Oh’s Zany World

Asteroid North Dakota

North Dakota has finally come of age.  Who would have thought that we could look at the skies one day and say, yes sir, Asteroid North Dakota is out there going around the sun somewhere between Mars and Jupiter in the Main Asteroid Belt.

It was named but University of North Dakota doctoral candidate, Vishnu Reddy, who discovered it. 

While a doctoral candidate in North Dakota, he has to go to other states to look at the sky though a big observatory telescope as North Dakota has none. While still being a candidate for a graduate degree, of which he hopes to complete his studies this spring.  He has been very busy scanning the skies and has found 18 to 22 asteroids, depending on the source and a supernova. One asteroid of which was named for his native India.

He discovered this one in when he was star gazing in Arizona. And he chose to name it Asteroid North Dakota to honor the state and to bring to attention the fact ,that North Dakota has no big telescopes. Even though as he points out that the state because of lack of lots of people would make a wonderful place to have a big telescope.

Of course the questions we all want to know, is how big is it? Where is it at? And is it going to crash into North Dakota?

The answers lie blowing in the wind. Though roughly it is a couple of miles in length which means conceivably it is somewhat smaller when it is measured the by its width. It has a surface temperature of about 170 degrees below zero, Fahrenheit? Not sure of the temperature scale used. Though in any case it is somewhat cooler then the usual low’s, North Dakota normally experiences. While it is traveling at several thousand kilometers an hour it some 270 million miles from North Dakota and is currently in a holding pattern that present no short term or even long term threat to North Dakota.

What a relief!

If you want to see it you will need at least a 20 inch telescope to see it as a dot in the sky.

Hope you have many happy years of star gazing Mr. Reddy. And I hope you inspire others to star gaze too.

OH

Copyright 2009

Redundancy

Redundancy, according to Webster is “the quality or state of being redundant.”*  Hummm, that sure tells me a lot? So here, I get to look up the word redundant. Dear Mr. Webster will like that. I suppose, so will Mrs. Webster. A chicken in her pot again tonight.

Webster bless his great knowledge of the English language tells me that redundant means it is “exceeding what is necessary or normal.”*  Cool I can understand that. Likely very simple English, as I suppose I may learned that in 4^th or 5^th  grade.

Which brings me up to the point of why I looked up the word redundancy.

I just love the British, they have such funny ways of saying things. In all fairness, though, I suppose they think the same thing about us midwestern Americans. Well the article I was reading was about americans losing jobs. Well it was on Telegraph.co.uk, so I suppose, I should not expect them to use good old fashioned English! And they said that there were 1.5 million people made redundant.  An interesting way of saying that they had more people then the work they had. But I could live with that little quirkiness, no problem.

I went a little farther in to the article then they said that one company was “dispensing with 5,000 positions in its first company-wide redundancy scheme in its 35-year-history.” From the Telelgraph dated 06 Feb 2009.

Ok I say to myself I understand the first word redundant. I understand that redundancy is a word the comes from the word redundant but what is a redundancy scheme?  It seems that the British likes to say that too many workers for a company’s sales makes the workers redundant. And since they can not make money if they have too many workers. Which I point out here, the extra workers are redundant. They need to get rid of the redundant workers. So a redundancy scheme is getting rid of too many workers.

What I have not figured out is how they get rid of the workers? In US they would call them in and say we’re sorry, joe, but we just don’t have enough work for you so we are going to have lay you off. But in the UK workers are redundant and word redundant is also use to mean they are laying someone off.

Does the conversation go something like this?

Boss: Joe could you come into my office for a minute?

Joe: Sure.

Boss: How many years have you been here Joe?

Joe: 10 years.

Boss:  Well you know business is slow and times are not looking good for some time to come? (Assuming the boss is a nice guy).

Joe: Yes I understand that.

Boss:   Well Joe you are redundant and so we are going to redundant you.

………..

That would have to be a big moral booster! Joe must kinda feel like, just a bunch more spare parts for the old Ford that got thrown out.

Well I guess that most of have at one time or another been in a job that though no fault of our own, were just a redundant part. And in a redundancy scheme got thrown out. That, happens in life. 

Words are funny sometimes in how they get used. The pain of no work is not so funny.  Laid off or redundanted means tight times.

 Hopefully, things will turn arround soon and many that have been “laid off” or “redundanted” out of work will be going back to work soon. If not remember there are a lot of redandanted people out there, that are going though the same thing and keep the faith.

Hang in there!

OH

* Merriam-Webster online.

Copyright 2009

Fortune Cookie Jan 12 2009

“Someone is interested in you. Keep your eyes open.”

I stayed up all night wondering who was interested in me? Is it the FBI? The CIA? Interpol? Aliens from another planet? A cute girl? (Now that would be kinda cool.) Why are they interested in me? Am I an internationally wanted criminal? Do they want to use my body for alien experiments? Or maybe the cute girl just wants me for my body? Should I be worried about them being interested in me? YES? NO?

This is all so confusing! Well they got one part right! I mean who can close their eyes when someone is interested in you and you have no idea why? Maybe, I should just go and hide under my blanket? Oh wait, then how will I know if someone is watching me? Oh well where did I put them toothpicks? I am so tired!

OH

Copyright 2009

Bush Gets the Shoe!

