Unknown's avatar

So, If Aliens Exist, Where Are They?

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Recently, a lot of earth-like planets have been discovered, and UFO sightings have been happening forever. Which has led to a general speculation about the existence of alien civilizations, fueled in part by science fiction movies and books, especially when there’s a notable movie, story, or incident, such as the Roswell incident, movies such as “”Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind“, “ET“, “Avatar“, and books such as “Chariots of the gods”.

And of course you have people on both sides of the debate on whether or not aliens exist. Where do I stand on this matter?

I do believe that aliens exist. But I’m not a zealot where possible evidence is concerned. Not every UFO, or picture of one, is necessarily an alien craft and I don’t know if ancient monuments and art were created by, or depictions of, real aliens.

But I also find it incredibly hard to believe that we are completely alone in the universe when we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface in exploring it yet. So when I hear people, including people who are prominent in society say that they don’t believe aliens exist, I think they are like the kid telling his parent he can’t find what he’s looking for when he hasn’t even looked in his room, let alone his closet or the rest of the whole house!

Of course, we still don’t have “it”, the evidence which would be absolute in proving the existence of aliens, such as their openly visible arrival here, a truly “readable” signal from them where we would know that it could only have come from intelligent life and not be something nature could create, or an artifact left here that we would somehow know was not created by humans or nature.

There is what is known as the Fermi Paradox, which attempts to explain why we haven’t been contacted yet or have found any absolute evidence of the existence of aliens.

Now, after having read an article some time ago regarding what it would take to have a successful mission to Mars, I can see that we are still very far away from having the technology to build a ship fast enough with the capability of keeping its crew alive and well for the duration, to make an interstellar journey feasible. This may also be why aliens may not have visited us yet.

What about radio signals? Some theorists say that we may be on different frequencies from what alien civilizations may be using. Possibly. But what if we are on the same frequency?

We’ve had radio since 1914. It’s 2014 now, so the first radio signals, which travel at the speed of light, have only traveled 100 light years. Any civilization further out than that, will not have received them yet. And since there’s no video, but only sound, the alien civilization would have to try to decipher the message first and determine where it came from, before it could send a meaningful reply.

And remember, a civilization only 80-90 light years from us will have only received our signals 10-20 years ago. And, once they reply, if they do, it will take 80-90 years for their reply to reach us!

But let’s say a civilization advanced enough to have radio astronomy, and enlightened enough to believe that other civilizations exist in the universe, and is only 50 light years away, receives our radio signals. Even if they only took a year to decipher the message, find out where it came from, and sent a reply back to us after that year’s time, their message back to us is still a year away from arriving here!

And if you look at just how big the universe is, (The nearest star is 4 light years away and the galaxy is 100,000 light years across with over 100 billion stars!), it’s easy to see that there might not be a civilization capable of receiving and sending radio signals within that 50 light year radius.

With video like that from TV signals, an alien civilization that can pick them up will have a better idea of what they’re seeing and has a better chance of figuring out what is being said as well as what we look like. But, TV did not come into use until the 1940’s, so these signals have only gone out about 70 light years, and if we were to get a reply back, again, assuming an almost immediate reply, that civilization would have to be no further from us than 35 light years in order for us to get that reply this year.

Also, this assumes that a civilization is advanced enough and also interested, in radio communication with us or any other civilization.

We’ve come from ancient Egypt and ancient China to now, a span of about 5,000 years, in which only in the past 200 years have we had any kind of electronic communications. A civilization only 300 years behind us could be as close as the nearest star, but we cannot know with radio astronomy alone since they’d have no way of even knowing our signals exist and nothing they have would be emitting any signals for us to pick up!

What about more advanced civilizations? Certainly they could pick up our signals and send replies back, maybe faster than light, too?

Yes, most likely, so why haven’t we heard from them? They may be too far out and haven’t received our signals yet and don’t yet have a way to “reach out and grab” them. Or they may not be interested or truly believe there aren’t other alien civilizations, and so have no interest in looking or listening.

Or it could be a case of information overload.

In 5,000 years of human civilization, we still haven’t reached or have seen all areas beneath our oceans, under the polar ice caps, or the interior of our own planet, let alone the other worlds of our solar system. Imagine an advanced civilization with access to 5, 10, or even 100 life-bearing worlds that it has already reached with manned missions. They may know about our world but just don’t have time yet to even begin exploring or communicating with us yet!

