In The Name Of NASA

     

Tucson Weather Today

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176 pounds


In a recent NASA bulletin I read: "Astronomers have used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Space Agency's (ESA's) XMM-Newton to show a supermassive black hole six billion light years from Earth is spinning extremely rapidly."

That, of course, may not be true as stated. That specific Black Hole was perhaps spinning extremely rapidly, but if so, it occurred approximately six billion years ago. Who knows if it is still spinning extremely rapidly at this exact instant in time? Or if it even still exists this year, when it was first observed?

The bulletin contains a great deal of information, but I can't help wondering how these scientists can be so sure they are correct, and all things are as they seem. They are just so damned positive that their mathematics-based conclusions are facts instead of merely conjecture.

Read more than you probably want to know at the link below.

Chandra X-Ray Observatory

Why should I believe these pronouncements (theories?) any more than I would believe that a Jewish man named Jesus was born from the loins of a virgin named Mary and grew up as a human being living among men and women but was in reality a supposedly incarnate member of a trio of divine beings within a single entity who bears the name of Jehovah? Because the pronouncement was made by scientists in the name of science?

I guess you just gotta have faith.

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Did You Know . . .?

Smoking pot (cannabis) in your teens can lead to a decline in I.Q. not seen in those who start smoking it as adults.

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HISTORICAL EVENT

On this day in 1923 The New Republic published Robert Frost's poem "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening." The poem, beginning with the famous line "Whose woods these are, I think I know. His house is in the village though," has introduced millions of American students to poetry.

Frost tried unsuccessfully to run a New England farm, and the family, which soon included four children, struggled with poverty for two decades. Frost became more and more depressed, perhaps even suicidal, and in 1912 he moved his family to England to make a fresh start. There he concentrated on his poetry.

Although Frost never graduated from a university, he had collected 44 honorary degrees before he died in 1963.

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WORD FOR TODAY

celebrity
noun
1. A famous person.
2. Renown; fame.

Wikipedia says a celebrity is a person, who has a prominent profile in day-to-day media and because of this commands some degree of public fascination and influence. A celebrity is usually expected to be wealthy (commonly denoted as a person with fame and fortune), implied with great popular appeal, prominence in a particular field, and is easily recognized by the general public.

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CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Willard Herman Scott, Jr.

(born March 7, 1934)

Willard Scott is an American actor, author, media personality, clown, and comedian, best known for his TV work on The Today Show and as the creator and original portrayer of Ronald McDonald.

Note: I once saw Willard walking by me. I called out, "Willard Scott!" He smiled, waved, and said, "How ya' doin', Pardner?"

Laura Prepon

(born March 7, 1980)

Laura Prepon is an American actress, known for her role as Donna Pinciotti in all eight seasons of the Fox sitcom That '70s Show. She is also known for the role of Hannah Daniels on the ABC drama October Road. Following That '70s Show, Prepon worked mainly in television, guest-starring in episodes of How I Met Your Mother, Medium, and Castle. In 2011, Prepon was cast in the lead role of Chelsea in the short-lived sitcom drama Are You There, Chelsea?, based on Chelsea Handler's 2008 book Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea. She portrays Alex Vause in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black.

John Heard, Jr.

(born March 7, 1945)

John Heard is an American actor known for his recurring role as Peter McCallister, in the first two installments of the Home Alone movie series. He starred or was featured in films including Cutter's Way, Chilly Scenes of Winter, Cat People, The Milagro Beanfield War, The Pelican Brief, and Big, and the TV-movie Sharknado.

Regina Marie "Jenna" Fischer

(born March 7, 1974)

Jenna Fischer is an American actress and director. She is known for her portrayal of Pam Halpert (née Beesly) on the NBC situation comedy The Office. She has also appeared in several films, including Blades of Glory, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, The Promotion, and Hall Pass.

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I am utterly bored by celebrity interviews. Most celebrities are devoid of interest.
--Roger Ebert

NASA TV

This Is Who I Am

A Title Is Such A Tiresome Necessity

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Attention!

My weight today is 155.2 pound.

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My new word for today is phrop and I'll bet it's new to you, too.

In one of his most excellent entries, Michael Quinion wrote:

Sir Arnold Lunn invented the name "phrops" for these euphemistic phrases that do not wear their true meaning on their face. Examples of phrops are "we must have lunch sometime", and "we must keep in touch", both of which actually mean "my life’s ambition is never to meet you again".

Now I am constantly on the lookout as I read news reports, blog entries, and even novels for more examples of these phrops.

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ASH WEDNESDAY

Ash Wednesday is a day of repentance and it marks the beginning of Lent --

From Wikipedia:

Ash Wednesday, in the Western Christian calendar, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days (40 days not counting Sundays) before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter. It can occur as early as February 4 (February 5 on leap years) or as late as March 10. Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of adherents as a sign of repentance.


The ashes used are typically gathered after the Palm Crosses from the previous year's Palm Sunday are burned. In the liturgical practice of some churches, the ashes are mixed with the Oil of the Catechumens (one of the sacred oils used to anoint those about to be baptized), though some churches use ordinary oil. This paste is used by the minister who presides at the service to make the sign of the cross, first upon his or her own forehead and then on those of congregants.

Good Grief! I don't know what more to say about that.

But eventually I'll think of something.

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The Poetry Radio Project offers audio recordings of poems and famous people speaking their thoughts about poems and poets.

I found Godzilla's Avocado by Thomas Sayers Ellis to be fascinating.

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What is the difference between freedom and liberty is one of those annoyingly recurring questions I have asked myself. Finally, I decided to look it up and see what others have to say about it.

According to Merriam-Webster:

FREEDOM

1 the quality or state of being free: as a: the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action b: liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another: INDEPENDENCE c: the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous d: EASE, FACILITY e: the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken f: improper familiarity g: boldness of conception or execution h: unrestricted use

2 a: political right b: FRANCHISE, PRIVILEGE synonyms FREEDOM, LIBERTY, LICENSE mean the power or condition of acting without compulsion. FREEDOM has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated. LIBERTY suggests release from former restraint or compulsion . LICENSE implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom.


The attempt by Merriam-Webster is not enough. I still don't see the difference. So, I guess that my best choice is to give this question some more thought.

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It seems that I never get tired of reading or listening to certain poems. And this is one of them:


Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.


No, I did not get formal permission to reproduce the above poem.

If the copyright owner asks me to, I will immediately remove it.

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A poem is "never a put-up job.... It begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a loneliness. It is never a thought to begin with. It is at its best when it is a tantalizing vagueness."
--Robert Frost