Quote for the Day

"I am a brain, Watson. The rest of me is a mere appendix."

- Sherlock Holmes, The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone (1903)

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930)

Trivia: Halley's Comet

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Edmond Halley (1656 –1742) was an English astronomer, geophysicist, mathematician, meteorologist, and physicist, responsible for numerous important and landmark works, studies and discoveries, yet today he is remembered as the person who tracked the path of a comet that he had not discovered.

Halley published "A Synopsis of the Astronomy of Comets" in 1705, cataloguing what he had found from searching historical records of 24 comets appearing near Earth between 1337 to 1698. Three of those observations appeared to be very similar in terms of orbit and other parameters, leading Halley to propose that one comet might be visiting Earth again and again. The comet appeared in 1531, 1607 and 1682. Halley suggested the same comet could return to Earth in 1758. Halley did not live long enough to see its return – he died in 1742 – but his discovery inspired others to name the comet after him.

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The first known observation of Halley's took place in 239BC, according to the European Space Agency. Chinese astronomers recorded its passage in the Shih Chi and Wen Hsien Thung Khao chronicles.

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The appearance of Halley's Comet in 12 BC was recorded in the Book of Han by Chines astronomers of the Han Dynasty who tracked it from August through October. Only a few years distant from the conventionally assigned date of birth of Jesus Christ, it has led some theologians and astronomers to suggest that it might explain the Biblical story of the Star of Bethlehem. There are other explanations for the phenomenon, such as planetary conjunctions, and there are also records of other comets that appeared closer to the date of Jesus' birth.

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Halley's most famous appearance occurred shortly before the 1066 invasion of England by William the Conquerer. It is said that William felt the comet heralded his success. In any case, the comet was put on the Bayeaux Tapestry – which chronicles the invasion – in William's honour.

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Another appearance of the comet in 1301 possibly inspired Italian painter Giotto's rendering of the Star of Bethlehem in "The Adoration of the Magi".

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The 1910 pass of Halley’s Comet was the first occasion on which it was photographed, above.

According to one commentator:

In April and May of 1910, Halley’s Comet passed particularly close to Earth. And get this: because of media hype of the event, a lot of people panicked and thought it was going to be the end of the world. Good thing we live in a time where more level heads in the media prevail and no news source ever creates undo fear as a way to scare up ratings.

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According to biographer Albert Bigelow Paine, the writer Mark Twain said in 1909, "I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it." Twain died on April 21, 1910, one day after the comet's emergence from the far side of the sun.

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The first Halley's Comet of the space age – in 1986 – saw several spacecraft approach its vicinity to sample its composition. High-powered telescopes also observed the telescope as it swung by Earth.

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One of the missions of the ill-fated Challenger space shuttle was to take a close look at Halley’s Comet when it arrived in February 1986 but the shuttle, which took off on 28 January 1986, broke apart 73 seconds after lift off, killing all 7 astronauts. 

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The 1986 viewing, by eye, of Halley’s Comet was a bit of a fizzer. The comet and Earth were on opposite sides of the Sun in February 1986, creating the worst viewing circumstances for Earth observers for the last 2,000 years.

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The next predicted return of Halley's Comet is 28 July 2061 The comet will be on the same side of the sun as Earth and will be much brighter than in 1986. 

Quote for the Day

Creative Ideas

The pics below were sent to me by Byter Vince C. I don’t know whether any of these inventions already exist but if not, some of them are worth thinking about. There are safety issues with a number of the ideas portrayed eg the slides next to stairs and I wonder at some of the practicality issues.

