Showing posts with label USSR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USSR. Show all posts

Thursday, February 03, 2022

Les Fleurs du Mal - 03 February 2022 - Plague Journal Day 693

Micah 6:8
Song of Solomon 2:11-12
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Today is Doggy Date Night! I think Billie will be getting a good walk today. Yesterday she was neglected in that area as I spent far too much time clearing the heavy, wet snow from the driveway and sidewalk. There wasn't nearly as much as they predicted (no surprise, really), but good grief it was heavy to move.
At any rate, she didn't get a walk, so I need to make that up to her tonight.


By the way, the Soviet unmanned spacecraft, Luna 9, made the first ever soft landing on the Moon on 03 February 1966. I'm not sure what happened to Lunas 1-8, but at the very least their landings weren't soft. The Soviets/Russians have a problem with landing things other than on the Earth for some reason. Mars (the Red Planet! Ha!) sure doesn't seem to like them.
http://iheardacouplethings.blogspot.com/2011/11/russians-asteroids-and-mars.html
http://iheardacouplethings.blogspot.com/2011/12/nasas-opportunity-rover-has-found.html
http://iheardacouplethings.blogspot.com/2012/01/are-russian-space-troubles-from-beyond.html
http://iheardacouplethings.blogspot.com/2012/02/russians-cant-get-to-mars-so-theyll.html

Today's freewrite prompt word is Blossom:

I know there was a TV show called Blossom, and that one of the current Jeopardy hosts played the title character, but I don't really have any memory of it. It might have been the greatest show ever, but if it was, I must never have seen it. If I saw any of its episodes, they must have been bland enough that they made essentially no impression on me.

On a related, yet totally unrelated note, the State flower of Michigan is the Apple Blossom. You know what they say, Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice!


Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Thursday, October 07, 2021

I'm Watching - 07 October 2021 - Plague Journal Day 574

Micah 6:8
Genesis 4:9  Matthew 5:23-24
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?
 
First for a celebration. I wish I had known of this before today so I could have encouraged  others to take part in it - today is Bring Your Bible To School Day, celebrated the first Thursday of October each year. That's a great thing to do - and not only on this pseudo-official holiday, but rather every day. I have kept a Bible in my briefcase for many years, so I've always had one with me at work (and probably at school as well, thinking back to my university days).

Now, let's note a couple remarkable events that happened on this date in history.

In 1959, folks here on Earth got our first glimpse of the far side of the Moon. The Soviets sent the Luna 3 spacecraft around the Moon where it took pictures which it sent back to Earth, covering about 70% of that far side. (Please note that the far side is not always the dark side of the Moon - if it were, we would always have a full moon rather than cycling from full to new over the course of each month. I still like Pink Floyd, but I don't count on them for my astronomical information; after all, who really wants to set the controls for the heart of the Sun, eh?)


One year later, the birth of my sister, Jacki, made me a big brother - an office which I still occupy with some pride and trepidation. Thanks, and Happy Birthday, Jacki! (One wonders if the lunar coincidence has anything to do with her predilection to mooning.)

By the way, please make a contribution to WRCJ-FM to keep classical and jazz music on the air in the Detroit area.

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.