I was discussing meteor showers with someone I met while at work and decided to become more aware of the number of showers that can be witnessed on a annual regular basis. Moving to an area where light pollution is reduced substantially will allow me to plan on seeing as many of these phenomena as possible, although some will require assistance from a telescope.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_meteor_showers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteor_showers
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Saturday, December 22, 2007
My Week in Review: 16-22 December
The day-by-day look back at what my week included.
Sunday 16 December: I awoke around 10am and saw that outside it was clear cold sunny day with strong howling NW winds that brought the temperatures into the mid 30s and maybe melted just a little of the snowpack. I ventured out around noon to go to King Soopers for a grocery run. The splashback off the roads on to the windshield was annoying as always. After I got home, I baked myself some biscuits for brunch, read my newspapers, and watched the NFL games of the day. Most were not close but we did get a good ending for the Jaguars/Steelers game. Thankfully the Cocaineboys were beaten by Philadelphia and Miami finally won a game, ousting the Ravens in OT. I enjoyed another quiet day and evening at home in solitude. Later I watched 60 Minutes and then watched the Redskins/Giants game. I had cheeseburger patties that I microwaved for dinner. It was a sad evening as I read Dan Fogelberg, the great musician from my youth and young adulthood years, had died. All this cold and largely dry weather has my hands all dried out and itchy and lotion only provides temporary relief. Thus, a nice long very hot shower was quite enjoyable later in the evening. I went to bed around midnight.
Monday 17 December: Back to work for the full day as the weather improved notably. We had clear to partly cloudy skies with minimal winds and temperatures reaching the mid 40s. Today marks the one year anniversary of my living in Cheyenne. While it was not my intent to move here on a permanent basis one year ago, all in all its worked out. Housing prices are more reasonable here and one can afford to have a nice rental in a good safe part of town while surviving on living poor wages. While at times I am isolated, lonely, and like a hermit, the alternatives that existed for me one year ago were not good. I will probably live here for a few to several years, perhaps for the remainder of my life, as coming up with the financial resources to locate to one of my prefered alternatives is a challenge very difficult to overcome. The climate here can be formidable at times and its not a place where outdoor activities are conduicive most of the year with a harsh winter and spring and increasingly hot summers. Denver has a much more pleasant climate than Cheyenne or Albuquerque or Phoenix. Much of what happens in the future depends on my health and employability. I do not expect to live much more than five to ten years although my circumstances may lead me to live a longer life than can be imagined like the fellow in this story. Who can predict but with each passing year I grow more concerned about my ability to be self-supporting and not be a burden on anyone as physical aging becomes more apparent and my body starts to break down in little but noticeable ways. Anyway, back to the mundane day as I got home around 7pm, had a salad and some applesauce for supper, watched a good MNF game, surfed the 'net, updated the blog (a certain male relative was not courteous in his remarks !), and checked the email. I have the monthly Walmart grocery run looming later this week and I also need to do some various tasks around the place in the next several days. After watching Nightline, I headed off to try to sleep around 11:15pm.
Tuesday 18 December: I awoke around 9:15 am ahead of the alarm clock as the eight hour work day loomed. It was clear day but clouds started to increase later in the afternoon as temperatures reached into the low 40s with light winds. After I got home around 7:30 pm I had Spanish Rice with a can of tomatoes mixed in and butter bread for supper. I got the first massive electric bill of the winter and it was at $80 which was disillusioning considering how cold I am keeping the place. I fear the bill I get next month and in the following 2-3 months will be near $150 for each month which will seriously financially stress me. Its going to be a grim seriously long hard very cold winter indeed. January will force my hand to find new employment that pays better than what I get now. Anyway, back to the mundane humdrum as I relaxed after the long work day, watched a good episode of Boston Legal, Nightline, and ST: TNG before retiring around 12:15am.
Wednesday 19 December: A repeat of Tuesday for the most part. A mostly cloudy day with increasing winds as the temperature reached 40 degrees with the looming threat of more snow within the next 36 hours and a strongly unsettled pattern now projected deep into next week which is not very good news. I got home by 7:30pm amd had a salad and some beef noodle soup for dinner. I watched the movie "Castaway" which is a great film. I fell into bed before 11pm while watching Nightline and then ST: TNG which put me to sleep as the length of night is about at its peak although sunsets are now inching their way back after six months of decline. It will not be very noticeable for a number of weeks by most.
Thursday 20 December: Back to work for the full day. It was a mostly cloudy day with temperatures reaching the low 40s with healthy winds. I got home around 7:30 pm and watched the Steelers/Rams game while keeping tabs on Utah/Navy. I had some Lipton chicken parmesan cheddar noodles for dinner. Later I watched Nightline and ST: TNG before going to bed around midnight.
Friday 21 December: The end of the long work week arrived today. We had light snow starting before dawn and less than 1" accumulated. The sun did peak out briefly in the mid afternoon as temperatures stayed in the upper 20s with strong cold winds. After work, I stopped at the post office to get my mail and I received a Christmas card from youngest sister LAC which was very kind and thoughtful of her. I then went to Perkins and had a chicken sandwich, a salad, and piece of apple pie a la mode for dinner and did some surfing on the 'net for a couple of hours in the relaxing setting there. Afterwards I ventured home in the cold and watched the news, Nightline, and ST: TNG before calling it a day around 12:15am.
