Educate Frequently.

Monday, November 13, 2017 at 07:23:14 EST 3 Comments

Educate Frequently:

Frog on hand

 

Educate Yourself:

“Curiosity killed the cat.”
That’s a proverb based on meddling in other people’s business.
It may have been about a cat that climbed on a really high roof.

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
-Walt Disney

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
-Albert Einstein

If you think you know everything, that’s an arrogant assumption.
If you think you can’t learn or refuse to learn, change your attitude.
If you have difficulty learning, maybe because “school” was tough, but you’re still curious, you can still learn.

With all of the resources available at libraries or online, you can learn anything. Do you have a friend who works in a different field? Ask them about their job.

Make something. In 2011, I wanted to cut some plywood – problem – the saw horses were deteriorating – solution – make new saw horses.
Learn how to fix your own things, within reason. Know when you need to get a professional.

Learn how to sing. It doesn’t matter if it’s Gregorian Chants, Broadway Show Tunes, Hymns or Rock and Roll (1950’s – 1980’s preferably).

Be willing to listen to others. You may learn something.

Educate Others:

As parents, teachers or mentors, we need to encourage questions and curiosity in others.

At the age of 4, I saw a clock with Roman Numerals on it at my grandparents’ house. I asked my parents why was an “I … XII” where “1 … 12” should be. They told me with no hesitation.
Do the same for any child, adolescent or adult. Be that friend who is willing to help or give advice.

Set up a discovery area at home. That goes back to “Make Something”.
Make every trip or visit an adventure in learning.
“Are we there yet?” If you can calculate the ETA and you teach how to tell time (digital and analog), then that question will be asked less.

Be willing to speak to others. They may learn something. You may learn something as well.

This is post 2 of my alphabet posts. I will be editing this now and then. I’m getting ready for GIS Day November 15, 2017. My next post.

Act Boldly. Change Deliberately.
Educate Frequently.

Filed under Alphabet Post, Education, Philosophy

Martian Calendar

Saturday, July 1, 2017 at 17:28:53 EDT Leave a comment

For the full idea behind my version of the Mars Calendar go to the following page:
https://tedprohowichjr.com/martian-calendar/

Mars Year 34 runs from May 5, 2017 to March 22, 2019.
Below is a file that uses a combination of resources I have found on the web.
MarsYear-34_24mo_EarthUT-Sol-Ls_Prohowich

I will be adding references and other information over time.
This will include Mars Year 35, 36…

Filed under Math, Science, Tech

3.0: Act Boldly. Change Deliberately.

Saturday, July 1, 2017 at 17:05:38 EDT 4 Comments

Act Boldly. Change Deliberately.

When changing the theme for my website, I thought “make it simple like ABC.”
Well I added a “D” and thought of a phrase to go with it.

Act Boldly:
Whether you are at home, on your job or part of any organization… “Act.” – “Do.”
That’s just the first step. Expecting results from somewhere else while just sitting there doing nothing. You have talents and a lot to offer.
This made me think of “Don’t put your light under a bushel basket.”
That’s from Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) you can look at a different translation.

Change Deliberately:
“I’ve learned all that I can learn.”
“I have my view and [I’ll keep randomly spouting off that view]. If you don’t agree with me, I don’t want to hear your opinion.”
Those are cop outs.
There are times that you reach a point where something in your life is not working or producing. That’s when you need to “Change”.
That goes back to Blog 2.0 “Remember, Reflect, Change.”
Keep educating yourself. It could be technical manuals, online courses, professional development, genius hour activities, etc.
Ironically, I found a passage for “Change” right before the one for “Act.”
That’s Matthew 5:13 (NIV).

So change comes before acting…
Perhaps the phrase or slogan on my website should be read Right to Left.

Deliberately Change. Boldly Act.
Then the passage below makes more sense in order.
Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV).

Filed under Alphabet Post, Philosophy, Politics, Religion and Spirituality

Social Media Etiquette

Monday, October 26, 2015 at 21:31:08 EDT Leave a comment

To put this article in perspective, I have been on the Internet exactly for my adult life (defined at the time as starting at 18 years old).

I received 4 character alphanumeric for user ids: F4BN, F9F5 and GBB8. These were for my Fall 1988 computer course (Fortran77), for personal use and then Spring 1989 computer course (Sun Graphics) respectively. These accounts have been closed for 26 years and the server is probably in a museum.

