Friday, October 21, 2005
A Different Nighttime Prayer
A Different Nighttime Prayer
We've been letting our six-year-old go to sleep listening to the radio, and I'm beginning to wonder if it's a good idea. Last night he said his prayers and wound up with: "And God bless Mommy and Daddy and Sister. Amen-and FM!"
The Two Servents
The Two Servants
- Charles Edwin Price
There once was a man who had two indentured servants. One day a disagreement arose between them as to who was the greatest in the eyes of their master. So they went to the master of the house and asked him, "My lord, which of us is greater?"
The master of the house replied, "I will let you discover that for yourself. I will ask each of you a question and you must answer truthfully."
So the servants stood before him and he started to question them. To the first servant, he asked, "What do you do for me?"
"Sir, I work in the fields all day long to grow wheat for my lord's granary," the first servant replied. "Then, at night, I go through the house and fill all the lamps so that my lord will have light. For this you pay me a wage, but I hope that one day that I may earn my freedom."
The master nodded his head. He turned to the second indentured servant and asked, "And what do you do for me?"
"Sir," he replied, "I am an educated man. I am well-versed in literature, music, mathematics and science. I teach your children all that I know so that one day they may leave your house and make a success in the world. And when they do, I hope that you will grant me my freedom. In the meantime, you give me a wage for what I do."
Again, the master nodded. Then he turned to a lowly slave who was standing nearby, and asked, "And what do you do for me?"
"You know that I love you, my lord, and my only wish is to do whatever you ask," the slave answered without hesitation. "You bought me and I know that I will be a slave for life, therefore I earn no wage. But you are kind and merciful to me, and do not beat me as other masters beat their slaves. You are wise and just and kind and that is why I love you."
The master of the house smiled. "Then you are the greatest of all my servants and I will make you a free man."
When they heard this, the two servants were aghast. "Why him?" they cried. "We do much more work than he does. He waits around for you to give him an order, but we labor in your fields without orders, teach your children, and light your lamps. We work unceasingly and should be rewarded."
"Yes," the master of the house replied. "You do work in my fields, and do all the other things that you said. But this man wants only to serve me, not himself. He waits patiently until I tell him what I want him to do. His faithfulness has never failed him. He now has his reward -- his freedom. And I will place him as overseer, and you will be his servants. Because of his faithful service to me -- though he was once a lowly slave -- he is truly the greater."
Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. (Ephesians 6:6-8 NIV)Napolean and God
I Am Napoleon
Late one night at the insane asylum, one inmate shouted, "I am Napoleon!"
Another patient asked, "How do you know?"
The first inmate said, "Because God told me!"
Just then, a voice from another room shouted, "I did NOT!"
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Malaysian Strong Man Dies
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's "Mighty Man" R. Letchemanah, 55, who once towed a Boeing 737 aircraft with his hair, died early Tuesday at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (PPUM) of a heart infection.
His son, Thiyagarajan, 29, said all family members were by his bedside when he breathed his last at 1.45 am.
"Since three weeks ago, my father was not feeling well due to an infection of the heart where surgery was done two years ago," he said when contacted by Bernama.
Letchemanah, from Taman Mutiara Subang, Sungai Buloh, and a former employee of the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia, opted for early retirement five years ago.
He leaves a wife Rajalachmey, 50, son Thiyagarajan and two daughters, Karthiyainee, 26, and Jayabarathy, 21.
Thiyagarajan said his father wanted one of the children to inherit his extraordinary powers and abilty and since retirement was training his youngest sister Jayabarathy to pull an aeroplane.
"The whole family is sad because my father's wish to see my sister inherit his ability ended abruptly," he said.
Letchemanah's remains would be cremated at the Kg Tunku Crematorium in Sungai Way tomorrow.
On Sept 30, 1990, Letchemanah amazed the world when he pulled a Boeing 737 aircraft weighing 32.5 tonnes for a distance of 16.9 metres at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang.
He received wide attention and recognition for his remarkable feat, considered a world record at that time, and continued to record other achievements.
He repeated his feat at the Burtingthorpe Proving Ground in Leicestershire, England, on May 1, 1999 but this time he pulled a double-decker bus weighing 7,874 kg.
