More Wonders of the World

Thought for the day:  Life is a ticket to the greatest show on earth. [Martin H. Fischer]

There is sooooo much to see in this wonderful world of ours, and just because we may never see any of these things in person is no reason for us to forego the appropriate oohing and aahing over their existence.

Snowed in? That's no excuse. Got cabin fever... and hiding from the excess heat in your area? That's no excuse, either. We can still explore. 

Vicariously.

 I've never seen one of these in person, but ever since I was a child, I've marveled at photos of giant sequoia trees that were sooooo enormous, tunnels were actually cut through them. The most famous of these trees was the Wawona tree, which was carved out in the late 1800s and felled by a storm in 1969, at the ripe old age of more than two thousand. In 2017, the Pioneer Cabin tree, 1000 years old and carved more than 100 years ago, also succumbed to a big storm. Ordinarily, these trees can be expected to live as much as 3000 years, so it makes me wonder... were their demises hastened by man's ill-conceived cutting through their trunks? Thank goodness, the practice of tunneling through the trunks of these majestic trees for our convenience is no longer practiced or condoned by the Forestry Service. [The remains of other sequoia tree tunnels are either dead or lying on the ground as ancient logs, but there are still several active redwood tree tunnels in existence, all operated by private companies.]

What's a tree's least favorite month? Sep-timberrrr, of course.

What did the tree wear to the pool party? That's an easy one. Swim trunks!

If you're not impressed by the heights nature can reach with the giant sequoia trees, how about some of the stuff man has built?

Like a carousel. As in the Guinness record book's tallest chained carousel in the world, which spins 383 feet (117 m) above Vienna, Austria.

Um, not for me. Thanks to some of the smart-ass comments made by Smarticus, whenever I see rides like this, I can't help but wonder if it was built by the lowest bidder. Besides, I'm more akin to that cat who got dizzy from just spinning in a chair. However, for the more adventurous of you, here's a peek at that carousel:

Dubai was already famous for its stunning architectural feats... like an indoor snow-skiing place right there in the middle of the desert... but the new Crescent Moon Tower, completed last year, is bound to become the United Arab Emirates' most recognizable iconic image yet. Thirty-three floors tall, the building contains a library, conference facility, a restaurants, cafes, and an observation deck. What a unique place for gazing at the sky! I wonder what it'd be like to observe the real moon or a sunrise from that deck...

What do you call a rooster that crows every morning as the sun comes up? An alarm cluck.

[image courtesy of wikipedia]

 The border between Belgium and the Netherlands is 281 miles (450 km) long, and there are no border controls... no tall fences topped with concertina wire... and no so-called big beautiful walls between these two countries. In fact, as shown in the image, one part of the border goes right through a cafe in Baarle! I wonder if you could order your meal in one country, go to the restroom in another, and then be back at the first country before your meal is served. Kinda cool, huh?

Being a bigger fan of bridges than walls, this concept really captured my imagination. And respect. I reckon you could say it's... enlightening...

What did one lightning bug say to another? Oops! Sorry...  gotta glow!

[image: AVAX news]

This amazing structure is the Wat Samphran Temple in Thailand. This 17-story cylindrical Buddhist temple might remind you of a shorter version of the Tower of Babel, except for one thing. One very big thing. The giant dragon sculpture that surrounds it.

WOW, huh? Dontcha kinda wonder what prompted this unusual architectural feature...?

Wanta get away from the maddening crowds? Enjoy a quiet meal of reeeeally fresh seafood while surrounded by the clear azure waters of the Indian Ocean? Then... talk about a getaway!... Zanzibar's Rock Restaurant could be just the place for you. This cozy eating place is literally located on a large rock, which is delightfully isolated and surrounded by water during high tide. But if you're interested, better make reservations. They only have twelve tables, so seating is limited! (I wonder if they serve chicken nuggets...HA!)


How do we know the ocean is friendly? It always waves.

What does a cloud wear under its clothes? Thunderwear!

[image: Sandra Critelli]

I dunno why, but the migration of animals has always fascinated me. In the past, I've posted about the migrations of tortoises (a very sloooooow migration, needless to say) and the migration of some adorable little red crabs. This time, golden stingrays are in the spotlight. These graceful creatures, which can be as much as seven feet wide, engage in a mass migration through the Gulf of Mexico two times a year... heading north in late spring, and back to the south in late autumn. Gee, I wonder what it'd be like to see them while... snorkeling??? Hey! No need to wonder... just look-ie here:

What's a great white shark's favorite game to play? Swallow the Leader.