With our space telescope having discovered over 700 earth like worlds now, I can see how this could be the case. And if a means to reach them easily and safely should ever be discovered, especially if within this century, and especially if life is discovered on many of them, we, especially the scientific community, will be like a kid who’s just gotten a million toys! Every scientific organization and publication wouldn’t know where to explore first and they’d all be crying for people to come work for them as field explorers! It would be amazing!

For now, though, we can only speculate, wait, and continue to listen and explore. Someday, though, I’m sure we will find “it”, that evidence which truly proves beyond all doubt that we are not alone.

Be sure to let others know of this post, site, and blog!

And thanks for reading! 🙂

Unknown's avatar

Lose that Bath Mat!

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For years, my folks and I used bath mats for the bath tub. At first, the mats would feel great and grip well, but always, the mats would become grimy and/or mildewed, and some would lose a little bit of their grip as well.

No matter how diligently my folks or I cleaned the mat, the result was always the same. Some mats did last longer than others, but in the end, they always had to be replaced.

A number of years ago, when I visited my folks, they’d gotten rid of the mat in favor of a pair of “shower” shoes. These were some plastic slip on type of sandals or flip-flops. And they worked well. Their grip on the tub’s floor was excellent! Well, I still liked my mats so I continued with them for a while, but finally, with the last one, which just wouldn’t get truly clean, I’d had it and bought myself a similar pair of shower shoes. And they’re great!

They cost less than just about any mat, about $6 at Wal-Mart. They are easy to clean. I wash them as I take my shower and wash my feet, so they always are clean when I’m done, and this just takes about a minute, if that!

Then, they are easy to store and dry quickly. And they grip the tub’s bottom better than any mat I’ve ever tried, so I feel even safer using them.

Finally, the tub doesn’t pick up the griminess of the mat!

So, instead of a bath mat, try using shower shoes! Lose that mat and you may just be amazed!

If you like what you’ve read here, send your friends and family here to this post, blog, and site!

And thanks for reading!  🙂

 

Unknown's avatar

A Historic Day Today

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It was July 20th, 1969 and I was eager to arrive home. I was just a kid and me, my parents, and a visiting cousin, were on our way home from my grandparents’ house. I always had a great time at my grandparents’ house, about 400 miles away and always hated leaving and would often arrive home feeling the letdown, but this time, the letdown was pushed well back due to my anticipation.

You see, I’d always, even as a kid, been interested in astronomy and space exploration. And that day, July 20th, 1969, human beings were landing on the Moon!

We got home in time to watch the landing on live TV and I can still feel the emotions I felt that afternoon, 45 years later.

Since then, while there’s been some activity, it seems to have come in spurts, with long hiatus’ in between. And not just us, either. We’ve done, collectively among the few, but recently growing, space-faring nations of the world, manned activity in low and middle Earth orbit, but little else in terms of space exploration, with the exception of interplanetary probes.

I believe we could have done more by this time, especially in regards to returning to the moon. It’s not that we didn’t, or don’t have, the technology, but that we’ve let red tape and politics trip us up. Politics, in the form of governments, until recently, not allowing private companies to venture out into space, often cutting space exploration budgets in favor of other “true” pork-barrel projects, and a “not invented here” policy regarding listening to those who would know better how to keep us in space at a lower cost and who have the vision to see that, in the long, long-term, space exploration can benefit in more ways than we think. And of course, the red tape, where everything has to be filled out 10 times over, even though we live in the computer age where everything can just be copied and transferred, and mindless regulations, as well as good regulations that are enforced in a mindless manner.

So what are the benefits of exploring that great “empty” vacuum? Well, there are planets and asteroids, and gasses and other things out there that can do much for us.

In terms of science, the universe is a living chemists lab. Astronomers and other scientists are seeing things with ever advanced instruments that give us new answers as to how various elements work and also provide proof, or discredit, of the theories we have today. Being there in person, we could learn much more much faster. I read an article recently where a scientist said that a team of astronauts could do in a week on Mars, what all of the robots we’ve sent, such as Soujourner, Opportunity, and Pathfinder, have done in all the years they’ve been there!

In terms of resources, the solar system alone may be a vast storehouse of all kinds of mineral resources, just waiting for us to go out and get them. Instead of getting coal and iron, and rare metals from here on Earth, with all of the environmental and cultural issues involved, imagine if we could get it from some lifeless asteroid or moon instead!

And of course, there’s the question of life outside of Earth. It may be life as we don’t know it, but I think we would recognize it if we discovered it. And while it wouldn’t initially affect the individual on Earth, it would answer some big questions about how rare or common life is and would let us all know that Earth is not as unique in being a life-bearing planet as we at first thought.

But at least one question has been answered. We can reach other worlds.