After this, his daughter Jayabarathy started following in his footsteps and etched her name in the Malaysia Book of Records in 2002 when she pulled a 3.7-tonne lorry using her hair.
She went further and broke her father's record set in 1998 when he pulled, using his hair, two Perodua Rusa vans with 16 silat exponents inside at Menara PGRM in Cheras here.
-- BERNAMA
His son, Thiyagarajan, 29, said all family members were by his bedside when he breathed his last at 1.45 am.
"Since three weeks ago, my father was not feeling well due to an infection of the heart where surgery was done two years ago," he said when contacted by Bernama.
Letchemanah, from Taman Mutiara Subang, Sungai Buloh, and a former employee of the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia, opted for early retirement five years ago.
He leaves a wife Rajalachmey, 50, son Thiyagarajan and two daughters, Karthiyainee, 26, and Jayabarathy, 21.
Thiyagarajan said his father wanted one of the children to inherit his extraordinary powers and abilty and since retirement was training his youngest sister Jayabarathy to pull an aeroplane.
"The whole family is sad because my father's wish to see my sister inherit his ability ended abruptly," he said.
Letchemanah's remains would be cremated at the Kg Tunku Crematorium in Sungai Way tomorrow.
On Sept 30, 1990, Letchemanah amazed the world when he pulled a Boeing 737 aircraft weighing 32.5 tonnes for a distance of 16.9 metres at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang.
He received wide attention and recognition for his remarkable feat, considered a world record at that time, and continued to record other achievements.
He repeated his feat at the Burtingthorpe Proving Ground in Leicestershire, England, on May 1, 1999 but this time he pulled a double-decker bus weighing 7,874 kg.
After this, his daughter Jayabarathy started following in his footsteps and etched her name in the Malaysia Book of Records in 2002 when she pulled a 3.7-tonne lorry using her hair.
She went further and broke her father's record set in 1998 when he pulled, using his hair, two Perodua Rusa vans with 16 silat exponents inside at Menara PGRM in Cheras here.
-- BERNAMA
Interpreting the Commandments
Interpreting the Commandments
A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to 'honor thy father and thy mother' she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"
Without missing a beat one little boy answered, "Thou shalt not kill."
Serenity
Serenity
Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control. Its presence is an indication of ripened experience, and of a more than ordinary knowledge of the laws and operations of thought.
A man becomes calm in the measure that he understands himself as a thought evolved being, for such knowledge necessitates the understanding of others as the result of thought, and as he develops a right understanding, and sees more and more clearly the internal relations of things by the action of cause and effect, he ceases to fuss and fume and worry and grieve, and remains poised, steadfast, serene.
The calm man, having learned how to govern himself, know how to adapt himself to others; and they, in turn, reverence his spiritual strength, and feel that they can learn of him and rely upon him. The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Even the ordinary trader will find his business prosperity increase as he develops a greater self-control and equanimity, for people will always prefer to deal with a man whose demeanor is strongly equable.
The strong, calm man is always loved and revered. He is like a shade-giving tree in a thirsty land, or a sheltering rock in a storm. Who does not love a tranquil heart, a sweet-tempered, balanced life? It does not matter whether it rains or shines, or what changes come to those possessing these blessings, for they are always sweet, serene, and calm. That exquisite poise of character which we call serenity is the last lesson of culture; it is the flowering of life, the fruitage of the soul. It is precious as wisdom, more to be desired than gold - yea, than even fine gold. How insignificant mere money-seeking looks in comparison with a serene life - a life that dwells in the ocean of Truth, beneath the waves, beyond the reach of tempests, in the Eternal Calm.
James Allen
1864-1912
Excerpted from "As A Man Thinketh"
WIFE VS HUSBAND.....
WIFE VS HUSBAND.....
A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a
word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of
them wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of
mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically,
"Relatives of yours?" "Yep," the wife replied, "In-laws."
WORDS
A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use
a day... 30,000 to a man's 15,000. The wife replied, "The reason has
to be because we have to repeat everything to men...
The husband then turned to his wife and asked, "What?"
CREATION
A man said to his wife one day, "I don't know how you can be so
stupid and so beautiful all at the same time.
" The wife responded, "Allow me to explain. God made me beautiful so
you would be attracted to me; God made me stupid so I would be
attracted to you!
WHO DOES WHAT
A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the
coffee each morning.
The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first, and then
we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee."
The husband said, " You are in charge of cooking around here and you
should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my
coffee."
Wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible
that the man should do the coffee."
Husband replies, "I can't believe that, show me."
So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed
him at the top of several pages, that it indeed
says.......... "HEBREWS"
THE SILENT TREATMENT
A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving
each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the
next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early
morning business flight. Not wanting to be the first to break the
silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake m e
at 5:00 AM." He left it where he knew she would find it.
The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM
and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see
why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by
the bed.
The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."
Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.
God may have created man before woman, but there is always a rough
draft before the masterpiece.
A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a
word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of
them wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of
mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically,
"Relatives of yours?" "Yep," the wife replied, "In-laws."
WORDS
A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use
a day... 30,000 to a man's 15,000. The wife replied, "The reason has
to be because we have to repeat everything to men...
The husband then turned to his wife and asked, "What?"
CREATION
A man said to his wife one day, "I don't know how you can be so
stupid and so beautiful all at the same time.
" The wife responded, "Allow me to explain. God made me beautiful so
you would be attracted to me; God made me stupid so I would be
attracted to you!
WHO DOES WHAT
A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the
coffee each morning.
The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first, and then
we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee."
The husband said, " You are in charge of cooking around here and you
should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my
coffee."
Wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible
that the man should do the coffee."
Husband replies, "I can't believe that, show me."
So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed
him at the top of several pages, that it indeed
says.......... "HEBREWS"
THE SILENT TREATMENT
A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving
each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the
next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early
morning business flight. Not wanting to be the first to break the
silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake m e
at 5:00 AM." He left it where he knew she would find it.
The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM
and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see
why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by
the bed.
The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."
Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.
God may have created man before woman, but there is always a rough
draft before the masterpiece.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Reflections
Six Word Story:
Dabbled with hallucinogens. Never quite recovered.
Litereary Reference:
One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small,
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all.
Go ask Alice
When she's ten feet tall.
- Grace Slick, Jeffererson Airplane, White Rabbit
We Don't Know As Much As We Think We Do
We Don't Know As Much As We Think We Do
One of the issues with building reusable space transports are those of maintenance and inspection. The Shuttle is a nightmare in terms of the things that have to be done to it between flights, and the question arises--is this intrinsic to reusable orbital launch systems, or was it a bad design? It's some of both, but mostly the latter. The development budget for the Shuttle was severely constrained, resulting in a lot of design decisions that proved to be very costly down the road, when it came to operating it. And the technology at the time the design was frozen (early seventies) is three decades behind ours of today.
A major issue is inspecting structure for fatigue between flights. We have quite a bit of experience with aluminum and other metals, and their behavior after repeated stress, and we know how to inspect for it. But one of the ways that we hope to get launch costs down in the future is to shift from metal structure to composites, which are much lighter for a given level of strength. That's an area that we understand much less well, as demonstrated by the fact that rudders are, apparently inexplicably, falling off of Airbuses:
Composites are made of hundreds of layers of carbon fibre sheeting stuck together with epoxy resin. Each layer is only strong along the grain of the fibre. Aircraft engineers need to work out from which directions loads will come, then lay the sheets in a complex, criss-cross pattern. If they get this wrong, a big or unexpected load might cause a plane part to fail.
It is vital there are no kinks or folds as the layers are laid, and no gaps in their resin coating. Holes between the layers can rapidly cause extensive "delamination" and a loss of stiffness and strength.
Airbus, together with aviation authorities on both sides of the Atlantic, insists that any deterioration of a composite part can be detected by external, visual inspection, a regular feature of Airbus maintenance programmes, but other experts disagree.
In an article published after the flight 587 crash, Professor James Williams of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the world's leading authorities in this field, said that to rely on visual inspection was "a lamentably naive policy. It is analogous to assessing whether a woman has breast cancer by simply looking at her family portrait."
Williams and other scientists have stated that composite parts in any aircraft should be tested frequently by methods such as ultrasound, allowing engineers to "see" beneath their surface. His research suggests that repeated journeys to and from the sub-zero temperatures found at cruising altitude causes a build-up of condensation inside composites, and separation of the carbon fibre layers as this moisture freezes and thaws. According to Williams, "like a pothole in a roadway in winter, over time these gaps may grow".
