Wednesday, December 1, 2021

The Ugly, Dangerous, and Inefficient Stroads found all over the US & Canada

I find this interesting.  I like having neighborhoods where I can walk and ride my bicycle.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORzNZUeUHAM

In a hypothetical future world, you might have trains that could take you anywhere you want to go within a few blocks.  It might be too costly.  However, roads tend to get more crowded over time.

There is a famous old science fiction story called, "The Roads Must Roll", where a future society has high-speed people conveyors, like the slow ones you see at airports.  These are massive where you could go to a movie theater or shopping on the road while it is moving.  The closest we might ever come to something like this is a train.

The most convenient form of transportation is automobiles, but you need much infrastructure to support it.  

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Piecing together the history of jigsaw puzzles - CBS News

The very first jigsaw puzzle is said to have been made by London mapmaker John Spilsbury in the 1760s. "He pasted a map onto a thin piece of wood, and he used a scroll saw to cut it up; England would be one piece, Germany would be another piece," said Anne Williams, a jigsaw puzzle historian and author of "The Jigsaw Puzzle: Piecing Together a History."
jigsaw-puzzle-john-spilsbury-europe-map-puzzle-620.jpgJohn Spilsbury's European map jigsaw puzzle.  CBS NEWS
"He marketed these to the very affluent and influential people as a tool to teach their children geography."


https://www.cbsnews.com/news/piecing-together-the-history-of-jigsaw-puzzles/

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Jimmy Crack Corn

I had a memory of Bugs Bunny singing this song.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsZRqAR1SBU    It took me like 3 seconds to find it on youtube.

I was thinking about how politically incorrect it was.   You probably couldn't use it today.  I'm surprised the cartoon is not banned.

I think I remember singing it in school 50 years ago as part of music class.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Crack_Corn

Monday, October 11, 2021

Quotes for Each of the 9 Enneagram Types

The most dangerous way we sabotage ourselves is by waiting for the perfect moment to begin. Nothing works perfectly the first time, or the first 50 times. Everything has a learning curve. The beginning is just that — a beginning. Surrender your desire to do it flawlessly on the first try. It's not possible. Learn to learn. Learn to fail. Learn to learn from failing. And begin today. Begin now. Stop waiting.
— Vironika Tugaleva

Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don't need to escape from.
— Seth Godin

With confidence, you have won before you have started.
— Marcus Garvey


https://www.inspiringquotes.com/quotes-for-each-of-the-9-enneagram-types/YQrGnlWlGwAHCGVq

Thursday, September 9, 2021

What is the Milky Way?



We can't see all of our galaxy. Much of it is blocked from our view by dust and gas. However, scientists have used things like x-ray emissions to get a pretty good idea of what the Milky Way Galaxy looks like. We live roughly halfway between the edge and the center.

Light and other electromagnetic radiation from parts of the galaxy take tens of thousands of years to reach us. This makes me wonder if our image of the galaxy is based on what we see now, or based on where we expect stars to be right now?

https://www.universetoday.com/106062/what-is-the-milky-way-2/

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Buscuits


Occasionally I make biscuits.  It is clear that the "Grands!" style biscuits, which Walmart has their own cheaper brand of "Jumbo" biscuits, are the best tasting, and I do like them, but it is no wonder they taste good since they have 5 grams of sugar per biscuit.  This might not be an issue for most people, but I want to avoid too much sugar.  So I looked for alternatives.  The smaller biscuits are cheaper overall, not that cost is an issue, and they have 40% less sugar.  It takes 3 small biscuits to equal the weight of one large one, and the label confirms this by listing 3 biscuits as one serving, which has 40% less sugar.

It is the smaller size that is the problem.  The instructions say to "cook until golden brown", but if you do that then the entire biscuit wants to turn golden brown and they can come out too dry.  You can undercook them, in which case they come out white and soft and pretty edible, but I don't like the small size for putting jam or peanut butter on them.  

So this got me thinking.  Since it is just dough, I can make whatever size biscuit I want with them.  I tried combining pairs of biscuits into balls and these turned out like little dinner rolls.  The first batch I overcooked and they were slightly crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, and this was interesting.  In the second batch, I cooked them less and they came out like soft dinner rolls and these were pretty good.