Recently, private companies, such as SpaceX, have been coming into play, with a good measure of success. Also, more nations have sent people into space on their own and are talking about going to the moon in some cases. I wish them well and hope that the advent of private space-faring companies and more space-faring nations, along with the discovery of a growing number of planets outside our solar system, will renew greatly the interest in space exploration.

There’s much to be learned and had from that great “empty” vacuum we call space.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site!

And thanks for reading! 🙂

Unknown's avatar

Let’s Hear it For Teachers!

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I remember one of my high school teachers saying that most people think that teachers simply open up kids’ heads, pour in the knowledge, and they’re done for the day. I’ve heard people not involved in teaching say that teachers have it easy, what with having the whole summer off, as well as two weeks at Christmas and a week at Easter, days that end at 3pm instead of 5pm, etc.

So, how true is this? Well the fact of the matter is that people have a real misconception about teachers, and, while it is true that there are, and have been, some really bad ones out there, the vast majority are good and are often unfairly tarred by the impressions that the bad apples, and administrators, leave on the public.

Let’s examine some of the myths regarding teachers:

Teachers get the holiday season and the whole summer off! 

Yes, they do, and it is a nice perk, but, unlike members of Congress, they don’t get paid for more than two or three weeks of it, about what an average worker would get for their 2-3 week vacation! Teachers have to manage their salaries so that they can cover the 2-2 1/2 months per summer where they aren’t paid.

Teachers just mostly talk all day at the kids, how simple is that! They have such an easy job!

If you’re more than 5 years old, you must have seen some kid somewhere act up. If you’re a parent, or old enough to be one, you know you have! Just imagine 25, 30, or often more kids and several are acting up, not listening, or just not getting it. And you realizing that they are not your kids, so you must show more restraint in how you handle them! Add in all the special things that a teacher needs to do besides talk. Such as explaining things, grading papers, talking to parents, dealing with the different personalities of each kid, pulling “playground duty” at recess and lunch, keeping the classroom in order, coming up with lesson plans, and of course, dealing with administrators, some of whom have never taught a class of any kind in their lives yet think they know everything. Which leads to the next myth,

Teachers’ days end at 3 pm while everyone else works til 5pm!

Class time may end at 3pm, but not the teacher’s day. They have papers to grade, lesson plans to be drawn up, oftentimes extra curricular activities to supervise, meetings, often mindless ones, that administrators make them attend, parental meetings, and special events to attend.

Teachers don’t teach and just want to be pals to the kids!

Certainly some are like this. But most are not. However, they are often prevented from enforcing much discipline and are restricted from teaching, or not teaching, certain subjects or in certain ways, by our PC mentality, overbearing and cowardly administrators, and sue happy parents of all stripes.

If you really think about it, and use the “Mental Hand” that I wrote about in my earlier post, The Mental Hand, you’ll see that teachers, especially good ones, have a really tough job.

I’m not saying that every time there’s a teachers’ strike or the threat of one, that the teachers are always right, but I do believe that they do deserve a respect, from the general public, that they don’t get today.

If you can read this post, especially if you can read it easily and understand it, thank a teacher!

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site!

And thanks for reading! 🙂

Unknown's avatar

Don’t Know What to Eat on the Road? Try This!

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So, you’ve decided to take a road trip. Yes, you’ve packed some snacks, but didn’t really relish the idea of taking sandwiches for lunch, dinner, or breakfast for that matter. And you don’t like the fast food selections you’ve been passing.

Well, there is a good alternative. You may come across a larger food store, such as an Albertsons, Winco, Kroger, Raleys, Safeway, Walmart, or some other. Many of these larger supermarkets will have sandwiches and other items ready-made and kept refrigerated, just waiting for you! And, at some of these stores, there may even be a full cafeteria of items as well. And if you’re a Costco member, good food is available there, too!

You can stop and eat a hot meal at some. Or, you can select from their refrigerated products, which, in addition to sandwiches, can include wraps, burritos, and salads. And some of the items can be had for less than at some fast food places!

Then, at the same store, you can find individual sized drinks as well. Then you can stop at that nearby rest stop just down the road. Oftentimes there are tables available, along with restrooms. And sometimes they just happen to have an awesome view as well, and you’re set!

I’ve done this and it’s great! Oh, just don’t forget those snacks from home, too! We still like those!

Have a great trip!

If you like what you’ve read here, let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading!  🙂

Unknown's avatar

Try a Cruise This Summer!

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Vacation time is here and there’s a great many choices out there! And one choice is to take a cruise.

A cruise? Isn’t that for the very rich and wouldn’t it be very boring, with lots of old people and boring days at sea? Most likely, the answer is no, and has been for a long time.