Commenting on the vanishing rudder on flight 961, he pointed out that nothing was said about composite inspection in the NTSB's report on flight 587. This was an "unfortunate calamity", he said. Although the flight 961 rupture had yet be analysed, he continued to believe Airbus's maintenance rules were "inadequate", despite their official endorsement.
Barbara Crufts, an Airbus spokesperson, said visual inspections were "the normal procedure" and insisted Williams's case was unproven. "You quote him as an expert. But there are more experts within the manufacturers and the certification authorities who agree with these procedures." She disclosed that the aircraft used in flight 961 -- which entered service in 1991 -- had been inspected five days before the incident. She said did not know if the rudder had been examined.
How applicable is this cautionary tale to the design of space transports? Well somewhat, but not quite as much as one might think. Fatigue is (usually) a phenomenon that occurs as a result of a large number of cycles (assuming that the stress is reasonable--obviously, one can fatigue a paper clip to failure in just a few extreme twists back and forth with a pair of pliers). It's a real concern for aircraft that are in the air a lot, with many takeoffs and landings, and continuous buffeting from the air.
A space transport has two things going for it. First of all, it spends little time in the atmosphere, which is where most of the structural stress occurs, at least that due to aerodynamics. In space, it's actually a quite benign environment, from a structural standpoint. Second, if we ever get to the number of flights of a single space transport that even start to approach the cycle life of an air transport, we'll have clearly solved the problem of space access, even if we occasionally (as in the aircraft industry) lose a vehicle to structural fatigue.
But regardless of what this means for spaceship design, I think that Airbus has some big problems, until they understand this issue better. And now that Boeing is also using composites for primary structure, they need to get on top of it as well.
This article was taken from http://www.transterrestrial.com/archives/004973.html#004973
One of the issues with building reusable space transports are those of maintenance and inspection. The Shuttle is a nightmare in terms of the things that have to be done to it between flights, and the question arises--is this intrinsic to reusable orbital launch systems, or was it a bad design? It's some of both, but mostly the latter. The development budget for the Shuttle was severely constrained, resulting in a lot of design decisions that proved to be very costly down the road, when it came to operating it. And the technology at the time the design was frozen (early seventies) is three decades behind ours of today.
A major issue is inspecting structure for fatigue between flights. We have quite a bit of experience with aluminum and other metals, and their behavior after repeated stress, and we know how to inspect for it. But one of the ways that we hope to get launch costs down in the future is to shift from metal structure to composites, which are much lighter for a given level of strength. That's an area that we understand much less well, as demonstrated by the fact that rudders are, apparently inexplicably, falling off of Airbuses:
Composites are made of hundreds of layers of carbon fibre sheeting stuck together with epoxy resin. Each layer is only strong along the grain of the fibre. Aircraft engineers need to work out from which directions loads will come, then lay the sheets in a complex, criss-cross pattern. If they get this wrong, a big or unexpected load might cause a plane part to fail.
It is vital there are no kinks or folds as the layers are laid, and no gaps in their resin coating. Holes between the layers can rapidly cause extensive "delamination" and a loss of stiffness and strength.
Airbus, together with aviation authorities on both sides of the Atlantic, insists that any deterioration of a composite part can be detected by external, visual inspection, a regular feature of Airbus maintenance programmes, but other experts disagree.
In an article published after the flight 587 crash, Professor James Williams of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the world's leading authorities in this field, said that to rely on visual inspection was "a lamentably naive policy. It is analogous to assessing whether a woman has breast cancer by simply looking at her family portrait."
Williams and other scientists have stated that composite parts in any aircraft should be tested frequently by methods such as ultrasound, allowing engineers to "see" beneath their surface. His research suggests that repeated journeys to and from the sub-zero temperatures found at cruising altitude causes a build-up of condensation inside composites, and separation of the carbon fibre layers as this moisture freezes and thaws. According to Williams, "like a pothole in a roadway in winter, over time these gaps may grow".
Commenting on the vanishing rudder on flight 961, he pointed out that nothing was said about composite inspection in the NTSB's report on flight 587. This was an "unfortunate calamity", he said. Although the flight 961 rupture had yet be analysed, he continued to believe Airbus's maintenance rules were "inadequate", despite their official endorsement.
