the sun in precisely 365.000 days."
This is based on the Julian calendar, which was a correction of the Roman calendar, implemented in 45 BC, after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria who discovered that a year was 365.25 days long, so every four years we need another day, or by 2008 it would be snowing in July.
I always wondered why of ALL the months, they would add a day to FEBRUARY. Come on, it was six degrees out yesterday - put the extra day in July when we NEED it.
Sosigenes This!
Actually it is cold but the sun is shining, so all you folks with Seasonal Affectation Disorder (heck we called it cabin fever) go outside and catch some rays!
The appropriate musical trivia link for today would be this:
A New Day Yesterday by Jetro Tull
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBujaAumqPU
I actually saw this band in concert twice around 1970-1972. There is no person named Jethro Tull in the band. Ian Anderson is the guy who sings, plays flute and harmonica, and takes center stage, and is often mistaken for Tull.
Also, do not complain. On the Hebrew calendar, they have Leap MONTH because they were way off!
February could be 58 days long. Heh.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
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