Bar Dancing

 

Pillars of Creation

Photographer Andrew McCarthy recreated NASA’s famous “Pillars of Creation” photograph of the Eagle Nebula using a $500 telescope.

The original iconic image, taken by the Hubble telescope, shows an active star-forming region featuring towering tendrils of cosmic dust and gas in the heart of the Eagle Nebula, cataloged as M16.

It was first photographed in 1995 by NASA and has had a huge cultural impact with the image being featured on everything from “t-shirts to coffee mugs,” reports National Geographic.

A $16B Space Telescope vs a $500 backyard telescope
McCarthy spoke to PetaPixel about how he recreated the Pillars of Creation from his backyard in Arizona with a 12-inch Newtonian telescope and a monochrome camera using narrowband filters to create a vibrant color image.

“I shoot the Pillars of Creation a couple times a year. It’s a surprisingly accessible target, near the Sagittarius star cloud in the core of the Milky Way,” explains McCarthy.

“I used special software to remove all the stars in the image, so this unobstructed view really shows off the vast structures of gas and dust within the Eagle Nebula.

“The image was shot over several hours across multiple nights, while my telescope was guided along the stars using a sophisticated tracking mount that compensated for the earth’s rotation.”  READ MORE...

Ballet

 

Metaverse Education

The term Metaverse was invented by Neal Stephenson in a science fiction novel, almost 30 years ago. He envisioned lifelike avatars who met in 3D buildings and other virtual reality environments. Over the past couple of years, the metaverse has begun representing a progressive convergence of digital experiences. This upcoming domain is perceived as a graphically rich virtual space, with some degree of multi-dimensional aspect that will allow people to work, play, shop, socialize, and bring humans back together in this virtual world.

Big tech companies are building metaverse projects to utilize the benefits of the metaverse. Companies like the Meta Platforms build in the metaverse by using its world-leading software and solutions. Other big tech companies are building blocks with the help of advanced technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality. The digital world is garnering millions of dollars worth of investment to foresee the future of the internet.  SOURCE:  AnalyticsInsights.net

According to Loma Linda University, the best way to achieve student knowledge retention is to teach what you know to someone else, followed by learning by doing...  However, most instructors and college professors still teach via lecture notes, PowerPoint, and teaching assistants who help themselves more than they are helping their students...

While big tech is looking at the metaverse as a way to generate profits, teaching and training organizations should look at the universe as a way to not just accelerate the teaching of employees but increase their retention of knowledge abilities.

A student surgeon can practice surgeries in the metaverse for as long as is needed in order to perfect a procedure...  so, would not the same concept apply to a supervisor who has to talk with disruptive employees...  or take classes during their lunch hour?

A NASCAR team can use the metaverse to help perfect their tire-changing abilities as can a Broadway actor use the metaverse to help learn their lines and perfect their body language.

The metaverse is not just a tool for Mark Zuckerberg to increase his wealth.

I Walk Alone

 

Walking Alone does not mean that there have not been accomplishments.  I earned a BA in English and an MBA with a concentration in Strategic Planning...  I am a certified WorkKeys Job Profiler by American College Testing.  I am an ISO9000 Certified Auditor by the British Standards Institute and I am an MCSE for Windows NT 4.0.  I am certified by Motorola in SIX SIGMA and certified by Ford Motor Company in QS9000 Quality Standards.  I am also certified by the State of Tennessee as a Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award Examiner.

It was all of this that enabled me to be a successful consultant for 25 years in Organizational Development, Continuous Improvement, Re-engineering Systems, and Quality Management.

Fortunately, I was able to work with NIIT out of New Delhi, India to custom-design and write all of the courses for a degree in Technical Project Management for ITT Technical Institute using the PMBOK as the core set of guiding principles around which all the courses were designed.

Walking Alone does not necessarily mean that someone cannot be successful both mentally and financially...  it just means that the path to success is unconventional...  to say the least, and oftentimes uncomfortable for the person making the journey.  Looking back on the journey is when one realizes how much was actually accomplished without anyone opening doors for you...

At the age of 40, I quit smoking after 20 years of a 2 pack a day habit...  and, did so COLD TURKEY...  I had no one there to support me other than myself.  During the first 3 months, I gained 30 pounds and during the next 6 months, I lost 30 pounds by counting my daily intake of fat grams...

I was able to accomplish this with DETERMINATION and DISCIPLINE...  I also had a positive mindset of this was exactly what I wanted to do...  and, I did it for no one but myself.

I statistically charted my results and showed the paperwork to my quality management students as proof that one could apply statistical analysis to damn near anything.  I explained to them that if I eat above the average, I gain weight and if I eat below the average I lose weight...   Each person is different, so no one could use my results but me.