Movie theatres with screens in the bathroom:

Theatres with bean bag seats:

Foldable bike helmet:

Wall outlets with USB chargers:

And with a built in night light:

Wall outlet with an extension cord built inside:

Traffic lights with countdown indicators:

Small tiles that can be attached to almost anything, serving as a locator using your smartphone:

A pen with built-in scanner that lets you scan and write in any colour:

Power strips that you can extend and rotate:

Benches that will always have a dry seat:

Coffee cups that catch their own drips:

Fresh pizza vending machines:

Carparks with vacant space indicators (I know that these exist, I have seen them):

A fun way top stop littering:

Stairs with slides:

Backpacks with hoodees:

Solar powered charger:

Supermarkets where you can select your own soft drink 12 pack:

Hot or cold drinks charger device:

Pringles lifting device:

Water fountains with built in bottle filling station:

Subways where you can pay by recycling:

Packing tape that is easy to open:

Space saving bike rack:

Removable brush for easy cleaning:

Quote for the Day

“I handed them a script and they turned it down. It was too controversial. It talked about concepts like, 'Who is God?' The Enterprise meets God in space; God is a life form, and I wanted to suggest that there may have been, at one time in the human beginning, an alien entity that early man believed was God, and kept those legends. But I also wanted to suggest that it might have been as much the Devil as it was God. After all, what kind of god would throw humans out of Paradise for eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. One of the Vulcans on board, in a very logical way, says, 'If this is your God, he's not very impressive. He's got so many psychological problems; he's so insecure. He demands worship every seven days. He goes out and creates faulty humans and then blames them for his own mistakes. He's a pretty poor excuse for a supreme being.” 

“For most people, religion is nothing more than a substitute for a malfunctioning brain. If people need religion, ignore them and maybe they will ignore you, and you can go on with your life. It wasn't until I was beginning to do Star Trek that the subject of religion arose. What brought it up was that people were saying that I would have a chaplain on board the Enterprise. I replied, "No, we don't.” 

- Gene Roddenberry (1921-1991)

American television screenwriter, producer, de facto populistic philosopher, satirist, and futurist, best remembered for having created the original Star Trek television series and thus the Star Trek science-fiction franchise. Roddenberry flew 89 combat missions in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, worked as a commercial pilot after the war and later followed in his father's footsteps by joining the Los Angeles Police Department. At the same time he wrote scripts for television, ultimately creating Star Trek which premiered in 1966.

Monday Miscellany - Odds, Ends and Personals

Byter David B sent an email in response to my post that Spock has 3 ears, the left ear, the right ear and the final front ear. David writes:

So Spock shares another characteristic with frontiersman Davy Crockett who also had three ears: left ear, right ear and wild front ear. 

The old uns are the good uns :-)

Davy Crockett (1786-1836)

Byter Charles D also sent me an email, in response to the following Quote for the Day:

"There are hundreds of paths up the mountain, all leading in the same direction,

so it doesn’t matter which path you take. The only one wasting time is the one 

who runs around and around the mountain, telling everyone that his or her path is wrong."

- Hindu teaching

Charles writes:

When I first arrived in Australia in 1981, I went through a very difficult time. Unemployed for two years and separation with the family. During that time, a friend of mine asked me to attend a lecture given by a Hindu Priest who was visiting Australia. The Swami did give a meaningful lecture which I must say did help me in my life and prepared me to accept disappointments in life. One of his quote was “If you do receive good news, don’t rejoice as bad news is just around the corner”. I used this philosophy in my life from that moment which did prepare me to accept disappointments and I had plenty of them. The Swami also said that there are people who are worse off then us, so don’t feel sorry for ourselves.

Well, Charles, I can’t say that I felt uplifted and cheery after hearing the Swami’s words. Definitely not a feel good Swami, he makes Leonard Cohen sound positively jolly. I also wonder about what Karma he is sending out.

Still, in the words of philosopher John Lennon:

Byter Charlie Z also sent me an email with the message “Feel free to use these..... but remember you are on your own!” It is headed “Church Ladies with Typewriters” and it appears below. Is it true? Probably not. Could it be true? Most certainly.

Church Ladies With Typewriters

They're Back! Those wonderful Church Bulletins! Thank God for the church ladies with typewriters. These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced at church services:

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The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

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Scouts are saving aluminium cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

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The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water. ‘The sermon tonight: ‘Searching for Jesus.'

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Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

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Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.

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Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again,' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

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For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

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Next Thursday there will be try-outs for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

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Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

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A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow..

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At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.

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Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

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Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered..

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The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.

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Pot-luck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.

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The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

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This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

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The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.

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Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM . Please use the back door.

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The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM . The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

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Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

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And this one just about sums them all up

The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new campaign slogan last Sunday:

'I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours.