A long standing tradition.

Well, I missed two days but I'm here and ready for another installment.
Budda seems to have been grieving for the last week. He hid out all day and only showed up for meals. Then this morning he appeared at my bed to remind me he was back to normal. An d he didn't want to wait so he let me know it. I hope he stays this way. It was surprising how much Tigger's death affected him. They didn't much care for each other. I guess I was wrong.
In accord with a long standing tradition brother Bob and sister-in-law Dianne are celebrating Thanksgiving on Saturday. To much traffic on The Day for the common folk to travel freeway and get anywhere. Someone was always late or missing entirely. So happy Thanksgiving plus two.
The entertainment will be watching the football games which Bob has Tivoed for us followed by a demonstration of the four string banjo by Bob. Dianne will give a demonstration of how to be famous. I will then present a performance of "The Sheik of Araby" on the ukulele.
Or not.
Fantasy is proof that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

The search for the truth goes on.

The search for the truth goes on. Copy and paste the URL into your browser for an explanation of the search for a proof of a holographic universe presently underway at the Fermilab near Chicago.
http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/breaking/2010/10/20/fermilab-scientists-to-test-hypothesis-of-holographic-universe/
The Universe we live in was first popularized in 1980 and mathematically demonstrated by Leonard Susskind, the plumber physicist. So it may really be true.
Or not.
The holographic universe is proof that we're all on this flight together
Dick

In memoriam of Tigger and more.

In memoriam of Tigger I offer the shown lily.
I didn't think the loss of Tigger affected Budda but he seems to have forgotten where the litter boxes are. If it's not one thing it's another.
Clear but real cold. I hope that doesn't portend anything.
I'm back to extra dimensions and Micho Kaku. It turns out that mathematician Georg Bernhard Riemann nearly beat Einstein with the mathematics Einstein needed to complete his theoretical work. I was again introduced to Riemann and the concept of metric tensors which are the basis of the math needed to specify various field values. Once again I get the concept but fail to understand the details. And again the question: Why did Einstein beat Riemann? How was Einstein's brain different than that if Riemann? Why him and not me?
Riemann's metric tensors are proof that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

The rain just adds to the sadness.

It rained through most of the night and is raining still this morning. Cold and darkness just adds to the sadness. Tigger went to Cat Heaven last night. She was full grown when she came to me so I have little idea of her age but she was pretty and not very demanding. For about a week before she was lethargic but not so bad as to need a vet. I thought. I'll miss her quiet presence as she sat calmly on the armrest next to me.
On another topic I've finished the book on the Large Hadron Collider. In spite of the excessive detail on the detectors I now know everything worthwhile about the LHC.
Cat Heaven is proof that we're all on this flight togeth er.

Dick

I flashed.

Once again it's a beautiful day in Paradise. Warm but not too warm and clear weather. I love it.
During my walk this morning I flashed briefly on the problem I toyed with yesterday. I recalled it enough to remember that it had three, not two parts to it but as before, I can't recall the details.. Maybe it will come to me one day at a time.
The LHC is proof that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

I have nothing to say.

Apropos of nothing I am including a photo of a little friend I passed on my walk. He/she was kind enough to patiently pose while I fumbled with the camera. Ain't he/she cute?
I have nothing to say. I did have a brilliant and insightful thought on my walk this morning but I forgot the details. I do remember it was two parted sort of a yin/yang thing but I can't remember what was yin and what was yang. May be it will come to me.
Or not.
Details are proof that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

The funny papers were in color yesterday.

Not much going on lately. The funny papers were in color yesterday but other than that, not much has been happening.
The Science Channel continues to put outstanding shows on the tellie. So the promise of television shines dimly through the fog. Lately there has been a seres hosted by Morgan Freeman called "Thorough the Wormhole" On a level with (gulp) Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos' and 'The Elegant Universe'. I love it.
I missed the monthly meeting of EAA Chapter One at Historic Flabob Airport on Saturday. I just couldn't get up for the drive to Historic Flabob Airport. It seemed like an interesting topic. A talk by a guy who flew a light sport plane to all of the Continental US 50 (49?) states. I must be getting old.
Or not.
Historic Flabob Airport is proof that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Saturday is music day.

Saturday is music day. Today the morning music is organized around the folk music from 1963. Members of the original groups gave what amounted to an excellent tutorial. One phrase from the song Bob Dylan's Blowing in the Wind is "How many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn't see?" Somehow it reminded me of the circus-like events distracted the Romans from the wasting away of their democracy. Then I think of the reality shows taking up space on our TV airways. And I wonder if the preset day distractions are somehow related to our blooming national debt. Happy Birthday descendants.
Or not.
National distractions are proof that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Bright and perky.

