R E F L E C T I O N S

 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 so...

 Bhangra today Bhangra connects to a much deeper set of masculine values. Most of these values are set through labor, industry and self-sufficiency in agriculture, loyalty, independence and bravery in personal, political and military endeavors; and the development and expression of virility, vigor, and honor are common themes. Bhangra referred both to formal male performances and to communal dancing among men and women. In the past 30 years, bhangra has been established all over the world. It has become integrated into popular Asian culture after being mixed with hip hop, house and reggae styles of music. Certain bhangra moves have been adapted and changed over time but at its core remains a sense of cultural identity and tradition. We see bhangra take place mainly in the Punjabi culture. Many people tend to showcase bhangra as a source of joy and entertainment at weddings, parties, and all sorts of celebrations. Many people also do bhangra as a source of exercise, it is an ex...

  (from Amazon) A few days ago an old friend called me. It was a great and pleasant surprise. We've sent Christmas cards to each other but nothing else.  This has been going on for about 30 years now! He invited me to come up to visit him. Maybe we can be better in touch now.  The problem is that I can't drive the three hours to get there. It's not safe. My neurological condition is worse. Instead of CIDP I have involvement of the axon not just the nerve myelin cover of the nerves in my lower legs.  I can't control my feet very well while driving. Sometimes moving my foot from the gas to the break pedal is difficult. It doesn't always happen but I can't predict it. Most recently I had to put the car in Park to stop it.  Luckily I was going very slowly. I don't want to hurt anyone or myself so I have not been driving. Asking someone to take me places is difficult. Using Uber or Lyft taxi service is very expensive.  Doctor visits, going to the pharmacy, getti...

I'm in love with this machine! Here is a very short video. (Full screen is best) This time showing some of the   mechanism . (Full screen is best)

  Not Yet (maybe someday?)

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...

(Wikipedia) When I saw this engine on Amazon I was fascinated. At first I was looking for a desk ornament but this was much better. It looks good and it's functional. Here's a photo of my Stirling engine set on top of an insulated coffee mug. It works great and I had it running for 4 hours one time. That was the longest time for me. I placed it on a dish filled with crushed ice instead of a coffee mug, it still worked! With ice cubes on top and a coffee cup at the bottom it goes faster. This video explains how it works:

Never mind being half full or empty.  Maybe it's the wrong glass to start with. Remember the best seller from decades ago The Power of Positive Thinking?  I came across this video of some philosophical ideas that seem to go the other way, like "The Power of Negative Thinking". I have a relative who always complains about how bad the world is.  After a short while with him my mood begins to drop. That's why I try to limit my time with him. He looks at you as if you are crazy if you try to say anything positive about life. Sometimes I can make him change for a few seconds before he returns to his old self. I made my daughter laugh when I told her that he belongs to a society of negative thinkers. I raise my eyebrows to give her a sign about what is coming next when we get together and he begins his negative discussions. Anyway, this video seems to go for what is a negative view of life. What do you think? (Click on image to start the video.)

Now here is something to think about. Wouldn't it be great if someone could invent a way to make a perpetual motion machine? As a kid I used to wonder why things like skateboards or marbles would just stop moving after a while. Here's a video I came across.

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.   

I came across a web post about spirals that got me thinking about how fascinating they are; in mathematics, science, nature and art. They have something to do with the  Fibonacci   sequence: "Each number in the sequence is the sum of the two numbers that precede it. So, the sequence goes: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, and so on. The mathematical equation describing it is  X n+2 = X n+1  + X n" It's a little bit too technical for me. I'll have to learn more about that but for now I'll just show the video about spirals. Sorry about the spiral above. It makes it difficult to type or read. Here's the video:

I never thought about why there are two sets of letters.  Mostly I know how they are used but not why there are two sets. Enjoy the video.