There are all kinds of cruises and cruise/fly combos out there. And even the ‘standard’ Caribbean and European cruises don ‘t fit that stereotype.

Advantages of a cruise? There are a great variety of types of cruises. For all kinds of people and tastes. There are cruises to Antarctica, cruises along rivers, more intimate cruises on smaller vessels, cruises that drop you off on a secluded beach or island, where you create your own adventure from there, and so on.

On many cruises, you can visit several places, with most of the time at sea being at night and tours during the day.

Oftentimes, on the larger vessels, you may have a great variety of entertainment and dining options, so that staying on board can be a viable option as opposed to taking tours at each port of call.

Cruise prices are more competitive now and within reach of more people today.

In 1992, I took a Caribbean cruise and it was great! I visited Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guadalupe, Grenada, Caracas, and Aruba, and took day tours at each port of call. And the ship was large enough to provide various entertainment options. It was far from boring and, at the same time, I saw that it accommodated the varying tastes of different kinds of passengers, too. And it shattered my stereotypes of cruising.

A few years earlier, my cousins went on a cruise where they had some beach time on what amounted to “their own beach” for a short amount of time. They, too, had a great time. Another person I know has gone on several cruises in North America and Europe and never had a bad time on any of them.

Are there disadvantages? Sure. Destinations can change due to weather, civil unrest at a port of call, health problems on board, and mechanical problems. One cruise my cousins went on was disrupted by a hurricane. Another person I know, was on the cruise following mine in 1992, and had to miss Caracas due to riots having occurred the day before. And of course there are the norovirus stories and recently the stories of cruise ships that had to be towed back to port.

Fortunately, these are less common than the media would have you believe. So, how to plan a cruise? First, do your research. If you know a good travel agent, use them. If not, find one. Booking a cruise yourself can be fraught with mishaps. An experienced travel agent can be sure that all your connections are viable and, if something goes wrong, they are much more able to help you than you can help yourself.

Also, get a passport if you don’t already have one, and if you do, make sure that there is more than 6 months left to renew it. It will make life much easier.

So, if you haven’t ever taken a cruise and want to do something different this year, book a cruise!

Bon voyage!

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And thanks for reading! 🙂

Unknown's avatar

Don’t Jump In The Water!

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June has just begun now, and the weather has warmed up. With that, the water beckons.

But don’t jump in yet! Unless you live in the tropics or near the tropics, chances are, the water hasn’t yet caught up to the air as far as warming goes.

Generally, the water in lakes and rivers takes longer to warm up from the summer sun than the air does. Where I live, when it first warms up significantly, people head for the nearby rivers and lakes. Unfortunately many jump in and some drown, sometimes even if they are excellent swimmers. This is because of the shock effect of the cold water. This can be exacerbated if the difference between air and water temperature is great. The coldness can easily paralyze the best swimmers if they jump in and are unaware of the temperature difference. In many areas, the water is made colder still if it is coming down from mountain areas that often still have quite a bit of melting snow on them, as in my area.

So, when is it safe to jump in? Well, it depends. Often, in areas where this is a problem, the local weather people on the local news will talk about this. In my area, it is usually late June to early July before the local rivers warm up enough to make jumping in not as dangerous. Of course, that doesn’t mean one should be reckless, as there are still other dangers, such as rip currents , undertows, and underwater obstacles. But, with common sense and a little checking with those who know, you can go and enjoy your local river and lake.

Have a great and safe summer!

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And thanks for reading! 🙂

Unknown's avatar

Stop and Think: Seeing the Plus Side and Remembering Those Who Contributed to It

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Hi everyone! You know, we are all so busy with our lives and so preoccupied with our own problems, that we often fail to stop and take a mental look at the good things we have. Just as it is a good idea to stop and smell the roses, it’s also a good idea to just stop and think. About the good things and people we have in our lives, and to remember those who contributed to those good things.

Yes, perhaps you’re financially poor, worried about yourself or relatives, or the job, or a myriad of other things. I’m the same way. But oftentimes, through a mixture of personal will and probably some ‘mental luck of being’, I see or hear of people in worse straits than myself or those I care about.  Here some examples:

I hate the fact that I’m short. But then, I’ll see an obese man who has all kinds of trouble doing things that I do without even thinking about it, such as walking far, getting into a small car, tying my shoes, getting in and out of chairs, and I think to myself, ‘Thank God I’m not him’ , and realize that being short isn’t the worst thing in the world.