On my third batch, I didn't want to go to the trouble of combining pairs of biscuits into balls, so I just baked the biscuits with one on top of another.  I combined two cans of ten biscuits to get ten double-height biscuits.  Not only was this easier, but I felt like this was my best result yet.  I had to cook them for 20 minutes, but they came out like slightly smaller versions of the Grands biscuits, and they were pretty good.  They aren't quite as good as the high sugar biscuits, but it is a tradeoff.

Even though the instructions tell you to use an ungreased cooking pan, I find it better to use cooking spray to keep them from sticking.  I also tried smearing a small amount of olive oil on the bottom of the pan and this works too.

--

Saturday, August 21, 2021

Ludwig van Beethoven: Ode an die Freude/Ode to Joy 1

I heard this song the other day. I had no idea what the name was. It bothered me that I didn't know. So today, it came to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kcOpyM9cBg&t=157s

Beethoven had been almost completely deaf for a decade when he wrote this. It is the final movement to his ninth symphony. At the premiere, he was not aware of the thunderous applause until he turned around and saw the audience.

The European Anthem is based on "Ode to Joy".

Ludwig van Beethoven: Ode an die Freude/Ode to Joy 1

I heard this song the other day. I had no idea what the name was. It bugged me that I didn't know. So today, it came to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kcOpyM9cBg&t=157s

Thursday, July 29, 2021

Winnie the Pooh | Fan Theories Wiki | Fandom

https://fantheories.fandom.com/wiki/Winnie_the_Pooh



I have a different take, which is that each character represents different emotions, possibly related to Christopher Robin.

Tigger:  Exuberance
Piglet:  Fear
Owl:  Pride.
Eeyore:  Sadness.
Pooh:  Happiness or hope.  Friendship.
Kanga:  Caring or empathy.
Roo:  Joy.

Friday, June 11, 2021

I wrote this on Facebook 5 years ago

Human evolution has favored groups because if you are not a 700-pound grizzly bear, there is safety in numbers. Groups work better if people cooperate in them, and generally aren't trying to hurt each other. To this end, people have a natural tendency to believe in something higher than themselves, whether it be God, or country, or family. Belief in something higher than oneself will cause a person to act not in his own self-interest, but in the interest of the group.

--

Friday, May 14, 2021

It's a good Calvin & Hobbes fan strip. It's real good! : TwilightZone

https://www.reddit.com/r/TwilightZone/comments/eju7rc/its_a_good_calvin_hobbes_fan_strip_its_real_good/

In case you didn't know, this is a take-off on...


It is a 1961 Twilight Zone episode about a small child with god-like powers who terrorizes a small town.

I read the original science fiction short story before I saw the Twilight Zone episode that was adapted from it.  When they remade the TV Twilight Zone Series in the early 2000s, they did a sequel to the original episode 40 years later.  Bill Mummy reprised his role as the "monster" with god-like powers, and Cloris Leachman reprised her role as his mother.  I thought that this was a brilliant idea.


Ironically, another 20 years have passed.  There is yet another new Twilight Zone series on CBS All Access.  It is time for another sequel.  It could set a record for having a 60-year story arc.  Bill Mummy is still alive, although Cloris Leachman died in January from a combination of stroke and COVID.  She played in "The Croods" animated movie that I liked and the very recently released "The Croods 2: A New Age."

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Fwd: 🧠 What President was a licensed bartender?





Are you a trivia genius? Test your knowledge and learn fun facts about movies, history, science and more! Play Now!
Trivia Genius Logo
  You are receiving this bonus question because you are an elite player! If you'd like to change your mailing preferences, click here.
 
What President was a licensed bartender?
Thomas Jefferson
 
Abraham Lincoln
 
Grover Cleveland
 
James Buchanan
 
Trending on the Blog
Facts About U.S. Presidents That Might Shock You
Facts About U.S. Presidents That Might Shock You
Read More
How Much Can A President Redecorate the White House?
How Much Can A President Redecorate the White House?
Read More
Trivia Genius Logo
You've answered 224 questions! Keep your brain engaged.
1550 Larimer Street, Suite 431, Denver, CO 80202