Filed under: Paco's Blog
Ats tagged me so here I go!
- I believe that life in any form is precious.
- I believe that all beings can live in harmony.
- I believe in the Holy Trinity.
- I believe in the Catholic Church.
- I believe in love.
- I believe there is good in everyone.
- I believe that to die for your friends, family, or faith is one of the greatest honors one can achieve.
3.3
The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas
Rating: 4.5 stars
Summary: Edmond Dantes returns home after a long trip. The captain assigns him a mission before his death. Edmond completes the mission and returns home to his father and his fiancee, however, his enemies discover his mission and tell the local authorities, he is arrested on the grounds of being a Bonapartisan on the day before his marriage. He is thrown in prison and left for years, during which Napoleon again becomes emperor. A friend gives him a treasure map leading to the island of Monte Cristo, and they plan a jailbreak. However, his friend dies before they can put the plan into action, Edmond, seeing an opportunity, sews himself into his friend’s body bag, and escapes. After making it to Monte Cristo with the help of pirates, he collects the treasure and becomes the Count of Monte Cristo, and seeks his revenge.
2.19
The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas:
Chapter 1: When the Pharaon arrives at Marseilles we meet Edmond Dantes, the first mate, and Monsieur Morrel. After paying his first respects to Morrel, Edmond tells him how Captain LeClere died of brain-fever on the voyage. Danglars, the purser, tells Morrel of how Edmond stopped at the Isle of Elba for no apparent reason. Edmond justifies himself, saying how the captain’s dying wish had been for him to deliver a packet to the Marechal there. Morrel asks him if he saw the emperor (Napoleon), Edmond replies yes. Morrel invites Edmond to dinner, but he excuses himself saying he must first see his father and his betrothed. Morrel accepts this and hints that Edmond may become the next captain of the Pharaon. Edmond takes his leave.
Filed under: My lessons | Tags: CAT, Elements, Laser Surgery, MRI, PET, Physics
2.2
Physics In Your Life: Nuclear Matters
Things I learned:
- Water made with Oxygen-16 and water made with Oxygen-18 evaporate at different rates because their mass is different.
- Process of Fission – Uranium-235 hit by neutron, U-235 becomes U-236, U-236 vibrates, structure becomes elongated, eventually splits, sends neutrons everywhere, neutrons collide with more U-235, creates a chain reaction.
- Only U-235 readily fissions.
- U-235 only makes up about 0.7% of all natural Uranium.
- A half life is the time until half the nuclei decay.
|
Nucleus |
Halflife |
|---|---|
| Uranium-238 | 4.5 Billion years |
| Uranium-235 | 700 Million years |
| Strontium-90 | 29 years |
| Plutonium-239 | 24 Thousand years |
| Carbon-14 | 5,730 years |
| Oxygen-15 | 2 minutes |
| Radon-222 | 91.2 hours |
2.3
Physics In Your Life: Physics in your body
Things I learned:
- CAT = Computerized Axial Tomography.
- MRI= Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
- PET = Positron Emission Tomography.
- Laser eye surgery basically weld retina back onto the back of the eye.
- Laser surgery causes less bleeding versus a regular scalpel because the protein in the tissue instantly coagulates.
- Steady electric current and ultrasound can help heal broken bones.
Filed under: My lessons | Tags: Energy, GPS, Inertia, Physics, Polaris, Torque, Vega
1.7
Physics In Your Life: Lecture 30, Energy In Your Life
Things I learned:
- The power output of a typical human body is about 100 watts.
- For Americans living in the late 20th century, their average energy consumption is 10 kilowatts which is 100 times the energy you produce.
- The energy used in your name goes to 21% residential consumption, 18% commercial consumption, 33% industrial consumption, and 28% transportation consumption.
- The biggest U.S. energy sources are 23% coal, 40% oil, 24% gas, 8% nuclear, 3% hydro, 4% wood/waste,
0.5% other - Europe is nearing 30% electricity production by cogeneration.
1.8
Physics In Your Life: Lecture 31 Your Place On Earth
Things I learned:
- The first trial GPS satellites were launched between 1974 and 1977. GPS was actually first created for the military.
- In 1978-1985 the Block I first generation GPS satellites were launched.
- In 1989-1994 the Block II satellites were launched. Some of this series are still active.
- In 1994 the 24th satellite was launched; constellation complete.
- In 2000 “selective availability” was abolished; full GPS accuracy available for civilian use.
1.9
Physics In Your Life: Lecture 32, Dance and Spin
Things I learned:
- If your rotational inertia is larger, your wheel is harder to spin.