I am not a wealthy person nor am I a poor person living in poverty.   I have been debt-free for over 15 years, I own my own home, and two vehicles, have a recreational space outside in the yard, and have enough money saved to pay all of my expenses for my wife and me until the age of 95.  Who wants to live past that?

In short, I have exactly what I need...

However, I leave nothing behind except my home and a few hundred thousand dollars.  No streets or buildings are named after me.  No records were left behind to be broken by others.  And, no one except my close family will miss me...  it will be about the same as when I was born.

Can you say the same about your life?

A Novice View on Gun Violence

Don't let my caricature fool you, I am as crazy thinking and weird acting as it looks which is exactly why my novice view on gun violence may be important...  especially since I am 74 years old and retired...  however, this might also work against me being out of touch with the younger generation.

What I have discovered during my lifetime is that more violence and crime is committed by the uneducated than by the educated...  that is not to say that educated people do not commit crime because they do...  but they are smart enough to stay away from violence.

Poverty is like a swamp's breeding ground for crime and violence as the poor will try and do what they have to do to take what they need to get ahead...  this typically results in crime - starting with the selling of illegal drugs...  which typically results in the seller of drugs becoming addicted to the drugs they are selling...

So far, crime and violence is caused by:

• lack of education
• poverty
• selling drugs
• using drugs

Just working on these 4 items will change the cultures of our societies...  but, for some reason politicians tend to verbally address these areas but ignore them...

Interestingly, these are the same 4 areas that I was exposed to when growing up in Alexandria, Virginia during the 1950s and 1960s...  nothing has changed.

Experts believe that gun violence is being perpetrated by teenagers and young adults as a result of:

1. music lyrics
2. video games
3. social media

and while there may be some impact, I question how much of the influence is based solely on these three items alone or a result of poverty, drugs, and being uneducated.

When I was young, my parents were middle class but my mother did not work and was in the house waiting on me when I got home from school.  She always asked about my day and my homework before preparing a snack for me...  when my father arrived home from work, we all sat around the table and had dinner, and he always inquired about my day at school and asked if there was anything he could help me with regarding my homework.  When I was much younger he always read a bedtime story to me before tucking me in and turning out the lights.

When I got married and my wife gave birth to our daughter, both of us were working and oftentimes our daughter was at home alone after being dropped off by the school bus...

Was this the beginning of parents not taking an interest in their child's/children's education?

The second amendment to the US Constitution has been around since 1776 so why has there not been as much gun violence as their is today?

Something in our society has changed...

It is not the guns that have changed...

BUT OUR SOCIETY HAS CHANGED...

One of these changes is that it is very easy to acquire a gun and ammunition...  both legally and illegally...

so, a good start would be to NOT MAKE IT EASY...

Another one of these issues I believe, is the sentencing that is being given out by judges to criminals who commit a crime using a gun...  these laws should be not just ENFORCED but STRENGTHENED...  so that a potential criminal will think twice.

Liberal political leaders don't really want to be that tough on crime...   and, until they do there are virtually no incentives to stop criminals from using guns.

Here is a related example:

I work in the technology industry and currently earn $150,000 a year after taxes.  My bonus was so large last year that I purchase one of the top sports cars for cash.  Now, if you must know sports cars by their very design nature, are not meant to drive slow.  In a few days after purchasing the car, I get a speeding ticket for $250.  That amount of money is not a sufficient deterrent to keep me from driving fast tomorrow...   however, if the ticket was $2,500 then I might give the desire to drive fast more careful consideration.

Additional factors for gun violence:

• both parents working
• music lyrics
• social media
• video games
• ease of acquiring a gun
• punishment not an incentive

So, what are the politicians and the public focused on?

1. Improving Poor Communities
2. Redirecting Money from Police Depts
3. Passing more gun laws
4. Elimimating the second amendment

If I were the one in the driver's seat, I would focus on POVERTY and EDUCATION and PARENTS...

Look at all the money that we are paying our professional athletes so that they can retire at the end of a 10 year career...

Why not use that money to eliminate poverty?

Why not improve our education system by focusing on teaching students HOW TO RETAIN KNOWLEDGE?

WHY ARE OUR POLITICIANS AND BUSINESS LEADERS SO STUPID???

About my Poetry

Untitled

we are shielded by

the lose fitting clothes

of our failures and yet

we continually change

our dress to the various

seasons of our dreams

circa 1977

Most of my poems are like the one above...  some are much longer...  maybe twice or three times...  maybe more...  and some are shorter especially when I write Haiku...

