saganism

The significance of our lives and our fragile planet is then determined only by our own wisdom and courage. We are the custodians of life's meaning. We long for a Parent to care for us, to forgive us our errors, to save us from our childish mistakes. But knowledge is preferable to ignorance. Better by far to embrace the hard truth than a reassuring fable. If we crave some cosmic purpose, then let us find ourselves a worthy goal.”

― Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space

How the Hippies Saved Physics

The surprising story of eccentric young scientists who stood up to conventiona-
nd changed the face of modern physics.

In the 1970s, amid severe cutbacks in physics funding, a small group 
of underemployed physicists in Berkeley decided to throw off the constraints 
of academia and explore the wilder side of science. Dubbing themselves 
the Fundamental Fysiks Group, they pursued a freewheeling, speculative 
approach to physics. Some dabbled with LSD while conducting experiments. 
They studied quantum theory alongside Eastern mysticism and psychic 
mind reading, discussing the latest developments while lounging in hot 
tubs. Unlikely as it may seem, this quirky band of misfits altered the 
course of modern physics, forcing mainstream physicists to pay attention 
to the strange but exciting underpinnings of quantum theory. Their work 
on Bells theorem and quantum entanglement helped pave the way for todays 
advances in quantum information science.

A lively and entertaining Cinderella story, How the Hippies Saved Physics 
takes us to a time when only the unlikeliest heroes could break the 
science world out of its rut.

1 day after international womans day

The Pakistani schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban has spoken out about her recovery for the first time since she was nearly killed.

Malala Yousufzai, 15, underwent successful surgery to reconstruct her skull and restore her hearing at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham at the weekend.
She escaped death by a matter of inches when she was shot on a school bus in northwestern Pakistan on October 9 last year - as the bullet entered just above her left eye and ran along her jaw, "grazing" her brain.
The Islamist gunmen said they targeted her because she promoted girls' education and "Western thinking".
In a message recorded by the hospital on Sunday, Malala said she was "feeling alright" and "happy that both the operations were successful".
She said: "I can also walk a little bit, I can talk and I'm feeling better."
Despite having five hours of surgery, Malala added: "It does not feel like I had a very big operation."

parting words of stompin' tom:

parting words of stompin' tom:

Hello friends, I want all my fans, past, present, or future, to know that without you, there would have not been any Stompin’ Tom.

It was a long hard bumpy road, but this great country kept me inspired with its beauty, character, and spirit, driving me to keep marching on and devoted to sing about its people and places that make Canada the greatest country in the world.

I must now pass the torch, to all of you, to help keep the Maple Leaf flying high, and be the Patriot Canada needs now and in the future.

I humbly thank you all, one last time, for allowing me in your homes, I hope I continue to bring a little bit of cheer into your lives from the work I have done.

Sincerely,

Your Friend always,

Stompin’ Tom Connors

Some people so poor all they got is money

Alicia Keys – Not Even The King Lyrics

Some people so poor all they got is money
Oh, in darkness
Some people wait till they count all their assets
I don’t care what they bring,
They can have everything

They can’t afford what we got,
Not even the king
They can’t afford what we got,
Not even the king

Castles, it’s as almost they’re good in castles
Šurrounded by people they ain’t been afraid,
That’s not what they take home

Oh,
I don’t care what they bring,
They can have everything

They can’t afford what we got,
Not even the king
They can’t afford what we got,
Not even the king

All the king’s horseš and all the king’s men
Charge every ghetto we got
They open the crown, and they open the throne
But I already got all that I want

All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
They came marching through
They offer the world just to get what we got
But I found the world in you
I found a world in you
Of innocence

Your arms around me worth more than a kingdom
Yeah, believe that
But trust’s very real, the king’s never felt that
Yeah this is the song we sing
We don’t need anything

They can’t afford this
This is priceless
They can’t afford what we’ve got
Not even the king
They can’t afford what we got,
Not even the king

today is Anti-Bullying Day

Anti-Bullying Day (a.k.a. Pink Shirt Day) is a day celebrated during the last Wednesday of the month February in Canada, which originally started as a protest against a bullying incident at aNova Scotia high school (Central Kings Rural High School). On this day, participants wear pink to symbolize a stand against bullying.

grandmother moon

Full Moon Names and Meanings

Many human cultures have given names to the full moon throughout the year. Different full moon names can be found among the Chinese, Celtic, Old English, and New Guinea cultures, to name a few. In addition, Native American tribes often used moon phases and cycles to keep track of the seasons and gave a unique name to each recurring full moon. The full moon names were used to identify the entire month during which each occurred.

Although many Native American Tribes gave distinct names to the full moon, the most well known names of the full moon come from the Algonquin tribes who lived in the area of New England and westward to Lake Superior. The Algonquin tribes had perhaps the greatest effect on the early European settlers in America, and the settlers adopted the Native American habit of naming the moons. They even invented some of their own names that have been passed down through time.

The names given below aren't the only ones that have been used. Every full moon, with one exception, had variations on its name among various Algonquin tribes, not to mention other tribes throughout North America. But the names below are the most common. Some of the variations are also mentioned.

January: The Wolf Moon
In January snow gathers deep in the woods and the howling of wolves can be heard echoing in the cold still air. Some tribes called this moon the Snow Moon, but most often it was used for the next month.

February: The Snow Moon
Snow piles even higher in February, giving this moon its most common name. Among tribes that used this name for the January moon, the February moon was called the Hunger Moon due to the challenging hunting conditions.

March: The Worm Moon
Snow slowly begins to melt, the ground softens, and earthworms show their heads again and their castings or fecal matter can be found. Other signs of spring gave rise to other variations: the cawing of crows (the Crow Moon); the formation of crusts on the snow from repeated thawing and freezing (the Crust Moon); and the time for tapping maple trees (the Sap Moon). Christian settlers also called this the Lenten Moon and considered it the last moon of winter.

