REFLECTIONS: 2012

Leopard Optical Illusion (I just don't see it.)

I found this illusion on a website called "Delusion Illusion". They don't reveal the solution!

According to the site:

"...it’s not some photo of an actual animal, rather a realistically painted picture.. But what is so, so good in this picture!?!

ps. this is one of the greatest delusions illusions!!

What's the illusion?

If you can figure it out let me know.

Napoleon's Number Code

Napoleon used a number based code something like the one I like to use:

See Secret Code in Topics list.

Some Spiritual Thoughts

Maybe the quote "God is love" is the best explanation.

For some reason I'm having more spiritual thoughts than usual. Maybe because it's my birthday this week. I don't know. I was brought up as a Catholic but organized religions seem to cause more problems than they solve.

Some religions are more violent than others.

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"In my Father’s house are many mansions."
Is God too big to fit into any one religion?
It would be a great comfort if I could find one that "fits" me.
Does each person, being unique, have her own path
to God?

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I do believe in God. But I’m not sure of God’s identity or how to react. I am aware of a longing (my yearning) for something more than just this life followed by nothing.

It is not just an instinct to survive because many people commit suicide to stop the pain they feel in living.

It is not the fear of experiencing nothingness because if I cease to exist after death I won’t be aware of the nothingness and so I won’t suffer.

I've read somewhere that if there is a longing, a desire; there must be an object that is longed for. For hunger and thirst nourishment exists as food and drink. For sexual longing satisfaction exists. For curiosity learning exists.

I want to avoid trying to understand God. It’s a mistake to think I can understand the creator of existence when I can’t even understand myself or much of science, mathematics, etc. This makes a lot of my philosophical notes attempting to understand God not needed or useful and maybe even an obstacle to spirituality.

After all the logic I still can’t tell. Therefore I must make an emotional leap of faith. Maybe God wants this emotional leap not just a cold proof.

But still:
I wish I had more faith.
I wish I had some clarity.
I wish I knew what I was supposed to do.

Secrete Invisible Text Code

I was playing around with different fonts and colors when it occurred to me that there was an easy way to hide a message within a document on your PC.

HIDDEN MESSAGE

--> The secrete message is hidden here. I hope you enjoyed this post!

How it's done:

~Just type as usual.

~Highlight the text you want to hide.

~Pick a color to match the page color. Use white text color on a white page and so on.

To read the message you only have to highlight the text.

Example: There is a hidden message in this post above the words How it's done: .

Note:

For an Email message highlighting the invisible area is also required in order to read it.

Copying and pasting the text on a document page will show the message without highlighting it. It won't be hidden. Also, this will not work with some document programs like word processors.

If it doesn't work in a document program then send it as an email.

If you try it let me know if this works for you.

Example of a Code That Is Simple To Set Up Yet Difficult To Solve

I thought up this code myself. Maybe I saw it somewhere and forgot where but as far as I know I figured it out myself. Of course others must have also thought of this code.

See my earlier post for an explanation of the code:
http://johns-spot112948.blogspot.com/2009/08/easy-to-use-yet-difficult-to-solve-code.html

I'm sure experts will have other ways to solve this code but it will be unsolvable to the average person.

1. Both the person sending the code and the person receiving the message must have the same reference text. In this way the code can be solved only by having a copy of this text.
2. The code is numerical using a set number to space out the words.

Example of a reference text:
"I must tell you how much I enjoyed making up this code.
The hope is that this code is difficult to solve."
(The space number will be 7)

Using this reference text I compose my new message:

1474787117

To find the solution to the message:
Remove the spacer number 7:
This leaves the following numbers:
14 4 8 11

Going back to the reference text:
Find the word by its location:
The 14th word is: hope
The 4th word is: you
The 8th word is enjoyed
The 11th word is this

Solution:

Hope you enjoyed this.

The code can be made more difficult by counting the letters instead of whole words and the reference text can be longer. Also the spacer number can change as you go through the code.
Without the reference text and spacer number I don't think the code can be solved.