I’ll see or hear someone who is acting obnoxiously, and thank my parents and others who taught me not to act that way when I was a child, so I wouldn’t make a fool, and worse, out of myself as an adult. Again, I am thankful that I’m not that obnoxious person.

Sometimes, I’ll find myself mentally griping at circumstances in my life, then hear about some people who are being oppressed in one way or another in some other country. I then remember that I live in a free country that’s been kept free by the efforts of those who worked and fought and died to keep it that way. And I am grateful because I know that things could have been a lot worse.

And when I’m on the job and thinking it’s too hot or cold, or the fliers are too bulky, I notice that I am outdoors, and seeing things that I could never see if I had an office job. I also can wear what I like, have near total control as to how I plan my day, when to take breaks, etc., and I have employers who are not micromanaging me. And I am thankful that I have the job I do have, when so many are either unemployed or have jobs that they despise and are too afraid, mentally tired, or too literally stuck to try to change things.

So, do take some time to see the good things you have and remember those who contributed to those good things. You will feel better, trust me.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

Thanks for reading! 🙂

Unknown's avatar

Road Trip!

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With summer coming up, one’s thoughts turn to travel, and the idea of a road trip. I like travel in most forms, and when I travel in winter, I do prefer to fly to avoid snow issues, but traveling by car is my most preferred method.

Travel by car allows the most freedom. If I see something along the way that I want to check out, I can! If you’re flying from Las Vegas to Albuquerque, you’ll likely be flying over the Grand Canyon. But stopping to take a picture from the rim is impossible to do from a passenger jet at 35,000 feet, for obvious reasons. But if you’re traveling by car, yes, you can stop to take pictures.

Car travel, (or RV travel, etc) usually involves less hassles. No security checkpoints, no true restrictions on liquids, items, etc. Easier transport of items. You also know how much you can take and know that someone else won’t have taken your trunk space. None of the hassles that you encounter when flying.

You see the scenery along the way when you travel by car. You can see things from a plane, too, but only if you have a window seat, and your field of vision is restricted.

Lastly, but oftentimes most important, you have more control over your trip. You can leave when you want to. And if you need to, changing motel reservations is much easier and often less costly than changing or cancelling flight reservations. Also, there are less likely to be delays caused by things beyond your control, like the airline simply cancelling your flight, even though you are well, and all ready to go, or flight delays due to weather on the other side of the country. (Yes, I have heard of flight delays at an airport where the weather is perfect, because of “chain reaction” delays caused by weather in a location far from that airport!)

Are there disadvantages? Sure. Flat tires or maintenance issues you must handle yourself, though AAA is a great help. It’s slower. Driving from Portland, Oregon to Los Angeles, California takes two days. It only takes 4 hours by plane nonstop if you also throw in the 2 hours that you should arrive before your actual boarding time. Arrive at the airport at 7am to leave on a 9am flight and arrive before lunchtime.

Though gas, motel rooms, and eating out can add to the expense of a road trip, I usually find driving to cost somewhat less, especially if your final destination is a friend’s or relative’s house where you’ll be staying, and sometimes eating, for free. If you’re renting a car after the plane trip and staying in lodging that you’ll be paying for at your destination, then the cost of gas, eating out, and lodging almost don’t matter and the overall trip, boosted by the plane fare, may be much more expensive.(Though still worth it if you like travel as I do!)

And, if driving long distances really tires you out or is just not your thing, then travelling by car is its own disadvantage for you.

But, if you don’t mind driving and are fed up with airports, (and your destination is drive-able, since you can’t drive to Hawaii,) think about a road trip!

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading! 🙂

Unknown's avatar

Why I Like Lists, oh, and Go Check Out My Page of Lists!

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Hi everyone! I’ve added a new page to this site, called, “Page of Lists”. Currently, it has one list right now,  Books and writings every American should read and why. I will be adding more lists in the future for different things, such as the 10 best, 3 highest, etc. And, I invite you to let me know if you have any ideas for lists, and they can be included, so long as they’re clean.

Many of these lists are informational and based more on what I’ve heard and read and on my opinions, but hopefully, they can be informative and entertaining, also.

I first got hooked on lists when I read “The Book of Lists” by David Wallechinsky, Amy Wallace, and Irving Wallace in 1977. It was very informational, without being overly wordy or involved, providing information in an easy to absorb format. I’ve since read the subsequent books that they’ve put out, as well as a few others from different authors covering different subjects.

So, I hope you check out my new page, the Page of Lists, from time to time. There’s only one list there as of the writing of this post, but there will be more.

If you like what you’ve read here on this post, blog, and site, please let others know.

And thanks for reading! 🙂