Category: Education

Education Government Photos Technology

German Enigma Machine

Dave 2020-04-16

This is a four rotor Enigma machine that was created by German around the time of 1943-1944. Germany built this rare Enigma for its ally, Japan. You can tell by both the character and the fourth rotor. Germany was unaware that Britain had cracked the Enigma they added the fourth rotor in 1942 to strengthen it.

The British called the device’s messages “Shark.” It took nearly a year to crack, and only after capturing key sheets from a German U-boat. In the interim, Nazi subs sank more than 2 million tons of Allied supplies.

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Education Humor Nature Photos

Funny How Nature Made the Earth Flat

Dave 2020-03-13

For all the flat earth believers, it is crazy how the earth is the only thing that isn’t round.

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Education Photos Travel

Andrew Jackson Downing Urn

Dave 2020-02-24

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Did You Know?

Dave 2019-12-04

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Education Humor

A Teaching Moment

Dave 2019-10-22

The 6th grade science teacher, Mrs. Parks, asked her class,”Which human body part increases to ten times its size when stimulated?”

No one answered so the teacher was about to pick on a random student. Little Mary stood up and said, “You should not be asking sixth graders a question like that! I’m going to tell my parents, and they will go and tell the principal, who will then fire you!”

Mrs. Parks ignored her and asked the question again, “Which body part increases to 10 times its size when stimulated?”

Little Mary’s mouth fell open. Then she said to those around her, “Boy, is she going to get in big trouble!”

The teacher continued to ignore her and said to the class, “Anybody?”

Finally, Billy stood up, looked around nervously, and said, “The body part that increases 10 times its size when stimulated is the pupil of the eye.”

Mrs. Parks said, “Very good, Billy,” then turned to Mary and continued.

“As for you, young lady, I have three things to say:

One, you have a dirty mind,
Two, you didn’t read your homework,
And three, one day you are going to be very, very disappointed.”

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Education Thoughts

Fun 2019 Calculation

Dave 2019-09-30

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Education Events Photos Travel

Holsinger Meteorite

Dave 2019-06-19

The Holsinger Meteorite stands as a vivid symbol of the interconnectedness between Earth’s geological narrative and the cosmic events shaping our solar system. Unearthed in 1911 from Arizona’s renowned Meteor Crater, or Barringer Crater, this formidable 639-kilogram specimen highlights the extraterrestrial nature of one of the planet’s most intact impact craters. It is named in honor of Samuel Holsinger, a pioneer who championed the crater’s study. This became evident when mining engineer Daniel Moreau Barringer accentuated its geological importance.

The crater itself, forged roughly 50,000 years ago by a high-speed nickel-iron meteorite, measures an impressive 1.2 kilometers across and is essential to the study of impact events. Detailed examinations of the Holsinger Meteorite have unveiled a distinctive crystalline design known as the Widmanstätten pattern. This intricate structure of interwoven kamacite and taenite suggests a gradual cooling period in the vacuum of space, providing scientists with essential insights into the solar system’s formation, estimated at around 4.5 billion years ago. Through isotopic analysis, researchers have refined our understanding of both planetary timelines and impact mechanics, deepening our knowledge of how craters form.

Displayed prominently at the Meteor Crater Visitor Center, the Holsinger Meteorite captivates public fascination with planetary science. Simultaneously, ongoing scientific inquiry into this celestial artifact assists experts in forecasting future impacts and devising enhanced planetary defense methods. Thus, the Holsinger Meteorite not only serves as a captivating symbol of cosmic grandeur but also fortifies our grasp of the celestial forces perpetually shaping Earth’s past, present, and future.

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Education Photos Thoughts

Why is the Bathroom on a Ship Called The Head?

Dave 2017-11-06

Have you ever wondered why the bathroom on a ship is called the “head?” Here is the answer.

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Education Thoughts

Things You Might Not Knows About Old Sayings

Dave 2017-10-20

A SHOT OF WHISKEY
In the old west a .45 cartridge for a six-gun cost 12 cents, so did a glass of whiskey. If a cowhand was low on cash he would often give the bartender a cartridge in exchange for a drink. This became known as a “shot” of whiskey.

BUYING THE FARM
During WW 1 soldiers were given life insurance policies worth $5,000. This was about the price of an average farm so if You died you “bought the farm” for your survivors.

IRON CLAD CONTRACT
This came about from the ironclad ships of the Civil War. It meant something so strong it could not be broken.