Keeping Track of a Novel's Storyline with a Spreadsheet

I used a spreadsheet program to keep track of the storyline while writing my novel. I've heard of using index cards, blackboards, post-it-notes, etc. A spreadsheet seems to be the best way.

First you'll need to learn how to use a spreadsheet. I use the Microsoft Works Spreadsheet that came with my PC. There are more sophisticated spreadsheets but this one is all you'll need. You can arrange the details to what works best for you. Use the instructions provided with the program to learn how it works. It will be worth the effort.

I set mine up by columns for chapter, page, characters and action. I use just enough detail to jog my memory.
If I want to change the order of the plot's action I can easily find the details.
If I want to add a chapter between the chapters I've written I just add a row.
If I want to make a change I can instantly find what chapter and page it's on.

Of course with each change you make you must adjust the details of the spreadsheet (like page numbers, action, etc.)

I hope you'll find this useful.

Note: For the details from my novel I have a copyright registration on file with the U.S. Copyright Office.
You can use the spreadsheet idea for your own work.

For the Birds

Here's a website from Cornell University I just learned about and I want to share it with you.

Here's the link:
Birds
Here's their blog link:
Round Robin

I especially like the videos and birdsong recordings.
A few videos:

ROBIN

BLUE JAY

CARDINAL

Two Videos: No Rehabilitation

The first video is from a post on the AGENCY ON RETURN OF LOST ILLUSIONS. http://igin57.blogspot.com/

I found the next video:

Absinthe and the Green Fairy

I don't drink alcohol because according to my doctor it may induce a seizure. Several years ago I had a major seizure while I was asleep. I was rushed to the hospital and started on medication. After several minor blanking out episodes my medications were adjusted. Now I'm OK.
Sometimes I wonder if I should try a small drink. Now I drink alcohol-free beer. I like O'Doul's with the green label. I've had one small glass of sangria without any problem.

I saw a documentary on Netflix about the history of absinthe. I didn't know the drink was banned until about 2008!

"A potent green aniseed-flavored liqueur

that turns milky when water is added.

Prepared from wormwood,

it is now largely banned because of its toxicity."

It's a very strange drink. I'm sure the combination of herbs has something to do with its effects. It can't just be the alcohol!

Watch the Netflix film. It's very good.

Here is a short history (much shorter than the one you can find on Netflix):

Below is a video demonstrating the ceremony involved when drinking absinthe:

From Wiki:

The debate over whether absinthe produces effects on the human mind in addition to those of alcohol has not been conclusively resolved.
...some of the herbal compounds in the drink act as stimulants, while others act as sedatives, creating an overall lucid effect of awakening.

The effects of absinthe have been described by some as mind opening. The most commonly reported experience is a 'clear-headed' feeling of inebriation — a form of 'lucid drunkenness'.

In the year 2007, almost 100 years after absinthe prohibition, the alcoholic spirit absinthe was once again legalized, but only those Absinthes, which contain less than 10mg of thujone.In the European union 35mg are legal
(Plants with high concentrations of thujone include white cedar, tansy, wormwood, and sage. Thujone is believed to be toxic to the brain and nervous system. It is likely to cause seizures when consumed in quantity or consumed regularly over a period of time. ...)

I wonder if a non-alcoholic version can be made, maybe from a combination of teas.

Sweet Pea

My wife Lynette likes to listen to the "oldies" while she takes a shower. I was in the bedroom when this song came on. After all of these years it still makes me smile. It has a very catchy tune with simple lyrics.
I found this video on YouTube. I love the innocent looking girl. It was nice of Tommy Roe to sing the song to her.

