REFLECTIONS

 Maybe nature will help counteract human damage. Maybe it's working in other areas. I hope. This video explains what is happening.

I dabble in my ancestry from time to time. Some of the photographs in my collection are a mystery. My parents passed away some time ago so I have no one to ask.. Now I have to do detective work to figure out what was going on and identify some of the people. It can be enjoyable but also frustrating.  My mother is the 4th woman from the left. She's the pretty one with a smile, white shoes and socks.  I have no idea who the other women are. The Saturnia had a twin sister ship called the Vulcania. The life preserver indicates the ship they were on. They were Italian built luxury liners. I don't know how my mother could afford it. I'm not sure if the ship was coming to America or returning to Italy. She came each way. Here are some videos I found on the web: Luxury Interior The Engine compartment Here are some luxurious rooms: Dining Dining Ballroom  Interesting, isn't it? 

 I found an article on Quora that you might enjoy. Gaia    ·  Follow Lived in  Exeter, Devon, UK  (2015–2018) Mon DID YOU KNOW THESE THINGS HAD NAMES? 1. The space between your eyebrows is called a glabella. 2. The way it smells after the rain is called petrichor. 3. The plastic or metallic coating at the end of your shoelaces is called an aglet. 4. The rumbling of the stomach is actually called a wamble. 5. The cry of a newborn baby is called a vagitus. 6. The prongs on a fork are called tines. 7. The sheen or light that you see when you close your eyes and press your hands on them is called phosphenes. 8. The tiny plastic table placed in the middle of a pizza box is called a box tent. 9. The day after tomorrow is called overmorrow. 10. Your tiny toe or finger is called minimus. 11. The wired cage that holds the cork in a bottle of champagne is called an agraffe. 12. The 'na na na' and 'la la la', which don't really have any meaning in the lyrics of any song, are c

I want to share the medical videos of Dr. Chubbyemu. He shows unusual medical conditions mostly caused accidentally. Here are two of those videos. They are around 15 minuets long but very entertaining. Dr. Chubbyemu. A Mom Drank 3 Gallons Water In 2 Hours. This is What Happened to Her Brain. A Grandma Ate 1 Pound Chocolate In 6 Hours. This Is What Happened To Her Brain. Take care,     John

I found this photo a while ago in my collection of old family items.  Not sure if we are related or how.  It was in worse condition than this  but I improved it with some difficult editing.  I plan to take it to a professional someday.

    I really don't know much about playing music. I can't read the notes and I'm not sure if  my hands are agile enough. But when I came across the lap harp while I was looking through Amazon, it seemed easy enough to try. You don't have to know how to read the music sheets and anyone can play it right away. It's sometimes advertised for use by children but I found some videos on Youtube where it was played very well by adults. Anyway, it might encourage me to move on to other easy instruments. Above are photos of my lap harp. As you can see I only have to pick at the notes on the inserted music sheet, easy enough for kids. It's not me playing but here's my skill level: Expert musicians seem to be playing without sheet music: Lamento Di Tristano - 14th century Italian Renaissance tune The man in this video must love the instrument: Right now I'm trying to get my harp in tune. There's a free tuner for the iphone called "Plusadd lite" I had t

The other day while browsing through the web, surfing for an interesting item, I came across this image of a beautiful woman. It's a French ad for cosmetics.   I knew about how the radioactive element Radon was thought to be healthy at one time. But these images brought this misconception to life for me. The sad thing is how lighthearted some of these videos seem to take such a painful way to die.

When I found this picture of a can of "Dehydrated Water" it reminded  me of the old phrase about selling the Brooklyn bridge.  I wonder if this could have inspired the sale of bottled water that's so popular. HERE'S AN INTERESTING ARTICLE Ever since I was a young person, I have used the phrase, “If you believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell to you”.  The phrase originated because for over a century people have fallen for the con that New York City is selling the Brooklyn Bridge. George C. Parker (1860-1936), a native New Yorker, was responsible for originating the phrase.  Parker, of whose life we know became famous for selling New York City landmarks of all kinds ranging from Madison Square Garden to the Statue of Liberty.  He also sold the Metropolitan Museum of Art and even Grant’s tomb as the general’s grandson! He would set up fake sales offices and forge documents to support his cons. One of his most popular places for spotting rubes or victims was El

 

Saint Agatha's Breasts The story behind this is that a young woman rejected a Roman governor's advances and was punished by having her breasts cut off!  There are paintings of the saint holding her breasts on a platter!  Cream filled breasts. I guess if I don't think about the story behind these breast treats,  I'd love to try one. They look delicious. Here's the article: What’s the first thing you think of when looking at these delectable pastries? Your mind isn’t in the gutter—it’s spot on. Nuns around the ancient port city of Catania, located on Sicily’s east coast, paid tribute to their patron saint by baking pastries shaped like her breasts. Today, bakers around the city carry on the tradition. According to the story, not only did 15-year-old Saint Agatha of Sicily refuse to abandon her faith, she also rejected a Roman governor’s advances. As such, she was punished by having her breasts amputated, then died of her wounds in prison on February 5, 251 A.D. Fresco