My poems follow no rhyme scheme which a lot of poets think is necessary in order to write good poetry and almost all of them are iambic pentameter or very close...  as iambic pentameter is how we typically write and talk...  so, it is a natural cadence.

My themes are typically loneliness, anxiety, and depression although many are about the various loves that I have experienced and ultimately lost only to find a new one to replace the one that drifted away.  No loves were refused and none were abandoned...  and mostly just faded away.

I have written birthday poems, anniversary poems, funeral poems, marriage poems, graduation poems, and holiday poems in general...  in that regard, my poems keep me from having to buy a card.

I try not to use "25 cent" words so that few know their meaning as you would find from published poets and I seldom make reference to any mythology or classic literature to show that I am well read.

I try and think like the common man...  the average person who tries to hide their feelings but can be emotionally touched by my words.

There is a lot of sarcasm in the words that I put together as I have a very sarcastic, pessimistic view of life since that is how my life has unfolded and been lived.

I have no ties to my siblings, no ties to my deceased parents, no ties to my daughter, not ties to my one time friends, and have no current friends with whom I chat daily or meet for a cup or coffee or a beer.  That abandonment is reflected in my choice of words to capture my feelings.

I don't pretend to put any feelings on paper that I have not personally felt or am currently feeling and/or experiencing.

My poetry to not appeal to everyone and that is ok.  It is doubtful that very many people are even aware of my poetry blog...  but, I don't feel the financial need to make that happen.

When I get my feelings out, I am once again hollow and susceptible to experiencing new emotions or variations of all my old ones.

Large and Small

 

The Governor of Kentucky Speaks

 

Protecting One's Memory

Try these simple ways to improve your memory.
By Mayo Clinic Staff


Can't find your car keys? Forget your grocery list? Can't remember the name of the personal trainer you liked at the gym? You're not alone. Everyone forgets things occasionally. Still, memory loss is nothing to take lightly.

Although there are no guarantees when it comes to preventing memory loss or dementia, certain activities might help. Consider seven simple ways to sharpen your memory — and know when to seek help for memory loss.

1. Include physical activity in your daily routine
Physical activity increases blood flow to your whole body, including your brain. This might help keep your memory sharp.

For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity, such as jogging — preferably spread throughout the week. If you don't have time for a full workout, squeeze in a few 10-minute walks throughout the day.

2. Stay mentally active
Just as physical activity helps keep your body in shape, mentally stimulating activities help keep your brain in shape — and might keep memory loss at bay. Do crossword puzzles. Play bridge. Take alternate routes when driving. Learn to play a musical instrument. Volunteer at a local school or community organization.

3. Socialize regularly
Social interaction helps ward off depression and stress, both of which can contribute to memory loss. Look for opportunities to get together with loved ones, friends and others — especially if you live alone.

4. Get organized
You're more likely to forget things if your home is cluttered and your notes are in disarray. Jot down tasks, appointments and other events in a special notebook, calendar or electronic planner.

You might even repeat each entry out loud as you jot it down to help cement it in your memory. Keep to-do lists current and check off items you've completed. Set aside a place for your wallet, keys, glasses and other essentials.

Limit distractions and don't do too many things at once. If you focus on the information that you're trying to retain, you're more likely to recall it later. It might also help to connect what you're trying to retain to a favorite song or another familiar concept.

5. Sleep well
Sleep plays an important role in helping you consolidate your memories, so you can recall them down the road. Make getting enough sleep a priority. Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a day.

6. Eat a healthy diet
A healthy diet might be as good for your brain as it is for your heart. Eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Choose low-fat protein sources, such as fish, beans and skinless poultry. What you drink counts, too. Too much alcohol can lead to confusion and memory loss. So can drug use.

7. Manage chronic conditions
Follow your doctor's treatment recommendations for medical conditions, such as depression, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and hearing loss. The better you take care of yourself, the better your memory is likely to be. In addition, review your medications with your doctor regularly. Various medications can affect memory.

Dancing With Lights

 

Global Garlic

Calling all garlic lovers! How well do you really know your garlic? Although there are many varieties, Hello Homestead explains that garlic usually falls into one of two groups: hard neck (robust with a woody center stalk) and soft neck (mild without a stalk). 

Whether used raw to add a pungent kick or cooked to an earthy sweetness, garlic has become a pantry staple across the globe, and there's one country in particular to thank for its mass production.

Primarily used as a food source, garlic was also embraced throughout history because it was thought to have healing properties. 

Those ideas turned out to be pretty accurate as Oregon State University shares that a compound called allicin is responsible for garlic's antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and even anticancer properties. Interestingly, allicin is also what gives garlic its strong aroma!

Also referred to by its scientific name, allium sativum, the University of Missouri reports that garlic dates back over 7,000 years ago to parts of central Asia. 

While the passage of time has made the crop accessible globally, garlic continues to be produced primarily in Asia, specifically in the east.  READ MORE...

Getting Into Jar

 

Crime

Experience Daylight Together

At any given moment, one side of the Earth is facing the sun and the other is in the dark — it's simple geometry. Intuitively then, it makes sense that roughly half the planet's population is in the dark at any given time; this is the only way Santa Claus' December gift delivery schedule makes any sense, right?

But the geography and distribution of people across our world is actually a little more complicated than that. So much so that almost every human will experience some form of direct (or indirect sunlight) at the same moment on July 8.

Every year around now, reports start to circulate that 99 percent of Earthlings will experience daylight at the same time, specifically at 4:15 a.m. PT.

This year Timeanddate.com decided to fact check this claim and found it to be "technically true" with the caveat that at least three percent of the world's population might not be able to really perceive the limited amount of late-night or early-morning photons crashing into their eyeballs.  READ MORE...

Crashing Wave

 

I Walk Alone

 

I am no Buddhist Monk yet like a monk I continue to walk through life virtually alone...  even though I am married and live in a rural community...  

My brother, sister, and daughter want to have nothing to do with me (their choice but never shared) but that has nothing to do with my walking alone...

I have no friends after the two that were my friends died...  however, I still communicate with a classmate from high school but that has nothing to do with my walking alone...

My wife and I have different interests and therefore spend most of our time during the day in separate rooms exploring those interests but that has nothing to do with my walking alone...

Why I have been walking alone and will continue walking alone is the simple fact that it is my personality that puts me into that situation.

MBTI has me identified with a personality of INTJ...  and while I know that this designation is valid for me is because I have had the questionnaire professionally administered to me 4 times and there was a 10 year interval between each one and each time, my results were absolutely the same...  the results were always in the middle of the range.

INTJ (introverted, intuitive, thinking, and judging) is one of the 16 personality types identified by a personality assessment called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Sometimes referred to as the "Architect" or the "Strategist," people with INTJ personalities are highly analytical, creative, and logical.  According to psychologist David Keirsey, developer of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, approximately 1 to 4% of the population has an INTJ personality type.  INTJs are introverted and prefer to work alone.

It was strange to finally find out about yourself after wondering for several years why it was so difficult to make friends and if friends were made, then it was difficult to keep them.

If you add this personality type with the fact that I am probably BIPOLAR, then one has created the perfect storm of issues that make it difficult for me to find and keep friends...  especially once they get to know me.

My Siamese cat, Piper, does not care about my personality nor does he care about any medical issues that I may be encountering...  aside from his own weird personality, he seeks me out during the day for friendship and likes to lay on my lap whether I rub him or not.

Because of the way I see life, I will constantly be alone with my thoughts and feelings as no one really understands why I feel the way that I do so there is no empathy from them to receive.  I must give myself empathy just as I must give myself motivation and determination to accomplish that which I want to accomplish.

I no longer resent myself for having this type of personality even though I totally understand that I had nothing to do with it as it was just given to me through the combined DNA of both my parents.

Like everyone else, I am searching for my purpose and like everyone else I am not sure what I am supposed to accomplish.  However, unlike everyone else, I know that I am supposed to accomplish something and that this is why I am still alive...

Attacking Bird

 

Jobs Lost Due To Automation

In 2021, approximately 3 million robots roam around our factories, doing the heavy-lifting for us.

From an efficiency perspective, that’s no doubt a good thing.

But the image of a never-tired and always precise machine doing everything much faster does raise a question in our minds:

Will My Job Be Automated?

You’re right to wonder if that applies to you if you hold a clerical job. Or if you work on a production line, repetitively doing essentially the same simple task.

It’s time to dive into the jobs lost to robots statistics.

Fascinating Stats and Facts on Jobs Lost To Automation

• As many as 30% of jobs will be replaced by automation, especially the boring and repetitive ones.
• 1.5 million people in England are at high risk of losing their jobs to automation, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
• We’re at risk of losing 375 million jobs worldwide by 2030.
• 14 to 80 million U.S. jobs are at risk of being automated.
• The Brookings Institution estimated that 36 million workers will lose their jobs because of AI.
• World Economic Forum says machines will create 58 million new jobs.

Let’s look closely at the numbers first, and then decide if you need to be considering options.

Eye-Opening Jobs Lost to Automation Statistics for 2022
Those working in the food preparation sector should worry. Or so the automation statistics for 2022 tell us.

Wanna know more?

Read on...

Orca