Saturday 22 December: The first full day of winter is upon us and the weather improved today as we had crystal clear blue skies with light winds and temperatures that reached 26 degrees after a morning low of 9 degrees. I stayed in on my day off and had a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. There were three college football bowl games on today and an NFL game tonight so I have something to watch as I surf the 'net, work on my blog, and keep up on any email that comes in. I also did some straightening up the place as in the last week I have done nothing in that respect after getting home from the long workdays. I took it easy all day and into the evening. Todd said he would try to come by to watch the Las Vegas Bowl, but he feared the snowdrifts in his 800' long driveway would keep him home and busy so he did not get to escape.
I did the dishes, straightened up the main room, stacked the papers, and had Spaghettios for supper. I watched an episode of the original Star Trek after the bowl games wrapped up and then went off to bed around midnight.
-----
Sunday 16 December: I awoke around 10am and saw that outside it was clear cold sunny day with strong howling NW winds that brought the temperatures into the mid 30s and maybe melted just a little of the snowpack. I ventured out around noon to go to King Soopers for a grocery run. The splashback off the roads on to the windshield was annoying as always. After I got home, I baked myself some biscuits for brunch, read my newspapers, and watched the NFL games of the day. Most were not close but we did get a good ending for the Jaguars/Steelers game. Thankfully the Cocaineboys were beaten by Philadelphia and Miami finally won a game, ousting the Ravens in OT. I enjoyed another quiet day and evening at home in solitude. Later I watched 60 Minutes and then watched the Redskins/Giants game. I had cheeseburger patties that I microwaved for dinner. It was a sad evening as I read Dan Fogelberg, the great musician from my youth and young adulthood years, had died. All this cold and largely dry weather has my hands all dried out and itchy and lotion only provides temporary relief. Thus, a nice long very hot shower was quite enjoyable later in the evening. I went to bed around midnight.
Monday 17 December: Back to work for the full day as the weather improved notably. We had clear to partly cloudy skies with minimal winds and temperatures reaching the mid 40s. Today marks the one year anniversary of my living in Cheyenne. While it was not my intent to move here on a permanent basis one year ago, all in all its worked out. Housing prices are more reasonable here and one can afford to have a nice rental in a good safe part of town while surviving on living poor wages. While at times I am isolated, lonely, and like a hermit, the alternatives that existed for me one year ago were not good. I will probably live here for a few to several years, perhaps for the remainder of my life, as coming up with the financial resources to locate to one of my prefered alternatives is a challenge very difficult to overcome. The climate here can be formidable at times and its not a place where outdoor activities are conduicive most of the year with a harsh winter and spring and increasingly hot summers. Denver has a much more pleasant climate than Cheyenne or Albuquerque or Phoenix. Much of what happens in the future depends on my health and employability. I do not expect to live much more than five to ten years although my circumstances may lead me to live a longer life than can be imagined like the fellow in this story. Who can predict but with each passing year I grow more concerned about my ability to be self-supporting and not be a burden on anyone as physical aging becomes more apparent and my body starts to break down in little but noticeable ways. Anyway, back to the mundane day as I got home around 7pm, had a salad and some applesauce for supper, watched a good MNF game, surfed the 'net, updated the blog (a certain male relative was not courteous in his remarks !), and checked the email. I have the monthly Walmart grocery run looming later this week and I also need to do some various tasks around the place in the next several days. After watching Nightline, I headed off to try to sleep around 11:15pm.
Tuesday 18 December: I awoke around 9:15 am ahead of the alarm clock as the eight hour work day loomed. It was clear day but clouds started to increase later in the afternoon as temperatures reached into the low 40s with light winds. After I got home around 7:30 pm I had Spanish Rice with a can of tomatoes mixed in and butter bread for supper. I got the first massive electric bill of the winter and it was at $80 which was disillusioning considering how cold I am keeping the place. I fear the bill I get next month and in the following 2-3 months will be near $150 for each month which will seriously financially stress me. Its going to be a grim seriously long hard very cold winter indeed. January will force my hand to find new employment that pays better than what I get now. Anyway, back to the mundane humdrum as I relaxed after the long work day, watched a good episode of Boston Legal, Nightline, and ST: TNG before retiring around 12:15am.
Wednesday 19 December: A repeat of Tuesday for the most part. A mostly cloudy day with increasing winds as the temperature reached 40 degrees with the looming threat of more snow within the next 36 hours and a strongly unsettled pattern now projected deep into next week which is not very good news. I got home by 7:30pm amd had a salad and some beef noodle soup for dinner. I watched the movie "Castaway" which is a great film. I fell into bed before 11pm while watching Nightline and then ST: TNG which put me to sleep as the length of night is about at its peak although sunsets are now inching their way back after six months of decline. It will not be very noticeable for a number of weeks by most.