My daughter bought me a Storm Glass last Christmas and w hile I was browsing the internet I came across a very strange weather predictor from the same time period called the Tempest Prognosticator. Both are from about the 1860's. First let me show you the Storm Glass (Fitzroy Storm Glass) my daughter gave me. It's more decorative than practical but it looks great on my desktop.  Mine always stays in the same formation as the Warming image above. See m y earlier post:    REFLECTIONS: Search results for storm glass I have a theory that it may not work very well because the liquid is in a sealed glass vessel.  It can react to the temperature of the room; maybe even some sort of magnetic or static force if that is possible. But it can't react to atmospheric pressure like a barometer. Now I've seen some old photos of storm glasses sealed on top with a cork instead of being completely sealed in glass. The cork is soft and should allow some changes in atm

Just have to share this video I found on the Miss Cellania Weblog.   Link:  Miss Cellania

I copied this GIF from the web. It's been sped up.  The actual speed is much slower, too slow to detect. My Fitzroy Storm Glass is beautiful.  It's perfect for the desktop, sitting by my Sterling Engine. From Wikipedia: FitzRoy was a pioneering meteorologist who made accurate daily weather predictions... He achieved lasting fame as the captain of HMS Beagle during Charles Darwin's famous voyage. Internal and external troubles at the Meteorological Office, financial concerns as well as failing health, and his struggle with depression took their toll. On 30 April 1865, Vice-Admiral FitzRoy died by suicide by cutting his throat with a razor. FitzRoy died having exhausted his entire fortune on public expenditure. How he said the storm glass works: "if fixed, undisturbed, in free air, not exposed to radiation, fire, or sun, but in the ordinary light of a well-ventilated room or outer air, the chemical mixture in a so-called storm-glass varies in chara

I found this radiometer  GIF on the internet.  I've had a radiometer for decades, fascinated by the way it spins in the light.  It works with sunlight or an incandescent light bulb. I finally decided to order a new one after mine stopped working. Here's a photo from the internet that looks just like mine. Sir William Crroke invented the radiometer. Below are explanations about how it works.  It's not so simple! ==================================== "The  radiometer  is made from a glass bulb from which much of the air has been removed to form a partial  vacuum . Inside the bulb, on a low  friction  spindle, is a rotor with several (usually four) vertical lightweight vanes spaced equally around the axis. The vanes are polished or white on one side and black on the other. When exposed to  sunlight , artificial light, or  infrared  radiation (even the heat of a hand nearby can be enough), the vanes turn with no apparent motive power, the d

I learned a lot with this video.  Enjoy! Use full screen for a better experience.

From:   Celebrate Every Day | National Day Calendar I never used to use the drive through until I started having trouble with my health.  Now I can appreciate it.  It beats walking into the restaurant with my walker except its hard to eat the meal in my car, so I bring it home. Half the time I still go inside and kind people help me.  But I'd rather be independent. Text From: NATIONAL DRIVE-THRU DAY "National Drive-Thru Day on July 24th recognizes an innovation conveniently going strong today. The drive-thru reached its iconic zenith in the 1950s but stayed strong through the 60s, 70s and beyond.  People have enjoyed this service since the 1930s. The ease of dropping off or picking up an item without getting out of the car may be something we take for granted. Of course, many studies point to the benefits and drawbacks associated with using the drive-thru. The first and most obvious that comes to mind is the ease of dropping off or picking up and item. Whether i

I came across this video about our alphabet that  I want to share with you. It's very interesting . Haven't posted as much as I'd like lately because of some health problems with myself and Lynette.  But visiting your blogs is a very enjoyable distraction. I'll try to post more.   

If the dandelion was difficult to grow it would be desired for its beauty. I found this interesting video about the history of the dandelion while I was wandering on the the internet.     

Today there's cold brew coffee and  Keurig  coffee cups and who knows what else will come up.   I'm using a Keurig coffeemaker right now and drink about two cups a day.  I like it because there is very little preparation or cleanup.  The price of the coffee cups is high when compared to regular coffee but the ease of use is great.  The plastic empty coffee cups cluttering the land fills is a problem.   Here's a fun video about some ways coffee is prepared. Reminds me of how I feel when I drink too much coffee.

SOLID, LIQUID, GAS  … and something else? It's slightly technical yet interesting. LINK: Confirmed: New phase of matter is solid and liquid at same time Neuroscience Reveals 50-Year-Olds Can Have the Brains of 25-Year-Olds If They Do This 1 Thing I'd like to get myself to do this regularly, if it works. LINK: Neuroscience Shows That 50-Year-Olds Can Hae the Brains of 25-Year-Olds If They Do This | Inc.com Rare Disease Database Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy This is what I have! LINK: Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy - NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders) Exoplanets 101 | National Geographic I enjoyed this very interesting video.