Barbara Crufts, an Airbus spokesperson, said visual inspections were "the normal procedure" and insisted Williams's case was unproven. "You quote him as an expert. But there are more experts within the manufacturers and the certification authorities who agree with these procedures." She disclosed that the aircraft used in flight 961 -- which entered service in 1991 -- had been inspected five days before the incident. She said did not know if the rudder had been examined.
How applicable is this cautionary tale to the design of space transports? Well somewhat, but not quite as much as one might think. Fatigue is (usually) a phenomenon that occurs as a result of a large number of cycles (assuming that the stress is reasonable--obviously, one can fatigue a paper clip to failure in just a few extreme twists back and forth with a pair of pliers). It's a real concern for aircraft that are in the air a lot, with many takeoffs and landings, and continuous buffeting from the air.
A space transport has two things going for it. First of all, it spends little time in the atmosphere, which is where most of the structural stress occurs, at least that due to aerodynamics. In space, it's actually a quite benign environment, from a structural standpoint. Second, if we ever get to the number of flights of a single space transport that even start to approach the cycle life of an air transport, we'll have clearly solved the problem of space access, even if we occasionally (as in the aircraft industry) lose a vehicle to structural fatigue.
But regardless of what this means for spaceship design, I think that Airbus has some big problems, until they understand this issue better. And now that Boeing is also using composites for primary structure, they need to get on top of it as well.
This article was taken from http://www.transterrestrial.com/archives/004973.html#004973
Fly Boeing
Short Final, Cleared to Land has an interesting post regarding a recent trip on Airbus and the crash of Flight 587 in 2001 (an Airbus A320). Read the whole post, because it contains some interesting information into Airbus' lobbying regarding the final results of the NTSB investigation.
SFCL also found this pic from someone else's adventure on an Airbus plane.
You shouldn't see engine parts mid-flight. Let's all fly Boeing planes...
***UPDATE***
If you haven't already seen this, Transterrestrial Musings has a great post on the implications of Airbus' quality for future space flight. Be sure to read the full post.
Your Co-Conspirator,
ARC: St Wendeler
This article was taken from : http://rovianconspiracy.blogspot.com/2005/03/fly-boeing.html
SFCL also found this pic from someone else's adventure on an Airbus plane.
You shouldn't see engine parts mid-flight. Let's all fly Boeing planes...
***UPDATE***
If you haven't already seen this, Transterrestrial Musings has a great post on the implications of Airbus' quality for future space flight. Be sure to read the full post.
Your Co-Conspirator,
ARC: St Wendeler
This article was taken from : http://rovianconspiracy.blogspot.com/2005/03/fly-boeing.html
Jesus, in the bathroom.
Jesus in the Bathroom
A Sunday school teacher of pre-schoolers was concerned that his students might be a little confused about Jesus Christ. He wanted to make sure they understood that the birth of Jesus occurred a long time ago, that he grew up, etc. So he asked his class, "Where is Jesus today?"Steven raised his hand and said, "He's in heaven!"
Mary was called on and answered, "He's in my heart!"
Little Johnny, waving his hand furiously, blurted out, "I know! I know! He's in our bathroom!"
The whole class got very quiet, looked at the teacher, and waited for a response. The teacher was completely at a loss for a few very long seconds. He finally gathered his wits and asked Little Johnny how he knew this.
Little Johnny replied, "Well, every morning my father gets up, bangs on the bathroom door, and yells: 'Jesus Christ, are you still in there?'"
Moral : We should not use God's name in vain.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
My Saviour
No special effects or digital manipulation here, just a tripod and timed exposure.
Taken at the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in Flatrock, Newfoundland, Canada. The grotto is located behind the Catholic Church in Flatrock and was the site of a visit by John Paul II. There's a stone imbedded commemorating the spot where he knelt to pray and there's a monument on the lookout where he stood to bless the hundred of fishing vessels that crammed into the Flatrock Harbour.
This cross stands at the top of the grotto and is integrated into the Stations of the Cross. The whole thing is very powerful; a physical manifestation of the faith of a community. Regardless of your religious inclinations, you can't help but feel the pulse of spirituality beating here.
There and back again
Same morning, same woods, different shot from the same series as the other two in my stream.