SWEET PEA

Tommy Roe

I went to a dance just the other night

I met a girl there she was out of sight

I asked a friend of mine who she could be

he said that her friends just call her Sweet Pea

(chorus)

Oh Sweet Pea

come on and dance with me

come on come on come on and dance with me

Oh Sweet Pea

come on and be my girl

come on come on come on and be my girl

I walked on over and asked her to dance

thinkin' maybe later of makin' romance

but every guy there was thinkin'; like me

I had to stand in line to get a dance with Sweet Pea

(chorus repeat)

I finally got to whisper sweet words in her ear

convinced that we oughta get away from there

we took a little walk I held her close to me

and underneath the stars I said to Sweet Pea

Oh Sweet Pea I love you can't you see

Love you love you love you can't you see

Oh Sweet Pea come on and be my girl

come on come on come on and be my girl

Two hamsters, one wheel

Here's a video I found on a very funny Blog. My wife and I were laughing out loud.
The blog link:
MULLED MADNESS

Beautiful Nature (Another Video)

Enjoy!

From
WEB SUL BLOG

Living on the Brink of Reality (Part Two)

Another example of the blurring of reality is ESP. Believers in ESP claim to have the ability to obtain information without using the physical senses.

Although this ability has never been proven by science; most people have experienced hunches, gut feelings, premonitions, intuition or other unexplainable ways of “just knowing” something.
Again, this only adds to the uncertainty of reality.

Besides these false impressions our senses disregard much of “reality”. Dogs can hear ultrasound. This is how 'silent' dog whistles work.
Dogs have a nose approximately a hundred thousand to a million times more sensitive than a human's. Some bats use ultrasound for echo location while in flight.
Dolphins have their own sonar based sense.
Bees are sensitive to the polarization of light.

Back to optical illusions:

There is no actual movement in the above design.
This illusion was developed by Professor Akiyoshi Kitaoka at the Department of Psychology in Japan's Ritsumeikan University.

Below is the Pinna-Brelstaff Illusion of rotating rings.

Stare at the center. Move your head towards, then away from the image.
The direction of spin and the speed of the circles will change as you change the direction and speed of your head.

I sometimes have a scary thought. Considering the physical limits of our perception of reality and the contradictory philosophical disagreements on the actual nature of reality; the possibility of the existence of events and even beings in the brink between what is assumed to be real and what is assumed to be fictitious is not easy to dismiss.

“As to the ultimate nature of things we can know nothing,

and only when we admit this do we return to equilibrium.”

-Carl Jung

“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”

-Edgar Allen Poe

“Every man’s world picture is and always remains a construct of his mind,

and cannot be proved to have any other existence.”

-Erwin Schrödinger

“Our dreams are our real life.”

-Frederico Felini

How can I be sure that what I experience is real or if it is only in my mind?
To keep my sanity I must have faith that what I experience is real enough to get by.

Living on the Brink of Reality (Part One)

Here are a few optical illusions that lead up to the brink of what is real and what is only in our minds. Even though we know it is only an illusion we still see it as real.

This was discovered by the American psychologist Joseph Jastrow in 1889.
The two figures are identical, although one appears to be larger.

The Kanizsa triangle was first described by the Italian psychologist Gaetano Kanizsa in 1955. It is an example of a "phantom edge phenomena".

In this figure we "see" a black triangle but it does not actually exist.

Gratefulness

I'm not sure where I saw it but several years ago I read an article about making a list of 5 things to be grateful for each day. This was supposed to improve my mood and lead to happiness.

It only made sense. If something bad happens you'll know it. It will grab your attention like a headache. The things we should be grateful for can easily be ignored. That's why an effort to be grateful is important for happiness.

For the longest time I've been doing this and it has helped. I take an index card and list 5 things I'm grateful for each day until the end of the week. Then I read over the list and discard the index card. This encourages me to look for the good things in life each day.

However, lately I find myself putting down the same things over and over. It becomes a routine, just another chore at the end of the day. If I can't find anything to put down I skip it until the next day. The feeling of gratitude has faded away. I need a way to make my gratitude more meaningful.

I surfed the web looking for an answer:

One psychologist says he found that people are happiest when they show gratitude for only 3 things, once a week. I wonder how he decided on this number.