[image courtesy of wikipedia]

The Banpo Bridge in South Korea is more than just a bridge. It's the world's largest fountain bridge. This moonlight rainbow fountain contains 10,000 LED nozzles and squirts 190 tons of water per minute. It contains thirty-eight water pumps and 380 nozzles per side. As you can see in this photo, people gather every evening to admire the show. With all of that water splashing, I wonder if there's a bunch of port-a-potties nearby...

Wanta glimpse at what they're seeing...?

[image: Nan Palmero]

Humans can be such blockheads. I mean, what were they thinking cutting those tunnels through those gorgeous trees...?

Anyhow, this sculpture by Czech artist David Cerny shows man's more hard-headed side. Entitled Metalmorphosis, its forty layers of polished stainless steel can rotate individually to create a wide array of possible images. (I wonder if that's meant to illustrate how messed up we can be, maybe?) Most of this sculptor's works are a bit more controversial, and have gotten him in a bit of hot water from time to time, but this one sits serenely in a cool reflective pool at the Whitehall Corporate Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The last item for your consideration is a sculpture by French artist Bruno Catalano. He did a series of similar sculptures for a celebration in the city of Marseilles, and each one is as unique as this one. Ever feel like something's missing, or you aren't all there? Well, Catalano's people aren't all there. Some of the sculptures seem to defy gravity, and each one is thought-provoking. (Yep, they make ya wonder.) To see more of his work, check out his website at brunocatalano.com





Well, folks, that's about it. But first... What did one volcano say to another? I lava you.

And I lava doing these kinds of posts. I hope you enjoyed it.

Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

[Oops! Sorry'bout that... this post was all ready and poised to go live at 12:34 AM, as usual, but some bonehead... no need to point fingers... failed to hit that pesky "publish" button...]

Don't Mess Up My Do!

Thought for the day: I came; I saw; I conquered. [Julius Caesar]

[source: morguefile]

Well, good for ol' Julius, I say. Me? I'm more in the I came; I saw; I took a picture camp. I mean, the idea of climbing a mountain simply because it's there holds absolutely no appeal to me. Nada. Zilch. Zero. If that makes me a wimp, sobeit. At least, I'm still alive.

I also have no desire to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, be shot out of a cannon, tame a tiger or go swimming in a waterfall.



                                           Check out this short video of Niagara Falls:

 Horseshoe Falls, AKA the Canadian Falls, is the largest of the three waterfalls that make up the Niagara Falls, which lie on the border between Ontario and New York. It's 167 feet (51 m) high and 2700 feet (820 m) wide. Amazing, isn't it? So what do you think when you look at this massive amount of roaring water? Something along the lines of WOW? I mean it's breathtakingly beautiful, which is why it's been a favorite honeymoon destination for so many years. It's kinda humbling, too, to see such a powerful force on display.

So. How many of you look at it and think, I believe I'd like to conquer all that power? Come on... show of hands. Nobody? All right, then. At least I know I'm not the only wimp around here. Unlike us, people have been challenging the falls since the 1800s. Why? Um, because it's there, I suppose.

These old photos from Wikicommons show daredevil Charles Blondin, who, in 1859,  thought it'd be a fine idea to take a stroll across the Niagara Falls gorge on a tightrope. From one hundred sixty feet above the river gorge, to be precise, on a three-inch thick cable stretching 1100 feet. No safety equipment at all. Just his balancing pole. The dude was so sure of his success, he even offered to carry someone over on his back. (What a guy!) Alas, no one took him up on the offer. (Musta been a bunch of wimps like us.)

But that was just his first attempt. In subsequent crossings, he walked the tightrope while blindfolded, pushed a wheelbarrow, and yes... even carried someone across on his back. His agent. His brave... or crazy as a bedbug... agent. (I sure hope he got paid more than the standard 10% for that gig.)

After Blondin's feat, others replicated the gorge crossing... because they could, I suppose. But it wasn't until 2012 that someone actually walked the tightrope over the falls themselves.
 
                                                    The famous daredevil Nik Wallenda:

Not interested in taking a stroll on a tightrope, huh? Nah, me neither. Heck, I twisted my ankle just walking across the bedroom floor last week. .. no tightrope involved. For sure, my middle name isn't Grace, and with good reason. So if not a tightrope, how about a... barrel?

[source: wikipedia]

Would you believe the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel was... a woman?! Not that I think women are less courageous than men; it's more a matter of believing women are, shall we say... less rash. Not only was Annie Edison Taylor the very first person to make that plunge successfully, but she did it on her sixty-third birthday! (What did you do on your sixty-third birthday...?) What? Oh yeah, a lot of you haven't even hit 63 yet. Sorry about that. So what are the chances you might try something like this when you do hit 63? I don't remember what I did... but I can guaran-damn-tee ya, it was a far far cry from doing that.

In 1901, Annie, a widow fearful of ending up in the poorhouse, rode the barrel over the falls with the hope of gaining a better financial future. Her custom-made barrel of oak and iron was padded with a mattress, and after being tossed overboard from a boat, the river carried her barrel to and over Horseshoe Falls. She came through the ordeal relatively unscathed, with only a small cut on her head. Know what she said afterwards? If it was with my dying breath, I would caution anyone against attempting the feat... I would sooner walk up to the mouth of a cannon, knowing it was going to blow me to pieces than make another trip over the Falls.

So. I guess it wasn't exactly a barrel of laughs, huh? What's more, her financial security was brief-lived. She earned a bit of money traveling around with her barrel and giving speeches, but her manager absconded with her barrel. The cad. She used her meager savings to track him and her barrel down, only to have him and the barrel disappear again. She lived out her life working as a clairvoyant and providing magnetic therapeutic treatments. (If she were a clairvoyant, I wonder why she couldn't find her barrel...?)

[source: wikipedia]

One last wackaddoodle daredevil. Bobby Leach was a circus performer and stuntman, who often bragged that anything Annie could do, he could do better. So in July of 1911, he took the plunge in his barrel, becoming the second person to succeed. He survived, but he also spent six months in the hospital recuperating from his many injuries, including two broken knees and a fractured jaw. And yet... and yet... he became quite famous, much much more so than poor Annie ever did. (Reminds me of a Virginia Wolfe quote: For most of history, anonymous was a woman.) At any rate, Leach made good money touring Canada, the U.S. and England, giving speeches about his death-defying plunge over the falls, showing off his barrel and posing for pictures. In a strange twist of fate, this self-aggrandizing stuntman and daredevil was killed, not by some death-defying act, but by a dastardly banana peel. While on a publicity tour in New Zealand in 1926, he slipped on said peel and injured his leg in the fall. The injury got infected, he got gangrene, and he succumbed two months later. Such irony. It wasn't the appeal of dangerous feats that did him in... it was a lowly peel.I'm sure there's a moral in that story somewhere.

He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life. [Muhammed Ali]

 I say staying alive is a pretty darned good accomplishment. 

Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. [Martin Luther King, Jr.]

Agreed. Kinda makes me think of the state of world politics right now. And just as I choose not to dive into Niagara Falls, I also choose to steer clear of talking politics these days. Rather than plunge into the chaotic roar, I'll wear a slicker and stand at a nice safe distance with the other tourists, where the mist may reach me, but I won't drown in negativity. Because, you know, I wouldn't want to mess up my do.

                           Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

Sweet Mysteries of Life

Thought for the day:  It is the dim haze of mystery that adds enchantment to pursuit. [Antoine Rivarol]

For those with an inquisitive mind, life offers an almost endless stream of mysteries, curiosities, and phenomena worthy of some serious chin-scratching.

Shall we consider a handful of them?

How about those intricate crop circles that have appeared in fields all over the world? What's up with them? Aliens? Hordes of drunken frat boys? Just one big bogus joke?

Beats me.

How about the Voynich manuscript? Ever hear of that? Named after the Polish-American antiquarian bookseller Wilfrid Voynich, who acquired it in the early 1900s, this detailed 240-page book contains still-colorful drawings, and is written in an unknown language and unknown alphabet. It includes astronomical charts and diagrams, and illustrations of plants unknown to modern botanists. Carbon dating places the book's origins somewhere between 1404 to 1438. Who wrote it? An alchemist, maybe? Where did the language come from? Did he make it up to hide his secrets?

Beats me.

I'm sure you've heard of the Bermuda Triangle. Over the years, many ships and planes have mysteriously disappeared when attempting to navigate through this area. Where did they go? Alien abductions? Is there a huge junkyard of shipwrecks and downed planes at the bottom of the sea there? Is it all a big fat fraud?

Beats me.

Ever hear of the Taos hum? It's a low-pitched humming sound that can be heard in certain parts of the world, mainly the US, UK, and northern Europe... and it can only be heard by some people. More than 2000 people, dating back to the 1940s, have reported hearing the maddening sound in London and Southampton. And I do mean maddening. Tales indicate that the sound has literally driven some people insane. Yet, others can't hear it at all. The most infamous site for the humming sound is in Taos, New Mexico. Ergo, the name. However, the humming has also been identified by other geological locations, as well. Like the Bristol hum. Sorry, I couldn't find an image to illustrate this mystery, but I did find a couple videos on Youtube. Although they were supposed to be recordings of the Taos hum, I couldn't hear a doggone thing. (Maybe I'm already mad?) So what's the source of this mysterious hum only heard by some? (But not me.)

Beats me.

Here's another lulu. Ever hear of the WOW signal? In 1977, SETI (Search for Extraterrestial Intelligence) volunteer Jerry Ehman received a loud 72-second signal with the radio telescope at Ohio State University. The signal appeared to have originated in the constellation Sagittarius — 120 light-years away. The intensity of this signal was more than thirty times greater than normal deep space signals, as evidenced in the figures Ehman circled on the printout, along with his notation WOW! Since then, attempts to relocate the signal have been fruitless. So what was it? Who or what generated it?

Beats me.

Here we have the Georgia Guidestones. This mammoth granite monument is engraved in eight languages, and each presents ten directions for an Age of Reason. Also called the American Stonehenge, the stones are also aligned to include astronomical features. Shrouded in mystery since it was commissioned in 1979, no one knows exactly who commissioned it or why. (If you're interested in more details about this monument, you can find it right here on an earlier post.)

So who was that masked man the mystery man representing that mysterious group, and why did they pay a huge amount of money to have this monument erected? And why in a field in rural Georgia?

Beats me.

Have you ever wished there were well-defined markers pointing the proper path to take through life? Well, guess what? There are! Yep, mysterious concrete arrows, as much as seventy feet in length, can be found all across the United States. Some of them are located in the middle of nowhere... even in the desert. What gives? Who laid out all those arrows for us? A benevolent God? A rich prankster? Drunken frat boys? Is it all a ridiculous plot to drive us crazy? (Just in case we can't hear the hum...)

Beats... No, wait! Actually, I know the answer to this one. When the United States opened its first coast-to-coast airmail delivery route in 1920, it wasn't able to deliver mail much faster than by ground. Why, you ask? Because there weren't any good aviation maps in those days, so pilots had to rely on visual landmarks to find their way, which meant flying during bad weather or at night was nearly impossible.

The solution? The Postal Service installed lit beacons every ten miles all the way from New York to San Francisco, each comprised of a bright yellow concrete arrow and a fifty-one-foot tower topped with a generator-powered rotating beacon. The project started in 1923, and by 1929, the massive illuminated arrows spanned the entire continent. In the '40s, as other technology took over and aviation maps improved, the beacons were decommissioned, and the towers, torn down. The yellow paint is long gone, but guess what? Believe it or not, the arrows... are still there.

One final mystery before I bid you all adieu.  Can you tell me why...  can anyone tell me why...

... why do people of a certain gender leave the lid up on the toilet? And worse... the seat?

Not that it's a problem for Smarticus and me, mind you. In all these years together, in all these years of gaping toilets left to wake my startled butt up in the middle of the night, I've only succumbed to that nefarious trap twice.( The simple solution? A night light.)

Oh well. I suppose people of that certain gender probably wonder what's the point in closing the lid when you're just gonna use it again later. (sigh)

Ah, what the heck! Vive la difference. Just one more sweet mystery...



                                                         Didn't you just love this lady?

                                                          This here is one smart dude!

Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

Touchdown!

Thought for the day:  Both optimists and pessimists contribute to the society. The optimist invents the aeroplane, the pessimist the parachute.  [George Bernard Shaw]

USS Enterprise

After an illustrious 51-year career, USS Enterprise, the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was put out to pasture last month. Actor William Shatner, who captained the other Enterprise, with which most people are a lot more familiar, was invited to the December 2 ceremony, but after much bally-ho, was unable to beam in for the auspicious occasion.

(Snap fingers.) Come to think of it, you've probably seen more of this newly decommissioned carrier than you realize. Did you see the movie Top Gun? If so, you saw the Enterprise, because that's where parts of the movie were filmed. Remember those hair-raising landings? If not, take a peek...

                                                   Whew, that's something else, isn't it?

 Guess what? Know what today is? It just so happens to be the anniversary of  the first time a pilot landed an airplane onto a ship. How about that? And just how long ago do you think that might've been? Think it happened with a sleek military jet? Think again.

Meet Eugene Ely, who set his Curtiss Model D Pusher biplane down on the deck of the U.S.S. Pennsylvania while she floated in San Francisco Bay... on January 18, 1911. That's right... just eight short years after the Wright brothers made their first flight at Kitty Hawk. His biplane, equipped with a 60 HP V-8 engine, flew a whopping 50 MPH.

Just a little over two months earlier, Ely successfully completed another experiment: he took off from the deck of the U.S.S. Alabama. But landing... now landing was gonna be a lot more problematic... and airplanes wouldn't be of much use to the Navy if they couldn't take off AND land.

Before Ely could take a whack at the second experiment, a temporary 133-foot long landing strip was built above the afterdeck and gun turret.

Okay, here he comes! Notice the sandbags lining the landing strip? Ely's plane was fitted with an experimental tailhook, and the plan was to stop the plane by snagging that hook onto one or two of the twenty-two ropes strung between those 50-pound sandbags. The ropes were a foot above the deck, and the bags were spaced three feet apart. And I'll betcha Ely's heart was pounding like a jackhammer on speed.

SUCCESS!









Captain Pond, Pennsylvania's commanding officer, called it the most important landing of a bird since the dove flew back to Noah's ark.

The conquering hero. (Still a little shaky, I'll bet.)





And so it was that the young Eugene Ely's name was entered into the record books. He was the first person in the world to take off from... and land on... a ship. The rest is, as they say... history.

[Unfortunately, he died in a plane crash later that year while performing in an air show at Macon, Georgia. This history-making pilot with a boatload of moxie was only twenty-four years old.]


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Landing on the ship during the daytime is like sex: it's either good or it's great. Landing on the ship at night is like a trip to the dentist: you may get away with no pain, but you just don't feel comfortable. [LCDR Thomas Quinn, US Navy]

The three best things in life are a good landing, a good orgasm, and a good bowel movement. The night carrier landing is one of the few opportunities in life to experience all three at the same time. [an unnamed... but honest...  Navy pilot]

Always try to keep the number of landings you make equal to the number of take-offs you've made. [another unnamed... but smartass... Navy pilot]

Flying is the second greatest thrill known to man. Landing is the first.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

                           Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

[All of these public domain images come courtesy of the U.S. Naval History Center, the National Air & Space Museum, and good ol' Wikipedia.]

Making Happy Waves

Thought for the day:  Excitement has no age limit.

[THEME: Amateur radio]

I was honored to serve four terms as the ARRL Section Manager for the state of Georgia. In essence, I was our state's elected volunteer (how's that for an oxymoron?) and representative with  the American Radio Relay League, our national organization for amateur radio. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say, it was a ton of work, but also a ton of fun.

One of the things I did was travel the state to give speeches to various organizations, and do presentations at numerous amateur radio club meetings. My favorite presentation, I called Amateur Radio and the WOW FACTOR.

                                                         So, what's that mean? Stuff like this:

• The world's amazement over the first successful trans-Atlantic wireless communication.
• The sense of pride and excitement experienced by early amateurs when they built their own equipment and made that first contact.
• Excitement over the remarkable innovations and technological advancements within the radio art.
• It's the feeling that, even after more than forty years as an amateur, had my husband ya-hoo-ing through the house the day he made his first slow-scan TV contact.
• It's the feeling that drove an 80+ year old man to get an amateur radio license, something he'd always wanted to do.
• It's what drove a long-limbed ballerina teenager to leap through the air and into my husband's arms after she passed her first amateur radio test. (She later became a communications expert in the Marine Corps.)
• It's the sense of community and brotherhood that, much like the barn-raisings of pioneer days, still brings amateurs together to help each other with antenna and tower-raising activities.
• It's the never-ending sense of connection that kept a Texas ham on the air daily until he passed away at the age of 105.
• And on, and on, and on.

Like this:

This is a picture of my hubby and me working inside the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) communications vehicle during the G-8 summit. A truly, truly, truly exciting week of working with some amazing people from all over the country.

Say, who is that fellow?

It sure looks like ....

By George, it IS! It's W!

Yes, indeedy, we actually met the president of the United States while we were serving during the G-8. Shook his hand. And ... he told ME thank you! Definitely a WOW moment. If you'd like to see a little more about the experience, here ya go: meeting the president

And for every amateur radio operator, no matter how young or how old, how long or short he's been licensed, the hobby/service can ... and does ... provide a whole lifetime of WOW.

Talk about appropriate. Guess what the call sign was for the amateur radio station at Atlanta's Sci Trek Museum? W4WOW! I kid you not! And trust me, it was really FUN to get on the air with that call sign, too.


















It was really hard picking this topic for W. Not that I don't think it's a good one, but because I have such a totally cool picture for  WAVES.  

                                                           Oh well. Maybe next time, huh?