I later learned about message boards. I remember someone posted the entire script for Star Trek: Generations. It was removed quickly (after a day or so). It has been re-posted many times since, sometimes in other countries.

Digression: That would have been the first Star Trek movie where you would see Kirk orbital skydiving. 1994 not 2009.

Originally, to post content to the Internet, you may have needed to know Unix, use an FTP program to upload files at 14,000 baud or you could post to a news group (text only).

Since that time, pictures and video have been added. There have been many browsers that made browsing the Internet easier and easier: NCSA Mosaic, Netscape, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome and others.

Now for the “Social Media Etiquette” part.

With use, there is responsibility. In 2005, I found an item on Nitcentral from November 1998 asking when Star Trek IV occurred according to the movie props. I was able to answer my own question a few months later, when I saw the glasses from Star Trek The Experience in Las Vegas, now closed. Ironically the page says that the archives are on Geocities.  I won’t link to it because they closed in 2009.  I posted observations and interests and I have had no regrets that I posted it.

I have had web pages since 1995. I have been on Twitter since 2011 with a personal / business account which is still up and running and a sarcastic account which has been deleted. I even decided to get on Facebook, however I have let it lay fallow (not planting anything) and for a time I deactivated it. In 2012, I bought a website and domain for personal and business purposes.

Some people go in a different direction.

Some are looking for an argument where none is necessary. They are trying to find an outlet for their bitterness or revenge.

Some share too much. Like every meal, personal hygiene activities, every activity while they’re on vacation – translation – we’re not home.

Remember, anything that is posted to the Internet is there forever, even if you delete it. Snapchat may be an exception.

There is some level of disconnect when posting to the Internet about someone. It goes back to this. If you have a disagreement with someone, speak to them directly. If you do not come to an agreement, bring someone with you.

If you go behind someone’s back on social media making an issue larger than it needs to be is immature. This goes back to my first line. I have been on the Internet my entire adult life.

Filed under Philosophy, Tech

Perseids August 12-13, 2015

Saturday, September 19, 2015 at 22:41:50 EDT Leave a comment

On the evening of August 12th and early morning of August 13th, I set up a lawn chair to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower.  The conditions included minimal light pollution and a clear view from 20° above the horizon to the zenith.

I could see 58 meteors over a 4 hour period. Here is the distribution by EDT local time and meteor number seen.

0:29: 1
0:30-1:07: 2-10
1:08: 11
1:15: 12
1:26: 13
1:28: 14 Zenith to SW
1:31: 15
1:32: 16
1:33: 17
1:34: 18
1:35: 19
1:49: 20
1:51: 21
1:51: 22
2:05: 23
2:06: 24
2:06: 25
2:09: 26 left smoke trail
2:11: 27
2:12: 28
2:13: 29
2:17: 30
2:18: 31
2:25: 32
2:30: 33
2:35: 34
2:45: 35
2:46: 36 bright to SE
2:47: 37 To S
2:47: 38 To S within 5 seconds
2:49: 39 Perseid in field of camera.
Condensation on lens. 😦
3:07: 40 heading West
3:07: 41 heading West
3:10: 42 to S
3:12: 43 W to E?
3:14: 44 Stationary flash
3:14: 45 E to W
3:14: 46 E to W
3:17: 47
3:26: 48 Zenith to SW. Flash big smoke trail. Best of the night
3:30: 49
3:32: 50
3:32: 51
3:33: 52
3:35: 53 E to W
3:36: 54
3:37: 55
3:44: 56 to N
3:46: 57
4:00: 58

Minuses:
I didn’t capture any Perseid Meteors with my camera on a tripod.

Pluses:
I enjoyed experimenting with exposures from 0.1 seconds to 3 minutes.
The weather was clear and 59°F to 64°F.
Watching the constellation Perseus rotate counterclockwise 60° around Polaris.
Using Twitter to keep count of the meteors. At the time it was fun, but it filled my feed with fluff. Next time I’ll use a manual 1950’s counter.
Most of all, I enjoyed seeing 58 varied meteors in quiet.

Filed under Science Tagged with ,

Remember, reflect, change

Thursday, July 16, 2015 at 22:39:50 EDT Leave a comment

Remember:
There are events that occur in your life whether self created or external. They are past of your history.

Reflect:
Think about how those events impacted you as a part of your life. You can hold on to some of those events, but some you need to let go.

Change:
Each of those events creates a new path for you.

This is the beginning of version 2.0 of my blog. I hope to add observations and reflections at regular intervals.

Filed under Philosophy

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