Robert A. Emmons, of the University of California instructed people to keep a journal listing 5 things for which they felt grateful, like a friend’s generosity, something they’d learned, a sunset they’d enjoyed once a week.

Another site recommended 5 or 10 things a day and to save it in a journal. The author wrote 17 composition books in three years! Seems like a waste to me. I'd rather have fresh things to be grateful for, not read about what pleased me two years ago.
I can see saving the most important things in a list but not 17 books!

Maybe 5 things a day on an index card is too much for me. I'm going to try a simple list of 3 things a day, then look over the list at the end of the week and save the best of the best on my PC. Hopefully, this will bring back the meaningfulness of keeping track of what I'm grateful for.

3 per day on an index card
Review it at the end of the week
Copy the best.

~I'll try whatever works for me.

Lazy Sunday Evening

Last night I watched 3 movies on TV. The black and white Wolf-man and Invisible Man. I don't remember much about the third movie. It was a contemporary film with a weak plot and unclear ending.

Even without modern special effects, the story line kept up the excitement. Sometimes the acting and music were a bit overdone but this only served to make the films more endearing.

Anyway, that's what I did last night.

Here are the trailers for the movies:

The Trick of Levitation of the Fakir

I found this on an Italian blog.

Here is the website:

http://www.giochicreativi.com/

Enlarge to full screen for best effect:

This video explains how the trick works:

Talented Street Singers in New York City

I think they sound great!

Turn up the sound and enlarge video to full screen for the best results.

Is there Life After Birth?

I found this post on a Greek site that I follow:
Please excuse the very rough translation. It's from a Google computer generated translation.

A text written with great humor, unknown author, originally from Germany.

In the belly of a pregnant two embryos talk. This is a skeptic, the other full of confidence and faith.

The full doubts fetus asks: "And really believe in life after birth?"

The fetus feels, he replies: "Certainly, yes. For me it is absolutely certain that there is life after my birth. Life here is just to make us grow so we can prepare ourselves for life after birth us, so we are strong enough for what awaits us after. "

The skeptic has little frustrated: "This is pretty silly. There is life after birth. How would seem such a life, anyway?"

The small but loyal, says: "I do not know. But they will have much more light here. And may we stand on our feet and eat with our mouths!"

The full doubts embryo breaks out: "A bunch of nonsense! There is no such thing as walking. And eating with your mouth is really a completely ridiculous idea - we have the umbilical cord that feeds us well enough, already! This alone shows that life after birth is impossible: the umbilical cord is too short! "

Little remains steadfast believer: "It is indeed possible. Just may be a bit different from what we're here."

The little skeptical slowly loses his patience at such foolishness: "Nobody, nobody and I mean never, did not come back after the birth! Take a look at this: Birth is just the End of Life. End of story. And One more thing for you and your wildest dreams: Life is a great trouble in the dark, this is it! "

The small leaves are not loyal to this: "I admit that I do not know exactly how is life after birth. But in any case we will finally see our mother and she will take care of us."

The skeptic gourlose his eyes: "Mother! Mother think? Is ridiculous! Sorry, but. Where is it, I would like to ask?"

The faithful make a small gesture with his hand: "This is here all around us. We live in it and through it. Without it we would not be possible to exist!"

The little skeptic is now possible to contain: "This really reaches the pinnacle of stupidity. And for no reason I can not see anywhere your mother. Not a bit of - it's pretty obvious - it just-not-exist!"

The small, he believes, wagging his head and closes his eyes: "Sometimes when we are very quiet, I hear the singing. Or caress our world. I feel and I feel and believe firmly that birth is a great new beginning! "

Here is the link:
Seeking the truth:

A Sad Ballad About a Lost Love

I found this Italian song on the Russian blog called "Agency for the Return of Lost Illusions."
The singer: Adriano Celentano

Turn up the sound while you read the lyrics:

Here are the English lyrics translated from the Italian: