Sunday, January 31, 2010

Drawing Space: Part 2

Here are D, E and F.

The Doppler shift doesn't just work on sound, it also works on light. Things going really fast towards you are blue-shifted in color, while things going really fast away from you are red-shifted.


Based on a picture taken by the Apollo 17 crew, December 8, 1972, 18,000 miles from home.


Solar Flare activity is fascinating to me. The fact that, had I chosen to depict it in scale, the entire earth could fit easily under the arc of the flare I have drawn boggles my mind.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Styx Rocks!


We went to the Styx concert on Friday at Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage. For those of you who are...younger...Styx was/is the greatest band imaginable. However, I noticed some things at the concert that I have to share with you:

1. Nearly everyone there was over 40. I was really surprised when the 20 year old girl next to me knew all the words.

2. People who are 40 or over should not try and form mosh pits...it is just unattractive. Also, they probably shouldn't dance in public (one balding guy in khakis and a tucked-in polo shirt was doing jazzercise moves, I swear).

3. Styx was GREAT, but they looked like every rock band cliche from 1970...they had skinny satin ties, feathered hair, and bell bottom pants that had animal print from the knee down. They also did the classic moves...playing the keyboard backward, two guitarists facing each other, playing the guitar over your head...typical!

4. They did two songs that were not their own: Pants On The Ground (see American Idol), and a Beatles Song...while it was okay, I wish they had performed more of their own songs...especially "Castle Walls" (turn on your computer speaker NOW!).

Walt and I have wanted to see them for over 30 years (yes, we qualify for the "old" definition). We spent 90 minutes lost in glorious classic rock, singing along because we know every word. We put their CD on in the car and played it as loud as possible on the way home (keep in mind, 30 years ago, we had their records...LPs...33 1/3...does this make sense to anyone?). I wish we had NOT left our cameras at home like obedient citizens - everyone was filming and photographing.

Tommy Shaw is still adorable.

Styx - ROCK ON!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Drawing Space

Well, the creativity bug has hit me again. I have decided to do flash cards for my classroom. I need to post all the vocabulary we do over the year, plus our "No Excuse" academic vocabulary. Sometimes I do it by subject, but this year I'm doing it alphabetically. Once I'm done, my flashcards will be replacing the plain letters I have up on the wall right now.

My theme is "Astronomy", so all the terms will be related to the study of space. Here are my first few. I'll be adding more over the next few days.









Friday, January 1, 2010

Two more quotes...then I'll stop


I'm sorry to be stuck on a theme, but I've been reading so many good quotes lately that I cannot help myself. The following come from my friend, Lauren Kinney, who is celebrating the entrance of 2010 with some great thoughts:

Quote #1
John Burroughs said, "One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above all the little things."

Quote #2
Joey Adams said, "May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions."

So, I will end my interest in quotes for now and I'll start blogging all the good things that happen in 2010...look for new recipes, photos, semi-meaningless commentary on our lives, and other things that will hopefully bring some cheer.

Peace, prosperity, and, most importantly, good health to you this year. Please check out some of the sites I follow on my blog, because they are made by creative, insightful friends and strangers with wonderful things to share. And. please keep in touch via comments, letters, emails, phonecalls, etc., because the time spent with friends and with family is the most valuable time we have.

PEACE.