April: The Pink Moon
Flowers begin to appear, including the widespread grass pink or wild ground phlox. Other variations indicate more signs of full spring, such as Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon, and Fish Moon (common among coastal tribes).

May: The Flower Moon
Flowers come into full bloom and corn is ready to plant. Also called the Corn Planting Moon and the Milk Moon.

June: The Strawberry Moon
Strawberry-picking season reaches its peak during this time. This is one of the few names that was universal to all Algonquin tribes.

July: The Buck Moon
Buck deer start growing velvety hair-covered antlers in July. Frequent thunderstorms in the New England area also resulted in the name Thunder Moon. Some tribes also used Hay Moon.

August: The Sturgeon Moon
The sturgeon, a large fish common to the Great Lakes and other nearby bodies of water, is most easily caught during this month. The reddish appearance of the moon through the frequent sultry hazes of August also prompted a few tribes to dub it the Red Moon. Other names included the Green Corn Moon and the Grain Moon.

September: The Harvest Moon
Many of the Native American tribes' staple foods, such as corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and rice, are ready for gathering at this time. The strong light of the Harvest Moon allowed European farmers to work late into the night to harvest their crops. The Harvest Moon does not always occur in September. Traditionally, the name goes to the full moon closest to the autumn equinox, which falls during October once or twice a decade. Sometimes the September full moon was called the Corn Moon.

October: The Hunter's Moon
After the fields have been reaped, the leaves begin to fall and the deer are fat and ready for eating. Hunters can ride easily over the fields' stubble, and the fox and other animals are more easily spotted. Some years the Harvest Moon falls in October instead of September.

November: The Beaver Moon
At this time of year the beavers are busy preparing for winter, and it's time to set beaver traps and secure a store of warm fur before the swamps freeze over. Some tribes called this the Frosty Moon.

December: The Cold Moon
Winter takes a firm hold and temperatures plummet at this time. Sometimes this moon is also called the Long Night Moon as the winter nights lengthen and the moon spends more time above the horizon opposite a low sun. The full moon name often used by Christian settlers is the "Moon before Yule".

Blue Moon
Note that due to the 29-day lunar cycle the exact dates of the full moon move every year. Most seasons have three full moons, but because of the variation some seasons have four full moons. The term "blue moon" was used to identify one of these extra full moons. A mistaken definition in the March 1946 edition of Sky and Telescope magazine claimed the blue moon fell on the second full moon of the calendar year. This mistake caused widespread misunderstanding until it was finally corrected in 1999. 

You're The Top

You're The Top by Cole Porter


At words poetic, I'm so pathetic
That I always have found it best,
Instead of getting 'em off my chest,
To let 'em rest unexpressed,
I hate parading my serenading
As I'll probably miss a bar,
But if this ditty is not so pretty
At least it'll tell you
How great you are.

You're the top!
You're the Coliseum.
You're the top!
You're the Louver Museum.
You're a melody from a symphony by Strauss
You're a Bendel bonnet,
A Shakespeare's sonnet,
You're Mickey Mouse.
You're the Nile,
You're the Tower of Pisa,
You're the smile on the Mona Lisa
I'm a worthless check, a total wreck, a flop,
But if, baby, I'm the bottom you're the top!

Your words poetic are not pathetic.
On the other hand, babe, you shine,
And I can feel after every line
A thrill divine
Down my spine.
Now gifted humans like Vincent Youmans
Might think that your song is bad,
But I got a notion
I'll second the motion
And this is what I'm going to add;

You're the top!
You're Mahatma Gandhi.
You're the top!
You're Napoleon Brandy.
You're the purple light
Of a summer night in Spain,
You're the National Gallery
You're Garbo's salary,
You're cellophane.
You're sublime,
You're turkey dinner,
You're the time, the time of a Derby winner
I'm a toy balloon that’s fated soon to pop
But if, baby, I'm the bottom,
You're the top!

You're the top!
You're an arrow collar
You're the top!
You're a Coolidge dollar,
You're the nimble tread
Of the feet of Fred Astaire,
You're an O'Neill drama,

You're Whistler's mama!

You're camembert.

You're a rose,
You're Inferno's Dante,

You're the nose
On the great Durante.
I'm just in a way,
As the French would say, "de trop".
But if, baby, I'm the bottom,
You're the top!

You're the top!
You're a dance in Bali.
You're the top!
You're a hot tamale.
You're an angel, you,
Simply too, too, too diveen,
You're a Boticcelli,
You're Keats,
You're Shelly!

You're Ovaltine!
You're a boom,
You're the dam at Boulder,
You're the moon,
Over Mae West's shoulder,
I'm the nominee of the G.O.P.

Or GOP!

But if, baby, I'm the bottom,
You're the top!

You're the top!
You're a Waldorf salad.
You're the top!
You're a Berlin ballad.
You're the boats that glide
On the sleepy Zuider Zee,
You're an old Dutch master,

You're Lady Astor,
You're broccoli!
You're romance,
You're the steppes of Russia,
You're the pants, on a Roxy usher,
I'm a broken doll, a fol-de-rol, a blop,

But if, baby, I'm the bottom,


You're the top!

you're the top The Easy Virtue Orchestra

the wonder of Heifetz

32 years
32 years
and no one sat me down and said
look
if you ever wonder in the dark
where the beauty has gone
dont worry
its all still there
some proof
some proof you will find here

Jascha Heifetz plays Melodie by Gluck
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tenI_FyFeZ0

a great conversation about music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=Jf7yF9Fzd5w

a little something to get started

today i began to think

that since i use my facebook for a blog

perhaps
now would be good time to

start using a blog...as a blog