- Angular rotation has direction.
- Torque is a combination of force and how far the force applied is from the pivot point.
- Approximately 13,000 years from now, Vega will be our north star.
- But another 13,000 years from then, Polaris will again be our north star.
Filed under: English
1.6
Classical Writing
Goldi-locks and the Three Bears
Once there were three bears, a big Father bear, A medium Mother bear, and a small Baby bear. One day Mother Bear said to them, “Let’s go for a walk while our porridge is cooling”, the two agreed and they all set out in short order. Meanwhile, in another part of the woods Goldi-locks was pestering her mother as to whether she could go out to pick flowers, her mother finally gave in on the condition that Goldi-locks wouldn’t go far, Goldi-locks agreed, but forgot all about it in 8.16528739 minutes flat. Anyways she started picking flowers but when she next looked up she was far into the woods, and she being very scared started to run until, presently she came to a little cottage so she, feeling somewhat braver, knocked on the door.
To Be Continued
1.8
Classical Writing
Goldi-locks and the Three Bears 1.1
Once there were three bears, a big Father bear, A medium Mother bear, and a small Baby bear. One day Mother Bear said to them, “Let’s go for a walk while our porridge is cooling”, the two agreed and they all set out in short order. Meanwhile, in another part of the woods Goldi-locks was pestering her mother as to whether she could go out to pick flowers, her mother finally gave in on the condition that Goldi-locks wouldn’t go far, Goldi-locks agreed, but forgot all about it in 8.16528739 minutes flat. Anyways she started picking flowers but when she next looked up she was far into the woods, and she being very scared started to run until, presently she came to a little cottage so she, feeling somewhat braver, knocked on the door. When nobody answered she pushed open the door and saw a table with three bowls of porridge on it with three various sized chairs set around it, she went over to the table, for she was very hungry and tasted the porridge in the biggest bowl, it was too salty, she went over to the medium bowl and tasted it, it was too sweet, so she went over to the small bowl and tasted it, it was just right. After she had thoroughly ingested the contents of the bowl, she went and sat in the biggest chair, but it was too high for her, so she sat down in the medium chair, but it was too low for her, after which she tried the smallest chair, which was just right, and she rocked and rocked until the bottom broke right out of the chair. Seeing this, she went upstairs and saw a row of three beds, so she lay down in the first, but it was too hard, so she lay down in the second bed,but it was too soft, so she lay down in the third bed and it was neither too soft, nor too hard, but just right, so she lay down and was dead to the world in under 2.58474758 seconds.
To Be Continued
1.9
Classical Writing
Goldi-locks and the Three Bears 1.2
Once there were three bears, a big Father bear, A medium Mother bear, and a small Baby bear. One day Mother Bear said to them, “Let’s go for a walk while our porridge is cooling”, the two agreed and they all set out in short order. Meanwhile, in another part of the woods Goldi-locks was pestering her mother as to whether she could go out to pick flowers, her mother finally gave in on the condition that Goldi-locks wouldn’t go far, Goldi-locks agreed, but forgot all about it in 8.16528739 minutes flat. Anyways she started picking flowers but when she next looked up she was far into the woods, and she being very scared started to run until, presently she came to a little cottage so she, feeling somewhat braver, knocked on the door. When nobody answered she pushed open the door and saw a table with three bowls of porridge on it with three various sized chairs set around it, she went over to the table, for she was very hungry and tasted the porridge in the biggest bowl, it was too salty, she went over to the medium bowl and tasted it, it was too sweet, so she went over to the small bowl and tasted it, it was just right. After she had thoroughly ingested the contents of the bowl, she went and sat in the biggest chair, but it was too high for her, so she sat down in the medium chair, but it was too low for her, after which she tried the smallest chair, which was just right, and she rocked and rocked until the bottom broke right out of the chair. Seeing this, she went upstairs and saw a row of three beds, so she lay down in the first, but it was too hard, so she lay down in the second bed,but it was too soft, so she lay down in the third bed and it was neither too soft, nor too hard, but just right, so she lay down and was dead to the world in under 2.58474758 seconds. Soon after, the three bears came back from their walk, they had just opened the door when they noticed something peculiar, “Someone has been sitting in my chair, and has eaten some of my porridge!” roared the father bear, “Someone has been sitting in my chair, and has eaten some of my porridge!” growled the mother bear, “Someone has been sitting in my chair, busted right through it, and finished off my porridge!” exclaimed the baby bear. Seeing that there had been an intruder, they went upstairs to search for further clues, “Someone has been lying in my bed!” roared the father bear, “Someone has been lying in my bed!” growled the mother bear, “Someone has been sleeping in my bed and here she is!” exclaimed the baby bear. Goldi-locks woke up when she heard Baby Bear’s shrill voice, and seeing the three bears’ angry countenances, she was so scared she ran downstairs and was out the door before anyone could stop her.