Brotherly love with a blanket...
Lil Tuna & lil T...playin around the bed while i was sleeping...you can imagine how happy i was...right...
(Shot taken by mama)...
FAITH
And so faith is closing your eyes and following the breath of your soul down to the bottom of life, where existence and nonexistence have merged into irrelevance. All that matters is the little part you play in the vast drama.
a real life preach
Sometimes Charity Means Shelter
This statue can be found on Carson Street, on Pittsburgh's Southside.
Best viewed large - www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=51346297&size=l
Original is Even Bigger - www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=51346297&size=o
Camera: Nikon D70
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture: f/10
Focal Length: 240 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Currently on page 2 of interestingness -
www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/2005/10/10/page2/
going
Honolulu Hawaii
3 frame panorama
taken with Olympus D560Z
This is a trail nearing the top of the mountain I live on, I'd guess this was around 8am. I was so thrilled by what I saw, I literally broke out into a sprint up the path (as much as I could!)
Really felt closer to heaven as the sun seemed to come up just behind those trees!
Just Peachey!
So this was taken for the 'See the Horizon on Saturday 15th October 2005' Pool.
It is one of my favourite spots up on the Downs overlooking the Avon Gorge. There was absolutely no cloud last night just the merest smudge of 'maybe moisture' wafting by.
I thought this was a very abstract, painterly, sky but probably wouldn't have posted it if it wasn't for the group as there's not a lot going on - it was very peaceful to watch though! It has been 'warmed up' just a little (and I do mean only a little) in PSE but it was a pretty spectacular colour range all on its own. It was such a tranquil sunset that other people there fell silent to watch it, so it provided a nice moment of 'time out' . :-)
I hope you enjoy the moment too.
Ferry Rain
Finally the rain has stopped. Its been raining all week here in NYC and today is the first day in a while that i saw the blue sky.
Grüne Egau
Ich wünsche allen einen schönen Sonntag - die Sonne scheint - raus mit Euch !
Very nice sunday !
Autumnal mood
The ruin of "Castle Blankenstein" near Bochum/Ruhr.
From archive...it's too dark for early morning shots.
solo'd
Today I took portraits of my brother and sister in-law. I was hoping to go to Beatton Park where W. and I went for our costume extravaganza photo excursion several weeks back, but we ended up going to another spot right beside the park at the Girl Guides campsite.
Here is Dian in high contrast bw in front of what my brother called Edward Scissorhands trees, but I corrected him and informed him that they were Tim Burton trees. W. and I had commented on them during our last photo session in the area.
Brazilians On Beach
A Brazilian woman relaxes on Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro, October 14, 2005. Temperatures in Rio have reached into the mid-to-upper 30's Celsius (upper 90's fahrenheit), attracting tens of thousands to Rio's famous beaches.
Tne ABC's of Vitamins
THE ABC's ON VITAMINS
"This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones." Proverbs 3:8
Your body is one powerful machine, capable of doing all kinds of things by itself. But one thing it can't do is make its own vitamins. Vitamins are needed for growth and good health. All of the 13 essential vitamins you need are found in the foods you eat, especially fruits and vegetables, because a variety of foods will give you a variety of vitamins and nutrients.
Now, let's look more closely at vitamins - from A to K:
Vitamin A
This vitamin plays a really big part in eyesight. It's great for night vision, like when you're driving at night. Vitamin A helps you see in color, too, from the brightest yellow to the darkest purple. In addition, it helps you grow properly and aids in healthy skin.
Which fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamin A?
. Cantaloupe
. Apricots
. Nectarines
. Mangoes
. Peaches
. Carrots
. Sweet potatoes
. Pumpkin
. Spinach
. Squash
. Peaches
The B Vitamins
There's more than just one B vitamin. Here's the list: B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, folic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid. Whew - that's quite a group!
The B vitamins are important in making energy and providing it freely when your body needs it. So the next time you're running to third base, thank those B vitamins. This group of vitamins is also involved in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body. Every part of your body needs oxygen to work properly, especially during exercise, so these B vitamins have a big job.
Which fruits and vegetables are rich in these various B vitamins?