This is what I found greeting me on my morning walk yesterday. It is about 2 1/2 inches across and brilliant white. Bright and perky to set the tone for the day as I slogged on by.
I'm deep into a book on physics and the mind hoping to find out what my mind is, or if I have one. What catches my immediate attention is that there are several serious physicists who suggest two or more dimensions of time. These are not from the mainstream of physicists although it does cause the mind to stretch a bit.
Two dimensions of time are proof that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

A perfect correlation.

Another beautiful day in Paradise. 10 mile visibility and unlimited ceiling with a coolish temperature of 48 degrees in the shade. The welcome sunlight produces mega-quantities of photons which result in a pleasant feeling of warmth.
Since nothing significant has occurred over the last few days, I have a perfect correlation of nothing with nothing. A miracle!
But the dew was on the roses this morning as a prelude to my walk. (I think 'the dew was on the roses' is from a country song). I thought it sounded good so I include it here for y'all to enjoy.
Dew was on the roses proves that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

It rained all night the day I left, the weather it was dry"

The hell lt was. It rained all night and the weather was WET! Poor Budda woke me up this morning and he was wet. Too dumb to come in out of the rain. Maybe he was concerned about the uninvited dinner guest, a big, fat possum, which showed up for a snack at 2 am the night before last. I chased it around for a few minutes until it found the door and whoooosshh it was gone. It didn't show up last night I suppose because of the rain. Its possum mother probably told it, as did mine, that it was so sweet it would melt if it got wet.
I've got some further thinking to do about the hidden dimensions and time. Stay tuned.
Or not.
Big, fat possums are proof that we're all on this flight together,

Dick

Our known universe has 3 dimensions.

Our known universe has 3 dimensions of sp ace and one of time, but there are hidden dimensions bringing the total to ten or eleven depending on how one counts. One of the hidden dimensions may be imaginary time. Hidden dimensions are detectable only thorough gravitational effects referred to as dark energy. Imaginary time is obtained from real time via a Wick rotation by in the complex plane: . operates independently of the time in our known universe.
The Big Bang was followed by the natural course of evolution, as well as asteroids and comets, in both the known and hidden universes simultaneously. Therefore we can assume that the make up of the 'dark energy' in the hidden dimensions ( plus the remaining spatial dimensions) is equivalent to the matter and forces in our three dimensions of space (plus time). The details may be different but amongst the hidden universe the existence of life forms and blue skies are probably similar to our own.
Or not.
Hidden dimensions are proof that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

I knew it all along.

So I had a gut feel for entropy all along. The photo on the left is of ''The Sound of Freedom as built, an example of low entropy or a high degree of order. On the right is a photo of the same conveyance after rendezvousing with the ground subsequent to running out of power at 3500 feet. Even the slowest amongst us would agree that there was a serious loss of order or a gain in entropy. The gain in entropy through this event supersedes some events and is overshadowed by some. The landing of the passenger jet on the Hudson River by Captain Sullenberger in an example of one that overshadowed mine. Accidents that result in the loss of life are examples of those which are superseded by mine. So I knew it all along.
Or not.
I'm off to Historic Flabob Airport to celebrate Veterans Day.
Veterans Day is proof that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Tomorrow is Veterans Day at Historic Flabob Airport. It usually is fun but less so this year without Jim Pyle, although he'll be there looking down on us from somewhere above. The forecast is for 40% chance of rain. Rain, rain go away, come again another day.
Other than that chance the weather is warm and clear. Can't ask for more.
Veterans Day at Historic Flabob Airport is proof that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

It's a black day for America.

Dick

Get out and VOTE!!!

Nov 6 is the annual Veterans Day celebration at Historic Flabob Airport a demonstration of patriotism on steroids.
Nov 13 is the monthly General Meeting of Chapter One at Historic Flabob Airport. The speaker will tell of flying a light sport plane around the country touching all 50 states as a new pilot. Should be interesting.
On my walk this morning: No cats, no dogs, no aeroplanes and no earthquakes. No correlation there.
Elections are proof that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Another beautiful day in Fullerton.

Another beautiful day in Fullerton. At 53 degrees it's a little chilly for me but what the Hell in another life I'd be in the Dakotas.
I watched the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear on the electric TV. I wish I could have been there. It was something out of San Francisco in the 60's. That would be out of character in Los Angeles. The music was not to my taste but life isn't perfect. And obviously the pundits missed the whole point. Someone pays them money for their 'opinions'. And it was nice to find out that there e are lots of sanity out there.
Once again. (All together) We have nothing to fear but fear itself.
Fear and sanity are proof that we're all on this flight together.

Dick