The End.
1.13
Classical Writing
A Laconic Answer.
Once there was this guy named King Phillip of Macedon, who wanted to conquer this place called Laconia, so he sent a letter to the inhabitants saying, “If I come to your city I will raze your buildings to the ground.” Now the Spartans who lived there were called Lacons, and were famous for saying only what needed to be said, and not a word more. In a few days King Phillip got a reply from the Lacons saying “If.” Which was sufficient enough to say “If! If that tiny word is such an obstacle for you, you had better watch out, or you’ll find we’re much stronger than ‘If’.”
The End.
Filed under: Science
1.6
Pick Me Up, by David Roberts and Jeremy Leslie
Things I learned:
- Airplanes couldn’ tget above Mt. Everest until 1933.
- At the time you are reading this 2 billion people are sleeping, 350 million people are daydreaming, 320 million people are watching TV, and 110 million people are using the bathroom.
- Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to leave our solar system, it carries a plaque with the location of earth and a picture of a human engraved on it (in case it runs into any aliens).
- At six or seven months a baby koala stops feeding on it’s mother’s milk and starts eating “pap” a soft, runny poop.
- In India, one child is born every 1.26 seconds.
Filed under: History
1.6
The Real St. Nicholas, by Louise Carus.
Story by Story summary:
Part One
- The Legend Of The Three Daughters, is about a poor family. The father is quite poor and the three daughters don’t have much either. One day the father decides that the only way to ensure his daughters’ survival is to sell them into servitude, that way at least they’ll be fed decently. So he prepares to sell the oldest daughter, however, unbeknowest to the man, a young man named Nicholas is aware of their dire plight. That night Nicholas throws a bag of gold (in other words BIG $$$$$) through the man’s window. The next day the father, upon waking, finds this mysterious bag of gold (in other words BIG $$$$$), enough for his daughter to get married (girls had to have a dowry when they got married, or nobody would marry them)! So anyways, the oldest daughter gets married, but a few years later the guy is out of money AGAIN (not much of a saver is he?) and getting ready to sell his daughters again, when Nicholas (who has still got them in his radar) throws another bag of gold (in other words BIG $$$$$) through the guy’s window, he finds it, is happy, then marries off the second daughter. A short while later he is low on money, yes, but he dares to hope that his third daughter might have a chance to marry, but this time if the mystery person came, he would be awake. That night Nicholas threw another bag of gold (in other words BIG $$$$$) through the window, but this time the man was awake and he caught Nicholas and thanked him profusely, Nicholas simply told him to never tell anyone who it was that had been giving him the bags of gold (in other words BIG $$$$$. The End
Filed under: Physics
Things I learned:
- The second law of thermodynamics states that given their own devices systems move naturally toward states of less organization and more chaos, in other words, entropy tends to increase.
- Entropy is a measure of disorder.
- The entropy of a closed system cannot decrease.
Filed under: Physics
Things I learned:
- Refrigerators were invented in the 20th century.
- Freon causes chemical reactions in the upper atmosphere which affects the ozone which lets more ultraviolet through.
- Microwave ovens work by pumping energy, not heat, into food.
- Microwave ovens have a kind of grille in front of the viewing glass which allows visible light through, but does not allow microwaves through.
Filed under: Science
12.16
American Astronaut Photography 1962-1972, by Ron Schick & Julia Van Haaften.
Things I learned:
- John Glenn was the first man to carry a still camera into space.
- Alan Shepard was the first American in space.
- Friendship 7 was the first spacecraft that had a window over the pilot’s head.
- In May 1963, Gordon Cooper flew the concluding mission of the Mercury Series.
- Yuri Gagarin was the first human in space.
12.17
American Astronaut Photography 1962-1972, by Ron Schick & Julia Van Haaften.
Things I learned:
- Gemini 8 was able to dock with an Agena vehicle, which had been designed by NASA as a mate for the Gemini, but had to break free when both craft went into an uncontrolled spin.
- Gemini 10 was the first to complete a wholly successful Agena docking.
- The final mission in the series, Gemini 12 proved man’s ability to work in space during a 5 1/2 hour EVA.
- Apollos 7-10 were graduated steps toward a lunar landing.
- Apollos 11-14 were designed to perfect landing and to begin lunar studies.