. Spinach
. Cabbage
. Kale
. Oranges
. Nectarines
. Grapefruit
Vitamin C
This vitamin is important for keeping body tissues, such as muscles in tip-top shape. C is also key if you get a cut or wound because it helps you heal. This vitamin is also helpful at resisting infection. This means that even though you can't always avoid getting sick, vitamin C makes it a little harder for your body to become infected with an illness.
Which fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamin C?
. Oranges
. Grapefruit
. Cantaloupe
. Strawberries
. Blueberries
. Raspberries
. Peaches
. Pineapple
. Nectarines
. Pears
. Tomatoes
. Broccoli
. Cabbage
Vitamin D
No bones about it . . . vitamin D is the vitamin you need for healthy bones! It's great for forming strong teeth, too. Vitamin D lends a hand to an important mineral - it helps your body better absorb the amount of calcium it needs to build strong bones to support your body.
Vitamin D is also unique for another reason - did you know you can get your daily dose of vitamin D by playing out in the sun for only 10-20 minutes a day? Vitamin D is made when UV rays from the sun strike your skin.
Which foods are rich in vitamin D?
. Milk and other dairy products
. Fish
. Eggs
Vitamin E
Everybody needs E. This hard-working vitamin maintains a lot of your body's tissues, like the ones in your eyes and skin. It also protects your lungs from becoming damaged by polluted air. And it is important for the formation of red blood cells.
Vitamin E in large amounts is found in very few fruits and vegetables. However, you can get plenty of E by eating these vitamin E-rich foods:
. Whole wheat
. Wheat germ
. Oats
. Eggs
. Nuts
. Spinach
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is the clotmaster! Remember the last time you got a cut or a scrape? Your blood did something special called clotting. Certain cells in your blood act like glue and stick together at the surface of the cut to help prevent more blood loss and keep infections out.
Which foods are rich in vitamin K?
. Kale
. Brussels Sprouts
. Spinach
. Lettuce
. Cabbage
Each vitamin meets specific body needs and performs specific functions that no other compound can substitute. Sometimes the lack of one of them can even interfere with another nutrient's function. If a vitamin deficiency continues, you could develop a related disease such as beriberi, rickets, and scurvy. Conversely, too much of some vitamins bring on a toxic condition, such as fetal abnormalities.
Like always, the best and recommended way for you to obtain essential vitamins and obtain optimum health is to eat well-balanced meals. A daily diet of varied fruits, vegetables, and other foods can provide all the needed vitamin nutrients for maintaining a healthy body.
When your body gets all these vitamins, you'll be feeling A-OK!
Looking Back or Looking Forward
Looking Back or Looking Forward?
How do you count your life? When you look back over a year, or over a lifetime, what do you count?
Do you count it by its pain - its number of griefs, or its 'might have beens'?
Or do you count it by its achievements and successes - its opportunities capitalized on, its moments of supremacy?
Do you count it by its financial losses (or gains) - its bad advices that cost you, or its bargains like trophies laughing in your bank balance?
Perhaps you count it by its moments of sheer joy when it was at your feet, captive to your flights of emotion. Your senses thrilled and you soared on shimmering wings high above care.
Do you count it by its dinners and parties where you honed your social skills to a high level? Or by the numbers of invitations and size of the Christmas card pile that you can tally up like prizes in a competition?
My friends live where they count their lives by sunsets, every afternoon marking up images in full colour; every setting sun closing a chapter in its book, bringing a conclusion and ending a satisfaction. They live by sunsets.
But I live 'over the hill' and count my life by its sunrises. Every sunrise brings healing in its wings for earth and spirit. Every morning a thank you for newness of day, for newness of thought, for newness of access to a present Lord.
Every awakening a prayer resort, a Dayspring from the eastern sky like a mini second coming of the Lord.
Do you count your life looking back or count it looking forward?
Looking back, "Make us to know how few are our days" Psalm 90:12.
Looking forward, "...we will be with the Lord forever." 1st Thessalonians 4:1PRAYER : Keep us from pettiness
PRAYER
Keep Us From Pettiness
Keep us, O God, from pettiness; let us be large in thought, in word, in deed.
Let us be done with faultfinding and leave off self-seeking.
May we put away all pretenses and meet each other, face to face, without self-pity and without prejudice.
May we never be hasty in judgment and always generous.
Let us take time for all things; make us to grow calm, serene, gentle.