While President Bush was in Iraq a reporter threw his shoes at Bush during news conference.  While it is hard to say what he did was right. One must also look to the culture within which the reporter lives. It is a insult to face the bottom of your foot toward someone in that culture. It is a much greater insult to throw your shoe at them. While over here in the USA and likely much of the western world we would think nothing of putting our foot up and leave it face someone sitting by us. Someone from the Middle East would find to be a grave insult. So a shoe being thrown at them is a much worse insult.

While I do not find that the reporter’s actions were right I can understand how someone who has had their nation invaded by a foreign power would find that to be a acceptable thing to do. But it also shows that the Iraqie government has far to go to gain the respect of the people of Iraq.

It is my hope that we may, find, in the future, better ways to deal with conflicts, Perhaps part of that solution will be to learn about other peoples cultures and what is not only considered an insult but what are the little things that are considered compliments and perhaps in doing so we can learn how to get along with each other better.

 OH

Copyright 2008

The World is Flat?

If the world was round, wouldn’t we all fall off?

Oh

Copyright 2008

Winter

The third day of December and winter has finally set in. The grass is brown and the sun is shining today. Yet the thermometer says we have a cool 17 degrees Fahrenheit outside my window. So really, it is not really that cold for a hardy Minnesotan. Yet it is still cold out there, I noticed the change yesterday when at 3 o’clock in the afternoon I went outside in my sweatshirt and was warm and the temperature was a balmy 39 degrees. Though last night after getting though with my errands the temperature was down right cold. I really should have put on a coat or at least a heavier jacket though being a hardy Minnesotan I resisted that temptation. So today marks a changing of fall clothing to winter clothing.

So today the winter coat will be forced out of hiding in the closet for close to 8 months. I wonder if it is thinking, “well here you kept me in a dark and stuffy closet for all that time and now you bring me out and expect that I should keep you warm just like nothing has happened? I don’t think so!” The poor coat, if it does think that, must realize that it will still keep me warm whatever it feels. Naah clothing does not have feelings nor thoughts, do they?

The cold has come now, so hopefully soon, so will the snow. Cold without snow is so boring. It takes snow to do so many cool things. Snow skiing, sledding, snowmobiling and just tramping though the snow. Or some really fun things like making snowmen and women and children, who knows perhaps one day that old hat of Frosty’s will show up and that snowman will come to life! Though perhaps the easiest way to have fun in the snow is to make snow angels. 

Yes winter has finally make it to Minnesota and hopefully snow will soon follow. Have a good day and if you have some snow this day take a minute and make snow angel for me! Have fun for in 6 months it may be a 100 out again! And then the complaint will be it is too hot!

Us humans are never happy!  Or perhaps we are happy and the complaining is our way of showing that contentment?

Let every day be a great day to celebrate! For you are alive this day!

Oh

Copyright 2008

John Lennon and the Vatican?

It was reported this past week that the Vatican newspaper has forgiven a young John Lennon for a remark about the Beetles being more famous then Jesus Christ. They called it a boastful remark by a “young man grappling with sudden fame.” From Reuters

It seems strange to me that remark make some forty years ago back in 1966 requires a article in the Vatican newspaper? Or perhaps it does? The newspaper was marking the 40th Anniversary of the album of the Beetles called “The White Album.” Perhaps it is just a reflection of the change of the guards at the Vatican. As much as I hate to admit it, I too am getting older and part of the getting older involves taking over the positions of responsibility in ones society. The children of the 1950’s to the 1970’s are truly taking over the high positions in the world.

While the time has come for that change to happen, it is good to remember that we too one day will be the Old Guard and the guard again will change to a new group of younger whipper snappers who also think they have the right answers and also know all the right questions. And like us they too will learn soon enough that the world is not full of easy answers. It is time for that cup to have passed. Perhaps we can with the Lords help at least not make the world any worse then it is today when it is our turn to pass the cup forward to a new generation of whipper snappers.

A new Guard has risen.

OH

Copyright 2008

The 99-Cent Dating Experiment!

The 99 cent dating experiment as reported on lifestyles.msn http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/articlematch.aspx?cp-documentid=11463157&GT1=32023 is a interesting experiment to say the least. Though I think it should be called the 20 dollar dating experiment as that is closer to what he spent.

Some of his ideas like the chalk heard and names were sweet. As was the beach date. Though the Krazy Glue, where he was going to glue their hands together, was really off the wall! Even if he did not intend to do that would be pretty nutty and send out warning flags! On the other hand using a solar power calculator to determine the time they have left together is sweet if really corny. One has to admit that he has a sense of humor!

Though I have to wonder is it really nesscary to have to spend over 20 bucks on a  date, not to be seen as a  “Cheapskate! Loser! Creep!” in Mark Miller’s own words? For many in America that is 2.08 hours of work before taxes. Yeah I understand that dates are suppose to be special times but still one can not go out very often and spend that much money if they are making only $20,000 a year. If this is the norm in the USA then perhaps the USA has not so much of a economic problem but perhaps the real problem is a moral problem?

Oh well I wonder if there are any women out there that would find a date like his minus the Krazy Glue as a fun time? Well Mark has one thing right and that is that one should have a person in their life that likes the same nutty craziness that they like. Or perhaps the same stuffiness?

Well good luck Mark on finding Miss She’s the One!

Have a crazy and wild date folks!

Oh

Copyright 2008

Hello world!

Hello World this is Ohs Zany World blog! Where anything and everything might be wrote about.
Oh Yeah is a general blog will add some like, “Movies and Vids,” “Pigin’ Out!” and “Poly Tics” and likely others as time goes on. Come back often.

Thanks Oh

Copyright 2008