Thursday 20 December: Back to work for the full day. It was a mostly cloudy day with temperatures reaching the low 40s with healthy winds. I got home around 7:30 pm and watched the Steelers/Rams game while keeping tabs on Utah/Navy. I had some Lipton chicken parmesan cheddar noodles for dinner. Later I watched Nightline and ST: TNG before going to bed around midnight.
Friday 21 December: The end of the long work week arrived today. We had light snow starting before dawn and less than 1" accumulated. The sun did peak out briefly in the mid afternoon as temperatures stayed in the upper 20s with strong cold winds. After work, I stopped at the post office to get my mail and I received a Christmas card from youngest sister LAC which was very kind and thoughtful of her. I then went to Perkins and had a chicken sandwich, a salad, and piece of apple pie a la mode for dinner and did some surfing on the 'net for a couple of hours in the relaxing setting there. Afterwards I ventured home in the cold and watched the news, Nightline, and ST: TNG before calling it a day around 12:15am.
Saturday 22 December: The first full day of winter is upon us and the weather improved today as we had crystal clear blue skies with light winds and temperatures that reached 26 degrees after a morning low of 9 degrees. I stayed in on my day off and had a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. There were three college football bowl games on today and an NFL game tonight so I have something to watch as I surf the 'net, work on my blog, and keep up on any email that comes in. I also did some straightening up the place as in the last week I have done nothing in that respect after getting home from the long workdays. I took it easy all day and into the evening. Todd said he would try to come by to watch the Las Vegas Bowl, but he feared the snowdrifts in his 800' long driveway would keep him home and busy so he did not get to escape.
I did the dishes, straightened up the main room, stacked the papers, and had Spaghettios for supper. I watched an episode of the original Star Trek after the bowl games wrapped up and then went off to bed around midnight.
-----
Comparing Two Presidential Candidates
Willard Mitt Romney and John Reid Edwards are at opposing poles on most economic issues and in their professional journeys, consequences, and philosophies. Edwards would still seem to be not a favorite to win the Democratic nomination, but that could still change. Romney is one of GOP frontrunners along with Giuiliani, Huckabee, McCain, and Thompson in the presidential nominating race that will be sorted out in the next 45 days. But the thought of Romney as President is quite frightening and brings to mind all kinds of terrible scenarios and consequences for the middle class and poor in our nation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/23/business/23wealth.html?ei=5089&en=bf082b7510474657&ex=1356066000&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss&pagewanted=all
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Edwards
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney
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http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/23/business/23wealth.html?ei=5089&en=bf082b7510474657&ex=1356066000&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss&pagewanted=all
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Edwards
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney
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And Speaking of Evil Corporations
The decision of the CIGNA insurance corporation on this medical matter concerning this young girl is nothing short of murder, and since California allows the death penalty, this corporation should be legally executed in California and the value of the stock in the company in proportion to its value in California be taken from all stockholders and distributed to these victims as well as others.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-transplant22dec22,1,500306.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
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http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-transplant22dec22,1,500306.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
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Oil Corporations: The Greatest Evil on Earth
Some of the other types of corporations in the running for this title would include those peddling insurance, pharmaceuticals, retailers, and in the media. Their presence have and will continue cost many individuals their lives and increasingly so in the not-so-distant future.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/12/22/5958/
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http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/12/22/5958/
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Rising Sea Levels Will Endanger Republicans ?
Unfortunately, the scenario envisioned by the writer of this article is not so simple. But it is strongly probable the areas he mentioned will start to see the effects of rising sea levels within a decade, creating American refugees and triggering a mass movement by many to inland areas.
But any changes to the political landscape will not be so pronounced.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/12/22/5963/
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But any changes to the political landscape will not be so pronounced.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/12/22/5963/
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Excellent News from the Grand Canyon State
This report indicates success from recent laws enacted in Arizona to address the rampant illegal immigration plaguing that state. However, I fear many of these illegals are not returning to their home nation but instead are simply moving to another state where laws are lax. Arizona, Oklahoma, and Colorado are the only states that have enacted such harsh laws to address the infestation, and Colorado has laws that are fairly weak. Look for these illegals to go to such states as Texas, California, Florida, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Georgia, and other states where the economy is fairly robust and officials and employers both have a long tradition of looking the other way in spite of public outcry.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/12/22/immigrants.leave.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
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http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/12/22/immigrants.leave.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
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Interesting News Story Concerning the Recent Past
The information discussed in this story does not surprise me. Many high powered officials in law enforcement have and continue favor easy ways to suspend constitutional and civil liberties and at least temporarily strongly curb human rights at the drop of a hat at the slightest hint of trouble. Hoover is one of those whose reputation in history is quite evident on this approach.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/23/washington/23habeas.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
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http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/23/washington/23habeas.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
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An Effort Worth the Price
I have always picked up pennies, nickels, and dimes that I see on the ground at the places I go to. If other people want to help me pay the sales taxes, so be it. There have times where I have found over 25 cents on the ground while entering a business. Fools and their money are soon parted and I am one of those who gain.
http://blogs.moneycentral.msn.com/smartspending/archive/2007/12/14/see-a-penny-pick-it-up.aspx
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http://blogs.moneycentral.msn.com/smartspending/archive/2007/12/14/see-a-penny-pick-it-up.aspx
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