Teach us to put in action our better impulses-straightforward and unafraid.
Grant that we may realize it is the little things of life that create difficulties; that in the big things of life we are as one.
Oh, Lord, let us not forget to be kind.
Amen.
- Mary Stewart, Queen of Scots
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Tomorrow Is Not Promised
Tomorrow Is Not Promised
Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, they serve some sort of purpose; teach you a lesson, or help figure out who you are, and who you want to become.
You never know who these people may be: your neighbor, child, long lost friend, or even a stranger who, when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment that they will affect your life, in some profound way.
And sometimes things happen to you, and at the time they seem painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize, that without overcoming those obstacles, you would have never realized your potential strength, or your hearts desire.
Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good or bad luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness, as well as experiencing sheer stupidity; all occur to test the limits of your soul.
Without these small tests, whether they be events, illnesses or relationships, life would be like a paved straight flat road to nowhere, safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.
The people you meet who affect your life, and the successes and downfalls you experience, create who you are, and even the bad experiences can be learned from; in fact, they are probably the poignant and important ones.
If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them; for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart...
If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you to love, and opening your heart and eyes to things you would have never seen or felt without them.
Make every day count. Appreciate every moment, and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again...
Talk to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high...
Hold your head up, because you have every right too. Tell yourself you're a great person and believe in yourself... for if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you either.
Create your own life and then go out and live in it! "Live Each Day As If It Were Your Last... Tomorrow is Not Promised."
Moshe Reads an Arab Newspaper
Moshe Reads an Arab Newspaper
A story is told of a Jewish man who was riding on the subway reading an Arab newspaper. A friend of his, who happened to be riding in the same subway car, noticed this strange phenomenon. Very upset, he approached the newspaper reader.
"Moshe, have you lost your mind? Why are you reading an Arab newspaper?"Moshe replied, "I used to read the Jewish newspaper, but what did I find? Jews being persecuted, Israel being attacked, Jews disappearing through assimilation and intermarriage, Jews living in poverty. So I switched to the Arab newspaper. Now what do I find? Jews own all the banks, Jews control the media, Jews are all rich and powerful, Jews rule the world. The news is so much better!"
Moral : Sometimes we know our strength by hearing from people who disagree with us.
Friday, October 14, 2005
DID GOD CREATE EARTHQUAKE, HURRICANE AND ALL EVIL?
DID GOD CREATE EARTHQUAKE, HURRICANE AND ALL EVIL?
(For all those who ask "Why God is causing earthquake in Pakistan, hurricane in New Orleans, tsunami in South Asia", this is a an answer from a scientist.)
The professor of a university once challenged his students with this question.
'Did God create everything that exists?'
A student answered bravely, 'Yes, He did'.
The professor then asked, 'If God created everything, then He created evil. Since evil exists (as noticed by our own actions), so God is evil. The student could not respond to that statement causing the professor to conclude that he had 'proved' that the belief in God was a fairy tale, and therefore worthless.
Another student raised his hand and asked the professor, 'May I pose a question?'
'Of course', answered the professor.
The young student stood up and asked, 'Professor does cold exist?'
The professor answered, 'What kind of question is that? Of course cold exists... haven't you ever been cold?'
The young student answered, 'In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold, is in fact the absence of heat.
Anything is able to be studied as long as it transmits energy (heat). Absolute Zero is the total absence of heat, but cold does not exist. What we have done is to create a term to describe how we feel if we don't have body heat or we are not hot.'
'And, does darkness exist?', he continued. The professor answered, 'Of course'.
This time the student responded, 'Again you're wrong, sir. Darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in fact simply the absence of light. Light can be studied, darkness can not. Darkness cannot be broken down. A simple ray of light tears the darkness and illuminates the surface where the light beam finishes. Dark is a term that we humans have created to describe what happens when there's lack of light.'
Finally, the student asked the professor, 'Sir, does evil exist?'
The professor replied, 'Of course it exists, as I mentioned at the beginning, we see violations, crimes and violence anywhere in the world, and those things are evil.'
The student responded, 'Sir, evil does not exist. Just as in the previous cases, evil is a term which man has created to describe the result of the absence of God's presence in the hearts of man.'
After this, the professor bowed down his head, and did not answer back.
The young man's name was ALBERT EINSTEIN.
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