PASSING THE BUCK – THE BUCK STOPS HERE
Most men in the early west carried a jack knife made by the Buck knife company. When playing poker it was common to place one of these Buck knives in front of the dealer so that everyone knew who he was. When it was time for a new dealer the deck of cards and the Knife were given to the new dealer. If this person didn’t want to deal he would “pass the buck” to the next player. If that player accepted then “the buck stopped there”.

RIFF RAFF
The Mississippi River was the main way of traveling from north to south. Riverboats carried passengers and freight but they were expensive so most people used rafts. Everything had the right of way over rafts which were considered cheap. The steering oar on the rafts was called a “riff” and this transposed into riff-raff, meaning low class.

COBWEB
The Old English word for “spider” was “cob.”

SHIP STATE ROOMS
Traveling by steamboat was considered the height of comfort. Passenger cabins on the boats were not numbered. Instead they were named after states. To this day cabins on ships are called staterooms.

SLEEP TIGHT
Early beds were made with a wooden frame. Ropes were tied across the frame in a criss-cross pattern. A Straw mattress was then put on top of the ropes. Over time the ropes stretched, causing the bed to sag. The owner would then tighten the ropes to get a better night’s sleep.

SHOWBOAT
These were floating theaters built on a barge that was pushed by a steamboat. These played small towns along the Mississippi River. Unlike the boat shown in the movie “Showboat” These did not have an engine. They were gaudy and attention grabbing which is why we say someone who is being the life of the party is showboating”.

OVER A BARREL
In the days before CPR a drowning victim would be placed face down over a barrel and the barrel would be rolled back and forth in a effort to empty the lungs of water. It was rarely effective. If you are over a barrel you are in deep trouble.

BARGE IN
Heavy freight was moved along the Mississippi in large barges pushed by steamboats. These were hard to control and would sometimes swing into piers or other boats. People would say they “barged in”.

HOGWASH
Steamboats carried both people and animals. Since pigs smelled so bad they would be washed before being put on board. The mud and other filth that was washed off was considered useless “hog wash”.

CURFEW
The word “curfew” comes from the French phrase “couvre-feu”, which means “cover the fire”. It was used to describe the time of blowing out all lamps and candles. It was later adopted into Middle English as “curfeu”, which later became the modern “curfew”. In the early American colonies homes had no real fireplaces so a fire was built in the center of the room. In order to make sure a fire did not get out of control during the night it was required that, by an agreed upon time, all fires would be covered with a clay pot called a “curfew”.

BARRELS OF OIL
When the first oil wells were drilled they had made no Provision for storing the liquid so they used water barrels. That is why, to this day, we speak of barrels of oil rather than gallons.

HOT OFF THE PRESS
As the paper goes through the rotary printing press friction causes it to heat up. Therefore, if you grab the paper right off the press It is hot. The expression means to get immediate Information.

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Education Technology Travel

Palomar Observatory

Dave 2017-10-18

Saturday I went for a drive to the Palomar Observatory. Prior to going I checked online to see what their hours of operation are and it showed from 9:00 AM-4:00 PM. After driving over there I got all the way to the gate just to find out the observatory was closed for a special event. I was able to take a couple of photos of the observatory from a distance, but I will need to try again in order to go inside and see what it is like.

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Education Government Thoughts

Political Quotes From Famous People

Dave 2017-07-07

John Adams

1. In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a Congress.
-John Adams

2. If you don’t read the newspaper you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.
-Mark Twain

3. Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress, but then I repeat myself.
-Mark Twain

4. I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-Winston Churchill

5. A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.
-George Bernard Shaw

6. A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, for which he proposes to pay with your money.
-G. Gordon Liddy

7. Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.
-P.J. O’Rourke,Civil Libertarian

8. Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases:
If it moves, tax it.
If it keeps moving, regulate it.
If it stops moving, subsidize it.
-Ronald Reagan (1986)

9. I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.
-Will Rogers

10. If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it’s free!
-P. J. O’Rourke

11. No man’s life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.
-Mark Twain (1866)

12. Talk is cheap, except when Congress does it.
-Anonymous

13. The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism
is the equal sharing of misery.
-Winston Churchill

14. The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.
-Mark Twain

15. There is no distinctly Native American criminal class, save Congress.
-Mark Twain

16. What this country needs are more unemployed politicians.
-Edward Langley

17. A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.
-Thomas Jefferson

Five Best Sentences

1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity, by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.

2. For whatever one person receives without work, another person must then work without receiving.

3. The government cannot give to anyone anything that the government does not first take from someone else.

4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.

5. When half the people get the idea that they need not work because the other half will take care of them, but when that first half gets the idea that it does no good to work because the second half will receive what they worked for, that is the beginning of the end of any Nation!

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Education Events Photos

Venus Fly Trap Eats Crickets

Dave 2017-06-28

For the first time in my life I have a Venus Fly Trap for an office plant. Yesterday I was thinking that I want to see my plant eat some bugs so I did a little Internet search and found out that I can buy baby crickets from any Petco store. After work I drove over to Petco and I asked for only 5 crickets, but I don’t think the lady wanted to touch them to count out only 5. She just dumped about 15-20 into a small bag and charged me $0.87. Last night I wanted to make sure that the crickets won’t die on me because I want to watch them run into my plant, so I put a couple pieces of lettuce in the bag. By morning the lettuce was almost all gone and the crickets are still alive.

Today I brought the crickets to work and dumped all of them into my terrarium to feed my plant. I figure that by tomorrow either my Venus Fly trap will be completely eaten by the crickets or maybe some of the crickets will be eaten by the plant. One of the crickets has already managed to get itself caught in a small trap, but it might be able to get out of that. I can’t wait to see what happens to the others. It is like my very own “Little Shop of Horrors.”

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Education Humor Photos

Brief California History Lesson

Dave 2016-12-11

Do you know what happened 166 years ago this summer…September 9th, 1850?

California became a state! The people had no electricity, the state had no money and almost everyone spoke Spanish. There were gunfights in the streets.

So basically nothing has changed except back then the women had real tits and the men didn’t hold hands.

And that, my friends, is your history lesson for today.

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Education Events Photos

Historical Old Photos in Color

Dave 2016-09-12

Henry Ford, 1919

Cornell Rowing Team 1914

Brothers Robert Kennedy, Edward ‘Ted’ Kennedy and John F. Kennedy outside the Oval Office.

Sophia Loren and Jayne Mansfield

Two Boxers after a fight

Brooklyn Bridge in 1904

Louis Armstrong plays to his wife, Lucille, in Cairo, Egypt 1961

An Oklahoman farmer during the great dust bowl in 1939

Boys buying flowers in 1908

Red Hawk of the Oglala Tribe on horseback 1905

WWII soldiers on Easter

Union Soldiers taking a break 1863

Madison Square Park New York City around 1900

Burger Flipper 1938

Helen Keller meeting comedian Charlie Chaplin in 1918

Lee Harvey Oswald, 1963, being transported to questioning before his murder trial for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Times Square 1947

Lou Gehrig, July 4, 1939. Photo taken right after his famous retirement speech. He would pass away just two years later from ALS.

Girls delivering ice, 1918

Louis Armstrong practicing backstage in 1946

American Poet Walt Whitman, 1868

Baltimore Slums, 1938

View from the Capitol in Nashville, 1864

Clint Eastwood working on his 1958 Jag XK 120 in 1960

Babe Ruth’s 1920 MLB debut

An RAF pilot getting a haircut while reading a book between missions

Joan Crawford on the set of Letty Lynton, 1932

Marilyn Monroe

1920s Australian mugshots from the New South Wales Police Dept.

W.H. Murphy testing the bulletproof vest in 1923

Unemployed Lumber Worker and His Wife 1939

Country store in July 1939 Gordonton, North Carolina

Winston Churchill, 1941

Samurai Training 1860

Albert Einstein on a Long Island beach in 1939

British Soldiers Returning from the front in 1939

Hindenburg Blimp crash

Clint Eastwood, 1962

Charles Darwin

Big Jay McNeely, Olympic Auditorium, 1953

Alfred Hitchcock

Elizabeth Taylor in 1956

Pablo Picasso

Brigadier General and actor Jimmy Stewart. Stewart flew 20 combat missions over Nazi-occupied Europe, and even flew one mission during Vietnam.

Albert Einstein, 1921

A car crash in Washington D.C. around 1921

Claude Monet in 1923

Charlie Chaplin at 27 years old in 1916

Mark Twain in 1900

Audrey Hepburn

Nazi Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels scowls at a Jewish photographer, 1933

Washington, D. C. filling station in 1924

President Lincoln with Major General McClernand and Allan Pinkerton at Antietam in 1862

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Education Photos Travel

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo Monument

Dave 2016-08-20

Drove over to Point Loma in San Diego, California today to see the Cabrillo National Monument and take some photos to document my experience. Prior to going here I knew absolutely nothing about Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo and his monument. Now I know that Cabrillo, a navigator sailing under the flag of Spain, landed at San Diego. Stepping ashore on Ballast Point, he was the first European to land on the west coast of what is now the United States of America.

Photos describing about Cabrillo and the monument:

Photos of the Cabrillo monument itself:

Photos of the view of the surrounding area:

The plaque reads:
In homage to the Spanish expedition composed of the ships San Salvador, Victoria, and San Miguel that arrived at San Diego on 28th of September 1542 under the command of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo who took possession of these lands on behalf of His Catholic Majesty Charles King of Spain opening the maritime route that led to the subsequent development of California. The Spanish Navy September 28, 2003.

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Education Thoughts

Interesting Bits of Knowledge

Dave 2016-06-28

Glass takes one million years to decompose, which means it never wears out and can be recycled an infinite amount of times!
Gold is the only metal that doesn’t rust, even if it’s buried in the ground for thousands of years.
Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end.
If you stop getting thirsty, you need to drink more water. When a human body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off.
Zero is the only number that cannot be represented by Roman numerals.
Kites were used in the American Civil War to deliver letters and newspapers.
The song, Auld Lang Syne, is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year.
Drinking water after eating reduces the acid in your mouth by 61 percent.
Peanut oil is used for cooking in submarines because it doesn’t smoke unless it’s heated above 450F.
The roar that we hear when we place a seashell next to our ear is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in the ear.
Nine out of every 10 living things live in the ocean.
The banana cannot reproduce itself. It can be propagated only by the hand of man.
Airports at higher altitudes require a longer airstrip due to lower air density.
The University of Alaska spans four time zones.
The tooth is the only part of the human body that cannot heal itself.
In ancient Greece , tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage. Catching it meant she accepted.
Warner Communications paid 28 million for the copyright to the song, “Happy Birthday.”
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
A comet’s tail always point away from the sun.
The Swine Flu vaccine in 1976 caused more death and illness than the disease it was intended to prevent.
Caffeine increases the power of aspirin and other painkillers, that is why it is found in some medicines.
The military salute is a motion that evolved from medieval times, when knights in armor raised their visors to reveal their identity.
If you get into the bottom of a well or a tall chimney and look up, you can see stars, even in the middle of the day.
When a person dies, hearing is the last sense to go. The first sense lost is sight.
In ancient times strangers shook hands to show that they were unarmed.
Strawberries are the only fruits whose seeds grow on the outside.
Avocados have the highest calories of any fruit at 167 calories per hundred grams.
The moon moves about two inches away from the Earth each year.
The Earth gets 100 tons heavier every day due to falling space dust.
Due to earth’s gravity it is impossible for mountains to be higher than 15,000 meters.
Mickey Mouse is known as “Topolino” in Italy.
Soldiers do not march in step when going across bridges because they could set up a vibration which could be sufficient to knock the bridge down.
Everything weighs one percent less at the equator.
For every extra kilogram carried on a space flight, 530 kg of excess fuel are needed at lift-off.
The letter J does not appear anywhere on the periodic table of the elements.

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Sea Life Aquarium Carlsbad, California

Dave 2016-04-01

One of the attractions as part of Legoland in Carlsbad, California is the Sea Life Aquarium. Here are some of the photos I took while I was there.

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Point Loma Nazarene University

Dave 2015-10-03

Drove over to Point Loma Nazarene University today in San Diego, California. Here are some of the photos that were taken around there. The thing that is so spectacular is the location. The university is overlooking the Pacific Ocean near the sunset cliffs. The views are just stunning and some of the architecture is neat too.

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Matsumoto Castle, Japan

Dave 2013-11-10

Went to Matsumoto Castle located in Nagano Prefecture on the Island of Honshu, Japan. This was quite the experience and it was spectacular to be able to see the castle both on the inside and out, but also the panoramic views of the mountains and the city that was built long after the castle. Some of the unique features about this castle is that when you first enter the castle the incline of the steps was at a low angle with many steps, but the higher you go the further apart the steps become and the fewer they are. Another interesting thing is that this castle is one of only two that has a moon room that was use to write poetry in. Also, this castle has a hidden floor that was use to store weapons and ammunition. I hope you enjoy the photos from the experience as much as I enjoyed the experience itself.

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Holland Michigan

Dave 2012-07-27

Traveled over to Holland, Michigan today and took some photos of the windmill and the interesting things there, here are my photos of that experience. Many people may not know it, but one of the working windmills was taken apart from Holland in the Netherlands and shipped to Holland, Michigan in the United States where it was put back together stone by stone. This was done in an agreement between the United States and the Netherlands. In turn for the agreement the United States must permit people to visit and put on tours to show how the windmills were used and share a little piece of culture from Holland. Every spring there is a tulip festival celebrated there.

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