The Atheist's Pulpit

Far rarer than an eclipse: I got a tie for my birthday …

At volleyball this afternoon, we had 2 on 2: Chris, Al, Chuck, and me. I lost the first game with Chuck on my side. I lost the second game with Al on my side. Going in to the 3rd game, Chris had won all (2) and I had lost all. For the third game, I joined Chris and played on the side of the net that had won two games. The game was zero to zero through an unusual number of serves. However, eventually, Chuck and Al had 17 points to our 4. I was going to lose all three games. Somehow, we fought back to 20 to 20. Chris was serving and might well have won the game with two points. Then, I asked if I could have a tie for my birthday. And my good friends indulged me.

This has only happened once before in 40 years (25 of which I’ve played). That may also have been my birthday. On that occasion, I assumed it would never happen again until the game they play after I’m dead. I lived long enough to see it happen again.

The Atheist's Pulpit

Eclipse fever? Watch it on the Web.

Every day, I enjoy something outside. Often, birds catch my fancy, as do flowers and insects. I love watching light and shadow change throughout the day. Too many people don’t go outside and savor a moment in nature.

For that reason, I hate to be a killjoy about the upcoming eclipse. However, I remember the most recent annular eclipse in Albuquerque and of those people who were here who I’ve talked to about it, no one else remembers it. Perhaps that says something about the event.

I’ll be out there at the end of my block, as good a place as any for totality, which is relatively high in the northwest. I’ll be just as excited to watch the sunrise tomorrow. A full moon rising over the Sandias thrills me more.

As for the eclipse, it will be simulcast and the Web will be splashed with photos and video soon after. The best seat in the house is in front of your computer.

Don’t forget to go outside some other time and look up for no reason other than that doing so is in our blood. Being outside savoring nature nurtures us.

Election, NADA - New American Dark Ages

Democracy for New Mexico: $642,000,000,000 (billion) for the War Machine "Ike was Right"

Amen to that. A majority of Democrats and Republicans support reducing money to the War Department, but our representatives vote for it. Why? Follow the money. Who gets rich from war?

Democracy for New Mexico: $642,000,000,000 (billion) for the War Machine "Ike was Right"

This kind of obscene money spent on war and defense has got to stop. 88 billion still going over to Afghanistan for 2013, that is $1.5 bill every week. Think of what this Country could do with $1.5 bil every week. The bill funds a missile defense site to be built on the east coast, that the military itself opposes, old star-wars garbage, and even Russian cold war garbage. We have gone insane, when we will fund things the military does not even want and threaten drastic cuts to social security for our seniors which is desperately needed now, we have gone insane.

Democracy for New Mexico: $642,000,000,000 (billion) for the War Machine "Ike was Right"

The Atheist's Pulpit

I remember the eclipses in 1994 and 1970

We stood in our backyard in Albuquerque near mid-day. We used a pin-hole projector to view it on paper. I think several friends were with us. Mer doesn’t remember this one.

On March 7, 1970, my family lived in Alexandria, Virginia (Alison St). I remember how remarkable it felt to experience the transition from day to night in a few minutes.

Kudos to NASA for the data and to MiddleEarth condensing that data.

Annular Solar Eclipse May 2012. MiddleEarth.info

  • On May 10, 1994 an annular eclipse went diagonally across the United States from Tucson, New Mexico to Maine.
  • On February 26, 1979 a total eclipse covered the North Western United States border with Canada.
  • On May 30, 1984 an annular eclipse went from New Orleans, Louisiana to Washington, DC.
  • On March 7, 1970 a total eclipse crossed North Florida and went up the Eastern United States seaboard. If you have seen one, this was probably it.

    • Annular Solar Eclipse May 2012. MiddleEarth.info

    NASA – Solar Eclipse Page

    Solar Eclipses: Past and Future

    The following links give detailed descriptions of all eclipses of the Sun and Moon from 2000 through 2008. The original reports were published in the annual Observer’s Handbook of Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

    NASA – Solar Eclipse Page

    eclipse

    NASA – Google Maps and Solar Eclipse Paths: 1981 – 2000

    The table below is a concise summary of all total, annular and hybrid solar eclipses from 1981 through 2000 (excluding partial eclipses). The links in the table provide additional information and graphics for each eclipse.

    NASA – Google Maps and Solar Eclipse Paths: 1981 – 2000

    Uncategorized

    Smoking was my first social network …

    As an introvert, smoking gave me instant rapport with other smokers. Although I lost that community when I quit smoking, I suddenly had a lot of time on my hands. I was amazed by that. But, if you smoke a pack a day and each cig takes 3 minutes or so, that’s an hour. (I did the math for you.) We fritter time away in small chunks. Since I stopped using Twitter and Facebook, I already have time on my hands.

    Using Twitter and Facebook, I’ve come to see myself as a mouse tapping the bar, waiting for a pellet to drop out, over and over again. Sometimes  there’s a yummy morsel — more often, there is not. No offense to everyone who thinks their morsel is so yummy. I’m tired of pushing the bar every few seconds. I want those seconds to add up to something more than "is that all there is?"

    I’m especially frustrated that Twitbook promotes ADHD and memory loss. Name one tweet or status update that really stuck with you yesterday. Can you? How about last week? How many times have you puzzled over what someone meant in 140 characters or less? How many links have you followed that left you shrugging? Attention is a limited resource. Spend your time on beauty, wonder, laughter, and love. In the real world.

    I’ll continue to feed my own pellets into the pipe. I like to write. You don’t have to read or respond, if it seems unfair to you. I’ll offer you a deal: if I would follow you on Twitbook and you have a blog, I’ll subscribe to your blog. If you want me to know something, send me email. I’m still interested in you, just not in wasting precious attention.

    The Atheist's Pulpit

    Weird Birthday Weather

    “As described in the Handbook of Unusual Natural Phenomena, by W. Corliss, New England was plunged into almost total darkness at mid-day, May 19, 1780. Smoke from huge forest fires in Canada was the presumed cause, but no one knows for sure.” [Sky Watch]

    On the actual day I was born, New Mexico experienced its greatest rainfall ever recorded: 11.28 inches in 24 hours at Lake Maloya, on the Colorado border.

    "It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds." — Sam Adams